The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 884 Next Target

"What do you want?" Jorgan asked, trying to hide his irritation.

"I need your help again."

Nolan pulled out a document containing evidence of the Malvain family's crimes and handed it to Jorgan.

"Take this. I want the Phantom Chain to move against the Malvain family."

Jorgan took the document, opened it, and started reading.

A few minutes later, his face turned pale, and his breathing grew heavier.

"Y-Your Highness... are you sure?" he asked, swallowing hard. "If this gets out, the Malvain family will be in serious trouble. You know that, right?"

The document contained evidence of countless crimes committed by the Malvain family, and none of them were minor.

It detailed corruption, the oppression of numerous noble families in the southern region, and many other serious offenses.

It wasn't enough to bring down the entire Malvain family, but it was more than enough to shake the family to its core and drag Jason into legal trouble.

The news of Cedric's arrest was still spreading across the empire. If this evidence surfaced now, Jorgan couldn't even imagine the chaos that would follow.

"I'm sure. I've already thought it through," Nolan replied calmly, crossing his legs. "Besides, there's no room for negotiation. Isn't it your duty to act when the empire is threatened?"

The corner of Jorgan's mouth twitched, but he had no way to refute that.

The Phantom Chain wasn't just responsible for monitoring external threats.

The Emperor had also established it to investigate noble families involved in criminal activities.

But until now Jorgan had always thought that crimes such as corruption, abuse of power and similar offenses were within a tolerable range.

That was why he had deliberately kept it from Ragan.

But now, Nolan wanted to use that evidence against the Malvain family, and it was giving Jorgan a massive headache.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Jorgan spoke earnestly.

"Your Highness, could you please show a little restraint? I mean... because of what happened with Prince Cedric this morning, I already had to send the Phantom Guard to arrest him. Do you have any idea how terrified I was?"

He rubbed his throbbing temples.

"The palace is already under lockdown, and I don't even know how I'm supposed to face His Majesty afterward. And now you want me to go after Jason Malvain too? You're practically asking me to kill myself!"

Jason Malvain was a duke. His status was far higher than Cedric's, and arresting him was a completely different matter.

Cedric had been caught with evidence linking him to Jakes's illegal operation, giving the Phantom Guard the authority to arrest him.

Jason, on the other hand, was implicated in corruption and abuse of power.

Cases like those didn't fall under the Phantom Guard's jurisdiction. They could only be handled directly by the Emperor.

"Who said I wanted you to arrest Jason?"

Nolan's question left Jorgan speechless.

"What do you mean? Didn't you tell me to take action?"

"I did. But that's not what I meant."

Nolan rolled his eyes.

"I want you to use the Phantom Chain's network to spread this evidence across the empire—including every city in the southern region. That's all. Nothing else."

Relief washed over Jorgan.

Compared to arresting Jason, this was a much easier task.

"I understand." Jorgan let out a resigned sigh.

But a moment later, his body tensed, and he swallowed hard.

"But, Your Highness... the consequences will be serious, won't they? His Majesty Ragan is definitely going to scold me over this."

"Don't worry about it. I'll take responsibility. Just do it."

Nolan casually waved his hand.

He wasn't that reckless. If there was anyone who understood Ragan best, Nolan was undoubtedly one of them.

The battle for the throne had reached a deadlock.

Whether it was Aldric, Cedric, Adalen, or Elina, none of them had made any bold moves against the others.

It was understandable. The four candidates were keeping each other in check.

Aldric, Cedric, and Adalen all wanted to eliminate Elina from the race for the throne. But the Singularity of Chaos backing her made them think twice before making a move.

Elina, on the other hand, wasn't willing to act either because she still relied heavily on her brother, Nolan.

The same was true for Aldric, Cedric, and Adalen. None of them could afford to attack one another. If one of them fell, Elina's already strong position would only become even more secure.

Nolan wasn't creating chaos just for his own amusement. He wanted to use it as a spark to set the battle for the throne ablaze.

He was certain Ragan thought the same way.

After all, they were father and son.

"Since you put it that way, I'll do it," Jorgan said, sounding much more relaxed.

"Do it in two days. Everyone's still reeling from Cedric's arrest. And remember..."

Nolan's expression turned serious.

"Once you do it, make sure the rumors spread faster than the news of Cedric's arrest. Got it?"

Jorgan rolled his eyes and replied half-heartedly, "Yeah, yeah. I got it."

Nolan nodded in satisfaction. He stood up and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped.

Reaching into his pocket, he tossed a golden card onto the table.

"For you."

Jorgan picked it up and examined it curiously.

"What's this?"

"A week's worth of free meals at Dragon's Tears. Consider it a gift."

Jorgan froze. He had wanted to eat at that restaurant for a long time.

Unfortunately, even a single dish cost nearly half his monthly salary. Now, he finally had the chance to eat there as much as he wanted.

"Hahaha! Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness!"

Jorgan let out a hearty laugh as he slipped the golden card into his pocket.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything in two days. The Malvain family is about to have a very bad time... hehehe..."

A mischievous grin spread across his face.

Nolan didn't respond. He simply waved a hand before turning around and walking away.

…

"Seriously? You want to throw the Malvain family into chaos?"

Malverna could hardly believe what she had just heard.

Nolan had just sent Cedric to prison, putting him directly at odds with Prime Minister Roswell.

And now, he wanted to target the Malvain family as well. That was practically suicide, since it meant making two powerful enemies at once.

Nolan leaned back against the headboard, casually sipping his wine while idly wiggling his toes.

"Don't worry. Besides, I'm not the one who'll bear the consequences—Elina is."

Malverna: "..."

The corner of her mouth twitched. This was even worse than she'd imagined.

Still, she was beginning to understand what Nolan was planning.

"So, you're trying to make both sides hate Elina?" she asked.

Nolan nodded.

"Something like that."

He gently swirled the wine in his glass, his gaze fixed on the crimson liquid.

"Elina has relied on me for far too long. She can handle some situations on her own, but that's still not enough. So I deliberately set the stage for her. Whether she succeeds or not..."

He took another sip of wine before slowly closing his eyes.

"...depends entirely on her."