The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 909 The Concerns of Many

"Still not found?"

Ragan frowned.

"How is that possible? Have you searched everywhere?"

Orion bowed his head respectfully.

"We've searched every corner of the empire, Your Majesty. Even the border regions were thoroughly investigated. I deployed the Phantom Chain and several intelligence units, but they still haven't found Prince Nolan."

Orion's report made Ragan's frown deepen.

"Where did that boy go? Was Elina right when she said Nolan was impossible to find?"

According to Lyra, Nolan was last seen in the Calvron Forest.

Ragan had already sent Draco, Lyra, and Cassiopeia to search every inch of the forest, but they came back empty-handed.

Nolan was nowhere to be found.

"Damn it!"

He slammed his fist onto the desk, the loud bang making Orion flinch.

"How could this happen?"

Ragan rubbed his aching temples. He wasn't looking for Nolan just to scold him—he was genuinely worried about his safety.

After all, Nolan was the prince of the empire.

What would the people think if they found out about this?

Ragan waved his hand and ordered, "Expand the search to the neighboring kingdoms. If necessary, send envoys to the Kingdom of Kaldarion in the north and even the kingdoms beyond it. I want results within one month!"

Orion let out a long sigh, unable to hide the helplessness on his face.

He wasn't sure whether he could complete the mission.

But now that Ragan had given the order, he had no choice but to obey.

"As you command, Your Majesty."

His body dissolved into smoke and vanished from sight.

Ragan leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

"Why did that boy leave without saying a word? Was he afraid I'd scold him?"

But he didn't believe it was that simple. He knew Nolan well.

The boy had never been afraid of him, not even as a child. Even when Ragan punished him, Nolan always accepted it as though it were nothing unusual.

There was no way he would disappear simply because he was afraid of being scolded.

"Hah…" Ragan sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That kid really is... a handful."

…

"Nolan has gone missing?"

Evalyn, who was in the middle of eating, froze in shock at her father's words.

Sitting across from her, Luke nodded as he took a bite of his grilled drumstick.

"I heard it directly from His Majesty. Prince Nolan has been missing for two months now, and there's still no sign of him."

Tessia frowned. As she poured water into Luke's glass, she asked in surprise, "How is that possible? Did His Highness Nolan really just disappear? It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't understand it either." Luke gave a wry smile. "According to my subordinates, Prince Nolan simply vanished. Princess Elina confirmed it herself. She said Prince Nolan had been planning to leave ever since Prince Cedric's trial two months ago."

He chewed his food for a moment before swallowing it.

"At first, His Majesty Ragan thought Prince Nolan had simply gone somewhere far away. But that wasn't the case. He has completely vanished. The Phantom Chain and the Phantom Guard have searched every corner of the four main regions, yet they still haven't found him."

Luke let out a long sigh before looking at Evalyn, whose face had turned pale.

"To expand the search, His Majesty has requested the Lionheart and Asbourne families to assist in finding Prince Nolan."

Evalyn gasped. She set down her fork and knife, then looked straight into Luke's eyes.

"Father, may I lead the search?"

Luke let out a soft chuckle.

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

He gave a slight nod as he took a bite of the stir-fried beef on his fork.

"I'll leave this task to you. Take as many people as you need. I won't stop you."

Evalyn clenched her fists in excitement. At the same time, however, she couldn't help but grumble, "Where did that smelly guy go? Did he really go to another continent?"

That was the only explanation she could think of.

She decided she needed to meet with Elina and Rafine.

The two of them most likely knew something about Nolan's disappearance.

…

The Eastern Izanagi Empire, the Imperial Palace…

"Kaede, have you heard any news from your sister?"

Kaede was slightly startled by her father's question. She closed her book and gave a small nod.

"I have, Father. But I still don't understand how Nolan could have just disappeared like that. Do you have any idea what happened?"

Ryuuten took a sip of his tea, enjoying its refreshing taste before answering in a calm voice.

"I don't know either. Yuuki said Nolan left exactly two months ago. Before leaving, he told Elina not to look for him. The Great Velmora Empire has carried out a massive search, but they still haven't been able to find him."

He stared into the tea in his cup, his expression growing serious.

Nolan's disappearance was a matter that couldn't be ignored.

To be honest, Ryuuten had grown very fond of his grandson. Nolan was incredibly smart and knowledgeable.

More importantly, he knew when to be serious and when to lighten up.

They had talked many times about the Eastern Empire of Izanagi, from politics to economy.

Nolan often came up with ideas that were far ahead of their time, and every conversation left Ryuuten to see things from a new perspective.

One of Nolan's biggest suggestions was to make the empire's financial system more transparent.

He also suggested involving the public in the empire's development by establishing an investment system.

That way, the people would be far less likely to rebel, since the development of the capital and other cities would be funded by their own investments.

In return, the people would receive a share of the profits based on the amount they invested.

After that conversation, Ryuuten desperately wanted Nolan to inherit the title of Eastern Emperor.

Unfortunately, he never had the chance to tell him.

And now, his beloved grandson had simply vanished.

How could he not be worried?

Kaede frowned before rising to her feet, determination shining in her eyes.

"Father, let me handle this. I'll mobilize the empire's forces to search for Nolan."

Ryuuten didn't object. He was already too old to continue managing the empire.

However, he was still patient enough to wait for Yuuki to return and inherit the throne.

Even if his stubborn daughter refused, there were still Nolan and Elina.

In any case, he had no shortage of successors, so he wasn't worried about dying on the throne.

"By the way, Kaede, I've received word that the three clans are starting to grow impatient," Ryuuten said coldly.

"Oh?" Kaede was slightly surprised before a faint, meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

"Are you planning to move against them now, Father?"

Ryuuten shook his head and took another sip of tea.

"No... Not yet. The time hasn't come."

A sly smile spread across his face.

"I've already set the stage. Now all we have to do is wait for the prey to walk into the trap. Once they do... there's only one option left."

He let out a cold chuckle.

"…Wipe them out."