Blackstone Code-Chapter 629: Always a Step Behind

The crown prince stared at the newspaper, deep in thought. Why did the Federation never follow the script?

He had been eager to cooperate, practically baring himself for them, yet still failed to satisfy them.

Not only were they dissatisfied, they seemed to be working against him. He couldn’t understand—where had it gone wrong?

In truth, both the crown prince and the late king were too naïve. Despite their positions—especially the old king, who had endured the power struggle between theocracy and monarchy—they still lacked the necessary cunning.

The Federation didn’t want puppets with their own thoughts; they wanted ones they could control.

Whether it was the original Nagaryll Youth Party or its rebranded version as the National Congress, both had stepped outside the Federation’s control.

Political groups with clear agendas and independent actions were never going to be accepted. The Federation wasn’t interested in supporting one faction to counter another—they just needed obedient puppets. That’s why the old king and the crown prince had coincidentally missed the mark time and again.

The crown prince was angry, but also helpless. Still, he had a chance.

Besides mourning the deaths of the king and queen, the Federation’s papers also stated they would seek out the king’s eldest son from abroad and, in accordance with local custom, have him inherit the throne.

That was good news—this time, the crown prince wouldn’t miss his chance. He was the one to inherit everything.

There were some complications, but ultimately, everything was proceeding according to plan—he would be the one to take it all.

As he arranged the next steps—sending telegrams to announce the king’s death as a suicide, not murder by the National Congress, and instructing his men to remain undercover—he focused on survival. The Federation’s warships were already in the inner seas and could land at any moment. Preserving strength, not confrontation, was key now.

“Next, I need all of you to go underground. Once the situation stabilizes, I’ll find a way to bring you back,” the crown prince said as he put down the paper and looked at the people in the room.

These were the core members of the organization. Each regional group—whether Youth Party or National Congress—was under their command. Few people knew the real crown prince; it was impossible for everyone to recognize him.

Through these men, he controlled the entire Nagaryll network. The tight structure ensured that if one person was caught, the whole organization wouldn’t collapse.

It had worked well so far. The arrested low-level members knew little about the leadership, keeping the inner circle relatively safe.

A young man who didn’t look very trustworthy sneered, “Later? There’s still a later?”

His words were sharp, sarcastic, but also grounded in reality.

The organization had suffered blow after blow—from the Youth Party, to the rebranded National Congress, and now this latest disaster. Each hit had been devastating.

Their efforts showed no sign of success. Meanwhile, the Federation had provided better working conditions for Nagaryll citizens. Under the pull of money and comfort, people’s faith was no longer as firm.

Before, life was harsh, and people united under a common ideal because they had nothing to lose.

But now? A job could fulfill all their old dreams. For ordinary people, the organization had lost its appeal.

The crown prince responded with a measured smile, calm and confident.

He casually flipped through the newspaper and said with a half-smile, “None of us have seen the crown prince. The Federation hasn’t either…” Then, pointing at the speaker, he said, “If we all say you’re the crown prince, then in the Federation’s eyes, you are the crown prince.” 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“You’re the crown prince…” He pointed to another person, voice firm and mocking. “Then maybe you’re the crown prince.”

“If everyone could be the crown prince… then what about me?”

There was a hidden pride and smugness behind those words. No one would’ve guessed that the vanguard of the revolution against tyranny was the real crown prince. That gave him a sense of superiority, as if he saw clearly through the fog while everyone else was lost in it.

The few people in the room were stunned. He was right. No one had ever seen the crown prince. As long as someone claimed it, anyone could be him.

Some began to feel excited. If their leader became the crown prince and, with the Federation’s help, ascended to power, wouldn’t that mean they—the organization’s backbone—might become the ruling class?

At that thought, ideals and dreams couldn’t hold a candle to the allure of power. Some began to breathe faster, eyes burning as they stared at him.

The crown prince leaned back and raised his chin slightly. “Once I replace the crown prince and become the person everyone believes in, I’ll find a way to bring you into the government. Then we’ll control everything from top to bottom. At that point, we’ll have the power to negotiate with foreign powers.”

“So don’t panic. We still have a chance. Right now, we hide. When the time comes, help me build momentum. Understood?”

After giving his instructions, the crown prince dismissed everyone and quietly left the palace through a secret tunnel, boarding a ship to Iserra.

Iserra, a neutral country, didn’t attract much attention. People mostly talked about its fishing and healthcare industries; its education system was average.

He chose it for that very reason—no one would care if their classmate happened to be a prince.

It also made it easier for his stand-in to remain hidden.

The trip from Nagaryll to Iserra took just two days. And in those two days, much could change.

The Federation’s navy had already landed in Nagaryll and, using the modern transportation system, quickly reached the capital.

Armed forces from the Joint Development Company supported the navy. They easily crushed the rebel group and rescued royal family members from the so-called anti-government militia.

Yes, the National Congress was once again labeled an anti-government force, just like its predecessor, the Youth Party.

The entire operation was swift and uneventful. Any scattered resistance lasted mere minutes.

Seeing the paper report that foreigners had temporarily taken over the royal palace to protect it, the crown prince’s expression turned sour.

To him, the palace was sacred. It held deep significance—no foreigner had the right to defile it.

If he had known that under certain instructions, the Joint Development Company had taken away many historic artifacts, tools, even the throne itself—he would’ve been furious.

All of this came to a pause just as the crown prince arrived in Iserra.

He quickly reached the city where he would study abroad—a small, unremarkable place. Stepping out of the station, he bought a local newspaper. It was a habitual act—many people did this.

Wherever they went, if there was a stand, they’d buy a paper or magazine. It helped pass the time and, if necessary, could serve as a disguise.

But what shocked the crown prince was that the front-page headline was about him.His double—a Nagaryll native who bore a slight resemblance to him—appeared on the front page of the newspaper under the headline “The Prince Among Us.”

He read quickly, trying to understand what had happened, but what he discovered filled him with despair.

The Federation had arrived a day earlier, found his double, and placed him under protection.

In an unremarkable city of a neutral country, the sudden transformation of a long-time student who had never even graduated into the prince of a nation was so dramatic that it threw the locals into a frenzy.

Reports flooded in. Classmates, teachers—one after another—came forward to share what they knew about the prince. Some girls even claimed to be pregnant with the prince’s child and begged to leave with him.

Standing in the street, the real crown prince’s mind went blank as he looked at the man who once stood timidly before him, not daring to lift his head. Now, that man was on the front page, confidently smiling with pride. Did he not realize he was nothing but a damn impostor?

After a long moment, the crown prince came to his senses. This couldn’t be allowed to stand. He was stunned by the speed of the Federation, but he also had to act quickly to fix this.

If the Federation officially recognized the double as the crown prince, it would be a devastating blow.

Forget restoring the royal family—he could even lose the identity of a royal altogether.