Spiral of Madness: Ascension of the Villainous Dragon Prince-Chapter 141: Thalor Vex [1] — Skinwalker

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Thalor Vex, heir of the Vex Family, was a young purple-haired half-dark-elf man born nineteen years ago in the Kingdom of Frostbane. Since childhood, Thalor had admired Queen Benladra and the Dragons of Yggdrasil. Born to a father who served the Queen, he took great pride in being the heir of the Vex Family, owners of the Magician Tower—the largest magician organization in Frostbane, which trained and raised mages destined to defend and protect the kingdom.

However, things eventually began to change. Queen Benladra fell gravely ill, then slipped into unconsciousness. Countless people, including many magicians, perished in a devastating attack by a powerful Grievance that tried to engulf the entire Frostbane Kingdom in its Fantasy Field. Queen Benladra managed to repel it, but the effort left her terribly wounded, a Curse carved deep into her soul. To preserve her life, she was forced into an eternal slumber, while her husband spent years desperately searching for a cure.

The Queen’s slumber plunged politics and governance into stagnation. King Gustaf proved a wretched ruler, perpetually absent and ineffective. Many responsibilities fell to the nobles, breeding years of turmoil and confusion. Yet Prince Louis offered a glimmer of hope—a promising young man who might one day seize the reins and rule far better than his father.

That hope, too, crumbled into bitter disappointment. Unable to transform into a dragon or wield psychic powers like his parents, Prince Louis was neither Dragon nor Esper despite his lineage. He possessed no strength to safeguard the kingdom and clung to his position solely through blood ties. He lacked talent, charisma, and discipline; instead he was widely reviled as the mad prince. He mistreated his subordinates, squandered fortunes on alcohol and drugs, and spent his days lazing about, utterly unmotivated.

His father did almost nothing to rein him in. Prince Louis grew increasingly dangerous. He would stroll the streets, sending people scurrying to hide in fear. When someone caught his eye, he forced them to become his personal jester, compelling them to caper and clown for his amusement. If they failed to entertain him, he slapped them and had them thrown into prison—though they were usually released days later.

Restaurant and tavern owners who defied his whims soon found their businesses shuttered. Citizens who failed to smile and greet him warmly were made to prostrate themselves in the dirt. He always traveled with two or more knights who served as his personal thugs and bodyguards.

Prince Louis was truly a despicable, repulsive man who did not deserve his title. Rumors swirled that he had murdered those he disliked or tortured them within his castle. Even darker, more vicious tales spread among those eager to ruin him further—accusations that he had impregnated several women and abandoned the children. All of them false yet carefully fabricated to blacken his name beyond repair.

Still, Thalor and the Vex Family remained loyal to the crown. They clung to the faint hope that, with enough discipline and guidance, Prince Louis could be reformed. They were already planning a visit to the castle to speak with him directly—perhaps even to invite him to the Magician Academy in hopes of awakening some hidden magical talent.

That fragile hope shattered the instant news arrived of Louis’ death.

Alongside the report came the horrifying truth: Thalor had stabbed his own father in the neck.

"T-Tha... Thalor?!"

In the wake of Louis’ death at the hands of the Vultarn High Dominion, Thalor Vex had coldly murdered his father with a knife etched in anti-magic runes, rendering the older man utterly powerless.

His son stared down at him with an expressionless face, calmly revealing the truth.

"Lord Louis’ death was long in the planning, Father—one that has finally borne fruit. You are no longer necessary. Please rest forever and trouble me no more. The Vultarn High Dominion is coming. We will claim this country as our own."

"E-Eh? Ugh...! W-Wha...! What are you...?! You’re not... my son...!"

"You realized too late, old man."

"T-Tha... lor... what... did you do... to him...?!"

Thalor gazed down with icy, emotionless eyes. Then his usually blank face twisted into a vicious, predatory smile.

"I ate him."

"Ahhh! Aaahhhhh!"

Thus Thalor confessed his secret to his father alone, sharing it with no one else afterward. Soon he met with the nobles, claiming the title of Vex Family heir following his father’s "assassination."

Not long after, with aid from several Vultarn High Dominion commanders, he manipulated the nobles into open rebellion. He bound their Hearts to his own, forging them into a single, terrifyingly powerful force.

The nobles of Frostbane were formidable warriors and magicians in their own right—all born of Yggdrasil and direct subordinates of Goddess Benladra. Overpowering the Frost Knights, VPI Agents, and other defenders proved disturbingly easy.

After seizing the Frozen Walls, Thalor ordered them opened. Elves from Emerald Grove swiftly delivered a Fantasy Field Fragment and unleashed it upon Nameless Street, intent on slaughtering the "filth" outside while sowing even greater panic.

At the same moment, soldiers and commanders of the Vultarn High Dominion poured into the capital. They seized control by force, terrorizing civilians and swiftly apprehending—or eliminating—anyone who dared resist.

However, how were Thalor and his allies able to hold Gustaf and Helena, two of the strongest Espers in the entire world, long enough to forcibly seize half the VPI and unleash the contained Entities to spread even greater chaos?

The answer was simple.

Spiralwalkers.

"Hm, how long do you plan to keep resisting, King Gustaf? You’ve already lost. Your entire kingdom is crumbling. Your capital burns, your knights lie dead, your agents have been eliminated, and anyone who might have helped was either slaughtered by the Entities and my Commanders or too occupied elsewhere."

Gustaf and Helena stood before him, their Psychic Powers surging in brilliant auras that shielded Benladra’s Divine Realm with everything they had left.

Thalor laughed mockingly at their struggle; they were pouring so much strength into the barrier that they could barely move.

"It’s your own fault, honestly, for spreading your forces too thin across the world... Hahah."