Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 132

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While Evan secretly moved towards Bellington Fortress, three people were gathered in the Royal Bureau of Investigation’s conference room.

Cliang, Miloua, and Julian.

“Honestly, if it weren’t for the two of you, I would have opposed His Majesty heading to Bellington Fortress until the very end.”

Cliang looked displeased.

He gains psychological stability only when everything is done under a thorough plan, and he dislikes variables. Knowing this, Miloua opened her mouth with a faint smile.

“It’s a relic guarded by an 8-star guardian. We don’t know what’s there, but we can’t just let the Empire take it all, can we?”

“Are you sure the Empire noticed the relic?”

“I’m sure. Isn’t that right, Julian?”

“Yes, that’s correct. A mid-level executive at Bellington Fortress, whom we suspected of being an Imperial spy, has gone missing after Representative Bert failed to excavate the relic. It must have leaked to them.”

“It’s a dangerous relic that even Representative Bert, a 7-star knight, couldn’t handle. I’m worried something might happen to His Majesty.”

“You worry too much. He’ll definitely come back with amazing artifacts, so stop being anxious. I have a really good feeling about this, you know? I feel exactly like I did when I was about to give birth to Chloe. It makes people uneasy just looking at me.”

“Count Miloua, this is an official setting with Julian present. Please choose your words carefully.”

“I will! Count Cliang! Sir!”

“I’m fine. Please speak comfortably.”

“That’s enough, Julian. We should do as Count Cliang wishes.”

Julian shook his head at Miloua’s obviously sulky reaction.

He figured as much.

Cliang and Miloua argue three or four times a day. And the next day, they come to the palace holding hands.

It will surely be the same tomorrow.

“His Majesty has already left for the relic. There’s nothing we can do by worrying.”

“Yes, you’re right, Julian. We must do what we have to do.”

The three people’s gazes turned to the screen in the conference room.

As Miloua manipulated the magic tool, a map of the vast Hamel Empire and the Lionel Kingdom, consisting of 13 provinces, unfolded.

Julian was the first to speak.

“Among the Emperor’s descendants, the one currently wielding the most objective power is the 7th Prince, supported by the Lord of Cheongun.”

A picture of a man appeared on the screen.

The 7th Prince, with a generous impression.

“As you both know, Cheongun is known as the Empire’s granary, a land so fertile that it never suffers from famine. Historically, the Lord of Cheongun has often wielded more power than the Emperor.”

Following Julian, Miloua also pointed out the imperial descendant she considered noteworthy.

“The 11th Princess also wields power comparable to the 7th Prince. She is the granddaughter of the Lord of Hwangwon and a cherished disciple of the Master of the Ivory Tower.”

The 11th Princess’s picture appeared in Hwangwon, directly above the Imperial Capital.

A beauty with a sharp impression.

Cliang, who had been looking at the pictures of the 7th Prince and the 11th Princess, nodded.

“Anyone would think that those two are the most ahead. However, we must also keep a close eye on the 1st Prince. The fact that he has survived as the 1st Prince past the age of fifty means that he is also a special human being. He must be hiding something.”

A picture of a benevolent man with a smiling face appeared from the Imperial Capital.

“The 7th Prince, the 11th Princess, and the 1st Prince. No one would disagree that these three are the closest to succeeding the throne.”

After Julian finished speaking, the brains of the Lionel Kingdom stared at the screen in silence for a moment.

Cliang broke the silence.

“Although his power is insignificant, we can’t leave out the one with the most outstanding innate abilities, can we?”

“That’s… right? It gives me chills to think that no one would have known about his hidden fangs if it weren’t for His Majesty.”

Miloua shuddered slightly as she manipulated the magic tool.

A picture of a blonde handsome man was placed in Nokwon, the region within the Hamel Empire that faces the most discrimination.

The 19th Prince, Charles Han Hamel.

“If he had a solid support base, it would have been decided long ago that he would be the next to inherit the throne.”

“That’s right. No matter how many troops the Hamel Empire has, 8-star knights are a different story. There are officially less than ten of them.”

“Frankly, his chances of inheriting the throne are hopeless. He has already earned the hatred of the Emperor and his close aides for hiding his true abilities.”

“There are probably many ministers who would rather commit suicide than be ruled by him, the son of a concubine from Nokwon.”

“The people of Nokwon were the accomplices of the demons…”

Cliang muttered quietly.

Long before the Hamel Empire was founded, Nokwon was known as the region where the betrayers of humanity, who had helped the demons and led the way in raising humans, fought to the very end.

“It’s a funny story. Whether it’s true or not, the source is unclear. Personally, I agree with the theory that the Hamel imperial family branded it as a region where exceptionally outstanding humans are born to an almost bizarre degree.”

The three people stared at Charles’s picture on the screen in silence for a moment.

This time, it was Cliang who broke the silence.

“As Julian said, his chances of inheriting the throne are hopeless. If he had revealed his hidden abilities all at once and dealt with the other competitors in an instant, the story would have been different, but His Majesty revealed his secret to the world.”

“The fact that His Majesty is paying attention to him is why that man was chosen alongside the other three. His Majesty said it a while ago. He had a dream about the disaster that would befall the kingdom. He didn’t tell us the details, but I’m sure the Emperor of the Hamel Empire in His Majesty’s dream was the 19th Prince.”

“That’s right. I think the reason why he held a friendly match against the Black Knights during the Crown Prince’s enthronement ceremony was to be wary of him.”

“Julian, you said objectively that the 7th Prince has the highest probability of inheriting the throne, right? Then, subjectively, who do you think it is?”

At Cliang’s question, Julian smiled faintly.

“Three years ago, His Majesty’s situation was far worse than the 19th Prince’s. But in the end, he sat on the throne. Charles, if he is truly the last disaster in His Majesty’s dream, I don’t think he will collapse like this.”

“I agree. Look at how he keeps coming back to life from the missions the Emperor sent him to die. I have a ‘feeling’ that he will eventually sit on the Emperor’s throne. What does Count Cliang think?”

“Does that require an answer?”

Miloua chuckled at Cliang’s words.

“Then shall we create a scenario today in the direction of the 19th Prince ascending to the throne?”

“Yes, I’ll start first. When the Emperor of the Hamel Empire is on the verge of death, our top priority should be the movement of troops to the north.”

On the screen, the kingdom’s main forces were all deployed to the northwestern border.

“According to His Majesty’s prediction, the Emperor’s death will be within the next half year. That means winter. I can think of two ways to move troops without the Empire noticing.”

Miloua, who manipulated the magic tool to make it snow on the map, opened her mouth.

“Shall I tell you one? His Majesty helped the elves and was granted permission to use the Root Path only once. If it’s the Root Path that can move anywhere there is a branch of the World Tree, it’s possible to move to the north without them noticing at all. It would have been better if it was possible to move to other countries as well.”

Miloua smacked her lips as if she was really disappointed.

“His Majesty is the first human to be granted permission to use the Root Path, even with the condition that it’s within the country. Just by moving our troops to the vicinity of the northwestern border, the elves will be firmly at odds with the Hamel Empire.”

“The elves have always had the worst relationship with the Hamel Empire, so it’s okay. Anyway, to use the Root Path, the troops must first be gathered near the Mairton Territory in the west. Can we avoid the eyes of the Dongmak bastards who have been protecting the Empire for over a thousand years? What do you think, Julian?”

“There is a way to use the monsters of the Belkas Mountains. We would have to stage an unusual large-scale appearance of monsters. It’s an area where it’s difficult to find a connection with the Hamel Empire’s border, so even Dongmak wouldn’t notice it easily.”

Miloua, who was manipulating the magic tool to move the troops to the west, paused for a moment.

“But honestly, isn’t it too wasteful to use the Root Path?”

“Hmm… yes, it is wasteful.”

“I think so too. There will definitely be a moment when the Root Path can be used much more usefully than regaining the northwest this time.”

“Okay, then let’s exclude the method of using the Root Path.”

Miloua manipulated the magic tool to cancel the troops that were being moved to the west and moved them back to the north.

‘I’m not going to be able to go home today either.’

Her infant daughter, Chloe, came to mind.

She felt sorry for not being able to hold her much because she had capable parents.

She looked at Bellington Fortress marked on the map.

‘Your Majesty, we are working so hard. So you must bring something nice from the ruins.’

***

It felt like time had stopped.

As soon as that thought occurred to me, I hurriedly turned my head to the side. None of the group who had been right next to me a moment ago were there.

Ticking, ticking.

The sound of clocks all around.

‘Damn it, am I trapped?’

It seemed like I had been dragged into the guardian’s mental realm without noticing.

I opened my mouth towards the guardian standing in front of me.

“Didn’t you ask if I came to undergo the trial? I don’t think I’ve answered yet.”

“Transmitting thoughts is difficult even for me, Successor. I apologize if it was unpleasant.”

The guardian answered immediately.

I understood what he meant.

Transmitting one’s thoughts into the other person’s head is difficult even for an 8-star mage, but the guardian was obviously a knight type.

“I accept the apology. It doesn’t seem like a good story for others to hear. So… what should I call you?”

“Call me as you please.”

“Then I’ll keep calling you ‘you’. So how do you know that my clock has been rewound? And I’m seeing you for the first time today. A promised trial?”

The guardian’s mouth did not open.

Were there too many questions?

He apologized and answered the questions, so he seemed to have a self-awareness comparable to a human… Just as I was about to ask the question again, I heard the guardian’s voice.

“I’m sorry. It took time to receive the will of that person. First, I will answer the first question. It is because the one I serve is the one who rewound your clock.”

As soon as I heard the guardian’s answer, I was certain that this was a relic of God.

He even turned back time.

It was a miracle that even the highest god of the Pantheon could do.

“Next, it is true that you are seeing me for the first time today.”

I was dumbfounded.

“That doesn’t make sense. It’s the first time I’ve seen you, but it’s a promised trial.”

“Your people promised.”

My eyes twitched.

I didn’t understand well.

“It’s faster to see and hear directly than to hear explanations.”

Ticking, ticking, ticking.

The sound of clocks all around grew louder, and consciousness was cut off for a moment.

When I came to my senses, it felt like only my soul had escaped from my body and was floating in the air.

“Haa… haa…”

I looked down at the sound of someone gasping for breath. It was the place where I had been talking to the guardian until just now.

Austin, with his mask broken and one arm and one leg missing, was gritting his teeth and glaring at the guardian.

As soon as I saw him, I knew.

It’s Austin from the ‘future’.

The face inside the mask was more beautiful than I thought.

I wondered where he had gone during the Hamel Empire’s last invasion, but was he dying here?

“You have neither passed the trial nor surpassed me.”

“Servant of Danar, the guardian deity of Lionel! Is it truly okay for the kingdom to perish like this!”

Austin shouted, spitting blood.

‘Danar? The guardian deity of Lionel?’

My eyes narrowed at the existence I had never heard of before.

“Servant of Danar! If it’s His Majesty! If it’s His Majesty Evan, he will surely be able to pass the trial. Please! Please give me the time to guide him here!”

… It seems that Austin had been selling my name while I was fighting against the Hamel Empire’s invasion.

Is this similar to a situation where I have to pay off a debt because of a guarantee that I didn’t even sign up for?

For now, I decided to put the questions aside and focus on the situation unfolding before my eyes.