Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 139

<139>

There’s no guarantee that a person who committed a crime in the ‘future’ won’t do the same thing again.

In fact, many corrupt officials involved in various irregularities in the ‘future’ are now working diligently for the kingdom’s development in various administrative departments.

I believe their lives have changed because the environment around them has changed. That’s why the leader of a nation is important.

But.

There are also many who repeat the same actions.

You don’t have to look far.

Traitorous Second Prince and Duke Weiss.

Radwan, who used the kingdom’s people as his test subjects.

And other famous criminals.

The worse a person’s actions were in the ‘future,’ the more likely they are to repeat the same crimes.

An innate nature given from birth?

A mutation that goes against society?

I don’t know the reason. I’m not a philosopher exploring human nature, and I don’t want to think too deeply about it.

The important thing is.

‘There’s no need to leave behind any future troubles.’

Orhan might live a life as a noble warrior this time, unlike in the ‘future.’

But what if he doesn’t?

If he were a knight of the kingdom, I could at least keep a close watch on him. I’m scheduled to return to the kingdom by tomorrow at the latest.

Abandon Orhan with the belief of a saint that he might make different choices than in the ‘future?’

The fact that I, Lionel’s king, am visiting Nurgal as a precious guest is a top secret known only to a few of the Noya tribe’s great warriors who were in charge of guiding me.

What if that bastard leaks that information to Dongmak, Hamel Empire’s intelligence agency?

I didn’t even want to imagine the aftermath.

‘How do I deal with him?’

My face naturally frowned.

I wanted to get rid of Orhan, but I couldn’t easily think of a clean way to handle it and leave.

I couldn’t just kill a guy in the middle of the Noya tribe’s village who hasn’t done anything yet.

It would be ridiculous to warn Nurgal in advance that he would covet Ranua.

He would think I spent the night with Ranua, indulging in sensual pleasures. He might think I’m a fool who fell head over heels for her in just one day.

‘Is that the only option for now?’

***

Rustle, rustle.

Ranua woke up to the sound of someone carving wood.

She felt a cozy blanket covering her. She moved her hand slightly to check her attire.

‘Really, nothing happened!’

Along with relief, a sense of emptiness washed over her.

-Ranua, marry the King of Lionel. He seems like a better guy than anyone who asked me for you.

She knew that a day like yesterday would come someday.

It was only delayed because she had the qualities of a warrior. If not, she would have been sold off to marriage like other women of the Khan tribe right after her coming-of-age ceremony.

There are no rights without obligations.

As the daughter of the tribal chief, she had enjoyed many benefits.

Ranua had never thought that she would marry a man she desired, like the typical female warriors of the tribe.

Still, now that the situation had arrived, her heart was in turmoil…….

Ranua slightly opened her eyes and looked at Evan.

Rustle, rustle, he was sitting at the table, busily moving his hands, deeply focused.

His appearance was completely different from the burly men of the tribe. Her heart fluttered at the sight of his profile as he was engrossed in his work.

Ranua usually hated men secretly stealing glances at her. But now, she was doing the same thing.

How long had it been?

Evan’s hand, which had been working, stopped. He turned his head and looked at her.

Ranua quickly closed her eyes again.

((Ranua, could you come here for a moment? Oh, and please wear your cape.))

Evan seemed to have known all along that she was awake.

Ranua’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she draped the cape hanging on the edge of the bed around her and approached him with demure steps.

((Would you like to try this on?))

Evan handed her a thin chain bracelet.

((What is this?))

((It’s a gift. If anything dangerous happens, break the red gem on the bracelet. No matter how urgent the situation, you can do that much, right?))

Ranua looked at the gem decorating the bracelet. It was small, about the size of a fingernail, with fine lines etched into it.

‘Was he carving this?’

She felt happy at the thought that Evan had been working hard since dawn to make a gift for her.

((What happens if I break the gem?))

((A handsome prince will appear and save you.))

A meaningless statement.

‘Should I care?’

It seemed unlikely she would ever need to use it.

She herself was a skilled warrior.

She could skillfully hunt even the dangerous magical beasts of the plains. The only thing that bothered her was that she had never truly fought a person outside of sparring.

It was hard to imagine any danger befalling her in this Noya tribe, where the tribal chief was standing firm.

So, this bracelet was purely Evan’s gesture.

As he had said yesterday, it was like a token that he would marry her when the alliance between the Khan tribe and the kingdom was revealed to the world.

Ranua caressed the bracelet with a flushed face.

***

I moved busily since dawn.

After crafting magical tools so that I could quickly respond when Ranua was in danger, it was already breakfast time.

I visited Nurgal with Julian.

After having breakfast with him, accompanied by Shurgal and the tribe’s shaman, we had a detailed discussion about the alliance.

The amount of food to support the Khan tribe, the cooperation system after the alliance is revealed, who to share the secret alliance with, and other miscellaneous matters.

The stories could have dragged on for days if we had insisted on our respective positions, but we were able to finish it earlier than expected.

This was because Nurgal decided to coordinate the details as soon as he finished meeting with the other tribe leaders to persuade them.

((Then, I will meet the envoy to convey the message and return to the kingdom immediately.))

((I should have held a big welcoming party, but I’m sorry.))

((It’s alright. It’s not good for any rumors to spread that the kingdom visited the Noya tribe.))

((Don’t worry. I will order those who know your identity to keep their mouths shut. Khan warriors never speak carelessly.))

I smiled awkwardly.

I couldn’t tell him to keep a special eye on Orhan when he said that.

((I met Ranua during a short break earlier. She was wearing a bracelet I hadn’t seen before. She seemed to like it quite a bit. Both the gift and you. I almost told her to go with you right away. Hahaha.))

Nurgal laughed heartily.

The alliance between the Lionel Kingdom and the Khan tribe must never leak until the moment we turn our backs on each other at Bellington Fortress. I can’t take Ranua with me right now.

((You don’t have to see me off. Please send me off like a passing guest.))

((I understand. Let’s look forward to the next time.))

I bowed my head and left Nurgal’s ger [a traditional Mongolian round tent].

Julian, who had gone out earlier, was waiting.

I asked the Khan tribe’s guide to lead us to Lucas’s ger and moved my feet.

“Is your conversation with the tribal chief over?”

Julian’s eyes were full of curiosity. He seemed curious about what kind of conversation I had with Nurgal after sending him out first.

“We didn’t talk about anything particularly important. I just urged him to make sure that the fact that we visited never leaks out.”

“Is that so? I don’t think you need to worry too much. Even Dongmak, one of the world’s top intelligence organizations, would have a hard time knowing what happened within the Noya tribe.”

Honestly, it’s not easy to distinguish between the races of Hamel, Lionel, and Arya. There are many intertwined affairs, so the blood is quite mixed.

The Khan tribe is different.

Anyone can tell that they are a different race.

It is nearly impossible to know the information inside the Khan tribe due to external intrusion.

“But things change if there is an internal traitor.”

I spoke so quietly that the guide leading us wouldn’t be able to hear. He wouldn’t understand Lionel, but just in case.

“Do you have someone you suspect?”

Julian’s voice also became smaller.

“The great warrior who visited my ger in the early morning.”

“Ah! Are you talking about that great warrior with the yellow teeth?”

“I heard he’s been openly saying that she will be his wife.”

“You must have had a lot of conversations with her last night.”

Julian wore a faint smile.

What does that mean?

It bothered me.

Just as I was about to ask about his intentions, the guide’s steps stopped.

((It’s over there.))

I had Julian and the guide wait at the entrance for a moment and went in alone.

“Yo, long time no see.”

Lucas, who had thrown away his mask somewhere, waved his hand from the bed, revealing his face.

“Are you alright?”

“I can barely get up. It’s absolutely impossible to return to duty.”

“I heard you were recognized by Shurgal?”

The circumstances of Lucas meeting Nurgal were simple.

He kidnapped a Khan tribe member who could speak Hamel Empire language and headed straight to the Noya tribe.

Of course, he encountered the Noya tribe’s warriors along the way, but they were no match for Lucas, who was at the Great Warrior level.

He beat them all up.

Without a single casualty.

As he was beating up the warriors and advancing, Nurgal’s younger brother, Shurgal, appeared.

Of course, he was no match either.

“Hehe, after seeing the sword you wielded against the Empire’s 19th prince during the coronation ceremony, I created my own secret technique.”

He broke Shurgal’s axe.

But, only up to that point.

He was beaten to a pulp by Shurgal’s bare hands. Almost to the point of death.

Lucas stammered in awkward Khan language that he would meet the tribal chief even if he died, and Shurgal spared him.

He thought he was a man too precious to kill?

Anyway, after many twists and turns, he succeeded in delivering the message I had conveyed to Nurgal.

Hmm…….

But he still can’t move.

“As a reward for your hard work, I was going to take you back to the kingdom for a vacation, but it’s a shame. Stay here and return to your original mission as soon as you recover.”

“Oof!”

Lucas jumped up from the bed.

“You should have said so sooner. Can I pack my bags now?”

As expected.

Even if his bones are broken, a 6-star knight has the recovery power to wield a sword again in three or four days.

“I was just kidding.”

Lucas had a look of despair on his face at my words.

I felt the need to boost his morale.

“I will definitely make sure you get a vacation.”

“Ugh…… To think I have to spend time with those guys who keep talking about a republic, a republic……”

He wasn’t listening to me.

Lucas, who was born as a prince and lived to become a king, can never sympathize with the ideologies of the republicans active in the Ellenveira region.

Associating with people with different ideologies seemed to inflict unimaginable pain on him. Well, for me too, work being hard is a hundred or a thousand times better than people being difficult.

“You can put your existing mission on hold for a while.”

“Really?”

Lucas’s eyes regained their vitality.

“Instead, you have a new job to do in the Noya tribe.”

“Here?”

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s better than I thought. There are a few people who know the Hamel Empire language, so there are no problems with communication. So, what do I have to do?”

I briefly told him about the alliance with the Khan tribe.

His expression became serious at the important story.

“So, you want me to stay and act as a bridge between the Khan tribe and the kingdom?”

“That’s right. And if the Khan tribe shows any suspicious movements, please let me know immediately.”

It’s a dangerous mission.

The moment the Khan tribe has a change of heart, Lucas’s life is as good as gone.

“Okay, trust me. I’ll take some of the burden off our King.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that if regular contact didn’t come, it would be assumed that the Khan tribe had betrayed us.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. Give me a big vacation when you recapture the northwest part of the kingdom.”

“I’ll give you twice as much as I initially thought. Ah! And there’s one more favor I have to ask.”

“Again?”

“That… I have to marry the tribal chief’s daughter.”

“Oh, so it’s your second wife already? You’re quite capable. This older brother is with guys who talk about a republic all day long in a place far away from the north of the kingdom. The tribal chief’s daughter, right? I saw her briefly, and she was a beauty. I’m jealous, so jealous.”

“That’s how it is. You know very well that there are times when a king has to marry even if he doesn’t want to.”

Lucas just smiled without answering.

It was a bit long to explain in detail, so I told him a roughly fabricated story.

“Anyway, the important thing is that there seems to be someone who is obsessed with her.”

“Oh, a love triangle? Who is it?”

Lucas showed an excited expression.

“It’s a great warrior named Orhan.”

“Ah! That guy with the yellow teeth?”

“That’s right. A man’s jealousy is just as significant as a woman’s jealousy. He might leak the fact that I met Nurgal to the Hamel Empire, or he might harm the tribal chief’s daughter. Please keep a close watch on him.”

“Haha, don’t worry. Trust me.”

I didn’t really trust him, but Lucas was the only one who could take on this mission.

I took out a mana stone the size of a finger joint from my pocket. It was linked to the bracelet I had given to Ranua.

“Keep this with you. If she is in an emergency……”

Flash, flash.

The mana stone emitted a dazzling light before I could even finish speaking.

Lucas asked, his eyes shining.

“It shines like that?”

Orhan, you bastard.