Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 153

<153>

A major incident unfolded in the neighboring island country.

『[Breaking News] Serial Killer’s Shocking Identity Revealed』

The identity of the culprit behind the murders of the Arya royal family elders has been exposed.

『First Princess, Yander西亚 Arya, Unmasked: The True Face Behind the Benevolent Angel』

『Why did she become a serial killer?』

The perpetrator is none other than the First Princess, Yander西亚 Arya.

It has been revealed that she was responsible for the deaths of seven Arya royal family elders, including the Queen Mother.

『Prime Minister Exonerated, Demands Formal Apology from Royal Knights Commander Who Framed Him』

The Prime Minister, leader of the Arya aristocratic faction, vehemently attacked the Royal Knights Commander (also known as the King’s Sword) during the cabinet meeting. He accused the Commander of falsely claiming the serial killer was from the aristocratic faction and threatened to behead himself if proven wrong.

This is quite a favorable turn of events.

It would be even more entertaining if their conflict escalated beyond mere words into physical confrontation.

『Fingerprints: The Key Clue in Identifying the Culprit』

Interestingly, the Prime Minister identified the culprit using the fingerprint analysis method I employed to corner Moria Runtia.

He discovered the First Princess’s fingerprints, which should not have been there, in the kitchen where the Queen Mother, the serial killer’s most prominent victim, prepared her meals.

『Why did she murder the royal elders?』

『First Princess Proclaims Innocence, Insisting, “I Didn’t Do It”』

I consistently receive news updates faster than the media outlets.

『[Breaking News] Secret Room Uncovered in First Princess’s Study』

『A clandestine room hidden in complete secrecy. What secrets does it hold?』

Thanks to the Royal Secret Service agents and the [Library] (an intelligence organization) operating within the Arya Kingdom, I was privy to certain secrets not yet disclosed to the public.

“What could she possibly be hiding in that secret room?”

I glanced away from the newspaper towards Alphonso, who had posed the question.

His eyes gleamed with curiosity, as if he suspected I possessed some insider knowledge.

“I’ll share the information, but you must promise not to spread any outlandish rumors.”

“Haha, after all this time, even after I endured the terrifying Royal Secret Service when Your Majesty was at a crossroads, deciding whether to become the Crown Prince or not! Do you still doubt my discretion?”

He was referring to the time he was caught stirring up trouble among the southern nobles with the Tricolor Cane Society.

He never misses an opportunity to bring it up.

Well, it was also one of the reasons why I tended to be lenient with Alphonso’s antics.

Despite his flaws, he was the first vassal to stand by me during my most challenging times.

I chuckled and began to speak.

“Numerous photos and love letters.”

“Photos and love letters? Was she involved in a secret affair?”

“With me.”

“Pardon?”

Alphonso looked utterly bewildered.

I understand his reaction.

I had a similar expression when I first learned about it.

After a moment, Alphonso nodded and spoke.

“Ah! Your Majesty seduced her to sow discord within the Arya royal family. This is a serious issue. We’ve barely returned from the north, and Arya Kingdom might declare war on us today! And if the Queen and soon-to-be Second Queen Lanua discover that Your Majesty exchanged love letters with her…”

Alphonso’s imagination was running wild.

I felt compelled to correct his misguided assumptions.

“I never sent her a single letter. She was exchanging them unilaterally.”

Alphonso’s eyes darted around in confusion.

“…I’m not quite following.”

Ultimately, he gave up trying to decipher it on his own.

“You remember she kept sending me letters, right?”

“Yes. I believe it stopped abruptly after Your Majesty’s marriage.”

“It seems she was writing replies to the letters she sent to me, all by herself.”

“Pardon?”

Alphonso’s eyes widened in disbelief.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“So… are you suggesting that the First Princess was… a bit unhinged?”

Alphonso tapped his head with his finger. I nodded, confirming his accurate assessment.

“Oh… um… now that I think about it, she was a rather unsettling woman.”

Alphonso shuddered as he confronted the truth.

I concur.

What’s even more unsettling is that she doesn’t seem to realize she committed serial murders. She genuinely believes in her innocence.

That’s why Genie of the [Library] couldn’t immediately identify her as the culprit.

This highlights a significant limitation of the [Library], which can only access ‘recorded’ facts. If the ‘record’ is distorted, it can mistake a lie for the truth.

I had been vaguely aware of this limitation.

Isn’t history often the same? The narratives of the defeated are suppressed, and only the victors’ versions remain as truth.

This incident reinforced the need for even greater vigilance.

“Ah! Now that I think about it, you were extremely reluctant to engage with her, weren’t you? Could it be that you knew?”

“I suspected she was a bit… eccentric.”

“What will become of her now?”

“Hmm…”

She murdered seven members of the Arya royal family, including the Queen Mother. That’s patricide. Survival is unlikely, even for royalty.

Knowing King Otto of Arya’s temperament…

The previous Second Queen came to mind.

From what I understand, she is under strict surveillance, destined to be a sacrifice for Etrim (an ancient deity).

‘Will the First Princess join her?’

I realized that Etrim’s awakening was imminent.

I was concerned about Otto’s plans, having prepared two noble bloodlines of the Arya royal family as offerings.

‘I need to inform Miloa and Julian.’

I felt like I was cheating.

Aurelius of the Hamel Empire.

Etrim of the Arya Kingdom.

Even in a world with trains traversing continents and airships soaring through the skies, dealing with such extraordinary beings is virtually impossible.

Even if our cute little one, who played with the Seven-Tailed Fox with ease, reaches adulthood, it might not be enough.

‘But when will our cute little one awaken?’

Even by rough calculations, it’s been well over two years since it fell asleep.

I felt a pang of guilt.

I was so preoccupied that I had completely forgotten about it. So much so that I approved Lanua and her brother living in the Emerald Palace where it was sleeping without much thought.

If G-Dragon wakes up unexpectedly, he’ll definitely be flustered. He’s intelligent, so he won’t suddenly grow in size and rampage, right?

I decided to secretly check on G-Dragon’s slumber after work today.

I looked up at Alphonso.

“I need to visit the Emerald Palace secretly tonight.”

“Yes? Why secretly…”

“I feel like I haven’t been paying enough attention to our cute little one.”

“Isn’t he just sleeping soundly?”

“Still, I should check.”

“Well, I understand.”

“Then I’ll go take care of some business… Ah! How are the preparations for the Einberg Territory reconstruction plan progressing?”

The biggest headache after returning to the capital from the north was the regained territories.

Alphonso, Austin, and the fallen nobles from the north who served in the Lionel Guardian Army had their lands restored.

The problem is…

The territories were in a dire state due to over a decade of exploitation by the Hamel Empire. Simply returning the land wasn’t enough; reconstruction required central support.

So, I tasked the heads of the families who regained their territories with preparing reconstruction plans.

“Haha, would you like to hear about it? The brilliant plan I’ve devised…”

Alphonso eagerly began to explain the Einberg Territory reconstruction plan.

In essence, he envisioned transforming the Einberg Territory into a northern hub, similar to the White family’s territory in the east, which serves as a logistics center.

“…So, if we just build a train station right in the heart of the Einberg Territory! I will dedicate myself tirelessly to the kingdom.”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t an entirely unrealistic plan.

It hinges on the kingdom seizing the so-called Ellenbeira region, which was incorporated into the Empire’s Jeokheung Province and Eunhwa Province 150 years ago, during this Northwest recapture.

I wonder if he considered that when formulating this plan?

But that’s a distant prospect.

“If you present it as is, Cliang will tear up your plan as soon as he sees it, and support for the Einberg Territory will be delayed.”

The kingdom’s finances were already stretched thin. Cliang would undoubtedly do that.

I offered advice to Alphonso, who looked crestfallen.

“Don’t look too far into the future; create a plan based on the next five years.”

“…I understand.”

And so,

Time passed quickly, and it was late at night.

I visited the garden of the Emerald Palace with Alphonso, knelt down, placed my hand on the ground, and sensed the energy of our cute little one.

‘Huh?’

Our cute little one wasn’t in the place where he should have been sleeping soundly.

Panicked, I used magic to thoroughly scan the entire Emerald Palace. I couldn’t detect the signal from the bow tie around his neck anywhere.

“Your Majesty, you look like you’ve seen a ghost? Did that guy disappear?”

“…He’s gone.”

“Pardon?”

“He’s… disappeared.”

“R, really?”

He slumped down on a rock and covered his head. The absence of the bow tie signal confirmed that he had left the capital.

‘When did he wake up and leave?’

I blamed myself for being negligent.

“T, this guy disappeared without a word? Your Majesty, give me some time, and I will definitely find him.”

Alphonso, who used to bicker with G-Dragon constantly, was now eager to help.

I shook my head.

“He’s capable of leaving the kingdom in a day if he sets his mind to it. And you need to be a magician to detect the signal from the bow tie around his neck.”

“T, that’s true.”

More importantly, he left on his own accord.

He must have been hurt by our neglect and decided to leave.

What makes me feel even more guilty is that even if I find him and bring him back, I won’t be able to give him much attention.

It might end up hurting him even more.

Perhaps it would be better for him to roam freely in the vast wilderness… like hell it would.

‘Just let me find you.’

Disappearing without a word?

Even if you’re leaving, you should say goodbye.

I decided to spend tonight creating a detector that picks up the signal from the bow tie around his neck.

I’m going to give him a good scolding when I find him. I dusted off my rear and stood up.

“Your Majesty? Your Majesty! Where are you going all of a sudden?”

“To make a detector to find him. You said you needed time earlier, right? I’ll handle the Einberg Territory reconstruction plan myself, so when the detector is finished, you find him. You’re a familiar face, so he won’t eat you even if he runs into you outside.”

“I understand!”

***

The next day.

I spent all night building a detector that picks up the signal from G-Dragon’s bow tie and handed it to Alphonso.

“I will definitely find him within a week!”

It was a crucial task, so I approved the use of the airship.

The Lionel Kingdom was a place where an airship could travel from the southern end to the northern end in a day at full speed. If G-Dragon was within the kingdom and had settled in one place, he could be found within a week.

Having given Alphonso a special mission disguised as a vacation, I leaned back in my chair and rested.

I was a little dizzy from staying up all night.

The next schedule is…

‘Julian’s report, huh.’

Knock, knock.

A ghostly knock.

“Your Majesty, Viscount Julian has arrived.”

The voice of a servant replacing Alphonso was heard.

“Tell him to come in.”

Julian, looking even more exhausted than I felt, entered.

It was understandable.

With the recapture of the Northwest coinciding with the rapidly evolving political landscape in the Hamel Empire, all members of the Royal Secret Service were working tirelessly.

Currently, the 19th Prince Charles and the Black Knights have joined the 11th Princess’s faction, preventing her from being pushed back in the succession battle.

What initially seemed like a two-way contest between the 1st Prince and the 7th Prince has transformed into a three-way struggle.

A situation reminiscent of the Three Kingdoms period.

The thought suddenly crossed my mind that it would be truly wonderful if the Empire were divided into three separate entities.