Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 160

160

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The Demon Realm.

Simply put, it’s a place where demonic energy gathers for mysterious reasons. Because of this, the Demon Realm’s ecosystem is full of events that defy common sense.

Fish fly in the sky.

Trees take root in the sky.

Water flows from bottom to top.

Such things are commonplace.

Some theologians even claim that the Demon Realm is a sign of demons trying to invade the human realm again.

The truth is unknown.

No religious order has ever made any official statement about the Demon Realm.

Anyway.

The Demon Realms, which exist in almost every country, are a headache for the leaders of each nation.

It’s so common for the demonic beasts of the Demon Realm to leave their original habitats and engage in slaughter when the red moon rises that it’s not even newsworthy.

Creatures that stay in the Demon Realm for a long time become extremely aggressive because their bone marrow is filled with demonic energy. This is true even for humans, elves, and dwarves. Even divine beasts.

Cleaning up such a Demon Realm is no easy task.

Demonic energy aside…

‘The ruler of the Demon Realm is the biggest problem.’

The Demon Realm summons demonic beasts. Or is it the other way around? This is a chicken-or-egg problem, so let’s move on.

Most Demon Realms are inhabited by demonic beasts of at least 7-star level.

In the Twin Forests, a Demon Realm adjacent to the Belkas Mountains of the kingdom, there are two such beings, to make matters worse.

Frost and Flame.

Giant twin demonic beasts with the face of an eagle, the wings of a chicken, the legs of a deer, and the tail of a viper.

Originally, they were mutants of high-level demonic beasts that simultaneously controlled fire and ice. For some reason, the two, who specialized in only one element, surpassed the limitations of their original species and became the rulers of the Twin Forests.

They get along well.

According to the eyewitness accounts of survivors who faced them, they are always together.

“Your Majesty, how do you plan to deal with those guys in the Twin Forests?”

I turned my head towards Alphonso, who asked the question while I was deep in thought aboard the large airship, Golden Dragon, heading west.

“First, Frost will be taken care of by our cutie.”

I smiled, thinking of G-Dragon, who must still be digging through the ground to follow us.

“What about Flame?”

“That’s a secret.”

Alphonso pouted his lips and opened his mouth.

“Is the new weapon complete? You loaded a huge cargo onto the airship. Did Fran and Gillud develop a large magic cannon that can take down demonic beasts in one shot?”

“50 points for you.”

The fact that even Alphonso doesn’t know the details and only knows that we are developing a new weapon means that Titan’s security is very successful.

‘A magic cannon…’

Looking back at the shape of the box that carried Titan, it seemed like he could think that way.

“But even if we deal with those guys in the Twin Forests, the Demon Realm won’t completely disappear, will it?”

Just as I was about to open my mouth.

Someone approached from behind.

“If there are rats in the warehouse, you have to catch them. You can’t just leave them alone because they’re bound to come back, can you? Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

It was Julian.

I nodded to him.

He added an explanation to Alphonso.

“Besides, the demonic beasts that rule the Demon Realm have the characteristic of becoming stronger over time. It’s best to deal with them when you can.”

That was true.

The Royalists and the Nationalists.

The 1st Prince’s faction and the 2nd Prince’s faction.

The endless factional strife had delayed the subjugation until now. It had already been over 20 years since Frost and Flame were known to have nested in the Twin Forests.

“Where were you? You just suddenly appeared.”

Julian answered Alphonso’s question.

“It was time for an important report to arrive.”

He looked at me.

I thought I knew what the report was about.

“Is it from the Hamel Empire?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The movements of the 1st Prince, the 7th Prince, and the 11th Princess, who had been in a three-way stalemate, were unusual.

It seemed like they would shed blood soon.

“Rumors have spread that the 9th Prince, who refused the 11th Princess’s overtures and declared neutrality, attempted to contact the 7th Prince. In response, the 11th Princess’s army seems to have moved to strike the 9th Prince.”

“Is that so? What about Charles?”

“His whereabouts are unknown.”

I see.

>Can you find out the current location of the Black Knight Order’s airship, the Black Dragon?

「The Black Dragon passed through the Barso Mountains in Eojin-ju, Hamel Empire, 10 minutes ago.」

There is a flight log.

As long as there is a crew member diligently writing the Black Dragon’s flight log, Charles’s movements were in my palm.

‘He passed the Barso Mountains?’

I thought back to the Black Dragon’s route.

It seemed like he was going to the area where the 17th Prince, who declared his support for the 1st Prince, was located.

“Julian, where do you think Charles went?”

As if he had prepared for it, his mouth opened immediately.

“There are two main possibilities. One, he moved in advance as the vanguard to strike the 9th Prince. Two, he embarked on a covert mission.”

“What kind of special mission?”

“The mobility and military power of the Black Knight Order, moving by airship, cannot be taken lightly by anyone. It is also the perfect time to assassinate key figures on the 1st Prince’s side who are off guard, watching the fire from across the river.”

“I see… Leak to those who Charles might target that he is targeting them. Right now.”

“I have already given the order.”

“Is the 17th Prince there too, by any chance?”

“Of course.”

I nodded with a satisfied smile. Once again, I thought it was an excellent choice to have saved Julian.

Whether the 1st Prince’s people, warned by the information from an unknown source, will prepare thoroughly or not is their choice.

‘They won’t be able to ignore it so easily.’

It’s just that Charles is moving, so be careful. Whatever the intention, there’s no harm in being careful, so it’ll be on their minds.

It was enough if the Hamel Empire became even more chaotic.

Fight hard.

Eat away at your national power.

By the time you come to your senses and look around, we will be ready to stab you in the heart.

***

Rico volunteered for the Western Expedition.

It was partly because his heart told him to, but the benefits given when he returned safely from the expedition were beyond imagination.

He remembered the children who were teary-eyed when he left the orphanage. In particular, the face of the freckled girl, Jani, the head of the disciplinary squad, was vivid in his memory.

-Priest, do you really have to go?

-Can’t you not go?

-You’ll come back, right? You can’t not come back!

In just over a month, Rico had become a parental figure to the children.

When he boarded the train and arrived at the Mairton County, Rico was still tense.

He imagined treating the wounded on the battlefield, where the screams of demonic beasts and monsters pouring down from the western mountains and the screams of soldiers echoed.

In recent days, reality has been a little different.

“Hey, Rico. You’re free again today. I’m hurt here.”

Ralph opened the tent of the infirmary and came in. There was a small scratch on the back of his hand.

Rico frowned.

“Just wash that off with water.”

“What are you talking about? It could rot. I’ve heard so many stories about people who neglected small wounds and died.”

He wasn’t wrong.

But seeing how much the military officers cared about the soldiers’ hygiene, it didn’t seem like that would happen.

Rico shook his head and used his precious divine power on Ralph.

Whoosh-

Ralph’s scratch healed in an instant.

“Oh! The pain is all gone. That’s why friends are good.”

“Don’t spread rumors. If word gets out that I’m treating even that, this place will be packed. When there’s a real emergency, people might not be able to get treatment.”

“Okay, okay.”

“But what happened today?”

“I don’t even know when I got hurt. I was doing maintenance work on the base, and when I looked because it was stinging, blood was flowing. Well, there are so many sharp things.”

There were still a few days left before the red moon, when demonic beasts and monsters go mad. Ralph and the other soldiers were building bases in the key areas where the demonic beasts would rush in.

Rico knew that the current peace was the calm before the storm.

When the red moon rose, the pandemonium he had imagined would unfold.

***

The red moon rose.

“Kuaaaaa!”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Ralph shoved his sword into the palate of a shadow wolf jumping over the palisade.

Thwack-!

“Yelp! Yipe!”

“Kuaaaaa!”

Another one, using the screaming one as a stepping stone, aimed for his neck. Ralph hurriedly tried to retrieve his sword to counterattack, but the sword wouldn’t come out.

“Damn it.”

In a hurry, he slammed the head of the one that had reached right in front of him with the shield he was holding.

Crack!

Unpleasant liquid splattered around his eyes.

Ralph, who had overcome the chilling crisis, hurriedly checked the shadow wolf whose palate he had stabbed to retrieve his sword.

It wasn’t dead yet.

It was biting the sword tightly with eyes gleaming with madness.

“You little bastard.”

He kicked the bastard’s head mercilessly with his iron-plated boots.

“Yipe!”

Only then did Ralph retrieve his sword.

“Ugh! Sergeant Ralph!!”

A voice asking for help.

He quickly swung his sword, cut off the shadow wolf’s breath, and turned his head.

A junior, pinned under a particularly large shadow wolf, was pushing the wolf away with his shield to prevent it from biting his neck.

“Grrr! Grrr! Grrrr.”

The shadow wolf, frustrated that it couldn’t bite his neck, slashed at the junior with its sharp claws. The junior’s top was soon covered in blood.

“Die, you bastard!”

Swoosh- Thwack!

Ralph’s sword pierced the shadow wolf’s neck.

“Yelp! Yipe!!”

The shadow wolf screamed and fell to the side.

Ralph hurriedly checked on his junior.

The shoulder wound from the shadow wolf’s slashing was severe. He hurriedly applied a bandage to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn’t stop.

“Damn it.”

“S, Sergeant Ralph…”

“Stay awake, you bastard!”

The junior’s eyes blurred.

“Ralph! Send that guy to the rear quickly!”

The platoon leader’s order after watching the situation.

The only thing that came to Ralph’s mind at that moment was Rico’s face.

‘Rico can save him.’

Ralph, carrying his junior on his back, ran straight to Rico.

His tent, which had been quiet just a few days ago, was now full of wounded soldiers groaning in their beds.

“Rico! Rico! Save this guy!”

Rico, whose pure white priest’s robe was stained red, hurriedly ran over.

“Don’t put him down! Just keep carrying him.”

Whoosh-

Ralph waited with nervous eyes for the junior’s treatment to finish.

“Phew, it would have been a disaster if we were a little late.”

At Rico’s words, a sigh of relief finally escaped.

-Pooooooo! Poooooooo!

The sound of a trumpet signaling the dawn.

Ralph and Rico finally realized that only the first day had passed.

***

The red moon that dyes the night sky red for three days.

The madness of the demonic beasts is strongest on the last day the red moon rises.

‘Is today the last day?’

Rico’s heart was pounding from the morning.

He didn’t know why.

Was it because he hadn’t slept for three days and nights taking care of the wounded?

With a strange feeling, he opened the tent and went outside. The sky was setting. It was a scenery that he would normally feel was beautiful, but thinking about the demonic beasts and monsters that would soon go mad and rampage, it felt completely different.

Rico wished that the sun would set a little later, but contrary to his wishes, the red moon appeared without fail.

However, strangely enough, there was no movement of demonic beasts even after a long time after the red moon rose.

So, when everyone was feeling uneasy.

-Pooooooo!

The sound of a trumpet announcing the appearance of demonic beasts echoed.

But even without that, everyone could feel the appearance of the demonic beasts.

Dudududu.

The mountain was shaking.

Above all.

“I, It’s Frost and Flame!”

“Why are those guys who should be in the Twin Forests here!”

The giant twin demonic beasts, Frost and Flame, exuding an enormous presence, were approaching the royal army with arrogant gazes.