Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 176

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Most countries possess a national treasure-level artifact, like [Varisada]. And these artifacts are accompanied by incredible legends.

Stories of knocking down one of the two suns, beheading a dragon, or a relic too heavy for the Mazoku [demons] to carry into the Demon Realm, left on Earth, and so on.

When a child who firmly believes such tales realizes that the legends contain considerable exaggeration, they become an adult.

The legend of [Varisada] is no different.

Many scholars argue that the legends surrounding [Varisada] are filled with falsehoods. Scholars from the Hamel Empire, in particular, often express such opinions.

Some even silence Lionel’s scholars with their arguments.

For example, they claim that Varisada was a Ban-Mazoku [ancient demon] who lived since the ancient times before the Mazoku disappeared from Earth, so how could Lionel’s founding king have subdued such a powerful being?

Evan, Varisada’s only conversational partner, had never heard the truth about it, but he had an idea.

Perhaps she wasn’t subdued, but rather allowed herself to be subdued.

Evan’s guess was not wrong.

Varisada actually thrust her heart into the founding king’s sword herself through some kind of ‘contract.’

The complex circumstances before and after were strangely unclear. Just like how she couldn’t recall her mother’s identity, it was as if fog clouded her mind.

However, she clearly remembered the reason for making such a choice.

Ascension.

Varisada, who had lived in the western Belkas Mountains since ancient times, was a being akin to a god to the people of that region.

There was no way she, who was like a god to the people in the region, couldn’t have obtained divinity, which even a mere eight-headed mutant snake had achieved.

However.

Not all beings who gain divinity can ascend. Most fail and fail, repeatedly decline, eventually lose their reason, go berserk, and are subdued.

A benevolent phoenix, a wise dragon, and a shy giant, all of whom Varisada was close to, had met such ends.

After having her pet magic beast devoured and losing her reason, Varisada had the extreme thought of exterminating the entire Faceless Dragon species, and she actually carried it out.

Only after regaining her sanity did she realize that her time had come.

Varisada knew very well why she couldn’t easily achieve ascension: because of the demonic energy she possessed.

There have been cases of celestial gods falling and being stuck in the Demon Realm, but there has never been a case of a being with the blood of the Demon Realm achieving ascension.

It’s like how white can easily become black, but black cannot become white.

Varisada had two choices.

To challenge ascension nonetheless, or to become a being that only feeds on people’s fear and be stuck in the Demon Realm.

She wanted to become light rather than darkness.

That’s why she thrust her heart into the sword of Lionel’s founding king herself.

Hoping that the descendants of the founding king who wielded [Varisada] would consume all the demonic energy she transmitted.

If that didn’t happen?

She would simply be trapped in the sword for an eternity.

Varisada took that risky gamble. She judged that the descendants of Lionel’s founding king she had met would eventually eliminate all the demonic energy she possessed.

But…

Since the founding king, the condition of his descendants had not been good, and she regretted her foolish decision dozens of times a day.

-History is on the side of the victor.

Varisada realized that fact during the 500 years she was sealed in the sword.

In the meantime, the greedy dragon Aurelius, who had established itself in the center of the Hamel Empire, had taken a step into the gate of ascension, and even Etrima, who had fled to the archipelago after being chased by her, had reached a level where it dreamed of ascension.

In just 500 years, the tribe that worshiped her as a god had disappeared without a trace, and even their records were gone.

Of course, the intervention of Aurelius and Etrima, who sought to absorb even a little more of the remnants of divinity she left behind when she was sealed in the sword, played a significant role in that.

Stories that Varisada hadn’t told Evan in detail. She hadn’t been specifically asked, and there was no good reason for a being of the Middle Realm to know.

“Black Wyvern! We’re about to enter the Midra Triangle! All communication with our allied airships will be cut off soon!”

Thud- Clunk! Clunk!

The Black Wyvern’s hull suddenly began to shake violently. Finally, the airships of the Lionel Kingdom entered the Midra Triangle, where unpredictable turbulence raged.

At the same time, Varisada could feel the thick fog that had been filling her mind gradually clearing.

‘Ah… that’s right. That’s why I told him to come here.’

The Midra Triangle.

A place where the greedy ‘Void’ that devours even gods is sealed. A place where the eyes of the world blur and the laws become entangled.

It was the only blind spot where the things that bound her loosened endlessly and could be subtly broken.

Meanwhile.

On the deck of Arya’s flagship, an astonishing event unfolded that left the crew speechless.

Slap!

“You moronic bastard.”

The man who was known as Rihid’s adjutant came out onto the deck and mercilessly slapped Rihid’s cheek.

“Haa… haa… I’m sorry.”

Rihid, who was on the verge of mana exhaustion, knelt down, gasping for breath.

Thud!

Safian, who mercilessly kicked Rihid’s head as he bowed, turned his gaze to the Midra Triangle, which the Lionel Kingdom had entered.

Now he had no choice but to step in.

In the Midra Triangle, the flow of mana was as irregular as the currents.

‘That moron won’t be able to use proper magic.’

Safian glanced at Rihid. Judging by his panting, it seemed he had no more mana to use magic, even if it wasn’t the Midra Triangle.

Once again, anger surged.

Safian bit his lip and turned his gaze away from Rihid.

Now was not the time to worry about that moron.

‘I must capture those guys. Especially the king.’

It was a divinity he had barely obtained.

He had to stop the revival of the Lionel Kingdom, even if he had to step in himself. Safian made that judgment, having never seen the process of a being who had obtained divinity fall.

Of course, he didn’t know that even if things went his way, they would only decline, let alone ascend.

Safian’s gaze turned beyond the Lionel Kingdom’s airships, toward the center of the Midra Triangle.

‘The ‘Void’ is sleeping there.’

That was a fundamental knowledge imprinted immediately after obtaining divinity.

Safian knew that even a slight fragment of the ‘Void’ could devour him, who was about to ascend.

Safian felt a chilling fear for the first time in a long time.

‘It’s okay. Even if I rampage a little around the entrance, the ‘Void’ won’t wake up.’

The reason Safian had been waiting without stepping in despite Rihid’s lackluster command was because the Lionel airships were heading toward the Midra Triangle.

Like Varisada, he knew very well that the Midra Triangle was a place where the laws of the world were loose.

That’s why he also knew that even if he directly swallowed the Lionel Kingdom’s airships, the aftermath would be considerably less.

“You, you scoundrel! What kind of insubordination is this!”

Safian turned his head at the voice of a clueless knight.

It was Rihid Pross’s guard.

His courage to show loyalty to Rihid in this situation was admirable, but it was just annoying now.

-Kukuku, once we enter the Midra Triangle, I’ll take care of the rest.

The vicious whisper of the second head.

Safian nodded.

***

After entering the Midra Triangle, I thought my task was to figure out the laws of the irregular turbulence and safely escape from Arya’s airship fleet.

But.

Such thoughts of mine vanished like bubbles due to what happened on the flagship of the Arya fleet.

Kuaaaaaaaa!

Kuaaaaaaa!

“What!”

“T, that’s!”

“Etrima! It’s Etrima!”

A dragon with eight heads—no, for some reason, one is missing, so seven heads—Etrima revealed its enormous presence.

“W, we’re all dead!”

“Oh, God.”

The expressions of my horrified allies were soon dyed with despair.

I, too, was momentarily discouraged.

That was cheating.

It was like a knight intervening in a children’s fight.

‘I can’t win.’

No matter how much I racked my brain while looking at Etrima, who was happily roaring with an Arya knight in its mouth, that was all I could think.

「What’s wrong? Why the long face? Are you giving up?」

At that moment, Varisada, who had been silent until now, spoke to me. I bit my lip once and opened my mouth.

“I’m not giving up.”

「Are you going to fight?」

Instead of answering, I gripped [Varisada].

After taking a deep breath, I asked her.

“If I reach 9-star, can I face Etrima?”

「Well… that guy has only obtained divinity for a little over 200 years, so maybe it’s possible?」

9-star.

The limit that a being of the Middle Realm can reach.

In history, only a handful of people have reached that level. And those who reached the level of 9-star all became gods.

Became?

To be precise, they were worshiped as gods after death.

For example, Hart, the God of Knights.

Whether he is the same being as Hart who lived in the present world is a matter of debate even among theologians.

Back to the point.

The level of 9-star is the supreme level where the qualification to acquire divinity is granted.

It’s Etrima who has acquired divinity. To face him, I have no choice but to break through the limits as well.

The problem is…

「If you’re thinking of Kangma [a forbidden technique], don’t. You’ll explode and die before the ninth star is even created, you know?」

Varisada’s cold judgment.

It hasn’t been long since I regained the power of an 8-star magic swordsman.

The level beyond that is a path I haven’t even been on. Frankly, I doubted whether I could reach the level of 9-star even if I devoted myself to training for the rest of my life.

That’s how much the level of 9-star was something beyond transcending species. Frankly, I had no idea.

Kuaaaaaaaa!

Etrima approached, twisting its huge body.

It seemed I no longer had the luxury to leisurely talk with Varisada.

I know very well that the probability of succeeding in Kangma and glimpsing the level of 9-star is infinitely close to 0. Even if that were the case, it’s questionable whether I could face Etrima.

And even if I manage to block Etrima well…

‘I’ll die.’

But that’s the only way now.

“Please.”

At least I have to protect those who are looking at my back now.

***

Varisada smiled.

Evan Lionel, he’s a likeable guy.

Among the descendants of the founding king she had met—no, among any humans.

From his soul, which was clearly going to break but still willing to clash with Etrima, a light that only she, who had the blood of the Mazoku, could see, emanated.

It was so dazzling that she wanted to destroy it.

She was hoping for ascension, but at this moment, she understood the Mazoku’s base hobby of collecting human souls.

‘Shall we stop teasing him here?’

She glanced at the place where the ‘Void’ was, and then looked at the eyes of the world trying to pierce through the Midra Triangle again.

There were many things to worry about one way or another.

‘A minute at most?’

I don’t know if I can tear off all the heads of the eight-headed mutant snake in that time.

「Hold on tight. It’ll be different from usual.」

“Yes?”

Crack-

Evan widened his eyes as he felt a small crack forming on the blade of [Varisada]. Soon, an enormous energy began to engulf him.

‘T, this is!’

He felt a pain that made him want to drop the sword he was holding right away.

「Stay still!」

Even if Varisada hadn’t said it, Evan knew instinctively that he had to endure it. He gritted his teeth so hard that his teeth were about to break.

A completely different sensation from Kangma.

Evan soon felt like his body was not his own.

It wasn’t just a feeling.

In fact, there were 9 stars shining in his heart that shouldn’t be there. As if they had always been there.

Evan immediately realized who the owner of the brilliant stars shining in the pitch-black darkness was.

‘This is… Varisada’s!’

He understood the phenomenon that was happening now. Varisada was trying to briefly appear in the present world by borrowing his body.

「Feel it well. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the level of 9-star directly with your body.」

Sigh-

Varisada took a deep breath, borrowing Evan’s body. The refreshing air of the Middle Realm, which she felt after a long time, made her hum with pleasure without realizing it.

「Hmph.」

Ban-Mazoku Varisada.

A being from ancient times, but only a brief record remains that she was subdued by humans, had descended into the present world.