Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 186

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Since the founding of the Arya Kingdom, foreign armies had rarely set foot on their land.

Most of those few instances occurred around the beginning of the Age of Exploration, about 400 years ago.

The Arya Kingdom, often lauded for its naval power rivaling the world’s great powers, never imagined the Lionel Kingdom’s army would invade their homeland.

One reason Evan advanced to the Arya royal palace so quickly was the Arya people’s overconfidence.

They were utterly unprepared for a breach of their sea defenses and a foreign army landing on the Arya archipelago.

Otto Arya,

fleeing the Lionel Kingdom’s army, bitterly regretted his past arrogance, yet struggled to accept the present reality.

‘Even so, only 20 days!’

Carelessness played a role, but the main reason for their defeat was losing the battle of magic awakeners [individuals with awakened magical abilities].

The Arya Kingdom was never behind the Lionel Kingdom in the number or quality of 6-star and 7-star powerhouses; in fact, they were ahead. However, that advantage was negated by one person.

‘Evan Lionel! That monster.’

Three 7-star powerhouses were sent to stop Evan’s advance towards the capital, but their sacrifices were in vain; they failed to even buy time.

Only the commander of the Royal Guard, an 8-star knight, managed to buy Otto time to escape.

Even in an era of flying airships and ironclad ships, Evan proved how much influence a single high-ranking magic awakener could have on the battlefield.

‘Where should I go…’

The commander of the Royal Guard, his last defense, had fallen, and Otto secretly fled the royal palace.

Since the aerial routes were blocked, his only option was to escape through a secret passage connected to the capital’s sewer system.

Otto, having barely escaped the royal palace with a handful of guards, was unsure where to seek refuge.

‘They don’t have the resources to sustain this war for long.’

Given his position, he could easily guess that the Lionel Kingdom had spent astronomical sums to recapture the lost Northwest region.

He had to admit the truth.

He had lost the war. He might live as a vassal state of the Lionel Kingdom for generations.

Otto couldn’t deny that.

Now, the important thing was the Arya royal family’s survival. And mere survival wasn’t enough; he had to maintain his position as king.

Frankly, Otto would have knelt before Evan immediately if Evan had promised to preserve his kingship.

He would have banged his head on the floor until his forehead bled, just as the king of the Hayeon Kingdom, the Lionel Kingdom’s predecessor, had done to the general of the Hamele Empire.

‘I have to drag this out as long as possible.’

Otto believed it was virtually impossible to drive out the Lionel Kingdom’s army with the Arya Kingdom’s power alone.

He needed to enlist the help of other countries.

This wasn’t the time to be picky.

However, the fact that they were a relatively safe island nation had become a disadvantage. There was no suitable country to ask for help.

The Hamele Empire… if they’d wanted to intervene, they would have done so already. They clearly lacked the resources to intervene in a neighboring country’s war due to their internal conflicts.

‘In the end, is the Rabia Empire my only option?’

He knew he was inviting a tiger into his home.

The Rabia Empire, seeking an ice-free port, would seize his hand the moment he offered it, as if they had been waiting for this opportunity.

Otto’s request for support as king would provide them with sufficient justification to send their fleet and set foot on Arya Kingdom soil.

The key was how to contact the Rabia Empire.

Otto’s gaze turned northwest, towards the Rabia Empire’s port, which would remain ice-free since it was still summer.

***

The day after occupying the Arya royal palace.

The soldiers, who had marched relentlessly until their feet were raw, were given time to rest, but I didn’t have that luxury.

Julian, who had thoroughly searched the royal palace for Otto, found his trail.

“I found a secret passage in the corner of the junkyard that leads out of the royal palace through the sewer. It seems he escaped that way.”

“Where did the passage lead?”

“The trail disappeared at the ferry near the sewer exit. It seems he traveled by boat from there.”

“Hmm…”

Did I miss him after all?

His decision to flee without hesitation as soon as the war turned against him saved him. Fortunately, I had thoroughly blocked the aerial routes to prevent him from escaping by airship.

“Otto will try to contact the Rabia Empire.”

Julian nodded in agreement.

“I think so too.”

I have to catch him before he contacts the Rabia Empire. Nothing would be more troublesome than foreign troops intervening here.

This war wasn’t meticulously planned like the recapture of the Northwest region. It erupted suddenly due to their provocation. The Lionel Kingdom didn’t have the resources to sustain it for long.

‘She will be waiting for Otto to contact her, too.’

The Empress of the Rabia Empire, the Iron Empress Annelise.

Everyone knows she desires an ice-free port. She had undoubtedly been watching the war with keen interest since the beginning of the Arya War.

Fortunately, she can’t act without justification.

She’s already at war with a Western continent country supported by the Brissen Alliance, and none of the great powers want the Rabia Empire to acquire an ice-free port.

‘No, I can’t be sure.’

If her desire for an ice-free port is strong enough, she might send her fleet regardless of Otto’s request for help.

If that happens… the Brissen Alliance or the Aimen Empire might offer unwanted assistance and join the war.

World War.

That’s beyond my control.

The more I think about it, the more urgent it becomes to catch Otto before he contacts the Rabia Empire.

“Don’t worry. I will risk my life to catch Otto before he contacts the Rabia Empire.”

Julian was full of fighting spirit, perhaps because I was deep in thought with a serious expression.

“It’s not Julian’s fault that Otto escaped, and there’s no need to risk your life.”

Even with my words, the fire in Julian’s eyes didn’t diminish. I decided to trust him and set aside my worries for a while.

Even if I use [Library] [Evan’s special ability], Otto’s location is still unclear, but as time passes, the traces he leaves will increase.

I turned to the map of the Arya archipelago.

I haven’t caught Otto Arya yet, but I need to consider what to do after I catch him.

Swallowing the Arya Kingdom whole in an instant is absurd. The Lionel Kingdom lacks the resources. I have to be realistic.

The Northwest region, recaptured from the Hamele Empire, hasn’t been stabilized yet.

More time is needed.

‘The noble faction isn’t a problem.’

The Arya noble faction’s lukewarm response after our landing played a significant role in our swift occupation of the capital.

The Arya Kingdom had been plagued by fierce conflict between the royalist and noble factions. Some nobles hated the royalists more than the Lionel Kingdom’s army.

They’re likely to cooperate if promised the preservation of their comfortable lives.

For now, at least.

Various problems will likely arise in the future if they aren’t dealt with, but that’s the best I can do for now.

‘The future me will handle it. The real problem is the royalist faction…’

The royalist faction that supports the current Arya royal family.

In a way, they’re patriots, but in reality, most are fighting fiercely for their own interests.

Many nobles invested their entire family fortune in this Arya expedition.

Because of the compensation they expect, the Arya royalist faction cannot be embraced.

Well, most of the high-ranking magic awakeners in the royalist faction died during the advance to the capital, so all that’s left is to clean up the remaining forces.

‘Once the royalist faction is cleared, the next is the Arya royal family…’

This war began when the Arya Kingdom attacked the Golden Dragon [referring to Evan] returning home from Horizon, but the decision to eliminate the Arya royal family must be considered carefully.

The world’s great powers will criticize us.

… It’s laughable.

How many countries and peoples have they erased from the world, and they dare criticize us?

The difference between the Lionel Kingdom and them is whether we have the resources to endure such criticism and sanctions while committing such acts.

Thinking it through, it’s impossible to eliminate the Arya royal family and merge the kingdom right away.

If I have time, I’m confident I can shrug off the criticism and sanctions from the world’s great powers in the near future.

Conclusion.

For the time being, it’s better to maintain the Arya royal family.

‘But the king doesn’t have to be Otto.’

I looked up at Julian.

“If you find Otto, make sure to capture him alive.”

“I understand. I will ‘definitely’ capture him alive.”

Looking at his eyes, he seemed to understand my intentions perfectly.

***

A week has passed since Otto fled.

He rested during the day and traveled only in the dark, heading north.

Many of Otto’s guards had experience tracking. They avoided lighting fires and leaving traces.

However, they made the mistake of not packing enough food in their haste to escape. Food ran out two days ago, and drinking water was scarce.

Gurgle.

Otto’s stomach churned.

The pain was new to him. Naturally, he became irritable.

“Your Majesty, even this…”

A servant handed him a root about the thickness of a finger.

Otto stared at it blankly. It was covered in dirt. He wanted to ask him to wash it, but they didn’t have enough drinking water.

“It might look like this, but it tastes better than you think.”

The servant shook off the dirt and showed him how to eat it.

After hesitating, Otto took it and was about to put it in his mouth. A larva poked its head out of the root and wriggled.

“Ugh, uweeek-”

Otto, who had a weak stomach, immediately vomited even though he had nothing to eat.

After retching, he slapped the servant’s cheek as hard as he could.

Slap-!

The guards were startled by the sound.

All eyes turned to Otto and the servant.

“You bastard! How dare you offer me a root that worms have eaten!”

“Yo, Your Majesty, that’s not it.”

Otto’s eyes rolled.

Slap!

The slap was so forceful that the servant fell over. Soon, Otto’s merciless violence continued.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The humiliation he suffered from Evan and the anger he had accumulated were vented on the servant. The guards intervened, thinking of the disposal of the corpse.

“Your Majesty! Please calm down.”

“Your Majesty! That wasn’t his intention.”

Only then did Otto calm down.

But it was too late. The servant’s leg bone was broken. He was in no condition to walk. Otto, belatedly realizing he had lost control, frowned and ordered.

“Get rid of this guy, out of sight.”

He meant to kill him and erase the traces.

One of the guards picked up the servant and disappeared.

He buried the servant in a secluded place after ensuring he would die without pain. The guard who buried the servant glanced in Otto’s direction.

He turned away without regret.

He thought it might be better for a king like Otto to disappear into history.

And soon after.

The Lionel Kingdom’s army surrounded the mountain where Otto was.