Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 189

I felt like I had shown my face at the banquet enough, so I decided to slip away. The higher-ups need to disappear so the lower-downs can enjoy themselves.

There was also the personal reason that I don’t really enjoy banquets. I wanted to have some time alone in the study.

If I had been born in a time of peace, I probably would have become a scholar holed up in a laboratory, right?

I was idly thinking such things as I quietly left the banquet hall when Alphonso, who had been chatting with the ladies with a sly smile, hurriedly followed me.

“You don’t have to follow me.”

Alphonso’s position isn’t so low that he has to follow me around even during a banquet. I already had three attendants standing behind me to take care of me.

“Haha, I was just wondering how to get out of there myself.”

“Why? You looked like you were having fun.”

“It’s all an act, an act.”

“Well, you do act a bit. Even at the Emerald Palace, you…”

“Haha! Why are you bringing up old stories?”

Flustered, Alphonso cut me off and waved his hand at the attendants, who were perking up their ears, ordering them to move away.

I chuckled and dismissed the other attendants, moving along with Alphonso.

“Alphonso, shouldn’t you start thinking about settling down?”

He’s in his mid-20s now.

It’s time for him to stop being so flighty and become more serious.

I doubt getting married will make him serious, but still. Generally, he wouldn’t be the same as he is now if he became a father.

“Your Majesty, I’m only 25 years old.”

“Usually, you’d have about two kids by that age.”

“Didn’t Duke Clian get married when he was almost 30?”

“Duke Clian only had eyes for Duke Miloa, but you don’t have a woman like that.”

“That’s not true. I also…”

“If you’re going to talk about a woman with watermelon-sized breasts and an ant-like waist, I might just force you into a political marriage.”

My power in the kingdom has grown to the point where I can arrange a marriage in a count’s family as I please if I set my mind to it.

“You’re joking… but you’re serious, aren’t you? Hmm… I’ll seriously consider it.”

I felt like a relative nagging a bachelor to get married, so I decided to stop there.

“I’m not forcing you. It’s just that if you die a sudden, unnatural death, the Einberg family will disappear into history. I wouldn’t be able to face your nanny.”

“Haha, from what I’ve felt so far, I’m safe as long as I stick close to Your Majesty.”

I shook my head and turned right at the fork in the road that appeared before me.

Alphonso questioned my decision.

“Your Majesty? This way leads to the Emerald Palace. Aren’t you going to Leon Palace?”

“I’m going to play with our little darlings.”

“Ah…”

Jidragon and Harry, who had been playing with the children in the Lasayu Palace garden where the banquet was held, had disappeared at some point.

They must have gone to the Emerald Palace garden to avoid the children. They made an effort to show their faces to celebrate my birthday, and if I just send them away because I’m tired, they’ll definitely sulk.

“Groo! Groo!”

“Krrrk!”

As I expected, as soon as I stepped into the Emerald Palace garden, they popped out. Jidragon coiled around my body like a snake, and Harry licked my cheek with his rough tongue.

“Okay, okay. Stop it. If you keep doing this, I won’t give you snacks.”

Only then did they calm down at the mention of no snacks and stood at attention in front of me.

I bought flaming rubies with a fiery taste for Jidragon and freshly butchered beef for Harry from the [General Store] and threw them over.

“Grooooo!”

“Krrrk.”

I sat on a bench and watched the two of them happily eating their snacks.

Harry had grown a lot.

As Danar became known as the one who drove out Etrim during the war with Arya, the majority of the kingdom’s people became followers of Danar [a deity of light and justice]. [Faith] must have increased exponentially because of that.

Surprisingly, quite a few followers of Danar have emerged in Arya as well.

Etrim, who received human sacrifices, was both an object of worship and an object of fear. Whatever the truth, it was known that Danar had punished Etrim, so it’s not that hard to understand.

Anyway, for that reason, you can’t find Harry in his small and weak form anymore.

His appearance is almost identical to the divine statue I saw in the old ruins. Only his size is a bit smaller. The divine statue I saw back then was the size of an elephant, but Harry is now about the size of a fully grown male lion.

‘Is he just going to get bigger from here? Or…’

The thought suddenly occurred to me that he might also have the ability to grow in size.

“Harry, can you get any bigger than you are now?”

“Krrrk?”

Harry tilted his head.

“Groo! Groo!”

Jidragon showed off by repeatedly increasing and decreasing his size.

“Grooooo!”

“Krrrk, krrrk!”

Harry looked at him enviously.

He suddenly threw away the beef he was eating, stood firmly on all fours, and trembled.

“Krrrk! Krrrk!”

Harry’s cloud-like mane fluttered in the wind, and his body floated up slightly.

I realized for the first time that he had the ability to fly.

Maybe he can also grow in size?

I kept watching with anticipation, but that was it. Harry, who had been struggling, soon set foot on the ground again. And he was panting heavily.

Jidragon approached Harry, who looked disappointed.

“Krrrk, krrrk…”

“Groo! Grooooo!”

“Krrrk! Krrrk!”

I felt like I knew what they were talking about.

Jidragon must have been encouraging Harry, who said he didn’t think he could do it, that he would be able to control his size freely if he worked a little harder.

The two of them started eating their snacks again, and I imagined the distant future as I watched them. I pictured Jidragon on the ground and Harry in the sky, protecting the kingdom.

‘Is that too greedy?’

Honestly, from the kingdom’s point of view, their existence itself is very beneficial.

I shouldn’t put the burden on them to protect the kingdom. They both have free will, so they’ll do what they want.

I dusted off my butt and stood up.

“Groo?”

“Krrrk?”

Jidragon and Harry looked at me with sad eyes, asking if I was already leaving.

“I’ll play with you more next time.”

“Groo!!”

“Krrrk!!”

I promised them by holding out my pinky finger and left the Emerald Palace.

I returned to Leon Palace, took a quick shower, and finally had some time alone in the study…

「Haaam~ I slept well.」

Varisada, who had been sleeping for a week, woke up.

“Go back to sleep.”

「You’re so heartless. You can’t even welcome the homeowner who’s been letting you live here for free for over 20 years.」

20 years.

That’s her claim.

I don’t know the truth because I forgot the passage of time while exploring my inner microcosm after being trapped in the sword for about 7 years.

“That’s why I let you read as many novels as you want.”

I hired a young attendant with a special mission for Varisada, who is a bookworm.

What he does is simple.

He just has to sit in a sunny spot in the corner while I’m working and read romance novels slowly. Then Varisada, who can see the scenery around the sword, can read the books.

I had thought about it a long time ago, but I was hesitant to do it because I was worried about strange rumors about me spreading in the palace.

Well… according to her, I should be able to put up with rumors since she’s been living here for 20 years.

By the way, Varisada has always been a heavy sleeper, but she’s been sleeping more and more lately.

“You slept for a whole week this time.”

「I guess it’s time for me to die.」

Varisada’s voice was full of excitement.

It didn’t sound like a joke.

I knew that the death Varisada was talking about meant the disappearance of the demon blood flowing through her. It’s been a while since she’s been trapped in the sword, and it would be stranger if I didn’t know that much about her.

According to Varisada, 90% of the magic she possessed disappeared in the process of me reaching 9 stars.

If her magic completely disappears….

“Are you leaving soon?”

It was clear that in some form or another, Varisada’s situation of being trapped in the sword like a ghost would come to an end.

「Well, I don’t know because I haven’t experienced it either. Why? Are you sad because you think I might disappear?」

“We’re not breaking up on bad terms, so why would I be sad? Still, I think I’ll feel a little empty if the person I shared stories with that I couldn’t tell anyone else disappears.”

「Hmph, you used to say I was annoying because I talked too much. You try being trapped in a sword for 500 years and staring blankly out the window. You’ll end up like me.」

“I’ll pass.”

Varisada became quiet as if she had something to do, so I got up from the sofa and approached the window.

The full moon was shining brightly in the sky. I started to think about the National Seal again as I admired the moon.

I made a decision.

‘Buy it, buy it… First, buy it the moment the Charles side reveals the National Seal to the world.’

There was a possibility.

No one knows the whereabouts of the National Seal. It’s impossible to figure out even with the [Library]. I’m psychologically certain that the Charles side has it, but it might not be the case.

To be blunt, it could just be buried in some toilet. In many ways, it didn’t seem like a good idea to buy it in advance.

‘The chaos in the Hamel Empire must continue.’

There are countless historical examples of countries that were in turmoil due to civil war invading other countries to reorganize internally after the situation was resolved.

If Charles becomes the emperor of the Hamel Empire, he will invade the Lionel Kingdom in the near future.

I would do the same.

There is no reason to leave the Lionel Kingdom alone, which possesses world-leading technologies such as Lak K [a powerful energy source] and Stella [advanced communication technology], which will lead the future, and which took back the Northwest by launching airships when their emperor died, unable to mourn.

Just handing over the National Seal to the 7th Prince, who is opposed to Charles, was enough to prolong the current sluggish chaos in the empire.

… Actually, there is one better way.

If I flew in an airship and assassinated Charles, the 7th Prince, the 11th Princess, or the Tower Master, wouldn’t the Hamel Empire be in extreme chaos?

Unfortunately, I can’t put it into practice.

If I do such a thing, the Hamel Empire’s guardian dragon, Aurelis, can step in. It won’t be a war between humans anymore.

That’s because I have reached 9 stars [a high level of magical power].

The realm of a demigod who can knock on the door of the divine realm.

The reason I was able to run wild in the Arya Kingdom was also because Etrim provoked me first.

Exactly 8 stars is the limit I can exercise my skills without any burden.

All of this was advised by Varisada.

「Haaam… I’m sleepy again. I’m going to sleep.」

Her voice was full of sleepiness.

“How long has it been since you woke up?”

Varisada didn’t answer me, probably because she had fallen asleep. Only the moonlight and silence that pierced through the window filled the study.

‘She slept for a week straight and is falling asleep again….’

It seemed like Varisada would be sleeping a little longer this time. I thought I should really start preparing for my farewell with her.

***

『Grand wedding of the 11th Princess and the 19th Prince!』

『7th Prince declares that incest is an impure act that even animals forbidden by the imperial family do not commit.』

『Tower Master sneers that the imperial family has never officially banned incest. He also mocks that the 7th Prince’s mother and the deceased emperor were also cousins.』

News related to the Hamel Empire always attracted the attention of people around the world.

In the midst of this, a major news broke out.

『[Breaking News] The 19th Prince announces that he has found the National Seal! Is it genuine?』

『The 7th Prince’s camp scoffs that it is clearly a fake.』

『The 19th Prince invites the highest authority on alchemy from the Brissen Alliance. He announces that he will prove that the National Seal is genuine.』

The attention of the entire world was focused on a seal that was only the size of a fist.

And then.

Evan was in his study, looking at a seal in the newspaper that was the same shape as the National Seal.