Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 201

201.

Imperial Calendar, Year 2, January 1st.

The new year began with a fortnight-long festival.

As evening approached, the road to the Imperial Palace, where the banquet was to be held, was lined with splendid carriages.

“Mom! Dad! There are so many shiny carriages!”

A child, walking with his parents, pointed at the carriages with wide eyes, marveling at the rare sight.

“Roddy! You mustn’t point at the carriages of noble families!”

The child’s mother quickly pulled him into her arms.

Only ten years ago, it was not uncommon to see someone beaten nearly to death for merely making eye contact with a noble.

Since Evan’s ascension to the throne, various legal measures, including the Honorary Nobility Law [a law that allowed commoners to gain noble status through merit], had been established, making such incidents rare. However, every mother in the world fears that even a falling leaf might harm her child.

The child peeked at the carriages heading towards the palace from his mother’s arms. One particularly large carriage caught his eye.

A girl with an expressionless face, looking out at the street from the carriage, met his gaze.

‘Wow! She’s a really pretty older sister!’

It was Chloah, the eldest daughter of Clian and Miloa, who at 14 years old, was just beginning to blossom. She watched the child blush and bow his head before shifting her gaze.

Rattle, rattle.

The sound of newspaper pages turning had been bothering her. Chloah glanced at her younger brother, Milliano, who was engrossed in the newspaper.

『Tensions Between the Brissen Alliance and the Rabia Empire: How Long Will They Last?』

It was a rather advanced interest for a child who was only 10 years old. Milliano, sensing Chloah’s gaze, turned his head.

“What do you think, Sister? Do you think the tensions between the Alliance and the Empire will end soon?”

“No.”

“You think so too.”

Milliano nodded and refocused on the newspaper. Chloah turned her gaze to the front, where her parents were sitting.

Her father, Clian, had his arms crossed and his eyes closed, and her mother, Miloa, was leaning on Clian’s shoulder, also with her eyes closed.

It was a familiar sight whenever the family traveled by carriage.

The Lionel Empire had occupied an area more than seven times the size of its mainland during the Riha War. The amount of work that officials had to handle in the suddenly expanded territory was unimaginable.

Clian and Miloa were heroes who had been struggling on the front lines.

So… Clian’s receding hairline and Miloa’s fine wrinkles that could no longer be concealed by makeup were merely traces of that glory, a testament to their hard work.

‘Will they be able to breathe a little easier soon?’

The personnel from the Department of Public Administration at the Royal Academy, who had been massively recruited after the Riha War, would be graduating this year. As time passed, things would gradually improve.

‘Ah, it’s the Imperial Academy now.’

In line with the declaration of the Lionel Empire last year, the Royal Academy had changed its name to the Imperial Academy.

Chloah was very interested in the Imperial Academy.

From this year, the ‘age’ requirement among the admission requirements would be removed. If one had the ability, even a young child could enter the Imperial Academy.

She was aiming for the youngest admission.

‘They would be happy if I became the youngest admitted student, right?’

Chloah rarely expressed her emotions outwardly. But deep down, she was a devoted daughter who deeply cared for her parents.

She watched her parents, who were snoring softly, before picking up the Imperial Academy entrance exam book she had placed beside her.

Milliano, who was reading the newspaper, glanced at her.

‘I should just skip this year, right?’

He had decided not to take the Imperial Academy entrance exam this year. He was a thoughtful younger brother who cared about his sister.

***

“Duke Clian White and Duchess Miloa Christie are entering!”

In the Lionel Empire, Clian and Miloa’s position was hard to describe in words. They were highly respected and influential figures.

Naturally, there were many who wanted to be seen with them. However, no one rashly made a move. It was because there was a family approaching them.

“It’s been a while.”

“It’s been a while, you two! Hello, Chloah and Milliano.”

“Julian! Ayra! I heard the news that you’re returning to the mainland completely in the middle of this year.”

“Has it been 10 years? It’s been quite a while.”

“Yes, but we’re returning sooner than expected. I thought we might end up living in Arya until we died.”

“By the way, the fact that you’re returning means…”

“That’s right. It means there’s nothing more for me to do in Arya.”

Milliano listened to the adults’ conversation and guessed that the day when the name of the Arya Kingdom would disappear into history was not far off.

‘The timing is probably… when the First Prince comes of age?’

While he was thinking that, he met eyes with Theo, Julian’s eldest son.

The two, who were the same age, were quite close.

-Shall we go outside?

-Sure!

They agreed with their eyes and slipped out into the garden. Milliano roughly brushed the snow off the bench and wiped away the moisture with a handkerchief.

Unlike his fastidious sister, his personality was more like his mother’s.

The two sat on the bench.

Milliano asked Theo.

“I heard you went to the Daichi Kingdom of the Brissen Alliance with Duchess Ayra. How was it there?”

Theo often traveled to various parts of the world with Ayra, the CEO of the Aitz Merchant Guild.

Milliano, who had never left the Lionel mainland, liked hearing the stories of foreign lands from Theo. There was a vividness that was different from what he saw in books.

“It was alright.”

“Did you see the Titan that the Daichi Kingdom is unveiling this time?”

“Of course.”

“Really? Really? What does it look like?”

The Titans, which had appeared to the world during the Riha War, quickly captured the hearts of children. Milliano and Theo were no exception.

Now, the dream of most boys had changed from ‘knight’ to ‘Titan owner’ [referring to the large, humanoid war machines].

Theo took out a notebook from his pocket and began to draw. The drawing was quite realistic for a 10-year-old child.

“It looks like this.”

“It looks more clunky than our Lionel Kingdom’s, no, Empire’s, Kubel.”

“But it has its charm, doesn’t it? Especially this horn part.”

“That’s true. What’s its name?”

“They call it Panzer. The magic superconductor used in the joint parts was developed by them…”

The two sat on the bench in the garden and talked about the Daichi Kingdom’s Titan for a long time. Their knowledge far surpassed those preparing for the Imperial Academy’s Department of Magical Engineering entrance exam.

However.

There was someone secretly eavesdropping on their conversation from the bushes behind the bench. A girl with exotic eyes that seemed to contain starlight.

It was the First Princess, Lua Lionel.

Lua, who had secretly taken off her shoes in the garden because her new shoes were hurting her feet, had hastily hidden in the bushes because of the sudden appearance of the two uninvited guests.

There were already many rumors about her because she was from the Kan tribe, the Second Empress, Ranua. If it was discovered that she was walking around without shoes like this, she feared the gossip that she was of barbarian blood would break her heart.

‘But my feet hurt so much….’

Suddenly, she hated herself endlessly.

The First Prince, Ian, was a swordsmanship genius recognized by everyone, and the Second Princess, who was just over a year old, had recently been revealed to have tremendous mana sensitivity at her first birthday celebration.

But she was just healthy.

The First Prince, Ian, wouldn’t let go of his sword even if his hands were torn, but she couldn’t even bear a little foot pain.

Tears began to well up in Lua’s big eyes.

“Theo, I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Really? Let’s go together.”

Just as tears were about to stream down her face, Milliano and Theo got up and disappeared.

Lua wiped her eyes and came out of the bushes.

She dusted the snow off her shoulders and sat back on the bench to put her shoes back on.

She didn’t feel like moving, thinking about going back to the banquet hall and standing there blankly. Then, Theo’s notebook caught her eye.

“This is the Daichi Kingdom’s Titan?”

Lua flipped through the notebook, taking in the Titan that Theo had drawn. Soon, she squatted down and began to mold the snow with her small hands.

Halfway through, Lua warmed her hands with her breath because they were cold. She looked around and picked up a twig, using it to carve the snowball.

Lua saw the Titan standing firmly on the ground within the snowball. As Lua carved away at the snowball with the twig, the Titan’s form gradually emerged.

“Done!”

A lifelike Titan that looked as if it would move at any moment was completed.

Clap, clap, clap. Clap, clap, clap.

Suddenly, she heard applause. Lua was startled and turned her head.

“Wow!”

“It’s exactly like what I saw!”

It was Milliano and Theo, who had gone to the bathroom.

Lua had been so focused that she hadn’t even noticed that the two had returned and were quietly watching her work.

‘They came back to find the notebook!’

Belatedly realizing her mistake, Lua blushed and lowered her head.

Theo’s eyes sparkled as he opened his mouth.

“Princess! Princess! Have you always been so good at sculpting? You’re really amazing.”

“It’s, just a small hobby….”

Compared to the First Prince or the Second Princess, it was a trivial talent. Lua had sincerely believed so.

“A small hobby?”

Theo didn’t think so.

Theo, who had traveled around the world with his mother, the CEO of the Aitz Merchant Guild, and had seen countless expensive works of art, recognized the value of the Titan model that Lua had made with the snowball at a glance.

‘If it were made of proper materials instead of snow!’

The intense desire to have it was proof of that.

Theo felt a deep regret that the Titan wasn’t made of marble, or even wood, instead of snow.

Theo glanced sideways.

Milliano was staring at the Titan that Lua had made with a captivated expression. The guy who had never been interested in toys….

‘Ah!’

A thought flashed through Theo’s mind.

‘This, this can make money!’

His business acumen, which he had naturally acquired by meeting with wealthy merchants from around the world with Ayra, recognized the value of the Titan model that Lua had made.

It was the beginning of the Ruteno Merchant Guild, which would later become the biggest player in the Titan manufacturing industry.

***

Once a week.

No matter how busy he was, Evan had dinner with his family.

Today, the Imperial family gathered at the table.

The First Empress, Reina, the First Prince, Ian, and the Second Princess, El.

The Second Empress, Ranua, and the First Princess, Lua.

They savored the dinner prepared by the Imperial chef. After eating his fill, Evan wiped his lips with a napkin and looked at Lua.

“Lua, I heard that the Ruteno Merchant Guild’s Titan model has been a huge hit in the Aimen Empire. Congratulations.”

“T, thank you.”

Lua blushed and smiled.

After becoming close with the children of Clian and Julian, she had asked Evan for permission to start a merchant guild. Evan, who recognized the value of the Titan model, not only gave his permission but also made a massive investment.

She always had a timid expression, but after that, she became drastically brighter.

A faint smile appeared on Evan’s lips.

Seeing Lua stand on her own before he had to intervene made him feel sorry but also proud.

In the ten years since Evan had ascended to the throne, he had achieved great feats to the point where he was called the Great Emperor. However, as a trade-off, he inevitably lacked the time to build emotional connections with his children.

That was always a burden on his mind.

In the blink of an eye, the First Prince, Ian, had grown to be almost as tall as him, and Lua was beginning to transition from a girl to a woman.

Evan’s gaze turned to the First Prince, Ian.

He was tall, but there was still a trace of youthfulness on his face. He wondered when he had grown so much.

It seemed like he could get married soon.

“Ian, I want you to stay in the Arya Kingdom for a while.”

Not as a metaphor, but sincerely.

Julian had also returned to the mainland, and it was time to start preparing.

The burden on his mind was a burden, but he couldn’t neglect the work he had to do as an emperor. He was not just the father of three children. He was the parent of all the people.

“I understand.”

Ian nodded obediently.

He understood the duties and rights of the Imperial family well. He had known since he was young that the Queen of Arya, Yuria, would be his spouse.

It was a little embarrassing to remember following her around, calling her “Sister, Sister,” since he was young… but he didn’t have any major complaints.

Above all.

Yuria Arya was Ian’s first love.

A story from when he didn’t know anything.

Ian’s face flushed as he remembered confessing to Yuria in a lisping voice, “I’m going to marry Noona [an affectionate Korean term for older sister used by males].”

***

Imperial Calendar, Year 6, August 15th.

Ian was in a daze from the crack of dawn, when his eyes opened on their own. After being dragged around by servants and maids all day, he looked around and saw that he was in the Danar Grand Temple.

Even more, before him was Rico, the Pope of the Danar Order, with a benevolent smile on his face.

Bbambabba Bbam- Bbambabba Bbam─

A familiar accompaniment was heard.

Ian reflexively turned his head back.

A beautiful woman in a pure white wedding dress was walking carefully with a flushed face.

It was the Queen of Arya, Yuria.

‘Ah!’

Only then did Ian come to his senses.

Today was his wedding day, and the day that Lionel and Arya would become one.

He couldn’t keep standing there with a blank expression. Ian straightened his shoulders and gave Yuria, who was walking towards him, a bright smile.

“Groooooooo!!”

“Kreung Kreung!!”