Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 46

046

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Evan stared at the long line of refugees, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“Your Majesty? Your Majesty!”

He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Alphonso approaching.

Alphonso’s usually stoic face, marked by the deep scar that ran from his left eye to the corner of his mouth, seemed particularly distant today.

“You must choose.”

Choose? Choose what?

Moments from the past flashed through his mind, along with the question.

‘Ah… Right.’

Evan nodded.

The battle for the throne between the First and Second Princes, a conflict that had dragged on for nearly a decade, had always favored the First Prince, who held a slight advantage.

The Second Prince, unwilling to accept the outcome, had resorted to inviting foreign powers ‘directly’ into the kingdom.

‘What a stupid thing to do.’

Thanks to that act of desperation, the massive army of the Arya Kingdom landed on the eastern coast virtually unopposed.

And then, starting with the beheading of the Second Prince, who had offered them [Barisada – a term of betrayal or offering], they began to reveal their true ambitions.

The island nation of the Arya Kingdom had long coveted the Lionel Kingdom, viewing it as a crucial gateway to the continent.

The eastern part of the Lionel Kingdom, already weakened by the princes’ civil war, quickly fell to the Arya invaders.

‘They couldn’t have been unaware of such a risk.’

How foolish a choice can a person make when cornered? The Second Prince’s actions would serve as a prime example in the history books.

‘It would have been fine if it had ended there, but…’

The invaders who had seized the east couldn’t simply ignore the fertile southern region, the Lionel Kingdom’s breadbasket.

Soon, a brutal war erupted over control of the south.

In the decisive battle on the southern plains, where the fate of the nation hung in the balance, the kingdom suffered a crushing defeat. The First Prince, the late king, who was on the cusp of becoming a 7-star knight, had both hands severed and barely escaped with his life. Count Miloa, his friend and advisor, was brutally murdered on the spot, becoming a plaything for the enemy soldiers.

– Evan Lionel. You are the only one left now. Please, please, prevent the downfall of the kingdom… Keuk.

Evan recalled the last words Lucas had spoken to him just days ago, and he contemplated the weight of the crown he had inherited.

It felt light in his hands, yet simultaneously so heavy that he wanted to drop it immediately.

Evan shook his head to clear the memories and looked back at the line of refugees.

The current situation was straightforward.

The Arya Kingdom, having seized the south and taken a brief respite, was now advancing north to capture the royal capital, Barona.

Evan, realizing it was impossible to stop them, had implemented a scorched-earth policy in Barona and was moving the capital to the northern region, which possessed a natural fortress.

The problem was… the refugees.

The refugees slowed their movement. The Arya army, enraged by the scorched-earth tactics, was pursuing them relentlessly.

He had to abandon them.

If he abandoned them?

They would be fortunate if death was all they faced.

The Arya invaders felt no remorse about filling their stomachs with the corpses of enemy soldiers.

Doo-doo-doo-doo.

Rayna rode into view on her horse. Her empty left sleeve looked particularly noticeable today.

Evan frowned slightly at the sense of unease he felt, similar to when he had seen Alphonso’s face earlier.

“Your Majesty! The Arya bastards are coming! Make a decision quickly.”

Rayna, who had lost an arm and been abandoned by the Second Prince, had lived with barbarians in the northern Barrington Fortress with Evan for many years.

A 7-star knight.

The master who had taught him swordsmanship.

She, who had become known as the Sword Empress despite being one-armed.

Evan spoke, his voice heavy.

“Rayna, can you lead the Seolhwa Knights and buy us some time?”

“… I understand.”

“No! We cannot afford to lose Rayna and the knights here in vain! Their lives are more precious than a thousand refugees!”

Alphonso exclaimed in protest.

Evan knew it too.

Abandoning the refugees would allow them to preserve the kingdom’s elite forces and retreat north. Losing Rayna and the knights would be an irreparable blow.

But Evan had made his decision.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll beat those bastards and follow you soon! Hyah, let’s go! Seolhwa Knights, follow me!”

“Uwooooo! Let’s go! Those island bastards are all dead!”

Evan bit his lip as he watched Rayna and her knights ride off. He looked at the two hands that now held the crown.

Heavy, impossibly heavy.

“Your Majesty! You will regret this decision for the rest of your life!”

Evan nodded at Alphonso’s rebuke.

“I suppose so.”

“How could you make such a choice knowing that?”

“Alphonso, who made the king?”

“….”

Alphonso hesitated.

Evan looked at the busy knights and the refugees trembling with anxiety.

“It’s them. They gave the king the power to control their lives, hoping he would take responsibility for their safety and provide them with better lives.”

Evan paused, watching Rayna disappear into the distance. Then, he continued.

“Whether I wanted it or not, I became the king of the Lionel Kingdom. And so, I made the choice of a monarch. And Rayna made the choice of a knight.”

That day.

The Sword Empress of the Lionel Kingdom made a significant contribution to Evan and the refugees safely reaching the north by fighting to the death with the Sword Demon of the Arya Kingdom.

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Northern Barrington Fortress.

Evan looked out from the top of the castle walls. The smell of roasting meat wafting from the Hamel Empire’s camp made him frown.

Alphonso, his hair now graying, limped to his side.

“They will be here soon.”

“I suppose so.”

Evan closed his eyes slightly.

The wars with the Arya Kingdom and the Hamel Empire had continued relentlessly since he had inherited the crown.

This was the end.

If the Barrington Fortress fell, it was only a matter of time before the Lionel Kingdom disappeared from history.

“Where is Austin?”

“He disappeared after the failure of the ceasefire negotiations with those bastards. I wonder where he is and what he is doing in this situation.”

“He said he found traces of ancient ruins? That the relics of God might be sleeping there?”

“Hmph, what relics of God? Most of them are just toys in front of those things, aren’t they?”

Evan looked in the direction Alphonso was pointing.

The steel giants were there.

There were rumors that the great powers were developing giant combat golems while the Lionel Kingdom was preoccupied with its internal conflicts.

‘I didn’t expect it to be real.’

Titan.

A new weapon that had redefined warfare.

Their overwhelming size dwarfed even ogres, large monsters over 5 meters tall, making them look like children. Their outer armor was nearly impenetrable, requiring attacks from 6-star knights or mages to even scratch it.

‘That’s why those bastards invaded the north.’

One of the core components of the engine, which amplified the magic power of the rider and could be considered the heart of the Titan, was buried in large quantities in the north.

“Aren’t you disappointed?”

“What are you talking about?”

Evan tilted his head at Alphonso’s question. There were too many things to be disappointed about.

“Starting with learning any mana cultivation technique after your coming-of-age ceremony. If you had focused on either magic or swordsmanship, you might have become a 9-star, or perhaps the first human to reach 10 stars.”

“Any mana cultivation technique? It has a great name called the Limitless Mana Cultivation Technique. And isn’t it quite useful if it can create an 8-star magic swordsman?”

“That’s because you modified it later, Your Majesty.”

“It couldn’t be helped at the time. And wasn’t it you who brought the original? Saying that you were wondering if I would learn this, and that some old man was selling it for 400 crowns and you thought it was real, so you bought it.”

“… I’m sorry. To be exact, it was 413 crowns. You had to learn something right away because the barbarian’s axe was about to split Your Majesty’s head open.”

Alphonso’s voice grew softer.

He raised his head again and touched on another sore spot.

“What about sending Rayna away like that? If she were still alive, she would have become an 8-star knight who could take on that damn new weapon with her bare hands. Would you make the same choice if you went back?”

Evan was silent for a moment before speaking.

“Alphonso, since I inherited the crown from Lucas, the choices I’ve been given have all been things that I would regret no matter what I chose. Even if I had chosen to abandon the refugees at that time, I would definitely be regretting it. One thing is for sure, Evan Lionel, the king of the Lionel Kingdom, would make the same choice even if he went back to that time.”

Evan turned his head after speaking. Alphonso followed his gaze. Women and children wearing ragged clothes were moving stones. They were the people who would be with the kingdom until the very end.

Alphonso shook his head.

He was a terrible person.

Evan, who wore the crown he didn’t even want, never chose to abandon his people. Who would have thought that the ghost prince who was holed up in the Emerald Palace would become such a monarch?

If only I had known a little sooner.

Alphonso bitterly resented his past self, who had neglected him and spent his days in meaningless idleness.

“I know you won’t listen, but may I say one thing?”

“Don’t.”

“Leave this to us and go to the Belkas Mountains. If only Your Majesty is alive, the Lionel Kingdom can definitely start again.”

“It’s already too late.”

Evan chuckled as he saw the Hamel Empire’s camp stirring up dust.

“The bastards are coming! Everyone, prepare!”

– Uwoaaaa!

– Let’s kill the bastards!

– Long live the Lionel Kingdom!

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“Cough, cough….”

Evan, with a gaping hole in his abdomen, looked around. The Empire’s Titans were scattered across the battlefield. In each case, the cockpit where the knight had been riding had been destroyed.

There was no one left standing.

The women and children who had been throwing stones from the fortress lay dead, their eyes wide open. They looked like a mother and child. Evan dragged himself over to close their eyes.

‘Mutual destruction, huh….’

No, it was a victory for the Empire, which could replenish the manpower lost in this war over and over again. Soon, their follow-up troops would arrive to occupy the empty northern part of the Lionel Kingdom.

“Cough.”

Evan spat out a mouthful of blood and lay down on his back, looking at the sky.

‘It’s finally over.’

He had to admit it.

Soon, the Lionel Kingdom would disappear into the annals of history.

He felt relieved and regretful.

He was so disappointed with the situations that always presented him with terrible choices and forced him to pick one. It was as if the Lionel Kingdom had already decided it would be destroyed and was simply asking him to choose the manner of its demise.

Even if he went back to the past, the choices Evan made would not have changed.

‘If there had been another option.’

Evan lowered his gaze, regretting that point, and looked at the sky.

‘What were those things after all.’

A ghostly hand waving and a semi-transparent window with unknown characters written on it. Evan could never take his eyes off those things that had followed him throughout his life.

‘….’

Tingle, tingle.

As always, his head ached as if it would explode when he thought about those things.

He was already dying.

What did this matter?

The ghostly hand began to perform a solemn dance as if mourning Evan’s death.

Tingle, tingle- Thud!

“Cough!”

A pain as if someone had stabbed a knife into his brain.

Thud! Thud!

Usually, he would have lost consciousness around this point and his vassals would have been in an uproar, but today, strangely, his mind became clearer.

Even in the midst of terrible pain, he was determined to see the end. Evan watched the ghostly hand performing its majestic dance and made that resolution.

And.

Clang───!

‘Ah!’

The ghostly hand, which had suddenly stopped dancing, gave him a thumbs up.

Time went back quickly.

Back to that terrible moment when he had to choose between the refugees and Rayna.

Crackle──!

The world shattered.

***

Clap clap clap.

I opened my eyes to the sound of someone clapping.

A woman wearing a tight black dress was clapping her hands while looking at me.

I immediately recognized her identity.

“Barisada.”

“Ding~dong~daeng. Did you have a good dream?”

I carefully observed her smiling face.

Jet-black white hair, hair with a feeling that doesn’t make sense, and clear red eyes. She was a ‘terribly’ beautiful woman.

“Was it a dream?”