Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 69

069

Horizon Presentation Hall.

A woman wearing a deeply pulled-down hat sat in a dark, secluded corner.

Isabel Ronelli.

The daughter of Cameo, whose research on the superconductive mana entity Lac was confiscated by the Head of the Yellow Tower before he disappeared. She was staring intently at Franken, who was exposing the Head of the Yellow Tower’s misdeeds.

((Why are you silent? I’ll ask again. How did you present Lac, which my friend was researching?))

Franken, with his left hand in his white coat pocket, adjusted his glasses with his right middle finger, pressing the Head of the Yellow Tower for an answer.

‘Father’s friend?’

Isabel’s mind was in turmoil.

Cameo was not a good father.

A pathetic man with the absurd dream of turning copper into gold. That’s what her mother would habitually say whenever she drank alone after the divorce.

Cameo wasn’t a good husband, but he was a good father to young Isabel.

– Isabel, look at this. If you pour this red liquid on this copper… Ta-da!

– Wow! It sparkles like gold!

That was why Isabel became a magic engineer and alchemist like Cameo.

‘I wasn’t the only one exchanging letters with Father…?’

Isabel examined Franken’s face closely.

He looked too young to be her father’s friend. At best, he looked to be her age?

The conclusion was one.

He’s not human. Judging by his youthful appearance and the lush, curly golden hair covering his ears, there was a high probability he was a half-elf like the 7-star mage Fran.

‘A friend to my unsociable father…’

Isabel’s gaze turned to the mana loss rate measuring device. ‘Lac9,’ which Franken had created, looked as if it were magnified under a microscope.

With such clear evidence, she had no choice but to believe it.

After her parents’ divorce, she had moved to the Imen Empire in the East Continent with her mother.

Her father had been alone for over 10 years. It was possible that he had made a close friend with whom he could share his research during that time.

Although it was still hard to believe.

She shifted her gaze back to Franken.

‘Does he have three or four lives?’

In fact, it should have been her, not Franken, exposing the Head of the Yellow Tower’s misdeeds in that spot. But Isabel couldn’t do that.

The imperial family of the Hamel Empire.

The owner of the Yellow Tower.

An 8-star mage.

The Head of the Yellow Tower was in a position that Isabel couldn’t even dare to look up to. If he wanted, he could crush her more easily than killing an ant.

The emotion Isabel felt towards him was half revenge, half fear. No, honestly, fear was a little greater.

((Not worth dealing with. I’ll go down first. And the Horizon Thesis Review Committee must explain how the contents of my thesis were leaked.))

The Head of the Yellow Tower finally opened his mouth.

Before leaving, he glared at Franken with eyes that seemed to devour him. His murderous look was so intense that it sent a chill down her spine as she sat in the corner of the presentation hall.

‘Franken, you’re going to be murdered soon. What on earth are you thinking, doing something like this?’

Isabel wanted to run to the stage and ask him that right away.

***

She had expected some ridiculous logic to defend himself, but the Head of the Yellow Tower chose to leave the presentation hall.

– The Head of the Yellow Tower ran away.

– Franken? Who is he?

– The presentation schedule just says he’s a magic engineer?

– He doesn’t have a surname. Is he an alien race?

– If he did joint research with the 7-star mage Fran… an elf? Or a half-elf?

– Are you crazy? Does he think the Hamel Empire and the Head of the Yellow Tower will leave him alone?

Whispers were heard from all directions.

There were quite a few people looking at me as if I were crazy. Among them was an acquaintance.

Fran, it was…

With her arms crossed, she was glaring at me as if she would devour me. Her eyes seemed more ferocious than the Head of the Yellow Tower’s earlier.

It was my fault for not telling her in advance.

But I couldn’t help it. She would obviously object, so how could I tell her? Besides, all her attention was focused on the magnetron presentation. I didn’t want to interfere.

‘Forgiveness is faster than permission.’

Thinking that, I slyly avoided Fran’s eyes.

I have many excuses.

‘It was something that had to be done.’

If left alone, the Yellow Tower, with tremendous support from around the world, would be the first to develop a mana superconductor stronger than steel, to be used in the outer armor of the Titans.

Of course, it would take quite a long time.

The Head of the Yellow Tower is a member of the imperial family. In fact, the two can be regarded as one and the same.

The Hamel Empire, which was somewhat behind in technology compared to other great powers, would use the mana superconductor as an opportunity to grow into one of the top three powers in the world in one fell swoop.

The Liml (Lionel Hamel) War is bound to happen. If they don’t come, I’ll invade first.

‘I have to reclaim the lost Northwest.’

That’s still a distant future story.

Right now, the priority was to calm the buzzing audience and the Horizon officials who didn’t know what to do.

I looked at the Horizon officials, who had expressions as if they had been struck by lightning out of the blue. And I made eye contact with the person I wanted.

The person at the very top of Aden’s power pyramid.

The head of state, Thorric the Steel.

The 8-star warrior and one of the world’s leading generals was staring at me with fierce eyes. Without avoiding his gaze, I calmly opened my mouth.

((Three days later, on Saturday, when Horizon’s thesis presentations are taking a break for the weekend, I will reveal to the world the research left by Cameo. The research that he left behind, which we may never see again! The research that will change the world! I can’t let the unscrupulous people from earlier steal it.))

– I, is that true!

– He’s going to reveal the mana superconductor for free!

– He, he’s crazy. That’s research that could make him the richest man in the world!

– Still, I respect him as a magician.

– ······ I agree.

The audience was shocked.

I continued, still not breaking eye contact with Thorric.

((I request protection from Aden. At least until the moment I reveal the mana superconductor to the world on Saturday, I want to be alive.))

Everyone’s eyes and ears in the presentation hall were focused on Thorric, and he, who had been staring into my eyes for a long time, opened his mouth.

((······ I understand. I will help you so that no one can touch a hair on your head until Saturday. However, after that······.))

I smiled.

He was probably going to offer me protection all along and ask me to work for Aden, or something like that.

In Thorric’s eyes, I must have looked like a jewel that had suddenly fallen from the sky. Not only him, but also the key figures from around the world in the presentation hall would see me that way.

I could feel their gazes on me, as if they were drooling. A little cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck, but I didn’t show it and answered calmly.

“Let’s talk about it then.”

***

After Evan, no, Franken, turned the presentation hall upside down, the presentations of magicians and magic engineers continued.

The audience, with their minds in turmoil, listened to the presented papers.

The papers presented on the first day of Horizon were carefully selected by the review committee. There might be another presentation equivalent to the mana superconductor.

And.

((Next, there will be a presentation on the magnetron, jointly researched by 7-star mage Fran and magic engineer Franken.))

The audience, who had been sitting in a slightly relaxed posture, straightened up at the moderator’s words.

Franken, who created the mana superconductor Lac9, which showed a much lower mana loss rate than what the Head of the Yellow Tower had shown, was a co-researcher.

They couldn’t help but be interested.

The presentation began with Fran putting a chocolate sculpture in a glass box surrounded by a huge wire mesh and manifesting a magnetron [a device that generates microwaves].

Without fire, the sculpture in the box melted instantly, and the audience exclaimed at the sight of the molten chocolate boiling.

((······ The core of this formula is three things: [Water film], [Suction], [Magnetic force]. First, the role of the water film is······.))

Fran led the presentation.

((······ This wave here is the microwave generated from the magnetron. Unlike the mana waves observed in the past, it has the unique property of reflecting and refracting like light. Research has shown that this microwave is the key to melting the chocolate earlier······.))

Franken only assisted her presentation and did not come forward.

((······ So, to see how we could apply this to real life, we created the ‘microwave oven’ from earlier. It’s a prototype, so it’s somewhat crude and unnecessarily large, but if it’s improved a little more, I’m sure it can provide great convenience to the daily lives of people around the world.))

Fran finished the prepared presentation.

Before saying that she would take questions, she began to add a final word.

((Finally, I want to make one thing clear. I only met Franken by ‘chance’ and conducted joint research, and we have no personal relationship at all. We entered Aden separately, and the research was conducted by exchanging letters.))

She drew a line with Franken.

((I had no idea about mana superconductor Lac9. I swear this on the seven stars I possess.))

And the final touch.

She even swore on her stars.

Those who have surpassed 6 stars are called transcendents because they can twist the laws of the world with their will. The driving force is the stars they possess, which are fascinated by the will of the transcendents.

The stars are never very attracted to transcendents who break oaths made on themselves.

Of course, the part that Fran swore on was from the part where she didn’t know about the mana superconductor.

Originally, when deceiving others, the truth must be mixed appropriately. It was the wisdom of life that she had learned while knowing Evan.

***

Three days later.

Isabel, wearing a deeply pulled-down hat, visited the presentation hall.

It was the day of Franken’s mana superconductor reveal. It was more crowded than the first day of Horizon.

Fortunately, those who had tickets were given priority to enter, so she stuck her butt in her designated dark corner seat.

– Will he really reveal Lac9?

– I don’t think so. I think he’ll just end it at the level that the Head of the Yellow Tower revealed.

– Well, he can’t reveal everything if he wants to protect himself.

– Which country will he entrust his safety to?

– The Imen Empire? One of the Brissen Alliance?

Isabel listened to the whispers from all directions and fell into thought.

‘Lac9… It’s been almost 7 years since Father’s letters stopped. He made that alone in the meantime? Even while researching something called a magnetron?’

It was unbelievable.

The mana superconductor that she had successfully recreated based on the contents written in her father’s letters was only at the level of Lac that the Head of the Yellow Tower had shown.

‘Could it be that he continued to communicate with Father even after that?’

– It’s time!

– Ah! There he comes!

At the people’s commotion, Isabel quickly raised her head.

Aden’s head of state, Thorric the Steel, personally protected Franken and entered the presentation hall, and Aden’s knights and magicians were spread out in all directions.

– Even the Hamel Empire and the Yellow Tower can’t do anything reckless now, right?

– I heard they protested fiercely. They said they wouldn’t hesitate to show force? There are already rumors that they’ve dispatched assassins targeting Franken.

– Will it work? How many countries are eyeing Franken here? They can’t just let the Hamel Empire monopolize the mana superconductor.

Only after Franken stood in the center of the stage did the whispers from all directions subside.

((First, I would like to thank those who have gathered here with interest in my friend’s research. Today! I am going to reveal to you all the data on the mana superconductor that my friend researched.))

– Ah….

– Is he taking out what he researched himself?

– I guess he’s only going to share up to the level that the Head of the Yellow Tower showed.

Franken lifted a thick stack of documents.

((This is!! The research data containing everything about him. First, I will distribute copies to everyone here.))

At the same time as he finished speaking, Aden’s agents with copied research data moved busily. Isabel also received what they handed her.

‘Father’s complete research is here….’

She wanted to hole up somewhere right now and feel her father’s traces, but the priority was to listen to what Franken had to say until the end.

((Everyone seems to have received it. Now, I will explain the core of the mana superconductor Lac. Please open the first page of the data you have all received.))

Rustle, rustle-

The sound of turning paper filled the room.

((Now, please pay attention to the screen.))

With those words from Franken, everyone’s eyes turned to the screen.

Clack─!

The sound of him snapping his fingers.

Everyone expected a screen full of runes, various symbols, and geometric shapes.

But.

Kwaaaaaang─!!!!

A huge explosion.

Swish─ Splatter.

A fishy and crimson liquid splattered on people’s faces. And unpleasant pieces of meat.

– ······?

– Kyaaaaaaa!

– T, terror!

– F, Franken!

Isabel hurriedly took her eyes off the screen and looked at the spot where Franken had been. She couldn’t see anything because of the black smoke covering the stage.

‘D, did he die?’

The Head of the Yellow Tower!

It’s the work of the Hamel Empire!

The same thought popped into the heads of everyone gathered in the presentation hall, not just her.

((Head of the Yellow Towerrrrrrrr!!!))

Thorric the Steel.

His angry roar filled the presentation hall.