Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 83

Surviving as the Fifth Prince of the Hellscape – Episode 83

083

Mae-aem- Mae-aem-

Summer, with cicadas chirping everywhere.

It’s already been over half a year since the Red Star Fever swept the world. This year, it feels like the seasons are changing in the blink of an eye.

“A heavenly ingredient so delicious that if two people eat it, both would die without knowing! It’s the Golden Crab from the distant West Continent!”

“This is the latest style trending in the Aimen Empire! You there, miss! Don’t just look! Oh my, oh my. You look like a model!”

“Pick! Pick! Wooden dolls made by the wizards of the Rabia Empire to bring good luck! 10 for just 1 crown!”

Disguised, I was on a secret visit to the market of the royal capital, Barona, with Alfonso and Reina.

Just a year ago, most of the goods were from the Hamel Empire or the Arya Kingdom, but the atmosphere has changed a bit.

You can now find amazing products from all over the world.

This was because foreign merchants who came to import Generol and Genesia didn’t want to return with empty ships.

“Hey, young man! The lady next to you can’t take her eyes off this hat! You should buy it for her! I don’t know when we’ll get more once these are sold out!”

A merchant selling berets imported from the Aimen Empire called out to me. I glanced to the side and saw Reina quickly looking away from the hat, shaking her head.

“I was just looking because it looked interesting.”

“Don’t you see Isabel wearing them often?”

“······.”

Isabel, who is researching the Magic Superconductor, is known as a trendy new woman in the Emerald Palace.

Many maids and servants envied her fashion sense, having lived in the dominant Eastern continent, the Aimen Empire, for nearly 10 years.

I picked out a black beret and asked the merchant.

“How much is this?”

“Originally 10 crowns, but… it looks so good on the lady, I’ll take just 5 crowns. Hehet.”

The merchant, who was trying to overcharge, quickly changed his tune when he saw my eyebrows twitch. He was quite perceptive.

I put the black beret on Reina’s wavy silver hair.

It felt like just yesterday I was looking her in the eye, but now I was looking down at the top of her head. I could feel how much taller I had gotten.

“It suits you well.”

“T, thank you.”

Reina, touching the beret I had put on her, expressed her gratitude with a slight smile. She seemed to like it even more than when I melted down Weiss’s sword to make her a new one.

After buying Reina the hat, I wandered around the market like a tourist. Then, I passed by a shop with a long line of people.

It was the Barona branch of the Aitz Trading Company, of which I was the major shareholder.

“Hey! Give me two boxes each of Generol and Genesia!”

“Limited to one box per person!”

“One is for my wife. She’s lying down with the Red Star Fever right now.”

“Do you have a doctor’s note?”

“Here it is.”

The Red Star Fever, which in the ‘future’ even created the term ‘two years of disaster,’ [referring to the widespread devastation and societal disruption it caused].

Because it was so contagious, it couldn’t be eradicated. It turned into an endemic disease, like a cold that you get once or twice a year.

Now, at least in the royal capital of Barona, it no longer threatens people’s daily lives. Most households had Generol and Genesia as over-the-counter medicines.

“Hey, employee! What is this square box?”

“Ah! That’s a microwave. It’s called the ‘Franni’ model.”

“Franni?”

“It’s a magical tool developed by Franni, the 8-star mage who is the Horizon Winner and the Fifth Prince’s teacher. If you heat up this cold stew for just 30 seconds… ta-da! It turns out like it was just made.”

“Hoo, that’s amazing. It must be very expensive, right?”

“It’s a bit pricey, but the orders from large restaurants and nobles are so backed up that you have to wait a long time to get one.”

Recently, there has been a craze among nobles and wealthy merchants for enjoying exotic dishes using microwaves.

What’s amazing is that meat cooked in the microwave is often tastier than meat grilled over charcoal.

How can that be?

I reaffirmed the lesson that you shouldn’t make the mistake of directly applying the laws of physics from Earth through the microwave [a reference to the protagonist’s past life and knowledge].

“Shall we head back soon?”

“Let’s.”

I was about to finish the secret visit without any major incidents when…

– Kyaaaaa!

– Help me!

A commotion erupted from behind.

“Ah! Your Highness!”

Before Reina could stop me, I ran towards the scene of the disturbance.

“Damn it-! This X-like world! Everyone die!”

A disheveled madman in shabby clothes was causing a riot with a sickle.

There were no signs of awakened magic power.

He was an ordinary person.

“You X-ing things! I’m going to kill you all!”

“Kyaaaa! P, please save me.”

A woman who had fallen while running trembled. The madman raised his sickle to strike.

I reached for a throwing dagger.

[Acceleration]

[Guidance]

I threw the dagger with auxiliary magic.

Swaeaeaek- Kwajik!

It hit the madman’s wrist accurately.

“Kkeuaaaaa!”

Clang.

The man dropped the sickle.

“Hi- Hick─!”

The woman who had fallen quickly got up and ran away.

The urgent situation seemed to be resolved, so I looked around. Fortunately, no one seemed to be seriously injured.

“Kkeueueue······ X!”

The madman, clutching his wrist where the dagger was embedded, glared at me.

Bwee-! Bwee─!

The sound of the security forces’ whistles could be heard in the distance.

“X! You bastard! I remember your face! I’ll get you from behind-”

Seogeok─ Chwaaaak.

Reina beheaded the man without hesitation.

“Y, you killed him!”

“Kyaaaa!”

The security forces arrived immediately.

“You guys! Murder in the middle of the market in broad daylight!”

They surrounded our group.

Reina took out the insignia of the Royal Knights from her chest.

“This is Reina Jeanne, Baroness and escort knight of the Fifth Prince. He was summarily executed on charges of insulting royalty, threatening royalty, and attempted murder of royalty. If you have any objections, contact the higher-ups.”

“Gasp! You guys, quickly put your swords down right now!”

The captain leading the security forces hurriedly disarmed his subordinates.

“Are you hurt anywhere? What brings you to the market in such shabby clothes… I misunderstood.”

“I was on a secret visit with the Fifth Prince. Please take care of the aftermath.”

“Understood.”

– Is that the Fifth Prince?

– Is that Lady Reina over there then?

– Isn’t she the one who beheaded the Joe Bailey pirates?

While the security forces controlled the murmuring crowd, we quickly left the market.

In the carriage returning to the palace, I casually asked Alfonso.

“Has the number of crimes targeting unspecified individuals increased recently?”

“I don’t know why. Could it be because the Red Star Fever is keeping the crazy people from moving out of their houses?”

“I saw some magic power awakeners around earlier, why did they stand by? Do you know anything about it?”

“Well… you know how the Baron Barus’s son caused a riot with a knife a while ago?”

“I remember seeing it in the newspaper.”

“There’s a backstory to that. The Royal Military Academy student who made a great contribution to suppressing him at the time was sued and ended up with a huge debt.”

“The son sued him? And the student is from a commoner background?”

“Well… yes.”

My eyes narrowed.

Touching the privileges that the nobles have enjoyed is a dangerous thing that could blow away all the foundations I have built up in an instant.

I have no intention of preaching ideologies like ‘everyone is equal’ based on vague memories of my past life.

My memories of living as a royal and as a king are too strong for that. And the Hamel Empire to the north and the Arya Kingdom to the west could invade at any time.

Equality, democracy, those ideologies will sprout on their own when the time comes.

There’s nothing else I want right now.

Royalty should act like royalty.

Nobles should act like nobles.

The people should act like the people.

Regardless of status, I believe that those who deserve to be punished should be punished, and those who deserve to be rewarded should be rewarded.

If it’s a kingdom that can’t do that…

‘It deserves to fall.’

***

Councilor Bert visited the Emerald Palace.

“Haaaah-!”

“Kuaaaah!”

“Ouch! Take it easy!”

Adol’s Crescent Moon Halberd and Benon’s Azure Flame Greatsword were about to cut Bert in half.

Kkaang-!

Bert deflected the Crescent Moon Halberd and the Azure Flame Greatsword simultaneously with a single swing.

Adol and Vernon had made remarkable achievements in about a year. They weren’t 6-star knights, but they were competing for the top spot among 5-star knights.

Recently, when I visited the 3rd Knights, Adol defeated Verok of the Greatsword for the first time in a sparring match. It was thanks to his excellent mana cultivation method and finding a weapon that suited him.

After that, I had one more escort.

“You morons! Get out of the way!”

Verok, that is…

He knelt in the Emerald Palace training ground, declaring that he would be my escort and went on a hunger strike. Then, he witnessed me giving snacks to G-Dragon [likely a pet or familiar], so I had no choice but to make him my escort.

I couldn’t kill him, could I?

Swaeaeaek-

Verok’s greatsword pierced through the gap Bert created by Adol and Vernon. It was a moment of desperation, but Bert’s expression was relaxed.

“Kuaaaak!”

It was a thrust that would have been a direct hit if he had just let it go, but Verok’s wrist twisted slightly, and the greatsword grazed Bert’s collar.

‘That’s strange.’

Bert never became a 7-star knight.

However, he is still able to use the mysteries of coercion (强制) [a magical ability to enforce rules], which forces others to obey the laws he has set, to some extent.

What he just did was clearly force the law of ‘deflecting attacks’ on Verok.

‘It’s not perfect. It won’t work on a 6-star knight.’

In my opinion, Bert’s current level is about 6.5 stars? Maybe the next time he encounters a wall again, he will be able to become a perfect 7-star knight.

“It’s my turn next!”

After the three escort knights knelt to Bert, Reina stepped forward.

“Oh my, give an old man a break.”

“Hmm… I understand.”

Bert wiped the sweat with a towel and sat next to me.

“I’m running out of energy because I have to pick up a sword every time I come to see you.”

“You don’t seem out of breath for someone who says that.”

“Haha, was I found out?”

After a few words of greeting, he mentioned his main business.

“I’m planning to propose a reorganization of the Royal Knights at the upcoming 3rd quarter regular cabinet meeting. What do you think, Your Highness?”

The 2nd Knights, which supported the 2nd Prince, were clearly divided into the 1st Prince faction and the 5th Prince faction.

I heard that the degree of conflict was different from when the 3rd Knights were divided into the noble faction and the commoner faction in the past. If left unattended, a major accident would surely occur.

“Have you met the commander of the 2nd Knights?”

I heard Damian did quite well.

He called the commander of the 2nd Knights uncle, uncle, and followed him so well…

It must have been complicated for him.

It was difficult for him to support me, who had cut off the head of Damian, who was like a nephew, or to support the 1st Prince, whom he had been hostile to.

“He said he wants to stay away from central politics for the time being and focus only on the sword.”

The moment I heard Bert’s words, I thought it was a good thing.

“That’s a relief. The Arya Kingdom will be quiet for a while, so how about the position of Naval Admiral in Seokham, which is still vacant? They will agree without saying anything.”

“The commander of the 2nd Knights can’t swim…”

“Let’s tell him to learn to swim this time.”

A good idea suddenly came to mind.

“Reina, you haven’t been teaching Loir anything special recently, have you?”

“It’s becoming an important time for him to learn on his own, but.”

Reina’s eyes flashed with caution.

“He’s taught enough at 3 stars. I was wiping out pirates in the east at that level. You went with me.”

“Are you thinking of attaching Loir to the commander of the 2nd Knights?”

“Teach him how to swim too. It would be good to have a smart knight attached to him.”

“Understood.”

He agreed more easily than I thought.

“He often says he misses the sea, so I was thinking of giving him a vacation.”