Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 87

087

Alfonso, who had boarded a train heading north for his vacation, sought out the Lionel Guardians as soon as he got off.

It was the anniversary of his mentor, who was also the father of Austin, the former leader of the Northern Liberation Army.

“Just a moment. I’m almost done,” Austin said, scribbling busily with his pen. Alfonso looked around the office, eventually approaching the bookshelf.

『The History of Struggle』

『The Public’s Desire』

『People Who Eat Dreams』

…

If the Royal Secret Service saw this, they would be thrilled to have found a republican. Alfonso turned to look at Austin, who was putting down his pen, seemingly finished with his work.

“Senior, aren’t most of these banned books?”

“They are.”

“Is it okay to just leave them out in the open like this? Won’t you get arrested if the Royal Secret Service finds them?”

“It’s for reference. I need to know what’s banned to confiscate it.”

“The Lionel Guardians confiscate banned books too?”

“You can think of it as doing more than you imagine.”

Alfonso was momentarily speechless at Austin’s detached tone.

“But how did you know those were banned? You only ever read gossip magazines.”

“I’ve been reading a lot lately. You see as much as you know.”

Alfonso shrugged, showing off. At that sight, Austin’s eyes narrowed behind his fox mask.

‘Alfonso doesn’t read books. How could someone like that recognize banned books just by their titles? Especially ones related to republicanism?’

Come to think of it, he remembered that the Fifth Prince had made statements at the cabinet meeting that could be considered somewhat dangerous, depending on how they were interpreted.

“Are you very interested in republicanism, Your Highness?”

“I thought so, so I’m studying up in advance. After all, I’m the Prince’s chief aide! Aren’t I? It’s been tough studying. I get so sleepy whenever I open a book…”

“So, what do you understand about republicanism?”

“I’ve definitely understood a few things. Freedom, equality, justice… They say a lot of nice-sounding words. And that in human countries, unless it’s a special situation like the Aden Alliance, a republic can’t be established.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Isn’t it obvious? The weak mouths of republicans won’t be able to stop the swords of royalty and nobility.”

“So that’s why they say a person who’s only read one book is ignorant…”

“Only one? I’ve read three!”

Alfonso bristled at Austin’s muttering.

“Did you know that republics have existed many times in world history? The dual governance of the Lumeo Empire, which once dominated the entire Western Continent before disappearing into history, is also a form of republic if you think about it.”

“Huh?”

Austin clicked his tongue at Alfonso’s reaction, who seemed not to know about the Lumeo Empire itself.

“My bad. I suddenly brought up a very old story from ancient times. Do you know that a republic pursuing freedom, equality, and fraternity was established around the same time as the founding of Aden?”

“Of course… I don’t.”

“You said it yourself earlier. That republicans’ mouths can’t stop swords. But you know, sometimes there are people in the world with teeth that can chew even steel. What do you think happens when an 8-star mage from a small country, born a commoner whose family was massacred by a tyrannical royal family, has the conviction that a republic is the right political system?”

“…They’d overthrow the king and realize their ideals, I guess. Did that actually happen?”

“Yes. The mage who started the revolution abolished the monarchy and established a republic, becoming its first head of state. But it collapsed in less than 10 years. Do you know why?”

“Did that mage suddenly die? Or was it invaded by other countries fearing the spread of dangerous ideologies in their own? I read in a book that Aden was frequently invaded by the Haml Empire for those reasons in its early days.”

“No. They stipulated that the head of state could only be re-elected twice at the beginning of the nation’s founding, but that mage wanted to keep being the head of state. So, after the inauguration ceremony, they changed the name of the republic to a kingdom.”

“That mage really lacked conviction.”

“It wasn’t that simple of an issue… Never mind, study it yourself. Just know this one thing. There are more dreamers than you think who want to be recorded in history as people who changed the era, rather than just seizing power right away. Even knowing it’s impossible.”

Alfonso looked back and forth between the bookshelf full of banned books and Austin before opening his mouth.

“I give up. I just realized thanks to you, Senior, that it’s wise to just diligently do what Prince Evan tells me to do and watch what happens.”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Let’s get out of here before it gets any later.”

“Yes. Oh, where did Luna go on the anniversary of our mentor’s death?”

Alfonso was looking for his colleague, who had been a kitchen assistant at the Emerald Palace and had abandoned him during the hearing incident.

‘Luna, who was probably still sleeping in the fields as usual. He had been smirking on the train to the north, thinking about showing off to her, the ‘chief aide!’ of the Fifth Prince.’

“She’s bedridden with Red Star Fever.”

“A mana awakener? And a 4-star one at that?”

“She told a ridiculous story about her grandmother’s grandmother being an elf, but it seems it was true.”

“I see…”

Alfonso clicked his tongue in disappointment.

After walking in silence for a while, he glanced at Austin, who was wearing a mask. Suddenly, a thought crossed Alfonso’s mind.

‘Senior Austin seems to know a lot about republicanism?’

Does that much knowledge accumulate naturally from reading banned books for the purpose of confiscation?

***

I observed the beggar, following him for quite some time.

He frequently kicked at obstructing trash and spat on the ground. It seemed like he was mixing in signals for the Tricolor Cane [a secret society].

And finally, the beggar stopped walking.

“It’s here.”

I looked at the building in front of me.

It was a small, dilapidated temple.

It was too damaged to determine which god it had been dedicated to.

“Then, let’s see if you live, Nave.”

Nave.

It’s my name, Evan, spelled out alphabetically and then reversed.

If you did the same thing in the Lionel script, it would be read as ‘Nipa,’ a completely different pronunciation, so there’s no fear of being caught.

I watched the beggar walk away.

Only after he had completely disappeared did I take a deep breath. Today, I realized that the smell of unwashed humans is the worst stench in the world.

After enjoying the freedom to breathe like that for a while, I moved towards the temple.

I could feel eyes watching me from here and there.

‘One, two, three… Twenty-two people, maybe?’

Without paying them any mind, I went to the center of the temple.

A person wearing white priestly robes and a bird-beak mask was standing there.

Because it’s a mask worn by priests and healers during epidemics, it wasn’t easy to find any distinguishing features that would make them stand out from others when viewed from the outside.

Of course, I can recognize him right away.

I poked his forehead with a ghost hand.

‘That’s right, Mars.’

He’s the person I was looking for.

A nationalist and republican who led the militia and resisted when the eastern and southern parts of the country were devastated by the First Lia War in the ‘future.’

Freedom.

Equality.

Justice.

The ideology of the Tricolor Cane and also the words referring to the three executives. Mars is a 5-star mage in charge of ‘Freedom.’

Despite having immense information power using [Library] and knowing his name, it took me a long time to get here.

That’s because the Tricolor Cane doesn’t leave behind documents or anything like that and immediately disposes of them. I barely managed to find a way to contact him through the contents written before a letter he sent to his close aide was burned.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a visitor. You can call me ‘Freedom’.”

“Just call me Nave.”

“Who led you here?”

“Is that such an important thing?”

“It is important. Enough to determine your life or death.”

“My master led me here.”

“Are you saying you’re moving according to someone else’s will, not your own?”

His voice was sharp. At the same time, murderous intent poured in from all directions. I could feel the trap magic aimed at me.

In times like these, there’s nothing better than showing off your skills.

In an instant, I designed, constructed, and manifested a spell.

[Infinite Guardian of Ice]

Chachachang─!

A transparent ice wall like glass surrounded me.

“…A 5-star mage of the Blue Tower…”

Why are you so surprised already?

[Raging Flame Spirit]

Whir-! Whee- Whee-!

A giant fire lizard licked its tongue, looking around at the gazes directed at me.

“A 5-star mage of the Red Tower!”

It was natural to be surprised.

First, at the fact that I had mastered the representative 5-star magic of two towers that are hostile to each other.

“Dual manifestation of two magics with different formulas? A 6-star mage?! Was that a disguise on his waist?!”

And at the fact that I was simultaneously manifesting two magics with opposing attributes. It is generally accepted that it is only possible for a 6-star mage to simultaneously deploy two 5-star magics with similar formulas. So, they mistook me, who had only embraced five stars a week ago, for a 6-star mage.

‘It’s not exactly wrong, though.’

It’s possible to inflate mana with [Barisada] [a technique], and if you understand the two magics by 200%, what I just did is possible even at the 5-star level. But there’s no way there’s anyone else besides me who can do that.

“You better not move. Unless you want the Tricolor Cane to become the Bicolor Cane. I’m just here to deliver my master’s words today.”

Even if this place is Mars’s fortress, I’m confident I won’t lose. It’s not like I don’t have other things to believe in besides that.

After a moment of silence, Mars opened his mouth.

“…Why did you come to me? It seems like you should have gone to ‘Equality’ instead of me?”

The Tricolor Cane, which the Royal Secret Service is searching for with their eyes wide open, is not simply a secret society of people advocating republicanism.

There are three main types.

One, revenge seekers like the executive ‘Justice’ who harbor grudges due to losing their families to nobles. Republican ideology is of no importance to them.

Two, people like ‘Equality’ whom Mars just mentioned, who are trying to use the Tricolor Cane. They are usually the lackeys of nobles.

Three, dreamers like ‘Freedom’ in front of me, who purely believe that republicanism is the right political ideology.

“Well, I can’t know my master’s intentions. I’m just his shadow. However, one thing that is certain is that my master is quite interested in your ideologies.”

“A person who uses a 6-star mage as a shadow… Who on earth is he?”

“That’s for you to figure out.”

There’s no need to mention me.

I was planning to gradually hint at it as I contacted them in the future.

“The important thing is that you, who walk the path of ‘Freedom,’ and my master can help each other like the crocodile and the crocodile bird [a symbiotic relationship].”

Mars later takes those who followed him and becomes independent. He must be very dissatisfied with the current situation of the Tricolor Cane.

That’s one of the reasons I contacted him.

“Your master must be a high-ranking noble at the very least. Maybe one of the First Prince or the Fifth Prince. Anyway, where’s the guarantee that he won’t use us and then dispose of us?”

“There isn’t one.”

“…”

Mars closed his mouth at my words.

I could imagine him making a dumbfounded expression inside his bird-beak mask.

“I’ll tell you what my master said. I’m going to use you, so you can feel free to use me as much as you want. Oh, and of course, you’ll have to figure out my master’s identity on your own. Just like my master found you.”

“What nonsense…”

“Oh, and he told me to be sure to tell you this. He said he can wipe out the Tricolor Cane within a week if he sets his mind to it. So, he won’t accept any refusals.”

“That’s absurd. The Royal Secret Service has been chasing us for over 20 years, and he can do it in a week?”

Mars shook his head.

He didn’t seem to believe it.

I manifested another magic.

[Sound of Silence]

Paat─!

A simple magic that allows the voice to be heard only in the ears of the desired target.

“S, Triple manifestation?”

Even so, his voice trembled.

「Why are you so surprised by something like this, Mars Runtia.」

The Runtia ducal family, the maternal family of the First Queen. The third son of the current head of the family. A dreamer who left the family in his late teens and disappeared.

Even though he was wearing a bird-beak mask, I could see that his body had stiffened as if petrified.

「Why? Should I call out the names of ‘Justice’ and ‘Equality’ too? Ah, I guess you wouldn’t know even if I told you since you don’t know each other’s real names. Then how about this. The leader of the Tricolor Cane, the one who walks with a cane, likes the new base prepared in the Carini barony in the south?」

The place where the Tricolor Cane’s base was moved to.

And the names of the three executives.

He must have understood that there was no way I couldn’t wipe out the Tricolor Cane, knowing all of those things.

Also, because he is Mars ‘Runtia,’ he must have suspected that I was the shadow of the Fifth Prince.