Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 89

Surviving as the 5th Prince of the Hellmang Kingdom – Episode 89 (89/203)

The 1st Prince’s residence, Topaz Palace.

Clang-! Clang─!

“Haaah!”

“Your flank is open!”

A middle-aged knight with a stern face was exchanging blows with Lucas. It was Gallard Lyon, one of the only two 7-star knights left in the kingdom.

Miloa sat at a table in the corner of the training ground, watching the sparring match between him and Lucas.

“Hahaha! Excellent. Try using your aura!”

“Don’t blame me if you get hurt!”

“It would be an honor.”

Aura, the symbol of a 6-star knight, swirled around their swords.

Clang-! Clash-! Clang─!

Miloa quickly lost interest in their duel, which she couldn’t even follow with her eyes.

What was important to her was that Lucas had recently started to handle aura. It was good news, definitely good news, but…

‘If only it were a year earlier.’

Miloa couldn’t help but feel regretful about that.

The 5th Prince’s growth was that threatening.

A 4-star knight at the age of 15.

That was Evan’s officially revealed martial prowess.

Everyone who frequented the royal palace knew that he had mastered a unique technique called Howling and, despite not being able to use Sword Threads, he was equal to, and sometimes overwhelmed, 5-star knights with his innate swordsmanship talent.

‘He’s hiding something more.’

Around this time last year, when the 5th Prince was still known as a 3-star knight, there were rumors that he had defeated Veroc.

At the time, it was concluded that it was a distorted version of Veroc’s drunken ramblings, but Miloa’s intuition was screaming that it wasn’t.

It wasn’t just the 5th Prince.

The growth of the knights around him was frightening.

Especially, Reina.

There were whispers that she had secretly mastered the essence of coercion, which was like a symbol of a 7-star knight, forcing her own laws onto her opponent, albeit imperfectly.

While she was thinking that.

The two men, having finished their sparring, wiped away their sweat with towels and approached her.

“Hahaha! You now use aura with mastery. If you continue to devote yourself like this, you will surely be able to embrace seven stars before long.”

“You flatter me. I realized quite a while ago that there are plenty of talents more outstanding than me in the world. Baron Reina surpassed me a long time ago, and Evan is catching up at a terrifying pace, isn’t he?”

Lucas said with a calm expression.

Gallard didn’t bother to open his mouth.

The reorganization of the Knights was completed a while ago.

The Azure Lion Knights.

The White Lion Knights.

The members of the Scarlet Lion Knights, formerly known as the 2nd Division, were scattered in all directions, and two Royal Guard divisions remained.

It was also forbidden to call them the 1st Division or the 3rd Division, as was customary. This was due to the opinion that it seemed to foster a hierarchy between the Royal Guard divisions.

And there was a joint training exercise of the Knights.

The 1st Prince participated with the Azure Lion Knights, and the 5th Prince with the White Lion Knights.

The content of the training was simple.

Protect the prince who was with each division.

Everyone predicted the victory of the Azure Lion Knights. After all, there was Gallard Lyon, a 7-star knight. No matter how much of a training exercise it was, it was unimaginable for the 1st Division to lose.

But…

The result was the victory of the White Lion Knights, who were with the 5th Prince.

‘It was like a ghost…’

Gallard still felt a chill down his spine when he recalled that time.

He had clearly annihilated every enemy he encountered during the training. He was finally about to isolate Gert, the commander of the White Lion Knights, and capture the 5th Prince.

But, right then.

The White Lion Knights’ suicide squad, led by Reina, captured the 1st Prince one step ahead.

There were at least three times as many members of the White Lion Knights who were eliminated from the training. But so what, the Azure Lion Knights ultimately failed to protect the 1st Prince.

They won the battle, but lost the war.

He later learned that all the strategies of the White Lion Knights came from the 5th Prince’s mind.

‘Time is not on our side.’

The same thought occurred in the minds of Lucas, Gallard, and Miloa, an event that was statistically hard to believe.

The three were having tea after lunch, discussing the rapidly changing succession battle. Then, feeling frustrated, the two men got up and worked up a sweat.

“So, Countess Miloa. Do you have any ideas?”

“…The reality is that we can’t move rashly until the Red Star Fever subsides. The royal capital has almost recovered to its daily life, but the provinces are not yet. Judging from his past actions, I don’t think the 5th Prince would play around with Generol or Genesia, but if we provoke him, the story will change, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s right. The 5th Prince is not that easy to deal with.”

“Once the Red Star Fever subsides, the 1st Prince and the Azure Lion Knights will have to do something together.”

Lucas, who had been listening to the two people’s conversation in silence, widened his eyes at Miloa’s words mentioning him.

“Me? With the Azure Lion Knights?”

“The 5th Prince’s position rose tremendously as a result of his trip to the East. You’ll have to do something similar.”

“What kind of thing?”

“I’m still planning it. It’s still just pie in the sky… I’ll tell you the details separately in writing. For now, I think it’s important to strengthen internal solidarity and not create anything that could be used against us.”

“Something that could be used against us?”

“Remember how badly we were hit by the Beortio incident? We can’t let that happen again. So, if you two have anything that’s bothering you, don’t hide it and tell me in advance. If I know about it, I can somehow respond. Got it?”

At Miloa’s words, the two men subtly avoided eye contact.

“N-no, there’s nothing like that.”

“Ahem, ahem. That’s the same for me.”

“Commander, I think it would be best to stop meeting with Countess Maria as soon as possible. I heard that your wife is suspicious. The last time you were caught, she clearly said that if you get caught one more time, it’s divorce, right? And… I’ve persuaded the maid in Topaz Palace who was pregnant with our 1st Prince’s child and sent her back to her hometown.”

At her words, an earthquake occurred in the eyes of the two men.

Lucas cautiously opened his mouth.

“…Is she alive?”

“Of course! Just try to go and check on her later. I’ll expose everything then.”

He shut his mouth at her murderous gaze.

Miloa, taking her eyes off the two men who had become silent, picked up her teacup and emptied it in one gulp.

It was because her chest continued to feel stuffy.

She had no idea what it was because of.

***

“Did you come alone? Do you know how scared I was when that ‘Freedom’ bird beak mask said that? You’re a 5-star mage, you know.”

Alphonso whined as soon as he entered the office after meeting Mars.

“You came back in one piece, so that’s enough.”

I sent him alone because I was sure that he would come back with a positive answer.

“And I gave you something to use in case of an emergency, didn’t I?”

I had spent a fortune to give each of my ‘retainers’ an artifact that could save them in an emergency.

It was a bracelet with a magic that teleported them to a random coordinate within a 5km radius.

It was made directly by the 8-star mage Fran.

However, there was one problem…

It was common to move 500m above the sky or get stuck at the bottom of a lake. Fran had repeatedly told him not to use it unless it was a really dangerous situation.

“Can’t you teach me Lord Adol’s Crescent Moon Spear Technique or Lord Vernon’s Azure Flame Greatsword Technique? We were clearly the same 4-star until recently… Keuk!”

“I don’t have anything like that, so take this.”

I opened the drawer and took out a pendant that looked exactly like the [Radiant Iana] I was wearing around my neck and handed it to him.

“This is…?”

Alphonso opened his mouth, looking at the pendant and examining it from side to side.

“Unless you look at it up close, you can hardly distinguish it from the Third Queen’s relic.”

It was a collaboration between Gillud, the chief of the Black Anvil Tribe, and Fran.

– What! You’re asking me to make another forgery?!

– How long has it been since I made the space-time magic artifact, and you’re asking me to make another one! Don’t you know I’m busy?

It would be at least a year before I could ask them for anything again after that.

“Wear it.”

Alphonso wore the pendant with a reluctant expression.

His shoulders widened slightly. His hair turned black, his squinty eyes widened, and his black pupils were visible.

Anyone could tell it was me.

Fortunately, our heights were similar.

“Oh… this.”

Alphonso looked at his reflection in the window and touched his face here and there with his hands.

“There may be times when you have to guard Emerald Palace in my place for the time being. Mages of 6-star or higher may feel a subtle sense of difference, so never run into them.”

“Is it finally time to unleash my true abilities…?”

“Just try messing things up. You’ll never be able to go on vacation again.”

“Heok!”

“Instead, if you handle things without making any mistakes until this is over… I’ll give you a Bloodwood as a gift.”

His eyes widened.

“Really?”

The Bloodwood is a small, palm-sized tree that grows by eating the blood of those who died with resentment. Its roots, branches, and leaves all contain a deadly poison that kills instantly the moment you put your tongue on them.

If he carefully managed the poison and devoted himself to training, Alphonso, who was stuck at 4-star, could become a Poison Human with six stars.

No matter how I thought about it, Alphonso was the most reliable person to move in the shadows. At least he had to be around 6-star to take care of himself.

“But where are you going to get the Bloodwood?”

“That’s my business, so just do what you’re told.”

There is a place where the blood that flowed out of Radwan Runtia’s workshop is pooled. There is a Bloodwood there.

In terms of timing, it may be a sapling with less poison now, but that’s why it was perfect for Alphonso, who was a 4-star, to use.

“I understand! Trust Prince’s chief! Aide! Alphonso!”

“Good, then sit next to me and sort out these documents.”

“Yes?”

Alphonso’s pupils trembled violently as he looked at the fourth-quarter report of the Aitz Merchant Guild, which was full of various numbers and graphs sent by Ayra.

***

Radwan Runtia.

His hobby when he was very young was collecting insects. The people of the Runtia Duchy all know that.

In fact, Radwan’s true hobby at the time was creating new insects by combining the various parts of insects.

He was smart enough to reach the level of a 6-star mage. He knew even at a young age that if he got caught, it would cause troublesome things.

It was a pity that he couldn’t leave specimens, but he could clearly store all the scenes of his daily life in his head like a photograph, so it wasn’t a big problem.

Insects, animals, magical beasts… his interests continued to change. And finally, it came to people, intelligent beings such as humans, elves, and dwarves.

Radwan was in a good mood.

He recently visited the royal capital and discovered a unique child. It was a six-year-old girl.

– Kkong-ah, Kkong-ah, does it hurt a lot?

That thing that stopped the blood of the wounded puppy was clearly divine power.

It was a very, very precious material.

He had secretly kidnapped her and locked her in his workshop.

‘What should I make?’

There were so many things he wanted to make using materials with divine power.

The chimeras that he had only imagined in his head quickly flashed through his mind.

‘Yes, let’s make that.’

He had made a human-faced spider before.

It was frozen. It was a failure that couldn’t even understand simple instructions, but the spider that was the material was a hard-to-find magical beast, so it was worth preserving.

Should I replace the head with the child’s?

No.

It would be more beautiful to attach only the upper body to the back. Let’s make it face the head of the man who was already attached.

Something doesn’t feel right.

Ah… I should have kidnapped the mother together. It’s more beautiful for a mother and daughter to face each other than strangers.

I should take out the spider’s heart and replace it with the child’s heart, right?

The heart is a place where divine power resides.

I wonder what will happen when it reacts with the spider’s body, which is filled with demonic energy? What if it explodes and I waste the material?

It’s okay.

It will be the foundation for the next experiment.

Radwan shuddered as he imagined the finished product.

Arriving at the workshop, he slowly went down to the basement.

Iron bars reminiscent of an underground prison. The materials with the eyes of corpses trembled and hid in the corner. Radwan stopped in front of the bars where he had locked up the special material.

His gaze turned to the plate on the floor.

“You didn’t eat.”

He put in a high-quality steak for her meal, but she didn’t eat it.

“P-please save me! Waaaaah! Mommyyy!”

Ttaak-!

[Cradle of Silence]

At the same time as Radwan’s finger snap, the surroundings quickly became quiet.

He didn’t like noisy things.

The child was crying with tears streaming down her face, mouthing words.

Ttaak-!

[Invitation to Paradise]

At the same time as Radwan’s finger flicked, the child fell asleep. He took his hand to open the bars with an excited heart.