Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 9

Surviving as the 5th Prince of Hellmanguk – Episode 10 (9/203)

010

I tend to lack common sense.

It’s because I learned about the world through books. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been outside the royal palace. And that was before I turned eight, accompanied by my nanny and guards.

After that, well…

“So, a ‘genius’ who has mastered a magic book through self-study can see hidden messages left by the magic tower wizards?”

“Haha, that’s right. It’s just a rumor, a rumor. Even the little kids in the countryside baronies know about it.”

So, I didn’t really need to be ashamed for not knowing the story Alphonso was telling me.

I read the message in the spell again.

– 34-231 Queen’s Crossroads, Barona, Royal Capital. Shout ‘Beautiful magician, please accept me as your disciple!’ in front of the door and bow nine times.

What a self-loving magician. Honestly, I’m a little curious about how beautiful she is.

But I have no intention of visiting.

I’ve already awakened my magic power, actually constructed the spell [projected the spell from mind to reality], and solved the problem. Besides, going outside the royal palace is difficult… or is it? When I was young, I couldn’t go out without permission, but now, it seems like no one cares.

Once I’m confident that I can protect myself, I’ll reconsider whether to visit her or not.

‘A genius…’

The process of projecting a spell drawn in the mind into reality is called ‘construction’ in professional terms. If someone who can’t do that discovers the message, they should be called a genius.

It’s like a blind person touching an elephant and then drawing it on a canvas like a photograph.

Well, I can easily solve it because I can construct the spell by opening my third eye [a metaphor for heightened perception or magical insight].

‘I’m glad that I understand the magic I learned through the skill window better than I thought.’

A half-baked magician who only has excellent mana sensitivity but poor learning ability, or vice versa, is a delicious contractor candidate for the demons. The story of them falling into the path of black magic and being defeated often appears in children’s fairy tales.

It’s like memorizing all the math concepts and formulas but not being able to solve Olympiad problems. I was worried that I would only have the theory in my head and not understand anything.

It’s too early to judge because there’s no one to compare myself to, but I cautiously guess that I wouldn’t be called backward if I were among magicians.

Having finished my thoughts, I slammed the magic book shut and got up from my seat.

“Oh? Your Highness, where are you going?”

“Training grounds.”

“Ah, are you going to practice swordsmanship? I’ll prepare.”

“It’s okay. Go do your thing.”

“Hey, how can you say such a disappointing thing.”

Ignoring Alphonso’s words, I left the study.

Three maids who were wiping the dust-free window frames hurriedly bowed to me. Then, they looked at me with sparkling eyes.

‘It’s so burdensome.’

I know what their biggest concern is. [They likely want relationship advice or help finding partners.]

However, I’m just giving advice based on the information I obtained using [Library]. I don’t have the ability to create their non-existent partners. I awkwardly smiled and accepted their greetings before fleeing the scene.

“Ah…”

“흑, We’re doomed.”

“Sigh…”

I felt sorry for the sighs I heard from behind and quickened my pace.

“Your Highness~! Wait for me! Why are you walking so fast?”

Alphonso, who had 챙긴 [prepared] a wooden sword, towel, and water bottle, hurriedly followed me.

“Wooden sword.”

“I’ll carry it.”

“It’s okay, give it to me.”

I took the wooden sword from him and walked ahead again.

“Your Highness! This isn’t the way to the training grounds!”

“What do you mean it’s not?”

“If you go this way… Ah! The 3rd Knights’ training grounds! Are you really going there, Your Highness?”

I silently moved my feet.

The Azure Lion Knights.

The Scarlet Lion Knights.

The White Lion Knights.

The Royal Knights of Lionel Kingdom, composed of three knight orders, are conveniently called the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Knight Orders.

– The Royal Knights of Lionel Kingdom are selected solely based on skill!

……That founding ideology has long been tarnished. The 1st and 2nd Knight Orders thoroughly consider the background of their members.

The Lionel Kingdom has not yet decided who the Crown Prince will be.

The 1st Prince, born to the 1st Queen.

The 2nd Prince, born to the 2nd Queen.

The two 23-year-olds are strong candidates. Going into detail would be endless, but to put it simply, the 1st Knight Order supports the 1st Prince, and the 2nd Knight Order supports the 2nd Prince.

And the 3rd Knight Order…

To put it nicely, they are neutral; to put it badly, they are a group of people who couldn’t fit in anywhere. Half of them are commoners, so that says it all.

It’s not just a problem for the Lionel Kingdom; it’s a commonplace story. It’s a reality that even the knight orders of rural baronial families are divided into factions.

It’s a deplorable situation.

In the north, the Haml Empire, which treats the Lionel Kingdom as a semi-dependent state, is constantly revealing its ambitions, and in the eastern coastal region, news that privateers of the Arya Kingdom, disguised as pirates, come and go as if they were visiting their own homes, even reaches my ears.

‘And yet, they’re busy with factional fights.’

Well, thanks to that, I might still be breathing like this. If the kingdom had united around either the 1st or 2nd Prince, someone full of loyalty might have taken care of the 5th Prince a long time ago to prevent any possible mishaps.

The 3rd Knight Order’s training grounds, like the Emerald Palace, are located on the eastern outskirts of the royal palace. About a 30-minute walk.

“… Who…”

“First time… Ghost Prince…”

“… Real… 5th Prince…”

The servants of the royal palace who encountered me on the way all had wide eyes. Thanks to the black hair, which is like a symbol of the Lionel royal family, they all seemed to recognize who I was. It was a natural reaction, considering it was the first time I had left the Emerald Palace in nearly five years.

“Wooaaah!”

“Beat him! Kill him!”

“You idiot! Why are you getting hit!”

As I approached the training grounds used by the 3rd Knight Order, I heard the rough shouts of men mixed with profanity.

When I arrived, the atmosphere was heated.

A knight with a greatsword and a brown-haired knight were sparring, and the others were divided into two groups, cheering them on.

When I opened the status windows of some of the knights, they were all around 20 years old. They seemed to be probationary members who had just joined the knight order. The senior knights who would control them were nowhere to be seen.

They must have noticed the approach of an outsider, but no one paid any attention.

I could roughly guess what was going on. The 3rd Knight Order was also divided into two factions based on their background. I had heard it vaguely before, but seeing it in person made me sigh.

“Why are commoners trying to sweat in the same space? They don’t even know their place.”

“Adol! Cheer up! Show those pig bastards what you’re made of!”

The brown-haired knight seemed to be a commoner.

The swordsmanship he used showed strong traces of [Lionel Formal Swordsmanship]. It was clearly [Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship], which the kingdom’s officers and knights could learn.

On the other hand, I couldn’t recognize the swordsmanship used by the greatsword knight. It must be a swordsmanship passed down from his family.

“Khahaha, slow! Are you even going to cut a snail with that?”

“Shut, up-!”

“Oops.”

The brown-haired knight was clearly being pushed back.

“Dieeee-!”

“You’re the one who’s going to die!”

A sparring match that was almost a mockery.

Swish- Pow!

The greatsword knight’s knee kick was embedded in the brown-haired knight’s abdomen.

“Cough!”

Boom- Thwack!

The brown-haired knight lost consciousness after being hit in the chin with the handle of the greatsword, and the situation ended.

“Tch, what are you showing off for.”

The side that was 귀족 [noble] from birth became festive.

“Cool!”

“Did you see that, you bastards!”

“Okay, from now on, you guys will train in that corner. Get out of here quickly!”

The commoners hardened their expressions, picked up the brown-haired knight, and moved to the corner of the training grounds. It was a place with no shade to rest in.

“But… there…”

“… Royalty…”

“… Could it be the ghost…”

“… Really… that… blood-soaked…”

“… Senior… neck… flew…”

Now everyone started whispering about me. They seemed to have noticed my identity, but no one approached me.

“Real… that… blood-soaked…”

“… Senior… neck… flew…”

The faint conversation I heard.

It seemed like they were talking about my guards, who were from the 3rd Knight Order and were executed a day apart from my nanny.

– Your Highness! Even if you don’t have the talent of a magician, there’s absolutely no need to worry!

– Of course. Your Highness’s maternal grandfather and the founding ancestor were also knights. The blood of a knight definitely flows in Your Highness!

– Shall we start training right away from tomorrow? Hahaha!

My chest throbbed.

I bit my lip tightly and buried them in my heart again, moving to where the commoner knights were.

They were the reason I came here. To be exact, it was because of the [Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship] they were learning.

I learned basic magic like [Ignition] and [Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship] with the RP [Relationship Points] I earned while improving my relationship with the servants of the Emerald Palace and what was left after learning [Limitless Mana Cultivation Method].

Magic was still reasonably priced, but the problem was [Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship].

‘It was expensive.’

As if it was a set with [Lionel Formal Mana Cultivation Method], the price was the same at 10,000RP.

I was finally able to learn it yesterday using the RP I had carefully saved.

I didn’t even think about looking for a hidden piece similar to [Limitless Mana Cultivation Method] among swordsmanship.

There were too many types of swordsmanship, so the time it would take to find it would be too long, but there was a bigger problem.

With mana cultivation methods, you can easily hide what you’re learning as long as you don’t talk about it, but swordsmanship is not like that.

‘I can’t avoid people’s eyes.’

Suddenly, the Ghost Prince, who had been holed up in the Emerald Palace, is suddenly practicing an unidentified swordsmanship intensely? And that swordsmanship even looks unusual?

It doesn’t make sense logically. If I’m unlucky, I might be branded as a fallen prince who contracted with a demon and be subjugated. Regardless of whether it’s true or not.

‘Did I go too far?’

No. In some other countries, there have actually been cases where a prince aiming for the throne contracted with a demon and was subjugated, and some historians argue that many of them were simply politically sacrificed.

Everyone thought it was natural for me to train in [Lionel Formal Swordsmanship], which anyone can learn even if they don’t handle magic power.

They probably thought I had learned it in the past or that there was a textbook in the study.

‘[Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship] is different.’

[Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship] can only be learned by officers and knights. As it is a swordsmanship that actively utilizes mana, it is strictly managed. There is no way to obtain a textbook from somewhere.

If I were to train in such [Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship], everyone would look at me with suspicious eyes.

‘I need to make sure that I’m not branded as a prince who contracted with a demon even if I learn Guardian Swordsmanship.’

Nobles like the greatsword knight neglect [Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship] and focus on their family’s secret swordsmanship.

Commoner knights, who have no family secrets passed down from generation to generation, mostly hone [Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship].

That’s probably why the commoners are 밀리는 [being pushed back] in sparring.

Even if nobles neglect Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship, it doesn’t mean they don’t train at all. As royal knights of the kingdom, they have to do the basics.

I don’t know the opponent, but the opponent knows me? Anyone can guess that it won’t be easy for the former to beat the latter if their skills are the same.

Back to the main point.

The minimum probability of me, who has no guards, being able to learn [Lionel Guardian Swordsmanship].

It’s simple.

See it with your own eyes.

Even though I’m a ghost prince that no one cares about, I’m still royalty, so I can at least watch the knights training.

A prince who suddenly learns an unidentified swordsmanship will be branded as a fallen human who contracted with a demon, but wouldn’t it be possible to somehow understand a prince who was watching swordsmanship and imitating it?

I took a seat where I could see the knights well without interfering with their training.

The brown-haired knight was still unconscious. The rest were also depressed from the sense of defeat. Everyone seemed unmotivated.

I didn’t want to spend time blankly with them, so I raised my wooden sword.

“Hooah, there’s not a single bit of shade here. Don’t tell me you’re going to train here?”

“Yeah, bring a simple chair to sit on and a parasol to block the sunlight when we take a break later.”

“…”

I glanced at Alphonso, who was going to get what I had said with 힘없는 [listless] steps, and gripped my wooden sword.

– Our brother. With your trash-like talent, you’re bound to die on the streets after being kicked out of the royal palace after your coming-of-age ceremony. This 형님 [older brother] is giving you special education, so be grateful. … Answer me, you 새끼야 [son of a bitch]!

The illusion of the 4th Prince, who is always a virtual sandbag. He’s unusually talkative today. It’s a common line he used to say before starting a sparring match, or rather, a beating disguised as education.

‘Trash-like talent, huh…’

From today, I will act like a swordsmanship genius.