Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 94

094

The slum of Barona, the royal capital.

A windowless room in a dilapidated temple.

The already cramped room was overflowing with newspapers, leaving barely any space to walk.

In that room, Mars was drinking alone. He tossed back the liquor in his glass and slammed the empty glass onto the table with a thud.

Wiping his lips, Mars’s gaze drifted to the newspapers scattered across the floor.

『Fifth Prince and White Lion Knights Raid Tricolor Staff Base』

『Kirina Fief Claims Ignorance of Tricolor Staff Base on Their Land. What’s the Truth?』

The Tricolor Staff’s base, which the Royal Secret Service had been hunting for 20 years, was destroyed in a single day.

With a force that included two 6-star knights and the Fifth Prince’s personal airship providing aerial support, the outcome was inevitable.

No survivors.

Reports indicate that none of the Tricolor Staff members at the scene survived.

The official explanation is that the fierce resistance prevented the capture of prisoners.

‘Heh, what a joke.’

Mars knew that wasn’t the truth. Surely some members must have surrendered when resistance became futile.

The Fifth Prince clearly wanted no loose ends. He was certain of it.

『Royal Secret Service Accused of Targeting Innocent Civilians』

Reports suggest that a man wearing a grotesque mask was among the Tricolor Staff members killed.

『Fifth Prince’s Chief Aide Resigns from Royal Secret Service, Looking Distraught』

Alphonse, who had been detained by the Royal Secret Service, was naturally released.

Mars refilled his glass, his eyes fixed on a newspaper headline.

『The Tricolor Staff: A Shocking Revelation』

It was revealed that the Tricolor Staff, to which he had dedicated his youth, was nothing more than an underground organization that handled the dirty work of nobles.

Mars drained his glass in one gulp.

“Kuh….”

In truth, he had suspected something of the sort.

There had been numerous clues.

It began with the fact that he, a key executive, had never met the leader of the Tricolor Staff, the Staff Walker, in person.

That’s why he had tried to break away from the Tricolor Staff with the free members before the truth came out.

He was too late.

More than half of the free members, disillusioned by the reality of the Tricolor Staff, had already left. They were people who, like him, had dedicated their lives to the ideal of a republic.

Mars, his hands trembling from the alcohol, picked up a recent newspaper and unfolded it.

『Shocking Discovery! Directive Found in Tricolor Staff Base. Anonymous Source Claims It Implicates Duke Moria Runtia』

『Is Duke Moria Behind the Tricolor Staff? Questions Mount』

『Runtia Ducal Family Denies Involvement, Citing Conspiracy』

『Fifth Prince’s Chief Aide Urges Full Cooperation With Investigation If They Are Confident of Their Innocence』

It was utter chaos.

Rumor had it that documents detailing corruption and irregularities among the southern nobles, along with directives to eliminate certain nobles, were found in the Tricolor Staff’s base.

Why?

It made no sense.

Yet, the evidence pointed to the Tricolor Staff’s involvement.

Most of the southern nobles believed it was a plot by the Fifth Prince, but they were also troubled by the suspicion surrounding Duke Moria.

If Duke Moria remained secluded in his territory, feigning illness without offering an explanation, the southern forces would inevitably crumble.

“…I was played, beautifully.”

– I can only imagine a future where I dance like a puppet and get thrown away when I’m no longer needed.

To avoid becoming the puppet he had warned Nabe about, the Master had tried to find conclusive evidence that the Fifth Prince was the true mastermind.

To protect himself and the free members when the inevitable crisis struck.

But he never imagined that the situation would escalate so rapidly in such a short time.

Mars gave a self-deprecating laugh and poured more liquor into his glass.

Just then.

Step, step.

He heard footsteps. Mars looked up as the door creaked open.

It was Nabe, wearing his ghost mask.

“It’s been a while. Is it my turn now?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Isn’t the Fifth Prince’s plan only complete when the Tricolor Staff is completely wiped out?”

“Ah, so you think my Master is working for the Fifth Prince?”

“…Are you mocking me?”

Mars glared at Nabe and reached for his glass.

“Hasn’t the Tricolor Staff already been annihilated? Didn’t you read today’s newspaper?”

Mars’s body froze at Nabe’s words.

What was he talking about?

The newspaper flew through the air. He caught it in a daze. The headline seemed to jump out at him.

『Tricolor Staff Remnants Eliminated. Baron Reina Executes Key Executive ‘Freedom’』

『Who Was the Man Behind the Bird Beak Mask?』

『Was Radwan’s Atrocity Exposed Due to Internal Conflict Within the Tricolor Staff?』

Mars stared at Nabe, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“W-What is this? Is the Fifth Prince planning to spare me?”

“I wouldn’t know what the Fifth Prince is thinking.”

“…I see. So, what’s the purpose of your visit? Are you saying that I’ll be spared if I abandon the ideals I dedicated my youth to and live like a scared mouse?”

“That’s one of the two options he asked me to convey.”

“Two options? What’s the other one?”

“If you truly want to realize a republic, he suggests going to the Hamel Empire instead of remaining in the Lionel Kingdom. If you choose that option, he will continue to provide a certain level of support.”

“I want to enlighten the people of this kingdom, not those bastards.”

“There are many people from the Lionel Kingdom in the Hamel Empire as well. Especially in the Ellenbeira region, which the kingdom lost 150 years ago. Don’t you know that they are treated as a minority and oppressed? You could settle there.”

“…What happens if I neither live like a dead mouse nor leave the kingdom?”

“You know the answer to that, why ask?”

Nabe drew his thumb across his neck in a cutting motion.

“My Master is still ethical, but he doesn’t leave any loose ends.”

“How long do I have to decide?”

“He’ll give you two days.”

“…I understand.”

“Think carefully. Then, goodbye.”

Step, step.

Mars listened to Nabe’s receding footsteps and downed the last glass of liquor.

***

『Duke Moria Runtia Arrives in a Wheelchair』

『Duke Moria Vows to Reveal the Truth at the Hearing』

『What Illness Caused the 7-Star Magician to Collapse?』
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Where does the true power in the Lionel Kingdom reside?

The King?

The State Council?

The Royal Secret Service?

The Royal Committee?

None of them.

It is undoubtedly the Council of Nobles.

The members of the Council of Nobles, consisting of 300 members, can overturn bills passed by the State Council and the Royal Committee. They also have the authority to impeach the heads of each administrative department and members of the Royal Committee.

If more than 200 members agree, they can even change the country from a monarchy to a republic.

The southern nobles, who control nearly half of the Council of Nobles, and Moria Runtia, their spiritual leader, finally appeared in the hearing room.

‘This hearing is different.’

Thanks to the growing divisions among the southern nobles, Moria could finally be brought to a hearing.

The subject of the hearings I have attended so far has always been the Royal Committee.

Not this time. This hearing concerned the Council of Nobles itself.

As such, the number of participants, the scale, and the procedures have been significantly altered. Also, unlike previous hearings, which were open to the public, only nobles were permitted to attend.

But.

Ultimately, Moria must prove that he was unaware of Radwan’s atrocities and had no contact with the Tricolor Staff.

What if he fails to prove his innocence?

Then we can all enjoy watching the noble trial that will follow. If they call me as a witness, I’ll be happy to share my insights.

“I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth at this hearing, so help me.” [This is a standard oath taken before giving testimony.]

I watched him, seated in his wheelchair, recite the oath.

He was once a cold, composed middle-aged man who looked twenty years younger than his actual age.

Today, he looked haggard, as if he had been drinking all night. If his goal was to appear ill, he had certainly succeeded.

“Then, who will speak first?”

The king, presiding over the hearing, looked around the room.

The participants exchanged glances.

Most of them were just supporting actors in this drama anyway.

I confidently raised my hand, ready to play the lead.

“I will go first.”

As the Fifth Prince of the kingdom and the ‘Chairman of the Emergency Countermeasures Committee’ attending the State Council, it would be strange for me to miss this hearing, which was convened due to the kingdom’s emergency situation.

I am also the one who ‘discovered’ the directive bearing Moria’s signature at the scene of the Tricolor Staff raid.

“Speak, Evan Lionel.”

I stood up and met Duke Moria’s gaze. Even with his disheveled appearance, his eyes burned with intensity.

I chuckled and began to speak.

“First of all… shall we review the recent events? Let’s start with the directive I obtained after raiding the Tricolor Staff base with the White Lion Knights.”

I winked at the magician stationed in the corner of the hearing room. As he activated the magic tool, the directive that I ‘discovered’ appeared on the screen.

“Everyone, please examine this directive. In essence, it is an order to eliminate the individuals whose names are listed here. The specific details have not been released to the press, but the general contents have been reported. You can see the names underlined in red here. Do you recognize them?”

– Baron Malus? Baron Grus?

– Aren’t they all southern nobles who were recently assassinated?

The audience stirred with murmurs.

“And this… is a document in which I have compiled the names that have not yet been underlined in red. Do you know what kind of people they are?”

As I had instructed beforehand, the magician slowly revealed the names from the bottom up.

– Huh! My name is on there!

– What? It’s real! Ah! My name is there too!

The eastern nobles erupted in a chorus of alarmed voices. Most of the targets listed in the directive were, in fact, eastern nobles.

– C, Count Clian’s name is there too!

Increasingly prominent figures were being named.

And finally.

– T, the Fifth Prince’s name!

– The ultimate goal was the Fifth Prince!

The name Evan Lionel was displayed.

Clap, clap, clap.

I clapped my hands to regain the audience’s attention.

“I found this directive and pondered it carefully. Who sent this to the Tricolor Staff? The Royal Secret Service’s detention of my chief aide gave me an idea, and I investigated the handwriting, but I couldn’t decipher it at all. After all, I concluded that it would be impossible to identify the culprit based on handwriting. Anyone can imitate a signature with an hour or two of practice, can’t they?”

As I spoke, I glanced at Miloa, who was seated at the hearing.

It was only natural that the head of Cristi County, who also served as the Minister of Information for the Royal Secret Service and held a seat in the Council of Nobles, would attend this hearing.

Her face was pale.

I subtly raised the corners of my lips and continued.

“Everyone, please raise your thumbs like me.”

I held up my thumb for everyone to see.

The audience tilted their heads, puzzled by my actions. Hesitantly, they slowly raised their thumbs.

“Now, look closely at the inside of your thumb. What do you see?”

For a moment, the hearing room fell silent.

Just as I was about to provide the answer, someone spoke.

“Are you referring to fingerprints?”

It was Clian.

I gave him a look of approval and addressed the audience.

“Count Clian has provided the answer. That’s right. Fingerprints. Everyone knows that fingerprints are unique to each individual. That’s why we use fingerprints instead of signatures in certain situations.”

This time, I placed a blank sheet of white paper on the platform and slammed my palm onto it! Then, I picked up the paper and showed it to the audience.

“What do you see?”

No one answered.

Of course not. To the naked eye, it was just a blank piece of paper.

I spoke.

“Right now, my fingerprints are on this paper.”

– Can you see them?

– I can’t see anything either.

– Sss… Fifth Prince….

– It’s hard to say this….

The hearing room buzzed with confusion.

More and more people were giving me strange looks. Before it was too late, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle.

It contained black powder.

It was a ‘fingerprint collection agent’.

Isabel, who was busy developing a magic superconductor in a corner of the Emerald Palace, had created it.

She had quickly made it after I mentioned that human skin constantly secretes a special chemical substance, and fingerprints can be collected when it comes into contact with a special powder or liquid.

After all, she was the daughter of a man who dreamed of turning copper into gold [allusion to alchemy].

With that thought, I signaled the magician.

The enlarged white paper appeared on the screen.

Pristine white paper.

I gently sprinkled the powder from the glass bottle onto the white paper. As if I had applied a layer of white paint and pressed it onto black paper, the shape of my hand began to appear on the screen.

– How is that possible!

– Oh my god!

– From a paper that was completely blank!

I clapped my hands again to calm the agitated audience.

“Then, let’s sprinkle this powder on the directive from before.”

Before the magician could react, I changed the screen to display the directive.

I sprinkled the fingerprint collection agent.

Fingerprints began to appear here and there.

– Oh!

– What an incredible technique!

An amazing investigation technique that far surpasses handwriting analysis. I glanced at Miloa. Her mouth was slightly agape, and her eyes were wide with shock.

I chuckled and scanned the audience before slowly speaking.

“Whose fingerprints will they be?”

Every eye in the room turned towards Moria Runtia.