I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

176 - The Six Claws (2)

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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Episode 176, Chapter 46: The Six Claws (2)

In a rarely used meeting room within Chimseong Palace, five or six people had gathered - an unusual sight for a place where Zion typically held meetings in his study.

The assembled individuals were truly remarkable. Ludwig, head of the Ascalon family known for their celestial swordsmanship; Groud, first heir and acting head of the Ozlima family, masters of magic; each person present could influence the entire empire.

Despite their vastly different personalities, they shared one common trait: all had come at Zion's summons.

This gathering clearly demonstrated how much Zion's status had changed. Who could have imagined that the heads of the empire's five most powerful families would respond to an unofficial call from a mere prince - one who, until a year ago, had been considered the royal family's disgrace?

"How are you feeling? I heard you weren't well recently."

"Thanks to your concern, I've improved enough to move around like this. How about your family? I heard you had quite a bit of trouble with the Third Prince. Have you sorted that out?"

Ludwig replied to Groud's pointed question with an equally sharp one. For these two leaders of rival great families, such exchanges were mere pleasantries.

"Haha, it was hardly any trouble. If anything, I'm glad it came to light so quickly."

Groud laughed lightly, brushing off Ludwig's remark. He then changed the subject.

"By the way, do you know why Prince Zion called us here so secretively? I wasn't given a reason."

As he spoke, Groud's gaze shifted to a man sitting silently in a corner of the room. It was Liam Rainer, former head of the Border Corps and Demon Extermination Unit.

Though Groud knew Liam had connections to Prince Zion, his presence here seemed out of place.

"I don't know either. He's not the type to explain his reasons in detail. However, this time-"

As Ludwig was about to answer Groud's question, a small but clear voice interrupted.

"Is everyone here?"

The gathered individuals turned towards the source of that distinctively languid voice.

They watched as Zion entered the room, his footsteps echoing.

'This is...'

Groud's eyes wavered.

The ominous aura and pressure emanating from Zion's entire body had grown far stronger since Groud had last seen him.

It was intense enough to make cold sweat run down his back and disrupt his breathing just by looking at him.

The feeling was like facing the First Emperor in his prime.

As the thought 'The competition for the throne might already be meaningless' crossed Groud's mind, Zion took his seat at the head of the table.

"I greet His Highness, Prince Zion Agnes," the group said in unison.

Zion surveyed the room silently, his expression unreadable. As tension began to build in the silence, he finally spoke.

"You must be wondering why I called you here."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Are you aware of the battle that took place in the heart of the capital recently?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

It was impossible not to know. The unexplained conflict had thrown the entire capital into an uproar.

"As some of you may have guessed, that battle was connected to the demon realm. To be precise, it was a clash between our side and the demons."

The faces of those present registered shock as Zion briefly summarized the situation.

"Then the reason you called us here today is..." Ludwig began.

"To pay them back in kind," Zion replied with a slight smile.

The target, of course, didn't need to be stated.

"But Your Highness," Groud interjected, "Didn't the demons vanish immediately after the battle? Given their injuries, they're likely in hiding. It seems it would be difficult to find them in a short time..."

"That's not a problem. I'll make sure they have no choice but to come out."

Zion had a method in mind.

There were key facilities the demon realm had secretly established in the capital for their grand plan.

Zion intended to strike all of them. If destroyed, it would disrupt their entire plan, forcing them to reveal themselves to prevent it.

'I've known their locations all along, but I held back due to the potential for large-scale national chaos.'

But now that battle had already begun, it made sense to use this opportunity to deal a significant blow.

"In that case, I'll join you," Ludwig said, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Ever since the incident with the Ascalon family, Ludwig had harbored intense hatred towards the demon realm. He had been biding his time, waiting for a chance at revenge while rebuilding his damaged family and recovering his own strength.

Now that such an opportunity had presented itself, he had no reason to refuse.

And this sentiment was shared by the others.

"How should we proceed?" Liam asked.

Only one person remained silent.

"Prince Zion," Groud said slowly, breaking his silence.

"Why do you think I would follow your orders?"

Groud's words carried resistance, even in the face of Zion's overwhelming presence.

In truth, Groud had no reason to obey Zion. Not only did they serve different royal factions, but following Zion offered him no benefits. Moreover, it was Zion who had killed the Third Prince they had served and backed their family into a corner.

While he wouldn't interfere, he saw no need to follow Zion's directives either.

Zion met Groud's gaze for a moment before asking an unexpected question.

"The head of the Ozlima family. Has he still not regained consciousness?"

Groud's eyes flickered in shock.

That was precisely why he, as first heir, was acting as family head despite not having officially succeeded to the position yet.

The current head of the Ozlima family was in a coma. It was also the reason why Groud had pointedly asked Ludwig about his health earlier.

They had kept this fact secret after officially announcing the head's retirement. How did Prince Zion know about it?

Before Groud could respond, Zion continued.

"Who do you think put your family head in that state?"

"You don't mean..."

Groud's eyes widened as he grasped Zion's implication.

As befitting the head of a family of mages, Groud was quick-witted. Aside from knowing their family secret, the timing of Zion's question could only mean one thing.

"Are you saying it was the work of the demon realm?"

"It's not just a saying, it's a fact."

Groud's face contorted with shock and anger at Zion's calm response.

"I think that's reason enough for you to join us," Zion continued, his emotionless eyes fixed on Groud. "Moreover, if you follow my orders, I'll nullify all charges against your family related to the Third Prince that you've been under investigation for."

Zion knew the Ozlima family would soon fall under his control anyway. Offering this benefit wasn't a loss for him.

Groud remained silent for a moment, likely weighing the truth of Zion's words and the potential gains and losses.

Finally, he spoke. "I understand. I will follow your orders, Your Highness."

Zion smiled slightly, as if he had expected this response, and addressed the group.

"Now, let me assign each of you your tasks."

The meeting began in earnest. After some time had passed:

"But Your Highness," Ludwig said with a worried expression, "The locations you mentioned appear completely normal from the outside. If we mobilize forces within the capital to attack these places without justification, there will be significant backlash and consequences."

"That's not a problem," Zion replied with his usual languid expression.

"We'll create a justification if we need one."

Despite his casual tone, Zion's eyes gleamed with anticipation for what was to come.

---

In a small shack on the outskirts of Hubris, the capital:

"Things have gone sideways..." muttered Hiseller, a demon with slit eyes and two horns, as he assessed his injuries.

His body was covered in wounds of various sizes. Though his incredible regenerative abilities were quickly healing them, it would take some time to fully recover.

"I didn't expect those bastards to be so strong."

Hiseller recalled the battle from a few days ago. What was meant to be a diversion from boredom until he met Zion Agnes turned out to be far more challenging than anticipated.

'Especially that red-eyed woman.'

The fight had left him with severe injuries, forcing him to retreat.

Just then, a voice came from the shadows behind Hiseller.

"Didn't I tell you to wait until I arrived?"

A figure emerged from the darkness. It wasn't Serkia.

The newcomer was a gaunt man with three eyes, his entire body wrapped in bandages except for his face. This was Keria, another of the Six Claws like Hiseller.

The Four Great Demons hadn't sent Hiseller to the empire alone. They had dispatched another Claw as backup to keep Hiseller's unpredictable nature in check.

"No, I was waiting, but those guys found me," Hiseller replied, his expression unabashed despite nearly dying had Keria not arrived in time.

"Anyway, it seems Zion Agnes has returned to the imperial palace... Shouldn't we make a move right away?"

"It's best not to act immediately. Neither you nor I are in top condition right now. Our opponent is strong enough that the Great Demons sent both of us. We should exercise caution. Unless..."

"Unless?"

"We could create a situation advantageous enough to offset our current condition, then lure him out."

"Oh... That does sound intriguing."

Hiseller's face lit up with interest at Keria's suggestion.

Ever since witnessing Zion Agnes's strength, Hiseller had been itching for a fight. The only way to cool his excitement was to battle Zion Agnes as soon as possible.

"By the way, how are the 'Plants' doing?" Keria asked, changing the subject. "The Great Demons asked me to check on them while I'm here."

"Serkia would know about that... Ah, she's not here, is she?"

Hiseller looked around as if just remembering. In the chaos of escaping the mansion, there hadn't been time to bring her along. As a result, they were currently separated.

Of course, he had no idea of her whereabouts.

"I guess I'll have to go check myself," Keria said.

"Don't worry. You know as well as I do that the chances of anything happening there are practically zero."

The Plants were secret demonic grounds that the demon realm had painstakingly created in the heart of the empire over a century. They were crucial to their grand plan.

As such, security was extremely tight. Even within the demon realm, fewer than twenty individuals knew of their existence.

Unless someone could see the future, it was impossible for an outsider to locate or even know about them.

"I'll be the judge of that. First, tell me the locations of the Plants-"

As Keria was about to continue, a tremendous explosion shook the ground beneath them.

Hiseller and Keria's heads snapped towards the source of the blast visible through the window.

Then,

"What the-!"

Hiseller's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

At the center of the explosion, a massive building was collapsing, billowing black smoke.

It was the location of one of the Plants.

---

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