I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

182 - The Hero (1)

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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Episode 182, Chapter 47: The Hero (1)

The information networks 'Eternal Shadow' and 'Eye of the Moon', along with the power of two great families, were truly impressive.

They had perfectly concealed the truth about Zion's operation two days ago, which had destroyed all the Plants in the capital.

Despite explosions in the city center and many people sensing demonic energy, the facts known to the public were entirely different.

The official statement was simple: "All the explosion sites were places plotting rebellion against the Agnes royal family or associated with such plots. The empire, which had been gathering information, carried out a mass purge two days ago."

Most imperial citizens in the capital accepted this announcement at face value. Those with better information networks or sharper minds believed it was part of a royal succession struggle rather than a rebellion.

At the same time, they grew more fearful of Prince Zion Agnes.

They knew he had a ruthless personality, but they never imagined he'd label his political opponents as rebels and wipe them out completely.

If he was capable of this as a mere successor, what would he be like as emperor?

While Zion was the focus of the empire's attention, receiving all concerns and expectations, he was currently, click!

Sipping tea in his study at Chimseong Palace, a rare moment of peace.

'As expected, Fredo's coffee has the best aroma.'

Zion thought this as he slowly set his cup down on the desk.

In front of him,

"So... you're saying you're the main body of that Frost Queen?"

-That's right. Strictly speaking, I'm part of her consciousness, but since there are no other consciousness fragments left in this era, I can be considered the main body.

As usual, Liushina and the frost spirit were bickering.

The only difference was that the frost spirit's appearance had changed to that of a human girl, and she could now speak.

-From now on, you should treat me as your queen and serve me. Then I shall bestow upon you the grace of the north wind!

Though it was amusing to see a girl who looked barely ten puffing out her chest proudly, if the frost spirit's identity was truly as she claimed, she had every right to do so.

The Frost Queen.

As the ruler of all snow and ice in the world, she was an absolute being worshipped like a god in the north.

Of course, Zion had no intention of giving her such treatment.

"Master, can't we just turn her back to her original form? She was noisy as a bird, but she's even noisier as a human. And now she's spouting nonsense too."

-How dare a lowly 'killer' like you! You've been calling me by that disrespectful name, and now you're even looking down on me!

"Disrespectful name... You mean 'Chirpy'?"

-You again!

"......"

Was this a demonstration that not all beings have mental ages matching their actual age?

Zion watched the argument between these two beings, who had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, with a look of disdain before speaking.

"So what's your name? Now that you can talk, you should be able to tell me directly."

It was something he'd been curious about for a while.

The frost spirit stopped arguing and turned to Zion to answer.

-You, as the owner of the divine artifact, should give me my name. I do have a name from before, but that was from before you became my master, so it wouldn't be right to use it. Of course, 'Chirpy' is out of the question. Absolutely.

"Hmm..."

Zion's eyes reflected deep contemplation.

A few names did pop into his head right away, but they were all along the lines of 'Bluey' or 'Frosty'.

Judging by the spirit's almost glaring look, voicing these would only provoke her.

'I guess I'll have to think about it some more.'

As Zion was thinking this,

"Master," Liushina called out to Zion in a tone completely different from her playful one earlier.

Zion turned his head to see her face had grown serious.

"Speak," he said.

"You said you'd punish me for acting on my own once I fully recovered."

"And?"

"I'll accept any punishment, no matter what it is. But in exchange, please grant me one request."

Liushina's behavior seemed quite brazen, trying to make a new demand in exchange for a responsibility she should naturally bear. But Zion just smiled slightly as he looked at her.

He had a good idea of what she was going to ask, and it wasn't a bad thing for him either.

"What is it?"

"Tell me. What do I need to do to find a 'path' to go higher?"

Though she didn't show it outwardly, Liushina had been quite shaken by recent events.

It was the first time she'd been pushed back in battle since returning to the world after hundreds of years, and she hadn't been much help to her master, Zion.

So Liushina thought.

To prevent something like this from happening again...

And to continue staying by Zion's side, she needed to become even stronger.

Moreover, she knew.

The only person in the world who could show her the path to becoming stronger was Zion.

"When you told me to investigate the ruins of Kurd before, you clearly knew what I would gain there, didn't you? If there are more things like that, tell me."

"......"

Zion stared directly into the witch's eyes.

In truth, telling her wasn't particularly difficult.

He could simply tell her the 'awakening' route for Liushina written in the chronicles.

The problem was,

'Whether I can control her even after she awakens...'

In the chronicles, Liushina, who had awakened as the 'Witch of the End', had her reason diminished and her innate killing intent maximized, moving only for the destruction of the world.

Therefore, it might become impossible to control her.

This was why Zion had been cautious about telling her how to become stronger, even though he knew.

After a long silence,

"Then keep one promise," Zion said in a low voice.

"No matter what happens from now on, obey me."

Liushina looked at Zion for a moment before grinning and replying.

"Have you forgotten, Master? My soul is already in your possession."

"...That's right."

Zion closed his eyes briefly before opening them and saying,

"I'll grant your request. But I'll tell you later. For now, there's something else we need to deal with first."

He looked towards the study door as he spoke.

As if on cue,

"Prince Zion, the people you mentioned have arrived," a knight's voice came from outside the door.

"Let them in."

As soon as Zion said this, the study door opened and three figures entered.

Though he had encountered them a few times before, he had never had a proper conversation with them.

It was the hero's party, the main characters of the Chronicles of Frosimar.

When they had met at the Plant earlier, they had strongly expressed their desire to speak with Zion.

Zion also felt the need to have a conversation with them at some point, which was why he had invited them to his palace today, now that the aftermath of recent events had been somewhat settled.

"We greet His Highness, Prince Zion Agnes."

Zion closely observed the silver-haired woman standing at the front of the group bowing to him.

Claire Frosimar.

The protagonist of the chronicles, who had risen to become the strongest using the power of fate, but ultimately failed to prevent the destruction and met her death.

And the one who had made a contract with the gods to regress and correct her mistakes.

'She seems to have worked quite hard.'

As Zion thought this, noticing that Claire looked stronger than she had been described at this point in the chronicles,

"You...!"

Perhaps not expecting to see her here, Rain, who was behind Claire, widened her eyes as she spotted Liushina standing next to Zion.

"Oh? We meet again?"

The witch waved playfully at Rain.

In the past, Rain might have immediately rushed at Liushina without a second thought, but now she didn't.

She just glared at Liushina, her face contorted with anger as she clenched her fists.

'Looks like what I said before had some effect.'

Zion smirked at this sight.

He had deliberately kept Liushina by his side when calling them to gauge Rain's reaction, and it wasn't bad.

At this rate, it might even be possible to have them fight together later.

"So you're the one who took in the witch of the Black Forest," Claire said to Zion, her tone slightly surprised.

She had expected this to some extent, but seeing it in person was different.

The Witch of the End, who had cornered Claire and her companions in an instant before her regression, despite not being fully developed - to think she would be under someone else's command.

"Why did you want to meet me?" Zion asked, turning to her and getting straight to the point.

"...It seems you already know who I am, Your Highness."

Normally, when meeting someone new, the first questions would be about their identity or status.

But Prince Zion hadn't asked any of that, which could only mean one thing.

Zion simply looked at Claire silently, as if affirming this.

Feeling herself involuntarily shrinking under Zion's gaze, Claire quickly shook it off and continued.

"I know Your Highness has done a great deal over time. As Zion Agnes. And... as Zion Harness."

From the moment Claire realized Zion was a major variable, she had been constantly investigating his actions. The more she learned about him, the more she became captivated by a single suspicion.

"Starting with preventing the destruction of Rain's city, then the Grand Magic Tower and the Angel's Blood, defeating the Fourth Prince Utekan and all the Five Great Demon Generals in the imperial palace, entering the Tower of Causality, and obtaining the divine artifacts 'Frost Queen's Authority' and 'Heat Heaven Armor'."

These were incredibly extraordinary and impressive achievements, but at the same time, they were feats that could never be accomplished without meeting one condition.

"One or two instances might be dismissed as coincidence, but it's absolutely impossible to accomplish all of this in less than a year."

Not without knowing the future that was to come.

"That's why I want to ask you something."

The biggest question Claire had for Zion.

"Could it be that Your Highness..."

"You want to ask if I've regressed like you, right?"

"...!"

Claire's eyes widened as much as they could at Zion's words interrupting her.

Yes, he might have known she was the hero.

But how did Prince Zion even know about her regression?

As if seeing through her thoughts, Zion looked at Claire with languid eyes and continued.

"I didn't regress."

His voice was calm.

It was an unexpected answer, yet in a way, it made sense.

The time when Zion Agnes died before the regression was even before the events Claire had just mentioned.

There was no way he could know about events he hadn't experienced.

"Then how..."

"I don't see any reason to tell you that much."

Zion said this as he casually lifted his teacup.

Perhaps judging there was nothing more to gain on this topic, Claire's eyes wavered for a moment before she changed her question.

"...Then I'll ask something else. What exactly is Your Highness's intention? Honestly, Your Highness's actions as 'Zion Harness' seemed very far from succession struggles or other political motives. Rather, it was as if..."

Salvation.

Although he had moved thoroughly in ways that benefited him, when looking at the big picture, it was similar to the world-saving path that she, as the hero, was aiming for.

"Let me ask you one thing," Zion said.

Instead of answering Claire's question, he posed one of his own.

"If someone were to invade your home, your domain, or try to destroy it, what would you do?"

"I'd drive them out or remove the cause, of course."

"Exactly. It's the same for me."

In other words, he was saying he intended to annihilate those who had invaded his domain.

"Then, this domain you speak of..."

"The earth you stand on, the air you breathe, the light that shines down. And everything else that exists within the empire."

Such words would be understandable coming from the Eternal Emperor who had unified the world and founded the empire in the past.

But for anyone else, even the emperor, to utter such words would be far too grand and arrogant.

However.

Despite Zion, who hadn't even ascended to the throne, saying these words, everyone present felt it was only natural.

Swish-

Black stars slowly rose in Zion's eyes, which were like an endless abyss.

These stars were pressing down on their spirits, forcing them to accept his words.

---

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