I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

Chapter 106: Ascalon (1)

TL/Editor: Rungir

Schedule: none

Illustrations: none

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Silence.

The room was filled with a suffocating, heavy silence.

It wasn't devoid of people.

There were two: the Fourth Prince Utekan and a woman dressed in a capital uniform.

Both were present, yet neither spoke a word.

How much time had passed in this stillness?

"…Soon, dawn will break."

A low voice escaped Utekan's lips.

As he said, the horizon visible beyond the window was gradually brightening.

Four hours.

That was the time elapsed since Utekan, having contacted her to block the Second Princess's intervention, decided it was enough and returned to Jasung Palace.

It was a minor battle, not a clash of tens of thousands of troops.

The fact that the outcome of such a battle was still unknown after all this time was inconceivable.

"If it's been this long, the attack must have ended. If they haven't returned yet, then… could they have been defeated?"

It wasn't a matter of thinking they could have been defeated; it was certain they had been.

Not one of the direct troops who left with Hanosral, among others, had returned.

In fact, not even a single message had been received.

"What exactly happened?"

Omareung had personally taken action.

One of the five leaders who commanded all the monsters infiltrated in the empire, classified as a top-tier monster even in Mareuk.

A being that the current Zion Agnes could never handle.

Moreover, the plan was flawless.

Utekan had confirmed several times that Zion Agnes's physical condition was critical and moved only after being certain.

There should have been no variables, and even if there were, they should have been suppressed by the overwhelming force deployed.

"But why then…?"

How did it come to this?

Unable to grasp the situation immediately, his doubts only deepened.

"Rubrious surely headed towards Chimseong Palace. Does that mean Hanosral fell to him?"

"I'm not sure either, but I don't think so."

Responding to Utekan's question, the woman spoke for the first time.

"Before the First Prince headed to Chimseong Palace, the external barrier Hanosral had set up had already disappeared. If it were due to battle, there should have been explosions or sounds, but there were none."

It was strangely quiet.

And there was only one thing this meant.

The battle had ended before that.

"…Do not move until we have a complete understanding of the situation."

"I was planning on that anyway."

The woman nodded heavily in response to Utekan's words.

If Hanosral really had fallen, the future landscape and the grand scheme of Mareuk were unpredictable.

Therefore, lying low was the best course of action.

"As soon as it's fully light, we'll send eyes towards Chimseong Palace. As for reporting to Mareuk... we'll do it afterwards."

Utekan's expression darkened as he spoke to the woman.

Having to report that one of the Omareungs had been defeated was a heavy burden for Utekan.josei

"Zion Agnes..."

At that moment, Utekan uttered the name of the person who had caused all this turmoil.

Clang!

"Your Highness Utekan!"

Suddenly, the door burst open, and one of Utekan's subordinates appeared, looking anxious.

"What's the matter?"

It must be urgent if they disregarded his order not to come near his office.

With this in mind, Utekan quickly composed himself and asked.

"The secret branch in the capital is under attack!"

At these words, Utekan's expression hardened again.

---

---

Hubris, the capital of the Agnes Empire, known as the center of the world.

True to its reputation, Hubris excelled in politics, economy, culture, and more, far surpassing other cities.

Therefore, it had many and varied places for entertainment and leisure.

"..."

The place where Zion was currently located was one such facility.

A quiet café on the outskirts of Hubris.

Zion sat there, tilting his teacup as he gazed at the small garden unfolding outside.

"Not bad."

Setting down his teacup, Zion quietly muttered to himself.

This place was a hidden gem of the capital, discovered by Aileen deploying her informants.

Having some rare leisure time, Zion had rented out the entire café and was somewhat satisfied with his visit.

The quality and taste of the coffee were quite impressive.

Considering Zion's strict standards for coffee, the fact that he rated this café so highly meant it was among the top five in the capital.

'Still, the coffee Fredo makes seems to fit my taste better.'

As Zion thought this to himself and was about to lift his teacup again,

"Hehe, I never knew Your Highness enjoyed coffee."

An elderly man sitting opposite him set down his teacup and spoke.

He had a kind face, with snow-white hair and a long beard.

He was none other than Ahmad Ozlima, the head of the Empire's Grand College Magic Tower and one of the 'Seven Heavens.'

"I prefer tea to coffee, actually."

His reason for being here was simple.

He was there to report on the progress of instructions previously given by Zion.

Zion, without responding to Ahmad, tilted his teacup once more.

After a brief chuckle, Ahmad spoke again.

"Did you manage to conclude last night's events successfully?"

"You knew about it?"

Only then did Zion look at the Archmage and inquire.

"Many witnessed the starlight radiating from Chimseong Palace and brightening the sky that night. With such a spectacle, one can guess, even if not precisely."

Moreover, there had been rumors circulating about Zion's poor health, making it easier to surmise what had transpired.

-----TURN 10-----

Ahmad, and likely others too, had guessed as much about the events of that night. They refrained from mentioning it only because Zion had not spoken of it.

"More or less. To be precise, it's still in the process of being concluded."

With a languid voice, Zion answered, recalling the events that had unfolded since the annihilation of Hanosral.

Immediately after the battle at Chimseong Palace concluded, Liushina had swiftly taken action. Following Thierry's backtracking of the demons' paths, she had been striking at their secret branches, an operation that was still ongoing even a day later. As Thierry had previously mentioned, once the initial secret branch was exposed, others too were being uncovered one after the other.

'Utekan and the others will have to start moving soon.'

Since the annihilation of the Demon King, there had been no response from Utekan or the other monsters. They were likely paralyzed by the unforeseen circumstances and unable to make a move. But with their ranks being so disrupted, it was only a matter of time before they reacted.

'I wish they'd move quickly.'

Thinking this and smiling slyly, Zion looked at Ahmad and asked,

"How's the thing I mentioned coming along?"

"Here it is."

In response, Ahmad extended a piece of paper with a magic circle drawn on it towards Zion.

"It's an intermediate completed version. It's not the final product, but I assure you, its efficiency is incomparably higher than before."

The magic circle was an improved version of the detection array. The collaboration with the blood mages had led to significant progress in the research, enabling them to produce an intermediate version in time for Zion's schedule.

"Of course, using demon blood would further amplify its efficiency. But Your Highness Zion, may I inquire where you intend to use this?"

"You'll find out soon."

"Soon... it seems a significant event is on the horizon."

Nodding, Ahmad asked Zion once more.

"In that case, Your Highness, may I use this detection array myself?"

The Archmage's eyes shone coldly. It seemed he had asked the previous question just to lead up to this one.

There was no need to ask where he intended to use it.

'He must be planning to root out all the monsters hiding within the Magic Tower.'

Given Ahmad's nature, once he knew that monsters were lurking within his Magic Tower, he would not stand idly by.

"It's fine. But you must wait until after I've used it first."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

As Ahmad bowed his head with a meaningful smile in response to Zion's answer,

-Tweet-tweet!

A frost spirit perched on Zion's shoulder.

Seemingly asserting its presence, the frost spirit would occasionally pop out like this, irrespective of Zion's wishes.

Before Ahmad could react,

"Gasp!"

Aileen, just entering the café, took a deep breath and quickly approached Zion.

Her eyes behind the glasses sparkled mysteriously.

"Your Highness... may I stroke it just once?"

The words that came out of Aileen's mouth were the same as what Liam and Girard had said before. It was a demeanor rarely seen in her usually rational self.

The frost spirit's inherent aloofness and cuteness seemed to have an effect on people's hearts.

-Tweet-tweet-tweet!

As if understanding her words, the frost spirit chirped somewhat fiercely at Aileen. Though it was undoubtedly a sign of refusal, it only made her eyes sparkle even more.

'I should give this little one a name soon.'

Zion thought to himself, watching the spirit bicker with Aileen.

This spirit, born from the legendary artifact 'Breath of the Frost Queen,' was a unique spirit. Yet, it couldn't communicate its will and seemed weaker than expected. Initially, Zion thought it was because the Breath was not fully formed and he had used Black Starlight instead of mana for its summoning.

But lately, he wondered if the lack of a proper name might be the reason for its underperformance.

'A name defines an existence and anchors it in the world.'

Then,

"A unique spirit, I see. It seems not yet able to communicate... Did you acquire it recently?"

Ahmad, observing the spirit with interest, asked Zion.

"Yes, I need to name it now."

"A name... Indeed, names are crucial for unique spirits."

"How about Tweety? Or Cherry!"

-Chirp!

The spirit chirped almost convulsively at Aileen's interjection, clearly disliking the names.

"Hmm... If naming is difficult, why not ask the spirit directly?"

"Isn't it unable to communicate?"

Aileen asked, puzzled by Ahmad's suggestion.

"Some ten years ago, I learned a technique from a remarkable individual for communicating with spirits. It was designed for regular spirits and only works briefly, but I think it's worth a try," Ahmad explained.

"That's fortunate. Let's give it a try," Zion nodded in agreement.

Frankly, Zion himself was curious about the meaning behind the spirit's daily chirping.

"Understood."

With that, Ahmad extended his hand towards the spirit and began chanting a spell that resembled a ritual.

Whoosh!

A green light slowly began to swirl around the spirit.

The frost spirit, seemingly aware of what was happening, stood still, accepting the light.

After a while, the green light that had been illuminating the surroundings was absorbed completely into the spirit.

"..."

Three pairs of eyes naturally focused on the spirit.

And then slowly,

-'Inferior humans.'

The spirit's mouth began to open.

-At last, you understand my words! Now, bow your heads and show me respect. I am the exalted Queen of Frost, the sole ruler of the North. I have been waiting for this moment to scold you for your irreverent behaviors...

Whoosh!

-Tweet!

Abruptly, the light vanished, and the woman's voice in their heads turned back into chirping.

"......"

A moment of silence followed.

"......There seems no need to hear any more."

Soon after, Ahmad, who had canceled the spell, spoke with a wry expression.

Aileen, sitting beside him, nodded in agreement with a similar expression.

-Tweet-tweet! Tweet-tweet-tweet!

The frost spirit began chirping rapidly, as if voicing its displeasure, but Ahmad did not use the magic again.

'Could the actual body have been...'

As Zion contemplated this possibility while looking at the frost spirit,

"Ah, and Your Highness Zion. There's a message from the Shadow of the Imperial Palace."

Aileen finally brought up the main reason she had come.

With that, she glanced at Ahmad.

"Speak."

As Zion nodded, Aileen began to speak.

"Count Alstein Ascalon is waiting at Chimseong Palace, hoping to see you once again."

A slight smile appeared on Zion's lips.

"Has he finally made a decision?"

The celestial sword family, Ascalon.

The time to head towards that place was approaching.