I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

Chapter 62: Agnes National Assembly (4)

TL/Editor: Rungir

Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun

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"Hiduk is no more."

In the empty lands around the Imperial City, a woman wearing a monk's robe started the conversation with a man known for his emotionless eyes.

They've been meeting quite a lot lately.

All because of one person.

"Is it about Zion Agnes again?"

"Likely. We lost contact with Hiduk when Zion Agnes visited the Imperial College Magic Tower."

"I warned him to be careful... What about the wizard?"

"Clearly, it didn't work. Was Hiduk killed just for that?"

The man brushed off the woman's question as she shrugged.

"Too far-fetched. We just learned about the hero-related info from the Future's Oracle."

"Could Zion Agnes have the Future's Oracle too? No."

The woman, ready to counter the man's words, also shook her head.

Even she thought that was unlikely.

Simple coincidences seemed a more believable explanation.

"But Zion Agnes being strong enough to kill Hiduk, that's surprising."

"I was shocked too. Maybe he had help."

"You mean... help from that monster at the College Magic Tower?"

In the Agnes Empire's College Magic Tower, only one person could be the "monster" the woman was talking about.

The Archmage Ahmad Ozlima.

One of the Seven Heavens, the world's peak, and someone even the woman's group watched carefully.

"Correct. Ahmad Ozlima couldn't miss what happened in the Magic Tower. But since no word got out, he must've stepped in."

"So, Ahmad might be on Zion Agnes' side?"

"Not really. He vowed to avoid matters outside the tower. He stepped in only because it happened inside. But Zion Agnes must have some influence as he's keeping our existence secret."

The man shared his thoughts in response to the woman's question.

"We think alike on that. Though, I don't know why."

Hearing this, the woman laughed, but her face quickly turned stern.

"Should we kill him?"

Her voice was icy.

The man nodded to her words.

"We can kill him without getting involved."

"How so?"

"Did you hear that Zion Agnes wiped out a whole group of mages?"

"The Icarus Mages? Yes, what about them?"

"That led the Third Prince to want Zion Agnes dead. It's nearly hatred."

"Really? We just need to push them a little more. 'He' is handling the Third Prince's side, right?"

"Yes."

"I don't really like 'him', he's sort of strange."

The woman cringed at the memory of one of the demons associated with Prince Enoch, the Third Prince.

He had impressive skills and a rather odd hobby.

Perhaps that's why he got on so well with Prince Enoch.

"Do you want to talk to 'him'?"

"Of course."

The man answered the woman's question without a second thought.

He would've done it even if she hadn't asked.

"The 'Hero' will soon show up in the world. We should get rid of any troublemakers before then."

The woman said, her eyes cold as she stared at the man.

---

---

Agnes National Conference.

A twice-a-year gathering, and the second most important event in the Empire.

Only the Empire's most powerful could attend, and the meeting was always very serious and formal.

This conference was no different from the past ones.

"Moving on from the previous meeting's topics..."

The majority of the attendees' gazes were directed at one person.

Specifically, at Zion, whose expression was unreadable as he sat in his seat.

From the moment he entered the room until now.

The people couldn't take their eyes off Zion.

As if they were mesmerized.

'Is that really the Zion Agnes I knew?'

This was a common thought among those who had seen Zion before.

They'd heard about his recent changes, as if he'd come alive, but this was their first time seeing him.

He was even more striking than they'd imagined.

'It's like he's a totally different person, besides his looks.'

His previous shyness, the inability to meet others' gazes, was gone, replaced by a relaxed demeanor.

From his laid-back posture, you could smell the scent of a ruler looking down on everything with boredom.

He was also physically more robust, and a strange, intimidating aura came off him.

That intimidating aura made even the most seasoned people in the room feel uneasy.

'So that's why Icarus fell?'

One of them, Groud Ozlima, also watched Zion with wide eyes.josei

He knew it the moment he saw him walk into the room.

The term 'abandoned pureblood' didn't fit him anymore.

How could he change so much in such little time?

Now he understood why the late Lergan Urschler had claimed that Prince Zion had learned black magic.

'Did Agnes' blood finally awaken in him?'

With this thought, Groud glanced at Alstein next to him.

His face was as expressionless as always, but his eyes revealed the same surprise that Groud felt.

'This might be a problem.'

Groud mused to himself.

---

---

'So many familiar faces.'

Zion was also absorbing all the stares thrown his way, studying the people present in the conference room.

Frosimar Hero Chronicles.

Though the story focused primarily on the hero and his companions, there were many narratives concerning the imperial city.

Given its importance, countless events occurred in and around the city.

To demonstrate that it was not just a chronicle but a historical record, the Frosimar Chronicles included detailed accounts of significant global events, even those unconnected to the hero.

So, those with access to the imperial palace and the ability to attend the national conference were likely to appear in the chronicles.

'Approximately half...'

Zion distinguished between those he needed to protect and those he needed to eliminate.

His criterion was straightforward.

It was not about good or evil.

It was about who would aid him on his chosen path and who wouldn't.

Those who were connected to the demons...

Or those who were demons themselves.

Half of the attendees fit these categories, each possessing the ability to rock the empire.

Yet, Zion showed no sign of worry.

If this was enough to deter him, he wouldn't have begun at all.

Rather, a peculiar anticipation was stirring within him.

'Not yet.'

Zion eyed the demons pretending to be human, his fingers twitching.

They were the primary agents of the Empire's destruction, and he was filled with a desire to strike them down now. But it wasn't time yet.

If he continued to whittle each of them down, as planned, he was confident they'd eventually reveal their true monstrous forms.

That would mark the day when Zion would formally start to purge the Empire of demon infiltrators.

'But I need to handle these ones first.'

Zion thought, looking at his siblings.

The chronicles portrayed the Empire's unrest not merely due to the emperor's absence.

The princes and princesses, all of equal power, constantly plotted and waged civil wars to claim the throne, further destabilizing the Empire.

Ultimately, the next emperor didn't emerge until the full-blown demon war, which was one of the prime catalysts for the world's downfall.

Zion was determined not to let history repeat itself.

Whatever it took.

'First and foremost...'

Zion's gaze landed on Enoch, who glared back at him fiercely.

Considering Zion had disrupted all his plans so far, his anger was not surprising.

Indeed, among the imperial family, Zion planned to confront Enoch first, even if Enoch hadn't been actively targeting him.

The rationale was twofold: Enoch's background was the most problematic, but crucially, he was the easiest to handle.

The backbone of the third prince, Enoch, was undeniably his maternal family, the Ozlima's.

The Ozlimas were the empire's premier magical family, a lineage that had even birthed a 'heaven,' wielding immense power.

Zion knew how to neutralize such a formidable clan.

Just then,

"We'll conclude the matters from the previous conference here and proceed with the review of the new agenda."

Evelyn's voice, wrapping up the summary of the last conference and transitioning to the main agenda, reached Zion's ears.

With that, Zion stopped his thoughts and honed in on the conference.

That's precisely why he had attended the National Policy Conference today.

"First, let's discuss the agenda proposed by Utekan Agnes."

Submitting an agenda for the National Policy Conference.

In essence, anyone who could attend the conference had the right to propose an agenda.

However, since it was a lengthy process and hard to get through, it had informally become a norm for the royal family to gather the views of their subordinates and submit them.

Naturally, the greater the support from congressmen and nobles for the royal family, the higher the probability of an agenda passing the review.

"On the topic of increasing the military budget..."

The main conference proceeded without a hitch.

From the fourth prince, Utekan, to the third prince, Enoch, and then to the fifth princess, Diana.

Agendas were swiftly passed through necessary negotiations and exchanges.

While agendas were smoothly getting approved without any significant contention, some people, including Diana, wore puzzled expressions.

'What's going on?'

Diana's gaze landed on Zion.

He was eerily silent.

The side of Zion Agnes was disconcertingly quiet.

When the submission and review of the primary conference's agendas concluded, the national policy conference was practically considered over.

Yet, with the main conference nearing its end, Zion merely observed the proceedings with tranquil eyes, not expressing a word.

He neither endorsed nor objected.

'He must have attended the National Policy Conference with an objective in mind.'

He had managed to attract as many as eleven members to his side in just a week to participate in the conference.

However, once there, he had done nothing.

This behavior was particularly strange to her, who had been keeping a close eye on Zion's moves.

'He hasn't even proposed an agenda in advance.'

Diana scanned the list of previously received agendas, her brows knitting in confusion.

"Well, with the review of all submitted agendas complete, we'll now conclude..."

"I wish to propose an agenda."

A soft voice interjected, halting Evelyn's words as she prepared to transition to the next order of business.

Naturally, all eyes turned towards the source of the voice.

The person they found at the end of their gaze was Zion, who had remained silent throughout the conference.

"Have you chosen to speak now?"

Evelyn regarded Zion with an asking gaze.

The Agnes National Policy Conference was among the empire's most influential, and each of its agendas could have a significant impact on the entire empire.

As a result, agendas were typically prepared and submitted in advance, making on-the-spot proposals a rarity.

"Yes."

"What might it be?"

Nevertheless, impromptu proposals weren't prohibited, so Evelyn asked about Zion's agenda.

Alongside this, others' curiosity intensified.

What important agenda had he kept to himself until now?

However, Zion's subsequent words defied their expectations.

"The parade."

"......?"

"I suggest we advance the parade."

"Do you mean... the Imperial Family's parade?"

"Exactly."

Zion's response filled the eyes of those present, including Evelyn, with a mixture of confusion and surprise.

The routine parade of the Agnes Imperial Family.

Simply put, it was an event where the imperial family, accompanied by their forces like a knight's order, paraded before the imperial citizens outside the imperial city.

While demonstrating the imperial family's splendor to the citizens, it also announced the wellbeing of the Agnes family and officially recognized a direct royal family member's right to succeed the throne.

Although it was a significant event, it wasn't seen as exceptionally crucial.

Why, then, was the regular parade schedule being abruptly proposed?

A sudden and unanticipated proposition.

As individuals puzzled over whether the parade they knew and the one Zion referred to were two separate events, Evelyn asked Zion once more.

"Do you genuinely want to advance the Imperial Parade?"

Worry started to glimmer in her eyes.

An imperial parade would essentially require a royal family member to have their own forces.

However, as far as Evelyn was aware, Zion lacked such forces.

'Even if it's postponed, it may not satisfy expectations...'

Zion, aware or not of her thoughts, nodded affirmatively in response.

"Yes, I believe a week from now would suffice."

The original date for the imperial parade was roughly a month away.

Yet, Zion was suggesting to advance it by an astounding three weeks.

"Hahaha! Excellent! I agree!"

Upon hearing Zion's words, the 4th Prince Utekan was the first to erupt into hearty laughter and voice his approval.

Contrasting with his exuberant laughter, Utekan's keenly glittering gaze seemed to have evaluated all the potential profits and setbacks ensuing from the parade's advancement.

"I vote against it. An abrupt advancement of the imperial parade will disrupt the existing schedules."

Meanwhile, Diana opted to oppose it.

In essence, her opposition stemmed from her caution towards Zion.

The Zion she had scrutinized so far wouldn't propose such an idea without careful consideration.

Hence, it was prudent to remain cautious until she unraveled his objectives.

"And what about you, Enoch?"

All gazes pivoted towards the 3rd Prince Enoch and the nobles backing him.

Naturally, Zion's faction would concur, and Evelyn would stay neutral.

So, the fate of the proposal hinged on Enoch's decision.

"I'm in favor."

Enoch immediately cast his vote in favor as if he had been anticipating Evelyn's question.

'He's creating his own opportunities.'

Had he known about this beforehand?

Enoch himself had planned to suggest advancing the parade after the main conference concluded.

However, since Zion beat him to it, Enoch couldn't be more pleased.

Undoubtedly, Zion was hatching his own scheme, but that was of no concern.

'This time, no matter what you plot, I'll obliterate it all.'

A palpable desire was stirring in the depths of Enoch's gaze as he looked at Zion.

However, the 3rd Prince remained ignorant.

The eyes of Zion, who was observing him with a smile.

He was oblivious to the fact that the three swirling black stars in Zion's eyes were penetrating not only his blatant desire but also the hidden magic behind it.

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