I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

A hush fell over the Hall of Wisdom, so quiet that even the faintest whisper of dust settling was audible. The crowd was still as statues.

'Did he plan this all along?'

Zion found himself under the Emperor's gaze.

The situation was getting intriguing.

In truth, looking back, this was the only way Urdios could have lent a hand. By naming him heir in this manner, qualifications or power aside, Zion would be legally closer to the throne than anyone else. It would also help him gain control over the 'Eternal Shadows', the empire's eyes that only the Emperor could command.

'But will the other princes and princesses accept this?'

There would undoubtedly be massive resistance.

The Emperor was surely aware of that.

Yet, by openly declaring Zion as the successor, he was inviting him to rise against the challenge.

Indeed, this was assistance, but also a test.

Could he prove himself truly worthy of being the Emperor? Could he protect the empire teetering on the brink due to the demons' invasion?

"Father! What do you mean by this!"

Just as Zion had anticipated, Enoch, the third prince, cried out to Urdios, his face a picture of disbelief.

In his shock, he referred to Urdios as 'Father' instead of 'His Majesty the Emperor'.

"Do you mean to say, you are naming that... that boy as your successor?"

A formal designation as heir by the Emperor didn't ensure one would ascend the throne.

Even Urdios hadn't been designated as an heir but had seized the throne after eliminating his siblings.

However, it was undeniably beneficial.

It could earn him some respect from the legitimate Emperor faction, the diehard loyalists of the Emperor.

"That's right."

Urdios's response was firm, his gaze steady on Enoch as if he were driving home a point.

"That's ridiculous! Are you aware, Your Majesty? Of Zion's status within the Imperial Palace! His treatment! Weren't you the one who banished Zion to the Shadow Palace in the first place!"

Before Enoch could protest further, Diana, who had kept her cool until Zion decapitated the magician, cried out at Urdios.

She wondered if her father, the man standing before her, had lost his sanity.

There was no other plausible reason for designating Zion as the successor.

Utekan felt the same.

“I have always obeyed my father's words until now, but this time I can't understand!"

And it was understandable.

Everyone would agree, each and every one.

If you asked anyone at random, they'd never consider the idea of a disgraced prince being named successor.

Even if it was one of their other brothers or sisters, they could be upset, but they would ultimately accept it.

But the notion that Zion could be the one was entirely impossible to swallow.

"Why did you choose Zion?"

Evelyn, unlike the other three and still retaining her composure, asked the Emperor in a steady voice.

"Because I've deemed him the most fitting to be the next emperor among you all."

"What...!"

As Urdios uttered even more preposterous words, the royal family's expressions grew increasingly twisted.

"I can't accept this. I mean... I will never accept this!"

Enoch, the third prince, now openly vented his fury at the Emperor.

But Urdios, quietly observing Enoch's outrage, remained calm.

Once a word is said, it's never taken back.

This principle had been Urdios's rule until now and would continue to be so.

And this was something the royal family, who had long observed him, knew best.

Moreover, the designation of a successor was exclusively the Emperor's privilege.

Their acceptance or rejection didn't alter anything.

Did they understand this?

'Father's decision is made. It's irreversible. So, what I need to do here is...'

Diana, regaining her composure, thought swiftly.

"I understand. I will respect His Majesty's will."

"Diana! What are you...!"

"But."

Interrupting Enoch's surprised outburst, Diana continued.

"I have a suggestion."

"Let's hear it."

Upon the Emperor's response, the fifth princess turned her serpent-like gaze towards Zion.

"Everyone here is aware of the names Zion is known by."

The dethroned prince, the timid royal, the Agnes disgrace, and so forth.

"There isn't a single flattering one among them. Zion has indeed lived up to those labels so far. His recent change is unknown to many."

True, the scene Zion presented earlier had stunned her, and Diana acknowledged to an extent that he had changed.

"But what will happen if you suddenly announce Zion as the successor in these circumstances? Even if we consent, the rest of the empire - the parliament, nobles, knights - will resist greatly. They will endlessly question his qualifications and hold grudges. No, they might not even comply."

She continued, addressing Urdios directly.

"So, why not give him a chance?"

"A chance?"

"A chance to prove his worthiness as a successor."

"How so?"

"The seven great calamities."

Diana's gaze was steely and determined.

"Let him tackle one of them."

The seven major calamities of the Empire.

Rebellion, discord, supernatural monsters, and so on.

These seven calamities were the Empire's most challenging crises, requiring massive manpower and strength to resolve.

While the calamities included in the list varied over time, the title of the seven major calamities always remained.

Furthermore, one of the trials that the successor, soon to become the Emperor, had to pass was to resolve one of these seven major calamities.

"It's a trial that needs to be passed eventually to become the Emperor. If Zion truly resolves one of these seven major calamities, any resistance from us or others will vanish. More than that, some might even begin to support Zion. This level of proof seems necessary to confirm his worthiness. What do you think?"

While she proposed this, Diana didn't believe that Zion could tackle the seven major calamities.

The issues associated with these calamities were not ones an individual could resolve single-handedly.

Even though he'd recently gained power and transformed, it was like striking a stone with an egg for Zion, with his negligible strength, to tackle a calamity.

Zion surely wouldn't agree to this impossible proposition.

If that happened, Diana planned to seize the initiative using it as leverage.

"It seems like a sound plan."

"Haha, I concur with Diana."

The third and fourth princes, who appeared to have grasped her intentions, agreed.

They, too, didn't believe that Zion could resolve a calamity.

"Hmm...."

A spark of interest lit up in Urdios' eyes.

The Emperor, appearing to consider this proposition, turned his gaze towards Zion.

With him, the crowd's attention also pivoted to Zion.

'I figured it might come to this....'

Zion chuckled internally, under the scrutiny of those focused gazes.

Even without foreknowledge of the future, the actions of the people present here seldom strayed from Zion's expectations.

'Nevertheless, there's something amongst the seven major calamities that I need to personally intervene and handle.'

If its existence became public knowledge, various forces, including the royal family here, would scramble to acquire it, setting all other issues aside.

'Taking care of it on this occasion wouldn't be too bad.'

Finishing his thoughts, Zion slowly began to speak.

"Alright, this time I will prove myself to you."

"...!"

The royal family members' eyes filled with shock once again at the unexpected response.

Looking at such a reaction, Zion continued.

"But next time, you'll have to prove your worth to me."

To determine if they are truly valuable to me.

Zion's eyes twinkled with amusement, echoing his words.

---

---

His first task after wrapping up his duties at the Baeksung Palace and returning to Chimseong Palace was to descend into the underground training arena.

There was still time before he was due to leave the imperial city to tackle one of the seven major calamities.

Until then, Zion planned to sharpen his abilities a little more.

Swoosh.

Zion summoned the Extinction Sword Eclaxia, shrouded in darkness, to his hand.

Eclaxia, a weapon of mythical grade, had several additional features appropriate for its status, and this was one of them.

'I wonder where the rest of the sword's blade disappeared to.'

Zion's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the end of the shattered Extinction Sword.

After procuring Eclaxia from the Dream of Stars, Zion devoted a week to studying Eclaxia whilst also training his physique.

The conclusion he arrived at was that utilizing the Extinction Sword in its present state for actual combat was challenging.

'More precisely, it's tough to recreate the missing half of the sword's blade.'

For Eclaxia to be used in battle, he needed the other half of the vanished sword blade.

Fortunately, he could temporarily forge that blade using his own Dark Star Energy.

The issue was that the total amount of Dark Star Energy required was immense, surpassing his capabilities.

'Currently, I can only sustain the blade for a few minutes.'

Perhaps it could serve as a surprise maneuver in a critical moment.

To enhance this, he either needed to elevate the level of his Dark Star Energy, or locate the other half of the sword blade.

'Fortunately, I can still fully utilize the other effects.'

Among them, the effects Zion found most useful were the storage and amplification of Dark Star Energy.

With these two effects, he could increase the effectiveness of Dark Star Energy much more rapidly and efficiently.

'At this pace, attaining the third level won't be too far off.'

What Zion lacked was purely the physical aspect and the absolute quantity of Dark Star Energy.

Having already glimpsed the end once, there was no mental barrier standing in his way.

'Could I at least use the Lunar Eclipse, if not the Solar Eclipse, with Eclaxia?'

Zion pondered as he examined Eclaxia in his hand.

Lunar Eclipse.

A technique that intensifies the flow of Dark Star Energy in the body, almost like an explosive surge, enabling the user to harness several times their power.

It was a game-changing technique that could instantly flip the odds in the most dire situations.

However, given its brief duration and the immense strain it placed on the body after usage, it was a technique he didn't employ often in his previous life.

Yet, for the Zion of now, it was a crucial technique.

Initially, it was an advanced technique that could hardly be replicated even upon reaching the third level of Dark Star Energy. However, with the aid of Eclaxia, it might be possible, albeit imperfectly.

'Let's see...'

Whoosh!

Deciding to experiment, Zion channeled Dark Star Energy into the Extinction Sword, generating the remaining half of the blade.

So, the completed Eclaxia began to absorb all nearby light, deepening its darkness.

Simultaneously, the blood vessels across Zion's body began to intensify the Dark Star Energy flowing within, pulsating like a mighty heart.

Thump, thump, thump!

His heart pounded as if on the brink of explosion, and the darkness trembled uncontrollably.

Finally, when his heart's pounding and the darkness's quaking reached their zenith...

Tick.

Everything paused for a moment, as if time had frozen.

And then.

Creak-

An odd sound resonated from deep within Zion's body.

It echoed like the creak of a heavily rusted door swinging open.

With that.

---------------!

The enveloping darkness sank heavily for a moment.

Immediately afterward, just as the darkness was on the verge of materializing.

"That's enough."

Zion dispelled the blade of Eclaxia he had conjured.

He sensed that any further effort might genuinely tax his body.

'All I need to know is that I can utilize the Lunar Eclipse.'

Even though he had stopped it immediately after activation, he could already sense a stiffness creeping into various parts of his body.

Had he kept it active until the end, he likely wouldn't have been able to move freely for a while.

'This seems to be ample preparation.'

With that thought, Zion, who had returned Eclaxia to its state of darkness, gradually exited the underground training arena.

His eyes shone with a chilling light, as if it was time.

Now it was his turn to confront the gaze of the Empire.

***

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