I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

TL/Editor: Rungir

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Once Zion gave his consent, the stage was set in no time. The official reason was that the ongoing doubts about the heir's legitimacy prevented a memorial service, which should follow the funeral. Yet everyone present understood that was not the crux of the matter.

'The fight for the next emperor's throne is about to begin.'

The covert power struggle that lingered while Emperor Urdios was alive was now out in the open. It was expected to start after the Emperor's funeral, but Utekan had moved it up. It was clear that the one who made the first move would have an upper hand in the upcoming contest for the throne.

The spectators were more intrigued than before. Naturally, they were more interested in the upcoming fight for the throne than the Emperor's funeral.

"Phew...."

Princess Diana, the fifth princess, sighed softly and then began to approach the stage where the late emperor's sword, a royal relic, was placed.

As Utekan had just held the sword, it was now her turn. Despite standing to gain from this event, her expression was one of worry.

'Something isn't right.'

Diana stared at the sword embedded in the stone, her mind filled with this thought. It wasn't because of Zion, who remained silent, his thoughts a mystery.

'The sword should react to Agnes's blood.'

So, logically, Zion, who had been an outcast in the royal family till now, should be at a disadvantage.

His late blood awakening shouldn't change that. But, there was a wild card.

'The Extinction Sword.'

The broken black sword that had glowed with a strange darkness in Zion's hand, cutting through all magic in the fight against Lergan Urschlur and Prince Enoch.

Diana knew that this sword belonged to the empire's first emperor, the Eternal Emperor. That could mean Zion carried the bloodline of the Eternal Emperor.

Could a bloodline potent enough to inherit the Eternal Emperor's legacy react weakly to Agnes's blood?

'Could it be possible that all of this...'

A hypothesis crossed Diana's mind.

But it seemed so far-fetched, she shook her head and pushed the idea away.

Then, she reached out and grasped the hilt of the ancient sword.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a splash of starlight surged from the sword, bathing the area in a luminous glow.

"Oh!"

A gasp rose from her supporters. The intensity of this light was by no means less than what Utekan had shown.

In fact, from some angles, it looked even brighter.

However, Diana didn't seem pleased. She promptly let go of the sword and stepped away from the stage.

"I'm up next."

As soon as Diana left, Evelyn advanced towards the stage, a look of discontent on her face.

'I'm not happy.'

Evelyn was displeased with the entire situation. Of course, she knew that her competition now included Zion, and she also recognized that this was a chance to undercut Zion's influence.

Still, she didn't want to disrupt the late emperor's funeral with a fight over the throne.

The whole setup was disagreeable to Evelyn, who valued fairness and honorable competition. She wanted this ordeal to end quickly.

With that in mind, she swiftly reached out and grasped the sword's hilt.

Whoosh!

A dazzling starlight, brighter than when Utekan and Diana had held it, exploded from the blade.

The brilliant white light was so intense it temporarily blinded the onlookers. Even the unreadable markings on the stone where the sword was lodged began to shine.

Thud!

Simultaneously, the sword started to slowly ease out from the stone.

Wow!

This remarkable sight, so different from before, drew loud cheers from the momentarily stunned knights.

It was a sight to behold: one of the era's mightiest individuals pulling out the sword, still lodged in the stone, because of her impressive celestial magic abilities. This feat not only awed her supporters but even the rival factions.

"It won't come out any further."

Ignoring the cheers and admiration, Evelyn muttered and released the hilt. Her gaze then shifted below the stage.

"Ha ha, that's just like Evelyn. Now I feel a bit of pressure since I'm up next."

The first prince's soft voice rang out as he bypassed Evelyn, strolling towards the stage. Despite his words, his expression was calm.

"Oh, light, lend me your power."

Immediately after his brief prayer, when Rubrios grabbed the sword, a brilliant light exploded forth, illuminating the surroundings, just like it did for the other royals.

Was it because he too was a master of celestial magic up to the 6th level? His light was as bright as Evelyn's. The sword of the departed emperor was pulled out a bit further from the stone.

"Oh, the divine light!"

The priests began chanting prayers to the god of light at the sight, and once again, astonishment and admiration filled the spectators' eyes.

Soon, as the murmurs of prayers and admiration began to fade,

"Now, Zion, it's your turn."

Rubrios, having let go of the sword, called out with a grin, seemingly eager for Zion's turn.

All eyes naturally shifted towards Zion.

Zion, who had been quietly observing the first prince with calm eyes, started to move.

One step at a time.

He was merely walking, yet there was an aura of distinction about him.

As their eyes trembled at this sight, Zion had already ascended the podium.

"......"

From there, Zion slowly scanned the crowd. His gaze finally settled on one individual.

It was Utekan, who was watching him with an expression full of anticipation.

Zion understood the eager look on Utekan's face.

'My failure.'

It was more than just failure; it was the dreadful prospect of being deemed unworthy of Agnes's lineage.

'Grasp the sword, Zion!'

Utekan silently urged Zion with his eyes.

Slowly, Zion extended his hand towards the sword of the fallen emperor.

Under the watchful eyes of Utekan and everyone else, Zion finally gripped the sword's hilt.

......

But all that followed was silence. Nothing happened.

'Hahaha! As expected!'

In the ensuing silence, the anticipation in Utekan's eyes turned to joy,

"What....."

Someone murmured a question at that moment.

Then, darkness.

Utter darkness.

The infinite darkness that exploded from the blade instantly enveloped the entire royal palace, reaching beyond the square filled with spectators.

The stone slab, unable to withstand the power, crumbled to ash. The sword of the fallen emperor trembled as if in sorrow.

The crowd stared, bewildered at the scene that defied comprehension, their breaths held.

What on earth was happening?

Nobody present could understand.

"How could..."

Utekan's eyes bulged in shock and awe, staring at the sword of the fallen emperor held by Zion.

This was impossible.

No, it shouldn't be possible.

This was a sword that only responded to celestial magic.

So, how could it react so violently in the hand of Zion Agnes, who hadn't even mastered celestial magic?

'This should do.'

Zion gave a sly smile, glancing at the fourth prince.

Did Utekan know?

That from the beginning, all of this was orchestrated by Zion himself.

Zion was aware of the many doubts and dissatisfactions about his appointment as Urdios's successor, and he knew that this issue would resurface someday.

So, he turned the tables in his favor.

Through the Shadow of Eternity, Zion had discovered the nature of the fallen emperor's sword. He leaked this information to the other royal family members at the emperor's demise.

The one who swallowed the bait was none other than Utekan.

It was all too predictable that Utekan would stir the pot at the funeral, where a large crowd was gathered.

'Honestly, I didn't foresee this level of reaction.'

With this in mind, Zion observed the sword of the fallen emperor, still spewing darkness.

In truth, he was certain that the sword of the fallen emperor would respond to his black star magic.

He speculated that the reason the fallen emperor was fixated on celestial magic was due to his inability to harness the power of the Eternal Emperor.

This implied a lingering affinity for the power of the Eternal Emperor, and it was likely that he imbued this longing into the sword.

However, this level of reaction was unexpected.

'Could this be aligning even more with my hypotheses?'

Zion briefly reflected on the theories he had formulated about this world, then shrugged it off.

Because at present, it was more crucial to conclude this matter.

Whoosh!

Embedding the nearly shattered relic sword of the fallen emperor into the platform, Zion looked down at Utekan.

Utekan was still struggling to regain his composure.

"I trust you'll honor your promise."

Zion said, gracing Utekan with a slight smile.

The funeral had concluded.

To be exact, it hadn't fully ended yet, but it was fair to say the crux was over.

All that remained were some ceremonial formalities.

As such, the attendees, who had gathered from all corners of the kingdom to pay their respects, began to prepare for their departure.

---

---

From one of the five palaces surrounding the White Star Palace, specifically the Purple Star Palace, a series of loud noises reverberated.

The one producing the noise was Utekan, relentlessly striking a massive boulder in the Purple Star Palace's training yard.

Each time Utekan, whose strength remained unfazed, touched it, the boulder noticeably crumbled.

This was a testament to his incredible physical prowess.

However, Utekan's face was twisted as he battered the boulder.

Truthfully, this was Utekan's way of venting his frustration.

"Huu, huu......"

Technically, this was a habit Utekan had before his possession by the Demon Tarahal, but there was no need to draw that distinction.

Because Tarahal aimed to embody Utekan himself.

That's why he emulated all of Utekan's original thoughts and behaviors. Even those who knew his true identity, he preferred they addressed him as Utekan, not by his original name.

Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang!

After a brief respite, Utekan resumed pounding the boulder.

The source of his ire was one individual.

'Zion Agnes.'

The youngest brother, who mere months ago was known as the cast-off prince.

Yet, after a remarkable trajectory of growth, he now stood on equal footing with the other royal family members.

"No, perhaps this funeral has already catapulted him to an equivalent position."

If one were to question who they chose to support among the royal family members after Emperor Urdios's funeral, the responses would be diverse. However, when asked to identify the most memorable figure, all pointed to one individual: Zion Agnes.

The heroic Liam Rainer and the Border Legion.

And the ensuing proof of succession.

In particular, the image of Zion brandishing the fallen emperor's artifact sword during the succession proof was so riveting that it sent shivers down the spine of anyone who recalled it.

Even Utekan himself had been momentarily spellbound.

Utekan was livid that he was instrumental in creating that image.

Moreover, since then, all doubts regarding Zion's succession had entirely evaporated.

Because people were focused on the fact that the artifact of the fallen emperor reacted so vehemently, irrespective of the presence of light or darkness.

'What on earth transpired? The power was not of the Celestial Star...'

He still couldn't understand why the artifact responded as it did at the time.

But now was not the moment to delve into such contemplation.

Firstly, he had to address the issue of transferring one of his armies to Zion.

'Do I genuinely have no alternative but to resort to this?'

Mind erosion.

He had solicited it from the other two demon lords. However, since there were too few demons capable of high-level mind erosion, he had tried to refrain from this method as much as possible.

'I had intended to employ it after establishing a closer relationship with the second princess, but I am left with no choice.'

Utekan, who was evaluating the pros and cons in his mind for a moment, beckoned one of the nearby subordinate demons.

"Convey to Zion that I wish to see him. And... summon Azela."

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