I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

TL/Editor: Rungir

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In a place once filled with life, now only ruin remained, scarred by the hand of Zion. The secret hideout of the Ouroboros now lay silent and desolate.

Thump, thump.

Into this forsaken building walked a woman. Her eyes, lost in deep thought, scanned the destruction around her.

"What happened here?" she wondered, unable to understand the scene in front of her.

According to her recollections, the Ouroboros' secret base was thriving at this point in time, its existence still concealed from the world. The group had barely begun their operations. So, why was this place deserted and crumbling?

"And the artifact..."

Her words hung in the air as she vanished, only to reappear moments later in the once lavish office of the branch manager on the top floor. Predictably, the room was in a shambles.

The artifact of the Frost Queen, her original objective, was missing too.

For a moment, she stood still, staring at the smashed glass case that had once housed the artifact. Then she uttered a chilling realization, "The future is changing."

Several events hadn't gone as she remembered. The city of Ruin, which was supposed to be destroyed, was still standing. The Illusionary Army had vanished. The emperor, who was not supposed to be dead yet, had his funeral underway.

She was unable to pinpoint where things had deviated from her memories. Among the various changes, one person stood out to her, 'Zion Agnes, the discarded prince.'

He was supposed to have died long ago, caught up in a power struggle. Yet, not only was he alive, he had become the center of attention in the Imperial Palace. He had a hand in almost every recent incident, even killing the Third Prince Enoch.

She found it impossible to understand the turn of events.

"There must be a factor I don't know about."

As she mumbled to herself, another voice echoed in the room. "It seems like this place has been thoroughly picked over. Anything else here?"

"No, let's leave." She turned to face the source of the voice.

In her gaze stood Rain Dranir, casually resting a long spear over her shoulder as she walked towards her.

---

---

"Absolutely, Brother Liam was right. Your Majesty is truly unique."

In the library of Chimseong Palace, a man seated next to Liam Rainer aimed his rough voice towards Zion. The man, Gerard Bertner, bore a large scar running from his left eye to his lips. As the current commander of the Border Army, his rugged appearance was a testament to his past experiences.

"I must admit, I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful."

Gerard's eyes reflected his surprise, matching his words. The terms proposed by Zion were exactly what the Border Army desperately needed. It was as if Zion had peered into his soul.

"We should do everything we can to hold the frontlines against the demons," Zion said, his voice casual. He knew that these men weren't swayed by usual lures like power, wealth, or fame. Their singular goal was defeating demons.

This understanding led Zion to offer terms centered on their objective. 'I couldn't have convinced them without Liam Rainer's help,' Zion thought, glancing at Liam.

"But Your Majesty, are you sure about this? Sending the troops you're about to receive straight to the demon frontlines?" Liam asked, doubt creeping into his voice. As Liam had mentioned, Zion had declared his intent to dispatch some of the Jinglo Army, which he was set to acquire from Utekan, to the demon border. This move had even taken Gerard by surprise.

"Yes," Zion nodded. It was clear that the Jinglo Army was an elite force, a considerable source of power. However, it wasn't a force that could be used immediately.

Mobilizing an army of tens of thousands, especially one distinct from the knights or wizard corps, into the capital was a complex task. Furthermore, there was the issue of whether the army would accept new command.

Despite these challenges, Zion insisted on obtaining the Jinglo Army from Utekan.

'The event that happens at the demon border this year.'

To confront this major plot twist in Frosimar's chronicles, an army-sized force was necessary, a supplement to the existing border troops. Moreover, weakening Utekan's strength was a double victory for Zion.

"When will you return to the village?"

"I've taken on a student recently, so I plan to leave right after dinner. Of course, if Your Majesty Zion wishes, I will stay."

As Liam answered, remembering Ferna waiting for him in the village, a blue-feathered bird, about the size of a fist, materialized on Zion's right shoulder.

The spirit was unique to the Frost Queen's artifact. It would spontaneously appear without Zion's permission, chirp for a bit, then vanish. Each time, it seemed to grow stronger, drawing a bit of energy from its surroundings. So, Zion just let it be.

"Is that... a spirit?"

At that moment, Liam and Gerard's expressions tightened upon seeing the spirit.

They both looked grave. Gerard, in particular, stared wide-eyed at the spirit, unable to look away.

"Indeed."

Zion replied, watching them with intrigued eyes.

"May I... touch it just once?"

Gerard asked Zion, his face grave. He was already leaning halfway towards the spirit.

"By all means."

"Thank you!"

As Zion's consent echoed, both Liam and Gerard extended their hands towards the spirit.

-Chirp!

Taken aback by their sudden movement, the spirit spread its wings as a warning, albeit futilely.

'Who would have thought these rugged men would have a soft spot for cute things. It seems so incongruous.'

For a moment, Zion observed the spirit sandwiched between two burly men adorned with scars, then he redirected his gaze towards the window.

'She should be arriving soon.'

As the thought crossed his mind, Zion was interrupted.

"Your Majesty Zion."

Knight Fredo entered the study and offered a bow to Zion.

"The envoy from the Fourth Prince has arrived."

"At last, they've come."

Upon hearing Fredo's announcement, Zion's eyes gleamed.

He had anticipated Utekan reaching out soon.

They had matters to negotiate, including the transfer of the Junglo Army.

He also assumed they would meet at the Palace of the People.

That location served as a neutral ground where they could safeguard against any potential deceit.

Vroom!

So, Zion was en route to the Palace of the People in a mana-powered car.

Yet, there was one circumstance Zion had not foreseen.

"The smoothness of this ride is unmatched by the Guild's mana-powered vehicles. What a divine gift!"

First Prince Rubrious was seated right in front of him, marvelling at the mana-powered car's seat.

The reason for his presence was simple.

On his way to the Palace of the People, Zion had chanced upon Rubrious on foot.

"I’ll tag along. I was heading to the Palace of the People anyway. Isn't it more convenient to go together?"

With these audacious words, Rubrious invited himself into Zion's car.

Zion didn't object since he had a question for Rubrious anyway.

'But I didn't expect our paths to cross in this manner.'

Zion pondered as he looked at Rubrious.

"Just because I've been away for a few years, they got rid of my personal mana-powered car... Isn't the Imperial Palace management excessively stringent?"

Rubrious hadn't changed since their first meeting, he still possessed a disregard for others, but surprisingly, the First Prince was quite chatty.

He maintained his talkative demeanor even when Zion stayed silent.

Alongside his loquacity, there was an odd warmth radiating from Rubrious.

In fact, Zion was already aware of this warmth.

'Did it start from our first encounter?'

To be more precise, Rubrious had shown signs of warmth towards Zion since he approached him at the Emperor's funeral.

Back then, Zion had overlooked it due to the shocking substance of their conversation, but in retrospect, the emotions embedded in Rubrious's words were unmistakably warm.

'Otherwise, why would he have told me to heed the God of Light that he worships?'

The motivation behind this remained elusive.

Therefore, Zion planned to seek clarification now.

"Haha, reflecting upon it, it's also..."

"Why?"

Zion's quiet question interrupted Rubrious's words.

"The reason... what are you seeking a reason for?"

"The reason why, out of all the members of the royal family, you approached me at the funeral and imparted those words."

"Well, that's because I wished to save you."

The First Prince responded with a benevolent grin.

As doubt clouded Zion's eyes at his enigmatic response,

"Zion, are you aware of why I am striving to reclaim the throne?"

The First Prince proceeded.

"No."

"It's to disseminate the light throughout this world. Of course, the Church of Light is presently the most prevalent in the world, but that's insufficient. After all, the only deity of this world is Light."

Rubrious's eyes had reverted to the fervor Zion had witnessed during their first encounter.

"Fealty to other idols can never be condoned."

His gaze bore the fervor of a fanatic.

"Hence, I will assume the role of the emperor, the so-called ruler of the world, and dedicate the entire world to Light."

In essence, he expressed his intention to ascend the throne and turn the world into a place where the sole religion is the Church of Light.

It was indeed a fitting ambition for Rubrious, renowned as the Zealous Prince.

"But first, to ascend the throne, I must eliminate the other contenders."

It was an understood fact that the contenders were the other royals.

"Zion, I had no desire to take your life. That's why I tried to enlist you under my banner and have you heed Light."

So, in essence, he implied that to seize the throne, he had to eradicate the rest of the royals or subordinate them, and because he was reluctant to do so, he attempted to recruit Zion.

His personality was perfectly encapsulated in these words that resonated with extreme fanaticism.

In Rubrious's mind, it was evident that the notion of his own death or failure to ascend to the throne was absent.

"And if I continue to defy you?"

"Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. But if it does... I'm uncertain yet."

Rubrious confessed, his expression slightly troubled.

In his mind, there might be a clash between the First Doctrine, which advocates spreading Light worldwide, and the goodwill derived from his trust in God.

Fanaticism often harbors many contradictions.

Zion could have readily disputed it, but instead, he asked about something that intrigued him more.

"So what about the trust you mentioned back then?"

The source of the goodwill that Rubrious held for Zion.

"Hmm...."

The First Prince furrowed his brow in contemplation for a moment, then slowly began to articulate.

"Strictly speaking, the trust is not something I should discuss... but perhaps it's acceptable to reveal a portion of it. Zion, are you aware of the Hero's existence?"

"I have a vague understanding."

"The Hero is a being that emerges to confront the Demon King, the monarch of monsters. It already surfaced once, hundreds of years ago, and on that occasion, Light predicted its appearance by bestowing its trust."

"So has the trust concerning the Hero been granted again this time?"

At Zion's question, Rubrious nodded, his face expressing surprise.

"You appear to be informed already. Yes, it was bestowed about a month ago. However, there was something atypical about the trust."

The content of the trust itself was not unusual.

Just as before, it confirmed the existence of the Hero and outlined the subsequent necessary actions.

What was unusual was the quantity of trusts.

"Normally, there is only one trust regarding the Hero. That's like an unalterable rule. Because, fundamentally, the world can only generate one Hero using its force. However… this time, the trust concerning the Hero was received twice consecutively."

Rubrious's eyes, trained on Zion, began to emit an odd radiance.

"The second one refers to you, Zion."

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