I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

TL/Editor: Rungir

Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun

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On a night with a blood-red crescent moon in the sky, a man, Kellin, was running for his life on a road barely lit by moonlight.

Kellin was panting hard, his heart pounding like it might explode, but he didn't stop. The terror in his eyes pushed him to run faster as if stopping meant death.

He was the only one left alive. They, the ones chasing him, had taken everyone else. Kellin's mind was filled with one thought - run, get as far away from them as possible. The fear they stirred up was enough to freeze his sanity.

Seeing the territory exit getting closer, a glimmer of hope sparked in Kellin's eyes. He sprinted towards the exit with all his might, but just as he was about to cross, a chilling laughter froze him in his tracks. His body felt trapped in invisible threads, and he was forced to face the horrifying figures he'd been running from.

In that moment, he realized he'd been part of their twisted game from the start. There was never an escape.

Soon after, one of them enveloped Kellin, and everything went dark.

---

---

In Hubris, the empire's capital, a luxurious magic car sped along a quiet suburban road. Inside, Zion was going through several documents quickly. He'd left the imperial city to retrieve an object that the demon had mentioned.

He'd planned to leave right away, but the Emperor's funeral caused a delay. Time was slipping away.

He also needed to think about his Black Star Level. He could force his way to level 3, but reaching level 4 was impossible unless his body was in top condition. Given his current state, unable to fully recover from the lunar eclipse backlash, he didn't know what might happen if he tried to force his power to level up.

'If I could strengthen my body through the demon...'

He could have a breakthrough, growing swiftly like a geyser breaking free from the earth.

"We've summed up the key points about the five great families in these documents," said Aileen, the head of the Moon's Eye. She was sitting across from Zion, pointing to the papers he was reading and asking about their usefulness through a gesture.

Aileen was there to discuss newly found information and reports as well as Zion's instructions about the medium.

"Not bad."

Aileen, surprised by the rare compliment from Zion, carefully read his mood before asking a question.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Was the proof of succession at the funeral intentional?"

From the outside, it seemed that the fourth prince, Utekan, failed to revoke Zion's succession rights. But Aileen, who had been observing Zion, couldn't shake the feeling that he was behind it all.

"What do you think?" Zion replied, a subtle smile on his face.

'So, it was his plan...' Aileen thought, interpreting his smile as confirmation.

"Because of that incident, most of the nobles at the funeral are talking about you. Plus, the fourth prince's power seems to be weakening, and there are signs of internal conflict. Probably because he pledged to distribute the Imperial Road Army's legions at his discretion."

As Aileen reported, Zion remembered his clash with Utekan two days ago. Surprisingly, instead of fighting back, Utekan quietly handed over one of the imperial forces to Zion himself, as if the incident with Azela never happened. But Zion saw the fury hidden deep in Utekan's eyes. Utekan seemed to hide his anger well when he was most upset.

'He might make a move soon.' Zion thought, welcoming the idea. The more Utekan acted, the more his weaknesses would show. Zion had included Utekan in the list of threats he had mentioned to Azela.

"By the way, Zion, do you remember when you went to the underground auction?" Aileen interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes."

"The group you wiped out is still trying to figure out who you are. But we've blocked all their attempts."

'They're pretty bold,' Zion thought, chuckling as he remembered Sharin May.

Considering her pride and fiery spirit, she must be fuming at this point.

"But what about the instructions?"

"Here you go."

At Zion's question, Aileen presented several new documents. Much like personal identification cards, each sheet detailed specific individuals.

"Are these the mercenaries you requested?"

"Yes."

Zion confirmed, swiftly scanning the documents. These were the mercenaries Zion intended to bring with him on his current endeavor. Aileen, however, looked at Zion with disbelief.

"I followed your instructions and singled out these individuals, but... are you certain this is acceptable?"

Aileen questioned, her voice laced with confusion.

"All three have been mercenaries for quite some time... but they're merely scraping the bottom of the adventurer rank silver grade. We have a priest, but we don't know his deity, and his holy magic is basic at best."

Being silver grade signified they were competent to a degree, but if she wanted, Aileen could assemble a gold-grade mercenary group within hours. She couldn't fathom why Zion was adamant about including these particular individuals.

"They're necessary."

Zion responded nonchalantly, his gaze still fixed on the documents. Observing Zion's eyes, Aileen felt a sudden chill. His eyes sometimes seemed inhuman, viewing everything in the world as expendable. What kind of mindset did a person with such eyes possess? Aileen found herself pondering this question.

In the meantime, the magic car arrived at its destination, the mercenary district on the outskirts of the capital, and came to a stop.

"Oh, and..."

As Zion, his hair and eyes now a stark black, began to step out of the car, he seemed to recall something and turned to Aileen.

"Once Liushina is ready, tell her to meet me at the location mentioned here."

"Here? Why this place..."

"I want to be prepared, just in case."

With these cryptic words as his farewell, Zion exited the magic car, his figure slowly blending into the distance.

---

---

"Hahaha! Your first venture, isn't it, Zion? Nothing compares to the thrill and nerves of your first time. I remember my first dungeon expedition as a fresh mercenary..."

Zion glanced at the chatty man beside him who was not pausing for breath. This brown-haired man, named Latra, was the leader of the Latra Mercenary Group that Zion had selected.

Excited about the lucrative task he had received after a lengthy hiatus, Latra was brimming with excitement from the get-go.

"Latra, rein it in. You're making a racket. What if our client decides to cancel?"

A woman sporting a dark complexion and an impressively muscular build elbowed Latra's side, casting a quick glance at Zion.

"What are you saying, Ember? I'm just sharing some wisdom with Zion. Knowing the ropes before venturing out is important. Especially if Zion remains intrigued by adventuring, this knowledge becomes essential."

Latra's monologue was motivated by the identity Aileen had fabricated for Zion.

Zion Harness.

A young, innocent nobleman from an affluent capital family, harboring romantic notions of adventures.

The belief was that Zion, an enthusiast of adventuring, had contracted them, the Latra Mercenary Group, for his inaugural expedition.

Undoubtedly, this didn't reflect Zion's actual standing.

'But this is more convenient.'

The mission required utmost secrecy.

So, within the royal palace, only Tieri was aware of Zion's departure, and even Aileen, who was just with him, remained in the dark about where and why Zion had embarked.

"What do you make of this, Eli?"

"Considering everything, more than half of Latra's tales are self-centered... Besides, this is only our second dungeon exploration, and Latra was too petrified to enter the dungeon via the main entrance..."

At Latra's remarks, a timid-looking woman with golden hair dressed in a priest's robe quietly chimed in. Despite her soft tone, her words held a biting edge.

"Ha ha... Hahaha! What is she on about? Pay her no mind, Zion. Eli seems to harbor some misconceptions."

Flustered, Latra quickly defended himself, but Zion was uninterested in his justifications, his attention fixated on the woman named Eli.

Zion had specifically chosen this mercenary group due to this woman.

'Elysis Desire.'

A companion of the hero in the records and the future saint.

She was among the individuals possessing the most sacred bloodline in the world.

Currently, she was merely a vagabond priest, but in the not-so-distant future, she would awaken as a genuine representative of divinity on Earth, receiving divine revelation.

However, Zion's reason for pursuing her diverged from when he encountered the hero's other companions.

This time, his interest was purely self-serving, bearing no relation to the main plot.

Elysis was crucial for acquiring the medium Zion had envisioned.

'I'll need her services for some time.'

As Zion mused internally, reminiscing about the yet-to-be-encountered hero,

"By the way, Zion, given our current speed, we'll reach the dungeon you've marked as our destination by late afternoon. Night time in dungeons is considerably more perilous than during the day. Why don't we rest nearby and embark the following morning?"

Latra's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"There's a diminutive territory called Angelosh adjacent to the dungeon."

"That's agreeable."

Zion nodded in response to Latra's suggestion.

This was precisely what he had anticipated.

They were under the impression they were about to delve into an uncharted lower-tier dungeon near the Empire's expansive western forest. However, Zion harbored an alternative location in mind.

The territory Latra referred to, Angelosh.

Known for the folklore of an angel's descent, this was indeed Zion's actual objective.

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