The Prince Wants to Retire

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Chapter 63: The Emperor has Returned!

Kariel had already shown a powerful stance against the Army of Hell even before he faced the Trial of Garum. With the trial complete, it was clear he had grown stronger than before.

Still, the worry gnawed at me—an overwhelming number of foes gathered, far exceeding what Kariel faced in the past.

“Still worried, huh?”

Surth glanced at Talion, who was twitching nervously behind him. Despite Kariel creating a Rain of Fire to reproduce the fiery hell of this world, Talion couldn’t shake his worries.

And it wasn’t unfounded; any Master Class could break through flames and set their sights on Kariel’s neck.

Moreover, the flames Kariel summoned didn’t completely annihilate the Army of Hell. Even now, gigantic demons were barreling through the inferno, rushing towards Kariel.

“There’s quite a few of them.”

– “You got that right.”

Amidst the infernal hellfire created by the rain of fire, the demons scrambling for survival looked like ants.

No matter how elite Ignit’s army was, they’d be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Yet Kariel wore a calm expression as if it was all in a day’s work.

“I can manage this from here.”

In this moment, with the power of Hell saturating the air, he could borrow Garum’s abilities without any ‘cost.’

That meant there was no reason to fear the Army of Hell closing in.

“Garum, open it up.”

As soon as Kariel’s command finished, a massive gate began to materialize in the sky.

The moment Talion saw it, he hurriedly rushed to Kariel’s side, panic flashing in his eyes.

Achelio, who had also dashed over, took position on the opposite side, ready for whatever came next.

Kariel, smiling warmly, patted their shoulders.

“The Hell Gate isn’t something only they can make.”

When Kariel spread his arms wide, the Hell Gate opened fully, and wraiths began to pour out.

From armed knights to farmers wielding scythes, the wraiths came bearing various weapons.

But the power they wielded overwhelmed the Army of Hell.

These were souls wandering through hell, proving mightier than typical demons.

Furthermore, the wraiths that passed through Kariel’s Hell Gate could utilize powers identical to those in Hell.

Only those wraiths who ‘contracted’ with Kariel in Hell could cross over to this world, paying the cost of returning the Hell beings to their original place.

– “Now that you mention it, you’re pretty impressive yourself.”

Surth, recalling moments from Hell, clicked his tongue.

What Kariel did was simple: he purified the tainted regions of Hell, ignoring the cries of the wraiths.

But there were limits to his power.

There were enemies he couldn’t handle alone.

Suddenly, they began to vanish from Hell one by one.

The remnants of the past that had amassed great power were exiled from Hell.

At that moment, the Trial of Garum was refreshed.

[Purify Hell!]

The quest was to cleanse Hell contaminated by the remnants of the past.

When Kariel tried to refuse it, eager to return quickly, he was offered an irresistible price that distorted the flow of time between Hell and reality.

[Reward: Partial use of Garum’s abilities (Summon Hell Gate)]

The moment he saw this, Kariel’s eyes lit up, and he began purifying critical areas just like a thief, helping the Administrator of Hell recreate an environment to reverse the chaos.

But there were those who attempted to hold him back as he completed his urgent task—the wraiths.

They sought to repay Kariel for restoring their peace.

Thus, Kariel formed a ‘contract’ with the wraiths wishing to repay him.

Contract with the Wraiths:

1. When crossing over from the Hell Gate to the real world, a price must be paid.
2. Sending back corrupted beings or remnants of the past incurs a price.
3. If the price exceeds expectations, wraiths can remain in the world for a certain time, and exceptionally, grant a dying wish.

This contract, formally established through Garum and the Administrator of Hell, gained recognition even from an unknown entity.

Thus, wraiths passing through the Hell Gate Kariel crafted were powerful.

“Wraiths emerging through legal processes can’t lose to illegal immigrants.”

With that, Kariel grinned.

The Hell Gate, created with Garum’s power, was the most stable route connecting this world and Hell.

If this were a nation, the wraiths were legal citizens while the Army of Hell were illegal immigrants.

And this world made them pay an even steeper cost than nations would.

Having crossed illegally, it was demanded they relinquish more upon entering this world.

Powers, fragments of souls, and more were lost, weakened during the crossing, which is why the wraiths overwhelmed those from the Army of Hell.

“Perhaps even more ruthless than humans.”

Observing the indifferent ‘God,’ Kariel muttered, looking up.

Giant bones, larger than typical hills, emerged from the flames.

Not merely remnants from the past, but powerful relics from the Mythical Era—the bones of giants.

But even they no longer posed a threat.

“Agni, hold them off.”

With that, Kariel quietly strode through the desert.

A fiery barrier formed on either side of him, demonstrating overwhelming might, and Kariel turned back to ask Talion.

“How’s the Palace of Hell coming along?”

“…It’s in the completion stage.”

At Talion’s report, Kariel fell silent, gazing at the sky.

Unseen by others, above the massive Hell Gate loomed a gigantic, ethereal dog, larger than any bone.

The resurrection of the goddess who was once his master.

Yet there was a high probability that the resurrected version wasn’t the same as she had been during the Mythical Era.

Thus, Garum must be lending Kariel his strength.

Feeling the complex feelings of Garum flowing into him, Kariel frowned and issued a command.

“From now on, we’re breaking through there toward the Palace of Hell.”

“Yes!”

The entire elite army under Ignit bowed their heads in response to Kariel’s command.

Even limited to the Army of Hell, Kariel exhibited such overwhelming power that it commanded respect from anyone.

Kariel, known as both the Purifier of Hell and the Savior of Hell, was now bound for the Palace of Hell, where the Roman Emperor awaited to save the continent.

“Skoll, break through!”

At the instant his order was given, blue light exploded, creating a path through the blocking Army of Hell.

“Whoa…”

“…”

Even Talion and Achelio, having achieved Master Class, were astonished by the sheer might of the massive wolf breaking through.

In awe, Kariel chuckled and said,

“I’m not the only one who’s gotten stronger in Hell.”

“Then Surth too…”

Talion asked, and Kariel smiled in response, mounting the demonic vehicle the shadows brought, heading along the fiery path to the Palace of Hell.

*

As Kariel grandly returned, moving to intercept the Palace of Hell, the Sandrian army retreated, signaling to the allied forces that he had come back.

“Th… the Sandrian forces are retreating!”

“What? Out of nowhere?”

Batu, swinging his sword with one arm, turned to face his subordinate’s report.

The golden hawk that had retreated brought the Sandrian army’s withdrawal into view.

“Why… why…”

Batu, taken aback by Sandria’s sudden retreat, heard someone shout from afar.

“The Ignit Emperor has returned!”

“The elite army led by the Ignit Emperor is smashing through the Roman forces and heading toward the Palace of Hell!”

The officers shouted at the top of their lungs, notifying everyone of Kariel’s return, leaving Golan with a wry smile, understanding the situation.

“…Thanks to him, we’ve barely avoided total defeat.”

Muttering that, Golan’s king, Batu, looked up at the sky.

The key figure of the allied forces, Mage Arkan, was dead, and Knight King Brighton was in a dire state, floating between life and death.

Barely managing to survive, Batu himself was in shambles, with one arm severed.

Yet it wasn’t all one-sided defeat.

Arkan had self-destructed, dragging the Earth’s Mage into Hell, while the Knight King used himself as bait to inflict a deadly blow on the Hell Sorcerer.

But even with their sacrifices, the difference in military power was apparent, casting the allied forces into the verge of annihilation.

And now, the Ignit Emperor had returned.

“Is this… divine fortune?”

Murmuring that, Batu gazed over the battlefield littered with countless bodies.

After this battle, the allied forces lost the capacity to gather large armies as they had before.

Now all that lay ahead depended solely on Ignit’s capabilities.

“Still, we need to lend a hand.”

Batu muttered quietly, forming a pursuit group from the remaining somewhat able-bodied warriors.

Though they had suffered a crushing defeat, they pressed on, determined to support the ‘hero’ in any way to stall Sandria.

*

As Batu’s decision was made, news quickly reached Ignit as well.

「The Emperor has returned.」

It was a brief message, yet the news of Kariel’s return was a vital morale booster for the disheartened Ignit.

“Immediately announce this throughout the battlefield.”

“Yes! Your Highness.”

Watching the Inner Court Attendant sprint out upon Rufiel’s command, Batu muttered softly.

“Phew… just a bit longer…”

Each passing day felt like blood was being drained out of him, yet hope shone as Kariel had returned.

With Kariel back, the day to leave this tiresome position was arriving soon.

Naturally, this news also reached the Military, and the morale of the Ignit Forces, which had sunk to the depths, soared to the skies.

Kariel didn’t merely return; he showcased overwhelming might by smashing through the Army of Hell upon his return.

“He’s back!”

“Wooow!”

Both Rufiel and Lokan cheered simultaneously, expressions filled with emotion.

The two commanding generals, who had desperately tried to shift responsibilities onto one another, rejoiced at the thought of shedding their immense burdens.

In this way, Kariel conveyed hope—an alleviation of burdens for some, and the chance of survival for others—spreading the message of hope throughout Ignit.

Contrary to the wishes of those longing for a swift return, Kariel focused on eradicating the Palace of Hell.

– “Feels like he’s intentionally taking his time?”

“…No way.”

Startled by Surth’s sharp inquiry, Kariel glanced towards the distant Palace of Hell.

“We’ve arrived.”

Hearing Kariel divert the conversation, Surth asked.

– If we stop that, will we head back right away?

“Not sure… Isn’t it more crucial to eliminate the remnants of the past first?”

At Kariel’s words, Surth’s eyes narrowed as if disbelieving.

Somehow, it seemed that Kariel’s return to the Ignit Imperial Palace was going to take longer than he expected.