The Prince Wants to Retire

---

Crown Prince Wants to Retire

Side Story 5: Scary Kariel! (2)

As the airship carrying Kariel secretly crossed the imperial border, the main forces of the Empire remained loyal to the Pro-Empire Faction.

With only two Grand Masters accompanying them, the Masters were still left behind.

Although they were not overwhelmed by the absence of the Grand Masters, there remained forces that appeared to be several levels above the New Continent Masters.

In the first place, it was the Masters who would make their presence known externally.

“What about the negotiations?”

“They’re over.”

In response to Achelio’s question, Talion grinned.

Unlike Kaba and nearby countries, the Mazuka Kingdom lacked strong national power.

They were far from the Pro-Empire Faction and even farther from the Anti-Empire Faction, so from their perspective, they had no choice but to side with the Anti-Empire Faction.

But what if they got closer to the Pro-Empire Faction?

“Then we can push in now.”

“Yes. Once we clear that forest, we’ll reach the Mazuka Kingdom.”

The forest that lay between the Mazuka Kingdom and the Pro-Empire Faction.

And he was thinking of clearing the way blocked by the countless monsters residing there.

At the same time, if they stationed their troops in the Mazuka Kingdom until Kariel finished everything, what would happen?

“It would be a bit too much of a gift, considering they’ve become Pro-Empire.”

Duke Devir clicked his tongue and said.

Even if there were reasons, it was quite excessive for a country that turned back from the Anti-Empire Faction.

They would exterminate monsters, create borders close to the Pro-Empire, and even facilitate massive trade through the river flowing centrally around the forest.

It would practically mean receiving more support than the Pro-Empire.

“That’s just luck.”

“Grasping that luck is a skill, too.”

Duke Devir nodded at Talion and Achelio’s words.

They possessed what their emperor desired and provided it at the right time to gain such gifts.

Yet even considering that, it was still too much.

“Tch! Lucky bastards.”

Duke Devir clicked his tongue with an expression of displeasure.

How much effort had he put in to be recognized after turning against Kariel and coming under his command?

Others felt the same way.

Only after the people from the South and the Holy Nation decided to participate in the Grand War were they finally fully acknowledged.

Yet the Mazuka Kingdom was about to receive substantial support without any sacrifices.

“Don’t worry.”

Talion flashed a sly smile at Duke Devir, who wore a displeased expression.

“His Majesty has everything planned.”

Upon hearing Talion’s words, Duke Devir finally wore a satisfied expression.

Kariel has a plan?

That was practically tantamount to disaster befalling that country.

Achelio, too, appeared satisfied with Talion’s words, nodding in agreement as he wished them good luck.

After all, there’s no such thing as a free gift in the world.

Support is provided for a reason.

Once Kariel had set his sights on them, the Mazuka Kingdom would likely be the first nation to see revolution erupt on the New Continent.

Unaware of this, the frontier defense of the Mazuka Kingdom was treating them like honored guests.

“Is this it?”

“Indeed.”

The commander of the Mazuka Kingdom’s border guards bowed his head while personally guiding them to the mountain occupied by a massive serpent.

Kariel gazed at the peak of the mountain, barely visible through the clouds, where the enormous serpent’s scales could be seen glinting here and there.

“Definitely impressive.”

Having seen it first hand, Kariel wore a look of amazement.

While he had witnessed countless remnants of the past during the Grand War, none compared in size to the giant serpent peeking through the clouds.

Moreover, it wasn’t just big.

Its skin was tougher than steel, boasting magical resistance so that even a Master’s Aura Blade could only leave scratches.

Although the Masters of the New Continent were perceived to be weak, this creature possessed monstrous power.

Furthermore, if it had indeed gained freezing abilities and storm-calling powers by consuming remnants of the past, it likely had the destructive power to be called a disaster.

“Indeed… The power I can sense now feels different from the remnants of the past I’ve encountered.”

Glen swallowed hard as he gauged the power radiating from the distant being.

The gigantic serpent displayed powerful waves of energy without even trying to hide its presence.

Marquis Sicario seemed to sense it too, his face tightening as he watched the massive snake wrapping around the mountain.

“Um… Can we turn back from here?”

As the Mazuka Kingdom’s border guard commander spoke with a tense expression, Kariel tilted his head, recalling what significance that being held in the New Continent before nodding.

“Thanks for guiding us this far.”

Kariel said this as he commanded the airship’s navigation to descend to the ground.

Honestly, while he didn’t know about other divine beings, at least the serpent winding around the highest mountain of the New Continent was strong enough to be referred to as a god.

The closer he got to where Quetzalcoatl dwelled, the more his thoughts solidified.

“Quite powerful. Even more so than the remnants we encountered in Asgard.”

“…Yes.”

Glen bit his lip in response to Kariel’s words.

The remnants they encountered in Asgard were certainly remnants of supreme gods.

They were indeed revived supreme gods, but they were not perfect deities, so their power had clear limitations.

However, Quetzalcoatl was different.

He was powerful from the start, and recently, by consuming remnants of the past, he had only grown stronger.

Kugung!

“Is this a signal that we should descend from here?”

Seeing a whirlwind form ahead, Kariel sighed and opened the airship’s door.

“Your Majesty!”

“Wait right here.”

With that, Kariel leaped out, followed closely by Glen and Marquis Sicario.

At that moment, an unknown energy enveloped Kariel.

Simultaneously, a green energy radiated from beneath his feet, creating a path all the way up to the mountain peak.

Yet that only applied to Kariel.

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty!”

Kariel waved his hand signaling that he was alright in response to Glen and Marquis Sicario’s calls as he shouted,

“Take your time getting up.”

Then Kariel stepped slowly onto the path created by Quetzalcoatl.

Did he trust in his goodwill?

Kariel rapidly ascended with ease, reaching the mountain’s summit in no time, as if riding an escalator.

“Thanks to that, I arrived comfortably.”

Upon stepping on the peak, as Kariel summoned his energy, a symbol formed on his forehead, starting to melt the surrounding snow.

While an ordinary person would perish from the frosty environment simply by standing still, Kariel, with a serene expression, looked up to find the giant serpent gazing back at him.

-…You have arrived.

“Yes.”

Facing the giant serpent, Kariel stared silently for a moment.

As an entity that had lived for eons, just that simple eye contact seemed to unveil all his thoughts.

It felt similar to when he had seen Baldur in the white space.

However, there was a subtle difference; Quetzalcoatl’s power didn’t possess the overwhelming presence of a Demon King.

“You are not a god.”

-Indeed. I have not attained divine rank.

Quetzalcoatl acknowledged his own words.

Yet it was evident that he remained a threatening being.

While his power may not match that of a Demon King just before becoming a god, the knowledge and experience he possessed were enough to rival a deity.

“Are there others like you?”

-At the southern end? I think there are about two at sea as well. There may be more, but I’m not sure.

Quetzalcoatl then created a gust of wind, using his magical power to show Kariel the beings he had witnessed.

From the hummingbird god revered as a sun god boasting powerful force at the Southern Islands to the sea tyrant in the form of a gigantic octopus and the colossal sea ruler with a pure white form, he revealed them all.

“I see about the south. Was it called Huitzilopochtli?”

The being he had considered mere rumor.

But if Quetzalcoatl deemed him worthy of recognition, he surely could not be underestimated.

Not just one, but three if you counted those at sea.

At that moment, Kariel could not help but feel rage.

“How could a being like you sit idle at a mountain peak?”

He was curious why the Demon King and the denizens of the underworld had been allowed to be so active on the continent.

As Kariel glared at the giant serpent with anger in his eyes, it merely faced him impassively.

-That’s your affair.

“…If hell takes over the continent, it won’t just be our affair.”

-Perhaps… is it really so? If the Demon King had swallowed the continent, he would have become a ‘god.’ Perhaps things would have been better than now.

Kariel frowned at Quetzalcoatl’s words.

“A god…”

Seeing Kariel frown, Quetzalcoatl brought his enormous head down before him.

And the moment his long tongue touched Kariel’s forehead, the information he possessed started pouring into Kariel’s mind.

“What is this…?”

-Without a god in this world, it is bound to become prey for others. Despite the weakness of our Lord’s power, we were not invaded by other dimensions because we existed.

Kariel’s expression hardened at Quetzalcoatl’s words.

What was the reason they had remained idle, despite being able to ascend to divine rank so long ago?

There were two reasons for that.

One was that all of them had lost to Baldur, and the other was that they needed a preparation period to ascend to divine rank.

For non-giants and non-divine beings like animals to ascend to divine rank, it required much time and divine assistance.

Knowing this, Baldur had made a deal.

“Until the time comes, stop the beings from other dimensions. If you keep your promise, I’ll tell you how to become gods.”

Thus, Baldur had kept his promise.

He shared ways to gather power, awaken deficient spirituality, and the remaining missing parts were filled by consuming the remnants of the past that flowed out post-Grand War.

In exchange, they established themselves in various regions of the continent and created barriers. Baldur utilized that power to form a thin veil around the world.

The problem was that since Baldur’s demise, that veil had been gradually dissipating.

To prevent this, a new god needed to appear to recreate the barriers in the world.

However, Quetzalcoatl had no desire to become a god.

“Is it that you want to push responsibility onto others?”

-Yes. If that can’t happen, I would like to share the burden.

Becoming the god of the world would inevitably lead to engagements with otherworldly beings.

He was unwilling to bear that burden alone.

He wished to settle down and cultivate his divine powers, but that was just his desire.

The invasion from other dimensions had already begun, so measures needed to be taken.

-If you wish, I will grant you a portion of my power. Become a god.

“Are you saying I should become a god and shift all the responsibilities onto me? Ha! Get lost.”

Kariel flatly rejected it.

-Do you truly intend to allow the world to be consumed by other dimensions?

“That wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

Kariel’s response surprised Quetzalcoatl.

-Have you lost your mind?

“No. The one who’s crazy is you.”

Kariel said with a cold expression.

Having met Baldur in the white space, he was confident.

The moment one became a god, the road of hardship opened up.

Starting with immense power wasn’t the case, and if he accepted even the bare minimum conditions to become a god by receiving a part of Quetzalcoatl’s power, that path of hardship would turn into a hellish one.

Thus, he had rejected the offer.

“If you wish to protect the world that way, then become a god together with those beings you mentioned, and stop it.”

-…We are insufficient.

Quetzalcoatl acknowledged his own limitations.

Someday he might be able to ascend to divine rank, but the existing divine-level beings, including himself, evolved too slowly.

On the other hand, humans were different.

He could now understand why Baldur had placed hope in humans and why he had chosen Kariel.

“Why me?”

-Because you were chosen by Baldur. And because you have the most people who believe in you.

Kariel, who was called a living god.

Those who believed in him were not just the Empire’s citizens but spread across the entire continent.

-If you become a god, the world will find stability. Both I and the beings governing the land and sea promised that if you wish to become a god, we would grant you a portion of our power.

“If I refuse?”

-Then chaos will come to the continent.

At Quetzalcoatl’s words, Kariel quietly gazed into his eyes.

And he realized.

Even if he chose to bear the burden alone, the world would not perish.

“I refuse.”

-You truly wish for chaos…?

“Chaos may lead to greater advancement for the world.”

Kariel smiled as he interrupted Quetzalcoatl’s words.

Centuries and millennia of stagnation.

Baldur had protected the world, but during that time, the development of the world had not just stagnated; it had regressed.

Yet now, following the Grand War, the world began to enter a phase of development again.

Thus, even if this choice led to chaos once more, the world would advance.

Countless gods, which had ceased to exist since the Mythical Era, would be born, and powerful beings would emerge. Even now, remnants of the past were growing stronger by absorbing power from other dimensions, and humanity could advance as well.

“If it comes to that, I’ll think about becoming a god at that time.”

With that said, Kariel smiled and turned his back.

And seeing that, Quetzalcoatl flicked his tongue in disappointment; it hadn’t gone as he hoped.

Watching that scene, Kariel felt assured.

‘You’re trying to pin the blame on me from somewhere. Pain should be shared.’

Thus thought Kariel as he walked toward Glen and Marquis Sicario, who were approaching from afar.