I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

Chapter 10 – Convocation (1)

“Master, I did as you said. Dealing with the Night of Sabbath and also fighting at the main gate a while ago.”

In the magic carriage heading to the Chimseong Palace, Liusina opened her mouth as she looked at Zion.

“I see.”

Zion nodded his head as he looked out the window. There were only two additional instructions Zion gave her. First, when dealing with the Night of Sabbath, deliberately leave a trace of blood magic. Second, if a dispute breaks out at the main gate of the Imperial City, do not hide the blood magic.

Even though he told Liusina to enter without making a fuss, Zion had already guessed that there would be a commotion at the main gate. His action to pick up Liusina was also calculated. Of course, if that happened, the enemies could have even noticed Zion’s involvement through her, but it didn’t matter.

That’s what I ordered.

Zion never intended to drag this out for a long time, nor did he intend to leave the people who tried to kill him alone. Therefore, he had to draw them out further, and the easiest way to do so was to make him a clear target. Surely if he drew them out, the mastermind will be revealed someday. At that time, Zion intended to put his hidden fangs into the main culprit.

It worked out better than I thought.

Zion recalled Lugan Ursula, the leader of Icarus, whom he had just seen. From what he said to Liusina, he was certain that he was the one behind the attack on the Chimseong Palace and the manipulation of the Succession Ceremony, which he had guessed to some extent. And through him, he was able to make the Third Prince be aware that the incident of the disappearance of the Night of Sabbath was related to Zion himself.

How will it come out?

There was a little anticipation in Zion’s eyes. When Zion was the crowned emperor in the past, he has no rival, so this battle was giving Zion a different stimulus.

Squeak!

Meanwhile, the door of the magic carriage that arrived right in front of the Chimseong Palace opened.

“Master, isn’t the palace you stay in too small for a prince?”

Zion entered the Chimseong Palace with Liusina’s words going in one ear, not knowing whether she was really speaking without knowing it or teasing him. The first thing that came into Zion’s sight was Priscilla, who waved her hand and greeted him.

“It’s been a long time. Prince—”

Priscilla, who had seen him only a few days ago and brazenly said it had been a long time, stopped speaking when she saw Liusina enter the palace after Zion.

“Who is that woman? Did she come with you?”

She asks Zion with a wary expression on her face. Before Zion could answer, Liusina opened her mouth with an amused look.

“I followed him because he’s my master”

“Ma–master?”

Looking at Priscilla, who was confused by Liusina’s words, Zion quietly asked Fredo, who greeted him with a pleased face next to her.

“Why is she here?”

“She said she stopped by because the breaking off process of the engagement has not yet been completed.”

Her words are obviously an excuse. She must have come to ask about the last time he caught a demon. At that time, Priscilla continued to ask Zion about the incident, but Zion did not answer her as he didn’t want to reply to her for a while.

“Moderately kick her out.”

“Excuse me, I can hear everything!”

Priscilla was furious when she heard Zion whispering to Fredo. With her shouts, Zion walked away with only Fredo and Liusina.

“Wa–wait a minute…!”

Priscilla, who was trying to hold on to Zion, fell without reaching out her hand to him. Come to think of it, Priscilla herself had no reason to be here. She had already declared that she would even break the engagement. However, since the day she declared her annulment, Prince Zion kept on growing ever greater in her mind.

Curiosity rather than favorability, and her curiosity was getting deeper as she saw the new appearance of Prince Zion. From the attack on the Chimseong Palace to the demon-hunting incident known as the Black Wizard on the outside. 

At that time, the image of Prince Zion, who manipulated the darkness freely and trampled on the opponent did not leave her mind. Therefore, as soon as she heard the rumor that he was breaking off the engagement, she shook off all her suitors and followers and was now here to cling to Chimseong Palace.

“Haa, what’s wrong with me?”

Priscilla sighed as she looked at Zion’s back as he grew farther and farther away.

* * *

“I’m going to make contact with the shadows.”

Zion, who tilted the teacup, quietly opened his mouth toward Fredo and Liusina sitting opposite him. The place where Zion is now is in the library inside the Chimseong Palace, and the brief introduction between Fredo and Liusina had already been done.

“By shadow… May I ask what you mean?”

Fredo asked Zion as if he didn’t have a clue.

“What you call shadows are usually assassination or intelligence groups. Isn’t that right, master?”

Before Zion answered, Liusina told him her guess. Since the Black Forest, she has been sticking to Zion every time he talks.

“Yes.”

Zion nodded as he answered.

“The Shadow of Eternity. Also known as the ‘Eye of the Empire’, it is an intelligence organization that only the Emperor can handle. Therefore, even those who knew their existence cannot exceed 5 fingers. The headquarters of the Shadow of Eternity is located in the heart of the Imperial Palace.”

The intelligence organization was an essential element in what Zion had to do in the future. It absolutely had to be in his hands. It would be perfect if the information organization in his hand is the Shadow of Eternity.

“But if it’s such a secretive place, we have to find out the location first…”

“I already know the place.”

Zion smiled and answered Fredo’s question. This was because the Chronicle of Frosimar, described in detail where the Shadow of Eternity existed in the Imperial Castle. At the same time, Fredo and Liusina were surprised at Zion’s words. They’ve never seen their master not knowing anything until now.

“Are you going to make contact right now?”

“No. I’ll wait.”

Zion shook his head at Liusina’s question.

“Someone is going to help us.”

In Zion’s mind, the conversation with the emperor was coming to mind, and that help came to Zion exactly a week later.

* * *

Baekseong Palace which was located in the heart of the Imperial City. In a huge audience chamber inside Baekseong Palace, dozens of people were gathered. One of them, Evelyn Agnes, the lion’s princess, looked around at the people gathered here with heavy eyes.

It’s almost the first time we’ve gathered like this even though it’s not even during the National Council.

Evelyn’s eyes caught sight of men and women with dark grey hair, just like herself—it was her brothers and sisters.

No, I’d say it’s more like a competitor than a sibling.

Evelyn smiled bitterly at that thought. They are superhumans who inherited Agnes’ blood and are already far beyond human limits through Astral, and for the sake of their own interests, there were monsters in front of them who could take their lives without hesitation even if they were blood relatives.

If anyone could find humanity among these people, it would only be Evelyn herself. Right now, there was only one reason why she and other royal families gathered in the audience chamber.

Why the sudden summon?

It was because Emperor Urdios Agnes convened them. Therefore, the other members of the Imperial Family, with the exception of the prince who was not in the Imperial City at the moment, were gathering in the audience chamber one after the other with only an attendant or two. Of course, the reason why the emperor, who was lying in bed waiting for the day to die, suddenly summoned them was unknown and there was nothing to guess.

“Long time no see, Brother Enoch. Your corpse-like gloomy eyes and messy hair are still the same as ever.”

At the same time, a woman, who was tilting a teacup with elegant gestures with her long wavy grey hair, opened her mouth with a smile. The Fifth Princess, Diena Agnes, one of the powerful candidates for the emperor who obtained the main organization of the Imperial Castle and the empire’s strongest spirit army, ‘Igracia’, and has the full support of the elven forest. As such, her ears were pointed, unlike most people, because her mother was an elf.

“Diena, you also still have that disgusting smell of the hybrid.”

To which Third Prince Enoch, with his dark grey hair replied with an expression that made it hard to tell what he was thinking. The relationship between him and Diena was rumored to be the worst even among the immediate royal family members who were not on good terms.

“Does it smell like the dirty hobbies my brother has?”

The two look at each other with calm eyes, as if this level of greeting would not even provoke them. However, deep in their eyes, there was a murderous intent toward each other.

“Oh, come to think of it, how is it going?”

At that time, Diena clapped her hands as if something had come to mind, and continued—

“One of brother Enoch’s dirty hobbies was bullying the youngest. How are things these days?”

Diena’s eyes narrowed as if she knew something. She glances at Evelyn as if she was looking at her reaction because she knew that Evelyn felt sorry for the youngest prince, Zion Agnes, but Evelyn just stared at her, and there was no further reaction.

“He is a disgrace to the Agnes Imperial Family. Even his mere existence ruins the royal family’s reputation, I want him gone right now.”

Enoch’s response was more intense than expected. Some people do nothing for themselves but someone will still get annoyed just by looking at them. For Enoch, Zion Agnes was such a person. No, it’s an intuition, the Night of Sabbath incident made Zion no longer harmless knowing that he was involved. Then–

“Hahaha! But Zion passed the Succession Ceremony this time, right? I saw him!”

A giant man, who was listening to the story from the side, with a nice beard, burst into laughter with a loud voice.

The Fourth Prince, Utekan Agnes. He was supported by the Northern Giant Colony, and at the same time, he was also greatly supported by the military due to his unique strong personality. On the surface, he was just a macho man full of muscles to his brain, but none of the people here were deceived by such an appearance. They already knew that more than a thousand snakes were cowering inside that figure. If they had been really stupid in the first place, they wouldn’t have even lived until now.

“Oh, I heard that too, it was definitely unexpected. I didn’t even think that the youngest would participate in the Succession Ceremony. But I didn’t expect someone to pass the Succession Ceremony that was manipulated…”

Diena agreed with Utekan’s words and glanced at Enoch.

“It’s just a bug’s struggle. Even if he passed the Succession Ceremony, that’s all. Even if he comes here to Baeksung Palace, there’s nothing he can do. I mean, it would be hard even to save his life.”

Enoch snorted at her, passing the Succession Ceremony is the same as being qualified to become the emperor, that’s why there was a lot of investigation that was incomparable to before, and Zion, who had no power or support, could not hold out against them.

“You need to know your topic to live a long life.”

Of course, Enoch also has heard from his henchman, Lugan, that Zion had changed, but that could not change the way he thought of Zion in an instant. Diena and Utekan laugh quietly without contradicting Enoch’s words. In the first place, their thinking of Zion was no different from that of Enoch.

“Zion has changed.”

At that moment, Evelyn, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth.

“He’s changed a lot lately, especially. I was surprised to see him recently. Maybe you won’t be able to do anything about what you’re thinking.”

“Huh, really? Should we make a bet then?”

Enoch twisted his lips toward Evelyn.

“I wonder how long that Zion will last in Baeksong Palace.”

It was when Enoch’s eyes were full of sneers when he said so.

“I’m curious about that, too.”

A voice that reverberates through their ears. People’s heads turned back towards the door of the audience chamber where the voice had been heard. There was—

“How long will I last?”

With an ominous smile, there was Zion entered the audience chamber room.