I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

Chapter 11: The Black Forest (2)

"No matter how much I ponder, I can't grasp it."

A soft grumble escaped Priscilla as she briskly navigated the Chimseong Palace's corridors.

"Could a mere dark wizard really be responsible?"

Many aspects didn't add up.

Dark magic was far from ideal for assassinations.

It demanded sacrifices, and its implementation was conspicuous.

Sending assassins would have been a more practical choice.

Moreover, she had an insight.

The magic circle she drew at Prince Zion's behest was not solely for detecting dark magic.

'The royal family probably suspects something about this incident as well.'

They would be running their own probe, and they'd soon have answers, but Priscilla had no intention of waiting.

She wanted to hear the full account of this incident straight from Zion.

'He should at least share it with me. I've drawn the magic circle and even provided the blood!'

Ever since the event, she found herself visiting Zion's private training grounds almost daily.

"His Highness is currently not accepting visitors."

Every time she was met with the same refusal.

Fredo conveyed the message on Zion's behalf.

"Why?"

"He's still reeling from the recent incident..."

"Stop deceiving... I mean, stop lying! His Highness handled 'that' matter!"

"Please be cautious with your words. His Highness has decreed silence on this matter."

"Why should I comply when I'm neither a Chimseong Palace member nor a subordinate of His Highness..."

In her frustration, Priscilla bit her tongue.

Zion's image, lazily looking down at her, flashed in her mind.

He never forced her, nor used his perplexing power.

Yet, when Zion spoke, Priscilla felt a strange compulsion to heed his words.

Something hidden deep within his calm gaze.

A force that drew people to him, impossible to resist.

A quality the old Prince Zion lacked.

"Miss Priscilla, His Highness has a message for you."

Fredo's voice filled her ears as she thought of Zion.

"What, what is it?"

"If you have no other matters, you should return home now..."

Her face fell at his words.

---

Raei Translations

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The Chronicle of Frosimar's Heroic Legion unfolds centuries ahead of the world Zion originally inhabited.

Hence, all kinds of advanced cultures thrived.

The rhythmic rattle of the magic train Zion was aboard was a testament to this.

Powered by magic and operating on set rail tracks, the magic train was a beloved mode of transport. Within the empire, it could take you almost anywhere.

"I'll have to use this knowledge when I return to my world."

Zion, intrigued by the magical train, stared out at the rapidly changing landscape before his gaze shifted to the adjacent carriage.

Then, he noticed the covert glances.

"Just as I thought."

He was aware the moment he left the secret Moon's Eye branch, he'd be under surveillance.

In fact, he had deliberately shown a strand of his hair, hoping for this outcome.

Having them nearby would facilitate easy access to additional information.

They couldn't extract anything further from him.

Revealing his hair might risk the palace discovering his outdoor activities, but Zion was confident it wouldn't happen.

Primarily, Moon's Eye had a propensity to stay in the background when royal affairs were concerned.

Above all, Moon's Eye, which prioritized trust and accuracy, wouldn't divulge unverified information.

Zion, who had not left the palace since his youth, remained a stranger to the world outside. It would take considerable time to identify him.

By then, he would have already returned to the palace.

"I chose the Moon's Eye for a distinct reason."

Moon's Eye was indeed among the top-tier information guilds, but there were alternatives.

However, Zion selected Moon's Eye as they were the informational backbone for the imminent hero, working selflessly towards the goal of saving the world.

He wanted to witness this first-hand.

-We will be arriving at Ruin Station shortly. For passengers who will be disembarking, please use the left door...

An announcement snapped Zion out of his thoughts.

Having concluded his reflections, he quietly rose from his seat.

Ever since he handled the demon of the Chimseong Palace, or even earlier when he stopped an assassination attempt, Zion had been considering one thing.

He needed to gather a group of individuals who could aid him.

As competent as he was, he couldn't do everything by himself. The knights and servants of the Chimseong Palace were too diverse in abilities to handle the upcoming journey.

There was no time to start training them from the beginning.

Therefore, Zion looked beyond the palace walls, utilizing the information from the chronicles.

The outer city, Ruin.

In this city, nestled beside the colossal Saleos mountain range in the north of the empire, Zion planned to recruit his first ally.

"Specifically, a location near this city."

Whirr-

The train door glided open.

Simultaneously, the northern chill kissed Zion's skin as he stepped off the train.

Even though it was summer and snowless, one could see their breath in the chilly air.

'Perfect.'

As Zion exited the station, he spotted the city square with a massive flame in its center. He nodded in approval.

This flame only burned during the 'Purification Festival'.

The Purification Festival.

A monthly event in Ruin, it was a ceremony that cleansed sins through the city's guardian entity and prayed for peace.

Zion intended to capitalize on this upcoming festival.

'Specifically, it's an event that will coincide with the Purification Festival.'

The chronicles prophesied Ruin's destruction at the end of this festival.

This event, being the first major crisis early in the story, served as a catalyst for one of the future hero's adversaries.

Only through this calamity could Zion recruit the person he wanted, prompting him to hasten here right after his tasks in the Chimseong Palace.

'The trigger for Ruin's downfall is the Black Forest.'

The Black Forest.

Located on the outskirts of Ruin, its true nature was only known to the lord of Ruin and his family.

Of course, Zion was privy to the Black Forest's secret.

It was the seal for one of the 'evils' that once threatened the world.

'Entering the Black Forest requires the lord's permission, but...'

There was another way, exclusive to this period.

After a thoughtful walk, Zion detoured into a quiet alley and faced a wall.

"Appear."

Predictably, the wall remained static.

"I don't repeat myself."

Without a moment's hesitation, Zion flicked his finger towards the wall.

Suddenly,

Crack!

"Kya, kyaak!"

A woman with large eyes and short hair emerged from what seemed to be an empty wall.

"...How did you know?"

The woman, Nari, was a top-class informant from 'Moon's Eye'. She was typically clumsy, but her skills in stealth and tracking had elevated her to her position. Thus, she couldn't comprehend how she was discovered.

"I have further requests."

Ignoring Nari's question, Zion pressed on.

"I need information on the mercenary recruitment period at the lord's castle. And the whereabouts of those in the city bearing a six-headed beast tattoo."

During this time, Ruin's lord's castle would be hiring mercenaries to exterminate the Black Forest.

Zion intended to exploit this.

Moreover, since the 'extermination of the Black Forest' was tied to the inception of Ruin's destruction, he could kill two birds with one stone.

"Eh? What?"

Nari looked confused at his abrupt request, but Zion left without answering.

"I trust it won't be too long. You're a member of one of the top information guilds in the empire, after all."

"Well, we're not exactly at the top yet....."

Zion was referring to a future he was certain of, but Nari wasn't privy to that.

"....A six-headed beast tattoo? And how would you know that the castle is hiring mercenaries?"

She rattled off questions brimming with skepticism, but Zion, who could have answered her, was already far away.

---

Raei Translations

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The lord's castle was situated in the heart of Ruin's outer city.

".....Do we really need to do this?"

In the office on the castle's top floor, a timid-looking middle-aged man expressed his reservations, glancing at a woman who had her flaming red hair tied in a single knot.

"Absolutely."

The woman, Rain Dranir, affirmed, looking at her father, the lord of Ruin, Richard Dranir.

"It's an opportunity to get rid of that damned purifier."

Rain's words were harsh, but the lord, used to it, didn't chide her, his expression one of discontent.

"Even our ancestors, who held the power of dragons, could only seal it. How can you manage it?"

"Father."

Rain's voice held a firm determination.

"I can't sacrifice our people anymore to that damned creature. I won't. No matter their sins!"

With those final words, Rain exited the office, not willing to hear anything more.

"....."

The lord sighed softly, watching his daughter's retreating figure with a worried gaze.

"Damn it....."

Rain muttered a curse under her breath as she strode away from the office.

The Dranir family, rulers of the city of Ruin.

A family descended from a great hero who defeated 'Evil', thereby saving the empire's northern region.

Yet, that was only part of the truth.

The salvation wasn't complete.

"Why the long face, Rain?"

At the outdoor training ground within the castle, a lean man with long hair approached Rain with a question.

"Did you get a scolding from the old man again?"

Before Rain could answer, a burly tattooed man, lounging on a chair on the left side of the ground, chuckled.

"Mind your words. He's the lord of this city."

A tidy man, always close to Rain, took offense to the tattooed man's casual comment. He adjusted his glasses and spoke up.

All three were Rain's close friends, having spent over a decade with her, and were well-known in the northern region of the Empire for their strength.

"You're too uptight, it's no fun."

"I can't let insults to the lord go unchecked."

"Both of you, quiet. How's the recruitment? Found anyone useful yet?"

Rain held up a hand, halting the argument, her gaze focused on the mercenaries showcasing their talents on the training field.

This recruitment drive was her initiative, not the lord's.

It was an event directly managed by the lord's castle, promising significant rewards and perks based on the success of the 'extermination'.

The honor it promised drew in a flood of mercenaries to the lord's castle.

"Do we need more? Taking a bunch of novices like them will be a waste. Why not just us?"

"I second that."

The tattooed giant responded with a shrug, and the bespectacled man nodded in agreement.

"Useless lot. Hart, your thoughts?"

Rain turned to the long-haired man with her question.

"I can't vouch for their usefulness, but a few have caught my eye. Ah, one of them is stepping up."

Hart pointed towards the training ground as he spoke.

Following his gesture, Rain turned her head and noticed a man leisurely walking onto the field to face his challenger.

Step, step.

A lean figure, an ordinary aura devoid of any remarkable traits.

His relaxed eyes were a stark contrast.

It was Zion.

***

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