I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

232 - To the Beast Sea (1)

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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Green light flowed from the spirits.

The light gathered not at Zion but in front of him.

As the gathered light began forming a shape, divine energy spread across all of Elbrium.

"Th-this is...!"

Spirena's eyes widened as far as possible.

Not because she was surprised by this strange phenomenon that had never occurred before.

Rather, because she knew exactly what this phenomenon was.

"D-descent!"

Though not a perfect descent but merely a temporary form borrowed through the spirits' power, even this was incredibly rare, happening perhaps once every few hundred years.

As Spirena hurriedly descended from the altar and ran toward where the light gathered- FLASH!

The light finally formed a perfect female shape.

Though extremely faint since made of light rather than flesh, Zion easily recognized the form as Akenidia.

That fresh smile on her lips and divine energy were something no other being could imitate.

"Ah, Akenidia!"

All fairies present knelt on one knee and bowed their heads toward Akenidia.

Their eyes held infinite emotion at directly receiving their deity.

Moreover, faint relief that Akenidia hadn't abandoned them yet.

Then-

-...

The goddess, who had been silently watching Zion, slightly bowed her head.

As if expressing gratitude to him.

The fairies were her followers and like children to her, so she seemed to be thanking him for saving the World Tree and Fairy Forest.

Though this scene wasn't particularly significant from Zion's perspective-

"!!!!!!!"

It was completely different for the watching fairies.

"Akenidia... bowed her head?"

"How could this..."

The fairies' eyes showed blank shock beyond amazement.

Even for giving thanks, it was extremely rare for a deity to directly bow to a mortal.

No, one could say it had never happened before.

Regardless of the fairies' reactions, Akenidia raised her head again and silently moved her lips while looking at Zion.

I'll. Be. Waiting.

Those were the words her lip movements formed.

Before Zion could answer, the light forming Akenidia scattered and her form naturally vanished.

But silence continued filling the plaza even after Akenidia disappeared.

"..."

This silence lasted quite a while.

After the first day of the festival ended with both anomaly and amazement-

"I didn't expect you to leave so soon."

Zion stood at Elbrium's outskirts with Liushina and Celphia.

Having finished all business here and with the next schedule tight, they were departing the Fairy Forest immediately.

Only Diana and a few Leaves stood quietly seeing them off before Zion.

"We haven't even properly hosted you yet... wouldn't you consider staying at least until the festival ends?"

Deep regret filled Halegrion's eyes as he spoke these sincere words toward Zion.

His attitude was clearly different from when Zion first visited the Fairy Forest.

That was inevitable.

Zion had not only saved the Fairy Forest from destruction but even received thanks from their deity.

Before Zion could answer his words-

"It's useless saying that. I've never seen Zion bend his will before."

Diana, standing beside Halegrion, spoke while watching Zion with complex eyes.

Not because of the throne or Fairy Forest issues.

Pure curiosity about Zion himself.

'He clearly said the Eternal Emperor's ring was his from the start.'

An ambiguous and outrageous statement.

Unless he was the Eternal Emperor himself.

'And Akenidia even bowed to him.'

Zion had come to the Beast Sea to intervene in this massive war, and if he intervened with his original identity, the sparks of war could spread and involve the entire empire rather than remain a civil war.

'That can't happen. We need to end the civil war while maintaining maximum forces.'

This was something Zion, facing the great war soon, had to avoid at all costs, which was why he hid his identity.

Moreover, he hadn't brought along anyone whose identity might be revealed like Liushina, so currently only Celphia, who was busy emptying her stomach, was by Zion's side.

'Liushina couldn't join this mission anyway.'

After briefly recalling her, who should be breaking through the final wall toward 'the end' by now, Zion organized his thoughts about upcoming events.

'Meeting the hero's side comes later, first I should contact the rebels.'

Zion had reason for choosing to help the rebels rather than the overwhelmingly advantaged Beast King's side.

Originally, the rebel leader and legitimate heir - the Crown Prince - should rightfully sit on the Beast King's throne.

The current Beast King, Wolbyeokcheon, was the Crown Prince's uncle who had killed the previous Beast King while driving out his nephew to take the throne.

That had reversed their positions.

Though Zion didn't particularly care who sat on the throne, the problem was that Wolbyeokcheon and his forces had allied with the demon realm.

'Because of that, in the chronicle the Beast Sea side completely joined the demon realm as soon as the great war began.'

That was the future Zion needed to change this time.

'For that, I need to meet the rebel leader - the Crown Prince - first.'

Actually, Zion knew nothing about this either.

Perhaps due to assassination threats, even the rebels thoroughly hid the Crown Prince's location and identity.

Few even among allies knew.

Moreover, he couldn't move according to the chronicle's contents this time.

Before contact with the hero, the Crown Prince had already died in some incident, so nothing about him was written in the chronicle.

But one thing.

There was something to reference.

'Was it this time? When the Crown Prince died.'

The location where the Crown Prince met his death.

That location had been written in the chronicle, which was why Zion was currently traveling there by passenger ship.

'This speed is too slow though. We might not arrive in time at this rate.'

Just as Zion thought this while watching the passenger ship slowly cut through the waves like a pleasure craft-

"Ho ho, seems you're from the empire."

An elderly voice came from beside him.

Turning his head, Zion saw an old man with raccoon ears and tail, small enough to only reach his waist.

"And seems it's your first time on a ship too."

The old man smiled good-naturedly with these words.

Seeing him, a small strange light flickered in Zion's eyes.

'This person is...'

Wandering Fist Jang Maldong.

He had appeared in the chronicle as one of the hero's helpers.

Despite his friendly appearance and name, he was actually a powerhouse belonging to the 'Twelve Seas.'

True to his title, he loved wandering without being bound anywhere and mixing with people while hiding his identity.

It seemed Zion and Celphia, the only non-beast-kin on the passenger ship, had caught his interest.

"Are you two here traveling? Well, the Beast Sea's tourist spots are world-famous attractions. However... you picked quite a bad time. Did you know the Beast Sea is currently in civil war?"

The old man approached Zion's side and spoke as if they were old acquaintances, without a trace of awkwardness.

Zion slightly nodded at Jang Maldong's question.

That was precisely why they had come after all.

"Ho ho, fearless friends you are. Still, war isn't happening everywhere, so you might be fine if you move carefully avoiding it. If you want to know about that, feel free to ask me."

"M-more importantly... is there no way to stop seasickness... urgh!"

Celphia asked with a haggard face, but Jang Maldong shook his head.

"No. You just have to endure it."

Celphia made a gloomy expression at this answer, like when surrounded by fairies offering mint.

Watching her, Jang Maldong stroked his beard as if recalling the past and continued:

"I used to get terribly seasick too. Could barely stand when I first rode. But..."

But before the old man's story could finish-

"Oh no!!"

"Turn the ship!"

"It's too late! H-here it comes!!"

Urgent shouts rang out as commotion began at the ship's front.

Heads naturally turned that direction.

Seeing something rapidly approaching the passenger ship's front, Zion's lips curved slightly.

'Perfect timing.'

It seemed a way to compensate for the slow speed would appear.