I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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Inside the indoor training grounds of Bai Cheng Palace, an extraordinary scene was unfolding.

"Yes! Yes! I did it!"

"Why... why won't you choose me!"

Hundreds, no, thousands of knights and mages had gathered in the training grounds, their cries of joy and sorrow mingling together.

What was notable was that every single person there possessed exceptional combat ability. Elite knights from the Agnes Knights and commanders from various knight and mage divisions - all of the empire's top forces had gathered in the training grounds.

There was a reason they had all gathered here since early morning, expressing such varied emotions.

It was because of the imperial treasure vault, the "Dream of Stars," that had been opened before them.

The day after revealing the vault's existence to the leadership at the meeting, Zion had immediately summoned all the high-ranking forces in the capital to Bai Cheng Palace's training grounds and opened the vault to them.

Entranced by the magnificent artifacts visible through the vault, the knights and mages had begun reaching out to select what they wanted, leading to the current situation.

However-

CRACKLE!

"Argh!"

Being chosen by an artifact was another matter entirely, causing many knights to taste bitter failure.

Success and failure existing simultaneously in one place.

The scene resembled a lottery drawing.

And in the center of the training grounds-

"Just because I opened the vault doesn't mean everyone will be chosen by the artifacts! Only special individuals can wield the weapons in the Dream of Stars!"

Veila was shouting proudly, chest puffed out. She seemed slightly flustered, seeing so many people for the first time in hundreds of years.

Meanwhile-

"I can't believe he actually opened it..."

At one side of the training grounds, Claire, who had gathered some auxiliary artifacts, was watching Zion with a strange look in her eyes.

Though the Dream of Stars was the imperial treasure vault and thus the emperor had the authority to use it freely, opening it to others like this was truly unprecedented.

Not only did it contain all the artifacts gathered by emperors for hundreds of years since the Eternal Emperor's time, but each one held enough power to shake the world.

Therefore, anyone with even a hint of possessiveness would not only refuse to open it but would keep its very existence strictly hidden.

Yet Emperor Zion was thoroughly breaking such common sense.

'Though he doesn't seem like someone without possessiveness...'

No, if anything, Emperor Zion might be the most possessive person Claire knew.

After all, he was none other than the reincarnation of the Eternal Emperor.

The being who had held the entire world in his grasp.

'Perhaps to Emperor Zion, the people here and the artifacts in the Dream of Stars are no different...'

He might consider it irrelevant since everything within the empire was already his possession.

'He's truly impossible to understand.'

As the hero's gaze on Zion deepened-

'How persistent.'

Zion was internally clicking his tongue at the sword vibrating frantically before him while emitting light.

A sword with a blade as blue as the clear sky - Rigveda, one of the three mythical-grade weapons in the Dream of Stars.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Flying out on its own as soon as the vault opened, Rigveda had rejected everyone else's touch and continued doing this before Zion.

Like a puppy wagging its tail at its master.

'I don't really need it though.'

Zion already had his main weapon Eclaxia, along with auxiliary weapons Agdravar and Gigaperses.

Therefore, he had no need for additional weapons.

Moreover, none of the other armaments in the Dream of Stars like armor or accessories could match the performance of the divine artifacts he currently used, such as Muspelheim or the Frost Queen's items.

Additionally, he had already gathered everything else he needed.

Thus, increasing the number of artifacts would hardly improve his efficiency.

However-

'It would probably just be stuck in the vault again if I don't choose it.'

With that thought, Zion grasped the vibrating Heaven-fallen Sword's handle.

He figured this was better than letting a weapon of such power go to waste.

WHOOSH!

Rigveda, letting out a cry of joy and delight, disappeared into space.

It seemed the mythical-grade weapon had a storage function befitting its status.

'Should I try dual-wielding from now on?'

As Zion was contemplating this while looking at the spot where Rigveda had vanished-

FLASH!

A blinding light burst forth from the center of the training grounds.

When Zion and the others turned to look, they saw Rain Dranir holding a nearly transparent bright spear.

People's eyes filled with surprise.

For good reason - the spear Rain now held was Agnus, another of the mythical-grade weapons.

"To receive Agnus's acknowledgment..."

Several knights muttered in blank voices.

Even Rain herself was staring silently at the gravity spear in her hand, as if unable to believe it.

'Her potential was higher than expected?'

Interest flickered in Zion's eyes as he watched.

To receive acknowledgment from a mythical-grade artifact required not only current power but also potential - the ultimate limit one could reach.

Throughout recorded history, only five or six beings had been chosen by mythical weapons.

This meant Rain's potential fell within that category.

'But Rain's final power in the chronicle didn't reach that level.'

It meant she hadn't fully awakened her potential before the world ended.

'Then...'

Zion's gaze on Rain began to deepen.

---

Near midnight.

"We pay our respects to His Imperial Majesty Emperor Zion Agnes."

The hero's party except for Claire, having arrived at an empty lot on the outskirts of the imperial palace complex, bowed to Zion who had been waiting for them.

"You've come?"

Zion slowly walked out of the darkness.

Despite the soft moonlight shining from above, there was something eerily shadowed about his appearance that made Rain slightly shrink back as she spoke:

"May I ask why you summoned us?"

Rain and the others' eyes were filled with questions as they asked.

They had been suddenly called without being given any reason.

And without Claire, at that.

Zion regarded them with unreadable eyes before slowly speaking.

"I'm starting the war before this week ends."

His tone was as calm as if discussing a neighborhood stroll.

But the content was incredibly shocking.

"And in that war, you will face the Great Demons."

"..."

"But with your current power, that's impossible."

Perhaps because it was an undeniable truth?

Though his words could be considered insulting, Rain and her companions could only clench their fists tightly without refuting.

"So I'm going to make it possible."

As he spoke, the darkness around Zion began rippling strangely.

In truth, this situation was something Zion had been considering for a while.

Though Claire the hero had completed her awakening during the recent palace attack, the rest of her party had not.

Therefore, Zion intended to sprout all the seeds of awakening within the hero's party before the war.

And among them, Rain's target was especially high.

"All of you, attack me at once."

Zion knew.

That combat closest to real battle was the best way to rapidly increase one's power.

WHOOSH!

A massive barrier surrounded the empty lot, as if prepared in advance.

Perhaps sensing Zion's words were serious from the rapidly changing atmosphere?

"Everyone, prepare for battle."

The hero's party, faces hardened, immediately began forming a formation with Rain at the center.

The tension began rising simultaneously.

"You'll need to attack with the intent to kill."

A low voice flowed from Zion's lips as he remained still until their preparations were complete.

"Because that's what I intend to do."

The moment a smile curved his lips-

WHOOSH!

Zion's form vanished from that spot and appeared before Elysis, bypassing Turzan and Rain in front.

His hand reached for Elysis's throat without a hint of hesitation, as if his words about killing were true.

Just before his hand could reach her-

BOOM!

A holy barrier she had prepared in advance activated to block Zion's hand, while simultaneously Turzan charged in from the side with a fist like a cannonball.

The giant's fist, distorting space with pure physical force alone, shot toward Zion's head.

But that fist failed to reach its target.

WHOOSH!

It was deflected upward by Zion's hand lightly touching the lower part of Turzan's extending arm.

Something only possible by perfectly grasping the attack's point of impact and touching it with perfect timing without the slightest error.

Having created a momentary opening, Zion threw a punch at Elysis who hadn't yet moved from her spot.

FLASH!

Another holy barrier rose around Elysis, but the result was completely different this time.

CRACK!

Unlike before, the barrier shattered instantly without lasting even a moment.

"...!"

Before Elysis's eyes could even widen-

BOOM!

Her body, struck by Zion's fist, flew back at terrifying speed and crashed into a nearby rock.

"Elysis!"

Rain swung her spear while urgently calling the saint's name.

CRACKLE!

As if deciding to go all out from the start, her spear split into hundreds of parts that transformed into blue lightning dragons shooting toward Zion.

The power was tremendous enough to crack the highest-grade barrier covering the lot with just its aftermath, but it couldn't reach Zion.

CRUSH!

Zion annihilated all the approaching lightning dragons with just a reaching and grasping motion.

Meanwhile-

BOOM!

Turzan planted his foot firmly and shot his right fist, drawn to maximum power, toward Zion.

His fist rushed to right before Zion's head in an instant, accompanied by shock waves continuously bursting from behind his elbow.

Perhaps because the point of impact was perfectly hidden unlike before?

Zion met the giant's fist head-on with his own fist.

Logically, Zion's fist thrown without any apparent power should have been crushed by Turzan's, but- SCREECH!

The scene that followed completely defied such logic.

While Zion's fist remained stationary, the giant's right arm was thrown back mercilessly.

GRAB!

Zion seized Turzan's face as it filled with bewilderment, and- CRUNCH!

Slammed him downward.

Turzan's upper body drilled endlessly through the ground below.

"I'll seal your movements!"

RUMBLE!

Tirian's gravity magic formation, completed in the meantime, began pressing down on Zion, but it didn't last long.

BOOM!

Zion's form, having nullified even Tirian's magic that now approached level 10 with a single step, rushed instantly before the mage.

And-

CRASH!

A strike that tore through dozens of defensive spells Tirian had deployed like paper hit his body.

Before Tirian's body could even fly back from the impact- WHOOSH!

Zion's form appeared before Rain after taking another step.

"...!"

Though shocked by movement faster than even herself who used lightning, Rain reacted immediately.

Her newly acquired gravity spear Agnus manipulated the surrounding gravity while becoming wrapped in blue lightning as it targeted Zion's heart.

However-

Step.

As if knowing beforehand where her attack would fly.

Zion slightly moved sideways while ducking to let the spear pass over his shoulder, then dove into Rain's space and- SCREECH!

Drove his right hand, condensed with swirling darkness, into her solar plexus.

Rain's body flew back and crashed into the barrier without even having time to scream, and- CRACK!

The space along her flight path belatedly distorted completely from the line carved through it.

Four seconds.

That was how long all this had taken.

And also how long it took Zion to put down the entire hero's party.

Zion quietly emanated darkness in the center of the empty lot where the hero's party lay scattered.

From his lips flowed-

"Get up."

A voice as cold as ice.

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