I Became the Youngest Prince in the Novel

Zion looked around at the people in the simulated room.

Their expressions ranged from interest and shock to outright hatred.

'So, these are Zion Agnes's siblings.'

They were all strangers, except for Evelyn. But Zion knew exactly who they were.

Diana Agnes, the fifth princess, a half-fairy, held the backing of the fairy forest.

Similarly, Utekan Agnes, the fourth prince, carried giant's blood and commanded the support of a giant herd.

And then there was Enoch Agnes, the third prince.

Enoch didn't share the same ties with the outer world as the others, but he was a member of the 'Ozrima,' a prestigious magic family that had produced one of the 'Skies,' the world's peak powers. His magic skills were already unmatched, gaining the loyalty of all the wizards and magical towers.

Moreover, Enoch was the one standing against Zion.

"The royal court standards have dipped. I never thought I'd see you, Zion, here," Enoch said, his face clouding over as he spotted Zion with Liushina trailing behind.

"Haha, brother, don't be so harsh. It's only natural for Zion to be here since he passed the succession ceremony, right?" Utekan laughed heartily and stepped in before Zion could respond.

"That's true, older brother. Perhaps it's your view that's narrow, not the standards?" Diana chimed in with Utekan, challenging Enoch while casting a sly glance at Zion.

'Hmm... He seems different.'

Zion, who previously couldn't even make eye contact, was now meeting their gaze head-on. The calm in Zion's eyes was new too.

Had repeated threats on his life changed him?

'Well, no matter how much he changes, he won't make a difference.'

Diana thought, her lips curling into a slow smile.

Even if he had grown stronger and his personality had changed, there was no way he could bridge the vast gap between them.

Especially not with his weak body that couldn't handle basic swordsmanship, let alone innate magic.

'That strange energy is a bit worrying, though...'

But even that wasn't enough to raise an alarm.

Her attention was already occupied by the other powerful Agnes siblings.

Compared to them, Zion was as insignificant as a bug crawling on the ground, as Enoch had so aptly put.

Zion, paying no mind to their scrutiny, sat down on one side of the simulated room.

"You're running late, Zion."

"I had some stuff to deal with."

Zion replied to Evelyn, who had walked over to him. His eyes moved to the vacant throne.

'Has the Emperor not shown up yet?'

He must be waiting for all his children to gather.

Zion suspected the reason for today's royal summoning was linked to the assistance he had previously hinted at.

Just then.

"Master."

Liushina, standing behind him, quietly addressed Zion.

Turning to face her, Zion saw her usually red eyes flickering with a savage hunger.

"Isn't it true that everyone here is your enemy? Wouldn't it be smart to kill them all while they're together like this?"

Liushina was born with a bloodlust.

She thrived on taking lives, the stronger the life force, the stronger her urge.

The people present were rare powerhouses of the world.

That's why her cravings were at their peak.

If it hadn't been for Zion's restraint, she would have initiated a massacre by now.

'I made a mistake bringing her here.'

Zion thought, quietly chiding himself.

"You know, it seems like our father will be a bit late. Isn't it too dull to just wait here?"

Utekan, the fourth prince, broke the silence.

At his words, all eyes turned towards him.

Grinning at their attention, Utekan continued.

"How about a friendly spar to pass the time? It can be between us or our companions."

Anyone else suggesting this would have been considered insane, but for Utekan, it made sense.

He was a natural-born warrior who reveled in the thrill of combat.

His lust for fighting didn't discriminate by location.

"Do you mean a spar between our respective followers?"

"That's a good suggestion, but..."

In response to Enoch's words, Utekan shot Zion a knowing look.

"How about Zion takes part this time? I'm curious to see how much strength he has to have passed the succession ceremony."

"I like the sound of that. I'm keen to see how much our little brother has grown."

Diana clapped her hands in agreement.

"Sounds fair? Given it would be too much for Zion to spar with us, let's pair him with one of our followers."

"That's not a bad idea. I'll offer up the opponent."

Enoch not only agreed with Utekan's idea but also proposed one of his own apprentices as a sparring partner.

Their decision completely ignored Zion's opinion, as if he was a non-entity in this meeting.

Such was Zion's status among them, and his treatment in the royal family.

"Ah, you're fine with this, aren't you, Zion?"

Utekan turned to Zion, his question sounding more like an afterthought, as the decision had already been made.

"What..."

Evelyn, who had been watching from the sidelines, wore an expression of utter disbelief.

This wasn't right.

The proposal for a sparring match was absurd from the get-go.

A contest between a royal and a mere follower, instead of among royals themselves.

Moreover, the focus was on Zion, who despite recent improvements, was still so feeble that he was considered a disgrace to the royal family.

A sparring match against an individual skilled enough to stand by a royal's side, the outcome was predestined.

They probably doubted Zion's ability to pass the succession ceremony based on his own strength.

This seemed like a veiled attempt to make a mockery of Zion.

"What on earth are they thinking…"

Just as Evelyn was about to voice her outrage,

"Indeed."

Zion, who had been observing them with a vacant look, responded.

"But I won't be sparring."

With this declaration, Zion's gaze drifted over the other royals, forming a faint arc.

His eyes were unreadable.

"Zion, what do you mean?"

Evelyn stared at Zion, her face a mixture of confusion at his unforeseen response.

"Hahaha! That's the spirit! Clear the center area!"

Utekan burst into laughter, issuing orders to make room for the upcoming bout.

"Zion, reject their proposal now. You're not ready to face Enoch's wizard."

"Yeah, Master, allow me. I'll step in for you."

Despite the two women trying to deter him for differing reasons, Zion calmly proceeded towards the wide-open space in the heart of the virtual reality.

"Just make sure he survives."

Enoch, observing Zion with icy eyes, murmured to his middle-aged wizard.

The wizard was Grit Whittaker.

A combat wizard with over 20 years of experience and one of those whose skills Enoch had acknowledged, summoning him to the palace.

He was infamous for his savagery, directly proportional to his prowess.

"But he's a prince, is this really acceptable?"

"Well, what can we do, he himself said he won't spar. So, it must be a real fight."

The third prince responded to Grit's question with a malicious smile.

Upon hearing this, Grit's eyes began to shimmer as he watched Zion.

For him, witnessing royal blood was a rare sight.

"Let the sparring commence!"

As soon as Grit took his position in the center of the virtual arena, Utekan's voice echoed thunderously.

"Zion……."

Evelyn watched Zion, who stood on the opposing side, with growing anxiety.

She was considering whether to intervene and stop the spar right now.

"Ah… I wanted to be the one to end him."

Unlike Evelyn, Liushina's eyes gleamed as she murmured.

Caught off guard by her remark, Evelyn glanced at Liushina with a puzzled look.

Crack!

The occurrence was instantaneous.

A chilling sound reverberated from the epicenter of the virtual reality.

And then.

Thud.

The wizard Grit's head tumbled to the ground.

His eyes still flickering with a startled expression, rolled aimlessly, as if unaware of their disconnection from the body.

Zion stood, his usual languid eyes unblinking, in front of Grit's body that slowly collapsed, headless.

From Zion's right hand, the wizard's blood trickled down.

......

The virtual reality abruptly plunged into silence, as if an icy blanket had smothered it.

The princes and princesses, Enoch included, were flabbergasted, speechless in the face of such an unforeseen event.

What on earth had just transpired?

'He didn't employ magic or martial arts.'

He simply lunged forward, swung his arm, and severed Grit's head.

It was just that his swift sequence of movements left Grit with no chance to respond.

Enoch, the third prince, who had been staring blankly at Grit's decapitated form, began to contort his face in a mix of rage and confusion.

"Zion, you…!"

"I told you."

Zion interrupted Enoch's accusation, his lips curled into a smug smirk.

"I'm not sparring."

His ability to instantly dispatch a seasoned battle wizard was impressive in itself.

The shock that Zion, who previously couldn't harm a single ant, had beheaded a man, amplified their astonishment.

"You wretch...!"

His anger over being undermined by Zion, whom he viewed as no more significant than an insect, superseded his grief over losing his servant.

With that, the stars buried deep within Enoch's eyes began to glimmer faintly.

"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!"

A boisterous proclamation resonated, and the doors to the virtual reality swung open once more.

Entering the virtual reality at a leisurely pace was an elderly man.

He was Emperor Urdios Agnes.

"Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty."

Everyone paused their actions and bowed in Urdios's direction.

Gradually, amongst the bowing individuals, the emperor began to saunter.

Although his face bore the pallor of death and he required the support of two individuals to walk,

The overpowering charisma that radiated from the elderly man naturally suppressed everyone in his vicinity.

"......What is this?"

The Emperor asked, his gaze coldly inspecting Grit's lifeless body sprawled on the floor.

"That, that is……."

"Clean it up."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Could it be that the ruler of the world, despite his old age and infirmity, was still unchanged?

As Urdios navigated the room towards the throne, not a single person, not even the arrogant royals, dared to lift their heads from the bow.

Except for Zion.

Now seated on his throne, the emperor silently surveyed his progeny.

In his eyes, the stars of the milky way began to shine with luminous intensity.

Then, as the spokesperson, Evelyn addressed the emperor.

"Have you been keeping well?"

"Do I appear in good health?"

Urdios chuckled at the question.

"Well, you wouldn't know since it's been a while since I last showed my face."

"......"

Realizing that his words were directed at everyone present and not just Evelyn, the individuals in the room tightly sealed their lips and bowed their heads even lower.

"Seeing me for extended periods isn't a pleasant sight, so let's cut to the chase."

At the emperor's declaration, the expressions of the princes and princesses registered confusion.

They were genuinely clueless as to why the emperor had summoned them.

"The purpose of this assembly today is to determine the successor. Actually, I've already made my decision."

"……!"

At this pronouncement, all the royals, Evelyn included, abruptly raised their heads in unison.

Such an unexpected statement.

Moreover, the first prince, Rubrios, wasn't even in attendance at this meeting.

Announce a successor?

A situation that none of them had anticipated.

However, the emperor's following words were so revolutionary that they entirely uprooted the assumptions they had been mulling over in their minds.

Urdios, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on Zion.

A playful twinkle danced in the emperor's eyes.

'Could it be that the assistance he referred to...'

The moment Zion began piecing together clues from Urdios's demeanor.

"The successor will be Zion Agnes."

A staggering proclamation dropped from the emperor's lips.

***

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