The Extra Prince Sets Out To Conquer The World

Izel Expedition Team.

If we were to list the famous expedition teams in the kingdom, there were five.

Among them, the most famous and successful expedition team was the Izel Expedition Team, led by Expedition Captain Izel.

Even if one wasn’t involved in the artifact market established nationwide, many people knew the name Izel.

It was enough to say that the name ‘Izel’ was the most commonly used by self-proclaimed legendary explorers who holed up in the corner of any pub and drank booze on ‘treasure credit,’ claiming they were successful in their heyday.

How high was the value of that name? It was high enough to proudly place its name alongside the magic towers, seven churches, and the Wiesel family on the list of organizations that received ruin entry permits.

“That emblem, it’s the Izel Expedition Team.”

Precia immediately recognized the ‘three swords crossed behind an open book’ emblem engraved on the expedition team’s armor.

Even Precia, who didn’t show much interest in anything other than swordsmanship, knew them.

“Izel? Are they famous?”

However, Jade, a country bumpkin who had been holed up in the Bastille Mountains all his life, naturally had no idea who they were.

At Jade’s question, Precia was startled, but I thought it was only natural.

I didn’t even think the guy who didn’t know the Protector of the Nation Adgale would know them.

Even if Izel was famous, they weren’t as famous as the Defender of the Nation.

“They’re the kingdom’s best at grave robbing.”

At my easy-to-understand explanation, Precia looked at me as if asking what kind of foul language it was, but Jade nodded.

“Ooh, I see. So now we’re going to squeeze in between them and use them as shields?”

“My, such an evil method! If you recommend it to that extent, should I do that?”

When I asked with feigned ignorance, Jade chuckled.

“I learned everything from Yuan. In other words, Yuan is my teacher.”

“Hohoho, there’s nothing more to learn from this teacher, so you can descend from the mountain. Well done, my disciple.”

“No. I still have a lot to learn. I can’t get a sense of how to fit in between them.”

Jade also smiled impishly like me and asked for my teachings.

“The promised time is almost here, right?”

At my question, Jade checked the celestial timepiece and nodded.

“Yes, they should arrive soon.”

I laughed like a mischievous child and used the power of Eunha to hide our appearance so that the Izel Expedition Team’s exploration team wouldn’t notice us.

Then I went out through the door we had entered the Corona Borealis area.

I headed towards the area where Abassael’s group would pass through among the several paths.

If they moved as I instructed before entering the labyrinth, they would come here.

If we waited here, the group led by Abassael would arrive.

“Explorer Izel is famous for his high virtue and kindness. The expedition team that follows such an Izel also tends to act in a way that doesn’t tarnish his reputation. Especially when it comes to sincerely rescuing injured people in a dangerous ruin like this.”

Although I couldn’t be sure since Izel appeared briefly compared to his reputation, if we only look at the novel’s content, he was a hearty and kind middle-aged man.

However, the truth that one out of five people gathered is always trash seems to be invariant even across dimensions, as not every individual expedition member was a good person like Izel.

However, even if they weren’t good people, it was true that they had gained many benefits thanks to the Izel Expedition Team’s reputation.

Therefore, the expedition members tried their best to maintain their reputation, whether they admired Izel or tried to use him.

Jade exclaimed as if he realized it.

“I see! Since the number of people is less than the permit’s capacity, if we pretend to have lost a comrade and got injured in an unexpected accident, they won’t easily refuse us either.”

“That’s right. In addition, we won’t fake too serious of an injury. If they feel that we’ll be a hindrance to the ruin exploration, they might abandon us in a safe zone with food on the way back.”

The deputy leader who led the expedition team in this ruin was a good person, but at the same time, he was also a cold person.

If we were considered a nuisance, we couldn’t use them.

At my additional explanation, Jade nodded and said,

“Since we have two permits from different affiliations, it would be a good setting to say that we joined forces in the face of crisis. If we say we’re one force, they’ll feel burdened, but if we’re two forces, they’ll think it’s good for their reputation to spread.”

“It just so happens that both permits are from the seven churches, so it’s a convincing setting.”

At my praise, Jade scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.

“Ahahaha, Yuan would have already arranged everything, so I feel embarrassed as if I’m putting on airs in front of a guru.”

The Izel Expedition Team’s exploration team had 40 people, and we had 26 people including the dolls.

No matter how much the Izel Expedition Team valued their reputation, they couldn’t help but feel burdened to accept a number that was more than half of their own in a dangerous ruin.

Of course, in the case of the Labyrinth of Constellations, only groups that passed the city government’s screening could enter, so the probability of being betrayed was low.

Still, since there were also scoundrels like the Twilight Company, they couldn’t help but be cautious.

Seeing Jade’s daily improvement, I thought with satisfaction.

As expected, this guy was originally like this, right? It’s impossible for him to be tainted this much just a few months after meeting me.

In the novel, Jade was innocent and recklessly righteous, but after being heavily affected by Aquila’s mana circuit, I didn’t blindly trust the novel’s content.

While Jade and I put our heads together and pondered over how many injured people to have, how to divide our companions, etc., a familiar doll was seen in the distance.

“What are you doing here?”

At Abassael’s question, I slowly checked the appearance of my companions for a moment.

Perhaps because some of the routes I had instructed were quite rough, fatigue showed on their faces. Their clothes, dirty with sweat and dust, were worn out and even torn.

It contrasted with me, whose clothes were only slightly wet with sweat thanks to joining an expedition team with a good driver and taking the safest and fastest route.

I won’t have to dress them up much.

As if thinking the same thing, Jade nodded and said,

“It would be enough to just fake the degree of injury appropriately, right?”

“Ah, just in case, I should have put monster blood for magic ingredients in the bag.”

While Jade took out blood and bandages from the bag to make props, I explained my and Jade’s plan to those who had just arrived.

“Wow! Then we can go more comfortably, right?”

“It’ll be fun!”

Silua and Sophia welcomed the plan with bright smiles.

Dailhorg seemed to dislike my opinion, but he didn’t seem to have any intention to object since Sophia liked it.

When we wrapped bandages around a few dolls, it really looked like the appearance of a reversal unit that had broken through adversity.

Well then, shall we go hitchhiking now?

*******

The Izel Expedition Team’s Vahanad Specialized Exploration Team set up a base camp to rest well after arriving at the Corona Borealis area.

“Deputy Delevhem! Look at this! What era’s architecture do you think this is?”

A girl expedition member with a short stature and short brown hair asked.

Deputy Delevhem of the Izel Expedition Team, who was taking off his socks and drying his feet to prevent athlete’s foot, roughly turned his head to check and answered.

“Judging by the roof style, it’s an ancient architecture from the early to middle period of the Mythical Era. It’s the northern royal tomb style commonly found beyond the Bastille Mountains. Although the scale is larger than what is commonly excavated.”

It wasn’t like they had entered the ruins for a day or two, and unlike other areas, the Corona Borealis area was an area that exploration teams heading to the depths of the ruins chose as their route, so they were familiar with it.

When the deputy answered roughly while shaking his sweaty leather military boots to dry, the expedition member who asked seemed dissatisfied and grumbled.

“Can’t you answer a little more sincerely?”

“Hey, Yurpe. How can I answer more sincerely here? That architecture may be new to you, but the guys here are so used to it that they’re sick of it.”

At Delevhem’s words, the experienced expedition members agreed with snickers.

“Yeah, it may be full of new things for a newcomer like you, but we’re a bit tired of it now!”

“Oh my, it must be nice to have many new things!”

At the seniors’ teasing, the expedition member called Yurpe, a rookie, pouted.

“I’m already a 5-year veteran explorer!”

“Oh my~! So young! A 5-year veteran is still a newbie!”

Although the Izel Expedition Team explored various ruins, secret realms, and magic realms across the country, most of their main forces were focused on exploring this place, the Labyrinth of Constellations.

As there was no ruin that contained as much diverse information from the Mythical Era as the Labyrinth of Constellations, its importance was high, but due to the many traps and monsters that could kill with a single misstep, they didn’t deploy those whose skills weren’t up to par.

A 5-year career was by no means a short one, but it wasn’t long enough to be deployed to the Labyrinth of Constellations.

As such, it could be seen that the Izel Expedition Team highly valued her talent.

“By the way, what about the interior? Since time is distorted, unlike the royal tombs excavated outside the ruins, the interior should be intact, right?”

Yurpe’s freckled cheeks flushed red as if she was excited to see new things.

Explorers were a tribe that loved new experiences.

At her question, the seniors who were laughing heartily and teasing her cleared their throats and averted their gazes.

“Why are you doing that? Don’t tell me… Even though you said you’ve been exploring the Labyrinth of Constellations for so long and are sick of seeing this royal tomb, you haven’t even explored the interior?”

Finding an opportunity to tease them back, she grinned and poked the seniors’ sides.

“Hmm~? Please tell me. Why have you suddenly gone silent?”

“Sh-shut up! We just haven’t found a way to enter it yet!”

Even though it had been over 80 years since the Corona Borealis area was discovered, no one had explored the interior of the royal tomb that stood prominently in the center of the domain.

No, perhaps someone had discovered a way to enter the royal tomb.

It was just that among those who came out of the ruins alive, there was no one who had explored the royal tomb.

“Really? You’re not trying to tease me?”

At Yurpe’s question, the senior expedition members only smacked their lips.

Delevhem, the deputy leader of the expedition team, scratched the back of his head and said,

“In the past, we stayed here for several days and examined it, but what can we do if we don’t know? Rather than staying put here, it’s more rewarding to explore other domains.”

The Labyrinth of Constellations was so vast and full of undiscovered areas and secrets that had yet to be revealed.

Rather than being stuck on a blocked part and wasting time, it was much more profitable to explore other domains during that time.

As long as their lifespan wasn’t infinite, time was a finite resource.

“That’s true. Then I guess we can’t enter the interior.”

As Yurpe expressed her disappointment, someone spoke to her.

“Not necessarily. I know a way to enter.”

At the sudden voice, the members of the Izel Expedition Team all looked towards the door they had passed through.

There stood some slightly injured individuals, and a frail-looking blond boy at the lead was smiling.