The Scoundrel Prince Sold Out the Empire - Chapter 44

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 44: His Return (7)
Reports had streamed into the Third Prince’s office all day without cease.
“Your Highness, the condemned is ascending the scaffold.”
“The charges have been read aloud.”
“The death sentence has been handed down.”
A smooth execution ceremony.
Too smooth. He’d never heard the word sit so badly in his ears.
‘I’ve cast the line for some time now, yet the float hasn’t so much as quivered.’
The man on the scaffold—the one they called Zion Blitge—was a fake.
Nothing but a death row inmate whose brain had been worked over and whose features had been permanently fixed in place through Mado Engineering.
Whether that man’s neck was severed mattered far less than what he’d been fishing for: not the bait, but the fish.
‘A net cast to snare the Liberation Army’s officers.’
He’d blanketed not just the Execution Plaza but all of Seirel with layers of troops.
With the army under his command and the Military Police beneath them insufficient to the task, he’d even reached out to the navy—at this rate, if everything wrapped up quietly, the losses would be staggering.
He had to account, too, for the fact that the Crown Prince’s detention—though the prince had vanished—remained a card he could still play.
‘Surely it won’t end quietly… No. It couldn’t.’
Garion drummed his fingertips against the armrest once, twice.
He knew better than anyone the depth of the Liberation Army’s devotion to Zion Blitge.
They would come. They had to.
The only question was when.
‘Soon. Any moment now, they’ll strike.’
And then it happened.
Bang!
One of his subordinates burst through the door in urgent haste.
The Third Prince spoke without thinking.
“Have they taken the bait?”
“Y-Your Highness! Zion Blitge has appeared!”
“What?!”
Instead of the fish he’d been angling for, he’d hooked something else entirely.
Something so vast that the line would surely snap.
Garion Riobelt surged to his feet.
“Order all forces to apprehend him! Alive or dead—it makes no difference!”
* * *
The wind wailed beneath his feet.
Atop the Spire’s roof, the gale that always haunted such heights rushed across his entire frame.
Zion rode upon the Black Mana Wings, his body suspended as he gazed down at the Execution Plaza below.
Every face was visible from where he hung.
The screaming dignitaries of the Governor’s Office.
The Imperial soldiers raising their weapons.
The ash-haired heads only now lifting their gaze as the scaffold crumbled.
Zion had been watching them even before leaving the Spire.
To distinguish the enemy from the ally.
And because he could not tear his eyes away.
More than half the crowd that filled the square bore ash-grey hair.
‘I thank you all.’
Executions had always been festivals.
In an age starved of entertainment, the moment a man’s head fell made for excellent spectacle; even now, when Mado Engineering bathed the city’s nights in light, that foul custom had endured.
‘The Governor’s Office scattered so much food today, calling this a festival. Yet no one eats.’
Because they had not come to fill their bellies.
Some wore black cloth about their arms; others stood with hands clasped, eyes fixed on the scaffold.
An old man in the front row—his lips moved soundlessly, shaping words of a final goodbye.
There, amid the jeering Empire citizens hurling rotted vegetables, they alone inhabited another moment in time.
‘My people.’
Lower your heads in secret and smile.
For now it is our turn to revel in the festival.
“For the Empire!”
The roar burst forth across the square, echoing in all directions.
The mouths of the Empire’s rabble fell open in shock.
And the Governor himself, gripping the railing of the dignitary’s box while clutching the back of his neck, wore a particularly satisfying expression.
‘Yes, that’s it. That face suits you best of all, Maizreon.’
Having toyed with them time and again, he found their familiar expressions almost welcoming.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
With wings forged from gathering raven feathers spanning his back, Zion tore through the high sky.
“Answer me—who dares attempt to execute whom?”
The response came in a hail of fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The military artillery batteries positioned throughout the area erupted in unison.
People spoke of cannons and guns as the very essence of Mado Engineering.
A devastating barrage descended upon Zion.
And yet.
“That hardly answers my question. I stand before you unshaken—Zion Blitzej, in the flesh. So explain to me: who executes whom?”
The Crown Prince laughed, not a single hair singed by the direct hit.
The Empire’s execution-bound pretender to the throne had long since perished in the bombardment alongside the scaffold itself.
Thus, there remained no doubt as to who the true Crown Prince was.
‘My mana reserves… perhaps two or three more bursts remain.’
A miracle that might be called magic—the Shape of Soul.
Thanks to it, he had reclaimed the form of Zion Blitzej, yet it was far from perfect.
Unlike his body, the mana he had rebuilt could not possibly match what it had been.
Unlike Zion Blitzej in his prime—an Archmage of unrivaled power—the man he was now could not rampage without limit.
Not yet.
‘Still, with the Stem of the Polar Star, unleashing a few more blasts presents no difficulty.’
The sacred relic of the kingdom once called the cradle of magic began to gleam.
Crash-boom!
The military forces to the east of the Execution Plaza were obliterated.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
“Hahahaha!”
Shrill screams and hearty laughter crossed the air.
Artillery barrages came from west and south simultaneously, yet the Mado Cannon rounds could not penetrate the defensive barrier of mana spreading like raven feathers.
Zing!
Dozens, hundreds of Mana Bullets conjured within a single Magic Circle arrayed before Zion like an army, colliding with the barrage and annihilating it.
“Have you forgotten, Empire? That before me, cannon fire loses all meaning!”
And it was true.
The reason Crown Prince Zion Blitzej had earned the title The Raven of Debier and become the Empire’s most wanted criminal.
“The Crown Prince has returned!”
“The Raven! The Raven!”
The footsteps that had come to mourn now became cheers that shook the plaza.
Into the heart of those cries.
— Your Highness!
A familiar voice seeded itself in his ear. Communication Magic.
“Ariste.”
— You’re alive! Why didn’t you send word!
“There was no time. Forgive me.”
— We can speak of that later. For now—orders, if you please. We must flee!
Even now, the Imperial forces would be converging in real time.
In Ainchen, where the naval yard lay, their prided golden fleet would surely be ascending the river.
‘Forgive me, Ariste. I cannot go with you.’
“All of you are to withdraw. I will draw every eye to myself.”
— What did you just say?
In truth, this appearance was reckless.
In the heart of a land saturated with Imperial forces—fine a display as it was, walking into a trap with one’s own feet.
Yet it had to be done this way.
And there was nothing wrong with it.
‘Because I am Zion.’
— That’s unacceptable! Your Highness, please first regroup with us, together…….
He cut the transmission short.
“Your liege and commander of the Liberation Army speaks. Stop your worry for me and ensure every member of the Order escapes safely. I say this only once more—it is a command.”
He closed the Communication channel and turned his gaze downward.
Among the crowd, he saw the shoulders of a masked figure stiffen.
‘Forgive me. Not yet. Not yet can we walk together.’
The current Zion Blitzej was only half of what he had been.
On the surface a Crown Prince, yet the mana pattern flowing through him belonged to Zion Riobelt.
If he joined them, discovery would be inevitable within moments.
‘The instant I’m exposed, it’s over.’
No matter what he said, the truth would not be believed.
The man who had hollowed out the Crown Prince’s brain through live experimentation and stolen even the skin to wear it would receive the treatment befitting such a crime.
Even Zion himself wouldn’t have believed it—so it was only natural.
…Still, one final word couldn’t hurt.
“The Conspiracy shall heed my command. The day will come again when we stand together, so hold high the banner of liberation and wait for that moment.”
After a long silence, came the reply.
— We obey our lord’s command.
Good. Then shall we make our exit?
He kicked off the empty air and threw himself into flight.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Black feathers trailing in the wind.
The symbol of the Empire is the sun.
And by chance, the Crown Prince with black wings overlaid perfectly upon the center of the billowing flag bearing that sun.
It was time for the bait to do its work.
“I believe I’ve afforded the Empire quite enough entertainment at my execution. My dear Empire! I’m afraid I have a lovely evening engagement with a charming lady, so I must bid you farewell!”
Black wings spread wide, he glided low across the rooftops, skimming their surfaces.
Deliberately low. Deliberately loud.
Why not make a visit to the viewing stand while I’m at it?
“Oh, goodness!”
“There he is!”
“Get clear!”
The Governor tumbling backward. The viewing stand erupted into chaos.
And among them, Nok Siruna, her gaze utterly expressionless.
When their eyes met, he grinned at her.
He climbed back toward the sky.
“There! On the roofs!”
“The Raven’s heading this way!”
Shouts followed, and soldiers lying in wait poured from every alley in pursuit.
Even those meant to hold their posts abandoned them to give chase.
An excellent sign.
‘Yes, my hunting dogs. Keep every eye and nose fixed on me.’
While the hounds drooled in his direction, the members of the Conspiracy would slip safely through the net.
“Don’t let him escape! That’s him!”
“Broadcast to all units! The Raven is fleeing!”
Six main thoroughfares flooded entirely with pursuers.
He banked sharply around the bell tower’s corner and evaded one volley of fire.
‘All that time spent scouting the ground is finally paying dividends.’
That was when it happened.
“He’s going this way! The Raven’s fleeing down this street!”
“All units pursue!”
“Authorization granted for urban bombardment! Fire if you must—don’t let him escape!”
Boom!
A wall of flame erupted behind him.
‘Artillery? In the heart of the city?’
A second shell scraped past beneath Zion’s feet.
The thoroughfare cratered, and stone fragments scattered like rain.
A stray projectile brought down an entire building on the street’s edge.
Had there been people inside?
Innocent lives would have been snuffed out.
“Damn these fools!”
Words unbecoming of a Crown Prince spilled from his lips, but he didn’t care.
Whether Empire soldiers or Debier, their pursuit showed no regard for casualties among civilians.
That is the Empire.
‘I’ll make that callousness of yours your greatest mistake.’
He changed course.
Away from the residential districts, toward the most visible place in the city—where the cannons’ aim would be forced to follow.
Beyond Slum Town, straight into the heart of Luminous Street.
There was a casino for the high-ranking elite.
‘Almost there. My mana’s running on fumes—the timing’s perfect.’
The black shadow folded its wings and seeped into the casino building.
And the Empire’s forces began to encircle the place in layers.
* * *
“Encirclement complete!”
Gun barrels covered every side of the casino building—north, south, east, west.
“Streets sealed off! Not a single ant gets through!”
The field commander directing the cordon—a colonel of the Military Police—stood on the threshold of the greatest moment of his life.
The Raven.
The worst criminal in Imperial history, and the highest-bounty wanted criminal.
That monster was now holed up inside that building.
“Just give the order to advance. I’ll lead the charge.”
“Are you insane?”
The commander let out a scoff.
“No infiltration. We blow the whole building to pieces.”
“Sir? There are still people inside…….”
Searching against a sorcerer was less efficient than simply tearing everything apart.
Fortunately, command’s directive was to secure the target dead or alive—so killing first and securing after was the most reliable approach.
‘There’s no way I’m letting this glory slip away!’
“Fire! Until the building’s reduced to rubble!”
Casualties? He had no concern for numbers.
“Full firepower concentration! Deploy every Mana Bullet!”
Guns and cannons roared to life in unison.
Portable Mana Bombs shattered the windows and poured into the building.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The walls became a honeycomb, and chandeliers burst through the windows in a cascade.
The building crumpled like overripe fruit.
For approximately five minutes.
“Cease fire!”
The commander raised his hand. A figure’s silhouette had appeared through the haze of dust.
‘Could he be surrendering?’
He was entertaining the thought that the living were worth more than the dead.
A Casino Chip rolled toward him and came to rest at the commander’s boot.
Just as he was savoring the fantasy of medals dangling from his chest, a single fact suddenly struck him.
‘A chip? A casino?’
A casino.
Where had he heard that before?
Ah—this morning, he’d been informed of a high-ranking official’s casino visit…….
…….
The Ninth Prince, Zion Riobert, was going to a casino instead of the Execution Plaza.
Special caution was advised in this operation.
He was to treat this as a critical variable.
The words of the military directive came flooding back, letter by letter.
“……Oh, God…….”
Could it be?
The blood drained from the commander’s face.
So right now.
That building he’d just turned into a honeycomb, reduced to mushed, rotting fruit.
Could it be?
‘No. It can’t be. His Highness surely went somewhere else…….’
“C-Commander! Look!”
The main entrance of the pulverized casino collapsed inward.
Through the swirling dust, a single figure emerged.
Blonde hair, blood-red eyes.
Not a thread of his clothes was disheveled—he must have been wearing some kind of Protective Mado Device.
In short, the dreaded possibility had become flesh.
“Colonel. The Ninth Prince…… Your Highness.”
With a face fearsome enough to make men tremble and die, the Empire’s most contemptible wretch unleashed his roar.
“You bastards nearly killed me!!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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