Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 370



Only Noblemtl

370. The Return of the Prodigal Son (5)

The news of the return of Prince Owen was enough to refresh the atmosphere in the imperial capital, which had been in turmoil due to the appearance of a large demon species.

The achievements he made were so great.

Because we have successfully stabilized the Southern Front over the past few years, and have secured the first formal truce with the heretics since the founding of Delcross.

Of course, all this didn’t just happen all of a sudden.

As the front lines became more fixed over the years, armed conflicts decreased significantly and trade was even taking place with some moderate tribes.

In such an atmosphere, Owen’s attendance at the Great Tribal Council would have played a major role in effectively pressuring the belligerent Wakana Tousai.

Of course, Mr. Status Window’s detailed instructions were also a great help.

[Sudden Quest? Oops, my hand slipped!]

[Quest Level: F]

[Slip the poison dart you have in front of everyone, as if it were an accident, and then quickly retrieve it. Of course, I trust you won’t make the mistake of rashly mentioning its source. Some of the chieftains may be displeased with you for bringing such a frivolous toy to such an important occasion. But who cares? It will surely grab the attention of the one person who needs to see it.]

[Reward: 1P Cash]

[*This product is available in the Pangea Chronicles store window.]

It couldn’t be helped that the quest reward was unusually cheap. The status window would always tick as if it was annoying, but this time, it was just kindly giving instructions to help Owen.

The small quests to lead the atmosphere of the Grand Tribe Council continued.

[Surprise Quest? Praise makes even Majuli dance!]

[Please mention that the archery skills of the Majuli warriors you encountered during the battle were impressive, and honor the fallen. The mind of the tribal chief, who is still undecided, will be greatly inclined toward you.]

[Sudden Quest? Introduce your new friend!]

[Your friendship with the Volanta tribe is already well known. However, the chieftains are suspicious that your favor is not limited to the Volanta tribe. Emphasize that you have recently made a new friend in the Purma tribe. This will help you gain favor with the other chieftains and reassure the old fox.]

Originally, Owen had intended to hold the stinger out in front of Wakana Tousai and question her about the unjust assassination attempt. If necessary, he would have brought in Bartoza of Purma as a witness to press her hard.

but-

‘No matter how much I think about it, Status Chang’s method is right. If we’re not careful, the entire Varsha tribe might think that they’re being insulted and rebel.’

Although they were tribes that would fight each other to the death if their territory was invaded even a little, they were likely to unite strongly in the face of an external enemy.

So Owen faithfully followed Mr. Status Chang’s quest, and finally managed to reach a truce agreement through moderate means.

“Hoo… … .”

Fortunately, Wakana Tousai did not commit any atrocities that would undermine the armistice that was nearing completion.

It was unlikely that the old fox of Karazhan feared the sting or Bartoza’s accusations, for while she worked hard to persuade the chieftains, she watched Owen with great amusement.

Now, Owen guessed that Wakana Tousai had decided to avoid wasting her energy for the time being and instead focus on building up her inner strength.

Volanta, who had recently become friends with Owen and was taking advantage of various trade opportunities, was successfully eliminating the nearby sea beasts and was quickly rising to a power comparable to Karazhan.

Anyway, after a successful armistice and all the other follow-up work, Owen was finally able to leave the Southern Front exactly one week after Thanksgiving.

* * *

Hehehe!

“Woah, let’s take a break here.”

When Owen suddenly stopped his horse and gave instructions, the soldier following him asked with a puzzled look.

“Yes? But your Majesty. Didn’t we already take a break while having lunch? There’s still a long way to go to the capital.”

“You shouldn’t think only about the circumstances of a group of ignorant people like us who are strong. Isn’t the sickly priest Bart also with you?”

At Owen’s point, the soldier turns around and nods.

“Oh, that’s true. I think the long journey will be very difficult for you, priest.”

Owen was currently returning to the capital with a dozen soldiers and some of the missionary group.

It was a very shabby procession for the First Prince of the Holy Empire, but it was impossible to arbitrarily withdraw troops from the front lines.

Moreover, since Owen himself was one of the strongest forces on the front lines, there was no need to have a large escort force.

A small carriage followed them. It was that of the priest Bart, known as the living saint of the Southern Front.

Sometimes, he would sing a song telling him to go back, but he would stubbornly stay on the front lines. But this time, for some reason, he decided to return to the capital with Owen.

“Father Bart, whenever I see you, you always look so anxious. Wouldn’t it have been better for you to just stay at the front?”

“I don’t know. I heard that the environment in the South is very harmful to your health. It would be much better for your health if you followed us up here.”

Owen dismounted and answered leisurely.

“So don’t rush. The armistice has already been concluded, so there’s plenty of time.”

Owen had already received a letter from Sisley informing him that he and Logan were leaving for Cyprus. No matter how quickly he hurried, he would eventually miss them, so there was no need to rush.

‘I want to see our youngest’s face as soon as possible… … .’

After enduring so much hardship over the past few years, it wasn’t too difficult to appease the longing a little more.

Anyway, if you wait at the palace, you will meet. Since the two of you will stay there long enough to return from Cyprus.

‘Once we arrive at the zodiac, should we stop by the monkey watchtower and ask about the newbie’s whereabouts?’

The pouty expression of the little baby goat flashed through Owen’s mind.

Newbie guy, he didn’t really tell us, but he seemed to be having a hard time. If Owen could find him, he’d definitely find a way to help.

‘Ah, but first I have to see my family’s faces!’

Let’s meet up with Father, Amelia, and the twins and let off some steam! If we get a chance, we’ll also check out that rascal, Mores.

‘Hmm. Now that I think about it, I guess I miss Mores a little too.’

Even though he’s such a mean guy, I’m really looking forward to meeting him face to face. The way back home is so exciting and enjoyable.

As he was laughing alone and thinking about this and that, an attendant in charge of Priest Bart happened to pass by, so Owen quickly called him over.

“Hey. How are you, Father Bart? Why don’t you come out of the carriage even when you’re resting?”

“Huh! What the heck?”

Then, the attendant rolled his eyes in surprise for some reason.

“Are you sure you’re bringing the meals on time?”

“Hey, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of it.”

“Really? Then since you’re resting, why don’t you tell me to get some fresh air?”

“That’s, that, lung… The priest is… sleeping right now!”

“what?”

Owen’s eyebrows shot up.

“The only answer I get is that you’ve been sleeping for three days straight. Does that make sense? How can someone sleep every hour?”

“But what can I do if you are really asleep?”

“Look at this person. He’s already in poor health, so if someone can’t wake up, you should think it’s strange! Is he okay now? I’ll go check on him for a moment… … .”

As Owen strode toward the carriage, a panicked attendant blocked his path.

“Ahhh, no! The sudden journey has left me very tired, and the priest has told me not to disturb his rest!”

“hmm?”

“I dare to block your path! I apologize! Priest Hana Bart! Absolutely! Absolutely! He told me not to wake you up… …!”

The performer was desperate.

What would happen if the First Prince were to open the carriage door now? He would encounter a homunculus whose pulse had completely stopped because the Holy Emperor’s spirit had not arrived.

It was the worst case scenario.

“…okay?”

But the first prince, who seemed like he was going to stubbornly head towards the carriage, suddenly stopped walking and nodded!

“Well, I see. If the priest says so. In any case, one’s own opinion is the most important.”

“That… yes?”

“Come to think of it, even when the situation on the front lines was critical, the priest would always sleep for more than half a day as if he were dead. It’s not that strange.”

Knock knock.

Owen added softly, patting the embarrassed attendant on the shoulder.

“By the way, you. Aren’t you gaining weight these past few days? You look like you’re eating two servings at once.”

“… … !”

“Don’t just take care of yourself, take care of the priest’s meals properly too. Do you understand?”

The frozen attendant could only nod his head absentmindedly.

I really think that the First Prince can’t tell whether a person is sharp or dull.

* * *

So, after about two weeks of leaving the front lines, Owen confidently stepped into the Zodiac.

What greeted Owen was a magnificently prepared triumphal procession and the loud cheers of the imperial subjects.

“Wow!”

“The undefeated hero guarding the southern front!”

“Long live Owen!”

Owen was momentarily overwhelmed.

Owen had heard that there would be a reception, but he had not expected such a lavish welcome. He looked at the scene before him with a little bewilderment.

Buildings decorated with colorful flowers and ribbons. The dignified appearance of the Zodiac Guards, lined up along the street and paying their respects.

And waves of citizens waving handkerchiefs and shouting loudly.

“This is… … .”

An unknown emotion wells up within me.

Owen has always called the Emperor “Father”. He has also been on friendly terms with other princes and princesses, as if they were real brothers.

But that’s not all. The soldiers on the southern front who had been with him for a long time have now started to follow him wholeheartedly.

Yet Owen had never once expected that he would ever be treated with dignity as a prince of the Seonghwang family.

But at this very moment, everyone in the zodiac is calling him the proud first prince of the Seonghwang family!

‘… I, I, at some point… really became a member of Seonghwangga!’

Just then, a new quest window appeared before Owen’s eyes.

[Surprise Quest? Show off your shameless side as the First Prince of the Holy Empire!]

[The subjects are very curious about you. You have been a mysterious prince who has been famous abroad for a long time, but you rarely show yourself in front of the subjects. Now is the time! Straighten your shoulders and proudly show off your status and fame. Although your shabby attire is far from that of a prince at best, the strong confidence you exude will more than cover up any flaws.]

[Reward: 2P Cash]

[*This product is available in the Pangea Chronicles store window.]

A snicker escaped.

Oh, you’re such a dishonest person, Mr. Status Chang. You could just give me a simple encouragement to be confident.

Chuck, chuck, chuck.

As Owen straightened his shoulders and rode his horse as instructed by the status window, the waiting Zodiac Guards all followed behind him, hiding the shabby size of the procession.