The Extra Prince Sets Out To Conquer The World

Precia ran ahead, cutting down trees to create a straight path towards the center of the forest.

I clicked my tongue as I ran, stepping on the densely cut tree stumps.

Even though Precia was also wearing a white bracelet that helped release mana, she cut down the trees that had become tough after absorbing negative-dimensional mana for a long time, like she was cutting tofu.

“We should take those trees later. It’s hard to obtain such rare specimens. If I had known Precia could cut them, I would have asked her long ago.”

Abassael, who was flying next to me with a flight spell, coveted the cut-down trees.

I certainly didn’t know she could cut them down so easily either.

Those trees were difficult to cut even with sword energy, but on Precia’s sword, there was only a faint mana, not to mention sword energy.

As if she felt my admiring gaze, Precia said as if it was nothing special.

“I just learned the knack of cutting something.”

Did she learn something from Sword Demon and Sword Fairy?

Precia spoke as if it was nothing special, but she glanced at me from time to time as if secretly seeking praise.

“Not just anyone can do it even if they know the knack. As expected of Precia.”

My praise was sincere.

In the novel, even Rotulus couldn’t cut those trees with sword energy, so he had to cut them forcefully with strong energy. He couldn’t lightly cut them down like Precia.

Perhaps it was the result of Precia imbuing her own heart’s imagination into her sword.

At my praise, Precia’s mouth corners slightly lifted up, although she pretended it was nothing.

“It’s nothing special. Rather, Young Master’s growth is more impressive. A few months ago, you couldn’t run like you do now.”

Precia changed the subject, slightly blushing as if embarrassed. I chuckled lightly at Precia’s evaluation.

“Hahaha, it’s all thanks to you.”

It was the combined result of Precia’s dog-like, no, X-like, no, damn it… training that tested the limits of a person like wringing out a rag, proven cultivation methods, Divet’s nutritional supplements, and spirit techniques.

Now, with physical abilities raised to the level of an ordinary boy, I used cultivation methods to raise it to the level of a seed-class knight, and then used spirit techniques to further enhance my physical abilities.

Spirit Secret Transmission Enlightenment – Possession Technique

Target, Nuni – Flying Thunder Body Stage 1

Target, Navi – Wind Whisper Body Stage 1

I increased my speed with the power of Nuni, the spirit of lightning, and controlled my breathing with the power of Navi, the spirit of wind.

My current physical abilities should be at the level of a newly appointed official knight.

It took a really long time to get here.

If this body were an ordinary one, wouldn’t I have accepted the ancestor’s legacy and been able to use sword energy by now?

Even though my physical abilities had reached the level of a knight, it was achieved through various tricks, so I was still far from being able to accept the ancestor’s legacy.

Judging from the rising percentage, it seemed like it would take another 10 years.

I had long since considered the ancestor’s legacy to be non-existent.

Abassael, who saw me smiling bitterly, changed the subject again.

“Speaking of which, is it okay not to capture the scarecrow? It doesn’t seem like an ordinary situation, seeing it lose its reason.”

At Abassael’s worried question, I waved my hand, saying it was nothing.

“It’s fine. I had anticipated it losing its reason and rushing in. That’s why I scammed and took away the dullahans in advance.”

The banshee’s crying voice that echoed from the center of the forest was the result of Arcana’s magicians analyzing the witch’s mana wavelength for a long time and transplanting it into a voice wavelength.

“Ah, so that’s why.”

At my words, Abassael looked at me with surprised eyes. Disrespectfully, it was as if he was asking if I had just scammed because I coveted them.

Hmm, he knows too much about me.

As we kept running, stepping on tree stumps, we soon reached the gathering point near the center of the forest.

Running through the maze-like forest in a straight line, it couldn’t be faster and more convenient.

Just in time, Jade arrived with the other party members.

“The task I ordered?”

“Completed perfectly. Ready anytime.”

“Your plan?”

“It seems roughly feasible.”

Jade grinned like a brat and gave a thumbs up.

“Good work, everyone. We just need to wrap things up now.”

As I received a sack of black opals from Gilbert, Yard hesitantly raised his hand.

“Um, there’s something I want to tell you…”

As I looked at him curiously due to his uncharacteristically timid voice, Jade spoke on his behalf with a bitter smile.

“It seems the owner of the crying voice that periodically echoes from inside is Yard’s lover, Lila.”

Lila? The Lila of the Slavan Circus who was killed by Javan? This banshee’s crying voice belonged to Lila? This is new information to me.

When I looked at Yard in surprise, Yard nodded.

“Yes, when I first heard the crying voice, I heard Lila’s voice. She told me to get out of this forest right away, to run away before the witch awakens.”

Warning to run away, huh. Interesting.

Judging from the continuous crying sound, it seems she has lost her reason, but how did she deliver the message?

And how much does she know about Arcana?

As I remained silent, Yard spoke urgently.

“It’s true! There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize Lila’s voice!”

“Ah, calm down. I’m not saying it’s not true. The banshee could be Lila. It’s entirely possible.”

Javan also had a reason for killing the adopted daughter he raised.

I don’t know the exact reason, but according to the novel, he sacrificed her for some magic that required a human sacrifice. Was that sacrifice used in this forest?

Then Javan would also be at the center of the forest.

“Tsk, I’ll have to slightly modify the plan then.”

At my words, Yard swallowed dry saliva.

“If you modify the plan…?”

“Originally, I was going to safely annihilate her from a distance with exorcism holy magic.”

At my plan, Yard’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck.

“Ah, don’t worry. We can seal her instead of annihilating her. Then it should be fine for now.”

Those who are forcibly turned into undead are buried in the madness of death and go insane.

That’s why when a necromancer kills a person and turns them into an undead, they either make them into a lower undead without a soul or suppress the soul’s reason and use them like a puppet.

If what Yard said was true, it was close to a miracle that Lila warned Yard to run away.

“It just changes from a safe plan to a somewhat dangerous one.”

As I smiled playfully and spoke, Yard’s expression darkened.

“…I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry to me for? Thank Precia and Jade, who will bear the risk instead.”

At my words, Yard looked at Precia and Jade with a face on the verge of tears.

Precia smiled and nodded.

“It’s been a while, so prepare a cliché serenade.”

At Precia’s joke, Jade also snickered and winked.

“You did well to follow my words, right?”

At their words, Yard couldn’t respond with a joke and nodded with tears welling up in his eyes.

“Thank you, thank you… Thank you for believing me…”

It seemed he was worried that we wouldn’t believe his words that the owner of this crying voice was Lila.

Well, if someone suddenly says the banshee’s voice belongs to their deceased lover, people usually don’t agree and just think they are thoroughly enchanted by the banshee.

At Yard’s words of gratitude, Precia and Jade spoke at the same time.

“Of course I believe it since the Young Master said it’s entirely possible.”

“Of course we have to believe it since Yuan said it’s entirely possible.”

The two, who said the same thing, glared at each other slightly.

As I thought, they really get along well.

No, but isn’t your faith in me too firm?

I also sometimes misstep or make mistakes.

“Ah, come to think of it, there are more people to thank.”

I should also have a grateful heart towards the Arcana magicians who will be running here while playing tag with the explosions.

They will be the bait, after all.

*********

Arisa swallowed a mana recovery inducer while looking at the Witch’s Forest.

“Nyaha~! It’s freaking tiring. Don’t you think, Nivel?”

“Guh-guh-guh!”

Nivel, who was lying on the ground, sweating all over her body with a tired expression, roughly answered with a mana recovery potion in her mouth.

She had shoved it into her mouth because she needed mana recovery first, but she was so exhausted that it wasn’t going down her throat well.

“Nyahahaha! Guh-guh-guh~! Like this! It’s so stupid!”

Arisa burst into laughter and hit Nivel’s stomach.

“Urk! Guh-guh! Kuh-kuh!”

Nivel, who almost spat out the precious and rare potion, hurriedly closed her mouth, rolled to the side, and avoided Arisa’s hand.

Then, lying face down, she forcibly gulped down the potion.

“Phew! I almost died! Arisa! Drowning in a land where I can’t find a drop of water! I don’t want such a terrible experience!”

“Nyahahaha! If you had died, I would have turned you into a lich and used you~!”

“What?!”

“Nyaha! Who told you to lie down without answering?”

As Arisa teased with a giggle, Nivel flared up.

“I don’t have the stamina like you who grew up vulgarly!”

“Aww~!? Does the mouth attached to the body that grew up preciously not have its corn husked? Nyahaha! Want to check it out? See if blue blood flows even if that white corn is husked?”

As Arisa raised her magic staff, Nivel took a step back.

However, for some reason, she didn’t know well; whenever they fought, Arisa would exploit her weaknesses and strike her.

Even though the skills of Nivel, the legitimate successor of the Geor faction, the sage of the Puppet Technique school, and Arisa, the necromancer of deadly madness, who was considered the founder of Necromancy, were difficult to distinguish, Nivel often faced disadvantageous situations whenever they fought.

Unaware that Arisa had stolen and analyzed the magic of Nivel’s mass-produced puppets, Nivel avoided fighting for now.

“Nyahahaha! Are you scared? The noble is nothing special~?”

At Arisa’s teasing, Nivel flared up but suppressed her anger inwardly.

“I’m not scared. I just think it’s unnecessary to have a pointless emotional fight to carry out the given mission. Unlike you, who is like a child.”

Nivel looked at the Witch’s Forest. Due to the negative-dimensional mana and black fog surrounding it, the interior couldn’t be grasped from the outside.

However, judging from the occasional sound of explosions and the negative-dimensional mana that should have sunk below the forest due to the wedges rising and disappearing into the sky, it was clear that there was a serious problem.

“Nyahaha. I don’t want to go in.”

“For once, we’re on the same page.”

The two let out deep sighs in front of the forest, which looked like a living hell at a glance, and then lit  ghostly fire in their lanterns.

“But we still have to go in.”

“I hope we can return safely.”

Arisa and Nivel sluggishly prepared to enter the forest.

*******

Arwin, the overall commander of the management unit, roughly wiped the blood flowing from his forehead with his sleeve.

It was a wound caused by flying wood fragments from the explosions that drove them towards the center of the forest.

Unknown explosions still continued here and there in the forest, but as they got closer to the center, the explosions decreased.

“Find out how many survived.”

At Arwin’s command, the subordinate commanders identified the survivors among the management unit members and the magicians who had entered to seek Dorothy’s broom.

“2nd management unit total 80, missing 9, injured 8. Current personnel 63.”

“3rd management unit total 75, missing 11, injured 12. Current personnel 52.”

The missing persons had to be considered dead, caught up in the explosions.

“Roughly 90 non-unit personnel appear to have survived.”

Among the approximately 240 magicians who followed the management unit, less than half survived.

It was a loss that wouldn’t be strange to say that the western faction of “Arcana 01, The Magician” was virtually annihilated.

“Fortunately, there are few injured among the survivors.”

At his subordinate’s words, Arwin let out a sigh. The reason there were few injured was because they had abandoned the injured without rescuing them in the chaos.

“Mainly those with outstanding skills, including Honorable Asante, have survived.”

Just as Arwin was about to gather the survivors and temporarily reorganize the unit, a disaster with a steel fluid body came to find them.