Yuri had anticipated that Roland might give him the medal.
Given what he knew of Roland so far, it was entirely plausible.
The real problem was the Emperor.
Before the tournament, Yuri had even made a public vow: if Roland handed the medal to him so easily, the Emperor might feel his authority was undermined. Worse, he might suspect that Yuri had pressured Roland into offering the medal.
Yuri didn’t want to incur the Emperor’s wrath.
So, he had subtly hinted to Roland not to give him the medal, just in case.
But Roland ignored Yuri’s efforts and rushed straight over.
“All these victories are thanks to Your Highness. It’s only right that I dedicate this medal to you.”
“Uh, well…”
Though he wanted nothing more than to throw the medal away, all eyes were on them. Reluctantly, Yuri reached out and accepted it.
A hush fell over the arena, then applause began to ripple through the crowd.
“Is that the knight of Briol…?”
“Such loyalty.”
“To dedicate all glory to his lord—rare to see that these days in the Empire.”
The spectators praised Roland’s gesture.
Yuri shot a reluctant glance toward the Emperor.
Ivar was watching from above with a curious expression, stroking his chin as he observed both Roland and Yuri.
Lowering his voice, Yuri reproached Roland.
“Roland.”
“Yes?”
“I told you not to give it.”
“But I really wanted to.”
“No…”
“Please understand.”
Faced with such earnestness, Yuri couldn’t press further. He sighed.
In any case, with the tournament winner dedicating the medal to someone, the event was effectively over.
Petals drifted down from the sky, fireworks exploded.
And so the tournament came to an end.
Roland was called back onto the stage, surrounded by nobles of the Empire who had watched the matches. He responded with a smile, fully embodying the air of a noble scion.
Yuri rose from his seat, planning to slip away quietly.
Suddenly, he felt a gaze and turned to see the Emperor watching him.
He bowed lightly in greeting. The Emperor nodded in return.
“Jared.”
“Yes?”
“What expression do you think the Emperor has?”
“Hmm…”
Jared stretched casually, sneaking a glance at the VIP box.
“He looks pleased.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“That’s more trouble than I thought.”
Yuri sighed and led his group away.
The crowd cheered, waving their hands toward Yuri.
“Briol! Briol! Briol!”
Even the Empire’s citizens chanted Briol’s name, celebrating Yuri as the medal’s rightful owner.
The Emperor felt a strange emotion watching Roland Flandre rush to the third prince of Briol.
He had been preparing himself for the possibility that this knight might become his son-in-law, but suddenly Roland dashed over and offered the medal to his lord.
The third prince hesitated, clearly troubled, but accepted it.
Both the knight and his lord were exceptional.
“I want him.”
Muttering to himself, the Emperor stroked his chin.
Though he coveted Roland, who had won the tournament with ease, he coveted Yuri Briol even more—someone who could inspire such unwavering loyalty.
Testimony from the third knight commander had revealed that Yuri’s skill surpassed even Roland’s. He was a wild card with limitless potential.
Ivar called his daughter over.
“Ekaterina.”
“Yes?”
“How does it feel to be rejected?”
“I don’t really care. I’m just glad I don’t have to blame my father.”
Ivar laughed heartily.
“Glad, huh? Well, so am I.”
Regardless of Ekaterina’s reaction, Ivar continued.
“If Roland had given the medal, it would have been a regret for a long time.”
He thought about the third prince of Briol.
Six years ago, the second son who returned from Briol had spoken of an interesting young man.
He said the third prince of Briol showed great promise and that it would be wise to act early if they could recruit him. But at the time, Ivar hadn’t paid much attention.
How could he bring back the son of Fiore Briol?
Marriage was the only option, but Ekaterina was too valuable a piece to send to some third prince of Briol.
So he had dismissed the idea.
But now, six years later, meeting the third prince in person made him regret that decision. The young man was a talent in every way.
“Well, better late than never.”
Ivar smiled.
The Empire’s influence stretched across the entire continent, and he, the Emperor, ruled it completely.
He could have anything he wanted.
Whether it was an object or a person.
Watching Yuri hurry away from the arena, Ivar smiled.
“Yuri Briol…”
After sending Roland back to the hotel to rest, Yuri headed straight to the Mage Tower with Jared.
Today, he was to meet Inariel.
Inariel didn’t know much about the black magic-infused parchment, but he had promised to look into it for Yuri and Hernando.
Before the tournament began, Inariel had contacted them with news of a discovery.
So Yuri’s steps quickened. More than the Emperor’s medal in his pocket, he was eager to hear what Inariel had found.
“Your Highness, what will you do with the medal?”
“Sell it, maybe? Could make some money.”
“You can’t sell a medal given by the Emperor.”
“Just melt it down.”
“That would be a waste.”
They bantered lightly as they entered the Mage Tower.
Only later did Yuri understand why the tower had no guards.
The identical wooden doors all led to individual mage workshops. Without a mage’s permission, no one could illegally enter.
Yuri deftly opened the door and stood before Hernando’s workshop.
It looked just like a real forest, no different at all.
“Have you come?”
Inariel was sitting in meditation outside Hernando’s log cabin.
He stood when he saw Yuri, and the cabin door opened as Hernando emerged.
Yuri greeted Inariel formally, then got straight to the point.
“You found something about the parchment?”
Inariel laughed.
“Jumping straight to that, huh? You must be in quite a hurry.”
“Yes. Very.”
“There’s a saying: ‘More haste, less speed.’ Maybe it applies here.”
He lifted a backpack from the floor.
“I asked some old friends if they’d ever seen black magic-infused parchment.”
“And?”
“They told me an interesting story. I can’t verify it myself, but it sounds plausible.”
Yuri’s eyes urged him on.
With the tournament over, his time in the Empire was running out. He could stay longer, but that might raise suspicion.
He wanted a solid lead before leaving on official business.
Inariel said,
“Adelbine.”
The unexpected name made Yuri look up.
“They say that when Adelbine fell, that parchment was wandering about.”
Adelbine was a country long destroyed.
By none other than a Death Knight.
There was a knight named Gert in Adelbine. He was the strongest warrior there, but after a mysterious death and resurrection, he became a far more powerful monster.
He attacked all living things.
No one could stop him.
Eventually, Adelbine fell, and its people scattered. The capital became a wasteland, a land of death where only the Death Knight’s eerie breath could be heard.
Gert’s infamy earned him a place among the Ten Strongest.
“Is it true that Gert became a Death Knight because of black magic? Could that parchment have done it?”
Yuri asked.
Inariel shrugged.
“Hard to say without seeing it myself. But it’s not impossible.”
“Who told you this?”
“That I can’t say.”
“I see…”
It was a bleak lead.
Despite inquiries in the Empire, they had little to go on. The only clue pointed to Adelbine, but it wasn’t much help.
“I hope we find something useful here.”
Yuri thought of Ragna.
He was monitoring events inside the palace. So busy lately that Yuri hadn’t seen him, and he hadn’t attended the tournament.
How was the investigation progressing?
“Wait.”
Suddenly, Inariel raised his hand.
“Someone’s here. Go check outside.”
Hernando tilted his head and went to the workshop entrance connected to the Mage Tower.
When he opened the door, sure enough, someone stood outside. Yuri didn’t recognize the face, but he seemed to be a mage affiliated with the tower.
His face was flushed.
“Master Hernando.”
“What brings you here…?”
“I came on urgent business.”
The mage spoke to Hernando, whose expression stiffened.
He turned to look at Yuri.
Yuri frowned.
Hernando rarely looked so serious.
He caught fragments of the mage’s words.
“Because of this, mages coming from outside may be subject to inspection. Please don’t be angry and be cautious…”
Hernando nodded. The mage said a few more words, then bowed and left.
The door closed behind him.
Yuri asked Hernando,
“Hernando, what’s going on? Why do you look so alarmed?”
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“Please don’t be too shocked by what I’m about to say.”
“Okay?”
“Ah…”
“What is it?”
“So…”
Yuri suddenly felt a wave of unease as he caught the look in Hernando’s eyes.
“Your Highness.”
“Speak quickly.”
“Prince Ragna…”
“Prince?”
“He has passed away.”
“What?”
Yuri repeated, unable to immediately grasp what Hernando had just said.
“No, why?”
Yuri asked, struggling to keep his composure. His hand trembled slightly.
“I haven’t heard the reason yet.”
“His Highness…”
Yuri had told Ragna that the crown prince was under suspicion, and Ragna had promised to investigate personally and report back to Yuri.
That was the last they heard from him.
He had feared danger, but never imagined it would come to this.
He recalled his past life.
Ragna was not meant to die now.
It was far too soon.
Just as changing the future had altered so much, Ragna’s fate had been overturned as well.
Yuri had always saved those who were meant to die.
But this was the first time someone who was supposed to live had died right under his watch.
“Though the details haven’t been fully confirmed, rumors are starting to spread. It’s likely to cause quite a stir.”
“I see…”
No one else but the emperor’s own brother had died.
“For now…”
Yuri ran a hand through his hair, lost in thought. The confusion clouded his judgment.
“We need to confirm the cause of death.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just stay quiet about this?”
“No, I can’t do that.”
“Your Highness…”
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything reckless.”
“Yes…”
Fidgeting with the handle of his sword, Yuri spoke.
“Jared.”
“Yes?”
“Come with me.”
“Understood.”
After bowing respectfully to Inariel, Jared followed Hernando out of the workshop without delay.
Watching the door close behind them, Hernando let out a long sigh.
“What is this all leading to…?”
The news of Ragna’s death shocked him as well.
He was not someone who should have died like this.
Had the master of dark magic killed him as Ragna drew closer to the truth?
If that was true, the situation was far more dangerous than anyone had imagined.
If a prince of the bloodline could be assassinated, perhaps the imperial family really had fallen under the sway of dark magic.
Hernando averted his gaze. Inariel’s expression remained calm.
“You’re not surprised?”
“What’s there to be surprised about?”
He shook his salmon-colored hair.
“Now that dark magic has appeared, nothing would be surprising anymore.”