At José’s mansion, Laurent, Jared, Simon, and Guineas were sprawled out, resting.
The day was fading into dusk.
After wandering around for so long, this rare moment of rest felt incredibly sweet.
“Where did the prince and Sir José go?”
“Yeah, I haven’t seen them for a while.”
“Maybe they went off somewhere. Shall we play a round of cards by ourselves?”
“Oh, sounds good.”
During the campaign against the Alliance forces, card games had become wildly popular among the Briol knights.
Even Laurent, who didn’t know the rules before, had gotten pretty good at it.
They even roped in some passing servants from the mansion, and the game grew larger.
Under Jared’s lead, they placed a table in the middle of the hall and began dealing the cards.
The wins and losses piled up.
“This is it!”
“Ah…”
“No way…”
Simon and Guineas kept winning money. Though they were outmatched in swordsmanship compared to Laurent and Jared, their card skills were overwhelming.
Even the mansion’s servants were impressed.
“Do Briol knights only play cards?”
“It’s part of the basic training for a Briol knight.”
“Really?”
“Like water flowing downstream, the upper class sets the example for the lower.”
“Let’s play again.”
“Bursen men never know when to quit.”
“Just watch.”
Meanwhile, Yuri and José returned to the mansion.
“Oh, you’re back.”
Since everyone was focused on their hands, they barely paid attention to the two.
“Why do you both look like that…?”
Laurent was about to stand up when he saw their disheveled state, but Jared grabbed his sleeve and made him sit back down.
“Sir Laurent, focus. We can’t afford to lose more.”
“You two look terrible…”
“The only thing worse off than us is our wallets!”
“Ah…”
“They must have been out having fun somewhere. Let’s get back to it.”
The servants tried to greet them, but José waved them off.
“Carry on with what you’re doing. I need to talk with the prince.”
“Yes, understood.”
So Laurent and the servants returned their attention to the cards.
“Hmm…”
“Mm…”
Meanwhile, Yuri and José, wearing tattered clothes and supporting each other, trudged inside.
Watching the four knights absorbed in their game, Yuri clicked her tongue.
“We should wash up quickly and join them.”
“Hahaha…”
Because they were all skilled enough, they had managed to avoid serious injuries.
Though not completely unscathed, their wounds weren’t severe, so they stopped by a small shrine on the way back for some healing. Aside from their ragged appearance, their bodies were fine.
“Prince, shall we head to the bathhouse? Would you like to join me?”
“Oh, there’s a bathhouse?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds good.”
When they arrived, hot water was already prepared.
Yuri and José sank into the warm bath together. The heat seemed to melt away the fatigue from the earlier battle.
Through the steam, José’s broad muscles were visible. Yuri reached out and ran her hand over his shoulder—it was as hard as iron.
“Wh-what are you doing feeling me up like that?”
“I was just checking if you work out.”
“I do, in my spare time.”
“Muscle training is essential for a knight.”
“Maybe next time you can join me.”
“I don’t think our weights would match.”
They chatted like that, easing their tired bodies.
The hot water relaxed their muscles, and even the wounds from sword cuts tingled pleasantly.
“Sir José.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“That was a good match.”
“I agree.”
Through this duel, José had grown significantly—and so had Yuri.
“By the way, about the result…”
Yuri leaned back and spoke.
“Shall we keep it a secret?”
José smiled.
“Shall we?”
“Yes. No need to spread it around.”
“I don’t mind. It might even help your reputation.”
“Not really.”
“Well…”
José scooped up some water with his hand.
“You’re at war right now, aren’t you?”
“War?”
“Yes. You’re fighting that mysterious dark magic.”
“Could be seen that way.”
“Then it’s better to keep your strength hidden. A deception tactic.”
They had faced off by the sea of Bursen.
And ended in a draw.
José was the knight closest to the Ten Strong. For him to draw with a prince barely of age was a result that made anyone’s ears perk up in disbelief.
“You went easy on me.”
“Only at first.”
“That was still going easy. Did you get what you wanted?”
“Yes. Thank you. Hahaha…”
“Thanks to you, I learned a lot.”
When their swords clashed, both felt themselves grow. From the first strike to the last, they had reached a new level.
It was the synergy of two brilliant geniuses: Yuri Briol and José Aratur.
José washed his face with the hot water and asked,
“What will you do now?”
“Return to Briol.”
“And then?”
“Prepare.”
“You really are at war.”
“I didn’t start this war.”
“If you win, what will you gain?”
Yuri looked at him. José smiled faintly, but his eyes held no humor.
He was serious.
José had fought alongside Yuri against enemies like Okua, Gert, and the Demon’s Flower. It would be strange if he hadn’t noticed something.
Yuri sank deeper into the water.
“There’s nothing to gain. Just not losing.”
“And if you lose?”
“Everything.”
She pointed to her chest, then back at José.
“Everything is lost.”
Her voice was full of conviction. José turned fully to face her.
“Is the thing you’re wary of really that terrifying?”
“Okua and the Demon’s Flower are just the beginning.”
“Where did those things come from?”
José’s questions grew more intense.
Yuri smiled.
“Sir José.”
“Yes?”
“Will you join me?”
“That’s…”
“If you do, I’ll tell you.”
There was already trust between Yuri and José. Without it, two men from different countries wouldn’t have traveled together this long.
José was a knight worthy of trust.
Yuri wanted him by her side.
Of course, even if left alone, José would eventually have to fight the Empire. Their expansion threatened the entire continent.
But by then, it would be too late.
Yuri smiled slyly.
“About the real enemy we have to fight.”
“Can’t you tell me first?”
“For security reasons, no.”
“You’re very secretive.”
“I have to live too. What if you leak something?”
“Is the enemy you fear the Empire?”
José burst out laughing.
Startled, Yuri forced a smile and laughed along.
Their laughter echoed through the bathhouse.
“Alright.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll join you.”
“That easily?”
“You trusted me enough to suggest it. I’ve come to know you well enough. No need to hesitate.”
“Sir José…”
“I trust you, Your Highness.”
Yuri was touched.
The other knights following her were from Briol, but José was from another country, with different loyalties and responsibilities. Plus, he was a powerful knight close to the Ten Strong. Gaining his trust was a great comfort.
“So please tell me. Who is this enemy you fear?”
Yuri answered immediately.
“The Empire.”
“Excuse me?”
“The Empire.”
“I thought you were joking earlier. Seriously?”
“The Empire.”
“No, what do you mean?”
“The Empire.”
“Why the Empire?”
“Dark magic has taken over the palace.”
“Pardon?”
“The dark magic has corrupted the palace. The head is controlled. It’s far worse than Adelbine.”
“Are you serious?”
“Here’s another thing: the Alliance forces were bait, meant to lose. Thanks to me, we saw through the palace’s plan and won.”
“That…”
“You saw what happened to Okua, right?”
“Yes.”
“All dark magic. If the Empire’s plan had succeeded, Okua would have become a monster strong enough to tear the other nations apart, even sacrificing the Alliance forces as pawns.”
“If what you say is true, what’s their goal? Conquering the continent?”
“I don’t know the mind of a madman.”
“Ha…”
José sighed, staring at the ceiling.
Yuri patted his shoulder.
“Let’s do this together. We’re fighting to save the world.”
“Now I’m having second thoughts.”
Yuri chuckled softly.
“Sir José, I know quite a bit about Bursen customs. You even taught me the full course, remember?”
“Hmm…”
“Bathing together is how Bursen people show trust. You planned to join me from the start, didn’t you?”
“How do you know so much about Bursen?”
“I read about it.”
In truth, in her past life, she had learned from a mercenary comrade from Bursen. They trusted each other enough to watch each other’s backs on the battlefield.
Back then, they had to build their friendship through forced baths.
The only problem was that mercenary was a woman.
“Is it okay to leave your territory empty?”
“It’ll run fine without me.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Let’s depart tomorrow.”
“You’re eager.”
“I just realized how serious this is.”
“Hahaha…”
“You’re amazing, handling all this.”
José scratched his head.
“The Empire… that’s a lot of pressure.”
“We don’t know how much they’ve infiltrated yet. There must be people within the Empire who can help us. For example…”
Yuri trailed off as he thought of Ragna. His mood sank. After a brief silence, he brought up someone else.
“People like Sir Graham, for example.”
“Yes?”
“Maybe even someone like the Black Knight could be of help.”
“I heard he’s loyal to the Emperor.”
“That may be, but from what I’ve seen, he seems like a good man.”
“You’ve met him?”
“Yeah.”
“How was he?”
“He was no match for the knight.”
“Ah, you never know until you try.”
“You can tell just by looking.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Hahaha…”
Yuri closed his eyes.
He was glad they had come to Bursen.
“Knight.”
“Yes?”
“We should go there again sometime.”
“You liked it?”
“Yeah. The scenery was beautiful.”
“If the Empire’s treasure is Princess Ekaterina, then Bursen’s treasure is the Orphen Sea.”
“Cough, cough…”
“Are you alright all of a sudden?”
“I just swallowed wrong.”
After leaving Orphen, Yuri and his group went to the royal palace to meet the King of Bursen before heading to Briol.
The king was a hearty man. He welcomed Yuri and his companions warmly. When Hose said he wanted to accompany Yuri, the king made him swear an oath of loyalty to Bursen aloud before gladly letting him go.
“Sir Hose.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Treachery means death. Death!”
“Of course. My homeland is Bursen.”
“Good to hear. And Prince, don’t get too attached to our Hose.”
“Hahaha, of course not. I’m just traveling with Sir Hose for a while. It’s like a friendship between Briol and Bursen.”
“Glad you put it that way. Sorry I couldn’t host you properly on such short notice. Next time you come, I’ll treat you to the full Bursen experience. You know what a full course is? It’s the full course served by the King of Bursen himself.”
“The full course?”
“Yes. The full course.”
“Right…”
Having already learned the truth behind the so-called “full course,” Yuri and his group could only smile awkwardly.
“By the way, how is the King of Briol doing?”
“Very well, of course.”
“Of course, he’s a man who knows how to thrive. Be sure to send him my regards.”
“I will.”
“Oh, and by the way, I heard something…”
The King of Bursen tilted his head.
“They say the envoy from Yohaim is currently in Briol. Since when have they been so close?”