News of the conflict between the Empire and Yohaim spread across the entire continent.
People voiced all kinds of opinions about the situation.
Some mocked Yohaim’s reckless attempt, while others condemned the Empire, accusing it of justifying its invasion with false pretenses.
Yuri was firmly in the latter camp.
“It’s all a sham,” he declared.
“Yohaim wouldn’t be crazy enough to poison the Emperor. Does that country even have the capability to infiltrate the palace in the first place? Isn’t that right, everyone?”
“Y-yes…”
“That’s right.”
“Yohaim is just the beginning. The whole continent will be engulfed in war. No one will be able to escape the Empire’s invasion.”
“Exactly.”
“Absolutely.”
“Listen carefully. What we need to do is…”
“I agree.”
“I second that.”
Laurent and Jared chimed in with some effort. It wasn’t a trivial matter to brush off, but Yuri had been repeating the same points so often that they were growing weary of responding.
“Anyway, now that…”
The three were on their way to the Flandre family’s estate, Francaise.
As soon as news of Yohaim broke, Yuri stormed into a noble’s social gathering with Jared in tow. There, he kidnapped Laurent, who was casually sipping cocktails in a tuxedo among the crowd.
At Yuri’s arrival, there was an initial cheer, but when he grabbed Laurent’s wrist and left, everyone was left speechless.
Some, however, cheered even louder, blessing the two.
“Laurent, you’re not disappointed about being dragged out of the party, are you?”
“Not at all. I don’t like parties.”
“Yet you kept wandering around. Haven’t you been attending a lot of parties lately?”
“That wasn’t my choice. My father forced me.”
“Why would Sir Lian do that?”
“He said it’s one thing to meet people and find no connection, but it’s unacceptable not to meet anyone at all. So, before any arranged meetings, I was forced to attend parties.”
“I see…”
Yuri nodded.
“Have we really reached that age already…”
Even in Briol, where the atmosphere was relatively free, it was common to seek a match after turning twenty. Laurent was slightly older than Yuri.
Jared tilted his head.
“Sir Laurent, don’t you meet people even without going to parties? Just pick someone and start dating…”
Yuri and Laurent both snapped their heads toward him. Jared flinched and shrugged his shoulders.
“W-why?”
The two stared at him for a moment, then looked ahead again.
Yuri patted Laurent’s shoulder.
“Cut him some slack, Laurent. He just doesn’t know any better.”
“No, I respect Sir Jared’s opinion.”
“I saw that look of disdain.”
“No, don’t misunderstand, Jared.”
“Sir Laurent, your expression hasn’t changed…”
“Oh, right.”
Jared felt wronged.
“Hey, everyone. You don’t have to take meeting people so seriously. We’re still young…”
“…”
“Think of it as advice from an older brother. Since I’m older, I probably have the most dating experience here…”
Neither of them responded.
“This cold shoulder is unbearable. If I may say something…”
He was about to protest when, suddenly, the walls of Francaise appeared beyond the horizon.
“Oh, there’s Francaise.”
“We’ve arrived early.”
“Let’s hurry!”
“Yes!”
Yuri and Laurent immediately spurred their horses forward, quickly leaving Jared behind.
From their backs, Jared muttered words he could never say to their faces.
“These soft little fluffballs. I’m holding back. Hah…”
There was no helping it. Briol was a society ruled by status. Class was king.
He soon followed, urging his horse onward.
When Yuri and Laurent arrived, no one even checked their identities. The gates opened immediately, and the three entered the city, greeted by the guards’ salutes.
“Let’s head straight to Francaise University.”
“Yes.”
Yuri had come to Francaise to meet Cedric and Joshua.
It was a sudden decision. The Empire’s aggression had come sooner than expected. Yuri hadn’t anticipated this invasion.
In his previous life, the war had started much later.
The poisoning attempt on the Emperor and the uprising of the Empire’s citizens were unprecedented events.
His involvement was drastically altering the continent’s history.
So far, he had managed well, but the future was uncertain.
That’s why he planned to leave to stop the Empire, entrusting Briol to Cedric and Joshua.
They needed to take preemptive action outside before Briol’s lands became a battlefield.
“I wanted to handle everything myself…”
“Is that even possible? You need us with you.”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t want to drag them into this, but he had no choice.
It was something that had to be done eventually; he had only delayed it for emotional reasons.
Cedric would surely manage Briol well, and Joshua would be a great help.
“Laurent, you can take care of your own business separately.”
“No.”
“If we leave now, we might not return for a long time.”
“That’s fine.”
Yuri didn’t bother asking whether Laurent and Jared would accompany him.
They had been together since the Federation Army days. Now, they could communicate with just a glance.
Wherever he went, Yuri was confident these two would follow.
“This is it.”
Before they knew it, they had arrived at Francaise University, the largest academic institution in Briol. It wasn’t on par with the Empire’s Academium, but it was among the continent’s best.
Soon, Yuri met Cedric and Joshua.
Cedric worried about Yuri’s health, while Joshua teased him from the side.
“Long time no see. No injuries, right?”
“Hey, you look good. Been having fun?”
“Joshua.”
“Ah, bro, just kidding.”
While Yuri talked with Cedric in his study, Laurent and Jared waited outside.
It had been a long time since the three brothers had a conversation alone.
“I heard you came, but you’ve been too busy for me to visit. What’s going on?”
“What? You didn’t come just to see us? Is it work?”
Joshua hadn’t calmed down much; his personality was the same as ever.
Yuri chuckled and began.
“I came to ask a favor.”
He shared his perspective on what was about to unfold.
The Empire was in trouble, and this wouldn’t end as it was. Yohaim was just the beginning; the entire continent would be dragged into war. Briol wouldn’t be an exception, so they needed to prepare.
He explained all this at length.
Yuri also briefly mentioned the dark magic surrounding the palace.
Cedric fell into thought, while Joshua looked around nervously.
“Hey, if this leaks out, we’re dead. Got it?”
He made a throat-slitting gesture. Cedric answered for him.
“Don’t worry. This room is soundproof.”
“Still, man. Bro, you’re really bold to openly criticize the Emperor. Have you lost your fear?”
“I didn’t criticize the Emperor. I just said there might be dark magic in the palace.”
“That’s basically the same thing.”
“Bro, focus on what I’m saying.”
Yuri gave Joshua a pointed look and continued.
“You both know Father has no real interest in governing. I want you to come back and manage Briol.”
It was a statement that could be seen as disrespectful, depending on perspective. But since it wasn’t untrue, Cedric and Joshua simply nodded.
Fiore wasn’t a bad king. It was better for him to do nothing than to rule tyrannically.
So, under his neglect, Briol had been running fairly well on its own.
But with the Empire now a factor, Cedric needed to help manage Briol alongside Fiore.
“I see…”
Cedric nodded.
Given the topic, a brief silence fell. Cedric adjusted his glasses and pondered, while Joshua shrugged.
Trying to lighten the mood, Yuri asked,
“Well, don’t worry too much. I’ll handle it. By the way, what exactly are you studying here at Francaise?”
“I’m studying commerce. You know, a country’s economy thrives when logistics run smoothly. First, we need good roads…”
“Not you, Joshua.”
“What? Is that discrimination?”
“You’ll manage fine on your own.”
“You little…”
Joshua grumbled. Even as he grew older, his behavior hadn’t changed much from when he was young.
Still, it was a relief that he was now applying his talents constructively.
At the end of his previous life, Joshua had shown remarkable skill.
With his sharp mind, he kept devising ways to resist the Empire.
As Yuri smiled quietly at Joshua, Cedric spoke up.
“I’ve recently developed an interest in history.”
“History?”
“Yes, I’ve been researching various things—lost cultures, forgotten histories of ancient nations.”
“That’s good.”
“But as you said, now isn’t the time to study such things.”
Behind his glasses, Cedric’s eyes showed firm resolve. Usually gentle, he didn’t back down when it mattered.
Yuri smiled gratefully.
“Thanks for trusting me.”
Joshua shook his head.
“I’m not trusting you. Actually, I’ve been thinking along the same lines. I was the first to worry about the continent’s situation.”
“Really?”
“Stagnant water always rots. I predicted the Empire’s expansionist moves early on. Got it?”
“Impressive.”
“Don’t believe me? Want to read the paper I wrote last year?”
“I said I believe you.”
Yuri raised both hands, but Joshua kept going.
“Nope. You don’t look convinced. Just because I’m good with a blade doesn’t mean I’ll underestimate my brother.”
“Now I’m starting to want to underestimate you.”
“Fine. Just wait. I’ll bring the papers.”
“Alright, alright.”
Joshua didn’t even acknowledge him and jumped up, heading outside.
Cedric chuckled.
“Joshua just wants to brag about the paper he wrote.”
“If that’s the case, he could’ve just shown it.”
“He’s too shy for that.”
Yuri looked at Cedric. His gentle smile was always the same.
His appearance hadn’t changed much, neither in his past life nor now. As a child, he looked mature beyond his years, and as he aged, wrinkles barely appeared.
His calm demeanor was just as consistent.
Having someone unchanging was a comfort to Yuri, who was living a second life.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
Yuri hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“You probably already guessed this, but…”
“Go on.”
“Princess Katrina is royalty too, so please be careful.”
Yuri warned him about the dangers of the dark magic that had taken hold of the palace. This caution wasn’t just for the emperor and the direct royal line—it included Katrina as well.
Sharp Cedric had likely already caught the hidden meaning behind Yuri’s words.
“I met Princess Katrina. She’s a very kind person. She and you get along well.”
“Right?”
“But even if she doesn’t mean any harm, things could still go wrong.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let personal feelings cause problems.”
Cedric placed his hand on Yuri’s head.
“Already worrying about me? You’ve really grown up, Yuri.”
“Ha ha ha…”
“I’ll always put Briol first.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Oh, and don’t tell Katrina I said that.”
“You’ll see how things go from now on?”
“You little…”
As Cedric ruffled Yuri’s hair roughly, Joshua returned.
Yuri was pulled back to continue reading the paper.
“Not bad, huh?”
“Right?”
Joshua grinned.
“So don’t worry about Briol. It’s only going to get stronger. You’re good with a blade, so go out there and fight with peace of mind.”
“Don’t you worry about me?”
“Do you worry about your father?”
“No.”
“I don’t worry about good swordsmen.”
“Ha ha ha…”
They talked for a while.
The topics ranged from everyday life to concerns about the empire’s future rise.
The laughter of the three brothers echoed through the room.
Left alone in the room, Cedric stood by the window, gazing down at the campus of the University of Français.
Joshua was seeing Yuri off.
By Yuri’s side were Laurent Flandre and his guard, Jared.
Watching the three of them leave, Cedric soon drew the curtains and turned away.
Behind his glasses, his eyes were void of any emotion. Even the usual smile that lingered on his lips had vanished.
He took a crystal orb from the drawer and placed it on the table, running his fingers over its surface. A strange light began to glow from within.
Cedric spoke quietly.
“Yuri has left. Laurent Flandre and his guard are with him. Looks like they’re heading to Johaim.”