After leaving Frances, Yuri and his group arrived at a small nearby town.
Yuri quietly told the guards to keep their mouths shut and not to say a word, then stepped inside.
“Why have you come here?” a voice asked.
“We have some business to attend to,” Yuri replied.
The four, faces hidden beneath their hoods, made their way to the local branch of the Irein Trading Company.
Inside, a familiar face awaited Yuri.
“Your Highness, it’s been a while,” said Guillermo, the company’s vice president.
“Did you prepare what I asked for?”
“Everything is ready.”
“Good. By the way, there’s one more now.” Yuri nodded toward Jose, who tilted his head in confusion.
Guillermo rubbed his chin, looking a bit troubled. “Judging by his build, this won’t be easy. But I’ll find someone as soon as possible.”
“Please do.”
“Don’t worry. Money solves everything. Shall we meet him now?”
“Alright.”
Jared looked at Yuri. “Meet who?”
“You’ll see.”
Before leaving the palace, Yuri had contacted Guillermo to hire a disguise expert.
Following Guillermo’s lead, they entered the branch’s interior.
“This is him—Pavar. A master of disguise known for completely transforming anyone he works on.”
A bald man, not a single hair on his head, bowed politely to Yuri.
“I’m Pavar. It’s an honor to meet Your Highness.”
On the table lay his tools, but what caught Yuri’s eye was a round lump of flesh-colored material.
Yuri nodded. “I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you start right away?”
“Of course.”
“This is urgent. Work quickly. I’ll pay handsomely.”
“Leave it to me.”
As Yuri and Pavar spoke, Jared, standing nearby, asked, “What exactly is going on here?”
“I told you—we need to move incognito.”
“Wait, you mean…?”
“Exactly. This guy will turn us into different people.”
Pavar grinned and nodded. “Just leave it to me.”
But Jared looked skeptical. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just wear masks? A little makeup won’t change someone that much. We’ll get caught.”
Pavar’s expression darkened. “Did you just call it ‘a little makeup’?”
Though Pavar was a civilian and Jared a sword-wielding knight, Jared suddenly felt a piercing pressure in his chest and took a step back.
Confidence in oneself. A professional’s refusal to accept mistakes. Pride in one’s craft.
All of it blazed fiercely in Pavar’s eyes.
“You’ll regret what you just said.”
“I—I must have misspoken…”
“No, that wasn’t a mistake. That’s just your perception of me, knight. A rather simplistic one.”
Pavar placed his hand on the dough-like lump on the table and began kneading it roughly.
“I’ll shatter that misconception. Please, have a seat, knight.”
“I said I’m sorry!”
“If you’re sorry, then sit down.”
“Ugh…”
Watching this, Yuri nodded approvingly.
“Impressive.”
To stand unbowed before a sword-bearing knight—that alone was enough to call him a true artisan.
Excited, Yuri nudged Jared’s back.
“Alright, Pavar. Show him what you’ve got. Let’s make this arrogant knight cry his eyes out in front of the mirror.”
“Yes, just trust me.”
“No, wait—”
In the end, Jared was seated in a large chair.
“Stay still.”
“Uh?”
His hands and feet were bound. His face turned pale.
“You’re really going to do makeup now?”
“What I do isn’t makeup.”
“Then what?”
“Transformation. I’m not a makeup artist—I’m a special effects technician.”
“Special effects technician?”
Jared had no idea such a thing existed.
“Yes.”
Pavar placed his fingertips on Jared’s jawline, tracing it with a sly smile.
“Good raw material. Now, take a look over there.”
He pointed to a large mirror nearby. Jared saw his own terrified reflection.
Pavar’s lips curled into a sinister grin.
“You’re about to become someone else. Say your final goodbye to your precious face, knight. Heh heh heh…”
“No… no, don’t!”
But he was trapped by the restraints.
Pavar proceeded to toy with Jared’s entire face, from forehead to chin.
A hot, sticky substance was repeatedly applied and peeled off.
Those watching gaped in amazement. It was hard to believe what they were seeing.
“Wow…”
“Is this really the work of a special effects technician?”
“What on earth is that made of?”
Pavar chuckled. “Slime.”
“Slime?”
“Processed slime makes an excellent material. Of course, there are other ingredients, but that’s my secret.”
Finally, the work was done.
Jared was no longer there.
In his place sat a rough-looking man with thick, bushy eyebrows, large intense eyes, and a coarse beard bristling like thorns.
“Is that really Jared?”
“Unbelievable.”
It wasn’t just a slight change in features—the entire bone structure of the face was different.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Pavar grinned.
“You haven’t seen anything yet. This face is detachable.”
“What?”
“Watch.”
Grabbing Jared’s chin, Pavar pulled upward, and the skin began to peel away.
It was like removing a mask of flesh. Everyone gasped in horror.
“Hahaha, no need to cover your eyes. Look.”
“Uh…”
To their astonishment, beneath the face was another face.
Jared frowned and shook his head.
“This is the slime mask I developed. You can mold any face you want with this material, fix its shape, and wear or remove it at will. Would you like to try?”
Yuri took the slime mask Pavar handed him and examined it from all angles.
The texture felt just like real skin.
“Amazing.”
“The beard and hair are real human hair. Give it a try.”
“Is that okay?”
“It might not fit perfectly, but you’ll get the experience.”
Yuri pulled the slime mask over his face.
“It’s a bit big.”
“Everyone’s face is different. To be perfect, it needs to be custom-made.”
Yuri looked at his reflection. A completely different person stared back.
Though the edges of the mask drooped slightly, it was so natural no one would suspect it was a mask.
“To think such technology exists. Did you develop this?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Incredible. To create something like this all on your own.”
“That’s true of any field. A great pioneer breaks new ground, and others follow in their footsteps.”
“You’re saying the great pioneer is…?”
“Me. Pavar.”
Yuri removed the slime mask and extended his hand.
“A handshake, Pavar.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I think we’re cut from the same cloth.”
“Cut from the same cloth?”
“Those who leave their names in history. Heh heh heh…”
“Heh heh heh…”
The two shook hands, sharing a knowing smile only kindred spirits could understand.
“Good. Great special effects technician Pavar, fit us with slime masks.”
“Yes, Your Highness. How would you like your appearances?”
“Whatever you think best.”
“Understood. Though I’m a technician, I’m also an artist. I’ll reveal the other faces you carry inside.”
And so, the four received new faces crafted by Pavar.
“Guillermo, what about the doubles?”
“They’re ready. Shall I send them out now?”
“Do it.”
Yuri didn’t stop at just changing their faces.
He prepared doubles of similar build to ride their horses back to the palace.
From the outside, it would look like Yuri and his group had simply returned from a brief trip to Frances.
But in reality, they were heading to Yohaim.
“No one will suspect we’ve left.”
“Your preparation is impressive.”
“You have to plan well before you act.”
“Still, it’s not easy to have everything line up so perfectly…”
“Money solves everything.”
Pavar, the doubles—it all came down to money.
Yuri smiled.
“From now on, we become different people. We’ll pose as locals from Yohaim who have risen up after hearing rumors of the kingdom’s peril.”
“Do you think it’ll work?”
“There’s no reason it won’t. If things go south, we’ll just fake our deaths.”
Riding the new horses Guillermo had procured, the four quietly left the town.
The Fifth Knight Order, having entered the forest, found themselves stuck, unable to advance.
Then came the unbelievable news that their commander had been captured.
The deputy commander took over and led the knights in retreat beyond the forest.
“What the hell is going on?” one knight shouted in frustration after barely escaping.
“They don’t even engage in swordplay—just hide and shoot arrows, set traps. Cowardly bastards…”
“Yeah.”
“What kind of knights are they?”
“Exactly.”
The deputy commander nodded absently, sitting on a rock. He half-listened to his subordinate’s complaints.
“Rodents with no shame. We should just—”
“Enough.”
“Deputy commander?”
“Quiet down and rest.”
He sighed. This was why Yohaim had gotten the better of them.
In war, there’s no such thing as honorable or dishonorable tactics from the start.
There were very few nations capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Empire’s knights in a direct confrontation. So, all Joachim was doing was crafting a strategy suited to their situation—and fighting brilliantly.
“Didn’t expect Joachim to fight like that…”
As far as he knew, Joachim wasn’t exactly a clever country.
They were just a backwater mountain nation that didn’t know how to use tactics like silent arrows or traps to harass the enemy.
So when the order came down to strike Joachim, he hadn’t felt much pressure.
But now, with most of the knights dead, their commander taken prisoner, and even being forced to retreat under threat to his life, the situation was entirely different.
The future of the knights depended on how they handled what came next.
“Deputy Commander, let’s go back in, kill them all, and rescue the commander.”
“Quiet.”
Even if they went back into the forest, there was no clear way forward.
The place was so heavily trapped it was like stepping into a pit of venomous snakes—one wrong move and you’d be dead.
After a long moment of thought, the deputy commander made a decision.
“We wait.”
“Pardon?”
“We wait for the main force.”
“But…”
This would seriously damage the reputation of the Fifth Knights.
But with their commander captured, there was no honor left to lose.
They had to survive, no matter what.
“If you don’t like it, go in there and fight alone.”
“Well…”
“Not confident, huh?”
The knight hesitated.
The deputy commander patted his shoulder, then stood up from the rock and looked out at the dense forest blocking their path, giving a bitter smile.
“This is a real swamp…”
To break through that forest, they’d need overwhelming force or troops at least twice the enemy’s number.
If it were Graham, the ‘Empire’s Barbarian’ and a seasoned warrior against Joachim, he could probably break through.
“We’ll get through it when the time comes. No need to rush.”
“So, we’re just waiting?”
“It won’t take long. When the time comes, those fools will pay dearly for daring to defy the Empire.”
The deputy commander said this with a grin.
But back at the main force, something completely unexpected was unfolding.
“What did you say?”
Graham was stunned by the soldier’s report.
“So you’re telling me they got beaten up?”
“Yes.”
“And even had their money stolen?”
“Yes…”
“How?”
“Well, you see, a gang of thugs who hate the Empire’s army showed up…”
The soldier’s face was bruised badly.
Graham pressed his palm to his forehead.
“What the hell…”
An army needed supplies to fight a war.
Since there were limits to what they could get through official channels, every time they passed through a Joachim city, Graham sent soldiers to buy what they needed at fair prices.
The local lords, fearing retaliation, always agreed to trade.
But this time, the soldiers came back limping and injured.
Judging by their condition, they wouldn’t be able to fight for a while.
“We couldn’t even meet the lord. We ran into those thugs before we even reached the city…”
“…”
He understood why the Joachim people hated the Empire’s army, but trained soldiers getting beaten up like this was hard to accept.
Graham instinctively sensed a troublesome new enemy had appeared.
“Who exactly were these thugs?”
“Well, that’s the thing. I asked a passing local out of frustration…”
As the soldier continued, Graham was left speechless.
“Apparently, some mat salesman got so outraged by the Empire’s invasion that he swore an oath with two sworn brothers in a sweet potato field. The one who beat us up was the youngest of the three—a rough-looking bandit with a fiery temper.”