“Excuse me? Isn’t this dangerous?”
“Scared?”
“Not at all.”
“Doesn’t look that way.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“Hand me the pocket mirror.”
“Huh?”
Yuri flipped the mirror over, immediately reflecting Jared’s face.
“Look.”
“A mirror all of a sudden?”
“Your expression.”
Jared’s eyes darted around.
Then he stiffened his face and narrowed his eyes sharply upward.
“…?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Suddenly changing your expression.”
“This is how I usually look.”
Yuri put the mirror away.
Jared frowned again, protesting.
“Anyway, wouldn’t it be better to just retreat? The main force is on its way…”
Yuri spread out his palm.
“Stop.”
“Pardon?”
“Hold your face like that. Don’t move.”
“…”
“Now, look.”
Yuri showed him the mirror again. Jared stared into it.
“That’s your true face. You still say you’re not scared?”
Jared changed his expression once more.
“Hey.”
“You’re misunderstanding.”
“What?”
“Fine. Let’s just crush that pathetic empire. Who do they think they are, calling Briole a backwater? Let’s show them the true might of the land of knights.”
“Alright. Roland?”
“I follow the prince wherever he goes.”
“Decision made.”
Yuri pulled some jerky from the gear of the knights they’d slain and popped it into his mouth.
“Our mission is to wipe out the 9th Knight Order and take down their captain, Elpeso.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let’s wear them down as much as possible before the war.”
Yuri’s group started moving again.
The next group they encountered was still scattered and careless, probably because news of the previous ambush hadn’t reached them yet.
“Seems like the Empire’s knight orders aren’t so great when they have more numbers.”
“Could be.”
Yuri nocked an arrow.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
The sweep began again.
But among them was a somewhat alert knight who immediately triggered a signal device as the fight started, revealing their position.
“Damn it.”
Roland swiftly cut down the enemy’s throat.
Four bodies fell to the ground. Yuri quickly gave orders.
“Run. We’ve been spotted.”
“Yes.”
They ran through the heart of the mountain.
The bushes rustled all around.
It was hard to tell if it was wild animals or people moving.
“Prince.”
“Hm?”
“Should we retreat now?”
Roland answered for him.
“Jared, don’t you know the prince yet?”
“Uh…”
“When he sets his mind on something, he sees it through.”
“Yes.”
“So no complaints.”
“Understood…”
Hearing their exchange, Yuri sighed.
He’d been considering just falling back to Briole since they’d been discovered earlier than expected, but Roland’s faith was stronger than he thought.
Jared muttered.
“I think the prince’s regretting this a bit…”
“Oh, Jared.”
“Got it, Sir Roland.”
Yuri closed his eyes. No choice. Sometimes you just have to let the world push you forward.
Then—
“Enemy! Over there!”
Another signal device went off nearby.
Yuri glanced toward the source.
It was on a ridge slightly higher than where they were running.
He clicked his tongue.
“Damn.”
Though their response had been lax so far, these were still Empire knights. Now that the alarm was raised, they’d start reacting properly.
Yuri expanded his awareness.
Enemy presence was closing in from all directions, swarming like ants chasing prey.
He looked at Roland and Jared.
“Looks like…”
He quickly scanned the terrain in sight.
“We’re going to have to fight harder.”
Roland and Jared looked at him.
“Understood.”
“Sorry. We’re not strong enough…”
“No.”
Yuri shook his head.
“If you two aren’t enough, then all the other knights should just die.”
The two had grown a lot wandering with Yuri. Young as they were, they were far stronger than most knights.
Yuri was abnormally strong, but even without him, they were geniuses in their own right.
Soon, they’d be named among the top ten contenders for the next generation of elite knights.
“I might be pushing it. But we can’t just run away, right?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s tear the 9th Knight Order to shreds.”
Yuri’s glance hardened both their expressions.
“Drop the gear. Move fast.”
They discarded unnecessary equipment and moved quickly.
Enemy presence was all around. Now they were the ones being hunted.
Yuri smirked.
When in danger, his mind sharpened. His heartbeat quickened, and his body accelerated.
Using the Soul Slash to channel chaos felt easier than before.
If he fell asleep, the Soul Demon would come, but dying now was worse.
“There.”
Someone’s head flickered ahead.
Yuri dashed forward in an instant. Roland and Jared lagged behind, unable to keep up, but Yuri cut through the bushes without hesitation.
The opposing knight barely reacted in time, raising his sword.
Yuri didn’t want to waste time.
Feigning a sword clash, he kicked hard into the man’s lower abdomen.
“Ugh!”
The knight collapsed, and Yuri drove his sword down onto the man’s head.
The helmet split in two.
The contents spilled out.
But there was no time to linger. They were a group of four.
As Yuri killed one, the other three reacted.
Three swords came flying.
Empire knights were all highly skilled. They couldn’t be taken down by ordinary means.
Yuri summoned chaos again.
Though it would bring on the Soul Demon, it temporarily granted him power comparable to the elite ten.
The effect was immediate.
Yuri’s speed increased.
He slipped effortlessly between the three sword strikes, slashing one knight’s side. The armor bent, and soft flesh was torn by the blade.
One knight fell.
Turning outward, Yuri swung his sword against another.
Two swords clashed, and when the knight faltered, Yuri leapt up and stomped on his head.
Using the momentum, he sprang toward the last one.
A sword descended from above.
Its fierce power cleaved the knight from helmet to chest.
Half the body split open, and the knight collapsed, dead.
Three enemies were dead in an instant.
Yuri caught his breath.
“Wow, Prince.”
Roland and Jared, witnessing his prowess, swallowed hard.
“How was that? Pretty cool?”
“Are you alright?”
“Of course.”
Yuri felt himself growing more accustomed to channeling chaos. He used it faster and more precisely than before, adjusting its effect exactly as he wished.
“Your eyes…”
“Eyes?”
“They’re bloodshot.”
Yuri touched his eyes. They did feel warm.
“Is that so?”
He realized he’d been in the realm of the soul for so long he hadn’t even noticed.
His vision returned to normal.
A slight dizziness made him stumble briefly, but he regained his balance.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Yuri smiled.
“This is nothing.”
But Roland and Jared looked uneasy.
“Prince, you’re pushing yourself too hard.”
Even without knowing about the Soul Demon, they were worried. Yuri frowned.
“Jared.”
“Yes?”
“Pocket mirror.”
He handed it over, and Yuri checked his face. His eyes were a bit bloodshot but otherwise looked fine.
“I’m okay.”
“Not your appearance, your energy…”
“Energy?”
“It feels murky.”
Yuri’s Soul Slash was originally a very pure, clear power. It even felt pristine.
But when he drew on chaos, it was different.
A dark, murky energy seeped out.
In a way, it made sense. Chaos was a force of disorder; impurities naturally emerged.
“It’s fine.”
Yuri shrugged.
“This is nothing.”
He raised his sword again. There was no time for idle talk.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
Yuri moved forward, a faint smile on his lips.
He was no longer afraid of the enemy.
Moyongchan had said even the Heavenly Demon couldn’t overcome the Soul Demon.
But Yuri didn’t care.
He had returned to set things right.
He could win.
Compared to the hellish time of his past life, this was nothing but a dream.
“There.”
Yuri’s awareness caught the enemy again.
He sprang forward silently.
Roland and Jared followed, speechless for a moment.
They hurried after him but couldn’t catch up. By the time they reached his back, Yuri would have already finished the fight.
“Sir Roland.”
“Yes?”
“Today, the prince’s back feels so far away.”
“It really is…”
Yuri was far ahead.
“He’s suddenly gotten so strong. Is this really okay?”
“He did change after killing Yalta.”
“Maybe it takes a trigger to get stronger? Like a life-or-death battle?”
“Maybe.”
Roland sighed.
It had been quite some time since they pledged loyalty to the third prince.
They’d worked tirelessly to catch up, but the gap only widened.
Thanks to that, they were still alive, but deep down, Roland felt a sense of self-doubt.
“Sir Roland, I can read your thoughts.”
“Really?”
“I’m your guard. I’m the one who should feel self-doubt in this situation.”
“But Jared was helpful.”
“How so?”
“Pocket mirror.”
“…”
“That really helped the prince. I should start carrying my gear around, too.”
“I think if Sir Roland had lent the prince a hand mirror, he wouldn’t have teased him so much.”
“Probably.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because it suits me.”
“Wow…”
Roland and Jared quickened their pace, arriving to find Yuri standing over the bodies of four imperial knights she had just slain.
They both froze for a moment.
Yuri’s gaze was cold and sharp as she looked at them.
“You’re here?”
But it was only for a moment. She soon relaxed back into her usual self and gave a sly smile.
“I’m scared. Of my own skill.”
The four knights lay fallen, unable to put up much resistance.
Jared spoke up.
“Looks like after this war, the Ten Strong might become the Eleven Strong.”
The three of them searched the dead knights for anything useful. There wasn’t much. Yuri popped a piece of jerky into her mouth and muttered,
“Hmm…”
“What is it?”
“Someone’s made a move.”
“What?”
“They’re coming.”
Yuri’s magical senses were wide open now.
She could almost feel how the imperial knights were moving, as if she had a map in her mind.
“They’re tracking us. But with what…”
Yuri suddenly looked up at the sky.
A bird circled above their heads.
“A mage, maybe.”
“What do we do?”
“Gather around for a moment.”
The two approached Yuri.
She lowered her head.
“So…”
“Yes.”
“Don’t be surprised. I’m going to move suddenly.”
“What?”
Just as if she were about to explain something, Yuri grabbed the bow on her back, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the sky.
Before the bird could even flap its wings, the arrow sliced through the air.
It pierced the bird’s chest perfectly.
Its wings stopped mid-flap, and it plummeted straight to the ground.
It all happened in an instant.
“Bet that startled it.”
Yuri approached the fallen bird. It was an ordinary bird, but wrapped around its leg was something like a jeweled necklace.
“They used the bird to scout us.”
“So they already know where we are.”
“Looks like it.”
Yuri closed her eyes and assessed the surroundings.
After drawing on the chaotic power, her mind felt sharper than ever, like she’d taken a stimulant.
She had pinpointed the enemy’s positions.
“Let’s head that way.”
She pointed toward the mountain path.
“Going further up the mountain? Then…”
“We have no choice. That’s the weakest point right now.”
“Do you think they’re doing that on purpose?”
“Maybe.”
Yuri wiped the blood-stained blade of Gilty’s sword on one of the dead knights.
“But this time, we have to spring the trap.”
“Understood.”
Jared sighed.
“I thought they’d fight just enough and back off, but looks like this is going to be a real showdown.”
“You said from the start that was the plan, didn’t you?”
Elpeso gritted his teeth.
“We can’t let them get away.”
The mage tracking Briol’s three knights suddenly collapsed, overwhelmed by the shock of his magic being broken.
They were incredibly skilled.
Briol’s beast, Jared.
A name he’d never heard before, but one destined to become a major threat to the empire.
“If we don’t kill them now, they’ll be a huge obstacle later.”
Though strong, the Ninth Order still had enough strength. Even the Ten Strong would struggle to break through this encirclement.
“Drive them up the mountain and hunt them down.”
Elpeso’s eyes gleamed fiercely.
“Either we kill them, or we die. There’s no other option. Understood?”
“Yes!”