When Jared opened his eyes, sunlight was filtering through the branches that covered the entrance of the cave.
“Hm?”
For some reason, his body felt surprisingly refreshed.
He glanced over at Laurent, who was sleeping peacefully like a corpse, then blinked. Yuri wasn’t in sight. Looks like he had woken up earlier.
Jared shifted his body and peered outside.
The mountain greeted the morning in perfect stillness.
He brushed away the natural debris blocking the entrance and stepped out.
The cool morning air felt like it was cleansing his entire body.
As he was stretching alone, Laurent appeared beside him.
“Jared. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. And you, Sir Laurent?”
“Sleep well. Though I’m not sure if it’s right to call the Earthen Meditation Technique ‘sleep’…”
They both felt as if they had truly rested deeply.
“And the prince?”
“He wasn’t here when I woke up.”
“Is that so?”
Laurent looked around.
“Is it okay for us to just stay here like this?”
“Don’t you feel anything? No presence at all?”
“Yeah, that’s strange.”
They were being hunted by the Ninth Order of Knights, which was why they had barely escaped into the cave.
But after entering the Earthen Meditation Technique and opening their eyes, they sensed no enemy presence at all.
“Where on earth is the prince?”
“Hmm…”
As Jared continued his stretches, Laurent stood beside him and joined in.
It was knightly calisthenics—movements every Briol knight knew. They were excellent for loosening up the body and were good to do before any activity.
Side by side, they began twisting their bodies.
“Sir Laurent.”
“Yes?”
“Why does it feel so peaceful?”
“I know…”
The difference before and after entering the Earthen Meditation Technique was stark.
All urgency had vanished, replaced by a calmness that felt like a mountain retreat.
It wasn’t that they were oblivious to the situation; there really was no enemy presence nearby.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind.
“What’s this? Morning calisthenics?”
“Prince!”
Yuri, who rarely gave away his presence, appeared.
Dressed in the usual imperial army uniform, he pushed through the bushes with Guilty slung over his shoulder.
“What’s that?”
“Breakfast. Let’s roast it.”
Yuri held the ears of two rabbits in one hand.
“Oh…”
For the three of them, who had been gnawing on dried jerky for days, this was a welcome treat like rain in a drought.
Jared quickly gathered some branches.
“By the way, it’s awfully quiet.”
“Right?”
“Where did the imperial army go?”
“They left.”
“What?”
“They went back to the main force.”
“Why?”
Yuri shrugged.
“Because the captain died?”
Laurent and Jared stared at Yuri.
“That’s what happened.”
Clearing his throat, Yuri began skinning and gutting the rabbits.
Soon, the skewered rabbits were roasting over the campfire.
“Did the prince not sleep at all?”
“Sleep? You say that like the Earthen Meditation Technique worked well.”
“Well, it’s sleep, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t sleep.”
Yuri spoke honestly.
“I thought it’d be easier to move alone. Sorry.”
Laurent and Jared fell silent, watching the rabbits turn golden brown.
Yuri moving alone was a sign of their own shortcomings.
Even if he couldn’t be a great help, at least he shouldn’t be a hindrance—and yet, a wide gap had already formed between Yuri and them.
“Don’t be too discouraged. It’s because we were hiding and fighting at night. Moving alone was the better option.”
“Yes. We’re just sorry for our lack of skill, Your Highness.”
“No.”
Laurent bowed his head.
Jared tried to lighten the mood with a cheerful voice.
“By the way, did you really kill the captain all by yourself, Elpeso?”
“That’s right.”
“Did you just get lucky with a blind arrow or something?”
“Nonsense. I took down Elpeso and the four knights he had with him—all at once…”
As Yuri began recounting his exploits, Jared laughed.
“Your Highness, you have a knack for storytelling.”
“It’s true.”
“Come on.”
Yuri shrugged.
He told it straight, but to others, it might have sounded like exaggeration—he had simply become too strong.
This was all a result of embracing the power of chaos.
The Soul Spirit would come eventually, but Yuri judged it wouldn’t be a big problem.
“If that happens, you’ll be a complete Ten Strong.”
“Feels about right.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. I don’t care much for titles, so it won’t change much. When facing the empire, I’ll just use myself as a joker.”
Yuri joked often, but he never said nonsense—especially not with war looming.
Given his age, it was an absurd situation.
“Sorry, but can I ask again if you’re serious?”
“No.”
“Then would you beat Sir Jose in a fight?”
“Last time was a draw, so I guess I’d win now.”
“When was the draw?”
“That happened.”
Yuri had once dueled Jose against the backdrop of the Brusens Sea.
“Let’s eat this and head back to Briol. The empire’s schedule will probably be delayed a bit.”
Advancing into territory controlled by the vanguard was different from moving into land where the vanguard had been defeated and fled.
Not knowing where ambushes might lie, the imperial army would start moving more cautiously.
That alone was a big win.
“Besides, the captain of the knights is dead. The empire’s morale will be broken.”
Before the war even properly began, the empire had lost the Ninth Order’s captain and many knights.
“Now the name of Briol’s beast, Jared, will spread far and wide. Brace yourself.”
“Let’s just say it’s a namesake.”
“Aren’t you the only knight named Jared in Briol?”
“Where did this new one come from?”
“Let’s just say it’s you.”
“No, that won’t do.”
“It’s ready. Let’s eat.”
“Yes.”
“You just said yes.”
“Not that, something else…”
The three of them peacefully roasted and ate the rabbits on the mountain the Ninth Order had left.
After filling their stomachs, they stood up.
Jared kept glancing back.
“Are they really all gone?”
“Yes.”
Yuri recalled the events of the previous night.
After crushing Elpeso’s chest and killing him, Yuri had slipped into the shadows.
Soon, the knights found his body.
Having been toyed with by just three people and losing their captain, they panicked.
They argued among themselves before hastily retreating toward their main force.
Their formation was a mess, not a trace of composure. Aside from Elpeso, there seemed to be no one capable of leading the order.
Perhaps the vice-captain was among the four who died with him.
Yuri watched their retreat from the darkness.
“They’re all gone.”
Laurent and Jared fell silent.
So, in the end, Yuri had taken care of everything alone.
“Sir Laurent.”
“Yes.”
“When we get back, let’s spar.”
“Sure.”
Yuri smiled faintly.
“Both of you, don’t worry about me. Just develop at your own pace.”
Yuri had inherited the innate talents of Briol’s royal bloodline and had even returned from the past.
Thanks to that, he had gained the mana method called Soul Slash and met excellent masters like Bernard and Moyongchan.
In a way, it was only natural that he had become this strong.
“Yes.”
But Laurent’s expression was dark.
Jared was generally easygoing, but Laurent was stubborn like his swordsmanship and deeply loyal.
So his disappointment seemed even greater.
Yuri patted his shoulder.
“Laurent. When we get back, let’s spar. I’ll teach you.”
“Yes…”
As someone who had earned Laurent’s loyalty, Yuri felt he needed to look after him.
“Sorry for troubling you, Your Highness, and making you worry over this.”
“No, it’s only natural.”
Jared chimed in.
“Your Highness, please look after me too.”
“Of course.”
Yuri handed over a piece of the slightly charred rabbit meat.
“Eat this.”
“Ha…”
“This is the time for a beer, but too bad.”
“Let’s have one when we get back to Briol.”
“That doesn’t feel right.”
“How about finishing with a beer right in the middle of the training ground, just before we die?”
“That sounds good.”
They finished both rabbits and stood up.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Before turning, Yuri looked northwest—the direction the imperial knights had left toward their main force. Somewhere beyond the horizon, their enemies were still advancing.
They had bought some time, but the road ahead was still long.
The war to come was only just beginning.
After repelling this army, another would appear, and after that, an even stronger enemy.
One day, they would face the dreaded black army he had seen so many times in his past life.
This fight wouldn’t end until they captured the monster of black magic.
Suddenly, Laurent approached. Sensing Yuri’s worries, he offered words of comfort.
“Your Highness, Sir Hernando said he’ll be back soon. There should be some results.”
“Let’s hope so.”
“I don’t fully understand what black magic is yet, but I believe it can be stopped. Especially by you, Your Highness.”
Yuri looked at Laurent.
He suddenly recalled the moment in his past life when Laurent had struck his neck.
Smiling softly, he placed a hand on Laurent’s shoulder.
“Thank you for saying that.”
Officially, Laurent was a bit older than Yuri, but in reality, he was much younger.
That was why Yuri found Laurent and Jared rather endearing.
They were far better people than those from his past life.
“Let’s go.”
Yuri, Laurent, and Jared had returned to the Briol royal palace.
Though their departure and the fact that they had stopped the Ninth Knight Order were officially classified, a select few commanders had been briefed on the matter.
They were stunned by Yuri’s effortless skill.
“I believe we can now assess him on par with the Ten Strong,” Fiore said.
He was speaking with a retainer who had come to the palace—the Count of Francaise and Laurent’s father, Lian Flandre.
“What does Your Majesty think of this?” Lian asked.
“Well…” Fiore hesitated. Yuri had grown stronger, but his presence was different from that of an ordinary knight.
Having little firsthand experience with chaos, Fiore simply shrugged.
“That’s encouraging.”
“Yes.”
Briol’s military strength was more than sufficient at the moment.
Known as the land of knights, it had always boasted formidable forces. On top of that, Fiore Briol was hailed as the strongest of the era, and they maintained friendly relations with three of the Ten Strong: Moyongchan, Inariel, and Hose.
And now, suddenly, Yuri had reached a level comparable to the Ten Strong.
In a way, the top-tier warriors here could be said to surpass even the Empire’s best.
“Sir Hose is busy defending his own country, and Moyongchan has departed, but there are still three warriors here on par with the Ten Strong,” Lian noted.
“We mustn’t be complacent,” Fiore shook his head.
“There are many skilled fighters in the Empire we don’t know about. The Ninth Knight Order’s captain was killed by Yuri, but that was just one order.”
“That’s true.”
“The Empire likes to rank its warriors. The fewer in number, the stronger they tend to be.”
“Hmm…”
“There are definitely hidden talents out there. Some might even rival the Ten Strong.”
“Phew, we still have a long way to go,” Lian sighed.
As he sipped his tea, the grand doors to the hall suddenly opened.
“Greetings,” a new figure entered.
It was Cedric, who offered a gentle smile and a respectful bow, then greeted Lian as well.
“I’ll see you again soon, Count.”
“Yes. We met in Francaise, didn’t we?”
Cedric took a seat beside Lian.
“While I was absorbed in my studies, much has happened. I should have come sooner. It’s my failing. I apologize, Your Majesty.”
Fiore nodded.
“Are you truly sorry?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“Good, my son. If you’re that sorry, I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything, please.”
“Lian, is that alright?”
Fiore glanced at Lian, who sighed but then nodded.
“Do as you wish. No one can bend His Majesty’s will anyway.”
Cedric tilted his head in curiosity.
“What favor do you intend to ask?”
Fiore leaned back on the throne, smiling. He regarded Cedric for a long moment. Adjusting his glasses, Cedric’s eyes widened.
Fiore said, “It’s about time I pass the crown on to you.”