Yuri sat at a table in the palace garden, deep in conversation with Joshua.
“Do you understand how important division of labor is?”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“To make the country prosperous, first you have to encourage efficient production through division of labor. Then, you need a proper commercial system so that the goods produced can be exchanged smoothly.”
“Got it.”
“Imagine there’s a farmer named Jason and a fisherman named Pietro.”
“Okay…”
“If the farmer starts fishing and the fisherman starts farming, do you think the country will function properly? They each need to focus on what they’re good at, then trade with each other…”
“I said I get it.”
Joshua was sharing the knowledge he’d gained at the University of Frances with Yuri. He spoke passionately about developing commerce and trade to strengthen the nation’s economy and military.
Yuri shook her head as she listened.
“Yeah, I understand how important commerce is.”
“Glad you do.”
“But right now…”
She pointed behind her, toward the northwest.
From that direction, the empire’s main forces were advancing toward Briol.
“Shouldn’t stopping those guys be our priority?”
“Military power comes from economic strength.”
“Isn’t it too tight a timeline to build that economic strength first?”
“Damn.”
Joshua sighed.
“I devoted myself to scholarship, and now those imperial bastards are persecuting me…”
Yuri chuckled quietly as she looked at him. Still, she admired him. He was her older brother, with whom she’d wasted so many years in their past lives. But now, seeing him work so hard, she felt relieved.
If he could put that sharp mind to good use instead of mischief, he’d surely accomplish great things in the future.
Taking a sip of tea, Yuri said, “And as for policies, talk to Father, not me.”
“I already have. But he’s dismissive. A ruler should heed his advisors, but Father… well, he’s a bit lacking as a king.”
“Hmm…”
It was hard to deny. In fact, Joshua’s wasted talent in their past life was partly because their father, Fiore, was indifferent. If he had encouraged Joshua to use his mind properly, maybe he would have achieved something.
“Then how about talking to Cedric?”
“He already knows everything.”
Joshua shook his head.
“No matter what I say, he’s already aware. Even if it’s something new, I just say a word and he figures out the rest on his own. It’s no fun explaining.”
“That figures…”
Cedric was undeniably a genius—the kind of prodigy who excelled in every field. Though he’d put down his sword years ago, he was probably still stronger than most knights. His scholarly reputation was even greater; from a young age, scholars around him were amazed.
“Hmm…”
Yuri scratched her chin. Maybe, for Briol’s future, it would be best if Cedric ascended the throne quickly.
Their father had never been particularly interested in ruling the country.
“Well, he’ll be king when the time comes…”
Someday, Cedric would become king. Just knowing that brought Yuri peace of mind.
Everyone is born with different talents, but she’d never seen anyone better suited to be king than Cedric. Not only was he brilliant, but his character was flawless.
If you ranked the qualities of a ruler, Cedric would be right up there with Fiore.
Yuri spoke up.
“Hearing you out has made me more certain.”
“About what?”
“Cedric needs to become king soon. Should we try to make that happen?”
“Ha…”
Joshua leaned back in his chair, laughing.
“You little… If you said that out loud, it’d be treason. Planning to usurp the throne?”
“It’s not usurpation, it’s succession. And even if I say that, Briol’s fine.”
As long as Fiore is alive, no one can forcibly take the throne.
Joshua opened his mouth again.
“There are rumors already. That Father might hand over the throne early.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“Somewhere. Father’s always been tired of the throne.”
“Hmm…”
“Though it seems like he’s waiting for something.”
Yuri nodded. In a way, that was good news.
No, her lips curled into a smile.
“This is actually great news.”
“You little…”
Joshua frowned, then burst out laughing.
“Right?”
“Yeah. If we handle this war well, Briol will become a wonderful country. And with you around, you’ll support the eldest brother well.”
“And you?”
“I’m no good at anything but fighting.”
“Then before Father passes, you better catch up. Otherwise, the empire will keep attacking.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Yuri and Joshua talked about Briol under Cedric’s future reign. Neither wanted to be king themselves, but both agreed they wanted to support Cedric from the sidelines.
Suddenly, Jared approached.
“Your Highness, the preparations you requested are complete.”
“Is that so?”
Yuri stood up from the table where she’d been talking with Joshua.
“Brother, I’m going then.”
“Go ahead. You need to stay busy. The war’s right around the corner.”
“You too?”
“What do you mean? A scholar like me will be hiding in the shadows. You do all the sword fighting.”
“Alright, alright. I’m off.”
“Go.”
Joshua waved her off.
Yuri left with Jared, walking out of the garden and through the palace.
“Did you get permission?”
“Yes.”
Not long ago, Yuri had sent Jared to request access to the palace’s preservation archives.
Because the archives contained ancient materials, access was strictly limited.
Originally, Yuri hadn’t planned to go, but after gaining the Chaos Soul, she changed her mind.
She wanted to find out more about Erich Briol, the creator of the Soul Blade.
“So far, I haven’t been able to go even if I wanted to. There’s a limit on the number of visitors.”
“A limit?”
“Yes. Only one person at a time.”
The preservation archives restricted who could enter and how many.
Only one visitor at a time.
“Cedric used to practically live there.”
“Ah…”
“He read every book in the palace, so he got access.”
“Does he not go anymore?”
“Looks like he’s finished reading everything.”
“Impressive.”
“Exactly.”
When Yuri first got the Soul Blade, she’d considered visiting the archives to research Erich Briol but gave up. Getting permission was difficult, and Cedric was already there. Besides, she doubted there was much useful information.
Soon, they arrived at the palace archives. A librarian came out to greet them.
“Your Highness, it’s been a while.”
“Sounds like there’s a hidden meaning there.”
“I’m genuinely glad to see you after so long. Ha ha ha.”
“How have you been?”
“Very well, thank you.”
The librarian led Yuri down to the preservation archives in the basement.
Though there was a faint smell of dust, the air was generally cool and pleasant.
Jared whistled.
“The air’s really fresh.”
“We have various systems in place to preserve the books. The air is very clean, isn’t it?”
The librarian smiled as he unlocked several layers of locks.
“No one can come and go freely. It’s a precious place. I hope you find the knowledge you seek, Your Highness.”
As the door opened, a long staircase descended. Jared stayed at the entrance while Yuri went down alone.
The preservation archives looked much like the upper floors, except the books were very old.
Deeper inside, surrounded by bookshelves, was a table. Yuri touched its surface, and a fine layer of dust clung to her fingertips.
As far as she knew, few had entered here since Cedric.
He probably studied here, reading books on this very table.
“Hmm…”
What had her brother read and studied in this place? Yuri smiled faintly as she looked around.
Cedric was so organized that he probably left no traces, but just in case, she glanced under the table.
“Nothing.”
She stood and surveyed the room. The archives were disorganized; it wasn’t easy to find materials on Erich Briol.
She wandered between shelves, checking titles.
Most were dull-looking books.
“This place is huge…”
She searched for books about the old royal family or anything with Erich Briol’s name.
A few appeared, but none had the detailed information she wanted.
Yuri quietly lifted the Soul Blade and overlaid it with Chaos.
A murky energy flickered in her hand before fading.
She needed some clue about this dangerous, powerful force.
“Is there anything here?”
Suddenly, she felt something and turned her head.
The shelves blocked the view beyond, but she sensed something.
It was a subtle feeling, perceptible only to her keen intuition.
Yuri approached the spot. The shelves were packed with old books.
She pulled one from the middle shelf, revealing a wooden back. It was part of the bookshelf; the wall behind was hidden.
She cleared the entire section of books.
And then she found something.
“Hmm…”
Behind the shelves was a small hole, revealing a wall made of gray bricks.
Yuri tapped the spot with her hand.
There was a hollow sound.
“…”
Since the preservation archives were built underground by digging into the earth, such a hollow response was unusual. It meant there was a space beyond.
“A hole, huh…”
The very existence of this hidden hole was strange in itself.
Yuri pulled every book off the shelf and piled them on the floor.
As she did, more holes appeared behind the bookshelf—one in each compartment.
“Hmm…”
A strange premonition stirred within her as she tapped the wall beyond each hole, moving from top to bottom in order.
Then, she felt a faint click.
Yuri swallowed hard.
She had come to the archive expecting to find old books, not stumble upon some unexpected secret.
Pressing on one end of the bookshelf, she heard a heavy rumble.
With a grinding sound, the brick wall slowly began to rotate.
It was a revolving door.
Though the thick wall left only a narrow gap to pass through, it clearly led to another space beyond.
The inside was pitch dark, completely obscured.
Yuri grabbed a hanging lantern from the wall and stepped inside.
The spacious room resembled a storage chamber, filled with all sorts of items.
There were swords and armor, and on the shelves, books written in languages she had never seen before.
Boxes held gold and jewels.
“What is this place?”
Though she had once fled the palace through secret passages in a past life, she had never known such a place existed within the royal grounds.
As she wandered further, she stopped at a certain spot.
There stood a glass display case, clearly built to protect something valuable. It looked sturdy, and embedded magic stones suggested it was enchanted.
But the case was empty.
“What could have been kept here…?”
The moment Yuri’s fingertips brushed the glass, a faint spark flickered.
It wasn’t painful enough to pull away.
Originally, the case had been warded to prevent anyone from touching its contents, but for some reason, those protections had long since broken down.
Only a faint trace of magic remained—just enough to cause a slight sting.
Yuri examined it carefully.
“Did someone take it?”
She couldn’t tell any more than that.
Tilting her head in puzzlement, she turned around and scanned the bookshelf behind her.
Suddenly, one book caught her eye—its spine was just barely sticking out.
She pulled it free and opened it.
The pages fluttered wildly before settling on a particular one.
There, a sentence was underlined—someone had marked it deliberately.