The imperial army was closing in steadily.
Reports about the main force kept arriving at the royal palace. Their numbers were vast, and the knights were formidable.
But Briol had no intention of surrendering a single city.
The Briol army prepared to meet the enemy at the fortress on the border.
All the prominent knights were set to march out.
Yuri, Laurent, and Jared were no exceptions.
“Hah… hah…”
As evening fell, Laurent was alone in the training yard, swinging his sword.
“Damn it…”
Uncharacteristically, he muttered a curse and sank to the ground.
Laurent was restless.
He had witnessed Yuri’s dazzling growth firsthand.
When the alliance army first mobilized, and Laurent had knelt before Yuri to show his respect, the gap between them hadn’t been so wide.
Yuri was strong, yes, but Laurent believed that with continued effort, he could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
But that never happened.
Now, he felt like nothing more than dead weight.
Maybe, for Yuri’s sake, he shouldn’t be by his side anymore. That thought gnawed at Laurent’s unease.
He muttered to himself.
“This isn’t enough.”
He gripped his sword tightly.
“I can’t be a burden. Not to the prince…”
When they faced the Empire’s Ninth Knight Order, Laurent had been of no help.
While his eyes were closed by the Spirit Sword Technique, Yuri fought off all those knights alone.
The reason was clear: it was better for Yuri to act alone. And that proved true—Yuri even killed the Ninth Knight Commander single-handedly.
The distance between them was too great.
Laurent clenched his teeth.
He recalled the first time he heard about the Third Prince from his father, Lian Flandre.
The Empire’s prince, Georg.
An opponent before whom anyone would step back.
Even the kings of most nations would bow first.
But the Third Prince did not.
He risked his life in a trial by combat for the sake of a mere maid.
That story had struck a chord deep in Laurent’s heart.
He wanted to meet him someday.
And when that day came, he wanted to be the strongest knight, standing by his side.
When the alliance army was formed and he heard he would be fighting alongside the prince, he barely slept like a child. It felt like a dream come true.
Then he met the Third Prince.
Because he was younger, Laurent thought he might have some shortcomings. If so, he wanted to fill those gaps himself.
But no.
The prince was far more impressive than Laurent had imagined—so much so that his worries were unnecessary.
He ate the same rations as the soldiers, slept in the same barracks.
He was the first to charge into battle and the last to leave.
No matter how brutal the war, he never hid behind others.
He stood at the front, taking the enemy’s blows, always showing only his back to his comrades.
In a world full of hollow nobles and fake knights, how noble it was for a royal to fulfill a duty no one else would protect.
Laurent made up his mind.
He would fight for him all his life.
That feeling hadn’t faded one bit.
But another problem had arisen.
He was becoming a hindrance to the prince.
That fact was unbearably painful.
Though he was called a prodigy with the sword, unmatched among his peers, the Third Prince had left him far behind.
A genius beyond reason.
“Huff… damn it…”
Laurent rose again and swung his sword.
His strikes cut through the empty air.
Unlike usual, his swordsmanship was rough and unrefined.
At that moment, a voice approached.
“You seem deep in thought.”
Laurent turned his head and immediately bowed.
“Ah, Your Highness.”
It was Cedric.
As always, he wore glasses and a gentle smile.
“Your sword’s tip is shaking. Something on your mind?”
“No, it’s just…”
Hesitating, Laurent faltered, and Cedric stepped closer. As he neared, the air around them seemed to warm.
Cedric smiled softly.
“I haven’t held a sword in a long time, but I can still manage a bit.”
He picked up a spare sword Laurent had set aside and swung it through the air.
Watching the clean arc, Laurent was impressed.
“Remarkable.”
“Is that all?”
The Third Prince always called his older brother a genius gifted in both scholarship and martial arts.
Laurent had thought it might be sibling pride exaggerating, but it wasn’t wrong.
Though Cedric had long since put down the sword, even a brief practice showed his skill. He seemed unlikely to fall behind Laurent, who had wielded a sword his whole life.
“How is it?”
Cedric smiled as he turned his head, and for a moment, Laurent saw the Third Prince’s face superimposed on his brother’s.
Perhaps it was natural—they were siblings, after all.
But compared to Yuri, Cedric gave off a warmer aura.
Without realizing it, Laurent replied.
“Impressive.”
“Oh, you’d do better.”
“I’m a knight. But Your Highness…”
“A bespectacled bookworm?”
“No, not at all. It’s not like that…”
“Just kidding.”
Cedric laughed, and Laurent suddenly understood why the Third Prince admired his older brother so much.
“Are you anxious because of Yuri?”
“Well…”
Cedric sat down beside Laurent, sword in hand.
“You want to follow Yuri, but the gap feels too wide, so you’re restless, right?”
“Hmm…”
“I understand.”
Laurent looked at him.
“Everyone feels that way.”
Cedric said this, then looked up at the sky. His glasses caught the sunlight and gleamed.
Laurent asked,
“Do you feel the same, Your Highness?”
“Me?”
Cedric gave a vague smile.
“Laurent, why do you follow Yuri so closely?”
“Why, you ask?”
Laurent tilted his head.
“It’s hard to explain. I was drawn to him from the moment we first met. No, even before that, when I heard stories about the Third Prince. It just happened.”
“A human kind of attraction?”
“Yes, exactly. And I’m not the only one. Anyone who’s been with the prince probably feels the same.”
Right after saying that, Laurent regretted his words.
Though the brothers were close, praising Yuri’s popularity in front of Cedric, the future king, felt reckless.
But Cedric nodded as if it didn’t matter.
“Yeah, that’s how my brother is.”
“Indeed…”
“Laurent, you really trust Yuri.”
“Yes, I do.”
“You’ll follow him to the end?”
“Of course.”
“No matter what happens?”
“Yes.”
Laurent nodded without hesitation.
That day, before the battle with the orcs, after hearing Cedric’s sincere words, Laurent vowed to give his all in loyalty.
Cedric laughed aloud.
“Good to see. Keep it that way.”
“Thank you.”
“But… can you really do that?”
“Huh?”
Laurent looked at Cedric.
A strange sensation passed through him, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
“Laurent.”
“Yes?”
“People like you are rare.”
The reflection on Cedric’s glasses hid his eyes from Laurent.
But he sensed the tone of his voice had grown colder.
“Do you know the Chai bird?”
“Yes.”
“A white-feathered bird, beautiful to behold. But an unfortunate one, too. Because it’s so lovely, people tried to stuff and sell it, and now it’s nearly extinct. You can hardly find it in the wild anymore.”
“I see.”
“Meanwhile, the ugly birds breed freely. These days, there are so many pigeons that the castle square is covered in their droppings.”
“Hahaha…”
“Well, the Chai bird is beautiful, but in the end, it’s just a bird. Even if it goes extinct.”
What was he trying to say? Clever people had a way with words that was hard to follow, and Laurent struggled to keep up.
Cedric stood up.
“Well, that’s enough. Your effort, your feelings for Yuri—they’re all admirable.”
“Thank you.”
“But it won’t work. Falling behind is inevitable.”
“Huh?”
“Frances, it’s a beautiful place.”
Saying this, Cedric laid down the sword and smiled gently.
Laurent stared blankly at him.
Cedric then turned and walked away.
Still dazed, Laurent bowed toward his back.
“Ah, farewell, Your Highness.”
Cedric suddenly stopped.
“Laurent.”
“Yes?”
He glanced back and said casually,
“Some things just aren’t meant to be. Right?”
Leaving those words behind, he walked on.
At that moment, Laurent felt a chill run through his body.
There was no emotion in Cedric’s voice. It was as if he had spoken with a being that looked human but was not.
He felt as if he’d been bewitched.
The gentle face, the advice—it was strange.
“What… was that?”
Laurent recalled Yuri proudly talking about his older brother.
Everyone who knew Cedric praised his character endlessly.
At first, Laurent thought those compliments were true.
But as the conversation went on, something didn’t quite fit.
Laurent shook his head.
“It must be a misunderstanding.”
Yes, it was a misinterpretation. Cedric had meant to comfort him, but Laurent had taken it the wrong way.
That’s what he told himself.
“Uh…”
But when Laurent picked up the practice sword Cedric had used, he was shocked.
It looked as if it had been ground down—teeth chipped, blade dulled.
On the surface, it seemed fine, but it was no longer a proper sword.
Could a sword become like this after just a few swings in the air?
Laurent looked in the direction Cedric had gone.
But he was nowhere to be seen.
Left alone, Laurent stood still, overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
No matter how hard he tried to think positively, it wouldn’t work.
Suddenly, Cedric’s voice echoed in his ears.
“Frances, it’s a beautiful place,”
Laurent shook his head.
It must be a mistake.
Yet, for some reason, his hand holding the broken sword trembled ever so slightly.
Yuri was leading his army toward the border.
On the way, they planned to stop at Frances to join forces with the Flandre family’s troops.
Not only them, but also the forces of various lords from Briol were set to gather.
As Yuri rode at the front, Laurent approached and spoke.
“Your Highness.”
“Hey, Laurent. Did you sleep well? No restless nights, I hope?”
“Ha ha, yes.”
Laurent smiled lightly before continuing.
“This time, His Majesty…?”
“He’s finishing up some business, so he decided to leave a bit later. He’ll join us soon. With Father leading, this war should go smoothly.”
Yuri recalled the countless battles he’d fought in his past life without Fiore by his side.
If Fiore had been there, the outcome would have been completely different.
“Well then…”
Laurent, uncharacteristically, trailed off. Yuri tilted his head in curiosity.
“Why? Do you want to go to District 96?”
“Huh?”
“Just kidding. Jared was staring at it like his eyes would pop out…”
“Enough with that nonsense! Stop it!”
Jared shouted.
Though his tone was rude for addressing the prince, the knights around, used to Yuri’s teasing, burst out laughing.
Laurent chuckled too.
“So, why?”
“Is the Crown Prince not participating in this war?”
“My eldest brother is more of a scholar than a knight. Well, even if he joined, he’d fight as well as any knight, but he’s decided to handle logistics from behind the lines. Why?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh, I see. I heard he met you at the palace. Is that why?”
Laurent’s eyes widened in surprise.
Yuri smiled.
“He said you were training too hard and advised you to take it easy sometimes. Still, he thought it was admirable how hard you’re trying. Told me to be prepared so you don’t catch up to me. He’s usually stingy with praise, but I think he really thinks highly of you.”
“Ah, y-yes…”
Laurent nodded stiffly.
Yuri, focused ahead, didn’t notice the expression on his face and continued.
“When this war’s over, we should have a chat with your brother. I heard you sparred lightly? That your swordsmanship is very refined.”
“Understood.”
Laurent answered, but inside he felt confused.
Had the Crown Prince really said that? No, and they hadn’t sparred either.
Something was off.
More precisely, Cedric was the one who seemed strange.