The Briol army celebrated their victory with a raucous night of revelry.
Fiore had set up a temporary royal audience chamber in the lord’s study. The nobles and knights gathered in Bezos bowed their heads respectfully to him.
Ainz spoke first.
“Your Majesty, congratulations on your victory.”
Fiore shook his head.
“It’s not my victory. It’s Briol’s victory.”
“But without Your Majesty, we wouldn’t have won.”
“Perhaps.”
“This will surely make the entire continent aware of Briol’s strength.”
Repelling the empire’s first invasion was a monumental achievement.
Who could have confidently claimed victory against the imperial forces?
Even if the empire hadn’t deployed their full strength, this was a huge morale boost for Briol.
But it was too soon to celebrate with fireworks.
“The war isn’t over yet. Don’t let your guard down. We must maintain strict defenses.”
“Understood.”
The imperial army, led by the Black Knight, had retreated and entrenched themselves, lying in wait without making a move.
No one knew when they might advance again.
“By the way…”
One of the nobles seated in the audience spoke up.
“What of the other three nations? We’ve been too busy with the war to receive any news.”
He was referring to the Holy Kingdom, Bursen, and Liberta.
Fiore answered.
“I hear that Moyongchan, the great hero, has nearly driven the ogres out of Liberta.”
“Oh…!”
“Foreigners, after all…”
“That’s a relief!”
Everyone brightened.
The empire had sent ogres to cause chaos and then blamed Liberta for attacking their own allies—a blatant provocation.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend; Briol and Liberta would stand together.
If Liberta’s situation returned to normal, it would be a great help to Briol.
Fiore continued.
“As for the Holy Kingdom and Bursen, they seem to be locked in a prolonged conflict, steadily wearing down their troops.”
“Damn…”
“Why on earth are they doing this…”
Everyone sighed.
Even with the four nations united, the situation was tough, but the Holy Kingdom had completely disrupted the balance.
Ainz asked.
“Why is the queen of the Holy Kingdom acting this way?”
“She apparently accepted a bribe in exchange for ascending the throne instead of Larson. The empire must be behind it.”
“Could the empire have been responsible for Larson’s death as well?”
“Highly likely.”
Yuri, who had been listening, blamed himself for not foreseeing this crisis.
Larson had been particularly wary of Sibylla, and Sibylla disliked Larson in return. It was probable that the empire offered Sibylla an alliance under the pretense of eliminating Larson.
Still, no one expected Sibylla to accept war.
Suddenly, one of the nobles turned to Yuri.
“Your Highness.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t you have some connection with the queen of the Holy Kingdom?”
“That’s right.”
Yuri and Sibylla’s story was widely known.
“Is there no way to resolve this?”
“No way.”
“Has she stopped communicating?”
“It’s cut off. She probably feels no obligation toward me. Sibylla must have made up her mind firmly. It’s best not to expect anything.”
“I see. Then, if we end up fighting the Holy Kingdom, Your Highness will…”
Yuri chuckled.
“What do you take me for?”
He tapped the armrest of his chair and said,
“If they become enemies—Sibylla or anyone else—I won’t hesitate to kill them. Don’t worry. Just say the word if you’re tired.”
The old knights around him laughed.
Even Yuri himself burst out laughing.
“Oh dear, you’re planning to give them eternal rest, aren’t you?”
Laurent and Jared might not understand, but Yuri, who had fought countless battles in his past life, understood the mindset of veteran warriors.
Those who live on the edge of death often joke about it.
“My words were thoughtless. I apologize, Your Highness. Ha ha ha…”
The laughter slowly died down.
“By the way.”
Fiore spoke again.
“Some nobles haven’t arrived yet.”
The mood darkened.
Before the battle with the empire, most of Briol’s nobles had personally led their troops to join the fight.
But some were still absent.
The most notable was Duke Genard Jattery of Uzes.
Even if he didn’t come himself, he should have sent troops, but he and his faction were hiding in their own territories, making excuses.
“Do you have any idea why they’re doing this?”
Silence fell over the audience.
It wasn’t easy to criticize a duke of Genard’s stature, especially given the gravity of the situation.
Yuri was the first to speak.
Leaning back casually, as if talking to himself, he muttered,
“Hmm… treason?”
A brief silence followed, then laughter erupted.
The laughter grew louder until some nobles were giggling uncontrollably, barely able to breathe. Even Fiore’s shoulders twitched slightly.
Ainz, sitting beside Yuri, tapped his arm in admiration.
“Wow, Your Highness, you’re fearless.”
“Didn’t everyone already know?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha…”
Gradually, the laughter subsided.
Fiore nodded with a faint smile.
“Seems I’ve been too lenient with Genard.”
“It’s not Your Majesty’s fault.”
“I intended to tighten the reins at the right time, but I delayed too long.”
“Even Genard would find it difficult to openly oppose us. Let’s just watch him for now and focus on dealing with the imperial forces ahead.”
“Agreed.”
One of the nobles asked,
“The empire must fear Your Majesty as well. Why not negotiate and propose a truce? Even if the emperor is mad, surely his ministers have some sense.”
“That’s a good point. Let’s send envoys to the empire first.”
“Yes.”
It was a sensible suggestion.
Yuri also agreed with this.
After all, it was the Black Knight who had been forced to retreat.
Even if the emperor was insane, Eugen, who controlled the dark magic behind the scenes, was surely watching closely.
The Black Knight was a valuable asset no one wanted to lose.
Yuri found himself reflecting on his father.
In his past life, the empire had pushed their forces back relentlessly at the border, and his father had disappeared.
But with Fiore still standing strong, the empire was now struggling.
Why had his father vanished back then?
Shaking his head, Yuri dismissed the thought. Dwelling on the past wouldn’t help. Now was the time to focus on the future.
“And one more thing I want to announce to everyone.”
Fiore spoke again.
“Why I was late arriving.”
All eyes in the chamber turned to him.
He paused briefly, then said,
“I intend to pass the throne to Cedric.”
A murmur rippled through the audience.
Some nodded as if it made sense, while others tilted their heads, wondering if it was too soon.
Yuri was pleased by the news.
He said to Fiore,
“So you’re finally laying down your burden. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Fiore had never sought to enjoy the privileges of kingship.
All that remained for him was duty.
The weight of the responsibilities placed on Briol’s king was heavy.
Obsessed with the sword, all he wished was to spend time alone with it. He had long yearned to step down and be free.
“Cedric will make a better king than I ever could. I wasn’t really doing much anyway.”
Ainz smiled.
“But Your Majesty, there are far more kings who’d be better off doing nothing at all.”
“That’s true.”
“But the crown prince will be a wise ruler. I just hope he works hard.”
“I’m sure he will.”
The atmosphere lightened.
No one doubted Cedric’s character or ability.
Ainz said,
“It’s a source of pride for Briol’s knights that the succession is going so smoothly. I look forward to the coronation.”
Others agreed.
Most nations fall into chaos when the throne changes hands.
The Holy Kingdom, for example, lost its heir Larson, and the new queen suddenly started a war with Bursen.
Compared to that, Briol was running smoothly without any turmoil.
“Though I do worry that it’s happening during a war.”
“That’s why we’re moving it up. In times like these, a smart leader needs to be at the helm. I’m better off swinging a sword than wielding a pen.”
Fiore smiled.
At his words, everyone in the chamber straightened their posture and squared their shoulders.
This was the symbol of Briol and the continent’s greatest swordsman declaring his full commitment to the war.
“This war won’t end easily. So be prepared.”
All the nobles and knights answered in unison.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“Everyone here, support Cedric well. Though, since you’re no different from me, doing nothing might be the best way to help.”
Fiore’s words sparked laughter again.
“When will the coronation be?”
“Soon. We’ll keep it simple, Briol style. But first, we’ll drive the empire’s forces out.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The gathered nobles began to applaud.
While everyone rejoiced, only Laurent sat alone, lost in thought.
After Fiore left, Cedric took over the king’s duties in the palace.
The court ministers were delighted.
As soon as he began, the pace of work noticeably quickened, and the results often surpassed those of before.
They chatted daily.
“His Majesty had his flaws, but the crown prince is exceptional.”
“So intelligent and wise—truly a genius.”
“Weren’t you called a genius in your youth as well?”
“The crown prince isn’t just a genius. He’s a prodigy.”
“What? A prodigy?”
“Just let it go.”
During the war, Cedric had been gradually reforming Briol wherever he could.
He eased restrictions on commerce and initiated tax reforms—moves largely influenced by Joshua’s suggestions.
“Brother, I just realized something. It’s modern knowledge,” Joshua said excitedly as he barged into Cedric’s study.
Immersed in the latest scholarship, Joshua had recently started calling himself a ‘modern man.’ It was a self-coined title, meant to reflect his belief that he was at the cutting edge of the times.
“What is it?”
“Farmers and fishermen, right? They trade carrots for fish. Even if one is overwhelmingly better at what they do, it still works like this…”
“How is that even possible?”
“Ah, that’s called ‘comparative advantage.’”
“Wow, modern man really is impressive!”
Cedric handled Joshua with practiced ease.
“So, here’s the thing.”
“Hm?”
“Joshua, this is your job.”
“W-why me?”
“Why? Are you really a modern man if you don’t enlighten us ignorant fools?”
“But it’s so much…”
“Get to it.”
“Ugh…”
Joshua trudged out of the room, muttering just before closing the door behind him.
“I’m never coming back…”
Cedric chuckled softly.
He said that now, but his curiosity would bring him right back. After all, Cedric was the only one in the palace who could make sense of Joshua’s ramblings.
“Hmm…”
Left alone, Cedric rose and moved to the window.
He looked out over the palace grounds.
Suddenly, he noticed servants struggling under heavy sacks, their backs bent as they trudged along.
Using carts would be so much easier.
Yet Cedric knew why they insisted on carrying the loads themselves.
Among the servants, there was an unspoken tradition: those with less seniority weren’t allowed to use carts.
No one had imposed this rule.
It had simply emerged among them over time.
“Humans are imperfect, huh…”
That phrase was far too gentle.
It made it sound like we were just a little lacking.
From Cedric’s perspective, humans weren’t imperfect—they were a complete mess.
So utterly wretched in every way that it was almost sickening to watch.
Occasionally, a decent person would appear, but they were rare. It was a small mercy that two of them were his own blood.
“Stronger than I expected…”
Fiore Briol, his father, was born with a natural talent for the sword.
Strong enough to disrupt the long-term plans Cedric had laid out.
He had to be dealt with.
If possible, eliminated.
Cedric barely felt emotion, so family ties meant nothing to him.
And then there was another.
Yuri Briol.
Suddenly, a soft smile touched Cedric’s lips.
“Yuri…”
In a voice uncharacteristically gentle for him, Cedric murmured his brother’s name.
“What will you do now, Yuri?”