Fiore and Cedric had vanished together.
The entire Briol was shrouded in sorrow.
But the throne couldn’t remain empty forever. Following the line of succession, Joshua became the king of Briol.
“You’re the one to do it.”
“What do you mean? I’m already the king.”
“You suit the throne better than I do.”
“That’s true.”
“I just…”
Joshua wasn’t exactly thrilled about being king.
“I’d rather work behind the scenes. Being king is too much of a burden.”
“A real role model for kings, huh?”
Yuri shrugged.
“You’ve been busy with that research, right? Economics, was it? Maybe you can use that to develop Briol. Go ahead and make your mark.”
“The empire’s right on our doorstep. What good will that do?”
“Priorities, you know.”
“Seriously…”
Joshua sighed.
Though he had quickly accepted Fiore and Cedric’s absence, he still struggled to accept that he had to lead Briol as king.
“Just do it, then.”
“No.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“There’s plenty to do. But first…”
Yuri tapped the sword hilt at his waist.
“Let’s take care of those who need to be dealt with.”
When all the lords of Briol gathered to resist the empire, some nobles refused to cooperate.
Among them was the faction led by Duke Uzes and Genard Jattery.
“With father and brother gone, Briol is unstable. Now’s the time for a common enemy.”
“Yeah, that’s true, but…”
“They probably don’t even know I’m awake yet. We have to move fast.”
“Can you do it?”
“Of course.”
Yuri smiled slyly.
“The sooner the surgery, the better.”
“Alright.”
Joshua pulled out a sheet of paper and quickly wrote something down, then stamped it with the royal seal.
“Here. Take it.”
“What’s this?”
Yuri skimmed the document.
It was a royal decree proving Joshua’s authority as the king’s proxy. Joshua had delegated full power to Yuri to take any measures he deemed necessary.
“This is…”
“You’ll handle it well.”
No matter how much he trusted someone, he wouldn’t normally hand over such broad authority.
It was proof of how little Joshua cared for the throne.
“Hey, is anyone there?”
Joshua called out, and a retainer waiting outside the great hall entered.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Bring me a scroll case. For the decree.”
“Yes.”
The retainer soon returned with a cylindrical container designed to hold royal documents, intricately embossed with the Briol royal crest.
“This should add some dignity, right?”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. I’m just doing my job, but I’m the one who should be grateful.”
Joshua slouched in the throne, grumbling.
“Go deal with those bastards for me.”
When Fiore was king, he had held back from completely eliminating Genard, fearing the chaos it would bring to the kingdom.
But now, things were different.
With Briol itself shaking, there was no reason to spare them.
It was better to cause a bigger upheaval and unite the people’s hearts.
Joshua asked,
“You’re not going alone, right? How are you bringing the others?”
“Well…”
Yuri hesitated for a moment.
At times like this, the name Laurent always came up first—the most capable and loyal knight under his command.
But Laurent was gone now.
Yuri smiled bitterly and continued.
“I’ll pick a suitable group. Jared has gathered the knights. Simon and Guiness have returned, too…”
“Really?”
“Master Moyongchan is staying a bit longer before coming. He was a guest originally, but now he’s practically one of us.”
Moyongchan had stayed in Liberta after driving out Donchichi, training knights.
Though he was disheartened by the news from Briol, he hadn’t returned immediately. He planned to teach them how not to fall victim to ogres who relied solely on brute strength.
“Then I’ll go.”
“Huh? Already?”
“If it’s decided, we should move right away.”
Without waiting for Joshua’s reply, Yuri left the great hall and immediately summoned the knights at the training grounds.
The thirty or so knights Jared had gathered were all highly skilled. Selected by strict standards, they were capable enough not to be a burden alongside Yuri.
Yuri folded his arms and waited.
Soon, Jared, Simon, Guiness, and the others arrived. Some looked genuinely surprised, as if they had come on short notice.
Some were meeting Yuri for the first time.
While they exchanged glances, Yuri spoke bluntly.
“We’re going to deal with the traitors of Briol.”
The knights’ eyes widened at Yuri’s words.
“While Briol’s knights fought the empire, those bastards sat with their arms crossed, only concerned with their own safety. While our comrades died, they feasted and filled their bellies with wine. We are Briol. Nobles who shirk their duties cannot be nobles. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes!”
Simon and Guiness answered loudly.
They had grown stronger traveling with Moyongchan.
Yuri smiled and continued.
“Our target is Genard Jattery and the trash nobles under him. We’re going to make them pay.”
One knight raised his hand.
“Are we going alone?”
Yuri smiled and nodded.
“Yes.”
They were only about thirty in total. And Genard Jattery was the powerful lord ruling Uzes.
Their force seemed reckless against such a giant.
“Scared?”
“No!”
“If you are, you can step back now. Anyone who feels that way, raise your hand.”
No one raised a hand.
Yuri looked each of them in the eye.
He hadn’t been involved in gathering the knights, but now that they were assembled, most were comrades from his past life.
They had fought hard and died under the empire’s blade together.
Seeing their faces brought him comfort.
“Good.”
When he first woke and heard that Fiore was gone, he had felt despair.
He thought he had returned to the past only to fail again, repeating the same tragic cycle.
But he realized it wasn’t all the same.
He had changed many things.
This time was no different. In his past life, he hadn’t been able to punish Genard, but this life was different.
He would never let everything play out the same way.
Even if his resistance ended in failure, he would struggle to the very end.
“I’ll show everyone what happens to nobles who abandon their duties. If all they do is indulge in pleasure, I’ll be the one to drag them down.”
With that, Yuri turned.
“Let’s go!”
The words were meant for them. Yuri mounted his horse, and the others followed.
They left the palace.
It was the moment Yuri Briol, long dormant, began to move again.
Yuri’s group rode straight out of the castle, heading toward Uzes.
“Hey, Jared.”
“Yes!”
“What did you do while I was lying down?”
“Practiced swordplay, visited the sick, that sort of thing.”
“Really?”
“Yes!”
“Then why have you put on so much weight?”
“I couldn’t eat properly thinking about you, Your Highness…”
“You couldn’t eat, but you gained weight?”
“I ate a lot of snacks because I couldn’t swallow my meals.”
“Starve yourself.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you don’t get back to your proper weight by the end of this, be prepared.”
“Isn’t that a bit harsh?”
Jared had indeed gained weight, clearly stressed. But Yuri wasn’t going to go easy on him.
Better to be scolded than die on the battlefield.
“But, Your Highness.”
One of the knights following asked,
“Are we really going alone?”
“Sounds scary.”
“Of course not! But we’re worried about you, Your Highness.”
“You’re good with words.”
“I mean it.”
They were about thirty in total, and Genard had his own mercenaries.
It looked like trying to crack a rock with an egg.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle everything.”
Yuri had been bedridden for a month.
That time felt longer to him.
While lying there, the Simma had distorted his mind, forcing him to wander through dreams for a long time. It was painful, but also a chance for growth.
What he hadn’t understood before became clear, and forgotten things resurfaced. Movements that hadn’t felt natural now flowed smoothly.
His mind was sharper than ever, and his body full of strength.
He had grown once again.
“There it is.”
They had reached near Uzes. No one knew Yuri had awakened, let alone that his group had left.
Genard would be shocked to hear the news.
Yuri was already looking forward to seeing his expression.
Soon, they arrived at the castle gates.
The guards were checking visitors and looked quite startled when a group of knights suddenly appeared.
“Who are you?”
One knight stepped forward to greet Yuri.
“Don’t you recognize me?”
“Well…”
“Yuri Briol.”
When Yuri answered immediately, the knight stared blankly.
“Your Highness?”
“Yes. Move aside, we have to hurry.”
“Y-You’re safe.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t be?”
“What brings you here?”
“Oh…”
Yuri smiled.
“Do I have to report everything to you?”
“Sorry, but the duke ordered me to do this. I have no choice.”
“What if I refuse to say?”
“Sorry.”
The knight looked at Yuri.
“You cannot enter.”
The mood among Yuri’s knights grew tense.
But the knight didn’t back down easily.
“I must inform the duke first. Please wait.”
With those words, the guards stationed at the entrance straightened their faces and took their positions.
Sensing something was amiss, the passersby began to move hurriedly. Yuri called out to one of the knights.
“Hey, you.”
“Yes?”
“You can tell just by looking, right? I’m not here for a friendly visit.”
Behind Yuri, thirty armed knights followed closely.
“…”
“Your men went to Genard, and Genard heard we were coming, so they’re getting ready. I don’t want to go through all that trouble.”
“…”
“Right now, I’m not in the mood to play games.”
Yuri dismounted from his horse.
The clink of the Guilty sword at his waist sounded unusually loud.
“That means I have no intention of picking and choosing my opponents. Got it?”
“Yes…”
“I’m Joshua—or rather, I’ve been granted full authority by His Majesty to come here.”
Yuri held up a scroll case embossed with the royal crest.
“As the king’s representative, I’ve come to Yuzes. This is your final warning: stand aside.”
“…”
The knight fell silent, then suddenly smiled.
“Your Highness, I apologize. But Yuzes is the domain of Duke Genard.”
“And?”
“That means Duke Genard’s will is law here.”
With that, the castle gates, which had been letting people through, began to close.
“Please wait until we receive the Duke’s response, Your Highness.”
“Hmm…”
Fiore vanished. The strongest force supporting Briol had suddenly disappeared.
At once, some of the nobles who had been lying low like the dead began to cautiously raise their heads.
Yuri nodded.
He had never hesitated to spill blood from the start.
“No.”
Yuri swung his sword.
The knight’s head fell.
No one was quick enough to react to the sudden attack.
Then Yuri channeled sword energy into Guilty and struck the gate.
The slowly descending gate shook violently. It creaked as if protesting, then stopped halfway, stuck in place.
Yuri shouted.
“Now, we’re entering Yuzes! Our target is that pig of Yuzes, Genard Jattery!”