As Yuri mounted his horse, sword drawn and radiating a fierce aura, a storm of energy swirled around him. The soldiers guarding the castle gate dared not approach and hesitated, stepping back uneasily.
Yuri urged his horse forward.
The steed broke into a gallop.
Leading the charge, thirty knights thundered alongside him.
“We don’t stop until we stand before Genard. Anyone who falls behind gets left behind!”
“Yes, sir!”
Yuri shouted.
Raising his sword high, cutting through the fearful gazes around him, he felt a surge of liberation.
He had returned to protect Briol—and those dear to him.
But the very person he sought to protect had betrayed him.
Cedric Briol.
The warm-hearted brother he had trusted never truly existed. There was only a madman intoxicated by his own genius, wielding dark magic recklessly.
That truth shattered any lingering hesitation in Yuri’s heart.
What he feared losing was already gone.
So now, he had nothing left to fear.
“Your Highness!”
As Yuri and his knights charged past the castle gate onto the road, the Duke Ujes’s knights appeared, blocking their path.
Yuri slowed his horse slightly.
One knight stepped into the center of the road and shouted loudly.
“No matter who you are, Your Highness, there are rules to be followed! Ujes is the territory of the Jattery family! You must stop and—”
Yuri swung his sword.
The knight collapsed, blood splattering his chest.
“Stop me, and I’ll cut you down.”
Not dead, the knight crawled aside, bleeding.
Tension thickened once more.
Yuri smiled.
“Why? Didn’t you come prepared to face this when you tried to block me?”
When Yuri had first come to Ujes on behalf of the Allied Forces, he still held certain boundaries.
It was respect for Fiore, and a naive hope that there might be a more moderate, gentlemanly way.
No, that was a lie.
After meeting Cedric, Yuri realized there was no room for compromise with dark magic.
Anyone entangled with it would be cut down without hesitation. Even if innocent blood was spilled, he would bear that burden without faltering.
This world had cornered him; now the world would pay the price.
“I am Yuri Briol, the royal proxy appointed by King Joshua Briol of Briol. I have come to hold Genard Jattery accountable for his crimes. To stand in my way is treason.”
Yuri spoke calmly as he advanced.
His horse moved forward fearlessly, even as spears were leveled at them.
If anything, he held his chin higher, his stride proud and unyielding.
“Your Highness.”
An older knight stepped forward.
“I heard you had fallen, but it is an honor to see you so hale.”
“Good to see you as well.”
“I understand your reasons, but Ujes is the Jattery family’s domain, and they hold the title of Duke.”
“So?”
“Charging in like this won’t help anyone. For the unity of the crown and nobility, and for practical reasons, I advise you to speak with the Duke first. If you agree, I will personally guide you.”
Yuri regarded him silently, then nodded.
“I appreciate your concern.”
“And I speak because I worry for you.”
“Hmm?”
“Stand aside.”
Yuri nudged his horse forward. The horse strode straight toward the knight.
The knight stood frozen, then raised a hand to push the horse’s head away.
Before he could touch it, Yuri’s sword moved.
“Argh!”
The knight’s wrist flew off, blood staining the ground red.
At that moment, the soldiers blocking Yuri’s path drew their swords.
Yuri’s knights raised their weapons in response.
Their blades gleamed in the sunlight.
The wounded knight, supported by others, bowed his head in defeat.
“Hey, hey.”
Yuri said.
“No matter whose vassal you are, all Briol knights share the same oath.”
He savored the looks directed at him.
Some were hostile, some fearful, and others uncertain.
He paid them no mind. Having chosen the sword, he would simply make them submit.
“Well? Knights. Do you remember the duties a Briol knight must bear? Is Genard Jattery someone worthy of your loyalty? Or is the weight of the bribes that pig offers heavier than your knightly vows?”
The wounded knight spoke in a trembling voice.
“Your Highness, this will cause serious trouble. If you continue like this—”
“The trouble’s already here. The late king disappeared, the empire took Bezos, and while we risked our lives on the border, you just stood back and laughed.”
“We were securing the rear. Gathering all troops in one place would have—”
“So you just stood by during the Allied Forces’ campaign? Besides Raymond, who else came from Ujes? Are there no knights here?”
“That’s because our enemy isn’t the orcs—”
“More talk of the rear? You’re just a bunch of butt-coverers, aren’t you?”
Yuri’s words drew laughter from the knights waiting behind.
His calm voice, the aura he exuded, the fierce energy from his sword—
At this moment, Yuri dominated them all.
A leader like this inspires pride in his followers.
Suddenly, Yuri said,
“Did you know?”
“Yes?”
“Genard has been colluding with the empire.”
As he spoke, Yuri locked eyes with the knight.
His heightened senses caught the subtle change in the man’s body. His pupils flickered, his mouth opened, and the muscles around his eyes tensed.
“Is that true? Do you have proof?”
Yuri swung his sword immediately.
The knight’s head rolled across the ground.
A life snuffed out in an instant.
The scene felt surreal.
Yet Yuri and his knights showed no reaction. They had witnessed death countless times on the battlefield. There were no rehearsals or warnings.
Swing the sword, and someone dies.
That was all.
But Ujes’s knights were shaken.
The difference between the two groups became stark.
“You knew.”
Yuri muttered, kicking the fallen head. It rolled to a stop at the feet of Ujes’s knights.
“I’ll ask you. Does this man meet with Genard often?”
“W-well…”
“Answer, and I won’t kill you.”
“Yes, yes.”
No one here had seen Yuri’s sword move. That meant his skill was beyond their reach.
Yuri Briol’s fearsome reputation was already widespread.
With their numbers roughly equal, no knight dared stand against him.
The knights answered in trembling voices.
“He is the Duke’s favored knight. They often dine together…”
“I see.”
Yuri looked away.
“And you?”
“We’re low-ranking. We hardly get to see the Duke.”
“That’s right. We’re just men living off our stipends.”
“Soldiers, really. The Duke doesn’t even care about us.”
They scrambled to explain.
Yuri nodded.
“You’ll step aside?”
“Yes, yes. We will.”
They parted left and right, clearing the way to Genard’s castle.
The road lay empty except for the corpse of the knight missing a hand and wrist.
Yuri mounted his horse again.
“Clear that up.”
“Yes!”
One of Ujes’s knights dragged the body off the road and kicked the head away.
There was little camaraderie in the gesture.
Some of Yuri’s knights behind him clicked their tongues at the sight.
“Let’s go.”
Yuri passed the Ujes knights.
“If I see you again, I won’t be so merciful.”
Though it sounded like bravado, those overwhelmed by Yuri simply gave awkward smiles and averted their eyes.
Yuri led the charge once more.
As he increased speed, the others spurred their horses forward.
All the knights here had fought against the empire at Bezos, but they had never truly moved as one. There was still some awkwardness between them.
Yet, following Yuri, they were slowly becoming united.
That was the difference a leader like Yuri made.
With Yuri Briol, they would continue to walk a different path from others. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be more honorable than any other knight’s.
That thought bound them to him.
“Your Highness.”
Someone called out.
It wasn’t Jared, Simon, or Guiness. This was a knight who had just joined them.
“Are we going to capture Genard?”
“Yes.”
“And if he resists?”
Yuri laughed.
Jared laughed, then Simon and Guiness joined in.
The laughter spread.
Everyone laughed, even the knight who asked.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“Abel!”
“Abel, why ask if you already know?”
“Just thought I’d ask.”
Thirty knights riding to capture the Duke.
If he resists, they’ll kill him.
It sounds absurd.
But with Yuri, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
“Promise me. I’ll fight at the very front.”
“Yes, sir!”
“I’ll stand with you until the end.”
No one here doubted what kind of man Yuri was.
They had all fought against the empire at Bezos and had seen or heard of Yuri’s fierce exploits.
“Then let’s go catch that pig.”
“Yes!”
In the distance, the castle came into view.
As Yuri bent forward, the wind resistance lessened.
The horse surged forward with renewed vigor.
Yuri and his group charged toward Genard’s castle.
Yuri stood before Genard’s castle, nestled within the territory. The gates were firmly shut—news must have already reached them.
Genard was nowhere to be seen.
Crossing his arms, Yuri looked up at the battlements. A few knights peered down at them.
“Open the gates.”
He said it calmly, pulling out his official seal.
“I am Yuri Briol. As the king’s representative, I have come to hold Genard Jattery accountable for his crimes.”
But there was no response.
“Genard!”
Yuri called out.
“Come out!”
Finally, a figure appeared atop the wall, addressing Yuri.
“Your Highness.”
There was something familiar about the man. Yuri racked his memory—he couldn’t recall the exact title, but he was one of the nobles who followed Genard.
“What’s all this commotion all of a sudden?”
A sneer crept across his face.
Looking at him, Yuri realized Genard had no intention of cooperating.
“The empire is occupying Bezos right now, yet you’re harassing your own allies? Since the empire can’t do anything, are you just taking it out on your own side?”
He was openly taunting Yuri.
Yuri narrowed his eyes.
“Yuzes is loyal to the Briol royal family, but his recent actions have raised many suspicions. As the lord of Briol, I’m concerned. We’ve been monitoring the situation—so why do you keep provoking us?”
The knights behind Yuri growled lowly, glaring daggers at the noble.
They looked ready to strike him down on the spot.
But the walls were too high.
Yuri, however, kept his voice steady.
“Fine. What exactly do you find suspicious about the royal family?”
“Suddenly, the king and the crown prince disappeared, didn’t they?”
“And?”
“Well… it seems they either fled out of fear of the empire or surrendered…”
Yuri dismounted.
The noble babbled on.
“Let’s just return for now. Yuzes is a respected noble of Briol and deeply concerned about this situation. Until things settle, he won’t take any action…”
Yuri started running forward.
The noble, not a knight, couldn’t understand what Yuri was doing.
So he continued speaking as if nothing was happening.
“I just wanted to make that clear…”
At that moment, Yuri pushed off the ground and leapt.
The height was impossible for most knights, but not for him.
He soared upward as if flying, landing lightly on the battlement’s railing.
His eyes met those of the noble standing right in front of him.
Sensing something was terribly wrong, the noble instinctively begged for his life.
“Please, spare me!”