Yuri hurriedly left Briole with the Retribution Knights.
Meanwhile, the battle between Bursen and the Holy Kingdom was intensifying.
Casualties were mounting, villages were collapsing. Every day on the front lines, they dug graves to bury the dead.
Jared clicked his tongue.
“Such a shame. Those people—are they still alive? The ones who fought alongside us in the alliance…”
“Who knows,” Yuri replied.
They knew Sibylla and Jose were still alive; occasional news about them appeared in the papers.
But for lesser-known figures like Jonathan and Proin from Bursen, or Fennec from the Holy Kingdom, there was no way to tell.
They could have already been buried somewhere for all anyone knew.
That was war.
“Worried?” Jared asked.
“A little.”
“If they’re already gone, all you can do is pour a drink at their graves. That’s just how fate works.”
“Yeah…” Jared turned his head to glance at Yuri’s profile.
Yuri Briole, now the Crown Prince he served, sometimes acted like a battle-hardened veteran well beyond his years.
“No heart,” Jared muttered.
“What?”
“You should be saying something fiery like, ‘I’ll save them all!’”
“That’s nonsense. Everyone dies.”
“That’s true.”
“We’re going to kill someone else now. If you don’t want to die, you have to kill first.”
“So, whose head’s on the chopping block this time?”
“Who knows…” Yuri didn’t answer.
From the moment he decided to head toward the Holy Kingdom, he’d had a vague premonition.
Sibylla had shocked the world by suddenly ascending as queen of the Holy Kingdom, then made the unthinkable decision to invade Bursen, shaking the continent once again.
The fate of those who stray from the path always converges at a single point.
Especially when dark magic is involved.
Yuri shook his head, forcing himself to speak.
“Well, someone’s bound to die.”
“Isn’t there a way to avoid that?”
“The world doesn’t run like a fairy tale. No time for idle talk. Let’s move faster!”
With that, Yuri urged his horse forward.
Jared grumbled but followed, and the entire Retribution Knights sped up behind them.
Catching up, Jared spoke again.
“Your Highness. Your Highness.”
“I told you, call me ‘Your Majesty.’”
“Oops.”
“Or call me ‘brother’ if you don’t like it.”
“No way.”
Jared’s grimace made Yuri laugh.
“Not keeping your composure?”
“Nope.”
Every time Yuri told him to call him ‘brother,’ Jared’s face twisted in discomfort.
It wasn’t just that he hated the term—it was the feeling that Yuri genuinely saw him as a younger brother, which made him feel oddly humiliated.
In truth, Yuri did think of Jared as a somewhat helpless little brother he needed to look after.
Jared grumbled again.
“You’re younger than me, yet…”
“Do I really look that young?”
“What are you talking about? I’ve been watching you since you were this small.”
“You lost to me badly back then, too.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Look ahead.”
“Huh?”
“When you’re riding, you should keep your eyes forward even when talking.”
“Ugh…”
Jared lifted his gaze.
In the distance, a group had set up camp by the roadside. Jared instinctively rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Bandits?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“You know how to use a sword but have no experience. I guess I’ll have to call you ‘brother’ after all.”
“Who are they?”
“Mercenaries. And that’s a merchant caravan beside them.”
The flags they’d raised bore the mercenary company’s emblem.
Three knots fluttered on the flagpole—a mark of the ‘Samgyeol’ mercenaries, a group recognized for their skill.
Yuri recalled Ivan, who had once disguised himself as a Samgyeol mercenary back in Adelvine, but unlike then, these seemed to be the real deal.
“They could be bandits disguised as mercenaries,” Jared suggested, recalling Ivan.
Yuri sighed.
“No way.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you see the merchant caravan’s flag?”
Jared’s eyes widened.
“Oh…”
It was the symbol of the Irein Trading Company, well known to anyone from Briole. Beneath it, carts loaded with goods were parked.
“Bandits wouldn’t go that far. These are the real merchants and mercenaries. Jared, think before you speak next time.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Yuri and the Retribution Knights soon approached the caravan.
One mercenary stepped forward and called out to Yuri as he slowed his horse.
“Hey there, knights! What brings you here?”
Yuri slowed to a walk and replied.
“And you? Who are you, and where are you headed?”
“Well, you have to come before you go, right? Why don’t you tell me first?”
“I’ll answer if you do.”
“How can I trust you?”
“Like you enjoy arguing. Then there’s no need to talk further.”
“Wait a minute.”
As Yuri tried to pass, the mercenary followed.
“You’re a tough one. We’re on our way to Bursen. As you can see, we’re mercenaries hired by the Irein Trading Company. How’s that?”
“What’s your mercenary company’s name?”
“You probably wouldn’t know it even if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“We’re the Crow Mercenaries.”
Yuri’s indifferent eyes flickered with interest. He studied the mercenary quietly, then glanced at the others.
“Why? What’s the matter?”
“If you’re the Crow Mercenaries, you must have been active up north.”
“Oh? You know about us?”
“We’ve heard rumors.”
“Are we that famous? We just happened to come down here looking for work. Things have been chaotic lately. What about you?”
“I’m Yuri Briole. On my way to mediate between Bursen and the Holy Kingdom.”
“Excuse me?”
The mercenary’s eyes widened at Yuri’s words. He took a step back, blinking in surprise.
“Yuri Briole? The third prince of Briole?”
“Now the Crown Prince. Call me Your Majesty.”
“I had no idea you were such a noble. My apologies.”
He awkwardly bowed.
“Where’s Kuro?”
“You know the captain?”
“I’ve heard the Crow Mercenaries’ captain Kuro is quite skilled.”
Yuri knew Kuro well. He had been a mercenary alongside him in a past life.
“Let’s talk. Everyone, halt.”
The Retribution Knights approached the mercenary group and stopped.
The mercenaries, initially indifferent, tensed up at the knights’ halt.
It made sense—the Retribution Knights were all highly skilled, and the Crow Mercenaries were among the stronger mercenary groups. They were sizing each other up.
“Hmm…”
Yuri scanned the Irein merchants. None were familiar to him; most were low-level traders.
Soon, a man named Kuro appeared.
“You called for me?”
He was young for a mercenary captain, with long brown hair framing a handsome face.
“Do you know me?”
“I’ve heard rumors.”
“In Briole?”
“I’ve been wandering around.”
“Uh-huh…”
Kuro tilted his head.
“Well, the rumored third prince…”
“Your Majesty.”
“Ah, yes. It’s an honor that Your Majesty knows me.”
“You’re headed to Bursen?”
“Yes.”
Yuri had guessed their destination from the start.
They carried what looked like war supplies, and given their direction, their destination was likely Bursen or the Holy Kingdom. The Irein Trading Company was focusing on supporting Bursen, per Yuri’s wishes.
Yuri made an offer.
“When you arrive in Bursen, why not take a job from me?”
“Huh?”
“When your work with the Irein Trading Company is done, come find me. I’ll have a job for you. The pay will be generous. You won’t regret it.”
Being hired by a high noble was a mark of recognition for a mercenary’s skill and reliability.
If the employer was royalty, that recognition was even greater.
Kuro replied.
“Ah, sounds good. But what kind of job?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Mercenaries fight.”
“Ah…”
He paused to think.
If the Crown Prince of Briole was mediating between Bursen and the Holy Kingdom, the job would likely be related to the war.
Dangerous.
But the hesitation was brief.
“I’ll do it.”
The more dangerous the job, the higher the pay.
Yuri smiled.
“If things go well, I’ll introduce you to a high-ranking priest of the Holy Kingdom.”
“Huh?”
“He’s an expert in healing. Someone worth knowing.”
Kuro’s eyes widened as he stared at Yuri.
“Why? Don’t you like that?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Good then.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I’m just promising payment for the job.”
Yuri knew Kuro well. Unlike those who wandered the battlefield courting death, Kuro fought to earn money.
There was only one reason Kuro fought.
He had a younger sister suffering from illness. The cost of her treatment was astronomical. After long efforts, he managed to gather the funds, but he was too late—his sister died.
Not long after, Kuro himself died on the battlefield.
No one in Yuri’s unit was without a story, and sometimes they died so pointlessly it was as if they’d lost all meaning in life.
Kuro was a good guy.
Yuri had even thought it might have been better if he had died instead.
“By the way…”
“Hmm?”
“Did you investigate me?”
Kuro asked.
Very few knew about his sister. Yet Yuri had mentioned the high priest as if he knew the whole story.
Kuro was left speechless.
Yuri shrugged his shoulders.
“You’re overthinking it. Do you really think I’d do something like that?”
“No, no, I must have been mistaken.”
“I’ve just heard your name before, and since we happened to cross paths on the road, it’s simply fate.”
“Fate, fate…”
“Exactly. Fate.”
Yuri smiled slyly and gave Krow a firm pat on the shoulder. Whenever Krow had been down in the past life, Yuri had comforted him just like this.
“I have urgent business, so I’ll be going ahead. When I’m done, come find me. I don’t know where I’ll be then, but it’s up to you to track me down.”
With that, Yuri turned around.
“Let’s move out again!”
“Yes, sir!”
Krow stared blankly at Yuri’s retreating figure. Though younger and of royal blood, he felt as if he were dealing with someone far more experienced and mature.
Under Yuri’s command, the knights moved as one. Their disciplined formation spoke volumes about how well he led them.
“Well then, see you later.”
After exchanging a brief nod, Yuri Briol, the prince of Briol, departed.
“Wow…”
One of Krow’s subordinates approached him, breaking his daze.
“He seems young, but his presence is no joke. Not just him—the knights all have an incredible aura. I’ve never seen proper nobles like this before. I guess royals really are different.”
“He’s not like the others.”
“Is that so?”
“His name was Yuri Briol, right?”
Krow repeated the name to himself.
“Fate, huh…”
To think he’d randomly meet a royal on the road, and that royal would suddenly offer him a job with a promise to connect him to a high-ranking priest as payment.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
“Hey, do you believe in gods?”
“I was born into the faith, remember? But you said you don’t believe.”
“Starting today, I think I have to.”
“Why?”
“I think a god just sent me a messenger.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden…”
“Come on, everyone, get up!”
Krow suddenly shouted.
“Speed up! We’re moving as fast as we can, so pack your things!”
The merchants from the Irein Trading Company protested, but Krow ignored them.
“Getting there quickly is better for your company too, isn’t it?”
“But it’s so hard like this. We should take it slow…”
“Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you’re going to die. Get up.”
“If you keep pushing like this, no one’s going to speak well of you later.”
“I don’t need anyone’s approval anymore.”
“What did you say?”
“Get up, you lazy bums. Don’t think I don’t know you’re dragging your feet on purpose to avoid working hard. Should I report this to headquarters?”
Krow’s heart was racing.
If this was truly a god-given fate, he had to seize it before it slipped away.
“Come on, let’s move!”