Upon arriving at the Brusenne royal palace, Yuri was immediately summoned to the grand hall.
The king of Brusenne, whom Yuri had met before, greeted him warmly.
“Good to see you again. So, you’re no longer a prince but a crown prince now. I had promised a full-course feast next time we met, but circumstances make that difficult. I hope you understand.”
“I do. So please, save that grand feast for next time.”
“Of course, of course.”
Yuri smiled faintly.
In Brusenne, a “full-course” was more of a symbolic gesture—a promise to ease the pain of parting. It was the thought and goodwill behind it that mattered more than the actual feast.
“I’ve heard about the late king and your brother. My condolences.”
“No, it’s nothing.”
After offering his sympathies for Fiore and Cedric, the Brusenne king produced something.
“Have a drink.”
“This is…”
Wine. Yuri’s eyes widened as he recognized the bottle’s shape.
“Savonne Mukara. More precious than gold of equal weight.”
“You know your wine?”
“A little.”
He had learned from Ekaterina.
“It’s even more expensive these days. We might never taste it again, so I want to share it with you.”
“Ah…”
The Alas region, where Brusenne and the Holy Kingdom clashed, was famous for its finest wines. Among them, Savonne Mukara was the pinnacle.
“The vineyards burned down.”
“What?”
“Even the master vintner has gone missing. It’ll be tough for a while. We might never taste Savonne Mukara again.”
Even now, it was a rare treasure among wine lovers. If what he said was true, it would only become more precious with time.
This wine alone was enough to call it a full-course.
Yuri accepted the cup the king handed him and bowed in thanks.
“Thank you.”
“Not at all. You came to help us, after all.”
The Brusenne king sighed.
“I don’t understand why that madwoman from the Holy Kingdom is acting this way all of a sudden. Oh, I heard she has some connection to you. Still, there’s nothing we can do.”
“I understand.”
“Why is she like this? Did the Empire bribe her or something?”
Yuri shrugged.
“I came to find that out. Let’s end this war.”
“If it were anyone else, I’d dismiss it as nonsense, but since it’s you, I believe it. Now, drink up. Down it all.”
“Yes.”
Despite the precious wine, the Brusenne king clinked his cup loudly as if it were cheap beer, then gulped it down. When some spilled at the corner of his mouth, he roughly wiped it with his sleeve.
“Thanks to Jose, we’re holding the line in Alas, but that’s all. The sheer number of priests is tipping the fatigue balance. If a Holy Knight shows up, we’ll lose.”
The Holy Knight was a name for a paladin ranked among the elite ten.
Known for withdrawing from worldly affairs, there was a chance they’d reappear if the Holy Kingdom was engulfed in war.
Even Yuri knew little about them. In his past life, the Holy Knight never showed up.
“Be careful when you go to the Holy Kingdom. The border is still a battlefield. Both sides are ready to shoot anything crossing over.”
“Understood.”
Through the king, Yuri learned about Proin and Jonathan.
Jonathan held a high command, leading troops, while Proin was active on the front lines.
“The allied forces are doing well. Did you lead them?”
“They were already exceptional.”
“Hahaha, I see. When do you plan to go to the Holy Kingdom?”
“As soon as possible.”
“I’d tell you to take it slow, but given the situation, there’s no choice. I never thought the Holy Kingdom would be like this, especially with the Empire to worry about.”
“You still fear the Empire?”
“Of course.”
The Brusenne king smiled wryly.
“I’m no fool. I’m not so stupid as to forget the real enemy. Don’t you know the Empire is behind the Holy Kingdom? Look at what they did to Briol and Liberta. We’re already fighting the Empire. That’s why our alliance must be stronger.”
“Exactly.”
Yuri nodded.
When caught up in immediate troubles, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. But the Brusenne king hadn’t forgotten the alliance.
That was a relief.
Yuri looked at him and said, “I will make sure to save the alliance.”
“Let’s hope so. How’s Liberta?”
“They say Donchitchi was driven out.”
“That foreigner from the East? Briol’s retainer, right?”
“Yes.”
“Liberta owes Briol a debt. I want to owe you one too, so count on me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“But don’t overexert yourself.”
The Brusenne king poured more Savonne Mukara.
“The Empire will be waiting. Once our disputes settle, who knows what they’ll do next. That worries me more.”
Yuri nodded.
Cedric had probably gone to the Empire.
No one knew when the Empire’s dark army he was building would appear.
Maybe they were waiting for the Holy Kingdom to be pacified.
But even if it was the enemy’s plan, there was no choice. They had to deal with the immediate problems first to fight the Empire.
“You’re not leaving today, are you?”
“No. I’ll depart tomorrow.”
“Drink up for now.”
The Brusenne king poured the rare wine.
“Excellent. Let’s hope the missing master vintner is still alive somewhere.”
The next day, Yuri left the Brusenne palace and headed toward the Holy Kingdom. To avoid the ongoing battles in Alas, he took a route through the borderlands where the two nations faced off.
“From here on, only a few of us will move.”
Too many knights might provoke hostility from the Holy Kingdom.
“Jarred, Simon, Guiness. Just the four of us.”
“Isn’t that too few?”
“The more, the more suspicion.”
After getting permission from the local count and leaving the vassal knights behind, Yuri set off with the three.
They raised white flags to show they came in peace.
A distant outpost came into view.
Jarred asked, “What if they shoot arrows?”
“Block them or die trying.”
Soon, the Holy Kingdom’s outpost spotted Yuri and his group, causing a commotion.
They moved busily among themselves, then raised white flags in response.
“Let’s go.”
Yuri’s group quickened their pace.
Amidst countless soldiers aiming bows, a knight rode forward. Clad in white armor, he seemed to belong to the paladin order.
“Who are you?”
“I am Yuri Briol.”
The knight raised his eyebrows.
Yuri continued, “I am the crown prince of Briol and have come as an envoy to meet the queen.”
“Wait a moment…”
He scrutinized Yuri for a while, then nodded.
“Please, come this way.”
As he moved, the soldiers lowered their bows in unison. Their coordination was impeccable—clearly well-trained.
Yuri followed the knight past the outpost and crossed into the border.
The atmosphere was grim.
Even in wartime, Brusenne had a lively energy, but here in the Holy Kingdom, no one smiled.
Watching the expressions around him, Yuri whispered to Jarred.
“Everyone looks like they’ve just tasted something awful.”
“Maybe the food’s bad.”
“Or they’re scared of us.”
A knight suddenly turned around, making Yuri and Jarred straighten up nervously.
“Your sudden arrival has left me unsure how to proceed, but the lord has ordered me to escort you. We will assist you on the way to the palace.”
“Thank you.”
Escorted by the knight and several soldiers, Yuri soon reached the lord’s castle.
In the reception room, food was served.
“Please eat while you wait.”
The meal was quite decent.
Though some might hesitate, Yuri began eating without a second thought. The others followed suit.
Soon, the plates were empty.
Rubbing his stomach, Yuri said, “So their sour faces aren’t because of the food.”
“Seems so.”
Just then, the door opened and someone entered.
Yuri turned sharply and widened his eyes.
“Oh?”
“Long time no see.”
“Indeed. It’s been a while.”
The unexpected visitor was none other than Fennec.
“You look better than I expected.”
“Is that so?”
“I thought you’d be pale and buried underground, but you seem to have some color.”
“I almost didn’t make it, but I survived.”
Fennec had fought alongside Yuri in the allied forces. When Larsson’s followers were purged, everyone thought he’d disappeared too, but he was still holding on.
Fennec approached Yuri and bowed.
“Anyway, it’s good to see you again. You’re here to meet Sybilla, the queen, right?”
“Yes.”
“Go back. No matter what you say, she won’t listen. The queen isn’t the same person she used to be.”
“How so?”
“Well…”
Fennec sighed.
“In any case, she’s different now.”
“I still have to go.”
Leaning back in his chair, Yuri said, “You know me. Don’t think I’ll turn back just because you say so.”
“Sigh…”
Fennec sighed again.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
“How far are you willing to go?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know you’re wary of the Empire. But if the queen is involved with them, what will you do?”
Yuri looked at Fennec.
Studying the shadow on his face, Yuri let out a low laugh.
“I should be the one asking. Fennec, what are you planning to do?”
“Answer me first.”
“Has Sybilla really changed that much?”
“Yes, she has.”
“How so?”
“She’s become a tyrant, plain and simple. It’s only getting worse. It’s as if she’s possessed by a demon…”
“I see…”
Yuri lowered her eyes, lost in thought.
If Sybilla truly fell to dark magic, then there would be no happy ending to this story.
“It’s probably just as you think.”
Fenec had followed Larson for a long time. But Larson was dead, and Sybilla was acting like a different person altogether—waging war.
That meant there was only one conclusion the opposition could draw.
“But before anything else, I want to meet Sybilla myself and judge.”
“If, in your Highness’s eyes, there’s no hope, will you cooperate with us?”
“You sound certain.”
“Of course. Though I wasn’t on the best terms with the queen, I traveled with her for quite some time. I’m not acting on a whim.”
“Right, I believe you.”
Yuri nodded. Fenec was not the type to recklessly involve himself in conspiracies.
“Then tell me—who’s behind all this?”
“…The Holy Knight.”
“What?”
Yuri stared at him.
“The Holy Knight has taken the lead, and the entire temple and order of paladins follow him.”
“Why wouldn’t he act directly? Someone with his power and the temple’s absolute backing could have just used force to make a statement.”
Fenec said nothing.
Yuri clicked her tongue.
“Don’t tell me he’s unwell too?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, that explains a lot…”
Yuri stood up.
“This isn’t the time for idle talk. The lord here is part of the same faction, right?”
“Yes. A member of the Relief Corps.”
“The Relief Corps?”
“A secret order formed to save the Holy Kingdom. To carry out what I just told you.”
“Quite the organization.”
“When Sybilla became queen, everyone realized something had gone terribly wrong.”
“Then there’s no time to waste. Let’s move.”
“Yes.”
Yuri left the sitting room with Fenec.
In the hallway stood a middle-aged man who bowed respectfully as soon as he saw Yuri.
Fenec introduced him.
“This is the lord of Erund.”
“Your Highness, or rather, Your Royal Highness. I’ve heard of you. I’m sorry we couldn’t offer you a better welcome.”
“Nonsense. The Holy Kingdom is in crisis. This is the best hospitality we could offer.”
Yuri patted his shoulder.
“We’ll properly introduce ourselves next time.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for the food. Farewell.”
“Take care.”
Once outside the castle, Yuri and Fenec mounted their horses and rode toward the royal palace of the Holy Kingdom.
At the end of this journey, she might have to kill Sybilla.
Clenching her fist, Yuri pictured Sybilla’s face in her mind.