The moment Yuri swallowed hard, he straightened his shoulders and answered.
“The Pope.”
Without realizing it, Yuri stood up. Just as he was about to bend his usually stiff erector spinae muscles to bow—
“Just kidding.”
He spread his palm as if to say, “No need to bow.”
“I was only joking because I thought you might be disappointed. I’m just a low-ranking official attached to the temple. I was only there to keep an eye on you two, in case you got into trouble.”
“I see.”
“No grand secrets or hidden identities here. Just an ordinary citizen living a quiet life.”
“And your name?”
“Luther.”
“Alright, Luther. Nice to meet you.”
Yuri sat back down and extended his hand for a shake.
“It’s people like you, the ordinary citizens, who are the true seeds of the Holy Kingdom.”
“Seeds sound a bit small, don’t you think?”
“Exactly why it’s a perfect metaphor. You startled my back muscles just now.”
Yuri broke the tension.
“Well, now that we have three big shots and two seeds gathered, let’s get down to business.”
Fennec and Luther exchanged puzzled glances, while Francesco and Umstein smiled with satisfaction.
“If you want to be treated like a big shot, you have to rise through the ranks. Like me—become a Holy Knight.”
Francesco crossed his legs and scratched his ear as he spoke.
Umstein nodded in agreement.
“Or be born a dwarf.”
They chuckled together, but the sight didn’t inspire much confidence.
Still, Yuri liked these two. They were earnest now, living their second lives with purpose, but they had once been ordinary humans who took things easy. That made them relatable.
Yuri smiled wryly.
“Alright, you misfits—or rather, big shots—let’s hatch a plan. I’ll meet with Sibylla and try to persuade her. If that fails, we stab and run.”
“Oh…”
“Sounds good…”
But Fennec shook his head.
“No, that won’t do.”
“Why not?”
“What kind of plan is that? Persuade, and if it fails, stab and run?”
“Isn’t that the bottom line? Persuade first, then kill if necessary.”
“That’s true, but…”
Yuri clicked his tongue.
“Fine. You must have a plan of your own. Explain it.”
“We’ve given up on persuasion. We’re scouting the perfect spot for an assassination, preparing every detail meticulously…”
“See? You’re just saying persuade first, then kill.”
Francesco and Umstein nodded in agreement.
“Exactly. That’s the core of it.”
Fennec sighed.
He spoke so bluntly that Yuri instinctively wanted to argue, but the plan’s skeleton was the same. There was no other way.
“Still, that’s a huge leap. Having a concrete plan is different.”
“Then let’s discuss the details. Why so pessimistic?”
“Sigh…”
Fennec exhaled deeply.
Back in the Alliance army, Yuri Briol had been endlessly reliable, but now, with all this wordplay, it was hard to trust him.
He just wanted to hit someone.
“That’s the look of someone wanting to hit me, Francesco. Is this the discipline of the Holy Kingdom?”
“I wasn’t like this in my prime.”
“See? When the role models disappear, everything falls apart.”
“Hmm, true.”
Fennec didn’t want to waste more time. He stood up abruptly and clapped his hands.
“Let’s have a proper discussion.”
“Agreed.”
“Now that the prince is here, we have a new option: persuading the queen. Not sure if it’ll work, though.”
Yuri nodded.
“Let’s give it a try.”
But deep down, Yuri didn’t believe he could change Sibylla’s mind. If anything, he thought it impossible.
She was no fool—quite the opposite, in fact. If Sibylla had made a decision, it was a firm one.
Yuri just wanted to see her with his own eyes.
“Sorry about this.”
Umstein spoke up.
“I think it’s all because of my brother.”
Yuri looked at him.
Now that he thought about it, at the tavern, Umstein had said something strange—about his brother trying to hand over treasures to some high-ranking people.
He hadn’t paid much attention then, but knowing Umstein was a dwarf, it seemed like no ordinary story.
Yuri asked him.
“What do you mean?”
“Well…”
Umstein scratched his head.
“My brother tried to sell our dwarven treasures to some big shot.”
“Who was this big shot? And what treasures?”
“The big shot was a guy named Larson.”
Yuri stared blankly.
Not just any big shot—the highest-ranking human in the Holy Kingdom.
“And then? What happened?”
“Larson died.”
“Then it’s over, isn’t it?”
“That’s why Sibylla wants revenge.”
“Explain it clearly.”
Fennec answered for him.
“Umstein’s brother, Gultenstein, tried to sell the dwarven treasures to Larson, demanding marriage to Sibylla in return.”
Yuri looked from Fennec back to Umstein, who scratched his head again.
“That’s the story. I’m too embarrassed to say more.”
“So what about Larson?”
“He agreed.”
“Excuse me?”
“The treasures were incredibly valuable. But Gultenstein fell for Sibylla. So he tried to sell the treasures in exchange for marriage. Larson was just as crazy as my brother. He actually agreed.”
“So Sibylla went mad?”
“Yeah. As soon as Larson died, she became queen, threw my brother in prison, and started threatening to take the dwarven treasures.”
“What treasures?”
“Dwarven metals and smelting techniques.”
“Hmm…”
“Very precious.”
“I see.”
The dwarves’ metalworking skills were said to far surpass humans’. If those techniques fell into the wrong hands, war would become even more brutal.
“So that’s the story.”
“Yeah.”
Yuri nodded, his thoughts clear.
Gultenstein, a dwarf, demanded Sibylla in exchange for dwarven metals and techniques. Larson, blinded by greed, accepted but was killed by Sibylla’s wrath. Now Sibylla was threatening Gultenstein to seize the dwarven secrets.
“Alright, Francesco.”
“Hm?”
“I’m curious about your story.”
“Me? What story?”
Yuri recalled what he’d said at the tavern.
“You said you lost your abilities in an accident.”
“Oh, right. That was a long time ago…”
“What happened?”
“One day, I just couldn’t use mana anymore.”
“Excuse me?”
“Since then, I couldn’t fight. That’s it. The temple’s been hiding it. Not exile—just a has-been.”
Francesco shrugged.
Yuri studied him for a moment, then nodded.
“Understood.”
Then Yuri looked at Fennec.
“So, what’s your plan?”
“According to Umstein, Gultenstein isn’t exactly a man of honor. He’s expected to confess the location of the dwarven treasures soon. We planned to wait there and assassinate the queen when she comes.”
“Where is that?”
“Well…”
Umstein said,
“That’s classified. We’ll tell you later.”
“Understood.”
Yuri nodded.
“Before that, let’s try to meet Sibylla. Is there a chance?”
“Not really. She rarely goes out…”
“Give me her schedule. I’ll handle the meeting.”
Yuri remembered the stealth and infiltration skills he’d learned from Asana. Though he lacked her uncanny ability to meld with shadows, he could move like a typical assassin.
His natural talent was exceptional, so he was confident in handling most situations.
He climbed over the palace wall.
A royal guard spotted him but ignored it. He was part of the secret society. According to Fennec, more allies were joining their cause.
That meant Sibylla was losing support.
“Huff…”
Yuri pulled out a map of the Holy Kingdom’s palace.
“The tower’s here.”
Sibylla had imprisoned Gultenstein in the tower and interrogated him personally on occasion. Intelligence said she moved alone, without escorts.
Yuri planned to meet her then.
He moved quickly. The palace was beautifully decorated, but there was no time to admire it.
In the distance, a tall tower loomed.
Yuri stuck to the palace’s edges.
There were fewer people inside than expected, making it easier. Unlike Briol’s palace, bustling with servants, the Holy Kingdom’s palace was eerily quiet.
He reached the tower.
Soldiers guarded it.
Yuri pulled out oil and matches he’d prepared and set fire to a nearby storage shed.
Almost immediately, black smoke billowed.
The guards scrambled, calling for help and dousing the fire with water. Taking advantage of the chaos, Yuri climbed the tower’s outer wall, opened a window, and slipped inside.
Inside, the tower was deathly silent.
“Empty?”
Yuri muttered.
Indeed, the interior was completely vacant. He climbed the stairs, sensing no other presence.
At the top, someone was imprisoned.
Yuri called out.
“Gultenstein?”
The man lifted his bowed head sharply.
He resembled Umstein but was slightly different—short and broad-nosed, unmistakably a dwarf.
He sank down where he was and stared blankly at Yuri.
“Since your little brother sent you, just stay quiet. If Sibylla comes up, I’ll handle it. So don’t be afraid.”
At Yuri’s words, he only nodded. Unlike Umstein, he seemed to be a man of few words.
Yuri glanced outside.
Noisy sounds kept coming from turning off the lights. She hid herself in the corner of the tower, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
After a while, faint footsteps began to echo from above.
Yuri swallowed hard. Meeting Sibylla again after so long made her nervous. And now, if things went wrong, Sibylla was someone they might have to kill.
Had she perhaps been corrupted by dark magic and become someone else entirely?
A flood of possibilities raced through Yuri’s mind.
Soon, steady footsteps grew closer, reaching the floor where Yuri was hiding.
She cautiously peeked out.
There stood Sibylla.
She looked exactly as he remembered—nothing had changed. Her attire was that of a queen, making her appear even more regal, but everything else was the same.
“Gultenstein. Have you thought about my offer?”
Sibylla’s voice rang out.
“If you just follow my proposal, I’ll forgive everything and compensate you. I’ll send you back to the dwarves’ land.”
She crossed her arms, looking down at Gultenstein through the iron bars.
“Huh?”
Yuri felt a wave of relief. She had feared Sibylla might have changed completely, but it was the same voice he knew.
Just as Yuri was about to stand up—
“Au-au-au…”
A sudden, agonized sound cut through the air.
Yuri turned her head and saw Gultenstein trying to speak. But it wasn’t language.
She realized.
Gultenstein had no tongue.
“What? I can’t hear you well.”
Sibylla leaned in closer. Gultenstein tried again.
“Au-au…”
Sighing, Sibylla opened the cage door and stepped inside. She approached Gultenstein.
He backed away, terror etched on his face.
“Stop.”
At her command, he froze and looked toward Yuri. She raised a finger to her lips, signaling him to stay quiet.
“Have you thought about my offer?”
Sibylla looked down at the slumped Gultenstein, arms crossed.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
She tilted her head.
“Are you hoping that little rat over there will save you?”
Yuri’s eyes widened at the insult.
Sibylla still stared down at Gultenstein.
Then, suddenly, something grabbed Yuri by the back of her neck.