News that Briol had retaken Bezos spread like wildfire across the entire continent.
It had all happened in the span of a single day.
And the one who accomplished it was none other than Yuri Briol, the crown prince of Briol, who was widely regarded as the heir to Fiore.
Word got out that he had single-handedly slain several of the knights stationed in Bezos. With Fiore missing, a vacancy had opened up among the Ten Great Commanders, and Yuri Briol’s name began to be mentioned as a candidate.
For someone in their early twenties to become one of the Ten Great Commanders was unprecedented.
Because of this, the imperial capital buzzed with talk about Yuri Briol.
Though he was a prince of an enemy nation and his victims were imperial soldiers—so open praise was out of the question—his feats were quietly celebrated in private gatherings as if by tradition.
Few in the capital didn’t know the name Yuri Briol, even if they weren’t familiar with the royal family.
Elaine, who was staying in the capital, often heard news about him.
“Have you heard about Bezos?” she asked.
“I have,” came the reply.
Elaine sat across from Ekaterina, who had arranged the meeting under the pretense of introducing goods from the East, as usual.
Ekaterina ran her fingers over the items Elaine had laid out and said, “It was so hard to find things like this in my past life.”
“Really?”
“The allied forces failed.”
“So, it’s all thanks to Prince Yuri—no, Your Highness.”
“That’s right. I knew I picked the right man, didn’t I?”
“Yes, well…”
Elaine almost said she hadn’t had much contact with him in this life, but she swallowed the words.
Considering they had both reincarnated, their relationship was far older and deeper than the few encounters known on the surface.
“Anyway, these items are all lovely. I’ll take them all.”
“Are you sure?”
“I have no other way to help, so I might as well spend some of the royal treasury.”
Ekaterina was playing the part of someone enchanted by Eastern goods to justify their regular meetings.
But Elaine knew it wasn’t an act. Ekaterina genuinely loved the new cultural artifacts from the East.
She was still dressed in a red silk gown imported from the East, her platinum hair pinned up with a traditional hair ornament called a binyeo. The exposed slender white neck occasionally caught even Elaine’s gaze.
Her beauty was overwhelming. Elaine found herself envying her employer.
“I couldn’t save the country in my past life…”
“Hm?”
“Nothing.”
Elaine cleared her throat and began packing up the items.
“You really will buy everything, right?”
“Of course.”
Everything Ekaterina purchased would be charged to the palace.
Elaine shifted the topic.
“So, what will happen with Briol? I mean, what will Your Highness do now? Will he come straight to the Empire?”
“Probably…”
Ekaterina tilted her head.
“I don’t think so.”
“Really?”
“Yuri will act differently this time. Charging in headfirst would just mean he wants to get crushed, which would be no different from last time.”
“What do you mean by acting differently?”
“Who knows?”
“Hmm…”
“Shall we think it over together?”
Elaine propped her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
Through Ekaterina, she had learned that her employer, Yuri Briol, had also returned to the past.
That knowledge helped her understand his moves a little better.
Everything—the way he approached her, the way he built his wealth—was all to prepare for the fight against the Empire.
“The allied forces succeeded in wiping out the orcs. They eliminated the Empire’s allies.”
“Right.”
“To reduce the enemy’s power and increase your own…”
Elaine suddenly had a thought.
To defeat a colossal enemy like the Empire, you have to break conventional wisdom.
Recalling the vague outline of last life’s events she’d learned through Ekaterina, she realized they needed a completely different approach.
The power gap was clear.
To overcome it, the strategy had to change.
So, what was Yuri Briol thinking in this situation?
Elaine spoke up.
“The East.”
Ekaterina blinked and looked at her.
“I hope we can bring the East into this.”
“The East?”
“Yes. They’re literally a third power.”
“How do you plan to bring them in?”
“That’s something to think about slowly. Hmm, maybe His Highness is already considering it? Or maybe I should tell him. No, it’s ultimately my job…”
Since hearing the truth from Ekaterina, Elaine hadn’t contacted Yuri. She needed time to sort out her thoughts.
But now she trusted Ekaterina and understood that a mysterious menace lurked within the Empire.
It was time to act again.
“I need to contact His Highness.”
“Nowadays, they check all the messages coming in and out of the capital.”
Ekaterina suddenly said this as she struggled to untangle a pearl necklace Elaine had given her.
“It’d be better to send someone in person. Even those get inspected…”
“That’s fine.”
Elaine smiled and took the necklace from Ekaterina’s hands. After a few deft movements, the chain was neatly arranged.
Handing it back, she said, “I have just the person for that.”
“Who? Oh, that girl?”
“Yes. Asana.”
Elaine felt a twinge at the word “girl,” but dismissed it. By physical age, Asana was older, but by past life, Ekaterina was the senior.
Ekaterina tilted her head, thought for a moment, then said, “Alright, I’ll send a letter too.”
Yuri, having retaken Bezos, wasn’t exactly elated.
To him, it was a given result.
“There weren’t even any Black Knights left to begin with.”
“It’s still an impressive feat.”
“No, it’s a trivial victory at best.”
Einger, standing beside him, pondered for a moment.
If the Black Knights had remained and faced off against the crown prince of Briol here…
Still, he couldn’t picture Yuri losing outright. In fact, he thought Yuri might even win.
The skill Yuri had displayed in the last battle was astonishing.
It was as if Fiore himself had returned, sword flashing.
“Now, we need to prepare for the next move.”
“The next move?”
“Yes.”
Yuri stood on the battlements, looking down at the interior of Bezos Castle with Einger.
Soldiers busily tidied up inside.
Tapping the railing, Yuri said, “Now that we’ve reclaimed Bezos Castle intact…”
The walls that Inariel had lifted during the battle had settled back down as if it had never happened. There was no sign of the cut or damage.
It was as if the whole thing had been a dream—no trace remained.
Bezos Castle had regained its former strength.
“Now, we need to send a message to those who are hesitating. If they want to live, they have to join us.”
“Those who are hesitating?”
“The smaller states.”
To the north of the continent was the Empire. To its lower left lay the Holy Kingdom and Bursen, and to the right was Liberdah.
Further southeast, bordering the steppes, was Briol.
Between these five nations were countless small states.
Some had grown into sizable countries but soon fractured again. So, these small states, roughly the size of fiefdoms to the Empire and the other four allied nations, formed loose coalitions.
To wage war against the Empire, they had to be brought under control first.
Even without citing last life’s example, when the Empire marched down to attack Bezos recently, these states simply let them pass.
Einger nodded.
“So, you want to strike the Central Coalition.”
“Exactly. I don’t know what’s going on, but the Empire is quiet right now. It’s better to move first. We have to make them understand that joining us is their only chance to survive.”
“They might not believe us…”
“We’ll make them believe.”
Yuri tapped the hilt of Guilty.
“Having this in front of them will convince them.”
“Hahaha…”
But Einger’s expression wasn’t so bright.
Though the small states were many, their combined influence was not insignificant. They also had strong pride and were likely to resist Yuri.
“Einger.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know what those coalition guys say every day?”
“What?”
“They say that even though their countries are small, if conditions are equal, they’re just as strong as the Empire or the other four nations. So, if they have enough people, they believe they can win any war.”
“Well, that’s what they always say…”
“Let’s use that against them.”
“What do you mean?”
“What else?”
Yuri smiled slyly and looked at the soldiers training inside Bezos Castle.
Compared to last life, their skills had all improved. Yuri had worked hard to raise their abilities.
He refined and distributed the kingdom’s mana methods and had knights train the soldiers.
“If we match their numbers and go in, then crush them all, they won’t have any excuses left.”
“Oh…”
Einger brightened.
“In that case, leave it to me!”
“I’ll entrust Briol to you, Lord Einger.”
“Eh…?”
“If a skilled and experienced knight like you goes, they’ll find some excuse. So I’ll go with the Revenge Knights and stomp them into silence.”
“Um, well…”
“It won’t take long. Meanwhile, you’ll have other tasks.”
“Just say the word.”
“You need to learn more about black magic.”
Yuri’s voice dropped.
“Hernando, Marirose, and Lady Inariel will join us. You have to find the master of the Mage Tower by any means necessary.”
The master of the Mage Tower.
He was the one who oversaw the Mage Towers scattered across the continent.
Though he rarely acted directly, the position was passed down to only one person since the towers were built, giving him the highest authority in the magical world.
But he hadn’t been seen in a long time. He wasn’t someone you could meet just by asking.
“Me?”
“Yes. Is that difficult?”
“No, no, it’s something that has to be done. But…”
Ainz’s eyes darted around.
“They say you might be able to find him somewhere in the Mage Tower, but no one’s seen him in years, right? Nobody actually knows where he is.”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking someone talented like you.”
“I see…”
“Dig through your connections and see what you can find. Of course, Hernando and Marie-Rose will be helping too.”
“And Lady Inariel?”
“She’ll cooperate, but…”
Yuri recalled Inariel’s reaction when the Mage Tower’s master was mentioned. He didn’t seem too pleased about it.
“Well, in any case, I’m leaving this to you, Sir Ainz. Feel free to ask others for help as well.”
“And if you do find him, what then?”
“Our mages will handle it.”
The continent still hadn’t acknowledged the existence of black magic.
If word got out here—in the Empire and hostile Briol—that black magic had taken over the imperial palace, it would be dismissed as black propaganda or conspiracy theory.
That’s why Yuri planned to persuade the Mage Tower’s master.
He represented all the mages on the continent.
If the Mage Tower’s master acknowledged and publicly declared the connection between black magic and the Empire, it would be as if all the continent’s mages stood behind it. Then everyone would believe in the danger of black magic.
In other words, it was a plan to isolate the Empire.
“They won’t even talk to those black magic types.”
“Exactly.”
Ainz looked at Yuri with admiration.
“So you’re not just thinking of brute forcing your way to victory.”
“Sounds like there’s some truth behind your words.”
“Well, I’m an animal, so I guess I do have bones.”
“…”
“Sorry.”
Yuri patted Ainz on the back.
“I’m leaving first thing tomorrow morning. So tonight, let’s have a grand banquet.”
“Sounds great!”
“I want to see for myself just how well you can drink.”
“I’m known as the ‘drainpipe of Briol.’ Whatever you pour, it all goes down.”
“That’s impressive!”
The morning after the lavish banquet, Yuri woke up nursing a hangover. When he glanced at the seat beside him, he couldn’t believe his eyes.