Chapter 92: The Conqueror’s Tournament (2)
Yuri selected five warriors in order.
Choosing Yuri, Jared, Simon, and Guiness was straightforward enough, but the last spot proved tricky.
After a long debate and some sparring, they finally settled on Tirbo, a knight who usually went unnoticed.
“I’m a bit nervous… hehe,” he said with an innocent smile.
Tirbo was a scruffy young man with a mop of unruly hair. Despite his somewhat scatterbrained demeanor, his exceptional swordsmanship proved his worth.
Moreover, beneath his simple appearance, he was the scion of a prestigious count’s family—a rare bloodline within the Vengeance Knights. His blade was sharp and precise, reminiscent of Laurent.
Well, except for his looks and his goofy grin.
His swordsmanship, his status, even his hair color resembled Laurent’s, but that last detail made him feel less reliable.
“You ready for this, Tirbo?”
“Leave it to me. Hehe…”
“Why do I feel so uneasy…?”
Yuri decided the order of the first battle between Anabas and Chiru.
It went: Tirbo, Yuri, Jared, Simon, then Guiness.
Tirbo was placed first to gauge his skill, and the rest followed in descending order of strength to secure a swift victory.
Yuri had originally planned to hold back, but changed his mind for a quick finish.
Since there was some debate over who was stronger between Simon and Guiness, they settled it with rock-paper-scissors.
Simon teased Guiness.
“Even rock-paper-scissors is a skill, you know.”
“What nonsense?”
“You always start with rock or scissors, right?”
“Ha, nonsense.”
“After hearing me say that, you’ll probably try paper next time, huh?”
“Nope.”
“Sure you won’t.”
The knights of Anabas wore stern expressions.
Their king wasn’t particularly tense, but for the knights, pride was on the line.
The king of Anabas said, “Don’t get hurt. Take it easy. It’s okay to lose.”
“…”
“Honestly, winning would be a problem too.”
“…”
“But still, do your best. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
With the knights of Anabas gathered to watch, the Conqueror’s Tournament began.
If Briole won, they’d claim Anabas’s banner; if Anabas won, they’d shatter Briole’s flag and deal a humiliating blow.
So even for the Vengeance Knights, this wasn’t a battle they could take lightly.
First up was Tirbo.
Yuri patted his shoulder.
“Take it easy. It’s your first time, so don’t feel pressured.”
“Yes, understood.”
“It’s okay to lose.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
Yuri chose Tirbo first to test his skill and to probe Anabas’s strength.
Anabas did the same.
As a result, both sides sent out their weakest fighters first, and the two were perfectly matched.
From the very first match, an intense duel erupted.
“Huff, huff…”
“Phew, phew…”
“Impressive for someone so young. Truly a knight of Briole…”
“You’re amazing too, sir. Hehe…”
Watching the scene, Yuri let out a long sigh.
“This is turning out to be quite the match.”
“Indeed…”
“Choosing the order carefully really matters.”
Their skills were so evenly matched that not a single mistake could be afforded. The duel was a razor’s edge, and watching it felt like witnessing a world-class contest.
“A nail-biter, for sure…”
Each strike carried their true intent.
They wielded their swords with all the insight and conviction they’d gained over time, fighting solely for their homeland’s victory.
Eventually, Tirbo gained the upper hand. His opponent was middle-aged, while Tirbo was in his prime. In the final moments, the Anabas knight’s focus faltered first.
One slip decided their fate.
The Anabas knight smiled wryly as he looked down at the sword stopped just before his throat.
Tirbo’s blade trembled up and down with his breathing.
“Beaten by a young lad, huh.”
“I was lucky.”
They exchanged smiles, acknowledging each other as worthy rivals.
As Tirbo lowered his sword, the two embraced warmly.
The Anabas knights watching burst into applause.
Caught up in the mood, Yuri clapped along and whispered to Jared beside him.
“Isn’t this a bit much?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I wanted to finish quickly.”
“How long are they going to keep hugging?”
After the long embrace, Tirbo staggered back to the Vengeance Knights’ side.
The cheers for the two lasted a while.
Still feeling the afterglow of that epic duel, Yuri stepped onto the arena.
The Anabas knight bowed politely.
“I am Harriet of Anabas! I look forward to this match!”
“Uh, me too…”
Because the first match had been so spectacular, the crowd’s expectations were even higher.
So when Harriet was thrown to the ground immediately after the start, everyone was stunned.
“Ugh!”
“…”
With a cry of agony, Harriet collapsed, limbs sprawled as if asleep.
Yuri gave an awkward smile and quickly left the arena.
It was a predictable outcome.
Yuri was already among the top ten strongest on the continent, while Harriet wasn’t even the best knight in Anabas, a small country.
In the silence, Jared prepared to step forward and whispered, “Wasn’t that a bit too quick?”
“We don’t have time. We need to move fast.”
“But still…”
“You finish quickly too.”
Jared stepped into the arena.
The excitement from the first match faded, replaced by a cold tension.
If Briole won again, the Conqueror’s Tournament would end immediately.
It would be a one-sided defeat for Anabas.
Though a small nation, their pride was immense—especially among the small-nation alliance.
“We absolutely cannot lose.”
“Fight!”
“Fight with your lives!”
Jared scanned the lined-up Anabas knights.
The top-ranked Anabas knight was last.
His expression was as hard as stone.
Soon Jared’s opponent appeared.
“Looking forward to learning from you.”
“Likewise.”
After exchanging polite words, Jared quickly subdued his opponent.
Though not as instant as Yuri’s victory, Jared broke through the enemy’s defense within a few exchanges and struck a vital point.
With Briole’s third win, the Conqueror’s Tournament was over.
It had started grandly but ended anticlimactically.
“Grrr…!”
The strongest Anabas knight, defeated without even drawing his sword, swallowed his tears.
The losing knights approached him, bowing their heads in apology.
“Sorry, Captain! We should have done better…”
“You believed in us. We’re sorry.”
“We’re ashamed…”
The strongest knight’s expression shifted quickly to a smile as he patted their shoulders.
“No, it’s not your fault. This isn’t just your defeat—it’s all of ours. We lost together. We are one!”
“Captain…!”
“So don’t hang your heads. Chin up.”
Sniff…
Yuri watched him with a wry expression.
His keen senses caught the knight mouthing, “Phew, glad it’s over,” under his breath.
Even if it had come down to him, he’d likely have fought Guiness to the death.
The strength of Briole’s knights wasn’t just talk. Though they’d mingled with great powers before, facing a small country like Anabas made it all the more apparent.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
But since the mood in Anabas seemed good, Yuri decided to stay quiet.
The king of Anabas handed Yuri the flag.
The defeated Anabas knights applauded.
“Congratulations on starting the Conqueror’s Tournament. Other nations have participated before, but none have taken it this seriously.”
“I will see it through to completion.”
“I’m rooting for you.”
The king patted Yuri’s arm.
“But it won’t be easy. The fact it’s never been completed means it’s incredibly difficult.”
“I understand.”
As Yuri learned more about the tournament, he understood why it had never been completed.
There was a one-month time limit.
Since the flags won were all wagered on each match, weaker nations would simply stall and wait.
Only when multiple countries fought hard to collect flags would the number of duels decrease.
But if some avoided battles, the nation trying to complete the Conqueror’s Tournament would have to visit every country and fight each one to collect flags individually.
Yuri suspected this time would be no different.
He might have to visit all sixteen countries within a month.
“Now that the tournament has been declared, we need to move quickly.”
“Yes, we’ll depart immediately.”
The Vengeance Knights now had two standard-bearers—one carrying Briole’s flag, the other Anabas’s.
They would continue the tournament, carrying Anabas’s will forward.
Their goal: to complete the Conqueror’s Tournament and build a continental alliance to resist the empire’s siege.
“Yuri.”
Before mounting his horse, the king of Anabas called out.
It was the first time he’d used Yuri’s name.
Yuri loosened the reins and approached.
“May I call you Yuri?”
“Yes.”
“We haven’t known each other long, but you feel like a younger brother to me.”
Yuri smiled faintly.
The king continued.
“So much has changed in such a short time—from the Empire to the dark magic, and even the Conqueror’s Chronicle. It all feels so unreal, like meeting you is nothing but a dream.”
“I understand.”
“This too must be fate.”
The King of Anabas placed a hand on Yuri’s shoulder.
“Somehow, I get it now. Though the late king is missing, you remain—here in Briol, and across the continent. To stand against the Empire, everyone must play their part, but your role is heavier and more difficult than anyone else’s. It won’t be easy. There will be times when you just want to give up.”
Yuri lifted his eyes.
Though he had struggled to hold back the Empire, everyone had only relied on him; no one had ever tried to comfort him like the King of Anabas was doing now.
He truly was a king.
“But I know you’ll never give up. I have a good eye for people. You don’t need empty words of comfort. Still, there’s something I want to say…”
The King of Anabas gave Yuri’s shoulder a firm smack.
“Everyone knows. They know the weight of the burden you carry. I hope that brings you some comfort.”
“Thank you.”
Rubbing the spot where he’d been struck, Yuri smiled.
Just hearing the king’s earnest words made his burden feel a little lighter.
But there was one thing the King of Anabas didn’t know.
This was Yuri’s second life.
Because he remembered the pain from his past life, he already carried enough sparks of fire within him.
“But you don’t need to worry about me,” Yuri said confidently, then continued.
“Even if no one recognizes it, it doesn’t matter. Regardless, I will do my duty.”
“I see.”
The king’s eyes brightened, and he laughed aloud.
“I suppose I was a bit long-winded out of concern. Still, I wanted to say it.”
“It truly is a comfort.”
“Well then, go quickly. When we meet again, the Conqueror’s Chronicle should be complete.”
“Of course.”
Without hesitation, Yuri mounted his horse.
The knights of Anabas cheered for the Vengeance Knights. Having defeated them, they shouted for the others not to lose to any other nation.
A rider bearing the Anabas flag waved it in response.
“Let’s go. We’re going to claim the flags.”
“Yes!”
Leading the way, the Vengeance Knights rode out of Anabas.
The Anabas knights cheered them on until they disappeared from sight.
The Vengeance Knights waved back.
It was an honorable farewell.
“Hey! Scared?”
Yuri didn’t have time to be polite.
He wanted to gather the flags quickly.
So after leaving Anabas, he stopped being so courteous.
In fact, he was downright rude.
“I’m here for your flag! Come out now!”
As soon as he reached the gates of Oroth, the next nation after Anabas, Yuri shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Let’s fight! Hand over your flag!”