When the Vengeance Knights reached the edge of the village, they didn’t bother entering but stopped outside. The village wasn’t large enough to comfortably accommodate the entire order.
Rather than inconvenience the villagers, it was better to set up camp outside and stay just one night.
Yuri took Jared’s hand, and the two of them walked into the village.
The villagers showed no surprise at the sudden appearance of the two knights. It was already known that Briol’s army would be passing through the small allied states.
On the contrary, they greeted them warmly.
“Welcome! We’ve heard much of your renown. It’s an honor—ha ha ha…”
“Are you staying here tonight? Please, rest comfortably.”
“If you need anything, just say the word.”
Though small, the village was well maintained, and the people seemed genuinely kind.
The village chief bowed repeatedly to Yuri.
“Your Highness, it’s a true honor to meet you. I never imagined the Crown Prince of Briol would come here in person. Is there anything uncomfortable for you…?”
Yuri smiled gently at the flustered man.
“No need to worry so much. We’ll keep to ourselves and rest quietly. But could you provide us with some fodder and food? Of course, we’ll pay well.”
“Certainly! Just say the word!”
“What we need is…”
Meanwhile, the village children peeked from a distance, watching Yuri and Jared.
When Jared playfully beckoned, the kids hesitated but slowly approached.
“These little rascals look like they don’t listen at all,” he said, lifting the smallest child into the air. The child’s eyes widened in surprise as Jared tossed him high up before catching him again.
Only a knight’s strength could send a child soaring that high.
“Wow!”
“Behave yourselves.”
“Yes, sir!”
Before the knights they admired, the children behaved like gentle lambs.
“Jared, you’re good with kids,” Yuri said with a smirk. The village chief nodded in agreement.
“Oh my, these troublemakers usually don’t listen at all, but in front of you two, they’re as meek as lambs. They should behave like this all the time, right?”
The children ignored him.
Yuri chuckled softly, ruffled one child’s hair, then handed out coins, telling them to go buy something tasty.
Watching the children’s backs as they ran off, Yuri said, “That one seems to have some real potential.”
“You mean the tall one?”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t be bad to start teaching him the sword now.”
The chief showed interest.
“You mean that lanky kid named York? His father’s a swift hunter. Could be a fine prospect.”
“If he puts in the effort, I think so.”
“That’s good to hear. He’s the biggest troublemaker among the kids; I was worried about what would become of him…”
“The village is small but peaceful. Surely that’s thanks to you.”
“Oh no, I’m embarrassed to hear that.”
The chief bowed his head.
“I’ve heard much about the Empire and the black magic. Please, defeat those wicked ones. People like us are ignorant—we only wish for peace to continue.”
“What you and I want isn’t so different,” Yuri smiled.
“I’ll do my best to make that happen.”
“Oh no, no.”
As Yuri spoke with the chief, he requested their cooperation.
Soon, the village men delivered firewood, food, and horse feed to the Vengeance Knights’ camp.
Night gradually fell.
Normally, Yuri might have gone to a tavern for a drink, but this time he calmly prepared for the battle ahead.
Around the campfire, the knights sat, tending to their equipment.
Jared, shining the firelight on a map, spoke.
“So this village belongs to Konjed.”
“Konjed?”
“Remember the War of the Overlord? It was a place tainted by black magic.”
“Right. Not a good sign.”
The moon was hidden behind clouds, making the night dark. Only the campfire and the distant village lights faintly glowed in the darkness.
Yuri broke the silence.
“The Empire’s been too quiet. And this is Konjed, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“If those bastards are up to something, now would be the time.”
“Is that just a hunch?”
“What do you think?”
“No, Your Highness, when you say that, it makes me uneasy. Feels like someone could appear and attack at any moment.”
“Scared?”
“No way.”
“Is that so?”
Yuri stood and paced around Guilty once.
“Good to hear you’re not scared.”
“Really?”
Jared got up late, watching the two.
The other knights tilted their heads, then gripped their weapons and began scanning the surroundings.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Still don’t feel it?”
“Huh?”
A faint glow flickered in Yuri’s eyes. Jared recognized it as a sign of the ‘Realm of the Soul’ Yuri often spoke of.
Yuri was already seeing something.
That meant whatever was coming for them wasn’t ordinary—it was a product of black magic.
Shaking Guilty, Yuri stared into the darkness.
Then, suddenly—
A ball of fire shot toward the Vengeance Knights.
“Watch out!”
Yuri shouted as the fireball exploded the campfire, scattering embers everywhere. Two knights rolled on the ground, flames licking their armor. Others hurriedly doused the fire with water.
Jared yelled, “A mage! Everyone, be careful! More are coming!”
They hadn’t brought a mage along to maintain mobility.
They’d assumed no major battles would break out passing through the small allied states, so no dispel magic was prepared. It was a grave miscalculation.
Yuri unleashed a Soul Slash.
Blade energy radiated in all directions, disrupting the flow of mana.
“Get ready. They’re coming.”
Yuri sensed the enemy’s presence approaching, hidden in the forest’s shadows.
Dark and sinister.
This was how the seeds of the black army he’d fought in his past life had felt.
The Empire had already finished preparing for war.
This attack was a warning.
Soon, the enemies revealed themselves and charged the Vengeance Knights.
Sparks of steel flashed in the darkness.
The clash of blades echoed sharply through the dim night.
Each time a knight’s foot caught the campfire, embers scattered, briefly illuminating their swinging swords before plunging back into darkness.
Then, from the distant shadows, another crimson fireball rose.
“More magic!”
Normally, dispel magic would have easily neutralized it, but there was no mage present.
Yuri kicked the enemy blocking his path, then twisted his body and charged at the fireball.
He sliced it with a Soul Slash.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The fireball split at its core, flames spreading wildly as it engulfed Yuri.
“Your Highness!”
Feeling the intense heat all over his body, Yuri stepped forward instead of retreating. The Soul Slash protected his body.
Pushing through the blazing red haze, he spotted a faintly glowing staff in the distance.
The mage noticed Yuri’s gaze and twisted his body.
Yuri moved to pursue.
“You won’t get past me.”
Someone blocked his way.
A knight of considerable skill, smirking as he looked at Yuri.
“So this is the brat who became a Ten Strong. Didn’t expect someone like you.”
“Am I handsome?”
“Don’t get cocky. Do you know how much trouble you caused, dragging us out to this backwater? Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Who sent you?”
“Are you stupid? You think I’d tell you that?”
“Your tone’s rough. Has black magic numbed your fear?”
“So what if it has, idiot!”
Yuri raised a Soul Slash and swung it hard at the knight’s sword.
The sudden blow made the opponent drop his weapon.
Yuri grabbed his hair.
“Like this, you arrogant bastard.”
“Huh?”
Then he slammed the pommel into the knight’s jaw. Bones cracked as the man collapsed, teeth and blood foaming from his open mouth.
Yuri didn’t kill him—he might interrogate him later.
As Yuri lifted his head, several fireballs streaked past him.
Their target was the Vengeance Knights.
It was too late to stop them now.
Yuri gritted his teeth.
Then—
The fireballs flying through the air shattered and vanished all at once. Only faint traces of flame lingered, drifting in the darkness.
Yuri muttered, “Dispel?”
He turned toward the source of the mana disturbance.
There stood a comrade he could never mistake.
“Inariel!”
Though he looked like a boy with salmon-colored hair, Inariel was an elf mage far older than he appeared.
The Grand Mage Inariel.
With a leisurely motion, as if out for a stroll, he waved his staff. The darkness seemed to lift like smoke, and the light he summoned began to brighten the surroundings.
The enemy clad in black armor was revealed.
“Hmph, Empire scum.”
“How did you get here?”
“I heard you left for the front lines and followed.”
“You’ve been out of sight all this time.”
“I had my reasons.”
After asking Yuri to find the master of the mage tower, Inariel had vanished without a trace. For a while, Yuri thought he was off handling something alone.
Yuri voiced the suspicion he’d been holding back.
“As soon as I left Briole, you showed up right away. So, you really have some kind of grudge against Lord Sidhurst?”
“Shut up, kid.”
Inariel said that curtly and raised his staff.
“There’s no time for idle chatter. Something’s happening in the village too.”
“Huh?”
“It looks like they’re trying to wipe everything out.”
“I’ll go right away.”
Yuri gripped Guilty tightly.
“Take care of the ones here first.”
“Fine.”
At Inariel’s brusque reply, Yuri turned on his heel.
Though this young-looking archmage seemed cold and distant at first glance, his attitude belied a refusal to ignore the suffering around him.
“Please!”
“Alright.”
Yuri sprinted toward the village, shouting to rouse the people.
“Enemy attack! Everyone, run!”
In the darkness, imperial knights were moving.
Yuri dashed toward the source of the presence he sensed.
Clad in black armor, they were attacking villagers indiscriminately.
Yuri gritted his teeth.
They were harming innocent villagers—slaughtering them simply because Yuri and the Avenging Knights had stayed here.
Even in wartime, there were unspoken rules—minimum standards to uphold.
Killing innocent civilians was to be avoided at all costs.
But the Empire ignored such decency.
Their ruthless hands, taking human lives without a second thought, were the hallmark of dark sorcery.
Yuri had a good idea who was behind this.
Cedric.
The demon who deceived him and sought to seize the world in his grasp.
Yuri clenched Guilty tightly. The sword responded to his will, vibrating with power.
“Your target is right here!”
Yuri shouted as he charged, stabbing a knight who was gripping a door handle.
The sword’s spiritual energy, fueled by his rage, pierced the knight’s breastplate like it was made of tofu.
The imperial knight crumpled silently to the ground.
Inside the half-open door, a family huddled together, trembling.
“Stay hidden,” Yuri said briefly.
He turned immediately.
There was more than one enemy to face. No matter how hard he fought, the casualties would be heavy.
He had to buy as much time as possible.
If only someone could come to his aid now.
The skirmish outside the village seemed to be ongoing.
Then, suddenly, Yuri heard the clash of steel from within the village.
His eyes widened.
The sounds of battle didn’t stop—they continued relentlessly. Someone inside the village was fighting the imperial knights.
If someone could hold them off, even for a little while, it might reduce the damage to the village.
Grateful in his heart, Yuri ran along the wall toward a group of enemies nearby.
The imperial knights were heading somewhere.
“There’s that monster over there!”
“Send more men!”
“Damn it, we got stuck with some weird guy…”
Pushing off the wall, Yuri leapt and landed in front of the advancing knights.
“Monster, huh? I’ve heard that a lot too.”
“Yuri Briole!”
“That’s right. It’s me.”
Yuri smiled faintly and drew his sword.
A whirlwind swirled atop Guilty.
“I’ll take care of you.”
“Charge!”
The vortex of sword energy swept the ground, tearing through fabric and flesh alike, scattering blood and gore into the air.
In an instant, several knights lay dead.
Yuri glanced back.
He intended to help the mysterious swordsman the knights called a monster—the only one capable of standing against the imperial knights. If their skills were comparable, cooperating might be the best option.
Yuri moved forward, cutting down knights in his path.
Soon, he saw someone surrounded by a group of knights.
A swordsman with their face wrapped in bandages, dressed in a strange manner.