Yuri’s eyes scanned the swordsman wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
So much had changed. His face was scarred and twisted, his posture hunched, and even the way he wielded his sword had become rough and unrefined.
But now that she recognized him as Roland, there was no doubt.
“Roland, right?”
Yuri stepped closer.
“How have you been all this time…?”
But the moment she approached, a sharp blade flashed toward her—not just a warning, but a precise strike aimed at her neck.
Yuri parried the attack with Guilty and looked at Roland.
“What are you doing?”
“Yuri Briole.”
“Huh?”
The clear, familiar voice she remembered was gone.
Through the bandages covering his face, cold eyes glinted.
Yuri realized this was no longer the Roland she once knew.
“Don’t call my name.”
Yuri froze in place.
If it had been anyone else, she might have scolded them for nonsense and forced her way forward to subdue them. But this was Roland.
He was the one person she trusted most among those close to her.
If he said he wasn’t Roland, then he wasn’t.
“Alright.”
So Yuri stayed still.
Even without words, she could piece together the situation from his appearance.
After what happened in France, Roland lost everything.
He must have been wounded deeply, becoming the man before her now.
And it was because of Cedric.
Roland had begun to doubt Cedric, and she herself no longer trusted the Roland who doubted him.
That was how they drifted apart.
Whatever had happened in France, one thing was clear: this Roland was no longer the man she once knew.
Yuri clenched and released her grip on Guilty repeatedly.
She wasn’t weak enough to feel guilty over things beyond her control.
If others tried to pin the blame for France on her and criticize her, she would have just scoffed and drawn Guilty without hesitation.
But this was Roland.
To Yuri, Roland was always an exception.
“Should I apologize?”
Yuri asked.
Roland’s face twisted for a moment before he lunged at her.
The precise, elegant swordsmanship she remembered was gone—only ruthless attacks that ignored his own safety remained.
As Yuri swung Guilty, she thought:
Roland had grown stronger.
Though rougher in style, his technique hadn’t regressed at all. His strength and speed had increased. Though it seemed reckless at first glance, every move was carefully calculated. His talent had continued to develop.
But Yuri had grown even stronger.
Realizing this, Roland gritted his teeth and said,
“You monstrous bastard.”
“Roland.”
They locked blades, glaring at each other from close range.
Through the bandages, the twisted skin beneath was more visible.
Yuri smiled faintly.
“Your tone suits you better now.”
“What?”
“You should’ve acted like this sooner. It’s more genuine than following me around calling me ‘Your Highness, Your Highness.’”
“Don’t pretend to be so casual while talking.”
“Pretend? I’m not pretending.”
Yuri pushed harder, forcing Roland back.
He twisted his sword sideways and grabbed her, trying to knock her down.
But Yuri spun like a top, reversing the move and toppling him instead.
Roland hit the ground with a groan.
“Ugh…”
“Roland.”
Yuri looked down at him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Shut up.”
Roland pushed off the ground and crushed her beneath him, then climbed on top and said,
“Don’t pretend to be sorry.”
“Roland, you know better than anyone.”
Yuri didn’t resist, meeting his gaze.
“I’m not pretending.”
“Damn it!”
Roland slammed his fist down.
But Yuri blocked it with her hand.
She chuckled softly.
“See? I’m not giving you any openings.”
Roland threw several more punches, but Yuri blocked or dodged them all skillfully.
Soon, struggling beneath her in a mounted position, Roland grabbed her collar, panting.
“Yuri Briole.”
“Yeah.”
“You should’ve known first.”
Roland tightened his grip on her throat.
“You kept talking about fighting the Empire, but the real enemy was right beside you. You should’ve known.”
Yuri looked up at him.
He squeezed her neck and continued.
“You should’ve been the first to know Cedric was that kind of man.”
His grip tightened.
“If not that, then you should’ve at least believed me.”
Roland threw a punch.
This time, Yuri didn’t block.
Her head snapped to the side.
She spat out blood-tinged saliva and looked at Roland.
“I’m sorry, Roland.”
Roland looked down at her, then shook his shoulders and started laughing.
He chuckled quietly to himself for a while before getting to his feet.
“Damn it…”
Staggering, he picked up his sword lying nearby.
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. Whether you die or this world falls apart—I don’t care.”
“Yeah.”
“Your father was sealed away by your brother.”
Yuri, who had just gotten up, looked at him.
“Cedric sealed him with some unknown magic. He told me to tell you. Said he’d give you despair.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“You won’t see him again. Meeting here was just a coincidence. Whether you die fighting your brother or win and save the world, it’s up to you.”
With that, Roland turned and started walking away.
Yuri watched his retreating figure.
She wanted to stop him, but it didn’t seem like what he wanted.
“…Huff.”
Yuri ran her hands through her hair.
After a moment of hesitation, she stood and called out to the fading figure.
“Hey! Roland!”
“Hey.”
Kory was hiding in the shadows, watching Yuri and the villagers, when someone suddenly spoke.
“What are you spying on so intently?”
He turned to see a mercenary who hadn’t been around for a while. The scars on his face stood out more than usual today.
The mercenary glanced in the direction Kory was watching and smirked.
“Is that the famous Yuri Briole? Look at that. Those who were so mean to you act all nice around her. Anyone would be fooled.”
The mercenary sneered.
Kory ignored him and turned away.
He had planned to go straight to Yuri, but something told him not to.
The mercenary followed.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
“My own business.”
“Don’t we still have some things to discuss?”
“What things?”
“See? Because you did what I said, that guy woke up, right?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Now you owe me a favor.”
Kory didn’t look at him.
“Say what you want. I’ll do what I can.”
“Hmm, I’ll tell you what I want later.”
“When later? What if I’m not here then?”
“Won’t take that long.”
“Still, give me a rough idea.”
“Maybe tonight?”
“Fine. Come find me. If you can’t, well… too bad.”
“Got it.”
“By the way, why do you keep following me…?”
He trailed off, but when Kory looked back, the mercenary was gone again—appearing and disappearing at will.
Kory sighed and headed toward the inn where Roland was staying.
The two who had left the temple were lodging there. The owner disliked them but accepted the extra payment without complaint.
Roland, now conscious, sat by the window looking outside.
“The noise outside… what’s going on?”
“Not sure. Maybe the Briole Knights have arrived? I saw Your Highness Yuri too.”
Roland’s eyebrows twitched. He stared silently at Kory.
Kory shrugged.
“I don’t know either.”
Roland glared at him for a while, then stood and left the room.
Everyone was acting on their own.
Left alone, Kory flopped onto the bed and drifted into thought.
Eventually, he fell asleep.
When he woke, it was dark outside the window.
Roland was nowhere to be seen.
Rubbing his eyes, Kory suddenly snapped awake.
Maybe Your Highness Yuri had left.
He hurried out of the inn and asked the villagers—who still disliked him—where Yuri and the Briole Knights had set up camp.
He learned they were just outside the village.
Kory ran straight there.
He saw Yuri and the knights gathered around a campfire.
It felt like old times.
When they followed the Alliance army, they’d sit like this at night, preparing for the next day’s battle.
Though every day was a fight, Kory had liked those times.
Just as he was about to approach Yuri, a fight broke out.
Startled, Kory hid.
Magic flew through the darkness.
He was about to cast Dispel, but someone else neutralized the magic first.
It was Inariel, the young-looking archmage with salmon-colored hair.
He was definitely a better mage than Kory.
Watching Inariel’s display, Kory stayed hidden, unable to intervene.
With Inariel’s arrival, the tide turned in favor of the Briole Knights.
Yuri left for the village to save people.
Kory remained frozen, still hiding in the bushes.
“Hey, idiot.”
The mercenary’s voice came from behind Kory.
“What are you doing? Weren’t you going to see Yuri Briole?”
“Yeah.”
Kory turned.
“But now that you’re here, I’m not going.”
Looking up at him, Kory added one word.
“Cedric.”
The mercenary with the scarred face looked down at Kori and began to smile. His mouth stretched into a grotesque grin, twisting his features into something terrifying.
“When did you find out?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure.”
“You’re smarter than I thought.”
“I get that a lot. I don’t look it, do I?”
Kori stood up and started walking toward the village. “Let’s talk as we walk. So, what’s your wish?”
“I’ll tell you soon enough.”
“You want to talk to me, then?”
“Yeah.”
The two of them walked around the outskirts of the village.
From a distance, the sounds of fighting echoed faintly.
Kori had a vague sense that this mercenary following him wasn’t ordinary. For some reason, the mana and the power of the Dragon Tongue he sensed from the man put him on edge.
At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but then it hit him.
This man carried the scent of dark magic.
Still, Kori only half-guessed that this man was Cedric.
“You’re starting to get the picture now, aren’t you?”
“Get what?”
“My face. My true form.”
Cedric smirked. His face was still that of a scarred, rough mercenary.
“It’s the human form you wanted to be, isn’t it?”
“…”
Kori said nothing.
He had always been looked down on, met with disgustful stares from others.
That hadn’t changed even after he became a mage.
But those who scorned him were the ones who feared and dared not cross the burly, scarred man. Just like this mercenary’s appearance—big, tough, and marked with scars—people were afraid and tried to curry favor.
Sometimes, Kori wished he could be that kind of person.
“I’ve been watching you. What kind of skill does this hideous half-orc have that Yuri keeps him around?”
“I don’t have any skill at all.”
“But you can use the Dragon Tongue…”
Kori tensed.
Though Cedric was toying with him now, if he’d discovered the Dragon Tongue organ, he might try to take it by force.
“Don’t worry. That thing’s nothing. The Dragon Tongue is a hollow power.”
Cedric placed a hand on Kori’s shoulder.
“Watching you, I found something interesting.”
“What is it?”
“Now, let’s settle the terms of our deal. I want you to answer my question honestly.”
“Honestly?”
“Yes, honestly.”
The mercenary’s face shifted, transforming into Cedric’s true form.
A handsome, refined, and strikingly beautiful face.
Not only that, Cedric excelled in every way. Kori couldn’t understand how someone blessed like that could stoop to using dark magic for evil deeds.
Cedric’s voice whispered into Kori’s ear.
“You were happy to see Laurent twisted into that horrible form, weren’t you?”
Kori’s expression stiffened.
“I…”
“I can read minds. You truly rejoiced at Laurent’s hideous transformation. Isn’t that right? I’ve never seen such pure joy before. That’s why I approached you.”
Kori looked at Cedric. His face resembled Yuri’s.
But now he understood.
Cedric was ugly.
And he was even uglier.
“You were happy to see Laurent become so hideous, weren’t you, Kori?”
Kori answered.
“Yes… that’s right.”