After annihilating the Empire’s forces on the Eastern Front, Yuri gathered the prisoners and bound them.
Hernando, Marie-Rose, and the mage corps, summoned from the rear, tried to extract the dark magic energy embedded deep within the prisoners’ bones, but it wasn’t easy.
Then Yuri had an idea.
“How about we try using this?”
“What is that?”
“It’s a tool to drive out evil energy. They call it a ‘Bokmaju-bal.’”
“Huh?”
Yuri held up a strange device he’d acquired from Eastern merchants.
It was a metal bowl with a wooden mallet. When you rubbed the mallet along the rim, it produced an eerie, resonant sound that calmed the mind. It was also said to repel negative forces.
Hernando scoffed.
“Your Majesty actually believes in that? That’s what they call pseudo-magic.”
“Pseudo-magic?”
“In reality, it has no basis whatsoever. The merchants tricked Your Majesty into thinking it had magical effects. You’ve been thoroughly duped. Ha ha ha…”
Yuri shot back.
“What nonsense. I’ve seen it work firsthand.”
“Yes, yes. That’s called the placebo effect. No real magic was cast, but the psychological impact makes you believe it’s effective. You’re very naive, Your Majesty.”
Hernando’s relentless mockery made Yuri’s gaze grow cold.
Jared elbowed Hernando sharply.
“Sir Hernando, you’ve lost your sense of caution.”
“Ah, yes. I suppose I got carried away after such a great victory. But still, spinning a bowl like that won’t make dark magic vanish. Ha ha ha…”
Yuri exercised patience.
If he let himself be provoked into violence over such taunts, it would be as if Hernando’s words were true.
“Follow me. I’ll show you for yourself.”
Yuri stepped before the group of prisoners Hernando had been struggling with.
They sat expressionless, showing none of the despair usually seen in captives.
Hernando said, “Their faces are so blank, it’s like they’re wearing masks. We managed to detoxify a few, but the efficiency is poor. Most of their memories are wiped out. Dark magic is truly tenacious.”
“Darkness can never overcome light. Remember that, Hernando.”
“Huh?”
Yuri’s hands moved.
Having studied how to play the Bokmaju-bal, he no longer struck it clumsily. His fingers glided over the rim with a gentle, almost sensual touch, as if caressing it.
The mallet slid along the bowl’s edge with a soft licking motion.
A faint but distinct resonance spread out.
Hernando’s eyes widened.
He could tell immediately.
Something was different.
“Huh…?”
The other aides standing nearby also exchanged looks, their expressions shifting as they watched Yuri.
All of them were masters in their fields—swordsmanship, magic, or mana manipulation.
They realized Yuri was manipulating the mallet with a precision rivaling sword technique. The resonance of the Bokmaju-bal grew stronger and stronger.
Wave upon wave overlapped, then another passed over them.
Wuuuuuuuuuuuuung.
The air rippled, and everyone standing there felt their heads sway.
At first, those listening felt wary as the sound penetrated deeply without resistance.
But gradually, the vibrations soothed their entire bodies, unraveling emotional knots they hadn’t even been aware of.
The negative energy began to dissipate.
Hernando, absorbed in the music, suddenly looked at the prisoners.
Something was passing over their faces.
Emotion.
Caught off guard by the unexpected effect of the Bokmaju-bal, Hernando was silent as Yuri spoke.
“Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, practicing the profound perfection of wisdom, clearly saw the emptiness of all five aggregates and thus relieved all suffering, Sariputra. Form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form; form is exactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form…”
It was an Eastern incantation muttered by one of the ronin.
That ronin had told Yuri that reciting this while playing the Bokmaju-bal would amplify its effect, handing him the text phonetically written out.
Yuri read the words aloud as he played, the sound swelling magnificently.
The space filled with sound.
The resonance rose steadily.
The sound soared higher and higher, like preparing a springboard to leap from, until multiple waves intertwined and spread out, forming a vast plateau of sound.
Seizing the moment, Yuri struck the center of the Bokmaju-bal with the mallet.
Dinggggggg.
The bowl trembled as if shaken by an earthquake, producing a clear, ringing tone.
It was as if worldly troubles shattered and scattered in the wind.
Even Hernando had to admit it now.
The Bokmaju-bal was real.
“Truly, it is.”
Yuri nodded with a faint smile, his expression infinitely compassionate.
“Yes.”
“Ah…”
Of course, the Bokmaju-bal didn’t completely dispel the dark magic.
But its resonance clearly neutralized the malevolent energy.
Savoring the lingering sound, Yuri said, “The sages of the East have created such a remarkable tool.”
“This is incredible…”
“We must use this Bokmaju-bal against the Empire.”
Yuri grabbed Hernando’s shoulder and turned him to face the prisoners.
“Look at them.”
Though the Bokmaju-bal hadn’t completely changed the situation, its effect was undeniable.
Proof stood right before them.
One prisoner, expressionless, was shedding tears.
“They too are victims of dark magic.”
“Yes.”
“Hernando, make good use of this.”
“Understood.”
Yuri handed him the Bokmaju-bal and moved on.
“Your Majesty, where are you going?”
“I’m going to interrogate as well.”
“Ah, yes.”
Yuri had other matters to attend to.
He walked toward a heavily draped tent guarded by several knights of the Vengeance Order.
After receiving their salute, he entered.
Asana was restrained inside.
Yuri brought a chair, sat backward, hugging the backrest and resting his chin on it as he looked at her.
“Hmm…”
She was slumped forward, seemingly asleep, but slowly lifted her head when she sensed Yuri’s presence.
Asana gazed quietly at him before speaking.
“You’re not going to say anything?”
“I can’t find the words.”
She smiled faintly.
“Well, you don’t have to. I’m the one who should speak.”
“What do you want to say?”
“An apology.”
“Hmm…”
Yuri shrugged.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“You won’t accept it?”
“Try me.”
Asana was still under the influence of dark magic. But unlike other Empire soldiers, she wasn’t being controlled or emotionally numbed.
Rather, her negative emotions had simply been stirred.
“I’m sorry for betraying you.”
Asana spoke.
Usually expressionless, today she wore a constant smile.
“But I had no choice. I met someone.”
“Who?”
“Sir Cedric.”
“Oh.”
“He showed me the power of dark magic. Your Majesty, we can’t win. No matter how much you struggle, the Empire will prevail.”
Yuri guessed how the Empire had turned Asana.
Cedric must have overwhelmed her mind with dark magic, planting despair and probing the weak spots in her heart.
It was as expected.
Yuri nodded.
“I see.”
“To stop Cedric, you’d need a godlike being. But there’s no such thing. That’s why I betrayed you. I’m sorry.”
“No.”
When Asana finished, Yuri spoke his own apology.
“I’m the one who should apologize.”
Asana looked at him, puzzled.
“I’m sorry, Asana.”
“Why?”
“For using you.”
“If it was about investigating the palace, that was my choice. You don’t need to apologize.”
“Not that.”
Yuri pulled the chair closer to her and lowered his voice to a whisper.
“Asana, how do you think I knew you betrayed me?”
“The letter I sent then…”
“I told you, it was nothing important.”
Yuri’s words were true.
When Asana returned, the letter Yuri had just received contained no special information—just a routine report on Briol’s situation.
Yuri had judged her betrayal himself.
“How did you know?”
“You can tell by looking. Especially the eyes.”
Asana tilted her head, confused.
Yuri continued.
“You always had a look of sorrow in your eyes. But when we met last time, it was completely different. You were hiding it, but it was like you were happy. I could see it clearly—you were excited.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Because I deliberately made it that way.”
“Huh?”
Yuri gave a bitter smile.
Then he revealed what he’d kept hidden.
“I made you fall for me.”
Asana’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean?”
“Asana, you were an exceptionally talented assassin. To use you—and to catch on quickly if you ever betrayed us—I deliberately earned your trust. It wasn’t difficult. Growing up in the assassin’s guild, I knew you were starving for kindness. So I made a point to be a little more considerate when dealing with you.”
“…”
Asana was silent for a moment before speaking.
“Did you know how I felt from the very beginning?”
“Of course. For quite some time.”
“…”
“But we were never meant to be. You always had that lonely look in your eyes. Yet when we met recently, it was completely different. You even seemed happy. I have a pretty good idea why. Did Cedric make you a promise?”
Yuri tapped his chin thoughtfully.
“That if you betrayed us and were captured, he’d hand me over to you?”
“…”
“I always thought a day like this might come. So this isn’t something you need to apologize for. From the start, I was the one using you, Asana.”
With that, Yuri stood up.
Though there was some exaggeration, most of what he said was true.
Yuri, who had recruited Asana, had knowingly ignored her feelings to firmly bind such a valuable asset to himself.
He felt no guilt.
He had come back to the past to fight the empire and win the war.
If exploiting someone’s emotions could help achieve that, he was willing to bear it.
A flicker passed through Yuri’s eyes.
Asana could only stare at him, mouth slightly open, unable to say a word.
Yuri spoke again.
“Asana, if anyone owes an apology, it’s me.”
“I—I…”
“Your role ends here.”
Yuri rose from his seat.
“When the war’s over, I’ll take whatever you throw at me—slaps, swords, whatever. But not yet. Until then, rest. Once you’ve cleansed yourself of that dark magic’s influence, you’ll be fine.”
Asana called after him, but he ignored her and stepped out of the tent.
A cold, desolate wind blew in.
Yuri scratched his head.
“Hmm…”
Around them stretched the grim aftermath of war.
They had reclaimed the eastern front, wiping out many imperial troops.
The counter-operation using Asana had succeeded, and now it was time to push deep into the empire.
There was no room to worry over trivial matters.
“Sigh…”
Yuri let out a long breath.
Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind.
“You said you’d take slaps or swords after the war?”
He turned to see Roland.
Restored by Inariel, Roland had regained his handsome features, but the expression layered over them remained as cynical as ever.
“Eavesdropping?”
“Just happened to overhear as I passed by.”
“Is that so?”
“…”
Roland stared at Yuri quietly, then twisted the corner of his mouth into a smirk.
“I’ll make a reservation too. Just so you know, I don’t stop at slaps.”
“Huh?”
“Consider yourself warned.”
With that, Roland turned away.
Watching his back, Yuri couldn’t help but laugh.