Yuri rode swiftly alongside ten knights, including Raymond.
Among them were Laurent and Jared.
Yuri glanced back with a sly smile.
“Everyone still looks a bit hungover.”
“Not at all,” came the reply.
“Getting used to the speed?”
“Yes!”
Thanks to the magic Hernando had cast, their horses were moving much faster than usual.
“Jared doesn’t look well.”
“I’m fine,” Jared stammered.
Though Jared’s face was pale from drinking too much, the others seemed fine.
Suddenly, Laurent moved up beside Yuri, matching his pace. He seemed to have something to say.
“Your Highness.”
“Laurent.”
“I must say, I’m amazed once again.”
“Hm?”
Yuri looked at him.
“To not only forgive those who insulted you but to personally extend a hand of salvation…”
Laurent’s eyes sparkled. It seemed he had misunderstood something.
“You’ve shown me there’s no need to become a petty person like them. My narrow-minded plan to simply crush them was shattered by you.”
“That’s not really it…”
Setting aside his blind faith, Yuri was bothered by the idea of ‘crushing’ others.
“But crushing them…?”
“Well…”
Laurent hesitated before speaking.
“I was going to pretend to be drunk and pick a fight with the paladins. It was a foolish idea.”
Yuri stared at him in disbelief. This wasn’t the Laurent he knew.
Feeling embarrassed under Yuri’s gaze, Laurent scratched the back of his head.
“I know it was wrong, but I couldn’t bear the insult to Your Highness.”
“I see…”
It was good to have won Laurent’s loyalty, but it felt a bit overwhelming. Still, Yuri couldn’t help but praise such a devoted knight.
“Th-thank you for your loyalty…”
“I’m honored you recognize it.”
Laurent smiled brightly.
Looking at his pale face, Yuri felt a strange sensation.
The Laurent who had once ended his life in the previous world and this pure Laurent now seemed completely disconnected.
Perhaps that was only natural.
Yuri himself had changed; others wouldn’t be the same as in the past life.
People’s paths diverge entirely depending on their circumstances. And Laurent’s downfall had been caused by none other than Yuri’s own mistakes.
This time, he vowed, such a future would never repeat.
“Laurent.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Let’s do our best.”
“Huh?”
Laurent’s eyes widened, then he nodded vigorously.
“Yes!”
Yuri chuckled softly and looked ahead.
In the distance, the silhouettes of Sibylla and the paladins appeared on the horizon.
“There they are!”
Raymond remained calm, Jared gagged from his horse, and the others were tense.
Yuri spoke.
“This is our first battle against the orcs.”
All eyes fixed on him.
He wanted to offer advice but found no words.
You can’t teach battle with words alone.
So instead, he made a simple request.
“Don’t get hurt.”
It was heartfelt.
Everyone nodded solemnly.
Yuri increased his speed.
“Your Highness, we’ll take the lead. Please stay behind.”
Raymond’s voice carried, and the other knights agreed.
Though Yuri had shown boldness before, he had never fought a real battle. No one truly knew his skill.
How strong could an eighteen-year-old prince be?
Besides, Yuri was the commander of the Briol army.
Protecting the deputy commander’s safety was common sense on the battlefield.
“No.”
But Yuri shook his head.
“Since it’s the first battle, I’ll explain. It’ll be the same from now on.”
Recalling his mercenary days, Yuri smiled faintly.
They were different from knights.
No rank or status.
Respect came only from skill and dedication.
Only those who stood at the front against the enemy could become leaders.
“I’m the first to enter the battlefield and the last to leave.”
“Huh?”
Yuri urged his horse forward.
He spurred it on, channeling his spirit slash. Mana flowed into the horse, increasing its speed.
No one could catch him.
A white aura of mana shimmered around Yuri like a heat haze.
The legacy of Erich Briol was revealing itself on the battlefield for the first time.
“Your Highness!”
The knights called out, but Yuri didn’t stop.
“Alright!”
Far ahead, Sibylla and the paladins suddenly collapsed en masse.
Those who had never faced orcs tended to underestimate their cunning.
“That must hurt.”
Muttering to himself, Yuri spotted an orc approaching with a torch.
Fire attack.
Yuri twisted his mouth.
There was no time to think.
Mana surged through his body.
Feeling his will, the horse strained its muscles and leapt forward.
Yuri’s saddle shook violently.
At once, he sprang from the saddle, cut down the orc’s neck, and snatched the torch away.
A razor-thin moment.
Fortunately, the leaders of the Holy Kingdom’s forces were spared from being burned alive.
“Phew…”
Looking down, Sibylla clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut.
Yuri’s lips curled upward.
“Sibylla.”
Some orcs had their mouths wide open in shock; others looked on the verge of tears. In a corner, a pale-faced Fennec was visible.
“Open your eyes.”
Gradually, they began to understand the situation.
Watching their faces change moment by moment, Yuri felt his stomach tighten.
He tried to hold back but couldn’t.
Eventually, he burst out laughing.
“What a sight.”
The main force of the Holy Kingdom’s army was holding off the orc assault admirably. The soldiers formed a solid shield wall, and a small number of paladins remaining in the trenches fought off the orcs that had broken through.
The orc unit began to retreat before suffering heavier losses.
Watching this, Yuri muttered,
“Clever creatures, after all.”
Sometimes, orcs were better than humans at playing tricks on the battlefield.
Their real target had never been the Holy Kingdom’s main force.
They had waited for Sibylla and the paladins to scatter, aiming to strike when they regrouped.
Perhaps the Briol army was being watched as well.
It seemed the orcs had learned about the allied forces.
“How did they get that information…?”
From a distance, Yuri spotted an orc watching the battle.
It had one eye missing and carried a flag on its back.
“Orcval.”
A high-ranking orc.
Their eyes met.
The Orcval grinned, baring its fangs.
Yuri muttered,
“I usually smile back when an opponent grins, but that face just doesn’t make me want to.”
The Orcval shouted something, and the orcs began retreating faster.
The soldiers faltered.
“What are you waiting for!”
Yuri shouted back.
“Don’t let them go!”
“Yes!”
“Attack from behind!”
The Briol knights flanked the orc unit, refusing to let them escape.
Laurent swung his sword fiercely; an orc’s arm flew through the air. The other knights didn’t hold back either.
The icy blades of the Briol knights swept through the area.
The morale of the Holy Kingdom’s soldiers soared.
They pushed the orcs back with renewed vigor. A spear pierced the back of an orc turning to flee.
“Is everyone okay?”
“Yuri.”
Sibylla and the paladins were just climbing out of the pit.
Sibylla sighed as she watched the fleeing orcs. In the end, they hadn’t been much help.
“We owe you. Thank you.”
She bowed formally to Yuri.
“If it weren’t for you, we’d all be dead.”
Fennec looked displeased but, seeing Sibylla bow, reluctantly returned the gesture.
“We thank the Third Prince of Briol.”
The entire paladin order followed, bowing to Yuri.
Yuri waved his hand dismissively.
“Why all this? On the battlefield, allies help each other.”
He helped Sibylla to her feet and patted Fennec on the shoulder.
“Next time Briol’s in trouble, the Holy Kingdom will help. That’s all there is to it.”
Fennec’s expression shifted subtly.
Yuri gave him a sly smile.
Though arrogant, Fennec was undeniably an important asset.
He didn’t want to judge him based on one clash.
What about his past self?
Seeing someone like Fennec reminded Yuri of his own past.
He, too, had been lacking—too ignorant in his youth.
“Right?”
At Yuri’s words, Fennec nodded.
“Yes.”
He met Yuri’s gaze and said,
“I formally apologize for my rudeness earlier today. I won’t forget what you’ve done for us. Thank you again.”
“Thank you!”
The paladins echoed Fennec’s words.
“Alright. I accept.”
Yuri believed Fennec wasn’t a deeply twisted person. After all, the paladins followed him so loyally.
Though he felt sorry for Sibylla, Fennec was their leader.
“By the way…”
As Yuri spoke, he suddenly turned and swung his sword.
An arrow embedded in the blade clattered to the ground.
Fennec’s mouth dropped open in surprise at Yuri’s reflexes.
“A-are you alright?”
“Don’t worry.”
Yuri searched for the enemy.
Among the retreating orcs, the Orcval waved its bow at him.
A deliberate provocation.
The orc must have been furious that Yuri had saved the paladins from its trap.
Yuri smirked.
There was nothing more thrilling than teasing an angry opponent.
After all, it had been a long time since he’d returned to the battlefield.
Killing just one orc wouldn’t satisfy him.
Since Orcfoot provoked me, it looks like I’ll have to draw more blood today.
“I’m heading out.”
“Huh?”
Mana surged from my core.
As a murderous intent took hold of my mind, a torrent of energy coursed through my veins.
I thought to myself.
I would close the distance between the orc unit and me in an instant.
As the image formed in my mind, my body used mana as propulsion, choosing the most efficient path.
I instantly assessed the terrain’s elevations in my field of vision and stepped onto the perfect spot.
After a few blinks from my new eyes, I found myself at the rear of the retreating orc unit.
I drew my blade.
The orc at the very back didn’t notice my approach and was cut down without warning.
Two other orcs swung their axes at me. I couldn’t face them head-on, so I dodged to the side.
I aimed to exploit the opening after their attacks, but multiple weapons came at me in quick succession.
I rolled on the ground and lifted my head.
The shadows of the orc horde loomed over me.
Surrounded by several massive orcs, I felt trapped against a wall.
Their grotesque faces bared teeth as they looked down at me.
But I wasn’t fazed.
In fact, it was a familiar scene.
I clenched my blade tightly.
After Briol’s fall, I became a mercenary, wandering the front lines. I was always thrown into the heart of the enemy.
I wanted to die, but I didn’t.
My senses sharpened most keenly when death was just within reach.
I perceived all their movements at once.
One stepped forward, another pulled back their shoulder, one roared, another thrust a spear.
A single path to evade all their attacks flashed in my mind.
As the image formed, the mana in my soul blade pushed the back of my sword.
Attack clashed with attack.
Two orcs collapsed, spewing blood, and I slipped through the gap to take their place.
I struck again before they could turn.
I sliced through their backs and waists.
Their delayed counterattacks didn’t reach me. The orcs surrounding me fell all at once.
Their tough hides meant they didn’t die immediately, but that was fine.
Orcs don’t tend to care for wounded comrades. They throw them out as bait and flee faster.
I picked up a spear one orc had dropped. Then, stepping on the back of another, I leapt high, searching for a target.
“Orcfoot!”
Though we didn’t share a language, proper names were similar enough to recognize.
Orcfoot, bearing the flag, turned around.
I hurled the spear with all my might.
Orcfoot’s eyes widened.
He immediately lowered his stance, planting his feet firmly and raising his double-bladed axe to block the front.
His tense posture looked almost comical.
Crack.
The spear flew just over Orcfoot’s head.
The flag toppled.
He was too busy bracing for impact to react.
Orcfoot’s face twisted.
“Chicken out, huh.”