The Holy Kingdom’s army set up camp on the plain beside the Briol forces.
Though clashes between soldiers might have been expected, the Briol knights had come to the Holy Kingdom’s aid, which helped foster a peaceful relationship between the two armies.
The next day, as planned, the Briol forces departed Gid.
Sybilla and the Holy Knights saw Yuri off.
“See you in Valshard.”
“Yeah. Travel safely.”
“Stay out of trouble until then.”
Unlike before, the Briol knights and the Holy Kingdom’s paladins were no longer hostile toward each other. Some even exchanged greetings after spending a day together.
They wished each other luck and promised to meet again.
The lord of Gid requested that the supply convoy heading to Valshard be accompanied.
“Your Highness, thank you for agreeing to this favor.”
“It’s for the allied forces.”
“Please speak well of us to the Empire.”
“Will do. You better spread some good words about me too.”
“Of course! Ha ha ha…”
Yuri didn’t refuse to accompany them.
After all, their routes overlapped, and the supplies would eventually be distributed among the allied troops.
“When the war’s over, please be sure to stop by Gid on your way back.”
“Will do. Hopefully, we’ll be exchanging smiles like this then.”
“I’m sure we will.”
Yuri shook hands with the lord of Gid.
Though brief, they had built a good rapport. Someday, they might need to help each other.
Soon, the unit finished all preparations.
Just before the march began, Raymond approached Yuri.
“Your Highness, what should we do about them?”
Several merchant groups waited for the Briol army’s departure.
Some were regular traders traveling to and from Valshard, while others were war merchants who roamed battlefields selling goods.
“Leave them be.”
Strict military units wouldn’t allow private merchants to tag along, but Yuri knew from his mercenary days that these traders were indispensable in many ways.
The army couldn’t supply every single item the soldiers needed.
“Let’s move out.”
At Yuri’s signal, a soldier blew the horn. The sound echoed like a ship’s horn across the plains.
The entire unit began to move.
Yuri took the lead alongside the knights.
The march was peaceful.
“Sir Raymond, have you been to Valshard before?”
“Valshard…”
Raymond gazed into the distance, recalling memories. The vast blue sky of the steppe was a perfect backdrop for reminiscing.
“It’s a place where remnants of an ancient kingdom remain.”
Valshard was built atop the ruins of an ancient kingdom that once thrived on the steppe.
Though the ruins hinted at a powerful empire, the cause of its downfall remained a mystery.
“It’s not much different from Gid, but it’s considerably larger.”
“Is that so?”
“You can tell how prosperous the old kingdom was. I didn’t stay long, so my memories are faint, but I remember its grandeur.”
“I see.”
“You’ll want to see it for yourself. It’s an excellent fortress city.”
“Good to know.”
The endless steppe scenery stretched on.
As they continued, the sun began to dip.
Yuri halted the unit at a suitable spot.
“We’ll camp here for the night.”
The soldiers immediately set to work.
Having done this many times, they pitched tents faster than before.
Yuri walked around, supervising.
“Hey, you there!”
“Yes?”
“That’s not how you dig.”
“Y-Yes!”
“Hand it over.”
“No, Your Highness, you shouldn’t—”
“Humph.”
The soldiers doubted whether Yuri even knew how to use a shovel, but when he demonstrated his skillful digging, their eyes widened.
“Whoa…”
His movements—plunging the shovel and lifting the earth—flowed smoothly, with no wasted effort.
All tricks learned during his mercenary days, when he had to handle everything himself.
“Digging isn’t about strength.”
“Then…?”
“It’s about rhythm.”
“Ah…!”
“Do it properly.”
Yuri busied himself like a drill sergeant, pestering those around him.
Dressed just like the soldiers, no one recognized him until they saw his black hair up close.
Then, when he suddenly barked orders, they jumped in surprise.
“You there, not working?”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness?”
“Where are you going?”
“To the latrine.”
“Number two?”
“Yes…”
“Go far away to do it.”
As he wandered, Yuri suddenly came upon a troubling scene.
Several soldiers were shouting at Kori, who had fallen to the ground.
Kori staggered, unable to stand. He looked like he’d already been hit a few times.
“You half-breed orc bastard. Didn’t I tell you to stay out of sight?”
“I-I was just…”
“Who do you think you’re fooling?”
Yuri sighed.
As the soldier said, Kori was a half-orc—born of an orc and a human, a fact given by Count Saidor.
Though he kept his hood tightly drawn, it seemed he’d been discovered.
“Isn’t he a spy? Planning to deceive the prince and get us all killed? Colluding with the orcs?”
“Absolutely not! I…”
“Nice gloves you’re wearing. Hand them over.”
“N-No, these are—”
“Give them here.”
“They were a gift from the prince…”
“Say you lost them!”
One soldier yanked off Kori’s gauntlet, revealing a mangled back of the hand and wildly grown fingers.
The soldier recoiled in horror.
“Ugh, what the hell is this…”
“Give it back.”
“Too filthy to wear.”
Just as he was about to toss the glove away—
“Hey, you there.”
Yuri called out.
At first, the soldiers tilted their heads, unsure who it was. But as Yuri stepped closer, they recognized him and froze.
“Your Highness!”
“Those gloves look familiar.”
“It’s not what you think…”
“You weren’t about to throw them away, were you?”
Yuri crossed his arms and stared at the soldier. The man fidgeted, then carefully held the gauntlet as if presenting a gift.
“N-No, absolutely not.”
“Then?”
“Well…”
“Were you just trying to dust them off because they were dirty?”
“Y-Yes! That’s right!”
He began brushing the gauntlet, and other soldiers joined in.
A bizarre scene unfolded as several men fumbled over a single glove.
Yuri rubbed his forehead.
“Ugh…”
The soldiers glanced nervously at Yuri.
“Alright. Looks clean enough now. Get lost.”
“Yes, sir!”
They handed the glove back to Kori and hurried away. Watching their retreating backs, Yuri clicked his tongue.
What a rough bunch.
Kori bowed his head.
“Thank you…”
“You alright?”
“Yes.”
“Kori.”
Yuri put an arm around Kori’s shoulder.
Kori flinched but didn’t pull away. Yuri didn’t mind and clapped him on the back.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Huh?”
“I can protect you. I could punish those guys. You’re a valuable asset since you understand orcish.”
“Yes…”
Yuri looked at Kori.
His face peeked out from beneath the hood. Not a pleasant sight, but Yuri didn’t look away.
“How about I give them a piece of my mind myself?”
Kori glanced up at Yuri shyly.
He usually avoided eye contact, but this time their eyes met.
Kori shook his head.
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you hate those guys?”
Kori lowered his gaze and pulled his hood further down. In a small voice, he answered:
“If the roles were reversed, I might have done the same.”
“Hm?”
“Everyone likes beautiful things and dislikes ugly ones. I think it’s natural. It’s instinct. An uncomfortable truth we can’t ignore.”
Yuri was a little surprised.
Kori usually just took things passively. This was the first time he’d spoken his mind.
“Me too.”
“You?”
“When I see your face, Your Highness, I feel happy. But when I see people like them, my heart sinks.”
Yuri chuckled softly.
“Is that a compliment?”
“Not at all. How could I possibly compliment you, Your Highness… It’s just the truth.”
Once he started talking, his pronunciation and intonation were fluent.
Yuri began to understand why Jaime kept Kori close. While most half-orcs resembled orcs more, Kori was closer to human.
That was very rare.
Kori continued.
“And even if you help me now, my dream will only drift further away.”
“What’s your dream?”
“Um…”
Kori hesitated.
When he fidgeted beside Yuri, the prince gave his back a firm pat.
“Hey!”
“Are you going to tease me and then hide it?”
“N-No.”
“What’s your dream?”
“Well…”
Kori whispered.
“I want to be accepted by people. To live together with them.”
Yuri paused.
What Kori wished for was an everyday life so natural to Yuri, yet a lifelong unreachable dream for this little half-orc.
What would happen to Kori after the alliance ended?
Yuri could take him in, but that wouldn’t be the future Kori truly wanted.
“Kori, you hang out with Hernando, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Yuri said,
“Learn magic from him.”
“Huh?”
“If you want to make a living, you need to learn a skill.”
“Uh…?”
Kori looked at Yuri, so surprised he didn’t even avoid eye contact as usual.
“M-Magic isn’t just a skill. It’s incredibly difficult, and not everyone can learn it…”
“That’s perfect. You need a professional skill to avoid getting fired.”
“Your Highness…”
“Being an orc interpreter is a good skill, but it’s only useful for this season. The future’s uncertain. So give it a try.”
Yuri ruffled Kori’s hair over the hood.
“Try it out. If it doesn’t work, so what? You can learn something else.”
“Well…”
“Besides, you don’t have much to do anyway. You weren’t planning to slack off, were you?”
“N-No.”
“Good. So just give it a shot.”
“Yes…”
Yuri slipped the gloves Cory had been holding directly onto his hands.
Cory looked flustered but didn’t dare stop her.
“I’m cold. Put them on.”
The moon hung in the sky.
Yuri gathered the Briol troops and set them on high alert.
Though this wasn’t the heart of orc territory, there was precedent from the Holy Kingdom. An orc attack could come at any moment.
Yuri called Laurent and Jared into her tent.
“There’s only one thing they’re likely to try here.”
The three of them sat around a map, with the Briol forces positioned between Gid and Valshad.
“What do you think it is?”
“A night raid,” Jared answered.
He perched on the edge of his chair, rocking back and forth.
Yuri narrowed her eyes.
“What kind of night raid?”
“Just a night raid. An attack under cover of darkness.”
“Why would they risk attacking now, with defenses this tight?”
“Why not?”
“Imagine the enemy isn’t orcs, but humans. A very cunning enemy.”
“Then…”
Someone else answered for him.
“Supplies.”
Yuri turned to see Raymond standing at the tent’s entrance.
He smiled as he stepped inside.
“I have a feeling they might come to hit our supplies.”
Yuri nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Really?”
“These are the same ones who attacked the Holy Kingdom. We don’t know where they’re hiding. The steppe is their domain.”
Yuri recalled her mercenary days. A comrade who had fought with the allied forces once said:
“The orcs kept hitting our supply lines whenever they could. They were experts at driving people crazy.”
Now that the orcs had learned about the allied forces, they wouldn’t just let the troops gather peacefully.
Yuri suspected there would be scattered attacks before they reached Valshad.
Jared tilted his head.
“Wouldn’t that require someone to be in command? I heard orcs are scattered and can’t unite.”
It was true—the orcs lived in separate tribes, often at odds with each other.
But Yuri knew a new king was rising on the steppe.
Raymond spoke up for her.
“Why do you think the Empire formed the allied forces?”
“To keep the orcs in check regularly…”
“That’s part of it. But the main reason is that a force we can’t ignore has appeared far to the east.”
Yuri nodded.
There was one orc.
In her past life, his name was a source of terror.
“A mysterious orc has appeared, swallowing up nearby tribes. His name is Okua.”
Okua.
A monster destined to be called the ‘Orc King.’
He had claimed countless knights’ lives.
Ultimately, he was the target Yuri aimed to eliminate with this allied force.
“The Empire wants to cut him down before he grows any stronger.”
“I see…”
Jared and Laurent didn’t seem particularly moved.
To them, he was probably just another orc chieftain. They’d understand once they faced him themselves.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside.
An urgent voice from a sentry called out.
“Your Highness! There’s trouble!”
Yuri stood up.
It looked like an unwelcome visitor had arrived.