After spending a day in Yuzes, Yuri realized that Josephine was handling her duties far better than expected.
Yuzes was a fertile land to begin with, and its geographic advantages had fostered thriving commerce. When Josephine replaced the corrupt man Genard as the lord, unnecessary waste vanished.
Of course, this was also thanks to Yuri’s full support.
With a powerful figure like Yuri Briol backing Josephine, the retainers who had once followed Genard couldn’t resist at all.
“Yuzes seems much better than before,” Yuri remarked.
Jared replied, “A territory naturally develops as long as its rulers stay steady.”
From the city square, the sound of a band playing drifted through the air.
Because Josephine loved music, that atmosphere permeated every corner of Yuzes.
At this rate, it might soon become famous as a city of music.
“I hope to see that day,” Yuri said.
“It will come,” Jared assured.
When Yuri left Yuzes, the military presence had grown since before.
Many of Josephine’s mercenaries had joined Yuri, and some of the locals with resolve volunteered willingly.
If Genard had still been lord, he wouldn’t have let them follow Yuri so easily.
Before Yuri and his army departed, Josephine came out to see them off.
“Your Highness, once this war is over, I will compose a symphony for you.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Make sure you come back victorious.”
After exchanging farewells, Yuri and his forces left Yuzes.
Soon, they reached a fork in the road.
If they went upward, they would reach the Duchy of Klein and Liberta; to the side lay the Briol border and the grasslands.
“You don’t need to stop by Saidor, do you?”
“Saidor…”
Saidor was a stronghold guarding Briol from the orcs of the grasslands, ruled by Jaime Theodore, the ‘Scarred Wolf.’
When Yuri had left to join the allied forces in the past, he had passed through Saidor and received Jaime’s help on several occasions.
“I should meet Lord Jaime.”
But Yuri had no intention of recruiting Saidor’s troops.
Though the orc numbers had been greatly reduced by the alliance, a small surviving group still occasionally disturbed the border by increasing their numbers.
They had to face the empire in battle, but minimal defense was necessary.
“We’ll stop by Saidor, then head straight to Liberta. It’s a bit of a detour, but it’s necessary. Now, raise the Tirbo banners high.”
“Yes, sir!”
The anti-empire alliance army Yuri had formed stretched out in a long line as they advanced toward Saidor.
Upon arriving at Saidor, Yuri sat down with Jaime.
It had been a while.
Though quite some time had passed since they last met, Jaime hadn’t changed.
His face was still marked with scars, and a strange heat flickered in his eyes. Wrinkles had formed, but he didn’t look aged—in fact, he seemed more vibrant than before.
However, the vitality Jaime radiated felt less like a will to live and more like a surge of destructive energy.
He was still a dangerous man.
Yuri smiled wryly.
“Long time no see.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“You look well. You seem younger.”
Jaime chuckled lowly.
“That’s because things have been peaceful.”
“Saidor?”
“Your Highness reduced the orcs so much… I haven’t had much to do.”
“Must have been boring.”
“Not entirely. Some still come by now and then. It keeps me occupied.”
“But it’s not enough, I suppose.”
Yuri leaned forward.
In the dim light, their faces looked strangely alike.
“Yes, that’s true.”
“You still hate orcs, don’t you?”
“Without a doubt.”
“Jaime, I don’t plan to take troops from Saidor. We still need to guard the border.”
“Of course.”
“Will you join us?”
Yuri’s lips curled as he recalled what he had told Jaime long ago.
“Jaime Theodore, the shield of Briol. I promised to show you your true enemy.”
Though the orcs had been nearly wiped out by the alliance, Jaime had yet to find peace.
His mind surely still held the image of his son’s mangled corpse.
Perhaps, even unconsciously, he sensed that his true adversary lay elsewhere.
The blade honed within Jaime’s soul was still searching for an enemy.
“You have a rough idea now, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
Jaime smiled.
“The Empire.”
“Exactly. Orcs themselves are the product of dark magic. The source of that dark magic is a demon within the Empire.”
Yuri shared knowledge he had gleaned from ruins on the grasslands.
Orcs were created by corrupting humans through dark magic.
Jaime’s wrinkled face twisted into a smile.
His eyes gleamed.
“Getting older… I thought maybe it was time to let go. I haven’t been to the front lines much. But strangely, my condition has been improving.”
Jaime shook his head.
“After meeting Your Highness, I understand now.”
He clenched and unclenched his fist. The veins on his strong hand stood out.
“It was to meet you.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“I know you came here for me.”
Jaime smiled warmly.
“Yes. I will join you.”
“Good.”
Yuri reached out his hand, and Jaime clasped it firmly.
As they shook hands, Yuri thought coming to Saidor had been the right choice.
There was no real need to spend time here. It wasn’t a populous territory, and having suffered long from the orcs, its economy was weak.
Since the alliance, the standing forces had also been reduced.
But there was one man.
Jaime Theodore.
He was old and not particularly outstanding in personal combat. His joining wouldn’t drastically change their strength.
But Yuri wanted to bring him along—to reward the years Jaime had devoted to Briol, and to give him a place to pour out the grudge he had carried all his life.
Jaime chuckled in his rough voice.
“Did you really come all this way just for me?”
“Yes.”
Yuri smiled.
“This war feels a bit special. Someone like you, with old grudges, will be more useful than dozens of young knights. To fight these kinds of enemies, we have to be just as relentless.”
“Thanks to you, this old man has found his resting place. I’m grateful.”
“Well, who knows? You might outlive me.”
“That would be a disaster. Ha ha ha…”
Jaime looked brighter than ever.
Yuri had never seen him so lighthearted, as if he had finally set down a heavy burden.
“Ha ha ha ha…”
Jaime took a deep breath, laughed again, then stood.
“Maybe I survived this long for this very reason.”
“And if you survive this time, what will you say then?”
“Ha ha ha…”
Their conversation ended, and Yuri left the office with Jaime.
Saidor was always a bleak castle.
Its stone walls bore no pictures or decorations, only flickering torches to light the darkness, casting an ominous atmosphere.
Suddenly, a soldier came running down the corridor.
He spotted Yuri, saluted, then spoke to Jaime.
“Count, we’ve captured prisoners.”
“Prisoners?”
At the word, Jaime looked at the soldier.
“Yes.”
The soldier explained, “Several unidentified large men appeared from the east. When the sentries tried to speak to them, they attacked without warning. Sir Calcio intervened and subdued them, capturing some. They were skilled, and there were casualties.”
“What kind of men?”
“After capture, we found they were Easterners who couldn’t speak the continental language.”
Yuri asked, “Easterners? Were they alone? No companions?”
“Yes.”
“They couldn’t speak a word of the continental tongue?”
“No, not a single word.”
“I see…”
Yuri turned to Jaime.
“People have been crossing over from the East lately. We’ll need to respond.”
“Indeed.”
At first, Yuri thought of the Eastern warriors Elaine and Cheongun had brought.
But since these attackers had drawn swords and caused casualties without warning, and none spoke the continental language, they were likely unrelated.
Jaime pondered briefly, then said, “Let’s see them. Will Your Highness come along?”
“Of course.”
Yuri followed Jaime down to the castle’s lower levels.
He expected grim dungeons and torture chambers like before, but they didn’t treat humans that way.
Calcio knelt, holding the prisoners bound and waiting for Jaime.
When he saw Yuri, Calcio greeted him warmly.
“Long time no see, Your Highness.”
“Sir Calcio, how have you been?”
“Thanks to you, well enough. Ha ha…”
The Easterners, gagged, could only roll their eyes silently.
Calcio kicked one roughly on the back and said, “These bastards attacked without warning, killing three sentries. There are more wounded.”
Jaime nodded.
“I see.”
Sensing the mood, the Easterners suddenly bowed their heads to the floor, making muffled sounds—probably begging for mercy.
Jaime spoke calmly to Calcio.
“Calcio.”
“Yes?”
“Handle it as you see fit.”
“What?”
Calcio’s eyes widened at the sudden command.
“You mean…”
He glanced back and forth between Yuri and Jaime.
Jaime responded with a low chuckle.
“I’ll join Your Highness. I’ll go alone.”
“No, Count?”
Calcio’s mouth opened in surprise.
“Um…”
He hesitated, clearly confused, then spoke again.
“You’re not young anymore. Why insist on going? There’s no need for you to go yourself. As the border count of Saidore, you can’t just leave your post unattended.”
“But you’re here.”
“Then I’ll go with Your Highness instead.”
“No. You stay.”
“Count…”
Calcio seemed uneasy at the idea of Jaime following Yuri, fidgeting nervously.
Calcio’s concerns made sense.
There was no need for an older knight to risk death on the battlefield.
Especially not the border count who had been responsible for Saidore.
But this war had long since abandoned reason. Those who needed to go would go, and death wasn’t something to be considered.
Jaime smiled softly.
“Calcio, you’ve seen how I handle things.”
“That’s true, but…”
“I’m entrusting this to you. You’re the only one who can take my place.”
“Count…”
Calcio looked at Jaime quietly, then reluctantly bowed his head.
“Who could break the Count’s stubbornness? Sigh…”
Then, unexpectedly, he stepped toward Yuri and took his hand.
“Your Highness.”
“Hm?”
“Please take good care of our Count.”
“Oh, of course…”
Calcio spoke with sad eyes.
“Our Count—first, don’t expect him to act like a proper count. Second, never let him drink more than three bottles of alcohol. He’ll start fighting anyone. And when he eats, only give him beer—not water or any other drink. He likes to pretend he’s not bleeding even if stabbed, or act fine even when on the brink of death. After an hour into battle, brag about how many enemies you’ve killed. He’ll love that. Make sure to learn his twin-sword style and throwing knives. Sometimes…”
“Enough.”
Yuri cut off Calcio’s rambling.
“I understand your concern.”
“Yes, Your Highness…”
“Alright, alright.”
Having followed Jaime closely, Calcio seemed overwhelmed with emotion.
He bowed his head for a moment, then turned away.
Without hesitation, he beheaded the Eastern captives who were bound nearby.
Several heads rolled across the floor.
“Count, is this really necessary?”
“It is.”
Watching this, Jaime smiled faintly.
“Now I can leave with peace of mind.”