“Send for Hernando.”
“Yes, sir!”
Yuri kept a wary eye on the flames.
Though the supplies were covered with fire-retardant cloth, he’d called in Hernando, the mage, just in case. If a fire broke out, Hernando could put it out.
Leading Lorant, Jared, and Raymond, Yuri headed toward the site of the battle.
Soldiers guarded the approach, but it was the knights who faced the orcs directly.
Confident in their preparations, Yuri expected a straightforward victory.
But the situation was worse than he’d anticipated.
“Your Highness!”
A knight fighting nearby shouted.
“These bastards are strong!”
Indeed, the orc unit that had infiltrated their position was on a different level from the raiders who had attacked the Holy Kingdom before. Though fewer in number, each orc was a formidable fighter, and the knights were struggling.
Yuri pushed the three knights forward.
“Help them. Minimize casualties. Spread out.”
“Yes, sir!”
The orcs split into small groups, scattering through the camp. To catch them, Yuri and his men had to divide as well.
He sharpened his senses, searching for the enemy.
Suddenly, a strange smell caught his attention. Just as he was about to move—
BOOM!
An explosion shattered the air.
A nearby cart was blown to pieces, blackened shards raining down from above.
Each flicker of flame lit up the surroundings.
“What the hell is that?”
Even Yuri was taken aback.
He froze as Hernando approached and stood beside him, both staring at the blast site.
“Hernando.”
“This is chaos. Damn…”
“Are the orcs using gunpowder?”
“No. The mana flow is twisted. It’s a curse.”
“A shaman?”
“More like they’ve inscribed a curse onto bombs. The craftsmanship is surprisingly advanced. Fascinating…”
“Don’t just admire it—do something.”
“The fire-retardant cloth will keep the flames from spreading.”
“Can’t you stop them from detonating more?”
“The shaman isn’t casting the spells directly. This isn’t magic you can block—it’s something you have to stop with a blade.”
“So, kill the ones carrying the bombs.”
“Exactly. Probably over there.”
Hernando pointed in a direction.
As soon as he spoke, Yuri sprang forward.
“Your Highness, be careful!” Hernando’s voice called after him.
Another explosion erupted, sparks drifting like fireflies overhead.
They had to eliminate the threat before more damage was done.
Yuri summoned his mana, scanning the area.
Among the faint auras, one presence stood out—strong and distinct.
Passing a cart, he rounded a corner.
A massive back came into view.
The figure’s build was familiar.
Though it bore no banner, it was unmistakably the same orc he’d seen before.
Orcbal.
In the battle against the Holy Kingdom, this orc had shot an arrow at Yuri, and Yuri had thrown his spear in return.
Their fates were intertwined.
A flicker of recognition stirred within Yuri.
“So it was you.”
He immediately lunged with his sword.
Clang!
Orcbal barely reacted in time, parrying Yuri’s strike.
“Tch.”
Yuri stepped back, channeling his mana method. The core at his heart pulsed fiercely, sending mana surging through his body.
Orcbal’s eyes widened as he spotted Yuri, then a crooked grin spread across his face. He hefted his double-bladed axe.
Up close, the orc’s sheer size was staggering.
Orcbal shouted something in his guttural tongue, but Yuri couldn’t understand.
“What was that?”
“Ku-wakka akuwaak!”
“‘Nice to meet you?’ Same here.”
“Arkwa kikuru kurukkakka-kyuk!”
“‘Please don’t kill me? Are you scared?’”
“Kuuku du-ruturu-ku!”
“‘Too late to beg now!’”
Yuri lowered his stance and charged.
Orcbal swung his axe down. The earth trembled, dust flying.
“Kwakk kwak, kaaaargh!”
Veins bulged in Orcbal’s neck, as if Yuri’s attack had angered him.
Yuri tilted his head.
“Did he really not want to fight?”
It didn’t matter.
No matter what Orcbal said, Yuri had decided to cut his head off and hang it on his spear.
“Shut up!”
“Ikuwak!”
Yuri unleashed a powerful strike with Guilty.
The blade clashed against Orcbal’s axe, forcing the orc to step back.
Yuri planted his feet and pressed forward.
He swung wide.
Orcbal lowered his stance.
Their weapons collided, and the orc was pushed back.
His eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected force.
“Okak!”
Orcbal roared and swung his axes wildly.
A shadow fell over Yuri’s vision, like a massive guillotine blade descending.
Yuri rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.
The axe followed, relentless.
Despite his bulk, Orcbal was surprisingly agile. The blades kept coming, aiming for Yuri.
He blocked, dodged, and rolled again.
Their clash was nonstop.
Each pass of the double axe shattered nearby carts.
Yuri gritted his teeth.
This was too one-sided. He wanted to turn the tide, but no opening appeared.
He whispered a knight’s prayer.
“Ancestor Erich, grant me strength.”
But instead of Erich Briol, the skeletal face of the Death Knight from the dungeon flashed in his mind.
Not exactly a comforting image.
“Damn it.”
Yuri cursed and summoned his Soul Slash. Mana surged like a torrent, enveloping him.
A white aura shimmered around him like heat haze.
Instead of dodging Orcbal’s axe, Yuri charged in.
Just before the blade split his brow, he twisted his body. The heavy metal grazed his cheek.
He slashed upward with Guilty.
The blade struck Orcbal’s side, but it didn’t seem to pierce deeply.
Yuri pushed harder, driving the sword in.
“Kwaaaak!”
Orcbal howled and kicked Yuri. Yuri crossed his arms to block but was slammed backward.
Orcbal hunched over, glaring down at Yuri. Black mist-like mana rose from his broad shoulders.
“Mana Method…”
Yuri gave a bitter laugh.
The presence of shamans among the orcs meant they, too, had their own way of wielding mana.
Though rare, some orcs had awakened to mana.
It seemed Orcbal was one of the few.
Fortunately, his skill didn’t seem very advanced yet.
“This… this is something else.”
Yuri looked around.
He’d thought this was a light raid, but it wasn’t. The orc elite were attacking Briol’s forces.
The fierce fighting still raging was proof.
For a few orcs to fight so well inside a camp guarded by knights meant these were no ordinary soldiers.
“Kurak ark karagak.”
Orcbal spoke again.
Yuri clenched Guilty tightly.
“If we’d met a year later, you’d already be dead.”
Had his Soul Slash reached the next level, this orc wouldn’t have been such a tough opponent.
That was the regret.
But it also meant Orcbal was still growing. This fight was valuable nourishment for Yuri.
They eyed each other warily, shifting their feet.
Both watched carefully.
Orcbal didn’t move hastily.
Anyone who knew orcs well would be shocked.
The elite Orcbal was acknowledging an eighteen-year-old boy as a worthy rival.
“Phew…”
Yuri lowered Guilty and took in Orcbal’s entire form.
Facing an orc several times his size, he couldn’t meet strength with strength.
Like any knight, he had to use speed and agility to exploit openings.
A smirk tugged at Yuri’s lips.
As he studied Orcbal, the fight ahead played out in his mind.
He chose the option he liked best.
Decision made.
Yuri stepped forward first.
Orcbal took a step toward him, as if waiting.
The distance closed in an instant.
Neither struck first.
Muscles tensed, ready to swing, but both led with bare hands.
They gripped their weapons’ handles, eyes locked.
Yuri guessed Orcbal had plenty of experience fighting humans.
Because of the power gap, humans usually waited for the orc’s first move, then struck at the opening.
Orcbal held back, refusing to give Yuri that chance.
Their attack ranges overlapped.
Still, they pressed on.
Their bodies collided.
With weapons pulled back, their shoulders slammed together.
Orcbal reacted first.
He elbowed Yuri’s head.
Yuri couldn’t fully dodge.
He twisted his body, summoning mana. The impact hit his shoulder.
“Ugh…!”
He gritted his teeth and moved Guilty.
Orcbal swung his weapon, as if expecting it.
Their timing matched.
It looked like a clash was inevitable.
At that moment, Yuri dropped his stance again.
Orcbal’s eyes widened, realizing he’d been baited.
Yuri barely dodged the axe blade and stabbed Guilty into Orcbal’s exposed abdomen.
The mana-coated blade pierced through the orc’s rough leather armor and sank deep.
He felt the blade tear through flesh.
The double axe, now without a target, sliced through empty air.
Orcbal staggered, unable to resist the momentum, and the blade sank deeper.
Yuri twisted the sword.
A terrible sound escaped from the orc’s mouth.
Yuri shifted his weight and, together with Guilty, shoved the orc to the ground. As the orc fell, Yuri pulled Guilty free from its body and sliced clean through its abdomen.
Blood splattered across Yuri’s face.
The orc lay on the floor, its belly torn open, bleeding profusely.
“Phew…”
Though the fight was brief, Yuri had completely outmaneuvered the orc in terms of tactics. Considering he was at a disadvantage in strength and stamina, it was, in a way, fortunate.
The orc had seriously underestimated Yuri’s skill.
“Graaah…”
The orc’s expression twisted in disbelief as it groped at its own entrails.
Judging by the guttural sounds it made, it was probably thinking something like, “How could I have been so careless…?”
“That’s your skill level,” Yuri said, slinging Guilty over his shoulder.
He had no intention of killing the orc outright. He wanted to interrogate it thoroughly.
None of the orcs they’d captured so far had the information Yuri sought. But this orc, who used the mana method, might know something.
First, he searched the orc’s body.
There were no explosives.
Instead, he found a few small, round wooden balls carved neatly, each pulsing with strange mana.
They must be the shamanistic bombs Hernando had mentioned.
“Your Highness!”
Three knights arrived, slightly out of breath. Familiar faces by now.
Yuri called out their names.
“Simon, Guiness, Dyke.”
They spotted the orc lying unconscious behind Yuri and widened their eyes.
“W-were you fighting alone?”
“Yes.”
“Impressive.”
If they knew this was the orc’s leader, they’d be even more amazed. It was a shame Yuri hadn’t brought the banner to prove it.
Not wanting to boast, Yuri simply nodded.
“A knight should be able to handle an orc alone.”
The three knights coughed awkwardly.
The younger knights still struggled to face orcs solo, so they were grouped in threes for coordinated attacks.
“Looks like you all had your share of the fight, judging by the blood.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Good work.”
Yuri praised them.
Praise could make even a whale dance.
“At first, I didn’t trust you much, but watching you over time, you’ve improved a lot. It’s good to see your progress.”
The three knights felt a strange mix of pride and embarrassment.
Here was a prince younger than them, yet they felt as if they were being acknowledged by a distant superior.
Feeling proud was almost embarrassing in itself.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“What’s there to thank me for? I’m just stating facts.”
“Y-yes…”
“Anyway, one of you needs to stay behind and watch this one.”
They exchanged glances.
Each wanted to prove themselves further, which meant staying with Yuri.
In moments like this, Yuri had to make the call.
He pointed at one.
“Simon.”
“Yes!”
“You seem to have injured your leg.”
“It’s a minor wound. I’m fine.”
“Still, take a rest. Don’t push yourself.”
“Y-yes…”
“If that thing moves, kill it immediately. Your safety is the top priority.”
“Understood.”
Simon’s expression shifted subtly.
Yuri sensed the emotions behind it.
Strike while the iron’s hot.
He smiled gently.
“Simon, I know how hard you’ve been working. This is a long game. I plan to rely on you heavily in the future. So don’t get hurt.”
Yuri recalled Simon’s background.
Born the illegitimate son of a baron, Simon had grown up eating scraps, forced into the army as a last resort. All the family’s troubles had fallen on him.
Unrecognized by anyone, abandoned like a weed tossed about by the winds of fate.
Such a young man needed gentle support.
Yuri placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Simon, my precious knight.”
“Y-yes…”
“This order comes because I believe in your potential. Do you understand?”
Simon nodded.
His eyes seemed a little moist, but Yuri thought it was just his imagination.
Probably from being out in the wind too long.