News of the Anti-Empire Alliance’s victory spread across the continent, igniting a festive atmosphere everywhere.
Celebrations erupted daily.
Meanwhile, the Empire’s citizens, having broken free from the brainwashing of dark magic, were thrown into turmoil as they grasped the true nature of the events.
The Empire had lost vast territories as war reparations and was forced to relinquish many of its interests. Fear gripped the people—they worried they might soon become colonies of other nations.
But then, unexpectedly, a leader emerged who swiftly restored order.
Yekaterina Ivarna Granzayen.
Renowned as the continent’s most beautiful woman, she was the last royal bloodline left in the Empire. She ascended the throne and began her reign.
The Empire’s people rejoiced not only because she proved more capable than expected.
It was also because she was romantically involved with Yuri Briol—the hero of the Allied Forces and commander of the Anti-Empire Alliance.
That alone gave the Empire’s citizens hope that they wouldn’t suffer unfair treatment beyond what the victors deemed necessary.
“I don’t have any real power…” Yuri shook his head, but in truth, the kings of the Anti-Empire Alliance were watching him closely.
Whether aware of their feelings or not, Yuri stayed by Yekaterina’s side, actively participating in public affairs with her.
“Yuri.”
“Hmm?”
“Chin up.”
“Won’t that look a bit arrogant?”
“People who are impressive can afford to look that way.”
“Like this?”
“Perfect.”
The artist nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, this looks wonderful.”
He was a renowned illustrator for the monthly magazine Hwangseong, famous for his realistic style.
He had previously earned high praise for his portraits of Yuri and Gote during a special feature on drug abuse.
His brush moved faster.
“By the way,” Jared, standing behind them with his arms crossed, spoke up.
“This article is supposed to be a serious discussion on the Empire’s policy white paper for reconstruction. Why are you two standing like you’re in a fashion shoot for a clothing catalog?”
He was right.
The piece was meant to discuss the Empire’s future in earnest.
Yet the two stood facing each other, dressed in the latest Hwangseong fashion—Yekaterina’s hand resting on Yuri’s neck, Yuri’s on her waist, both glancing sideways at the artist.
It might be visually pleasing, but it was far from the article’s serious tone.
Yuri smirked at Jared.
“You still have a long way to go. What have you been learning by standing next to me all this time?”
“Huh?”
“Ruling is all about publicity, Jared. In times like these, to rally the Empire’s people, you have to use every asset you have. And of course, I don’t need to explain that one of those assets is beauty. How many Empire citizens do you think actually read articles? What’s left is the visuals.”
Jared sighed.
He couldn’t argue with that.
Since the Empire had been divided, it had rapidly united after these two stepped forward.
The driving force behind this unity was simple.
They were the two most admired figures on the continent, topping every survey on the “Most Desired Rational Leaders.”
Though the Empire was in its darkest hour, support for the throne was at an all-time high.
For reference, the survey was conducted by the gossip magazine Hwangseong’s Night, which had poured an enormous budget into polling capitals across all nations.
“You’ve become the Empire’s pride. Congratulations. But what about Briol? Aren’t you going to look after him?”
“Briol’s older brother is taking good care of him.”
Joshua, having pulled himself together and begun to demonstrate his abilities, was becoming a ruler worthy of history.
Though his personality might prevent him from being a saintly king, if there were a survey for “Kings Who Contributed Most to Briol’s Development,” he’d be number one.
“You sure love surveys after winning first place once.”
“Only those who’ve been first understand.”
“I’ve been first too, you know?”
“What?”
“I was voted number one in the ‘Bodyguard You’d Trust Your Life With’ survey.”
Jared, who had shared life and death with Yuri, had also become well-known across the continent.
Unaware of the truth behind the two, the continent’s people saw Jared as the embodiment of loyalty and righteousness.
Rumors abounded—he single-handedly held off hundreds of orcs on a bridge to protect Yuri, or that he carried an unconscious Yuri on horseback to shake off pursuing Empire soldiers.
Hearing this, Yuri’s eyes darkened.
“Who the hell runs those trashy surveys?”
“Maxim.”
“Damn it…”
He wanted nothing more than to shut the magazine down immediately, but since it was popular among the troops, even Yuri dared not act rashly.
As the chatter continued, the painting neared completion.
The artist smiled warmly.
“This should do it. I’ll finish the rest.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“No, it’s an honor to paint such wonderful models. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”
“Looking forward to the next one. We have an article planned on ‘Tax Reform for the Empire’s Revival.’”
“Can’t wait.”
Seeing the painting, Jared understood why Yuri was so passionate about publicity.
It wasn’t just beauty—it was art.
At this level, the effect couldn’t fail.
After all, humans are imperfect beings, easily swayed by appearances.
“Heh heh heh, wipe out all the monkeys and build a new world…”
“Don’t spout nonsense.”
“Yes, sir.”
As they left the studio, Yekaterina called Jared over.
“Sir Jared.”
“Yes?”
She tilted her chin and gave a subtle look.
They wanted to be alone, asking him to step aside.
“Understood.”
Though a bodyguard, Jared was used to stepping back.
In truth, the idea that he was protecting Yuri was laughable. The gap in strength was so vast that he was more of a pack mule than a guard now.
But Jared didn’t despair.
He had pride.
“Because I’m the number one bodyguard you’d trust your life with…”
Muttering strange words, Jared left.
Yuri and Yekaterina exchanged smiles.
“Shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
Now too famous, they donned special “slime masks” to conceal their identities and stepped outside.
Yuri felt a strange sensation.
In their past lives, they had walked the streets in disguise, enjoying secret meetings.
It felt just like then.
She tilted her head, as if trying to recall.
“Have we been here before?”
“Yeah.”
“I think I remember…”
Walking through Hwangseong, they soon entered the market.
Merchants shouted to attract customers; food sometimes spilled onto the ground. A young girl sold flowers from a cart, children ran and tumbled.
Occasionally, beggars huddled in alleyways.
Yuri suddenly stopped.
“Why?”
Yekaterina asked, but Yuri said nothing, staring at a spot in the alley.
A memory surfaced.
Yes, this was the place.
When Cedric, who had taken over Laurent’s body, stabbed him, he tried to make Yuri give up by plunging her into silence.
There, Yuri had reflected on the days spent with Yekaterina.
And realized something.
A forgotten scene from the past.
“Do you remember when we fought here?”
“Fought?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm…”
Yekaterina tilted her head. Yuri chuckled.
“You got angry and left first. Right here.”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
“And you?”
“Just stood there.”
“You didn’t follow me?”
“Nope.”
“You left in a huff?”
“Uh-huh…”
Before Yekaterina could frown, Yuri poked her cheek and recalled that day.
Back then, Yekaterina had furrowed her delicate brows deeply.
She threw the necklace Yuri had given her, spat out bitter words, then turned and walked away.
Yuri stood there, dazed, watching her retreating figure.
She had no idea what she’d done wrong.
“…”
She stood frozen for a long while.
“Sigh…”
After a deep breath, she turned around.
In a corner of the alley, beggars were beating another beggar.
At first, seeing a small figure wrapped tightly in cloth rolling on the ground, Yuri thought a child was being attacked.
She rushed over, drove off the attackers.
The victim wasn’t a child after all.
“Th-thank you… hehe…”
He had a disfigured face, as if burned, and limped when he walked. That probably made him a target.
But Yuri wasn’t the type to judge by appearances.
In front of Yekaterina, everyone was equal.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t look okay. Hey, take off your clothes.”
“I’m fine.”
“Come on.”
Yuri practically forced him to remove his clothes and applied a healing potion to his wounds.
“Thank you…”
Watching the small beggar’s trembling eyes, Yuri guessed he’d rarely experienced kindness.
A pitiful soul.
She talked with him about various things.
Even confided about her fight with Yekaterina.
Though ugly in appearance, the beggar was smart and easy to talk to.
“Maybe that’s why she was upset.”
“Why?”
“She seemed… insensitive.”
“Yeah, now that you mention it, that sounds right. I never thought of that. Sigh… How did you figure it out?”
“I just tried to think from her heart.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Hehe…”
“But what should I do? I didn’t even realize I’d made a mistake, and when my girlfriend got angry and left, I didn’t try to stop her. That must have made her even more upset.”
“She’ll forgive you.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course.”
“She’s not the kind of person to forgive someone so easily…”
“Maybe not others, but Nari will forgive you.”
“How do you know?”
He grinned, baring his teeth. It wasn’t the most pleasant smile, but there was sincerity behind it.
“If I were her, I’d do the same. And since she knows Nari best, she’d understand how good a person she is.”
“Oh, really?”
Yuri laughed out loud.
“Aren’t you just saying all the nice things?”
“I’m serious. I’m good at reading people’s hearts. I’ve had to be, living by paying attention to every little sign…”
“Alright, alright.”
Yuri patted his small shoulders and then stood up.
“Well, I should get going now.”
Just as she was about to leave, he grabbed the edge of her coat.
“Hm?”
“Nari, may I pray for you?”
“Pray?”
“Yes. I may be ugly and limping, but I do have a little power.”
He gave a shy smile.
“My words carry weight. When I say something, it comes true. Usually small things. Like once, I muttered that I hoped the guy who hit me would trip when he turned around—and he really did. Not just once, either.”
“Really?”
“I swear.”
“Alright.”
Yuri shrugged.
“If it’s okay, could I borrow that necklace for a moment?”
“This?”
He shrank back, his voice dropping.
“I think it’s better to keep words for the future in something precious like this…”
Without suspicion, Yuri handed over the necklace. He took it with both hands as if it were a priceless treasure, closed his eyes, and focused.
Yuri chuckled softly at his seriousness.
“You said you regret your mistake today, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll pray for the future Nari. If you ever make a mistake again, and truly want to turn back time, I sincerely hope you won’t have to end there—that you’ll get one more chance…”
At that moment, Yuri thought she saw the necklace in his hands glow faintly.
That was the first and last time.
A few days later, after Yuri had reconciled with Ekaterina and returned to the market to express her thanks, all that remained was a small, cloth-wrapped corpse tossed aside like trash in a corner.
They said the little beggar had been crushed under a noble’s carriage.
Though she had no known story, not even a name, Yuri hoped that in her next life, she would find peace.
That was what had happened.
“Yuri?”
Ekaterina’s voice pulled Yuri from her thoughts.
“What were you thinking about?”
Yuri looked up to see her—those large green eyes reflecting her own face.
Recalling the past buried deep inside, she was struck anew by how miraculous every moment was.
Yuri spoke.
“Cory.”
“Right in front of me?”
Ekaterina’s eyebrows furrowed, and Yuri smiled.
A second chance no one else would be given.
A miracle.
So she had to cherish this life.
No regrets.
No foolish lingering doubts about what she should have done back then.
At this moment, she must act without hesitation.
“Ekaterina, there’s something I want to say.”
“What is it?”
Yuri turned and took the prettiest bouquet from a nearby flower cart, handing it to Ekaterina.
“Hm?”
Then she pulled out her sword, Guilty, and stuck it into the ground.
Yuri looked Ekaterina straight in the eyes.
“Will you marry me?”
It was sudden, but Ekaterina didn’t flinch.
She just smiled, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“If you want.”
The market crowd around them gasped in surprise.
When the unexpected proposal was met with acceptance, applause and cheers erupted.
If anyone knew that this woman and knight were none other than Emperor Ekaterina and her lover Yuri Briol, they might faint from shock.
Amid the congratulations, Yuri pulled Guilty from the ground.
But then—
Ping.
With a clear, ringing sound, the blade split cleanly in two.
The word “Guilty” engraved on it was severed in half.
No trace of the name remained.
“Are you okay? Isn’t that your favorite sword?”
“Yeah. It’s my favorite.”
A comrade who had been with him for a long time.
Yuri held the broken hilt and smiled, looking at the now incomplete word.
“This one’s celebrating with us, too.”
“Really?”
“By the way, Ekaterina.”
“Yeah?”
“Everyone’s staring at us.”
“So?”
“Shouldn’t we kiss?”
“Then do it.”
The cheers grew louder.
It was a good day.
So much had happened.
Yuri Briol.
In the end, he was forgiven.
Epilogue.
Though he had committed evil deeds, Cedric was undeniably a genius ahead of his time.
Because of that, the Anti-Empire Alliance’s research team was stationed in the underground city to study the artifacts, urban plans, and technological documents he left behind.
Jonathan was part of that team, exploring the depths.
Though a knight, he was a strategist with a sharp mind and a keen interest in new cultures and inventions.
He even planned to visit the East for study after the investigation.
“Sir Jonathan, what are you doing there?”
“Just looking around.”
“Looking at what?”
“Checking Cedric’s sense of aesthetics.”
“Not my taste. Mark it with a tag. We’ll need to review it later.”
“Yes, sir.”
What Jonathan noticed during the investigation was that Cedric was an extremely efficient man, but his sense of beauty was lacking.
Everything was starkly simple, as if only utility mattered.
“Hmm…”
Jonathan was inspecting a storage room inside the underground city.
It seemed to be where Cedric stored things he deemed useless.
Occasionally, there were decorations, but to Jonathan’s more popular taste, they were just eyesores.
“Why would anyone make such a monstrous statue?”
He couldn’t understand the taste.
Then, he spotted a fist-sized stone on the ground.
“What’s this?”
Its surface was uneven, with strange protrusions, like tentacles curled into a ball—disgusting.
He kicked it lightly; it rolled a bit before stopping.
“Tch…”
Cedric was incomprehensible. Maybe being too smart drives you crazy.
Jonathan kicked the stone again.
“Take that!”
Though he volunteered for the underground city investigation, it wasn’t good for his mental health. It felt like staring into the abyss of madness.
He kicked the ugly stone to vent his frustration.
“Die, you bastard!”
He kicked it once more.
“Uh…”
Maybe he kicked too hard. The wall behind the stone cracked.
One of the investigators outside peeked in.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Sorry.”
“You’re a knight—control your strength. You’re going to break everything.”
“Yes, sorry.”
“See you later.”
Alone again, Jonathan turned his head—and froze.
It wasn’t just the wall that was broken.
The round stone cracked with a loud snap, then began to split open like a clam shell.
“Huh?”
Black smoke started to rise.
Having fought many battles as part of the Anti-Empire Alliance, Jonathan knew this darkness was a sign of black magic.
“Damn it!”
Apparently, what he’d kicked wasn’t an ordinary object but a remnant of dark magic.
Instinctively, Jonathan drew his sword.
Shadows flickered within the swirling black smoke.
Something was there.
Maybe a summoned creature.
Strong.
Instinctively, Jonathan realized the presence beyond the smoke was far more powerful than himself.
He shuddered.
Jonathan had even crossed swords with Yuri Briol—the man known as the continent’s strongest, now the emperor’s husband.
Yet the pressure from this presence was no less than what he’d felt from Yuri.
This was a crisis.
“Damn it.”
Had his temper just endangered the entire continent again?
An attack came from the darkness.
“Eek!”
Jonathan crouched, covering his head with his hands.
The gap in power was so vast he couldn’t even think of fighting back and dropped his sword.
Was this the end?
But instead of a sword, a voice returned.
“What are you doing?”
“Hm?”
“Dropping your sword? That’s unknightly.”
“Huh?”
Jonathan hesitated, then looked up.
The black smoke dissipated, revealing a slender man holding a sword with a bored expression.
On closer look, there was a hint of irritation on his face.
“Did you summon me?”
“Uh, yeah… I guess?”
“Thanks for freeing me, but I almost threw up from the dizziness. Did someone throw me?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“Hmm…”
Jonathan, desperately trying to explain, suddenly realized the man looked familiar.
A name flashed through his mind for a brief moment.
“Could it be that you are… the former King Briole of Briol…?”
“That’s right.”
The mysterious and fearsome swordsman.
His true identity was Fiore Briole, Yuri Briole’s father, who had earned the title of the continent’s strongest a generation before Yuri.
He had been presumed missing, but it seemed he had been sealed away here.
Jonathan hurriedly showed his respect.
“Since you know me, it can’t have been that long.”
“Yes. But a lot has happened since Your Majesty disappeared.”
“Yuri must have killed Cedric.”
Jonathan’s eyes widened in surprise, and Fiore chuckled softly.
“Obviously.”
“Y-yes. And now, Your Highness Yuri has become the ruler…”
“He married the princess?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“That’s obvious too.”
Fiore nodded.
“The moment they met, their eyes told the whole story.”
“Yes…”
“So, what’s your name?”
“I’m Jonathan Eagle, a knight of Bursen and Count of Krill.”
“Hmm?”
Fiore tilted his head in curiosity.
“A knight of Bursen…”
He glanced around.
The place was a dark, pitch-black warehouse.
Strange statues and odd trinkets were scattered haphazardly.
“Hmm…”
Fiore strode forward without hesitation. Jonathan dared not stop him.
As Fiore left the warehouse, all the investigators’ gazes fixed on him.
There was a sudden commotion in a corner, and then an unfamiliar figure appeared.
“Who’s that?”
“I’ve never seen him before. Was he part of the investigation team?”
“Who are you? And what’s the knight doing?”
Fiore asked.
“Is there anyone here from Briol?”
Everyone looked at each other. One raised a hand.
“Yes, I’m from Briol.”
“What’s your affiliation and status?”
“Me? I’m just an academy professor… But who are you? You look familiar.”
Fiore nodded.
Now it was certain.
“You’ve forgotten me, haven’t you, son…”
Fiore clenched his fist. Mana stirred, and white smoke curled like a mirage.
Jonathan stepped forward hesitantly.
“Um, excuse me…”
Fiore thought for a moment, then nodded.
“No, it’s actually for the best.”
“Huh?”
Fiore smirked.
“You said your name was Jonathan?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s have a little talk.”
He slung an arm around Jonathan’s shoulder.
Feeling the power radiating from Fiore’s grip, Jonathan couldn’t resist and was pulled along.
“Did Cedric build this strange building? Why is it so dark?”
“Well…”
As they left the underground palace together, Fiore was given a brief explanation and let out a dry laugh.
A war that decided the fate of the continent had taken place—hard to believe for someone who had been sealed away.
His two sons had stirred up more trouble than expected.
“I suppose I can forgive you for forgetting me.”
“No, you couldn’t have forgotten.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”
“Sorry.”
The two walked through the underground city until they found a bench and sat down.
Cedric had valued city planning, so there were small park-like spots to rest.
“Now, tell me everything slowly.”
“Huh?”
“What’s the current state of the continent?”
“Hmm…”
“First, what happened to Briol?”
“Briol…”
“Hey, what do you think is necessary to run a country?”
Joshua lounged with his feet on the table, eyeing the nobles.
The Briol Senate was originally meant to keep the king in check.
Even Fiore Briole had to deal with headaches here.
But Joshua was different.
“Money. The money you’ve been skimming off behind my back!”
He kicked the table, making the older nobles flinch and exchange uneasy glances.
“I’m sending in inspectors, so clean things up before then. If I catch any embezzlement or corruption, I won’t treat it as a minor offense. Hide whatever you’ve been pocketing as best you can. If you get caught, you’ll regret it.”
Yuri Briole and the Vengeance Knights he led were Joshua’s backing.
Along with Jaime and Ainger, who had cut ties with central politics, their combined strength was formidable.
The other nobles dared not oppose Joshua’s words.
Unlike other kings, Joshua didn’t bother with subtlety and indulged in his mischief.
From the people’s perspective, it was a welcome change.
With absolute power in hand, he pressured the nobles and reformed the tax system.
“Swords and magic are fine, but what the next era needs is science. I’m going to build a massive research facility.”
With a huge budget secured, Joshua was embarking on something entirely new.
The knowledge he gained studying at the academy had completely changed his outlook.
“What Briol will bring to this continent is a new wave. You could call it the second wave.”
Among the nobles, Duke Josephine Jattery of Yuzes, one of the more open-minded, leaned forward with keen interest.
“What kind of wave?”
“The second wave.”
“And the first wave?”
“The discovery of mana. Humans transcended their limits by mastering mana.”
“And the second wave?”
“That, I don’t know.”
“Huh?”
“History will define what the second wave symbolizes. What matters is that a new wave is rising—and Briol will be at its center.”
Joshua placed something on the table.
All the nobles leaned in, curious.
“What’s that?”
“Looks like a lump of metal.”
“A toy?”
Joshua chuckled.
“This was made by the dwarf we hired, Umstein.”
“That dwarf? He just takes our money and does nothing…”
Instead of answering, Joshua gripped the metal lump in one hand and pressed his finger against the ceiling.
Bang!
The sudden explosion startled everyone.
There was a hole in the ceiling.
Joshua grinned.
“This, my friends, is called a gun.”
“You seem to be doing well.”
“Yes.”
“Science, huh… You always had more talent for that than swordsmanship or magic.”
“Haha, now, if I were to tell you about Liberta…”
“First, tell me about Yuri. I heard he married Ekaterina.”
“That’s right.”
“How’s the empire?”
“The two of them are leading it well. It’s not as powerful as before due to war reparations, but it’s stabilizing quickly. Thanks to both of them. It feels like a joint rule.”
“Good.”
Fiore’s eyes grew distant.
Though the continent had been thrown into chaos because of his eldest son, at least the second and third were doing well.
At this point, even the indifferent Fiore had a sudden thought.
“I hope to see a grandchild soon.”
That’s how it is with age.
Perhaps being sealed away alone for so long made him yearn for family.
Jonathan smiled warmly.
“Yes. You’ll have good news soon.”
“Has Joshua married yet?”
“Still single. He’s a bit… unusual.”
“I’ll have to rely on Yuri then. But both of them are busy with empire affairs, so maybe we’ll have to wait a bit longer…”
“Ekaterina is busy, but there are others.”
“Huh?”
“Yes?”
“What do you mean?”
“What?”
“You said there are others?”
“Oh, yes.”
Jonathan nodded as if he’d just remembered.
“You don’t know? Your Highness Yuri has more wives.”
Fiore’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“But he’s the emperor’s husband.”
“Yes. That’s how it turned out. After all, the empire’s survival owes a lot to Yuri. Ekaterina only allowed up to three wives.”
Fiore’s eyes grew even wider.
“Not one, but three?”
“Yes.”
“So including Ekaterina, that’s four?”
“Exactly.”
“Who are the other three…?”
“Well, the second wife is…”
“No, stop.”
Fiore jumped up abruptly.
“Don’t say another word.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I was about to leave, but I’ve changed my mind. I’ll hear the full story in person.”
“You’re leaving?”
“I was stuck playing king in the palace. Now it’s time to see the world. But first, I need to see my son’s face.”
“W-wait, where are you going? That’s not the way. The stairs are over there…”
Jonathan couldn’t finish his sentence.
Fiore had already risen and was floating toward the ceiling.
“Uh…”
He flew like a bird toward the crack in the ceiling.
Jonathan watched in stunned silence, then shrugged.
“Really…”
Both father and son were beyond ordinary.
“Well, I guess it’s natural to be curious.”
The brutal war was over, and the continent enjoyed peace.
But even in peace, small disturbances always existed.
Thanks to Fiore Briole, the imperial palace was about to get quite lively.
“Hmm…”
Fiore’s figure vanished.
Where he had been flying, only the clear blue sky remained.
Looking up at the open sky, the hellish days fighting Cedric felt like a distant memory.
Even the hardest moments fade with time.
If anyone asked, Jonathan would gladly say he was happy now.
And he knew he wasn’t alone in that feeling.
As Jonathan thought back on the comrades he’d met during the war and how they were doing now, a gentle smile spread across his face.
Everyone was doing well.
Whether it was them, or the three women besides Yekaterina, who had married Yuri.
They all had happy stories to tell.
But there was no need to know every detail.
If this were a novel, these would be side stories—extras.
The main story had ended with a happy ending.
There had been a dark sorcerer trying to destroy the world, people had united to defeat him, and in the end, everyone found happiness again.
That was the heart of it.
Still, there were always those who weren’t satisfied with just that.
Thinking of Fiore, who had hurriedly left, Jonathan laughed aloud.
“Well, if you’re curious, you’ll have to read the side stories too.”