“Good to see you, Sir Graham.”
“Please, drop the formalities. I’m no longer a knight.”
Yuri smiled faintly.
He knew that Graham had once lost his knighthood, but he hadn’t expected to meet him here, among the Alliance forces.
“Are you busy? What’s next on your schedule?”
“I’m heading back to Valshad.”
“Then how about a cup of tea?”
Laurent and Jared exchanged wary glances.
They knew from Graham’s usual demeanor that he wasn’t fond of the Empire. So this sudden invitation struck them as suspicious.
The two Imperial knights looked at each other, then reluctantly accepted Yuri’s offer.
“Very well.”
The arrival of an Imperial knight drew the attention of the entire unit.
Yuri led them to his tent.
“Have a seat.”
His tent was simple—just a folding cot, a table with a map spread out, and a few chairs.
As Graham sat down, his eyes fell on the map.
“Impressive.”
“What is?”
“The details marked on this map. You’ve recorded everything meticulously.”
Yuri shrugged and folded the map away, placing a teacup on top.
“Not many knights pay attention to terrain.”
Graham was right. Most wars on the continent were decided by sheer force.
But the mercenaries Yuri had known in his past life were different—they always observed their surroundings carefully.
Through countless battles, Yuri had come to realize that sometimes victory depended less on the sword and more on the feet.
“Just in case.”
He said as he poured tea into their cups.
“Sir Graham.”
“I…”
“How did a knight like you end up serving without a title?”
Graham fell silent. Instead, Rayfio, who stood nearby, answered.
“It was because of a foolish superior.”
“Sir Rayfio.”
“He was simply envied by someone unfit for the role—a fake knight clinging to power.”
Such talk was hardly appropriate in front of a foreign prince, but Rayfio’s anger was clear.
“Sir Graham will regain his status soon enough.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Yuri nodded in agreement. Rayfio leaned forward, pleased.
“So, the Third Prince knows of Sir Graham?”
“Of course.”
Graham was a knight renowned across the continent.
Though his homeland was Briole, when people thought of a true knight, it was Graham of the Empire who came to mind.
He was the very embodiment of chivalry.
“Indeed, Briole recognizes true knights.”
“I personally respect Sir Graham as well. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“As expected…”
Graham cleared his throat quietly.
“You flatter me.”
“I mean it.”
Laurent, loyal to Yuri, looked at Graham with bright eyes, while Jared furrowed his brow, trying to read Yuri’s intentions.
Yuri chuckled softly.
This time, there was no hidden agenda.
He had invited Graham simply to treat him, and his praise was genuine respect.
Setting down his cup, Yuri looked up.
Graham lowered his eyes, savoring the tea, his calm demeanor unwavering.
Yes, it had always been that way.
The final day of Briole came vividly to mind.
Everything had crumbled, and as Yuri resisted to the end, he fled from the Empire’s black army—only to be captured by a knight.
Graham.
With a somber expression, he apologized to Yuri, saying that those responsible would one day pay for their crimes.
But Yuri’s only thought was survival.
So he begged for his life that day.
“Please spare me.”
A descendant of Briole, who swore never to abandon honor even in death, pleaded for mercy from an Empire knight who had trampled his country.
“I want to live.”
Those who had left before might have spat on him for it.
Graham neither despised nor pitied Yuri. His expression remained unchanged, eyes closed as if lost in thought.
What was he thinking then?
After a brief silence, Graham stepped back without a word, clearing the way.
And so, Yuri escaped.
That was what had happened.
Guilty, unable to die honorably, he had clung to life in such a humiliating way.
Just before turning the corner, Yuri glanced back at Graham.
He was still standing there.
That heavy silhouette was etched into Yuri’s memory.
Graham must have paid a price for letting him go that day.
“Graham.”
“Yes?”
The Graham from that day now sat before Yuri in a completely different place, under entirely different circumstances.
A strange fate.
On impulse, Yuri spoke to him.
“Want to come to Briole?”
Graham looked up, and Laurent and Jared stared at Yuri in shock.
Even Rayfio, who had fiercely defended Graham, widened his eyes.
Yuri smiled and added,
“I’ll treat you well.”
Graham gave a faint smile in return.
“Thank you, but I must decline.”
He said no more, nor did he ask about Yuri’s intentions. It was a straightforward refusal.
Yuri nodded.
“Suit yourself.”
Then he took a sip of his tea. The warmth spread inside him.
It didn’t feel bad.
At least, he had offered Graham a cup of tea.
The Briole army arrived at Valshad.
Massive stone walls towered above them—a strange sight on the open plains.
“Impressive.”
Yuri admired the colossal stones, as if giants had carved the earth itself.
He turned to his side.
“Is this magic?”
Kori, hooded and startled by the sudden question, flinched.
“I—I’m not sure…”
Before he could answer, someone else spoke.
“Who knows? Maybe giants once lived in the steppe kingdoms.”
Ernando had appeared beside them. Kori breathed a sigh of relief.
Yuri chuckled and patted Kori’s shoulder, then continued talking with Ernando.
“If that’s the case, the buildings should be huge too. These stones are just big rocks.”
“True. Maybe they had incredible strength?”
If the walls were built from small bricks, it would make sense that many people were involved. But these stones were as large as houses, making the method a mystery.
Yuri looked up at the walls and nodded.
“It must be magic.”
“It’s not a good habit to blame magic whenever logic fails.”
“But it’s usually right.”
“That’s true. Well, it probably is magic.”
Most scholars agreed that the steppe kingdoms were remnants of an ancient magical civilization.
Seeing it in person, Yuri couldn’t help but believe it.
How else could this have been built by mere manpower?
“The lord of Valshad will be waiting.”
Like Gid, Valshad maintained its independence as a city-state.
But there was one crucial difference: to become Valshad’s lord, one had to meet an indispensable qualification.
“Have you met him?”
“Yes. I’ve seen the Mage Duke before.”
To wield the magical defense array protecting Valshad, the lord had to be an exceptional mage.
Fortunately, the bloodline of the Antre family, who had guarded Valshad for generations, was strong.
“What kind of person is he?”
“Be careful. He’s no ordinary man.”
“Really?”
“If you let your guard down, he might devour you. Especially someone like Prince Yuri…”
Ernando rarely spoke so seriously about anyone.
Just then, the gates of Valshad opened, and the lord’s envoy stepped out.
“I greet the Third Prince of Briole. It is an honor to meet you.”
“Glad to be here.”
“The Duke of Valshad awaits you.”
“I’ll go now.”
“If you have a representative, I will guide them while you meet the Duke.”
Yuri called Raymond to keep the troops ready and entered Valshad. Though several knights offered to accompany him, Yuri brought only Laurent and Jared.
Beyond the massive gates lay an unexpected scene.
Though large, it was still an isolated city on the plains, so Yuri had expected a barren landscape like Gid.
But inside the walls, it was bright and lively.
“Some call Valshad a hidden paradise. The land is fertile, a remnant of the old kingdom.”
“Surprising.”
“But becoming a resident of Valshad is difficult. They control entry very strictly.”
The lord’s castle came into view.
Like the walls, it was built from huge gray stones. Rather than crude, it looked dignified.
A group of people stood at the entrance.
“The Duke has come out to greet you personally.”
“That’s gracious.”
The Mage Duke appeared.
Yuri narrowed his eyes, studying him. The figure was nothing like he had imagined.
Ernando explained with a teasing tone.
“The title was recently inherited. That’s the current Mage Duke.”
A strikingly beautiful woman with flowing red hair smiled up at Yuri. A butterfly tattoo adorned her chest, visible through the deep neckline of her dress.
When she spoke, her lips, like flower petals, moved lively.
“Nice to meet you, Prince. I am Marie-Rose Antre, Duchess of Valshad.”
Yuri dismounted and faced her. She was tall for a woman, their eyes nearly level.
He met her gaze without hesitation.
“I am Yuri Briole, Third Prince of Briole, commanding the Briole army.”
“As I’ve heard, you’re quite handsome.”
Marie-Rose reached out her hand. She wore gloves so sheer they were almost transparent.
Yuri and Marie-Rose shook hands.
Marie-Rose looked directly at Yuri, her eyes curving gracefully.
She was so stunningly beautiful that it was hard not to keep glancing at her.
But Yuri remained completely unfazed. Her heart didn’t flutter, nor did she feel nervous about the other’s appearance.
“Thank you for the compliment,” Yuri replied calmly.
A flicker of surprise crossed Marie-Rose’s eyes.
Without letting go of Yuri’s hand, she continued the conversation.
“Prince, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you this year?”
“Eighteen.”
“I see. I’m twenty-two. So there’s a four-year difference—not even enough to check compatibility. We’d probably get along well, don’t you think?”
“Well… maybe.”
From behind, Ernesto’s quiet laughter could be heard.
Yuri looked at Marie-Rose with a cold smile.
She seemed like the type who knew how to use her beauty to her advantage, but it wouldn’t work on him.
Because he didn’t believe in love… or anything like it.
For a moment, someone’s platinum blonde hair and deep green eyes flickered in his mind, but he quickly pushed the thought away.
“What does age matter? If you share the same values, you can be friends with a seventy-year-old. But if you don’t, even someone your own age won’t come close.”
“Ah, so that’s how you see it, Prince,” Marie-Rose said with a low laugh. Still holding Yuri’s hand, she tugged him along.
“Let’s continue this inside. I’ll invite you to the castle.”
Inside the castle, everything was lavishly decorated.
Intricate paintings adorned the stone walls, and gilded statues stood at every corner.
“This way,” she said.
They passed through a corridor and entered a vast hall where a banquet was laid out. A long table was draped in red cloth, covered with an array of dishes.
But it wasn’t just Briol who had been invited.
“These are the guests from Bursen,” someone explained.
More than ten nations had been called to the alliance army. Aside from the empire, Briol and the Holy Kingdom were the largest powers.
Bursen was a neighboring country on the western coast, slightly smaller but still significant.
Men with dark, sun-kissed skin nodded toward Yuri as they looked at him. Their expressions weren’t exactly friendly.
Yuri paid them no mind and took his seat.
“Well then, let’s talk about what lies ahead,” he said.
He leaned toward Ernesto and whispered quietly.
“What’s that woman up to?”
“She probably doesn’t have any particular agenda.”
“Then what?”
“Let’s just say she’s the type who enjoys socializing. Very particular about appearances.”
“Come to think of it, why doesn’t she acknowledge you?”
“They don’t get along.”
“Right, you did say she’s picky about faces.”
“Huh?”
Yuri sat down first, followed by Ernesto and the knights.
An awkward meal began among the three factions.
Marie-Rose stood and personally poured wine at each table.
“This is a wine I cherish. There’s not much, so I’ll give you each a glass.”
The Bursen delegation couldn’t take their eyes off Marie-Rose.
Every time she moved and a flash of white ankle peeked out from beneath her dress, their gazes dropped lower.
Yuri nudged Jared, who was sitting beside him.
“Jared.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t be like that.”