Side Story: Yuri’s Great Runaway Commotion! (16)

The terrifying Black Magic Empire beyond the Owl Blue and the evil legion they commanded…

…all just a big misunderstanding.

They were simply a bunch of black magic users—nothing more.

Yuri quickly summoned Mamago.

[Hehehe, soak my throat with blood! Khehehe!]

“Hey, Mamago. Cut the theatrics and start interpreting.”

[Ah, I still want to drink more blood! The enemy’s screams wrap around me like sweet music…!]

“Begin interpretation.”

[Mamago is starting real-time translation.]

Mechanically, Mamago relayed Yuri’s message.

[If you don’t move, we won’t kill you. Everyone, stop!]

But the confused enemies ignored Yuri’s words.

Instead, they dragged out the slaves they’d tied up below deck, stabbing them one by one with obsidian spears, desperately trying to cast black magic.

Of course, it was all for nothing thanks to Dispel Evil.

Yuri shouted louder.

“I said stop! Do you want to die? Black magic won’t work—surrender now!”

The one-sided battle continued.

The knights, tense from facing unfamiliar foes, soon realized just how weak the enemy was—and were actually taken aback.

“Your Highness.”

Jared approached, looking surprisingly clean despite the recent fight.

“These guys are incredibly weak. Their weapons are just wooden sticks with obsidian tips. What’s going on here?”

“It seems they’ve only developed black magic.”

“Truly an unbalanced civilization.”

“At first, I thought they insisted on obsidian weapons to channel black magic, but now it looks like they simply lack iron-smelting technology…”

They’d gained immense power by combining a disregard for human life with black magic, but that very focus had stunted other technological advancements.

Yuri called out to his troops.

“Just knock them down—don’t kill unless they resist violently!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Vengeance Knights swiftly adjusted their orders. Instead of annihilation, they now aimed to capture.

Yuri muttered in frustration.

“It was all a misunderstanding. We didn’t even need to bring in three of the Ten Strong.”

As Yuri turned his head, Hose stood on a plank, scratching the back of his head after splitting a ship in two and sinking it.

Francesco, already aware of the situation, watched with his arms crossed.

“Hmm…”

The battle didn’t last long.

In the end, all the newcomers from the New Continent beyond Owl Blue were bound with ropes and forced to kneel on the deck of the largest ship.

Yuri threw the highest-ranking black magician to the ground and activated Mamago.

[Hey, coming to your senses now?]

[How do you understand our words?]

[Shut up and talk.]

[Who… who are you? Demons from the sea?]

Yuri chuckled dryly.

“Who’s calling who a demon?”

[If not, how could you so easily block the sacred power granted by the gods? You must be demons!]

[Sacred power from the gods?]

[Exactly!]

They truly believed black magic was divine power.

Yuri, incredulous, slapped the black magician.

“You bastard…”

“Ugh!”

“Does your god demand human sacrifices?”

“Of course! The god is pleased when we offer sacrifices and grants us power! There’s no blessing without a price!”

Yuri paused, then kicked the black magician’s face, breaking his nose.

He collapsed, bleeding.

“Y-You really are demons…!”

“Fine, call us demons.”

Yuri recalled what had happened earlier.

When Dispel Evil blocked their black magic, this guy dragged out slaves and stabbed them repeatedly with obsidian knives before trying black magic again.

“If your god is so great, why don’t you become the sacrifice yourself? Why make others do it?”

All the dead were innocent victims brought from the mainland’s “human farms.” Treating humans like livestock and using them as black magic ingredients was unforgivable.

Yuri kicked the black magician again, breaking his ribs.

“First, gather them all onto one ship, tie them up, and tow them along.”

“Yes!”

“Burn the rest of the ships.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s return to Orphen!”

---

The battle against the New Continent’s fleet ended in a decisive victory. Not a single soldier under Yuri’s command died, and hardly anyone was seriously injured.

When Yuri returned with the news of victory, envoys from various nations had already arrived in Orphen to discuss the next steps.

Yuri immediately called a meeting.

The venue was Hose’s castle, perched on the coastal cliffs overlooking Orphen’s sea.

“So it was true.”

“There really is a New Continent beyond Owl Blue…”

Seeing the prisoners captured by the fleet, the envoys realized the rumors were real.

Uninvited guests wielding black magic had come from an unknown continent beyond Owl Blue.

Yuri first explained the naval battle they’d just fought. Everyone in the meeting listened in awe, their gazes fixed in one direction.

Antianus, leader of the Demon Exorcist Corps, sat wearing his beaked mask.

“So you developed something called Dispel Evil.”

“Impressive.”

“A weapon to counter black magic…”

Antianus simply nodded modestly.

“But enough admiration—let’s get down to business. What should we do next?”

“Let’s go around and hear everyone’s thoughts.”

Josefin, representing Briol, spoke first. Now a duchess of Uzes thanks to Yuri, she had proven herself capable and was favored by Joshua.

“Isn’t this over? They’re not a threat. We can just leave them be.”

She took a moderate stance.

A noble envoy from Liberta agreed, praising Yuri.

“I agree. It’s actually a relief. I expected another big war. This is all thanks to Your Highness.”

Others shared similar views, eager to wrap things up here.

“There’s no need to provoke them now. They don’t seem capable of threatening us.”

“Especially while things are still unsettled after the war. We shouldn’t waste resources.”

“We don’t know what might happen on the New Continent. We won here, but unexpected events could occur there.”

“Your Highness’s reputation will only grow. Ha ha ha…”

As consensus formed, all eyes turned to Yuri.

After all, he held the most important voice.

“What do you think, Your Highness?”

“I…”

Yuri fell silent, lost in thought.

Before the meeting, he recalled a letter from Ekaterina delivered by a messenger.

---

Ekaterina was serving tea to a guest.

“To think you’d ask such a question.”

“Is it rude?”

“No.”

Few people received such formal respect from Ekaterina, now Empress.

In fact, with most of her bloodline gone, there was only one person on the continent she treated with such courtesy.

“Not a difficult question, Father.”

It was Fiore Briol, Yuri’s father.

He had suddenly appeared at the palace while passing near the empire, saying he just thought to drop by.

(By the way, Bernard was currently visiting the empire’s knight order, systematically taking down the commanders.)

Fiore smiled as he raised his teacup.

“I was just curious. Ekaterina, I thought you might become my daughter-in-law…”

“When did you start thinking that?”

“From the moment you first met Yuri.”

“You never showed it.”

“You can tell by the look in your eyes.”

Fiore glanced at the blue sky.

“When Lily first saw me, she had exactly that look.”

“I see.”

“Yeah. But I didn’t expect you to allow three others.”

Though the empire was not what it once was, Ekaterina was still the empress.

Even if she weren’t, if she had opposed it, Yuri wouldn’t have taken three more wives.

But Ekaterina had readily agreed. She even persuaded Yuri.

“If that’s the case…”

Ekaterina smiled faintly, sipping her tea.

“It’s not for any grand reason.”

“Now I’m curious. What was it?”

“They were all different.”

“How so?”

“First, Marie Rose…”

Ekaterina laughed aloud, as if recalling her fondly.

“I accepted her because she was a rival of sorts.”

“A rival, huh…”

“The moment I saw her, I knew she’d been through a lot. Honestly, if I hadn’t intervened, those two would have ended up together.”

“Really?”

“She and I get along well.”

“And the second?”

“Asana…”

Ekaterina shrugged.

“I thought if I didn’t take her in, she’d wander alone and probably die somewhere. I’m not that heartless.”

“Hmm…”

“She’s got a cute side if you look closely.”

“More affectionate than I thought. And Ena?”

This time Ekaterina beamed, like a flower in bloom.

“She’s adorable.”

“That’s true.”

“I wanted to keep her because she’s cute. The more I see her, the more attached I get.”

Fiore smiled back.

“I see.”

“I did.”

Fiore liked Ekaterina as his daughter-in-law. Not just liked—he was convinced Yuri couldn’t have found a better partner.

She reminded him of his late wife.

He felt he no longer needed to worry about Yuri.

Fiore leaned back, smiling contentedly.

“By the way, I heard Yuri ran away.”

“Yes. As soon as we left the palace, chaos broke out. That’s exactly why I wanted to keep him inside.”

“You speak as if he’s the one causing all the trouble.”

“From what I see, it’s the same difference.”

“Well, there’s some truth to that.”

“I never imagined he’d clash with the New Continent. How on earth does he manage to cause such a massive incident…?”

“Hmm…”

For once, Fiore found himself agreeing with Ekaterina.

“I’ve heard about the New Continent. It seems there’s a meeting in Orphen. What’s the plan?”

“I left it to Yura. He just sent one letter.”

“A letter?”

“Yes.”

“What did it say?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Come on, tell me.”

“Even if you’re my father, it’s a secret.”

---

Recalling Ekaterina’s letter, Yura shook off all unnecessary worries and opened his eyes.

Everyone was staring at him.

“Here’s what I think.”

Yura stood up.

“I believe we need to hear their story.”

The room stirred at his words.

“Their story?”

“Do we really need to listen to those who use dark magic?”

“Do we have to…?”

Ignoring the uneasy reactions, Yura gestured toward the Vengeance Knights. Soon, several people from the New Continent appeared in the hall.

The attendees watched them with curious eyes.

“Let’s hear what they have to say.”

Yura activated his Mamago and addressed the man standing at the front.

The gaunt man hunched his shoulders, glancing around nervously.

[What is your name?]

[I am Alaitotep.]

[Alaitotep.]

As Yura began communicating through Mamago, everyone in the hall focused.

[Where are you from?]

[From Odelkapator.]

[What was your occupation?]

[I was a teacher back home. I taught children…]

[How did you end up on this ship?]

“I… I was…” Alaitotep lowered his head.

[Captured by the Katlchinoti. Brought here as a sacrifice for dark magic…]

The hall murmured in shock.

Alaitotep was not one of the dark magic users but a victim—someone from the New Continent dragged here as a sacrifice.

[Alaitotep, please tell us about the Katlchinoti.]

[Yes.]

Alaitotep detailed the horrors of the New Continent.

Everything Yura had said was true.

[The Katlchinoti treat us like livestock. They harvest men, women, and children indiscriminately. They rip out children’s hearts, flay virgins’ skin, and build towers from skulls to offer to their god. The remaining flesh is cooked and eaten. We live only hoping it won’t be our turn…]

Katlchinoti—a cursed city that sacrifices people year-round and feasts on human flesh.

These atrocities had continued ever since the city’s priests discovered dark magic long ago.

No force remained on the New Continent to oppose Katlchinoti.

[More than ten cities are under Katlchinoti’s control. They let populations grow, then kidnap people at will. They roast children to feed their parents, split open intestines to offer to their god. There are no elderly in any city but Katlchinoti’s—everyone is eaten before they grow old.]

Everyone was horrified.

A devout visitor from the Holy Kingdom even snapped the pen in her hand.

While the listeners shuddered, Alaitotep remained calm.

Then, suddenly—

[Please, save us. Savior from across the sea!]

Alaitotep knelt before Yura.

Yura was taken aback.

“Huh?”

[Savior, you must be the one from the prophecy.]

“Prophecy?”

Yura looked puzzled, and Alaitotep explained.

[We have an ancient prophecy.]

[What does it say?]

[It says…]

He faltered, then bowed his head to Yura’s feet.

“Hey, wait!”

[The prophecy says a savior with black hair and black eyes will come from the distant sea to rescue us—all those suffering under Katlchinoti!]

[You mean me?]

[He breathes fire and cuts through stone. The moment I saw you, I knew you were the one. The true savior who will grant us freedom!]

Then the other slaves standing quietly behind him also bowed.

[Save us!]

[Save us!]

[Savior!]

Flustered, Yura turned off his Mamago and looked at the delegates seated in the hall.

Their expressions were complicated.

Clearing his throat, Yura asked again.

“Ahem. That’s their perspective. What do you all think?”

Silence followed, until Josephine spoke first.

“I still oppose it. Their plight is tragic, but that doesn’t mean we should sacrifice ourselves.”

“I agree. We can help them survive, but I don’t want us crossing the Owl Blue. The cost and the soldiers lost…”

“No one knows what dangers await on the New Continent.”

The mood remained negative.

Their feelings were understandable—the continent hadn’t fully recovered from the war’s aftermath.

Though the New Continent slaves’ situation was pitiful, they judged there was no need for their own sacrifice.

Yura shifted his gaze.

Tirbo, the Vengeance Knights’ representative, was fidgeting.

“Tirbo.”

“Yes?”

“What do you think?”

“Me?”

He raised his hand casually.

“I want to go to the New Continent!”

The first voice of support.

“Why?”

“Because I just want to help!”

Yura smiled faintly and looked around the room.

Everyone’s eyes darted as they pondered.

Yura spoke again.

“Alaitotep’s hometown, Odelkapator. Do you know what that name means?”

He walked toward Alaitotep.

“It means ‘the joy of intertwined friendship.’ People from that city value loyalty above all. That’s why it’s named so.”

“…”

“And Alaitotep—do you know what your name means?”

Still, no one answered.

“It means ‘fruit of love.’”

Yura smiled.

“Your parents must have loved each other deeply to give you such a name. And now, the precious fruit of their love is here before us, kneeling—sacrificed to dark magic.”

Yura’s footsteps echoed through the quiet hall.

“Friendship. Joy. Love.”

He pointed to the faces of Alaitotep and the slaves.

Their foreheads were deeply lined with chronic despair.

“Sorrow.”

Though their cultures and languages differ, the heart’s workings are the same.

When Yura faced difficult decisions, he imagined how someone wiser and kinder than himself would act.

The wisest and kindest person he knew.

Kori.

What would he do?

It was obvious.

“To speak of joy, friendship, love, and sorrow means these people are just like us.”

Yura looked around the room.

“I refuse to stand by while people like me are slaughtered like cattle and offered as sacrifices. Like Tirbo said, I simply want to help.”

At that moment, Antianus, leader of the Exorcist Corps, spoke.

“I feel the same. We studied dark magic to save those suffering from it. Our vow is to eradicate this cursed dark magic from the world.”

All eyes turned to him as he spoke.

“We exorcists know the pain of losing loved ones better than anyone. Even if it means sacrifice, I want to punish all the dark magicians on that distant continent and spread the true will of the gods.”

The hall fell silent.

Yura smiled.

“Good. The Vengeance Knights and the Exorcist Corps.”

The others remained silent.

Yura didn’t mind.

“Sir Jose and Francesco as well.”

“Yes!”

“Huh?”

Jose answered loudly, while Francesco jumped in surprise.

“And…”

Yura looked up.

A black dot spun high in the sky.

“Even Sir Cruar.”

Adding his comrade without permission, Francesco protested.

“Hey, you can’t just add people like that!”

“Too much talk…”

“What? What’s going on?”

“Then Francesco, you’re not coming.”

“I’m not saying I’m not…”

“Then are you coming or not?”

“I need to think…”

“Fine. Just don’t come.”

“I’m not saying I won’t.”

“If you go, go. If not, don’t make a fuss.”

“Alright, I’ll go…”

“You should’ve said so earlier.”

“Ugh…”

After scolding Francesco, Yura turned his gaze.

“Even if you don’t join, we will cross beyond the Owl Blue.”

Josephine said,

“If His Majesty has decided, we cannot stop him.”

“You understand well.”

She bowed respectfully.

“As always, may fortune follow Your Majesty.”

“Thank you.”

Though they wouldn’t join the New Continent expedition, everyone here bowed in respect to Yura.

Yura Briol—the hero who protected the continent from dark magic.

His journey was about to continue across the sea to a new land.

How could anyone not feel awe for a man who always chose the hardest path?

Yura lifted his Mamago.

[Alaitotep.]

[Yes!]

[Let me be clear. I am not the savior you hope for.]

[W-what…?]

[But…]

Yuri recalled the letter she had received from Ekaterina.

It wasn’t filled with many words, but it carried genuine sincerity.

She had written that she trusted Yuri completely, and that Yuri was free to do whatever she wished and return when she was ready.

“I love you.”

Those words were pressed firmly at the end of the letter.

As Yuri savored the warmth she had felt the first time she read that phrase, she looked down at the stranger whose name meant “fruit of love.”

“As a fellow human, I will come to help you.”

Alaitotep’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Of course, it won’t be easy. You and your people will have to fight alongside us. Freedom isn’t a gift given by others—it’s something you must seize for yourselves. Can you do that?”

“Ah…”

Alaitotep stared up at Yuri in stunned silence.

Then, bowing deeply once more, he said,

“Yes, Savior. I will gladly stand with you. I have never valued my life more than now. We have all been waiting for you alone.”