“And next to Bursen?”
“Looks like Briol.”
“Briol? Ha! What kind of knightly kingdom is that? The king’s just got a fancy title because he’s good with a sword. But why would a king even need to be good with a sword? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? A king should be managing the country, not swinging a blade around. What is this, a land for butcher boys?”
Yuri recorded every word meticulously.
Bursen—a stinky backwater, like fish caught in a net.
Briol—a kingdom ruled by butcher boys.
The Holy Kingdom—a bunch of hypocrites selling God for profit.
Johaim—a rogue state where a bandit chief plays king over a few mountain villages.
Klein—once perfume sellers, now bankrupt beggars.
And so on…
From start to finish, he badmouthed every kingdom without holding back.
His knack for gossip and slander was so sharp that even Yuri, who was no stranger to intrigue, was taken aback.
The soldiers, not wanting to get further entangled, raised their flags, bowed their heads, and quietly left.
The adjutant nodded.
“I see.”
But that wasn’t the end.
His tongue ran wild like a raging bull with a fire at its tail. When it came to words, he was a fearless orator.
“And the Empire? Same story.”
“M-Master Gong.”
“What? Here to hunt orcs? What a joke. Don’t you get why all these countries suddenly gathered? They call it an empire, but it’s just a bunch of neighborhood bullies. I think the emperor’s lost his mind, and the crown prince is…”
Yuri diligently took notes on the Empire. He didn’t hold back in criticizing the so-called suzerain state.
The adjutant standing beside him closed his eyes, as if this was nothing new, and let the words wash over him.
When the man finally finished his long speech and caught his breath, Yuri saw his chance and made a noise.
“Oh dear, my hand slipped.”
Snap. The pencil Yuri was holding broke clean in two.
The man and his adjutant jumped, turning around in surprise.
“Oh my, such a precious pencil…”
Yuri said, folding the paper carefully and tucking it into his chest.
It was a clear sign of what he’d been doing just moments ago.
“What—what are you?”
The man’s eyes widened as he rushed forward.
“What side are you on? Sneaking around like a rat? What kind of affiliation lets you eavesdrop and take notes like that…?”
Seeing Yuri’s shabby clothes, the man immediately started interrogating him. But the adjutant behind him gave Yuri a doubtful look and tried to calm the man down.
“Master Gong, please calm down…”
“Calm down? This rat needs a beating to keep his mouth shut.”
His arrogance wasn’t just in words—it was in his mindset too.
The man shoved the adjutant aside.
“Kneel this bastard down.”
“Master Gong, we don’t even know his identity yet, so please—”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
Yuri thought back to himself.
Why did most people he met for the first time assume he was just a low-ranking soldier?
Even considering his practical attire, it seemed a bit much.
Many frontline knights dressed like this, and didn’t his appearance carry a certain nobility?
“Look at his stance—standing with a crooked leg, that scoundrel’s expression. He’s clearly a commoner who’s rolled around in the dirt. No dignity, no grace.”
Yuri realized it was probably a habit from his mercenary days.
“Master Gong, please—”
“Don’t you have any complaints? Just take the beating.”
Without warning, the man threw a punch.
Watching the clean strike aimed at his face, Yuri understood why the man was so arrogant.
Considering his age, he was probably a prodigy.
After all, those who came to fight orcs couldn’t be weaklings.
But the world had more geniuses than people realized.
Yuri caught the punch mid-air and threw it back.
The man, who had underestimated him as a mere soldier, crashed to the ground.
“Huh?”
Yuri raised a finger and waved it side to side.
“Weak.”
“Th-This can’t be…”
“What’s your name?”
“How could a soldier…”
“I am Yuri Briol, third prince of Briol and commander of the Briol army.”
“Huh?”
The color drained from the man’s face.
Since the adjutant called him “Master Gong,” he must be of lower rank.
Yuri stepped closer and looked down at him.
“What’s the name of the one who threw a punch at me?”
“I—I’m…”
Yuri poked his forehead with a finger. The man flinched awkwardly. Yuri pulled the paper from his chest and shook it.
“Speak up.”
“Ah…”
His face twisted, realizing his weakness had been exposed.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of snatching this from me?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Think carefully. As you said, Briol is ruled by a butcher king.”
“That’s a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstandings, huh?”
Yuri unfolded the paper and read aloud.
“Bursen is a stinky backwater, the Holy Kingdom is a bunch of hypocritical merchants…”
“Really, it’s a misunderstanding. I don’t mean it. It’s just…”
The adjutant quickly stepped forward, practically kneeling before Yuri.
“Your Highness, it’s truly a misunderstanding. Master Gong was just venting his stress from the war with words he didn’t mean. Please, I beg you, take back that paper.”
He bowed his head repeatedly—a loyal servant.
The man agreed.
“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
“No.”
Yuri frowned.
“Who said anything about that? I want to know who you are.”
“I am…”
The adjutant tapped the man’s calf, signaling him to just say it.
The man squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.
“I’m Sven Gain, of the Liberta Alliance army.”
“Your title?”
“Eldest son of Count Abra.”
“Son of Count Abra.”
Yuri scribbled his name with the broken pencil.
Sven panicked.
“What are you doing?!”
“Finding your weak spot.”
“You’ll forgive me…”
“When did I say that?”
A brief flicker of conflict crossed his face.
Yuri immediately kicked Sven in the stomach.
“Ugh!”
“Don’t you manage your aggression?”
Yuri looked down at the fallen Sven.
“You were just thinking about cutting my throat, weren’t you?”
“Absolutely not…”
“Try me.”
Yuri summoned his mana method. The mana of Soul Slash spread around them.
The adjutant’s head dropped.
He seemed to realize that even together, they couldn’t win.
“Sven.”
“Yes…”
“People talk behind each other’s backs sometimes. Isn’t that true?”
“Y-Yes…”
“I understand.”
Yuri glanced around. No one else was nearby. Only the three of them were here.
Suddenly, Yuri held out his hand.
“Shake on it.”
Sven looked at him, startled, then slowly took his hand. It was damp with sweat.
Yuri quickly let go and wiped his hand on his clothes.
“Ever heard of secret friends?”
“Huh?”
“Now we’re secret friends.”
Yuri tapped his chest where the paper was tucked.
“We help each other. Share information, warn each other of danger. Mutual support.”
“Y-Yes…”
“Don’t think too badly of it. This paper could be a weakness, but it’s also proof we’re secret friends, right?”
“If it’s proof, shouldn’t we exchange something…?”
“Still not thinking straight.”
Yuri leaned in.
“Let’s just say you’ve got me where it counts.”
“No, that’s not it…”
“What could I possibly want from you? You’re just a nobody…”
“…”
“All I want is for the Alliance to achieve its goals and disband safely. You want that too, right? So let’s help each other.”
Yuri patted his shoulder.
“Sven.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Go on.”
Sven slumped and turned away with the adjutant.
Yuri clicked his tongue watching their backs.
He’d caught Sven gossiping and found a weakness, but whether Sven would actually be useful was another matter.
Still, judging by the adjutant tagging along, the Gain family’s influence wasn’t small.
Yuri muttered to himself.
“You never know with people.”
From his past life, he’d learned that people’s fates were unpredictable. Unexpected allies appeared, and trusted friends sometimes betrayed you.
That’s why it was important to have multiple plans.
Yuri counted the flags.
All the nations had arrived. Now, the real war was about to begin.
In his past life, Okua had crushed the Alliance and claimed a spot among the Ten Strong.
This time, that wouldn’t happen.
Yuri looked down at his shadow.
“Asana.”
He called his loyal retainer.
“Yes.”
A voice came from behind.
Turning around, Yuri saw Asana standing there.
He’d known she was nearby, but hadn’t expected her to be this close.
Still, he didn’t mind.
Not sensing the last heir of the Assassins’ Order wasn’t something to be ashamed of.
“When did you get here?”
“Just a little while ago.”
“Seems like your skills have improved.”
“Yes. The grasslands suit my techniques better. Maybe because it’s quieter.”
“Is that so?”
Yuri tilted his head.
“Anyway, we’ve finally reached Valshad.”
“His traces were found here.”
Yuri asked Asana to search for the ‘stranger.’
With only Gid and Valshad as cities on the grasslands, it wasn’t strange that he passed through both.
“Do you think he’s in Valshad?”
“I don’t know. Several people have reported seeing him, so we should find him soon. Or…”
Asana glanced around.
It was quiet.
“Maybe he’s waiting for me somewhere.”
“I heard he’s not violent, but still, be careful.”
“The one who needs to be careful isn’t me—it’s you, Your Highness.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Among the continent’s top ten warriors, known as the ‘Strangers,’ he was an anomaly.
He came from the East, beyond the vast grasslands.
No one knew why he drifted into the western continent, but one day, he suddenly appeared, killed the former top ten warrior, the Wanderer Zikman, and took his place.
Yuri had only one reason for seeking him out.
“We have to find him before facing Okuwa.”
Because it was he who would hand over the top ten position to Okuwa.
Appearing on the grasslands near the end of the orc campaign, he clashed with Okuwa. Witnesses said their brutal fight ended in a stalemate.
Barely escaping with his life, he continued to ambush Okuwa, but in the end, he was mercilessly killed.
Whatever the story behind it, the Stranger was an enemy of Okuwa.
The enemy of my enemy is my ally.
Determined not to let fate repeat itself as it had in his past life, Yuri planned to find him first and persuade him.
“Hurry.”
“Yes.”
Asana nodded. Finding him quickly was also crucial for Yuri’s safety.
“And I checked on the Irein Trading Company. Their caravan keeps moving goods nonstop.”
“Good. They’re doing well. I told them everything; they can’t afford to mess up. If they need anything, tell them to mention my name and take it.”
“We have enough funds.”
War was an opportunity for some to make money. Yuri had passed the information to Irein to ensure they didn’t miss this chance.
So far, everything was going according to plan.
Yuri said, “Let me know if anything unusual comes up.”
“Yes.”
Asana nodded, her figure gradually fading.
Yuri shook her head. Her eyes lost focus. She squeezed them shut, then opened them again.
But there was no one there.
Yuri chuckled. How terrifying it must be if an assassin like that aimed for your throat.
But even someone like Asana would have to dodge if she met a truly powerful opponent.
“Not yet.”
In her past life, the allied forces were stopped, and the former top ten warrior—the Stranger—was dead.
That monster named Okuwa had made it so.
But even Okuwa dared not challenge the Emperor.
Countless nations and warriors across the continent had knelt before the Empire’s rise.
The allied forces were just the opening act.
It was a long, long road ahead.
“There’s no time, no time…”
Yuri clenched her gauntlet.
There was no time to stand still.
Though she had started a new life, she still had much to learn.
She headed straight back to the barracks.
As ordered, the entire force was focused on training. It was a completely different scene from the other nations waiting inside the castle.
“What’s with all the fuss?”
“Got a bad commander, huh?”
“Such pointless noise…”
Soldiers from other countries snickered as they watched.
Yuri passed by them and entered the barracks. The knights training inside turned to look at her.
Among the onlookers, she spotted a massive figure watching with envy.
Yuri smiled and called out to him.
“Sir Hose.”
“Yes?”
“Want to join me?”
His eyes widened, then he broke into a bright smile.
“Yes.”