“A dungeon, you say?”
“That’s right.”
“What on earth…?”
Yuri recalled what had happened in her past life.
The empire that destroyed Briol had unearthed a dungeon in Geomsan. Rumor had it that the founder of Briol had left behind some kind of legacy there.
But beyond that, no detailed information was available.
“You’ll know once you see it with your own eyes.”
As Yuri moved forward, Jared and Hernando followed closely behind.
“Your Highness, please be careful. Monsters will appear.”
“That’s why I brought you two along. Keep me well guarded.”
“Understood.”
Hernando kept up the conversation.
“How did you find out there was a dungeon?”
Yuri gave a vague answer.
“There was a hidden booklet in the royal library. It said the founder left behind a legacy.”
“You went to the library, Your Highness?”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve never seen you holding a book before.”
“Do you think the prince doesn’t get educated?”
“So you just pretend to study during class and toss the books aside afterward.”
“Shut up.”
“The teachers told me everything.”
They pushed through the thick underbrush, climbing Geomsan.
The path was steep in many places, forcing them to scramble upward. Sharp leaves pricked their skin.
“Watch out for the sharp leaves. Don’t get hurt.”
At Yuri’s words, Hernando and Jared exchanged glances.
It was amusing that a thirteen-year-old kid was worrying about them, but even more surprising that this kid was the notorious third prince.
“Sir Jared.”
“Yes?”
“Has the prince eaten something bad?”
“Seems like it.”
“Both of you, shut up.”
“Some things never change.”
“Monsters.”
At that word, Jared and Hernando fell silent.
“Really… that monster is…”
A presence stirred beyond the bushes.
Yuri muttered.
“A dire wolf.”
A common monster. Larger and fiercer than ordinary wolves, with coarse fur that made weapons hard to penetrate.
“They travel in packs. No telling how many more there are. That one over there must be the leader.”
Thanks to her mercenary days, Yuri knew dire wolves’ habits well. She probably knew more about monsters than these two.
“You know a lot about monsters?”
“Of course.”
“You probably don’t get to see them often.”
“It’s in the books. Hernando, you should read more.”
“You’ve stored it all up, haven’t you?”
“Knowledge in my head.”
“As expected of a prince.”
Yuri looked up toward the mountain peak.
“We still have a long way to go.”
Before climbing, it hadn’t seemed so high, but the rugged terrain and harsh environment quickly drained their stamina.
“Looks like they haven’t spotted us yet. Let’s move quickly.”
Yuri and Jared moved quietly, but Hernando was careless.
He stepped on a dry twig.
The dire wolf pack in the distance all turned their gaze toward him.
Yuri and Jared’s eyes followed.
Hernando scratched the back of his head.
“Heh, sorry about that.”
Jared cursed under his breath.
“Damn it…”
“Sir Jared, don’t be so angry.”
“How did it come to this…”
He drew his sword with a sigh.
“Have I lost my mind? If something goes wrong, I’ll be kicked out of the royal guard…”
Yuri corrected him.
“Hey. I’m the prince. They won’t just kick me out—they’ll throw me in the dungeon.”
“Damn, damn.”
“Are you scared of dire wolves?”
“I’m not scared. I’m worried about Your Highness.”
“I’m fine. Relax your face.”
“Quiet, please. Sir Hernando, protect the prince.”
Unlike the serious Jared, Yuri and Hernando remained calm.
“Jared’s getting serious.”
“If he slips up, it won’t just be his position on the guard—it’ll be his head. This isn’t some minor accident.”
“I’m fine. I’m the prince.”
“Me too. His Majesty cares about me.”
“Only Jared’s in trouble.”
“What can a low-ranking soldier do?”
Jared shouted.
“Enough chatter! Be quiet!”
Several dire wolves charged.
Sword energy flared from Jared’s blade as he cut them down.
A few fell, bleeding, while the rest growled and circled around.
“Good fight. As expected of the royal guard. Briol’s guard is strong.”
“Still not enough.”
The supposedly strong Briol guard had been brutally crushed by the empire’s army.
This wouldn’t do.
“You aim high.”
“You never know what the future holds. Always be prepared.”
“Wise words.”
Yuri placed a hand on Hernando’s shoulder.
“Hernando.”
“Yes?”
“His Majesty holds you in great favor.”
“Suddenly?”
“Don’t forget your loyalty.”
“Yes, well…”
“I trust you too.”
“That praise came out of nowhere…”
Yuri owed her ability to come to Geomsan so calmly to Hernando.
He was a powerful battle mage, strong enough to stand beside the king of Briol.
Few knew his true strength, but Yuri had witnessed it firsthand in her past life.
“So protect me, Hernando.”
“Leave it to me.”
“Good.”
“By the way, Sir Jared’s skills are impressive.”
“He’s got potential.”
“Having both Jared and Sir Jared by your side must be reassuring.”
“Like the Azure Dragon and White Tiger guarding me.”
“That’s embarrassing.”
Their banter made Jared groan.
“Damn it…”
To him, this felt like a mischievous little prince and a frivolous mage playing around without grasping the seriousness of the situation.
But in truth, it was the opposite.
Yuri was the one guiding the clueless Jared.
Yuri shouted.
“Jared! Have you finished dealing with them yet?”
“Quiet!”
The dire wolf leader howled long and loud, and the pack grew in number.
Jared soon found himself on the defensive.
Backing away, he warned.
“Your Highness, this is dangerous now. We should retreat. I’ll cover your back.”
At Jared’s words, Yuri looked at Hernando.
“We need to help.”
“Agreed.”
“Show them, Hernando.”
“Yes, sir.”
Light gathered in his hands.
“Your Highness, how do you like your steak cooked?”
“Well done.”
“You must have strong teeth.”
Flames burst from the light. Simple in appearance but devastating in power, it was the classic Fireball spell.
“Sir Jared! I’ve got your back!”
Multiple fireballs rained down on the dire wolves.
Several turned into blackened charcoal, the air thick with the smell of burning flesh.
Jared looked surprised.
“Man, that’s tough.”
Hernando patted his waist.
He clearly had more power but chose not to use more magic.
“This is enough. I’ll leave the rest to Sir Jared.”
Hernando winked at Yuri.
He understood her desire to see Jared struggle a bit.
A clever human, indeed.
He needed to stay close.
Yuri thought so.
Cedric, destined to become the king of Briol, was a born wise ruler.
But the empire’s invasion was another matter.
What could stop war was not virtue, but strength.
“Everyone has their role.”
Watching Jared fight the dire wolves, Yuri muttered.
The fate given to him, returned to the past.
If someone had to get blood on their hands, it would be his.
“That’s very true.”
Hernando nodded emphatically.
“Sir Jared is perfect for physical work. Like I handle strategy and character.”
“Just handle strategy.”
“And character?”
“That’s me.”
After wiping out the dire wolf pack and fending off a few more monsters, Yuri’s group reached the summit.
“What exactly is here?”
Standing atop Geomsan, they could see the royal palace’s towering spires and the vast capital city spread out below.
A place to admire Briol’s prosperity.
But Jared seemed unimpressed.
“There’s nothing here.”
He swatted away sharp leaves with his sword, grumbling.
Yuri sat down and examined the ground instead of answering.
“We just have to find it.”
The empire had recklessly dug into the mountain to find the dungeon. Later, they confirmed the entrance was at the summit.
She’d heard this from a bard at a tavern, so it wasn’t entirely reliable, but it was a clue.
“Huh.”
Yuri spotted something.
At first glance, it looked like a small stone, but it was a pommel attached to a sword hilt.
“This is it.”
She dug into the earth with her hands, so eager that her skin soon scraped and bled.
Jared and Hernando panicked and tried to stop her.
“Your Highness, wait!”
“You have to dig here.”
“You’ll hurt your hands.”
“A swordsman’s scars are a badge of honor.”
“No, who said you’re a swordsman? You’re the prince.”
“Then why don’t you dig?”
“Sir Jared, did you hear that?”
“And you, Sir Hernando?”
“To a mage, hand wounds are a disgrace.”
“Where did you get that from?”
They bickered, but when Yuri started digging again, they joined in.
Soon the hilt was fully exposed.
Though buried for a long time, it gleamed, reflecting the sunlight.
“A fine sword.”
Jared recognized it.
“For something like this to be buried in the ground, it’s no ordinary matter.”
Yuri smiled.
“If the founder of Briol left something behind, what else would mark it besides a sword?”
She grasped the hilt.
“Ugh…”
A shiver ran through her, and she gasped.
Jared and Hernando looked at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Kill me.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s good.”
There was no other way to express it.
In her past life, Yuri had grasped countless swords. Some fit perfectly, others felt off, and a few she had to force into her hand until they finally settled awkwardly.
But this—this was the first time a sword had felt like it truly belonged in her grip.
Judging by its size, it was clearly made for an adult, yet it fit snugly in a child’s hand. That made no sense.
She squeezed her grip.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor, revealing a buried blade beneath the surface.
It wasn’t adorned with any flashy decorations, but the material and finish were exquisite.
“No effort at all,” she murmured.
As if waiting for someone to find it, the sword slid out smoothly.
The half-exposed blade gleamed brilliantly.
“It was buried, yet there’s not a scratch on it. No rust either…”
Jared admired it in awe.
It looked as if it had just been forged moments ago.
With a clear, ringing chime, the sword fully settled into Yuri’s hand.
It had weight, but not so much that she couldn’t wield it.
She swung it a few times.
“A fine sword,” she said, feeling it immediately.
Then, her eyes caught the inscription etched into the blade.
「Guilty」
A single word: “Guilty.”
She fell silent.
It felt like a warning directed at her.
Why would such a word be engraved on a sword?
Her mind raced with questions, but for now, she sheathed the blade.
“By the way, where is the founder’s tomb? Could this sword be some kind of heirloom?”
“That’s…”
Before Jared could answer, the ground trembled.
The three exchanged glances.
The entire sword mountain was shaking.
Yuri smiled.
“Now we’ll find out.”
With those words, a massive hole opened beneath their feet.
Side by side, they plummeted.
Yuri’s eyes fluttered open.
She must have lost consciousness for a moment.
Beneath her, she felt a soft, yielding surface. Rolling over, she saw Jared supporting her.
He must have wrapped her in a mana method just before impact, cushioning the fall.
“Impressive,” she said, tapping Jared’s chest once before pushing herself up.
“Ouch, ouch…”
Hernando was already on his feet, rubbing his waist. Despite his grimacing, there wasn’t a single scratch.
“You look fine.”
“Not at all. I’m exhausted.”
“You cared only for yourself, ignoring the prince’s safety?”
“It was too sudden. Ha ha ha…”
“One of you shielded me, the other only looked out for himself…”
“That’s not it, um… Your Highness! Look!”
Suddenly, Hernando shouted. Yuri shook her head.
“If you’re trying to distract me, it won’t work.”
“No, no! Look!”
“What is it?”
“A ghost!”
“What?”
“A ghost!”
Yuri turned around.
And just as he said… there it was.