Okua led his army in retreat.
It was a victory for the Allied Forces.
As soon as the battle ended, Ragna summoned all the commanders to discuss the next steps.
Opinions were divided.
Some insisted on striking the orcs immediately, while others argued that the troops needed time to regroup.
“We must attack at once,” Sibylla declared. “We can’t afford to give them any more time. There’s no rest until Okua is dead.”
But opposition voices rose.
“We’re too exhausted. We need to regroup.”
“We need to rest.”
Then came a counter to that counter.
“I agree with Princess Sibylla. The enemy is just as worn out as we are. And the steppe is their territory. Giving them time only benefits them.”
“Okua might be plotting something. We should move immediately, Your Highness.”
Jonathan of Bursen and Wolf of Liberta both sided with Sibylla.
Among the larger nations, excluding the Empire, three supported Sibylla’s stance.
Naturally, all eyes turned to Yuri.
“I…” Yuri began.
Sibylla looked at him with unwavering trust.
After all, Yuri had been the first to chase down the fleeing orcs and slaughter them.
He carried the hopes of the three kingdoms advocating for relentless pursuit.
Yuri spoke.
“I think we should rest.”
It was an unexpected statement.
Ragna looked at him with interest.
Even those who favored resting wore surprised expressions.
“Oh…”
Given Yuri’s usual temperament, everyone expected him to call for an immediate attack.
But he defied those expectations, presenting the exact opposite view.
No one knew what had caused this change of heart, but for those who wanted to regroup, it was welcome news.
They were all exhausted.
“Prince Yuri, as expected,” the rest faction praised his decision.
Meanwhile, Sibylla, Jonathan, and Wolf stared at him in disbelief.
Yuri spoke again.
“I think you’ve misunderstood me.”
“Huh?”
“When I said ‘rest,’ I meant your empty-headed selves.”
His words hit like a slap, souring the mood instantly.
“You all seem too tired to think rationally. If you’re going to spout nonsense, don’t do it here—go home and rest. Yes, rest.”
Savoring the shock he’d caused, Yuri continued.
“Didn’t we rush here because we didn’t know what Okua might do with his dark magic? All he did was shout twice, and we never even saw the orc stronghold. We don’t know what’s happening there, and you want to rest? Just rest forever, then. Dig a hole, cross your arms on your chest, and lie down. I’ll cover you with dirt.”
“That’s harsh.”
“Harsh is fine. Calling for rest now is disrespecting the comrades who died fighting. ‘We’re tired, so let’s rest a bit?’ Did they sacrifice themselves for that? We have no right to be tired—not until Okua’s head is on the chopping block.”
Yuri spoke with conviction.
He was certain they had to strike Okua immediately.
“My master, Moyongchan, one of the Ten Strongest, said this.”
He pointed to a distant hill where Moyongchan faced off against Okua.
At first glance, it looked like a mere staring contest, but an invisible battle raged between them.
The fact that neither had moved meant they were evenly matched.
“Okua has already reached the level of the Ten Strongest,” Moyongchan had said.
The room fell silent.
If Moyongchan, one of the Ten Strongest, said so, no one could argue.
“I’ll take care of him,” Ragna said quietly, a satisfied smile on his face.
“There’s something I haven’t mentioned. We gathered mages to observe Okua’s camp. They say a sinister aura is rising there.”
Yuri looked at Ragna.
The fact that Ragna waited until after the debate to reveal this meant he wanted to gauge the commanders’ reactions first.
What was he trying to confirm?
“It’s best to finish this before it’s too late.”
With that, the meeting ended.
Ragna stood.
“The orcs have suffered heavy losses. Aside from those who fled yesterday, they won’t have much reinforcements. Let’s go and cut off their lifeline. We march at dawn.”
The commanders left Ragna’s tent.
As Yuri headed out, Ragna gave him a subtle nod.
Yuri stopped.
Once everyone else had left, only Ragna and Yuri remained.
“Yuri.”
“Yes?”
“Anything to say?”
Ragna looked at him from his seat.
Yuri thought for a moment.
“Um… good work?”
“Hahaha…”
Having fought side by side on the battlefield, they had built a bond. Few in the entire continent would dare joke so casually with a prince.
Yuri laughed with Ragna and sat back down.
“Do you doubt me?”
Saying this, Yuri glanced at the empty seats around them.
His gaze lingered briefly on the seats of the nations that opposed the relentless pursuit before settling back on Ragna’s face.
“Could the orcs be trying to divide us?”
“Could be,” Ragna replied.
“Yuri.”
“Yes?”
Ragna stood and approached Yuri.
“What kind of man do you think I am?”
“A great prince.”
“That’s true, but…”
He chuckled and perched on the table beside Yuri.
“Specifically, do you think I’m a rational man or an emotional one?”
“Both.”
“I have a good eye for people?”
“Of course. Your judgment is excellent.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because you favor me.”
Ragna laughed again and ruffled Yuri’s hair roughly.
“If only you’d been in the Empire. Yuri, I’ll arrange it—marry Ekaterina. You’d have the bloodline of the emperor and the continent’s most beautiful woman.”
“Marriage requires mutual feelings. I doubt the princess is interested in me.”
“If Ekaterina wanted it, would you marry her?”
“I have a girlfriend.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
Ragna pulled something from his pocket—a necklace set with a blue gem, clearly a valuable mana stone.
He muttered something, and a wave of mana spread out.
Yuri felt the outside world and sounds vanish completely.
“Can you keep what I’m about to say a secret?”
“Yes.”
“I feel foolish telling this to someone not from the Empire, but I’ve decided to follow my instincts.”
Ragna sighed.
“There’s someone inside the Empire using dark magic.”
Yuri looked up.
It was unexpected.
The words carried many implications.
“We don’t know who yet. We found traces before the Allied Forces mobilized.”
“So the Allied Forces were… a trap?”
“Could be.”
Ragna smirked.
“But I didn’t back down. No matter the conspiracy, the orcs had to be wiped out. We weren’t even sure if the Empire’s dark magic was connected to the orcs’.”
“Do you think there’s a traitor among the Allied Forces?”
“I have my suspicions, but no proof. There’s no time to root them out.”
Yuri nodded.
He understood why Ragna had called on him.
“I’ll watch over them.”
“Good.”
Ragna couldn’t do it alone. It wasn’t appropriate to entrust it to the Empire’s knights who would accompany him.
That’s why he entrusted it to Yuri.
“Yuri.”
“Yes?”
“When the war’s over, come visit the Empire.”
Yuri smiled.
“I will.”
Dawn broke.
The Allied Forces began their march. The orc stronghold was not far.
Reaching the edge of a low hill, they saw the orc camp spread out in the distance.
“They’ve prepared well,” Raymond said.
“This won’t be easy,” Yuri replied.
He glanced back.
The number of knights had noticeably decreased. Fatigue and stress had hardened their faces.
Yuri’s eyes met Simon’s and Guiness’s.
Of the three knights who had always fought alongside him—Simon, Guiness, and Dyke—Dyke was dead.
The two young knights looked grim.
It was a fate any knight would eventually face.
“We will kill Okua.”
Yuri’s voice echoed through the ranks.
“Those who went before us did not die in vain. We will make sure of that.”
There was no rallying cheer like before. Instead, a dark resolve spread through the entire unit.
Yuri turned his gaze forward again.
The orc army had hastily built barricades and walls—likely using the skills of captured humans.
Even Yuri, who had lived through similar horrors, could barely imagine the atrocities hidden inside.
Orders came from the Empire.
The Allied Forces slowly descended the hill.
No orc ambush came. They, too, were preparing for the final clash.
“Hernando.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“Can you sense any dark magic?”
“Not for sure.”
Yuri glanced at Cory standing beside Hernando.
Originally an orc language interpreter sent by Jaime, Cory had now become Hernando’s apprentice.
A half-orc mage—his life would likely be far from easy.
“If the dispel wears off, cast magic immediately.”
“Understood.”
“And the master?”
“Moyongchan is meditating.”
“Meditating?”
“Sitting and controlling mana. In the East, they call it ‘Unkyojosik.’”
Moyongchan, too, seemed to be preparing for the final battle.
Okua was a monster, unlike any orc.
“Good.”
All necessary measures had already been taken. The soldiers had been thoroughly briefed on their duties.
All that remained were their individual resolve—and war.
The allied forces’ expedition was now advancing toward its final moment.
Yuri moved to the very front of the formation, turning his horse’s head back.
“This is it—the last one!”
Countless eyes fixed on Yuri. Among those gazes, he thought he saw the faces of those who were no longer with them.
He took a brief breath, then spoke again.
“This is the last thing I have to say!”
The Briol troops chuckled lowly.
Yuri laughed along with them before continuing.
“Let’s live to see this through! I’ll buy the first round!”
A light cheer rose up.
Yuri looked ahead once more.
In the distance, movement stirred within Okua’s camp. They, too, were surely preparing their defenses.
There would be no time to catch their breath.
Suddenly, the blast of a war horn echoed across the field. The entire allied army fell into their designated formation and surged forward.
This time, Briol was not the vanguard.
Quite the opposite.
They were to wait until the very end, then strike suddenly.
The allied forces steadily entered the orcs’ range.
Arrows rained down.
The knights deflected most, but some soldiers were struck and fell.
Blood pooled on the ground, and hurried footsteps trampled over the fallen. The stain of comrades’ blood marked their boots.
Yuri watched it all from behind.
Briol advanced slowly.
“Waaahhh!”
Shouts and screams filled the air.
The knights clashed with the orc lines, their swords flashing fiercely. Orc heads flew through the air, severed by unknown hands.
Yuri kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield until the very end.
Then, he spotted a point of opportunity.
“Everyone, get ready.”
There was a spot where the orc forces had thinned somewhat after fighting the allied troops.
Yuri lowered his stance, waiting for the battle to intensify.
A soldier fighting nearby let out a desperate cry.
Such was the sound of war.
The time had come.
“Briol!”
Yuri shouted, spurring his horse forward.
At his signal, Briol’s knights suddenly changed course, veering to the flank and surging forward in an instant.
“Your Highness!”
Before he knew it, Roland was at his side.
His horsemanship had improved since before.
“I’m glad we can keep our promise for this final battle.”
Roland had kept his word to ride alongside him at the front.
“Jarred is still behind.”
“I never made that promise!”
Jarred followed at a short distance, and behind him, the knights pushed their mounts desperately, unwilling to fall behind.
Their speed was incredible.
“Briol is breaking through!”
As they appeared, the allied troops fighting ahead pulled back to the sides.
But those caught by the orcs couldn’t see Briol’s charge.
“Everyone, get out of the way!”
Suddenly, Yuri’s eyes met those of an orc soldier standing directly ahead, spear raised.
He drew the lance he had rested against his horse.
The orc shouted something, but Yuri didn’t hear it.
With a single thrust, Yuri’s lance pierced through the corpse of a fallen soldier and the orc’s body, lifting them both into the air.
Flesh scattered, and fluids poured down like rain from the wound.
A single drop of that liquid splattered onto Yuri’s cheek and trickled down.
As he continued stabbing and killing orcs one after another, Yuri suddenly wondered—
Was that blood? Sweat? Or tears?