Chapter 40. Against the Light (1)

Génard’s eyes snapped wide open. There was only one meaning behind those words.

Treason.

He even drew his sword. If he didn’t bow his head immediately, he would be guilty.

“Enough.”

Yuri grabbed Génard’s shoulder, not wanting to witness any more disgraceful scenes.

“All those ridiculous taxes and fabricated charges you threw at me? They’re nonsense. The real criminal here is you. Understand?”

“Y-Yes…”

He wanted to ask how he had amassed such wealth, what his connection to the Elaine Trading Company was, but Génard couldn’t bring himself to do so.

To a commoner, a duke was like a god, but before the royal family of Briol, he was just another noble.

Yuri shifted his focus.

“Diker.”

“Y-Yes.”

The judge, who had been trying to maintain a solemn air, hesitated and stood up, glancing nervously at Yuri.

“I’ve seen your judgment. You’ll be remembered as a great judge.”

“T-Thank you… haha…”

“That was sarcasm, you idiot.”

“Sorry.”

Yuri picked up the banana peel that Génard had dropped and tossed it.

The peel hit Diker’s face and slid down. Carefully, Diker picked it up and placed it on the table.

“Roland, Jared.”

“Yes.”

At Yuri’s nod, Roland and Jared untied the ropes binding Raymond.

Raymond’s lawyer had turned pale and stepped back. Yuri struck the back of his head and climbed up to the judge’s bench.

“Looks like some order needs to be restored, doesn’t it?”

Yuri pushed Diker aside and took his seat.

From this high vantage point, he could see the faces of the townspeople.

Among them, Yuri spotted a familiar face.

The fruit vendor was staring at him with her mouth slightly open, the expression of someone recognizing the young man who had just bought an apple.

Yuri waved at her.

Then, tapping the gavel, he quieted the murmuring crowd.

Once the atmosphere had settled, Yuri spoke.

“In place of the corrupt officials, I, Yuri Briol, third prince of Briol, will deliver the verdict. Unlike some, I won’t waste time shouting nonsense or counting numbers, so there’s no need to worry.”

The citizens laughed.

Yuri pointed at Raymond, who was now wearing a coat Roland had handed him instead of prison clothes.

“Not guilty.”

He struck the gavel.

“Sir Raymond is innocent. As for that unjust duke standing over there, I will speak with him separately. Everyone else, feel free to return to your daily lives.”

The crowd raised their hands and cheered.

“Long live Prince Yuri!” echoed through the square.

The enthusiastic response that Génard had so desperately wanted to provoke was effortlessly created by Yuri.

Savoring the praise pouring in, Yuri looked at Génard.

“Génard. We still have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”

“Yes…”

“Let’s discuss it over a meal.”

Yuri stepped down from the bench and slung an arm around Génard’s shoulder.

In his previous life, he had seemed like a powerful grand noble, but now he appeared to be nothing more than a scheming, greedy fat man.

Yuri fiddled with the sagging flesh under his chin.

“The food must be excellent. Prepare four servings.”

“Four servings?”

“Yes. For me, Roland, Jared, and a friend named Ace.”

Yuri looked into Génard’s eyes. His pupils flickered slightly at the mention.

“Who’s Ace?”

He tried to act, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable.

“You don’t know?”

“No, no.”

“Then there’s nothing to know.”

“Yes…”

Watching his reaction, Yuri was certain that the duke’s involvement with Ace was just another one of Génard’s schemes.

“First, let’s get rid of this ugly mess and head back to the castle.”

Génard nodded silently, his eyes darting around.

Yuri released his arm.

“We’ll sort things out and leave. Get ready at home.”

“Yes, yes. Understood.”

“See you later.”

With that, Yuri led the group toward Ace’s house, cheered on by the citizens.

Ace and his wife greeted them with surprised faces.

Raymond, having endured hardship, looked quite gaunt. After a thorough wash and clean clothes, he looked like the seasoned knight he once was.

“Thank you.”

“I told you, you don’t suit hanging around with Génard.”

“I thought it was a knight’s duty to support and guide a lacking lord properly…”

“That’s all nonsense. People don’t change.”

“Seems so.”

“Unless you’re dying and coming back to life, they don’t change. I know that well.”

Raymond chuckled and then asked,

“Is it true that all the funds for the Allied Army Veterans’ Association came from the prince’s personal money?”

Roland and Jared nodded in agreement, looking at Yuri.

Instead of answering, Yuri gestured to Guillermo, who immediately nodded.

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“How did the prince come by so much money…”

“Prince, may I explain to them?”

“Go ahead.”

“Yes.”

Guillermo smiled gently. Unlike when he was alone with Yuri, he now wore a friendly expression and tone.

“Prince Yuri is the major shareholder of the Elaine Trading Company.”

Everyone turned to look at Yuri.

He lowered his head quietly and made a ‘V’ sign with his index and middle fingers.

“When President Elaine officially started the business, Prince Yuri invested the initial capital. You could say he has been part of the company’s history.”

“Wait, how old was the prince then?”

“At thirteen, the prince already saw through the continent’s political landscape and future. The company’s growth owes much to his influence.”

Looking down at the table, Yuri crossed his arms in an ‘X’ and made two ‘V’ signs with both hands.

“His shares are equal to President Elaine’s. So, you could say he’s a co-owner of the company.”

Raising his head, Yuri looked around the room with a charismatic gaze, emphasizing the two ‘V’ signs.

“I am that man.”

Jared clapped reluctantly.

“But I can’t keep funding it forever. The Allied Army Veterans’ Association needs to be self-sustaining.”

“That’s true.”

“Raymond, so…”

Yuri gave Raymond a trusting look.

“Will you lead the Allied Army Veterans’ Association?”

Raymond paused, considering. He didn’t seem surprised.

“What do you intend to do with the association?”

“To help those without proper jobs or those disabled to become self-reliant. If they can’t work at all, we’ll support their living expenses.”

“That’s a difficult task.”

“Dealing with people is the hardest part.”

“I understand.”

His easy acceptance caught Yuri off guard for a moment.

“Really?”

“Yes. Someone has to do it. If you entrust me, I’ll give it a try.”

Raymond’s expression wasn’t exactly bright.

Génard had dismissed him so easily, even tried to imprison him.

His entire past had been so easily denied.

Yuri patted Raymond’s shoulder.

“This is for the best. If not for this incident, you’d still be loyally serving that scoundrel.”

“Thank you.”

“And listen. After serving someone like Génard for so long, those unruly veterans will seem like a joke. You’re trained for this. You’ve been preparing all along!”

“I see.”

“Beat them up. You’re not like Génard. If anyone misbehaves, feel free to use your fists.”

“Hahaha…”

Trying to comfort him, Yuri smiled gently. Raymond returned the smile.

“It’s alright, Your Highness. I actually feel relieved.”

“That’s good.”

“Ace will help a lot.”

As they chatted, Roland asked Yuri,

“Prince, aren’t you worried that giving Génard this much time will let him do something?”

“Exactly. Maybe to destroy evidence?”

Yuri chuckled softly.

“Do you think I didn’t know that?”

“So…”

“I’ve already set a trap.”

He looked out the window. The setting sun cast long shadows over the city.

Thinking of his loyal subordinate, Yuri said,

“If Génard has anything to hide, he’ll rush to deal with it now.”

---

Asana slipped inside through the castle’s shadow.

Génard’s castle was poorly guarded. It seemed no one expected an intruder; confidential documents lay scattered everywhere.

Though unrelated to the current matter, she gathered a few documents that could become weaknesses against Génard in the future.

She then tried the safe’s combination, when suddenly a commotion erupted outside.

Asana immediately melted into the shadows.

Soon, the door to the study opened, and the bulky figure of Génard entered.

“Huff, huff…”

He went straight to the safe Asana had been handling.

So desperate, he didn’t even notice the lock was already turned.

He fiddled with the safe in full view of Asana.

She memorized the numbers.

“Huff, huff…”

Inside the safe were gold bars and jewels—far more wealth than Asana had expected.

Génard pushed everything aside and pulled out an object from deep within.

It was a communication crystal, larger than usual.

He placed the crystal on the table in the center of the room and took a deep breath.

“Huff…”

Wiping sweat from his brow, he seemed tense about what was to come. After a few deep breaths, he placed his hand on the crystal.

A faint light glowed.

Gradually, a blurry figure appeared inside.

“Greetings.”

Génard bowed deeply.

Asana frowned, trying to make out who it was, but the image was too faint to tell.

The light beyond the crystal orb was so bright that it cast a deep shadow over the other person’s face.

“So, what I’m saying is, suddenly the third prince shows up out of nowhere…”

Genard gave a detailed report of what had happened in the courtroom.

After a moment, the other party spoke.

Genard pressed his ear to the crystal orb, nodding repeatedly, but Asana couldn’t hear a word.

“Yes, yes. Understood. I will do as you say.”

Genard looked completely flustered.

“I’m sorry. This won’t happen again. Yes.”

The communication ended, and the light from the crystal orb faded.

Genard stood there with his head bowed. His hands clenched tightly around his knees, causing his pants to crease.

Then, in a voice half-choked with sobs, he muttered,

“Damn it… why does everyone keep tormenting me…?”

He mumbled to himself for a while before finally standing up and placing the crystal orb back into the safe. With heavy steps, he left the room.

Asana immediately slipped out of the shadows and approached the safe. She quickly entered the code she had memorized earlier, and the lock clicked open.

She took out the crystal orb and examined it.

At first glance, it looked ordinary, but there was something different about it.

It was a long-distance communication orb made by the Empire—an item only authorized for use by select members of the royal family.

Possessing this was strong evidence that Genard was connected to the Empire.

“Phew…”

Asana hugged the orb to her chest. It was a bit bulky to carry, but she decided to deliver this evidence to Yuri.

Just as she was about to slip back through the shadows and leave Genard’s room, the orb suddenly began to glow.

Even Asana, who rarely showed surprise, was taken aback. She hadn’t infused any mana, yet the orb was reacting on its own.

Inside the orb, a vague human shape flickered.

But the light didn’t last long. Cracks spread across the orb, and it shattered into pieces in her arms.

She felt sharp pain in her arms and abdomen as blood splattered.

“Ugh…”

The shards of crystal clattered loudly as they fell. Footsteps sounded from outside.

Asana dashed toward the darkest part of the shadows.

Her vision shifted.

She was now drifting through the shadow realm—a secret space known only to her.

Suddenly, something tugged at her foot.

A shard from the broken orb was embedded in her calf. From it, a black smoke-like substance emerged, wrapping around her and holding her tight.

Asana struggled to shake it off.

At that moment, Genard’s knights were ransacking the room outside the shadows.

Her body was slowly being pushed out of the shadow realm.