Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: 56. Treasure of the Sea (3)
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At Hose's mansion, Rolang, Jared, Simon, and Ginnis were sprawled out, resting.
The day was darkening.
After traveling for so long, this rare break felt incredibly sweet.
"Where did His Highness and Sir Hose go?"
"Beats me. Haven't seen them since earlier."
"Probably off having fun somewhere. Shall we play a round of cards among ourselves?"
"Oh, sounds good."
Card games had become hugely popular among the Brioll forces during the campaign against the Allied Forces.
Even Rolang, who hadn't known the rules before, could now play decently.
They even dragged a passing mansion servant into it, making the game bigger.
Under Jared's lead, they set up a table in the middle of the hall and started dealing the cards.
The wins and losses piled up.
"That's it!"
"Ah..."
"No way..."
Simon and Ginnis kept raking in the money. While they lagged behind Rolang and Jared in swordsmanship, their card skills were overwhelming.
Even the mansion servant was impressed.
"Do Brioll knights only play cards?"
"It's a basic virtue of a Brioll knight."
"Pardon?"
"The water above sets the flow for the water below."
"Rematch."
"Bursen men truly know no surrender."
"Just watch."
In the meantime, Yuri and Hose returned to the mansion.
"Oh, you're back."
Too focused on checking their hands, no one paid them much attention.
"Huh? Why is everyone dressed like that...?"
Rolang started to rise upon seeing their state, but Jared grabbed his hem and pulled him back down.
"Sir Rolang, you need to concentrate. We can't afford more losses."
"You two look a mess..."
"The real mess is our wallets!"
"Ack..."
"Must've been out playing somewhere. Let's get back to it."
The servant tried to greet them too, but Hose waved him off.
"Get back to what you were doing. I need to talk with His Highness."
"Yes, sir."
In the end, both Rolang and the servant refocused on the cards.
"Mm..."
"Hm..."
And so, Yuri and Hose—who had returned supporting each other in ragged clothes—had no choice but to trudge upstairs unassisted.
Yuri clicked his tongue as he watched the four knights engrossed in their game.
"Guess I'll have to wash up quick and drag them into it too."
"Hahahaha..."
Thanks to their high skill levels, they had controlled themselves enough to avoid serious injuries.
There were some wounds, but nothing requiring major treatment, so they'd stopped by a small temple on the way back and gotten healed. Aside from their disheveled appearance, their bodies were fine.
"Your Highness. I was thinking of heading to the bathhouse—would you care to join?"
"Oh, there's a bathhouse?"
"Yes."
"Sure."
The bathhouse already had hot water prepared.
Yuri and Hose slipped into the hot bath together. Sinking into the steaming water made the fatigue from their earlier fight melt away.
Through the rising steam, Hose's massive muscles gleamed. Yuri ran a hand over his shoulder. It was hard as iron.
"Wh-what are you touching like that?"
"Do some iron pumping?"
"In my spare time."
"Muscle training's essential for knights."
"Let's do it together next time."
"Our weights probably wouldn't match."
They chatted idly as they unwound.
The hot water loosened their muscles. Even the knife wounds that had torn and scabbed over tingled pleasantly.
"Sir Hose."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"That was a good duel."
"Agreed."
Hose had grown tremendously through this clash. And the same went for Yuri.
"Speaking of which, about the outcome."
Yuri said, leaning back.
"Keep it a secret?"
Hose grinned.
"Shall we?"
"Yeah. No need to spread it around."
"I'm fine with it. Wouldn't it boost your reputation, Your Highness?"
"Not really."
"True..."
Hose scooped up some water in his hand.
"You're in the middle of a war right now, aren't you, Your Highness."
"A war?"
"Yes. Battling that unidentified black magic, right?"
"Could see it that way."
"Then hiding your strength makes sense. A deception tactic."
The two had clashed right by Bursen's sea.
And ended in a draw.
Hose was the knight closest to the Ten Strongest. For such a man to draw with a twenty-year-old prince was a result that would make anyone doubt their ears.
"You held back."
"Only at the start."
"Even that was holding back. So, did you get what you wanted?"
"Yes. Thank you. Hahahaha..."
"Thanks to you, I gained some insights too."
Having crossed blades, they could feel in their bodies how much they'd both grown from the experience. From their first clash to their final separation, they'd reached a new realm.
It was the synergistic effect of two genius prodigies: Yuri Brioll and Hose Araturla.
Hose splashed hot water on his face and spoke.
"What now, Your Highness?"
"Back to Brioll."
"And there?"
"Preparations."
"You really are at war, Your Highness."
"It's not a war I started."
"What do you gain from winning this war?"
Yuri looked at Hose, who wore a faint smile but had no mirth in his eyes.
He was asking seriously.
Hose had fought alongside Yuri against foes like Oqua, Gerdt, and the Devil's Flower. It would be stranger if he hadn't noticed something.
Yuri sank deeper into the water.
"Nothing to gain. Just not losing."
"And if you lose?"
"Everything."
Yuri pointed to his own chest.
Then pointed at Hose.
"Lose it all."
His voice rang with certainty. Hose had fully turned to face him now.
"Is what you're guarding against that terrifying?"
"Oqua and the Devil's Flower? Just the beginning."
"Where did things like that even come from?"
Hose's questions were digging deeper.
Yuri smiled.
"Sir Hose."
"Yes."
"Will you join me?"
"That's..."
"Join, and I'll tell you."
Trust already existed between Yuri and Hose. Otherwise, how could men from different nations travel together so long?
Hose was a knight worthy of trust.
Yuri wanted him on board.
Of course, even if left alone, Hose would eventually clash with the Empire someday. Their expansion targeted the entire continent.
But that would be too late.
Yuri grinned.
"About the enemy we truly need to fight."
"Can't tell me first?"
"Security reasons."
"How secretive."
"Gotta survive somehow. What if you leak it?"
"An enemy you're this wary of... the Empire?"
Hose burst out laughing.
Caught off guard, Yuri awkwardly lifted the corner of his mouth and chuckled along.
Their laughter echoed through the bathhouse.
"Very well."
"Hm?"
"I'll join you."
"That easy?"
"You trusted me enough to ask, didn't you, Your Highness? I've learned plenty about you by now. No need to agonize."
"Sir Hose..."
"I trust you, Your Highness."
Yuri was a bit moved.
The other knights followed him because they were Brioll natives, but Hose was from another country with different loyalties. Plus, he was a powerhouse nearing the Ten Strongest. Earning such a man's faith felt good.
"So tell me. Who is this enemy you're afraid of?"
Yuri answered straight away.
"The Empire."
"Pardon?"
"The Empire."
"That was my joke earlier. For real now. Hahahaha..."
"The Empire."
"No, what do you mean?"
"I mean the Empire."
"Why the Empire?"
"Black magic's infested the imperial palace."
"Pardon?"
"Black magic corrupted the palace. Far worse than Adelvine, since it's taken over their heads."
"You're serious?"
"One more thing: the Allied Forces were bait designed to lose. We—well, I—turned the tables with our heroics and won."
"That..."
"You saw Oqua's state, right?"
"Yes."
"All black magic. If the Empire's plan had gone through, Oqua would've sacrificed the Allied Forces and grown into a monster, ripping apart the remaining nations."
"If what you're saying is true, Your Highness, what's their goal? Conquering the continent?"
"Who knows the mind of a madman."
"Haa..."
Hose looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
Yuri patted his shoulder.
"Looking forward to working with you. We're fighting to save the world."
"Makes me wanna back out."
Yuri chuckled lowly.
"Sir Hose, I know a fair bit about Bursen customs. Full course and all."
"Mm..."
"Bathing together is how Bursen men show trust. You planned to join me from the start, huh?"
"How do you know Bursen so well?"
"Read it in a book."
In truth, he'd learned from a Bursen mercenary comrade in his past life. They'd trusted each other enough to have each other's backs in battle.
And had been half-forced into a bath to build that bond.
The issue was that the mercenary had been a woman.
"Your territory will be fine without you?"
"It runs itself."
"Good."
"Let's depart tomorrow."
"Full of spirit now."
"Just realized how serious it is."
"Hahahaha..."
"Impressive, Your Highness. Carrying this burden all along."
Hose scratched his head.
"The Empire... that's intimidating."
"We don't know the extent of the corruption yet. There must be people in the Empire who can help us. Like, for example..."
Yuri trailed off, thinking of Raguna. His mood sank. After a moment's silence, he named someone else.
"People like Sir Graheim."
"Yes."
"Even the Black Knight might help."
"I hear he's loyal to the Emperor."
"True, but he seemed like a good guy."
"You've met him?"
"Yeah."
"How was he?"
"Not even close."
"Gotta see for yourself."
"You'll know when you do."
"No way."
"Hahahaha..."
Yuri closed his eyes.
He was glad he'd come to Bursen.
"Sir Hose."
"Yes."
"Let's go back there next time."
"You liked it?"
"Yeah. Pretty scenery."
"If the Empire's treasure is Princess Ekaterina, then Bursen's is this Orfen sea."
"Cough, cough..."
"What happened all of a sudden?"
"Swallowed wrong."
After leaving Orfen, Yuri's group headed to the Bursen capital to meet the king before returning to Brioll.
The king was a hearty fellow. He gave Yuri's group a grand welcome and, when Hose said he'd follow Yuri, had him recite a verbal oath of loyalty to Bursen before cheerfully letting him go.
"Sir Hose."
"Y-yes, Your Majesty."
"Betrayal means death—death!"
"Of course. My homeland is Bursen."
"Good you know it. Don't covet our Hose too much, Prince."
"Hahaha, of course not. Just traveling together for a bit. A symbol of Brioll-Bursen friendship."
"Glad you say that. Sorry I couldn't host properly on such short notice. Next time, though. Yeah—I'll treat you to a full Bursen course. You know full course? Straight from the king of Bursen himself."
"Full course?"
"Yeah. Full course."
"Yes..."
Now aware of the truth behind the full course, Yuri's group could only smile awkwardly.
"By the way, how's Brioll's king?"
"Yes, doing well."
"Figures—he's better off than anyone. Pass on my regards."
"I will."
"Oh, right. I heard..."
The king of Bursen tilted his head.
"Johannes' delegation is in Brioll right now? Since when were they so chummy?"