Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: 61. Swamp (1)
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After bidding farewell to Joshua, Yuri headed straight for the gates. The residents of Franchese recognized Rolang and greeted him warmly.
"Good day, young master."
"Are you heading back already?"
"You can't abandon Franchese!"
Rolang smiled and offered a kind word in response to each one.
Yuri suggested that Rolang go see his family, but Rolang politely declined to the end.
"Don't regret it later."
"My parents will understand. I can see them next time."
"I suppose..."
They had this exchange as they reached the gates, but the atmosphere felt strangely off. A crowd had gathered at the entrance, buzzing with murmurs.
Yuri instinctively sensed what was happening.
"A fight."
"Pardon?"
"When that many people crowd around, there's something to gawk at. Obviously a brawl, right?"
"I see."
"Considering it's the gates, it's probably either a dispute between the guards and visitors, or trouble between visitors."
Yuri's group rode toward the gates, and the crowd parted for them.
Yuri asked one of the guards standing at the back, observing the situation.
"What's going on?"
"Ah, Your Highness. Young master. Good day. Leaving so soon?"
"Business is done."
"Please wait just a moment. There's some guy causing a scene right now..."
"Daring to pick a fight with the guards in Brioll? Who is this fool?"
"Well..."
Then, a familiar voice rang out from beyond the guard.
"I-I'm just here to see the prince! I've come to see Prince Yuri!"
The people around all turned to look at Yuri at once.
Even Rolang and Jared turned their gazes toward him.
Yuri pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.
"Why are you two looking at me?"
"I don't want to get involved."
"Aren't you embarrassed for Sir Hose?"
"A little..."
"I won't deny it."
"Got it."
Yuri stepped forward. The guards blocking Hose recognized him and hesitantly made way.
Hose, sprawled out in front of the gates, was still shouting.
"I lost my identification, but I'm Hose of Bursen! Hose Aratour! I'm no suspicious character! I demand to see Prince Yuri!"
"Sir Hose."
"I've come here to meet Prince Yuri..."
Hose, who had been yelling nonstop, suddenly fell silent. He abruptly sat up.
"Your Highness!"
"Sir Hose. Why all this commotion?"
"Haha, well, this is embarrassing."
"If you don't have your papers, you could have just waited at the entrance..."
"About that."
Hose scratched the back of his head as he stood. He had looked like a coiled tiger lying down, but standing, he resembled a sheepish bear.
"I didn't know how long Your Highness would stay. What if you had a drink? I'd feel left out if I missed it."
He wanted to join quickly in case they went out for a threesome.
Yuri chuckled.
"No time for that. I'm leaving right away."
"Ah..."
Hose nodded.
"Well, no matter. Roadside ale tastes great with Your Highness."
"Coming along?"
"That's hurtful. Aren't we already in the same boat? No need to ask. Planning to leave without me? I'm disappointed."
"I felt bad dragging a Bursen man into it."
"Half Bursen, half Brioll."
"Half and half, huh."
"Mm... let's say six parts Bursen, four Brioll."
Yuri burst out laughing and clapped his shoulder. Then he turned to the guards.
"Seems there was a little misunderstanding. In any case, I commend your dedication to duty until the end. Keep protecting Franchese well."
"Yes, sir!"
The Franchese guards saluted Yuri's group.
Now four strong again, Yuri's party left Franchese behind.
As they rode together, Hose suddenly remembered something and pulled an item from his bosom.
"Ah, Your Highness."
"Hm?"
"A letter for you. Ena asked me to deliver it."
"A letter...?"
Hose handed it over. The envelope was blank, but the seal told Yuri the sender.
Yuri tore it open and read the contents.
"Sibyl."
The other three's eyes naturally flicked to the letter.
Having been tangled up with Yuri in various matters, they half-expected some emotional confession from her even now.
Yuri read it alone without showing them.
"Hm..."
Soon, he drew his fire-lighter sword and burned the letter.
As the paper turned to ash and scattered, the other three wore disappointed expressions.
"No need to go that far..."
"It was a secret letter."
"Pardon? What kind?"
"None of your business."
With that, Yuri spurred his horse faster.
The letter wasn't long.
Back in the Holy Kingdom, she was facing various hardships. Especially the next king-to-be, Larson, seemed to be harassing her a lot.
In the end, it was her burden to overcome. Once Larson ascended and found some mental stability, things would ease.
"Hm..."
But Yuri felt uneasy.
The letter was written dryly, but the fact that she wrote it meant she was under mental strain.
"Guess I should write back."
Muttering to himself, Yuri unfolded a map atop his horse.
The road to Yohaim passed through several nations. Avoiding the Empire meant a longer detour.
"Won't it already have fallen by the time we get there?"
"No."
Yuri shook his head.
"Sir Graham won't move hastily."
Graham commanded the army. Yuri didn't know why the Emperor entrusted it to him, but Graham was negative about this war. His movements were thus gentlemanly.
Rather than haste, he advanced steadily, minimizing losses.
"True, but the 5th Knight Order went straight to Yohaim's capital first. Can Yohaim hold?"
Hose said worriedly.
He was right. Yohaim lacked the power to stop an Imperial Knight Order.
Until recently.
But now it was different. Under Yuri's command, Yohaim's knights had been reborn as mountain warfare experts.
Reorganized not as knights, but a new type of unit.
Owls guarding the Alloy Mountains—the "Owl Brigade."
"I've heard they trained, but can they really pull it off? Swordsmanship doesn't improve that fast..."
"War isn't dueling. Swords aren't the only tools for killing enemies."
From the fragmentary reports trickling in, Yuri could vividly picture what was happening in Yohaim.
Rushing for glory, the 5th Knight Order would pause before the forest encircling Yohaim's castle. They might be wary, but excited to conquer Yohaim, they'd press on without caution.
Perfect prey for the Owl Brigade.
Imperial knights, facing unfamiliar tactics, would panic and fail to respond. They might even charge en masse, decrying "cowardly tricks unworthy of knights."
Yuri was certain. Yohaim hadn't fallen. No, they were likely putting up a strong fight against the Empire.
"The Empire's probably taking a beating. I trained them. They'll pay for underestimating Yohaim's guerrillas."
The others knew Yuri had trained Yohaim's knights, but the details were secret, so they just tilted their heads.
"That effective? What did you even teach them...?"
It was too much to dismiss as mere bravado—Yuri had achieved too much already.
When he said it would happen, it did.
So the three couldn't brush off his words.
Yuri smiled faintly.
"Brioll spirit."
"Brioll spirit?"
Not just Hose—even Rolang and Jared, born and raised in Brioll, tilted their heads in confusion.
"What's that?"
Hose glanced at Jared at his question.
"A Brioll man who doesn't know Brioll spirit? Sir Jared, are you serious?"
"Do you know, Sir Hose?"
"Of course not."
"Me neither."
"I'm from Bursen."
"Then do you know Bursen spirit, Sir Hose?"
"No..."
Yuri clicked his tongue.
"You young folks these days, tsk..."
Jared looked at Yuri in disbelief.
"Brioll spirit is..."
"What is it?"
"I'd tell you, but you're not ready yet."
"Pardon?"
"Later. More pressing matters first."
"Changing the subject?"
"Really important."
"What?"
"Disguises."
Yuri said.
"Us openly going to Yohaim to fight together? That'd be awkward, no?"
"Er, yeah."
Brioll's third prince aiding Yohaim? The Empire's reaction was obvious. With the continent's situation foggy and chaotic, no need to draw enemy attention rashly.
Yuri knew the enemy, but the enemy didn't know him yet.
They had to preserve that advantage.
"Can't we just dye our hair and eyes, wear masks like before?"
"Fool!"
"Pardon?"
"It's not just looks. If elites like us suddenly appear, won't the Empire get suspicious?"
"Well..."
"We need a story."
"A story?"
"A background they won't doubt. Something plausible. No need for too much detail."
"Sounds tricky."
"Don't worry."
Yuri tapped his temple.
"I've already got it all planned. First, change our faces."
As Yuri said, Yohaim was brilliantly holding off the Imperial assault.
An old legend said the forest around the castle protected Yohaim's kings—and true to it, the Owl Brigade used the woods to push the 5th Knight Order to the brink of annihilation.
Arrows rained from everywhere, giving the knights no respite. A misstep meant instant traps.
They hid their presence so well that a Yohaim knight might spring from bushes just passed, stabbing from behind.
The 5th Knight Order commander gnashed his teeth. He too was covered in wounds.
"Damn it..."
"Are you alright, sir?"
"Filthy bastards..."
The Owl Brigade never gave the knights the frontal clash they craved.
They'd flee at the first sign of melee. Pursue, and arrows or traps followed.
"We should withdraw."
"Retreat to the likes of Yohaim?"
He was furious.
Too many knights lost already. Returning like this meant severe reprimand—likely losing his command.
"Yohaim of all places..."
He staggered rising. His body crumpled into the underbrush.
His adjutant rushed over.
"Commander?"
"My body..."
Then he realized.
"Poison."
"Pardon?"
"These guys used poison too."
Skin cuts from traps—clearly poisoned.
"Wait. I need to circulate mana. Guard me."
"Yes, sir."
The commander sat and activated his Mana Circulation Method.
The Lion Heart Technique fought the infiltrating toxin. Sweat beaded on his brow.
High-realm knights resisted poison easily, but under physical and mental strain, resistance plummeted.
"C-Commander."
"..."
"Commander!"
The inward-focused commander opened his eyes at the shout.
And twisted his mouth.
"Damn it..."
Yohaim knights surrounded them.
Normally, he'd cut them down no matter the number—but now, he could barely move. The poison eroded his body relentlessly. Fighting meant death.
Someone stepped from the foes.
"5th Knight Order Commander? Correct?"
"Who are you."
"Owl Brigade Commander, Gonte Merchant."
"A third-rate knight like you dares..."
"Not third-rate. Whatever."
Gonte shrugged.
"If it bothers you, win."
The last thing the 5th Knight Order commander saw was his smug smile and the sack's darkness descending over his head.