Chapter 173
Chapter 173
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: 72. Succession (1)
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When Jared opened his eyes, sunlight was filtering through the gaps in the branches that covered the cave.
"Mm?"
His body felt refreshingly light somehow.
He glanced at Rolang, who was sleeping peacefully like a corpse, then blinked. Yuri was nowhere to be seen. It seemed he'd woken up first.
Jared shifted his body to check the surroundings outside.
The mountain in the morning was serene.
Jared cleared away the natural debris blocking the entrance and stepped outside.
The cool morning air felt like it was washing over his entire body, invigorating him.
As he did some stretches alone, Rolang appeared behind him.
"Jared. Sleep well?"
"Yes. And you, Sir Rolang?"
"Like a log. Though I'm not sure if you can call the Gourmet Feast Technique 'sleep'..."
They both felt like they'd gotten a truly deep rest.
"What about His Highness?"
"He wasn't there when I woke up."
"I see."
Rolung looked around.
"But is it okay to be out here like this?"
"You don't sense anything, do you?"
"Yeah."
They were being pursued by the 9th Knight Order. That's why they'd hidden in the cave to barely escape.
But after entering the Gourmet Feast Technique state and opening their eyes, their senses picked up no presence at all.
"Where on earth is His Highness?"
"Mm..."
As Jared continued his stretches, Rolang stood beside him and joined in.
It was knightly gymnastics, basic movements any Brioll knight knew. They were excellent for loosening up the body, so it was good to do them before any activity.
The two began twisting their bodies side by side.
"Sir Rolang."
"Yeah?"
"Why does it feel so peaceful?"
"It really does..."
Before and after the Gourmet Feast Technique felt worlds apart.
The urgency had vanished, replaced by a calm tranquility, as if they'd come to the mountains for a rest cure.
It wasn't that they were misreading the mood—the enemies truly weren't detectable nearby.
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.
"What's this? Morning exercises already?"
"Your Highness!"
It was Yuri, who rarely let out any presence.
Dressed in his imperial army uniform, he shouldered Guilty and pushed through the underbrush.
"What's that?"
"Breakfast. Let's grill it up."
Yuri held two rabbits by their ears in one hand.
"Ooh..."
To the three who'd been gnawing on dry jerky for days, it was like rain in a drought.
Jared quickly gathered twigs.
"It's awfully quiet, though."
"Isn't it?"
"Where did the imperial army go?"
"They left."
"Pardon?"
"Back to base."
"Why?"
"Well..."
Yuri shrugged.
"Their commander died?"
Rolung and Jared stared at Yuri blankly.
"That's how it went."
Yuri cleared his throat and butchered the rabbits, skinning them and removing the innards.
Soon, the rabbits skewered on sticks were roasting over the campfire.
"Did Your Highness not sleep at all, by chance?"
"Sleep?"
Yuri looked at Jared.
"Calling it sleep means the Gourmet Feast Technique worked well, huh."
"Well, it was sleep, sort of."
"I didn't."
Yuri said frankly.
"I figured it'd be easier moving alone. Sorry about that."
Rolung and Jared fell silent, watching the rabbits golden-brown over the fire.
Yuri moving alone meant their skills weren't up to par.
They might not help much, but at least they shouldn't hinder—yet a huge gap had already opened between Yuri and them.
Yuri spoke.
"Don't get too down. It was because we were hiding and fighting at night. Moving solo was the better play."
"Yes. We're sorry for our lacking skills, Your Highness."
"Nah."
Rolung bowed his head.
Then Jared chimed in with forced cheer.
"Anyway, did you really take down their commander alone? Elpeso?"
"Yep."
"By some blind arrow, maybe?"
"Nonsense. Me. Against Elpeso and the four knights he had with him, all at once..."
As Yuri launched into his tale of valor, Jared laughed.
"Your Highness has a storyteller's talent."
"It's true."
"Come on."
Yuri shrugged.
He told it straight, without exaggeration. He'd just grown too strong for it to sound believable.
This was all the change from embracing chaos's power.
Heart demons might come, but Yuri figured it wouldn't be a big issue.
"That makes Your Highness one of the Ten Strongest, right?"
"About there."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. No big change since I don't care about titles. But against the Empire, I'll have to play myself as the joker."
Yuri joked often, but he never spoke utter nonsense.
Especially not on war topics right before battle.
Considering his age, it was absurd.
"Sorry, but can I ask once more if you're serious?"
"Nope."
"Then could you beat Sir Hose?"
"It was a draw last time, so yeah, now."
"When was the draw?"
"It happened."
Yuri had once clashed with Hose in a manly duel against the Bursen Sea.
"Let's eat and head back to Brioll. The Empire's schedule might be delayed a bit."
Advancing into land held by the vanguard was different from land where the vanguard had routed and fled.
Unsure of ambushes, the imperial army would move more cautiously now.
That alone was a major achievement.
"Above all, their knight order commander is dead. Imperial morale will plummet."
Before the war even properly started, the Empire lost their 9th Knight Order commander and many knights.
"Now the name of Brioll's beast, Jared, will spread far and wide. Brace yourself."
"Make it someone with the same name."
"You're the only knight named Jared in Brioll."
"Say a new one popped up somewhere."
"Nah, it'll be you."
"No, it won't."
"It's done. Dig in."
"Yes."
"You just said yes."
"Not that..."
The three peacefully grilled and ate rabbits on the mountain the 9th Knight Order had fled.
Bellies full, they stood.
Jared kept glancing back.
"They're really all gone?"
"Yeah."
Yuri recalled the previous night.
After crushing Elpeso's chest and killing him, Yuri melted into the shadows.
Soon the knights found his corpse.
Having been toyed with by three and now losing their commander, they panicked.
They argued among themselves, then hastily retreated toward their main force.
Far from calm, even basic order was in shambles. Excluding Elpeso, there seemed no one fit to lead the order.
Maybe one of the four who died with him was the vice-commander.
Yuri watched their retreat from the darkness.
"They're gone."
Rolung and Jared were silent for a moment.
So in the end, Yuri had handled everything alone.
"Sir Rolang."
"Yeah."
"Once we're back, let's spar."
"Sure."
Yuri chuckled.
"You two, don't mind me. Just grow at your own pace."
Yuri had inherited the prodigious talent of Brioll's royals, plus his regression.
That got him Heart-Soul Severing mana method and masters like Bernard and Moyong Chan.
In a way, this strength was the natural flow.
"Yes."
But Rolang's expression was dark.
Jared was laid-back by nature, but Rolang mirrored his swordsmanship—stubborn temperament, deep loyalty.
So it hit him harder.
Yuri patted his shoulder.
"Rolang. Back home, spar with me. I'll teach you."
"Yes..."
Either way, as the one receiving Rolang's loyalty, he needed to look after him.
"Sorry. Making Your Highness worry over something like this..."
"No, it's natural."
Jared cut in.
"Your Highness. Take care of me too."
"Sure."
Yuri handed over the charred bits of rabbit meat.
"Eat this."
"Ha..."
"Wish we had beer for this."
"Have some back in Brioll."
"Not the same vibe."
"How about finishing a near-death spar in the training grounds and capping it with beer?"
"Sounds good."
They finished the two rabbits and stood.
"Let's go?"
"Yes."
Before turning, Yuri gazed northwest—the direction the imperial knights had fled toward their main force. Beyond that horizon, their enemies were still advancing somewhere.
They'd bought time, but the road was long.
The coming war was just the beginning.
Block this army, another appears; block that, a stronger foe follows.
Eventually, they'd face the black army he'd grown sick of in his past life.
This fight ends only when they catch the black magic culprit.
Suddenly Rolang approached. Guessing Yuri's worries, he offered comfort.
"Your Highness. Sir Hernando should return soon. He'll have results."
"Hope so."
"I don't fully grasp black magic yet, but we can stop it. With you, Your Highness."
Yuri looked at Rolang.
Suddenly, he recalled past-life Rolang severing his neck.
He chuckled and placed a hand on Rolang's shoulder.
"Thanks for saying that."
Officially older than Yuri, Rolang was actually much younger.
So Yuri found Rolang and Jared rather endearing.
Far better humans than in his past life.
"Let's go."
Yuri, Rolang, and Jared returned to Brioll's royal palace.
Though their mission and repelling the 9th Knight Order were officially secret, a few commanders shared the intel.
They were stunned by Yuri's feat.
"We can judge him as Ten Strongest level now."
Fiore Brioll was conversing with a vassal in the palace.
It was Count Rian Flandre of Franchese, Rolang's father.
"What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Hmm..."
Yuri had grown strong, but differently from regular knights.
Fiore, without chaos experience, just shrugged.
"Positive, anyway."
"Yes."
Brioll's forces were plenty strong now.
Famed as the knights' kingdom with great military might, plus Fiore Brioll called the era's strongest, and friendly ties to three Ten Strongest: Moyong Chan, In Ariel, Hose.
Then Yuri reached Ten Strongest caliber.
Top-tier experts favored Brioll over the Empire, arguably.
"Sir Hose is busy defending home, Moyong Chan left, but we still have three at that level."
"No complacency."
Fiore shook his head.
"Empire has many hidden experts. 9th Knight Order commander died to Yuri, but it's just the 9th."
"True."
"Empire likes rankings. Smaller numbers, stronger they get."
"Mm..."
"Hidden ones for sure. Maybe Ten Strongest tier."
"Whew, long road ahead."
As Rian sipped tea, the throne room doors opened.
"Greetings."
The newcomer was Cedric. He smiled softly, bowed, and greeted Rian.
"See you again so soon, Count."
"Yes. In Franchese."
Cedric sat beside Rian.
"While I buried myself in studies, much happened. Should've come sooner—my failing. Sorry, Father."
Fiore nodded.
"Really sorry?"
"Yes. Of course."
"Then, son, if you're that sorry, grant me one request."
"Anything."
"Rian. That okay?"
Fiore eyed Rian, who sighed then nodded.
"As you wish. No one bends Your Majesty's stubbornness anyway."
Cedric tilted his head.
"What request...?"
Fiore leaned on the throne, smiling. He gazed down at Cedric for a while. Cedric adjusted his glasses, eyes widening.
Fiore said.
"It's time I hand the throne to you."