Chapter 177
Chapter 177
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: 73. White Bird (2)
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Rolang asked Jared about Cedric, but he got much the same answer as before.
He was a perfect man, to an inhuman degree.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just curious."
Rolang shook his head.
It might be his imagination.
Even if Cedric was a little different from the rumors, nothing would change because of it.
He just had to follow the Third Prince.
Jared chattered on.
"I see. Well, it's natural to be curious. He's an amazing person. It would've been nice if Your Highness took after the Crown Prince. Maybe you'd be kinder then..."
The Brioll army was approaching Franchese.
They wouldn't stay long—just one night outside the territory before heading straight to Bejos at the border with the Franchese family's forces.
The army arrived at dusk and pitched camp.
Rolang joined Yuri in setting up the command tent himself.
Then, out of nowhere, one of Brioll's knights came looking for him.
"Sir Rolang."
"What is it?"
"I have a message to deliver."
He spoke calmly, with consideration for Rolang's feelings.
"Count Franchese says he won't be joining us for this war."
"What? Is something wrong?"
Rolang tilted his head.
His father, Count Rian Flandre of Franchese, almost never missed a major Brioll war.
He stuck to Fiore Brioll like Yuri did with him.
"He says it's a minor illness."
"An illness?"
Rolang was even more surprised.
He'd never seen his father fall ill. The same went for most knights—they rarely got sick thanks to their robust bodies.
The knight nodded.
"Yes. A messenger brought word. He suddenly came down with a fever and can't move well."
"How did that happen..."
"He said not to worry and to head to the border without concern. No need to visit him."
"I see..."
"The priest says it's not serious either."
Rolang blinked at him for a moment before nodding.
He could guess how his father had phrased it.
"Understood. Thank you for your trouble."
"Yes, then."
The knight bowed lightly and turned away.
Yuri, who had been sitting on the ground nearby, spoke up.
"Rolang, why not go check on him?"
"No. The war comes first."
"Right..."
Yuri shrugged.
"Don't worry too much. It's probably nothing. I heard from my eldest brother that Sir Rian is healthy as if he'll live forever."
"What?"
"Huh?"
"The Crown Prince mentioned my father?"
"Oh, he stayed in Franchese a long time for university research. Said they met often then."
"I see..."
"What's wrong? Worried about Sir Rian?"
"No."
Rolang felt that odd disconnect again but pushed the worry aside.
Cedric was the future king of Brioll, and his father was a loyal knight tied to the royal family.
It would be stranger if they hadn't met while Cedric was in Franchese.
"Father will be fine."
"Of course."
Yuri grinned, stood, and pointed somewhere.
"Hey, look at that."
Rolang turned.
"That's..."
A single bird perched atop the dense trees.
It wasn't large, but its serene eyes and elegantly extended tail feathers made it seem noble.
Above all, it was pure white.
"A chai bird."
Rolang raised an eyebrow. It was a name he'd grown familiar with lately.
"They're rare to see."
"Really?"
"Too much hunting, you know. Everyone wants to keep them as pets or stuff them. The sad part is, chai birds in cages don't breed. So their numbers just keep dropping. Even banning hunting by law doesn't help..."
This felt strange too.
A bird he rarely saw, appearing the day after his odd conversation with Cedric.
Rolang shook off the stray thought.
"Your Highness knows a lot about birds."
"Not at all. Big brother just explained chai birds once."
Yuri grinned.
"He said it's tragic that human greed might make it so we never see these pretty white birds again. When he becomes king, he wants to do something about chai birds too. Impressive, right? He even cares about birds."
Yuri laughed out loud. Rolang smiled awkwardly along.
"I see..."
It didn't match what he knew. In their conversation, Cedric had been more cynical.
Something like birds were just birds.
The gap between the Cedric everyone knew and the one Rolang had met was growing.
"Anyway, shall we check out dinner? Rolang, what do you say?"
"Yes, sir."
"What're you up to, Jared? Jared!"
Yuri started bustling about noisily again, and laughter followed his every move.
It was hard to believe this was an army about to go to war—the mood was so bright.
This was Yuri's power.
Rolang scratched his cheek, watching his back.
"Whew..."
Compared to the war ahead, it was trivial. Yet he couldn't shake why it nagged at him.
If Sir Hernando were here, he'd ask for advice—but he'd been gone a while.
Rolang swallowed the rising feeling.
"It's nothing."
He muttered it like a promise to himself and stepped forward.
Under the surface, the war was already underway.
Yuri's group had stopped the Ninth Knight Division, but the Empire surely had other agents.
While the Brioll army camped one night before Franchese, it happened.
A sudden intrusion triggered the alarm.
Yuri burst out of his tent first, with Rolang at his side moments later.
Jared came running up belatedly, shouting.
"Wh-what? What's going on?!"
"Intruders."
"Intruders? Who?"
"Spies, probably."
"Spies? But we handled the Ninth Knight Division..."
"Not them—the ones already embedded."
Given the Empire's vast reach, they had to have a spy network.
Hiding across Brioll long before the war started.
"Spies, then. Doesn't Brioll have any?"
"Of course."
"What?"
"The Brioll Alumni Association."
"..."
"That way."
Yuri moved fast.
As his figure vanished, Rolang and Jared hurried after.
Soldiers inside the camp were already rushing about with torches, hunting intruders.
Yuri snatched a torch from one.
"Borrowing this!"
"Huh? Oh, yes!"
Yuri spread his senses and bolted toward the enemy presence.
There were several—not just one or two.
Multiple spies attempting to infiltrate the camp at once.
Probably to scout troop numbers, torch supplies, or maybe assassinate someone.
But it felt awfully amateurish.
"Interrogation will tell."
Yuri kicked off the ground.
He was fastest, followed by Rolang, Jared, and Brioll knights.
Franchese's fertile plains offered no cover for fugitives.
Yuri yelled.
"Stop running!"
As if that would work.
Mid-stride, Yuri switched the torch to his left hand, scooped a stone while crouching, and hurled it on his leap.
A sharp cry pierced the darkness ahead.
"Grab the fallen one!"
Yuri shouted to the pursuing knights as he passed the downed foe, grabbing more stones.
Four left in his senses.
He threw in sequence.
Three dropped, but the last dodged nimbly despite multiple stones.
"You bastard..."
Yuri accelerated.
Each step cratered the earth.
The spy was quick, but couldn't outrun Yuri nearing the Ten Strong.
Finally, the last was caught.
"Hey!"
Yuri leaped, yelling.
"Stop!"
He nailed a flying kick to the back.
Already sprinting, the impact sent the spy tumbling wildly.
He bounced off a rock mid-roll.
"Gahk...!"
The sound alone said he was coughing blood.
Yuri shone the torch on him.
"Too hard?"
A mess. Face smashed, front teeth gone, blood streaming.
Yuri scratched his head.
"Told you to stop. Come on."
He grabbed an ankle and dragged him.
Grunts sounded with every snag, but Yuri ignored them.
"Hey, you gathering them there?"
"Yes!"
Thus, five Empire spies ended up dumped like trash in the camp center.
Brioll knights surrounded them.
"Hey, what are you?"
"Wanna die?"
"Daring to spy on Brioll?"
"Rip off your limbs. You'll crawl forever."
"Won't digest unless you're lifetime dead."
"You say goodbye to Mom before coming?"
They menaced like thugs.
This was knights for you.
Yuri pinched his brow.
"Rolang."
"Yes."
"Swing a sword from childhood, and you end up like that."
"Yes..."
"Martial arts are great, but read books, build social skills too."
"Quite right."
Sharing a brief moment with Rolang, Yuri stepped forward.
"Make way. That's not how you interrogate."
"Ah, yes, Your Highness!"
"I'll show you real interrogation."
"Ooh..."
The knights backed off, ears perked.
Yuri had risen to fame from his Allied Forces exploits.
These first-time escorts brimmed with curiosity.
What prowess did the Third Prince—hailed as Fiore's successor—possess?
And in interrogation?
Yuri grabbed a downed intruder and squatted before him.
"Hey."
"..."
"I'll count to ten. Answer before then, or eardrums go. Got it?"
"..."
"Got it or not."
"I, got... it..."
"Alright, question. Why infiltrate? Counting. One, two, three, four..."
A slap echoed.
"Hurts? Don't want worse? Shut up again, it's double. Twice the pain. Counting again. One, two, three, four..."
The watching knights exchanged glances.
Too crude for interrogation.
Was this the Third Prince who slaughtered orcs like a butcher?
Doubts of exaggeration arose.
Just before the second slap, the man spoke.
"Th-the Empire... ordered..."
"I see."
Instant confession.
As knights gaped, Yuri turned with a grin.
"This is interrogation. Gotta sting like mine."
"Yes..."
With each slap, they spilled.
Knights watched, dumbfounded.
No teeth flying or eardrums bursting—just cheek slaps. Yet Empire's notorious spies confessed.
"Purpose?"
"Y-yes. Troop count, unit size, burn supplies if possible..."
"Vicious bastards."
"S-sorry..."
Slap!
"S-sorry! Please stop slapping..."
"Knows my body hurts."
"Sorry, so sor..."
Knights stared blankly.
Amid it, Rolang sensed something eerie.
Of the five, one un-questioned sat dazed, staring at him.
Seemed coincidence at first, but the gaze was persistent.
Rolang met it, observing.
He looked soul-lost.
Suddenly, a weird smile. Arms spread, flapping slowly up-down.
Like wings.
Rolang stepped back in shock.
Others focused on Yuri, missing it.
Flap, flap.
Rolang felt like it was just them, eyes locked.
And then.
"Your Highness!"
The flapper yanked a dagger from his inner pocket and swung wildly.
Yuri retreated.
But the slashes didn't stop.
Too sudden—even Yuri couldn't react.
"Damn..."
The other spies beside him were dead.
Neat throat slits—no survival.
"You bastard..."
Yuri growled.
"The one who dodged my stones to the end. You..."
But the eyes weren't on Yuri.
Fixed on Rolang, knife turned.
To his own throat.
"Hey!"
He suicided.
Thus, all five spies dead in seconds.
"Damn..."
Yuri sighed.
"My mistake. Should've stopped him."
"No. We got the info anyway."
"True, but..."
"Impressive technique."
"Right?"
"Yes."
"Search the bodies first."
The knights rummaged the corpses.
Nothing special.
Then.
"Wh-whoa!"
One jumped back in alarm.
"What?"
"This psycho..."
He pointed to the last slasher's body.
"What's he carrying in there?"
"What is it?"
Another knight checked the bosom.
Then recoiled too.
"Whoa, creepy bastard..."
"What?"
The knight pulled something out.
"Why carry this?"
All fell silent.
A stuffed white bird lay inside.