Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: 76. Malice (1)
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The Brioll army spent a noisy night celebrating their victory.
Fiore had temporarily set up the king's audience chamber in the lord's office. The nobles and knights gathered in Bezos bowed their heads to him.
Ainger spoke up.
"Congratulations on Your Majesty's victory."
Fiore shook his head.
"This isn't my victory. It's Brioll's."
"But we couldn't have won without Your Majesty."
"Who knows."
"Now the entire continent will know Brioll's strength."
Repelling the Empire's first invasion was a monumental achievement.
Who could confidently claim victory against the Empire's armies?
Even if it wasn't their full force, it was a huge morale boost for Brioll.
But it was too early to fire off celebratory cannons.
"The war isn't over yet. Don't get complacent—keep your defenses airtight."
"Understood."
The Empire's forces, led by the Black Knight, had withdrawn, coiled up in their camp without making a move.
But no one knew when they might advance again.
"That aside..."
One of the nobles seated in the chamber spoke up.
"What of the other three kingdoms? We haven't had word amid the chaos of war."
He meant the Holy Kingdom, Burssen, and Liberda.
Fiore replied.
"Mo Yong-chan the Great Hero has nearly driven out Liberda's ogres."
"Oh...!"
"As expected of an otherworlder..."
"That's a relief!"
Everyone brightened.
The Empire had sent ogres to rampage, then blamed Liberda for attacking "their friends." It was blatant provocation.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend—Brioll and Liberda would end up allied.
Liberda returning to normal would be a big help for Brioll.
Fiore continued.
"The Holy Kingdom and Burssen will keep at it for a while. They're locked in endless battles, bleeding troops dry."
"Damn..."
"Why on earth...?"
Everyone sighed.
Even four kingdoms united would struggle, and now the Holy Kingdom had shattered the board.
Ainger asked.
"Why is that Holy Kingdom queen doing this?"
"Looks like Sibylla took the throne in exchange for orders from Larson. The Empire's handiwork, no doubt."
"So the Empire killed Larson too?"
"High likelihood."
Yuri, listening in, inwardly berated himself for not foreseeing this mess.
Larson had kept a tight leash on Sibylla, who hated him in turn. The Empire likely offered to eliminate him as bait for an alliance.
Even so, he hadn't expected Sibylla to greenlight a war.
Suddenly, one noble turned to Yuri.
"Your Highness."
"Hm?"
"Didn't you have ties to the Holy Kingdom's queen?"
"I did."
Yuri and Sibylla's story was well-known.
"Can't you think of some way to reach her?"
"No way."
"No contact lately?"
"Cut off. She probably has no face left to show me. Sibylla's dug in her heels. Best not to hope."
"I see. Then, if we end up fighting the Holy Kingdom, what about you, Your Highness...?"
Yuri chuckled dryly.
"What do you take me for, asking that?"
He patted Guilty, the sword he'd set expectations aside for, and said.
"If they become enemies, Sibylla or you—I'll cut you down without hesitation. Don't worry. Just say the word if you're tired."
The veteran knights around him burst into laughter.
The man himself cracked up too.
"Oh dear, planning to let me rest in my grave, eh?"
Rolange or Jared might not get it, but Yuri understood the old knights' mindset from countless battlefields in his past life.
Those who dwelt on the edge of death made even that their punchline.
"My thinking was shortsighted. My apologies, Your Highness. Hahaha..."
The laughter gradually died down.
"That aside."
Fiore spoke.
"Some nobles haven't shown up."
The mood sobered instantly.
Ahead of the battle with the Empire, most Brioll nobles had led their forces to join.
But some were still absent.
Prime example: Yuges Duke Genad Jeteri.
Even if he didn't come personally, he should have sent troops. Yet he and his faction huddled in their territories with excuses.
"Any guesses why those bastards are sitting it out?"
Silence blanketed the chamber.
Criticizing a duke like Genad wasn't easy, especially on a grave matter.
Yuri broke it, leaning back casually like he was mumbling to himself.
"Hm... colluding with the enemy?"
A beat of quiet, then laughter erupted.
It swelled until some nobles wheezed, unable to breathe. Even Fiore's shoulders twitched faintly.
Ainger, beside him, clapped Yuri's arm in admiration.
"Wow, Your Highness. No holds barred."
"Wasn't it obvious?"
"Hahahahaha..."
The chuckles faded at last.
Fiore nodded with a smile.
"Yeah. Looks like I let that Genad punk slide too long."
"Not Your Majesty's fault."
"Meant to collar him at the right time, but dragged my feet."
"Even Genad can't openly defy us. Let's watch him for now and deal with the Empire breathing down our necks first."
"Agreed."
One noble ventured.
"The Empire must fear Your Majesty too. How about we propose a truce? Even a mad emperor has sane advisors."
"Sound advice. Send an envoy to the Empire for now."
"Yes."
It was reasonable.
Yuri partly agreed.
The Black Knight himself had retreated, after all.
Mad or not, Emperor Yugen—who pulled the strings on black magic from the shadows—would be watching.
No one could afford to lose a Black Knight.
Yuri glanced anew at his father.
In his past life, Fiore hadn't stopped the Empire at the border—instead, they'd steamrolled.
But with Fiore intact now, the Empire was scrambling.
Where had his father vanished to back then?
Yuri shook off the thought. Dwelling on the past helped nothing. Focus on what lay ahead.
"One more thing to announce to all."
Fiore spoke.
"Why I arrived late."
All eyes locked on him.
He paused, then said.
"I'm handing the throne to Cedric."
The chamber buzzed.
Some nodded in approval; others tilted their heads, wondering if it was too soon.
Yuri welcomed it gladly.
He told Fiore.
"About time you set down the burden. Congratulations."
"Thanks."
Fiore had never savored kingship's perks from the start.
Duty was all that remained for him.
And the weight of Brioll's crown was immense.
Enthralled by the sword, he craved only time alone with it. He'd long yearned to step down and be free.
"Cedric will be a better king than me. I wasn't doing much anyway, right?"
Ainger laughed.
"But Your Majesty, plenty of kings are better off doing nothing."
"True enough."
"The Crown Prince will be a sage ruler, so we just hope he works hard."
"He will."
The tension eased.
No one doubted Cedric's character or talent.
Ainger added.
"Such a smooth succession fills us knights with pride. Looking forward to the coronation."
The rest agreed.
Most kingdoms faced chaos on regime change.
The Holy Kingdom, for instance: successor Larson dead, new queen Sibylla inexplicably warring with Burssen.
Brioll flowed seamlessly by comparison.
"War complicates it, though."
"That's why I'm speeding it up. Times like these need a sharp mind on state affairs. Me fiddling with quills doesn't suit..."
Fiore grinned.
"Better to swing a sword."
Everyone in the chamber straightened, shoulders squaring.
This was Fiore—Brioll's symbol, the continent's greatest swordsman—declaring full commitment to war.
"This war won't end easily. Steel yourselves."
The nobles and knights replied in unison.
"Yes!"
"Help Cedric well, all of you. Though you're no different from me, so just stay put—that's helping."
Laughter rang out again.
"When's the coronation?"
"Soon. Brioll-style: simple. Drive out the Empire first."
"Yes!"
Applause filled the chamber.
All rejoiced—save Rolang, lost in thought alone.
After Fiore departed, Cedric handled the king's duties in his stead at the palace.
The ministers were thrilled.
Work processed visibly faster under him, with better outcomes too.
They chattered daily.
"His Majesty wasn't flawless, but the Crown Prince? Exceptional."
"So astute and wise—a genius, I tell you."
"Weren't you called a genius in your youth?"
"The Prince isn't just a genius. He's a doggenius."
"Dog?"
"Never mind."
Cedric reformed Brioll bit by bit, starting with wartime possibles.
He eased trade restrictions and tackled tax reform—thanks in part to Joshua's input.
"Bro, I realized something. Modern knowledge."
Joshua burst into Cedric's office, babbling.
Obsessed with cutting-edge scholarship, he'd taken to calling himself a "modern man"—his self-coined term for riding the era's forefront.
"What?"
"Farmers and fishermen, right? Trading carrots for fish. Even if one's way better overall, it still goes like this..."
"How does...?"
"Aa, it's called 'comparative advantage'."
"Ooh, modern man rocks!"
Cedric handled Joshua deftly.
"So, here."
"Yeah?"
"Joshua. Your job."
"W-Why me?"
"Why? You call yourself modern? Enlighten us ignorant folk."
"Still, too much..."
"Get to it."
"Ugh..."
Joshua trudged out with the work.
He muttered just before closing the door.
"Never coming back..."
Cedric smirked.
Said that, but he'd return—mouth itching to yap.
No one else in the palace got his ramblings.
"Hm..."
Alone after Joshua left, Cedric rose and went to the window.
The palace grounds spread below.
He spotted servants straining under heavy rice sacks.
A cart would be easier.
Yet Cedric knew why they carried them bodily.
Servants had their own bad habits: juniors couldn't use carts until seniority piled up.
No one had ordered it.
Just a rule they'd made among themselves one day.
"Humans are imperfect, huh..."
Too mild a phrase.
It implied only a slight shortfall.
To Cedric, humans weren't imperfect—they were a total wreck.
Pathetic in every way, sickening to behold.
Rare decent ones popped up, but few. At least two shared his blood.
"Stronger than expected..."
Fiore Brioll, his father, was innately gifted with the sword.
A real obstacle to long-laid plans.
Time to remove him.
Ideally, kill him.
Cedric felt scant emotion, so father-son bonds imposed no limits.
And the other one.
Yuri Brioll.
Suddenly, Cedric's lips curved softly.
"Yuri..."
In a tender murmur unfit for his nature, he whispered his brother's name.
"What'll you do now, Yuri?"