Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: 18. Assembly (3)
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Sibylla, who had arrived in Balshard, was bustling about.
She met with the magic engineers to gather information and approached commanders from other nations to secure cooperation for the upcoming Allied Forces campaign.
She wasn't the only one acting this way.
Countless nations had banded together under the banner of the Allied Forces. It was only natural that political maneuvering would come into play.
But there were nations doing the exact opposite.
Brioll stayed holed up in their camp, conducting daily internal training without stepping outside.
"Brioll seems awfully busy these days."
"Tell me about it. That third prince is quite the character."
"I wonder what he's thinking."
"Who knows..."
Sibylla was walking with Jonathan, who commanded the Burssen forces.
Balshard's scenery was no different from any other city. Jonathan, having arrived first, shared various bits of information.
"That pork dish over there is delicious. The menu name was..."
Suddenly, Jonathan called out to a knight passing by.
"Sir Hose."
The man was enormous.
"Oh, Captain?"
"Where are you headed?"
"Uh..."
He hesitated, glancing around cautiously.
"Well, you see..."
Sibylla had heard about him before. Hose Artur, the man praised as Burssen's future top fighter.
"I'm on my way to the Brioll camp."
"Why?"
"It's just..."
He scratched the back of his head, mumbling awkwardly. His docile demeanor belied his intimidating muscular build.
Jonathan patted his shoulder.
"Going for another spar with those knights?"
"Yes..."
"I told you not to overdo it."
"We're going easy on each other."
"Personally, I don't think mingling too much with knights from other countries is wise. But I won't stop you by force. Burssen men can't be reined in anyway."
"Th-thank you."
"Go on."
Sibylla watched Hose's retreating back and commented.
"Looks like Burssen and Brioll are on friendly terms."
"Yeah, somehow it turned out that way."
"Brioll..."
Sibylla murmured.
Brioll was training as if ready to charge into the plains at any moment.
Yuri Brioll didn't have the image of someone so diligent—what on earth was he thinking?
"What do you think the third prince is up to?"
"Who knows."
Jonathan smiled.
"Since you're curious, Princess, why don't we go see for ourselves?"
The Brioll camp wasn't far. They set off together.
Passing through farmland and civilian districts, they soon heard the clash of weapons in the distance.
Soldiers from other nations passing by snickered toward the Brioll troops.
"Tough luck, real tough..."
"Why are they like that?"
"Happens when you get a bad superior."
Spotting Jonathan and Sibylla, they glanced warily and stepped aside.
There was no need to show courtesy to foreign nobles, but rudeness wasn't an option either.
Jonathan and Sibylla entered the camp without any hindrance.
Up close, the training looked more systematic than expected.
"What brings you here?"
A knight overseeing the soldiers recognized them and approached. His shirt was off, his sweat-drenched physique fully exposed.
Jonathan recognized him.
"Sir Jared, right?"
"Yes."
"Heard all the rumors about Brioll, so we came to see for ourselves."
"Shall I fetch the prince?"
"No need. We'll find him. Where is he?"
"Over there..."
Jared pointed in one direction. Jonathan and Sibylla turned their heads.
They saw the back of a massive figure. It looked familiar somehow.
Each swing of his sword cut through the air with a whoosh.
"It's Hose."
"Yes."
"I only see Sir Hose?"
"Look closer..."
Suddenly, Hose unleashed a kick. Someone hidden behind his bulk flew through the air like a ragdoll.
Waiting soldiers rushed to check on the flying figure.
"Your Highness!"
"Are you alright?!"
"Open your eyes!"
Witnessing a knight from their own nation assaulting a foreign prince, Jonathan hesitated to speak, mumbling softly.
"Is he... okay...?"
"Yeah, well..."
Jared shrugged, glancing at the fallen Yuri.
"He insisted on it himself."
Yuri staggered to his feet and charged at Hose again.
The clash of wood rang out.
Yuri's skills were impressive for his age, but Hose was already a near-perfect knight.
Continuing the fight with acrobatic maneuvers, Yuri was ultimately overpowered by sheer strength and dropped his weapon.
The wooden sword spun through the air.
But Yuri didn't stop.
Discarding the sword, he closed in, wrapping around Hose's arm to lock the joint.
He hooked both legs around Hose's body, trying to hyperextend the elbow with leverage.
But nothing happened.
"Your Highness."
"Yeah."
"I'm about to slam you down. That okay?"
"..."
Hose stood there, lifting Yuri effortlessly with one arm. Yuri grunted in effort, but Hose didn't budge. Incredible strength.
Yuri gave up cleanly and hopped down.
"If you'd slammed me, I'd have told my dad."
"An honor."
"That's enough for now. We have guests."
He glanced at Jonathan and Sibylla.
"What brings you here?"
Jonathan bowed his head slightly, and Sibylla nodded.
Yuri approached them.
"Most just peek from afar and leave, so it's nice you came right in."
Brioll's training had become a hot topic, drawing not just common soldiers but occasional knights from other nations to watch from a distance.
Yuri didn't care about exposing their forces. It would all come out in battle anyway.
"Want to join in?"
Jonathan shook his head at Yuri's offer.
"Appreciate it, but I've got too much on my plate."
"Meeting folks from other countries?"
"Yes."
Jonathan smiled sheepishly.
"I'm not in a position like you, Your Highness, so I have to hustle more."
"You'll regret it later."
"You've been stuck in camp, Your Highness. Guess we see things differently."
"Differently, huh."
Yuri looked at Sibylla.
"Sibylla, what do you think?"
His tone lacked formality despite her royal status. Jonathan, unaware of their rapport, tilted his head.
"My thoughts?"
"On all this schmoozing before the muster."
"That's..."
Sibylla pondered.
Raguna, the Allied Forces' supreme commander, hadn't moved yet, but rumors swirled that he'd soon summon all commanders.
Nations were meeting beforehand to align interests.
The Holy Kingdom drew special attention. Their priests skilled in holy magic were a huge asset.
Sibylla spoke up.
"Better than doing nothing, right?"
Yuri laughed.
"Everyone acts like the Allied Forces are guaranteed to win. Isn't that too complacent?"
"Do you think the Allied Forces will fail, Your Highness?"
"Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it won't be an easy war."
He glanced at the training soldiers.
It wasn't pleasant, but this grind would keep them alive a bit longer.
"Once they face the enemy, minds will change. Nothing we do now matters."
"Makes sense. Brioll knows orcs well, being on the border."
"You know too, Sibylla. Nearly died on the way."
Sibylla coughed awkwardly.
It wasn't a laughing matter. She'd truly thought she'd burn to death.
"Survive, Jonathan."
Yuri clapped his back with a grin.
Jonathan looked at Yuri anew.
Boyish face, but his words and demeanor were like a seasoned knight. Rawer, even.
Reminded him of a mercenary he'd hired once.
"Yes, Your Highness."
He replied, then fell thoughtful.
He'd thought he was serious about the Allied Forces, but this prince seemed to envision worse scenarios.
Jonathan recalled his orc encounter.
"I've met orcs once."
"Really? Thought you had more experience."
"If that counts as experience."
Orcs inhabited the eastern plains. Aside from border nations like Brioll, encounters were rare.
"A merchant brought a bunch captured in cages."
"Orcs as spectacles in Burssen? Makes sense; you'd never see them otherwise, so novelty."
Brioll had many with grudges against orcs. Displaying them would mean instant death.
"Bought some to fight. Strong, but sloppy. Not tough opponents."
"You don't think an orc dragged to distant Burssen would be ordinary?"
"Didn't think that deeply..."
Jonathan asked.
"Are orcs that formidable?"
"Hm..."
Yuri scratched his chin, then slapped Hose's shoulder.
"Hose here, this sturdy guy."
"Yes."
"Hordes of these will swarm us."
Jonathan's eyes widened. Hose scratched his head.
"That bad?"
"Right, Sibylla?"
Sibylla shrugged.
Not all orcs matched Hose, of course. But even regular orc soldiers could fight knights, and elites like orc warriors were far stronger.
Monsters beyond Hose lurked among them.
The Allied Forces originally failed.
Most here, including Jonathan and Sibylla before him now, died to orcs on the plains in his previous life.
The thought sent a chill down Yuri's spine.
Yuri suppressed his emotions and smirked.
"No time for leisure. Forget grand victories or loot shares. Thrash to barely survive."
"Hm..."
"Won't hit home yet."
"No."
Dismissible, but Jonathan sensed something unique in Yuri.
Couldn't let it go.
Maybe Yuri knew secrets other nations didn't.
"Do you know something?"
Yuri pondered Jonathan's question. Couldn't say "second life."
"Ever heard of Okua?"
"What's that?"
"The orc king."
"King?"
After the Allied Forces fell, Okua did proclaim himself king.
"He's uniting the scattered orcs."
"No way..."
"This isn't a hunt. It's war. So we must strive to save these lives we called forth. That's why I'm doing this."
Jonathan turned back.
Brioll troops sweated through drills.
Idlers versus honed elites—who survived was obvious.
"I see."
Jonathan felt a fresh shock.
He'd obsessed over personal glory, yet this younger third prince thought far maturer.
Shame washed over him.
"Gives me much to think about. I'll head back to my unit."
"See you."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Jonathan bowed to Yuri and turned.
Hose followed.
Once outside the Brioll camp, Jonathan asked Hose.
"Sir Hose."
"Yes."
"What was sparring with him like? The third prince."
Expecting a quick reply, Hose hesitated unusually.
Jonathan pressed.
"Why hold back?"
"Hard to put into words."
"Hard how?"
"Not sure, but..."
Hose was Burssen's future top knight. Jonathan expected him to reach the Ten Strong someday.
For such a man to be puzzled by an eighteen-year-old boy?
"Looked like you handled him fine earlier."
"From watching, sure."
"That skilled?"
Hose sighed.
"Even with real swords now, I couldn't guarantee victory. And soon, he'll be insanely strong."
"What?"
"Just a feeling. First time, so can't explain."
"Even now, no guarantee?"
"If lives on the line."
Jonathan, as a knight, vaguely grasped it. Life-or-death differed from spars.
Hose continued.
"This is real too."
"What?"
"Get friendly with that prince."
He grinned broadly, shaking off thoughts.
"It'll be good for us."
"Hm..."
"Come on. Let's train like Brioll."
"Maybe."
They returned to the Burssen camp chatting.
Proin was urgently seeking Jonathan. He waved.
"What?"
"Ah, Captain."
Proin rushed over.
"We need to go now."
"Where?"
"The Empire's called a muster."
Jonathan's eyes widened.
"A herald came. In the name of Allied Forces Supreme Commander and Imperial Prince Raguna. Each nation's head alone to the magic engineers' citadel."
Raguna was on the move.
The Allied Forces were truly stirring.