Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: 38. Comrades in Arms (3)
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Rolang and Jared looked at him in surprise.
"Allied Forces?"
I'd never seen a scruffy-bearded guy like that among the Allied Forces.
Yet the bandits recoiled, their faces twisting as if they'd been struck right in the gut.
The bearded man's expression soured the most.
Yuri sneered at them.
"The Allied Forces turning to banditry? Aren't you ashamed?"
"You clueless brat..."
The bearded man's face contorted. Yuri nodded toward Rolang.
"Rolang."
"Yes."
"Capture him alive."
"Understood."
At the order, Rolang immediately gave chase to the bearded man.
"Run!"
The bearded man, who had turned to flee, was caught by Rolang and slammed to the ground.
Rolang wrenched his arms behind his back and pinned him down. The subdued man kept shouting.
"Leave me and go! Don't get caught!"
But once their leader was captured, the bandits hesitated and came to a stop, no longer fleeing.
The bearded man thrashed and yelled again.
"I said run!"
"Quiet."
Rolang pressed a blade to his throat, and his voice trailed off.
"All of you from the Allied Forces?"
Yuri stepped forward, scanning the bandits one by one.
They all looked like they'd been through hell.
Jared asked,
"Your Highness, I've never seen faces like that in the Allied Forces."
"Of course not."
Yuri approached the prone bearded man and yanked him up by the hair. His torso lifted, revealing a tattoo on his chest.
It was an eagle clutching an orc's severed head in its talons, soaring through the sky.
"This is from our previous Allied Forces."
"Pardon?"
Rolang stared at the bandits in shock. They all hung their heads, silent.
"Men who served in the Allied Forces, now reduced to bandits..."
"What do you punks know about the Allied Forces?!"
"Enough."
Yuri grinned and released the bearded man's hair.
"We took part in this Allied Forces campaign too."
The bearded man's eyes widened. He peered closely at Yuri's face.
His pupils trembled.
"Yuri Brioll?"
"That's right."
At his words, the entire bandit group gasped in astonishment.
One muttered,
"Come to think of it, the hair and eye color..."
Black hair and black eyes were the hallmark of the Brioll royal family.
Could this boy truly be Brioll's third prince, Yuri Brioll—the hero rising in the Allied Forces?
"No way."
He looked far too young to be the knight who'd led the vanguard and slaughtered orcs.
Yuri patted Rolang's shoulder.
"Let him go."
"Yes."
Rolang eased off the man. Yuri looked down at him and said,
"Out of all Brioll, you pick us to rob. What a hilarious coincidence, right?"
He didn't respond.
"I heard the last Allied Forces were tight-knit. Suffered a lot under an incompetent supreme commander, huh? Must've built some real camaraderie."
"Yeah."
"Not from Brioll, though..."
Yuri studied him quietly before speaking.
"From the Empire?"
"Shut up. Kill me if you're going to."
"No intention of harming you."
"Playing the merciful one?"
"Just curious."
Yuri sat on a nearby rock. Rolang and Jared stood by his side.
"Why the Allied Forces turned to banditry."
"You want me to spill my life story for your amusement?"
"Who knows? I might show mercy and toss you some gold."
"Heh, hahaha..."
The bearded man, who had been glaring at Yuri, slumped to the ground.
The bandits, watching the scene, circled him protectively.
"Yuri Brioll."
The bearded man stared at Yuri.
"As you know, the last Allied Forces expedition was a grueling, honorable war."
"Yeah."
"We won. Not a total rout like you pulled off, but we scraped by under awful conditions. Partly thanks to your father."
Fiore Brioll had racked up massive achievements in the previous Allied Forces. Overwhelming ones, comparable to Yuri's this time.
"Got hefty rewards too."
"Sure. Up to there, sounds good."
"Then we lost it all."
Yuri tilted his head. It was a story he'd heard before.
"Robbed blind, some got scammed, others fell for gambling like idiots. Lost it bit by bit."
"Hmm..."
"Never had that much cash before, so we didn't know what to do with it."
"All gone?"
"Some left. Then one day, a merchant I'd never seen showed up."
The merchant had tracked down Empire commoners who'd served in the Allied Forces, proposing they go into business together.
It sounded tempting at the time.
"Of course, it was a scam. Took every last coin."
"That easily?"
"The scammer had a noble backing him."
The bearded man's eyes blazed.
"Green Allied Forces vets with cash? Easy marks. They set up the whole scheme."
"Why not sue?"
"Pointless. Empire judges side with nobles."
Betrayed, they left their homes and turned to banditry.
Most Allied Forces veterans were in similar straits. That's how they banded together—or split off—keeping the bandit group's numbers steady over time.
"Then we robbed the wrong mark, bounties went up. Been on the run since."
Fleeing bounty posters brought them to Brioll.
"Just arrived, and unluckily ran into you."
"Not unlucky—fortunate. Thanks to meeting you early, no other Brioll folk get robbed."
"Unlucky for me."
"We'll see."
Yuri chuckled and stood.
"Allied Forces reality's worse than I thought. Makes sense they'd risk it all for pay."
"You royals know nothing."
"You know I'm royal—how about some respect?"
"You're no king of mine."
"Earlier you said the Empire abandoned you?"
"Yeah. So I have no king."
"Bold words."
Yuri approached the bearded man.
"Hey. Wanna work under me?"
"No."
"You won't regret it."
"Not wiping some royal's ass now."
"This bastard's mouth..."
Yuri kicked the bearded man.
As he toppled, the surrounding bandits raised weapons in alarm but didn't dare charge, just watched warily.
"I get you're pissed at the world, but drop the attitude. And don't judge me by your standards."
The bearded man staggered to his feet. Yuri asked him,
"Ever think of helping out fellow Allied Forces vets?"
"What?"
"Most are like you—can't fend for themselves."
Yuri hadn't founded the Allied Forces Comrades Association just to hand out cash.
Most soldiers joined for the rewards.
Humans risking orc wars for money all had stories.
"Bandit boss is still a boss—got leadership."
Even captured, he'd yelled for them to flee, and no one abandoned him. Proof they followed him.
"What nonsense is this...?"
"I'll hook you up with a merchant guild. Teach jobs to Allied Forces guys, provide work."
"You serious?"
"Yeah. Already named it: 'Allied Forces Comrades Association.'"
"Allied Forces Comrades Association?"
The bearded man laughed in disbelief.
"What nonsense..."
"No time."
Yuri wasn't one for long persuasions. Plus, he wanted to reach Yuges quick and deal with Genad.
"Listen up. The Comrades Association's paying relief to veterans and families, but some unrelated lord's trying to skim it as 'taxes.'"
"Us too. Nobles just took it..."
"I'm heading to fix that. Gonna teach Yuges's lord a lesson."
"Yuges? That's a duchy, right?"
"Yep."
"Allied Forces are done. You'd fight a duke for some soldiers?"
Even royalty clashing with a duke wasn't simple.
Yuri smirked at his shocked gaze.
"That pig's less scary than orcs. Block me? Duke or not, he's done. Right?"
"Yes."
"Correct."
Rolang and Jared answered in turn.
Rolang just followed Yuri; Jared figured it'd work out somehow.
Even against orcs, trailing Yuri always resolved things. That was Yuri.
"For comrades, this much is nothing. It's the duty etched in my blood."
Yuri grinned at the bearded man, then headed to his horse.
"Curious? Come to Yuges. See what happens, submit a resume if interested. Make it sincere—you rejected me, so now you're job hunting."
Yuri mounted, and Rolang and Jared followed.
As he rode past the dazed bearded man, Yuri paused and added softly,
"Don't pretend to be just a soldier."
"Meeting bandits—a new experience."
"That's why we need forest paths sometimes."
"True. I'll remember that."
Jared, listening in, spoke up.
"Did we have to meet bandits?"
"They're Brioll subjects too—need reforming."
"What'd you mean back there?"
"Hm?"
"'Don't pretend to be a soldier.'"
"Exactly that. That bearded guy's a knight."
"Pardon?"
Rolang nodded.
"Yeah, too strong for a regular soldier."
Jared shook his head.
"But weak for a knight."
Yuri explained,
"Injuries."
"Injuries?"
"Tattoo over scars. That spot? Core must've shattered. Probably from fighting orcs."
"Then..."
"His story was his men's, not his own. He's got his own tale."
"Still bandits."
"Without me, you'd be some lowly Royal Guard."
"Dissin' the Royal Guard?"
"The slacker who got mad at a thirteen-year-old..."
Rolang asked curiously,
"Thirteen?"
"Met Jared then."
"What happened?"
"Well..."
"Sir Rolang, don't listen."
Chatting idly, they arrived at Yuges.
The Jeteri house banner fluttered atop the tall walls.
A long line snaked toward the gates for entry.
"Disguise first."
"Yes."
Yuri pulled a necklace from his pocket, donned it, and activated his Mana Circulation Method. His hair and eyes began to change color.
"How's this?"
Now he was a boy with common light brown hair and murky green eyes.
"Looks real. No one'll know."
"Good."
Rolang, somewhat famous, used the same artifact to alter his hair.
Jared needed no disguise.
The trio dismounted, held the reins, and joined the line.
Guards at the entrance were frisking entrants.
"Pretty strict..."
A man ahead overheard Yuri's mutter and spoke up.
"Tell me about it. Chaos inside Yuges, they say. Missed the news?"
"News?"
Yuri slipped into casual speech, then added politeness late.
"...What news?"
The man cleared his throat and continued.
"Allied Forces vets stirring trouble. Fought orcs, turned orc-like themselves."
"What do you mean?"
"Gotta pay taxes, but they refuse. Everyone else pays— what rank are they?"
Yuri realized Genad had manipulated public opinion too.
Spreading lies that clueless folk saw as veterans selfishly dodging taxes.
Yuri defended them.
"Aw, they suffered in the Allied Forces. Cut 'em some slack. Right? Haha..."
"Slack? They made bank. Pay up."
"Ugh..."
Their turn neared.
The burly, fierce guard snatched IDs, checked, and flung them at chests.
Yuri's group stepped up.
The guard eyed Rolang up and down.
"Hmph..."
He tossed their IDs to the ground.
"Get lost."
Yuri stared in disbelief.
Official IDs from the issuing office—flawless.
Jared stepped forward.
"Why?"
"IDs are fake."
"Where?"
"Tch, think I'll tell you? So you can forge better?"
"These are real. What's wrong?"
"I say fake, it's fake."
The guard glared, then smirked, rubbing thumb and finger.
"Well, gotta get in? Depends on your... sincerity."
"Huh?"
Jared tilted his head. Yuri sighed.
Commoner in Royal Guard young—clueless about the world.
Yuri explained,
"Dense. Rolang's fancy clothes? He's demanding a bribe."
"Oh, that?"
"Sorry, because of me..."
"What crime's good clothes? Shameless extortionist's the problem."
The guard's face flushed red.