Chapter 1: Regression (1)

Yuri absentmindedly touched his head.

Standing before him was his father—long dead—just as he remembered him from the past.

Only one possibility came to mind. Could it be that I’ve died and arrived in heaven?

No, someone like me couldn’t possibly end up in heaven. Did my father fall into hell instead?

Well, for someone who always preached about honor, he sure lived quite indulgently.

“Ah…”

Hot tears rolled down Yuri’s cheeks.

The king and the prince falling into hell side by side—what a tragedy for the royal family of Briol.

“Father…”

Just as the temple had said, death wasn’t the end.

Could it be that one’s sins in life followed them into the afterlife to judge their soul?

A father and son reunited in hell—what a cruel punishment.

“So in the end, you really did fall into hell…”

“Huh?”

“You always talked about honor. You should’ve lived it instead of just preaching it.”

His father, initially flustered, finally did what he always used to do—smack him on the head again.

“What nonsense are you spouting now?”

“You still haven’t dropped that habit of hitting people, even in hell?”

“What’s gotten into you today?”

“Repent!”

Shouting, Yuri jumped to his feet, and suddenly noticed something strange.

The surroundings were far too normal.

There were no purging flames or sinners wailing impaled on spikes.

It was a place both unfamiliar and familiar at once—his old royal palace from the past.

And there were no demons mocking or tormenting them.

“Your Highness. Are you alright?”

Beside him stood Ena, the maid who had always cared for him.

“Your Highness, hitting people on the head isn’t proper behavior,” sighed Bernard, his sword master.

“Yuri, are you okay?”

That voice came from Cedric, his older brother—holy and noble—someone who couldn’t possibly have ended up in hell.

The others were debatable, but at the very least, Cedric was the purest soul Yuri had ever known.

Only then did Yuri realize there might be another explanation.

“…No way…”

Yuri looked around at the four pairs of eyes watching him.

And promptly fainted.

***

At first, Yuri thought it might be a dream, or perhaps a long, drawn-out death vision.

But no matter how hard he tried, he neither woke up nor did the world end.

Instead, moments long buried in the depths of his memory began to replay.

Yuri had no choice but to accept it.

He had returned to the past.

In the spring of the year he turned thirteen.

“Your Highness, Your Highness.”

Ena shook Yuri’s body as he squirmed beneath the blankets.

“What is it…”

“It’s time for your sword training.”

“I’m not doing that crap.”

“His Majesty might scold you.”

“I’m strong even without training.”

“Stop saying nonsense in your sleep.”

Yuri tried to push Ena’s hand away, but suddenly sat bolt upright.

“Ah…!”

“Your Highness?”

Did he really think going back in time would fix everything?

No. That wasn’t it.

People don’t change so easily.

Almost like he had been dragged by the inertia of habit, he had reverted to being the same troublemaking prince he once was.

Where was the Yuri who once groaned under the weight of his sins and repented for the life he had led?

“Damn it…”

His heart pounded heavily in his chest.

Had even his mind regressed along with his return to a child’s body? Going back in time didn’t erase his sins. In fact, now a harsher punishment awaited him.

One mistake might be called a fall. But to fail again in this life would be a true and unforgivable sin.

A chill ran down his spine.

“How long was I unconscious after spouting nonsense?”

“Three days.”

“Three days?!”

Yuri jumped up and grabbed his head.

Ena, used to his odd behavior, just shrugged.

“You.”

“Yes?”

He looked at her.

Her eyes were innocent and pure. He remembered what kind of end this sweet and kind girl eventually met.

Yuri shut his eyes tightly and made a declaration.

“Slap me.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Three times!”

Ena’s eyes went wide.

“Your Highness, are you ordering me to commit treason?”

“If I order it, it’s not treason.”

“Is this an excuse to get me fired?”

“Of course not.”

“Then, are you going to turn around and slap me back?”

“Absolutely not!”

She clearly didn’t believe him.

And who could blame her? He had been a brat since childhood, pulling pranks that mocked any belief in human decency.

Still, despite his bad behavior, his natural talent and sharp mind meant he was rarely scolded for neglecting his studies or training.

But he had been lazy. He had wasted his life. He would never do that again.

Whoever gave him this second chance—God or otherwise—Yuri vowed not to repeat his failed life.

“Ena, listen carefully.”

“Yes?”

“I, Yuri, swear that no matter what happens, I will not retaliate for your slap.”

“Are you serious?”

“I, Yuri Briol, always keep my word once given.”

“Then I can really slap you?”

“Of course…”

Snap!

Yuri’s face turned to the side.

“……!”

There was no hesitation in her hand. Even though he’d asked for it, for some reason, a wave of injustice rose within him.

“Two more to go.”

In front of him, Ena was rolling her shoulders, a slight smile on her lips. And then Yuri remembered something he’d forgotten.

Ena had once taken first place in the female sprint at the royal palace servants’ athletic meet and was ranked top tier in arm wrestling.

Surprisingly athletic, despite her slender frame. Ena squinted and gauged the distance.

“Your Highness, clench your teeth.”

“Wait, wait…”

“If I miss, you might break a tooth. You like meat, right?”

“Ena, listen.”

“I have two slaps left. You made a promise, remember? I don’t want to do this, but for your honor, I must slap you through tears.”

“No, please don’t…”

“Yes, I must.”

Two sharp slaps followed in quick succession.

“……”

And so, Yuri left the palace with swollen cheeks. Ena had offered to apply ointment, but he refused and stormed out.

The saddest part was that no one seemed to care at all about his swollen face.

“Good morning, Your Highness. What mischief are you planning today?”

“Hello, Your Highness! You look great as always. Who did you mess with this time?”

“Your Highness, are you coming to the card game tonight? You have to take revenge on Lord Hernand!”

He really had lived poorly.

Yuri ignored everyone and ran straight to the training grounds.

“He’s here, Your Highness.”

Bernard, who had been practicing alone, turned to look at him.

His eyes briefly flicked to Yuri’s swollen cheek, then turned away.

“Let’s begin today’s training.”

Yuri caught the wooden sword Bernard tossed him.

“……”

He pointed to his swollen cheek in protest, but Bernard didn’t even look.

Yuri felt another wave of sorrow.

So this really was my past.

What kind of life had I lived, for everyone to look at me like this even at thirteen?

“Come at me.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

After Yuri turned thirteen, Bernard stopped teaching him form and stance, and trained him through sparring instead.

Partly because Yuri didn’t cooperate during training, and partly because he learned too quickly.

“If His Highness were a little more diligent, he’d be Briol’s blessing,” Bernard had once told the king.

Back then, instead of taking it seriously and trying harder, Yuri had just slacked off more.

He was ashamed of that past.

“Bernard.”

Yuri raised his chin.

“Yes?”

“Promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Starting today—”

Yuri raised his wooden sword.

“Teach me properly.”

A flash of surprise passed through Bernard’s eyes.

Yuri smiled and declared:

“I, Yuri Briol, will live seriously from now on.”

“……”

“So will you train me properly?”

Bernard tilted his head.

Yuri didn’t mind.

If his past life had taught him anything, it was the emptiness of words. The human heart is fickle, and a three-inch tongue can twist the truth at will.

True resolve is shown through action.

“Your Highness… I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but…”

Bernard nodded.

“Very well.”

His demeanor changed.

“……”

The true face of Bernard—the Demon of the Sword—who had once felled countless enemies before being slain by the King of Briol, was now revealed.

Which meant he was far too much for a thirteen-year-old to handle.

Yuri opened his mouth before he could stop himself.

“Wait a second…”

But Bernard didn’t stop. The wooden sword rained down from every direction.

It was a living, breathing swordplay, like the flickering tongue of a snake. For Yuri, who hadn’t yet learned any mana technique, it was impossible to keep up.

So, he crouched.

Bernard raised an eyebrow.

“Oh…?”

In his previous life, Yuri had been a hardened mercenary. He wandered battlefields, learning swordsmanship solely for killing. He had long since abandoned flashy techniques meant for taunting or toying with opponents.

To face overwhelming foes, he discarded everything unnecessary and focused solely on minimizing damage.

If he couldn’t block, he ignored it. He only parried what he could manage.

“Bernard, is that all you’ve got? Are you sure you’re the Demon of the Sword and not the Demon of Booze?”

He even taunted him.

Agitation tactics were simple yet incredibly effective. If someone’s mind was shaken, an opening would always appear.

Yuri waited for the one chance Bernard would surely give him.

“Trying to provoke me, Your Highness?”

Just as planned.

Bernard nodded and intensified his strikes.

And then—

“W-Wait. Bernard.”

In a child’s body, Bernard was simply too much to handle.

There were openings, but Yuri couldn’t exploit them. And when he tried to ignore what he couldn’t block, he had to endure the blows with his small body.

“Wait!”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“I… I might have gone too far with my words.”

“You realize that now?”

“As prince of Briol, I offer my sincerest apologies. I take it back. I have long admired the reputation of the Demon of the Sw—”

“I can’t hear you.”

“Wait, wait!”

Bernard unleashed a terrifying technique that struck dozens of points at once.

It was, quite literally, a beating.

Five minutes passed, feeling like five years.

“Huff… puff…”

Yuri fell to his knees, gasping for air.

It hurt.

But it felt good. The pain in his body seemed to wash away the guilt of his past life.

Just before he passed out, Yuri looked up at the sky. An immense, open sky stretched above him.

After the fall of the royal family, he had spent his life walking with his eyes to the ground.

A new life.

A chance to set things right.

Only now did the reality of having returned to the past truly hit him. Yuri reached a hand toward the sky.

“I’m alive.”

He whispered those words—

And fainted.

“……”

Bernard looked down at the unconscious Yuri with unreadable eyes.

***

A week had passed since Yuri returned to the past.

Rumors began spreading throughout the royal palace that he had changed.

No one felt this change more than Ena, the maid who always remained by his side.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“I’m proud of you.”

Ena said this as she handed Yuri a towel after his morning physical training.

“That’s unexpected. What are you talking about?”

“Suddenly? This is literally the first time in my life I’ve ever said I’m proud of you.”

“Don’t worry. Soon you’ll say it so often you’ll get tired of saying it.”
“I doubt it.”

“Alright, then tell me in detail: what part of me are you proud of?”

“…”

Ena looked uneasy at first, then smiled gently.

“Did I hear that yesterday you cleaned up the gaming table?”

“Ah, rumors spread fast.”

Lately, Yuri had been dominating the palace gambling scene, using the card skills he had honed as a mercenary.

“It’s said Sir Hernand turned completely pale.”

I cleaned out his hidden stash completely. He won’t be back at the tables for a while.

“That’s amazing.”

“Fufufu…”

“How about we reward our faithful Ena with a little bonus?”

“Denied.”

“Why not?”

“I have plans for that money.”

“Suddenly, I’m no longer proud of you.”

“Liar.”

Ena let out a long sigh and handed Yuri a set of clean clothes.

“Also, His Majesty is calling for you.”

“Why?”

Yuri flinched, alarmed.

Had the king heard that the prince had been frequenting casinos? That would be unfair. Wasn’t the king himself known to slip out incognito and visit gaming dens?

Yuri even heard that when His Majesty had lost a large sum, he suddenly claimed to launch a “crackdown” and completely changed his stance.

“Did…did I get caught?”

“No, no. Count Johannes brought his son for a visit.”

“Count Johannes?”

“Yes.”

“You mean that peacock obsessed with white clothing?”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“The one who laughs like a weirdo?”
“I still haven’t heard it.”

“And his son is just as…”

Yuri stopped mid-sentence.
Count Johannes—Twossen Bakbar—was a strange man, but still a respectable knight.

But when it came to raising his son, he had failed completely.

“Where’s that brat?”

His eldest son, Gott Bakbar—

The traitor who, in Yuri’s previous life, betrayed the kingdom and opened the gates to the empire.