Chapter 109: Tournament (1)

“Prince, today’s breakfast features a special kind of bread.”

“What did you say?”

At Simon’s words, Yuri bowed his head, discouraged.

“I’m not going to have breakfast today.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t even want to look at bread anymore. Is that right, Jared?”
“Yes… you’re right…”

Both had been forced to eat bread nonstop by Katrina the day before. It was delicious, of course—but even the tastiest food becomes unbearable if you keep eating it without stop. Unable to refuse, they ate until they were choking.

“My stomach still feels awful.”

“Shall we get some digestion medicine?”

“Good idea…”

“If someone sees us, they’ll think we drank too much last night.”

So, the two left Hotel Duforia, walking heavily. Just then, they met Laurent, who had just entered the lobby.

“Laurent?”

“Ah, Prince.”

“Don’t tell me you…”

Yuri flashed a mischievous smile.
“Did you spend all night…?”

Laurent paused and looked at him.
Yuri laughed softly and finished the sentence.

“Training swordsmanship all night? Hahaha…”

Jared joined in with a mischievous grin.

“Well, none other than the great Knight Laurent. Did you train like crazy all night?”

“Who would have thought Laurent would get nervous? Is his heart trembling?”

“Understandable. This is the Empire, after all. Even Knight Laurent can get nervous.”

“What if he ends up praying at the temple before the start?”

They all burst out laughing. Laurent sighed.

“Think whatever you want…”

Yuri and Jared had a reason for their behavior the tournament started that day.

“What if he gets eliminated in the preliminaries?”

Traditionally with 64 participants, but due to many registrants, large preliminary rounds were held to trim the numbers.

Laurent shook his head with a smile.

“That won’t happen. I will honor the name of Briol.”

“Good luck, Laurent. I’ll come cheer for you.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll take my leave. I’m a bit tired…”

They watched his back disappear inside the hotel. Jared nodded his head.

“He’s really pushing himself. What if he wins the tournament and gives the medal to Your Highness? Wouldn’t he outrank you, Prince?”

“Huh? That’s how it works?”

“He must be a bit nervous.”

“Not at all.”

Yuri chuckled, then tugged Jared’s cloak and began walking.

“First, let’s go to the herbalist.”

They bought indigestion medicine and took it before continuing their path—this time walking more carefully.

They slipped into an alley, pulled up their hoods, and concealed their identities before emerging again onto the street. They entered a pawnshop in a busy area.

No customers. The owner was dozing behind a counter. The bell’s chime on their entrance made him lift his head.

“Hmm… Welcome.”

“We’ve come to leave something.”

“What is it?”

“My heart.”

“What?”

“And my passion.”

“You’ve gone mad…?”

“I want to leave my heart and my passion here.”

“If you’re here to joke, get out!”

They were kicked out. Yuri looked at Jared in disbelief.

“What was that? You said that was the password.”

“Prince.”

“What?”

“We went to the wrong place.”

“Huh?”

“This is Hanareum Pawnshop.”

“And?”

“We were supposed to go to Hanmaeum Pawnshop.”

“Ah…”

Hanmaeum pawnshop was right next door to Hanareum.

After giving the correct password—“I want to leave my heart and my passion”—they were led to a secret basement room in the real Hanmaeum pawnshop.

Someone awaited them there.

“Your Highness.”

Yuri bowed respectfully. Ragnar was waiting.

“Have a seat.”

They sat across from each other at a table. Ragnar frowned, closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke.

“Why didn’t you participate?”

“Sorry?”

“The tournament. You didn’t register.”

“Why would I participate?”

“To win.”

“I’m not interested.”

“That brat…”

Ragnar shook his head.

“Let’s drop that. So, did you discover anything about the drug?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Thanks to the erotic book.”

“What?”

“No, no! It was a slip.”

After seeing Hasan’s book, Yuri sensed that the crown prince was behind the drug trafficking in the imperial capital.

Then came the big question: why would he do such a thing? He had a position to obtain whatever he wanted. Drugs only brought decay—and decay… was dark magic’s favorite nourishment.

This train of thought nearly convinced Yuri that the crown prince, in his past life, had dragged the Empire into tragedy by falling into dark magic and spreading it.

Organizing his thoughts, Yuri spoke.

“I conducted an independent investigation.”

“I figured as much.”

“But I’ve reached a point where I can’t advance further.”

“You can’t advance…?”

“Yes.”

That was why he came to Ragnar. He couldn’t act directly against someone living in the palace.

He needed an ally.

And Ragnar was ideal royal blood, despised the emperor, acted for the Empire’s good.

“Before we go into details…”

Yuri looked around. Ragnar’s subordinates were present. With a gesture, Ragnar signaled them to leave the room. Jared, sensing the mood, quietly exited as well.

Once alone, Yuri spoke seriously.

“What I’m about to say, I say because I trust you.”

“I’m listening.”

“I believe I’ve found the drug’s origin.”

“You mean that substance everyone’s talking about recently?”

“Yes.”

Yuri pulled a small bag from his chest and dumped it onto the table—several blue crystals scattered.

“This substance doesn’t come from outside the capital.”

“Then…?”

“It’s being produced within.”

“Who could be…?”

“That’s why I’ve come to tell you.”

Yuri sighed. He had accepted that this new life would bring its challenges, but this was even more complicated than he had imagined.

He took a moment before declaring:

“I believe it’s the crown prince.”

“What…?”

Ragnar’s eyes widened. That was a name that should never have been uttered. He leaned toward Yuri.

“Why do you think that?”

Yuri explained.

By tracking the drug distribution, he had found the final distributor. That man had entered the palace, and turned out to be one of Prince Eugen’s “shadows.”

After hearing everything, Ragnar closed his eyes.

“But there’s no solid proof yet, right?”

“The probability is high.”

“Why would that guy do something like this…?”

“What is the crown prince like?”

“Eugen is a good guy. No, more than good.”

“How unfortunate.”

Yuri lowered his gaze.

“Whether by his own will or through manipulation, I’m convinced the crown prince has fallen into dark magic and is behind all this. That’s why I need you to investigate.”

“…Haa.”

Ragnar, uncharacteristically, brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. If it had been anyone else, Yuri would never have revealed the truth.

But up to now, Ragnar had proven not to be the kind of person who covers up crimes just because of the culprit’s identity. Besides, he had fought Okua himself and witnessed the consequences of dark magic firsthand.

He understood the gravity of the situation.

“Yuri.”

“Yes.”

“Are you serious?”

Yuri raised his gaze and met his eyes.

“Yes.”

In this new life, he had never entrusted a matter entirely to someone else.

But this time, he had to leave everything in Ragnar’s hands. Yuri decided to trust him… and trust his own instinct for having chosen him.

“I mean it.”

Ragnar also stared at him in silence for a moment, then nodded. The decision wasn’t only Yuri’s.

Just as Yuri had chosen to trust Ragnar, Ragnar must also have made an inner decision to believe in him.

“Alright. I’ll trust you.”

“I’ll trust you too, Your Highness.”

“I understand what it means for you to have told me this. So let me make my promise clear first.”

Ragnar straightened his back and spoke with a firm look.

“If the crown prince’s guilt is proven, I will not cover it up under any circumstances.”

Yuri responded just as firmly.

“Thank you. I’ll also do everything I can to help you, Your Highness.”

“Very well.”

“Shall we seal it with a handshake?”

“Of course.”

Yuri shook Ragnar’s hand. In his previous life, he had only met him once during a secret meeting with Yekaterina.

But this time, they had forged a solid alliance. Yuri was sincerely glad to have met Ragnar.

“I see… so that’s how it is.”

Ragnar murmured something to himself and then suddenly smiled. He was the type who could shift the mood and set worries aside for later in order to lift the spirits.

“Well, let’s leave our worries for later. How about we go watch something interesting?”

“A show?”

“The tournament preliminaries.”

By now, they should have already started.

“Sounds good.”

***

Yuri and Jared headed with Ragnar toward the center of the imperial capital, where the busiest area was located.

A special stage had been set up for the preliminaries. It was packed with people, but when Ragnar appeared, everyone stepped aside to make way, allowing them to move forward with ease.

The announcer stepped up and shouted.

“The tournament preliminaries will take place in a battle royale format! Each group will have five participants, and only the last two standing will advance to the main round! For safety, the preliminaries will be held with wooden swords!”

There were a total of thirty-two preliminary groups. Soon, a group of swordsmen stepped onto the stage.

It wasn’t a very large stage, so five people made it feel crowded.

“A bit of luck is needed, too.”

Commented Ragnar. Only two out of five would advance, so luck played a role.

Yuri shook his head.

“Surviving is also a kind of skill.”

“I suppose…”

Jared, watching the front, said:

“Hey, isn’t that Sven?”

Among the five in the first group was Sven, the knight from Liberta. With sword in hand, he attentively watched his surroundings.

“Hooh…”

Seeing his friend participating in the tournament, Yuri shouted loudly:

“Sven, win!”

His voice was so loud it drew everyone’s eyes to him. The citizens of the imperial center who recognized Yuri began to murmur:

“Why isn’t the prince of Briol participating?”

“I can’t believe he’s not competing in an event like this…”

“He must’ve chickened out.”

“Yeah, he could be humiliated by the Empire’s knights.”

Yuri frowned in that direction, and everyone immediately fell silent. Rumors spread easily just because he hadn’t signed up for the tournament.

“Damn it…”

For Sven, who was on stage, Yuri’s cheer turned out to be more of a curse. He was already nervous, and the thought of being watched not just by hundreds of citizens but also by Yuri made him even more tense.

Showing weakness was poison. Two of the other four charged directly at him.

“Eh, eh?”

Both attacked in perfect sync. Sven looked at the referee with an incredulous expression, as if asking whether that wasn’t a foul.

“It’s part of the match.”

But the judge didn’t stop the duel.

“Tch!”

In the end, Sven had to face both attackers. With swords coming at him from the left and right, he could barely keep his composure.

And yet, he held on.

“Eh?”

He was enduring. In fact, the attackers began to show signs of unease. Sven took the opportunity and counterattacked one of them.

“Argh!”

His wooden sword struck the opponent’s head. If it had been a real sword, it would’ve been fatal.

The enemy staggered, clutching his head, and fell. He was disqualified and dragged off the stage.

Then the other backed away. Sven blinked, confused.

“Could it be that I’m strong?”

Come to think of it, he was. In Liberta, he had been recognized as a genius. Since childhood, he had never lost in fencing.

Until he met the third prince of Briol in the allied army. Since then, it had been humiliation after humiliation.

Losing to the third prince was bad enough, but he was also defeated by Laurent, that Jose guy, and even Jared, a mere commoner. Not to mention crawling through daily battles against orcs.

Maybe that’s why… Compared to the enemies he had faced before, the three remaining on stage seemed insignificant.

Sven twirled his wooden sword and grinned slightly. He was no longer nervous.

“Well, well… could it be I’ve become too strong?”