Chapter 122: Inheritance (2)

When Yuri provoked him—even at the risk of his own neck—Zaire’s face twisted. His fist trembled violently. But Yuri didn’t care in the slightest how offended he was.

It was the other who had started the conflict.

That arrogant attitude, as if he was certain he was stronger, was so repulsive that Yuri wanted to press a sword to his throat and make him sob.

Now that he thought about it, it had been a while since he’d crossed swords with someone in earnest.

The last time he fought for his life was against Okua. Maybe that was it… maybe he’d been suppressing his desire to fight.

Yuri curled his lips and looked at Zaire’s angry face as he said,

“I told you I’m busy. That’s why I was so kind as to slap you myself. So let’s hurry up.”

“Hahaha…”

Zaire laughed as if he couldn’t believe it. As he looked down at Yuri with an ambiguous smile, he seemed to reflect for a moment, then nodded.

“Very well.”

And turned around.

“Come with me. It would be disgraceful to humiliate a prince in the middle of the market. We’ll fight at the castle.”

“And you know what honor is?”

Yuri openly mocked him as he followed. The knights of Gatensha shared Zaire’s anger, creating a tense atmosphere.

Even if their lord was wrong, the knights were bound to obey his will.

Yuri said to Jared, walking beside him,

“Jealous, huh? You should support me without question like they do.”

“Who knows…”

Jared grimaced.

Regardless, they crossed the streets of Gatensha and arrived at the castle where Zaire resided.

Though it was a count’s castle, the architectural level was quite high. Though he disliked it, he couldn’t deny the Empire’s wealth and advancement.

Zaire stopped at a large open space in front of the castle. The ground was well-leveled, with military boot prints everywhere.

Zaire looked at Yuri.

“This is the training ground for the squad. It’s appropriate, don’t you think?”

Yuri stretched his arms.

“Too few spectators. Why not call more people?”

“You’re very confident.”

“So are you. Is it because you’re older that you think you’re stronger?”

“A knight’s training goes hand in hand with time.”

His words made sense, theoretically. It was because of the mana method.

The longer a knight trained, the more mana they accumulated, and the sharper their senses became. On top of that came sword mastery. Since they didn’t experience physical decline, they could only grow stronger.

Zaire, at a glance, seemed of decent level. He probably would’ve done well even in the allied army.

But that was all.

“Don’t worry. I won’t hold back.”

“Good. I thought I might have to kill someone today.”

“That’s not for me to say. After all, swords have no eyes.”

“Well, mine does.”

As he said that, Yuri swung his sword to the side. A snake crawling along the ground was sliced in half, writhing.

“Wow, doesn’t look like this place gets cleaned often.”

“Good reflexes.”

Zaire drew his sword.

“It’s time to settle things with your father.”

“Since he didn’t dare, you come to bother his son. And that’s the best line you’ve got?”

Yuri raised Guilty and stepped forward.

Somehow, he began to understand why his father had once decapitated a knight in Gatensha.

Yuri felt a visceral aversion to Zaire. Their natures were completely opposed. Zaire wrapped his cowardly, dishonorable actions as if they were just, even adorning them with ridiculous excuses.

And if Yuri had been weak?

He smirked. He probably would’ve been mocked throughout the continent as “the third prince of Briol, humiliated in Gatensha.”

And that’s exactly what Zaire wanted.

“I guess this is also inheritance.”

“Pardon?”

“I think my father felt the same way about your late father.”

“…”

Zaire’s face hardened.

Yuri smiled in satisfaction at his expression.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you.”

“You’re just provoking more.”

Zaire lunged at Yuri.

With force, he unleashed a storm of attacks. He struck high, swept low, feinted right only to switch suddenly left.

Yuri stepped back, blocking non-stop.

He was strong.

Now he understood why he had come so confidently to pick a fight. It was a level even a knight Yuri’s age, no matter how hard he trained, wouldn’t easily reach.

Perhaps Zaire had long suppressed his anger, waiting for a chance to avenge himself.

“What a pity.”

In the middle of the flurry, Yuri aimed his sword at a specific point in the flow. A sharp sound rang out, and Zaire’s attacks halted.

Zaire stepped back, breathing heavily, eyes fixed on Yuri.

He tilted his head and lunged again. A new rain of swords fell.

Yuri dodged and blocked them all, then struck once more. With another impact, Zaire staggered and took a few steps back.

His eyes shook.

“Heh…”

Yuri advanced. Zaire instinctively backed away.

Yuri smiled and pointed at his feet.

“Are you running?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Zaire’s voice no longer held the composure from before. Yuri calmly watched the desperate incoming attacks.

He could see all their paths clearly. No matter how many blows Zaire struck or how much he changed direction. In the end, all attacks originated from Zaire and aimed at Yuri.

So it was enough to shift that point of origin.

“Tsk…”

From the outside, the scene was absurd.

A seasoned knight furiously attacking a youth, who casually blocked and countered with occasional thrusts, forcing the knight to stagger back.

But no one laughed. Not even the knights of Briol on Yuri’s side.

Especially Laurent, whose face had darkened.

“Prince…”

After winning the tournament, he had believed he’d at least caught up to Yuri a little.

Maybe not at his level, but at least not a burden—someone who could help. But he was wrong.

Jared gave a dry laugh and muttered,

“This makes no sense.”

Everyone present thought the same.

Zaire—despite his despicable attitude—wasn’t weak with a sword. He’d been famous since young, and over thirty now, he was considered a complete knight.

In assessing the Empire’s power, his name alone left an impression.

And yet, he was being treated like a child.

“Haaa!”

Now Zaire screamed as he charged Yuri. Some Gatensha knights, in disbelief, looked to the sky or hung their heads.

“This is impossible!”

Zaire’s false composure had completely vanished. Desperate, he unleashed his mana method and attacked wildly.

Any other knight would’ve been torn apart by such an offensive. But Yuri Briol, standing before him, deflected everything effortlessly.

The third prince’s mana moved with such skill it seemed alive.

He deflected attacks with subtle twists, stepped forward just before energy was released, and neutralized it.

It looked like Zaire was attacking, but in truth, he was being completely manipulated by his opponent.

A grim feeling filled Zaire’s chest.

“This can’t be…”

He denied reality. His plan had been this.

He had intended to provoke the prince through the knights. If Yuri endured the humiliation, he’d become a laughingstock.

If he didn’t, then Zaire could use that as an excuse to challenge him to a duel and vent his frustration personally.

Though Yuri had been part of the allied army, he was still just a brat. Even if Laurent—the tournament champion—showed up, Zaire was confident he could beat him.

So, if it was the third prince, whose reputation was built on exaggerated rumors, Zaire was sure he could make him bite the dust with ease.

But something absurd had happened. No matter how fast a tree grows, it doesn’t become a mighty oak in ten years. So what the hell was going on?

At some point, the third prince of Briol had started to look like a demon. It felt like he was being deceived by clever tricks.

He even thought that maybe this had all been a trap laid from the start by the prince himself.

All sorts of irrational thoughts began invading his mind. Yuri, the third prince of Briol, now no longer merely defending but steadily advancing, spoke.

“Didn’t the former lord of Gatensha say anything to you?”

At those words, Zaire searched his memory. After his father had been beheaded, when he swore revenge, his grandfather had told him this.

“Don’t seek revenge. He’s a monster, through and through.”

Though Zaire had opposed him at the time, he obeyed. Fiore Briol was one of the Ten Greats and a king.

There was nothing he could do against someone like that.

But then, a report came that his son had entered Gatensha. Zaire saw it as a heaven-sent opportunity.

Fiore killed his father—so he would humiliate Fiore’s son to even the score.

But everything had gone wrong. Just like his father, Yuri Briol was a monster too.

That demonic swordsmanship hadn’t diluted in the slightest.

It flowed intact within that brat.

Then… what did that say about himself?

Zaire gritted his teeth.

“Stop spouting nonsense!”

His whole life had been about restoring the honor of House Enekin. He trained with the sword to erase the shame, and eventually became a recognized knight.

He couldn’t accept that all that time had been in vain. Was he supposed to believe that blood decided everything from the start?

No matter how much mana he channeled or how fiercely he swung his sword, he couldn’t catch him.

He was too far beyond.

“Zaire.”

The third prince spoke again.

Zaire snapped irritably.

“Shut up!”

“Wow, now you’re talking casually.”

“I told you to shut up!”

“I asked whether the former lord said anything to you.”

“What are you getting at?”

The third prince stopped attacking. Cornered, Zaire lowered his sword, panting.

Even holding it had become hard.

It felt like trying to fight a feather floating in the air—no matter how much he grasped, it slipped away.

Yuri, looking relaxed, rested his sword on his shoulder.

“I’m not provoking you. I’m just curious.”

“What?”

“My father told me once about what happened in Gatensha.”

Zaire glared at him.

“And I wondered how you remember it.”

Zaire let out a bitter laugh, full of rage and madness.

“Fine, I’ll tell you. They told me not to seek revenge because he was a monster from the root. If I had known you inherited that same demonic blood from your father, I would’ve planned everything differently. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Yes. That explains everything.”

Hearing this, Yuri smiled and nodded.

“Heritage is scary, don’t you think?”

“What?”

“All three of you are the same.”

Yuri recalled the past. When he asked his father Fiore about what had happened in Gatensha, he replied.

“I had no choice.”

That was all. Things had simply played out that way.

House Enekin wasn’t honorable enough to deserve leniency, and Briol wasn’t weak enough to tolerate arrogance.

Two people who had inherited those families’ natures stood face to face. That’s why history repeated itself.

That was it. If Zaire’s grandfather had told him something different… if he’d told him not to repeat his father’s mistakes…

Would Zaire be a better man now?

A meaningless supposition. After all, the former lord of Gatensha had been a petty man from the start.

‘His father pushed him from behind.’

While brushing away Fiore’s voice from his mind, Yuri asked,

“Zaire, do you have children?”

“What the hell are you talking about now?”

“Just asking if you have any.”

“I have a son.”

“I see…”

Yuri, Guilty resting on his shoulder, walked up to Zaire. Since Yuri wasn’t brandishing his sword, Zaire didn’t know how to respond and stood there awkwardly.

Suddenly, Yuri held out his hand.

“Come on, shake my hand.”

“What?”

“I don’t like you, and I guess you don’t like me either. But that’s just how we are.”

“Are you trying to mock me?”

“No. I’m just saying there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Yuri wiggled his outstretched hand. Zaire, still confused, hesitated for a moment, but eventually extended his own.

Yuri grabbed it immediately.

It was a clumsy, awkward handshake.

“Let’s call this a reconciliation between Enekin and Briol.”

“What?”

“Tell your son that.”

“What are you saying now…?”

“Let’s put an end to this.”

Yuri let go of his hand right away and turned around. Zaire stood still, staring at Yuri’s back, his hand still raised.

Yuri waved over his shoulder.

“Tell him that after a great battle, the two families left their grudges behind and became friends. How’s that? Not bad, right?”

“Are you pitying me?”

“Don’t talk casually to me. Unless you want to die.”

“I…”

“It was a pleasure visiting.”

Zaire watched the back of Yuri Briol as he walked away with his companions.

He felt something he couldn’t explain. Maybe it was frustration. Or maybe not.

Suddenly, he wanted to see his son.