Chapter 146: The Beginning (2)

The news of the conflict between the Empire and Joachim spread across the entire continent.

People voiced varied opinions on the matter. Some mocked Joachim’s reckless attempt, while others criticized the Empire for justifying its invasion with a false pretext.

Yuri belonged to the latter group and expressed it vehemently.

“It’s a fraud.”

He stated it firmly.

“How could Joachim try to poison the Emperor? Are they crazy? And what, they even have the means to infiltrate the Imperial Palace? Come on, don’t you think so?”

“Yes…”

“That’s right.”

“Joachim is only the beginning. The entire continent is going to be engulfed in war. No one will escape the Empire’s invasion.”

“True.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

“Listen to what I’m saying. What we need to do is…”

“I agree.”

“Seconded.”

Laurent and Jared struggled to keep up with him.

It wasn’t that his words were light enough to ignore, but Yuri had been repeating the same things so many times they were already tired of responding.

“Anyway, now…”

The three of them were on their way to Française, the territory of the Flandre family. As soon as he learned about what had happened in Joachim, Yuri took Jared and crashed a social party organized by a certain noble.

There, dressed in a tuxedo and sipping a cocktail among the guests, was Laurent—until he was abducted.

When Yuri appeared, the crowd welcomed him enthusiastically, but when he grabbed Laurent by the wrist and dragged him away, everyone was so stunned that they couldn’t say anything.

Although, some began cheering loudly to congratulate them.

“Laurent, you’re not upset that I pulled you out of the party, are you?”

“Of course not. I don’t like parties.”

“For someone who doesn’t like them, you sure were mingling a lot. Haven’t you been going to them frequently lately?”

“It wasn’t by choice. My father forced me…”

“Française?”

“He said he’d understand if I didn’t find anyone after meeting people, but he wouldn’t accept me not even trying. So he made me attend before arranging a formal matchmaking.”

“Ah…”

Yuri nodded.

“We’re at that age, huh?”

Even in Briol, which had a relatively liberal atmosphere, most people began looking for a partner upon reaching adulthood. And Laurent was a bit older than Yuri.

Then Jared tilted his head.

“But Mr. Laurent, couldn’t you meet someone without going to parties? You could just pick someone, go out, and see what happens…”

Yuri and Laurent turned their heads at the same time to look at him. Jared shrank back, intimidated.

“W-What?”

Both stared at him silently for a moment, then looked ahead again.

Yuri patted Laurent on the shoulder and said,

“Be patient with him. He doesn’t know much about this.”

“No worries. I respect Mr. Jared’s opinion too.”

“You had a look of disdain.”

“I didn’t. Don’t take it the wrong way, Jared.”

“Mr. Laurent, your face is still the same…”

“Ah.”

Jared felt offended.

“Look, you don’t have to take meeting someone so seriously. We’re still young…”

“…”

“Just think of it as advice from a veteran in life. I’m the oldest here, so I’ve got more experience in love…”

The other two didn’t respond at all.

“So cold… This is unbearable. Let me say something…”

Just as he was complaining, the walls of Française began to appear on the horizon.

“Oh, we’ve reached Française.”

“We arrived early.”

“Let’s go quickly!”

“Yes!”

Yuri and Laurent spurred their horses and galloped ahead. Jared followed behind, muttering something he’d never dare say in front of them.

“Pampered brats… I’m holding back, seriously… Ha…”

He had no choice. Briol was a caste-based country. Hierarchy was everything.

Quickly, he sped up and caught up with them.

When Yuri and Laurent presented themselves at the gates, their identities weren’t even checked.

The gates opened immediately, and the three entered the city while being greeted by the guards.

“Let’s go straight to the Académie de Française.”

“Yes.”

Yuri had come to meet with Cedric and Joshua.

Even for him, it had been a sudden decision.

The Empire’s offensive had begun earlier than expected, and even he hadn’t foreseen this invasion.

In his past life, the war began much later. The attempted poisoning of the Emperor, and the subsequent unrest in the Imperial populace, were events that hadn’t occurred before.

Thanks to his intervention, the continent’s history was changing drastically. Although he had managed it well so far, he didn’t know what the future held.

That’s why he wanted to entrust Briol to Cedric and Joshua, and set out to stop the Empire.

Before Briol’s territory became a battlefield, they needed to act beyond its borders.

“I wanted to handle everything on my own…”

“There’s no way. You have to do it with us.”

“Yes.”

He didn’t want to drag them in, but he had no choice.

From the beginning, it was something he’d have to do eventually, but he’d delayed it for emotional reasons.

If it was Cedric, he could manage Briol well. And Joshua would be a great help too.

“Laurent, you can go take care of your own business if you want.”

“No need.”

“I might be gone a long time this time.”

“That’s fine.”

Yuri didn’t ask if Laurent and Jared would go with him. Since the Allied Army began, they had spent a lot of time together.

They understood each other even with just a look. Wherever he went, he was sure these two would follow him.

“This is it.”

Soon, they arrived at the Académie de Française. It was the most prestigious academic institution in Briol.

It couldn’t compare to the Imperial Academium, but it was still one of the best on the continent.

Shortly after, Yuri was able to meet with Cedric and Joshua. Cedric worried about his health, while Joshua teased him from the side.

“It’s been a while. You’re not hurt, right?”

“Hey, you look great. Had a good time?”

“Joshua.”

“Come on, bro, just joking.”

While Yuri spoke with Cedric in his office, Laurent and Jared waited outside.

It had been a long time since the three brothers had a private conversation.

“I heard you’d arrived, but I’ve been so busy I couldn’t come to see you. What’s going on?”

“What? Didn’t you come just to see us? Was it for business?”

Joshua seemed a little more mature, but his personality hadn’t changed.

Yuri let out a small laugh before answering.

“I came to ask a favor.”

He explained his view of what was coming. The Empire was in trouble, and the situation wouldn’t end there. Joachim was just the beginning, and soon the whole continent would be at war. Briol wouldn’t be an exception, so they had to prepare in advance.

He explained everything in detail. He also briefly mentioned the black magic surrounding the Imperial Palace.

Cedric fell into thought, while Joshua, horrified, looked at the door.

“Hey, if this gets out, we’re dead. You know that, right?”

He made a slicing gesture across his neck with his finger. Cedric replied instead.

“Don’t worry. This room is well soundproofed.”

“Even so… Brother, you’re speaking so openly against the Emperor… Have you lost your fear or what?”

“I didn’t insult the Emperor. I said there seems to be black magic in the palace.”

“That’s the same thing!”

“Brother, focus on what I’m saying.”

Yuri gave Joshua a sharp look and continued.

“You both know Father isn’t very interested in state affairs, so I’d like you to return and take charge of managing Briol.”

It was a request that could be seen as irreverent depending on one’s viewpoint. But since it wasn’t a lie, Cedric and Joshua simply nodded.

Fiore wasn’t a bad king.

It was better for him to stay uninvolved than to become a tyrant. That way, under his indifference, Briol ran reasonably well on its own.

However, now that the Empire was becoming a threat, Cedric needed to help Fiore with governance.

“I see.”

Cedric nodded. The topic was delicate, so silence reigned for a moment.

He adjusted his glasses, deep in thought, while Joshua shrugged.

Trying to lighten the mood, Yuri asked.

“Well, don’t worry too much. I’ll do everything I can to stop this. By the way, what are you studying, brother, that you came all the way to Française?”

“I’m studying commerce. Did you know that without logistics, no economy can function? First, you need to build good roads…”

“I wasn’t talking about Joshua.”

“What? Are you discriminating against me?”

“I know you can manage well.”

“You brat…”

Joshua grumbled, annoyed. Though he was already older, his attitude was still the same as when he was young.

Even so, Yuri was glad that he was finally using his talents constructively.

In his past life, near the end, Joshua had proven to be extremely capable. With his brilliant mind, he constantly devised ways to resist the Empire.

While watching him with a slight smile, Cedric spoke.

“Lately, I’ve been interested in history.”

“History?”

“So I’ve been researching various things. Cultures of ancient nations, forgotten histories…”

“That sounds good.”

“But if what you say is true, now’s not the time to be studying such things.”

Through his glasses, Cedric’s eyes showed firm determination.

He was usually calm, but when necessary, he never backed down.

Yuri smiled in gratitude.

“Thank you. For listening and trusting in my words.”

Then Joshua shook his head.

“It’s not that I believe you. Actually, I was already thinking something similar. You could say I was the first to worry about the continent’s situation.”

“Oh, yes?”

“It’s only natural for stagnant water to rot. The Empire’s expansionism was something I foresaw long ago, you know?”

“Impressive.”

“You don’t believe me? Want to read the thesis I wrote last year?”

“I believe you.”

Yuri raised both hands, but Joshua didn’t stop.

“No, no. That tone of yours doesn’t sound like someone who believes. Are you looking down on me just because you know how to swing a sword?”

“Now I do feel like looking down on you.”

“Perfect! Wait here. I’ll go get the book.”

“Got it.”

Joshua stood up abruptly and left without listening.

Cedric smiled.

“Joshua just wants to show off his thesis.”

“Then let him.”

“He’s embarrassed.”

Yuri looked at Cedric. His serene face was the same as always.

In both his past life and this one, his appearance hadn’t changed much. As a child, he already looked like an adult, and as an adult, he barely had any wrinkles.

His calm nature also remained. Knowing there was someone who hadn’t changed comforted Yuri in his second life.

“Brother.”

“Yes?”

Yuri paused, then said,

“You probably already guessed, but…”

“Yes.”

“Princess Katrina is also of imperial blood. Please be careful.”

Yuri again brought up the danger of the black magic that had taken over the palace.

This warning didn’t apply only to the Emperor and his direct descendants.

It included Katrina too. Cedric, perceptive as always, had already grasped the deeper meaning of his words.

“I met Princess Katrina, and she seemed like a good person. She makes a good match with you.”

“Doesn’t she?”

“But even without bad intentions, things can go wrong.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let my personal feelings cause trouble.”

Cedric placed a hand on Yuri’s head.

“Already worrying about me? You’ve grown up, Yuri.”

“Haha…”

“For me, Briol always comes first.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Oh, and don’t tell Katrina we talked about this.”

“That’ll depend on how you behave.”

“You brat…!”

As Cedric ruffled Yuri’s hair, Joshua returned. Yuri had to sit and listen to the thesis that Joshua shoved at him.

“Impressed, right?”

“Yeah…”

Joshua smiled, satisfied.

“So don’t worry about Briol. We’re going to thrive even more. You, who know how to swing a sword, just go out there and fight with peace of mind.”

“Aren’t you worried about me?”

“Are you worried about Father?”

“No.”

“Then I’m not worried about people who know how to swing a sword.”

“Haha…”

They chatted for quite a while. They talked about everything from daily life to their concerns about the Empire’s expansion.

The laughter of the three brothers echoed endlessly in the room.

***

Alone in the room, Cedric walked to the window and looked out over the campus of the Académie de Française.

Joshua was seeing Yuri off.

Standing with him were Laurent Flandre and his escort, Jared.

Cedric watched them depart, then closed the curtains and turned around.

Behind his glasses, his eyes showed no emotion. Even the usual smile on his lips had vanished.

He opened a drawer, took out a crystal orb, placed it on the table, and gently brushed its surface.

Then, a strange light began to glow.

Cedric spoke.

“Yuri has left. He’s accompanied by Laurent Flandre and his escort. They’re likely headed to Joachim.”