Chapter 149: Chaotic Times (1)

Yuri, Laurent, and Jared adopted the concept of “sworn brothers who sealed their vow in a sweet potato field” and headed to a city in Joachim to stir up the people.

“Is that all Joachim’s men are worth!?”

Shouted Yuri.

“The Empire may be a great power, but it can’t treat our country like a mere toy! They say a sovereign, a father, and a teacher are the same. Accusing our king of an attempted poisoning is nothing but an absurd slander! That horde from the Empire is no different from thugs trying to murder our parents! And we open the gates to them without even a shred of shame?”

His voice carried a convincing force.

In his past life, Yuri gave speeches to his troops daily to boost morale. He possessed remarkable oratory skills, and in time, his soldiers would cry as they shouted “Briol!” Even in the alliance, every time he spoke, the response was one of fervent passion.

Yuri used all that experience to ignite the emotions of Joachim’s citizens.

His voice, amplified through mana techniques, stirred hearts, and his word choice was so skillful that it sparked the indignation of everyone listening.

“But what if we have no power? What if the Imperial army decides to kill us?” someone asked from the crowd.

The honest answer Yuri felt was this.

There’s nothing we can do.

The Empire had already lost all reason. He never thought they could win a war without sacrifices. Even if there were victims, stopping the enemy was necessary.

For now, Graham was keeping his army under control, but once he was gone, everything would fall into chaos. In his past life, he had seen all too well what happened to a conquered country.

“Are you afraid?” Yuri said, hitting that emotional nerve.

“Are you afraid to rise and fight because you might die, when you could save your life by kneeling?”

“Yes. Honestly, I’m scared.”

“Then you don’t need to fight.”

An unexpected statement. A moment of silence followed. Yuri looked around and continued.

“Then just watch. Watch as they dishonor your king, burn your city, and turn your compatriots into playthings for the enemy. Just watch. Your turn and your family’s turn to be hunted will come one day. But by then, there will be no one left to fight for you. So if you don’t want to die fighting, stay down. Stay crushed to the ground and die slowly, unable even to resist.”

Yuri’s voice echoed powerfully through the streets.

Even passersby who were just walking by stopped in their tracks. Joachim’s people had a lot of pride.

Though they weren’t a powerful nation, thanks to their mountainous geography, they had never been completely conquered, and having lived in such a harsh environment, they were tough by nature.

The young knights had seemed weak only because peace had lasted too long. But deep down, they still had the grit of mountain folk.

Yuri kept pressing that inner nerve of Joachim.

“Joachim, which has never surrendered to an enemy, now clears the path to the capital without even real resistance! Does that make sense!? Not even a mangy dog would do that! Have you thrown away your pride as well!?”

Then another person spoke up.

“But that’s why the troops are gathering at the palace. What can a mere civilian like me do…?”

“Then just watch! Watch as if it has nothing to do with you, and see how we become a colony! But I can’t allow it! I will gather those who have the courage and stand against the Empire!”

“That’s…”

Just as Yuri shouted, the guards arrived.

“What do you think you’re doing!? Get down from there right now!”

Yuri pointed at them and shouted louder.

“Soldiers who should be fighting the Empire are intimidating their fellow citizens of Joachim!”

“Stop causing a scene and come here!”

“Afraid of the Empire but not of your own people!?”

Though the guards were only following orders, Yuri used them as tools for agitation.

“Hah!”

With a simple gesture, he flung several guards to the ground at once.

Overwhelming strength.

Yuri puffed out his chest and shouted.

“My name is Yubi! I was just a mat vendor, but seeing the current state of Joachim, I couldn’t stand still any longer!”

He and his group slightly changed their names to create aliases.

“I swore with my two blood brothers to gather the brave and fight the Empire! Whoever shares our will, join us!”

Seeing his superhuman strength knock down soldiers in an instant, the crowd buzzed louder.

“Yubi… I’ve never heard that name, but it sounds like a noble one.”

“He has big ears. They say that means he can attract people.”

“He dropped the soldiers instantly! He must be incredibly strong!”

“Are those two by his side his brothers?”

At Yuri’s sides stood Laurent and Jared, as imposing as statues. To look more intimidating, they wore cotton under their clothes to appear bulkier.

Laurent stepped forward, cleared his throat, and spoke in a coarse voice.

“I am Lou, the younger brother of Brother Yubi!”

He had a long, soft beard made from human hair, since there hadn’t been enough material to make a slime mask beard. In the end, it gave a unique touch.

“I used to teach children at a small school, but in the face of this outrageous reality, I decided to follow Yubi and rise up. It’s time to show the Empire’s dogs how fierce the mountain men of Joachim are!”

Jared stepped forward too.

“I am Javid, the youngest of the three brothers! I ran a butcher shop, but seeing Joachim in this miserable state sickens me! My knife will no longer slice meat but the Empire that oppresses Joachim!”

Each one pretended to have a different occupation to gain empathy from the citizens.

And it seemed to work. The crowd buzzed more intensely.

Suddenly, a strong man stepped out from the people.

“You say you were a mat vendor, but your strength is incredible. One question if I decide to follow you, what will you do with the people you gather?”

He wasn’t a plant; he had stepped out by his own will.

Yuri nodded with a soft smile. Someone stepping forward was proof his message had reached them.

“We’ll form a volunteer army. I sold my family inheritance to buy weapons and equipment. All you need is a body and a will. I’ll make it so anyone can fight for Joachim! I’ll even pay you a salary! Anyone who wants to join, come!”

“Seems the mat vendor had quite the fortune.”

“All thanks to my ancestors. So, what do you say? Will you join?”

“I’m strong, but I don’t know how to fight. I haven’t even learned that mana method thing. Can I still join?”

“I’ll teach you. With your muscles, you’ll pick up the basics fast.”

Yuri knew various mana techniques used by soldiers and mercenaries. Not as advanced as the Briol Method or Laurent’s Lion Heart, but enough to train civilians.

“Alright. I want to join. I can’t stand seeing Joachim look like a country of cowards!”

“As long as there are righteous people like you, no one will dare look down on Joachim!”

From that moment, more brave souls began to gather. Soon, they were in the dozens.

Yuri shook hands with each one and introduced himself. At that moment, the soldiers Yuri had thrown returned with reinforcements.

But seeing the crowd that had formed, they were clearly flustered.

“W-what is this? Are you planning a rebellion!?”

Yuri pointed at them.

“We are merely gathering those who want to fight for their country. A rebellion!? How dare you insult us like that!? The time has come for us to defend our nation!”

“Let’s defend Joachim!”

When the soldiers charged, this time it was Laurent and Jared who stepped in. They used mana techniques to hurl the soldiers into the air.

Upon seeing people fly like toys, praise for their strength spread quickly.

The number of volunteer soldiers recruited by Yuri continued to grow.

The citizens of Joachim, seeing how volunteers gathered, murmured among themselves.

“People are rallying in the blink of an eye. It seems the country isn’t entirely lost.”

“That’s right. Who would’ve thought today’s youth had patriotism?”

“But did you hear this? They say someone else also rose up courageously. That their strength is incredible…”

“Really?”

“Yes. What was the name? Ho… Ho…”

“Ho?”

“Hopper, maybe?”

***

Though Joachim’s lords were clearing the way, some rebelled against the Empire and initiated confrontations.

But it was a reckless struggle.

Not only were they at a disadvantage in troop quality, but when Yalta, one of the Ten Greats, entered the fray, the battle became completely one-sided.

“They’re not strong enough to make cutting them feel satisfying.”

Yalta swung his massive sword like it was cutting weeds, tearing his opponents to pieces. It didn’t matter if they were knights or soldiers—everyone was minced meat before him.

The feudal lord who had risen up to at least delay the Empire’s advance clenched his teeth as he watched his troops being sacrificed in vain.

“That’s the power of the Ten Greats? Damn it…”

Though their knights and soldiers were weaker, at least they could put up some exchange.

But as soon as Yalta appeared, everything unraveled. He reaped human lives like stalks of rice.

The lord was about to give the order to retreat.

It was then—

“Need some help?”

A voice sounded behind him. Startled, the lord turned around. He hadn’t sensed any presence.

“Who are you…?”

A tall and handsome man stood there.

His body was large and muscular, yet his face was so neat it created a curious contrast.

“W-who are you?”

“I’m Hopper, native of Joachim, trained in the mountains.”

“Hopper?”

“Hopo, well, whichever you prefer. Let’s go with Hopper.”

Being a knight trained in mana techniques, the lord could tell this “Hopper” was no ordinary man.

Hopper said,

“I trained with the sky as my roof and the earth as my pillow, but upon seeing what’s happening in Joachim, I grew indignant and came down from the mountain.”

“I-is that so?”

“Seems you’re in trouble. Allow me to assist.”

Then he pointed directly at the battlefield center, where Yalta moved freely.

“I’ll show that Imperial dog the taste of Joachim’s whip.”

“Do you know who that is? He’s one of the Ten Greats…”

“So what?”

Hopper drew his sword.

“So that so-called ‘Ten Great’ is greater than Joachim?”

One man versus all of Joachim. Those two weights couldn’t be equal. The lord was at a loss for words.

Hopper stepped forward and said,

“I may just be a nameless nobody, but for my country, I’ll fight anyone—even one of the Ten Greats.”

The lord felt as if a hammer had struck him in the head.

“How could a man like this exist…?”

Of course, Hopper wasn’t just a nobody. He was Jose of Brusen, a warrior on par with the Ten Greats, whose name was already making the rounds among the people. But the lord couldn’t know that.

Jose, with sword in hand, advanced toward Yalta. Amid the battlefield chaos, the two recognized each other.

“I tried to kill Gert to become one of the Ten Greats, but I failed.”

Jose, wearing the slime mask, murmured as he pointed his sword at Yalta. Yalta’s lips curved into a smirk.

Although the Ten Greats were labeled as the continent’s ten strongest warriors, that didn’t mean they were all equal.

Just as Fiore was considered the strongest among them, there were clear differences.

And in Jose’s eyes, Yalta was beneath Fiore, beneath Moyongchan, and even below Gert.

That’s why, if he couldn’t beat this Yalta, he had no right to claim a spot among the Ten Greats.

Jose smiled as Yalta approached.

“This time, I’ve got to become one of the Ten Greats. It’s time Brusen had one too.”

Of course, if he defeated Yalta now, it wouldn’t be Jose of Brusen who rose to the ranks—it would be the so-called Hopper from Joachim’s mountains… But in the heat of pre-battle excitement, he didn’t think that far.

Yalta and Jose charged at each other like beasts, their swords clashing.

A shockwave exploded.

The nearby troops were sent flying by the force of the impact.

“What a breathtaking scene…”

The lord watching the duel stood agape.

That someone capable of going toe-to-toe with Yalta had been hiding in Joachim’s mountains—if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he never would’ve believed it.

The lord murmured, his gaze dazed,

“Chaotic times have awakened heroes.”