Chapter 163: Ten Greats (1)

Yuri was sitting at the table in his room, scribbling something.

Jared, who stood behind him, tilted his head.

“What are you writing so intently?”

“I’m organizing.”

“Organizing what?”

“About the Ten Greats.”

“Ah…”

The Ten Greats were the ten most powerful individuals on the continent.

Though there could be people with comparable abilities who weren’t on the list, being part of the Ten Greats held enormous symbolic value.

“The first would be His Majesty, right?”

“Of course.”

First, Fiore Briol.

He had left behind countless legendary anecdotes and was undoubtedly recognized as the number one swordsman among the Ten Greats.

Yuri’s father and king of Briol, he was the firmest pillar of their forces.

“He’s on our side.”

“Well, being His Majesty, that’s a given.”

Next was Moyongchan.

A swordsman who suddenly appeared in the East and had settled as a guest in Briol. He was also Yuri’s master.

It was rumored he spoke the continental language fluently.

“Also on our side.”

“Lately, Master Moyongchan has been training Sir Jose and Sir Bernard mercilessly.”

“An ideal situation.”

Next came Gert.

He was believed to have destroyed Adelein as a bloodthirsty monster, but in reality, he was a knight who tried to protect his nation.

“He’s gone.”

“Yes. He left.”

Then there was Inariel.

The only wandering elf in the world, a special being who, despite being a mage, was part of the Ten Greats.

Although not officially affiliated with any country, they could consider him an ally. However, Inariel, who had traveled with them from Joachim, disappeared before arriving at the royal castle.

“Half on our side.”

“But he’s helping us, right?”

“Unknown. Plus, he left before reaching Briol.”

“Maybe something urgent came up.”

“Let’s say he’s only half on our side.”

“Isn’t that a bit harsh…?”

“Then let’s call it two-thirds on our side.”

“Perfect.”

Then came Cruar.

If Inariel was the last elf, Cruar was the last dragon.

But his circumstances were somewhat different. Considering elves lived protected within the World Tree’s barrier, Cruar, as the only survivor and solitary one, could indeed be called the true last of his kind.

He had taken Cory away to save him, whose Dragon Tongue had awakened… but they hadn’t heard from them since.

“Could he have eaten him?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“This one counts only as one-third on our side.”

“So the other two-thirds are against us?”

“That’s right.”

“Why? He even helped Cory…”

“Because he has ties to the Empire.”

“Didn’t they put a bounty on him for burning a village?”

“And that’s why they made a deal.”

Cruar, in the past, had burned down a village in the Empire, which caused the enraged emperor to place a bounty on his head.

Unable to capture him, the emperor tried sending several of the Ten Greats after him.

Then Cruar appeared directly in the imperial palace and negotiated with the emperor.

Since then, he had no further conflicts with the Empire. He even offered occasional aid.

What kind of pact they made was unknown, but that’s why Cruar was considered aligned with the Empire.

“If not for Cory, we’d count him directly as an enemy.”

“Thankfully… Cory is a real good-luck charm.”

“I’d like to see him… Cruar’s probably bothering him a lot.”

“His sacrifice is protecting the kingdom.”

Next came the Holy Knight.

A sacred knight who lived secluded in the Holy Kingdom.

He didn’t participate in external events, so his situation was unknown, but due to his character, it was reasonable to classify him as a potential ally against the Empire.

Someone like Holy Knight couldn’t view an Empire corrupted by dark magic favorably.

“We’ll count him as a potential ally. Lately relations with the Holy Kingdom are good.”

“Is Larsson really going to inherit the throne?”

“Most likely.”

“He doesn’t inspire much confidence. Lady Sybilla is much better.”

“Nothing to be done.”

“Does Holy Knight follow the king’s orders?”

“He’s more tied to the temple, but since the king of the Holy Kingdom is considered God’s representative, if war breaks out, he’ll obey.”

“That’s a relief. So do we count him as two-thirds on our side?”

“Hmm…”

Yuri scratched something out with his pen.

“Today I’m feeling generous. I’ll count him as a full ally.”

“Isn’t that a bit too convenient?”

“Since the ones left are all with the Empire, let me have this one at least.”

“Alright.”

In front of the list Yuri had written so far, he wrote.

“Yalta. Dead.”

Yalta, the barbarian of the Empire.

More useful in war than among the powerful, because he lacked common sense. It was a relief to have eliminated him before the war started.

Since there was no successor for his position yet, it could be considered vacant.

“There are two vacancies.”

“Gert’s death hasn’t been announced, right?”

“No. For now, he’ll still be listed as Gert. Maybe for a long time.”

Then came the Dark Knight.

A masked knight who followed the emperor’s orders. Nothing was known of his origin, except that he had deep faith.

He appeared suddenly and, alongside Yalta, eliminated everything that obstructed the emperor, becoming his sword.

His feats placed him among the highest of the Ten Greats.

“I like that one.”

“Excuse me?”

“We share a religious life.”

“Couldn’t we bring him to our side?”

“He’s not someone who can’t separate the personal from the professional. It’s a shame, but he’s an enemy.”

Then came the Tyrant of the North, Donchich.

He had been granted the northern forest by the emperor and lived there as he pleased. Since his intelligence wasn’t high, he was more beast than thinking being, unlike the other Ten Greats.

But his destructive power was immense. Ogres were already fearsome by nature, and Donchich was an aberration even among them.

He was loyal to the emperor, but uncontrollable.

In the past life, the Empire would unleash him onto the battlefield, let him destroy everything, and then retrieve him.

He was more weapon than soldier.

“An ogre… is he very big?”

“Very big.”

“I’ve never seen one…”

“He lives in the far north. Plus, there aren’t many. Donchich is the biggest of them all.”

“How big?”

“Like a building.”

“Bigger than Cruar?”

“Yes.”

“That’s terrifying…”

“Not words a knight should say, Jared. For a knight, a big enemy only means a bigger target. Understand?”

“So will His Highness face him?”

“We’ll see.”

“Understood.”

Lastly, the Emperor’s Shadowless Sword.

Nothing was known about their appearance, identity, or even name. The only thing people ever saw were the corpses left behind.

He killed the emperor’s enemies on command and disappeared. He moved literally like an absent shadow.

If the Dark Knight was the sword of the day, he was the sword of the night.

“Even I don’t know much.”

“Is he a real person?”

“Some doubt it, but I’m sure he exists.”

In the past life, the Shadowless Sword never appeared openly. Occasionally, key figures who opposed the Empire would turn up dead, but there was no direct proof he had killed them.

“Maybe he’s the most fearsome enemy. Precisely because nothing is known.”

“Sounds like an assassin.”

“It does, but he defeated people far too powerful to be just an assassin.”

The Shadowless Sword killed a former member of the Ten Greats and quietly took his place.

It wasn’t a sneak attack. There were clear signs of a fierce battle.

What was strange was that only the dead member’s sword marks were found everywhere; the Shadowless Sword left no trace.

The only evidence was a sword wound on the dead man’s neck—clearly not his own.

That was all the Shadowless Sword left behind.

“And that’s the Ten Greats.”

“Now that I see, I’m familiar with most of them. I really have risen up.”

“Thanks to me, right? Admit it?”

“I admit it.”

“That’s right, admit it!”

In summary, the Ten Greats who were allies or potential allies were:

Fiore, Moyongchan, Holy Knight, Inariel.

And those who were enemies or potential enemies:

Dark Knight, Donchich, Cruar, and the Shadowless Sword.

“Shouldn’t we consider Cruar as neutral? He doesn’t seem like the type who would join the war for the Empire…”

“I’m assuming the worst-case scenario. Better to add him later than to suddenly count him now.”

“That makes sense. Then there are two vacancies.”

“Gert’s spot will remain empty, so a new person should fill the other one.”

As long as Gert’s death wasn’t announced, his name would remain listed, so only one spot was vacant.

“If Sir Jose joins, we’d have two on our side.”

“That’s true. But there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“The Ten Greats aren’t everything.”

Yuri shrugged.

“This is more of a noble gossip topic. How can it be exactly divided into just ten people? Maybe there’s someone stronger who isn’t listed.”

Combat strength wasn’t something that could be measured precisely.

Unless it was someone like Fiore Briol, who was on a completely different level, those at the edge like Yalta weren’t so different from other great warriors.

“It’s true that Sir Jose is strong. But is there that much difference between him and the cavalry captains of the Empire?”

“I couldn’t say…”

“That’s what’s scary about the Empire. They have several of the Ten Greats, but also many more who are at that level.”

The Empire was superior in all its basic forces.

Even though Briol was the country of knights, the Empire had many more. And each captain was evaluated as someone with potential to be one of the Ten Greats.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. We have our own too.”

“Oh, really?”

“We may not be part of the Ten Greats, but Sir Laurent and I are at that level.”

“Hmm…”

“Just kidding, just kidding. Don’t make that face.”

“I didn’t make any face.”

“Sure, sure… In any case, at least we have you, Your Highness.”

“That’s true.”

“Now you’re smiling all of a sudden.”

But even in the faction seeking to stop the Empire, there was hope. That hope was Yuri himself.

By defeating Yalta alone, Yuri had proven that he was already at the level of the Ten Greats.

Having a warrior of such caliber remain unnoticed by the enemy was a valuable strategic asset.

Although deep down, he still didn’t feel at ease. He hadn’t fully mastered that power.

The Heavenly Demon. He didn’t know when that power might completely devour him.

“All done. I’ve finished organizing it.”

“The one that worries me most is the Shadowless Sword.”

“And why, if I have my father?”

“Well, that’s true…”

Yuri folded the sheet with his notes and set it aside, then spread out a map.

The vast territories of the Empire and the surrounding countries appeared. Yuri circled the Empire’s border. That’s where Joachim was located.

“The Empire attacked here.”

“They say they tried poisoning. Though it was probably just an excuse…”

“That may be, but the Emperor likely truly believed it.”

“Huh?”

Yuri recalled the letter sent by Asana. She had witnessed the moment the Emperor was poisoned.

It likely wasn’t Joachim, but Eugen, or someone else possessed by dark magic, who administered the poison to provoke him.

According to Asana, the Emperor had already gone mad long before. Prolonged exposure to dark magic had completely consumed him.

“The Alloy Mountains are fortified. They already have knights specialized in mountain combat. Attacking there is costly.”

“Then?”

“Like with Joachim, the Empire will strike fast. And aim straight at the heart.”

Yuri marked four more countries.

Liberta, the Holy Kingdom, Brusen, and Briol. Geographically, the closest was Liberta, followed by the Holy Kingdom.

“These four stand in the Empire’s way.”

“Correct.”

“But they won’t attack Briol immediately.”

Fiore Briol was still in his prime. In the past life, the Empire didn’t dare touch Briol until Fiore suddenly disappeared.

Yuri marked the Holy Kingdom.

“I feel it’ll be here.”

“Really?”

“Among the other three, it’s the strongest and the closest. Plus, temples are spread across the continent.”

“What if the temples rebel?”

“That’s why they have to be eliminated first.”

He was nearly certain. In his past life, the Empire destroyed Joachim and then ravaged the Holy Kingdom.

The Emperor even proclaimed himself the representative of God.

“Liberta wouldn’t be as impactful. But if they quickly defeat the Holy Kingdom, the path clears. They can attack Brusen directly and surround the small kingdoms.”

“I see. You’re very smart, Your Highness.”

“Read it in books.”

“Yes, sir.”

While tapping the map, Yuri murmured.

“If they attack the Holy Kingdom, the other countries will react immediately. Liberta, Brusen, Briol, and even the smaller kingdoms.”

“An anti-Empire alliance?”

“Exactly.”

Yuri took out letter paper from a drawer.

“It’s time to call my brothers.”

It was time for Cedric and Joshua to return from Française.

Deep down, he wanted to let them stay and focus on their studies, but it was no longer possible.

The entire continent would be dragged into war.

“The situation isn’t bad.”

Fortunately, it was much better than in the past life.

There were no orcs attacking the borders, Joachim hadn’t fallen, and the entire continent was on alert due to the Empire’s movements.

“Now we just wait.”

***

The entire continent was tense.

Yuri’s assessment was logical, and that’s why all the continent’s scholars kept watch on the relationship between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.

Something was about to happen. But the Empire defied expectations.

“Donchich is destroying Liberta!”

Upon hearing the messenger, Yuri’s eyes widened.