Chapter 176: The White Bird (1)

The imperial army was drawing ever closer.

Reports about the main force kept arriving at the royal palace. Its size was considerable, and the level of its knights, formidable.

However, Briol had no intention of yielding even a single city. Briol’s army decided to confront them at the fortress on the border.
All the renowned knights would go into battle.

Yuri, Laurent, and Jared would be no exception.

“Haa, haa…”

As evening fell, Laurent was swinging his sword alone on the training grounds.

“Damn it…”

Uncharacteristically, he cursed and collapsed to the ground.

Laurent was frustrated.

He had witnessed Yuri’s incredible growth with his own eyes.

When he had first joined the allied army and knelt in respect, the difference between them wasn’t that great.

He knew Yuri was strong, but believed that if he worked hard, he could catch up.

But that hadn’t happened.

Now, he was nothing more than a burden. Maybe he no longer belonged at his side. That thought filled him with unease.

Laurent muttered,

“It’s not enough…”

He gripped his sword tightly.

“I can’t be a burden. Not anymore… not to the prince…”

When they faced the 9th Imperial Knight Squadron, he hadn’t been able to help in the slightest.

While his eyes were closed from the Turtle Breathing Technique, Yuri had fought all those knights on his own.

The reason he chose to do that was clear—it was more effective to act alone. And he hadn’t been wrong. Yuri had even killed the commander of the 9th squadron.

The difference was vast. Laurent clenched his teeth.

He remembered the first time he’d heard about the third prince from his father, Lian Flandre.

The Imperial Prince, Georg. An opponent before whom anyone would hesitate.

Even kings of medium-sized nations would bow first. But the third prince wasn’t like that.

Over a simple maid, he had risked his life in a duel to the death. That story had remained engraved in his heart.

He had wanted to meet him someday. And when that day came, he wanted to be the strongest knight possible and protect him by his side.

When the allied army formed and he heard he would fight alongside him, he could barely sleep from the excitement. It felt like a dream come true.

That’s how he met the third prince. Since he was younger, he thought he might lack something.

And if he did, Laurent wanted to make up for it himself. But he was wrong.

The third prince was so admirable, he needed no concern. He ate the same food as the soldiers, slept in the same barracks.

He was the first to charge into battle, and the last to leave. He never hid, no matter how brutal the war was.

He always led from the front, taking enemy blows, showing only his back to his allies.

In a world full of vain nobles and false knights, a royal who fulfilled duties that no one else honored possessed unmatched nobility.

Laurent made a decision.

He would fight for him all his life. That feeling hadn’t faded at all.

But another problem had arisen. He had become a burden to the prince.

And that tormented him.

He had always been considered a sword prodigy, unmatched among his peers, but the third prince had left him behind effortlessly.

He was a genius that defied all logic.

“Ugh… damn it…”

Laurent stood again and swung his sword. Over and over, his blade cut through the air.

His technique, usually precise, became rough.

That’s when he heard a voice.

“Seems like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”

Laurent turned immediately and saluted respectfully.

“Ah, greetings, Your Highness.”

It was Cedric.

As always, he wore glasses and a gentle smile.

“The edge of your sword is trembling. Something wrong?”

“No… it’s just…”

Laurent hesitated, and Cedric approached him. As he drew near, the air seemed to grow warmer.

Cedric gave a faint smile.

“It’s been a long time since I left the sword behind, but I still remember a few things.”

He then picked up one of the swords Laurent had nearby and swung it through the air.

Seeing the perfect trajectory of the cut, Laurent couldn’t help but be impressed.

“That’s amazing.”

“Just that?”

Yuri used to say his older brother was a genius in both literature and martial arts.

He thought maybe that was just brotherly praise, but it wasn’t. Even though Cedric had put down the sword long ago, a few movements were enough to reveal his level.

Even someone like Laurent, who had wielded a sword all his life, didn’t seem superior.

“What do you think?”

Cedric turned with a smile, and for a moment, Yuri’s face overlapped with his.

Maybe it was because they were brothers and resembled each other. But unlike Yuri, Cedric radiated a different kind of warmth.

Laurent replied without thinking.

“You’re incredible.”

“Hmm, you do it better.”

“I’m a knight, Your Highness. But you…”

“Am just a bespectacled bookworm?”

“No, of course not. That’s not what I meant…”

“I’m joking.”

Cedric laughed, and Laurent understood why Yuri admired his older brother so much.

“Are you feeling anxious about Yuri?”

“Well…”

Cedric, still holding the sword, sat beside him.

“You want to follow in his footsteps, but the gap between you keeps growing, right?”

“Hmm…”

“I get it.”

Laurent looked at him.

“We all feel that way.”

Cedric said this while looking up at the sky. His glasses shimmered, reflecting the sunlight.

Laurent asked,

“Do you feel that way too, Your Highness?”

“Me?”

Cedric gave a vague smile.

“Laurent, why do you admire Yuri so much?”

“Why…?”

Laurent tilted his head.

“It’s hard to explain. From the first time I saw him… or rather, heard about him… I was just drawn to him.”

“A kind of human admiration?”

“Yes, that’s it. And I don’t think I’m the only one. I’m sure everyone who’s been with the prince feels the same way I do.”

The moment he said it, Laurent regretted it.

Even if the brothers got along, praising Yuri’s popularity so much in front of the future king could be careless.

But Cedric nodded as if it didn’t matter.

“Yes… my brother is like that.”

“Yes…”

“Laurent, you trust Yuri a lot, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.”

“You’ll follow him to the end?”

“Of course.”

“No matter what happens?”

“Yes.”

Laurent nodded without hesitation. Ever since the day he heard Yuri’s sincere words before the battle against the orcs, he had sworn full loyalty.

Cedric let out an audible chuckle.

“That’s good. Keep doing that.”

“Thank you.”

“But… will you really be able to?”

“Pardon?”

Laurent looked at Cedric. He felt a strange discomfort run through him for a moment. But he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“Laurent.”

“Yes?”

“There aren’t many humans like you.”

The reflection on Cedric’s glasses made it impossible to see his eyes. But Laurent noticed that the tone of his voice had dropped significantly.

“Do you know the chaisae bird?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a bird with beautiful white feathers. But it’s also a miserable creature. It was so pretty that people started stuffing and selling it. That’s why it nearly went extinct. Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to see one in the wild.”

“I see.”

“Meanwhile, ugly birds reproduce endlessly. They say there are so many pigeons now that their droppings cover the palace square.”

“Haha…”

“Well, the chaisae may be beautiful, but in the end, it’s still just a bird. Even if it goes extinct.”

Laurent didn’t understand what that was about.

Maybe truly intelligent people also spoke differently—he had trouble following the conversation.

Cedric stood up.

“Anyway, all of that. Your effort, your devotion to Yuri—I find it admirable.”

“Thank you.”

“Even so, it won’t be enough. Falling behind is natural.”

“Pardon?”

“Française… is a beautiful place.”

Saying that, Cedric put down the practice sword and smiled softly. Laurent watched him, dazed.

Cedric turned to leave.

Somewhat puzzled, Laurent gave a polite bow to his back.

“Ah… have a good day, Your Highness.”

Cedric suddenly stopped.

“Laurent.”

“Yes?”

Cedric looked over his shoulder and said, as if casually,

“What cannot be… was simply made not to be, don’t you think?”

With that, he turned and walked away.

The moment Laurent heard those words, a chill ran down his spine.

He sensed no emotion in Cedric. It was as if he’d been speaking with a creature that merely looked human—but wasn’t truly human.

It felt like he had been under a spell.

Although Cedric smiled kindly and spoke as if offering advice… his words were unsettling.

“What was that…?”

Yuri’s proud voice came to mind, speaking of his older brother.

Everyone who knew Cedric always praised his character. Laurent had thought the same at the start of the conversation. But the longer they spoke, the more something had felt off.

Laurent shook his head.

“It must be a misunderstanding.”

Yes, it had to be a misunderstanding. Cedric had only been trying to encourage him, and he had simply misinterpreted it.

He wanted to believe that.

“Ah…”

But when he picked up the practice sword Cedric had used, he froze.

The blade was chipped and dull, as if something had worn it down. Though it looked normal on the outside, it could no longer be considered a functional sword.

He had only swung it a few times through the air—how could it have been damaged like that?

Laurent looked in the direction Cedric had gone. But he was no longer in sight.

Laurent remained motionless for a long while, overwhelmed by a sense of unease he couldn’t shake.

No matter how hard he tried to stay positive, he couldn’t.

Suddenly, Cedric’s voice echoed in his mind:

“Française… is a beautiful place.”

Laurent shook his head. It was just an illusion.

But for some reason, the hand holding the broken sword trembled slightly.

***

Yuri was marching with the army toward the border.

Along the way, they would stop in Française to join forces with the Flandre family.

In addition to them, troops from other Briol lords would also join.

Yuri rode at the front on horseback, and Laurent approached him to talk.

“Prince.”

“Oh, Laurent. Did you sleep well? Didn’t have a rough night?”

“Haha, yes.”

Laurent smiled, then asked,

“And His Majesty…?”

“He was delayed a bit to finish some matters. He’ll join us later. Now that Father is at the front, this war will go well.”

Yuri recalled all the battles he had fought in his past life without Fiore.

If Fiore had been there back then, the outcomes would have been very different.

“Then…”

Laurent hesitated, which was unusual for him. Yuri tilted his head.

“What is it? You want to go to Section 96?”

“Huh?”

“Just kidding. Jared couldn’t stop glancing over there…”

“What are you saying all of a sudden? Please stop!”

Jared shouted, which was a bit disrespectful for someone speaking to a prince, but the knights around them, already used to Yuri’s jokes, burst into laughter.

Laurent also laughed.

“So, what’s up?”

“I wanted to ask… won’t the crown prince be joining this war?”

“My older brother is more of a scholar than a knight. Though if he had to, he could fight as well as the average knight. This time, he chose to handle supplies in the rear. Why?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Ah, right. He told me he saw you at the palace. Is that what this is about?”

Laurent looked up, visibly surprised. Yuri smiled.

“He said he saw you training too hard, so he advised you to take it easy. He also said he admired your dedication and told me to prepare myself so you wouldn’t surpass me. My brother rarely praises anyone, but it seems he really likes you, Laurent.”

“Ah, I see…”

Laurent nodded, his face stiff.

Yuri didn’t notice his expression because he was looking ahead, and continued speaking.

“When the war is over, you two should talk. Didn’t you tell me you even did a little sparring? He said your technique was very refined.”

“Understood.”

Laurent replied, but inside, he felt confused. The crown prince had said that? No…

And they hadn’t done any sparring.

Something didn’t add up.

To be precise—it was Cedric who didn’t add up.