Chapter 204: Friends (2)

As soon as he arrived at the royal palace of Brusen, Yuri was invited directly to the throne room.

The king of Brusen, whom he had already met before, welcomed him with great hospitality.

“I’m glad to see you again. You’re no longer a prince, but a member of the imperial family, huh? Last time I promised to invite you to a lavish banquet, but given the circumstances, I don’t think it’s possible. I hope you understand.”

“Yes. I understand. So I hope that next time you treat me to an even more splendid banquet.”

“Of course, absolutely.”

Yuri gave a faint smile.

In Brusen, the “full banquet” was like an empty promise used to soften the sorrow of parting. More than the banquet itself, what mattered was the gesture and goodwill behind those words.

“I’m very sorry about the former king and your brother.”

“No problem.”

After offering condolences for Fiore and Cedric, the king of Brusen brought something out.

“Have a drink.”

“This is…”

It was wine. Upon seeing the bottle, Yuri’s eyes widened.

“Isn’t that Sabonne Mukara, more valuable than gold by weight?”

“You know wine?”

“A little.”

He’d learned from Yekaterina.

“These days it’s even more expensive. There may never be another chance to try it, so I wanted to drink it with you.”

“Ah…”

The region of Alas, where Brusen and the Holy Kingdom were currently fighting, was famous for producing the most exclusive wines.

And among them, Sabonne Mukara was the pinnacle.

“The vineyards were burned.”

“Pardon?”

“And it seems even the master vintner disappeared. It’ll be difficult to produce it again. Maybe Sabonne Mukara can never be tasted again.”

Even now it was a gem among wine collectors, but if what he said was true, it would become even more prized over time. That wine alone was enough to be considered a full banquet.

Yuri accepted the glass the king personally offered and bowed respectfully.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. You’ve come to help us, haven’t you?”

The king of Brusen sighed.

“I don’t know why that lunatic from the Holy Kingdom is suddenly acting like this. Ah, didn’t you have some connection with her? Even so, it can’t be helped.”

“I understand.”

“What’s gotten into her? Did the Empire really offer her something?”

Yuri shrugged.

“I came to find out. Let’s end this war.”

“If anyone else said that, I’d think they were delusional. But if you say it, I can believe it. Come on, drink! Bottoms up!”

“Yes.”

Even though it was an extremely valuable wine, the king of Brusen clinked his glass forcefully like it was cheap beer and drank it all in one go. When the wine dripped from the corner of his lips, he wiped it off with his sleeve without care.

“Thanks to Jose we managed to hold them off at Alas, but that’s as far as we got. With the difference in the number of priests, the wear is getting worse. If a Holy Knight shows up, we’ll lose.”

Holy Knight was the name of a legendary paladin, one of the Great Ten.

It was known he had withdrawn from worldly affairs and lived in seclusion, but if the entire Holy Kingdom became engulfed in war, there was a chance he might return.

Even Yuri didn’t know much about him. In his past life, the Holy Knight had never shown himself.

“Be careful if you go to the Holy Kingdom. The fighting at the border hasn’t stopped. Both sides shoot to kill anything that comes from the other.”

“Understood.”

Thanks to him, Yuri heard news about Froin and Jonathan.

Jonathan held a high position and was leading troops, and Froin stood out on the front lines.

“The ones from the former alliance are doing well. Is that your doing?”

“They were always capable people.”

“Haha, I see. When do you plan to go to the Holy Kingdom?”

“As soon as possible.”

“I’d like to tell you to take it slow, but given the situation there’s no choice. It’s already enough dealing with the Empire, and now the Holy Kingdom pulls this stunt.”

“Are you still keeping an eye on the Empire?”

“Of course.”

The king of Brusen smiled confidently.

“I’m not a fool. Not enough to forget who the real enemy is. You think I don’t know the Empire is behind the Holy Kingdom? Look what they did in Briol and Liberta. We’re already fighting the Empire. That’s why, more than ever, we must strengthen our alliance.”

“That’s right.”

Yuri nodded.

When one focused too much on the immediate problem, it was easy to lose sight of what really mattered. But the king of Brusen hadn’t forgotten the alliance.

It was a great relief.

Yuri looked him in the eyes and declared:

“I’ll make sure the alliance survives.”

“I hope so. And is Liberta doing well?”

“Yes. They said they expelled Donchich.”

“Thanks to that oriental foreigner, right? The guest of Briol.”

“That’s right.”

“Then Liberta owes one to Briol. I want to owe you a favor too, so count on me.”

“I’ll do everything I can.”

“But don’t overdo it.”

As he poured more wine, the king added:

“The Empire is waiting. When this conflict ends, who knows what they plan to do. That worries me more.”

Yuri nodded.

Surely Cedric had headed to the Empire.

He didn’t know when the dark army he might have created would appear. Perhaps the Holy Kingdom was just a distraction to buy time.

But even if it was all part of the enemy’s plan, he had no other choice. Only by facing what was in front of him could he be ready to fight the Empire.

“You’re not leaving today, are you?”

“No. I’ll leave tomorrow.”

“Then for now, drink.”

The king of Brusen served more Sabonne Mukara.

“Magnificent. Let’s hope the missing vintner is still alive somewhere.”

***

The next day, Yuri departed from the royal palace of Brusen and headed toward the Holy Kingdom.

Avoiding the Alas region, where fighting still continued, he took a route passing through the border zone where both countries maintained opposing lines.

“From here, only a few of us will proceed.”

If he brought too many knights, the Holy Kingdom might see it as a threat.

“Jared, Simon, Guinness. Just the four of us will go.”

“Isn’t that too few?”

“The more of us there are, the more suspicion we’ll raise.”

After obtaining permission from the marquis governing the region, Yuri left the Order of Vengeance in his care and departed for the Holy Kingdom with the three chosen companions.

They carried a white flag to show they had no hostile intent.

In the distance, a watch post came into view.

Jared asked,

“What if they shoot an arrow at us?”

“Then you block it… or die.”

Soon, commotion broke out at the Holy Kingdom’s post as they spotted Yuri and his group.

The soldiers moved quickly, and shortly after, they raised a white flag in return.

“Let’s go.”

Yuri’s group picked up speed.

Soon after, a mounted knight appeared, surrounded by soldiers with drawn bows. He wore white armor—likely from the Sacred Order.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Yuri Briol.”

The knight raised his eyebrows. Yuri continued,

“I’m a member of Briol’s imperial family and have come as an envoy to meet the queen.”

“Just a moment…”

The knight stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

“Follow me.”

As he turned, the soldiers lowered their bows in unison. The movement was perfectly coordinated—they were well trained.

Guided by the knight, Yuri crossed the checkpoint and entered the Holy Kingdom.

The atmosphere was grim. Even amidst war, Brusen had a certain vitality, but in the Holy Kingdom, there wasn’t a single smile.

As he looked at the people’s faces, Yuri murmured to Jared,

“Everyone looks like they’ve been chewing shit.”

“Looks like they’re not eating well.”

“Or maybe we scare them.”

Just then, the knight turned around, and Yuri and Jared straightened up, slightly tense.

“Since you arrived without notice, I’m not sure how to proceed, but the local lord instructed me to receive you. We’ll escort you to the royal castle.”

“Thank you.”

Escorted by the knight and several soldiers, Yuri soon reached the local lord’s castle.

Once in the reception hall, they were served food.

“You may eat while you wait.”

The food was quite good. Under different circumstances, Yuri might have been cautious, but he began eating without hesitation. The others followed suit.

Soon after, the plates were empty.

Yuri patted his belly and said,

“Definitely, those long faces weren’t from hunger.”

“No kidding.”

Just then, the door opened and someone entered.

Yuri turned his head to see who it was—and his eyes widened.

“Huh?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has.”

The newcomer was unexpected.

“Fenek. You look better than I imagined.”

“Do I?”

“I thought you’d be underground already, pale and blue-faced. But you’ve got good color.”

“I was close, but I survived by a miracle.”

It was Fenek, who had fought alongside Yuri in the old alliance. He seemed to have arrived in a hurry—he was panting.

Yuri had thought he’d disappeared during the purge of Larsson’s followers, but it seemed he was still hanging on.

Fenek approached Yuri and bowed.

“It’s good to see you again. Are you here to see Sybilla… I mean, Her Majesty?”

“Yes.”

“Go back the way you came. No matter what you say, she won’t listen. The queen isn’t the same anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“That…”

Fenek sighed.

“I’ll just say she’s not who she used to be.”

“I have to see her anyway.”

Yuri leaned back in his chair.

“You know me, right? You don’t expect me to turn around just because of that.”

“Haaah…”

Fenek sighed again.

“Prince.”

“Yes?”

“How far are you willing to go?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you’re wary of the Empire. But if Her Majesty is connected to them… what will you do?”

Yuri looked at him.

He studied the shadow on his face, then gave a faint smile.

“I think the question is for you. Fenek, what are you planning to do?”

“You answer first.”

“Has Sybilla changed that much?”

“Yes.”

“What’s she like now?”

“Literally a tyrant. She gets worse and worse. It’s like she’s possessed by a demon…”

“I see…”

Yuri lowered his gaze, thoughtful.

If Sybilla had truly fallen into darkness due to black magic, then there was no place for a happy ending.

“I think you already know what I’m thinking.”

Fenek had been a follower of Larsson. But Larsson was dead, and Sybilla, having become someone entirely different, had started this war.

In that case, the only logical conclusion for former dissidents was one.

“But first… I’ll see her with my own eyes and judge.”

“If after seeing her, you decide there’s no salvation, will you cooperate with us?”

“You talk like you’re sure.”

“I am. Even though our relationship wasn’t close, I was with Her Majesty for a long time. I’m not saying this lightly.”

“Right. I understand.”

Yuri nodded.

Fenek wasn’t someone to get involved in a conspiracy without cause.

“Then tell me. Who’s behind all this?”

“…”

“Who made the decision? Who’s leading this operation?”

“Holy Knight.”

“What?”

Yuri stared at him.

“Holy Knight has risen, and now the temple and the entire Sacred Order follow him.”

“Why doesn’t he act directly, then?”

He was one of the Great Ten, with absolute support from the temple. He could have shown his power directly, without a conspiracy.

But Fenek didn’t answer.

Yuri clicked his tongue.

“Don’t tell me he’s sick too.”

“He is.”

“I see…”

Yuri stood up.

“This isn’t the time for chit-chat. This local lord is on your side, right?”

“Yes. He’s part of the same group.”

“Group?”

“A secret society called the Order of Rescue, formed to save the Holy Kingdom.”

“Well organized.”

“When Sybilla ascended the throne, we all felt something was wrong. All of us, literally.”

“Then let’s not waste time. Let’s go right now.”

“Yes.”

Yuri left the room with Fenek.

In the hallway, a middle-aged man awaited, who bowed upon seeing Yuri.

Fenek explained,

“This is the lord of Erend.”

“Prince… no, Your Highness. I’ve heard about you. Forgive me for not giving you a proper welcome.”

“What are you saying? The Holy Kingdom is in crisis. I’ve already received the best hospitality possible.”

Yuri patted him on the shoulder.

“Next time, we’ll talk more calmly.”

“Yes.”

“The food was excellent. Thank you. Now then…”

“Take care on your journey.”

Immediately after leaving the castle, Yuri rode with Fenek toward the royal castle of the Holy Kingdom.

Perhaps, at the end of this journey, he would have to kill Sybilla.

Clenching his fist, Yuri pictured her face.