Chapter 229: Recapturing Bezos (3)

The ronins’ food, jjajangmyeon, won over Yuri’s palate.

“Wow…”

Cheongun bowed with his fists together.

“Ronin food, many. Jjamppong, tangsuyuk. I serve someday.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Thus, the squad of ronin led by Yuri continued relentlessly attacking the supply convoys heading to Bezos, fueled by the taste of their homeland.

Although the Empire gradually strengthened their escort, whenever there was a lapse in attention, Yuri would sneak in alone, set fires, and escape, causing massive delays in supplies.

But the worst was the extreme fatigue of the Imperial troops stationed in Bezos due to the constant attacks. Not knowing when the next would strike, they lived in a state of unrelenting alert, day and night, wearing down their nerves.

Soon, rumors began to spread about the horde of beggars from the East.

With all sorts of exaggerations added in, the Easterners stopped being seen as human and were turned into mysterious creatures, half-men, half-ogres.

Although the Imperial army suspected it was all a scheme by Briol, they had no effective solution.

Meanwhile, Briol’s army finished assembling and began marching toward Bezos.

“Now we’ll join the main force.”

With remnants of jjajangmyeon sauce at the corners of his mouth, Yuri declared before the ronin.

“My lord.”

“Yes?”

“On your mouth…”

Cheongun offered him a towel. Yuri wiped himself too late and coughed awkwardly.

“Anyway, this wandering life is over. Now it’s time for real battle.”

The number of ronin had decreased a bit. Some died in combat; others were executed by Yuri for breaking discipline.

The ones who remained were more orderly.

“This won’t be like the ambushes before, but full-scale war. I hope the brave men of the East won’t flee in fear.”

They all shook their heads after Cheongun’s translation.

“No, sir!”

They could now say things like “yes” and “no” in the common language of the continent.

“I can’t promise you’ll survive. But if you do, you’ll gain wealth and honor. This isn’t like the East. No matter where you come from, if you produce results, you’ll be rewarded. You’ll receive the same pay as Briol’s soldiers! Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Same work! Same pay!”

“Same work! Same pay!”

***

Briol’s army had already finished setting up their positions.

When Yuri arrived with the ronin squad, Ainzer Yustam came out to greet him.

“Your Highness! It’s been a long time.”

“It’s been a while, Sir Ainzer.”

“Oh…”

Ainzer scanned him from head to toe reflexively. While the act might have seemed rude, Yuri didn’t mind.

On the contrary, Yuri flexed his arm and asked,

“Impressive, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness. You’ve grown even more.”

“I’m still at a growing age.”

Yuri was barely in his twenties. He still had room to grow physically, and his sword skills kept climbing without pause.

Ainzer gave a wide smile.

“Marvelous. I feel like we could take Bezos right now.”

“Of course we can.”

Yuri glanced over his shoulder. In the distance, the castle of Bezos could be seen.

Once it fell, the imperial expeditionary army would lose its operational center and collapse.

After driving the enemy back, Briol would go on the offensive.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“No need to drag it out. We attack tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Yuri nodded toward Inariel, who had accompanied him.

“Sir Inariel will lend us a hand.”

“Ah…”

Ainzer greeted respectfully. He had already heard of the elven archmage with the appearance of a child.

“An honor to work with you.”

Inariel gave a slight nod.

“Sir Inariel here…”

Yuri laughed, threw an arm over his shoulder, and quickly withdrew it when met with a cold look.

“…can bring down an entire wall if he wants. No dispel can stop his magic.”

“Oooh…!”

“When the wall falls, we’ll charge in order of strength. Naturally, I’ll go first.”

“You’re serious??”

“Of course.”

“That sounds pretty risky…”

Ainzer pretended to get serious and then widened his eyes.

“But we’re talking about the Empire here!”

Yuri and Ainzer burst into laughter.

Maybe because adding his past life, Yuri was nearly a grown man already, he seemed to get along well with Ainzer.

“Alright. Can I be right behind you, Your Highness?”

“Sir Francesco, one of the Ten Greats, should be behind me, right?”

“But they say he still can’t use his mana properly.”

“Respect him, respect him.”

“Then, can I be third?”

“Figure it out however you want.”

Briol had many outstanding knights. While monsters like Yuri weren’t common, the rest were still far superior to those of other countries.

At that moment, Jared, who stood behind Yuri, cleared his throat.

“I’ll be there too, Your Highness. I’m fully confident in my skills as your escort.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Sir Ainzer… your belly’s grown a bit, hasn’t it?”

“Oh, that calls for a duel!”

As the two began bickering, other knights approached.

“What’s going on here?”

“They’re talking about order of strength?”

“Obviously, I’m…”

The welcome for Yuri took a back seat as everyone argued over who was the strongest.

The ronin watching the scene began whispering among themselves.

[This place is full of peak-level experts.]

[Any ordinary sect would be destroyed.]

[They won’t lose this war.]

Soon, the ronin received new clothes and equipment.

Once they shed their rags, the atmosphere changed completely. They looked like seasoned mercenaries hardened by a lifetime on the battlefield.

Yuri gave them a new name.

“From today, you will be the Foreign Legion. For now, you’re outsiders, but one day you will be one of us.”

“Yes, sir!”

“And so it doesn’t sound too plain… we’ll call you the Dreaded Foreign Legion.”

“Yes, sir!”

“We must instill fear in the enemy!”

“Long live Prince Yuri!”

The ronin, who just yesterday only knew how to say “yes” and “no,” suddenly began shouting cheers.

Yuri looked at Cheongun.

Cheongun smiled.

“I taught ‘long live.’ Essential battle cry.”

“Well done.”

“Long live the prince!”

“Yes, long live!”

Yuri patted him on the shoulder. He was a talent Yuri liked.

“Tomorrow will be a long day, so everyone get a good rest.”

“Yes!”

Then Yuri made his rounds through the barracks, checking on the troops. There were many familiar faces from past battles.

As always, since he treated everyone the same regardless of rank, the soldiers were glad to see him.

Night soon fell. Yuri gathered the main commanders to discuss the next day’s battle.

Bezos was just the beginning. He didn’t intend to waste time there.

“Tomorrow we attack at dawn. We’ll have dinner inside the castle of Bezos. How does that sound?”

Yuri’s plan was simple and bold.

As he had already explained to Ainzer, Inariel would bring down the wall and Yuri would charge in with an elite unit.

Then the rest of the army would sweep through.

“Basically… run and kill them all.”

“Isn’t that great?”

“Yes, it is.”

The outcome of this battle would soon be revealed.

***

As soon as the sun rose, Briol’s army advanced.

In response, Imperial soldiers climbed the walls of Bezos and readied their bows.

The confrontation had begun.

“Hmm…”

Yuri, at the front, gazed at the castle of Bezos.

The wall was high and solid. It was truly an iron fortress. It couldn’t be taken by ordinary means.

The last time they had handed over the castle to the Empire wasn’t because it fell in battle, but due to Fiore’s disappearance, the Française tragedy, and Yuri’s health.

Yuri looked at Inariel, who stood beside him.

“Sir Inariel.”

“Yes.”

“How do you feel today?”

Inariel, leaning on his staff, looked up at the sky.

The sky was clear and blue. White clouds floated like in a painting.

Blinking slowly, Inariel answered.

“Good.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Is it alright if I destroy a large portion of the castle?”

“Ah…”

Yuri squinted, examining the castle of Bezos.

“Well, after all, it’s our castle, so please destroy it… just enough. Just enough.”

“Just enough?”

“We don’t want to complicate the advance. Minimal damage to our troops, but don’t destroy the whole thing. Understand?”

“How demanding.”

“Just enough, just enough.”

“That’s the worst kind of request.”

Inariel let out a dry chuckle and nodded.

“Fine, I’ll do it just enough.”

Yuri smiled.

“Yes.”

Even though they were on a battlefield where thousands of lives hung by a thread, Yuri didn’t feel a trace of tension. He had come too far to feel fear or guilt.

Yuri raised his sword.

The sound of a war horn echoed across the field.

The strategy for this war was simple, so they didn’t need complicated signals.

Yuri spurred his horse forward. Guided by him, a group of knights advanced in a wedge formation toward the wall.

“Everyone advance!”

At the same time, siege weapons moved forward to draw the enemy’s attention.

The Imperial archers atop the wall shifted targets repeatedly.

Arrowheads visibly trembled.

Suddenly, Yuri looked at Francesco, right behind him. His face showed no emotion.

“How long has it been since you were on the battlefield?”

“A while.”

“And how is it?”

“I don’t know…”

Francesco opened his eyes wide and looked at the castle of Bezos. Mana surged from his body and radiated in a faint glow.

He was regaining his former level much faster than Yuri had anticipated.

“Not bad.”

He was no longer the Francesco who had lost his mana and lay in despair.

He was becoming once again the knight known as the “Holy Knight.”

“You’re acting unusually serious today.”

“Just for today. It’s an important day for me.”

Since losing his mana, Francesco had been treated as useless. This battle was his chance to show the entire continent that he had regained his power and was once again one of the Ten Greats, the Holy Knight.

“By the way, when will the spell be cast?”

“Good question.”

The plan was for Inariel to bring down the wall at the right moment as Yuri charged.

But there was no sign of it yet.

When Maryrose had used magic, a huge fireball rose in the sky, inspiring confidence by sight alone. Now, however, there was no signal at all, making the charge feel hollow.

“Hm…”

Yuri pulled on the reins.

“Let’s go urge Sir Inariel a bit.”

“How?”

Yuri spurred his horse hard.

“By charging straight ahead!”

“Yuri!”

Yuri galloped forward.

The advance, which had been slow until then, turned into a sudden charge. Francesco and the knights barely managed to speed up behind him.

The abrupt rush rippled through Briol’s army like a wave.

“CHARGE!”

Yuri leaned forward.

His horse snorted and sped up.

The Imperial soldiers on the wall came into clear view. The wall stretched wide like a cliff—there was nowhere to run.

“What’s happening?”

“What’s that guy doing?”

Even the Imperial soldiers looked confused. The wall remained intact, and there was no sign of Inariel’s magic.

But Yuri ran without hesitation.

He raised his sword, Guilty, and shouted.

“For Briol!”

That was the signal for the roar to rise.

His cry spread backward, and the entire Briol army began chanting the name of their nation.

“For Briol!”

“For Briol!”

“BRIIIIIIOL!”

The Imperial soldiers released their arrows. Dozens of arrows flew straight for Yuri’s throat, but none hit. The shield formed by his sword let nothing through.

Francesco shouted.

“Yuri!”

“Yes!”

“Stop!”

“Keep running!”

“There’s still no sign of magic…!”

Francesco’s voice faded. He had slowed down.

The wall was already very close, but there was no sign that the magic would activate.

A crash seemed inevitable.

But Yuri ignored it. He kept spurring his horse, as if determined to crash head-on into the wall.

The horse, true to its rider’s will, didn’t hesitate.

Both allies and enemies rubbed their eyes. It looked like Yuri was committing suicide.

His horse, at full speed, reached just in front of the wall.

At that moment, just before impact—

Yuri felt time slow down.

As he approached, he could see every brick of the wall. The rough texture, the battle marks—scars left by fallen soldiers.

And beyond that—

He saw what should not have been there.

A wave pushed him back.

“Ahh…”

The wall began to rise.

It was an impossible sight. Like a toy castle.

As if it had been designed from the start to come apart. The wall lifted into the sky.

Yuri burst into laughter. The stunned faces of the Imperial soldiers, now close up, were so satisfying he couldn’t hold back his joy.

They hadn’t even had time to prepare for battle. Yuri had never slowed down.

In fact, he sped up even more. And just like that, while the wall rose above his head, he crossed the threshold.

A lion had leapt into the middle of the flock of sheep.