Chapter 232: While the Enemy Sleeps (2)

Yuri froze upon discovering Maryrose lying beside him.

Her red hair was spread messily across the white bed. The long, softly closed chestnut lashes drew attention.

“……”

However, Yuri did not make the mistake of letting out a sound of surprise.

He had no idea what was going on, but the first priority was getting out of there.

Like any master swordsman, he moved in complete silence.

Just as he swung his legs over the bed to sit up, the door opened.

“……!”

He felt his heart leap out of his chest, but as a swordsman who had overcome his instincts, he suppressed all reaction except widening his eyes.

The visitor was a maid from Bezos Castle.

She simply gave Yuri a slight silent bow, said nothing, and placed a pitcher of water and a glass filled with a red liquid on the bedside table next to Maryrose.

Then she covered everything with a cloth and left the room.

Yuri hurried after her.

“Hey…”

Out in the hallway, Yuri timidly spoke to the maid, who was walking casually.

“Yes, Your Highness?”

She seemed calm.

But those who serve high-ranking nobles are usually skilled at hiding their emotions. Deep down, she might very well have thought of him as a shameless prince.

“Why… why was I sleeping there?”

Yuri asked.

He really wanted to know. The last thing he remembered was drinking in the banquet hall. Everyone had been so drunk they could barely speak.

The maid looked at him silently.

Her clear eyes seemed to judge him, and Yuri looked away.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

“Last night…”

“Yesterday…”

“Your Highness…”

“I…”

“You said you would sleep in that room. So that’s where you woke up.”

Yuri opened his mouth.

He had nothing to refute that with.

He shut his eyes tightly. For some reason, the image of Yekaterina’s face flashed through his mind—her expression twisted in deep scorn.

As he sank into shame, he heard the maid’s voice again.

“So the real question should be why the Archmage was there, not you.”

“Huh?”

“Your Highness was the one who lay down first. After all, that is your room.”

“My room?”

The maid pointed behind him. When he turned around, Yuri saw a piece of paper stuck to the door.

“Yuri’s Room”

That’s what it said, scribbled in sloppy handwriting. Suddenly, hazy memories from the previous night returned.

They had been picking rooms in Bezos Castle while drunk, and decided by playing rock-paper-scissors. To avoid confusion, everyone had written their names and stuck them on the respective doors.

“Yuri’s Room.”

Of course, that was his room.

He looked around and saw similar papers on other doors: “Jared’s Room,” “Francesco’s Room,” “Ainzer’s Room,” and so on.

A little farther away was Maryrose’s room. True to her style, she hadn’t written her name, but had drawn a rose with a heart on it.

“What did you bring just now?”

“The Duchess asked that it be placed by her bedside for her morning remedy—before she got drunk.”

“That red liquid is a remedy?”

“It’s wine.”

“Huh?”

“She said she’d cure her hangover with wine…”

It made no sense, but ever since Maryrose entered his room, nothing had made sense.

Leaving behind his guilt, Yuri nodded.

“I see. So it wasn’t my fault.”

“Exactly.”

“And for the record, nothing happened.”

“I know.”

“How do you know?”

“I can tell just by looking.”

“Right…”

Yuri was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. He hadn’t even brushed his teeth.

“To fall asleep like that… so embarrassing.”

“Shall I prepare a bath for you?”

“Please do.”

The sun was just beginning to rise. Yuri had woken up early.

After bathing and tidying up, he returned and raised his voice.

“Hey, Jared! Simon! Guinness!”

He called the knights of the Vengeance Squad who would accompany him. But his voice was so loud that everyone else woke up too.

And so began the morning at Bezos Castle, thanks to Yuri.

“Ugh…”

“Agh…”

Everyone who had drunk the night before was dragging themselves with difficulty.

Yuri, who had stabilized both body and mind using his mana technique, was having a calm breakfast.

As he sipped his tea, Jared, Simon, and Guinness arrived looking miserable.

“Your Highness…”

“A knight can’t handle that?”

“Well, if only we could cultivate…”

Although the mana technique couldn’t completely eliminate drunkenness, it did help soothe the body. But they could barely sit upright.

“Ugh, my head!”

“I told you not to drink so much.”

Yuri gathered all the knights of the squad and snapped them back to their senses.

“Everyone up!”

And until they were ready, he personally handled all the preparations for departure.

The soldiers were embarrassed, but Yuri didn’t care and personally inspected the weapons and horses.

“I take care of my own gear.”

“How admirable.”

“Everyone should care for their own horse.”

“That’s…!”

“Anyone who can’t take care of his weapon or his horse can’t rule the world!”

“Without a doubt, Your Highness!”

But then Yuri realized he had just said something bordering on treason and coughed awkwardly to cover it.

“We’ll get provisions along the way. Dried meat and rations will do.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

The quartermaster nodded.

That was also something unique to Yuri. Unlike other nobles who couldn’t bear a single incomplete meal, he had no qualms about eating rations like the soldiers.

Of course, it came from experience. When he was a mercenary, sometimes he didn’t even have that and went hungry.

“How are the horses? Did they rest well? Good work.”

The horses also looked in great shape thanks to proper feeding.

Everything was ready to depart. Then, Yuri remembered something.

“By the way, did the ronin rest well?”

“Yes. Since they came from the East, we treated them well. Thanks to the interpreter, there were no issues.”

“Well done.”

The ronin from the East had been organized as a mercenary unit that would remain with Briol.

Since they were promised the same treatment as soldiers, they gladly accepted.

In terms of sheer strength, they far surpassed the soldiers, but even so, they were content. That said a lot about the harsh life in the East.

“Where are the ronin?”

“They’re…”

Yuri went to visit them.

In their quarters, some were already practicing breathing exercises.

He also spotted Cheongun.

“Cheongun?”

“Your Highness.”

Cheongun stood and approached. Yuri looked him up and down.

“Why are you so fine? The alcohol?”

“I only drank a little. I avoid drinking.”

“Oh, you can’t handle alcohol?”

“My sect forbade it.”

“Really?”

“Bodily pleasures are not allowed. Mental and physical discipline is essential.”

“Wow, a prestigious sect?”

“No.”

Cheongun gave a bitter smile.

“An abandoned sect, full of regrets.”

Yuri patted him on the shoulder.

“I get it.”

Despite his skill, he had wandered as a ronin and eventually left the East.

There was surely a story behind it. Yuri spoke firmly.

“Cheongun. I don’t know what happened in your past, but I will never abandon you.”

Cheongun looked at him.

“If you don’t abandon me, I won’t abandon you. Understood?”

He looked at Yuri with surprise, then nodded with a big smile.

“Loyalty, always loyalty.”

“Good. Then be loyal.”

“Loyalty!”

“I’ll leave you a task while I’m gone. By the time I return, you must have mastered the language. Can you do that?”

“Plenty of time.”

Come to think of it, Cheongun hadn’t been exposed to the continent’s common tongue for long. He had arrived through Elaine’s trade network, and during that process, met Yuri and helped reclaim Bezos Castle.

Even so, he already spoke fluently enough that communication was no issue.

“Was a prodigy since childhood.”

“Seems that way.”

Yuri shook Cheongun’s hand.

“I hope we meet again.”

“Yes!”

While speaking with Cheongun, Yuri was informed the Vengeance Squad was ready. He headed straight to where they were waiting.

Despite the heavy drinking the night before, they stood perfectly in formation.

Their eyes were sharp.

“Uweeegh!”

“……”

Someone vomited from the back. Yuri signaled for them to be removed at once, then spoke.

Once things had calmed down, Yuri looked across the faces of the squad and declared:

“We’re going to subjugate the Alliance of the Central Small Kingdoms.”

All eyes turned to him.

In front were Jared, Simon, and Guinness. From afar, Maryrose, Hernando, and Inariel watched.

“If we leave them alone, they’ll fall into the Empire’s hands. So we’re going to teach them a lesson. Don’t you think?”

“Yes!”

“Briol’s knights are the best on the continent. Am I wrong?”

“You’re right!”

“That’s why it’ll be just us.”

Yuri looked around at all the members of the Vengeance Squad.

It was a relatively young squad, but their skills were second to none.

Especially Yuri, their leader, along with Jared, Simon, and Guinness—top-tier knights anywhere.

“We’ll show those cowards what a real knight is. The Alliance will try to protect their pride, but it doesn’t matter. Pride without skill must be broken. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes!”

“We depart soon. Be ready.”

Yuri gave his final words to the squad and headed toward Hernando, who was watching from behind.

Hernando smiled with satisfaction.

“Your Highness. I wish you a safe journey.”

“Thanks. In the meantime, find the Master of the Magic Tower.”

“Leave it to me.”

Hernando winked.

“No matter where he hides, I’ll find him.”

Inariel nodded as well.

Yuri looked at Maryrose one last time.

“……”

He hesitated a moment before speaking.

“Do a good job.”

“Yees~.”

Maryrose smiled like nothing had happened. Just as Yuri turned to leave with a nod, he heard a soft voice.

“So cold…”

It was Maryrose, murmuring in almost a whisper.

“Last night, it was Your Highness who told me to come in first.”

“Huh?”

Yuri turned, but Maryrose was already walking away toward the castle.

He blinked, confused.

What was she talking about? He didn’t remember anything from last night, so he couldn’t tell if it was true or not.

As Yuri stood frozen, Maryrose turned, gave him a faint smile, and entered the castle.

Yuri couldn’t take his eyes off her until he felt the obvious stares of Hernando and Inariel and coughed awkwardly.

“Well, let’s go.”

And so, Yuri departed with the Vengeance Squad toward the Alliance of the Central Small Kingdoms.

***

In the deepest part of the imperial palace.

From a sealed basement, inaccessible to anyone, groans of pain could be heard.

“Haah… kuh… aaargh…”

The only source of light was the multitude of candles lit all around.

Where the melted wax dripped, countless white bones were scattered.

That basement was so corrupted by human sacrifices, forbidden arts, and dark magic, that no human could withstand its energy.

“How do you feel?”

Suddenly, amid the cries of pain, a melodic voice was heard.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Please… stop…”

The voice belonged to Cedric.

He smiled as he looked at a figure chained with thick iron links. Despite the suffocating atmosphere, he seemed completely unharmed.

“Looks like it does hurt…”

The chained figure had a human shape, but it was grotesquely distorted.

At times, appendages resembling tentacles would sprout from it.

“Hang in there. Because of you, I can’t do anything. Meanwhile, my brother must be very busy…”

“Huff… huff…”

Cedric thought of his brother.

Yuri, who always slipped past his calculations, had forced him to take unexpected actions.

He didn’t feel frustrated. In fact, he enjoyed it. What would Yuri be capable of while he took a breather?

He would find out soon.

With a voice full of delight, Cedric murmured.

“Don’t disappoint me, Ivar.”