Chapter 234: Chronicles of the Tyrant King (2)

Yuri selected the five fighters in order.

Yuri, Jared, Simon, and Guinness were chosen without difficulty, but the last one proved a problem.

After a long debate and several duels, a knight named Tirbo, who normally went unnoticed, was selected.

“I’m kind of nervous. Hehe…”

He was a scruffy young man with a naïve appearance, but he demonstrated his sword skills and earned his spot despite his absent-minded air.

Moreover, though he seemed simple, he was the son of a noble count’s family. A rare lineage within the Order of Vengeance, with a precise and sharp swordsmanship reminiscent of Laurent.

Except for his looks and silly laugh.

His technique, lineage, and even hair color were similar to Laurent’s, but because of that last detail, he didn’t inspire much confidence.

“You gonna be okay, Tirbo?”

“Leave it to me. Hehe…”

“Why do I have such a bad feeling about this…?”

For the first match against Anabas, Yuri chose the lineup strategically.

Tirbo, Yuri, Jared, Simon, and Guinness.

He put Tirbo first to assess his skills, and placed the rest in order of strength to ensure a swift victory.

Initially, Yuri hadn’t planned to participate, but changed his mind to speed up the result.

There had been some debate between Simon and Guinness about who was stronger, so they settled it with rock, paper, scissors.

Simon teased Guinness.

“Rock, paper, scissors is about skill too.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“You always start with rock or scissors.”

“That’s a lie.”

“And since you know that, now you’re going to go with paper.”

“That’s not true.”

“Sure it isn’t.”

The knights of Anabas wore tense expressions. Though the King of Anabas didn’t seem nervous, for his knights, this was a matter of pride.

The king spoke.

“Don’t get hurt—take it easy. It doesn’t matter if you lose.”

“….”

“If we win, it’ll be a problem too.”

“….”

“But give it your best anyway. Understood?”

“Yes!”

Before the eyes of the assembled knights, the Chronicle of the Tyrant King began.

If Briol won, they would receive Anabas’ flag. If Anabas won, they’d shatter Briol’s pride and inflict a great humiliation.

That’s why even for the Order of Vengeance, this wasn’t a relaxed battle.

Tirbo was the first to step forward. Yuri patted him on the shoulder.

“Take it easy. It’s your first time, don’t pressure yourself.”

“Yes, understood.”

“It’s okay if you lose.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

Yuri had put him first to test his abilities and gauge Anabas’ level. But the other side had thought the same.

Both sent their weakest fighters, which resulted in a perfectly matched level.

From the first duel, a titanic clash erupted.

“Haah… Haah…”

“Huff… Huff…”

“Impressive for someone so young. As expected of a knight of Briol…”

“You’re amazing too. Hehe…”

Yuri let out a long sigh as he watched.

“This match is turning out way too good.”

“Indeed…”

“Setting the right order is really important too.”

They were so evenly matched there was no room for error. Watching them felt like witnessing a top-level duel.

“A fight that makes your palms sweat…”

Every strike was delivered with sincerity.

With experience and conviction, they fought for the victory of their homeland.

In the end, Tirbo pulled ahead. His opponent was already middle-aged, and Tirbo, in the prime of youth, managed to maintain his focus to the end.

One small slip decided the match’s fate.

The knight from Anabas, seeing the sword halted just in front of his face, smiled.

Tirbo’s sword was trembling hard with each breath.

“Defeated by a young man…”

“I got lucky.”

They smiled at each other as true rivals and shared a warm embrace.

The knights of Anabas applauded loudly. Even Yuri, caught up in the mood, joined the clapping while whispering to Jared.

“Isn’t this a bit too emotional?”

“It really is.”

“I wanted to finish quickly and leave.”

“How long are they gonna keep hugging?”

After the long embrace, Tirbo returned, staggering, to the Order of Vengeance as the applause continued.

With the atmosphere still heated by the grand battle, Yuri stepped onto the field. The knight from Anabas saluted respectfully.

“I am Harriet, knight of Anabas. A duel, please!”

“Yes, me too…”

Due to the epic first match, expectations were high.

Then, as soon as it began, the Anabas knight was sent flying.

“Guagh!”

“……”

Harriet fell with a choked cry, arms and legs sprawled like he was sleeping.

Yuri gave an awkward smile and stepped off the field.

It was to be expected.

Yuri was one of the ten strongest on the continent. His opponent wasn’t even Anabas’ top knight.

In the midst of the silence, Jared stepped forward, murmuring.

“Wasn’t that a bit fast?”

“We don’t have time. Keep going.”

“Even so…”

“Make it quick too.”

Jared went next. The mood, now devoid of excitement, had grown completely cold.

If Briol won once more, the Chronicle of the Tyrant King would end right there.

It would be a total defeat for Anabas.

Even as a small kingdom, its pride was immense, and in the Union of Small Kingdoms, that held weight.

“We can’t lose.”

“Let’s go!”

“Put your lives on the line!”

Jared scanned the enemy knights. The number one knight of Anabas was last in line.

His face was as unmoving as stone.

Jared’s opponent stepped forward.

“A pleasure to fight you.”

“The pleasure is mine.”

They exchanged courtesies and the duel began.

Although it wasn’t as immediate as Yuri’s, Jared gained the upper hand shortly after it started.

He broke through the enemy’s defenses and placed his sword at a vital point. With that, Briol secured its third victory.

The Chronicle of the Tyrant King ended at that moment.

The beginning was grand. The ending, anticlimactic.

“Guh…!”

The strongest knight of Anabas couldn’t even draw his sword. His companions approached him with their heads down.

“We’re sorry, Captain. We should’ve done better…”

“You trusted us… We’re sorry.”

“We’re ashamed…”

The captain of Anabas, however, changed his expression and smiled, patting his men on the shoulders.

“It wasn’t your fault. This isn’t your defeat—it’s our defeat. We share it! We are one!”

“Captain!”

“So don’t hang your heads. Raise them high!”

“Sniff…”

Yuri watched with an awkward expression.

Thanks to his sharp senses, he had clearly noticed how the so-called “strongest of Anabas” had muttered under his breath: “Phew, glad that ended quickly.”

If he’d had to fight, he probably would’ve been forced into a bloody duel with Guinness.

The knights of Briol weren’t just strong in name.

Until now, dealing with great powers, it hadn’t been as noticeable. But arriving in a small kingdom like Anabas, the difference in strength was overwhelming.

“Something wrong?”

“No, nothing.”

However, since the atmosphere in Anabas seemed positive, he let it go.

The king of Anabas handed Yuri the flag. The knights of Anabas, accepting defeat, applauded.

“Congratulations on beginning the Chronicle of the Tyrant King. There have been cases of other countries participating, but no one had ever taken it so seriously.”

“I will complete it no matter what.”

“You have my support.”

The king of Anabas patted Yuri on the arm as he spoke.

“But it won’t be easy. The fact that it’s never been completed shows just how hard it is.”

“I understand.”

Upon learning more details about the Chronicle of the Tyrant King, Yuri understood why it had never been completed before.

There was a one-month time limit.

Since the competition involved wagering all the flags obtained, countries with weaker military forces simply waited and stalled for time.

To reduce the number of duels, several countries needed to actively gather flags.

But if some refused to fight and just stalled, the country trying to complete the Chronicle would have to personally visit every nation, challenge them one by one, and collect the flags by force.

Yuri figured this time would be no different. He might have to visit sixteen countries in less than a month.

“Now that the Chronicle of the Tyrant King has been declared, we have to move quickly.”

“Yes. We’ll depart immediately.”

There were now two standard-bearers in the Order of Vengeance.

One held the flag of Briol, and the other, that of Anabas.

They would carry Anabas’s will and move forward with the Chronicle.

The goal was to complete the Chronicle of the Tyrant King and, at the same time, build a continental network to resist the Empire.

“Yuri.”

Before mounting, the king of Anabas called to him. It was the first time he’d used his name.

Yuri let go of the reins and approached him.

“May I call you Yuri?”

“Yes.”

“It hasn’t been long since we met, but I feel like you’re a younger brother.”

Yuri gave a slight smile at those words. The king continued.

“For me, many things have changed in this short time. The Empire, the black magic, and this Chronicle… Everything feels unreal. That’s why our meeting feels like a dream.”

“I understand.”

“It must be fate.”

The king placed a hand on Yuri’s shoulder.

“I can sense it. Though your father has disappeared, Briol… and the continent still have you. We all must fulfill our roles in our respective places to stop the Empire, but yours will be the hardest and the most important. It won’t be easy. There will be moments when you’ll want to give up.”

Yuri raised his gaze.

Until now, everyone had relied on him to stop the Empire, but no one had comforted him like the king of Anabas just did. That was, without doubt, the true nature of a king.

“But I know you won’t give up. I have a good eye for people. You’re not someone who needs cheap comfort. Still, what I want to tell you is…”

The king firmly patted Yuri’s shoulder.

“Everyone knows. What you carry on your shoulders. I just hope that knowledge brings you some comfort.”

“Thank you.”

Yuri rubbed his shoulder with a smile. Just hearing those words made his burden feel a little lighter.

But there was something the king of Anabas didn’t know.

Yuri was living his second life. He remembered perfectly the pain he had suffered in his past life, and because of that, he already carried enough fire within him.

“But you don’t need to worry.”

Yuri smiled confidently and said.

“Even if no one acknowledges it, it doesn’t matter. I’ll do my job no matter what.”

“Is that so?”

The king of Anabas’s eyes lit up before he burst into laughter.

“I rambled too much out of concern. But I wanted to say it.”

“It definitely encouraged me.”

“Well then, go. When we meet again, you’ll have to have completed the Chronicle.”

“Of course.”

Yuri mounted right away. The knights of Anabas cheered on the Order of Vengeance.

Having been defeated by them, they wanted them to lose to no one else.

The standard-bearer holding the flag of Anabas waved it strongly in response.

“Alright, let’s go! Let’s collect those flags!”

“Yes!”

Thus, with Yuri at the lead, the Order of Vengeance departed from Anabas.

The knights of Anabas cheered until they disappeared from sight.

The order also raised their hands in farewell.

It was an honorable parting.

***

“Hey! Are you scared or what?”

Yuri had no time to waste.

He wanted to gather the flags as quickly as possible.

That’s why, starting from Anabas, he stopped being polite. In fact, he became quite rough.

“I’ve come for your flag! Come out already!”

As soon as he arrived at the gate of the next country, Orot, Yuri began shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Let’s fight! Hand over the flag now!”