Chapter 252: Reunion (1)

Official notices were posted across the streets of Briol.

On them was a peculiar portrait—Yuri Briol, wearing a large, wide-brimmed hat, pointing forward with his index finger.

Beneath it was written:

“Briol needs you. Military recruitment.”

The wide-brimmed hat was the symbol of Briol’s recruiter. It was a call to enlist, using Yuri Briol’s image.

No one could ignore that war—a war that would decide the fate of the continent—was about to break out.

Newspapers and magazines relentlessly denounced the Empire, claiming that the Emperor was preparing an army for war and that, if they remained passive, their land would become a battlefield, so they must act first.

The people feared war.

But this time was different.

The undefeated hero—revered as the symbol of victory and who had never lost—was leading not only Briol, but also the entire Anti-Imperial Alliance.

Yuri Briol.

The people felt hope.

Of course, it would be a difficult and devastating war—everyone knew that. But if they survived until the end, they would be guaranteed wealth and honor.

Those who joined would be remembered for generations as heroes who saved the nation.

Even dying in battle would be seen as an honorable sacrifice.

News spread that the Empire had begun persecuting foreigners, especially those from Briol.

No one doubted that their abuses would soon extend beyond imperial territory.

If they did not fight, they would be trampled.

For their families, for their loved ones, and for their homeland, they had to raise their swords.

The number of enlistments rose quickly.

In one Briol city, a recruiter was evaluating new applicants when, upon seeing the man before him, he frowned.

“You seem to be of considerable age. Are you sure you can handle it?”

“Of course. I’m a veteran of the Allied Army.”

“Ah, I see. Welcome. Are you a resident of this territory?”

Veterans were always given priority. The recruiter immediately checked the list of registered veterans in the city.

“That’s right.”

“Your name?”

“Raymond.”

“Let’s see… Raymond…”

The recruiter’s hand stopped. His eyes widened in surprise.

This wasn’t just an ordinary soldier—this was a knight.

“Sir Raymond?”

“That’s right.”

“We’re recruiting soldiers. You could go directly to the lord and receive a special post…”

“I’ve decided to serve as a regular soldier.”

“…Pardon?”

The recruiter looked up. The wrinkled-faced knight had a faint smile.

“There are people I need to fight alongside on the battlefield.”

He then nodded toward the people standing behind him. The recruiter realized that the volunteers lined up behind Raymond wore the same insignia—the emblem of the Allied Army Comrades Association.

“As president of the Allied Army Comrades Association, I’ve decided to take part in this war along with its members.”

“Ah…”

The recruiter looked at him for a moment before extending his hand.

“On behalf of Briol’s army, I thank you for your decision.”

“Thank you.”

“And if I may—would you grant us your service once more, for Briol’s victory and for the homeland?”

“Of course.”

“For Briol!”

The recruiter shot to his feet and shouted.

“You will be given special treatment.”

Soon someone arrived to escort Raymond and the Comrades Association members elsewhere.

At first, they thought it was just veteran privileges.
But there was another reason.

“Before sending you to the front lines, we have a request.”

“If it’s for Briol, gladly.”

“First, a bit of basic makeup.”

“Makeup?”

“If you look worn out, it’ll seem like we treat you poorly, hahaha…”

“…Don’t tell me…”

They wanted to use the Comrades Association’s name to attract more recruits.

Raymond and the other veterans toured the city, receiving cheers from the crowd.

The campaign was a success.

The news that a retired knight from the Allied Army had taken up his sword again for Briol ignited the blood of the young.

Briol was preparing for war with much greater organization than in Yuri’s previous life.

Meanwhile, Yuri wasn’t idle either. Leading the Order of Vengeance, he left Briol ahead of everyone else as an advance force to establish the Anti-Imperial Alliance’s front.

***

Cory was handling all the heavy work in the village in place of the ailing Laurent.

Although people treated him better after learning he was a mage, the looks of contempt had not disappeared.

Whenever he passed by, the villagers pointed at him. Children called him a monster.

Even so, Cory never got angry with them.

“Are you an idiot?”

Just as he was about to enter the guild office, a mercenary stationed at the entrance suddenly spoke to him.

“Pardon?”

“You’re a mage, yet you let these ignorant folks look down on you and do nothing. Why?”

“Well…”

The man was a hard-faced mercenary with a scar on his face. Cory had seen him a few times, and according to the guild staff, he was quite skilled.

“What could I do? I just ignore it.”

“They say you’re half-orc, but you speak well.”

The first time people met him, many were surprised at his eloquence—like meeting a talking animal.

Cory gave a sideways smile.

“I limp when I walk, but my mouth works fine. That’s something, isn’t it?”

“If you’re a mage, you should be smart. Then why allow it? They look down on you because you don’t retaliate. Don’t you know that?”

“I don’t see the need for revenge…”

“Respect is born from fear.”

The man stood straight and lit a cigarette.

“With that face, how can you be so soft? Incredible.”

“And what does my face have to do with my personality?”

“When you’re hated, you tend to get sharper. That’s how I was as a kid. But ever since I got this, the provocations decreased. Funny, right?”

He tapped the scar on his face—a threatening cut.

“I’m only saying this because it’s frustrating to see you like this.”

“Thanks for the advice, but I’d rather ignore it.”

“I don’t know if you’re good-natured or just fooling yourself…”

The mercenary chuckled.

“Sometimes guys like you have the blackest hearts. Wouldn’t surprise me if there were mysterious disappearances around here.”

Cory ignored him and entered the guild office.

The clerk frowned upon seeing him, then greeted him.

No matter personal opinions, to the guild staff Cory was a valuable asset who always took jobs, no matter how small.

“Welcome. Looking for work?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s see…”

The clerk looked over the guild’s job list.

“Not much… Ah, we have a logging job at the village entrance. Pay depends on the number of trees you cut. Interested?”

A mercenary doesn’t always fight—sometimes they do various tasks. But simple jobs like cutting trees were rare.

“I’ve heard you’re a mage, but can you handle an axe?”

“Yes…”

“If you don’t want to, it’s not mandatory. There’s no other work for now.”

“I’ll do it.”

Cory nodded. He wasn’t in a position to choose jobs—not with Laurent’s medical bills.

“But… why cut down trees?”

“There’s a rumor that Briol’s army will pass through the village. Just in case, we have to clear the road well so they can get in.”

The clerk spoke cheerfully. Having an army pass through—except during wartime—was usually good for business; supplying so many troops inevitably brought in consumption.

Cory’s eyes trembled.

“Briol’s army?”

“Yes.”

The clerk glanced up at him sideways, then went back to tapping the papers.

“The war will start soon. The mercenary guild will be busy. So, will you take the job?”

“I-I’ll do it.”

Cory quickly signed the documents and asked,

“But when is Briol’s army coming? Are you sure they’re coming? Who’s the commander?”

Cory hadn’t been able to convince Laurent to return to Briol and had decided to stay with him instead.

But now Laurent was on the brink of death. Maybe, if he could find Yuri, he could save him. Then they could return to Briol together.

The clerk stamped the papers and replied,

“I don’t know. It’s just a rumor, nothing confirmed. Alright, go get to work.”

“Ah, yes.”

Cory left the office. The mercenary he had spoken with earlier at the entrance was still there.

He tossed his cigarette to the ground and asked,

“Don’t tell me you’re going to cut trees.”

Cory didn’t want to answer, but since the other man kept following him, he had no choice but to nod.

“Yes.”

The man let out a mocking laugh.

“Are you an idiot?”

“Pardon?”

“If a job like cutting trees makes it to the guild, you should at least ask yourself why. Tsk…”

“Why?”

“Don’t you know there are lots of beasts around here?”

“Uh…”

“And if, while you’re chopping, something like giant wolves shows up? Are you just going to stand there?”

Then Cory understood the situation.

“So with the excuse of cutting trees, they’re getting cheap mages to act as escorts. I bet that idiot inside is lining his pockets.”

“No… I don’t think he did it for that reason.”

“Idiot.”

The mercenary laughed.

“Don’t play naive. Well, it’s not my problem.”

With that, he waved a hand and left. Cory watched him go, then began walking with heavy steps.

The man was right—once again, he was being used.

If he had done what that mercenary said, using magic to scare people, maybe they wouldn’t treat him like this. But Cory didn’t want to do that.

“Ugh…”

As he walked, the village children started following him again.

“It’s a monster, a monster.”

“Don’t talk to him. They say he kills people and rips out their hearts.”

“He really is a monster.”

“So ugly!”

Cory ignored the comments and kept limping forward. The children soon lost interest and scattered.

When he reached the village entrance, the foreman was directing several people chopping trees.

Upon seeing him, the man frowned.

“What do you want? Cutting trees?”

“Yes.”

“I see… fine…”

The foreman clicked his tongue and added,

“Then get started right away.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll pay you per tree.”

“Excuse me, what about the axe?”

“The axe?”

The foreman sneered.

“You came to cut trees empty-handed?”

“I’m a hired mercenary. You should be providing the equipment.”

“If you want to chop, go find an axe. Tsk…”

He clicked his tongue again and held out his hand.

“If you want me to lend you one, pay the rental fee.”

“Rental?”

“Of course. You think it’s free?”

At that point, Cory started to get angry.

“Forget it, I’m leaving.”

“You signed a contract at the office, right?”

“I want to cancel it.”

“If you do it without permission, I’ll put a penalty on you. And I won’t let you set foot in this village again. As foreman, I have that authority.”

Cory looked at him.

If it were up to him, he’d leave. But with Laurent’s current condition, he couldn’t.

He sighed.

He didn’t understand why they provoked him like this, as if they didn’t realize that—even if he wasn’t a great mage—he could easily kill a normal person.

He remembered what the mercenary had said—that they used him because he always showed weakness.

Cory clenched and unclenched his fist.

“Fine.”

He rolled up his sleeves.

“I’ll pay the rental. Lend me the axe.”

“That’s the spirit.”

The foreman smiled maliciously.

“Now, work hard.”

***

Yuri, leading the Order of Vengeance, rode without rest to get there as soon as possible.

To encircle the Empire from the north, the Holy Kingdom and Brusen would cover the lower left flank, Liberta the lower right, and in the center, Briol and the Confederation of Small Kingdoms would form the defensive line.

Jared, unfolding a map beside him, spoke.

“This road is shorter. We’ll soon see a village—let’s stay there for the night.”

“If possible, let’s get supplies.”

“Not sure if we can, it’s a small village.”

“No matter. We’re not lacking provisions.”

“Understood.”

Yuri glanced back. The Order of Vengeance’s formation was following in disciplined order.

“Hope you’re not tired yet.”

“No, sir!”

“You’ll get to fight all you want soon, so don’t get impatient.”

“Yes, sir!”

“We’ll stay in the next village we find.”

“Yes, sir!”

“For Briol!”

“For Briol!”

Yuri spurred his horse, picking up speed.

In the distance, the village came into view.

It seemed they had recently cut down trees, as the road leading to the entrance was clean and clear.