Chapter 255: Reunion (4)
FsMtPp9Yuri looked the bandaged swordsman up and down.MJHxGd
ZjreMany things had changed. His face was disfigured, his posture hunched, and his way of handling a sword had become rough.eE6B3K
vfSBut once he realized it was Laurent, he knew for sure.85tla
1BGEr“Laurent, right?”GnUy6n
UShuVwKYuri approached him.d5AXE85
362z0HJ“All this time, how…?”cBeo8xS
1nTG3lHowever, the instant Yuri took a step toward him, a sharp slashing gust flew at him.16Zr
NqIIt wasn’t a simple threat—it was aimed straight at his neck.tVVZbkB
d3iTOoyYuri deflected the attack with Guilty and looked at Laurent.oNLdd
EBEJC“What are you doing?”3S0
9I9BHs“Yuri Briol.”v3wH
T5vsC“Huh?”59QlE4
C6tQpThe clear voice of Laurent that Yuri remembered no longer existed.LMDK
JMoZBetween the bandages covering his face, cold eyes peeked out. Yuri understood he was no longer the same Laurent he had known.PXwnO
8qamRHE“Don’t say my name.”GfOn
arIRYuri stopped.W6he
nGckPWith anyone else, he would have retorted that they shouldn’t talk nonsense and, even if by force, would have approached to subdue them.ZpSImyd
jgg2kdGBut this was Laurent.OzFwU
SDhQcSomeone he had kept close, someone he could trust the most.6QKFYtI
TP0ChhIf Laurent said he was no longer himself, then he wasn’t.9HNAq
xOj3“All right.”dTazBQd
u2p23That’s why Yuri stayed where he was.bBo9Mr
PJKG0Even without words, just by looking at him, he could deduce many things.6rXjcPq
fReIn Française, Laurent had lost everything.wIEQQ
fLP08XIn the midst of it, he had been injured and turned into what he was now.nG1xww
GWcAnd all because of Cedric.roqc
ewQQLaurent had suspected Cedric, and Yuri hadn’t believed him. That was how they drifted apart.KQUr
gSl0OWAnd although he didn’t know exactly what had happened in Française, one thing was clear—this man was no longer the Laurent he knew.Asoz
cFcJhnYuri clenched and unclenched Guilty’s hilt several times.tVh7UP
7j19bHe wasn’t so weak as to feel guilt over something beyond his control.LZfBI
ql4lXpaIf someone tried to blame him for what happened in Française, he would have laughed and drawn Guilty.zDNb
fqRyBut this was Laurent. And to Yuri, Laurent had always been an exception.nGt
rgSsD“Do you want me to apologize?”HPT5y0
Mj8JgYuri asked.OyCgxdW
yEtL4Laurent immediately frowned and lunged at him. The refined, elegant swordsmanship Yuri remembered from Laurent was gone.jKvB
aAoVADjOnly ruthless attacks remained, ignoring his own safety.i6qHlL
vDhAs he wielded Guilty, Yuri thought,XspaU
IMaaLaurent had become stronger.SyVK
cU9MThough his style was rougher, technically he had not regressed; his strength and speed had increased.zlfgA
O7FZN5It seemed like he attacked without thought, but every movement was calculated. His talent had continued to evolve.uYm5yF
qgxRNhHowever, Yuri had grown even stronger.QHLdTs7
DIYloRealizing this, Laurent clenched his teeth.KsxvoG
sm7v3Tv“Damn monster.”UNU
g0Z“Laurent.”6xQLKW
ZVOdWith their swords locked, they stared at each other up close.gbo
zUdjjpBetween the bandages, Yuri could see more of Laurent’s deformed skin.I1EU
j64JyNYuri smirked.gC7eMp
dnU“I like your way of talking better now.”oJk0Cxs
wn5h“What?”Q8SmH
Hym“You should have been like this from the start. Better than following me around all the time saying ‘prince, prince.’”co5
ogSCt“Don’t pretend to be so relaxed while talking.”Ebz5PWK
HRNv1“It’s not pretending.”Bw9
N1IgEtyYuri pushed harder and forced Laurent back. Laurent twisted his sword to try to grab Yuri’s body and throw him down.vBjsmh
li9zlpBut Yuri spun like a top and threw him down instead.udnEaD
HdNnfLaurent fell on his back to the ground with a groan.Lou4N9
LAZMf“Urgh…”Yd0rv5
udx“Laurent.”EYJ3J
ubzn3GYuri looked down at him.3RR3M
uHByTgm“I’m sorry.”cWfulNt
lvi“Shut up.”aLb7
CtZoLying on the ground, Laurent propelled himself forward and knocked him down, getting on top of him.8hh
qJBBIEO“Don’t pretend you’re sorry.”DUej
hCrmc“Laurent, you know better than anyone.”iHDb
gQjRYuri didn’t resist and looked at him.FgRxr
CC0“I’m not pretending.”e5BL
GtJO0“Damn it!”HrY3SJM
rby2YLaurent threw a punch. But Yuri caught it with his hand.745wF
RJnMUFYuri smirked wryly.DbtO
0bW2T“See? I’m not going to let you hit me.”eAb
dAWr2Laurent threw several more punches, but Yuri blocked or dodged them all with ease.wwjw
4G5phFinally, exhausted in his position, Laurent grabbed his neck while breathing heavily.merf
Gmf“Yuri Briol.”jT6
4fNebcK“Yes.”u8HM50
7t9“You should have known sooner.”TLodPZ
tzyLaurent squeezed his neck.HzWZWw
KyY“You went on about how you’d fight the Empire, but the real enemy was by your side, and you should have noticed.”MfigV
hybSWYuri stared at him.8z3cVC
DHWLaurent continued, strangling him.QXyC
PSrHGre“You should have been the first to know what Cedric is.”fGbSBbP
kE1CHjHis hand tightened.8Du
vlLfz“And if not, you should have at least believed me.”Ef5zf
UXHBiLaurent threw another punch. This time, Yuri didn’t stop it.MM2vHW
cI3QHis head turned with the blow.IV6oh
zeAiKHe spat saliva mixed with blood, looked at him, and said,sj9XiK
8mwo“I’m sorry, Laurent.”nkgY32
3pzt4OWLaurent looked at him, then began to laugh, his shoulders trembling slightly.Jy3Sp
lwsSAfter laughing alone for a moment, he stood up.2wS9O
hT7Jd9“Damn it…”qH2i62
ZkjHe staggered toward where his sword lay and picked it up.RHu
ZshOl6Z“Well, I don’t care anymore. I don’t care if you die or if the world ends.”nuDXt
8qKgXs3“All right.”UNtzZ6q
9gIbJ“Your father was imprisoned by your brother.”p4Har
WKMlK29Yuri, barely getting up, looked at him.rafOXo
P91S66A“Cedric sealed him with an unknown magic. He told me to tell you—said he wanted to give you despair.”ym2
s3oy“Thank you for telling me.”nDynkde
pEf5qJO“We won’t see each other again. This was just a coincidence. Die fighting your brother or beat him and save the world, do whatever you want.”oXY
jcSw8With that, Laurent turned and began to walk away. Yuri watched him go.70g
gtuBHe wanted to stop him, but he felt that wasn’t what Laurent wanted.7NE
7JDn“Haa…”uUOTPR
NaXWHGYuri ruffled his hair.tuf
ly7pHAfter thinking for a moment, he stood up and shouted toward the departing figure.4JrK
Lf5“Hey Laurent!”KcU
uPH***vEw3
I9ktj6“Hey!”1MAl7gO
2AyAqk6Cory was hiding in the shadows, watching Yuri and the villagers, when someone suddenly spoke to him.IRJV
u6WVB“What are you spying on so intently?”lxfibV
gI8SWhen he turned, he saw it was the mercenary who hadn’t appeared in some time. For some reason, the scar on his face stood out more than usual.pe0fjs
9t2THe looked in the same direction as Cory and smiled with disdain.ZxC
pxU33J“That’s the so-called famous Yuri Briol or whatever his name is? Well, look at that—those who treated you so badly, in front of him act like saints. Anyone would see it and get the wrong impression.”INet
noZ7BThe mercenary spoke with a biting tone.QPc
YaxXM2Cory ignored him and turned away. He had originally thought of going straight to Yuri, but for some reason he felt he shouldn’t now.JnKfd
v07RvThe mercenary followed him.h8fmEV
aaDGB“Hey, where are you going?”2n2tw
2VRR16j“Wherever I want.”YdidRkg
3ic“Don’t we still have something to talk about?”rRv3
FHXKO“What are you talking about?”CUS
iPsb“You followed my advice and that guy woke up, right?”DL5
cmMcH4C“Ah, yes.”PdK
lS1“Then don’t you think you should fulfill my request?”jZgyA
77UJust as the mercenary had instructed, when he mixed the herbs, Laurent had indeed woken up. Cory had promised to grant him a request.Umff4UV
sMsyWithout looking at him, Cory replied,J58YkjW
eKb“Tell me. If it’s in my hands, I’ll do it.”r4l
kGol“Hmm, I’ll tell you what I want later.”zS5J2
v4UZA“Later when? What if I’m not here by then?”emt8F0u
Cy4ZS“It won’t take that long.”uzW
cqAk“Even so, at least give me an idea.”mLQP
DOV4ho2“Tonight, maybe?”gcPlC50
dsWawmQ“All right. Look for me yourself. If we don’t meet, too bad…”oxm7R
wNyco“Understood.”tWm
fprStq“But why do you keep following me…?”xPIF
LjS4GJkThere was no answer. When he turned, the mercenary had already disappeared. He really was someone who came and went as he pleased.tYUt
1zzhCory sighed and headed to the lodging where Laurent was.9vNfN0
WGVkThe two had left the temple and were staying at an inn. The owner clearly didn’t want them there, but accepted without complaint after receiving more money.zudcix
7TaRLaurent, now conscious, was sitting by the window, looking outside.0Uw
JXNRpzY“It’s noisy out there. What’s going on?”dimkQR
MOZ“I don’t know. Maybe because the Briol Knight Corps arrived here. I also saw Prince Yuri.”ULIO1
LzqLaurent’s eyebrows moved. Without saying anything, he looked at Cory.g3Pq3
ieog7“I didn’t know.”3XUW
LZuLaurent watched him silently for a moment, then stood and left the room.tE1jB
nwuEveryone went about their own business.6jfU4yu
b53waYpCory, now alone, fell onto the bed and kept thinking until he dozed off.eUEg
V3DWhen he opened his eyes again, the sky was already dark. Laurent was gone.kiIKp
OWhqRubbing his eyes, Cory got up with a start. Maybe Prince Yuri had already left.QsJco7
8NCHVHe quickly left the inn and, after asking a few villagers—who still looked at him with disdain—he learned that Yuri and the Briol knights had set up camp outside the village.2Py
g9fYdCory ran there.LprLWEQ
1wp6xHe saw Yuri and the knights sitting around a campfire.ow85
lXlzqIt looked like old times, when he traveled with the alliance army and, at nightfall, everyone would gather like that to prepare for the next day’s battle.CK3lOHB
GoPntThose were days of constant fighting, but Cory liked them. Just as he was about to approach Yuri, a fight broke out.Jxvzbok
CG1Startled, Cory hid. From the darkness, he saw spells flying. He prepared to use Dispel, but someone else dispelled them first.C9Fv
hKDIt was Inariel, the great mage with salmon-colored hair and a youthful appearance. Without a doubt, he was a far more capable mage than Cory.jt1T
p3fSeeing Inariel act, Cory stayed hidden, not daring to intervene.4wS
cM8fLOKWith his arrival, the advantage tilted toward the Briol knights. Yuri went to the village to rescue people. Cory still didn’t move, concealed in the undergrowth.T1koZC
Ki4“Hey, useless.”0UQy
TY8bThe mercenary’s voice came from behind him.B7Ud
RgA9“What are you doing? Weren’t you going to go to Yuri Briol?”Y5LuFs9
YiJ0fK“I suppose so.”zGTwEU
s7W7Cory turned to him.6QcuRsK
NeSoem“But since you’re here, I won’t go.”ZORb
Hqkp0gLooking up at him, he added,KSzngx
uCG“Cedric.”jnQgA
qYKtThen, the scarred mercenary began to laugh, and his mouth stretched into a grotesque smile.qzx
7DTM“Since when did you know?”88ng0V
0kIzE“Who knows.”v2C
TD9rzM“You’re smarter than I thought.”M8X
tKFk336“They say that to me often. I’m not what I seem, right?”TXnSQY
m3rCory stood up and began walking toward the village.SIBDs
xKQdgyD“Let’s talk while we walk. So, what’s your wish?”6TF
74IZqDo“I’ll tell you in a moment.”j8Xzh
fiAOA9“You just want to chat with me?”3mlcnUq
HEOp“That’s right.”9xK
c9LQjThey walked around the edge of the village. In the distance, sounds of combat could be heard.aDSVomN
idrovCory already suspected that this mercenary wasn’t an ordinary man. He didn’t know why, but the mana and the force of the Power of the Voice of Authority emanating from him kept him on alert.CFZFB
WXlAt first he thought it was just his imagination, until he understood—that man reeked of black magic.o8wPf
bKQmnMBThe idea that his true identity was Cedric was, in part, just a hunch.64JZOs
de5vm“I suppose you already suspect it.”8lcN
ZUtG“Suspect what?”B7q6e
QHAh“My face. My appearance.”DzU8Bwn
1cdPbuCedric smiled. His face was still that of the burly, scarred mercenary.I3vp
1gyfQfx“The look you always wanted to have, isn’t it?”9hbUa
7laBZCory didn’t deny it. He had always been despised and looked at with disgust by people, even after becoming a mage.Fme5od7
ViIwKIn contrast, those who looked down on him would cower before burly, scarred types like this mercenary.wnMDwF
qFOSometimes he had wished to be like that.kiP9iom
RCEzfyt“I’ve been watching you. I wondered what quality this ugly half-orc had for Yuri to take him along.”vNee
FhBfz“I have no quality.”hF2YA
L65“And yet you can use the Dragon Voice Organ…”fJYu2I
3LzBCory tensed. Now that Cedric knew about the Organ, he might try to take it.utb
H6hw0eI“Don’t worry. That’s an empty power.”gDWa
Jv6Cedric placed a hand on his shoulder.EVgWXU
0UQUY5“Watching you, I discovered something interesting.”5hf
Qq4sL“What is it?”J5a
PqSHt“Now I’ll take the payment for our deal. My request is this—answer me with total honesty the question I’m going to ask you.”FtM
uSyqP“Honestly?”XHU
7ko“Yes, honestly.”oslQ
pVMThe mercenary’s face changed, revealing Cedric’s. It was a beautiful and elegant face.gHVFK0v
CGtKYktCedric had everything, and yet he used black magic to commit atrocities. Cory couldn’t understand it.avVADh
iCBavHCedric’s voice slid into his ear.AoZ
5bE7“You… when you saw Laurent so deformed, you were glad. Weren’t you?”BTJ5j2i
8d9tNO4Cory’s face hardened.rKA6F
cIDZXo“I…”xDZAEsz
TJrdrdq“I can read minds. You felt genuine joy when you saw him like that. I’ve never seen such pure delight. That’s why I approached you.”gGeh
p2DiQCory looked at him. It was a face similar to Yuri’s, but now he could see clearly—Cedric was repulsive. And he himself, even more so.dqF
pmMtvqQ“You were glad to see Laurent turned into a monster. Weren’t you, Cory?”6kY4Nk
imche2o“Yes…”ZnZh
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