Chapter 255: Reunion (4)

Yuri looked the bandaged swordsman up and down.

Many things had changed. His face was disfigured, his posture hunched, and his way of handling a sword had become rough.

But once he realized it was Laurent, he knew for sure.

“Laurent, right?”

Yuri approached him.

“All this time, how…?”

However, the instant Yuri took a step toward him, a sharp slashing gust flew at him.

It wasn’t a simple threat—it was aimed straight at his neck.

Yuri deflected the attack with Guilty and looked at Laurent.

“What are you doing?”

“Yuri Briol.”

“Huh?”

The clear voice of Laurent that Yuri remembered no longer existed.

Between the bandages covering his face, cold eyes peeked out. Yuri understood he was no longer the same Laurent he had known.

“Don’t say my name.”

Yuri stopped.

With anyone else, he would have retorted that they shouldn’t talk nonsense and, even if by force, would have approached to subdue them.

But this was Laurent.

Someone he had kept close, someone he could trust the most.

If Laurent said he was no longer himself, then he wasn’t.

“All right.”

That’s why Yuri stayed where he was.

Even without words, just by looking at him, he could deduce many things.

In Française, Laurent had lost everything.

In the midst of it, he had been injured and turned into what he was now.

And all because of Cedric.

Laurent had suspected Cedric, and Yuri hadn’t believed him. That was how they drifted apart.

And although he didn’t know exactly what had happened in Française, one thing was clear—this man was no longer the Laurent he knew.

Yuri clenched and unclenched Guilty’s hilt several times.

He wasn’t so weak as to feel guilt over something beyond his control.

If someone tried to blame him for what happened in Française, he would have laughed and drawn Guilty.

But this was Laurent. And to Yuri, Laurent had always been an exception.

“Do you want me to apologize?”

Yuri asked.

Laurent immediately frowned and lunged at him. The refined, elegant swordsmanship Yuri remembered from Laurent was gone.

Only ruthless attacks remained, ignoring his own safety.

As he wielded Guilty, Yuri thought,

Laurent had become stronger.

Though his style was rougher, technically he had not regressed; his strength and speed had increased.

It seemed like he attacked without thought, but every movement was calculated. His talent had continued to evolve.

However, Yuri had grown even stronger.

Realizing this, Laurent clenched his teeth.

“Damn monster.”

“Laurent.”

With their swords locked, they stared at each other up close.

Between the bandages, Yuri could see more of Laurent’s deformed skin.

Yuri smirked.

“I like your way of talking better now.”

“What?”

“You should have been like this from the start. Better than following me around all the time saying ‘prince, prince.’”

“Don’t pretend to be so relaxed while talking.”

“It’s not pretending.”

Yuri pushed harder and forced Laurent back. Laurent twisted his sword to try to grab Yuri’s body and throw him down.

But Yuri spun like a top and threw him down instead.

Laurent fell on his back to the ground with a groan.

“Urgh…”

“Laurent.”

Yuri looked down at him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Shut up.”

Lying on the ground, Laurent propelled himself forward and knocked him down, getting on top of him.

“Don’t pretend you’re sorry.”

“Laurent, you know better than anyone.”

Yuri didn’t resist and looked at him.

“I’m not pretending.”

“Damn it!”

Laurent threw a punch. But Yuri caught it with his hand.

Yuri smirked wryly.

“See? I’m not going to let you hit me.”

Laurent threw several more punches, but Yuri blocked or dodged them all with ease.

Finally, exhausted in his position, Laurent grabbed his neck while breathing heavily.

“Yuri Briol.”

“Yes.”

“You should have known sooner.”

Laurent squeezed his neck.

“You went on about how you’d fight the Empire, but the real enemy was by your side, and you should have noticed.”

Yuri stared at him.

Laurent continued, strangling him.

“You should have been the first to know what Cedric is.”

His hand tightened.

“And if not, you should have at least believed me.”

Laurent threw another punch. This time, Yuri didn’t stop it.

His head turned with the blow.

He spat saliva mixed with blood, looked at him, and said,

“I’m sorry, Laurent.”

Laurent looked at him, then began to laugh, his shoulders trembling slightly.

After laughing alone for a moment, he stood up.

“Damn it…”

He staggered toward where his sword lay and picked it up.

“Well, I don’t care anymore. I don’t care if you die or if the world ends.”

“All right.”

“Your father was imprisoned by your brother.”

Yuri, barely getting up, looked at him.

“Cedric sealed him with an unknown magic. He told me to tell you—said he wanted to give you despair.”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“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.”

With that, Laurent turned and began to walk away. Yuri watched him go.

He wanted to stop him, but he felt that wasn’t what Laurent wanted.

“Haa…”

Yuri ruffled his hair.

After thinking for a moment, he stood up and shouted toward the departing figure.

“Hey Laurent!”

***

“Hey!”

Cory was hiding in the shadows, watching Yuri and the villagers, when someone suddenly spoke to him.

“What are you spying on so intently?”

When 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.

He looked in the same direction as Cory and smiled with disdain.

“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.”

The mercenary spoke with a biting tone.

Cory ignored him and turned away. He had originally thought of going straight to Yuri, but for some reason he felt he shouldn’t now.

The mercenary followed him.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Wherever I want.”

“Don’t we still have something to talk about?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You followed my advice and that guy woke up, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Then don’t you think you should fulfill my request?”

Just as the mercenary had instructed, when he mixed the herbs, Laurent had indeed woken up. Cory had promised to grant him a request.

Without looking at him, Cory replied,

“Tell me. If it’s in my hands, I’ll do it.”

“Hmm, I’ll tell you what I want later.”

“Later when? What if I’m not here by then?”

“It won’t take that long.”

“Even so, at least give me an idea.”

“Tonight, maybe?”

“All right. Look for me yourself. If we don’t meet, too bad…”

“Understood.”

“But why do you keep following me…?”

There was no answer. When he turned, the mercenary had already disappeared. He really was someone who came and went as he pleased.

Cory sighed and headed to the lodging where Laurent was.

The 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.

Laurent, now conscious, was sitting by the window, looking outside.

“It’s noisy out there. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because the Briol Knight Corps arrived here. I also saw Prince Yuri.”

Laurent’s eyebrows moved. Without saying anything, he looked at Cory.

“I didn’t know.”

Laurent watched him silently for a moment, then stood and left the room.

Everyone went about their own business.

Cory, now alone, fell onto the bed and kept thinking until he dozed off.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky was already dark. Laurent was gone.

Rubbing his eyes, Cory got up with a start. Maybe Prince Yuri had already left.

He 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.

Cory ran there.

He saw Yuri and the knights sitting around a campfire.

It 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.

Those were days of constant fighting, but Cory liked them. Just as he was about to approach Yuri, a fight broke out.

Startled, Cory hid. From the darkness, he saw spells flying. He prepared to use Dispel, but someone else dispelled them first.

It 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.

Seeing Inariel act, Cory stayed hidden, not daring to intervene.

With 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.

“Hey, useless.”

The mercenary’s voice came from behind him.

“What are you doing? Weren’t you going to go to Yuri Briol?”

“I suppose so.”

Cory turned to him.

“But since you’re here, I won’t go.”

Looking up at him, he added,

“Cedric.”

Then, the scarred mercenary began to laugh, and his mouth stretched into a grotesque smile.

“Since when did you know?”

“Who knows.”

“You’re smarter than I thought.”

“They say that to me often. I’m not what I seem, right?”

Cory stood up and began walking toward the village.

“Let’s talk while we walk. So, what’s your wish?”

“I’ll tell you in a moment.”

“You just want to chat with me?”

“That’s right.”

They walked around the edge of the village. In the distance, sounds of combat could be heard.

Cory 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.

At first he thought it was just his imagination, until he understood—that man reeked of black magic.

The idea that his true identity was Cedric was, in part, just a hunch.

“I suppose you already suspect it.”

“Suspect what?”

“My face. My appearance.”

Cedric smiled. His face was still that of the burly, scarred mercenary.

“The look you always wanted to have, isn’t it?”

Cory didn’t deny it. He had always been despised and looked at with disgust by people, even after becoming a mage.

In contrast, those who looked down on him would cower before burly, scarred types like this mercenary.

Sometimes he had wished to be like that.

“I’ve been watching you. I wondered what quality this ugly half-orc had for Yuri to take him along.”

“I have no quality.”

“And yet you can use the Dragon Voice Organ…”

Cory tensed. Now that Cedric knew about the Organ, he might try to take it.

“Don’t worry. That’s an empty power.”

Cedric placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Watching you, I discovered something interesting.”

“What is it?”

“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.”

“Honestly?”

“Yes, honestly.”

The mercenary’s face changed, revealing Cedric’s. It was a beautiful and elegant face.

Cedric had everything, and yet he used black magic to commit atrocities. Cory couldn’t understand it.

Cedric’s voice slid into his ear.

“You… when you saw Laurent so deformed, you were glad. Weren’t you?”

Cory’s face hardened.

“I…”

“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.”

Cory 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.

“You were glad to see Laurent turned into a monster. Weren’t you, Cory?”

“Yes…”