Chapter 284: Fascination (1)
OtjvIt wasn’t just Yuri.YvmC
aUBgE7QHernando, Jared, Laurent, Moyongchan, and several others were with him.CBUs4gf
hqFeOQAll of them were people who, at one point or another, had lived in the royal palace of Briol.fCicOh
meMpno“This is…”24USN1
sYlrThe mage Hernando understood the situation faster than anyone else.hfQiCDV
82cMWnm“They sent us back.”TE6
DlpbQAll eyes turned to him. Hernando spoke again.gy2Me
Qe6“They sent everyone who was there back to what each person considers their home. Maryrose, who was right beside me, will have gone to Valshard.”Dwd4
Hfvkq“…”323vm6
z5XmzX“She said the Briol palace would soon be her home, tch, tch… Ah, pretend you didn’t hear that.”d1D8
JINK“…”oy29T
0sOkRPg“The Brusen troops to Brusen, the Liberta troops to Liberta, things like that. Sir Ainzer will have gone to Matehorn. I wonder where Inariel went. By the way, can you imagine the sheer power it takes to transport so many individuals separately? Broadly speaking—”63G
yEkxOjHernando, too, was so stunned that he seemed to be speaking without a filter.297W4m
fLboKJared, next to him, put a hand on his shoulder.5du
6sRgPZ“Sir Hernando.”JVVD1
Hsc“To accomplish this with ordinary magic, you’d have to— Huh?”L98c0
HJ8sW“Calm down.”FilE
Ms3ouF“I am calm.”KT84V
D0cw3a“Then keep quiet for a moment so we can process the shock.”oOR286e
rwy7OW“Yes, yes…”aPfgYyj
62zBFIHernando let out a long sigh and sank down right there.KNXaafo
6rhStEven Moyongchan, usually so disciplined, couldn’t fully process the situation and stood there in a daze.jXTsg
XsRvESeeing them suddenly appear, a passing servant let out a scream.Hnjo
YacgYuri, however, remained still and raised his gaze to the sky.Tpbo
6KaB4CDIt was a pure, vivid blue.2Uos
83dP“Haa…”XXHVM
4GKBZ3And he let out a loud curse.lHiKTjI
sSJJ8Q“Damn it!”2eTphOi
TtUAi***WkkQLe
ZTxTp0Yuri immediately went to see Joshua and had a long conversation with him.Gpv4wP
1n7“The news must have spread already, right?”Otlr1
yxnF“Of course.”CvFb0lR
9nqYuS5“Ugh…”hGhg
0jwnXWith so many troops instantly teleported to their homes, it was impossible to hide it even if they wanted to.jzsm
CFxPeople must have been shocked to learn that the Empire had summoned a demonic god, and that the power of that presence was overwhelming.M9GNW
inwv3Many had probably already lost the will to fight, trembling in fear.xYhesNp
0TSCM5“That Cedric did that is serious.”DN2
fIpIt also affected Joshua deeply, since like Yuri, he had trusted and followed Cedric.aKduyJ
4jPuD2Even worse if the enemy possessed such colossal power.cyd
KpoTORJoshua crossed his arms and kept sighing.7NY0tE
CPVec3“What are we supposed to do with this…?”EJoTo
0mCu“What else? Fight.”A2JZfB4
haE“You said he gave us a month, right?”DpEEP
4Tmuc3“Yes.”i3eA
KTPZNjR“Take that time to think. Those who want to follow me, follow me. Those who rebel, come to me. I’ll choose them and kill them. Something like that.”ubWmuu
Wl3mciz“Most likely.”AOv
4UJZw“And you’re one of the ones rebelling.”9teX5c
TTq“Exactly.”MSdp
n2j9J3c“But the rest aren’t. That monster of a so-called transcendental being Cedric summoned— is it really that strong? Hard to believe…”IzgAIi
uvpkH0“It felt like a divine entity.”7ZUR
XvX“Yes, a god. After seeing something like that, with morale in the dirt, and on top of that tasting the comfort of home… won’t they completely lose the desire to keep fighting?”3xvL
FYd93“Probably.”iQzga1
jKdtr“So we’ve lost?”vaoGeWz
7q08Joshua said,jkgLf
uBuMMi“Whether they have the will or not, can we really defeat someone capable of sending so many people home in one move?”vYCK
K6LWEoyYuri couldn’t answer.qDK
a5L5He had learned the Cut of the Soul and the Heart and gained the power of chaos.tXesl
87VaPCWBut the being from space that Cedric had brought possessed a force incomprehensible even to him—literally immeasurable.dc9KhC0
1NNXkYou can’t defeat a god.CksJy4x
J9XEEven so, Yuri shook his head.VlIiFJ
zNvQjdF“This isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about doing what must be done.”5cz
I36mKilling Cedric and eradicating the root of black magic.K6h6U
aXF0P4That was all he saw.i1yJ
eI2v32It didn’t matter if there was no chance of victory. After all, this was his second life.wi1bPk
W8L0CEven if he died here, he would have no regrets.1SZF
SIZ7cVXHe would endure until the end, until Cedric was finished.mBlKbej
GpQBut the others didn’t have such iron will.6ZYb0A6
sha“What if people refuse?”TLj5
WVW7jUPJoshua asked.aQB45
4A1N“If the knights and soldiers don’t want war, there’s nothing to be done. Of course, as king, I could issue a forced order. But they wouldn’t fight with their hearts in it.”GcZCwx
kOmd5k“I know.”H2vbG
n2KYuri sighed.6j6k
ncDWPxJ“I’ll think about it more. We still have time.”XMN6b
zt2X7A month.l0N
Fl7MKDShort if short, long if long.iqMSx37
VUS7TJoshua nodded.fNId
NElM2“Alright. For now, rest. Also, you stink.”sO0x
7uLyg0tYuri had come to the grand hall exactly as he had been transported from the battlefield, covered in blood and grime.dDt
NbvSLYuri stood up.R1lT
1dD“Alright then, I’ll head out.”0dQNFyg
I7zn“Ah, wait.”ex6
Jm2bh6x“Mm?”Kqv6YD
5EHeq“Don’t go to your quarters. Go somewhere else… Yes, go to where Cedric used to stay.”aeWVI
z06t“Why?”NmL
gN5F7fL“Just go.”09vcA
nCovJES“What’s going on?”dZd2nd
RNbwEM“…”EtPJ56
T4ge0“Is something wrong?”Abz
V7KS“There’s a guest in your quarters.”FVuTN
m65vm“In mine?”msnpgp6
80ApjYuri frowned.LIeR
MVbd“Who did you let in without telling me? Got yourself a girlfriend?”ACoo
h7C94“I wish, but no.”17Kys
Quh“Then?”vgfav
ggc0IcJoshua scratched his head.Od4GBx8
6jNyl“Looks like you haven’t gotten the message yet. I should’ve sent a messenger. Of course, you’ve been busy at the front…”fRKYiSI
MWui“What message?”3of
0KY“Yekaterina.”MFazyfD
kC6YbYuri looked at Joshua, not understanding why her name was coming up now.1mog
6dfAnd at Joshua’s next words, Yuri was left speechless.jacZ
o91“The imperial princess is now in Briol— and she’s in your quarters.”J8Q1
16e“What?”8uV
sxjAfter a moment of silence, Yuri asked again.tIA
rCq05P“Yekaterina… meaning the imperial princess is here?”Yge9
mP4mYy“Yes.”H0d
8jUaQOb“In the royal palace of Briol?”6P18BW
lZsnx“Uh-huh.”ulVNn
oFO“Why?”SV30N4
HpAQ“She escaped and came here.”HKLU
bXO1c“…”dOltMT
VjrYtYYuri stood still like a statue, staring at Joshua, then got up, shaking his head as if he didn’t want to think about anything.7zn
GDqs11y“Alright. Then I’ll go to my brother’s quarters, okay? I want to rest, so don’t let anyone in.”OdM6nI
e5lc“What about the servants?”IVf4q
gMSXD“Ena’s enough.”0Lf
RBRWrWb“Alright…”5jF9w
UrwPN“Then I’m off. See you later.”VwWpcB
yBnL“Yes, rest well.”eVyO
TTGEnBgYuri immediately left the throne room. The news that Yekaterina was here kept him from calming down.XGk
p5L1He felt many emotions at once.C55
hNcSa8As the Empire grew more and more devastated, deep down he had worried about Yekaterina being there. And now that she was in Briol, he felt relieved but also uneasy.K1DsoW
Z9nG5LWhy would she have come specifically to Briol?
Briol was the place the Empire had the fiercest rivalry with.FlrBr
qIVKFA“Could it be because of me…?” Yuri muttered.PSeB
0atGKIt wasn’t arrogance, but a logical deduction based on past experience.xpNHW
Dn3gm“As always… because of me…”OBfRA
kiV9OBIn his previous life, it had been the same.mcY9YY
Tq5tBefore they were a couple, Yekaterina had been the one to make the first move. Later, he’d heard that Yuri was exactly her type.Rpj
MqbSTastes don’t change easily.WDg
tWdu“I guess it’s because I’m too attractive. Oh well. I’ll just do my best not to run into her.”pmqm7GD
R4W4Almost fleeing, Yuri made his way to the quarters where Cedric had lived.d2L4
0yMcmJSince Cedric had left, they had been empty, but as they were still kept in good condition, there was no problem using them.QmU02z6
H7CWhen he arrived, he saw a familiar face for the first time in a long while.Y53qfaz
MRR“Your Highness. It’s been a while. It must have been hard for you.”n44a
ZqhCEp“Ena. You got here fast.”uJ8
SOp3S6H“I came straight here.”Y21lG
mXgIdIt was Ena, his personal maid.XQhBr
02sKSGSeeing her, Yuri truly felt he had returned to the royal palace.5Ir
XJqCR“Ena, I’m so glad to see you again—”wIP5
u4b“Wait a moment!”fwF9hpn
BOSpzShe stretched out her arms to stop him and covered her nose.cK0Zrk
LubL“Sorry to say this after all you’ve been through, but you need a bath first. I think my nose’s gone numb.”mVCpW
zqWqo3j“Alright, alright.”4fhjr9
2evX“The hot water’s ready, go right away.”x25z3vE
GkmXK***4fi
d9OiYuri was immersed in the hot water.yzH
sIR9t9vIt felt as though all the accumulated fatigue was melting away.Fde3WY
PQwmY3For now, he even set aside the burden of having to face Cedric.qJR
rCd“Haaa…”gc8FtV
cZvHe let out a long sigh and stayed with his eyes closed, enjoying the heat.RkyjAtJ
7GWThen he murmured to himself.BD93tF
aBaVU“Yes… I wonder how the rear lines are doing.”4J8AFR
43fHis voice echoed in the bath.YG8bY
YynZ“You came home too?”QysLNIK
aIxlAs he spoke, someone stepped out from a corner of the bath.DN2pDmf
EsoIt was Asana.l6PuWyG
ZeOrShe knelt down in front of him.OEgohQ
6Qeo3“Yes. But I wasn’t in the rear.”uGC
NaO8“I had left you tied up.”Rm36xiH
cH0“That’s not a problem for me.”Rdyfitv
nMj“I see…”vHywH
0YMHQgs“I was following you, and suddenly my vision went dark and I appeared in the palace.”Zc3QG
g7poXOnJust as for Yuri, the royal palace was his home, for Asana, it was the palace of Briol, where she had a mansion with those who had escaped the order of assassins with her.nKav
0vrTNAsana asked,svOA
Y2gw3“How was it? Do you think you can win?”3l0dqhm
zDby“Honestly, I don’t know. Cedric summoned something so monstrous I’m not sure we can even fight it.”Zh9J8a
EUJ“I see.”tstW7gs
q11sShe nodded. Having once betrayed Yuri under Cedric’s persuasion, she knew well how fearsome he was.YE4zvXe
0JKX“Then why did you come to see me?”z9eE1Q
RmoqJ“Lady Cruar sent me a message. It may not be worth much now…”BjO
Tv8NWI5“Cruar?”5kdta
qGxSkCruar, the last dragon remaining on the continent.B77j
GctKxdMHearing her name, Yuri thought of Cory.xb3
MiBIt was said that Cory had escaped from Cruar’s nest, and now no one knew where he was. Laurent, who had been with him, had warned that he was no longer the innocent boy he used to be.zQbh
6t2jEven so, Yuri still trusted him.tFbM
EuyLXW“Is this about Cory?”z3ZONL
r1N5cNh“No.”cU450h1
CB3K36Y“Then?”Uwtu
WVltBIm“It’s about the demon’s grimoire.”oy6S8j
viPjPi“The demon’s grimoire?”cev3f
3qDm5YYuri’s expression changed.nyS8Z2o
kUDvnCruar had promised him that if she found information about that grimoire, she would pass it on to him. Perhaps she had gotten a big lead.y2E
78tNMU“What did she say?”bjP
dTza“Well…”Xwe
E41gsAsana conveyed Cruar’s words, and Yuri’s face turned strange.lzKKu
ism“That’s it?”lUPeT
Vi18“Yes.”9lI3Bb
UFjA“Is that really all?”JSi
7dW“Yes.”12OX
DDyQR“Are you sure?”ybxLX2
yiWMWRu“That’s all. Better to ask her yourself when you see her.”ppOgM
6KJTlXf“I see…”B57sW
k3hYuri splashed his face with the hot water.2gQlM
gd3R“So that was it…”LCtuz
71rMCruar’s words filled his mind with thoughts.8hotPSj
G8OHak3‘You must not cut the demon’s grimoire. The sword only postpones the situation, but it does not eradicate the darkness. To eliminate it completely, you must kindle the light. Because darkness is the absence of light.’UZ4Xw
72uqGYTIt was nothing concrete.EJ5
kM0ra3She was even telling him not to cut it.GEc
rGtz“What does that mean? That I shouldn’t kill Cedric?”QKV
Hs4au“I don’t know.”FPUKT5l
XjS“Hmmm…”mnm
22BGmYuri closed his eyes. The muscles that had relaxed began to tense again, and his head started to ache.z3GNb
B7xqi“Alright, I get it, you can go.”LgD
HiIi5D5“Can’t I stay here?”jL1uz
ns9Lofw“Go. I need to bathe.”P55x76m
vuoX4“It’s not like anything can be seen through the steam anyway…”lz3j
W96b“Leave.”5Of
53c5nLT“Yes.”huUOgID
8C07qAsana stood up and disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.J9XOL
6YZR“Phew…”90jKi
4GQYuri went back to enjoying the silence, not wanting to think about anything.jVaEWtf
OIVL1But the world wouldn’t leave him in peace.H9M
GOJb1Q“Your Highness! Your Highness! Can you hear me?”zeL
S8VIt was Ena, calling him from outside.1qEeF7
NGVxj58He tried to ignore her, but her voice kept getting louder, so he ended up answering.9YKIYOC
IRpW3M6“What is it?”n1CCwb
GNyKShe replied from the other side of the door.1BNzU
sMA“You have a visitor!”K5LMu
2hAk“Tell them no!”uKqEzE
TPDP9“They say they’ll wait until you finish your bath, so you can take your time.”FeTE3Le
a2A“Who is it?”Nd2TF
giWFpi“The princess!”uh3
Z4jEKmj“Tell her to leave… what?”eOU
97zYuri’s heart skipped a beat.qwlI
DcwZoHe knew that being in the palace he might run into her, but he hadn’t thought she would come looking for him immediately.l5DrJ
VNzJsK“Tell her I’m tired and to go away! I just got back.”Pnao
8Uwsy“I’ll tell her that then.”JH5
PlFtHe heard Ena’s footsteps moving away and waited for her to return.Yqq
XGTjAfter a moment, she knocked on the door again.DR1BvM
xhrw“What did she say?”ITno
eiknCy“What do you think?”dQkqgy
KN9Then Yuri felt his heart sink again.XW3
YjxrIt wasn’t Ena who answered.wP5u
dRcL4Z“I’ll wait. Take your time with your bath.”yMe
rpciIt was Yekaterina.yaO2Aq
k09Her voice, tinged with amusement, was exactly the same as in his previous life.VwyGCy
MiPfz5Yuri, frozen for a moment, sank down until his head was completely submerged in the water.fh26gB
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