Chapter 287: Fascination (4)
d9fBq6“Hmm…”FyB
tzEMaryrose narrowed her eyes as she looked at Yekaterina.U2p
Q1389“Then, it was a pleasure to see you, Your Highness.”P4gQF
Kx8That was all.OgW
dmsQEMaryrose winked at Yuri and then said she would go find lodging. Yuri had suggested she stay in the royal palace, but she refused with a smile and headed toward the capital.npf9
6lNyyxyAs Yuri watched Maryrose’s back grow distant, someone approached him.qi8Ul4T
vYVgn6K“Your Highness.”Lyf
Bz0VWAyTo his surprise, it was Raymond.Bafja9i
8eld“Sir Raymond.”T31
s4CcWhen the Anti-Empire Coalition marched against the Empire, he had found him voluntarily enlisted as a soldier, and they had exchanged a few words. Now, as always, he had come.LNiZf3
zfM2NYvYuri shook Raymond’s hand.ejX
YJRr“Thank you for coming. I’m always grateful to you.”pwshK9O
djkpooE“It’s my duty.”fEgwY68
SODVegPBoth during the time of the allied army and the founding of the Army Comrades Association, Raymond had always taken on the most difficult tasks. That was why Yuri always felt he owed him something.ROkSwp
yWNYCkRaymond smiled faintly.Smk
zzPd“By the way…”80648
cUwj“Mm?”iAr
5UMSV“I’d like to give you some personal advice.”dwO
L5GM“What kind?”ApnYLQ
Dyit“I’m sure everyone’s already given you their advice. But sometimes, the opinion of elders can be more useful than that of the young.”OQWet
Li7X9t“What do you mean…?”pcuRD
7Jm7MRaymond looked at him with kind eyes.rMm
DZg6ThN“Your Highness, you don’t need to choose only one person.”0xjUe
kKY“Eh?”xu070m
49d“You’re a member of the royal family and a hero of Briol. Don’t forget that.”ToX
VLx1“Mm?”qlf3
KSgN00s“Well then, I’ll be going. I need to train with the soldiers. Please take care of yourself.”ENer
CXZw1xj“Wait, what?”v0mPw
eDgbuF“Hahaha…”AgT
Wcrb6Leaving behind those cryptic words, Raymond departed. Yuri shook his head.x1MV9DM
JJs04h“Huff…”Ceq0
LlBoESHe appreciated everyone’s intentions.SRN8t
A83WBut.qVuyD0j
AiUOXaR“Seriously, what do they think I am…?”JLy
Uw8Why did everyone seem desperate to give him relationship advice?LlEq
3mmVkjHe was Yuri Briol. In this life he had no official partner, but in his previous life he had been very popular. More than a few women had cried over him. If he counted them, they would outnumber everyone present in the training field.AvUl
ViJmHe could form a four-column formation and march it around the training grounds twice.4sj
ZSW“I could organize a battalion with that.”xvB1HXU
Uv8PwnuYuri thought that the fact that, being so handsome, high-ranking, intelligent, good-natured, and skilled with a sword, there was no one besides Maryrose showing interest in him was already proof enough of his deep understanding of the female heart.iwUz
8Wk9bHe had always cut off any sign of interest the moment he noticed it.t9tR1D
qF4NThat he had avoided a serious conversation with Yekaterina until now wasn’t just because of emotional baggage, but also a calculated strategy.DqV
UI4Q3FXJust as Yekaterina’s calm attitude shook Yuri, Yuri’s calm reaction shook Yekaterina.n53Vx
fT2Even if unseen, both inflicted emotional wounds on each other in an invisible duel.82R
LtEThat the lock opened didn’t mean one should jump right in. That was the instinct of a stray dog.NKc
bmsmAnd he was no stray dog — he was a cheetah.nqP
GNSYuri smirked to the side.8i6py
WClJQm“Well, I guess I can’t avoid it anymore…”Dwvx
a80Yes, in the end, they were excuses.666okkR
I5QUYuri looked up at the sky. The final battle was approaching, and he could no longer put it off.9n2T
POuwqThe time had come to settle things with Yekaterina.i2J
NXEhHe drew Guilty and spun it in the air as he glanced over.BQ6a7Io
zRA4xUnder the parasol, Yekaterina was drinking tea, watching the knights train.zBvvd
PADrhOn the field, a knight, exhausted from hard training, had taken off his shirt and was shouting with all his might.4WgjX
861utOne, with a sculpted torso, knocked down his opponent in a duel, spread his shoulders, and roared. Yekaterina clapped.kMn
Efg8f“…”TZIJ3AS
BXnpUYuri closed and opened his eyes, taking a deep breath.F4je
udrnH“I’m a cheetah, I’m a cheetah. A wild cheetah. Not a dog…”n4hLo
mwaFrom behind, Laurent watched him silently. Moyongchan, resting beside him, spoke.WhvjHuq
9dcFQ“Laurent, don’t look at him like he’s an idiot.”MXzx3GO
GWbJ24“Ah, I did it without realizing.”ZDf
lnTM***QDeN
s3mleCTwo days passed.iTeF
3Lbs4g0Yuri still only maintained surface-level conversations with Yekaterina.U291bJG
rSBXB2lThey didn’t talk about what they needed to talk about, but the chats flowed naturally, and when they walked together, time flew by.LKE
s8ntYMIt was like when they had first met, leaving him with a strange feeling.6WklC
UyxHx0W“Fuu…”dO9N
rwBZg8As he was lost in thought, an unexpected visitor arrived.WHf9
s8mK4B“Your Highness, you have a visitor.”072av
Uwxq“Who?”OG1p2S7
FdUL8uW“They didn’t say, but mentioned you’d know when you saw them. Should I refuse?”lJLC5Nf
VzIlJ“No, I’ll go see. These days, anyone seeking me piques my curiosity.”IXOD
oiU0In the reception room, someone completely unexpected awaited him.jwHW7Fk
oqD5iYuri’s mouth opened in surprise.Q85U
cOE3“You… you. What are you doing here?”KYEbcT4
qpD3fIt was Oliver Elgast, knight of the Empire.ogCj
8tI“It’s been a while.”l5a
7Fk2LHe was a promising knight of the Empire who had participated in a tournament, but was eliminated by an unexpected blow from Sven of Liberta.idk
ZnIBack then, he had formed a kind of rivalry with Yuri, though that was only in Oliver’s mind.ZWX
fV2fhsPOliver shrugged.tBSpxR
9RU“Is there a problem?”YG1ZzC
eSG4nE“Don’t tell me…”pwB07hp
Kao5CYuri, placing his hand on his sword’s hilt, asked.eMj
GR6nT“Did you come as a spy?”1CgZn
7yU1“No, no.”SAifTDf
EO17t“Then as an emissary of the Empire?”6L5
MSY“If that were the case, would I come in this state?”nhN
d77FoHe looked as if he had fled in a hurry; his appearance was disheveled, and his once perfectly groomed hair was dull.ejcV
aXyQuFR“Then, don’t tell me…”Ukn
Y7lFVsXYuri narrowed his eyes.igbn
ehich6PMemories from the past came to mind. Oliver had been in love with Yekaterina.kKp
ViJ3PDuPerhaps, upon learning she was there, he had deserted the Empire to reach the palace of Briol.L8Sx
InLJ“Yes, that’s exactly it.”wR0FLp7
DFEWhen Oliver nodded, Yuri’s brow furrowed.j3jm
vVRf“This bastard…”vKSO69
670“I’m Imperial, but the current Empire is wrong. It must be stopped. That’s why I came to cooperate.”mBWsJ
gLY0s6“Oh, really?”8rMUM
yaiX“I think you just insulted me…”eJt
ZAZovd“No, it’s a misunderstanding.”AiqL
KJ7c2In a way, it made sense why during the entire war against the Empire, he hadn’t shown even the tip of his nose.8gruJfD
RSfYuri nodded.mca9cl
9r5“Alright. You did well to come. Tell me.”bmrxSd
cKnhqFK“My family, ever since the Emperor began losing his sanity, noticed something was wrong and prepared in advance.”YnZ7MHw
puBD“Oh…”CCjP0h
ksFeDF“When we discovered that the Imperial Palace was being consumed by black magic, we tried to stop it in secret. But it was impossible. His Majesty had already fallen into the hands of the black mages.”Yqy
ELrt“The Emperor can’t be saved anymore, can he?”fgr
qaBorZC“Exactly. In the process, my father was killed by an assassin. Now, in the Empire, my family is considered traitors.”tmIYpU
8xCQYS“I’m sorry to hear that.”Czd
kJzyq“It’s alright. We’re doing the right thing.”QEwLXHw
4qbaUOliver’s voice didn’t waver.4XQ83
Bw0BYuri felt ashamed for having doubted him.NTn0i
jrb1He wasn’t the only one opposing black magic. Even if they didn’t get along, there were others who could tell right from wrong.wJ81tUV
L7Th5v8“In the last war, I supported the Anti-Empire Alliance, but…”jqAeF
9rc“Yes.”0ZMF0s
kw253“In the end, they ended up summoning a terrifying monster.”9jmDh
rkpgylOliver let out a sigh.SaW
cAKNZTI“In the Empire, there still exists an organization resisting black magic. It’s the legacy of the late Prince Ragnar. They don’t move with us, but we maintain a cooperative relationship.”vwg
SZKoAt the name Ragnar, Yuri looked up.zzHMNUJ
wTd0oi“Prince Ragnar.”MNz
bIW6g4V“That’s right.”doyezpF
QwG1He remembered Ragnar’s always-smiling face. If he had lived, perhaps the situation would be a little better.EBXqR
2iX“But recently a problem has arisen.”tEnD3v
iUuf7“What kind of problem?”Qw8JT
11q“We knew in advance that a human sacrifice ritual was going to be held in Zveta. So we sent people to stop it.”O7dNL
Ehun“And?”pQTZ
sVywq“Of course, they failed. However…”M7Dj
ZJVPHis expression hardened.Sg6
0pq“The person who infiltrated there was none other than the Black Knight.”8tA
GsKwD“What?”Quos
Y84What he said next was shocking.Bxlk
aBLZpOliver’s family had infiltrated their own spy into Zveta. He had been sending information regularly until one day someone was captured.Dd06R
CCITo everyone’s surprise, it was a woman.1BQJYn
ETx9AI“It wasn’t only shocking that the Black Knight was a woman, but that she was captured with barely any resistance was even more surprising.”5uPqrk3
uRnZYuri stared at him.lTLHMM6
3mJHaving fought the Black Knight, he knew how formidable she was. And now they said she couldn’t resist.ePwW
5ccY“They say it was because of a mage. He used an unknown magic…”Kan
XUMihsOliver glanced behind him. Behind him was a hooded figure.ViFFG
ARZrOn“From here on, I’ll let him explain.”nibLzV6
VS0nPqThe person pulled back the hood. It was also a familiar face.KDa6Qu
XlI43qYuri, with a surprised smile, said his name.5CqVs
q54jwXL“Raphael?”ZVoa
Cnp“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”zl7l34L
YyUqqHIt was Raphael Artem, knight of the Empire who had worked alongside Graham Hartfall. Since Graham’s death, he hadn’t seen him, and now he seemed to be collaborating with Oliver against the Empire.sAZTn
QrNHC4Raphael gave a faint smile.fzWl
QhJsp“Despite the situation, I’m glad to see you. You’re just the same as ever.”bUkSKQW
NdL39m“I’m glad to see you too.”swRq
8MfSpwi“Allow me to get straight to the point, Your Highness. It’s highly likely that the mage who defeated the Black Knight is someone you know.”kX0x
QFktMu“Someone I know?”H4br
uTvOf the mages Yuri knew, only Inariel would have the strength to defeat a knight like her.4oxcO95
IYoqAnd even then, it wouldn’t be easy — in a one-on-one, a mage rarely defeats a knight, let alone one of her caliber.Fqht0Sn
sOkTHxAs Yuri frowned, Raphael looked at him intently and said,EwuoO
3Pz“I mean that Cory who followed you in the Alliance army.”8UUQLQ
1HGtjr“What?”BPjvi5I
x8Z0Yuri’s eyes widened. That was not a name he had expected to hear.iDs1jgh
TBqpXzRaphael continued.wf0B
miX9oFl“At first, I doubted it too, but the description our informant gave matches Cory exactly. And most telling, he calls himself Cory, and others call him that too.”AiE1gfd
SfwWm9“It can’t be…”1v1EBy
5m6K07z“They say he’s recently begun to earn Cedric’s favor. Apparently, being a half-orc, he uses a strange magic. From what we’ve heard, they call it the Power of the Voice of Authority. With a single word, he can subdue a person.”ANkcF8T
FWF“Voice of Authority…”vb4TcD
DCLT3Yuri had to accept it.4GoHmq
sV5yCThere was no doubt it was Cory, using the draconic language he had learned from Cruar.g9MVN2t
9w4kBcBWith his hand on his forehead, he asked,fQOf
WycFL“You’re saying he subdued the Black Knight?”J1M2H1h
yOJ“That’s right. The Black Knight had infiltrated disguised as an Imperial soldier, and he subdued her with a single word.”RZFZ
Q5a1XsIIn the past, Cory’s draconic language had not been very refined. But somehow, under Cedric, he had managed to strengthen it enough to trouble even the Black Knight.lHYOHs
k4fVOliver resumed the explanation.gDp
zaAdWThe informant in Zveta described Cory as brutal.e9I8X8
53zHe would summon prisoners from the camp, experiment on them using magic, and then throw them into a pit as sacrifices for black magic.1AsMLj
ACkNWXRaphael added,xLu
Smu“And the Black Knight was also thrown in there. If that monster was summoned, then she’s no longer alive.”E8f2UFv
JB6NOXT“…”R0wfQ
DLYLH“With someone like her as a sacrifice, it’s no wonder they were able to summon such a fearsome being. It’s truly terrifying.”MJGwa38
pbcdgwYuri closed his eyes, deep in thought.8wsV1U
3QkH0YAccording to Laurent, Cory was no longer the same as before. And now, a covert group from the Empire claimed he was a loyal servant of Cedric.KfLglT
G1Y3u0When Yuri remained silent, Raphael spoke cautiously.0FdqHIw
pXebh“Your Highness, I understand. I know you valued him when he was in the Alliance, and that’s why I’m saying this carefully. But that half-orc is now our enemy.”MP2E
bN1S1“I understand.”d6I
1VSxK9BYuri looked up.ywQqNR
OaxOliver and Raphael went silent at once.ozN3uuK
vAs4In his eyes burned something intense, and the pressure he radiated was enough to make one’s hair stand on end.O7X
n3nHCV“Now I know exactly what I have to do. Oliver, Raphael.”fFpJkEn
Kfk1Wso“Yes.”xEbAraS
M4jUwNF“Yes.”57z
QwWm“I’m going to leave Briol and gather people. The probability of victory in the final battle is minimal. Most likely, we’ll lose and die. Or perhaps suffer something so horrible we’ll wish we had died.”qyIcG
9OEBYuri smiled faintly.1E0
ub34dJ“Will you come with me?”o7Y2
ozUi2Crushed by the intensity of the moment, both nodded.MVYcKBc
g7WQiz“Yes.”qwtVh16
HHop“Yes.”lXw
fUAmHbYuri smiled broadly.57sPGE
0Ql“We leave tomorrow. I have to prepare the last details, so I’ll arrange lodging for you. Rest.”9bEIA
Li3SGj***BxV
BlhUpon leaving the reception room, Yuri set off immediately.dusPss4
2fLQEna, who had been waiting for him, hurried after him.u5bnp
atu“Where are you going?”YKy0k
Jj1y3“To see Yekaterina.”XSz
0Hved“Oh?”RMQ
PsLhEna covered her mouth.pZjvUd1
8I9y4N“At last?”Qg4
VLGcC“At last what?”90DBg
ahO“My lord, you’re finally a real man.”jd1
QdSk“Shut up.”fzI
iCl9mk“At least bring her a flower.”Xr8
IcaI9si“I don’t do that sort of thing.”5lmDY
sdq“That bad-boy style went out of fashion a long time ago.”tDc
uSYj“I’m the flower, so it’s not necessary.”uqj9CiS
Souv“You’re insane…”UF4P
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