Chapter 29: The Unwanted Visitor (1)

The Holy Kingdom’s army had set up camp on the plains beside Briol’s army.

Some conflict between soldiers was to be expected, but thanks to the knights of Briol having rescued the Holy Kingdom’s troops, a harmonious relationship had formed.

The next day, Briol’s army departed Gid as planned. Sybilla and the holy knights bid farewell to Yuri.

“We’ll see each other in Valshard.”

“Yes. Take care on the road.”

“I hope you arrive safely by then.”

The knights of Briol and the Holy Kingdom were no longer hostile toward one another.

Some had even struck up conversations throughout the day. They wished each other luck, promising to meet again.

The lord of Gid requested to accompany the supply convoy heading to Valshard.

“Your Highness, thank you for accepting my request.”

“It’s for the sake of the allied army.”

“I’d appreciate it if you could speak well of us to the Empire.”

“Of course. You say good things about me too.”

“Of course. Ha ha ha…”

Yuri didn’t refuse the company. After all, they were going the same way. Those supplies would end up in the hands of the allied army anyway.

“When the war ends, please stop by Gid on your way back.”

“I will. It would be nice to part ways with a smile.”

“I’m sure we will.”

Yuri shook hands with the lord of Gid. They had established a good relationship in a short time. No doubt they could help each other in the future.

Soon, the unit finished its preparations.

Just before departure, Raymond approached Yuri.

“Your Highness, what shall we do about them?”

Several groups of merchants were waiting for Briol’s army to depart. Some were regular caravans to Valshard; others were war merchants, selling goods in the wake of conflict.

“Let them come.”

Though many strict units didn’t allow private merchants to tag along, Yuri, with his experience as a mercenary, knew how useful they could be in various situations.

The army couldn’t provide everything the soldiers needed on its own.

“Let’s move out.”

When Yuri gave the order, a nearby soldier blew a horn. A deep sound, like a trumpet, echoed through the camp. The entire unit began to move.

Yuri positioned himself at the front, with the knights’ squad. The march proceeded smoothly.

“Sir Raymond, have you been to Valshard?”

“Valshard…”

Raymond looked up at the sky as he recalled. The bright blue sky over the plains was the perfect backdrop for evoking memories.

“It’s a place where remnants of an old kingdom remain.”

Valshard was built upon the ruins of an ancient kingdom that once existed in the plains.

From the ruins, one could tell it had been a powerful kingdom, though the reasons for its fall remained a mystery.

“It’s not much different from Gid, but it’s much larger.”

“Really?”

“You can tell how prosperous that kingdom once was. I didn’t stay long, but its grandeur left a clear impression.”

“I see.”

“It’s best you see it with your own eyes. As a fortress, it’s an excellent city.”

“Understood.”

The plains stretched endlessly. As they advanced, the sun began to set.

Yuri, upon finding a suitable spot, halted the unit.

“We’ll camp here for the night.”

The camp was quickly and efficiently set up. It seemed the troops had grown accustomed to the work—pitching tents was faster than before.

Yuri made rounds inspecting the soldiers.

“Hey, you!”

“Yes?”

“That’s not how you dig.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“Give me that.”

“Y-your Highness…?”

“Come on.”

The soldiers doubted that Yuri knew how to use a shovel, but when he began digging with impressive technique, their eyes widened in amazement.

“Woooah…!”

The motion of driving the shovel and lifting dirt was so fluid, not a bit of energy was wasted.

All techniques Yuri had learned during his time as a mercenary, when he had to do everything on his own.

“Digging isn’t about strength.”

“Then what…”

“It’s about rhythm.”

“Oh…!”

“Do it right.”

Yuri walked around barking orders like a sergeant. His clothes weren’t any different from the soldiers’, so many didn’t recognize him until they saw his black hair up close.

And when he suddenly shouted, everyone flinched.

“You there, not working?”

“Ah, uh… Prince?”

“Where are you going?”

“The bathroom.”

“Number two?”

“Y-yes…”

“Go far, then.”

While patrolling, he suddenly came upon an unpleasant scene. A group of three or four soldiers had surrounded Cory, who lay on the ground, shouting at him.

Cory couldn’t get up and looked like he’d already been hit several times.

“Told you not to show your face, damn orc half-breed.”

“I-I just…”

“Think we wouldn’t find out?”

Yuri sighed.

Just as the soldier had said, Cory, whom Count Saidor had brought, was a half-orc—born of a human and an orc. Though he hid under a hood, they had eventually discovered it.

“Bet he’s a spy. Gonna get us all killed, fooling the prince. You working with the orcs?”

“That’s not true! I only…”

“And that nice armor? Hand it over.”

“T-this is…”

“I said give it!”

“It was… a gift from the prince…”

“Say you lost it!”

One of the soldiers yanked off his gauntlet, revealing a deformed hand, the back swollen and fingers twisted.

The soldier recoiled in horror.

“Ugh, what is this?! Damn freak…”

“Give it back.”

“I don’t even want to touch it, it’s disgusting.”

Just as he was about to throw the gauntlet away—

“Hey, you.”

Yuri called out.

At first, the soldiers frowned, not recognizing him, but when Yuri came closer, they panicked.

“P-Prince!”

“That gauntlet… looks familiar.”

“No, it’s not what it looks like…”

“You weren’t about to toss it, were you?”

Yuri looked at him, arms crossed. The soldier, unsure of what to do, held out the gauntlet as if offering it reverently.

“N-never!”

“Oh really?”

“Uhh…”

“Were you going to shake it because it had dust on it?”

“Y-yes! Exactly!”

He began shaking the gauntlet in his hand. The other soldiers joined in, and soon they were all fussing over a single gauntlet in a ridiculous scene.

Yuri brought a hand to his forehead.

“God…”

The soldiers looked at him nervously.

“Alright. It’s clean now. Get lost.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

They returned the gauntlet to Cory and ran off. Yuri clicked his tongue as he watched them disappear.

They were truly pathetic. Cory bowed deeply.

“Thank you…”

“You okay?”

“Yes.”

“Cory.”

He placed an arm around his shoulder. Cory flinched, but Yuri held him close without hesitation.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Huh?”

“I can protect you. Even punish those guys. You understand the orc language—you’re valuable.”

“Yes…”

Yuri observed him. A glimpse of his face could be seen beneath the hood. It wasn’t a pleasant face, but Yuri didn’t look away.

“So? Want me to punish them myself?”

Cory met his eyes for the first time.

He had always avoided Yuri’s gaze, but now, for the first time, their eyes met. He shook his head.

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t hate them?”

Cory looked down and hid his face under the hood again. He spoke in a quiet voice.

“If it were the other way around, maybe I’d do the same.”

“Huh?”

“We like what’s beautiful and dislike what’s ugly. It’s natural, instinctive. An uncomfortable truth, but unavoidable.”

Yuri was slightly surprised. Cory had always been passive. This was the first time he voiced his thoughts.

“I too…”

“You too?”

“I feel good when I see your face, Prince. But when I see people like them, I feel sad.”

Yuri let out a small chuckle.

“Is that a compliment?”

“Not in your dreams. How could I dare flatter you? I’m just speaking how I feel.”

His pronunciation and tone were surprisingly fluent. Yuri now understood why Heime had kept him close.

While most half-orcs resembled orcs more, Cory leaned closer to humans. It was a rare case.

Cory continued.

“And if you help me, I might be okay for now, but my dream would drift further away.”

“What’s your dream?”

“Um…”

Cory hesitated. Yuri gave him a firm pat on the back.

“Ow!”

“Now you’re keeping secrets?”

“N-no, it’s not that!”

“What is your dream?”

“Well…”

Cory replied quietly.

“To be accepted by everyone and live among them.”

Yuri fell silent. What Cory desired was, for him, something as natural as breathing. But for that little half-orc, it was almost unattainable.

What would become of Cory after the war? He could take him in, but that wasn’t what Cory truly wanted.

“Cory, you’re with Hernand, right?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect.”

Yuri said.

“Learn magic from him.”

“Huh?”

“If you want to make a living, you need a skill.”

“Eh…?”

Cory looked at him in surprise. He was so stunned he didn’t even avert his gaze like usual.

“Magic isn’t a simple skill. It’s very difficult, not just anyone can…”

“Even better. If you learn something specialized, they won’t cast you aside.”

“Prince…”

“Interpreting orcish is useful, but it’s limited. Better to prepare for the future.”

Yuri patted him on the head over the hood.

“Try it. If you can’t, then learn something else.”

“But…”

“You’re not doing anything when there’s no task, right? Or do you plan to just live idly?”

“N-no, of course not!”

“Then try.”

“Okay…”

Yuri placed the gauntlet directly into his hand. Cory, stunned, didn’t dare refuse it.

“It’s cold. Put it on.”

***

The moon hung in the sky.

Yuri had put the Briol army on alert. Although they weren’t technically in orc territory, there had already been incidents in the Holy Kingdom. It wouldn’t be strange if orcs attacked at any moment.

Yuri summoned Laurent and Jared to his tent.

“There’s only one thing they might try here.”

The three sat around the map. Briol’s army was marked between Gid and Valshard.

“What do you think it is?”

“A night raid.”

Jared answered, rocking slightly in his chair. Yuri narrowed his eyes.

“And what kind of night raid?”

“Well… a normal one. You know, attacking at night.”

“Even though we’re so well prepared? Would they really try now?”

“Why not?”

“Imagine they’re not orcs, but humans. Very cunning humans.”

“Then…”

Someone else answered.

“The supplies.”

When they turned, they saw Raymond standing at the tent entrance. He smiled and walked in.

“I think they might try to sabotage that.”

Yuri nodded.

“Exactly.”

“Really?”

“They’re the same ones who attacked the Holy Kingdom. They could be hiding anywhere. The plains are their territory.”

Yuri remembered his time as a mercenary. A companion from a previous campaign had once said:

‘Damn orcs always went for the supplies. They were pros at driving soldiers mad.’

Now that information about the allied army had leaked, the orcs wouldn’t allow the troops from each nation to gather smoothly.

Yuri already anticipated sporadic attacks before reaching Valshard.

Jared frowned.

“But don’t they need a chain of command for that? I heard orcs are divided into tribes and don’t get along…”

True, orcs lived in tribes that often fought among themselves. But Yuri knew that a new royal figure was rising in the plains.

Raymond answered in his place.

“Why do you think the Empire formed the Alliance?”

“Well, to regularly hold back the orcs, I guess…”

“That too, but the main reason is that a force has emerged in the far east that they can’t ignore.”

Yuri nodded.

There was an orc. In his past life, his name had inspired fear.

“An unknown orc is uniting the tribes. They call him Okua.”

Okua.

The monster who would soon be known as the ‘King of the Orcs.’

Because of him, many knights lost their lives. And ultimately, he was the target Yuri aimed to eliminate with this Alliance.

“The Empire wants to cut the problem off at the root before Okua grows any stronger.”

“I see…”

Jared and Laurent didn’t seem especially moved. For them, he was still just another orc chieftain.

They would understand once they saw him with their own eyes. Suddenly, a commotion broke out outside.

The urgent voice of a sentry rang out from the entrance.

“Prince! We have a situation!”

Yuri stood up.

It looked like the unwanted visitors had already arrived.