Chapter 298: Demonic Realm (7)
4bCZjh7The Anti-Imperial Alliance advanced toward Zveta without encountering any resistance.D6d3fBB
TFFxFAlthough the atmosphere of the Empire was unsettling, the march itself went smoothly. They obtained the necessary supplies in the cities and rested as much as they wanted.hyJ0cD
ZnznSThe month Cedric had mentioned had already passed, but nothing had happened. However, everyone knew that this was nothing more than the calm before the storm.1Vq
2k8mUpon reaching Zveta, they would have to fight the final battle against Cedric, the master of black magic.xVCkk
FcVFEverything done so far had been nothing but preparation for that moment.XVm1S4G
RUJ2ABefore reaching Zveta, Yuri took a walk around the Anti-Imperial Alliance camp to inspect the state of the troops.drNzdHh
Kr7Xvy“Hey.”kYL
Kh12z“Your Highness?”uITwZik
PpMOK“I see a lot of tense faces. Are they very nervous?”J357l
GNl“N-no, not at all.”4tdRwMm
mKpX8Upon seeing him, everyone seemed to calm down.NqvYDl
2lgpFor the soldiers of the Anti-Imperial Alliance, Yuri was practically a symbol of victory.RGq
AwQKnowing that they were marching alongside the prodigy who had reached the Ten Greats at such a young age, and who had never lost a war, filled them with reassurance.aTVQMNn
ulRBWhile Yuri was greeting the troops of Liberta, Moyongchan appeared.Pzd
OFKY“Yuri.”zBrY
cvkdTB“Master.”aKaW
dBwNQ3“Tomorrow is the day. Wouldn’t it be better for you to rest?”ioE2Dr1
1gkfT“I’m fine. I think it’s better that I meet with the soldiers.”xOc
nzl“I see…”7N8hU
AHfZPENYuri looked at the two knights standing behind Moyongchan.KhvbXfE
DVZyfCoOne was Sven, and the other, a face he saw for the first time. He was a man in his early thirties, with an uncommon aura.wtm
R75dLYgIt wasn’t enough yet, but with training, perhaps one day he would reach a level comparable to the Ten Greats.2UjWQ
tup“Who is he?”uulfHc
plyed“His name is Eto, Your Highness.”E0G0G
yrz“Eto.”0tGw
56GfEven in his previous life, Yuri had heard that name—a famous knight in Liberta.RXWBoD
dRJ7EqYuri smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.ssA
yqGI5“Eto, I had already heard of you. Thank you for joining us.”rxcrN3T
7Z8s4el“It’s an honor for me, Your Highness.”gDFN
L1P3wuPIn this life, Yuri had not directly influenced Eto, but the change Moyongchan had brought about in him had made him stronger than in the previous life.IJ9S
zVD6“I’ll see you on the battlefield.”KEGxAzF
U7Jqqo9“Yes, Your Highness.”b4r5
JdgUR5Tomorrow he would fight against Cedric. Meeting Eto lifted Yuri’s spirits.218P
rXXEIn his past life, Briol had fallen to the Empire without being able to offer resistance. He hadn’t known that Cedric was the true enemy, and the continent had never united to defeat black magic.GH8Cj
iWTcLYBut this time was different.i6zGrqm
6hxkeThe fact that the entire continent had united was already an enormous achievement.FmkzSWW
iVLRchdMoreover, many of the famous figures from his previous life had joined the Anti-Imperial Alliance much stronger than they had been back then.h2hH3oK
H8T3And, above all, there was him—Yuri Briol, an entirely new being.dXHAG9
LS24GHe hadn’t tested it, but he sensed that he was now stronger than anyone else on the continent. Not even Fiore, already gone, could compare to him at this moment.2eu
Do2vm7ZThe power of Chaos he had obtained through the Cut of the soul and the heart was that immense. Of course, there was the restriction of the “demonic heart,” but he had managed to endure it so far.GQo
b1NRHe only had to win the last battle and that would no longer be a problem. Just once.Sue
j1l“Yuri?”mx89oeM
z08Xf“Ah, yes.”LOUh
8lpYivImmersed in his thoughts, Yuri came back to himself at Moyongchan’s words.W0dXyK
ORmV“You suddenly became lost in thought.”dZ1
SuJz3nj“I was thinking about the battle.”GkGcp4c
FlU“I see.”LuvF
Bc6phQMoyongchan looked at him and nodded.zBoTe
WQig“Are you going to keep going around the camp?”gj6A6V
wA4S7O“Yes.”iOajr4
V0N“Let’s go together.”52zUyb
jR7K57v“Alright.”TVUIeM
yJTDMoyongchan turned to Eto and Sven.dHQl
9VTzi“Remember well what I told you. You may go rest.”MGURXf
RpuM8“Yes, Master.”hLteEq
KVmN“Yes.”mw8hWo
TXnLHEQIt seemed he had invested much effort in training them in Liberta. In that sense, both could be considered Yuri’s disciples.sA9Iq
ISXLeaving the Liberta tents, Yuri remarked:XatbV
vZmNusw“If that’s the case, shouldn’t they call me Hyung?”iyNK
xjDg1a“Your Highness is above, so it’s probably more appropriate for them to address you that way.”KvF
x5OlfTa“I don’t mind.”pTY
z6z4NX“And your demonic heart?”BzirZx
C3iMoyongchan suddenly asked, changing the subject.ByKJ
vLAJC“You handle it with ease… what happened with it?”bPZc
bAmCsjyYuri smiled bitterly. So that was the reason he had accompanied him.TJ5joch
2jIDEAs they walked toward the tents of the Confederation of Small Kingdoms, they kept talking.50uk7Tb
mjcJ“I’ll be frank. I can still feel it.”eNkDj2
d1bz“Then…”PAJA9pV
vqJ70“But I can endure it.”1KO69
0jQ0GAfMoyongchan frowned.tpIN
WvW“Don’t look at me like that, it seems like you don’t believe me.”WvylJ4
1HYeLH1“It’s not that.”DchF
GckYe“Then why are you looking at me like that?”xw5C0xd
OPOXDu8“Because if you can overcome the demonic heart, you’re more than an extraordinary man.”yWqS4dZ
Vd4C3“Then look at me smiling.”0ink
NwxMO7“I don’t think that’s something to smile about.”nDkHl
30R“And why not? After all, tomorrow is the last battle.”iZtU
VK4They arrived at the area where Brusen’s troops were. Even there, always noisy, an unusual calm reigned.Nps3df
JSPUpon seeing Yuri, the soldiers greeted him. He responded with a gesture and some kind words. Most were familiar faces from so many battles fought together.U9O
9S8f“Were you already in Zveta last time?”URcne6
uN6“It’s an honor that you remember me, Your Highness!”NAd
vUPs“The honor is mine to see you again. This time we’ll make it.”ppkUTkN
8pEoZ“Yes, sir!”lK2x7eL
OvgkJose was sitting by a campfire, nodding off. Beside him, Froin nudged him with his shoulder.JwWYZ
ZpE1Po“Hey, wake up.”k95J
MnR“Eh?”we3I
6sL3Seeing them, Jose half-straightened.UsIO3Ci
1xScKCE“Ah, Your Highness. Master Moyongchan.”qJrxeF
bdJiT2“You go to bed very early. Won’t it be hard to sleep tonight?”f5dUF
KVPMRS5“In my life I’ve never had trouble sleeping. Hahahaha…”Hkb
Cve“How enviable.”u11o85w
zsb0X7kThey sat down in front of them, letting the warmth of the fire envelop them.nRMUc
ry9Xc“How are you feeling?”sCef
lesV“Better than ever.”UmYRMo
YtXAnd he wasn’t lying. Except for the battle at the border, they hadn’t had more fights.9BR
UWp3The imperial lords had cooperated, ensuring abundant supplies.xzn
INtt5H“I’m glad to hear that.”tUKN
GOu35E“Although I don’t know about the others—the atmosphere is a bit gloomy.”WzoumLm
aJBz8d“There’s no helping it.”B4NGjG
VhcJlMorale wasn’t very high, but it was because of that strange atmosphere that covered imperial territory the always-cloudy sky, the damp ground, strangely colored stars at night, and a wind that seemed to whisper sinister things.08i
LOHYuri knew that his mere presence could give the soldiers strength, and that was why he was there.tmul7
J7kKQ4“Jose, come with me for a walk.”fX0
Hnb“Alright.”aMo
wM3aWith Moyongchan and Jose at his sides, they marched together. Three of the Ten Greats walking side by side drew many glances.5Tzn4qW
wkO8A8On the way, Yuri talked with the soldiers. One of them was looking at a folded, worn portrait of a woman.v0R
UMB“Is that your fiancée?”0awbnf
pEmfx3i“Yes! When the war is over, I’ll ask her to marry me.”BS2e
NpcPYuri’s face hardened. Bad omen. Anyone who said that in a story died before the end.HTPjpoW
4303EQuickly, he planted another hint.vvFZEDl
5yk5S7“You look young. How old are you?”7iN
0ecqsX“I’m…”nJ2
s9cx“What? Eighteen? Incredible, still a boy… That I had to recruit minors is my fault…”TGg2clX
17CvBOThe soldier blinked, confused, but Yuri cut him off.GMqn
VTKk“Just nod.”FrRoO
yH283jgThe theater rule—the young survive. That’s how he gave him the “minor” label to “protect” him from the curse.VOtj
CupDj“One saved.”sMtrUnW
cMVJ“Well done.”D9nMDq
qs6XQwfAt some point, Francesco had joined them. Now there were four of the Ten Greats together, which further boosted morale.Lk22FOh
2hkjiBH“We should bring Inariel too. That would make five.”RSJEgxA
6vZ9v“I don’t think so.”H4I7NhI
GcQUJ“True…”vTG
gGxwl1Inariel was far too independent for that.rxjY
99hyjS“By the way, where is he? Haven’t seen him in a while.”I3IL
IDo“How would I know?”eyaSlP
iZ6ifrdAnd, as if summoned, Inariel appeared.7TKWpG
jGF“And why do you think that way?”iuCA8Uh
R73The four turned around in surprise. The boy with salmon-colored hair, leaning on his staff taller than himself, approached with his usual cynical expression.wpXK
AK0p“Come on, come on.”Cj9jfp
t2y“Inariel?”0JV
MPkM“If the soldiers see the Ten Greats together, their morale will rise.”GXRme
XAtIt was his way of showing that he also took the next day’s battle seriously.TmqM
U0bYuri smiled and moved him forward.IAzcyhG
f1I“Wait a second, what are you doing?”znQJkQU
hYd“If he goes in front, it’ll look better.”UQKifv
z0m“Really?”SPyhE
DMa“Because of the height, he has to go in front.”WTFQ3
5x0sY“……”aIYnCvD
WfgYuri led the Ten Greats on a wide walk around the Anti-Imperial Alliance camp.aZz1
aIfoThe soldiers, seeing them, renewed their resolve. It was, literally, a war to protect the continent and their families.gpn70
RsPdvwWithin the Anti-Imperial Alliance army there was also a squad of ronin.MEz
2dHCheongun had gone east, but in that time they had all learned enough of the continental language to communicate.t4zvO
K1XLwYuri told them.hniqu
9mnVt65“When this war is over, you’ll be able to fully settle on the continent.”BL7xo
axGc“Thank you.”rHvXy
WItuQxAll the ronin desired was a fair reward. They all nodded with fierce eyes.ejoa
IIrePAfter finishing the tour, Yuri and the Ten Greats dispersed again.V04
Jpwb“See you tomorrow.”Gemeyj
kkS1yO“Have a good night.”8qzt
4Q6P1pH“We’ll meet tomorrow.”aqpk6Se
RvWFFcK“Good work.”JKPiN
fDRI“Rest well.”pUYY
lwQjOGBNight had fully fallen.H6z
B54ED1Yuri returned alone to his tent and sat once more in front of the campfire. There was no one around.8nKIef
fxaq1“Fuu…”KFv61
7uGZveta was already before them.yUFBjdw
h7zPgFHe could see the walls in the distance.5nM9GT
J9PhTomorrow, at last, he would fight the final battle against Cedric. Whether it was the God of the Other World, black magic, or the demonic grimoire… he would cut through it all.DtQ16Zz
O8eqTHe closed his eyes to calm his mind.RLmeJV
LhpszTime passed.wO6CTMv
iQVOGJFinally, Yuri opened them and glanced sideways at the moon above his head.ye4gVV8
vHNCg1It was still there, unmoving.VKq9Yez
0yiHe clenched and unclenched his fist, then made Chaos rise. Now he could use this power as naturally as breathing.QjkQzE
B8q8He adjusted his senses, gauging the shifting possibilities.aVOvzs
VLCreQlHe raised that power to the limit and then reduced it, repeating the process several times to expand his boundaries.AABusA
ARm1Just a little more.tY5rv4
1YfuC1NMore.tZ4q
NZjTo defeat Cedric tomorrow, he needed to widen even the smallest gap.5DGkop
8cB5wv4“What are you doing?”Z22ZBv
Z6IqwfSuddenly, a voice rang out.Bb6
HwoWSApLooking up, he saw Maryrose sitting across from him, warming her hands by the fire while watching him in silence.spB
anZA“Preparing.”Vza
ZAQY1“To fight?”YkQsf78
By3“Yes.”O50
XHPFYuri stopped what he was doing and looked at the fire.e38Z
O8Afh“Tomorrow will be a tough battle, right?”Wooz00
xZ6rpZ5“That’s right.”i0x73Gz
g25O“We could die, couldn’t we?”VpBpc
FN0“It’s possible.”Ln5Q
u1XR0A“Hmm…”CiXEdWw
CnldMDYuri didn’t try to give her comforting words.WluhVny
KnK8DMaryrose, who had been studying the scrolls all this time, knew better than anyone the strength of Cedric and the demonic grimoire.ame
IGA49vShe shrugged.lPSwtuk
8bxP“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep from the nerves…”05LlL
wgVU“Even so, you should rest.”xK80U
Q3f5sYuri smiled faintly.bjQh
WQYThus, the two of them had a light conversation, far too trivial for the eve of a battle.p7iZ
4Mt“Thank you.”daEr
C1Hq4cj“For what?”0MnUzFu
ESttp“Thanks to you, I feel less tense.”jMLkvGI
T5a“If that’s the case, I’m glad.”uS4MPnp
1TZzZHe had walked the camp to raise the troops’ morale, but deep down he himself was uneasy. Maryrose’s presence lightened his heart a little.IER
RITY8“Of course.”j28
sHMrF“Yes.”e8UTU
B0rbKH“Maybe we’ll die tomorrow…”70pkjp0
cDRnMaryrose, resting her chin on one hand, smiled.uKAyH
WaunCbI“Would you grant me a wish?”558e5m7
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