Chapter 34: Mage

“Why only me…?”

Jared glanced at Hernand and Laurent, seated beside him.

“……”

They were completely indifferent to feminine charm. Jared understood that instantly.

“I’ll be careful.”

Still, his gaze wasn’t much different from that of the knights from Brusen. Yuri sighed. He still had a long way to go.

Just then, Maryrose approached the Briol group’s table.

“Do you know how to drink wine?”

“Of course.”

“It’s a very special wine.”

She moved closer to Yuri and poured the liquid. The red wine filled his round glass. Maryrose’s hair, the same shade as the wine, brushed near Yuri’s ear.

“Please enjoy.”

Her face leaned closer to his. Smiling slightly, her breath grazed his cheek.

“Thank you.”

But Yuri didn’t react. From the beginning, he had no interest in Maryrose. His mind was occupied with the war to come.

Valshard, like Gid, only served as a forward supply base. It didn’t represent real power.

Therefore, what mattered most to Yuri were the knights of Brusen, with whom he would actually fight.

With that in mind, Yuri spoke.

“Brusen, huh…?”

His voice was rather loud.

“Brusen. I’ve heard the name a few times. Hahaha…”

At the sudden mention, the men from Brusen turned to look at him intently. A thick tension spread.

Yuri swirled his wine glass, enjoying the brief silence.

“So rustic they can’t even appreciate good wine…”

Their expressions changed instantly.

Brusen, tucked away in a corner of the continent, had always been looked down on as a fishing village lacking refinement.

Was the infamous third prince of Briol now insulting them?

The Brusen knights were about to rise when Yuri continued.

“Though, I’m ashamed to say that, being so rough myself…”

Those about to stand up froze mid-motion. It turned out his comment wasn’t an insult to Brusen, but self-deprecation.

Yuri kept speaking.

“Personally, I prefer Brusen’s rum to wine. It has a rugged spirit to it, shall we say? Hahaha.”

The Brusen knights sat down again.

It was a textbook example of diplomacy: provoke first, then draw them in gently. And as proof, the Brusen men’s hearts began to lean toward the young third prince.

Briol was known as a land of knights, and it seemed that proud spirit still lingered.

But the calm came too soon.

“By the way…”

Yuri spoke again.

“The liquor’s great, but the people from that village… not so much. Hehehe…”

A cold silence fell over the area at the sudden offense.

Maryrose opened her mouth to speak, but the Brusen knights, unsure how to respond, stood frozen.

One of them finally shouted.

“Hey!”

His gaze was piercing.

“Are you out of your mind!?”

Yuri was startled by the accent. He knew some regions of Brusen still retained dialects, but it was his first time hearing one. The group’s commander stepped in.

“Calm down.”

“Captain, the prince of Briol insulted us.”

“Keep your head cool.”

The commander smiled calmly.

“Warm heart, cool mind. That’s Brusen.”

“Ugh… Sorry.”

Yuri watched him closely.

Nobles faced with tense situations involving foreign troops were usually quite touchy. But this man remained calm despite the provocation.

“The third prince’s defiance… is interesting.”

The man, apparently the commander, stood up. He wasn’t very tall, but he was stocky.

He turned to his men and said,

“There are two possibilities. First, the third prince of Briol is arrogant, as the rumors say, and without understanding the situation, he has provoked our brave knights.”

“That’s…”

“In that case, there’s only one answer: teach him a lesson.”

The Brusen knights clenched their fists. Their reaction was enthusiastic.

“And the second possibility is that he’s testing the knights of Brusen before forming an alliance.”

“Testing us?”

“It’s a fight to the death. Checking whether allies are trustworthy is natural. And there’s only one answer to that as well.”

“What is it…?”

He turned to Yuri with a resolute smile.

“To prove ourselves with our own skill.”

The confrontation was set in an instant. Maryrose, watching from the side, beamed with anticipation.

She poured herself some wine and took a sip, as though waiting for a show.

“I’ll guide you to the dueling ground.”

She was like an excited spectator waiting for the event to begin.

Yuri stood up and introduced himself to Brusen.

“Yuri Briol. Third prince of Briol and commander of the Briol army.”

“Jonathan Eagle. Count of Krill, commander of the Shark Squadron, and current leader of the Brusen army.”

“Expecting an apology?”

“No need. It’s enough if the prince proves he was wrong.”

“You’re a real man.”

“That’s Brusen.”

Yuri looked at Laurent and Jared. Laurent was gleaming with excitement; Jared, on the other hand, looked weary.

“All right. I’ll send these two.”

“What about the prince…?”

“I leave the hard work to my subordinates. That’s Briol.”

“Eh?”

Yuri pointed to Laurent and Jared.

“Two from each side. That should suffice.”

Maryrose led them to a clearing inside the castle.

“Do it here.”

A maid stood next to her with a tray of fruit and wine.

Maryrose swirled her glass, enjoying the impromptu event.

“Prince Yuri?”

“What?”

“Did you really provoke all this on purpose? To test Brusen’s ability?”

“Let’s say I did.”

“Wow, the world of men… You recognize each other by clashing first, huh?”

“If you keep an untrustworthy ally close, you’ll die on the battlefield.”

“How cool. How fascinating.”

Maryrose laughed as she drank wine. The fact that she drank it like water raised suspicions of dependency.

Yuri looked away. He could clearly see the three Brusen knights.

There was a reason Yuri had provoked Brusen that way. Two of those men would become knights renowned throughout the continent. And one of them wouldn’t just be famous—he would become one of the Ten Greats.

The Ten Greats—a title whose mere mention could deter war. A recognition of being among the most powerful on the vast continent.

If he could form bonds with such promising individuals, they’d be invaluable assets in the future.

“Friendship between men always starts with a fight.”

Yuri murmured with a smile.

Meanwhile, Laurent faced one of the Brusen knights.

“I’m Laurent.”

“I’m Froin.”

He was the knight who had shouted first. Now his accent had softened. Apparently, the dialect only came out when he was excited.

“Laurent, I’ve heard a lot about you. But it won’t be easy to beat me.”

Laurent nodded.

“I’ll give it my all.”

When Laurent drew his sword, he no longer seemed like the clumsy boy who admired Yuri. He had been recognized as a prodigy since youth, winning multiple fencing tournaments. A genius acknowledged across the continent.

As he wielded his sword, a steady energy flowed from his arm to the blade. Yuri, watching from behind, placed a hand on Jared’s shoulder.

“Watch closely.”

“Yes.”

Jared’s eyes moved quickly. Ever since he’d met monsters like Yuri and Laurent, he realized his own talent was nothing special. That’s why he worked hard to avoid falling behind.

With full concentration, Jared watched Laurent’s movements.

“Impressive…”

It was true. Laurent was the perfect example of a proper knight.

His mana was pure, his posture flawless, and his reaction to the enemy’s approach was textbook.

In contrast, Froin was the exact opposite. His sword dangled loosely, his torso leaned forward, and his eyes locked onto his target like a stalking wolf.

“You’ve trained well in swordsmanship.”

Froin said that while circling Laurent with stealthy steps, like a beast inspecting its prey.

“All noble sons are like this…”

Suddenly, Froin lunged forward.

His speed was impressive.

Laurent didn’t rush. He blocked the sword and shifted its angle, aiming the tip at his opponent’s throat.

“Predictable!”

As if he had expected it, Froin lowered his stance, twisting his body like an acrobat and trying to strike Laurent’s legs.

But he couldn’t go any further. Laurent’s sword tip followed him down, still aimed at his neck.

“…”

Froin, frozen, looked up at Laurent. The result was clear.

Laurent calmly sheathed his sword.

“Want to try again?”

Yuri whistled.

“Very precise.”

That kind of unorthodox attack usually throws opponents off. But Laurent didn’t flinch. Even with the sudden crouch and twist from his enemy, he calculated the exchange and trusted his strike would land first.

As a result, it looked like Laurent hadn’t moved while Froin flailed in vain, creating a strangely comical image.

“Damn…”

Froin stepped back. His strategy wasn’t bad. Orthodox knights often fall to unpredictable opponents because their techniques become rigid due to a lack of improvisation.

But Laurent wasn’t that type. Rather, he didn’t need tricks. He walked the right path.

He always chose the correct response without being deceived. He was like an unbreakable wall.

“Sir Laurent. May we go again?”

“Of course.”

Froin became noticeably more respectful. The other members of Burssen also began watching the duel more seriously.

They crossed swords again. Froin tried to create openings with quick and skillful moves.

But Laurent seemed to anticipate all his tactics and neutralized them calmly.

All of Froin’s attempts were blocked. Eventually, he admitted defeat.

“I’ve lost.”

Laurent sheathed his sword and bowed. Yuri clapped. Maryrose followed, and the Burssen knights also applauded Laurent in recognition.

Jonathan spoke.

“This truly is Briol. They say it’s the land of knights, and your skill proves it.”

Yuri feigned humility.

“You exaggerate. Only Laurent is exceptional. Take him and me out, and the rest are a mess.”

“I see.”

“You’re not telling me Brusen is pulling out already, are you?”

“Of course not. We can’t afford to lose. Jose, your turn!”

“Yes.”

The new knight was massive. Just his appearance screamed strength.

He rested his large sword on his shoulder and stared directly at Jared. When Jose stepped into the ring, Yuri’s eyes lit up.

Jose Aratur. One day, he’d be among the Ten Great Knights.

“Jose… You can tell he’s strong just by looking. His physique says it all. He’s intimidating just standing there.”

Jonathan smiled proudly.

“To be honest, Froin was the weakest among us. Jose is the strongest knight in our unit. A man aiming to become the mightiest in Burssen.”

“I thought as much. Having someone like him step forward is an honor. Show us what Brusen is truly made of.”

“Of course.”

“All right, Jared.”

“Eh?”

“Go.”

Jared looked at Yuri.

“Wait, just a moment…”

He tried to back off, but Yuri pushed him forward immediately.

“Ah…”

Something felt off. Was it because of Froin’s loss? Jose’s gaze burned with intensity. His determination to win at any cost was palpable.

Without even crossing swords, Jared knew. He was screwed.

“Hey, this is…”

“Begin.”

The duel started.

Jose was a monster—strength of an orc, technique of a man. Moreover, he didn’t limit himself to swordplay but used his whole body in combat.

What happened was more of a brawl than a duel, completely different from the previous clean exchange.

Though Jared was skilled, he couldn’t overcome Jose’s brute strength.

Despite resisting with all he had, he ended up being dragged across the ground.

“Hah, hah…!”

“Let’s end it here.”

Jared, nose bleeding, slumped to the ground.

Jose gave a thumbs-up.

“Incredible for someone so young. Holding out against me like that… Truly, Briol is the land of knights.”

“…”

Getting praised after being beaten, Jared wiped his nose as he stood. Thick blood from his nosebleed stained the back of his hand.

“Thanks to you… I’ve learned a lot.”

Jonathan applauded.

“You said you’re Knight Jared? That was an impressive duel. Losing to Jose is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone resist him so well. You lost, but you fought bravely.”

“Thank you…”

Even though he’d been dragged through the dirt, they praised him. Jared wasn’t sure whether to feel happy. In any case, the match between Briol and Burssen had ended.

“One win, one loss…”

Yuri stepped forward and extended a hand to Jonathan.

“A draw.”

“A draw, then.”

They shook hands. Now that they had shown they could cover each other’s backs on the battlefield, they were allies.

When Maryrose waved her hand, the word “Alliance” floated in the air.

“That was amazing! Waaah.”

Maryrose was ecstatic.

At this rate, the future allied armies might end up fighting thanks to her excitement.

Yuri looked at Maryrose.

“Now that the fun’s over, shall we talk business?”

“Business, huh. Sounds good. There are many kinds. Want to come to my office?”

Maryrose motioned, but Jonathan stepped in.

“Ha ha, can I join too?”

“Well…”

Maryrose glanced sideways at him for a moment, then nodded.

“Fine.”