Chapter 93: A Minor Sin (3)

As night fell, the Imperial City transformed into a city that never sleeps, lit up by lights of every color. Social gatherings were held in various corners. Unresolved stories from the day now spread from mouth to mouth.

“They say the Third Prince arrived today?”

“I’d love to meet him in person.”

“They say he’s just like the rumors describe.”

Ever since the Allied Army’s expedition concluded, stories about the Third Prince of Briol were told again and again. Accounts of how, at eighteen, he had bravely fought orcs, his handsome appearance, and testimonies claiming his abilities far exceeded what had been reported, were enough to keep the gossips busy.

And that very same Third Prince had arrived today in the Imperial City. That alone was enough to stir high society, but then something else happened.

“You’re saying he destroyed a house?”

The Third Prince of Briol was supposed to be staying at the Duforia Hotel. However, he suddenly appeared in a residential area in the city center, threw someone from a second floor, and then jumped after him, landing unharmed. Then, he dragged the injured man away and vanished with him.

The testimony of a few witnesses had already spread throughout the Imperial City.

“Why would he do something like that?”

“I heard something.”

Someone spoke, taking advantage of everyone’s curiosity.

“They say the person the prince threw down was a foreign student from Briol.”

“A noble from Briol, then?”

“Yes, a student of the Swordsmanship Faculty at the Academium. His name was… Got, maybe?”

“Did they have a bad relationship?”

“I don’t know their personal connection, but a servant of a friend of mine, who happened to be nearby, told me this.”

Enjoying the attention, he took his time sipping wine before continuing.

“He said the student didn’t seem to be in his right mind. As if he was on drugs.”

The party fell silent.

In the Empire, the topic of drugs was very sensitive. Recently, illegal substances had begun circulating in the slums, corrupting the heart of the empire. Until now, the Imperial City was considered free from that plague. But the story of the young man contradicted that belief.

Then, an attendee who had been listening silently tilted his head, confused.

“So the Third Prince of Briol was trying to save a foreign student from his own country who was addicted to drugs?”

That was Eil, a journalist from the tabloid Imperial Daily News.

“Personally, I think it’s quite possible, though the exact truth will never be known.”

“Interesting…”

Eil wrote everything down in his notebook. It smelled like an exclusive.

“Can I write an article about this?”

“Of course. It’s just what I was told, but if it’s useful to you…”

“But throwing him from a second floor… isn’t that a bit too rough to call it a rescue?”

After all, he broke a window and tossed someone out. It wasn’t exactly a sensible response.

“Seems so. Whatever the case, the Third Prince of Briol doesn’t seem like someone who holds back. And he’s so young.”

“That’s why he stood out in the war.”

“In any case, if it’s true it was because of drugs…”

The party guests were already exaggerating the story among themselves. That conversation would soon turn into rumors spreading across the city in many forms.

“At least it’s clear that the Third Prince cares even about foreign students. Seems he’s not just a strong young man who fights well.”

***

The next day, on the front page of the Imperial Daily News, there was an illustration of a young man dragging an unconscious person. The headline read:

[The Third Prince of Briol… Redeemer or Vigilante?]

***

Yuri, completely unaware of all that, was sound asleep at the Duforia Hotel.

Laurent, who knew nothing about what had happened the previous night, knocked on the door.

“Your Highness.”

“Mmm…”

“May I come in?”

“Mmm…”

Yuri responded with a sleepy mumble. Laurent opened the door and walked in.

“Ah, he’s sleeping.”

“Hmm?”

Yuri opened his eyes. The moment he woke up, he sat up without the slightest jolt. Seeing him sit up so suddenly, Laurent took a step back.

“He looked like an undead, just like the rumors say.”

“I’m alive.”

“And last night? Where did you go?”

Laurent tilted his head. He knew Yuri was supposed to meet with Dale at dusk, but suddenly, he just left a note.

“Going to inspect the city. If I take long, go ahead and sleep.”

As always, the Third Prince was unpredictable. Laurent, who knew his abilities, didn’t worry too much. After all, he was someone who had passed through the center of the orc army. He didn’t believe anything could happen to him in a safe and well-lit city like this.

But now, seeing him in the morning, Yuri looked exhausted.

“Laurent.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“You know, I just want to be a sword.”

“A sword?”

“A sword that protects Briol from the shadows while Cedric rules. That only moves when there’s trouble, to pierce the enemy.”

“And so it shall be, Your Highness.”

“That’s why I say taking care of brats isn’t for me.”

“Have you had a child?”

“No.”

“Congratulations!”

“What kind of response is that…?”

Yuri sighed.

“It’s just that there are so many adults who don’t know how to take care of themselves… that’s why I end up exhausted.”

Though when he remembered his past life, he felt he had once been like that himself, he chose to set the blame aside and keep talking.

“Maybe people nowadays are just too delicate…”

“What happened last night for you to talk like this?”

“Do you know Got Barkbar?”

“Yes, Count Johannes’s son…”

“Exactly.”

“I’ve seen him a few times. In fencing tournaments.”

“And what do you think?”

“He’s not bad. Among those his age, he was decent.”

Laurent was someone with recognized talent across the continent. If he said Got wasn’t bad, then he must have had some skill.

Yuri was satisfied with his decision from the previous night.

“Why are you asking about him?”

“We’ll go see him later.”

“He’s in the city?”

“He’s a student at the Academium.”

“Really?”

Yuri sat up completely, gripping Laurent’s shoulder.

“Let’s talk over breakfast.”

“As you wish.”

Together with Laurent, Yuri left the room and headed to the first-floor dining room. The Duforia Hotel offered a buffet breakfast. They sat at any available table.

The place had a luxurious feel.

The chairs were adorned with golden carvings on the backrests, and a massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, one that would require the arms of at least three grown men to surround.

The breakfast dishes steamed as they rested on trays.

Some members of the Briol group were already eating.

When they saw Yuri appear, they bowed slightly in respect. Yuri returned the greeting with a lazy wave of his hand.

“Is Jared still asleep?”

“Yes. Do you want me to wake him?”

“Leave him. He doesn’t qualify as an escort anymore.”

Yuri and Laurent served themselves and returned to the table. Laurent asked:

“So, what happened last night?”

“You see…”

While bringing a piece of meat to his mouth, Yuri explained what had happened the previous night.

He said that it was on Got’s orders that Dale had taken them to the Duforia Hotel, and that a woman named Pamia had tried to seduce him. Laurent’s expression hardened.

When Yuri mentioned that Got was on drugs, Laurent’s gaze turned icy.

“And what did you do, Your Highness?”

“I took care of it all.”

Yuri had no intention of complicating things—especially now that he had reached the heart of the Empire. He didn’t know what Edran’s intentions were in orchestrating all of this, but he simply acted according to the law.

“I admitted Got to the psychiatric clinic run by the temple.”

“Excuse me?”

“I registered him in a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. There are many like him there.”

“Ah… I see.”

“I dragged him there in the middle of the night and threw him inside. They were startled, but in the end, I persuaded them properly. As always, the temple does anything if there’s money involved.”

Laurent relaxed his expression.

“Well done.”

Now Got would go through a rehabilitation process to free himself from his addiction.

“At dawn, the guards will investigate the origin of the drug. That bastard Edran surely has backing, so he won’t be arrested right away, but whatever.”

If he tried to handle it in the shadows, things would only get messier. Being on foreign soil, Yuri chose to deal with everything straightforwardly.

Those with nothing to hide have no need to act in the dark.

“First day and already so many complications.”

“Seems that way. Although…”

Yuri chewed a little more and raised his eyebrows. Although he knew the Empire was ahead in many respects, he hadn’t expected it to be so in the culinary field as well.

He was tasting a flavor he had never experienced before.

“What is this? It has quite a particular taste.”

“It’s a new aroma to me.”

“Maybe not everyone would like it, but I do.”

“I like it too.”

Then, they heard a voice nearby.

“Cilantro…”

Yuri and Laurent turned their heads. A man eating quietly near them gave a faint smile and spoke again:

“It’s called cilantro. Some people can’t stand it.”

“Oh, really? Thanks for the info.”

The man said nothing more. He simply smiled a bit and returned to his food.

Yuri glanced at him from the corner of his eye. He didn’t seem suspicious.

Laurent asked:

“By the way, do you think someone from the imperial palace will come today?”

“Very likely.”

“Will you participate in the fencing tournament?”

“I don’t know.”

Yuri shrugged.

“I’m still thinking about it.”

“If Your Highness participates, the entire continent will recognize your skill.”

“I’m not particularly thrilled about that idea.”

As they were talking, the man who had mentioned the cilantro stood up from his table and approached Yuri’s.

He kept a respectful distance and spoke with a smile.

“Are you the Third Prince of Briol?”

“That’s right.”

“Sorry to interrupt your breakfast.”

Then he pulled something from among his belongings.

“I really wanted to show you this.”

“What is it?”

“A newspaper.”

Yuri took the newspaper the man was offering. In Briol, newspapers didn’t usually attract much interest, but in the Empire, they were different.

The first thing that stood out was a large illustration on the front page, designed to catch attention. It showed a young man walking down a dark street, dragging an unconscious person by the foot.

It didn’t look like news—it looked like a scene from an illustrated novel.

“That’s a great illustration.”

“It’s the work of an artist known for his speed. He’s our exclusive illustrator.”

“You work for the newspaper?”

“That’s right.”

The man pointed to a folded section of the paper.

“Please open it.”

“Hmm?”

Yuri did as asked and unfolded the remaining sheet. Then he saw the headline that surprised him.

“I wrote that article. What do you think?”

“You’re a journalist?”

“Yes.”

“Oh…”

Yuri quickly skimmed the content. It roughly described what had happened the previous night. There were no distortions.

In fact, there were barely any details. It simply said that someone fell through a second-story window and that the Third Prince of Briol dragged him away. And that the person who fell seemed to be under the influence of some drug.

That was all.

The rest of the article was more of a personal opinion from the journalist.

“I apologize for publishing an article about Your Highness without prior notice. But at the Imperial Capital Daily, we prioritize citizens’ right to information. Even the crown prince is a regular reader of our paper.”

“Hmm…”

Yuri thought for a moment and then nodded.

“No problem. You did well.”

He had already gained enough fame after his role in the allied army. He had long since accepted that his name would spread more than he wished. And in this case, the article might serve his interests.

“What’s your name?”

“Eil. I’m a reporter for the Imperial Capital Daily. Here’s my card.”

“I think we might become friends while I’m in the capital.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course.”

“That makes me very happy to hear.”

“I guess you came to write a second part of the article. Maybe you’re curious to know what kind of person I am, as the headline suggests.”

“Well… not exactly, hehe…”

For Eil, this was a stroke of luck. The Third Prince of Briol, who was creating a buzz in the capital, was not only kind but also seemed willing to provide more material for his stories.

He took out his notebook and opened it.

“Then I’ll write down what you say.”

“Can we keep talking while I eat?”

“Of course.”

“You won’t twist my words, right?”

“Never. I wouldn’t want to make an enemy of Your Highness. Besides, I hope to see you again in the future.”

“I’m glad we think alike.”

Yuri took a bite of the cilantro-seasoned meat dish and began to speak calmly.

“The guy I slammed to the ground yesterday… well, that guy was…”

“Got Bakbar.”

“Yes, Got Bakbar. That guy, in reality…”

Yuri wore a sad expression.

“He was a very close friend of mine.”