Chapter 96: Once Again (3)

“Prince.”

Jared asked.

“Wasn’t that, essentially, a sign of affection?”

Yuri, Laurent, and Jared were walking down the street after leaving Ragnar’s residence. Jared wouldn’t stop talking about Yekaterina.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone so beautiful. I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but they actually fell short. Prince.”

“And?”

“Join the tournament.”

“No.”

During the moment Ragnar briefly stepped away, Yekaterina asked Yuri to give her the medal awarded to the tournament winner.

It was common to dedicate the glory of victory to someone special.

“Maybe she just wanted the medal.”

“No, prince. That kind of look doesn’t come from a simple thought like that.”

Jared insisted that the look Yekaterina gave Yuri was the gaze of a woman in love.

But Yuri knew well. Yekaterina could wear that expression whenever she needed it.

“That woman isn’t for you.”

She was a formidable woman. Fortunately, Yuri knew her true nature; if not for his second life, he too would have ended up like Jared, clueless and fighting in the tournament for her.

Yuri struck Jared’s chest with the back of his hand.

“Jared.”

“Yes.”

“Shut up.”

“Even so, prince…”

“Then go win it yourself and offer it to her.”

“I don’t reach for trees I can’t climb.”

Yuri let out a sigh. From that moment, he had to move alone.

“From here, I’ll go on my own.”

“Huh?”

“I have things to do.”

“But it’s dangerous for you to go alone. Are you doing this because I’m annoying?”

“I won’t say it has nothing to do with it.”

“Then I won’t do it anymore.”

“That too, but it’s something I have to do alone. Don’t worry and go.”

At that moment, Laurent elbowed Jared and answered.

“Understood.”

“Sir Laurent?”

“Let’s go, Jared.”

“But…”

“See you later.”

Laurent led him off in the opposite direction. Once alone, Yuri looked up at the sky.

Having encountered Yekaterina had left him unsettled. Laurent noticed it, which is why he quickly took Jared away. Laurent had far better instincts than Jared.

“I can’t go on like this…”

He couldn’t allow the memory of his past life to affect his judgment and prevent him from doing what he had to do.

“Huff…”

He sighed briefly and gave himself a couple of slaps on the cheeks with both hands. Then he activated the mana method to circulate mana throughout his body.

His mind cleared.

“Work, work.”

He repeated those words to himself as he took long strides.

“Fast and precise.”

Soon, he headed to the dark corners of the Imperial Capital. Just as there is shadow where there is light, the Imperial Capital also had an underground ecosystem. Yuri entered it without hesitation.

“They were playing big in Briol, tsk tsk…”

Yuri stopped in front of a sign that read “Uncle Loans.”

Due to the existence of the renowned Basregas casino, the gambling and loan business there didn’t seem to be doing too well.

But they hadn’t been sent to the Empire to make money. Yuri knocked on the door.

“Hey, Gorio!”

He called his name. But there was no response. Yuri called again while knocking. Then the door opened, and a rough-looking man cautiously poked his head out.

Upon seeing Yuri, he gave a bright smile. His smiling expression was quite charming.

“Prince. We were expecting you.”

“I see.”

Yuri entered the “Uncle Loans” building.

The man flipped the sign and locked the door.

“The structure’s similar to the one in Briol…”

“We adapted it to be as efficient as possible.”

When they entered a dark room inside the shop, Gorio stood and gave a deep bow. His demeanor was entirely different from when they first met.

Asana had played a big role in making this possible.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, prince. I didn’t imagine seeing you here in the capital.”

Yuri sat down across from him. Aside from the fact that Gorio was now Yuri’s subordinate, the scene was very similar to their first meeting.

“What did you find out about what I asked you?”

“We investigated those who recently had vision problems, but there were too many, so we established criteria to narrow down the cases.”

“Go on.”

“First, mages.”

Gorio handed him a list.

“And then, nobles.”

He handed over another list.

“From these, the ones who showed the secretive movements you mentioned are the following.”

This time, the list was visibly shorter. There were Imperial nobles Yuri knew, and others completely unfamiliar to him.

“From this list…”

Yuri handed it back to Gorio.

“Filter those with access to the Imperial Palace and keep tabs on them.”

“The Imperial Palace, you say?”

Gorio’s expression hardened. The palace, where the emperor resided, was the most sacred place on the entire continent. Asking a sewer organization to do that left him stunned.

Yuri smiled.

“Just confirm whether they go in or out. If it seems dangerous, scrap it.”

“Understood.”

“How’s business at the Imperial branch?”

“Some places are doing well, others not.”

“That’s fine. After all, we didn’t come here to make money.”

Now, Yuri himself financed Gorio’s group’s operations. All the money had been multiplied through the Elaine trade guild.

His fortune was still growing even now.

“Gorio. These days, information is worth gold.”

Yuri planned to form a basic information network through Gorio, like the one that existed in his previous life.

“There’s no better place than the underworld to get rumors. We’re going to diversify the business.”

“Understood.”

Gorio was a smart man and fully understood what Yuri meant.

“And Gorio. Have you seen a substance like this lately?”

Yuri pulled out the drug Ragnar had given him. Gorio took it and examined it closely.

“It’s the drug that’s been circulating recently in the underworld.”

“And the source?”

“I couldn’t say. I haven’t paid much attention to the drug scene…”

Even before submitting to Yuri, Gorio didn’t get involved with drugs. He didn’t trust people addicted to them.

“Look into it.”

“Yes, understood.”

He nodded. In other words, his workload had just increased. However, Gorio didn’t complain.

“You’re working hard in the Empire, so you’ll get a bonus.”

“Thank you.”

Yuri rewarded those who worked hard. As the main shareholder of the Elaine Guild, that was nothing difficult for him.

Thanks to the knowledge Yuri provided, Elaine continued expanding its businesses, and her natural talent for commerce flourished further, becoming a guild that spanned the entire continent.

Even if they used different names, even within the Empire, Elaine’s funds were behind many businesses. Come to think of it, Gorio’s organization and Gorio’s shop could also be considered a branch of the guild.

“Gorio.”

“Yes.”

“Calling you Boss doesn’t suit you anymore. Let’s call you President.”

“Understood.”

“And let the employees listen well to President Gorio.”

Yuri stood from his seat.

“If you’re overwhelmed in a fight, let me know. I’ll assign you a couple of knights.”

“That’ll be enough.”

“Alright. Don’t use lethal weapons. If things get too heated, back off and report it to me.”

“Yes.”

Gorio, who in the past was a dangerous criminal due to his sharp mind, had become an extremely capable subordinate.

“Prince.”

Gorio stopped Yuri as he was about to leave the room. When he turned around, he saw him give a deep bow.

“See you soon. Take care.”

Yuri gave a faint smile. He was more respectful than before.

Since Yuri’s prestige had risen thanks to the allied army, Gorio seemed to have understood the insurmountable difference between them, and had decided to pledge his loyalty more definitively.

He was as quick to calculate as he was clever. Yuri smiled broadly.

“You too, Gorio. You’re a valuable asset. Don’t get hurt.”

“Yes.”

Yuri was also willing to reward him fairly for his loyalty.

The other subordinates, who were watching the conversation, bowed awkwardly.

Now that Yuri acknowledged Gorio, the higher the prince’s status rose, the greater Gorio’s control over the organization would become.

“See you.”

“Farewell.”

Yuri left Gorio’s group’s base.

The scenery of the slums wasn’t very different in Briol or in the Empire.

The locals, seeing Yuri with his neat appearance, looked at him with greed, but upon hearing the metallic sound of his sword as he walked, they didn’t dare approach.

Yuri ignored them and continued walking down the street.

After passing a few blocks, a refined street of the Imperial Capital suddenly appeared, as if nothing had happened.

He walked again through the Imperial City. He soon arrived at a well-kept avenue full of cafés and restaurants—the typical place where couples in the capital gathered.

In his previous life, he had even gone there secretly with Yekaterina, his face covered.

Unconsciously, Yuri smiled, but immediately hardened his expression.

No, no. It had all been an illusion.

To Yekaterina, people were nothing more than tools. He had also been just a means to her ends. The day she betrayed him, he swore he would never forgive her.

Yuri stopped a passing carriage.

“To the Duforia Hotel.”

“Understood.”

The coachman seemed to recognize him but said nothing more. After arriving at the hotel, Yuri paid and returned to his room.

Exhaustion overcame him, and he collapsed directly onto the bed. He covered his eyes with both arms and tried to rest, but memories of the past began to resurface.

Was it because he saw Yekaterina today?

‘How is Briol?’

‘My country?’

She used to ask him about Briol’s situation fairly often.

Once, Fiore left the palace with an excuse and asked Yuri not to tell anyone. Yuri, naïve and trusting, told Yekaterina. And then the invasion began.

The Empire didn’t just know about Fiore’s absence but many other things. Everything he had told her about Briol was used as a weapon. The Empire mercilessly attacked his nation’s weak points.

Even then, Yuri continued to trust her.

He wrote her a letter, and the only thing he got in return was a brief reply.

“I’m sorry.”

The tone in which it was written was so familiar that, upon unfolding the paper, he thought he could hear her voice.

Yuri closed his eyes. It had all started because of him.

He should never have let himself be fooled by her beauty. Because of it, he destroyed his country.

So if Briol fell, most of the blame was his. Yuri whispered the name of his enemy.

“Yekaterina.”

That name no longer sounded familiar. Yuri was confused.

Since he met her again, his heart hadn’t stopped wavering. Despite all the accumulated hatred, memories of the good times also grew stronger.

When he closed his eyes, her face came to mind.

‘Yuri, let’s walk together.’

Her radiant smile, as she extended her hand, replayed over and over in his head.

Yuri clenched his fists and erased those thoughts. Then, over those sweet memories, he superimposed the image of Briol in flames.

By replacing nostalgia with hatred, the balance was restored.

“Yekaterina.”

Now that name carried hostility. Yuri clenched his teeth.

The smile she gave him today when she asked for the tournament medal was detestable. How could she lie so easily?

He had never lied to her.

“I…”

Was that sidelong glance and smile fake too? That mischievous and arrogant air with which she teased him—was that also an act?

Yuri shook his head.

“I truly loved her…”

He didn’t want to pity himself. But the Yekaterina he saw today resembled that first love so much that his heart kept falling, as if weighed down.

He covered his head with the pillow.

He had been running nonstop. At least for today, he could allow himself to fall. If he could let everything out this way, then even this misery would be useful.

Then suddenly, he remembered the ring he had secretly kept in the drawer, just for her.

He slammed the bed hard. And again. He clenched his fist so tightly that his nails broke the skin of his palm.

Yuri sat up and stared at the blood flowing from his hand. The red stained the white sheets.

The stain kept growing, but he had no intention of moving.

He just laughed.