At the emperor's declaration, the eyes of the young knights gathered in the banquet hall changed.
Ekaterina sat quietly beside the throne, looking down over the hall.
Had they not seen her in person, it might be different, but for those who were actually looking at her, their hearts couldn't help but tremble at those words.
She was, quite literally, beautiful like a goddess.
"So, do your best, all of you. Hmhm…"
Ibarra chuckled. Yuri glanced at Ekaterina.
Her brow furrowed ever so slightly, but it was such a fleeting moment that no one except those who knew her well would have noticed.
Had they not coordinated this in advance?
It wasn't anything strange.
Ibarra was the emperor. Though he appeared mischievous, when it came to ruling, everything proceeded as he desired.
There were plenty of similar situations in his previous life.
"I have high expectations. You too…"
Ibarra smiled as he looked at Yuri. Yuri simply bowed his head.
"There are quite a few promising ones in our empire too. It's about time for marriage, after all. Hmmm…"
His eyes briefly touched one part of the hall, then returned.
"It seems there's a lot of talent among the young knights this time, which makes me happy. That includes the ones here too. Come anytime. The empire is open."
Ibarra, showing his true intentions, gave Jonathan's shoulder a pat.
"Jonathan. This guy, I hear he's a clever knight. Should I give him a fief?"
"No, Your Majesty. Your words alone are an honor."
"I like talented people. When I was young…"
Ibarra continued with a few more jokes. Most were lighthearted nonsense, but occasionally, one could feel sincerity between the lines.
After chatting for some time, Ibarra finally stepped back.
"I've taken up too much time. The young should mingle among themselves. There are many beautiful and handsome youths in the empire, so make some good connections. You there, Jonathan from Bursen. What do you think? Who's the prettiest here?"
"Pardon?"
"Be honest."
"Ah, well…"
It was so sudden that Jonathan couldn't come up with a decent answer and unconsciously turned his gaze toward where Ekaterina was sitting.
"Is it my daughter, after all?"
Ibarra burst into laughter.
"Well then, the old man will stop his rambling here. Enjoy yourselves."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Ibarra met everyone's gaze one by one before turning away.
Those gathered bowed their heads in unison toward his retreating figure.
The undisputed leader of the empire, Emperor Ibarra's presence lingered, pressing heavily on the hall even after he had left.
His informal demeanor only made his presence feel weightier.
"Phew…"
Only after the emperor began conversing with the empire's nobles did everyone finally relax and let out a breath.
Wolf, who was standing nearby, spoke.
"He's no ordinary man."
"Seems that way."
"Still, I'm glad he's not as terrifying as I imagined."
Yuri agreed with him.
Though there was something inscrutable about him, the emperor didn't seem like someone who would recklessly wage war.
"If the emperor is moderate, the continent might enjoy peace for a while."
"I hope so."
Yuri stared at the emperor.
He had expected someone sharper and more cold-blooded, but the way he tossed around dry jokes in front of gathered nobles was far from what he'd anticipated.
Could it be that the emperor had truly lost his mind due to black magic?
"Well, anyway…"
Lost in thought, Yuri was suddenly asked a question by Wolf.
"What do you think, Prince?"
"Hm?"
Wolf looked at Yuri, then at the emperor's family seated nearby.
"You two would suit each other well."
"We'll see."
Yuri chuckled.
"What about your son, Sir?"
"My son's not worthy. Hahaha…"
"Sven seemed to be settling down."
"If he is, that must be thanks to the friendship you shared with him."
"Hm?"
Friendship? Had there been such a thing between him and Sven?
But Wolf looked at him fondly, like a proud parent admiring the model student who'd guided his child back to the right path.
"Thank you, Prince."
"Ah, well…"
"I look forward to seeing your performance in the tournament."
"We'll see."
Yuri shrugged. Either way, in this life, he intended to keep his distance from Ekaterina.
He didn't care who won or who ended up marrying her.
All those lingering emotions had already been laid to rest at the Duforia Hotel, buried beneath a pillow.
As he chatted with Wolf about events back in the Allied Army, a flicker of red from the corner of his vision caught Yuri's attention.
"Yuri."
It was Ragna.
Yuri and Wolf offered their respects.
"Your Highness."
"You've endured quite a bit listening to all that nonsense."
He glanced in the direction of the emperor.
"So much talk…"
"Hahaha…"
"To stake his daughter on a tournament medal—he's as selfish as they come."
Perhaps he was the only one across the entire continent who could speak so bluntly during a ball the emperor was attending.
"Well, now that it's come to this, you really must win the tournament. For Ekaterina's sake."
"I have no intentions regarding the tournament."
"No way. There are far too many wolves eyeing my niece."
"I'm sure they're good people, once you get to know them."
"You easygoing bastard…"
As Yuri raised his wine glass, Ragna suddenly grabbed his shoulder and turned him so abruptly that he almost spilled it.
"Look over there."
"Pardon?"
Ragna pointed toward one side of the banquet hall.
A handsome young man, his hair slicked back smoothly, glistened under the light.
He was surrounded by people, gesturing flamboyantly as he spoke. Every time he did, laughter erupted around him.
Many women gathered near him, but his gaze frequently drifted toward Ekaterina.
Ragna leaned in close to Yuri's ear and whispered.
"See that pretty-boy surrounded by women? He's the duke's son. A real pretty-boy noble."
Having lived a similar life in his past one, Yuri could tell Ragna meant it as a compliment.
He must be popular with women.
A real pretty-boy noble.
In other words, handsome.
"He may look like that, but his swordsmanship is excellent. Even I acknowledge his talent."
"I see."
"He'll be entering the tournament, and you're the only one who can stop him."
"Why must I stop him?"
"I can't bear the thought of Ekaterina ending up with someone like that."
"Her own father seems fine with it…"
"Well, that father's the weird one. Yuri, you know me, right? I'm generous. I've no intention of meddling in my niece's life."
"Not so sure about that…"
"I mean it."
Looking back, Ragna hadn't said much even when a nobody like him had been dating Ekaterina in their past lives.
But he clearly hated that duke's son.
"Besides that guy, there's no one else in the tournament capable of winning—except you. It's Ekaterina I'm worried about."
"I see."
Yuri responded with a vague tone.
Ragna, apparently displeased with that attitude, let out a grumbling sigh.
"Yuri."
"Yes."
"Are you impotent?"
"…Excuse me?"
"Right now, I mean."
Ragna leaned in and fervently whispered into his ear.
"If you're a man, then obviously you should be at least a little stirred by Ekaterina's beauty. So what's wrong with you, acting so indifferent after seeing that face? And when I tried to help you two along, you even lied and said you had a lover…"
Well, what I am is a man who completely ruined his life because of that woman and was reborn.
Yuri wanted to say this, but instead, he simply gave a faint smile and replied,
"Your Highness. What matters in a person is their heart, not their looks."
Ragna looked utterly shocked.
"That's true, but it sounds strange coming from you…"
"It's probably because Your Highness leans more toward appearance than heart."
"Hm? I haven't really been complimented on my looks in my whole life."
"Exactly."
"…What?"
While Ragna blinked in momentary confusion, Yuri quickly changed the subject.
"The food is delicious. The Empire's culinary culture is truly remarkable."
"Oh, well of course!"
Ragna immediately launched into a string of praises about the food.
Then, as if snapping back to his senses, he looked around, slung an arm over Yuri's shoulder, and whispered again.
"Anyway, Yuri."
"Yes."
"That black magic we talked about before."
Back when they were in the Allied Army, Ragna had already been aware of the connection between the orcs and black magic. He'd suspected that the source might be somewhere within the imperial palace.
Had he found some clues since returning to the Empire?
"There's something in the palace. I've been investigating on my own, and while I can't go into details, I've found a small lead."
His grip on Yuri's shoulder tightened.
"This isn't just the Empire's problem. Keep it in mind. The war may be over, but the threat still remains."
"I'll remember that."
That he was telling this to Yuri—who wasn't even affiliated with the Empire—was proof that Ragna genuinely trusted him.
But Yuri didn't share the information he knew with Ragna.
Because in the end, Ragna was still a member of the royal family.
Even if black magic was involved, there was no telling how he would act if the Empire's interests ever clashed with Briol's.
"Alright."
Ragna grinned.
"I'll see you later. Enjoy yourself, Yuri."
Then he turned and walked away.
After that, nobles of the Empire approached to greet him. Yuri received them all with a relaxed demeanor.
And then, the duke's son Ragna had warned him about appeared.
"Greetings, Prince. I've heard of your reputation."
Yuri, almost unconsciously, glanced at the man's hair. It was styled so immaculately that it shone.
"I am Oliver Elgast. My father is Duke of Saito."
"I'm Yuri Briol."
Oliver seemed to be waiting for more to follow, but when Yuri said nothing else, he simply nodded with a wide smile on his face.
"I've heard much about your feats in the Allied Army."
Oliver offered a handshake.
As he did, small gasps erupted from those watching nearby. Noble ladies covered their mouths with fans, whispering among themselves.
What's so special about this?
Yuri shook his hand. Oliver continued.
"I'm a knight as well, so I've been thinking I'd like to cross swords with you sometime. I'll see you at the tournament."
With that, Oliver bowed politely.
On the surface, he acted courteous, but Yuri could feel a different emotion flickering in the man's eyes.
He was starting to understand why Ragna disliked him so much.
"Well, who knows…"
Yuri gave a noncommittal reply.
But Oliver seemed to take that as a positive sign, flashing another bright smile.
"I'll look forward to that. Then, until next time."
Watching Oliver's retreating figure, Yuri gave a faint bitter smile.
Everyone seemed to assume he would naturally participate in the tournament.
"They're all so excited…"
The Empire was rotting from within, and here they were holding a tournament. Yuri had no intention of playing along.
He moistened his lips with wine and walked over to where the Briol group was gathered.
Between Simon and Jared, Jose was laughing heartily.
"Ah, Prince!"
Jose greeted him in an excited voice.
"I heard. His Majesty wagered something incredible."
"That's right."
"If I were just a bit younger, I might have given it a shot. What a shame."
Jose was right at the edge of the age limit.
"Whether or not you're participating…"
Simon and Guinness grumbled.
"He says he won't enter."
"If the Prince joined, it'd basically become a royal wedding…"
Yuri lightly glared at the two who were talking nonsense. Simon and Guinness flinched and fell silent.
Jose patted them on the back with a chuckle.
"Well, it's up to him. But still…"
Jose smiled slyly.
"Even if you were to enter, Prince, there's no guarantee you'd win."
Yuri's eyebrow twitched.
"There seem to be quite a few interesting competitors. Makes me think a big country really does breed talent."
"You mean that guy with the shiny hair?"
"Yes. He's impressive, but there are also some outstanding knights who aren't even here right now. Prince, if you do decide to participate, please be careful. Hahaha…"
Jose laughed as he said it, and Yuri narrowed his eyes.
Compared to the others who kept trying to push him into the tournament, Jose's comment, which sparked a bit of competitiveness, was more effective.
For a brief moment, he thought about entering the tournament just to crush all of them.
"I'm not interested."
"It would've been quite the spectacle. What a shame."
"I'm satisfied using my sword only on real battlefields."
Yuri said, lifting his glass.
"Let's toast. Now it truly feels like the Allied Army is over."
"It really does."
As they raised their glasses, people gathered around them. Those who had lived and bled together on the battlefield were now enjoying the emperor's banquet, celebrating the Allied Army's victory.
Back then, when they were shedding blood with the orcs on those barren plains—who could have imagined a day like this would come?
If only everyone had survived to see it.
"To the comrades who went before us."
Yuri raised his glass.
Everyone gave a faint, bitter smile and lifted theirs as well. Simon and Guinness wrinkled their noses, no doubt thinking of Dyke.
"It was an honor to fight together. All of you."
They clinked their glasses.
After the somber toast, raucous laughter erupted once again.
At the center of the group of Allied Army comrades, as always, was Yuri.
Anyone watching the scene could immediately tell what kind of position he'd held among the Allied Army.
"Hahahaha…"
Ekaterina quietly watched Yuri's profile from a distance.