Yuri had already expected that Laurent might give him the medal.
Knowing Laurent as he did, it was entirely plausible.
The problem was the Emperor.
He had made a public pledge before the tournament. If Laurent were to just hand the medal over to him, the Emperor might feel his dignity had been undermined. Worse, he might even suspect that Laurent had been coaxed into offering it.
Yuri had no desire to provoke the Emperor.
So, just in case, he had subtly hinted to Laurent not to do such a thing.
But Laurent had completely ignored Yuri's efforts and came running to him.
"This victory was all thanks to you, Your Highness, so I offer this medal to you."
"Uh, right…"
He wanted to throw the medal away, but all eyes were on him now. With no other choice, he reached out and accepted it.
Applause began to echo in the once-quiet stadium.
"Is that a knight of Briol…?"
"Such loyalty."
"To dedicate all glory to his liege—uncommon in today's Empire."
People praised Laurent's actions.
Yuri, wearing a bitter expression, glanced toward the Emperor's direction.
Ibarra was stroking his chin with a peculiar look, watching him and Laurent from above.
Yuri lowered his voice and scolded Laurent.
"Laurent."
"Yes."
"I told you not to."
"But I really wanted to."
"That's not the point…"
"Please forgive me."
With him insisting this far, Yuri could say no more. He simply let out a sigh.
In any case, with the tournament's champion offering his medal to someone, the entire event could be considered concluded.
Petals scattered from the sky and fireworks burst.
And thus, the tournament came to an end.
Laurent was called back onto the stage and surrounded by nobles of the Empire who had watched the match. He responded with a gentle smile. At times like these, it was clear he was a child of a prestigious family.
Yuri rose from his seat. He intended to slip away quietly.
He suddenly felt someone's gaze and turned his head—only to see the Emperor watching him.
He gave a slight nod of respect. The Emperor returned it with a nod of his own.
"Jared."
"Yes."
"What kind of expression does the Emperor have?"
"Hmm…"
Jared stretched as if yawning, then discreetly glanced toward the VIP seats and said,
"He looks pleased."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"That's even worse."
Yuri sighed and began to lead his group out.
Then the spectators raised their hands and cheered toward Yuri.
"Briol! Briol! Briol!"
Even the citizens of the Empire chanted "Briol" and celebrated Yuri, the new owner of the medal.
***
The Emperor, watching Laurent Flandre run toward the third prince of Briol, felt a strange emotion.
He had been mentally preparing himself—after all, that knight might become his son-in-law—but then suddenly the man ran straight to his liege and offered him the medal.
The third prince hesitated, seemingly troubled, before accepting it.
Both the knight and his liege were exceptional.
"I want him."
He muttered, stroking his chin.
He was tempted by Laurent, who had so easily won the tournament—but even more so by Yuri Briol, who had inspired such loyalty from him.
The testimony from the captain of the 3rd Knight Order had revealed that Yuri's skills surpassed even Laurent's. He was someone whose full potential was impossible to gauge.
Ibarra called for his daughter.
"Ekaterina."
"Yes."
"How does it feel to be rejected?"
"I don't feel much. I'm just glad I won't have to blame you."
"Hahaha…"
Ibarra burst out laughing.
"Glad, huh? Yes, I'm glad too."
Regardless of Ekaterina's response, Ibarra continued speaking.
"If Laurent had offered the medal to her, I would've regretted it for a long time."
He thought about the third prince of Briol.
Six years ago, his second son had returned from Briol and said he had found an interesting one.
He said that the third prince of Briol had promising potential, and that if there were a way to secure him, they should act early. But at the time, Ibarra hadn't paid much attention.
How could one possibly bring the son of Fiore Briol to their side?
Marriage was the only option—but Ekaterina was too valuable a card for that.
Sending her to someone like the third prince of Briol simply didn't seem worth it.
So he let the idea pass.
But now, six years later, having met the third prince of Briol in person, Ibarra regretted his earlier decision. The young man was desirable in every way.
"Well, I can still get him now."
Ibarra smiled.
The Empire wielded influence over the entire continent, and he, the Emperor, ruled it completely.
He could have anything he wanted.
Whether it was an object—or a person.
As he watched Yuri's back disappearing from the busy stadium, Ibarra smiled.
"Yuri Briol…"
***
Sending Laurent back to the hotel for rest, Yuri headed straight for the Magic Tower with Jared.
He was scheduled to meet Inariel today.
Yuri didn't know much about the parchment infused with black magic, but Inariel had agreed to look into it for him and Ernando.
However, just before the tournament began, he had received a message.
Something had been discovered.
That's why Yuri's pace was quick. The Emperor's medal in his coat was nothing compared to the anticipation for what Inariel had to say.
"Your Highness, what will you do with the medal?"
"Probably sell it for money?"
"You can't just sell a medal the Emperor gave you."
"I can melt it down."
"That's too wasteful."
Exchanging such pointless chatter, they entered the Magic Tower.
He only realized later why there were no guards posted.
The rows of identical wooden doors were all connected to each mage's personal workshop. Without a mage's permission, it was impossible to enter.
Yuri opened the door skillfully and stood before Ernando's workshop.
It looked just like a real forest, as always.
"You're here."
Inariel was sitting cross-legged in front of Ernando's log cabin, meditating.
Upon spotting Yuri, he stood up. The log cabin opened, and Ernando immediately came out.
Yuri greeted Inariel with formal courtesy, then got straight to the point.
"You said you discovered something about the parchment?"
Inariel burst out laughing.
"Jumping straight to that, you must be in quite a hurry."
"Yes, I am."
"They say haste makes waste. Maybe that saying fits perfectly here."
He picked up the backpack lying at his feet.
"I asked some old friends about the parchment. Specifically, whether they had ever seen parchment imbued with black magic."
"Yes. And?"
"And I heard a rather interesting story. I can't confirm the truth myself, but it sounded very plausible."
Yuri's gaze urged him on.
Now that the tournament was over, the time for him to leave the Empire was drawing near. He could stay longer if he wanted, but that might draw suspicion.
While officially in the Empire for business, he hoped to uncover a concrete lead.
Inariel said,
"Adelvine."
Yuri looked up at the unexpected name.
"They say the parchment began to circulate when Adelvine fell."
Adelvine was a nation that had already perished.
None other than by a Death Knight.
In Adelvine, there had been a knight named Gert. He had been the most skilled in the entire nation, but after a certain death, he was resurrected and turned into a far more powerful monster.
He attacked anything that lived.
No one could stop him.
Eventually, Adelvine fell, and its citizens were scattered. Its former capital had become a wasteland, a land of death where only the eerie breath of the Death Knight could be heard.
Gert, who had destroyed a nation, gained such infamy that his name was ranked among the Ten Strongest.
"They say Gert became a Death Knight because of black magic, then… could that parchment have been what turned him?"
To Yuri's question, Inariel shrugged.
"It's hard to say without having seen it myself. But, it's not impossible."
"Who was the friend who told you that?"
"That, I cannot say."
"…Understood."
It was a frustrating lead at best.
They had searched in various ways within the Empire, but had found little. And the only clue they managed to obtain was related to Adelvine. But it wasn't much help.
"It would've been nice to get something concrete from the Empire."
Yuri thought of Ragna.
He had been investigating things inside the Imperial Palace. He was so busy that Yuri hadn't seen him lately—not even at the tournament.
How far had his investigation come?
"Wait."
Just then, Inariel raised his hand.
"Seems someone has arrived. Go check outside the workshop."
At those words, Ernando tilted his head and walked to the entrance of the workshop connected to the Magic Tower.
When he opened the door, someone was indeed standing outside. It was a face Yuri didn't recognize. He appeared to be a mage affiliated with the Magic Tower.
The man's face was flushed.
"Sir Ernando."
"What brings you here…"
"I came because something urgent happened."
The mage said something quietly to Ernando, and Ernando's expression hardened.
He turned and looked at Yuri.
Yuri tilted his head in confusion.
It wasn't often Ernando wore such a serious look.
He could hear parts of the conversation.
"Because of this, mages from outside might be subject to inspection. Please don't take offense, and be cautious…"
Ernando nodded at the mage's words. The man added a few more words, gave a respectful bow, and left.
The door soon closed.
Yuri asked Ernando,
"Ernando, what happened? You look shocked."
"Your Highness."
"Hm?"
"Please don't be too alarmed by what I'm about to say."
"Hm?"
"Well…"
"What is it?"
Seeing the look in Ernando's eyes, Yuri began to feel uneasy.
"Your Highness."
"Just say it."
"Prince Ragna…"
"Prince?"
"They say… he has passed away."
"What?"
Yuri asked again.
He couldn't immediately comprehend what Ernando had just said.
"No, why?"
Yuri asked, barely managing to stay calm. His hand trembled slightly.
"I didn't hear the reason."
"His Highness…"
Yuri had told Ragna his suspicions about the Crown Prince, and Ragna had said he would investigate personally and report the results.
That had been the last time they spoke.
He had thought it might be dangerous—but not that it would end like this.
He recalled his past life.
This was not the time Ragna was supposed to die.
It was far too early a death.
Just as he had changed much of the future, Ragna's fate, too, had been overturned.
Yuri had saved those who should have died.
But this was the first time someone who was supposed to live had died.
"It's not widely known yet, but the rumors are starting to spread. There will likely be fallout."
"…Right."
Not just anyone—the Emperor's brother had died.
"For now…"
Yuri ran a hand through his hair, lost in thought. He was too shaken to think clearly.
"We have to confirm the cause."
"Wouldn't it be better to just lay low?"
"No, I can't do that."
"Your Highness…"
"Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless."
"…Understood."
Yuri murmured as he fingered the hilt of Guilty.
"Jared."
"Yes."
"Come with me."
"Understood."
He gave a respectful bow to Inariel, then immediately left Ernando's workshop.
As he watched the door close, Ernando let out a long sigh.
"What is going to happen now…"
The news of Ragna's death had shocked him too.
He was not someone who should have died so easily.
Had he gotten too close to the truth, and the master of black magic had killed him?
If that assumption was true, then the situation was more dangerous than anyone had imagined.
If a prince had been assassinated, then perhaps the royal family really had fallen to black magic.
Ernando turned his eyes. Inariel wore a calm expression.
"You're not surprised?"
"What is there to be surprised about?"
He shook his salmon-colored hair and said,
"Now that black magic has appeared, nothing that happens is truly strange."
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