Yuri's group rode on horseback across Adelvine, heading toward Bursen.
Compared to the Empire or Briol, the people of Bursen had louder voices. Even when exchanging greetings, they would shout, and at first, it sounded like they were fighting.
Riding beside Jose, Yuri spoke.
"Sir Jose, the people of Bursen really do seem boisterous."
"Of course. When you think of men, doesn't Bursen come to mind?"
"A full-course meal hosted by a knight of such a Bursen... I can't even imagine what that would be. Sir Jose, what exactly do you have planned?"
"Well, that is... hmm…"
Despite boldly claiming he would treat them to a full course, once they crossed the border and entered Bursen, Jose suddenly became timid.
"F-for now, let's go to my estate. We're almost there."
"Sure, sure."
Before long, Yuri's group arrived at Jose's estate.
The territory governed by Jose, Orphen, was a port city facing the sea.
After passing through the streets while receiving greetings from the citizens, they arrived at Jose's mansion, where the servants welcomed them warmly.
Several black-haired dogs darted out and leapt into Jose's arms. Jose held them in his arms and patted each of them affectionately.
Jared came closer to observe the dogs.
"They all have pitch-black fur."
"Aren't they just like the prince?"
"They seem too gentle for that."
"Gentle? If anyone tries to harm me, they go berserk and charge like mad. They're brave beasts."
Yuri chuckled.
"You're calling me a dog?"
"Just a figure of speech, that's all. Hahahaha!"
Yuri's group, now Jose's guests, unpacked their belongings at the mansion. After a hot bath, the weariness built up from wandering through Adelvine seemed to melt away.
Once he had dressed in clean clothes, Yuri immediately went to find Jose.
Jose was standing by the window, looking out over his estate.
"Sir Jose."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Isn't it time you showed us?"
"Pardon?"
"The Bursen full course, I mean."
"Ah, th-that! Hahaha, yes, of course!"
"You do have a plan, right?"
"Y-yes, leave it to me."
Then, he promptly took Yuri's group to a restaurant located near the sea.
"This place is absolutely killer."
A large cauldron of stew was bubbling furiously.
"Ever had some pig stew?"
"What?"
"It's Bursen dialect. It means, 'Have you tried pig stew before?'"
"Pig stew… So it's a stew made from pork?"
"Something like that. You could say it's the most beloved dish among the people of Bursen. Hey, six pig stews here!"
The restaurant owner was an elderly woman. She only nodded at the sight of Jose and silently headed into the kitchen.
Jose explained.
"She's a blunt old lady. Whether you're a lord or not, there's no class distinction when it comes to eating stew."
"That's quite Bursen of her."
Soon, the old woman returned and placed pig stew in front of each member of Yuri's group. The clear broth had floating fat on top, and it was still boiling hot.
Yuri tried to dig in right away, but Jose stopped him.
"Whoa there. There's a method to eating pig stew. Just follow me."
"A method?"
He added a generous portion of scallions and then seasoned it with shrimp-based fish sauce.
Yuri followed along, but Jose shook his head, unsatisfied.
"The key to pig stew is seasoning. If the seasoning's off, the whole thing's pointless."
"Aren't you adding a bit too much?"
"I prefer it salty."
"This much should be good, right?"
"Yes, that's plenty."
"Well then, shall we try Bursen's signature dish?"
"Please, enjoy."
Saying that, Yuri began to scoop the stew with his spoon and eat.
"How is it? Killer, right?"
"I see… it's really good…"
"No stew beats Bursen's. Wahahaha!"
Yuri lowered his head with a slightly awkward expression.
It was definitely tasty. But was it really something to get this excited about? He couldn't tell. It didn't seem all that different from stews served in Briol or the Empire.
Still, seeing the immense pride on Jose's face, Yuri decided to just agree.
"You're right. It's delicious."
"Eat up! Hahahaha!"
Judging from the expressions of the others, they all seemed to share similar thoughts.
However, as they kept eating, they found themselves unable to stop.
"Hmm…?"
You could eat it normally, sure, but there was this odd feeling that made you want to shove it into your mouth in big bites and let out a loud expression of awe. Yuri unconsciously kept moving his spoon without rest.
Yuri's group, drenched in sweat, devoured the pig stew.
In the end, all six bowls were completely emptied.
"Graaah…"
"That was good."
"Thank you, Sir Jose."
"Too bad Cory couldn't have some…"
"I'm stuffed."
They each shared their impressions as they rose from the stew restaurant.
Yuri asked,
"So, what's next?"
"Hmm, well…"
"A full course wouldn't end with just one dish, would it?"
Jose fell into thought. Yuri narrowed his eyes.
"Don't tell me it was all talk and there's nothing else?"
"N-no way. Definitely not."
"Then what's next?"
"Uh… a café?"
"What?"
"Maybe some cold tea…"
"Are you serious?"
"N-no, I was joking! Hahahaha!"
Jose quickly turned his head. In the distance, seagulls were flying over the horizon.
"The sea, let's go to the sea."
"Oh, the sea…"
"Bursen is the sea."
"All right, shall we go?"
Following Jose, Yuri's group headed to the beach and stood idly on the sand.
An endless expanse of blue sea spread out over golden sands. Each crashing wave foamed and vanished, and the seabirds that had soared above dove into the water.
Watching the scene, the life of a sword-wielding knight suddenly felt utterly meaningless.
If you just spread out a mat and lay down here, that would be the real life. Why had he struggled so hard to live with such urgency?
Jose, wearing a contented smile, looked around at the rest of the group.
"This is the sea of Bursen."
"Sir Jose."
"Yes."
"So this is it?"
"N-no, of course not."
"Pig stew and the sea. Impressive, sure, but it still feels a bit underwhelming. Surely there's something truly amazing in store, right?"
"Y-yes. Of course."
"And that amazing thing is?"
"Well, um… that amazing thing is…"
Jose stammered, then said,
"Right. Of course. How about some sashimi?"
"Sashimi?"
"You don't like it?"
"I actually do…"
Yuri shrugged and rubbed his stomach.
"But after eating all that pig stew, I don't think I can eat any more."
"Ah…"
"Sir Jose. Just be honest."
Yuri looked at Jose as he spoke.
"There really isn't a Bursen full course, is there?"
At that sudden question, Jose's face stiffened.
With difficulty, he forced his lips to move and denied Yuri's claim.
"Th-there is!"
"I know it doesn't actually exist."
"…Excuse me?"
"Before coming to the Imperial Capital, I asked my brother about it."
After the Allied Army disbanded and they returned to Briol, Yuri had once asked Cedric about the Bursen full course.
His wise elder brother always had answers, no matter the question.
This time was no exception.
Cedric explained that the so-called "Bursen full course" was merely a phrase used by the people of Bursen to express hospitality, and that there wasn't actually any specific tradition or form of treatment by that name.
"Th-that can't be…"
"There's no need to overexert yourself. I already knew."
"You even knew about the unspoken rule of Bursen's full course… The Crown Prince of Briol is truly knowledgeable."
"There's nothing I don't know. You could say I'm the future of Briol."
Jose let out a helpless laugh.
"Well, given how things turned out, there's no helping it, Your Highness. I just hope you can rest comfortably in my territory."
"Is that really all?"
"…Pardon?"
"You talked about a full course to get me to come to your estate. Isn't there a reason behind that?"
"Did… your brother tell you that too?"
"Of course not. That's just my own personal guess."
"Haha…"
Jose nodded.
"Yes. The truth is, I had someone I wanted to introduce to you, if the opportunity arose. And now, that opportunity has come."
"Introduce?"
Yuri looked at him cautiously.
"Don't tell me… Sir Jose, do you have a younger sister, perhaps…?"
"I do not."
"Or maybe a cousin…"
"I know exactly what you're thinking. And no, it's not that."
"Then who?"
"Hmm…"
With a faint smile, Jose looked up at the sky, choosing his words.
"If I had to put it into words…"
His gaze turned toward the distant sea.
"…someone I could call my teacher."
"Teacher? Why would you introduce someone like that to me?"
"After watching the way you fight, Your Highness, I just started to wonder. What might happen if the two of you met? And after what we experienced in Adelvine, I became even more curious."
"Very well."
Yuri nodded.
"Since you've said that, I'm curious too. Can we meet them tomorrow?"
"I'm not sure if they'll be home, but let's pay a visit tomorrow."
"Let's do that."
Yuri said so, then placed a hand on Jose's shoulder and looked out at the distant sea again.
Suddenly, he found himself missing the elder brother they'd mentioned in conversation.
"I wonder how my brother is doing…"
Murmuring those words, Yuri soon let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. Cedric wasn't someone he needed to worry about.
Martial arts, scholarship, appearance—he was blessed in all aspects.
He'd even met a good partner and was in a relationship.
He really lacked nothing.
***
The Devil's Flower had been eliminated in Adelvine, and Gert was dead.
And now, someone who knew of those facts was walking through a secret passage hidden within the Imperial Palace.
"The Devil's Flower is dead… damn it…"
He cursed, brushing his hair back with irritation.
"I worked so damn hard to prepare all this, and that idiot…"
His nearly platinum hair swayed as he moved.
Eventually, a large iron door appeared before him. He pushed it open with his hand and stepped inside.
There was an altar.
Dozens of candles flickered precariously atop a massive magic circle, and bones of unknown origin were scattered around.
At the center of it all, a skull aimed skyward, clenching a worn piece of parchment in its jaws.
"Nothing ever goes as planned."
He walked toward the magic circle, muttering in an unknown language.
Despite the still air of the room, the flames of the candles suddenly flared up as if caught in a storm.
His chanting grew faster.
From the eye sockets of the skull gripping the parchment, light began to seep out.
"Hoo…"
He then walked over to the corner of the room. Opening a small door shrouded in darkness, he revealed a group of people locked behind iron bars.
He stared at them with a completely emotionless gaze.
The people inside the cage were so emaciated that their bones jutted out.
So much so, that when he dragged one of them out, they didn't resist at all.
"P-please spare me…"
The person being dragged spoke.
"Your Highness…"
"Be quiet."
As it turned out, the one hiding this secret beneath the Imperial Palace was none other than the Imperial Prince of the Empire, Eugen.
Eugen stomped on the head of the person he was dragging to silence him, then threw the body into the center of the magic circle.
Candles toppled and mingled with the person's body, burning their skin.
"Aaaagh…"
"Shut up."
Eugen drew a dagger and immediately stabbed the neck.
"Gahk…"
Blood poured out.
The blood-soaked parchment began to emit a red glow.
Soon, a black, smoke-like substance started to rise and fill the chamber.
Eugen watched it, then knelt on one knee.
From within the darkness, a vague silhouette began to take shape.
[You've failed to do your job properly.]
A woman's voice followed the rebuke.
"I'm sorry. I made the mistake of trusting that fool…"
[Foolish creature.]
"I'm sorry…"
Eugen remained kneeling with one knee before the figure.
[Do not act for now. Stay still.]
"If I could make up for it—"
[I said stay still.]
"Yes."
[From now on, I will act. You just manage the back alleys.]
"…Understood."
Eugen looked up. The darkness began to coalesce into a form.
That form gradually shifted into a figure Eugen knew all too well.
It was a woman wearing a baker's hat.
[Come visit me soon.]
"Yes."
[Family should see each other from time to time.]
"Yes."
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