Fiore and Cedric had vanished together.
All of Briol was shrouded in grief.
But the throne could not remain empty forever.
According to the line of succession, Joshua became the King of Briol.
"You do it."
"What are you talking about? You're already the king."
"You suit the throne better than I do."
"Well, that's true."
"I just…"
Joshua didn't care much for being king.
"I'd rather pull strings from behind the scenes. Being king is too much of a burden."
"What a shining example of kingship you are."
Yuri shrugged.
"You worked so hard on that research or whatever—economics, was it? You can use that to develop Briol. Go ahead and spread your vision."
"What's the point when the Empire is right at our doorstep?"
"You just have to set your priorities."
"Seriously…"
Joshua sighed.
He had quickly come to terms with Fiore and Cedric's absence, but accepting the fact that he himself had to lead Briol as king was something he just couldn't do.
"Just do it yourself."
"No."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"There's plenty to do. But first…"
Yuri tapped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"Time to clean out some trash."
When all the lords of Briol had gathered to stand against the Empire, some nobles refused to cooperate.
Foremost among them was the Duke of Euzeth, Genard Jetherie, and his faction.
"With Father and Brother gone, Briol is wavering. In times like this, you need a common enemy."
"Well, true, but…"
"They probably don't even know I'm awake yet, so I should move immediately."
"Think you can do it?"
"Of course."
Yuri grinned.
"In surgery, the quicker the better."
"Fine."
Joshua pulled a sheet of paper from the side, and with swift, flowing strokes, wrote something down. Then he stamped it with the royal seal.
"Here. Take it."
"What is it?"
Yuri skimmed it.
It was an edict proving he was acting on behalf of the king, granting him full authority to take any measures he deemed necessary.
"This is…"
"You'll handle it well enough."
Even for someone he trusted, such broad authority was rare to grant.
It was proof of how little interest Joshua had in the throne.
"Hey, you there! Anyone outside?"
At Joshua's call, an attendant waiting beyond the throne hall came in.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Bring me a document tube. For the edict."
"Yes."
He soon brought one in.
The tube for royal edicts was a cylindrical container designed to store the king's documents, its surface intricately embossed with the crest of the Briol royal family.
"This should give it some gravitas, right?"
"Thanks."
"No, thank you. You're doing my work for me."
Joshua leaned back in the throne, grumbling.
"Go crack those bastards' skulls for me."
When Fiore had been king, he had refrained from completely crushing Genard, for fear of the chaos that would follow in the kingdom.
But now, things were different.
With Briol itself trembling, there was no reason to spare them.
Better to trigger an even greater shock to rally the people's hearts as one.
Joshua asked,
"You're not going alone, are you? How are you planning to bring the others?"
"Well…"
Yuri trailed off for a moment.
At times like this, Laurent's name always came to mind first—the most capable and loyal knight he had taken under his wing.
But that man was gone now.
With a bitter smile, Yuri went on,
"I'll pick some out. Jared has already gathered the knights. And Simon and Guinness are back as well…"
"Really?"
"Great Swordsman Moyong Chan said he'll stay longer before returning. Well, he was a guest to begin with, but he's practically a Briol man now."
After driving out Doncic, Moyong Chan had remained in Liberda, training knights.
When he heard news from Briol, he was disheartened but didn't rush back immediately. His plan was to teach techniques to ensure they wouldn't fall to some brute Ogre, then return.
"Then I'm off."
"Huh? Already?"
"Once it's decided, you move right away."
Without waiting for Joshua's reply, Yuri left the throne hall and headed straight to the training yard, summoning the knights.
The thirty or so knights Jared had gathered were all of exceptional caliber. Strict selection ensured they were competent enough not to hinder Yuri's movements.
Yuri stood with arms crossed, waiting.
Before long, Jared arrived with Simon, Guinness, and the rest of the knights. Some seemed bewildered, likely having been called on short notice.
Some were seeing Yuri for the first time.
While they hesitated, Yuri spoke bluntly.
"We're going to strike down the traitors of Briol."
His words made the knights' eyes widen.
"While Briol's knights fought the Empire, those men sat with arms folded, tending only to their own comfort. While our comrades died, they feasted and filled their bellies with wine. We are Briol. A man who does not fulfill his duty to Briol cannot be called a noble. Am I wrong?"
"Yes, sir!"
Simon and Guinness answered loudly.
They had grown much stronger during their time with Moyong Chan.
Yuri grinned and continued,
"Our target is Genard Jetherie and the worthless nobles under him. We go to hold them accountable for their sins."
One knight raised his hand.
"Are we going alone?"
Yuri grinned and nodded.
"Yes."
They numbered only about thirty in total. Genard Jetherie, after all, was one of Briol's great lords, ruling over Euzeth.
It seemed reckless to challenge him with such a small force.
"Are you afraid?"
"No, sir!"
"If you're scared, you can bow out now. Anyone like that, raise your hand."
No one did.
Yuri met each of their gazes in turn.
He had not been involved when Jared was recruiting them, but now that they were assembled, he saw that most were comrades from his past life—men who had fought hard and died under the Empire's blades alongside him.
Seeing their faces filled him with joy.
"Good."
When he had awoken from his long sleep and heard Fiore was gone, there had been a moment of despair.
He had returned to the past, yet failed to prevent the tragedy, and it felt as though he was walking the same path as before.
But he realized that wasn't entirely true.
There were many things he had changed.
And this time was no different. In his past life, he had failed to judge Genard, but this life would be different.
He would not allow everything to follow the same course again.
Even if his resistance ended in failure, he would thrash against fate to the very end.
"We'll show everyone what becomes of nobles who abandon their duties. If all they live for is pleasure, then I'll drag them down myself."
With those words, Yuri turned.
"Let's go!"
They already had the words for them prepared. Yuri mounted his horse at once, and the rest followed.
They left the royal palace.
It was the moment when Yuri Briol, who had been dormant for some time, resumed his activity.
***
Yuri and his party rode straight out of the royal castle, heading for Euzeth.
"Hey, Jared."
"Yes!"
"What did you do while I was lying down?"
"I practiced my sword diligently, visited you at the infirmary, things like that."
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Then why have you put on so much weight?"
"Because I couldn't eat properly, worrying about you, Your Highness…"
"You couldn't eat, yet you gained weight?"
"I couldn't eat meals, so I ate a lot of snacks instead."
"Starve."
"…Pardon?"
"If you can't get your weight back to where it was by the time this is over, be prepared."
"Isn't that too short a time?"
Jared had indeed gained quite a bit of weight. It seemed he had been under a fair amount of stress. But Yuri showed no leniency.
Better this than letting him die from a sword to the gut on the battlefield.
"By the way, Your Highness,"
One of the knights following behind spoke up.
"Are we really going just by ourselves?"
"You sound scared."
"Of course I'm not scared! It's just, I'm worried for Your Highness."
"You talk well."
"It's the truth."
They were about thirty in total. And Genard commanded his own private soldiers.
At a glance, it seemed like striking a boulder with an egg.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."
Yuri had been lying down for a month.
That time had felt far longer to him.
While he was bedridden, the heart demon had twisted his mind, and he had wandered for what felt like an eternity in dreams. It had been a painful time, but apart from the suffering, it had also served as a chance for training.
Things he hadn't understood became clear, and forgotten memories resurfaced. Motions that hadn't yet settled into his body now flowed naturally.
His mind was clearer than ever, and his body brimmed with strength.
He had grown once again.
"There it is."
Before long, they had reached the vicinity of Euzeth. Not only was there no news that Yuri's party had set out, but no one even knew he had awakened.
When Genard heard this news, he would be greatly startled.
Yuri was already looking forward to the expression on his face.
Soon, they reached the city gates.
The guards were checking those entering and leaving, but at the sudden appearance of a group of knights, they looked rather flustered.
"Who are you?"
One knight stepped forward to meet Yuri.
Yuri jerked his chin.
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
"Well…"
"I'm Yuri Briol."
When Yuri answered immediately, the knight stared at him in a daze for a moment.
"Your Highness?"
"That's right. We're in a hurry, so move aside."
"You… you're unharmed."
"What, you expected me not to be?"
"What brings you all the way here?"
"Oh…?"
Yuri grinned.
"Do I have to report to you personally?"
"I'm sorry, but it's an order from the duke, I can't help it."
"And if I don't tell you?"
"My apologies."
The knight looked straight at Yuri and said,
"You cannot enter."
At that, the atmosphere among those following Yuri turned grim.
But the knight did not easily back down.
"I'll inform the duke, so please wait."
With those words, the guards at the entrance set their faces sternly and took their positions.
Sensing something amiss, passersby began to hurry away. Yuri called to the knight.
"Hey, you."
"Yes."
"You can tell just by looking, can't you? I didn't come here for a friendly visit."
Behind Yuri stood thirty armed knights.
"…"
"If your subordinate goes to Genard, and Genard hears we're here, and he prepares himself… do you really want to go through all that trouble?"
"…"
"I'm not in a good mood right now."
Yuri dismounted.
Guilty clinked loudly at his waist.
"That means I'm not going to be picky about who I deal with. Understand?"
"Yes…"
"I came here with full authority delegated from Joshua—no, His Majesty."
Yuri held up the document tube engraved with the royal crest.
"That means I came to Euzeth as the king's representative. This is the last warning. Move aside."
"…"
The knight stayed silent, then suddenly smiled.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry. But Euzeth is Duke Genard's territory."
"And?"
"That means here, Duke Genard's will comes first."
As he spoke, the city gates—through which travelers had been passing—began to close.
"Until the duke sends his reply, please wait, Your Highness."
"Hmph…"
Fiore was gone. The strongest military power supporting Briol had vanished overnight.
And now, some nobles who had been lying low as if dead began to raise their heads.
Yuri nodded.
He had never hesitated to spill blood.
"No."
Yuri swung his sword.
The knight's head fell.
The move was so sudden that no one reacted in time.
Yuri immediately channeled sword aura into Guilty, and struck the city gate.
The gate, which had been slowly lowering, shook violently. Then it froze in place with a loud screech, stuck halfway down, and stayed there.
Yuri shouted,
"Now, enter Euzeth! Our target is that pig of Euzeth, Genard Jetherie!"
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