Yuri began the march.
Tirbo carried the flag, and the rest of the troops followed.
Anyone could join.
Be it noble or commoner.
Knight or soldier.
A veteran who had spent their whole life on the battlefield.
Or a rookie holding a sword for the first time.
Anyone willing to risk their life to fight walked alongside Yuri.
Among them were not only people from Briol, but also Oliver Elgast, who had once belonged to the Empire, and Lapior Artem, who had wandered aimlessly after Graham’s death.
Anyone who wished to fight was welcome.
That was Yuri’s wish.
The flag of the Anti-Imperial Union waved high, defying the Empire.
Some joined the procession, while others knelt to pray in the direction of the army led by Yuri.
“Tirbo, are your arms hurting?”
“Eh? Yes… a little. Hehehe…”
“Give it to me. I’ll carry it.”
“No, there’s no need.”
“Come on, hand it over.”
“Really, I’m fine.”
“What’s wrong, you don’t get tired anymore?”
“No, sir!”
“Good. If you do get tired, say so, alright?”
“I don’t think I will.”
“That’s better.”
Yuri planned to make a large circuit through Briol and then head to Liberta.
After that, he would advance west, passing through the Confederation of Small Kingdoms, crossing Brusen, and then entering the Empire via the Holy Kingdom.
Along the way, he would gather all those who shared his cause.
News that the Empire had summoned an evil entity through black magic to repel the Anti-Imperial Union, and that the monarch of Briol was gathering his final army to face it, was beginning to spread across the continent.
“The next destination is Yuzes.”
“Yes.”
Yuri’s path now led him to Yuzes.
The people offered blessings and sometimes asked questions.
Before entering Yuzes, a man by the side of the road shouted:
“Your Highness. Forgive my question, but… will we be able to win?”
He carried a sword at his waist, and mana could be felt from his body.
He was probably someone who had trained extensively with the sword.
Even so, his voice was low and his shoulders hunched.
No matter how many years one trains with a sword, fear does not disappear.
The man seemed to want to join the march, but fear of the Empire and its black magic kept him from deciding.
Yuri stopped for a moment and shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“…Pardon?”
“I don’t know if we can win.”
On the roadside, a crowd knelt watching Yuri and his troops.
Yuri spoke plainly.
“We’re not fighting because this is a war we can win. Even if we lose, we fight because it’s something we must face.”
The man raised his head and looked at him.
“The enemy is strong. Most of us will probably die.”
From the moment he decided to take this path, Yuri had been clear that he wouldn’t recruit anyone with lies or false promises.
Facing black magic required an unbreakable will.
Anyone who came under coercion or deception would not be able to endure.
“I can’t promise you anything. If you want to fight, come. If not, it’s fine if you don’t.”
With that, Yuri resumed the march.
The man stared at him in surprise as he walked away. His gaze then turned to the army following him.
They were all different.
But none seemed dominated by fear.
Their faces carried a calm as if death did not concern them.
“Ah…”
One of the soldiers in the procession, seeing the man still standing, called out to him.
“Hey, kid.”
“Yes?”
“In life, there are battles you can’t turn away from. If you feel this is one of them, come. If not, support us from behind. This isn’t just about living or dying.”
He jerked his chin forward.
“The Empire sacrifices people. I’m scared too, but I still have to fight.”
Saying this, the soldier looked ahead again and kept walking away.
The man looked up.
In the distance, the flag of the Anti-Imperial Union waved strongly.
Suddenly, one of the middle-aged men who had been kneeling in homage stood up, as if hypnotized, and joined the march.
He wasn’t the only one.
No one shouted to convince them, no one tried to persuade them.
They simply walked.
But people began to join.
Seeing this, the man hardened his expression and began to move forward.
Those behind him saw and made room for him.
The army of the Anti-Imperial Union, led by Yuri, was now entering Yuzes.
Once, that territory had belonged to Genard, and now it was Josephine’s domain.
***
When Yuri set foot in Yuzes, a band began to play music.
Yuri smiled wryly.
Josephine had wanted to make music. Even as a duchess, she continued composing actively.
Upon hearing of his arrival, it was clear she had prepared this as a welcoming gesture.
“I didn’t expect them to play music.”
“A reception.”
“But… isn’t it a bit too melancholic?”
“It’s solemn.”
It was different from the typical music before a battle.
Depending on how one heard it, it sounded melancholic or solemn.
Yuri shook his head.
“With this, those who were going to come will get scared off.”
“Even so, it stirs the heart.”
As they entered the city, Josephine awaited them.
The Duchess of Yuzes, Josephine Zaetheri.
She stopped in front of Yuri, who rode at the head, and bowed.
The vassals following her also went down on one knee.
Yuzes was a wealthy region within Briol, and its knights were numerous.
All bowing to Yuri was an impressive sight.
“It is an honor to see you, Your Highness.”
“It’s been a while, Josephine.”
“May blessings follow your path.”
After her words, the music, which had paused for a moment, resumed, this time more lively.
It was clear that, as someone versed in musical performance, she knew how to handle such events.
The sound grew and gained strength, as if the meeting between the two marked the beginning of a change in the world.
Yuri said quietly to her:
“This is a bit too staged, don’t you think?”
“Art is always staged.”
“True…”
Josephine smiled faintly as she proposed to Yuri:
“Today, it will be difficult for you to go further, so rest before continuing. I have prepared a banquet.”
“No.”
Yuri shook his head.
“I’ll stay with them, whether to eat or rest. So I must respectfully decline the banquet.”
“Ah…”
Josephine opened her mouth for a moment, then nodded.
“That was careless of me. In that case, I will offer a meal for everyone.”
“That I will gladly accept.”
Thus, the army led by Yuri stayed one day in Yuzes.
Josephine emptied the stores of Yuzes to offer them a rather decent meal. There was meat, and they were even served liquor.
The soldiers, who had marched without rest, could momentarily forget their fatigue.
At times, the people of Yuzes gave flowers and gifts to the soldiers.
As night fell, Yuri looked up at the sky from an improvised tent outside the city.
Sitting before the campfire, he felt like he was back in the days of the Alliance.
“Your Highness.”
Jared, sitting across from him, spoke.
“Why did you suddenly decide to move around like this?”
At first, Yuri had no intention of traveling across the continent to recruit people.
His plan had been to take up arms when the time came and, if other countries responded, join them. But suddenly, he had begun moving in person.
The existence of black magic instilled fear, but the name Yuri Briol shone brightly enough to make people forget that fear, and so, they kept joining him.
“It’s just that…”
Yuri glanced sideways.
Oliver and Raphael were sitting in a corner, roasting sweet potatoes by the fire.
Raphael being like that was normal, but who would have imagined that Oliver, always well-groomed and elegant, would end up like this?
No one would have thought he would become an ally. The same was true for others.
Someone who seemed destined to be an eternal ally could become an enemy.
“I just… think I have to give it my all.”
“Give it your all, huh…”
Yuri looked at Laurent, sitting next to Jared, staring intently at the flames. He looked the same as before.
“The truth is… maybe before, I was a little resigned.”
Even if he hadn’t consciously admitted it, deep down he had thought that since it was a battle hard to win, at least he should end it with some dignity. That was why he had stayed at the palace, waiting to gather only those who truly wanted to fight.
But upon hearing that Cory had become Cedric’s subordinate, he changed his mind.
“We have to fight with everything. And of course, I will win.”
“I see.”
Jared commented.
“I thought it was because of Lady Yekaterina.”
“No.”
“And how did that happen? At the tournament you didn’t seem that close.”
“It’s a bond from a past life.”
“Oh…”
Jared, as if he’d heard something strange, shook his head and called to Laurent.
“Are you just going to sit there listening to that?”
Laurent only gave a faint smile.
“I have something to say, but I won’t say it.”
That boy who used to be adorable had now become a cold type, which Yuri regretted.
“The old Laurent was more adorable…”
Yuri murmured. Laurent looked at him sharply but said nothing. Jared nodded as if in agreement.
At that moment, someone spoke from behind.
“Well, I still think the current Laurent is adorable.”
It was Maryrose. She sat naturally in an empty spot on the ground.
“Ah, Lady Maryrose.”
Jared brought a box and placed it beside her so she could sit.
“Thank you, Sir Jared.”
“You’re welcome.”
Though she traveled with them as if she were a campaign mage, Maryrose was actually the duchess of Valshard, practically an independent state. She wasn’t someone who should be sitting on the ground.
Of course, Yuri himself, prince of Briol, was sitting on a sack of uncertain contents.
Maryrose said:
“Your Highness must be happy, right?”
“Why?”
Yuri seemed a little uneasy; his voice trembled, which was rare for him.
He knew well that Maryrose was interested in him. Or rather than interest, she had shown clear signs of affection.
But now that he was dating Yekaterina, he didn’t know how to treat her. He wasn’t shameless enough to pretend he knew nothing, as before.
“Because you have such a beautiful and kind-hearted girlfriend.”
“Kind-hearted?”
Yuri repeated without thinking.
“I see you don’t agree.”
“Well…”
Yekaterina was charming, but her personality wasn’t exactly that of a kind-hearted person.
“When I met her, she told me to call her ‘big sister.’ That she was no longer a princess of the Empire because she had escaped from there. She’s beautiful and sociable.”
“I see.”
Yuri felt something strange. He had never seen Yekaterina approach someone like that from the start.
Maryrose smiled at him.
Yuri didn’t understand anything.
Normally, when someone who has feelings for you sees you with a partner, they show some reaction — they grow cold, they get sad.
But she was even calmer than before Yekaterina appeared.
“Why?”
“Nothing…”
“Don’t tell me that, seeing me so calm, you feel disappointed?”
“No, of course not. What are you saying?”
“Then forget it.”
Yuri had a bad feeling.
Had something happened between Yekaterina and Maryrose?
In his past life, it had been like this too.
Even when they were together, Yekaterina always acted unpredictably. That quality was part of her charm, but sometimes it was hard to handle.
As he watched the fire in silence, Laurent suddenly spoke.
“Yuri Briol.”
“Hmm?”
“No, forget it.”
Laurent shook his head, and Jared, sitting beside him, did the same.
The campfire was warm.
Only Yuri tilted his head, puzzled.
“What’s going on?”
____
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