Yuri returned to the royal palace and devoted himself entirely to training until the time came to depart for the Empire.
His opponents changed constantly: sometimes it was Bernard, other times Moyongchan. Occasionally, he even sparred with Jose.
As he faced different types of fighters, Yuri’s skills improved at a dizzying pace.
Bernard remarked,
“Now is the time when what’s most important is reaching a revelation.”
When a knight reaches a certain level, it’s not repetitive practice that allows further progress, but rather the epiphanies that come unexpectedly and shake one’s worldview.
Of course, reaching such a level wasn’t easy. And for someone like Yuri to do so at such a young age was even rarer.
“When you wield your sword, think deeply. Don’t move on impulse. Every movement should be the result of a hundred, a thousand thoughts.”
“And do you do that?”
“Not always,” Bernard replied.
Yuri swung Guilty. Bernard’s sword clashed against his.
Before, he wouldn’t have lasted a second, but now he could exchange blows long enough to hold a conversation.
Clang!
Yuri focused all his senses. He wanted to reach that unknown state he’d felt while fighting Moyongchan again, but it wasn’t easy.
“The power of chaos, huh…?”
While stroking Guilty, Yuri spoke.
“Bernard.”
“Yes?”
“I’m going to use the Spinning Whirlwind Sword. Wait for me.”
It was the first secret technique of his own creation.
The Spinning Whirlwind Sword.
But it had a problem. While he could use it well in the heat of combat, in a calm setting, it took far too long to execute.
It was as if he needed his opponent to patiently wait while he prepared a final blow.
“Understood,” said Bernard, arms crossed.
Yuri closed his eyes and lowered his stance as if gathering energy. Around Guilty’s blade, a spiraling wind began to form.
His mana spun with force, drawing in more and more mana into its orbit. A fractal spiral pattern appeared on the blade. Spin after spin, an infinite spiral rose from within.
“This is taking too long.”
Bernard, who had been silently watching, threw a kick.
Thud!
Yuri went flying and hit the ground.
Gathering energy for his ultimate technique, Yuri had been taken down by Bernard’s cowardly surprise attack, coughing up dark blood and falling into a state of internal dissonance.
“Do you want me to really make you cough up blood?”
However, being a peerless genius, Yuri immediately restructured his mana circuits and escaped danger. Even the villainous Bernard applauded in admiration.
Yuri jumped up, grumbling.
“Why does it always take me so long?”
“Don’t try to release all the energy at once. If you channel your mana correctly from the start, the rotation will naturally speed up. Since you can’t do that, you’re forcing the technique, and that’s why it takes so long.”
“I don’t get it.”
“That’s why I told you to think.”
“I can pull it off in real combat.”
“That’s because in a prolonged fight, you’re exhausted, which removes unnecessary tension. That time, the mana flow aligned by chance. But if you can’t do it consciously, then…”
“No more lectures!”
Yuri cut him off, suddenly launching an attack. Bernard responded as if he’d been waiting for it.
“…then it’s not authentic.”
Their swords clashed dozens of times in midair. The exchange was so intense that no novice could have followed it.
Bernard grew more impressed with Guilty’s trajectory, which showed signs of steady improvement. This Third Prince, who had returned after serving in the Allied Army, was completely different.
Some people improved with real combat experience, but he had never seen anyone grow so fast. Normally, one only got used to the danger of fighting for one’s life, but that didn’t mean one became stronger.
Yuri, however, had changed completely. His posture had become precise, and his mana control more refined. His fundamentals were solid.
That could only mean one thing.
Even in life-threatening situations, part of his mind wasn’t thinking about survival—but about how to become stronger.
Was there an instinct stronger than survival?
“The instinct to become stronger…?”
Bernard murmured to himself. It was a dangerous idea.
If someone had, in their subconscious, a priority greater than survival, they probably wouldn’t live long. Like a flower that blooms briefly and quickly withers.
“Your Highness…”
“Yes?”
“Value your life.”
“Of course I do.”
“More than you do now.”
“Alright.”
“And don’t charge in recklessly like you did in the Allied Army.”
“I wasn’t reckless.”
“But you were risky.”
“There was no other option. I had to do it.”
“If you keep that up, you’ll die.”
“Then so be it.”
Yuri smiled calmly.
“Anyone can die on the battlefield. There’s no law that says I should be the exception.”
Bernard stopped his sword.
“What a relief… that you’re the Third Prince.”
“That didn’t sound like a compliment.”
Then, Bernard’s sword flew straight toward Yuri’s forehead.
Swish!
Yuri couldn’t react in time. Everything went dark, and in the middle of that shadow, a silver flash descended in a curve toward him.
He raised Guilty.
But it was too late.
Instead of resisting, his mind focused on calculating the flash’s trajectory and Bernard’s movements as he wielded it.
Instead of resisting, his mind focused on calculating the trajectory of the flash and Bernard’s movements as he wielded it.
Then, Bernard’s sword stopped. Yuri stared directly into his eyes, unblinking.
Bernard’s gaze dropped.
Although his eyes were steady and resolute, the hand holding his sword was drenched in sweat and stiff with tension.
“Hmm…”
Bernard smiled.
“Let’s call it a day.”
He sheathed his sword. He had done that gesture so many times that the movement was elegant and fluid.
Yuri simply slung his sword over his shoulder.
“Bernard.”
“Yes?”
Yuri made an unexpected proposal.
“Want to come to the Empire with me?”
“That…”
Bernard’s eyes sparkled with interest, but he soon shook his head.
“That would be difficult.”
“Why? There are some interesting opponents in the Empire. It’s your chance to see them.”
“I spent quite some time there when I was younger.”
“Then you must know a lot of people.”
“And that’s the problem.”
He added briefly,
“I’ve got a lot of unresolved business.”
“Ah…”
Yuri had momentarily forgotten that this man’s nickname was “The Sword Demon.” He now lived peacefully in Briol, but in the past, he had been a fearsome and chaotic warrior.
“Alright. I’ll go and come back.”
Bernard looked like he wanted to offer some advice. But he realized it wasn’t necessary. Yuri always exceeded expectations.
So instead, he said something else.
“If you ever find yourself in danger, look for Sparrow from the Swordsmanship Guild and ask for help in my name.”
“Is he a friend of yours?”
“More like the opposite. But he owes me a favor. He’ll help you at least once.”
“Got it.”
Yuri smiled. Whenever Bernard offered him help on a personal level, it gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
In his past life, their relationship had been cold and distant. But in this new life, they were building something different.
He felt he was doing things right.
And if he could do that with Bernard, maybe he could also forge new relationships with those he had once grown distant from in his previous life.
“The Empire, huh…?”
One example was Graham. In his past life, he and Graham had met as enemies, at the most tragic point of their fates.
They had been bitter enemies. But in this life, their relationship was completely different.
Just as he and Graham had changed, if he could befriend those who were once his enemies, maybe that would help prevent the tragedies looming ahead.
As he thought about his past life, Yuri asked,
“That Swordsmanship Guild… are they good with the sword?”
“They’re better than the average person, but for you, Your Highness, they’ll probably seem like mere imitators.”
“And yet they call themselves a swordsmanship guild?”
“If someone shows talent, the Empire takes them away.”
“Ah…”
If someone had potential, the Empire recruited them, so most members of the guild were average folks learning swordplay for self-defense.
One of the few exceptional ones was Sparrow. He held the rank of instructor within the guild.
“You and him will get along.”
“Is he a virtuous man?”
“If he were, I wouldn’t have recommended him.”
“Hmm…”
Yuri sliced the air with his sword.
“Hmm…”
While talking to Bernard and swinging his sword, he felt like something was off. Lately, that kind of sensation was becoming more frequent.
“Why does everything feel so unsatisfying lately?”
“You mean swordsmanship?”
“It feels crude.”
If another knight had heard that, they would’ve taken it as a joke. Yuri’s movements were so precise it was hard to believe he was his age. According to Bernard, his technique was already at a master’s level.
And yet, Yuri still felt thirsty. Bernard smiled.
“That’s because you can see further now. Even if you continue improving, the day will come when you’re not satisfied either.”
“You’re not satisfied with your swordsmanship?”
“That’s right.”
“And my father?”
“Of course.”
“But some guys look at themselves in the mirror and admire what they see.”
“They’ve already hit their limit.”
“I’m going to tell Saned everything.”
“Go ahead.”
Yuri laughed.
Then he sheathed his sword and dropped to the ground. Training with Bernard always left him exhausted. It felt like it drained all his energy—but it was also satisfying.
He muttered,
“Anyway, we leave tomorrow. Take care, Bernard.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Have a safe journey. The road to the Empire is long.”
“Yeah, very long and harsh. Let’s hope we get there without trouble.”
***
“Yaaaa!”
Yuri stretched his arms wide.
“It’s the imperial capital!”
They had finally reached their destination—the capital of the Empire. More precisely, they were now standing before the entrance to the Imperial Palace.
At the end of a long road stood an enormous wall. Red banners, the symbol of the Empire, fluttered from the towers. At the palace gate, imperial guards in black armor were inspecting visitors.
Jared, standing beside Yuri, sighed as he spoke.
“That was one hell of a journey.”
“It sure was.”
From Briol to the Empire, they had faced all sorts of difficulties. It had been an indescribably arduous process.
Laurent, following them, nodded with an exhausted expression.
“I never imagined we’d go through all that.”
Jose chuckled.
“It was such an exciting string of incidents, it deserves to be written into a book. I’m glad I came with Briol. It really was fun.”
Hernando shook his head.
“I don’t want to go through that again. I would’ve preferred coming peacefully by carriage, playing cards…”
His apprentice, Cory, followed behind, leaning on his cane, panting silently. He was small and had an unbalanced body, so long-distance travel was hard for him.
Simon and Guinness, coming up from the rear, patted his back.
“You okay, Cory?”
“Y-yes…”
“Here, have some water.”
“Thanks…”
Simon and Guinness, who had traveled with Yuri, were carrying massive amounts of luggage like porters. Despite sweating buckets, they didn’t seem too worn out. A result of their training.
Simon commented,
“They say there’s a magical moment in life. Maybe our adventures on the road to the Empire were that moment.”
Guinness nodded.
“Too bad only we experienced it. If someone had written a novel about it, it would’ve been a bestseller for weeks.”
“I disagree. If the author didn’t have enough talent, they wouldn’t be able to capture those adventures. In the end, they’d just write about the departure and arrival.”
“You really think so?”
Simon and Guinness looked at each other and laughed.
“Anyway, what’s past is past. Let’s carry it in our hearts.”
“Yeah.”
While they chatted, Yuri had already gone quite far ahead. He turned around and shouted,
“Great work, everyone! But forget about the past adventures. We have to focus on what’s ahead. Understood?”
“Yes!”
Yuri pointed at the checkpoint.
“Let’s go—charge!”
He ran toward the imperial guards in black armor. He flipped in the air, landed firmly, and presented his identification badge.
Name: Yuri Briol.
Identity: Third Prince of Briol.
Purpose of Visit: Invitation from the Emperor.
The imperial guards snapped to attention and opened the palace gates.
“Welcome! You may enter!”
And so, after overcoming an incredible adventure, Yuri and his group arrived at the heart of the Empire.
