At the break of dawn, Yuri was summoned by his father.
He sat on the throne, his forehead resting on his hand, lost in thought.
"Yuri."
"Yes."
"I heard you left the palace without permission?"
"I'm sorry."
"But you found the Ancestor's dungeon in Sword Mountain?"
"That's what happened. What I saw there was..."
"A Death Knight?"
"Huh?"
"Ernando told me everything."
"That bastard..."
No matter how you look at it, he ratted everything out way too fast.
Come to think of it, Ernando hadn't even explained what he saw in the illusion.
He'd have to interrogate him later.
With that in mind, Yuri began to speak.
"Yes. Not only that, I also learned the mana Method."
Yuri explained the Heart-Soul Slash he had obtained.
Fiore showed interest in the fact that the mana Method and swordsmanship were one and the same.
"A lucky encounter. This country was founded by the Ancestor, but there aren't many records left about him."
"Is there any way to find more?"
"If you dig through the royal archives, you might find something."
"Understood."
"Did you also get the sword there?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to use it?"
"I plan to."
"It's probably too big."
"I'll grow into it."
"I see…"
Fiore rose from his seat.
"Yuri, my son."
"Yes."
"I told you not to cause trouble, didn't I?"
"Yes, yes…"
As Fiore approached, the pressure weighed heavily on Yuri's shoulders.
Was there another man in the world who radiated killing intent at his thirteen-year-old son?
Yuri began to step back, only for Fiore to grab his shoulder.
"Listen to me, alright?"
"Of course."
"Explain everything."
"You heard it all just now, didn't you?"
"Not that."
He lightly tapped Yuri's head with his palm.
"You know what I mean."
It looked like the affectionate touch of a father toward his child, but Yuri, the one receiving it, was sweating cold.
Why on earth was there killing intent in that hand?
It felt like that hand might squeeze the life out of him at any moment.
"F-Father."
"Yes."
"I'll confess everything."
"Good. I like confessions."
Yuri steeled his heart.
He had to say it eventually.
Crushing the Empire's ambitions couldn't be done with just cautious planning. He had to give his all, without a moment's rest.
So storms would inevitably rise along his path.
It was necessary to explain ahead of time.
"I had a dream..."
"A frightening one?"
"No."
"A sad one?"
"No."
"Then why do you look so grim?"
"That's because…"
Yuri took a step back, freeing himself from Fiore's hand.
"Because Your Majesty clenched your fist."
"Ah, did I?"
Fiore opened his palm. Though he opened it, Yuri still feared a slap was coming.
"Go on."
"Actually, it was a frightening dream. The capital of Briol was in flames, and the people were being slaughtered. A nightmare."
Fiore's nodding head stilled.
"It was so realistic, I couldn't regain my senses even after waking. In the dream, I…"
Half of it was true.
How could he know whether the life he had lived was a dream or reality?
Maybe this very moment was a dream instead.
Perhaps someone was saying, 'This bastard's smiling?' 'Leave him, he's probably having a good dream,' while burying his unconscious body somewhere.
With that feeling in his heart, Yuri spoke with sincerity.
"I committed a great sin, and though I tried to make amends, I could only watch as the kingdom fell. I cast away my honor and survived alone, barely clinging to life in misery, until I met a tragic end. That was the dream."
"Is that why you've changed recently?"
"Yes."
"Because what you experienced in the dream might actually come true?"
"Not exactly, but…"
Yuri showed his neck.
"I believe it was a kind of warning from my mother."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because, after having that dream, the necklace she gave me disappeared."
It was true.
The necklace that had glowed in his final moments was gone without a trace when he returned to the past.
"You didn't just lose it?"
"Father."
Yuri furrowed his brow.
Would he ever lie about his mother's keepsake?
Fiore gave a short laugh and stroked his son's head.
"Alright. So in the end, it's the dream that made you want to change."
"That's right."
"Lily would be happy."
Lily was his mother's name.
"Then, in your dream, what destroyed the kingdom?"
Yuri hesitated.
He wasn't sure if it was wise to mention the Empire.
It was possible that his return and the changes he made could prevent the Empire's invasion altogether.
"I'm not entirely sure either."
Yuri finally answered after much thought.
If the time came to warn about the Empire, he could do so then.
"It was a mysterious black army. They were stronger than our knights of Briol."
Fiore nodded.
"I see. Whether it was just a bad dream or Lily really warned you of the future, I'm glad you've come to your senses."
Not exactly.
Yuri shook his head inwardly.
It wasn't about coming to his senses—he was desperately struggling for redemption.
However, one thing had become clear.
"A descendant of Briol does not abandon their honor,"—the voice of the Death Knight, who had been bound to the dungeon, echoed in his ears.
"Is that enough of an explanation?"
"No."
"I've told you everything..."
"One more thing."
Fiore made an unexpected suggestion.
"Bring your sword."
***
The chamber was vast and silent.
Except for the glowing lights on the ceiling, there was nothing—making it feel desolate.
Yuri had heard of his father's private training room beneath the palace, but this was his first time seeing it.
Massive cracks ran through the floor and walls—so large, it was hard to believe they were caused by a sword.
They said that whenever his father was missing, this was where he could be found.
Just how strong was he planning to become?
"You're here."
When he turned around, his father was already standing there.
Fiore Briol.
A genius who held a sword from the moment he could walk.
At a youthful age, he won the Empire's knight tournament, and during the alliance formed to stop the orc invasion, he engraved his name across the continent with his astounding martial prowess.
Now, among the Ten Powerhouses—those considered the strongest on the continent—he was evaluated to be closest to the top.
"This is your first time here, isn't it?"
"I thought none of my sons had talent with the sword."
"Hmm…"
Yuri didn't agree with those words.
Though he had caused trouble and neglected his training, never reaching a high realm, when it came to natural talent in martial arts, he had always been admired.
To say someone like him lacked talent—was his father's standard really that high?
"Can't accept it?"
"No. I believe I have talent with the sword, in my own way."
"Talent, huh…"
Fiore raised his sword.
His beloved blade, Northern Wind, gleamed under the light.
"What is a swordsman's talent?"
Faced with that question, Yuri was unsure how to answer.
Fiore offered some examples.
"Innate strength? Speed? Reflexes? Or perhaps exceptional perception?"
"Aren't they all part of it?"
"Then which of them do you possess?"
"I think I have them all."
"Then will you become a great swordsman one day?"
He was about to say of course, but Yuri closed his mouth.
In his past life, he hadn't been a proper swordsman.
Though he had clung desperately to his rusted talent during the Empire's invasion, he was no better than any other knight.
"If it were the me before I dreamed, probably not."
"And in that dream, what were you like?"
"Pathetic."
"There are many like that. People who shine when they're young, but end up ordinary."
Fiore sliced the air with his sword. Even the smallest motion was far from ordinary.
"What I'm talking about isn't those surface-level things. If you keep training, you'll reach a realm eventually, sooner or later. What's important is that special something—something that drives you beyond that."
"Beyond…"
"In your case, you're incredibly lazy. Though your physical talents are excellent."
"So it's about effort in the end?"
"Something beyond effort. Beyond a sense of urgency or obligation."
Fiore looked at his sword.
A shadow seemed to flicker in his eyes.
For a moment, Yuri found it strange.
He was merely looking at his sword, and yet it seemed as if he had lost reason, like a man possessed by the blade. It was only for a short moment, but Yuri felt a sense of alienation.
Without realizing, Yuri gripped his sword.
"I don't know how to describe it. How about saying you've been called by the sword?"
He felt like he could vaguely understand.
Yuri murmured.
"Something like destiny?"
"I don't like passive concepts like that, but… maybe."
In his past life, Yuri had talent but never devoted himself to swordsmanship.
In other words, he hadn't been drawn to the sword.
He hadn't been destined to walk the path of the blade.
What about now?
Yuri stared at the sword he had received from the Death Knight, Guilty.
"..."
Though it had been buried underground for ages, the blade's surface was flawless, reflecting his gaze clearly.
The characteristic black eyes of the Briol royal family were quietly calm.
And that was all.
"What do you think, my son?"
Fiore whispered by his ear.
"Should you wield the sword?"
He didn't know.
To him, a sword was merely a tool—he felt no fate or strange calling.
Even if he lived his life again, he might never become a man obsessed with the sword like Fiore.
"Can you hear the sword calling you? When the day comes that you meet death, will you be holding a sword in your hand?"
He didn't know.
He had resolved not to repeat his mistakes, but that didn't necessarily mean becoming a great swordsman.
Yuri slowly shook his head.
"I don't feel…"
He looked up at Fiore.
"…anything."
And then, startled, he stepped back at the sight of crimson eyes looking down on him.
Shadows rose from all sides.
Thousands, tens of thousands of eyes were glaring at him.
Briol on that day—the day it burned under the Empire's boots—revived before his eyes.
"Ah…"
The flames raged around him.
Despair and grief weighed upon the land.
The Empire's army marched, trampling corpses.
He had no strength to stop them.
A sense of helplessness took hold of his entire being.
The emotions of that day returned.
Seeing the banner of Briol falling from the royal palace, Yuri sensed an inevitable downfall he could not resist.
But—
"Never fear your enemy."
The voice of the same sinner echoed in his ears.
Yuri picked up his sword.
Victory or defeat didn't matter.
Whether he lived or died wasn't the issue.
Even destiny didn't matter.
"Act according to your beliefs."
He simply had to act.
Even if it meant crawling naked over spears and blades, he had to swing his sword.
The Empire's black army advanced.
Yuri charged without hesitation.
He killed and was wounded in turn. Cutting down enemies from all directions, he pushed forward again and again.
Before long, his body swayed, and like a paper boat caught in a storm, it sank beneath the black armor of the Empire.
Death.
"Fulfill Briol's duty to the very end."
As his body shattered into pieces, Yuri laughed, overcome with ecstasy.
"Yuri?"
And then, he looked up again.
His father was looking down at him.
What had he just seen?
"You…"
The hand gripping Guilty trembled.
Yuri blinked.
His vision, which had turned red, returned to normal.
He took a long breath, calming himself.
How much time had passed?
On Fiore's face, there was a faint smile—and a deep concern.
"It seems, I was wrong."
Fiore gently patted Yuri's shoulder.
Usually, whenever his father raised a hand, Yuri would grow uneasy, but this time was different.
Instead, it was warm—and he felt at peace.
"Yuri."
"Yes."
"You will wield the sword, won't you?"
Yuri nodded.
"I've made up my mind."
Not liking the bitter look on Fiore's face, Yuri grinned and smacked his father on the butt.
"Don't worry. I'm a genius, after all."
And got smacked on the head.