Yuri had always disliked balls.
Wearing uncomfortable clothes, exchanging formal greetings, and dancing repeatedly with people he didn't even like—none of it suited his temperament.
Now that he had turned back time, there was one more reason.
"I hate that outfit."
"Why? You used to like it."
"I said that?"
"You scoffed the moment you saw it, but since you didn't say anything nasty or slash it with a knife, I could tell you secretly liked it."
"..."
Ena knew Yuri too well. More precisely, she knew the past him.
"Whatever the case, I still hate it."
"Shall I call the tailor again?"
"Yeah."
"I think it looks pretty."
After years of surviving as a mercenary, Yuri's sense of aesthetics had changed. That lavish ceremonial attire, made purely for show, felt distasteful now.
"And besides, Your Highness dances quite well."
"Not really. The others are probably just terrible."
"There it is again, such a mean thing to say."
"Alright."
Yuri meekly admitted his slip of the tongue.
Having returned to his childhood, the habits of the past kept pushing him along.
He couldn't let it continue.
He hadn't come back to live as he once had, but to stop the Empire's invasion.
"Thanks for pointing it out."
"It's nothing."
"If I say something nasty, keep calling me out."
"Can't I just slap you like I used to?"
"That's a no."
Ena's slaps hurt.
"Your Highness."
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember that you need to attend the Senate meeting later?"
"I know."
"The weather is nice today."
Ena pulled the curtains open and smiled at Yuri.
"After the meeting, instead of just training, why don't you go on a picnic or something?"
Bathed in sunlight, Ena's face gleamed white.
Her softly curved eyes were lovely to look at.
Ena.
A kind-hearted girl who never lost her smile, even while constantly taking care of a troublesome prince.
But Yuri had failed to protect her.
"Ena."
"Yes?"
"Shall we dance?"
Ena's eyes went round.
"Pardon?"
He had once overheard Ena talking with the other maids.
Like any girl, she had a modest dream—to wear a pretty dress and dance with a charming partner at a ball.
He wanted to punch his past self who'd snorted at that.
In this life, he would never neglect her again.
"I want to practice dancing."
Yuri said with a gentle smile.
But her reaction wasn't what he expected.
"Do… we really have to…?"
Her face was genuinely uneasy.
"What's with that look?"
"Ugh..."
Yuri was a little hurt.
He was offering kindness—why this reaction? Clearly, his sins were great.
Ena cautiously approached, still wary.
"You're not going to step on my foot, are you...?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Or trip me...?"
"Are you misunderstanding my sincerity?"
"It's the opposite, actually..."
"Just follow me. Slowly."
"Your Highness, are you looking down on me right now? I'm a good dancer, you know."
"Oh? You've danced a lot?"
"Of course."
"With who?"
"Too many to count. I got so many dance requests."
"Impressive."
"I'm quite popular, actually. But it's my first time dancing with someone this short."
"Just wait."
He was shorter than Ena now, but someday, he would grow tall and tower over her.
Ena really was a great dancer.
He might not be able to take her to a formal ball, but he could at least dance with her like this from time to time.
"You just stepped on my foot."
"Oops, slipped a little."
"You did it again..."
"Accident, I swear."
***
"No, absolutely not."
At that greasy voice, Yuri frowned.
"Learning an unverified mana method is not right. Your Highness should stick with the royal family's method."
"Unverified? It was left behind by the progenitor."
"We're not even sure about that. There's no proof it's really the progenitor's."
"Are you doubting His Highness?"
"We're saying we should be certain. And just because it's supposedly from the progenitor, there's no guarantee it's better than the Briol Method."
"That's an outrageous thing to say."
Yuri sighed and looked toward the central seat.
The throne of Briol, where Fiore should have been, was empty.
He had made a ridiculous excuse about being busy with state affairs and skipped the meeting.
"What's the reason for today's meeting?"
Duke Euzeth, Genard Jetherie, who had been consistently voicing opposition, grinned at Yuri.
"We're gathered here to share our opinions out of concern that Your Highness may stray down the wrong path. If we were just going to agree with everything, there'd be no point meeting, right? Heh heh heh…"
Whenever there was a major agenda item, a Senate meeting would be held in the palace.
The Senate, composed of powerful nobles, was originally established to offer the king advice on governance.
Of course, its actual function was very different.
"To think you've gone as far as calling a Senate meeting just to argue over my mana method… How touching, Lord Genard."
"It's nothing."
In truth, it was a tool to keep the royal authority in check. Whenever anything happened, they'd always be the first to vote against it.
This time was no different.
The Prince of Briol had found the progenitor's mana method and wanted to master it—how could that be a matter of contention?
As if reading Yuri's mind, Genard spoke again.
"It's all for Your Highness's sake."
"How moving."
Yuri slumped back into his chair, shrugging.
Of course, they had no authority to decide his mana method. All they could do was annoy him. But that alone was frustrating enough.
He couldn't help resenting his father for dumping the meeting on him, knowing this was how it would go.
"Well then, Sir Sanned. What's your opinion?"
The Captain of the Royal Guard, Sanned—who normally had no reason to be at such a gathering—had also been dragged in, more or less as a witness.
He looked troubled.
"Well, I can't make a hasty judgment."
"Why not?"
"Each mana method has its strengths and weaknesses, and every person has different traits, so…"
"There, you see?"
Genard straightened his shoulders, as if Sanned's words were an endorsement of his position.
"Even the Captain of the Royal Guard couldn't make a clear judgment. Is there a knight here more capable than him? Even Sir Sanned says that the mana method is uncertain…"
"I agree."
"No, don't distort Sir Sanned's statement."
"Distort? How so?"
"Sir Sanned didn't say it was uncertain. He simply said that every mana method has its own merits…"
"Isn't that the same thing!"
Yuri decided to stay quiet and observe.
He convinced himself it was an opportunity—a chance to see who truly served the royal family, and who bowed deeper to Genard.
"Your Highness, if you're hungry, would you like some refreshments?"
"I'll manage."
In his previous life, Yuri had mistakenly believed that greasy-smiling Genard was a loyal servant.
He had been foolish then, surrounding himself only with garbage nobles who clung to him like tongues in one's mouth.
The taste in his mouth soured.
After Briol's downfall, Genard had groveled before the Emperor and managed to retain his title of duke.
Yuri had seriously contemplated throwing it all away and plunging a sword through the bastard's neck.
But he ultimately believed he had no right to punish him.
"Duke Euzeth does make a valid point."
The sudden voice pulled Yuri from his thoughts.
"It may not be wise to recklessly adopt a mana method. A well-verified method would be preferable. Your Highness, have you informed His Majesty about this mana method?"
Yuri shook his head.
"It's not the kind of mana method that can be shared with others."
"Is that so?"
"Perhaps once I reach a certain level, then I might be able to explain it to others to some extent."
Yuri had learned the mana method by clashing against a dummy that fully exposed the flow of mana. That made it difficult to explain it to others.
The noble paused in thought, then offered his advice.
"In that case, I believe it would be best if you studied the Briol Method. A mana method that hasn't been verified carries risks."
"I think so too."
"For Your Highness's sake."
"I agree."
The nobles voiced their support for Genard one after another.
Yuri crossed his arms and quietly closed his eyes.
No matter what anyone said, he intended to master Erich Briol's Heart-Soul Slash. A powerful intuition gripped him—it had to be this way.
"Are you telling me to abandon and rework my mana method?"
"If necessary…"
"Do you even realize how close to impossible that is?"
"At a young age, it's entirely possible. Especially for someone like Your Highness, who's only recently started training."
Yuri let out a small laugh.
Maybe for an ordinary person, yes. But he was different. Thanks to his past memories, he adapted to mana quickly.
He had already trained in the method to a level that would be difficult to undo.
But he couldn't explain all of that.
While lost in thought, a man sitting quietly in a corner raised his hand.
"Hmm, may I say a word?"
It was a face Yuri hadn't seen before.
Genard tilted his head.
"And who might you be? What's your title?"
It was a question bordering on rude.
A noble sitting beside Genard answered for him.
"He's a free baron."
That meant he had no fief.
"A baron? And a free baron is attending a Senate meeting?"
At Genard's words, the nobles seated nearby all burst into laughter.
It had been hard to sort out who was in whose faction, but that reaction made it easy—about four or five seated to Genard's sides were clearly his lackeys.
While Yuri studied their faces, the man claiming to be a free baron continued.
"Yes, well, that's right. So then…"
"Start by stating your name."
Genard cut him off, but the man didn't lose his smile.
"Of course. I'm Calcio Erancha. As you all so kindly laughed at, yes, I'm a free baron. A nobody, really, and I know you're not pleased that someone like me is here in the Senate. Truthfully, I didn't want to come either. But what can I do—Count Sadeur entrusted me with his authority."
The chamber went silent at his words.
Count Sadeur, Jaime Theodore.
The border count who guarded the frontier.
A powerful knight, a ruthless hunter. A real soldier who had spent his entire life on the battlefield.
A noble moistened his dry lips and spoke.
"Why would Count Sadeur send you to the Senate…?"
It was what everyone wondered.
Count Sadeur never attended noble events. He had shown zero interest in the Senate. This was the first time he had ever sent a proxy.
"I wouldn't know. The count's not one to explain himself."
"So what is it you want to say?"
"Ah, so now I'm allowed to speak."
Calcio chuckled once, then continued.
"You all are highborn nobles who spend your days idling in the capital, playing aristocrat. Maybe that's why you enjoy these kinds of armchair debates…"
"What was that…?"
His next words were clearly provocative.
But because Count Sadeur was backing him, no one in the Senate could shut him up.
Calcio raised both hands.
"To me, it all sounds like nonsense. Unless someone is seriously messing it up, a mana method is a mana method. Especially on the battlefield. Briol Method? The Empire's Lion Heart Method? In the end, it's the user that matters."
Genard tapped his finger on the table. A noble beside him stepped forward to counter.
"Even on the battlefield, small differences can mean life or death. Do you think we're a bunch of scholars who've never seen a fight?"
"Oh, so you've seen battle, have you?"
"Of course. I am Baron Deper. Don't know if you've heard, but I recently led a campaign in my domain…"
"Another baron, I see. Did you get your master's permission to speak?"
At that, Baron Deper's face turned red, while nobles outside Genard's faction stifled laughter.
Calcio went on.
"Alright then, brave baron. What's the most important thing when using a sword?"
"What?"
"I mean, do you think when you're stabbing someone with a sword?"
"Well, it's muscle memory, honed by training…"
"Sure sounds clever when you say it."
"Excuse me?"
"You're not wrong."
Calcio looked at Yuri.
"It's instinct. That's a different realm from logic. So if His Highness says his instincts tell him to follow the progenitor's mana method, then all this chatter from unrelated people is just ridiculous. Honestly, this kind of blabber usually comes from desk-bound scholars who've never held a sword…"
Yuri couldn't help but laugh.
Genard's face hardened.
"You speak far too freely, Free Baron."
"My apologies. I may bear the title of baron, but I've no land and little learning. I ask for your understanding. Fighting orcs on the border every day tends to make a man a little rough."
His words drew groans from the nobles.
"Orcs…"
Orcs were a savage race that thrived on pillage, enjoyed human flesh, and were strong enough to kill several soldiers alone.
They were the reason Count Sadeur was held in such awe.
He had defended the border from orcs for decades, and the orcs, fearing him, called him the "Scarred Wolf."
Calcio grinned.
"How many here have actually faced an orc in battle?"