Me, me.
Yuri wanted to raise his hand.
He had fought countless times against orcs while working as a mercenary. They were foes he never wanted to face again.
Count Sadeur, who had become an object of fear to such monsters, was undoubtedly an extraordinary figure.
Calcio continued with a belligerent grin.
"Do you really think those monstrous orcs care about something like mana manipulation?"
Baron Deper, unable to come up with a reply, closed his mouth.
Sensing Genard's discomfort, another noble hastily opened his mouth.
"W-well, you're not exactly wrong. But even so, His Highness is still young, so his judgment is..."
"Immature, you say?"
"Th-that..."
Calcio looked at Yuri. Yuri, in turn, stared at the noble.
The man couldn't continue and hesitated.
"See? Immature, hardly. And besides..."
Calcio tapped his chest.
"His Highness clearly has no intention of yielding his will. What, are you planning to forcibly extract his core?"
"What nonsense is that!"
"If not, then what's the point of this?"
Calcio leaned back in his chair like a street thug.
"Don't you agree, Your Highness?"
He bared his teeth in a smile, showing no signs of intimidation before Yuri.
Yuri simply shrugged in response.
"See? And yet here you all are, gathered around, harming His Highness's mental well-being. The royal palace must be quite idle."
"Idle, what an insolent remark!"
"It's just the truth."
"If that's how it is, then isn't the frontier quiet these days too? Despite all the funding it receives..."
"Would it only be not quiet if hundreds die? You don't even look at the soldiers dying periodically, do you?"
"The borders have been quiet lately..."
"On the day I left the frontier, four men died. I covered my friend with a burial shroud myself—the same one I had breakfast with that morning."
"..."
"Orcs never rest, my lord."
Yuri recalled the past.
Around this time, trouble had erupted in the neighboring Duchy of Klein, adjacent to Briol, and the orcs had used the chaos to cross the border.
He remembered the damage had been devastating.
Yuri asked,
"Are the orcs on the move?"
"Yes."
"Is it different from usual?"
"It's much more ominous."
"What about Klein?"
"Pardon?"
Under Calcio's stare, Yuri tapped his temple.
"I asked what the Duchy of Klein looks like."
"Well..."
The baron scratched his head before replying.
"It seems the border defense forces have withdrawn. Something must be wrong."
"And the border villages?"
"Devastated."
Yuri closed his eyes.
Was it a civil war?
He wished he had some more useful information, but nothing came to mind. He'd been too busy misbehaving to care about the affairs of Briol or foreign countries.
He regretted it.
While Yuri was chewing on old memories, Calcio hurriedly continued.
"It's brutal. People are dying, being dragged off as slaves. As if the nobles there would care."
Yuri muttered without realizing it.
"The duke's third son caused it, didn't he..."
All eyes turned toward him.
Some sharpened their gaze as if to read his thoughts, while others looked shocked, like they had eaten something bad.
It was absurd for a young prince—especially the troublemaking third prince—to speak as if he understood foreign affairs.
Yuri cleared his throat.
"In any case, I believe this meeting has gone on long enough. Don't you agree?"
"Gone on long enough?"
"Instead of debating trivial matters like my mana manipulation, we should discuss greater issues—such as defense against the Duchy of Klein and the orcs."
With that, Yuri rose from his seat.
Though he was still a small boy, no one in the room could stop him.
No matter what anyone said, he was the son of Fiore Briol, the third prince of Briol.
Yuri straightened his back and scanned the nobles' faces one by one.
Then his eyes met with Genard.
"Your Highness."
He paused for a moment before speaking again.
"I've heard you've changed a lot recently. As a loyal subject who cares deeply for Your Highness, I must say, I'm a little concerned."
His eyes had dimmed deeply.
He no longer looked like a third-rate noble peddling sweet words.
Duke Euzeth, Genard Jetherie.
A rotten noble, but never one to be underestimated.
But Yuri wasn't afraid of him. That had been true in his previous life, and it remained true now.
Though, the reason was a bit different.
Back then, he was just a thoughtless scoundrel.
Now, he truly understood what one should fear.
"Duke Euzeth."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Haven't you ever seen a teenage boy?"
Genard let out a hollow laugh.
"It's just a phase, so please be understanding."
With that, Yuri turned his body.
Ignoring the stares stabbing into his back, Yuri walked out of the Senate chamber.
***
As soon as Calcio Erancha left the royal palace, he returned to his inn and pulled out the crystal orb he had stored carefully in his backpack.
He wiped its smooth surface with a cloth and set it on the table.
"Are you there?"
He spoke into the orb.
"It's Calcio, my lord Count."
Soon, the face of Count Sadeur, Jaime Theodore, appeared.
He wasn't very old, but his face bore deep wrinkles from years of field service.
Two scars crossed his eye and cheek—left by the orc chieftain just before he died.
[How was the Senate meeting.]
The voice was rough and slow, as if breathless, with pauses between phrases.
"It was just the usual empty debate."
[In detail.]
Calcio explained what had happened.
Jaime tilted his head.
[The third prince acted like that, you say.]
"Yes."
[That's unlike him.]
"Rumors abound that he's not the same as before. Though I can't say how sincere he really is."
[What do you think?]
"His eyes didn't seem bad."
[Then we'll need to keep an eye on him. And the nobles in the Senate?]
"Just as you expected. They couldn't care less."
[As expected.]
"I'll report to His Majesty directly."
[He won't act.]
"If I explain properly..."
[Fiore isn't a bad king, but he can't be a good one either.]
"Just a moment."
Calcio walked to the door, checked the hallway, and locked it.
"If someone hears you talking like that, I'll be dragged away."
[Don't worry. As I said, he's not a bad king.]
"He actually seemed like a good person."
[Regardless of personality, he's a man possessed by the sword.]
Jaime twisted his brow.
[Those possessed by the sword have no interest in the outside world.]
"You mean, he'll let Klein fall?"
[Most likely.]
"That'll come back to bite us. How tiring..."
[And the third prince?]
"What about him?"
[Find out.]
"Should I dig into his background?"
[If necessary.]
"I'll do that. And what about the border?"
[The same as always.]
Suddenly, Jaime turned his head.
Urgent voices came through from beyond the orb. A battle seemed to be underway.
[I'll contact you again.]
"Yes."
Calcio bowed to Jaime and put the crystal orb away.
"What now…"
He leaned against the window and let out a deep sigh.
Below, the bustling streets of the royal capital stretched out. It was an unfamiliar sight to someone like him, who had always stayed on the frontier.
While the capital was this peaceful, soldiers were dying at the border every day.
Sighing over that gap, Calcio stared blankly out the window.
"…Huh?"
But what was this? Calcio couldn't believe his eyes.
"The third prince?"
That black hair spilling out from under the hood—it was a familiar sight.
It was Yuri Briol.
But in the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared into the crowd.
Calcio stared blankly at the spot, then shook his head.
"No way, it can't be."
***
Yuri walked through the royal capital with his hood pulled low.
"This is making my heart race. Brings back memories. I used to run away from home like I was having three meals a day, you know?"
"You're saying you ran away three times a day?"
"Pretty much. I was a delinquent youth. I'd fly over the walls."
"You used Fly when you were a kid?"
"I was a prodigy."
He had meant to bring Jared along, but he was on duty guarding the palace entrance.
So instead, he brought Ernando.
He was visibly excited.
"What's got you so giddy? You can leave the palace anytime, can't you?"
"You're the prince, remember."
"So what?"
"Feels like I'm breaking rules too, tagging along. Ah, that little lady is staring at us. You think we've been found out?"
"She's staring because I'm handsome."
"…Excuse me?"
Yuri had escaped the palace with Ernando's help. Fooling others was easy for him.
"So, what are you planning to do now? Something wicked?"
"Nothing like that. And even if I did, I wouldn't do it with you around."
"That's disappointing."
Though he seemed like Yuri's companion, Ernando was still a close aide to Fiore.
Yuri wanted to make him one of his people.
"Ernando, I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak of what happens today."
"Ehh, can't promise you that. You know how I am."
"Suit yourself."
"Where are we going now?"
"Casino."
"…Excuse me?"
"Illegal casino."
"Ehhh?"
"The biggest one in the capital."
"Ehhhh?!"
"You know it?"
"I mean, yeah, of course I do. They say when I blackout from drinking, I end up there instead of home."
"Let's go quietly."
"This… this really gonna be okay?"
Yuri glanced around the street.
People bustled about with a variety of expressions. Some laughed, others were steeped in worry.
He happened to meet eyes with a street vendor, who waved and pointed at his goods.
"Take a look before you go!"
The entire city was vibrant with life.
In his past life, all of this had been trampled under the empire's boots.
He couldn't reconcile the brutal devastation from back then with the current state of the capital.
"Ernando."
"Yes."
"I'll say this ahead of time."
"Say what?"
"This is all for Briol."
Misunderstanding Yuri's words, Ernando suddenly looked tense.
"Just how much are you planning to take down…"
He licked his lips with his tongue.
"Fine. Let's shake up the casino today. With your Highness's skill, I think we can pull it off."
Yuri gave a faint chuckle.
Ernando was overestimating his card-playing ability.
The reason Yuri had dominated the palace card tables was due to a few tricks—he wasn't skilled enough to win money from a real casino.
And more importantly, he had no intention of gambling today.
"Just hurry up and take me."
They soon reached the red-light district. Half-dressed women were tempting passersby.
"You shouldn't be seeing things like this."
Ernando tried to cover Yuri's eyes, but Yuri brushed his hand away.
"Forget that, just lead the way."
"Yes, sir…"
The two stopped in front of a five-story pleasure house.
Beaded curtains hung from every window, scattering sunlight in a prism of reflections.
It was a familiar sight to Yuri.
Crystal Tower.
The largest brothel in the capital. He had visited it often in his past life.
"The gambling den's in the basement, right?"
"How do you know that?"
"Looks like it."
The man guarding the entrance recognized Ernando.
"It's been a while, sir. And this gentleman…?"
"This is…"
"My nephew."
"Yes, my nephew."
"Ha ha, I see. A fine-looking young man."
The man rubbed his hands together as he spoke.
"Drinking and playing—those are things to learn from adults, aren't they?"
"W-well, yes."
"Shall I guide you to an upper floor…?"
"Whoa! You'll get me killed talking like that!"
"Ha ha, going downstairs then."
"Yes. Please show us the way."
"Ha ha ha. Very well. Right this way."
They descended to the basement through a back door. Burly men guarded the stairs.
"Your Highness, if I may explain this place…"
"Watch your mouth."
"Oops. Then, what should I call you?"
"You said I'm your nephew, right?"
"Still…"
"Call me whatever you want."
The door opened.
Reddish lights welcomed them in.
Not a single seat was empty at the endless rows of tables. Gamblers with bloodshot eyes were constantly pushing chips forward.
"Shall I guide you to an inner table?"
The man asked in a smooth voice. He was suggesting the VIP section where large sums were wagered.
"Before that."
Yuri spoke.
"I forgot to bring money, so I'll have to borrow some."
"…Excuse me?"
"Isn't that right, Uncle?"
Ernando's face turned to dismay, while the man smiled oddly.
"Of course. Absolutely. Ha ha ha."
Ernando blasphemously jabbed at Yuri's ribs, but Yuri ignored it.
"We're always happy to offer loan consultations."