"Doing something only orcs would do."
Yuri clenched Guilty in his hand.
Soon, word arrived that the entire unit had taken their positions.
"They said preparations are complete."
"Alright."
There was no real need to go this far for mere bandits, but before they faced the orcs, Yuri wanted his troops to experience moving in a structured formation.
"Hey."
Yuri lowered his telescope and looked back.
The trained horses were lying on their sides to avoid detection, and behind them, the knights were lying flat on the ground.
He had told them to stay out of sight—and this is how they chose to do it.
"Lying down must be comfortable, huh?"
"No, sir."
"Let's go."
"Pardon?"
"I said, let's go."
Yuri stood up abruptly. At this point, it didn't matter whether the bandits spotted him or not.
"Get up."
Yuri raised his horse. It was a handsome black steed. As if it had been waiting, the horse sprang to its feet, snorting and pawing the ground.
The knights just stared blankly as Yuri mounted his horse.
"If you're late, there's nothing left for you."
Without hesitation, Yuri spurred his horse into a gallop.
"Huh?"
"Wha—?"
The knights watched in a daze as Yuri charged alone toward the bandit camp.
"W-what are you doing! After him, now!"
"Everyone move!"
They hastily scrambled to mount their horses. But by then, Yuri had already gained a considerable lead.
Raising his sword high, Yuri shouted,
"Full charge!"
His mana-infused voice echoed across the plain.
Yuri lowered his body and accelerated.
A few bandits, weapons in hand, just stood there staring at him blankly.
They looked completely unaware of what was happening.
Yuri shouted,
"Nice to meet you, friends!"
His black horse leapt over the bandits' barricade and crashed down upon them.
***
"Your Highness!"
Jared, who had been frantically searching for Yuri, finally found him in the middle of the bandit camp.
"You're late."
Yuri waved his hand.
He was sitting atop a bandit he had crushed under him in front of a campfire.
"This guy's their boss. See the gold bracelet?"
"Yes, I see it."
"Looks like he was doing pretty well for himself."
"Indeed…"
"Bad bastard."
Yuri stomped on the bandit, making him groan in pain.
Jared let out a long sigh. He had rushed over in a panic to find Yuri.
"Why do you keep moving on your own? It's dangerous."
"Then you all should keep up."
Yuri picked up one of the skewers roasting over the fire.
"Looks like it was dinner time. Right?"
He asked, pressing down on the bandit with his foot. The bandit replied with a trembling voice.
"Y-yes, sir…"
"What kind of meat is this?"
"Lamb, sir."
"That so."
Yuri took a bite of the meat as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then he frowned.
"Hey, no salt?"
"The merchants haven't come by lately…"
"So basically, you didn't manage to loot any?"
"N-no, that's not it."
"What do you mean no?"
Yuri took another bite of the meat.
He was a third prince who had grown up in the palace, yet he behaved like a seasoned veteran of the wild.
Yuri held out a skewer to Jared.
"You eat too."
"I'm fine, sir."
"What, can't eat this stuff?"
"I can."
"Well, I mean, what would a royal guard raised in the palace know about life in the field?"
"..."
"Tsk tsk. You're going to have a rough time."
Jared was speechless but chose to stay silent. Arguing would only put him at a disadvantage.
Raymond arrived shortly after Jared.
"Your Highness."
"Oh, Sir Raymond."
Raymond had been surprised by Yuri's sudden charge, but being a seasoned knight, he quickly regained his composure and caught up.
"The bandits?"
"Completely wiped out. A few died, but the rest were captured."
"Our side?"
"No casualties."
"Well done. As expected of the invincible Briol army. We should give ourselves a round of applause."
Raymond chuckled awkwardly.
The army hadn't done much, really. The bandits had already lost the will to fight and were fleeing.
And the one responsible for that outcome was the third prince standing before him.
Raymond asked Yuri, who was still chewing on meat while prodding the bandit leader with his foot,
"Do you plan to keep doing things this way?"
"What do you mean, this way?"
"I mean charging in first."
"Depends on the situation."
To Raymond's ears, it sounded like a yes.
He sighed and patted Jared's shoulder.
"Looks like you'll be the one suffering from now on."
"Pardon?"
"Stick close to His Highness."
"You want me to charge in with him?"
"Exactly."
"You're just going to let him keep doing this?"
"Can you stop him?"
"Well, no, but…"
"Then you have to go with him."
Jared despaired. Yuri's reckless charge had now been accepted as a tactic.
After laughing for a moment, Yuri stood up.
"Bundle the bandits together and leave them here. We're sleeping here tonight."
"Understood."
"Hey."
Yuri nudged the bandit leader lying on the ground with his foot.
"Where's your tent?"
"O-over there."
"The biggest one?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
Yuri looked over at Jared.
"Sir Raymond, pick out Ernando and the senior knights and bring them there. We'll discuss what's next."
"Understood."
"And hey, boss."
"Yes?"
"You keep roasting the meat. Open up every storage you've got."
"T-that's…"
"Wanna die?"
"No, sir!"
"If you burn it, you're dead."
Yuri left Jared to watch over him.
"Jared. Make sure he doesn't burn anything."
"Yes, sir."
"For every one he burns, stab him."
"..."
"Do it properly."
Yuri kicked the bandit leader's rear and headed toward the tent.
As they watched his retreating figure, Raymond spoke.
"His Highness is quite skilled."
"Yes."
"Was he hiding his abilities?"
"Rather than hiding, he just never bothered to show them. The royal guard already knew."
"I see."
Raymond fell into thought.
Though he had only caught glimpses from afar, the third prince showed no hesitation. Every swing of his sword severed a bandit's limbs.
Even as blood splattered all over him, he smiled as if nothing was wrong.
Not many people could do that on their first campaign.
"Incredible…"
People used to say Fiore's blood had thinned out in her children's generation. But apparently, that wasn't the case.
On the same plains where his father made a name for himself slaying orcs, it now seemed the son would make his own name in infamy.
"Sir Jared."
"Yes."
"This Allied Army might be more fun than expected. Don't you think?"
Jared sighed.
"More than fun, it'll probably make you want to cry."
"Hahahaha…"
"Please try to talk some sense into him, Sir Raymond."
"I'm not confident either."
***
The soldier distributing rations jumped in surprise when a boy with dark eyes suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Y-Your Highness?!"
"Why are you so startled?"
"N-no reason, sir."
There were rumors that the third prince ate the same meals as regular soldiers, but no one expected him to actually show up in person.
"Give me a lot."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Wait. If I get too much, people will notice. Just give me a decent portion."
"Ah, understood."
"But don't make it too equal either."
"Y-yes…"
"Make it similar to the others, but just a little more generous. You get what I mean, right?"
"Ah, yes, sir."
"That's too much meat. People will think I pressured you."
"I'm sorry."
"No need to be sorry. Good job."
"Thank you!"
Yuri insisted on eating the same meals as everyone else, regardless of rank. Because of that, the overall quality of rations was improving.
With his tray in hand, Yuri looked around and headed toward a group of knights.
One of them was grumbling.
"Can't believe we're eating this tasteless crap by the roadside…"
Yuri sat down beside him. The knight didn't notice and kept talking.
"Why do we have to eat the same stuff as the soldiers?"
Another knight chimed in.
"Exactly. I bet he's eating something better, off on his own."
"Of course he is. Just because he's a prince."
Yuri tore some bread and dipped it into the meat stew, stuffing it into his mouth with a spoon.
"I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for that third prince. That brat suddenly decided to join in, so my dad sent me too, just to keep up appearances."
"Same here."
"This is a real pain."
While they kept ranting, one knight finally noticed Yuri and froze.
He tried desperately to signal to the others with his eyes, but they were too caught up in their conversation.
"That Jared guy's getting all cocky just because he's close to the prince…"
"We'll put him in his place. He's royal guard, not even a noble, right?"
"Right. And the prince is the third one. He's not that important."
Now it was getting interesting.
The knight who had spotted Yuri was pale as a sheet. When Yuri gestured for silence, he nodded quickly.
Yuri quietly stood up, tray still in hand, and slowly walked away.
"Let's teach that Jared or whatever a lesson."
"Tonight sounds good."
"Perfect."
"Once he sees his subordinate get beat up, the prince might get a clue."
The two were getting along famously. A few other knights agreed with them. It looked like Jared was in for some trouble.
"Hehehe…"
Yuri chuckled quietly. No matter who won, it was going to be an entertaining show.
"Your Highness?"
As Yuri walked, eating with his spoon, Raymond hurried over with a bewildered look.
"Y-Your Highness?"
"What?"
"It's just…"
"Ah."
Eating while walking wasn't something even common soldiers did, let alone a prince.
He had fallen into old habits from his mercenary days without thinking.
"Well, you see,"
Yuri offered an excuse.
"I was thinking about what comes next, and didn't want to waste time sitting down. So I hurried a bit…"
"Ah, I see."
Raymond nodded sincerely, which only made Yuri feel more embarrassed.
"Anyway, Your Highness,"
Raymond changed the subject.
"About our next destination—Gid."
"Right."
They were planning to pass through Gid, a city on the plains, on their way to the Allied Army's assembly point in Balshad.
"It looks like we'll encounter another kingdom's army there. Their route and timing seem to align with ours."
"Which kingdom?"
"The Holy Kingdom."
Yuri searched his memory.
The Holy Kingdom was a theocracy where the Pope also served as the king, and the entire country followed the Holy Order.
They had developed a unique system of magic called holy magic, which they themselves referred to as sacred law.
Yuri nodded.
"That's good. We can get friendly. Maybe they'll heal our injured, right?"
Ordinary mages could use healing magic too, but it couldn't compare to the effectiveness of holy magic.
"Hmm, I'm not so sure about that…"
"We brought a priest along too, didn't we?"
"Yes."
"How is he?"
"Not great."
Briol's army had brought a military priest from the temple.
"Call him over. I want to ask him something."
"Understood."
Soon, the priest arrived.
He looked quite surprised to see Yuri sitting casually on a rock, shoveling food into his mouth.
"You're here?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"You seem to be having a rough time."
"Not at all."
The priest hadn't shaved and had a full beard, and his white uniform was stained. He looked pretty scruffy overall.
"You went to seminary, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then you probably have friends in the Holy Kingdom?"
"W-well, sort of."
He looked around nervously, then continued.
"We just exchanged messages from time to time…"
"That's fine. Do you know anything about the Holy Kingdom's army being dispatched to this campaign?"
The priest, who had been tense, relaxed a little.
"Ah, yes. That's why you called me, I see. I'll tell you what I know."
He explained calmly.
And unexpectedly, he revealed something interesting.
"The princess is coming?"
"Yes. I heard the rumor before I left. I'm not sure, but it sounded likely."
Yuri didn't know much about the Allied Army's past structure. He had understood Briol's internal situation to some extent, but hadn't paid attention to foreign affairs.
He wondered if the future had changed and the Holy Kingdom's princess was now joining, or if she had always been meant to.
Given that he didn't remember her name, it was probably the latter.
"Is she the type to volunteer for something like this? Or did she just recently decide to go?"
"Well…"
According to the priest, the second princess of the Holy Kingdom had shown talent in sacred law from a young age. She was also skilled in swordsmanship and had joined the Holy Knight Order, quickly making a name for herself. People praised her abilities.
Because of that, the crown prince—the kingdom's heir—was wary of her, and the two didn't get along.
With the prince constantly nitpicking at her, she wanted to achieve something to push back.
"I thought so, and I think most people expected this."
"I see."
Yuri nodded.
If what the priest said was true, then she likely joined the Allied Army in his previous life too.
And somewhere out on the plains, she must have died.
"Have you seen her in person?"
"I caught a glimpse during seminary, from afar."
"What did you think?"
"Well, uh…"
The priest avoided a direct answer, but his expression said enough. It didn't seem like she left a good impression.
"Thanks for the info."
"No problem."
Yuri patted him on the shoulder.
After a few exchanges, he could tell this priest was surprisingly worldly for a man of the cloth. Someone like that could be useful.
"God's will doesn't only reside in the Holy Kingdom. Keep working hard for Briol."
"Yes, sir!"
"What's your name?"
"Jermain. Haha…"
"Jermain."
Yuri decided to give him a little perk.
"From now on, you…"
"From now on…?"
Jermain's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Ask the cooks for extra food. Use my name—they'll give you more."
"…Sorry?"
"Just trust me."
"Y-yes?"
"Don't be too grateful."
Yuri grinned and patted him on the back.
"Off you go."
"Yessir…"
"Thanks for the intel."
"Yes, sir…"