When Yuri opened his eyes, someone was sitting beside him.
"Water."
A water bottle was handed to him immediately.
But he couldn't drink it while lying down. Yuri asked again.
"Help me sit up."
But the other person refused.
"Get up on your own, Yuri Briol."
Only then did he realize who it was.
As he lifted his head while still lying down, he saw Sibylla sitting there.
She was wearing casual clothes, stained and worn from long campaigning.
"What brings you here?"
"Briol requested a priest, so I came. I'm also well-versed in holy magic."
"In person?"
"There's something I needed to confirm."
"Confirm?"
Yuri slowly sat up.
Pain surged through his whole body. His meridians had not yet recovered.
To Yuri, whose use of mana was second nature, this was more painful than any muscle injury.
"Did you lie about your age, by any chance?"
As he leaned against the wall, Sibylla asked.
Yuri let out a dry laugh.
"What nonsense is that?"
"Seeing how you act, it looks that way."
"I'm eighteen."
"No way."
Yuri chuckled.
He understood how Sibylla felt.
She too had been recognized for her talents from a young age. Her skills were enough to be called a genius. But Yuri had achieved far more than even Sibylla.
Still, what could she do?
His body might be eighteen, but he was living his second life.
"You're a monster, you know."
"Pretty much. How long was I out?"
"Two days."
"What?"
Yuri reflexively pulled himself forward and grabbed his shoulder.
"I slept that long?"
"Yeah."
"Then during that time…"
"We kept marching. Carried you around while you were lying down."
Yuri looked at Sibylla.
There was no way a knight who had reached such heights could be dragged around for two days without knowing it.
"You needed to recover, so I put you to sleep with magic. Even added a micro-levitation spell to the carriage so you wouldn't wake up. The knights took good care of you."
There was a slightly envious tone in her voice.
Yuri forced his body to move and stepped down from the bed.
"That must've been tough…"
"It's fine."
Sibylla didn't bother to stop him. Every knight had their own way.
She cast a healing spell on Yuri once more.
Yuri stood on the ground. Then, he picked up Guilty, which was leaning beside him.
"Can I lean on you?"
With Sibylla's support, Yuri stepped outside the tent.
It was twilight.
The sunset stretched long across the Allied Army's camp.
After a long expedition, most of the soldiers' uniforms were stained with blood, but the light of the setting sun masked those stains.
"Judging by how things look, I guess the fighting never stopped."
"Yeah."
"You should've woken me up."
"We managed fine without you."
Sibylla shrugged.
"Briol was commanded well by Sir Raymond."
"Of course."
"Most of the fighting was handled by the Empire. They were pretty amazing when they got serious. Looks like the knights had been holding back before."
"The Empire is pretty cunning."
"Better to rest and recover than collapse from overexertion. Look over there."
Sibylla pointed to the distance.
Flags were fluttering near the horizon.
Yuri's mouth dropped open at the sight.
"We've arrived."
The Allied Army had now reached a position where the Okua forces could be seen.
"We're here. Finally."
It had been a long journey.
They'd left Briol, passed through a city beyond the border, fought off the orcs, and now stood before the heart of the Okua entrenched in the deepest part of the plains.
"Your Highness. You're awake."
"Thank goodness you're safe."
"You saved my life!"
Soldiers greeted Yuri as they passed. But he didn't recognize any of them.
"They're soldiers from the Holy Kingdom."
"What, has my popularity gone up?"
"What you did has spread. You've achieved a lot—like finding and killing that monster digging tunnels."
One after another, troops from other nations recognized Yuri and saluted him. The atmosphere had clearly changed. Yuri waved in return.
With a wry smile, Yuri spoke.
"There's still one last battle left. They need someone to rely on."
Countless stories of knights circulated within the Allied Army, not just about Yuri.
The soldiers created heroes to overcome their fear of facing the powerful enemy known as Okua.
Yuri said,
"Sibylla."
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?"
He had been considering this for a long time.
Now that the Allied Army's campaign was nearing its end, he couldn't delay it any longer.
Yuri said,
"Will you pretend to be my girlfrie…"
Sibylla's eyes widened.
"…nd?"
Her enlarged eyes soon returned to their normal size, regaining their calm.
"W-What are you suddenly talking about?"
"Pretend to be my girlfriend."
"Why?"
Yuri sighed.
"Well…"
He didn't like making such a request either. Yuri hated owing people anything.
"This all happened because I'm too outstanding…"
Yuri explained the situation.
The terrifying tale that Ragna, fond of him, intended to marry him off to his niece, Ekaterina.
For now, because of the war, there was no pressure. But once the Allied Army disbanded, Ragna would try to tie him down in earnest.
"I need to make a move first."
If an Imperial Prince set his sights on something, there was no good way to escape.
The worst part was, on the surface, it looked like a perfect offer for Yuri.
Sibylla's reaction was exactly that.
"Why not? The princess is famous for her beauty, and she's known to be kind. Her family and wealth far exceed yours. Isn't that a good deal for you?"
"Well, I'm a prince too…"
Still, Ekaterina's background was overwhelmingly superior.
"I don't need a royal background. And her personality? I think it's all an act."
"Her looks?"
"Sibylla, are you going to live off her face? Personality matters more than looks."
"So that's what you really think…?"
Sibylla narrowed her eyes and smiled.
Yuri froze for a moment.
It was an expression she rarely made. If he had to describe it, "sly" fit best.
What made it more unsettling was how quickly it came and went.
"Then what about me, suddenly ending up with a man because of you?"
"It's better for you too. When you return after a successful campaign, your brother won't sit still. He'll try to marry you off to some random noble. But if you're rumored to be involved with me, he won't dare."
"That's just your opinion."
"Yeah, I get it…"
Yuri sighed.
She clearly wanted something in return.
Sibylla had come a long way since the time she'd demanded immediate deference upon first meeting him.
"Fine. What do you want?"
"Hmm…"
Sibylla said,
"A wish token."
"What?"
Yuri shook his head.
"What are you talking about?"
He never made careless contracts like "granting a wish."
Even one bad guarantee could destroy a family and crumble a society. Offering something as extreme as a wish could lead to disaster.
"Are you afraid I'll ask for something outrageous?"
"It's not fear—it's basic caution."
"I just don't have anything I need right now. You ask out of nowhere, and what do you expect me to say?"
"Well…"
"If you don't like it, forget it."
Sibylla's stance was firm.
Yuri shook his head.
Still, a wish was off the table. Given how things stood, he had to come up with another solution.
He was just going over a few options in his head when a hearty voice called out from behind him.
"Yuri! You're awake!"
The one person he least wanted to see was approaching with a loud laugh.
"I was just about to send a report to the Empire. Yuri, sleeping on the battlefield—you're truly one crazy bastard."
"Th-thank you, Your Highness."
"And, just in time, my niece has been quite interested in the Allied Army's affairs—especially your feats. Yuri Briol, what a fine young man you are."
Ragna slung his arm around Yuri's shoulder.
Before he could be completely overshadowed by Ragna's bulk, Yuri gave Sibylla a desperate look.
Wish or whatever, we'll go with your terms.
Sibylla nodded with that sly expression she had briefly shown earlier.
Yuri was already starting to regret his decision.
But it was too late. Things were moving out of his control.
"Your Highness. A pleasure to meet you."
"Ah, the princess from the Holy Kingdom. What was your name again?"
"Sibylla Arsaint."
"Right. Are you close with Yuri?"
"Actually, we're more than just close."
"More than close, you say…"
Sibylla smiled brightly—an expression she'd never shown before—toward Ragna.
Then, she took hold of Yuri's wrist, which Ragna had already seized.
"We're in a romantic relationship."
Ragna's gaze shifted directly to Yuri.
His friendly arm around the shoulders turned into a headlock. Yuri groaned.
"Urgh…"
"Is that true?"
"Yes."
Ragna's arm tightened instinctively. Yuri tapped out.
A adjutant standing beside Ragna spoke.
"Your Highness, the Third Prince has only just woken…"
"Yes, right."
Ragna let go.
"Well then, the prince of Briol and the princess of the Holy Kingdom. You make a fine pair."
"Thank you."
"It's only natural for a young man and woman to fall for each other."
Ragna cleared his throat. He looked slightly disappointed, but didn't voice any further objection.
"We'll talk more about this later…"
"Later?"
"Got a problem with that?"
"No, sir."
He immediately changed the subject to the Allied Army.
"Anyway, you've heard the general situation, I presume?"
"Yes."
"Okua is right in front of us. We plan to advance once we've had enough rest."
Yuri nodded and turned to look in the direction of the Okua encampment alongside Ragna.
The Allied Army had reached the final stage.
He was filled with a deep sense of emotion.
He had joined the Allied Army with a single goal: to reverse the failures of his past life. And now, without a single loss, he had marched all the way to Okua's doorstep. Compared to before, it was a remarkable achievement.
The Allied Army was unified, and they had even gained a powerful weapon in Moyong Chan.
This time, he felt confident they could succeed.
Ragna said,
"Once this war ends, your name will be known across the entire continent."
Yuri agreed with that.
He had joined the Allied Army and built a brilliant record.
Moreover, through countless experiences, he had reached a level that allowed him to stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest knights on the continent.
At this rate, he truly believed he could achieve his goal.
With that hope in his heart, Yuri offered his respects to Ragna.
"Your name as well, Your Highness, will echo far and wide."
"It had better."
He grinned.
"Of course, only if we take down Okua."
"Indeed."
"But I'm not worried."
Ragna glanced at Sibylla as he continued.
"With the Empire, Briol, and the Holy Kingdom's paladins, with heroes from all across the continent gathered—there's no way we'll lose to some orcs. Those repulsive creatures, no one even knows how they came to be. We need to wipe them out."
Yuri, recalling the origin of the orcs from the old kingdom of the plains, simply nodded.
"After the Allied Army disbands, I intend to propose a continued military presence."
"You mean…"
"We'll establish an institution to keep suppressing and managing the orcs so they can't regroup."
Ragna's words sounded like a plan to revive the old hunting corps from the kingdom locked in Yuri's memory.
Perhaps history was truly repeating itself.
Yuri nodded in agreement.
"That's an excellent idea."
In his past life, Okua had moved as if it were connected to the Empire.
If they could eliminate such a force early, the power dynamics of the continent would shift entirely.
"Exactly. It'll benefit both the Empire and the kingdoms bordering the plains."
Yuri was once again reminded that Ragna did not align with the Emperor's intentions.
The more successful the Allied Army became, the more displeased the Emperor would be.
By now, he was probably irritable and snapping at everyone around him.
Yuri tested the waters.
"Any particular news from the Empire?"
"Ah, that monster from before. Apparently, it was still on record. How the orcs managed to control an extinct creature…"
***
In the most noble and secretive part of the Empire.
The Imperial Palace.
Within it existed a salon reserved for the Empire's elite. It was a place where notable figures from every field gathered to socialize.
But over time, its purpose had faded. Now, it was little more than a gossip circle for the curious and idle.
"Have you heard the news from the Allied Army? It's truly fascinating."
"How are things at the front?"
"They're about to fight the final battle."
"I hear they haven't lost once."
"His Highness the Imperial Prince is incredible, as expected."
Lately, the Empire's attention had been focused on the Allied Army led by Imperial Prince Ragna.
"They say the orcs are using a monster that digs through the earth. What on earth is going on…"
"There are even rumors they're using black magic."
"Could it be that they've revived an ancient creature through strange means?"
"I heard the orcs captured elves and stole their magic."
"But elves never leave the forest, do they?"
"They must've kidnapped them."
All sorts of unconfirmed rumors were flying about.
At that moment, someone opened the door to the salon.
It was an official from the Ministry of Magic, known for relaying news from the Allied Army.
Everyone's attention turned to him.
"Good day. I bring you the freshest news."
"What news is that?"
Enjoying the crowd's attention, he paused for effect, then slowly spoke.
"The Third Prince of Briol, who has been making great contributions in the Allied Army…"
"You mean Yuri Briol?"
"Is reportedly in a relationship with the princess of the Holy Kingdom."
"Excuse me?"
"The prince of Briol and the princess of the Holy Kingdom?"
"A love blossoming on the battlefield?"
Talk of romance always brought delight.
The salon's atmosphere instantly lit up.
People's minds went wild with stories. They spoke of their assumptions as if they were facts, spinning new rumors on the spot.
It was then—
"Is that true?"
A soft and elegant voice flowed into the salon.
Though not loud, its presence was commanding, and the room fell silent in an instant.
All heads turned toward the source of the voice, and the official from the Ministry of Magic turned pale.
"Your Highness…"
It was the Emperor's daughter, known as the most beautiful woman in the Empire—Ekaterina.
She smiled behind her fan.
"Could you tell me more about that story?"
[T/L: Read more chapters on Ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]