LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 35 - Gathering (1)
18. Gathering (1)
Balshad was expansive, and the Briol army had set up camp within its walls. Not far away, the flags of the Empire and Brusin fluttered in the wind.
Soon, emblems of countless countries would line up in this place.
Yuri summoned the knights.
“Everyone will gather within a week.”
Yuri sat in the large chair used during the battle against the orkbal and looked at the knights.
The atmosphere had changed, thanks to the experience gained in battles over time. Now, they seemed quite reliable.
“What will happen to the allied forces moving forward?”
Everyone looked at Yuri’s lips as if they had no doubt he knew the answer.
“Why are you all looking at me?”
“We don’t know. Please tell us.”
“You should think for yourselves.”
“We believe Your Highness knows.”
The knights knew that the third prince was not the naive boy they had imagined.
He was a seasoned commander, someone who led troops like a veteran with years of experience.
Yuri tapped his temple.
“When knights from different countries meet, what’s the first thing they usually do?”
“Greet one another?”
“Who greets?”
“Apologies.”
Yuri sighed.
“Fights often break out. Ultimately, these are sword-wielding people who want to see who is stronger. But when you gather knights from countless countries under the name of an alliance, what do you think will happen?”
“A brawl…?”
“Who’s ‘Brawl’?”
“Apologies.”
“But as knights, what’s with the brawling?”
Yuri stood up.
“So, the point is, there won’t be much cooperation. There are many of us, but we are like grains of sand. Even for you, would you do everything the Empire commands?”
“No!”
“See? Everyone is the same, operating independently. How can a war be fought properly like this?”
“It can’t.”
“Exactly. It’s a headache. But that’s beyond our control. So, what should we do?”
The answer didn’t come easily. Then Laurent, observing the situation, raised his hand.
“Conquer them!”
“Who Conquers…?”
Facing Laurent’s bright eyes, Yuri couldn’t harshly criticize him and switched topics.
“That’s… a thought anyone might have.”
The knights didn’t look pleased, but Yuri ignored it.
“But that’s not the real answer either. What we need to do is…”
Someone raised their hand—it was Simon, who had been deeply influenced by Yuri’s warm guidance after their encounter with an orc not long ago.
“Training.”
He spoke firmly, and Yuri clapped.
“Yes, exactly that. As expected from you, sir Simon, my valuable knight.”
“Thank you.”
Simon placed a hand on his chest and expressed his loyalty.
Yuri took a step forward from his spot.
“We just need to be strong. Those destined to die will live, and those destined to live will live longer by becoming stronger than they are now.”
He indicated the barracks, where soldiers were resting peacefully.
“Train and continue to train them. That is our task.”
Future battles would be chaotic and beyond imagination. Against the overwhelming might of different races, human tactics would be useless.
Going to war against orcs meant facing such challenges.
Ultimately, the thing they could rely on was their skill.
Yuri distributed papers to each knight, listing the training they would undertake and the soldiers they were to instruct.
“Our war has already begun.”
As Yuri walked out, the knights made way for him.
Though it was not exactly welcome for them to train after coming this far, no one opposed it.
“I’ll be joining you.”
The knights followed because their leader, Yuri, personally carried out what he ordered.
“Laurent.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll be my sparring partner.”
“Sounds good.”
Thus, the training of Briol began.
The knights taught the soldiers the Mana Method and swordsmanship and sometimes sparred among themselves to strive for higher ranks.
The people of Balshad and the Allied Forces lingered around the Briol army, observing.
Yuri sparred with Laurent, feeling a pleasant fatigue course through his body.
“Laurent, you’re quite strong.”
“Your Highness, you are impressive as well.”
Since beginning his second life, Yuri hadn’t found an equal among his peers. However, Laurent was a talented sparring partner who provided him with stimulation.
In particular, their sword styles were completely different, enabling each other to address their shortcomings by learning from the other’s techniques.
Such passionate pursuit of the arts was rare, even among the knights.
For Yuri, who had grown accustomed to the raw swordsmanship obtained during his mercenary days and through the Heart and Soul Slash, Laurent’s method was a fresh stimulus.
In the past, his limited insight had prevented him from recognizing Laurent’s true worth.
“Indeed, when you took my life, it was very precise.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing.”
Yuri lowered his practice sword and gazed at Laurent.
Confronting Laurent made him reconsider minor aspects he hadn’t previously noticed.
“Your Highness uses a sword skill that I could never imitate. It’s astounding. Sometimes it seems superhuman, considering your reflexes.”
Yuri wanted to say that Laurent was the same. Laurent’s swordsmanship was remarkably sophisticated.
“But thanks to it, I learn a lot.”
“Same here.”
Laurent stood up straight.
“I thought I’d been avoiding arrogance, but seeing you, Your Highness proves that I haven’t done enough.”
Despite the equilibrium not breaking, Yuri consistently maintained the upper hand—a novel experience for Laurent.
Yuri shrugged his shoulders. Having lived through this second life, this was expected.
“Shall we do it again?”
“Sure.”
By then, a crowd had gathered. It’s rare to witness high-level knights sparring, especially when they were the two who would be accountable for Briol’s future.
“Whew…”
Yuri focused entirely on Laurent, catching even a single strand of his flowing blond hair within sight.
Laurent kept everything under control, luring his opponent into a trap. Such perfectionism might be what had brought Laurent to where he was now.
Then what about himself?
While gripping his sword, Yuri pondered the true essence of the Heart and Soul Slash.
From the core lodged in his heart, mana was thinly extracted.
He had always possessed an innate skill for mana control but never intentionally exercised such precise restraint due to the excessive mental consumption it entailed.
A disquieting sensation continued.
This approach would not allow for a prolonged battle.
However, his understanding of combat became distinctly clearer.
“Here I come.”
Laurent made the first move, charging aggressively.
He attempted to emulate Yuri’s strength.
“Bring it.”
Holding the practice sword, Yuri integrated what he’d sensed through Laurent’s swordsmanship into his technique.
Heart and Soul Slash required a vivid imagination.
The Heart and Soul Slash guided toward the future Yuri envisioned, translating it into physical action.
Yet, by controlling mana, his mind state transitioned into something more tangible than imagination.
It was a sensation akin to foresight.
Yuri widened his eyes.
Their two swords collided.
At that moment, Laurent’s practice sword slipped from his grasp and soared into the sky.
Something had happened.
Laurent stared at Yuri with wide eyes and an open mouth. His golden hair fluttered in the breeze.
It was the silliest expression Yuri had seen on Laurent since they first met.
“What on earth…?”
Yuri chuckled and sat down. He was exhausted from controlling mana so intensely.
“How did you know the sword path?”
“It was luck.”
He stated honestly rather than out of humility.
What he had accomplished was akin to luck—a skill yet beyond real combat application.
Laurent looked back and forth between his embedded sword and Yuri.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s do it again.”
“I’m exhausted.”
“Let’s spar again.”
“I told you I’m tired…”
“Please stand up!”
“Hey, hey…”
When Laurent tried to pull Yuri up, Yuri wiggled in resistance.
“Someone stop him!”
But no one sided with Yuri, not even close. Quite the opposite actually.
“Stand up, Your Highness.”
“Show us one more time.”
“What was that just now?”
“Get up, please!”
“I missed the last bit.”
Like spectators urging on a gladiator, everyone pushed Yuri to pick up his sword.
In the end, Yuri was forcibly pulled up and found himself holding the sword opposite Laurent.
There was something wrong. Though he was a prince and a commander, why did he have to stand in this arena by force?
“Here I come again. Eh!”
Laurent swung his sword.
Yuri tried to repeat what he did earlier but failed. As a result, Laurent’s sword struck him in the chest, causing intense pain in his ribcage.
“Gah!”
Laurent panicked as Yuri collapsed.
“Your Highness?”
“I told you to go easy…”
“Are you alright?”
“No…”
Yuri, seated, glared at the onlookers who had pushed for the fight. They turned away as if nothing happened.
“Those scoundrels… Ugh…”
He couldn’t even shout due to the pain.
Groaning, Yuri spoke.
“Call Hernando…”
“Yes!”
Laurent rushed off in a flash.
Yuri sat on the ground and looked up at the sky.
He may have received bruises, but he had gained something.
He glimpsed a new dimension of the Heart and Soul Slash through Laurent’s swordsmanship.
One saying from his mercenary days came to mind,
‘When three are walking, one among them is surely a fool.’
It means the other two have something to teach.
Though he might be stronger than Laurent at the moment, he had gained much from their sparring.
“Your Highness.”
Suddenly, a figure approached, casting a shadow before him.
“It was an incredible technique.”
Lifting his head, Yuri saw the Brusin knight, Jose. He remembered seeing him among the spectators; his stature was too conspicuous to miss.
“Your Highness, may I make a request?”
“What is it?”
“I wish to spar with you, Your Highness…”
“No.”
Yuri forgot his pain as he stood up.
“I’m off.”
“I- I’m okay with a reschedule.”
“I’m busy with a lot of work.”
“Just once…”
“I’ll lend you Jared instead.”
* * *
The Holy Kingdom army entered Balshad, and subsequently, troops from various countries gathered.
The Mage Lord erected flagpoles for the Allied Forces. Led by the Empire’s flag, myriad national emblems fluttered in the prairie breeze.
Yuri looked up at Briol’s flag.
A simplified figure of a knight on horseback.
Though a mere drawing, countless people fought for their lives beneath this flag.
“Hello.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Suddenly, soldiers from another nation bowed to Yuri and began erecting a new flagpole.
“Which country are you from?”
“We are from Liberta.”
They were from a country adjacent to Brusin. With the two bordering nations arriving, it appeared that the allied forces were nearly all assembled.
Suddenly, a soldier from Briol ran over to Yuri to deliver a message.
“Your Highness!”
“What is it?”
“The Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces has arrived.”
“Is that so?”
The Empire had stationed its forces in Balshad early, but the true commander entered rather late.
Yuri already knew who it was going to be.
It was Ragna, the fraternal brother of the current Emperor and uncle to Yekaterina, a royal prince. He had met him once in his past life.
Yuri recalled the past.
It was when he was secretly holding hands with Yekaterina at the Imperial Villa.
They were caught by Ragna who had visited abruptly.
Ragna was a large man, unlike what one would expect from the Emperor’s bloodline. With piercing eyes, he looked at Yuri and asked,
‘Do you truly like her?’
The tone was curious.
Ragna might have known something even back then.
‘Yes. I do.’
Yuri had answered confidently.
Despite being a Royal of Briol, he was only the Third prince. His background was insignificant compared to Yekaterina, yet he was full of spirit despite having nothing.
‘I see.’
He accepted it and turned away.
That was the end of it.
There was no spread of rumors regarding the relationship between Yuri and Yekaterina.
He was a man of depth.
“I should have realized why he looked at me pitifully back then…”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind. It must be Prince Ragna who is the Supreme Commander, right?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Because I am well-versed with the Empire’s political landscape.”
“Wow…”
“By the way, for lunch, we have beef radish soup and stir-fried ham and vegetables. I’ve also grasped the catering situation.”
“Wow…”
“Get going.”
“Yes. I’ll go immediately.”
“Go slowly.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll be training once you return anyway. This is the time to slack off a bit.”
“As expected of Your Highness. I shall take three steps and rest.”
The Liberian soldiers cast discreet glances at their interaction, something unthinkable in other countries.
“What are you looking at?”
“Uh, nothing.”
Yuri crossed his arms and watched the flag hoisting for Liberta. It was devoid of ritual, just enthusiastically raising the flag high.
“Not much to see.”
After memorizing the countries participating in the allied forces, Yuri turned away.
The sun’s rays were harsh, so he moved his steps between the shade of nearby buildings.
“Is the flag being raised properly?”
“Yes! It is!”
“The angle seems skewed.”
“It is not!”
“What do you mean it’s not? You fool.”
Yuri retreated and peeked back.
A lavishly dressed man was reprimanding the soldiers.
“The angle’s off. Does the Liberian flag look ridiculous to you?”
“No!”
“If it’s not, then why did you do it?”
“I’m sorry!”
“Why apologize after doing it?”
“I’m sorry!”
“Will apologizing end your military life?”
“No!”
Quite a malicious person.
Judging by his skillful chastisement, he seemed to be a knight occupying a position in Liberta.
“Fine, let’s see these flags. So many came. Where’s that one from?”
He looked up at the flagpole. What appeared to be his subordinate explained.
“The Empire, sir.”
“Who wouldn’t know that? I meant next to theirs.”
“Brusin, sir.”
“What?”
He wrinkled his brow.
“Why are those fishy bumpkins next to the Empire?”
“It appears to be by the order of arrival…”
“Just thinking about them makes my head throb. Their glistening armor looks just like fish scales caught in a net.”
“Absolutely, sir.”
“I noticed a stench as soon as I arrived in Balshad.”
Yuri took out a notebook and pencil from his pocket.