ALL NOVEL Chapter 10 - Council Meeting
5. Council Meeting
Yuri had disliked balls for as long as he could remember.
Dressed awkwardly, exchanging formalities, or constantly dancing with an unchosen partner did not suit his temperament.
Traveling back in time, he now had another reason.
“I don’t like those clothes.”
“Why don’t you like them? You used to.”
“I said that?”
“You scoffed at them as soon as you saw them but never said anything nasty or cut them up. I could tell you secretly liked them.”
“…”
Ena knew Yuri very well. More precisely, she knew him from the past.
“Anyway, I don’t like them.”
“Shall I call the tailor again?”
“Yes.”
“I think they’re pretty.”
Yuri’s aesthetic sense had changed considerably over the years as a mercenary. Thus, the luxurious dress that was decorated solely for decoration was distasteful to him.
“Also, you dance well, Your Highness.”
“Not really. Others are just terrible.”
“There you go again, saying nasty things.”
“Fine.”
Yuri willingly admitted his slip of the tongue.
Having returned to his childhood, his past inertia kept pushing him.
This was not good.
He had not come to live as he used to. He had returned to stop the Empire’s invasion.
“Thanks for pointing it out.”
“No need to mention.”
“If I ever say anything nasty again, keep pointing it out.”
“Can I slap you like back then?”
“That won’t do.”
Ena’s slaps hurt.
“Your Highness.”
“Yeah?”
“You remember you have to attend the Council meeting later, right?”
“I know.”
“The weather’s nice today.”
Ena opened the curtains and smiled at Yuri.
“After the meeting, you should go on a picnic instead of just training.”
Ena’s face glowed white in the sunlight.
Her finely curved eyes were pleasing to see.
Ena.
The kind-hearted girl who never lost her smile while taking care of the troublemaking prince.
Yet Yuri failed to protect her.
“Ena.”
“Yes?”
“Shall we dance?”
Ena’s eyes widened.
“What?”
Yuri had once overheard her talking with other maids.
Like any other girl, she had a simple wish: to wear a pretty dress and dance with a fine partner at a ball.
He wanted to punch his past self who scoffed at her wish.
In this life, he would never neglect her as he did before.
“I want to practice dancing.”
Yuri said with a gentle smile.
However, her reaction was not what he expected.
“Do we really have to…?”
She genuinely looked uneasy.
“What kind of face is that?”
“Ugh…”
Yuri felt a little hurt.
Why such a reaction when he extended goodwill? The debt of his wrongs was large.
Ena stepped forward cautiously.
“You aren’t planning to step on my foot…?”
“What are you saying?”
“Or make me fall over…?”
“Are you misunderstanding my sincerity?”
“Quite the opposite…”
“Follow my lead. Slowly.”
“Your Highness. Are you belittling me right now? I’m quite a good dancer.”
“Oh, have you danced a lot?”
“Of course.”
“With whom?”
“I’ve lost count. There are just so many dance requests.”
“Impressive.”
“I’m quite popular. But I’ve never had such a short partner.”
“Just wait.”
Now he was shorter than Ena, but eventually, he would outgrow her and look down at her.
Ena danced rather well.
Though he couldn’t take her to a banquet, this way they could frequently dance together.
“You stepped on my foot just now.”
“Sorry. I tripped.”
“You stepped again…”
“A mistake.”
* * *
“No, Your Highness.”
The oily voice made Yuri frown.
“It’s not right to learn an unverified method. It would be better for the Prince to learn the Royal Family method.”
“What do you mean unverified? It’s something left by the Founder.”
“It’s not certain. We don’t even know if it’s truly from the Founder.”
“Are you doubting the Prince?”
“I’m merely saying we need certainty. Also, just because it’s an ancient Mana Method doesn’t guarantee it’s better than the Briol method.”
“Your words are harsh.”
Yuri sighed, looking at the central seat.
The seat of the King of Briol, Fiore, was empty.
He had given the feeble excuse of being busy with state affairs and was absent.
“What is the reason for today’s meeting?”
Duke Yujes Gennad Jetteri, who had been expressing opposition, smirked at Yuri.
“Isn’t it because we’re worried you might take the wrong path, Your Highness? If we were just going to agree with everything, why even meet? Right? Right? Hahaha…”
The council meetings were held in the palace whenever there were major issues.
Consisting of influential nobles, the Council was established to advise the King on matters of state management.
However, its actual function was quite different.
“I’m grateful for holding a council meeting to discuss my Mana Method, Duke Gennad.”
“Don’t mention it.”
It served as a means to check the King’s power. They would cast dissenting votes at every turn.
This time was no different.
Why was it controversial that the Prince of Briol had found an Ancient Mana Method and wanted to learn it?
Gennad, as if reading Yuri’s mind, continued.
“It’s all for your sake, Your Highness.”
“How touching.”
Yuri buried himself in his chair and shrugged.
Of course, they had no authority to decide on his Mana Method. Their sole aim was to be troublesome. Yet, that alone was exasperating enough.
He grew resentful of his father for dumping the meeting on him despite knowing how it would play out.
“Sir Saned, what do you think?”
The Commander of the Royal Guard, Saned, who shouldn’t have been there, was dragged in as some sort of witness.
He looked perplexed.
“Well, I can’t easily judge.”
“Why not?”
“Each Mana Method has pros and cons, and people’s characteristics vary…”
“See?”
Gennad straightened his shoulders as if Saned’s statement was a testament to his cause.
“Not even the Commander of the Royal Guard can make a clear judgment. Is there anyone better than Sir Saned here? Even he, the Commander, says it’s uncertain…”
“I agree.”
“Don’t distort Sir Saned’s words.”
“Distort?”
“Sir Saned didn’t say it was uncertain. He said every Mana Method has its value…”
“That’s essentially the same!”
Yuri decided to observe quietly.
Perhaps this situation could reveal who was truly loyal to the Royal Family, or more inclined towards Gennad. He tried to see it as an opportunity to assess their allegiance.
“Your Highness, if you’re hungry, have some refreshments.”
“I’ll manage.”
In his past life, he had naively believed that slippery-tongued Gennad was a loyal subject.
He had been too foolish then, surrounding himself with trashy nobles who indulged in vile sycophancy.
He tasted bitterness on his tongue.
When Briol fell, Gennad survived, groveling before the Emperor to maintain his dukedom.
He had often deliberated on dropping everything and putting a blade to the man’s throat.
However, Yuri had decided he wasn’t the one to punish him.
“Duke Jetteri makes a good point, too.”
A sudden voice broke the contemplation.
“It might not be good to learn a Mana Method recklessly. A somewhat verified method would be better. Your Highness, have you informed His Majesty about this Mana Method?”
Yuri shook his head.
“It’s not a kind of Mana Method I can share with others.”
“Is that so?”
“I think only when I reach some level of attainment, I might be able to explain it, even slightly.”
Yuri had learned the Mana Method by contending with the dummy that fully displayed the flow of mana. Therefore, he couldn’t explain how to describe it to others.
The noble pondered for a moment before suggesting to Yuri.
“It would be better to learn the Briol method. An unverified Mana Method can be dangerous.”
“I agree as well.”
“It’s for the Prince’s sake.”
“I agree.”
The nobles took turns endorsing Gennad’s viewpoints.
Yuri folded his arms and closed his eyes gently.
Regardless of what anyone said, he had decided to learn Erich Briol’s Heart and Soul Slash. A strong intuition gripped him, insisting he must do so.
“Are you telling me to overhaul my Mana Method?”
“If necessary…”
“Do you know that’s nearly impossible?”
“At a young age, it’s entirely possible. Especially, when you’ve just learned it, Your Highness.”
Yuri chuckled.
That might be true for an ordinary person, but he was different. His adjustment to mana was quick due to his memories from his past life.
He had already reached a stage where altering his Mana Method was difficult.
But he couldn’t explain everything.
Lost in thought, he suddenly noticed a man quietly seated in a corner, raising his hand.
“Hmm, may I offer a word?”
Yuri hadn’t seen the face before.
Gennad’s head tilted in puzzlement.
“Who are you? What is your title?”
It was a question verging on rudeness.
A noble next to Gennad answered for him.
“He is a Free Baron.”
Meaning he had no fief.
“A baron? Even a Free Baron is attending a Council meeting?”
At Gennad’s words, the noblemen around chuckled all at once.
Sifting through individuals had been difficult, but thanks to that laugh, it was now easy to distinguish. The four or five people sitting to Gennad’s left and right were all part of that faction.
While Yuri took note of their faces, the man described as a Free Baron continued.
“Yes, well, that’s the case. So…”
“State your name first.”
Even as Gennad interrupted, the man’s smile remained.
“Of course. I am Calcio Elancha. As you all laughed, I’m a Free Baron. I’m sure you don’t think highly of a Free Baron attending the Council. Honestly, I didn’t want to come either. But what can I do? Count Sidore assigned this to me.”
Silence fell over the meeting at his words.
Count Sidore, Jaime Theodore.
The frontier keeper guarding the borders.
A formidable knight and a ruthless hunter. A true soldier who spent his life on the battlefield.
A noble with thirsty lips threw the question everyone had in mind.
“How in the world did Count Sidore send you to the Council…?”
It was a mystery for all.
Count Sidore had no interest in the nobleman’s gatherings. Sending a proxy was a first.
“I have no idea. He’s not one to elaborate.”
“So what do you want to say?”
“Finally granted speaking rights, huh.”
Calcio let out a brief laugh before he spoke.
“To you, highborns dawdling around the court and playing nobles, such pointless discourse might be fun…”
“What are you…”
His words grew defiant.
But because Count Sidore stood behind him, no one in the Council could halt his words.
Calcio raised both hands.
“To me, it’s all nonsense. Unless someone is incredibly inept, all mana methods are roughly the same, especially on the battlefield. Whether it’s the Briol Method or the Empire’s Lion Heart Method, in the end, it’s the user who matters.”
Gennad tapped the table with his fingertips, prompting a noble beside him to respond.
“A minor difference could determine life and death on the battlefield. Are you calling us all inexperienced?”
s
“Oh, so you do have battlefield experience?”
“Of course. I am Baron Defer. Recently, I fought a domain war…”
“This room seems to have another noble without land. Did you get permission from your lord sitting next to you?”
Baron Defer’s face turned red at the remark, and the nobles not part of Gennad’s faction stifled their laughter.
Calcio proceeded.
“So, my brave Baron friend. What’s important when wielding a sword?”
“What?”
“Does your mind think when you’re thrusting a sword into an enemy?”
“Well, it’s a matter of trained instinct…”
“You speak well.”
“What?”
“I said you spoke well.”
Calcio turned his gaze to Yuri.
“It’s instinct. It’s a realm different from reason. Thus, it’s laughable for outsiders to make a fuss when the Prince’s instinct tells him to follow the Founder’s Mana Method. Goodness, desk-bound professors often chatter away like this…”
Ultimately, Yuri also found himself chuckling.
Gennad tightened his expression and spoke.
“Free Baron, you’re speaking recklessly.”
“I’m sorry. I’m nothing but a Baron in title, with no land and little learning. Please overlook my lack of manners. I’ve spent my days fighting orcs at the border, you see.”
At his words, the nobles groaned.
“Orcs…”
Orcs were a barbaric race known for looting and cannibalism, and they were strong enough to kill multiple soldiers single-handedly.
This was one of the reasons Count Sidore commanded such awe.
He had guarded the borders against orcs for a long time, and they feared him, calling him the ‘Scarred Wolf.’
Calcio smiled slyly.
“How many here have faced an orc directly?”