ALL NOVEL Chapter 23 - March (2)
12. March (2)
“To do something an orc would do…”
Yuri clenched his sword, Guilty.
Soon, he received a report that the entire unit had taken position.
“Preparations complete.”
“Alright.”
There was no need to go this far with the bandits, but Yuri wanted his troops to experience a more systematic movement before they faced the orcs.
“Hey.”
Yuri lowered the telescope and turned around.
The trained horses lay quietly to avoid detection by the enemy, and behind them, the knights were lying flat on the ground.
He had instructed them to stay hidden, but they took it quite literally.
“Isn’t it comfortable, lying down?”
“No, sir.”
“Let’s go.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, let’s go.”
Yuri sprang to his feet. Now, it didn’t matter whether the bandits spotted him or not.
“Get up.”
Yuri urged his horse to rise. It was a handsome black steed. The horse leaped to its feet as if waiting, snorting and stomping its hooves.
The knights watched in a daze as Yuri mounted.
“If you’re late, there’s no share for you.”
Yuri spurred his horse without hesitation.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
The knights stared blankly at Yuri’s back as he raced alone toward the bandits’ lair.
“What are you doing? Follow him right now!”
“Everyone, move!”
They quickly mounted their horses. However, Yuri had already gone far ahead.
Yuri raised his sword high and shouted.
“Charge, everyone!”
His voice, imbued with mana, echoed across the plains.
Yuri lowered his body and increased his speed.
A few of the bandits, holding their weapons, stared at Yuri in shock.
Their expressions showed confusion, as they were unable to grasp the situation.
Yuri shouted.
“Nice to meet you, friends!”
His black horse leaped over the bandits’ barricades, storming into them.
* * *
“Your Highness!”
Jared, who had been searching for Yuri, soon found him right in the middle of the bandits’ lair.
“You’re late.”
Yuri waved his hand casually.
He was sitting on top of a bandit he had flattened in front of a campfire.
“This one’s the leader. You see the gold bracelet?”
“Yes, I see it.”
“Looks like they managed to live extravagantly.”
“Indeed…”
“Bad bastard.”
Yuri stomped on the bandit’s foot, causing him to groan in pain.
Jared let out a long sigh. He had rushed here in a hurry to find Yuri.
“Why are you moving around so recklessly? It’s dangerous.”
“Then you should have followed me on time.”
Yuri picked up a meat skewer that was roasting over the campfire.
“I guess it’s meal time, huh? Right?”
Yuri asked, stepping on the bandit’s foot again. The bandit answered with a trembling voice.
“Y-yes….”
“What kind of meat is it?”
“Sheep meat.”
“I see.”
Yuri casually took a bite of the meat, then frowned.
“Hey, don’t you have any salt?”
“The trade routes have been cut off…”
“So, you couldn’t seize any?”
“N-no, that’s not it…”
“It’s not? Then what is it?”
This chapter is translated by f.enrirxla ⁺tions/jjoesta ⁺r
Yuri took another bite of the meat.
The Third Prince, who had grown up in the Royal Palace, couldn’t possibly be accustomed to life in the field. Yet, he acted as if he had spent his entire life wandering the frontlines like a seasoned veteran.
Yuri offered a skewer to Jared.
“Want some?”
“No, thank you.”
“Can’t eat this kind of stuff?”
“I can eat it.”
“Well, of course. What would a royal guard raised in the palace know about life in the field, right?”
“….”
“Tsk tsk. You’re going to have a tough time from now on.”
Jared was at a loss for words but decided to remain silent. It would only be a disadvantage to engage in conversation.
After Jared, Raymond arrived.
“Your Highness.”
“Oh, Sir Raymond.”
Raymond had also been surprised by Yuri’s sudden charge but quickly regained his composure and followed swiftly, like a seasoned knight.
“What about the bandits?”
“They’ve been completely wiped out. A few of them died, but the rest have all been captured.”
“What about our losses?”
“None, Your Highness”
“Good work. Truly the invincible Briol troops. A round of applause is in order.”
Raymond gave a wry smile.
The troops hadn’t done much. The bandits had already lost their will to fight and were fleeing.
And the one responsible for that result was the Third Prince standing before him.
With meat in his mouth and the bandit leader pinned beneath him, Yuri was asked by Raymond.
“Are you planning to keep doing that from now on?”
“Doing what?”
“I mean, are you planning to charge first every time?”
“Depends on the situation.”
To Raymond’s ears, it sounded like a yes.
He sighed and patted Jared’s shoulder.
“It looks like you’ll be the one suffering from now on.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll always be following His Highness.”
“Are you saying I should charge with the Prince?”
“Seems like you understand.”
“Are you just going to leave him like that?”
“Can you stop him?”
“Well, no…”
“Then you’ll have to go with him.”
Jared gave up. Yuri’s reckless charges had now been acknowledged as a valid tactic.
Yuri chuckled and stood up.
“Bind the bandits and leave them here. We’re staying here for the night.”
“Understood.”
“Hey.”
Yuri nudged the bandit leader with his foot.
“Where’s your tent?”
“Over there…”
“The biggest one?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Yuri turned to look at Jared.
“Sir Raymond, gather Hernando and the senior knights and bring them over there. We’ll discuss what’s to come.”
“Understood.”
“And hey, leader.”
“Yes?”
“Keep grilling the meat. Open the storage and use everything.”
“Th-that’s…”
“Do you want to die?”
“No!”
“If you burn it, you’ll die.”
Yuri assigned the task of watching over to Jared.
“Jared, keep an eye on whether he burns the meat.”
“Yes.”
“Stab him every time he burns one.”
“….”
“Do it properly.”
Yuri kicked the bandit leader in the rear before heading toward the tent.
Watching his back, Raymond spoke up.
“His Highness’s skills are quite impressive.”
“Indeed.”
“Have you been hiding your skills?”
“Not exactly hiding them, I just didn’t bother to make them known. The royal guards already know.”
“I see.”
Raymond fell into thought.
Though he had only caught a glimpse from afar, the Third Prince showed no hesitation. Each time he swung his sword, a bandit’s limbs were severed.
Covered in blood, he still laughed as if it didn’t bother him.
Not many people could act like that in their first battle.
“Indeed…”
People had said that the blood of Fiore had thinned over the generations. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.
In the plains where his father had made a name for himself among the Orcs, now it seemed that the son was about to make his notorious reputation.
“Sir Jared.”
“Yes, Sir Raymond.”
“This Allied Forces will be more interesting than I thought. Don’t you think so?”
Jared sighed.
“I have a feeling it might be more troubling than fun.”
“Hahaha…”
“Please, try to persuade His Highness.”
“I’m not confident I could.”
* * *
The soldier distributing the meals was startled when he suddenly came face-to-face with the boy with black eyes.
“W-wait, Your Highness?”
“Why are you so surprised?”
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
The rumors that the Third Prince ate the same meal as the soldiers had spread, but he never expected to see him appear right in front of him.
“Give me a lot.”
“Y-yes, Your Highness!”
“No, wait. If you give me too much, it’ll be awkward. Just enough.”
“U-understood.”
“But don’t make it look too similar to what the others are having.”
“Y-yes…”
“Like the others, but slightly better—you get it, right?”
“Oh, understood.”
“This is too much meat. They’ll think I asked for it.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
“No need to apologize, you did well.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Yuri insisted on the same meal plan for everyone, regardless of rank. As a result, the quality of the overall rations had improved.
Yuri carried his tray and looked around before walking over to where the knights had gathered.
One of them was grumbling.
“Why do we have to eat this tasteless food on the street…?”
Yuri sat down beside him. The knight didn’t notice him and continued complaining.
“Why should we eat what the soldiers eat?”
This chapter is translated by fe𓈒nrirx𓈒lations/jjo𓈒estar
Another knight chimed in.
“Yeah, he probably gets something special for himself, right?”
“Of course. Just because he’s a prince doesn’t mean he gets treated the same.”
Yuri tore the bread into small pieces and added it to the stew. Then, he scooped it up with a spoon and shoved it into his mouth.
“If it weren’t for the Third Prince, I wouldn’t have ended up here. That kid suddenly decided to make a move, and now my father says he has to send me along to keep up appearances.”
“That’s the same for me.”
“What a hassle this is.”
While they were chatting, one of the knights noticed Yuri and froze in place.
He desperately gestured with his eyes, but the other two were too absorbed in their conversation.
“Jared or whatever his name is, that guy’s getting too cocky just because he’s close to the prince…”
“We’ll deal with him later. Being in the Royal Guard doesn’t mean he’s nobility.”
“Exactly. And the prince, he’s just the third son. Not that important.”
Things were getting interesting.
The knight who noticed Yuri looked pale. Yuri gesture for silence, and the knight nodded.
Yuri picked up his tray and slowly walked away.
“Let’s take care of Jared, or whatever his name is, first.”
“Let’s pick a time tonight.”
“Sounds good.”
“Seeing one of his men in that state should make the prince come to his senses.”
The two were in full agreement. A few other knights also nodded in agreement. It seemed like Jared would be in for a rough time.
“Heh heh heh…”
Yuri chuckled softly. No matter who won, it seemed like it would be an entertaining show.
“Your Highness?”
As Yuri walked, playing with his utensils, Raymond approached him with a stunned expression.
“W-wait, Your Highness?”
“What is it?”
“Ah, well…”
Suddenly, it clicked for Yuri.
The action of moving around while holding a tray and eating was something no prince, let alone an ordinary soldier, would do.
It was a habit he’d picked up from his mercenary days, something he had done without thinking.
“This, well…”
Yuri tried to cover.
“I was contemplating future plans and found myself too impatient to sit down for a meal.”
“I see.”
Raymond nodded understandingly, which only made Yuri feel more embarrassed.
“That aside, Your Highness…”
Raymond changed the subject.
“We’re headed to Gid next.”
“Mm.”
Their plan was to pass through the city of Gid, located on the plains, and then head to Balshad, the rendezvous point for the Allied Forces.
“We’re likely to encounter the troops of another kingdom there. The timing and routes seem to overlap.”
“Where?”
“The Holy Kingdom.”
Yuri racked his brain to remember.
The Holy Kingdom was a theocratic state where the Pope was the ruler, and the entire nation followed the Holy Order.
It had developed a unique magical system called Sacred Magic, which they referred to as ‘Saint’s Magic.’
Yuri nodded.
“That’s good. If we get along, they can help our people when they’re hurt, right?”
While regular mages could use healing magic, ‘Sacred Magic’ was far more effective.
“Well, I’m not sure about that.”
“We have a cleric with us, right?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“How is it?”
“It’s inadequate.”
Briol’s troops included a cleric from the temple.
“Call him here for now. I have a few questions.”
“Understood.”
Soon, the cleric arrived.
Seeing Yuri casually sitting on a rock and eating his meal, the cleric looked quite surprised.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You seem to be having a hard time.”
“Not at all.”
The cleric had not shaved, and his beard was unkempt. His white uniform was stained and dirty, giving him a rather shabby appearance.
“You graduated from the cleric academy, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You must have some close friends in the Holy Kingdom?”
“Well… yes, I do.”
He looked around cautiously before continuing.
“They’re just acquaintances I contact from time to time, though…”
“It’s fine. Do you know anything about the Allied Forces sent by the Holy Kingdom?”
The chaplain, who had been tense, finally relaxed and smiled.
“Ah, yes. You called me for that, didn’t you? I’ll tell you what I know.”
The chaplain began to explain calmly.
A piece of unexpected information came up.
“The princess is coming?”
“Yes. I heard the news before we left, so I can’t be sure, but it’s likely.”
Yuri didn’t know much about the Allied Forces from his past life. He had some understanding of the internal workings of Briol, but he didn’t care about affairs in other countries.
He wondered if the future had changed and the princess of the Holy Kingdom was stepping forward, or if it was her fate to come here all along.
Since he couldn’t remember her name, it seemed more likely to be the latter.
“Is the princess the type to get involved in such matters? Or did she suddenly decide to go on this campaign recently?”
“Well, about that…”
According to the cleric’s explanation, the second princess of the Holy Kingdom had shown talent in sacred magic from a young age. She also demonstrated skill in swordsmanship and had joined the Order of the Holy Knights where she quickly rose through the ranks.
This earned her much praise and admiration.
As a result, the crown prince, the heir to the Holy Kingdom, grew wary of her, and the two siblings did not get along well.
Constantly provoked by her brother, she wished to accomplish something significant.
“I’m sure most anticipated it would come to this.”
“I see.”
Yuri nodded.
If what the cleric said was true, she had probably joined the Allied Forces in his past life as well.
And thus met her end on the plains.
“Did you ever see her yourself?”
“I did, during my time at the cleric academy, but from afar.”
“What was she like?”
“Well… uh…”
He avoided saying it directly, but the cleric’s expression spoke volumes. It didn’t seem like he had a good impression of her.
This chapter is translated by f.enrirxlations/jjoestar
“Thanks for the information.”
“You’re welcome, Your Highness.”
Yuri patted his shoulder.
After exchanging a few words, he realized that the cleric was surprisingly worldly for someone in his position. A person like him could be quite useful.
“The will of the Gods isn’t confined to the Holy Kingdom alone. Do your best for Briol from now on.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“What’s your name?”
“It’s Jermaine, Sir. Haha…”
“Jermaine.”
Yuri decided to reward him.
“From now on, you…”
“I…?”
Hope filled Jermaine’s eyes.
“Can ask the cooks for extra rations using my name. They’ll give you more.”
“Excuse me?”
“Trust me.”
“Y-yes?”
“But don’t thank me too much.”
Yuri grinned broadly, giving Jermaine’s back another pat.
“Off you go.”
“Y-yes…”
“Thanks for your help.”
“Certainly…”