The 3rd Prince of the Fallen Kingdom Returns

Chapter 30 - Uninvited Guest (2)



15. Uninvited Guest (2)

 

 

“Summon Hernando.”

“Yes!”

Yuri was wary of the fire. Though he had covered the supplies with fire-resistant fabric, just to be safe, he had also called for Hernando, the mage.

Hernando could suppress any fire that might arise.

Yuri led Laurent, Jared, and Raymond toward the battle site. Soldiers guarded the passageway, but it was primarily the knights who fought the orcs.

Given their preparedness, Yuri anticipated a straightforward victory.

However, the situation was worse than expected.

“Your Highness!”

A knight fighting nearby shouted.

“These bastards are tough!”

Indeed, the orc unit that had infiltrated their position proved more formidable than those that attacked the Holy Kingdom. Though fewer in number, each orc was so skilled that the knights were struggling.

Yuri pushed the three knights forward.

“Assist them. Minimize the casualties. Let’s split up.”

“Yes!”

The orcs moved in small groups, disrupting the formation. To counter them, Yuri and his men had to disperse as well. Yuri heightened his senses in search of the enemy.

He suddenly turned, noticing a strange smell. Just then, there was a loud explosion.

Boom!

A cart at a distance shattered, and blackened debris rained from the sky. The flickering flames brightened the surroundings.

“What is that?”

Even Yuri was taken aback.

As he stood, frozen, Hernando approached and stood beside him, observing the explosion site.

“Hernando.”

“Quite the mess. Oh dear, oh dear…”

“Do orcs use gunpowder?”

“No, the mana flow is distorted. It’s sorcery.”

“Could there be a sorcerer?”

“More likely, they engraved the sorcery into bombs. It’s more advanced than I thought. Quite intriguing…”

“Instead of admiring it, do something.”

“The fire-resistant fabric should prevent the spread of flames.”

“Can’t you stop them from detonating further?”

“It’s not done directly by a sorcerer. This must be stopped with a sword, not magic.”

“Kill the ones holding these bombs?”

“Exactly. So maybe…”

Hernando pointed in one direction.

“There.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuri dashed off.

Hernando’s voice echoed from behind.

“Your Highness, don’t get hurt!”

Another explosion occurred. Sparks drifted like fireflies above.

They needed to eliminate the threat before more damage was done. Yuri stirred mana to sense his surroundings.

Amid the hazy aura, he sensed a notably strong presence.

Yuri passed a cart and rounded a corner.

A massive back appeared before him. The figure was familiar. Though it bore no flag, he felt certain it was the same orc from before.

Orcbal.

In the battle with the Holy Kingdom, this orc had shot arrows at Yuri, and Yuri had retaliated with a spear.

Their fates were deeply intertwined.

Yuri felt a strange sense of camaraderie.

“So it’s you?”

He immediately thrust his sword.

Clang!

The Orcbal barely reacted, deflecting Yuri’s attack.

“Tsk.”

Yuri stepped back, activating the Mana Method. The core in his heart throbbed as mana surged through his body.

Upon seeing Yuri, the Orcbal’s eyes widened, and then it grinned as it raised its double-headed axe. Up close, it seemed monstrously large.

The Orcbal shouted something unintelligible, though Yuri couldn’t understand it.

“What did you say?”

“Kukaku Akuwak!”

“Glad to see me? Same here.”

“Akwa Kikuru Kurukakkak!”

“Begging for your life? Scared of me?”

“Kuukuudu Ruturu Ku!”

“Too late for apologies!”

Yuri lowered his stance and charged.

The Orcbal swung the double-headed axe. The ground tore, releasing clouds of dust.

“Kwak, kaaak!”

The Orcbal’s veins bulged on his neck.

His reaction suggested fury at being attacked by Yuri.

Yuri tilted his head.

“Was he really saying he didn’t want to fight?”

Not that it mattered.

Regardless of the Orcbal’s words, Yuri resolved to decapitate him and display his head like a trophy.

“Enough chatter!”

“Ikuwak!”

Yuri unleashed a powerful swing with his sword.

It collided with the Orcbal’s double-headed axe, forcing the Orcbal a step back.

Yuri pressed forward, putting strength into his legs.

He slashed horizontally.

The Orcbal crouched low.

Their weapons clashed, and the Orcbal was pushed back.

The Orcbal’s eyes widened in surprise at Yuri’s astonishing force.

“Okak!”

The Orcbal bellowed while swinging the double-headed axe wildly.

A shadow loomed in Yuri’s view. It was like a massive guillotine blade descending upon him.

Yuri rolled sideways to evade.

The axe pursued.

Despite its size, it moved with remarkable agility, continuously targeting Yuri.

Blocking and dodging, Yuri rolled again.

The exchange was relentless.

Each swing of the axe obliterated the surrounding carts.

Yuri gritted his teeth.

The one-sidedness was frustrating. He wanted to disrupt the rhythm but struggled to find an opening.

Yuri recited a knightly prayer.

“Ancestor Erich, lend me your strength.”

However, instead of Erich Briol, he recalled the skull of a Death Knight seen in a dungeon.

Not exactly a comforting image for inspiration.

“Damn.”

Swearing, Yuri activated the Heart and Soul Slash, enveloping himself with turbulent mana.

White wisps rose from his body like mist.

Instead of evading the Orcbal’s axe, Yuri charged inward.

Just as the blade was about to cleave his forehead, Yuri twisted his body. The metal barely grazed his cheek.

He lifted Guilty and struck.

The sword blade touched the Orcbal’s side but didn’t penetrate as expected.

Yuri pushed harder.

“Kwahaaak!”

The Orcbal roared, kicking Yuri. Though Yuri crossed his arms to block, he was shoved backward.

Orcbal huffed, glaring at Yuri. Black mist coiled above his mighty shoulders.

“Mana Method…”

Yuri chuckled.

The presence of a sorcerer among the orcs implied they understood mana.

Few awakened to mana among the orcs.

The Orcbal before him was likely one of those rare cases.

Thankfully, it didn’t yet seem advanced.

“This is…”

Yuri surveyed his surroundings.

He had underestimated them; it wasn’t a mere skirmish. Clearly, the orc elite was assaulting Briol’s forces.

The evidence was the ongoing intense battle.

The knights fought fiercely within their camp, yet these few orcs held their ground, indicating they weren’t ordinary soldiers.

“Kurrak Ak Ka-raak.”

The Orcbal spoke again.

Yuri tightened his grip on Guilty.

“If only we’d met a year later, you’d already be dead.”

Had Heart and Soul Slash reached its next stage, this Orcbal wouldn’t pose such a challenge.

It was regrettable.

Yet it also indicated his continued growth. This struggle offered Yuri great nourishment.

Yuri and the Orcbal circled each other, carefully gauging their opponent.

They both moved with caution.

The Orcbal didn’t act rashly.

To anyone familiar with orcs, the situation would seem astonishingly rare.

An Orcbal, a top-tier orc warrior, recognized an eighteen-year-old boy as a worthy adversary.

“Hoo…”

Yuri relaxed Guilty, examining the Orcbal’s massive frame.

Facing an orc many times his size, brute strength was out of the question.

Like any knight, speed and agility must be used to exploit weaknesses.

Yuri grinned.

As he stared at the Orcbal, his mind replayed the battle ahead.

He selected the strategy he favored most among his options.

His decision was made, and Yuri approached first.

The Orcbal matched his stride, closing the gap quickly.

Neither extended their weapon.

Poised to strike at any moment, they advanced with bare bodies leading.

They kept a tight watch on each other, holding their weapons back.

Yuri guessed the Orcbal had much experience fighting humans.

Given the power disparity, humans generally awaited the orc’s attack, exploiting post-strike vulnerabilities.

The Orcbal avoided initiating, knowing his advantage.

Their attack ranges intersected.

Yet they both maintained restraint.

Their bodies collided.

Weapons held back, their shoulders met.

The Orcbal reacted first, elbowing Yuri’s head.

It couldn’t be completely dodged.

Awakening mana, Yuri twisted his body. The impact struck his shoulder.

“Ugh…”

Suppressing the pain, Yuri maneuvered Guilty. The Orcbal simultaneously swung his weapon.

Their timing overlapped.

Collision seemed inevitable.

At that moment, Yuri crouched again. The Orcbal’s eyes widened, assuming Yuri had fallen for his feint.

Yuri narrowly evaded the axe blade and plunged Guilty into the Orcbal’s exposed abdomen.

Mana-infused steel pierced the orc’s crude armor, sinking deep.

The satisfying sensation of rupturing flesh followed.

The double-headed axe missed its mark, cleaving nothing but air.

The Orcbal staggered, helpless against momentum, driving deeper onto the blade.

Yuri twisted Guilty.

A horrific cry escaped the Orcbal’s lips.

Yuri bore his weight to thrust the Orcbal to the ground, withdrawing Guilty while fully slashing the abdomen apart.

Blood splattered onto Yuri’s face.

The Orcbal lay sprawled, intestines unraveling, blood pooling.

“Hoo…”

Despite the brief skirmish, Yuri had thoroughly outmaneuvered the Orcbal. Seemingly fortunate given the disadvantage in power and endurance.

The Orcbal misjudged Yuri’s true capabilities.

“Khuea…”

The Orcbal’s expression mirrored Yuri’s thoughts.

It grimaced, unable to comprehend its own gut’s exposure.

If Yuri deduced correctly, the Orcbal thought, ‘I let my guard down…’ or something similar.

“That’s your limit.”

Yuri slung Guilty over his shoulder, opting against immediate execution. He intended thorough interrogation.

Previous orc captives lacked valuable information. But an Orcbal capable of the Mana Method might hold secrets.

First, he searched its body.

No explosives were found.

Instead, several round, wooden balls emerged, imbued with peculiar mana.

What Hernando described as sorcery bombs, it seemed.

“Your Highness!”

The tardy arrival of the three knights was a familiar sight by now.

Yuri addressed them by name.

“Simon, Guinness, Dyke.”

Seeing the crumpled orc behind Yuri, their eyes widened.

“D-did you face it alone?”

“Yes.”

“Amazing.”

Knowing it as Orcbal would elicit a greater reaction, but its absence of a flag was frustrating.

Choosing not to boast, Yuri indicated modestly.

“A knight should at least handle an orc alone.”

The three coughed awkwardly.

Young knights still struggled with solo orc battles, thus they were grouped in trios.

“Given the stains, I see you’ve had your share of success.”

“Yes.”

“Well done.”

Yuri commended them.

Praises motivate even whales to dance.

“At first, I wasn’t so confident, but you’re steadily improving. It’s gratifying to witness your progress.”

The knights felt an odd sentiment.

Though younger, the prince’s approval felt akin to that of a distant superior.

Recognizing their pride, despite the awkwardness, was undeniably fulfilling.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“What for? I simply spoke the truth.”

“Yes…”

“But one must remain here to guard this creature…”

They exchanged glances, eager for more victories. This meant staying with Yuri.

Such instances required Yuri’s decision.

He appointed one.

“Simon.”

“Yes!”

“It seems you’re injured.”

“A minor wound. I assure you, I’m fine.”

“Rest nonetheless. You’re likely to worsen it otherwise.”

“Yes…”

“If it moves, stab it immediately. Your safety is paramount.”

“Understood.”

His expression shifted peculiarly.

Yuri intuitively sensed his feelings through his demeanor.

Opportunity knocked.

Yuri gently smiled.

“Simon. I’ve observed your diligence. Think long term, as I’ll rely heavily on you in the future. Ensure you avoid injury.”

Yuri recalled Simon’s background.

He was born the illegitimate child of a baron, enduring hardship, reluctantly joining the Allied Forces. All difficult tasks fell upon him.

Like floating duckweed, tossed by life’s hardships, a young man unacknowledged and abandoned.

Such individuals required gentle encouragement.

Yuri wrapped an arm around Simon’s shoulder.

“Simon. My invaluable knight.”

“Yes…”

“I command this, knowing your potential. Do you understand?”

Simon nodded.

While it seemed a trick of the light, his eyes appeared misty.

Perhaps the exposure to the elements was to blame.

 


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