The knights of Briol did not know much about Yuri, but Yuri knew them well.
They were comrades with whom he had fought side by side, faces pressed together in countless battles, in his previous life.
In other words, they were brothers-in-arms who had shared blood.
So, when Yuri saw them, he sometimes found himself smiling for no reason.
"Sir Einzer."
"Yes."
"Cut back on refined grains, and increase the portion of meat and vegetables. No, in your case, since you already eat plenty of meat, increase the vegetables instead."
"I can only feel strong when my stomach is full of bread."
"That's just in your head. If you do as I say, your body will feel lighter and more refreshed. That belly fat."
Yuri tapped his belly twice.
Even the easygoing Einzer was flustered by Yuri's unabashed behavior.
"Don't you think you should get rid of this?"
"W-well, should I?"
"Yes. People often overlook it, but a knight's diet is a very important part of his training."
"I will keep that in mind."
They were looking out from the ramparts at the approaching Imperial army.
Though they were having a casual conversation, in truth, the battle was right before them.
"Tonight's dinner will be those Imperial bastards, though."
"Hahaha, that's right."
Einzer laughed like that, but was watching Yuri out of the corner of his eye.
No matter how seasoned a knight might be, it was natural to feel tension before a war,
all the more so when the enemy was strong.
And this time, the opponent was none other than the Empire.
Yet this third prince showed no sign of fear.
Rather, he was making jokes to ease the tension, as if he were a knight with even more experience than himself.
Scratching his cheek, Einzer asked,
"When will His Majesty arrive?"
"I heard he's on his way. Seems he has something to take care of."
Yuri did not know the exact details either. Fiore had postponed departure, saying she had something to do with Cedric.
Suddenly, Laurent's hint came to mind.
He had been strangely wary of Cedric.
Yet Laurent himself could not give a precise reason.
Though Laurent's words did make him curious, Yuri could not allow himself to be swayed by mere feelings or baseless speculation.
The Cedric Yuri knew was always someone he could trust.
"So, if we just hold out for this battle, Father will take care of the rest."
"I see."
Einzer nodded.
"As long as we survive today, everything will be resolved."
"That's it."
"Good. I like that."
Then Einzer turned around.
Knights were lined up along the wall, and behind them, soldiers stood gripping their weapons with tense faces.
Yuri, pointing out even the smallest details, revealed his knowledge of siege defense.
Thanks to that, they had set up a defense capable of holding even if the enemy outnumbered them several times over.
Bezos was now an impregnable fortress.
"They're all tense."
"Then you should give them a shout."
"Do I have your permission to do that?"
"If not you, then who?"
"Why don't you do it, Prince?"
"I'm more suited to being a kind commander. The fierce commander role is yours."
"Oh, but I don't want to be hated either."
"Then it can't be helped."
Yuri fixed his gaze on the markers he had set up in advance.
Through repeated training, they had perfectly memorized the range of their arrows.
Once the enemy reached the marked point, a rain of arrows would be unleashed.
Of course, against knights who were already prepared, it would not cause great casualties,
but it was necessary to disturb the enemy's focus even a little.
Small details made a big difference.
Every time swords crossed, the price paid was life itself.
That was why even the smallest matters had to be arranged with full effort.
That was war.
"The enemy is coming."
Yuri spoke.
The place where he stood was one of the four gates of Bezos, the one where the largest number of enemies had gathered. From the enemy camp, the flag of the Black Knights was fluttering.
It was obvious that the fiercest battle would take place here.
From the perspective of the soldiers stationed there, they might have felt they had drawn the short straw.
Yuri spoke in a cheerful tone,
"Do you think you're unlucky?"
In the silence before the battle, his voice echoed atop the wall.
Yuri continued,
"Why this sector, of all places? Or why the Empire, of all enemies? Or perhaps, why did you even pick up a sword and become a soldier? Should've just stayed farming, right?"
The soldiers chuckled at that.
Yuri stepped forward and leapt lightly onto the parapet, standing tall.
His black hair fluttered in the wind.
Yuri turned, showing his back to the enemy and his front to his allies.
And he said,
"If you're thinking that way, drop it. Regret will not be ours. The ones who will regret are the Imperial bastards who will die to us today!"
Then he pointed at one soldier.
"You there, what's your name?"
"Noah, sir!"
"Alright, Noah. How many do you plan to kill today?"
"Uh, well…"
"How many?"
"A-at least two!"
"Only two?"
"N-no! Three! Even if I die, I'll make sure at least three of them die with me!"
"That's the spirit!"
Yuri pointed toward the Imperial army behind him.
"They're the ones who'll regret it! Those three will close their eyes wondering why they had the misfortune of running into a crazy bastard like Noah today! Isn't that right, Noah?"
"That's right!"
The soldiers cheered.
"The rest of you, the same! By tonight, those bastards will curse their Emperor, wondering why they had to fight the mad dogs of Briol! Those weaklings will find out just how nasty we Briol men can be!"
The cheers grew louder.
That roar spread beyond the gates, infecting the soldiers stationed in other areas of Bezos.
The entire fortress boiled with excitement.
Suddenly, from the Imperial side, a standard-bearer approached.
It was a formality, delivering a final warning.
Yuri shouted again,
"Look there! Those gentlemanly Imperial lords have politely sent an envoy! What, probably here to ask about surrender…"
Yuri leapt down, snatched a bow and arrow from a soldier, and sprang back onto the parapet.
Then he shot the standard-bearer dead.
The startled horse, dragging the corpse, returned to the Imperial camp.
"This is our answer!" Yuri roared.
The soldiers erupted in fervor.
"That bastard who just died probably cursed the heavens, wondering why a lunatic like Yuri Briol happened to be the commander here in Bezos! So drop your weak thoughts! Make those Imperial bastards cry and regret facing us!"
The Imperial army immediately blew their war horns.
The army began to advance.
Soldiers with shields took the lead, followed by troops with spring-loaded leaping gear.
On one side, a massive battering ram approached under heavy guard.
"Alright, everyone, prepare!"
Yuri's voice rang out clearly over the entire wall. At the same time, the standard-bearers at each station moved their flags.
The signals were relayed in perfect order, and archers across the wall nocked their arrows and raised them toward the sky.
Yuri glanced back.
High atop the spires, knights trained in archery lay hidden, waiting.
From the start to the end of the battle, they would focus solely on targeting enemy commanders.
"Hold."
At Yuri's low command, the soldiers with flags passed on the signal.
They held their breath.
A moment of imminent eruption passed.
The Imperial army reached the marker.
But Yuri did not give the order.
"Hold, hold, hold…"
He muttered lowly, eyes fixed on the enemy lines.
Right now, even if they loosed the arrows, the effect would not be great.
Yuri waited for the optimal moment.
Everyone was tense. They wanted to release the arrows right away, but Yuri's permission had not come.
And then, in a certain moment—
"Now."
The instant he spoke, the flags shot up.
The orders spread instantly, and the archers on the wall let their strings go all at once.
Arrows traced arcs through the sky and plunged down upon the enemy's heads.
Some enemies raised shields to block them, but they could not completely stop the arrows that slipped through.
Blood was spilled.
The war had begun.
"Alright, it's war!"
Yuri shouted as he leapt back onto the parapet.
"Prince, it's dangerous,"
said Jared, who had been guarding him from behind. But Yuri paid no mind.
"It should be dangerous. That's what war is."
His tone even sounded amused.
Soon, arrows came up from below to meet them.
When Yuri swung Guilty, a shield-shaped sword aura rose and deflected them all.
Arrows flying in from the flanks were blocked by the knights and shield-bearing soldiers who had been waiting.
There were no casualties yet.
Arrows continued to be exchanged from both sides.
The Briol forces above had the advantage, but the Imperial army far outnumbered them.
Even as they took losses from the arrows, the Imperial army persistently pressed forward.
Soon, the leaping devices were set in place.
"Stop them!"
Yuri shouted, but the Empire had prepared well, so it was of little effect.
Imperial knights came charging in formation, stepping onto the leaping devices, using the rebound to launch themselves into the air.
"Prepare!"
Yuri shouted.
Imperial knights soon soared through the sky.
Yuri could see their faces clearly, as if time had stopped — faces bearing both surprise at the flight and tension for the battle ahead.
He had just told the soldiers they would make the enemy regret this.
He put it into practice immediately.
The knight who happened to leap toward him, Yuri struck down with his sword.
Though not easy due to momentum, he managed to break the enemy's balance. The knight was pushed back into the parapet, and Yuri kicked him, trying to send him completely over.
"Uaaaaah!"
The knight screamed, hooking his arms over the parapet to hang on.
Looking into the man's eyes, Yuri drove Guilty straight into the gap of his helmet.
Blood sprayed, and the knight plummeted.
"Kill them all!"
Side by side with the knights of Briol, Yuri fought atop the wall against the incoming enemy.
Not many could attempt such leaps. Yet among those knights, some were holding hooks with thick ropes attached.
They were trying to set up lines for others to climb.
Yuri went to the parapet and looked down.
While knights were engaging them, other enemy troops were already climbing up.
Laurent, standing beside him, stepped closer.
"Prince?"
"I'll cut it."
Just as Yuri moved to slash the rope, an Imperial knight lunged at him.
But Einzer Eustam cut the man down.
"Are they climbing up?"
"Yes."
Yuri channeled sword aura into Guilty and slashed the rope.
The ones climbing fell straight down.
But this wasn't enough. Ropes were hooked all over the wall, and Imperial troops were climbing in several places.
"Good."
Above, arrows poured down, at the sides sword-light flashed, below enemy soldiers swarmed upward like ants, and the battering ram pounded at the gate with regular, thunderous blows.
It was, in every sense, a scene of carnage.
This was war.
Again, Imperial knights flew over.
Some even overshot, landing past the wall entirely.
In such cases, most either died or were injured from falling from too great a height without landing properly.
"Where do you think you're coming?"
"This is our fortress, Imperial bastard!"
Perhaps thanks to Yuri raising morale before the battle, the knights of Briol shouted as they pushed back the Imperials.
The battle raged on.
Yuri continued to face the knights leaping toward the wall.
"What about the other gates?"
"They're holding out well."
"Good…"
At that moment, an Imperial knight came soaring straight at Yuri.
Landing neatly on the narrow parapet, his movements were clean.
Yuri instinctively realized the man was a formidable opponent.
"You must be Yuri Briol."
"And you are?"
"Commander of the 8th Knight Order, Armut."
The moment introductions ended, he rushed at Yuri.
One swing of his sword sent sword aura surging in all directions.
It swept over not only Yuri, but the knights beside him as well.
A space just for the two of them opened atop the wall.
"I will kill you and take this fortress."
"Oh? Try it if you—"
It was then.
A knight of Briol jumped in.
"Who the hell are you to lay a hand on the Prince? Some punk like you?"
If Yuri recalled, the man was a baron from some provincial territory.
Winking at Yuri, he shouted,
"In Briol, we—!"
He charged at the Commander of the 8th Knight Order in Yuri's place.
"Titles mean nothing! Who do you think you are, going after the Prince!"
He clashed with the commander.
So fierce was his momentum that it was plain to see the commander being driven back in surprise.
Even after several exchanges of blows, neither side gained the upper hand.
Yuri asked Laurent,
"What's that baron's name?"
"Moren Eshu? Moren Edu? Something like that…"
"How is he fighting that well?"
"Indeed, his skill is considerable."
Yuri nodded and looked around.
"Hmm…"
It felt different, fresh.
Compared to his previous life, they were fighting far better — so much so that he wondered if Briol had always been this strong.
One of Briol's knights raised his sword and shouted,
"Briol!"
From all sides, the roar burst forth.
"Briol!"
"Briooool!"
"For Briol!"
Imperial knights were shoved from the parapet and fell to the ground.
Those barely climbing up were kicked in the chest and sent flying, and even those leaping in through the air were quickly seized by Briol's knights and dragged into brutal combat.
"Die, Imperial bastard!"
An Imperial knight collapsed.
Yuri, watching, grinned and once again lifted Guilty, facing forward.
It was not yet time to relax.
The war had only just begun.
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