The continent was on edge.
The Empire was showing unusual movements. Military drills were becoming frequent, and a large-scale inspection of supplies and equipment had begun.
High-ranking nobles and key knights were seen entering and leaving the Imperial Palace.
To anyone watching, it was clear—they were preparing for something.
Perhaps, the war the Empire had waged with Yoheim was merely the prelude.
Or so the newspaper article claimed.
"Hmm…"
Yuri, sitting with his legs crossed while reading the paper, let out a sigh.
"What is happening to the world. Truly, there's never a quiet day."
Then he flipped the page. This time, a social issue was featured.
"Ugh… What's going to happen to this country…"
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
As he folded the newspaper, Yuri spoke.
"Come in."
Yuri was currently seated in the VIP room of the Rein Company's branch in the Duchy of Klein, waiting to receive a letter sent by Rein.
While waiting, he'd been reading the newspaper provided, and had gotten a rough idea of the current state of the continent.
A man entered and bowed politely. He was tall and had a neat appearance.
"My name is Garfield. I'm the branch manager."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"I apologize for the wait."
"It's fine."
As Yuri accepted the letter, he suddenly glanced at the man.
The Duchy of Klein was not a large city-state, but it was economically prosperous, and the branch of the Rein Company here was also sizable. For that reason, this branch held considerable importance within the company.
The man named Garfield, assigned as the branch manager, was likely someone whose capabilities had been recognized by Rein. Rein had a good eye for people.
"Did you say your name was Garfield?"
"Yes."
"I'm curious about your thoughts. What do you think of the Empire's recent actions?"
"The Empire, huh…"
Garfield chose his words carefully.
"I find it deeply concerning."
"In what way?"
"I wonder if they're preparing for war…"
"That's what I thought."
"Yes."
"Go on, explain more."
"Most people say it's just about Yoheim, but I don't think it'll stop there. The Empire is more than capable. Their recent movements are too blatant."
"If it won't stop there?"
"They might go to war with another country. The Empire has more than enough capacity."
Even the army stationed before Yoheim alone was powerful enough to crush a decent-sized nation, and yet that was merely a fraction of the Empire's full strength.
They had more than enough force to expand the battlefield at will.
Even the infamous Imperial Knight Orders, known by their numbers, extended into double digits.
"I see."
Yuri nodded as he tore open the envelope.
"Do the other staff share similar opinions?"
"Quite a few are worried."
"I see. Understood."
In many ways, things were different from his past life.
Back then, war had erupted without warning.
Everything happened so suddenly.
But this time, Yoheim had bought them time, allowing people to detect the Empire's suspicious movements and remain alert.
Events that everyone worried about rarely happened.
Surprise attacks were most effective when no one was prepared.
In that regard, the current situation was far better than in his previous life.
Garfield bowed his head.
"Then I'll take my leave. Please rest comfortably."
"Thank you."
He stepped aside so Yuri could read the letter in peace.
Yuri read the letter sent by Rein.
"Hmm…"
Various matters were written.
First, the exotic artifacts brought from the East had been sold very successfully.
The Empire's nobles were ecstatic about the unfamiliar foreign items, and Rein was, quite literally, raking in money by the handful.
Yuri smiled contentedly.
The harder Rein worked, the more wealth accumulated for Yuri, the major shareholder.
"Excellent. That's Rein for you."
He flipped the letter.
Next, there was news about Asana and Gorio.
"Oh…"
The three who had once fled the palace and formed a bond had come to know of each other again, as Yuri began engaging in various endeavors.
Originally, Asana and Gorio didn't get along well, while Rein had maintained a decent relationship with the other two.
However, it seemed that Asana and Gorio had somewhat mended their relationship this time.
When they helped save the Yoheim people being persecuted in the Imperial Capital, Gorio had played a role, and Asana had helped him.
"I've managed to change someone."
Above all else, Yuri felt a sense of pride knowing Gorio had acted that way.
In his past life, Gorio had not been a very good person.
"Well, if he hadn't changed, I'd have killed him by now anyway."
Yuri flipped the page again. Within Rein's letter was a smaller, sealed note—this one sent by Asana.
Opening it, he found a report of what she had seen in the Imperial Palace.
Yuri's expression hardened.
The Emperor certainly seemed to have developed mental issues.
Perhaps he too was a victim. It was highly likely that Eugen had tampered with the Emperor's mind.
Black magic had taken hold of the Imperial Palace, and there was no way to deal with it—how unfortunate.
"Phew…"
Asana said she would remain in the Imperial Capital and keep observing the palace whenever an opportunity arose.
Though Yuri wasn't comfortable with it, the current situation on the continent was too urgent for him to stop her.
He returned to Rein's letter.
She usually wrote with clarity, but this time, there was a vague passage.
"What's this?"
She suddenly mentioned having made an interesting friend, promising to introduce them later. Apparently, she was gaining a lot of information thanks to this friend and told Yuri to at least buy them a meal next time.
"Why should I buy the meal for your friend?"
With a sense of foreboding, Yuri flipped the page again.
What followed was a collection of minor status updates.
After reading everything, Yuri drew the Flame-Seal Sword (화인검) from his robes and burned the letter to ashes.
He opened the window and let the ashes scatter into the wind.
"All done."
Yuri stepped out of the VIP room. Garfield was waiting to greet him.
"Thank you for your visit."
"Thanks to you, I had a pleasant rest."
"It was an honor to serve you."
Rein possessed many abilities, one of which was her keen eye for talent. Garfield seemed to be a capable employee. Even with just a short visit, it was clear this branch was running smoothly.
Yuri patted him on the shoulder.
"See you again."
"Yes."
After exchanging farewells, Yuri left the Rein Company.
Outside, there was a shop directly run by the Rein Company, where citizens were browsing through the merchandise.
It was a peaceful scene.
As he was watching, someone's voice suddenly reached his ears.
"You are…"
Yuri turned his head. A woman stood there, staring blankly at him.
It was a face he didn't recognize.
"Me?"
"You're the Third Prince of Briol, right?"
There was no need to hide his identity near Briol, so Yuri had been going about with his face uncovered.
Thanks to a magazine published by the Empire, his face had become widely known, and now, even in the Duchy of Klein, it seemed people recognized him.
Yuri nodded.
"That's right. I am Yuri Briol. And you are?"
But her reaction was more intense than expected.
The woman approached him, took both his hands, and lowered her head.
"Hello. To meet you like this here—what a coincidence. I'm truly glad to see you, Your Highness."
Her voice was tinged with emotion.
Yuri knew his popularity had grown since the magazine was published, but he hadn't expected someone to react this emotionally, and he was caught off guard.
"Uh?"
"It's an honor to meet you again. I wanted to thank you back then…"
As the woman began to choke up, Yuri became flustered.
The gazes around them were growing unpleasant.
Citizens of the Duchy of Klein clicked their tongues.
"That young man made a woman cry…"
"Just because he's got a pretty face, he must've fooled around."
"Pathetic…"
"His own eyes will be crying blood one day."
Yuri felt wronged.
Wasn't that kind of interpretation a bit narrow-minded?
There were plenty of other scenarios—like long-lost siblings reuniting, or meeting someone who once saved your life.
"Um, if you keep crying like that, I think I'm going to get in trouble."
"Oh, yes. I'm sorry."
The woman wiped her tears and smiled.
She looked rather plain. If they had ever interacted even briefly, Yuri wouldn't have forgotten, yet he had no recollection. Still, she clearly knew him.
"You must be surprised."
"A little."
"I suddenly remembered the past…"
"You know me?"
"Your Highness probably doesn't know me."
Yuri felt relieved.
"I see. I understand."
Still, he didn't feel right about just sending her away. Yuri glanced around.
"Would you care to chat over a cup of coffee?"
There was a quiet little café nearby with outdoor tables and chairs where they could talk freely.
Yuri bought two drinks and sat with her.
"Thank you. You even bought me coffee…"
"It's just a cup."
He was a prince. He was also a major shareholder of the Rein Company. He had money.
"So then, how do you know me?"
"Well…"
Her face darkened slightly. After hesitating a moment, she spoke.
"When the Allied Army rescued us…"
The moment he heard that, Yuri understood immediately.
"Ah, I see."
"Yes…"
She had been one of the victims captured by orcs.
The Duchy of Klein, which shared a border with Briol across the plains, frequently suffered damage from orc attacks. Before the Allied Army launched their campaign against the orcs, many people had been abducted.
"If it hadn't been for you, Your Highness, I never would've escaped that place."
"I didn't do it alone. The Allied Army did it together."
"But Your Highness played a big part."
"Is that so."
Her name was Joan. Yuri asked,
"I'm glad you seem to be doing well. How's life?"
"It's good. I'm working at the shop my parents run."
"Is business going well?"
"It's doing alright."
Yuri chatted with Joan about small, everyday things.
"Are you in contact with the others?"
"Just a few."
"How are they doing?"
"Well, you know. Some are doing well, some aren't. It can't be helped…"
Being abducted by orcs was never a pleasant experience. It could haunt a victim mentally for the rest of their life.
Yuri threw in a few jokes to lighten the mood, and soon, her expression brightened again.
"People used to avoid me at first, but now it's fine. Time really does heal all things."
"That's a relief."
"Come to think of it, I had a friend from Briol, but we lost contact after returning. It's a shame. I wanted to exchange letters. We were really close."
"Your friend's probably busy, trying hard to live their life."
"You think so?"
"If you both live well, you'll meet again someday."
"Yes."
When their conversation ended, the two stood up from the café.
Joan said,
"Looking back, it feels like a miracle. Running into Your Highness on the street, having coffee together, chatting like this…"
"Spread the word about what a great guy I am."
"Hehe, I will."
"If fate allows, we'll meet again someday."
"Yes. Farewell."
After their brief encounter, the two exchanged farewells and parted ways.
Yuri watched her back as she walked away for a while.
In his past life, he had never known about the stories of those captured by orcs.
What had happened to Joan in his previous life?
She probably didn't last long and died.
That sacrifice had meant nothing.
There wouldn't have been even a single line about her in any historical record—so many victims simply disappeared.
And it was the same with the rise of the Empire.
If the Empire wasn't stopped, countless people would die, forgotten like Joan in his past life.
"My shoulders feel heavy."
Yuri muttered as he turned away.
When he returned to Briol, he would have to establish a foundation for the victims of the orcs. Tying it with the Allied Army Veterans' Association didn't seem like a bad idea.
"There's a lot to do."
Yuri chuckled to himself.
Would his efforts also be remembered in history?
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