They thought the Empire would invade Johannes again at any moment, but the Empire merely stationed troops at the border without showing any particular movement.
The Imperial Palace was quiet as well.
To Yuri, that silence was even more unsettling.
Jared asked,
"Will Johannes be alright?"
"Who knows."
Yuri shrugged his shoulders.
Even he wasn't sure about Johannes's safety. Being adjacent to the Empire, no one knew what might happen or when.
"Well, no need to worry too much."
But one thing was certain.
If the Empire attacked Johannes again, they too would face great difficulty.
Just as Yuri had intended, Johannes was rapidly undergoing structural reform.
Especially due to the recent war, tactics and combat methods specialized for mountain warfare had been firmly established.
They had set up their own guerrilla training camps, and fortifications were being built throughout the forest surrounding Johannes.
"Ah, you mean the guerrilla training ground in the royal capital? I heard the third batch just graduated. They say it's crazy busy over there."
"Excellent."
"Also, young people in Johannes are volunteering to enlist. Looks like the country won't be falling anytime soon."
Johannes's military was growing stronger.
It was still difficult for them to fight outside the forest, but at the very least, within the Aloy Mountains, even the Imperial Army dared not challenge them lightly.
And when the time came, they could emerge from the mountains and strike the Empire's rear.
Yuri shrugged his shoulders.
"Let's worry about ourselves now."
In his past life, the Empire had crushed Johannes and invaded the entire surrounding region.
Though the timing was earlier now, the war had practically already begun.
Just as Johannes was invaded without warning, no one knew what kind of incident might break out from now on.
Yuri's party soon arrived at a flat area covered with grass.
"Shall we rest here?"
"Yes."
Having left Johannes, Yuri's party had now reached the edge of the Aloy Mountains.
If they went a bit further, they would enter a region of small nations, and beyond that, past the Duchy of Klein, lay Briol.
"Who's on meal duty this time?"
"That would be me, Prince."
"Laurent?"
Yuri went quiet for a moment. Laurent wasn't particularly good at cooking.
"I'll make stew. Please trust me."
"Sure, stew's not too hard..."
They lit a campfire, and Laurent began using the cooking tools in his own way.
While that was happening, Jose asked Yuri,
"Your Highness."
"Hmm?"
"How did you kill Yalta?"
The group's eyes turned toward him.
Because of the news from Graham, they hadn't brought it up, but everyone had figured out that Yuri had defeated Yalta.
Yuri shrugged.
"I'm kinda strong, you know?"
"Have you already reached that level?"
"Sir Jose, even you could have beaten Yalta."
"I'm not so sure..."
"I'm telling you, if it had gone to the end, you would've won."
Yuri didn't think much of Yalta.
His notorious reputation was exaggerated due to his brutality and reckless killing, but he wasn't strong enough to truly belong among the ten strongest.
It would've been a struggle, but Jose would've defeated him eventually.
"He was just a pathetic bastard."
Jared whistled.
"Anyway, does that mean you're one of the ten strongest now, Prince?"
"No."
"But you defeated him?"
"I don't intend to reveal that. That's why we made it look like he died fighting Sir Graham."
"Then will they pick a new one?"
"Probably."
The ten strongest weren't officially appointed by anyone, but rather naturally established through public perception.
Usually, the one who killed a current member would take their place.
But since both Yalta and his final opponent, Graham, were dead, there was a need to select a new member.
Yuri grinned.
"It'll probably be Sir Jose."
Jose's skill was already widely known.
There were many powerful figures expected to become part of the next generation's ten strongest—such as the Empire's knight order commanders or the Holy Kingdom's paladin commanders—but Jose was the most renowned.
Jose shook his head.
"I sincerely hope not. That would be embarrassing."
"Why?"
"How could I be one of the ten strongest when the man who killed Yalta is right beside me? Hahaha..."
"Then just work harder so it's not embarrassing. Shall we have a spar for old time's sake?"
"Shall we?"
"Let's eat first."
"Yes."
As the two chuckled and talked, Laurent, who was stirring the stew beside them, let out a sigh.
Jared tilted his head.
"What's wrong, Sir Laurent?"
"It's nothing."
Laurent smiled bitterly.
"Watching you two, I feel like I've fallen behind. I'm not sure I'm being any help to the Prince."
"Don't say that."
"I can't even cook well..."
"Th-that's sudden?"
Jared shrugged.
"Sir Laurent. Look at me. I'm supposed to be the Prince's bodyguard, but I've never properly guarded him. Honestly, the Prince has saved me more times than I can count. If you're feeling that bad about yourself, I should just go jump off a cliff."
"Now that you say it, that's true."
"That's not something you agree with so readily."
"Shall we spar too later?"
"I'd love to."
Laurent smiled as he stirred the stew with a ladle. But his heart was uneasy.
He wanted to support the Third Prince and be his strength, but he couldn't shake the doubt in his own ability.
The gap was growing wider with each passing day.
At this rate, he might end up being a burden.
"Hmm..."
There was no other way. All he could do was continue training.
Like the sculptor With from Johannes had said, if he kept wishing and working hard every day, it would come true one day.
"It's ready."
Laurent distributed the stew, each bowl with a chunk of meat.
As he handed a bowl to Inariel, he paused for a moment.
"Lady Inariel, do you eat this too?"
"Why?"
"Well..."
He had this impression that elves only ate vegetables.
But Inariel nonchalantly began eating the stew.
"Is it weird for an elf to eat meat?"
"I was just worried, in case you didn't."
"I do."
Inariel gently cut the tender meat with her spoon and chewed it slowly.
"Elves aren't cows. Of course we don't only eat plants."
"I see."
Laurent had learned something new: elves are omnivores, just like humans.
"You're Laurent, right?"
"Yes."
"No need to rush."
Laurent blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed that his thoughts had been seen through.
Inariel set down her bowl and spoke.
"Or rather, that prince is just running too fast."
"Excuse me?"
With a faint smile on her lips, Inariel said to Laurent,
"So don't fret. Just being by that kid's side is already enough of a help."
"Yes, thank you."
"Good."
With that, Inariel fell silent again.
Though she appeared to be a youth, she had lived far longer.
Perhaps the word "old" didn't suit her because she was an elf, but it was clear that she had a wealth of experience.
And maybe that's why her words were strangely comforting.
As he nodded while reflecting on her words, Laurent noticed that Inariel had stopped eating and once again sank into self-doubt.
***
After finishing their meal and a sudden sparring session, Yuri's group decided not to move and continued resting.
The situation with Johannes had wrapped up better than expected, giving them some breathing room.
Yuri approached Inariel, who stood silently watching the forest.
Inariel looked at him.
"Lady Inariel, about that thing, has there been any progress?"
Since they had encountered each other during the battle with Yalta, Yuri and Inariel hadn't had the chance to talk until now.
Ernando and Inariel had left to investigate the parchment.
Now that they were back, it seemed they might have found something.
"The parchment, you mean?"
"Yes."
"Ernando is still looking into it. He said something should come out soon."
"I see."
"..."
"Is that your answer?"
"Yes."
"Did you, by any chance, not find anything at all, Lady Inariel…?"
"Nothing."
"Ah, I see…"
Yuri was deeply disappointed.
Inariel spoke.
"But I did come to agree that this is no ordinary matter."
"Is that so?"
"Yuri Briol."
Inariel called him.
"You may not know, but powerful mages cannot use their magic freely."
"Excuse me?"
"Those granted magic by the world carry just as many restrictions."
"The mages I know throw fireballs around all the time though?"
"That is crude magic."
"There's something beyond that?"
Inariel curled her lips into a smile.
"I'll let your imagination answer that."
"I see."
"But the thing is, last time, there was no such restriction."
"Sorry?"
"I summoned rain. Such powerful magic usually comes with constraints."
"Just rain?"
At Yuri's words, Inariel frowned.
"I summoned rain where there was none. Do you think a spell that defies the natural order is something so trivial?"
"Now that you mention it, it makes sense."
"But it worked."
Normally, a Grand Mage cannot interfere in human history.
But at that time, Inariel had felt no restriction.
In fact, it even felt as if the world was urging him to use magic.
Just like how a butterfly's wings can stir up a typhoon, magic that alters the weather can bring about unknown consequences in the world.
And yet, the world allowed his intervention.
Inariel reflected on what that meant, and eventually came to face a heavy truth.
"The rules are breaking down."
The reason Grand Mages are not allowed to intervene is that their actions can disrupt the flow of the world.
Then what of the opposite?
"Black magic is not a force that belongs to this world."
Exactly.
When he summoned rain, it wasn't interference—it was restoration of order.
"The one who set the fire."
"Yalta?"
"That savage was probably already tainted by black magic."
"Yes, he was."
Yuri nodded.
When they dueled in the burning forest, he had sensed a black energy coiled inside Yalta.
"A creature like that started the fire, so of course it was a disruption in the natural flow."
That was why the world desired rain.
And the implications of this were enormous.
Just how dangerous black magic was.
And what kind of threat the world was now facing.
As a Grand Mage and one of the ten strongest, as an elf, he could feel it in his very skin.
This wasn't just another of those endless wars among mortals, of killing and being killed.
Left unchecked, the world itself might be broken.
Yuri shrugged.
"Well, that's good then."
"What?"
"Doesn't that mean you can now fight more properly, Lady Inariel?"
"Well..."
"If there's anyone involved with black magic, just incinerate them with a fireball. Ernando might get stronger too? Should we go bomb the Imperial Palace? How far can you go?"
Seeing Yuri speak so lightly, Inariel couldn't help but laugh.
It wasn't that he didn't understand what had been said.
If anything, it was this brash young human prince who was most wary of black magic.
Before he stepped up to confront that dark power, not even Inariel himself—or anyone else—had truly fought against it, or even recognized how dangerous it was.
So this attitude wasn't born of ignorance, but from an innate cheerfulness.
"Sure. I'll consider it."
Even Inariel himself had been consumed by grave concerns, yet here was the one most deeply involved, maintaining such a positive outlook.
Strangely, Inariel felt his heart lighten.
Though it bruised his pride that a much younger boy had changed his mood, it was the truth.
Somehow, it felt like that kid might just pull it off.
What black magic welcomes is despair, and what it fears is hope.
Inariel opened his mouth.
"That aside, what's your relationship with Mariloz?"
"Excuse me?"
"She said some odd things about you..."
"You know Mariloz?"
"Someone like me knows most mages worth their salt."
"I don't know what she said, but I'd rather not hear it. Is she doing well with the parchment?"
"Hmm..."
"What is it?"
"Do you have something going on with Ekaterina, by any chance?"
"E-Eh? Eh??"
"You're even more flustered."
"Wh-why are you suddenly bringing that woman up?"
"Mariloz told me to ask."
"Excuse me?"
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