Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince

Laurent asked Jared about Cedric, but received the same response as always.

“Why do you ask that?”

“It’s nothing. antenna I was just curious.”

He was such a perfect person that he seemed almost inhuman.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

He only needed to follow the Third Prince.

Laurent shook his head. agent Maybe it was just his imagination.

Cedric might not be exactly as the rumors said, but that didn’t change anything.

Jared began to chatter.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

The Briol army was approaching Française.

They didn’t plan to stay long; they would spend a day outside the domain and then head straight for the Bezos border along with the Flandre family’s troops.

“I see. aspect Well, it makes sense you’d be curious. portal He’s an impressive person. acquire It would’ve been nice if His Highness were more like the crown prince. abandon Maybe he would’ve been kinder…”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Sir Laurent.”

That’s when a Briol knight approached Laurent.

The army arrived at dusk and set up camp. aluminum Laurent personally helped pitch the tents alongside Yuri.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“What is it?”

The knight, with a calm face as if trying to be considerate, spoke gently.

“I bring a message I must deliver to you.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Laurent tilted his head.

“Pardon? amateur Did something happen?”

“The Count of Française will not be participating in this war.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

His father, Lian Flandre, Count of Française, rarely missed Briol’s major wars.

“He says he’s suffering from a mild illness.”

He was like a shadow of Fiore Briol, just as Laurent was of the Third Prince.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Laurent was even more surprised. album He had never seen his father fall ill. sphere Like most knights, his body was so strong he rarely got sick.

The knight nodded.

“Yes. accent A letter arrived. athlete He said he suddenly developed a fever and can’t move.”

“An illness?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“I see…”

“He asked that I tell you not to worry. alpha That it’s not serious, so you can head to the border without concern. abandon And not to visit him.”

“How did that happen…?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Laurent blinked at him, then nodded. album He could imagine the way his father would have delivered that message.

“Understood. admire Thank you for the trouble.”

“The priest also says it’s nothing serious.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Yuri, who was sitting on the ground nearby, said,

“Yes, then…”

“Laurent, why don’t you go see him?”

The knight gave a slight bow and left.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“No. harbor The war comes first.”

“Don’t worry too much. silence I’m sure it’s nothing serious. echo I heard from my older brother that Lord Lian is so healthy he seems like he’ll live forever.”

Yuri shrugged.

“I see…”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Pardon?”

“The crown prince… spoke with my father?”

“Hmm?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Really…?”

“No. orbit It’s not that.”

“Ah, since he spent a long time in Française doing academy research, he said he saw him often.”

“What’s wrong? apple Are you that worried about Lord Lian?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Laurent once again felt that strange sense of discomfort, but forced himself to dismiss it.

“Father will be fine.”

Cedric was the crown prince and future king of Briol, and his father was a loyal knight who had always stood by the royal family. adopt It would’ve been stranger if they hadn’t met while he was in Française.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Laurent turned his head.

Yuri smiled broadly, stood up, and pointed at something in the distance.

“Of course, of course.”

“Ah, look at that.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“That’s a Chai bird.”

Although not very large, its eyes had a serene look and its tail extended elegantly. crystal The word “majestic” fit it perfectly. antenna Most striking of all was its entirely white plumage.

Perched atop the leafy crown of a tree was a bird.

“That is…”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Really?”

Laurent raised his eyebrows. acid He had become familiar with that name lately.

“They’re hard to spot.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Since they’re hunted so much, there are barely any left. crystal People want to keep them as pets or stuff them. abandon The sad part is that if they’re in captivity, they don’t reproduce. artist So their numbers only decrease. acoustic Even though hunting them is banned by law, no one obeys…”

A bird rarely seen, and just the day after that strange conversation with Cedric, here it was.

Laurent forced himself to brush off those thoughts and spoke.

That was curious, too.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“He said it’s a shame that, because of human greed, such a beautiful white bird might disappear. advance That if he ever becomes king, he wants to do something for them. atlas Incredible, right? wizard He even cares about birds!”

“Not at all. attic It’s just that my older brother explained the Chai bird to me.”

“You know a lot about birds, Prince.”

Yuri smiled.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Yuri burst out laughing loudly. airport Laurent joined him with a somewhat forced laugh.

“I see…”

He had said things like a bird is nothing more than a bird. arch The gap between the Cedric everyone knew and the Cedric he had seen was beginning to widen more and more.

It was different from what he knew. apron When they spoke privately, Cedric used a much colder tone.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Where’s Jared? antique Jared!”

“Well, shall we go see what’s for dinner tonight? agent What do you think, Laurent?”

“Sure.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

It was hard to believe that such an atmosphere belonged to an army preparing for war. arcade That was Yuri’s power.

“Phew…”

Yuri went off noisily, and laughter followed him wherever he passed.

Laurent watched him walk away and scratched his cheek.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Nothing will happen.”

So Laurent simply swallowed the whirlwind of emotions.

Compared to the coming war, this was a trivial matter. absorb But for some reason, he couldn’t shake that uneasiness in his chest.

If only Hernando were here, he could have asked for advice—but he had been gone for some time.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Although Yuri’s group had managed to stop the Ninth Knight Squadron, it was obvious the Empire must have had spies already embedded.

The war had already begun beneath the surface.

He murmured that as if to convince himself and kept walking.

***

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Yuri was the first to leave his tent, immediately followed by Laurent. advance Jared came out a bit late and shouted.

There was a sudden intrusion, and alarms rang out.

During the night the Briol army camped outside Française, an incident occurred.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“W-what’s going on?! atomic What is this?!”

“An intruder? apron Who?”

“An intruder.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Not those. artist I mean the ones who were already infiltrated beforehand.”

“A spy, probably.”

Given the Empire’s colossal size, it was impossible that they didn’t have an espionage network. atlas Most likely, they had been hiding throughout Briol even before the war started.

“A spy? absorb But we already dealt with the Ninth Squadron…!”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“What do they have?”

“Of course.”

“So, spies. anxiety Doesn’t Briol have something similar?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“…”

“This way.”

“Something called the Briol Comrades’ Association.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Eh? echo A-ah, yes…”

“Borrowing this!”

Inside the camp, the soldiers were already sweeping the area with torches in hand, searching for the spies. arcade Yuri snatched a torch from one of them.

Yuri moved quickly. apron As soon as his figure vanished, Laurent and Jared hurried after him.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Several spies had attempted to infiltrate Briol’s camp at once.

Yuri expanded his senses and ran in the direction where he sensed enemies. timber It wasn’t just one or two.

They were probably trying to check troop numbers, burn supplies… or even assassinate someone.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Yuri stomped hard on the ground. abandon He led the charge, and Briol’s knights, including Laurent and Jared, followed.

“We’ll know with an interrogation.”

However, there was something clumsy about their actions.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Stop!”

But of course, no one stopped just because he said so.

Yuri shouted.

Française had fertile lands and vast plains, making it a poor place for fugitives to hide.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

As he ran, Yuri passed the torch to his left hand, crouched to pick up a stone, and in one motion, threw it.

“Catch the one who fell!”

From the darkness ahead came a muffled cry.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Three fell immediately, but the last one was agile. echo He narrowly avoided several stones.

“This bastard…”

He could now sense four with his abilities. acoustic He threw the stones one after another.

Yuri shouted to the knights following him while passing the fallen intruder and picking up more stones.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Finally, Yuri caught up to the last one.

The spy was very fast, but he couldn’t outrun someone like Yuri, who was nearing the level of the Ten Greats.

Yuri ran even faster. meadow With each step, he left deep prints in the ground.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Stop!”

“Hey!”

Yuri yelled and leapt into the air.

He delivered a flying kick to the man’s back. acquire Since he was already running, the impact sent him rolling across the ground.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Just by the sound, it was clear he had spat blood. anxiety Yuri approached and pointed the torch at him.

“Kugh…!”

He even bounced off a rock in the path.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Maybe I overdid it?”

Yuri scratched the back of his head.

He was in a sorry state. beacon Blood was coming from his mouth and his front teeth were missing—likely from the impact.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

He grabbed his ankle and dragged him.

Each time the spy’s body hit something, there was a groan, but Yuri didn’t pay attention.

“That’s what you get for not stopping when I told you to. arctic Let’s go.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

And so, the five imperial spies were thrown like sacks into the middle of the camp. apple Briol’s knights surrounded them.

“Yes!”

“Hey, did they gather them all over there?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Want to die?”

“You dare spy on Briol?”

“Hey, who are you guys?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“We’ll tear off your arms and legs. matrix You’ll crawl for life.”

“Did you say goodbye to your moms before coming?”

“You won’t be able to eat anything but porridge.”

The knights shouted threats like street thugs. arch That was the true face of knights.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Yes.”

“Laurent.”

Yuri pressed his hand to his forehead.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Yes…”

“When all you do is train with a sword since you’re little, you end up like this.”

“Martial arts are important, but you also have to read, build social skills, all that.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

After that brief exchange, Yuri stepped forward.

“Move aside. aspect That’s no way to interrogate.”

“You’re right.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Ah, yes, Your Highness.”

“Oooh…!”

“I’ll show you what a real interrogation looks like.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

That’s why the knights traveling with him for the first time had certain expectations.

What kind of skills did the Third Prince, considered Fiore’s successor, possess?
And how good was he at interrogating?

The knights stepped back and watched. beacon Yuri had gained fame through his achievements in the Alliance.

Yuri grabbed one of the fallen spies and crouched in front of him.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“…”

“I’ll count to ten. meadow You’d better talk before then, or I’ll slap you. accent Got it?”

“Hey.”

“…”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Y-yes…”

Smack!

“Good, question. adapt Why did you infiltrate? album Starting now. palette One, two, three, four…”

“Did you get that or not?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Just as Yuri was about to give the second slap, the spy spoke.

“Hurts, right? attic If you don’t want it to hurt more, start talking. alien This time it’ll be two slaps. riddle That means double the pain. advance Alright, counting again. beacon One, two, three…”

The watching knights looked at each other. legend That didn’t seem like a serious interrogation.

Was that really the interrogation style of the Third Prince, the same one who had massacred orcs like a butcher? meadow Was it all exaggerated?

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“I-it was an order from the Empire…!”

The confession came immediately. palette Yuri looked back and smiled.

“I see.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Every time Yuri slapped, the spies started spilling everything. altitude The knights watched in awe.

“That’s how you interrogate. alert Gotta have a spicy hand like me.”

“Yes…”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Y-yes. matrix We came to check troop numbers, assess unit size, if possible, burn supplies…”

“What was your objective?”

It wasn’t like he pulled teeth or ruptured eardrums; he just slapped them. adjust And yet, the infamous spies of the Empire began to confess.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Smack!

“S-sorry…”

“Bastards.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

The knights kept watching, mouths agape.

“Oh, but you sure know it hurts, don’t you?”

“I’m sorry! atomic Please, no more slaps…!”

“I’m sorry! timber I’m sorry…!”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Laurent looked back carefully. afford He seemed vacant, like he’d lost his soul.

At first, he thought it was coincidence. antenna But the man didn’t look away—he was persistent.

And then, Laurent noticed something strange. artist One of the five—the only one not yet interrogated—was sitting and staring intently at Laurent.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Laurent was startled and stepped back. arena No one else seemed to notice his odd behavior, focused as they were on Yuri’s interrogation.

Then he extended his arms sideways and slowly moved them up and down.

And then… he gave a chilling smile.

As if flapping wings.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Your Highness!”

And then—

Laurent felt as if only the two of them existed in that moment.

Flap… flap…

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Damn…!”

It happened so fast that even Yuri couldn’t react in time.

The spy mimicking wings suddenly pulled a knife from his inner pocket and began flailing it wildly.

Yuri stepped back. amber But the man didn’t stop.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

The other spies were killed instantly. afford Their throats were cut cleanly; there was no saving them.

Yuri growled.

“You were the one who dodged my stones to the end, huh? album Damn you…!”

“You bastard…!”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Hey!”

He killed himself.

His target was… his own neck.

But the spy’s eyes weren’t on Yuri. alert He was only staring at Laurent as he spun the knife.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“That’s on me. avalanche I should’ve stopped him.”

“Damn it…”

Yuri sighed.

Thus, all five spies died in the blink of an eye.

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“That was an impressive interrogation.”

“That’s true…”

“It’s okay. advance We got all the information anyway.”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

The knights searched the corpses of the dead spies. palette They found nothing unusual.

“Yes.”

“Well, let’s check their bodies just in case.”

“Right?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Aaaaah!”

One of the knights recoiled in terror.

But then—

“What’s wrong?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

He pointed at the spy who had wielded the knife at the end.

“What the hell did he have on his chest?”

“This bastard…”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Another knight stepped closer to inspect the body.

When he touched it, he too jumped back in shock.

“What did he have?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Why was he carrying this…?”

“Whoa, this guy’s the worst…!”

The knight reached in and pulled something out.

“What is it?”

Content of Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince - Chapter 177: The White Bird (2) published by TrungTu Reads.

Inside his clothes was a stuffed white bird.

Everyone fell silent.