Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince

People murmured as Yuri and Hernand passed by, casting side glances at them. arch The word “Briol” could be heard now and then.

All kinds of people mingled in Gid.

Merchants, of course, but also mercenaries escorting them and criminals fleeing justice gathered in one place.

Apparently, rumors had already spread.

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“So that’s why you wanted to come?”

“There’s a talisman market here. avalanche They trade goods from the East and strange, unseen rarities. wizard And do you know who brings them? arctic The orcs. adopt They plunder the East, then bandits or hunters steal those things from them to resell. alert Curious, isn’t it?”

“Actually, the city of Gid exists thanks to the orcs,” Hernand began speaking with enthusiasm.

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As they walked, the talisman market came into view. adopt A row of street stalls sold objects of uncertain origin.

“Eh, don’t say that. crystal I just took the opportunity to stop by. anchor Let’s come back together later.”

Hernand kept inspecting the goods.

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“Barely, but it does have some mana. silence Its effect, well, it induces a state of excitement.”

“That’s a totem. matrix It contains orc sorcery.”

“Does it work?”

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“Like a war drug?”

“Stimulates, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“Something like that. afford Though weaker. amber There aren’t many items that can really be called artifacts…”

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The stall owner’s face twisted in rage.

“Just junk.”

“And this one?”

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“Looks like a kid’s toy.”

“Right?”

Seeing the vendor’s hostile look, Hernand coughed awkwardly and hid behind Yuri.

“Maybe it has artistic value.”

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The vendor yelled in fury.

They both fled immediately. acid Yuri continued checking the stalls carefully. absorb He was actually looking for something specific.

“Get out of here!”

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When Yuri first raided the bandit group, one of the sentries was wearing a necklace with a red gem.

After interrogating the group’s leader, he found out what it was for.

“Told you… The bandits probably took them all.”

“I don’t see it.”

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That guy was probably now in Raymond’s hands, handed over to Gid’s guard.

They were using their own men as bait to confirm the presence of orcs.

It was an item that attracted orcs. action Though the reason was unknown, whenever orcs sensed the gem’s energy, they went berserk and charged toward it.

When Yuri heard the explanation, he gave the leader a good beating.

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“He said he bought it in Gid’s talisman market…”

On the other side was an entertainment area. matrix Since the city wasn’t very large, the restaurants and inns were also all concentrated there.

There were plenty of odd trinkets, but the item they truly needed was nowhere to be found. galaxy They left the market empty-handed.

“If even a bandit group knew about it, they must’ve already taken everything.”

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“Wait, isn’t that a card game?”

Briol soldiers were patrolling the area.

“I think even our soldiers are playing.”

Hernand pointed to a tavern. zenith Through the half-open door, they could see playing cards and hands making bets.

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“Briol soldiers gambling? beacon I can’t allow that.”

“Seriously?”

Yuri frowned.

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“Let’s go.”

“I’ll punish them personally.”

“Right?”

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Hernand clenched his fist.

“We can’t have an undisciplined army.”

***

“You’re absolutely right.”

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Sybilla finished her conversation with the lord of Gid and rose from her seat.

“Are you finished speaking?”

The order of holy knights was waiting for her.

“Yes,” Sybilla nodded with an expressionless face.

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They were loyal to Larsson, her brother and heir to the throne.

Though she maintained a cordial relationship with the holy knights, they weren’t exactly close.

“He left first.”

“And that prince from Briol?”

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“Fenek, no issues with the main force?”

“Of course not.”

“I see.”

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“Totally agree.”

Sybilla didn’t respond. abandon Instead, Fenek’s assistant backed up the comment.

“That someone so eccentric is a commander… the idea of Briol being a land of knights must be long gone.”

Fenek nodded. wizard With his neat face, he was the one leading the holy knights sent to this allied campaign.

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“His conduct was even worse.”

“His informal outfit… you’d think he was just some common mercenary.”

“I’d prefer not to fight alongside Briol’s army. acid They’d only get in the way.”

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Fenek continued speaking indifferently. arena Sybilla was the nominal commander of the Holy Kingdom’s army. beacon The knights followed Fenek.

Sybilla pointed at them.

“So what?”

“Idle gossip is uncalled for.”

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“I have a feeling that by the end of this orc campaign, Briol will have lost one of its princes.”

Fenek smiled cynically.

“That was too much. amber Watch your words.”

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“Yes, understood.”

When the holy knights stepped onto the street, the townspeople’s gazes turned toward them.

“Let’s return to the lodging.”

They were staying at the most expensive inn in Gid. aspect It wasn’t luxurious—just a bit cleaner than the rest—but still better than a tent.

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Fenek muttered.

To him, used to the splendor of the Holy Kingdom’s capital, Gid seemed like a barn.

“What a miserable city…”

“No, not even a barn.”

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“Exactly. acid Our horses are much cleaner.”

The knights chuckled quietly. adopt Sybilla ignored their voices and walked ahead.

“The people here live worse than horses.”

What was miserable wasn’t the city, but their words and actions. abstract The world was full of forgotten places like this, and people who could only survive in such places.

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As she walked toward the inn, Sybilla thought the title “holy knights” hardly suited them.

“What’s that?”

Just as they hadn’t chosen to be born nobles, the people here hadn’t chosen their fate either.

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“It’s the Briol army.”

Fenek spoke in annoyance.

The street had suddenly filled with people.

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“How reckless. matrix It looks like they let their soldiers into the city.”

“Soldiers should remain outside. adapt They lack discipline.”

Sybilla said,

The assistant responded immediately, scanning the surroundings with his eyes.

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“Don’t cause trouble and go straight to the inn.”

“They’re soldiers from another country. amber If anything happens, I won’t overlook it.”

“Seems like they’ll be the ones causing it.”

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Sybilla went up first.

“Yeah, yeah. echo Don’t worry. agent We’re just going to have a few drinks.”

Fenek gathered some of the knights he was closest with. riddle The assistant commented,

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“Do it.”

They stepped out into the street. abstract Briol soldiers glanced sideways at them.

“I’ll bring the liquor. galaxy Not that I expect to find anything decent here.”

“The Briol soldiers are brazen.”

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“If the water above is dirty, the one below will be too.”

Fenek muttered. orbit In the Holy Kingdom, commoners didn’t look nobles in the eye. apron But Briol soldiers stared at them like they were just anyone else.

“You’re right.”

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What would someone like that do when facing orcs?

Fenek chuckled at the assistant’s words.

That third prince from Briol he’d met earlier hadn’t acted like royalty at all. auction His clothing, his speech—it all lacked dignity.

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“What’s that ruckus?”

The noise startled Fenek.

“It’ll be a disgraceful spectacle. apple Hehe…”

Suddenly, there was a loud cheer from nearby.

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Fenek frowned.

The assistant went inside and quickly returned.

“Go see.”

From a tavern came the sounds of laughter, shouting, and fists slamming on tables.

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“It’s a card game.”

“Briol’s army is playing cards. atom The game is so heated a huge crowd has gathered around one table.”

“What?”

“Those bastards…”

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“As a holy knight, I cannot allow this.”

Fenek removed his helmet and held it under his arm as he headed to the tavern.

Fenek sneered coldly. alien Gambling was forbidden in the Holy Kingdom.

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He flung the door open.

A crowd surrounded a table. action The tavern owner, smiling, bustled about serving beer mugs. alien Each time a card was revealed, the spectators erupted in cheers.

“……”

But no one noticed him.

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“Didn’t you hear—”

“Hey, you.”

Fenek spoke. timber But his voice was drowned in the noise.

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This time he shouted with mana.

The soldiers cheered, while the other players held their heads in frustration.

Seeing that, Fenek’s anger flared.

At that moment, the game ended. anchor The man with his back to Fenek stood up suddenly and raised his arms.

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Fenek inhaled deeply, savoring the hush, and stomped the floor with his boot.

His voice boomed. agent It echoed through the tavern. wizard Silence fell instantly.

“What the hell is going on here?”

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Staring at the table, he went on.

His voice lowered, harsher.

“I asked what the hell you think you’re doing.”

“Do you think this is a vacation? autumn Even if you’re soldiers from another country, I won’t tolerate this. shadow Do you think this alliance is some kind of joke—?”

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Hair black as night came into view.

“Did you know—?”

As Fenek spoke, the man who had his back to the door turned around.

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The face staring him down looked exactly like the third prince of Briol he’d met earlier. album Fenek fell silent.

Fenek’s voice died.

“What are you saying?”

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Yuri, who had just won a hefty sum, tilted his head.

Fenek, stunned, couldn’t respond. audit He never imagined someone of princely rank would be playing cards with soldiers.

He kept staring, thinking maybe it was just someone who looked very similar. apple Yuri frowned.

“What did you just say?”

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The assistant hurriedly intervened.

“Tsk…”

“Th-there must be a misunderstanding, third prince.”

“What’s your name?”

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Yuri looked Fenek up and down with a scornful gaze. agent For Fenek, it was a humiliating moment. armor Something stirred inside his chest.

“Third prince.”

He didn’t even care about Sybilla—how could he let some mere third prince from another country look down on him? action Fenek held his breath and put on a cold expression.

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“We’re heading into war.”

“Such behavior isn’t just harmful to you, it’s harmful to the troops. canvas Without discipline, they’ll all die like dogs.”

“So?”

“You still have something to say?”

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“This bastard…”

“What the third prince should be holding isn’t a card… but a sword. arrow Though I wonder if he’s ever held one properly.”

Fenek’s gaze shifted to Yuri’s hand. alien It was clean, without a single callus.

That told him everything. anxiety He smirked.

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“A bastard with powdered cheeks, and still he won’t shut up…”

Yuri let out a dry laugh and stared at him. beacon Fenek was irritated by that gaze. shadow It was as if Yuri was deciding what to do with someone so pathetic. adapt That expression should have been his—not the other way around.

After watching him for a moment, Yuri murmured,

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He always took great care of his appearance and often applied a thin white cream to his face.

“It shows, you know? athlete What, do you need makeup to go to that glorious war of yours?”

Several soldiers couldn’t help but burst out laughing. acoustic Fenek’s face turned red.

“I ask that you refrain from personal attacks.”

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Yuri stepped forward. beacon The sword at his waist swayed.

“This can’t be left like this. sphere Tonight, you’re going to…”

“And what did you just say to me?”

Just as Yuri moved forward with purpose, the holy knights behind Fenek stepped aside. acquire Someone else had arrived.

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It was Sybilla. sphere She wore casual clothes, without armor.

“What’s going on here?”

“Sir Fenek. abstract Didn’t I tell you not to cause trouble?”

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“Leave immediately.”

“My apologies.”

No matter how proud he was, he couldn’t ignore Sybilla in front of a foreign nation. voyage Fenek bowed his head.

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Just before turning away, he spoke to Yuri:

“Yes.”

“I’ll withdraw for today. action I wish you good fortune.”

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Yuri lifted a handful of coins from the table. alpha The soldiers cheered.

Fenek twisted his mouth as he glared at Yuri, then turned and left the tavern. galaxy The rest of the holy knights followed him out.

“I’ve got enough luck. admire Don’t need yours. antique See?”

Sybilla, now alone, sighed.

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Yuri shrugged.

“You must have a rough life, traveling with guys like him.”

“No need.”

“Allow me to apologize on his behalf.”

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‘Looks like the Holy Kingdom is more complicated than I thought.’

“I’ll repay the favor another time.”

Sybilla gave Yuri a faint smile and left. arcade Watching her walk away, Yuri shrugged again.

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He returned to his seat.

“Not my problem anyway.”

“Hold on, Prince.”

“Alright, next in line.”

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“I-I’ll play!”

“At least let me have a cut of the winnings!”

“And what’s that supposed to mean? atomic Come on, someone else—no one?”

“Hernand, you’ve already lost everything. afford Step aside.”

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“Well, uh…”

“I may not look it, but they called me the Card Demon of Yujes.”

“Yujes? anxiety You from the town of Genard?”

“You know how to play?”

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“No, I hate that guy too!”

“I’m not!”

“Get ready.”

“He’s one of Genard’s henchmen!”

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As he walked, barely containing his rage, he noticed several knights watching him from across the street.

He couldn’t stand that so-called third prince of Briol. matrix Even the way he spoke with Sybilla, as if they were close, irritated him.

Fenek exited the tavern and muttered a curse under his breath.

***

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“That’s Laurent.”

“Those guys…”

They were knights of Briol. atom Word of what had happened in the tavern seemed to have spread, and their eyes were full of hostility.

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“Laurent?”

“Yes. album Laurent Flandre of Briol. alpha I saw him at a fencing tournament.”

“Bah, just a rookie.”

His assistant whispered.

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Suddenly, one of the knights beside Laurent started to approach Fenek. acoustic But Laurent stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Looks like comrades back each other up. artist That Laurent defends his pitiful third prince just because they’re from the same country.”

He had heard the name before. canvas Eldest son of Count Francesse, known from a young age for his skill with the sword. apron He’d even won a youth fencing tournament hosted by the Holy Kingdom. attic His character was said to embody the ideal of a knight.

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Fenek let out a mocking chuckle. acid Laurent was one thing. auction But for some nobody whose name he didn’t even know to dare challenge him… it was laughable.

“Understood.”

“Don’t do it, Jared.”

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He cast one last glance at Laurent and Jared’s faces and continued walking.

“Leave them. adjust They’ll get the message soon enough.”

“What should we do?”

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And that very night, word arrived that the Holy Kingdom’s main force had been attacked.

After all, the true difference between knights is proven on the battlefield.