Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince

“How did you know I’d come to see Cory? Even Cory himself didn’t know.”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Maryrose, a woman with red hair and captivating beauty, ran a hand through her hair and smiled.

“Who else would you come to see?”

“No way. I’ve got friends all over the continent!”

“Yes, but first you’d convince Sir Laurent, and then you’d come to see Cory.”

“You’ve got me figured out…”

“Isn’t that only natural between us?”

Maryrose stepped closer and wrapped an arm around Yuri’s neck. Jared and Laurent, who were standing nearby, instinctively stepped back.

“So, darling, how long do you plan on taking to come back after you’re done having fun?”

“N-no… it’s not like I’m going to have fun, I already left a note saying it was something important.”

“In that case…”

Maryrose stood on tiptoe, gave him a kiss, and smiled sweetly.

“Can I come with you for this important thing?”

“O-of course.”

And so, with Maryrose included, there were now four of them heading to visit Cory.

“Now that I see it, this place is quite large.”

“That’s because Cory goes big when it’s for a good cause. And to think there were people who once called him a traitor…”

“…”

Cory was running the “House of Love,” a place for orphans and people with disabilities.

With his sacred language of affection, an unprecedented gift that had saved the continent, Cory had earned the reputation of a saint.

On top of that, his essay book Approved as Human had moved thousands of readers and become a bestseller.

It was said that on the day it was published, sobs could be heard in the streets of many cities.

When he opened this center, donations began pouring in from everywhere, and even the temple allocated a special budget to support him.

Thanks to that, the “House of Love” grew larger and larger. Now, Cory was a symbol of human compassion.

“Brothers and sisters, what brings you here today?”

As soon as they reached the entrance, a woman dressed in white greeted them. Although the institution wasn’t directly affiliated with the temple, many volunteers were believers, and it showed in their way of speaking and acting.

“We’ve come to see Cory.”

“Sir Cory is currently in sacred word training…”

“We’ll wait. If you tell him Yuri Briol has come, he’ll come out.”

“Huh?”

The woman instantly recognized him, surprised, and let the group through.

The friendship between Yuri Briol, who had destroyed demons with his sword, and Cory, who had driven out darkness with light, was well known.

“P-please, come in!”

The moment they entered the “House of Love,” a pleasant sensation wrapped around them completely.

The whole place was under the power of the Sacred Word of Affection, which made anyone feel uplifted, recover faster, and experience other positive effects.

Thanks to that, the sick improved and the children grew up healthy and happy.

“Everything here is just like before.”

“It’s thanks to Sir Cory’s constant effort.”

“No problems, right?”

“No, none.”

“And the budget is enough?”

“Well… I’m not entirely sure…”

Further in, as they passed through a gate, they saw children playing on the grass, watched over by volunteers in white.

In another area, some injured people were practicing rehabilitation exercises, repeating movements slowly.

“Do you want me to take you inside?”

“No, it’s fine. We’ll wait here.”

“All right. I’ll go inform Sir Cory.”

As they walked through the grass, Yuri and the others took in what Cory had accomplished.

“The war left many orphans, but thanks to Cory, most of them were taken in. And not just here—there are many other places inspired by him.”

In one corner there was a large commemorative stone, engraved with the names of organizations that shared Cory’s vision and the affiliated centers that had opened across the continent.

Among them, Yuri recognized several familiar names.

Maryrose ran her fingers over one inscription.

“Oh, here’s the Alliance Comrades Association.”

“Yes. They’ve now become a volunteer organization. They say ‘once a member of the Alliance, always a member of the Alliance.’”

The Association, led by Raymond, now carried out all sorts of social activities.

Just then, a group of children running through the grass bumped into Maryrose.

A small girl tripped and fell at her feet. Even though her knee was bleeding, she clenched her teeth to keep from crying.

“Oh…”

Maryrose bent down and patted her head.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“Come here.”

She used magic to heal the wound.

In seconds, the bleeding stopped and the skin closed, leaving the knee good as new.

“Wow! Are you a mage?”

“That’s right. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Wow… wow…”

The girl touched her knee in awe.

“How can I be a mage?”

“You have to study, like I did.”

“Study?”

The girl shook her head vigorously.

“I don’t want to!”

With that, she turned and ran back to her friends.

Jared laughed.

“That’s a nice scene.”

“Hmm…”

“Your Majesty?”

“Hm?”

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

Yuri shrugged. Seeing Maryrose with the little girl made him imagine what it would be like if they had a child together.

“Hmm…”

While she laughed at the sight of the children running, Laurent, who was watching Yuri, said:

“It’s about time, don’t you think?”

“Huh?”

“If you want, I can be the godfather.”

“I haven’t said anything—who gave you permission?”

Jared cut in.

“Your Majesty, I’ll join too.”

“You bastards…”

Joking back and forth, they heard a familiar voice.

“Oh, oh, you’ve come!”

Cory, short in stature and walking with a slight limp, came hurrying over.

“Long time no see, Cory!”

“Yes! Long time no see, Your Majesty, Sir Jared, Sir Laurent! And Lady Maryrose!”

Overjoyed, he welcomed them, and they all sat down at a tea table in the garden.

“Shall I bring you something to eat?”

“No need. That’s for the children, and I’m sure the budget’s tight…”

“No, we have plenty of money. Hehehe…”

“That donation money is for the center, you can’t just spend it like that…”

“It’s not donation money, it’s mine.”

“Your book still sells?”

“It was recently made into a play, and I made a lot from the royalties. Hehehe…”

“A… a play?”

The success of Approved as Human was overwhelming.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Cory, you wound me. Do we need a reason to see each other?”

“No, but it seems like you were running away from something…”

“What?”

Maryrose let out a laugh.

“Cory, you nailed it!”

“Well, I already know the gentleman.”

“This man wants to use you as an excuse,” Maryrose said, and she told him what had happened at the palace: that Yuri, overwhelmed by work, had left a vague note saying he had something important to do and had run away.

Yuri lowered his head, but Cory defended him.

“O-of course coming here is important. For the imperial consort to visit a charitable center is very valuable. Not just for the Empire, but for the whole continent. It will be an example for everyone and increase interest in social welfare.”

“Cory, you don’t have to sugarcoat it so much.”

“I’m not sugarcoating it, I mean it from the heart.”

“Ugh…”

Moved, Yuri shook his hand.

Maryrose crossed her arms.

“All right, let’s say it’s something important.”

“Don’t say it like it’s a favor—it really is.”

“Then do something.”

“Huh?”

“Do something that justifies abandoning state work.”

“Hmm…”

Yuri knew she was right. For the visit to the “House of Love” to truly be meaningful, it wasn’t enough to just show up. He had to do something.

“Of course!”

Yuri jumped to his feet.

“I came here to recognize the efforts of our Cory and the volunteers, and to support the most vulnerable in society.”

“Really?”

“Come on, Laurent, Jared. Follow me.”

Laurent and Jared sighed and reluctantly stood up.

“Watch closely. You’re about to see what I’m going to do here!”

Soon after, Yuri gathered the children and began performing tricks.

He juggled four gleaming daggers, while Jared, at his side, spun plates balanced on the tips of two swords, one in each hand.

The reaction was explosive—the children clapped and shouted.

Yuri decided to level it up.

“Hey, bring me a harmonica!”

And so, while still juggling, he started playing the harmonica.

Pee-ree-ree-ree, pee-ree-ree-ree.

“Waaaaaah!”

The children’s eyes were fixed on him, prompting Jared to protest.

“Using tricks—is that fair play?”

“If it bothers you, pee-ree-ree-ree, you play too, pee-ree-ree-ree.”

“I don’t know how to play the harmonica!”

“Then nothing can be done, pee-ree-ree~.”

“Damn it…! Bring me another sword to balance on my forehead!”

Now Jared was spinning another plate, balanced on a sword he held with his forehead. With three plates spinning in total, his comical appearance had the children bursting with laughter.

Maryrose, watching with a hand on her forehead, eventually smiled.

“Really…”

Cory, beside her, also laughed.

“His Highness has a gift for attracting people anywhere.”

“I didn’t expect it to be in this way.”

“Will Sir Laurent do something too…?”

“‘Darkened Laurent’?”

Since his personality had turned more surly, those who had known him before had started calling him that, though he had no idea.

Finally, Laurent appeared.

Unlike Yuri and Jared, he didn’t stoop to clowning around.

A volunteer at his side announced.

“Sir Laurent will perform a demonstration of cutting tomatoes blindfolded. One by one, come and throw him a tomato!”

Laurent covered his eyes with a thick cloth and, with a hand gesture, invited them to throw.

The children, one by one, took tomatoes from a sack and threw them. He sliced them cleanly in two with ghostly precision.

Since this wasn’t just a show to watch but one they could participate in, the children’s attention shifted entirely to Laurent. Soon, they formed a line to throw.

“Here you go!”

No matter the speed, Laurent cut them all cleanly, then handed out the halves to the children.

“…”

Yuri and Jared, now ignored, stopped their tricks.

“What an empty feeling…”

“Indeed.”

“Jared.”

“Yes.”

“You weren’t planning on just standing there, were you?”

“Of course not.”

The two, jealous of Laurent’s popularity, came up with a plan to take him down.

They mingled among the children and egged them on.

“Understood?”

“Yes!”

“Do exactly what I told you.”

They moved aside the volunteer keeping order.

“Uh, well… I don’t know if…”

“It’s fine, I’ll take responsibility.”

Laurent kept slicing tomatoes, but there was no more order: the children surrounded him, each with tomatoes in hand.

He sensed something strange, but Yuri distracted him so he wouldn’t spot the problem.

At that moment—

“Now!”

Dozens of tomatoes flew from all directions. Each child threw with different force and speed.

“Tsk!”

But Laurent was Laurent Flandre—before Yuri appeared, he had been considered Briol’s greatest sword genius, and today his name was among the new Ten Greats.

In an instant, he cut all the tomatoes in the air.

“U… uaaaah…”

“That man’s amazing!”

“So cool!”

His sword tirelessly intercepted the red projectiles, and the applause grew. Yuri and Jared’s envy reached its limit.

“Die, you popular star!”

Both threw tomatoes slicing through the air straight at him. Feeling real danger, Laurent ignored the children’s tomatoes and cut only the two meant to “kill” him—or so he thought.

Paf!

A sound impossible for a tomato rang out, and in that moment, the children’s tomatoes hit him full on.

Juice splattered all over him.

“Pwahahaha!”

Yuri and Jared laughed uncontrollably.

Laurent ripped off his blindfold.

“Yuri Briol!”

But the tomatoes kept raining down. One hit him in the forehead, juice dripping down his face.

“…”

Through the red in his eyes, he spotted Yuri and Jared fleeing in the distance.

“Now he can’t stop!”

“Here, more tomatoes!”

“That man’s already tired, keep going!”

The children, excited, kept throwing without pause. Under that red rain, Laurent forced a smile.

“Kids… let’s take it easy…”