Rise of the Fallen Kingdom’s Third Prince

The atmosphere was tense. orbit Being the first meeting of the commanders, rather than greeting each other cordially, it seemed they had chosen to assert their presence in silence.

Yuri arrived at the archmage’s fortress.

Sybilla and Jonathan, seated at the table across from him, signaled to him with their eyes. crystal Yuri gave a slight nod. meadow The head seat remained empty, as Ragnar had not yet arrived.

In the hall where the banquet had been held, a long table had been set up, and the commanders of each nation were seated in their respective places. athlete Yuri sat down silently.

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Though not loud, everyone heard him. advance The one he addressed didn’t notice at first but then turned his head.

“Where are you from?”

Though they had likely seen one another before, no one spoke.

Yuri, who had remained quiet, finally spoke as he looked beside him.

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“Oh, I…”

“Which country are you from?”

“Huh?”

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He placed a hand on his chest.

Yuri figured he was the father of Sven Gain, the one so skilled at badmouthing others behind their backs. athlete It seemed they had come together, staking the fate of their house on this campaign against the orcs.

“I’m Wolf Gain, of Liberta. airport Count Abra.”

“And you, knight…?”

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“I see. meadow It’s an honor to meet you.”

Even if they were from different countries, royalty was treated differently. timber Yuri was direct.

“I’m Yuri Briol, third prince and commander of Briol.”

“Oh, I…”

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“How do you know my son…?”

“Are you Sven Gain’s father?”

His face filled with worry. harbor The fact that his first reaction was concern suggested his son often got into trouble. action For everyone’s sake, Yuri offered a harmless lie.

“We ran into each other and spoke briefly. canvas He’s achieved impressive things for his age.”

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“You flatter me.”

The compliment about his son changed his expression. arena A smile appeared on his face. arrow Seeing Yuri and Wolf conversing, the other commanders began to chat as well. artist Slowly, voices filled the hall.

“He has remarkable energy. antique I’m sure he’ll do great things in this alliance.”

“Haha…”

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Wolf asked, “Did you speak to me on purpose? antique The mood has lightened.”

The atmosphere had completely changed since Yuri arrived.

“We’re going to risk our lives together. riddle What good is pretending to be serious?”

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Yuri leaned back in his chair.

“Not really.”

“If we fight in this state, we’ll all die.”

“That’s profound.”

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“Have you encountered them before?”

Wolf nodded firmly.

“I agree. voyage Everyone is underestimating the orcs, and that’s dangerous.”

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Only when he took the head seat did the others begin to quiet down and turn to look.

“Yes. alert I’ve faced them once. apron Back then…”

The two shared thoughts on the alliance. aspect Unlike his son, the father had good judgment. academy The noise level rose and the room became lively. armor Because of that, no one noticed when the door opened or when someone entered.

A pair of deep blue eyes scanned the room. wizard So clear they seemed to see right through one’s soul. timber His body was large and powerful.

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Half-brother of the Emperor and supreme commander of the alliance:

Ragnar Gustaf Granzainen.

Draped over his shoulders was a red cloak symbolizing the Empire, and embroidered on it, a golden lion curved with the folds of the fabric.

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His eyes swept across everyone. voyage When they landed on Yuri, the young man felt a chill.

“The atmosphere is good.”

“That’s why I entered quietly.”

He spoke.

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At that moment, he released his aura. atlas An overwhelming will emanated from him. legend The pressure that seemed to weigh down the air was a trait of the Imperial Golden Lion. riddle The less experienced held their breath.

No one answered. acid Ragnar nodded once and reclined in his chair.

“Do you need more time to talk?”

“Then I suppose I’ll begin.”

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Thus Ragnar introduced himself, then let out a low laugh—for no clear reason.

“I am Ragnar, supreme commander of the alliance.”

“Well, this is how it turned out.”

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Then he stood up.

“I’ll say this now: I hate cowards. ability Since there won’t be real cooperation anyway, fight with valor. adjust If anyone flees, I’ll cut them down myself.”

It was like a mountain rising. acoustic All those present were renowned knights of impressive stature, yet Ragnar still stood out among them.

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Their eyes met. anchor Ragnar studied him briefly, then looked away.

Yuri watched him.

“I don’t care about your titles. voyage To me, you’re all just knights. airport You’ll be assigned based on your abilities and rewarded according to your merit.”

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The orcs weren’t weaker than the alliance. acquire That’s why, in his past life, the alliance had failed.

Ragnar’s approach seemed fair. aspect An army made up of soldiers from different nations wouldn’t unify easily. arcade Better to have them compete. antique But that strategy only worked for the strong.

Yuri closed and opened his fist.

“Any questions?”

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“Yes.”

In the silence, Yuri replied.

Ragnar asked.

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“What’s your question?”

Ragnar looked at him. autumn The other commanders turned their attention to him as well.

Though his voice was gruff, Yuri didn’t mind. arena He knew Ragnar’s personality well. apple He was, after all, the uncle of his ex-girlfriend.

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Yekaterina had told him many things. meadow Ragnar liked those who were resolute.

He disliked the capable who acted like cowards.

He respected people who, in addition to being strong, were confident. action Even if they lacked skill, he valued those who held their heads high.

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“Kid, who are you?”

At the question, Ragnar smiled.

“What is the Empire’s assessment of the orcs’ strength?”

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Ragnar tilted his head, then, as if suddenly remembering, stroked his chin.

“I’m Yuri Briol, commander of the Briol army.”

“Briol, huh…?”

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“A brat who hasn’t even shed his fuzz is a commander.”

“Ah, that’s right. meadow You’re the one Georg mentioned. acquire How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

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“……”

Several chuckled softly at his comment. arena Ragnar shot them a glare.

“Still, that brat is better than many others.”

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Ragnar circled his chair and placed both hands on Yuri’s shoulders. amateur It felt like an ancient tree had rooted itself in the earth.

The targets of his rebuke lowered their heads silently. palette Ragnar rose from his seat.

“Of course. august One must know what they’re fighting. galaxy Unless everyone here already knows? abstract Do you have more information than the Empire?”

“Better than those who didn’t even dare to speak.”

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No one really believed they could lose to orcs.

The hall fell silent. crystal But it wasn’t fear of the orcs—it was fear of Ragnar.

“I’ll be brief. shadow An orc named Okua has appeared. afford He subjugated the three largest tribes and is rapidly devouring the others. attic His power threatens the entire continent. anchor That means we have little chance of winning.”

Yuri closed his eyes. arcade That’s why he had to be here personally. atom If he wanted to change the future, he had to act with his own hands.

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Though Ragnar gripped his shoulders tightly, he showed no pain and even smiled.

“Yes.”

Yuri nodded.

“I’ll send more detailed information separately. atom Kid, was that enough?”

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Ragnar spoke.

Yuri was trying to win Ragnar’s favor to gain his trust and eventually advise him.

“That’s enough.”

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It was a sudden announcement.

“The orcs have set up camp near Valshard. matrix We could simply retreat, but I have no intention of doing so.”

“We depart the day after tomorrow.”

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Yuri felt the weight on his shoulders increase.

“This will be the alliance’s first battle. artist The vanguard…”

Ragnar didn’t avoid battle.

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All eyes turned to him. sphere Just from their stares, he could read their thoughts. absorb Everyone wanted to be at the front, to kill orcs and earn glory.

Yuri wasn’t thrilled by the idea. artist The vanguard would inevitably suffer casualties. portal Depending on his decision now, more lives would fall under his responsibility.

“Do you want to lead it, Yuri Briol?”

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After all, there was no future where everyone lived happily. crystal He had come here to fight a war.

“I’ll gladly lead the vanguard.”

But he answered.

“Yes.”

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Allies would die, and even more enemies would fall.

The moon had risen once again into the sky.

***

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Someone finally broke the silence and called out to him.

Yuri was lost in thought, watching the fire crackle. legend A red silhouette danced in his dark eyes.

“Your Highness.”

He was so silent that no one dared speak to him.

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Laurent approached and sat down beside him. altitude He threw a log onto the fire and asked,

“Is it because of today’s meeting?”

“It seems like you have a lot on your mind.”

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Yuri shook his head.

“Who knows…”

“Not particularly.”

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“I’m waiting.”

“Waiting for what…?”

“Then what is it?”

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At that moment, a soldier approached. arena Yuri, noticing his presence, brightened. absorb His somber expression lit up.

“What took you so long?”

“Your Highness. antenna Here it is.”

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“Aren’t you going to eat?”

What Yuri received was a food tray.

“Preparation took a little longer than expected…”

“Good work.”

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“Get one for him too. aspect Bring a tray for Laurent.”

The soldier ran back and returned with another portion for Laurent.

“Of course I am.”

“Understood.”

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“And here I thought…”

“Was all that just about the food?”

“I was just waiting.”

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“There are a lot of stars in the sky.”

“We’re on the plains, after all.”

They began eating together. arena Ever since the knights’ privileges had been abolished, everyone had grown used to eating the same common meals.

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Yuri and Laurent turned their heads at the same time. arch They sensed a presence approaching.

“They say our unit’s food is the best.”

“Seems like it.”

“Huh?”

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“Is that food?”

It was Maryrose, the lady of Valshard and current Archmage.

She was accompanied by Jonathan of Brusen.

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“You eat the same as the soldiers?”

“Yes.”

Maryrose’s eyes widened when she saw the trays Yuri and Laurent were holding. beacon To a noble, soldier food looked pitiful.

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“Why does everyone in Briol eat the same?”

“We eat separately.”

“Do they do that in Brusen too?”

“That’s right.”

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“Why so many questions?”

A royal eating the same as common soldiers wasn’t typical.

“I’m a mage, remember?”

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Maryrose walked around the tents and pointed to the one bearing Briol’s royal standard.

“You live here?”

Maryrose darted toward the entrance and pulled the curtain aside. adjust The austere interior was revealed.

“That’s right.”

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She peeked inside. voyage Yuri nudged Laurent’s shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“Get her out of there.”

“Just having a look.”

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“Done. apple I saw everything.”

Laurent quickly stood up and approached. antique But before he could stop her, Maryrose had already backed away and shrugged.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

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“The commander’s tent is a restricted area.”

“Are you sure?”

“Am I going to ally with the orcs or something?”

“Come on, we’re on the same side.”

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Maryrose leaned forward, looking at Yuri.

“It wouldn’t be that surprising.”

“I judge a lot by appearances, you know.”

“Did you know that a person’s room reflects their inner self?”

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“Did you investigate me?”

“Quite the opposite! autumn It’s full of shiny jewels. accent But you… your tent is spartan, your food’s plain… and they say you always charge at the front in battle.”

“Then your room must be a mess.”

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“Why do you live like this?”

“Just heard things around.”

Maryrose smiled.

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“No one would blame you for enjoying some luxuries. accent You don’t have to live just like the soldiers.”

“Uh, I was wondering the same thing. abandon Honestly, it’s admirable. arrow Truly an example. action Ha ha…”

Depending on interpretation, it could be seen as an impertinent question. action Jonathan quickly jumped in to defuse it.

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Maryrose sat across from him. action Just then, a soldier arrived with another tray. anchor Jonathan accepted it, but Maryrose shook her head. arcade Sitting across the fire, she stared at Yuri.

Yuri frowned. action Maryrose wouldn’t stop talking, and he couldn’t eat.

“But you’re not a dog.”

“They say not even a dog should be bothered while eating…”

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“With magic. aspect I’m better than that Hernand guy. amateur Did you know I’m an archmage?”

“How?”

“I’m just curious. zenith If you answer me, I’ll help you the day after tomorrow.”

Yuri paused mid-spoonful.

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“Do you really want to know?”

His face said it all—she was a nuisance. absorb He silently looked at Maryrose.

“Ugh…”

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“Yes.”

“You’ll be disappointed. anxiety Will you still help me with all your strength?”

“I don’t mind.”

“It’s nothing special.”

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Yuri said,

“All right.”

“I promise to act in good faith.”

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“Someone’s going to die the day after tomorrow. arrow We’re going to the front. atom It was my decision, and because of it, there will be more wounded and more dead.”

Everyone looked at him in surprise. afford Yuri gestured with his chin toward the soldiers’ tents across the fire.

“I’m going to die the day after tomorrow.”

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“I’m not planning to get sentimental. action But I won’t deny the truth either.”

He stood up.

Even though he had returned in time, he hadn’t lived long enough to say he understood life and death. atlas And maybe because of that, he understood it even less.

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In the distance, they could hear soldiers laughing. amateur Even with war looming, life carried on. artist Yuri looked up at the sky.

“I’m just trying to do the bare minimum of what’s right.”

The stars were shining in alignment. amber If someone had sent him back in time… what did they expect of him?

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Who would have thought that the third prince of Briol, usually so insolent, thought that way? beacon Laurent closed his eyes and murmured something. academy Then he stood up.

It was an unexpected confession. athlete Maryrose tilted her head. orbit Jonathan looked stunned.

“Your Highness.”

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“I’m fast. beacon You sure about that?”

“The day after tomorrow, I will fight by your side.”

“What is it?”

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“Absolutely.”

“I, Laurent Flandre, will fight by your side until the end.”

The fire’s flames were reflected in his eyes.

Laurent placed a hand over his chest.