"Heart demon?"
Yuri let out a belly laugh.
"Heart demon? Heart digger? What is that, something to do with digging up wild ginseng in the mountains?"
Moyong Chan's eyebrow twitched.
"Are you crazy, you punk?"
"Your pronunciation slipped again."
"I've realized once more that you're a punk who doesn't need to mind his words."
"So if Master reached the heart demon, you'd say, 'Found the heart, not the ginseng!' wouldn't you?"
"I don't have anything like a heart demon."
"Why not?"
"Because I never practiced such an abnormal martial art."
"But it was made by our ancestors. Why would it be abnormal?"
"You're trying to handle something you can't. From the start, it's impossible. Like trying to grasp the wind—you just can't catch it."
"How can you be sure whether it can be controlled or not?"
"How do you know if it's dung or soybean paste? You gotta taste it to find out."
"What's soybean paste?"
"They don't have it in the West. Hm..."
"Is it something to eat?"
"Yeah."
Yuri stood up and brushed the grass off his clothes.
Then, he recalled the situation before he fell into the heart demon state.
"I was dueling Bernard, and then I fell asleep lying here."
"Right."
"Heart demon? I was just taking a nap."
"Then why was your energy flaring while you were asleep, huh?"
"Was it? I must've been training in my sleep."
"Yuri Briol."
Moyong Chan placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder. Yuri felt heat radiating from his palm.
"You're not going to listen to me anyway."
"You mean when you told me not to pick up the sword?"
"Yeah."
"Of course I won't listen."
"But at least restrain yourself from using that power."
"Thanks to that, I was able to take down Yalta."
"Sooner or later, you'll end up taking down yourself."
Yuri shrugged and nodded.
"Yes. I'll keep your concern in mind."
He had no intention of ignoring Moyong Chan's words. The man was an experienced martial artist and a master who had reached the level of the Ten Strong. He knew best about the Heavenly Demon's martial arts, which Erich Briol had studied.
Yuri also sensed that the dream he had just experienced was unusual.
It had been unnervingly vivid, and he couldn't wake up from it no matter how hard he tried. Its contents were so sweet he almost wanted to stay asleep forever.
Yuri placed a fingertip on the pommel of Guilty.
If not for this sword, he might never have woken up from that dream.
"Yeah."
Moyong Chan patted his shoulder.
"It won't be easy. No martial artist has ever overcome the heart demon."
Yuri looked at him.
Moyong Chan smiled faintly, but his eyes were not smiling.
"Not even the Heavenly Demon."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Yuri scratched his head as he watched his figure recede.
"Heart demon, huh…"
Though he had maintained a lighthearted attitude, deep down Yuri realized that this wasn't something he could take lightly.
If he were to dream that same dream again next time he slept, would he be able to wake up safely?
He wasn't sure.
Yuri tapped Guilty.
"Doesn't everyone have something like that inside them?"
Whether by coincidence or not, Guilty gave a clear, ringing response, as if answering him.
***
Starting a war was never as simple as just saying the word.
It needed the right justification.
But if an entire country was engulfed in madness, and its citizens—intoxicated by demonic energy—cried for vengeance daily, then it became far easier.
The Empire was showing ominous movements.
Everyone sensed that something was going to happen.
The only question was when and where.
The nations bordering the Empire kept sending diplomatic envoys to appease them, while Yoheim was pouring all his efforts into fortifying the Aloy Mountains.
"So, the Holy Kingdom's royal succession must be going smoothly."
Fiore remarked.
Yuri, who stood beside him, asked,
"Why?"
"The person replying to our letters changed. It's Larrson now."
"That guy?"
"He'll probably become king soon. Looks like he's tying up loose ends beforehand."
Fiore folded the letter as he spoke.
"He seems to be handling things well, in his own way."
Yuri nodded.
He wasn't too confident in Larrson himself, but it seemed he had some capable subordinates around him.
Whether it was due to virtue or bloodline, that too was a kind of competence.
"What about us? Do we have good retainers?"
"The Foreign Minister is working hard, isn't he?"
"That's true."
"Well, we won't need them much later anyway."
Once Cedric became king, wise ministers wouldn't be all that necessary.
If he wished, Cedric could do anything.
Right now, he was interested in history, so perhaps a thesis that would astonish academia would appear soon.
Yuri laughed to himself as he imagined Briol under Cedric's rule.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because I'm looking forward to the future."
"The war?"
"No. The peace that comes after it."
"Do you think it will come?"
"It has to."
"Here."
Yuri took the letter Fiore handed him and read it.
He probably hadn't written it himself, but the handwriting looked like his—awkward and clumsy.
Yuri suddenly thought of Sibylla.
She had said she was entering the Holy Knight Order, but there had been no news. If Larrson was giving her a hard time even now, when his succession was all but assured, it must mean their emotional rift had already grown deep.
Yuri asked out of the blue,
"If the Empire moves, do you think the Holy Knight of the Holy Kingdom will take action?"
"Who knows."
"Have you ever met the Holy Knight?"
"Yes."
"How was he?"
"Useful."
"Did you fight him?"
"Long ago."
One of the Ten Strong resided in the Holy Kingdom as well. A paladin known as the Holy Knight.
He spent most of his time in religious devotion at the temple, rarely appearing unless something truly monumental occurred.
Even in Yuri's past life, he had not come to the frontlines of the war.
He had appeared later, but since news of him stopped, he had likely fallen to one of the other Ten Strong who were abundant in the Empire.
"Are you close with him?"
"No."
"Do you think you could get him to act?"
"How would I know?"
"Hm…"
Yuri hoped he would act sooner.
To move the Holy Knight, he might have to visit the Holy Kingdom himself.
That was the fastest way.
"Don't rush things."
Perhaps sensing Yuri's thoughts, Fiore spoke.
"If you force things, you'll end up dropping what you were already holding."
"Yes."
Yuri nodded. But still, there was a need to act quickly.
Right now was the time to reinforce the alliance among the other nations to prepare against the Empire.
Even if it wasn't spoken aloud, everyone was uneasy. And because of that, they all agreed on one thing—resisting the Empire.
If the Holy Knight joined them, the war might unfold in a completely different way than in his past life. The Empire's aggression could be suppressed from the very beginning.
While strengthening cooperation with the other nations, they had to gradually erode the Empire's power.
"Hmm…"
Yuri tilted his head slightly.
"Father."
"Mm?"
"I'm curious about something."
"What is it?"
The Empire was strong.
Among many reasons, one was that about half of the Ten Strong either belonged to or were friendly with the Empire.
If those figures could be separated from the Empire, everything would become easier.
With Yalta dead, there were four remaining.
If they could eliminate just one more, it would change the whole story.
"Are you perhaps close with that ogre?"
"No."
Not all of the Ten Strong were human.
There was Gert, the Death Knight, Inariel, the elf, Cruar, the dragonkin, and like them, another being of a different race held a place among the Ten.
"Doncic and I are hardly what you'd call close."
He was an ogre who lived in the forests of the Empire's north.
He lacked intelligence, but his natural strength was overwhelming enough to place him among the Ten Strong.
In terms of sheer combat power, he was one of the top even among the Ten.
"You sound familiar calling his name like that."
"We just crossed blades once a long time ago."
"Ah…"
"What is it?"
"Well, he's simple, so I was wondering if maybe we could bring him over to Briol's side."
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"Doncic…"
What Fiore said next completely caught Yuri off guard.
"…knows loyalty."
"Excuse me?"
He hadn't expected a word like loyalty.
Fiore continued.
"Long ago, Doncic received help from the Empire. At that time, the Imperial family granted him the northern forest as a reward for his loyalty, and even pardoned his crimes."
"Right…"
"Doncic never forgot the emperor's grace."
"I didn't realize he was such a noble ogre."
"He's just slow-witted. In a way, that unchanging nature may make him better than most humans."
"I see."
Yuri nodded.
At any rate, he understood now that persuading him would be difficult.
"We'd better pray we don't meet that loyal ogre Doncic on the battlefield."
In his previous life, Doncic had been mobilized for war, but he rarely came out directly. He mostly waited in the rear.
But when he did step forward, he caused absolute mayhem.
He crushed armies alone, and his destructive power uprooted entire areas.
When he got angry, he destroyed everything around him indiscriminately, so even the Empire had to be cautious when deploying him.
"Understood, for now."
***
Doncic stood on damp soil.
The cool sensation beneath the thick leather of his feet felt good.
"Grrr…"
He moved sideways, leaving footprints in the mud. As he continued stamping his feet, he found himself deeper in the forest.
Doncic inhaled deeply.
The scent of the forest filled his lungs.
With a single breath, he could sense everything happening within the woods—what was where, and what was going on.
Doncic furrowed his brow.
Something was approaching.
It was not welcome.
He turned to retreat deeper into the forest, but then, a different scent brushed his nose.
Doncic stopped in place.
"Grrr…"
He had no choice but to go back.
With reluctant steps, Doncic began walking toward the forest's edge. On the way, he passed a small apple tree, which he yanked out of the ground with one hand.
Holding the tree, he strode forward.
There, a being he served was waiting for him.
"It's been a while."
Doncic looked down at the human and pondered what he'd once learned as "etiquette," then dropped to one knee and mimicked a respectful pose.
"Crown prince… I, meet."
An ogre's vocal cords could mimic human speech to some degree.
He couldn't speak clearly, but communication was possible at this level.
"Yes, Doncic. Loyal servant of the Imperial family."
The one who had come to meet him was Eugen, heir to the throne.
Doncic stared at Eugen and opened his mouth again.
"Smell… bad."
"Smell? But I used the most expensive perfume."
"What you bring… dangerous."
"Oh? You can already sense it? Is it because you're one of the Ten Strong, or just an ogre thing?"
"I… special… ogre."
"Yes. I suppose you are."
Behind Eugen stood a squad of knights, waiting.
Even in the presence of Doncic, their expressions didn't change.
"Bring it here."
At Eugen's gesture, a knight behind him stepped forward and handed over something wrapped in silk.
Eugen spoke.
"Doncic, I have a task for you."
"I… loyal… to emperor. If can… I do."
"It's not difficult."
Eugen smiled.
"You just have to stand still."
Then Eugen unwrapped the silk, revealing the object inside.
At the sight of it, Doncic took a step back.
Since ogres were larger than humans, even a single step made the ground tremble.
"That… danger. Danger."
"Look."
"Don't want… to see."
"Doncic. Loyal ogre who knows duty. This is an order. Stay still."
Eugen stepped forward and held the object out.
"And look."
Inside was a piece of parchment.
Dark energy began to swirl from Eugen's hand.
"Grrr…"
Doncic covered his eyes with both hands, but Eugen had that removed as well.
Though resistance seemed likely, Doncic didn't fight back.
Even as the small human pushed the parchment in his face, he helplessly endured it.
In the end, he had no choice but to look at it up close.
Doncic groaned like a beast.
"Grrrrrr…"
His vision blurred, and he collapsed where he stood. Eugen didn't stop—he kept pushing the parchment toward the ogre's face.
Eugen said,
"I just send this thing out first, let it cause a ruckus. Isn't that enough? Who needs justification? Just say a beast went berserk."
Eugen burst into laughter.
Despite the events unfolding, the knights behind him remained unshaken.
Their eyes, including the whites, were clouded in darkness, and black veins bulged from their necks.
The ogre's low moan shook the forest.
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