The Imperial army marched south toward Briol.
Briol did not stand idly by. Armies from each territory were summoned.
Knights, swept up in subtle excitement, headed to the rallying point.
The King of Briol, Fiore Briol, declared a royal campaign.
The weight of his name was now so great that the Empire no longer inspired fear.
At the thought of seeing Fiore's divine presence, the knights even began to look forward to war.
But Yuri was heading in a different direction.
"The Empire has dispatched a Black Knight. The 2nd through 10th Knight Orders have been mobilized. There's no sign of the shadowless black star, but he's always been that kind of opponent…"
At Jared's words, Yuri nodded.
"More than I expected."
"Exactly."
He was currently on a reconnaissance mission toward the Imperial army's path, accompanied by Laurent and Jared.
Having left Briol, they moved through the forests to avoid prying eyes, heading for the Imperial army's route.
"We still have enough rations, right?"
"Yes."
Between the Empire and Briol, many small kingdoms lay scattered.
Though Liberda touched one side, the current path of the Imperial army leaned to the opposite.
Yuri's group minimized visits to cities or villages, sustaining themselves with jerky and biscuits as they traveled.
Yuri did not act as leisurely as before.
"Always stay alert."
Yuri, scanning the surroundings sharply, spoke again.
"Just as we've come out here, the Empire might have sent scouts too."
Laurent and Jared wore grim expressions.
This battle was unlike any they had faced before. The opponent was the Empire. In many ways, their chances of defeat were clearly higher.
In such a situation, it was impossible not to feel tense.
Yuri suddenly came to a stop.
"There."
Through the rugged path between two mountains, a group of riders was moving.
There were no obvious insignias, but Yuri immediately recognized them as Imperial soldiers.
"They're from the Empire."
"Couldn't they be soldiers from a nearby lord's estate?"
"No."
Yuri had seen more than enough Imperial troops in his previous life. He knew their traits well.
"They're definitely Imperial."
"What should we do?"
There were four of them.
"We can't let them escape or signal anyone."
Yuri's group hid among the bushes and observed them.
The Imperial soldiers scanned their surroundings carefully. They were well-trained.
"They're coming down."
The enemy was descending toward the southeast where Yuri's group was ascending from the northwest.
They would likely meet somewhere in between.
Yuri descended, keeping himself hidden as much as possible. Jared and Laurent followed. Their movements were stealthy.
He hadn't run the guerrilla training ground just to hand out punishment drills. Yuri had also learned many techniques from the instructors.
And more than anything, he possessed the memories of an ancient hunter.
"Your Highness, a bit slower please…"
It was difficult for Laurent and Jared to keep up.
Yuri nodded and slowed down.
As he descended along the slope, Yuri kept his eyes on the approaching Imperial soldiers. They hadn't noticed Yuri's group at all.
Soon, Yuri reached his intended position.
He drew the bow from his back and aimed at the enemy, while Laurent and Jared prepared to charge with their swords.
Yuri fired at a rider in the rear who had taken off his helmet.
The arrow silently pierced through the man's skull.
The three ahead barely registered what had happened before Laurent and Jared leapt in.
"W-what?!"
"Ambush!"
Yuri nocked another arrow and pulled it to his cheek. The tension bit into his fingertips.
He took aim at a rider reaching into his pouch while backing away.
Once again, the arrow cut through the air.
This time, it slipped through the eye slit in the helmet and pierced the brain.
Two were down in an instant.
The remaining two were no match for Laurent and Jared. Though they were of typical knight-level skill, that wasn't enough to stop the two.
Yuri's group swiftly eliminated all four Imperial soldiers.
Yuri lowered his bow and approached Laurent and Jared.
"Are they all dead?"
"One is still breathing."
Yuri walked over. The man had been stabbed in the abdomen by Laurent and was gasping, but not yet dead.
He wouldn't last long, though.
"Where's your main force located?"
Yuri asked, but the man gave no answer.
"You're going to die anyway. Will it be painful or peaceful?"
As he said that, Yuri placed his hand on the pierced abdomen and pressed firmly. The man's face twisted, and blood dripped from his mouth.
"J-just kill me."
"Answer me. Or I'll just leave you."
Yuri pointed to the sky.
"See that crow? It's waiting for you to die. Let's make it peaceful."
"D-damned bastard…"
"Should've been my line."
Yuri had no intention of exchanging more words. He pressed harder into the man's abdomen.
The torn edge of the chainmail, pierced by Laurent, folded into the wound, worsening it.
"Guh…"
Yuri kept moving his gauntlet.
The man's eyes trembled violently.
Yuri whispered to him.
"Talk. I'll end the pain."
The man's lips trembled slightly. Yuri nodded.
Then snapped his neck.
"Alright, let's clean up and move."
Worried they might return to their unit, they also killed the four horses. It was a cruel decision, but necessary to win the war.
Before clearing the bodies, Yuri stripped the Imperial uniforms.
"We'll wear them on the outside just in case. They might come in handy."
Laurent and Jared stared at Yuri, dumbfounded by his deft actions.
"Why?"
"How are you so good at this?"
"Read more books."
"This is in a book?"
"Search the library well."
"...Okay."
"Let's bury them."
Yuri buried the bodies roughly in the mountain, making sure the Empire wouldn't find them.
He used the mana method, so digging and covering the ground was finished quickly.
Once the task was done, Yuri spoke.
"The main force is still near Arcaine."
"That's quite a distance."
"But scouts made it here."
Yuri grinned.
"What does that tell us?"
"That the Black Knight is being cautious?"
"Close enough."
Yuri looked in the direction the Imperial soldiers had come from.
There was still nothing in sight.
"It means there are likely more scouts between these guys and the main force."
"Ah."
"We've got a lot to do, don't we?"
"Weren't we just going to locate the main force and return?"
"While we're here, let's reduce the enemy as much as possible."
Yuri said as he began walking again.
"And instill some fear."
Following him, Laurent said admiringly,
"As expected of Your Highness. You've thought of everything."
"Sir Laurent, maybe he's just doing whatever he wants and coming up with reasons after."
Yuri ignored Jared's grumbling and once again slipped into the bushes, eyes focused far into the distance. At any moment, more Imperial soldiers could appear.
If this effort managed to slow the Empire's advance even a little, that alone would be a great success.
***
Yuri's group hunted down several squads of scouts as they worked their way up toward the Empire's main force.
Each team consisted of four members, and most reacted in the same way.
The Imperial main force seemed unaware of the strange occurrences, likely because the enemies had been eliminated so swiftly.
But soon enough, they would realize something was wrong when the reporting chain failed.
"They all seem to be at knight level," Jared said as they buried the corpses. Yuri nodded.
"That's why we're effectively reducing the Empire's strength."
"It's easier than I expected. Is it always like this?"
"Well…"
It wasn't that the Imperial knights were weak — it was that they were strong.
But Yuri only stared at Jared in silence, not offering a reply.
"What? Why?"
"It's nothing."
As he traveled with Yuri, Jared had made great progress in his skills. He was now capable of handling an average Imperial knight with ease.
"Let's take a short break."
"Yes."
Yuri's group sat down, laid out their things, and chewed on jerky as they rested.
Because they wore the uniforms of the fallen Imperial soldiers, they looked like Imperial scouts at a glance.
So when enemies appeared behind them, they weren't attacked immediately.
"Three of them? There should be four. Where's the other one?"
At the sudden voice, the three froze for a moment.
Yuri slowly turned around.
A man in Imperial uniform was approaching with hands behind his back and a light stride.
"Disappearing in the middle of a mission? That's not right. This calls for a court martial."
The man hadn't grasped the situation yet and was joking around.
"What's that? Jerky? Give me a piece."
Yuri stood up naturally. The fact that the man was moving alone suggested he wasn't an ordinary soldier. He had to end this while the man was still under his misconception.
Yuri spoke casually.
"Would you like one?"
"Sure."
"Here…"
Yuri turned as if to hand over the jerky — and in the same motion, drew his sword and swung it at the man's neck.
It was a fast and clean move.
But the man slid backward in an instant, dodging the attack.
"Wait a sec?"
His eyes swept over Yuri's group.
They were wearing Imperial uniforms, but they looked sloppy.
"No way…"
Yuri gave him no time to think. He charged again, his sword aimed straight at the vital points.
But the man evaded everything like a performer, then drew his own sword.
Yuri immediately sensed that this man was no ordinary opponent.
Judging by his lone movements, he might be the one commanding the scouts.
Killing him would be a great achievement.
"Briol, is it?"
Instead of answering, Yuri invoked the mana method. The heart-soul slash flared from his core.
Laurent and Jared moved to flank the man from behind with drawn swords.
Surrounded by three people, the man's face turned pale.
"Wait, hold on. Let's talk—"
Yuri took a step forward and unleashed sword aura. The man raised his blade to block it.
Yuri then ducked in and swept low. The man stabbed his sword into the path to block it.
Yuri spun the other way and slashed again, and the man quickly withdrew his sword.
Clang.
His reflexes were sharp.
Yuri pulled back his sword and struck hard. The man twisted to dodge. The two locked eyes, trading the rhythm of their next blows.
"You're pretty good."
The man still hadn't lost his composure. He asked Yuri,
"Who are you?"
Since Yuri was hiding the color of his hair, the man didn't realize right away.
Meanwhile, Laurent and Jared struck from behind.
The man dodged without even looking.
If he wasn't one of the Ten Strong, then he was surely a knight order commander of the Empire.
Yuri said nothing and charged again. Their swords began to move more brilliantly. As their speed increased, shockwaves echoed all around.
Yuri thrust for the man's shoulder. The man parried outward and lunged toward Yuri's now-open abdomen.
Yuri narrowly twisted away. Then, he pulled the outward-angled sword path back in and slashed downward. The man's forearm was cut as he retreated, and blood splattered.
"Damn, you're incredibly fast—"
Yuri didn't let him finish. He advanced even faster than the man could retreat. The distance between them closed in an instant.
"D-damn it."
The man tried to twist and dodge sideways.
But he couldn't move the way he intended.
"What…?"
Yuri's foot was on top of the man's.
Losing his balance, the man began to topple toward the ground.
Yuri moved in to strike.
But the man fell even steeper than Yuri expected. He immediately adjusted his movement upon realizing the situation.
To Yuri's eyes, it looked as if the sword was rising straight up from the ground.
"Ugh!"
Even though he had taken the initiative by stepping on his foot, it was Yuri who ended up bleeding.
He checked the wound on his arm. It was quite deep. Blood flowed steadily.
"Whew, impressive. So this is the land of knights, huh?"
The man rolled several times on the ground to gain distance and then sprang to his feet.
He immediately extended his sword to keep Jared and Laurent at bay.
"I almost died just now. What unit are you from? At least tell me your name."
None of the three, including Yuri, opened their mouths. This time, they were the ambushers. They maintained silence and surrounded him again.
Yuri now realized this man was stronger than he'd expected.
So he began to consider whether to enter the heart-soul domain and use the power of chaos.
Then, the man pulled something from his coat and tossed it into the air.
Flames shot into the sky.
It was a flare made from explosives.
Until now, they had always subdued the enemy before they could use it — but this man wasn't someone that could be stopped so easily.
"You're probably thinking you'll kill me before reinforcements arrive. I know. But as you can see, that's impossible…"
As if responding to his signal, flares from other scouts began rising all across the mountain.
Far more than expected.
The man grinned.
"From now on, you are the hunted."