"Huh? Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
"Scared?"
"Of course not."
"Sure looks like it."
"You're mistaken."
"Give me your hand mirror."
"Pardon?"
Yuri flipped the hand mirror, and it immediately reflected Jared's face.
"Look."
"A mirror, all of a sudden?"
"Your expression."
Jared's eyes rolled.
Then he stiffened the muscles in his face, raising his eyes fiercely.
"..."
"What?"
"You just changed your expression."
"This is how I usually look."
Yuri took back the hand mirror.
Jared made a pouty face again and protested.
"Still, wouldn't it be better to just retreat? The main force is almost here…"
Yuri held up his palm.
"Stop."
"Sorry?"
"Freeze your face. Just stop. Don't move."
"..."
"Now, look."
Yuri showed the mirror again. Jared stared into it.
"That's your real face. Still gonna pretend you're not scared?"
Jared changed his expression again.
"Hey."
"You're misunderstanding."
"What?"
"Fine. That damn Empire, let's just crush it. Who the hell do they think they are, calling Briol a countryside town? Let's show them what the true face of the knightly nation of Briol looks like."
"Good. Laurent?"
"I shall always follow the prince, no matter what."
"Then it's settled."
Yuri pulled out some jerky from the baggage of the knights they had killed and bit into it.
"We'll wipe out the 9th Knight Order and take out their captain, Elpeso. That's our mission."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's tire them out as much as we can before the war begins."
Yuri's group began to move again.
Perhaps news of the earlier squad's defeat hadn't spread yet, because the next group they encountered was similarly sprawled about, looking relaxed.
"Looks like the higher the number, the worse the Imperial knight orders get."
"Could be."
Yuri drew his bowstring.
"Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
Another sweep began.
However, this time, one knight with a semblance of sense triggered a signal device as soon as the battle began, revealing their location.
"Damn it."
Laurent immediately sliced the enemy's throat.
Four bodies dropped to the ground. Yuri gave swift orders.
"Run. We've been exposed."
"Yes."
They dashed through the middle of the mountain.
It felt like the bushes were shifting all around them.
It was hard to tell whether it was the movement of wild animals or people.
"Your Highness."
"Yeah?"
"Should we run now?"
Laurent answered in his stead.
"Jared, don't you know His Highness by now?"
"Well…"
"When he sets his mind to something, he always sees it through."
"Yeah."
"So stop whining."
"Fine…"
Hearing their exchange, Yuri let out a sigh.
He had been thinking of retreating to Briol, having been discovered earlier than expected, but Laurent's faith was deeper than anticipated.
Jared muttered,
"I think His Highness is slightly regretting this…"
"Hey now, Jared."
"Got it, Sir Laurent."
Yuri closed his eyes. There was no helping it. Sometimes, you just had to go where the world pushed you.
And then—
"Enemies! Over there!"
A signal device burst nearby again.
Yuri glanced sideways toward the sound.
It came from a ridge slightly above the path they were running along.
Yuri clicked his tongue.
"Damn it."
They had been too lax, but these were still Imperial knights. Now that the alarm had sounded, they would begin responding properly.
Yuri expanded his sense.
He felt the presence of enemies in every direction. They were closing in from all sides, like a swarm of ants chasing prey.
Yuri looked at Laurent and Jared.
"Looks like…"
He quickly scanned the terrain within view.
"We'll have to fight harder than planned."
Laurent and Jared looked at him.
"Understood."
"Sorry, it's our fault for being lacking…"
"No."
Yuri shook his head.
"If you two are considered lacking, the rest of the knights should just die."
The two had grown greatly while traveling with Yuri. They were young, but far stronger than most knights.
It was just that Yuri was abnormally powerful—aside from that, the two of them had talent worthy of being called prodigies.
Before long, both would be listed among the leading candidates for the next Ten Strong.
"I may have pushed too hard. But we can't just run, right?"
"Of course not."
"Let's tear the 9th Knight Order to pieces."
At Yuri's glance, the two tightened their expressions.
"Drop the baggage, move fast."
Yuri's party threw away unnecessary luggage and moved swiftly.
They now found themselves the ones being hunted.
Yuri smirked.
In crisis, his mind began spinning rapidly. As his heart pounded, his physical speed also surged.
Using Heart-Soul Slash to draw forth chaos became noticeably easier.
Falling asleep would invite the Heart Demon, but it was better than dying here.
"There."
A head flickered ahead in the brush.
Yuri charged without hesitation. Though Laurent and Jared couldn't keep up and were left behind, Yuri raced straight through the underbrush.
As he closed in, the opposing knight barely managed to raise his sword.
Yuri didn't want to drag things out.
Pretending to clash swords, he drove his foot straight into the knight's lower abdomen.
"Guh!"
As the knight collapsed, Yuri brought his sword down on the man's helmeted head.
It split straight through.
The contents spilled out.
But there was no time to stand still. They came in groups of four.
The moment Yuri killed one, the remaining three reacted.
Three swords came flying toward him.
The Imperial knights were all highly skilled. You couldn't take them lightly with ordinary tactics.
Yuri once more summoned the power of chaos.
It would worsen his Heart Demon, but temporarily granted him power on par with the Ten Strong.
The effect was immediate.
Yuri's speed accelerated.
Weaving through what seemed like unavoidable strikes, he slipped through the three slashes, and drove Guilty into one knight's side. The armor warped, and soft flesh was torn apart.
One knight collapsed.
He shifted outward and swung his sword against the next.
As the two blades clashed and the knight faltered from the force, Yuri leapt up and stomped his head.
Using that rebound, he sprang toward the last one.
His sword fell from the sky.
With overwhelming power, it split the knight from helmet to chest.
The body cleaved in half and fell limp, instantly dead.
Three were killed in a flash.
Yuri caught his breath.
"Wow, Your Highness…"
Seeing his divine prowess, Laurent and Jared gasped.
"How was that? Cool?"
"Are you alright?"
"Of course."
Yuri felt himself growing more accustomed to drawing upon chaos. He was now able to do it faster and more precisely, and the benefits were easier to control.
"Your eyes…"
"My eyes?"
"Your eyes are bloodshot."
Yuri rubbed his eyes. He did feel some heat rising.
"Really?"
He realized he had been in the realm of heart-soul all along. He had grown so accustomed to it, he hadn't even noticed.
His vision returned to normal.
A slight dizziness made him stumble briefly, but he regained his balance.
"Are you really alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Yuri grinned.
"This much is nothing."
But Laurent and Jared didn't look at ease.
"Your Highness. It seems you're pushing yourself too hard."
Even though they didn't know about the Heart Demon, they were still worried. Yuri furrowed his brow.
"Jared."
"Yes?"
"Hand mirror."
Taking the mirror Jared handed over, Yuri inspected his own face. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, but he didn't look all that different.
"Looks fine to me."
"It's not your appearance, but… your aura feels a bit…"
"Aura?"
"There's a murky feeling to it."
Yuri's Heart-Soul Slash had originally been a power that was very clear and pure. It even felt serene.
But when he drew upon the power of chaos, it was different.
A dark, turbid energy flowed from him.
In a way, it was a natural phenomenon. Chaos was a force where everything was mixed together, so impurities leaking out was to be expected.
"It's fine."
Yuri shrugged.
"This much is easy."
Then he raised his sword again. There was no time for idle chatter.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
"Yes, sir."
Yuri moved forward. A faint smile formed on his lips.
He no longer feared the enemy.
Moyong Chan had said even the Heavenly Demon couldn't overcome the Heart Demon.
But Yuri didn't care.
He had come back to set everything right.
He could overcome it.
Compared to the hellish time of his past life, a mere dream like this was nothing.
"There they are."
Yuri's sense picked up enemies again.
He kicked off the ground and vanished without a sound in an instant.
Watching his movement, Laurent and Jared couldn't speak for a while.
They hurried after him, but it was hard to catch up. By the time they barely reached his back, Yuri would have already finished everything.
"Sir Laurent."
"Yeah?"
"Today, His Highness's back feels especially far away."
"It literally is far…"
Yuri was already off in the distance.
"He suddenly got so strong. Is this really okay?"
"He did change after killing Yalta."
"So you really have to go through something big to grow stronger? Like a life-or-death battle?"
"Maybe."
Laurent sighed.
It had been quite some time since he had sworn loyalty to the Third Prince and started following him.
He had worked tirelessly to catch up to him, but the gap only seemed to widen.
That was why he was still alive now, but a part of him felt a sense of shame.
"Sir Laurent. I can see exactly what you're thinking."
"Oh yeah?"
"I'm the bodyguard, you know. I'm the one being protected. I should be the one feeling ashamed in this situation."
"But Jared, you were helpful."
"Helpful how?"
"The hand mirror."
"..."
"That helped His Highness. I should start carrying equipment too."
"I get the feeling that if you were the one to lend the mirror, His Highness wouldn't have teased you."
"Probably."
"Why?"
"Because it suits me."
"Wow…"
By the time Laurent and Jared caught up in haste, Yuri was already standing there, having killed four Imperial knights.
They instinctively froze.
Yuri's gaze toward them was chilling.
"You're here?"
But it was only for a moment. Yuri quickly returned to his usual self and grinned.
"Scary, isn't it? My own skill."
The four knights had fallen without much resistance.
Jared spoke.
"Feels like, after this war, the Ten Strong might become the Eleven Strong."
The three searched the fallen knights for anything useful. There wasn't much. Yuri found some jerky and bit into it.
"Hmm…"
"What is it?"
"Looks like they used some kind of trick."
"Pardon?"
"They're coming."
Yuri's sensing had expanded considerably by now.
So he could feel the Imperial Knight Order's movements as if holding them in his hand.
"Looks like they're tracking us. But with what…"
Yuri suddenly looked up at the sky.
A bird was circling above their heads.
"A mage, huh."
"What should we do?"
"Gather up for a moment."
The two stepped closer to Yuri.
Yuri lowered his head.
"So…"
"Yes?"
"Don't be surprised. I'm going to move suddenly."
"Excuse me?"
Though he had gathered them as if to talk, Yuri suddenly grabbed the bow from his back, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the sky.
Before the bird could even flap its wings, the arrow tore through the air.
It pierced the bird's chest precisely.
Its wings stopped, and it plummeted to the ground.
It had all happened in an instant.
"Bet they were surprised."
Yuri approached the fallen bird's corpse. It was an ordinary bird, but its leg was wrapped in something like a necklace adorned with a gem.
"They used the bird to check on us."
"Then I guess our position is already exposed."
"Pretty much."
Yuri closed his eyes and assessed the surroundings.
Since drawing upon the power of chaos, his mind had been unnaturally clear, as if he had taken a stimulant.
He could identify the enemy locations perfectly.
"Let's head that way."
Yuri pointed with his finger. It was a path leading further up the mountain.
"We're going further up the mountain? Then…"
"We have no choice. That spot's the weakest right now."
"Could they have done that on purpose?"
"Maybe."
Yuri wiped the blood-stained blade of Guilty on a dead knight's corpse.
"But this time, we'll have to take the bait."
"Understood."
Jared let out a sigh.
"I thought we'd just fight a little and get out, but looks like we're really going all the way now."
"I told you from the start, that was the plan."
***
Elpeso grit his teeth.
"They cannot be allowed to escape."
The mage who had been tracking the three knights from Briol collapsed from the shock of his spell being forcibly broken.
It was an overwhelming display of skill.
Jared the Beast of Briol.
It was a name he had never heard before, but one that would surely become a great threat to the Empire in the future.
"If we don't kill them now, they'll be a huge obstacle later."
They were strong, yes, but the 9th Knight Order still had plenty of strength left. Even for someone of the Ten Strong, breaking through this encirclement would be difficult.
"Drive them to the top of the mountain, and hunt them."
Elpeso's eyes gleamed viciously.
"It's either we kill them, or we die. One or the other. Understood?!"
"Yes, sir!"