Yuri was sitting at a table in the royal palace garden, talking with Joshua.
"Do you understand now just how important division of labor is?"
"Yeah, I get it."
"For a nation to grow strong and prosperous, it must first encourage efficient production through division of labor, and then, it needs to establish a proper commercial structure so that the goods produced can be well exchanged."
"Got it."
"Let's say there's Jason the farmer, and Pietro the fisherman."
"Mm…"
"If the farmer goes fishing, and the fisherman farms, do you think the country will run properly? Each should focus on the field where they have the advantage, and then exchange with each other…"
"I said I get it."
Joshua was passing on to Yuri the knowledge he had learned at Francaise University.
He was passionately insisting that in order to strengthen the country, commerce and trade must be developed.
Yuri shook his head as he listened.
"Alright, I see how important commerce is."
"I'm glad you understand."
"But, right now…"
Yuri pointed behind him with his finger.
It was toward the northwest.
From that direction, the Empire's main forces were advancing toward Briol.
"Shouldn't stopping those guys coming over there be the priority?"
"Military power always stems from economic power."
"Don't you think the situation is too urgent to be talking about building that economic power?"
"Damn it."
Joshua let out a sigh.
"So now that I've set my mind on scholarship, the Empire's rabble comes to oppress me…"
Yuri smirked as he looked at Joshua.
Still, it was admirable.
In his past life, he had somehow felt sorry for this little brother with whom he had wasted his years side by side, but now, seeing him working so hard was a relief.
If he used that brain for good rather than mischief, he could surely achieve great things in the future.
Yuri took a sip of tea and said,
"And as for policies like that, tell Father, not me."
"I already told him. But he just found it bothersome. A ruler should heed the loyal advice of his vassals, but… honestly, as a king, Father is a bit…"
"Mmm…"
It was hard to deny.
In truth, the reason Joshua's talents had gone to waste in their past life was also partly because their father, Fiore, had been indifferent.
If he had encouraged Joshua to use that mind properly, perhaps something could have been achieved.
"Then, how about telling Brother Cedric?"
"He already knows everything."
Joshua shook his head.
"No matter what I say, he already knows. Even if it's a field he didn't know before, as soon as I say one thing, he understands the rest I didn't even mention, so it's no fun explaining to him."
"That's true…"
Though he didn't often step forward, Cedric was undeniably a genius — a once-in-a-century genius at that.
He excelled in every field.
It had been quite a while since he'd laid down his sword, but even now, he was probably stronger than most knights.
And when it came to scholarship, he was even greater. Since a very young age, scholars around him had been left speechless in awe.
"Mmm…"
Yuri scratched his chin. He thought that for the sake of Briol's future, it might be best if Cedric ascended to the throne quickly.
Their father had never been someone deeply interested in governing the country.
"Well, he'll become king when the time comes, anyway…"
One day Cedric would be king, and that fact alone gave Yuri peace of mind.
People were born with different talents, but when it came to the qualities of a ruler, Yuri had never seen anyone better than Cedric.
Not only in scholarship, but also in character, Cedric was without flaw.
If one were to rank the qualities of a ruler on a scale of ten, Cedric would likely be placed in the same tier as someone like Fiore.
That was how highly Yuri valued Cedric.
Yuri spoke.
"Hearing you talk, I feel certain about something."
"What is it?"
"Cedric needs to become king quickly. Should we try to make that happen?"
"Well, well…"
Joshua leaned back in his chair, chuckling.
"You brat, if you said that somewhere else, it'd be treason. Are you plotting to usurp the throne?"
"It's not usurpation, it's succession. And even if you say something like that, Briol's fine with it."
As long as Fiore was there, no one could forcibly take the throne.
Joshua opened his mouth.
"There's already talk going around about that. That Father might abdicate early."
"From where?"
"I don't know where I heard it either. But Father's always found the throne bothersome, hasn't he?"
"Mmm…"
"It even seems like he's the one waiting for it more."
Yuri nodded. In a way, it was good news.
No —
The corners of Yuri's lips curled upward.
It was better than just good news.
"The more I think about it, the more this is completely good news."
"You…"
Joshua frowned, then let out a loud laugh.
"Right?"
"Yeah. If we get through this war well, Briol will become an amazing country. And you'll help our eldest brother, right?"
"What about you?"
"I'm not good at anything but using a sword."
"Then catch up before Father passes away. That way the Empire won't keep picking fights."
"I'll try."
Yuri and Joshua talked about Briol under Cedric's reign. Neither wanted to become king themselves, but both agreed they wanted to assist Cedric from the side.
Just then, Jared approached.
"Your Highness, the preparations you mentioned are complete."
"Yeah?"
Leaving his conversation with Joshua, Yuri stood up.
"Brother, I'll be going."
"Go on, you must be busy, with the war right at the doorstep."
"You too, right?"
"What are you talking about? A scholar like me will just hide in a corner. You do all the sword work."
"Oh, really. Alright, I'm going."
"Go."
Joshua waved his hand.
Parting ways with Joshua, Yuri left the garden with Jared and walked through the palace.
Yuri asked,
"Did we get permission?"
"Yes."
Not long ago, Yuri had sent Jared to request permission to visit the preservation archives housed within the royal palace library.
The preservation archives contained extremely old records, so access was strictly restricted.
Originally, Yuri had no intention of going that far, but after taking in the chaos, he had changed his mind.
He wanted to gather as much information as possible about Erich Briol, the one who had created the heart-soul slash.
So, he had decided to visit the preservation archives.
"In the past, even if I wanted to, I couldn't go. There's a limit on the number of people."
"A limit?"
"Yes. One person, just one."
The preservation archives had restrictions both on who could visit and on the number of visitors.
Only one person could enter at a time.
"In the past, Cedric practically lived there."
"Ah…"
"He'd read every single book in the palace library, so he went that far."
"I guess he doesn't go there these days?"
"Seems like he's read it all."
"Amazing."
"Right?"
When he had first obtained the heart-soul slash, he had thought of coming to the preservation archives to research Erich Briol, but he had given up.
It was hard to get permission, and Cedric had already been occupying the place. He hadn't thought there would be much useful information, anyway.
Yuri soon arrived at the royal palace library. The librarian came out to greet him.
"Your Highness, it's been a long time."
"That sounded like there was some sting in your words."
"I only said it because I was glad to see you after so long, Your Highness. Hahaha."
"Have you been well?"
"Of course."
Following the librarian's guidance, Yuri descended to the underground preservation archives.
It smelled a little of dust, but overall the air was cool and pleasant.
Jared whistled.
"The air is quite good."
"There are various devices installed to preserve the books. Isn't the air very fresh?"
The librarian smiled as he put a key into the lock.
"There are multiple layers of locks so no one can come and go freely. That's how precious this place is. I hope you find the knowledge you need, Your Highness."
When the door opened, a long staircase leading downward was revealed. Jared decided to wait at the entrance, while Yuri descended alone.
The preservation archives did not look much different from the floors above.
Only, the books were very old.
Going deeper inside, there was a table in the middle of the shelves that lined the walls. When he placed his fingertips on it, a fine layer of dust came away.
As far as he knew, hardly anyone had come in here after Cedric.
Cedric had likely sat at this table, reading and studying in his own way.
"Mmm…"
What kinds of things had his brother read and studied in here? Yuri smiled faintly as he looked around.
Cedric, being tidy, probably wouldn't have left any traces, but just in case, Yuri peered under the table.
"Nothing."
He stood and looked around. The preservation archives were not particularly well organized. There was no way to immediately know where the materials on Erich Briol were.
Yuri wandered between the shelves, checking the titles.
Only books that looked boring.
"It's huge in here…"
He looked for books about the old royal family or with the name Erich Briol in them.
Most of all, Yuri wanted to find accounts of his time in the East.
A few came up, but none had the detailed information Yuri wanted.
Yuri quietly drew up the heart-soul slash,
Then overlaid it with chaos.
A murky energy shimmered above his palm, then dissipated.
Chaos.
He needed some hint about this dangerous and powerful force.
"There's nothing?"
Then suddenly, Yuri felt something and turned his head.
The shelves in the preservation archives were packed tight, blocking the view beyond, but it felt as if something was there.
It was a faint sensation, something only his sharp perception could detect.
Yuri walked toward that spot. Old books were packed tightly in place.
From a chest-level shelf, he pulled out one book, revealing the wooden back. It was just part of the shelving, not showing the wall beyond.
Yuri emptied the whole shelf at that spot.
Then, he saw something.
"Mmm…"
Behind the shelf was a small hole, revealing the gray brick wall of the archives.
Yuri tapped that spot with his hand.
There was an echo.
"…"
Since the preservation archives were underground, dug into the earth, there should have been no such reaction. That meant there was some kind of space beyond.
"A hole, huh…"
The very fact that such a hole existed was strange.
Yuri removed all the books from that shelf and stacked them on the floor.
Then, a few more holes appeared behind the shelf.
One for each compartment.
"Mmm…"
Feeling an unexplainable hunch, Yuri tapped the wall through each hole in turn, from top to bottom.
Then, something clicked.
Yuri swallowed.
He had come to the preservation archives, but he hadn't expected such an unexpected development.
He pressed one end of the bookshelf.
Rumble.
With a heavy sound, the brick wall slowly began to turn.
It was a rotating door.
The wall was thick, so the gap to pass through was narrow, but it clearly led to a space beyond.
Inside was pitch dark.
Yuri took one of the lanterns hanging on the wall, and stepped inside.
The spacious area was filled with various objects, like a storeroom.
There were weapons and armor, and on the shelves were books in languages he had never seen before.
Chests contained gold, silver, and jewels.
"What is this place?"
Even in his past life, when he had abandoned the palace and escaped through secret passages, Yuri had never known there was such a place.
As he walked inside, he soon stopped at one spot.
There was a glass display case made to hold something. Even at a glance, it looked sturdy, and the embedded mana stones suggested magical devices as well.
But its contents were gone.
"What used to be here…"
The moment he placed his fingertips on the glass, a faint spark leapt.
It wasn't enough to make him pull his hand back in pain.
It seemed that originally there had been measures to prevent anyone from touching the object inside, but for some reason, those protections had all been destroyed.
Only a faint prickle of magic remained.
Yuri examined it closely.
"Did someone take it?"
He could learn nothing more.
Tilting his head, Yuri turned around. This time, he examined the bookshelf behind him.
Then he noticed one book sticking out slightly.
He pulled it out and opened it.
The pages flipped messily, then stopped at one in particular.
There was a sentence underlined by someone's hand.
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