Having signed the contract with Umstein and Orichalcum, Yuri quietly observed the flow of the Holy Kingdom for a while.
Luther was now finding and handling his own work. There was no brake on the path of a man who had thrown away the title of Saint.
From time to time, he would mutter strange things to himself.
"I wanted to live quietly, but the world wouldn't leave me alone, so there was nothing I could do, I suppose. It's just the fault of the bastard who made me like this. Kukukuk…"
Luther shifted all the weight of his conscience onto Yuri, who had pushed him forward, and walked his path without hesitation.
He would even visit uncooperative nobles and carry out purges that were purges in all but name.
"Hey. Still dreaming those empty dreams?"
"…"
"You've heard the rumors, haven't you? The Empire is preparing for war. A big battle will break out, and in times like that, it's not strange for anyone to die, no matter how. You'd better take care of yourself."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Whether it's a threat or a warning, how you take it is up to you. But, judging from how you feel threatened, it sounds like you've got something to hide, doesn't it?"
"N-no, that's not it."
"Good. I simply wish for us to be in a relationship where we worry about each other, kukuk…"
"That…"
"I hope we can meet separately sometime soon."
"Y-yes."
Yuri felt relieved seeing Luther being more proactive than expected.
When unrelated to the throne, he had devoted himself to the temple and lived without drawing attention, but once chosen as king, he began moving in earnest.
Perhaps he was simply the type of person who faithfully fulfilled the role expected of him by those around him.
Yuri muttered,
"Just a guy who does what he's told well."
Although it sounded like he was looking down on him, it was, in Yuri's own way, a compliment.
Luther handled matters quickly.
By ending the war with the Holy Kingdom overnight and signing a non-aggression pact, the King of Bursen could now continue drinking the wine of Alras, and was probably delighted.
"I should ask for a crate of wine."
"Sir?"
"Just talking to myself. Jared, are you ready?"
"Of course."
"Then, let's go."
Without delaying further, Yuri's party decided to leave the Holy Kingdom.
"Will the Holy Kingdom be all right?"
"Don't worry."
Although it had been in turmoil for some time, the Holy Kingdom was a solid nation. Once a new king appeared, everything quickly returned to its rightful place.
A close communication network with Luther had been established, and if war broke out with the Empire, they had agreed to cooperate immediately. Until then, the Holy Kingdom would be training its army and producing Orichalcum weapons.
It was a pity to leave without receiving a prototype of the Orichalcum weapons, but Yuri had many things to do.
"Where are we going now?"
"Balshad."
"Sir?"
"Ernando is calling."
"Uh, can't Sir Ernando come here instead?"
"No."
Yuri nodded.
"He says we have to go. More precisely, I have to go."
"Oh, great…"
The distance from the Holy Kingdom to Balshad was quite far. They would have to cross the continent to the grasslands at the eastern edge. Having already subjugated the orcs, it wasn't as dangerous as before, but it was by no means an easy journey.
"Why? Are you scared?"
"No. Just… it's far. I mean, couldn't we just meet at the Magic Tower instead?"
Yuri shook his head.
"He says the demonic energy is too strong. It distorts the space of his workshop."
"Hearing that makes me feel like we really shouldn't go…"
Jared frowned uncomfortably.
At that, Simon and Guinness reacted.
"No, Sir Jared. We must go. We must stop the black magic. We cannot give in to fear."
"That's right. If you're a knight of Briol, you have to go."
Having followed Moyong Chan and wandered Liberda, the two had become highly motivated knights. Compared to when Yuri had first met them in the Allied Army, it was a huge change.
Jared muttered,
"Honestly, you guys weren't like this back in the Allied Army…"
Simon and Guinness coughed awkwardly.
Yuri stepped in instead.
"Before I picked you, you were worse than these two…"
"Khmm, hmm…"
Bringing up the distant past left Jared without a comeback. He could only nod without further complaint.
"Well, fine. In that case, let's head to Balshad again."
"Let's stop by Liberda along the way."
"Sounds good."
However, Francesco was to join them on this journey. To remove the black magic spreading through his body, they needed Ernando's help.
Once the five, including Francesco, were ready to depart, Luther, Umstein, Fenek, and others they had connected with in the Holy Kingdom came to see them off.
Luther spoke up.
"Hey. You dump the throne on me and now you're leaving?"
Ever since they'd decided to speak casually, Luther's words had no filter.
"What an irresponsible guy you are, Yuri Briol."
Yuri didn't feel bad.
Although he had put him on the throne, Luther was the king. Being on such casual terms with the ruler of a nation was a new experience.
Yuri smirked.
"Yeah. I'm leaving. In the meantime, keep your mouth shut and stay seated on that throne. Don't cause trouble and ruin the country, just be average. Just average."
"You, too—don't run around and end up stabbed somewhere. Stay out of trouble."
Yuri and Luther slapped each other's palms, then exchanged glances with the others in farewell.
Mounted on his horse, Yuri spoke just before leaving.
"The next time we meet will probably be on the battlefield. Even if you don't want to see me, you'll have to, so don't miss me too much. Later."
He shook the reins. The horse began to walk slowly.
From behind, everyone shouted their goodbyes.
"Farewell!"
"Thanks for the dagger!"
"Thank you for your hard work!"
Yuri waved a hand behind him.
***
They focused solely on riding without incident.
They didn't seek out villages unless absolutely necessary, riding as far as they could before sleeping outdoors wherever they happened to be.
Being strong enough to be free from the threat of bandits or wild beasts, and accustomed to rough food and sleeping arrangements from long campaigns, they had no trouble—except for one person.
"I'm dying here. Dying. What kind of brainless march is this? We should be going to a village, taking a bath, enjoying a feast, sleeping in comfort. That's the way to keep going for long. At this pace…"
"Be quiet."
"Sir Jared, you have no complaints?"
"My complaint is about Sir Francesco's voice. Too loud."
"No, what I mean is…"
As a paladin who had only ever been treated with honor as a Holy Knight, Francesco had never once slept outdoors like a common soldier, or filled his stomach with jerky to stave off hunger.
Francesco sighed.
"At this rate, we still have a long way to go, and my body will start smelling rotten. Honestly…"
Just then, Yuri said,
"We'll stop by a village."
Francesco's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yes. I have something to do in a village."
"What is it?"
"I need to send a letter."
"Huh?"
Yuri looked as if he had just remembered something important he'd forgotten.
"Did you perhaps forget something…?"
"There's one thing I forgot."
"What is it?"
"There's such a thing."
On his journey to the Holy Kingdom, Yuri had met Crow of the Crow Mercenary Corps. And Yuri had promised to introduce a high priest for Crow's younger sister.
But he had completely forgotten.
It wasn't entirely Yuri's fault.
They had stayed in the Holy Kingdom for quite a while, yet the mercenary corps hadn't come to visit, nor had there been any word from them. So he had temporarily forgotten. Perhaps something had happened to the mercenary corps.
Even now, Yuri intended to send a letter to help him.
"If it's something like that, there's no helping it."
"Good. Let's hurry. It's a good deed, so let's not hesitate."
Francesco, in particular, brightened at the news.
And so, they headed for the nearest village.
Upon arriving in the village, Yuri immediately sent letters to Luther and the Mercenary Guild. He even attached high-grade stamps to ensure safe delivery, and slipped the clerk some extra coins.
"Please make sure these are delivered safely."
"Yes! Don't worry!"
Having sent the letters without issue, Yuri went with the group to the inn to secure lodgings.
The innkeeper suddenly spoke.
"It's been a while since I've seen proper people."
"Sir?"
"It's just, it's been a while since decent folks came through here."
"Ah, I see. Haven't you had quite a few guests?"
"I said decent."
The innkeeper grinned.
"After running this place for so long, I've developed an eye for people, you see. Most are fools. But you folks at least look like proper people."
"Haha, thank you."
"Not long ago, we had some pitiful guests."
"Pitiful guests?"
"You know what they call a circus troupe?"
He shook his head with a look of distaste.
"That lot stayed here, and there were many pitiful souls among them. Especially that monster-like fellow who could speak human words… I don't know how he ended up like that…"
"A circus troupe, you say."
"Yeah."
The innkeeper shuddered.
"There were many miserable people. And I don't just mean in appearance, but inside as well. Among them, there was one especially pitiful fellow…"
According to him, he was hideous to look at, but his heart was truly human.
Yuri shrugged.
"How can you read a person's heart?"
"You can tell by their eyes."
"Their eyes?"
"It's just like that. At some point, when I looked into people's eyes, I could see what was inside them."
He grinned.
"Of course, if it's hard to believe, you don't have to. But I know I'm the real deal. I can read people properly. And since you lot are good people, that's why I'm sharing this story."
For some reason, Yuri thought there was a certain persuasiveness to his words.
To say such things to a group of five men carrying swords showed he had at least some solid self-confidence.
Yuri smiled faintly.
"I see. If the circus troupe had been here, I would have liked to watch their performance. What a shame."
"Indeed. A shame. I hear their shows are quite spectacular, but I didn't get to see one either. They just hurried off. Said they had somewhere important to be. Probably for the sake of some highborn person."
The innkeeper shrugged, looking ready to continue talking. He seemed to enjoy chatting.
Before the conversation could go on, Yuri said,
"I'll be going up now."
"Oh, mm, all right. Rest well."
Leaving the innkeeper behind, Yuri and the group went upstairs.
Jared spoke.
"The innkeeper talks a lot."
"But he doesn't seem like a bad person."
"Yes."
"A circus troupe…"
Yuri wasn't particularly fond of circus troupes.
In his previous life, rolling around as a mercenary, he had worked with all sorts of groups, including circus troupes.
Most circus troupes didn't treat their members properly. Many performers were treated like livestock, beaten with whips.
"If we happen to meet a circus troupe, let's dismantle it."
Jared tilted his head.
"Sir?"
"If we meet a circus troupe, we'll check for violations and shut them down."
"Why go that far…?"
"You've never met a circus troupe, have you?"
"No."
"They're low-quality. And for their members, most rely on slave traders. There are hardly any legitimate circus troupes."
"I see."
Jared tilted his head again. He found it curious that Yuri, a royal, knew so much about circus troupes.
"Yuri's right."
Francesco, who had just stepped into the room and was tossing off his clothes to take a bath, spoke up.
"Most circus troupes are rotten. They treat humans like livestock."
"How do you know, Sir Francesco?"
"When I was a child, I was briefly sold to a circus troupe."
"Pardon?"
Francesco showed his back.
There were scars.
"These are from that time."
"Sir Francesco…"
"I was an orphan when I was little. The day I escaped the circus troupe, the temple took me in. Then they found I had a talent for swordplay, and I became a Holy Knight."
He was a man with more of a story than they had thought.
When the atmosphere grew quiet, he burst out laughing.
"No need to be too careful. It's all in the past. Now, I'm going to wash up first!"
He hurried to the bath. Yuri and Jared shrugged at the sight.
But suddenly, noise broke out outside.
When Yuri looked through the window, he saw the townsfolk moving busily.
"What's going on?"
The question was answered by the innkeeper, who had come to bring them towels.
"Well now, what a strange coincidence. I was just talking to you about a circus troupe, wasn't I?"
"Yes."
"Seems someone from the circus troupe has escaped. Looks like they've hidden in this village, and now they're searching for them."
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