Chapter 176

Yuwon’s Declaration That He Would Become Emperor

Yuwon, who until just moments ago had been unable to clearly explain even why this fight needed to continue, suddenly hurled a declaration of war. However, although Gion was briefly taken aback, his reaction remained lukewarm.

‘…It was expected anyway. Hardly surprising. Right. He pretended otherwise, but who would refuse the imperial throne? Struggle all you want. Fifth Prince, Yurion Aphahiel. Only then will I obtain what I seek from this war.’

“Then this is my final question. Why didn’t you cut me down even after knowing my true identity? If you killed me alone, the coming war would have ended before it even began. Don’t tell me it’s because of some idiotic chivalry or something like that.”

At Gion’s question, Yuwon let out a snort of laughter.

“Hah. Do I look like that kind of person to you? No. If I had been able to kill you, you would have died more than a hundred times by now.”

“…Then why?”

As if he had some idea, Gion turned his head and looked behind himself.

“That’s right.”

Yuwon raised his index finger and pointed to one side behind Gion as he continued.

“It was because that fellow over there was present.”

The “fellow over there” Yuwon referred to was Colbus. Having been precisely singled out, Colbus no longer had any reason to remain hidden and quietly revealed himself.

“…My lord.”

“Colbus. Since when were you—.”

Yuwon answered in place of Gion.

“From around the time you revealed your identity. He was with us from then on. That’s why I couldn’t kill you even after knowing who you were. He’s someone far beyond what you deserve.”

Those were no empty words. If only the opportunity had allowed it, Yuwon truly would have killed Gion without hesitation. Yuwon was not the kind of man soft enough to miss prey standing right before his eyes.

At that answer, Gion felt fear for the first time since meeting Yuwon face to face.

‘If Colbus had been even a little late….’

It was something he didn’t even want to imagine. A bead of cold sweat slid down Gion’s spine. Whether he noticed it or not, Yuwon calmly exchanged greetings with Colbus.

“I tend to recover unusually fast myself, but you seem to heal quickly as well. I never imagined I’d see you here looking so intact.”

“…”

At Yuwon’s friendly greeting, Colbus maintained silence. He merely sharpened his focus, ready to respond the instant Yuwon drew his sword.

“I thought at least a brief greeting would be in order, but I suppose today isn’t the day. Then… is it my turn to ask questions again now… hmm….”

After a short moment of thought, Yuwon decided to postpone it.

“I’ll save my questions for next time. There’s nothing urgent to ask right now, and you’re faces I’ll see again eventually anyway. Remember this, Gion. For now, I’m retreating because I don’t have confidence in defeating Colbus there, but next time will be different.”

‘The next time we meet, you die.’ Leaving behind that chilling warning in a low voice, Yuwon bid farewell to Gion and Colbus.

“Until we meet again. On the battlefield.”

With his words finished, Yuwon turned his back and walked away from the two of them.

Step. Step.

In the silent forest, the sound of Yuwon’s footsteps echoed faintly. Only after Yuwon had completely disappeared from sight did Colbus, who had remained silent until then, grow flustered and check on Gion’s condition.

“My lord…! Are you all right?”

He looked ready to sling Gion over his shoulder at any moment. At Colbus’s fussing, Gion politely refused the offered support and stood on his own.

“…I’m fine. Don’t make a commotion, Colbus.”

Despite his words, Gion’s complexion was pale, as though he had seen a ghost.

“My lord….”

Rejecting Colbus’s assistance, Gion stared fixedly at the spot where Yuwon had stood moments before, as if Yuwon were still there.

‘The Fifth Prince… Yurion Aphahiel… Is he the man I must overcome to achieve the great undertaking…? It truly has been too easy until now.’

The moment he first faced Yuwon, Gion had instinctively felt it. From now on, things would no longer be as easy as before.

The following evening. Valaris Inner Fortress.

Count Valaris, the Supreme Commander of the forces gathered under Yuwon’s name, was busy receiving reports from his subordinates.

“…What is the enemy’s situation?”

“So far, they have shown no notable movement. They are fortifying their positions and resting. It seems they intend to recover from the accumulated fatigue since their departure.”

“Hmm… That would make sense. Launching an attack while exhausted would only sap the soldiers’ morale.”

“Yes. Since they believe time is on their side, we think we can buy at least one more day.”

A war where twenty thousand had to face one hundred thousand. It was an optimistic report, claiming the war would be delayed by at least a full day. Yet the Count’s expression as he heard it remained dark.

“I see. Very well. Is there anything else to report?”

“No, sir. That was the last item.”

“Then you may withdraw. Even if we can’t rest as comfortably as the enemy, we must rest while we can… Opportunities for such luxury will be hard to come by from here on.”

“Yes, sir! I understand. Then I shall take my leave. Please rest well, Count.”

The adjutant saluted crisply, brimming with discipline, and the Count responded with a light nod. Left alone, the Count rose from his seat and quietly gazed out the window.

“The time His Highness promised has already passed….”

Count Valaris had heard early on that Yuwon would join them. Yet despite the enemy’s arrival, Yuwon himself had yet to show his face. The Count’s heart grew heavy at Yuwon’s absence.

‘Surely nothing went wrong on the way….’

His worry was short-lived.

Bang, bang, bang—!

An unusually loud knock resounded against the door of the Count’s study.

“Hm…?”

“C-Count!”

A voice filled with urgency, as though something serious had happened. Wondering if the enemy had launched a surprise attack, the Count let the visitor in while remaining on high alert.

“Come in. What is the matter?”

The subordinate who entered looked awkward and troubled.

“You may need to come outside for a moment. There’s… some ogre—no, an orc that has appeared and is causing a disturbance!”

“An orc…? Did you say just one?”

“Yes, sir… Th-that is… The one causing trouble is an orc, but beside it there’s another suspicious individual.”

At the mention of a suspicious person, the Count narrowed his eyes.

“That must be the real problem. Right. A single orc couldn’t be the issue. What kind of person is this instigator?”

But the answer he received differed from his expectation.

“Th-the one causing trouble really is just the orc. The person who appeared with it is simply standing behind with arms crossed, watching.”

“What? Then you came to me because of a single orc? You, of all people?”

The one reporting this was a trusted subordinate who had assisted the Count for many years. For such a man to come to him in the middle of the night over nothing more than a lone orc was hard to believe.

“Yes, sir… That’s correct. They were demanding that we open the gate, and we tried persuading them verbally, even shooting arrows to drive them off, but nothing worked… S-so I thought it would be better if you came to see it yourself.”

“What nonsense—!”

At a time like this, who were the soldiers guarding the walls of the Valaris Outer Fortress? They were veteran troops who had fought monstrous beasts along the Southern Defensive Line for years. For such men to fail to drive away a mere knock and have the matter reach the Count’s ears was absurd.

The Count found it strange and was about to press for details. But the ensuing commotion forced him to move his own legs.

Crash—!

“Count! There’s an orc—an orc that doesn’t seem like an orc—outside beating our knights into the ground!”

It seemed the knights, unable to tolerate the orc’s presence any longer, had stepped in. On the eve of war, knights struggling against a single orc could negatively impact the army’s morale.

Unable to listen any longer, the Count personally set out.

“…Let’s go. Lead the way.”

Rushing to the outer fortress walls, the Count witnessed a sight difficult to believe without seeing it firsthand. Just as his subordinates had reported, a massive orc was flinging Valaris’s knights around in droves.

“U-urk—!”

“Gah—!”

After sending two more knights flying, the orc roared triumphantly, as if celebrating its victory.

“Kuoaaaaa—!”

Watching from atop the wall, the Count rubbed his eyes and looked again. His knights were still being tossed about like flies, unable to kill a single orc.

“Wh-what in the world…!”

The shock lasted only a moment. Unable to simply watch, the Count issued an order.

“Kill the orc and capture the individual standing beside it alive. He is suspicious.”

The instant the order left the Count’s mouth, a voice answered from the empty darkness right beside him.

“Don’t do that.”

“…Gah!”

A completely unexpected response. The Count startled and immediately drew his sword, pointing it forward.

Clang—!

“Who goes there!”

The one who suddenly appeared at the Count’s side was Yuwon. With Valaris’s defenses heightened on the eve of war, who but Yuwon could freely come and go? Soldiers immediately aimed spears and swords at him.

While everyone else was shocked by Yuwon’s appearance, only the Count remained calm. Gesturing for the adjutants and soldiers to lower their weapons, he stepped forward and stood closer to Yuwon.

“Have you come to kill me? Or do you bear words from the Imperial Army? State your identity properly.”

The words were polite, but the attitude was sharp. However—

“It’s been a while, Count.”

“…?”

At the Count’s piercing gaze, Yuwon smiled faintly. Beneath the hood of his robe, which concealed more than half his face, the smile spread.

“You don’t recognize me? That’s a bit hurtful….”

The casual tone, the familiar—no, unforgettable—voice. At last recognizing him, the Count’s eyes widened like lanterns.

“That voice—could it be…! Y-Your Highness…! Is it truly you, Your Highness?!”

There was only one person in the world the Count would greet this way. At his reaction, those standing nearby also gasped and fully lowered the weapons they had been awkwardly holding.

“T-The Fifth Prince…!”

“His Highness? You mean His Highness?!”

In response, Yuwon cast off his robe and greeted them with a bright smile.

“You look thinner. You must have suffered greatly. You’ve worked hard, Count.”

“You’ve finally arrived, Your Highness…! I was worried something might have happened on your way, but I’m relieved to see you safe!”

The Count’s reply carried emotions that seemed to well up uncontrollably. Yuwon, as if understanding his feelings, slowly nodded and patted the Count’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry for being late. Something unexpected happened along the way.”

As he continued speaking, Yuwon turned his gaze toward the distant orc.

“And as for those fellows over there, don’t worry about them. That man…”

Feeling Yuwon’s gaze, Mukwiam flashed an oddly cheerful grin, while Kahaad, standing beside him, shrugged as if this disturbance had nothing to do with him.

It had only been a few days, yet seeing them again felt strangely heartening. A bright smile spread across Yuwon’s face.

“No. All of them are my guests.”

At last, Yuwon had arrived on the battlefield—together with reliable allies.

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