The 3rd Prince of the Fallen Kingdom Returns

25. Tale of the Grassland (3)

Ragna stared at the map pinned to the tent wall.

“Hmph…”

The upcoming war held little room for military tactics.

An endless expanse of wilderness.

Out there, Okuah was waiting.

Ragna’s eyes scanned the thirteen national insignias displayed before him.

The roaring lion of the Empire always occupied the highest position.

Below it, the emblems of the other nations were arranged.

In terms of sheer military power, the Holy Kingdom or Brusin would likely come after the Empire, but it was Briol that caught his attention.

“Yuri…”

Ragna unconsciously smiled as he thought of that young boy.

He liked Yuri.

The boy knew what he had to do and carried it out precisely.

He was already so accomplished that there was nothing more to teach him.

Even his occasional arrogance felt more like confidence.

“He’s just like me when I was young.”

Of course, Yuri was already stronger than he had been at that age.

If he continued to grow like this, he would truly become a monster.

Watching him, Ragna couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret that he had no children of his own. So instead, he wanted to match Yuri with his niece.

Yuri would be able to handle her.

The two of them, seemingly impossible to pair with anyone else, fit together surprisingly well.

“They suit each other unexpectedly well…”

In any case, it was something to consider after killing Okuah and returning safely.

Ragna’s expression hardened as he returned his focus to the map.

Despite being annihilated every time they attacked, the orcs continued to send troops, causing further delays in their march.

However, the orcs were suffering heavy losses in the process.

What could Okuah be plotting with his dark magic?

Ragna clapped his hands.

The tent’s flap opened, and the adjutant peeked in.

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Bring Aizen.”

“Yes.”

Aizen was a mage brought from the Empire.

The adjutant soon led him into the tent.

With his neat appearance visible beneath his robe, he didn’t look like the stereotypical mage. He had exceptional talent for dispelling magic.

“Your Highness, you summoned me?”

Ragna got straight to the point.

“What’s the most terrifying dark magic you know?”

“Well…”

Aizen tilted his head.

“I have no knowledge of the dark magic Your Majesty speaks of. I’ve heard a few things, but I dismissed them as absurd…”

“Among those absurd things?”

“As Your Majesty knows, it would be resurrecting the dead.”

Gert was a target that the Empire was keeping a close eye on.

After learning that Gert was a product of dark magic, the Empire periodically dispatched investigation teams to the old land of Adelbine.

The results were horrific.

Gert didn’t leave any visitors alive.

“Then why is Okuah stalling for time?”

“If he is truly using black magic, it’s hard for me to speculate, but…”

Aizen closed his eyes, sinking into thought.

“Could it be that he’s trying to summon something?”

“Summon?”

“There are many spells that take time. If it’s something for war, that type comes to mind. Of course, it’s only a possibility.”

“I see. What else?”

“What else…”

Ragna continued his conversation with Aizen.

Aizen was skeptical about dark magic.

“If it’s true that he’s using dark magic, he must have obtained something related to it—like a spellbook or an artifact. The grasslands were once home to ancient kingdoms; he might have found a dungeon.”

“Would that be a serious problem?”

“I don’t think there’s much to worry about. In my opinion, Okuah is making a miscalculation.”

“A miscalculation?”

“Even if he uses dark magic, the Allied Forces’ magical power is superior.”

Aizen spoke with confidence.

“Not just the Empire, but other nations have also deployed high-level mages. We won’t lose to a mere shaman. I believe other mages would share this view as well.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Ragna nodded.

Magic on the continent had undergone significant development.

Although the orcs had shamans, they were not on the same level as mages.

Shamanism was closer to a primitive form of magic.

“Is this because of the ambushes?”

“Something like that.”

“I hesitate to comment on military strategy, but perhaps there’s no need to rush. Okuah might be falling into his own trap, exhausting his forces.”

It was a reasonable point.

The battlefield was a place of deception.

Perhaps Okuah’s intent was to make Ragna act hastily.

Ragna nodded again.

“Thank you for the advice.”

“You’re welcome. I hope it was helpful.”

“It was helpful.”

“I’m honored.”

Aizen bowed his head and left the tent.

Left alone, Ragna leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

If he rushed too much, he risked falling into a trap. But if he moved too slowly, the orcs might resort to some other trickery.

He concluded that they needed to maintain a moderate pace while fending off the orcs’ attacks.

“In the end, nothing changes.”

It was the same as what they had been doing all along.

Ragna muttered the name of the new force at his disposal.

“The Stranger.”

His presence allowed Ragna to maintain his composure.

Though he didn’t know the details of the arrangement, Yuri had brought the Stranger into the Allied Forces.

Considering the Stranger’s unsociable nature, it was an unusual situation.

The Stranger was like an unrivaled weapon, perfectly suited to confront Okuah.

Suddenly, he had the urge to meet him.

“Perhaps I should see him.”

Ragna stepped out of his tent, his adjutant quickly following behind.

It was a bright moonlit night.

As he headed towards the Briol camp, he heard the sounds of weapons clashing.

“What are they doing?”

“The knights are training, Your Majesty.”

“At this hour?”

“Yes.”

The adjutant nodded and added,

“It seems the Third Prince of Briol has motivated them.”

Ragna chuckled.

The Imperial knights, clad in black armor, were notorious for their strength and ruthlessness. They were often called machines, not humans.

But underneath their helmets, they were just like any other human.

They felt competitive when they saw other knights.

Yet, who would believe that their rival was merely an eighteen-year-old boy?

“I was surprised as well.”

The adjutant cleared his throat before speaking.

“He took down three orcs cleanly. In an instant.”

“Indeed, he did.”

“To think he’s only eighteen and possesses such skill…”

“Remarkable, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Pardon?”

“I want to see him in the Empire’s black armor.”

“Haha…”

Ragna, after hinting his true intentions to his adjutant, went to the training grounds.

The knights, dressed casually and wielding wooden swords, stopped their movements upon Ragna’s arrival.

“It seems I’ve interrupted you.”

“Not at all, Sir!”

The faces of the knights, their helmets removed, were ordinary.

From youthful faces to middle-aged ones with wrinkles around their eyes, they were faces you could commonly see on the streets.

They had earned the Empire’s black armor solely through their skills.

Ragna picked up a wooden sword from the pile in the box.

“Shall I give it a try? It’s been a while.”

“Your Majesty, that’s…”

“Just for a moment.”

Ragna gestured toward the commander of the knights.

The captain bowed slightly and stepped forward to face him, while the other knights resumed their training.

“Let’s have at it.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Ragna raised the wooden sword, he recalled a scene from his memory.

Yuri, who had trailed behind the orc envoy, had cleanly slain three of them.

Ragna himself could handle three opponents. But he wasn’t certain he could do it as flawlessly and swiftly as Yuri had.

Every movement flowed smoothly, as if they were perfectly coordinated.

Perhaps the knights were also driven by this same feeling, which was why they were so dedicated to their training.

“Don’t hold back on me.”

The commander nodded.

He was a taciturn man, but his skills were undeniable.

Ragna and the knight captain exchanged a few blows.

“Yuri Briol. You’ve seen him, haven’t you?”

“Indeed.”

“What do you think?”

A brief silence passed before the commander replied.

“He’s skilled. Unbelievably so for his age.”

Ragna agreed. Yuri’s proficiency was far beyond his years.

It wasn’t just his swordsmanship.

His decisions were quick, and once resolved, he executed them without hesitation.

Who would have thought he’d behead the orcs and plant a flag atop their corpses?

It was brutal, yet undeniably effective.

In some ways, it was reminiscent of the Empire’s methods.

That brief incident had completely changed the commander’s view of Yuri.

“He’ll be dangerous when he grows older.”

The commander unexpectedly added.

Ragna chuckled quietly.

“If he were an enemy, perhaps.”

“…”

Understanding the implication, the knight commander gave a slight nod.

“If he were an enemy, perhaps.”

Ragna pressed the commander with his wooden sword.

Though seemingly overwhelmed, the commander skillfully evaded and maneuvered behind Ragna with the grace and smoothness of a snake.

Truly remarkable skill.

Ragna shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s enough for now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The knight commander gave a short response and bowed.

That was the end of it.

Ragna muttered to himself.

“Really not the sociable type.”

After commending the knights for their hard work, Ragna resumed his steps. To reach Briol’s camp, he had to pass through the territories of other nations.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ragna strode across the military encampments.

Everyone who saw the crimson cloak he wore stopped to pay their respects.

“This is Brusin, Isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Two knights, Jonathan and Jose, caught his attention.

It seemed likely that Brusin’s influence would grow in the future.

He continued past the camps of other nations.

Observing each one, he saw many young and talented knights. Among them were those who seemed destined for greatness.

By the time the Allied Forces disbanded, they would return even more formidable.

Ragna suddenly had a thought.

If the Allied Forces failed:

Each nation would lose their young and promising knights all at once.

It meant the loss of those who would carry the future on their shoulders.

It would be a devastating loss.

And who would benefit?

The answer was obvious.

He recalled the letter the orcs had brought.

When he first saw its contents, Ragna thought it wasn’t entirely absurd.

“Hmm…”

Lost in thought, Ragna let out a faint chuckle.

“That’s why… that guy…”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing, just talking to myself.”

The moment had been enough to shake even him. If the other nations began to suspect the Empire, the Allied Forces would inevitably fracture.

This tendency would worsen as the situation became more difficult.

However, Yuri had slain the orc delegation and humiliated them.

He effectively removed all alternative options.

Now, only one path remained.

No matter what hidden circumstances existed, no matter whose schemes targeted him and the Allied Forces, they had to crush Okuah and the orcs.

Reaching that conclusion, Ragna arrived in front of the Briol camp.

But something was strange.

“What is going on there?”

A large crowd had gathered.

He assumed they were conducting training like other nations, but that wasn’t it.

“What exactly are they doing?”

“Well… it seems like…”

The adjutant frowned and leaned closer.

Occasional laughter and screams could be heard.

“Hmm…”

As they drew closer, familiar voices reached Ragna’s ears.

“You just cheated, didn’t you? You have a card hidden under there, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know all your tricks, and just now…”

“I knew that you knew my tricks. I was aiming for that.”

“I knew that you knew that I knew your tricks, and I planned for that.”

“I knew that you knew that I knew that you knew my tricks, and…”

As Ragna approached, the surrounding soldiers and knights were startled and stepped back.

A path cleared.

The Prince of Briol, along with mages, knights, and soldiers, was sitting around a large table, card hands and cash scattered messily.

“Search his clothes! He’s definitely hiding something!”

“Oh my, do you have any proof? No? You’re going to lose if you accuse without evidence!”

“Fine! Take a swing—cut my hand off if you’re so sure!”

Yuri and Hernando were grabbing each other’s collars.

“You little—!”

“Being a prince doesn’t make you right!”

Ragna cleared his throat.

Only then did Yuri and Hernando turn their attention towards him.

The knights and soldiers sitting with them had already turned pale and were getting up.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“Uh, uh…”

Each nation independently managed its troops within the Allied Forces.

The Empire, for its part, prohibited gambling and drinking.

“This is, um…”

Yuri released Hernando’s collar and gave an awkward laugh.

“Well, it’s just…”

Ragna held up a hand, silencing Yuri.

“Briol has its own rules.”

“Yes…”

“Basregas.”

“Excuse me?”

“They called me the whale there.”

Ragna sat down on an empty chair and continued,

“I swallowed little fish like you whole.”

“Oh…”

Yuri’s expression completely changed.

Hernando also released Yuri’s collar and started shuffling the cards.

The two gamblers who had been sitting with them also observed the new opponent with sharp eyes.

“I’m curious about the scent of Imperial money. Hehehe…”

“It’s rich and fragrant.”

Ragna joked as he settled into the seat.

The Stranger happened to be sitting right next to him.

Ragna grinned at him.

“I apologize for trying to take the money of our guest from the East.”

“That I’d enjoy doin’ myself.”