The 3rd Prince of the Fallen Kingdom Returns

23. Swordsman of the Distant Sea

A brutal massacre unfolded.

Yuri didn’t allow any orc to die easily. He let the soldiers and knights hack at them to their hearts’ content.

If an orc resisted, Yuri personally severed its tendons and tossed it aside.

The reactions of the orcs on the brink of death were no different from those of humans.

“These are creatures that devour humans and use them as playthings. Don’t feel any sympathy for them.”

Through this, Yuri once again etched his presence into the minds of the entire Allied Forces.

He had to be someone they could trust as an ally and fear as an enemy.

By leading the executions, he proved he shared their sentiments. By showcasing his ruthlessness, he instilled fear.

“G-good work…”

Even Proin, a knight from Brusin close to Yuri, greeted him awkwardly when Yuri returned covered in blood.

Yuri grinned and tossed him his blood-soaked gauntlets.

“Whoa!”

“What’s the matter? Your clothes are already dirty.”

“You startled me by throwing it all of a sudden!”

“As a knight, you should at least pretend not to be startled.”

“Y-yes…”

It wasn’t that Yuri wasn’t flustered when Ragna suddenly entrusted him with the disposal of the orc prisoners.

But he wasn’t just an eighteen-year-old boy he appeared to be. He was a seasoned mercenary who had lost his country and wandered the depths of society.

He knew well how to handle such situations.

“A sudden test…”

Yuri thought of Ragna.

When Yuri Yuri mercilessly slaughtered the orcs, Ragna’s initial surprise gradually gave way to a satisfied smile.

What was Ragna expecting from a prince of another nation?

Perhaps he intended to take him under his command.

“Good work.”

Lost in thought, Ragna’s adjutant suddenly approached.

“His Majesty has sent this. It’s a potion, excellent for recovery.”

“Ah, thanks. Convey my gratitude to His Majesty.”

“Yes. And also…”

“Yes?”

“This is my personal wish, but…”

“Wish?”

“Please don’t overexert yourself and take care of your health. There are high hopes for you, Your Highness.”

“What?”

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

Watching the adjutant walk away, Yuri had a feeling that something was amiss.

He overheard a conversation between two knights who were passing by.

“I hear the Empire’s princess is incredibly beautiful.”

“You have no idea. Her skin is as white as snow, and her eyes sparkle like finely crafted emeralds. Just seeing her from a distance stopped me in my tracks.”

“What about her personality?”

“They say she’s very kind, like an angel.”

“Wow…”

Yuri felt as if he had been struck on the head.

He unconsciously turned his head towards Ragna, and their eyes met.

Ragna nodded with a warm smile. It wasn’t a look he would give to just anyone.

Yuri was becoming afraid of Ragna’s increasingly friendly attitude.

“No, it can’t be…”

* * *

Yuri returned to the Briol camp.

“Where’s Moyongchan?”

“He’s eating.”

“But it’s not mealtime yet, is it?”

“He said he was hungry.”

“I see, good job. Where is he now?”

Yuri immediately went to Moyongchan.

Moyongchan, whose face was buried in a tray of food, frowned upon seeing Yuri drenched in blood.

“Orc smell. Go away. Shoo.”

“Isn’t that how it is on the battlefield?”

Yuri sat down next to him.

“Please, eat more. How many days have you been starving?”

“Those orc bastards… didn’t feed me properly.”

“You’ve had a rough time. Those evil orcs, such wretched creatures.”

“Prince, the soup is salty.”

“I’ll have a new one prepared right away.”

The Briol knights who witnessed this scene felt betrayed.

How could they have known that Yuri, who had been so reckless, could flatter others so easily? It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it, it was just that he chose not to.

Especially Jared, who was furious, clenched his fists and silently plotting his revenge for later.

“When I become one of the Ten Strongest, he’ll be bowing and scraping to me too. Just you wait…”

After Moyongchan had eaten his fill, he requested a bath.

Yuri fulfilled all his requests. He had water heated and provided clean clothes and a sword.

To emphasize his affiliation, Yuri deliberately gave him supplies from Briol’s stock.

After Moyongchan bathed and trimmed his rough beard, he looked like a completely different person. While his eyes were sharp, his appearance was rather handsome.

“Now I feel alive again.”

Yuri sat by the campfire facing Moyongchan. It was time for a serious conversation.

“Mr. Moyongchan, how did you end up being captured by the orcs?”

“Before that, I need to ask you something.”

Moyongchan narrowed his eyes.

“How did you manage to take down that orc shaman?”

“Well…”

Yuri recalled the situation from back then.

The others couldn’t even see the orc shaman properly. But he could see it clearly and harm it.

He had an idea why.

The name of the Mana Method he wielded was Heart and Soul Slash.

Yuri spoke,

“I think it was because of the Mana Method I learned.”

“Inner Energy Method…”

“It’s not an ordinary Mana Method.”

“Hmm…”

Moyongchan gave Yuri a scrutinizing look before standing up.

“Draw your sword.”

“Excuse me?”

“Show me your Inner Energy Method—no, your Mana Method.”

His expression was serious.

Yuri nodded and stepped beside the campfire.

Moyongchan studied Yuri intently, as if trying to see through him and read every detail.

“I’ll go first.”

“Go ahead.”

The energy of Heart and Soul Slash sharpened, now directed towards Moyongchan.

Yuri stepped forward and swung his sword. Moyongchan blocked it and Yuri attacked again. Their swords clashed once more.

A simple exchange of blows continued.

Then, suddenly, Yuri sensed a strange energy emanating from Moyongchan.

Heart and Soul Slash immediately revealed it.

A loud cracking sound echoed.

They stood still, their swords locked together.

“You…”

Moyongchan widened his eyes.

“Where on earth did you learn that martial art?”

Yuri was equally surprised.

“Well, that’s surprising. You’re speaking so clearly all of a sudden.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Alright, I’ll tell you about the Mana Method, but only if you tell me something in return, Moyongchan.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Why were you captured by the orcs?”

Moyongchan’s gaze deepened.

He stared at Yuri for a moment, then smirked.

“Fine, if you answer first.”

“Your pronunciation has suddenly gotten worse. You’re not pretending to be bad at the common tongue, are you…?”

“Do you want to die?”

“No.”

Yuri sat back down by the campfire next to Moyongchan. The surrounding area was cleared so they could talk privately.

Raymond wanted to post guards, but Yuri refused. If Moyongchan had any murderous intent, the presence of guards wouldn’t matter anyway.

Yuri tossed a log into the campfire and said,

“I learned my Mana Method from my ancestor.”

“Ancestor?”

“I am the Third Prince of Briol.”

Yuri briefly explained about the Founder’s Mana Method he discovered in the dungeon. Moyongchan became intrigued by Erich, the Founder of Briol.

“Erich Briol…”

Moyongchan closed his eyes.

“Given the era, that means…”

“Yes.”

“It seems that our meeting must be fate.”

“Pardon?”

“I intended to destroy whatever was obstructing my plans…”

“Your pronunciation…”

“What about my pronunciation?”

Moyongchan stood up.

As he moved, the knights standing some distance away flinched.

Moyongchan ignored them and stepped right up to Yuri.

The bonfire flickered, casting shadows across his face.

“Listen carefully.”

“Yes.”

And then, something unexpected happened.

Moyongchan bowed his head to Yuri.

“I, Moyongchan, the last direct disciple and leader of the Cheongseong Sect, its guardian, pay my respects to the descendant of an old benefactor. The Cheongseong Sect has not forgotten the friendship shared with the Overlord Swordsman.”

Then he clasped his fist with his palm and lowered his stance.

Yuri was taken aback by this sudden action.

“Why are you doing this… and why is your pronunciation suddenly so clear…?”

“That’s enough.”

“Yes.”

“It’s all ruined anyway.”

Moyongchan, no longer bowing, kicked Yuri’s backside.

“The Cheongseong Sect is ruined.”

“Why are you taking it out on me…”

“In this day and age, where can you find someone who makes a living by destroying evil…? There are no more Taoist priests or martial artists. The Martial World has fallen…”

He muttered to himself and plopped back down, then looked at Yuri with a gentler expression than before.

“It seems you have no idea what’s going on.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll explain.”

Although his pronunciation was inaccurate and difficult to understand, Moyongchan’s explanation could be summarized as follows:

He came from the east.

He was from a sect called the Cheongseong Sect.

In the past, there was a swordsman who came from the West. He had fought an earth-shattering battle with the best warrior in the East, ending in a draw.

That Western swordsman was Erich Briol, and the best warrior in the East at that time was the leader of the Cheongseong Sect.

They acknowledged each other and became friends.

Erich Briol stayed in the Cheongseong Sect for a long time, sharing his insights on swordsmanship with the Eastern warrior.

During this time, some force, perhaps from the demonic sect, began to rise.

Erich Briol helped his friend defeat them.

The honor and friendship displayed by the two became a legendary tale in the East.

“That’s how it is.”

Yuri was deeply moved.

“Such a connection…!”

Yuri clasped both of Moyongchan’s hands.

“We’re not strangers after all!”

This was unexpected news. Not only had he formed a bond with one of the legendary ‘Ten Strongest,’ but now he also had a connection to the Stranger. It was truly a joyous moment.

Yuri shook his hands up and down.

“I’ll call you senior. Senior Moyongchan!”

“Senior what…”

Incidentally, the Cheongseong Sect had fallen into ruin, plagued by outdated management practices.

Moyongchan, the sole survivor, now upholds the will of the Cheongseong Sect. He embarks on a demon-slaying journey, tasked with eliminating beings from the demonic realm.

“An ominous star has risen in the West. I came all the way here for the peace of heaven and earth…”

He warned them, but the other sects in the East, blinded by worldly wealth and honor, ignored him.

“So you came alone? Abandoning wealth and glory?”

“Wealth and glory? What wealth and glory? All that’s left in the Cheongseong Sect is pride…”

With the sect in ruins, Moyongchan came to the West alone, with nothing but his pride remaining.

Following the trail of dark energy, Moyongchan traced it to Okuah, the leader of the orcs.

Moyongchan believed that the ominous star in the western sky was tied to Okuah.

“I had planned to reach Okuah by disguising myself as a sacrificial offering.”

“A sacrificial offering?”

His following testimony was shocking.

It was hard for Yuri to believe.

“Human sacrifice is proof that Okuah is already consumed by dark magic.”

Moyongchan explained that Okuah used human lives as sacrifices to fuel his dark sorcery.

“Are you serious? You’re not making this up, right?”

“Do I look like I have time for that, you brat?”

“Your pronunciation again…”

This was completely unexpected for Yuri.

But it all made sense.

In his past life, Moyongchan had relentlessly targeted Okuah.

The reason, however, had remained unclear—until now.

His explanation clarified everything: why he was obsessed with Okuah, and how Okuah had grown stronger and ultimately killed Moyongchan.

“But because you guys came, it’s all ruined.”

“Ruined? There’s a saying in the East, isn’t there? Turning misfortune into a blessing.”

“How do you know that?”

“It’s all in books.”

During his mercenary days, Yuri met someone from the east. He wasn’t incredibly skilled, he sometimes used mysterious techniques.

That guy often quoted Eastern sayings, and after hearing them so often, Yuri grew fond of them and memorized a few.

“Aren’t Briol and the Cheongseong Sect like brothers?”

“Suddenly?”

“You said their founders swore brotherhood, we must work together”

“They weren’t exactly blood brothers…”

“Watch this.”

Yuri stood up and stretched out his arms. Beyond his shoulders, countless banners of the Allied Forces waved in the wind across the plains.

“We gathered this massive force to defeat Okuah. Let’s kill him together.”

“Hmm…”

Moyongchan closed his eyes, lost in thought.

Yuri was determined to persuade him.

In his past life, Moyongchan, acting alone, had ultimately become a sacrifice to Okuah. Yuri didn’t want to let such a person die in vain.

He said he was on a demon-slaying journey.

He had said it as if it were nothing special, but it was actually quite remarkable.

For someone as skilled as Moyongchan to wander the land with no desire for reward, dedicating himself solely to protecting the world, was nothing short of extraordinary.

Compared to knights who proudly declared themselves protectors of justice, Moyongchan was far more knightly in spirit.

“I shall grant you the title of honorary knight. As a Knight of Briol, you will be respected anywhere. It’s a free pass in this continent.”

“Hmm…”

“I shall offer you a position in a trading company I have personal stakes in. Once Okuah is dead, trade between East and West will resume, and you will gain both wealth and fame.”

“Ohh…”

“I shall become a lay disciple of the Cheongseong Sect. Accepting a royal of such high status like me—how prestigious is that? The name of the Cheongseong Sect will soar.”

“That’s not flattering at all.”

“Your pronunciation…”

After some deliberation, Moyongchan spoke.

“I have one condition.”

“Please, tell me.”

His gaze was serious.

“Once we kill Okuah, you must have a proper duel with me.”

“Me? Really?”

“That’s right.”

Yuri’s complexion turned pale.

“I don’t want to die…”

“Don’t be a coward.”

Moyongchan fell silent after that. Yuri eventually accepted his proposal after much contemplation.

He wouldn’t actually kill him, would he?

“So that’s all settled then?”

“Your conditions and my demand are all accepted. It’s a good negotiation.”

“Excuse me?”

“From now on, you’re my disciple.”

“Huh?”