Yuri went outside, the tension before battle could be felt.
"Francesco, if it gets dangerous, fall back."
He looked as if his pride was hurt, but soon nodded.
"Don't worry, I've mastered the art of keeping my head down when I've lost my mana."
In his current state, unable to handle mana, he was at a disadvantage against Orcs. No matter how great his skill, it was meaningless before an irresistible force.
Fortunately, Francesco seemed aware of this, and his movements were calm.
Yuri lifted his gaze.
Orcs were charging from all directions, as if they had already scattered and formed their formation in advance.
"Only the smart ones survived, huh."
Most of the strong individuals summoned by Okua had died.
Not only that, but Okua's death itself had weakened the Orc race. The monstrous strength the Orcs had shown in the last war had come from black magic, and with its source gone, the entire race's level had plummeted.
For that reason, it seemed that now the Orc groups who knew how to use their heads more than their strength had risen to prominence.
They were overcoming their comparatively weaker physical abilities through tactics.
"Spread out!"
"There are Orcs over there too!"
But this only works against opponents of similar level.
Yuri, with Guilty slung over his shoulder, walked forward. Francesco, Jared, Simon, and Guinness followed behind with an imposing air.
"First, we take out that bastard."
Among the Orc troops charging from all sides, Yuri found their leader.
At first glance, he looked like a regular Orc, but the way he kept darting his eyes around and shouting orders made it clear he was directing the battle.
"Will the company be fine without help?"
"Don't worry too much, a top trading company didn't travel to the East purely on luck."
The Rein Company was one of the top-ranking merchant groups on the continent. The escort unit with them was by no means ordinary. They seemed experienced in fighting Orcs, handling them skillfully.
To minimize casualties, it was better to take out the leader quickly.
"It's been a while since I killed Orcs."
"I agree."
It wasn't just Yuri and Jared who showed ease. Simon and Guinness also had excited expressions, as if they were looking forward to the fight.
Back when they served in the Allied Army, the two had been inexperienced, barely keeping their lives thanks to others' help.
But now, it was different.
They had been trained by none other than Moyong Chan, one of the Ten Strongest, and by Yuri himself, who was his equal.
It was time to see the results.
"Simon, Guinness."
Sensing their mood, Yuri spoke.
"Jared and I will take the leader. But there are too many nuisances in the way. Can you open a path for us?"
Simon and Guinness grinned.
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Leave it to us."
"Good."
Yuri pointed forward.
"Go cause some havoc."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The two sprang forward.
The Orcs approaching from the leader's direction spotted the two humans rushing at them and began a countercharge.
Many Orcs, two humans.
In sheer size, the difference was dozens of times.
But immediately after the clash began, the ones pushing forward were Simon and Guinness, who seemed at a disadvantage.
With graceful sword paths, they cut down the Orcs, pushing through the gaps and locking weapons again. Even surrounded, they didn't seem to feel any fear.
Yuri chuckled.
"They've grown a lot."
Watching them, Francesco spoke.
"I'll join them. You handle the leader yourself."
He then ran toward Simon and Guinness.
Though Yuri worried a little, Francesco fought the Orcs cleverly. Even without mana, the sword principles he had mastered hadn't vanished.
"Impressive, Jared, now it's our turn."
"Yes."
"Shall we?"
"Let's go."
"Then…"
Yuri suddenly felt a pang of emptiness.
Normally, there would have been one more person beside Jared.
Laurent.
Was that guy still alive, or had he died in the tragedy of Francaise?
At the end, had he blamed Yuri?
Shaking off the thoughts, Yuri moved forward.
"Hoo…"
There was no time to dwell on the past.
While Simon, Guinness, and Francesco kept the Orcs busy, a path opened.
Yuri saw the route to the leader and moved without hesitation.
"Stay close."
"Understood."
Yuri leaped forward, stepping and springing off the ground with fluid motion, cutting down an oncoming Orc.
Unable to overcome its own momentum, the Orc spun and flew through the air from Yuri's strike.
Before its body even hit the ground, Yuri charged again.
Before he knew it, the leader was within reach.
Two Orc bodyguards moved to block him.
Jared overtook Yuri and engaged them.
"Your Highness!"
"Got it!"
While Jared handled the guards, Yuri pursued the fleeing leader.
The bastard was surprisingly quick on his feet, almost skilled at running away.
"Akuakkai! Armuthe Tumme Tun! Akuakkai!"
As the leader shouted in Orcish, nearby Orcs turned toward Yuri and began to charge.
The leader ran, Yuri chased, and the Orcs chased Yuri.
A strange chase unfolded.
But the balance soon broke.
Yuri caught up from behind and drove his knee into the leader's spine. The leader's body lifted from the impact, slammed into the ground, and rolled several times.
"Graaaaah!"
When the dirt-covered body stopped rolling, a sharp blade was hanging before the leader's eyes.
"Do you speak the continental common tongue?"
"Ummetu Kumar Armatu…"
"You don't, huh."
Yuri pressed the blade forward, drawing blood on the leader's forehead. The bodyguard Orcs froze, not daring to approach.
By then, Francesco, Simon, and Guinness had finished off the nearby Orcs and walked to stand by Yuri.
Yuri stepped on the leader's neck and gestured.
"Hey, gather them all."
"Akuakkai?"
"Yeah, that's me, bastard. Call all your men here."
"Agur Kulat!"
Somehow understanding, the leader shouted something, and the surrounding Orcs echoed it.
"Agur Kulat!"
"Agur Kulat!"
The words spread around.
Gradually, the fighting stopped, humans and Orcs cautiously backing away from each other.
Yuri hauled the leader to his feet, showing him as a hostage to all.
Realizing the situation, the Orcs began glancing around nervously.
They were clearly different from the Orcs of before, smaller in build, less vicious. From Yuri's perspective, it was a welcome change.
"Tell them all to gather."
The leader at first seemed confused, but after getting hit a few times, responded quickly.
"Bring them here."
The Orcs who had stopped fighting began to gather in front of the leader.
Once they were all in one place, their numbers weren't that large.
Yuri nodded, then slit the leader's throat. The head dropped to the ground.
At first, the Orcs did not understand what was happening, but soon, they widened their eyes and began to rage. However, that violent reaction quickly turned into flight, not battle.
The Orcs fled like mad.
"Ho…"
In times like this, the enemy's reaction is always one of two things — fight or run. And whichever it was, Yuri's answer was the same.
A one-sided slaughter began.
"Chase them!"
The Orcs shouted Yuri's nickname, Akuakkai, which in the Orc tongue meant 'Black Dog', cursing him as they fled. Yuri didn't care. The enemy's cries, laden with hatred, only fueled his strength.
On the moonlit grasslands, over the bushes, Orc blood splattered.
By the time their numbers had greatly diminished—
"Injure them, but try not to kill too many! If they run, let them go!"
Yuri shouted.
The escort unit of the Rein Company tilted their heads at his order, but followed it.
Thus, the Orcs, limping and wounded, fled.
Now, around the Rein Company's camp, only the corpses of dead Orcs remained.
Far in the distance, in the moonlight, the retreating silhouettes of the Orcs wavered.
The battle with the Orcs had ended in a smooth victory.
Everyone shared in the joy.
Rick from the Rein Company came to find Yuri.
"Thank you so much, that was an incredible feat."
"Casualties?"
"A few injuries, but no deaths. It's a miracle, and all thanks to you, Your Highness."
Even if the merchant group was currently enjoying a successful journey home, it was not uncommon for many companions to lose their lives on such long travels. Especially during large-scale battles with Orcs, losses were never small.
But this time, despite the scale of the fight, there were almost no casualties.
It was thanks to Yuri taking the lead in striking the leader and quickly bringing the situation under control.
Seeing how at ease he looked in a battlefield of life and death, the Rein Company's staff realized that Yuri Briol was exactly the man the rumors described. No, in fact, public opinion might even have been too modest.
Rick asked.
"May I ask… why you spared them?"
"Wouldn't it be boring otherwise?"
Yuri grinned.
"I'll follow the blood trail, and if I find another gang along the way, I'll kill them too."
"Ah…"
"You don't need to worry, just head back. From here, it's safe, there won't be more fighting."
Rick stared blankly at him.
He revised his view of Yuri Briol. Deep down, he had thought of him as a sword-skilled royal, a knight of noble status.
But seeing him in action, it was completely different.
The fact that he was the king's younger brother was just a secondary part of who he was.
No matter his bloodline or background, Yuri Briol would always be the man who swung his sword like this.
"I see."
Rick smiled faintly and nodded.
There wasn't much he could do for such a man.
"Then, for Your Highness's tomorrow, I shall prepare the best lodging possible."
***
The next morning, Yuri's group parted ways with the Rein Company, carrying goods from the East.
Simon and Guinness had tucked Eastern concealed weapons into their belts, while in Yuri's hand were a gift for Mariloz and a tool called a Demon-Banishing Drum.
Francesco had bought nothing.
"Jared, what did you get?"
"It's a secret."
"You did buy something?"
"Yes."
"Hmm…"
Yuri urged his horse forward, glancing at the ground, occasionally playing the Demon-Banishing Drum.
"It feels… calming."
"Right?"
Even so, Yuri was following the trail of blood and scent left by the fleeing Orcs. The tracks sometimes split in several directions, but whenever a path seemed to lead closer to Balshad, he pursued it.
Yuri pointed toward the horizon.
"There, over there."
In the distance, by the water's edge, stood an Orc settlement. It was made of clumsily built tents.
Compared to the huge Orc encampments he had seen before, it was shabby, but the number of individuals seemed considerable.
Yuri looked back.
"Those afraid can step out."
"No one," Jared replied instantly. Yuri smiled.
"Then let's go."
Orcs.
Back in the Allied Army, they had been a formidable foe.
But now, things were different.
Yuri and his group had grown stronger, and the Orcs had grown weaker.
"Charge!"
"Charge!"
They slaughtered every Orc group they came across, leaving only a few to escape so they could track them to new settlements, which they then wiped out completely.
On the way to Balshad, this cycle repeated.
"Akuaktar, Akuaktar!"
Seeing Yuri drenched in blood, one Orc shouted.
"What's he saying?"
"No idea, sounds like a curse."
"Yeah?"
Yuri killed the Orc, then wiped Guilty on the corpse.
"A morning workout sure feels refreshing."
Standing among the sprawled Orc corpses, Yuri looked up at the sky.
They had just finished a round of swordplay early in the morning.
Though they had been striking Orc settlements along the way, the schedule hadn't been delayed much. They only attacked the ones along their path, and since Yuri didn't hold back his strength, there had been no difficulties.
A series of battles, short if anything.
But it was enough to spread Yuri's infamy across the grasslands.
So when they arrived in Balshad, the guards already knew of his visit.
"Welcome, Akuaktar!"
The guards shouted loudly in greeting.
Yuri tilted his head.
"You knew I was coming? And Akuaktar, that's Orc tongue, right?"
"Yes, among the Orcs, Your Highness's infamy has already spread."
"What does it mean?"
"Akuaktar means 'Black Demon.'"
"Demon?"
"Yes."
"Better than Black Dog, I've been promoted."
Yuri chuckled.
"That's right, the Black Demon has come to Balshad. I'm here to see Mariloz."
"The Duke is expecting you."
The guards stepped aside, revealing the silhouette of a captivating woman in a crimson dress.
"Oh my, a demon."
Mariloz smiled and waved.
[You can buy paid chapters or support me on any platform below:
☕ Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/punisher87
💎 Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/reaper87
🔥 Patreon: patreon.com/Punisher87translation
📘 Payhip Store: payhip.com/revengerscans
For latest Updates Visit Official Website: https://revengernovel.com/
Choose the platform that works best for your country. Thank you for your support!]