「Will this be enough?」

Yu calmly answered Jade Dragon's question. "They know we will not harm the city, but the fact remains that we can destroy the walls. We are outnumbered and the people of the city are Cornelia's people."

He assumed that the people would support Cornelia if the Vermilia Family was not an irresponsible ruling cadre that ignored the needs of its people.

“Once we breach the city walls, our victory will be inevitable.”

If he had known how things were going last time, that disaster would not have had to happen and they could have easily solved it with the Jade Dragon.

「Your victory, you will bring my heart later.」

“In the next five years, when I am capable, I will take your heart and bring it to you,” Yu said.

This time he was flying on the Jade Dragon's neck, so he could look down. If he think of it as a camera watching Yu Valarfin from the outside, rather than Yu Valarfin himself, it was the kind of view an Interworld Traveler would expect to see on a parallel world adventure.

He was flying on a dragon, even though he only had the chance to fly for one day, he was flying now and felt alive.

“How strong do you think I need to be to get in there?” he asked the Jade Dragon. “How strong do you think I can take your heart?”

「I don't know what's inside that world, but those who left were all stronger than you,」 replied the Jade Dragon. 「There were some among them who were much stronger than that sword fairy. They couldn't come back.」

“What do I have to do to be strong enough to come back?”

「It's hard with no mana in your body. I'm really curious to see how you'll manage.

“So you're not sure I'll make it, huh?” Yu pouted. “You really motivate me.”

He and the dragon circled over the city some more. There was an indescribable sense of power in looking at the world from above, as if he was more valuable than anything else.

Apart from this feeling of arrogance that it created, there was something else that it gave Yu, responsibility. Looking at this whole scene, he felt responsible to everyone.

The Jade Lake was now full of ships, and while they continued to float in the air, the troops that Link and Ana had brought had landed.

“We can land,” Yu said.

The dragon heard him and lowered his nose to the ground and began to descend, as he neared the ground he shifted his weight behind him and landed on the ground, flapping his wings heavily.

When Yu jumped off the Jade Dragon's neck again, Yurine was the first to welcome him. The others could not travel with Yu because the Jade Dragon did not allow others to ride him.

Without saying anything, Yurine approached Yu and opened her arms to him. Yu didn't say anything either and leaned down and took her in his arms.

To be honest, at first he found it difficult to carry a child of almost thirty kilos on his lap every day and often suffered from back pain, but now he was used to it.

Carrying her did not cause pain and he felt incomplete without her in his arms.

“That was a truly impressive sight,” Link said. “It's great that you were able to convince the Jade Dragon.”

Link was looking at Yu and looking at the Jade Dragon. Of course, when he looked at the Jade Dragon, there was an admiration in his eyes that he didn't try to hide.

“How did you convince him?”

“As I said, someday in the future I will bring his heart back to him.”

As he said this, he looked at Jade Dragon, and when their eyes met, Jade Dragon snorted. His breath was strong enough to make his hair ripple.

Yu was wearing a different armor than the one he wore last time. This armor was also specially designed for him. It was the same jade color as the dragon and decorated with golden patterns.

In this world, powerful people like Sivina, Link and Yu Zao were able to achieve greater speed and agility than others thanks to the mana they carried, so their armor was designed accordingly, lightweight and steel garments that only protected vital areas.

Yu had chosen to wear plate armor after what he had seen in the last battle. Since he took off his helmet, the armor covered everything except his head. The armor was difficult to put on and take off, but it was essential for his survival.

His armies were gathered in divisions in front of the city and the sun was still rising. It was not long before he reached the top.

There were no catapults or other siege engines, they saw no need to build any. The presence of a dragon would be enough to breach the walls.

“Yu,” called Cornelia, driving her komodor. Sivina and Ana were coming from another direction.

“By the way, I heard something while you were flying,” Link said. “I heard you made Duchess Vermilia fall in love with you.”

“Who told you that?” Yurine asked.

Link was smiling as he threw his hands up and emphasized that he didn't know.

Sivina wouldn't want to talk about such a thing, so either Kigaro or Dimen could say it.

“You're so cool.”

Before Yurine could answer, Sivina and Cornelia arrived. Sivina had made sure to praise him as soon as she arrived, but Yu was not enjoying it.

In the past he would have been flattered and his ego stroked, but now he felt nothing. It was just a few words going in one ear and out the other.

They were behind the lined up soldiers, waiting for the response of the royal forces. If the gates did not open soon, Yu would ride the Jade Dragon again and destroy part of the wall in front of him.

“I'm still surprised it's so easy,” Cornelia said. “Honestly, it doesn't feel like it's going to happen.”

“I didn't expect to see despair from you,” Sivina replied.

“It's not despair. It is clear that we will pass through the walls today, but I am uneasy that it will be solved so easily.”

Cornelia looked at Yu after answering Sivina. Her eyes sparkled as a smile settled on her face.

“But I'm happy, I'm happy to be able to watch Jade Lake from the towers again.”

She had a beautiful smile, Yu admitted. When she smiled, her dignity showed in all its grace.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“I see,” Yu said. “But what about Cecilus? Shimey von Bishory? Devan? I haven't seen Shimey since I arrived and the other two just disappeared.”

He hadn't seen anyone he had seen last time.

“They are at the head of the army,” Cornelia replied. “They are in the front line.”

“Is Cecilus the coward standing in the front row? That's surprising...”

「I felt like you don't like him.」 Jade Dragon's words suddenly appeared inside Yu's head.

“Oh... I forgot that we can get along like this.” He felt like he was being robbed of his privacy. “He planned the death of Yurine's mother. I have to kill him.”

The Jade Dragon fell silent at the answer and Yu sternly addressed Cornelia.

“Cecilus is planning to betray you, Shimey is involved. There's a chance that Devan, jealous of your feelings for me, will change sides and betray you.”

Cornelia froze. She wasn't sure what to say. Yu was sure that Cornelia would have been embarrassed if he hadn't mentioned the betrayal, but when it came to betrayal, she didn't know what to say.

“They won't dare today, at least until sunset, with the Jade Dragon with us. Once he's gone, there will be an opportunity to bring you down, and Cecilus is the rightful heir...”

When the city was fully captured, Cecilus would declare himself Duke of Vermia. It was his legal right.

“These-”

By raising one hand in the air, he interrupted Cornelia as she trying to speak,

“You can trust the word of a man who is riding a dragon,” he said. “Maybe in the distant future I will tell you how I know, but not now.”

Whether Yu said so or not, Cornelia must have been able to foresee it. Perhaps she could not have foreseen Devan von Bishory's betrayal, but it was clear that the Bishorys supported Cecilus and that Cecilus would not give up the dukedom.

Cornelia crossed her arms, still on top of her komodor.

“I apologize for making your face hang.” Instead of saying anything to demoralize her, Yu began to explain what they needed to do to solve the problem without being betrayed. “As soon as we enter the castle, we will capture all the Bishorys for treason, and Cecilus as well. And then... the Bishorys and Cecilus are too dangerous to survive.”

The Bishory Family was the most powerful family in the Vermilia lands after the Vermilia Family, and they were Cecilus's main power.

But even with them gone, the other families could continue to support Cecilus. So it was necessary to remove Cecilus too.

“He's my brother,” Cornelia said. She lowered her face to the ground.

Yu remembered the conversation he and Cornelia had had last time, over Cecilus's corpse. Cornelia didn't care about Cecilus, but about the mother she had lost years ago.

“Let's talk about this in private when we take the castle.” Yu put Yurine first on his horse. “But as soon as we enter the castle, we will take them prisoner and control communications between the castle and the city. No soldiers will be allowed in the castle except those from the families that support you.”

He was telling her directly what to do, giving her orders. He was not allowed to do that, but he was taking advantage of Cornelia's extreme feelings for him.

Cornelia nodded and turned her komodor and rode towards the head of her army. Yu mounted Virgo and followed her.

“You will speak in private...” He heard the low voice of Link riding his rhinoceros next to Yu. “Is Sivina happy about this?”

It hadn't occurred to him to look at Sivina's face while he was talking, but now that he turned his head to the right and looked at Sivina, who was riding on a rino, he didn't see any negative expression on her face.

“It's okay,” Sivina said.

They were at the head of the army. Only a few hundred knights stood in front of them, and that was for safety. Next to them were the roarons riding their rinos.

“These people are making a bride and groom for themselves...”

The Jade Dragon was behind the army, and if the gate didn't open Yu would have to go back and ride it again, but he was sure it would open.

The commanders could have foreseen that they would not harm the city and planned a defense of the walls, but under the circumstances, it was very easy for the soldiers to betray their commanders.

“They won't open the door,” Cornelia said. Her fingers holding the reins trembled with excitement.

“There is still time,” Yu said. There was no need to act immediately.

As they waited in silence, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone approaching them, Cecilus dri Vermilia and Devan von Bishory.

“It's an unexpected sight for me, but did he change sides so fast?”

Behind them stood a guard of about five dozen Bishory soldiers.

“Sis,” Cecilus greeted his sister. He had a sly smile on her face.

“Your Highness,” Sir Devan greeted her. His face was cold and emotionless.

Cornelia did not salute either of them and continued to look ahead. Cecilus pulled his komodor to his sister's right and Sir Devan moved behind them.

“Yu,” Cornelia turned her head to Yu. “Let's do as you said.”

“Of course.”

Yu wouldn't have acted so suspiciously in Cornelia's place, but word had already gotten out.

“What are you going to do?” Cecilus asked.

“My little brother is too young for these things...”

After Cornelia's answer, Yu felt some people's gazes on him, but instead of looking at the owners of those gazes, he continued to look at the city.

Every now and then he felt like going back and getting on the dragon, but he had to be patient. He waited and waited. Even when even his horse got bored and started to move in place, he kept waiting.

Yurine spoke in the same cold tone she had used after her mother died. “Yu, it's opening.”

One of the brown doors in the gray walls opposite them opened inwards. They watched the steel bars behind the door being pulled upwards.

“We did it…” Cornelia said with excitement. Yu was behind her so he couldn't see her face.

After the gate opened, first hundreds and then thousands of royal soldiers came out unarmed. Thousands of soldiers were lined up behind the walls.

“The person who took over this city was someone named Azil Zao Long, right?”

Cornelia told the soldiers in front of her to advance and followed behind with her own komodor. Yu raised the Virgo he was riding to a trot.

Yurine, sitting on his lap, was dressed in a white dress, as she almost always did. He thought it made her look innocent.

But today, because she wanted people to see her as more elegant, she had dressed her in a loose, frilly dress, not in the fashion of his world, but in the fashion of this world.

Cornelia continued to advance behind her guards in front of her, with her brother Cecilus and his aide-de-camp Sir Devan at her side.

Yu and the other members of the Virgo Cathedral were behind Cornelia. They had not won a victory, but they all had the air of a victorious commander.

As they advanced, the Jade Dragon took to the air and began circling over the city again.

When they arrived in front of the walls, the lined-up enemy soldiers knelt and bowed their heads as Cornelia passed them on her way back into her house.

Yu on his horse was looking down on them all and the emptiness inside him, because he was an incompetent person, was filled with a false feeling.

When they passed under the gate and entered Vermia, they were greeted by thousands of swords, spears, shields, maces, axes, hammers, arrows and bows thrown on the ground. Here, too, the soldiers were waiting in surrender.

Yu turned his head and looked back to see his armies coming from behind, capturing the surrendered soldiers.

“By keeping them, maybe we can gain leverage against Yu Zao.”

Although he was not sure how effective this would be, captured soldiers were often held as leverage, used in deals such as ransom.

He had no intention of ransoming Yu Zao, but he could at least try to delay his attack on the walls and buy time. He didn't know what to do with that time, but it was better to die tomorrow than today.

The city was built as if there was no room to expand. The buildings were old, almost close together, the streets and sidewalks narrow. He couldn't see many people, but he could see people watching them through the curtains. Some of them were on the sidewalks.

“Isn't this supposed to be a victory? I had hoped people would shout Cornelia's name.”

No one he saw on the street was happy, on the contrary, they looked at him with hatred, as if their enemies had taken the city and not their masters.

“What happened when the royal forces were in charge of the city?”

The sight must have demoralized Cornelia as much as it demoralized Yu. She was seen as undesirable by her own people.

Still, they were not going to stop advancing just because the people were unhappy, so their army kept moving towards the northwestern fortress. As they advanced, the number of people around them decreased.

But he noticed that even though the number of people had decreased, the amount of garbage on the ground had increased abnormally. Rotten fruit and human feces blocked the paths along which the soldiers marched.

“Was it overcast like this last time?”

He couldn't remember what the weather was like this time last time, but his memory told him that all the days were sunny. Maybe he should have asked Sivina.

“Could they be angry because Cecilus abandoned them? Or do they really support the Crown?”

If the people were on Yu Zao's side, there was a very real possibility of a revolt inside when his army stormed the walls.

“Damn... Isn't there a way to get to Nekoverine without going through all this?”

As Yu alternated between thinking and not thinking, they started to climb a hill. This hill housed the castle on which the Vermilia household was staying.

Unlike the city, the castle looked more elaborate, like something out of a fairy tale. It had blue walls and yellow domes on top of its four towers.

Dragon banners were flying from all four of the castle's four great towers, but soon they would be replaced by lion banners.

When some of the guards ahead of Cornelia were over the hill, they sped up and opened the castle gate before them and went inside. So when Cornelia arrived in front of the castle, the gate was open and the soldiers were lined up on both sides.

“Only my guards, Salamon's soldiers and His Eminence's guards will enter,” she said.

“Why?” asked Devan von Bishory. “Foreign soldier-”

“Do not question my orders, Sir.”

As Sir Devan angrily tightened his grip on the reins, Cornelia's komodor took his first step inside the castle.