The Conqueror from a Dying Kingdom

As a self-professed no-lifer, Yuri idles his days away in front of a computer. This all changes the moment his life in Japan comes to an abrupt end and he finds himself reborn in the strange new world of the Shiyalta Kingdom. His new life includes everything he once lacked: loving parents, a comfortable home, and a promising future breeding and raising birds on his dad’s ranch. For centuries, the kingdom he now calls home has enjoyed peace and prosperity, shielded by friendly nations that, like Shiyalta itself, were established with the collapse of a once-great empire. War is a distant problem, relevant only to Shiyalta’s ruling families whose warriors periodically set out to join the fighting upon massive birds trained by Yuri’s dad and others. But this peaceful existence can’t last forever. Something rotten lies at the heart of the kingdom, and it doesn’t take someone with Yuri’s exceptional intelligence to realize that those distant battles will only remain irrelevant for so long.

With his relaxing life as a ranch hand in a peaceful corner of the Shiyalta Kingdom far behind him, Yuri Ho has begun training at the Knight Academy so that he might someday succeed his father as ruler of Ho Province and commander of the family’s forces. At school, however, Yuri quickly encounters a serious problem. Because he’s skipped a good portion of his credits and the martial arts training is a breeze compared to the practice he received under his family’s veteran soldiers, he has ample free time every afternoon. For an enterprising young student with memories of modern Japan, this ought to be the perfect opportunity to take the city by storm. Yuri courts some novel business ideas, but will his disruptive commercial models really stand a chance in a city as corrupt as the royal capital? The kingdom’s witch families are determined to maintain the status quo, and they’re not known for fighting fair!

Yuri continues his life at the Knight Academy, where he trains in the art of war and deepens his ties with Princess Carol and Myalo, a child from a powerful witch family. When he’s not busy with classes, he also oversees a papermaking business, which is expanding rapidly thanks to memories of technology from his past life. To many, Yuri’s only problem seems to be the royal capital’s corrupt witches, who eye his company’s profits enviously. Unfortunately, Yuri knows better. His homeland remains on the path of destruction, and a bleak future lies ahead of him and others. It’ll take more than wealth to save his loved ones from death or enslavement at the hands of Kulati invaders. As Yuri begins to grapple with problems that extend beyond the royal capital and even the borders of the Shiyalta Kingdom, his intellect, understanding of celestial navigation, and growing skills as a kingeagle rider may prove invaluable.

Yuri Ho’s mission is simple—he must lead Princess Carol and a small group of elite students north into the neighboring warring Kilhina Kingdom, observe a battle from a safe distance atop a kingeagle, and then return home. Given that enemy crusaders are gathering on the eastern border of Kilhina and threatening to end the seven years of relative peace Yuri has enjoyed since joining the Knight Academy, the front line is the last place he wishes to take his friends. One particular worry is the enemy’s rapid development of gunpowder-based weapons, which has made defeat all but inevitable. Unfortunately, Carol insists on witnessing the fighting for herself, and Yuri feels he has no choice but to be there by her side to protect her. Still, with some careful planning, provisioning, and talented friends by his side, Yuri doubts the expedition will run into any major trouble. After all, they’ll merely be there to observe, not to fight. The only problem is that war can be unpredictable.

When Yuri agreed to lead a band of fellow students into the Kilhina Kingdom to witness a battle from atop their kingeagles, he knew there’d be some risk, but he never imagined the situation would grow so dire. He and Princess Carol have been left injured and isolated. But after more than a week of slow progression through a dense forest, enemy soldiers in pursuit all the while, a glimmer of hope awaits them. On the night that Carol confesses her feelings for Yuri, they’re a mere day’s journey from reaching the village they’d set out from. The pair may find help there, or at least some indication of what became of their friends...assuming the enemy hasn’t gotten there first. Whatever the situation, the journey home looks to be a long one as Kilhina succumbs to an unstoppable army of crusaders. For anyone without a kingeagle, a mere two bridges leading to the Shiyalta Kingdom may be the only means of escape.

After holding back a thousand crusaders with just a few hundred soldiers, Yuri returns to the Shiyalta Kingdom triumphant. He heads for the royal capital, where he finds that his accomplishments have earned him newfound admiration and just as much resentment. Tensions are high among Shiyalta’s rulers as they shore up the kingdom’s defenses at the northern border in preparation for the next crusade. The loss of the war and imminent collapse of the Kilhina Kingdom have made the situation as dire as ever. Though it’s clear that the peace will be short-lived, Yuri is determined to make good use of it by preparing for what’s to come and spending time with those he cares about most. As he returns to his ordinary life, his relationship with Princess Carol becomes a focal point for many of his friends—and also for Shiyalta’s queen, who has grand plans for Yuri and her daughter. Yuri, meanwhile, is eager to learn of what became of Harol Harrell, the trader he’d sent off in search of a new continent.