Chapteer 282: Side Story – The Boy with Blue Eyes (2)
ghbRibbit, ribbit.vwjNOt
C9in4tWhen the sun set and the sky began to turn dark blue, the croaking of frogs echoed softly near the well.AVoim
vLSEXUIt was the hour when the small creatures that had remained hidden all day began to stir along with the cool evening air.xuh
TTqAnd in the stable beside the well, some little ones were whispering as well.tXd3
EHF“That’s why I told you we shouldn’t have done it…”PEoNpt
jimjsaid a chubby boy in a voice that was almost tearful.4rWAP5
c6fcx“It’s Sir Jager. The scariest person in the entire Bayezid family! Do you even know why the Commander lost an eye?”YHC7KA
IOUO4d“No.”Smgh
Bxnthe blond boy answered flatly.XHJR9U
qGWos7And he did so while hanging upside down from the stable ceiling.n9aypvH
GY2OM6“What do you mean you don’t know?! It was your father’s Master!”ktYeWr
xEbEW“Precisely because he was my father’s Master, I don’t know! If he had been my Master, then I’d know!”WoH
Du3NQTwo boys hung from the ceiling completely wrapped in ropes.hlP40LO
npESince the ropes were brown, they looked like enormous chrysalises.YuBiwC
AqlsZoOn top of that, they had small wooden boards hanging around their necks as though they were criminals.0t6p
rVvI03The blond boy’s board read.aadu
bmq9“Horse Thief!”ipnK4iq
AgYsRMAnd the chubby boy’s read.IIV3
6MCYgrf“Idiot Who Got Dragged Along by the Horse Thief!”XI4dS
EdKuVN0The words had been written in visibly irritated handwriting.7n5Lr
fdJ“My grandfather told me that when the Commander was young, he was terrifying. He said there was a time when he killed more than a hundred assassins all by himself.”cFRrf
9ougF“A hundred?”Cpv2CLq
mEb6“Yes, completely alone. And they were very famous guys!”J8USR8
OotvPbGThey had plenty of time.49KQbn
wlGJwXLNothing to do.daj53
AhRSht3And they were tied up from head to toe.MbWAtaL
4PfPNaturally, Emil began paying attention to Hampton’s story.OOa
aqst“The great Lady Oksana was on her way to visit her family when the assassins appeared. And he killed all of them. But the most incredible part was how he did it.”gMMok
B7I7The chubby chrysalis swayed slowly as he whispered to the blond chrysalis.EccM
zG5dB“He said it was only fair payment. The one carrying poison was killed with poison. The one carrying a sword was stabbed. The one carrying a spear was run through with a spear.”WEFM1Y
xSz“Wow.”dUl
1bAqRc“Anyway, that was where he lost his eye. But when my grandfather went there afterward, it turned out that none of the corpses had eyes. Sir Jager had torn them all out.”MyJ51
jMIPkWIt was a story difficult to know for those unfamiliar with the internal affairs of the Bayezid family.6ZRH1h
QRm4FBecause at that time, fierce political struggles still surrounded the two young heirs.szq7
wpUxiAlthough Jager had already built a legend in his youth as a warrior capable of facing a hundred men alone, his fame did not truly spread throughout the North until much later because of those circumstances.8XO5
3jzi“…Really?”ltAfC
grHq60The blond chrysalis’s face began to pale.wBRhCk
4tN1i1Considering he was hanging upside down, his face should have been red as a tomato.IUd
rpCdSmBut it seemed the story had affected him quite a bit.xvTKcn
wya“Then what did he do to the thieves? Because technically I’m not a thief. I only borrowed it for a little while.”uwAqP
AJg0Ixt“I don’t know. Though maybe one of your family’s mounts would be enough to settle it.”6Z8E5F
CPBM“Really? Then I wish I’d taken my sister’s horse.”Qu8
yWXAfter saying that, the blond chrysalis began untying himself with surprising ease.NwE
vz1L1A moment later, he dropped to the ground.LDO
cuY“Hey, Emil! What the hell? How did you get loose?”MJ1
Mhc“I learned.”nZqos8
i7HBThe blond boy rubbed his ankles.rvmd
p7uT19The ropes had been tied so tightly that they hurt.ndzaT4
RfyUOSg“Wow. They really intend to leave me hanging here all day.”Fn2PVP
L8lypEmil clicked his tongue in annoyance.Yai
3qaYzKHe had assumed they would scold him a little and that would be the end of it.lDYAv
TbxHe never imagined they would leave him hanging there until nightfall.DhFR5
ZUyVIIt made him realize once again that he was not at home.VgsxO
h1qg“Emil! Let me down too!”To4Z
TRj0GsiThe chubby chrysalis began shouting desperately.uWd
V8GqrBut Emil did not even turn around.07dxKB
SgOU“And if I let you down, will you be able to climb back up?”IAFF4E
dUJR9b“Why would I need to climb back up?”uRw
I3YWMET“Ah, you really are an idiot.”Q35
aZgThey were both being punished.D4BnR
wIJAnd sooner or later, someone would come to untie them.BkF74l
kO91VvIf at that moment they were found casually wandering around after freeing themselves.R2gkpj
EOCAnd if the person who showed up happened to be the one-eyed demon who had killed a hundred assassins all by himself.vp3q
xQ9w“…I’d better stay hanging.”N835
xRW4HE“Good idea.”pRU
4VrTFqWhile the chubby chrysalis continued curing and drying like a ham hanging from the ceiling, the blond boy began slowly walking around the stable to stretch his body.k2nXc
GDr0iy“It’s definitely different from the one at my house.”Qx5cB
tnxWFyIt truly was a stable worthy of Bayezid.aw6mztN
mj3As befitted one of the most important families in the North, all the horses were enormous and radiated health.mcnxoZ
GsFwAnd it made sense.NEo
0gO8Az7After all, these were the mounts used by the Bayezid knights.cqo6
tUYAnything less would have been unacceptable.rJB3Cj
Jih“No matter how I look at it, you’re the boss around here. Right?”pnsaa
xTOtOAs he wandered through the stable, the boy stopped in front of a massive black horse that occupied a large space all to himself.l5bkTV
G3ivIt was a mount anyone would consider special.GcI
SptNNnThe horse ridden by Sir Jager.czVnfb
juEsdAv“So what am I supposed to do if even you refuse to carry me? In fact, one of the reasons I came here was because of you.”W2Ar0OH
xK9SeNeigh.s0uFR
nNETRypAs if it had understood his words, the enormous black horse snorted.lhvM2j
hspsBut at the same time, it slowly began backing away.mXJ2J
zos20OIt was clearly frightened.Mi1c
0vvkPXU“Tsk.”lLRR
jvl5TThe difference in size between them was like the distance between heaven and earth.MijVJi
qUv2F6eIf anyone had seen the scene, they would probably have pulled the boy away, considering it dangerous.GyFunLR
0EgYet the enormous horse was backing away with its tail tucked.NJLnwn
x8AWAnd the small boy was watching him with a disapproving expression.zgJ2
OU3bIt was such a strange sight that it felt unsettling.EvqlIW
OZrb“Why does everyone hate me? Huh? I’m honestly a good person.”LUl
TAdrbdkDespite the harshness of his gaze, he seemed genuinely hurt that the horse was avoiding him.FSROZk
Iy1DHe roughly ran a hand through his hair and then jumped up to sit on the fence.Mdx
NPxSVs1“…I should have gotten that horse no matter what.”rbHL
3AiN2It had not always been this way.lfZ
KbpxVnWhen he was very young, he got along perfectly well with the dogs and cats at home.XE2
7IxCd45But everything began to change the day the dragon’s wild nature awakened in his blue eyes.CwU
JaEZw“Maybe I should have tried dyeing my hair red like my sister…”dbm
nUCAGxAnd the truth was that there was another person who shared exactly the same problem.GYW1Q
DkIuINfHis older sister.UQC
smnKTwo years older than him.r4lI
MM0RyAs long as she had the same problem, he had never cared too much about being unable to ride a horse.95Orx8p
3QXk0UBut that was already in the past.HYQB
VCc“That was an incredible horse.”CQveM
VWSWhen his sister turned sixteen, his father took both of them to the blue grasslands that connected Varna and Sturma.ZidsHe
UjxAnd there he showed them an old friend of his.fw1P5Bq
ur64A magnificent black horse.YXzvKzT
YB06RUuHis name was Noir.tAG65E
MLmrZ“My sister is lucky. She has her own horse.”MuYIh
RaBOIt was a majestic mount, worthy of the man who had once ridden him.RhD
lggBut the horse that truly caught the boy’s attention was another one.ezv3J5
SaLa14A foal shyly peeking its head out beside Noir.Kr8IRj
Fu6It was completely black like his father.Fl4HYq1
RHTBut it had a white diamond-shaped mark on its forehead.KNOeda
O3fUqAU“Ha. Blond hair is useless. I can’t even win over a single horse. Red hair is the best.”A82
MThThey said the children of the grasslands adored the color red.s0Uh
CmZscAnd that foal had stopped in front of red as well.igaQfku
rWiXC2His sister had been enchanted when she touched such a small and soft animal for the first time in a long while.ItQqBkD
o8bB6She carefully stroked him.WOqMX
HwZHojShe rode him.pAFRyE
rNbAnd she crossed the blue grasslands with him.8bA
fmKSc1As he watched the red-haired young woman and the young black horse running beneath the moonlight, the boy became so jealous that he almost cried like a little child.bzA9R5m
K1jrBF“Damn it, why did Noir have only one foal? Mares go around with several at a time!”iN7PPmw
uDOJ9n“If you have several wives, then it’s normal to have several children.Um8voit
okRNpEven my father had two, including me.exV
aoJThey could have had several foals and left at least one by my side!”6eY4
WoDeYa“Huh?”zNbq
6wiEmil was immersed in his own indignation.7s4J7
Iul5Then, suddenly, his ears perked up.3WZhpkI
UJ4ZJ1eHe had sensed someone approaching from far away.QVyza
kfmwd“…Emil, I’m starting to see double.”hPzBx5
eLCES1“Hang in there a little longer. Someone’s coming.”fJOHyM
enab0lGrabbing the end of the rope, Emil spun rapidly like a top and wrapped the rope around his body again.FEMg8
PKmFThen he used his little finger to tie a knot from the inside.Pmvd
3vRT6y8It was so perfect that, when he finished, the blond chrysalis was there once again as if he had never moved.BlNYR
ghoc“…That’s why I said we could have sent a telegram before coming…”l8X
wTa“…I told you I did send one, brat! Stop treating me like some senile old man!”lrVMY
VujThe voices began to carry from the distance.h81pKPG
Hjf7nOnly then did the horses notice the presence of visitors and begin to grow restless.L5PBQ
Dip“Even if you’re that eager to see Emil, shouldn’t you greet the Count first? I think that would be proper, Senior.”4uGpSQs
SrMGwn“Open the door first! I’m tired!”IEcvVM
RScCreeeak.R1xB7We
BzEYrQUpon hearing the door open, Emil smiled discreetly.xJpJO
qSrBecause he already knew who was on the other side.Xd2t
Qz7Tap. Tap. Tap.6WKGSBh
qrRThe sound of dragging footsteps.CN3SG
sQL3eFAnd the tapping of a cane.gIj
l4mIt was a familiar sound he had heard ever since he was very small.yMm4gD
d0jHearing it, Emil opened his eyes with apparent difficulty.JSqdxlh
QIV0fY“Gran… dpa… Ramund…”2ESOFh
iP36BEIn his upside-down vision appeared a bald knight with an awkward expression.qU9
gNo7GAnd beside him, an old man whose face was completely wrinkled with anger.IDfr
07Qq6I“Oh, dear heavens! Oh, dear heavens, Emil!”dGSx
KrbIEc3At the sight of the children hanging upside down, the old man seemed to completely lose his composure.2Od2
5xP9jYHe even dropped the cane he was holding and began clapping his hands one after another.kOfyLfM
RpCIt was exactly the reaction one would expect from an elderly person.aBLG2XU
3ehQMaksim, already accustomed to it, spoke with obvious weariness.XMNw
fdTJFK“They haven’t been hanging there that long. Just today.”oMe8g
g3sW2WI“Oh, dear heavens! Oh, dear heavens!”CMosH
5lq4d“Normally we leave them hanging for three or four days. Besides, this custom was your idea when you were still here, Senior.”YyDVS
n7qgAEp“Shut up, you damned bald man! Get the children down at once!”1i7Y5
yZoJYpHe was an old man capable of making even the knight known as Bayezid’s disciplinarian nervous.guMP
RcbTCAnd he was also someone whom the Swordmaster’s son naturally called Grandpa.Y4MtyA
V4g0q“Honestly, please stop calling me bald in front of the children, Lord Ramund. I have my dignity too.”WiOIYP
ZXJU3AThe Beacon of the North.ZME7
CO5KBayezid’s living legend.MJrC6
aQuVThe leader of the unforgettable Golden Generation.tEdcXCr
K8D8sFKnight Ramund.i38
9GL“If I can’t call a bald man bald, then what am I supposed to call him?! You have less hair than I do!”1wy
PMKcWatching that man, who now looked like nothing more than an ordinary grandfather, Emil smiled to himself.Cvt
r99Then, feeling that enough was enough, he stuck out his tongue, let his head loll to one side, and muttered a single word.QIC1
twBc7“Bleh.”QcW3
y9Ls5UHAnd immediately afterward, he let his body go completely limp.l0z3w
nhg4“Aaaah! My boy!”kvpphWR
0OaiQrEmil was pretending to have fainted.jUf
KEFRamund was shouting as though the world were coming to an end.85c5W
IfJqCbAnd Maksim, seeing the old man on the verge of a fit, hurriedly lowered the blond chrysalis.wDM8
Z9Fj57“…I honestly think I’m going to die. Couldn’t you lower me first?”Txl9L
krvTCKtUnlike Emil, the chubby chrysalis had been hanging there all day.NRllb3r
IVQCQwyWith unfocused eyes, he spoke in a weak voice.Oh3hB6
M0RZxSZBut no one paid him any attention.8XdtBfn
wJp“Why did you hang this good boy up?! Where is that grumpy Jager?!”7u9Qo
g8yMPNQ“Please, Senior, don’t do this. We have our rules too.”eUaDow1
Hd1m“Excuse me…”qKeScX
QrD“To hell with the rules! Why are you punishing a child?! Damn that one-eyed man and damn that bald man too!”MQHNS
B6gs“…”rmTK8S
WLQThe chubby chrysalis was left hanging there alone.gU7PK
8A2dCCompletely alone.TwvGae3
YrXsp5He tried swaying gently, as if to say, ‘I’m here.’BOM
S8s6But, incredibly enough…1sncp
dFpqnNo one paid him the slightest bit of attention.hprwc
p4zWw z3cEJo
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