Chapter 107: Don’t mess with moles (3)
0JvYPRBuildings ablaze.x4uSwJ
zXJr2Statues collapsing.9dw
Q28tThe sound of something crumbling was loud here and there, as if there was a war, but no screams from the people who were actually destroying it were heard.4rlym
1TmnJ4cThere was only a suffocating silence.LljW
Dr1The faces of the dwarves running through the city were covered in black ash to the point where their original skin color was unrecognizable.zsw
HRX2y2yTheir proud beards were singed by the heat, and the gear they had perfected throughout their lives was now being used to destroy the shining legacy of their ancestors.e6j
hH8VpVWith every strike of the hammer, an uncontrollable sadness flowed from their eyes.vl03Q0q
yzRvIf you have something shiny, you should know how to protect it.lJ29gm
NvNL8But the dwarves failed at that.TN8iAIZ
pm3All that’s left is a pitiful downfall, and now, to survive, they must embark on an uncertain journey that will never end.hNFd8
MiDUWzThe tears of the dwarves who knew this mingled with the black ashes and flowed downward.oINDFe
Dp5YPY2“…The fire here hasn’t been extinguished yet.”FfNsv
SCj0mIn that moment when everything was tragically crumbling, there was still one furnace that had not lost its glow.3BM9S6i
nI7With the old man’s gaze fixed on the furnace like a stone statue.zOP
TywxEro“Someone needs to see the end.”IPhAbAA
L2BuThe word “end” spoken by the old dwarf did not simply refer to the furnace.aJzHe8d
iH23P2The shining era was coming to an end, and the old man would be the one to witness the end of that era.10hq
XxV“Is that so.”LwGfIOV
cvaThe man thought as he looked at the end of a brilliant civilization that was about to come to an end.7P6RdDs
UpPFyStill, I’m glad.c9h2t
0ZwQK9Because I didn’t arrive too late.oHT
f5n“I came to make a request.”0DYzp0W
O3P“Now?”RNG
2Zp053GKuguagagagang-!4TDdMg
g0yMines collapsing with a loud noise in the distance.mdZ
lxpThe mournful sounds of hammers destroying everything in the city where they had spent their entire lives.qcbHi
LzZfTKIn this tragic moment of destruction of everything their father’s ancestors had built, the only people who did not shed tears were the unknown man and the owner of the last furnace.ZrBobm
PbN“I brought you a metal that only the Eternal Flame can control.”XkK
VL1EWith those words, the man pulled something out of his old backpack and showed it to the old dwarf.MkAwX
AOcut“…That’s it.”cFtX3T
c1yZghVWhen the man removed the cloth covering it, there was a silver lump emitting a soft glow.5PLkJ
H8oLd3The metal, which did not lose its shine even in the red flames of the furnace, was enough to capture the attention of the old dwarf even in this situation.BkK
5Tbza7X“Please, do it.”6Vvew94
AzP0The man’s hands, visible through the collar, were full of recent wounds.OpoZ
BpMznlPerhaps because the times were like this?w973sfH
jCJjAlthough he was a dwarf who got excited just looking at rare metals, the old man’s eyes were more drawn to the man’s scar-covered hands than the silver object in front of him.0y3J
8Ba“What do you want me to do?”62g
uSlWsAfter hearing the answer he had been waiting for for so long, the man straightened his posture and looked at the old dwarf.LJ5x
O1z191The man who came here to say this finally managed to smile a little.Vs6GqkE
qsY“I need a sword that can kill a dragon.”d1jP4F
aRII will slay the most perfect dragon in the world.mcEB
sCFWffPEven for worlds that cry at the bottom, like the crumbling dwarf city.tx4Ao
5EFxThe man’s eyes, looking at the owner of the last furnace, were hotter than an eternal flame.hq1Z
aHKU7HA***nTxaY
YqIxawIn the quiet early morning, in front of the residence’s stables.qD3b9
dkIA“…”S0UZLE
GnXxJXThere, Vlad was chewing on a piece of food with a worried expression on his face.zOA
zovNoir looked at Vlad like that and had a puzzled expression on his face as to why humans chewed food, but Vlad’s eyes, which were supposed to respond, were looking elsewhere.xrsS4I
99nDrv3“…Is that you, Captain?”WGgxZvI
gA5“Yes.”JGtXz1Q
BaMnGoethe came out early in the morning, rubbing his sleepy eyes, and was surprised to see Vlad in front of him.ikLFmQ
KzvIg0D“Why did you get up so early?”DajdQiV
VqCQ“I had trouble sleeping.”Is4DHhS
GQU8LSeeing Vlad, who had already prepared all his tasks in advance, Goethe smiled satisfactorily, wiped his forehead, and leaned against the wall.ds0MT0
32Yl“Well, it was the first time you saw a troll, so it’s worth noting that you couldn’t sleep. The lord here was also very surprised to learn that it was a troll.”UrUBzug
GNCHvWThe mighty roar of the troll that sounded last night was enough to freeze the hearts of the people in the territory.tKqIE7D
Yx7ZZa3Although it was a sound that echoed in the distance deep in the forest, the troll’s roar, reminiscent of death, was enough for Baron Dalmatia to gather his few soldiers.AMr
UCpp“What’s a bit disappointing is that it would have been more perfect if there had been a corpse. Troll’s blood is a valuable commodity.”Gpmjj
rFCVlad clicked his tongue after hearing Goethe’s words.4ZByB
TgvwTyIt was a real shame that we couldn’t secure the troll’s body as Goethe said.wCId
ZtDqi“I didn’t know it would burn like that.”DNtyk
JPk6The troll’s body I killed last night burned in an instant with no time to do anything.8EFypT2
jFBAs high as the firewood was piled, it’s impossible to burn it so cleanly and without leaving a trace.JS0Ra
F8AoThe cleanliness was so blatant that anyone could see that the intention was to leave no trace behind.AzYc7o
mtP“…I guess I’ll have to report this to Joseph.”wf9FJ
iU1cLooking at the troll’s tracks, which were nothing but black ashes, Vlad recalled what happened in Baron Utman’s territory.Qv2OOK
g5My3obSuspicious, sinister, and familiar, Dobrechi’s headless troll is definitely an incident that must be reported to Joseph.v2RkWG
7a1jDP“However, there are no wizards here. Do you plan to send Pavel?”Oh0LXDN
52R“No.”Y6lc
UQR0AVPavel is not acceptable.ZnD6Y
YEOTyiAIt’s been a tough winter to move around, and the situation seems very suspicious, so it would be better to report it as soon as possible.qistCX
lOwZm9d“What eastern city is closest?”m1Km
ghtZ“A city… Let me see.”87Z
hnu8qUnderstanding Vlad’s feelings, Goethe opened the map he received from Baron Dalmatia and quickly began to look for the next destination.G9l5
G4ii11v“The nearest city where a wizard could be found is Tanovo. It’s a city in the Vitskaya county. Just looking at the map, it will take a week.”YLbTsc
1Y4S8K“Okay.”Egx95sZ
Itg9jNvWizards are people who deal with the mysteries of the world.ePA9
x4ejQaAlthough they were the type of people that the church didn’t like, they quickly delivered news through letters and provided advice to lords through various diverse knowledge, so from the nobles’ point of view, they were people they wanted to have at least one person by their side. It was.9X0lI
2Ymj“Let’s make Tanovo our next destination. Guide the way.”m1Wb
amd3ROD“Okay.”Ylb
28m34thBaron Dalmatia was a poor lord who couldn’t even invite a decent priest to certify the pilgrim’s mark, let alone a wizard, as he owned a poor territory.ZBIqc
EKGaTherefore, Vlad was thinking of going to a larger city than here and borrowing a wizard from the lord there.ZxKE
41r1mxoAlthough he belonged to a different family, he was a knight with a certain status, so if necessary, he could help with something like he did now.CbM
wwdWhen Goethe left the stable, saying he would look for directions, Vlad began to stare into the distance again.P9W2
0PrThe reason I went to the stable early in the morning was because of Noir, who had helped me yesterday, but it was also because I had such an intense dream that I couldn’t easily fall back asleep.UT65
GgkMn20“…But I really don’t remember it.”wn84sd9
VMUY7GmBut, strangely enough, the intense dreams that had made me toss and turn while sleeping barely remembered anything resembling a mirage.KYoogp
6bWfGAll I remember now is the faint sound of a hammer and the heaps of ashes flying. And those were the last words the man spoke resolutely.7BRM
UCMk“Killing a dragon.”xv8VGwF
mdxcVlad closed his eyes and thought.oijU
9VSlThe man’s last words I heard in my dream were clearly the voice I was familiar with.st3gXtV
yWnMaPerhaps the dream I had was not a dream, but one of the memory fragments left by the remnants of the voice.pMs
i7yAKxThe dark winter dawn is gone.vXxHq7S
6Q5TYZ4Today’s sun was rising from the crest of a mountain in the distance.P9MvXyu
DONGZANThe tip of Vlad’s sword begins to shine as brightly as the morning.Sdzpx4
JueknEUnlike before, there were white lightning flashes around Vlad’s aura, which became a little clearer.rc4TBy4
KAfWBFaThey were all remnants of the voice floating in Vlad’s world.lMAbR
GtRMQ5That day, the voice asked Vlad to meet again in a deeper world, and Vlad responded that he would do so as today’s Aura.r6WN
e95aThe knight closed his left eye toward a deeper world.9IZ9
qjZ***of62QGY
wxxeG“Why do you want to leave already? Why not wait until the snow stops?”468
Se9qDespite the cold weather, Baron Dalmatia, who came out to bid Vlad farewell in person at the residence, looked at Vlad with a truly subtle expression.oEfgyR6
badZcZAlthough there had been a terrible incident, he felt like he didn’t want Vlad to leave for a while, but a conflicting feeling was also rising in one corner of the baron’s face, wanting him to leave as soon as possible.UQQlJ
8uTWyvREspecially when I see Goethe smiling cheerfully behind me.QNN8MGp
n2tuB“I’ve done everything I had to do, and now it’s time for me to leave, Baron.”S0h
OZQ1vuI know the Baron’s face turned as dark as the gold coin that came out of his hand.IZ4YN
BwGJHowever, the former pickpocket and swindler did not hesitate to accept fair compensation for his work.kXi
j3AVYWfKilling bandits, finding barley thieves, hunting trolls, and even a missing girl.l89U
qzqStill, since he wasn’t cruelly dismissed, he’ll probably receive the same farewell he’s receiving now.HfqbSU
YrsT“Please, don’t forget what I said yesterday.”7ocEdPc
oeqa7“I won’t. I’ll take note of it.”B3vuSL
Ee835“Consider this as my sincerity towards Him.”7cYlD
syNTVlad said nothing about the glowing mole but asked the lord to tell him various things.DM4VK3
z6Aq“As you said, I won’t burn the forest or chop down trees carelessly to expand the barley field.”bSY76J
ncT0It was a tough time to openly talk about the existence of spirits or the sacred tree, no matter how remote the territory was in a corner of the field.643IOU
LogBecause now it was a world where only one God could be the truth.6yRwq
JDw3“And sometimes it may be good to pay a small tribute to the forest. I definitely felt its will flowing through the forest last night.”Q0lRkT
SYHsvKtTherefore, Vlad took charge of the mole by borrowing the existence of a god instead of the name of a spirit.xD7
bnk4YADNo more hungry moles stealing barley seeds.5zpXtO
T1EB“I understand! If only I could protect the barley fields that way!”jWj
UD2VPhT“Here’s my offering to the God who blessed me with my victory.”9GufA8
T0vMUVlad said as he handed a shiny gold coin to Baron Dalmatia.3M6dhT
NxV1fBhThough he has shown such sincerity, he will not ignore his words.xZodd
XH2bi“Ah, the Northern knight is even faithful!”WN2
gJ9FobThe poor Baron’s face brightened a bit as he regained some of his money.oiNE1
PLYIt was exactly as bright as a gold coin.XlJA
TAuVVlad watched Baron Dalmatia nod and looked at the Dobrechi forest in the distance.b34Pyf
kEPbRThis should be enough.cKM6
cKUtA small flag waved behind Vlad’s chair as he left with the villagers’ farewells.PuY
CIZsP1Before I knew it, the emblem of the Dalmatia family was engraved there.JI4
kORCs***VDcK5PC
UW0GsdIn a quiet forest with no one around.nIh2W54
zM7The oak tree that the troll had struck with the axe was still scarred, but it wasn’t as devastating as it had been that night.cGG
KRwHIfNThis was because someone had carelessly applied green moss to every corner of the wound.DS0Da8
t0EMAlthough I don’t know if it’s an effective method for wounded trees, the oak seemed to like it and simply swayed its branches gently with the wind.5ZVhod
A7YX5Ssssh!6l1
fLXYUnder the silently swaying oak, there was a mole with its head tucked into a small basket and moving its hind legs.Zgx
6J1XA basket full of bright red raspberries.Q7U71SF
Qo9TKNThe raspberries in the basket were prepared by the girl whom the mole had helped.0pzAs
FFjdSince spirits don’t have a physical body, they don’t need to eat to survive.Tq1f1
2MQcg65However, what they need to live is presence.iYB82di
Y6fhCPRThings like someone’s memories of them or emotions allow spirits to exist on this earth.vZLT4P
3ljThat’s why today the mole was able to satisfy its hunger for the first time in a long time.O3GD
Z6OThe girl’s emotions contained in the raspberries were truly warm.CX7qmD
os4zWhat?vaMXo
urbkThe mole, who had been pondering over the raspberries for a while, felt a presence in the distance and wrinkled its nose.aFeiw4n
3fALUnlike usual, people come with small baskets instead of axes or picks.CHTkC
FgkAlthough they brought an offering to the gods, just the belief that there was something in the forest would be of great help to the glowing mole.5sYUT
m1GBecause the emotions, memories, and beliefs contained within them were important.BW6z06
3HyqfKieee!vvpLKNL
fR3Db16Now you don’t have to forget.YENwc
QnURealizing this fact, the mole smiled and raised its pinky finger as if in a good mood.d791PL
esPKYvThe direction in which the finger is raised.DMbYpf
cuaIThat was the direction Vlad was leaving.yVp
ySmtThe first thing the earth spirit did after regaining some of its strength through today’s offering was to grant a small blessing to the knight leaving the forest.VuiZLw0
y75BuAToday, a bright yellow star forgotten in the name of God returned to the forest of Dobrechi.pY2ZGt
PAA9Like the lemons of Hainal, the oaks of Dobrechi seemed to have regained some of their green color.ZM0ZO
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