Chapter 110: Man in the fog (1)
cIsLpThe world of the voice is a world of deep colors.HF1
yT9JwYThe amber stone that Alicia saw through that world contained an autumn scene.v8R7gIr
yYLA maple tree stands amidst vast fields of wheat.WbM0yK
xCBazVlad still remembered the leaves falling in the red twilight.CPFF
pxpIt was an intense, beautiful, yet somehow sad landscape.tc6u3V
Ihl“But I can still see a little.”cTOU0aG
wAXaFkVlad closed his left eye and looked at the amber stone embedded at the end of the handle.afLaXP
wLkEhIQAlthough he couldn’t see it as dark and clearly as in the world of the voice, he could see the maple swaying in the wind.eJefOl2
VWVk“Where is this?”cu4CH7e
BxH3fVaVlad, who was already talking to himself, sat on the bed and murmured softly, but no one was responding to his words anymore.VNBF
bFHOFAlOnly the blue moonlight streaming through the window caressed Vlad’s shoulders.a2A2
18qYsPpajik-zOwt
CqjCv9mA small beam shot out from Vlad’s closed left eye.qDfpsA
U0hAnJQVlad couldn’t respond when a voice asked him to meet in a deeper world.Z9X
d6Xs1jHowever, if the voice asks me again now, I will be able to respond with certainty.I will.KHIe
1WcSLet’s meet again in a deeper and wider world.RFbl3U
Oj7GkjIn a dark room illuminated only by moonlight, a beam of white light caught Vlad’s attention.NMY
J0E84***S0nPt
guH97vz“How is he?”zYoBX
lhr823YCount Vitskaya, who was dining at a table full of vegetables and fruits, lifted a cup of hot tea and asked.ZkJ
xRNp3OAlthough he maintained a healthy diet that only elves would eat, his face was filled with furrowed brows and wrinkles after finishing his meal.m7P4QY
i1iN“It was clear that the knight named Vlad was a dragon slayer.”FHR
uJGp8Reviewing the work two or three times is not enough.zJjR11F
PQoGsEspecially when it comes to identifying suspicious individuals.6Xcn
EpS“And?”TkN30f
nRpW“…I also confirmed his skills. Among the remaining knights, there was none who could match the knight named Vlad.”7g9Gz92
GBhEBUThere were five knights who attacked Vlad under the pretext of training.4DQm4g
UL9AXfAnd three of them were so beaten that they couldn’t carry out their mission for the time being.XZr
vdC4OwIf it had been a real fight, I would have lost my head.yzkkN6d
a3unVr“And you?”y1udcOo
x1pFIThe commander of the knights bit his lip in response to the count’s question as if he were being provoked.WzvAm
yFH4cY“Nine times out of ten, I’ll win.”ss0
54ZKfb“…If you fight ten times, you might lose once or twice.”coh
HlTbCount Vitskaya remembered well how much gold the knight bowing before him received.hG2EWr
ZxAk‘Just an 18-year-old…’cmq
t5cfEven his own knight commander, who was quite famous when he was young, cannot guarantee a complete victory.WdhrhKE
gMtWOTherefore, those who cannot even use Aura don’t stand a chance.XdfAgpP
OQ71“What about hanging the guards?”z0fKfJ
uIJ“Yes?”S0Yq2d
5TUOqHe was a true knight, but I didn’t recognize him.kiR9
FKGzyMTThe first impression was so terrible that they left him outside, in the cold, so they wouldn’t move him easily.c2mtQ6
3r0Uw“It would be good if he were a bit more mindful…”9BVh
QdquKnights are people who value honor.wWD3K0
9tCWhat he did was clearly rude, but there would still be a chance.IvF
0jr7The count only hoped that the young knight had some idea of how the world worked.mZBpYtY
eLjrBE4***Nq0
61Po6“…”RUPIcF
72b2Vlad looked at the tea in front of him.raps2dC
lwmc2A bright green light shining in the sunlight.0ctL
8OTcTVVlad unconsciously leaned in as the color of the tea showed through to the bottom of the cup.MQB
MyA3f5ZI don’t know what was prepared, but the strong smell of grass entered my nose and refreshed my eyes.myGmeO
a8ryh“I understand that the culture of drinking tea in this way hasn’t developed in the North?”bEa
pZXnE“They prefer grabbing a bottle of liquor rather than drinking something made from crushed leaves.”kMgfa
dor97CCount Vitskaya smiled happily as he watched Vlad, who spoke bluntly but couldn’t take his eyes off the knight.oYD
GdOcArlIndeed, even as a northerner from the North, he couldn’t help but feel interested in seeing this knight.NV4Lfd9
hzg“It’s elf tea. It’s a specially processed product extracted from a forest in the Far East.”GJAs4NL
Rw73Irr“Elf…”Gcr
WRNXcjAs soon as Vlad heard the word “elf” from the Count’s mouth, he licked his lips with his tongue.z7QC7uw
pqm1However, he quickly straightened his posture and looked at the Count as if nothing had happened.oEXfl
5VPYou mustn’t reveal what you want during a transaction.cyk1
PpPeUMarcella, the Rose of Soara, had said so.udn
JGf“One of the main businesses in our territory is handling these special elf products. I suppose people from the central region can’t use anything related to elves.”w8m
6cmtUntil now, Count Vitskaya’s family had not differed from a rural family, but after the current Count Vitskaya ascended to the title, they acquired a completely different appearance.AAu
q8iTHe risked it for his declining family and finally managed to become one of the few passages connecting elves and humans.TH0
N2mGi“For example, the tea you have in front of you now is worth more than its weight in gold.”DLx
zZ1os“…”nun
iuzThe elves are a long-lived race, and their mysterious ecology was enough to arouse the curiosity of central nobles.d0nuG8
oRcygsThere were ridiculous rumors that it would extend the lifespan of the person in front of Vlad at the moment.R8aG4b5
4cLBf“Is the tea worth it?”yEk9
tJWd“I don’t know if it really increases your lifespan, but at least it’s definitely good for your health. It’s a special medicine, especially for coughs.”s3fJ4t
7z6Rumors tend to be exaggerated, and elf tea is not a mysterious herb that increases lifespan.fyVL1Yp
juIHowever, unlike elf tea, the blonde knight in front of him really was the dragon slayer as rumored, so the Count’s attitude towards the real person could not help but be cautious.YgGkZ
ewKq“Do you want me to get you one?”dwcFXR
Trj24z1It was only after hearing the Count’s words that Vlad raised his head.8fpFjQ
b7KmHe seemed to have lost his mind for a moment when he heard that it was not only good for the body but also effective for coughs.LFLzuFf
qDmu“Am I worth that much?”8LPhAS
zWLv6xUVlad asked again, looking at the Count with a small smile.6urv
86AWSThere must be a reason why the Count called him and tried to show him favor.73gAE
DD8k“As expected, Northern knights are truly ostentatious! I like that!”ObO
kCmu0IWhen the Count realized that Vlad was willing to listen to his proposal, he smiled and raised his tea cup.HeL
4XaHe said he was from the North, so I thought he would be a reserved type, but surprisingly, he was a type I could communicate with.gRXYT
vGbO“I admire your ability even to kill a dragon. So, there’s something I’d like to ask you…”a3Aeik7
LYDHis tricks are superficial, and his actions capricious.pwz
CmWrGHowever, there’s no need to shy away from taking each other’s hand if both parties have something to offer.7jA
jao“Recently, there’s a guy hiding on the trade route and stealing my goods. It’s a headache.”aAZBl03
q05WjJ“Is he a bandit?”9atjand
mSmPVSVlad picked up the tea cup and took a sip.kXm
qEtNPXeIt had no flavor.Zt2OVTO
pLC“He’s probably not a bandit.”hycyo
SnyvwFCount Vitskaya smiled as he watched the northern knight holding a tea cup and making an astonished expression.ZM5DA
iruHPThat smile actually contained many meanings.Qe89
PLlGQVH“Because all my knights escorting the upstream route lost track of him.”RI2rxU
qjEk83It might have been a lie, but there was no shame in the Count’s words.eWUJ
avL0JIHe was a man who didn’t hesitate to extend his hand even to the knights he had ignored to seek help.PdnF
Fia“You mean even the knights?”7IiQ9
i16l“Yes, that’s why it’s a pain in the side.”kOA5l
4YziNhVlad’s expression frowned when he heard that not even the knights could do anything.Z39mq
4Xi1zr0Count Vitskaya’s knights’ skills, judging by the combat, clearly weren’t that good.wHYWF6W
HczxyRather, through this combat, I could get a real idea of what kind of place Bayezid was.C3yXQ
gQOgs“Even Count’s knights couldn’t handle him, so you say I can?”uzFIx
aq7DStill, Vlad didn’t hesitate to let out a sigh.f6g2AW
RpHS23JLike the Count in front of him, the alley knight was a man who didn’t mind showing weakness to increase his value.h1pQZcR
Dan0E2However, the Count cut off Vlad’s foolish movement with just a smile.WFuZz
YxLO2C9“Vlad of Soara and the Lindworm Slayer.”g3D5M
C2B7BE3“…”cgOBy
p4Jq“I think if you’ve been recognized not only by Saint Rogino but also by many northern families, you’ll do enough.”BOl
50i6iwWith those words, the Count handed him a small black bag.Swd9V
56EInside the bag, which was left slightly open on purpose, a bright golden light leaked out.zNLk1
tbE“I’ll give you even more if you defeat the unknown marauder.”X7ffC
apGpl“It may be difficult for me alone.”lpvv
z63Rxi“It’s still fine.”Kcl5UUN
Oo0UCount Vitskaya looked at Vlad with a deep smile.Y2lyh
RQJ4cThe Count has a golden rope that never dries, but an unknown marauder is blocking that same rope.9qe
s2HhLIt’s worth waiting for now, but if this strap continues to get caught, eventually your own strap will get caught too.cuxD
wvZRouX“I’m satisfied if you chase him for a while.”DyH8N5P
MPQ7qPkNo matter how much of a dragon slayer the boy in front of you is, there are many knights with this level of skill in the central region.Ykqi
nXXfuhThere would be nothing to look forward to if it were resolved completely, but since it’s used anyway for little money, it would be good to wait until a truly famous knight is invited.aQfwY
4vq“…All right. Count. I’ll do my best.”WHZTq
GIJ9dVlad smiled at the Count, who had finally revealed his true intentions.mHThTKx
kFn“Instead, I’d like to receive something more than just gold coins.”bK0n
duNrOebWith those words, Vlad took out some gold coins from his open pocket and silently returned them to the Count.rOcDKdf
68vqk2“…Is there anything else you want from me?”krmLEy
B9iValue is relative.ZVi
4Zu1IFor the Count, gold coins abounded, but Vlad was not a man driven by money.9QhSzJ
Gy9O“I want to see the world as a wandering knight.”F40gfra
zFd0NnEven as he stood in the mud in the alley, Vlad tried not to lose himself.65ioU
PPaeEven now, in Soara, there will be a man who controls his cough with warm wine.K4Dqv
Qa0CleHe was a man who had vowed to be faithful.objizV
U8dLKdNThe sound of Joseph’s slight cough always weighed heavily on Vlad’s heart.IKQ
SkGhHAZ“…Do you want to enter the city of the elves?”XG6btBq
B1HSeeing Vlad asking for something completely unexpected, Count Vitskaya leaned back deeply.dLdHpD
PrDAfter all, boys with unbreakable authenticity were the ones who couldn’t be seduced by the shiny gold.I3uvEX
lJdVBOk“In those conditions, just finding out his identity isn’t enough.”Gg1PXT
O9Q8lYPThe Count frowned as if he were worried.wfN7fJ
aE5uAlthough Vlad spoke easily, it wasn’t just a matter of adding one person.vfKUwI
xE5Interacting with the elves was a small hole in the family’s future and his entire life, so the compensation Vlad demanded was nothing short of an act that posed a great burden on the Count.dlwX7
IcuLR“We’ll figure it out.”y2FuQr
u4hJdMHowever, not even Vlad could yield at this point.2cwCca
yFMNow that he knew that no one could enter the city of the elves, he somehow had to get the Count’s cooperation.0CHsMa
UaKJEQw“So that the unknown marauder never again covets the Count’s trade route.”PBHJ
Yq4lThe central count and the northern knight were making eye contact.W3FYLHJ
1lj7mBAs long as we have something to offer each other, we’ll be able to smile even if we drink bitter tea and show kindness to those who ignore us.7SAe
jMM4“Fine.”rfaQg
a2cBecause that’s the deal.2iQ
u2cmnTheir clasped hands trembled silently over the bag of gold coins.EY9q
0dNCNyZ***so02
Gf3Zw4fOn a dark night, upon a stone bridge spanning a very high cliff.rkgxk
HvgugfThe coachman trembled in the dense, damp fog with every breath.JaaYipU
BlxnyKThe reason the coachman trembled wasn’t simply because the atmosphere was unsettling.qJvz
Qep“Ugh, huff…”NMr9LzJ
v2CjRight in front of me lay men sprawled on the bridge as if dead.VZMGu
1XIbJtAmong them fluttered the tattered flag of Vitskaya.W1u
2tkAAll the fallen were knights the Count had selected and dispatched.yCbNbzw
oM1“Is there any elven object among them?”ECFt
HPTH1“Hey, hey…”5UnwLC
iE08kreAn unidentified man wearing a gray hood that reached his knees.MpZyg
mDF9HOHis sharp voice, like scraping metal, instilled a strong feeling of revulsion in the listener.YqG3
mZD“You’re right! Please, save me!”XKC2Ys
3AlThe coachman quickly fell to the ground and cried out loudly.NjE
0EOuIt felt as if the thick fog swallowed my voice.Vbk
7ehCrunch!yldg2
uBzfUAA horrible sound was heard from behind, but the coachman didn’t take his eyes off the knight lying on the ground.IUPIg
YB5PHe was afraid that if he opened his eyes, he would find himself facing a hooded man.WYUj
4q9YIn the thick fog, a dim light fell from a thin stone bridge descending down the cliff.lpd1
ypUSuvfWith a heavily laden carriage.45AXX8
od2HpAs soon as the faint light vanished from the bridge, only darkness remained on the stone bridge.ZnEb
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