Chapter 126: The return of the prodigal son (2)
AQcHMAA night where even the clouds hide the moon.dSQp
v5CPThe malicious intent clinging everywhere is sticky.F7FvQ
SpU“Ah…”hFI1iv
ydC2DgkEvery time I exhale forcefully, the flowing blood slides down my forehead.fYW
d2UHowever, the old knight, who had become senile, no longer had the energy to raise his hand and wipe it away.nYSy4n
AG8cTime was especially cruel to the elderly.LJs
K1mZ“Sigh…”fexhh54
cy5dmltThe old knight finally reached a dead end and sighed.ymAQDb
esa6DThey cut and ran to open a path, but in the end, they were led to their intended destination.SXjfdJ
lwf2cT3“I wish you could rest in peace.”TWT
ajGjA man approaches among the men surrounding him.4u4Xzj
wTQs“I didn’t even let you retire alone because of this?”OkRlj
cFRztFinally, the moonlight shines upon his appearance.97LAP
UDid6T“…A nobleman has arrived.”VyMACBl
AqmaJBlond hair and blue eyes.8YDtz
ddGlNLHis elegant appearance would have attracted anyone, but the power in his eyes makes him crueler than anyone else.NXa
9RD5“You must have had a hard time coming all the way here just for the sake of this insignificant old man.”JEjnG13
M5CDco“It was something worth facing.”aA2sd
cqmjOVClick-G3uOp7R
nknkek9At the man’s gesture, the men surrounding August drew their swords.U968t1
2CgiY4Politely, as if it were a final courtesy.HJa1fJO
3Fq“You may be underestimating me. Although I may have lost some teeth, my claws are still sharp.”t4a
QS6TuAugust’s eyes burned coldly as he prepared for the end.Ra5z4J8
2Md6Though he had retired, there was one last mission he wanted to fulfill.R1ECaqP
w9JKNow that the elves had been blocked, if he could deliver the evidence he had brought to the imperial family, he could inform the world of the harm done to Absilon.O4TqSqp
0eMzTCpIt was a mission that had to be carried out in that way.T9a0AB
EEdPqYY“No way.”rvNFy
LtkHowever, the man in front of him did not lose his composure even in the face of the old knight trying to burn his last flame.Tut0Nfm
BX4c“Isn’t that why I came myself?”ycSR
5dfwpMirshea, the leader of the Dragonslayer Knights.qGXa1f
SvvIWith his words, the tips of the knights’ swords rose towards August.RfX
jd0iRzoThe killing spirit of the Dragonslayer Knights spilled coldly towards the old knight.AaidQ
z2ul“It’s not much, but I hope you enjoy the retirement ceremony we prepared.”Qwmy
DW0NThe ferocity hidden in the blue eyes stirs.N66cK1H
m5vXWhen he unsheathed his sword, he looked like a noble knight, but when aimed at himself, he looked like a beast with bared teeth.7j7PL
vyFp‘Blond hair… blue eyes.’tfW
mfRAnd cruelty.SCO
8EOnOA strong personality that started out noble but ultimately turned cruel.GsVRbv
9OoThat individuality now looked at him with blue eyes.0Yj1y
fqR‘I see.’rKM
77OSISFlashes of malice draw near.p1W
pgJrTowards the tired, old lion.NhF8SI
7m9k0Seeing the brightest malice among them, August remembered the young knight he had met in the elves’ forest.fwrk
3GabCtb“It wasn’t his personality.”A21es
o3CHe was wrong.fxtuc7
fb8jtwSThe traces of that boy who had a noble start but was cruel in the end.t0gk
1o3EI8XThe cruelty Vlad showed wasn’t a personality developed by himself.H07x
4LPSIt was a predatory instinct running through the blood.08l8V
xc7YOThe clouds once again hide the moon.lVsKHav
XFdgCThe movements of someone slowly crumbling in the darkness without even the moonlight.KtjW8U
xyhcxuInside, green tea leaves flutter sadly.jW8piB8
YGjhLjThe truths someone arrived at were spreading so fleetingly.LJz9Cu
363Pw7***m2r
PBKxMarcia City.sELna2y
33lFu8YThe only city in the Barony of Rosmitz.3MEoT2x
2NdThis city, which was not particularly ancient or had anything to boast about as a territory, was truly a common and ordinary place.8tRZ
H1lAnd now Vlad and Goethe were walking towards the city of Marcia… but they weren’t there.BGIHeq
lIj“Thank you, Captain.”baES
rSm5w“Well, I was thinking of returning anyway.”qCSyj3k
TrM9uDVlad responded hesitantly upon seeing Goethe expressing his gratitude.MgW
0QtThat’s because the group was not heading to Marcia, but to a remote village four days away.g0bU
q9CziThe place, which had no proper name and was simply called Wisteria Village, was also Goethe’s hometown.ZbpRQ
9mDsPm“How long has it been?”ACUTKEN
w2m7PS“What? Since when have I left? Let me see, I think it’s been about 6 years.”tQT
zKKOirs“It’s been quite a while.”NB2KfI
ZUO9Goethe, who seemed to be in his twenties, so if it was six years ago, he probably left as soon as he became an adult.emzb5N
amUtOr perhaps it was something that came before, like Vlad.MiQl0
AorcBP9“I’ll make sure my mom and younger siblings are okay before I leave.”Oa8q
li5g“…”YG3YK
VqlJX2Ultimately, the leader of the group was Vlad, and Goethe was just a squire.jl7si
Lm9If the two had been an ordinary knight and squire, Goethe wouldn’t have dared to ask them to pass through his hometown.SNGIxB
wwpScQSo even now, Goethe was watching Vlad carefully.Exsg
rcE“Is your mother good at cooking?”bEclts9
aEzXOY“…Yes! My mother’s potato stew is on a different level from what is served in most inns.”mYdXYrU
Q58lS“Really?”oY423Rm
EgsFUThe weather was warm and the breeze was cool.n9sPEN1
92rGuSince I found a clue about the voice in Ausurin and have a goal in mind on what to do next, I can finally feel like I’m on vacation for a while.RXi7os
8d2Fh“If it tastes that good, I might stay for a day or two.”dLH
NnVg8“…Perfect!”KDj4D
mdzAKVlad treated others with coldness, but that wasn’t the case for everyone.jNg
ab4IfCWhen Jorge looked at Vlad and commented that he was the kind of guy who would be the leader in any alley, he wasn’t just saying it because of his outstanding skills.4ldcfV
CWfo“There.”5Z9J7
bBc1hRGGoethe’s fingertips trembled slightly as he pointed to his hometown, which he hadn’t seen in a long time.WK2QO
oRP32Green leaves falling beside the village entrance.69MxX
OkDWThe flower buds, which would soon turn purple, welcomed the prodigal son of the village, who had returned after a long time.5FMK
OXO0***fpY5
62X“Stop!”bVA9US2
EibWsA guard without special weapons, but with fierce eyes, blocked Vlad and Goethe’s path.lMUH
1zJec“Who are you? What brought you to our town?”Z3oSvb
mr8l8DjAt first glance, it was a small city, so of course, it wasn’t a permanent army.Ue3THo
ehQaxPerhaps one of the young men of the town acted as a vigilante, but he seemed quite skilled at stopping strangers.IKar
q2Dyjm“Thompson. I’m Goethe.”OE83B
Gjhd“Goodness? Goethe?”ZdPQz7Y
ZiOJ0The guard tilted his head when he saw Goethe cheerfully greeting him from the horse.oA4ZTYB
i2BF“Hey. Millhouse up on the hill.”ZLxlM
eKvxbC“Ahh. That Goethe!”lhSwmfa
2iSOA subtle smile appeared on the face of a guard named Thompson, who now recognized Goethe.irOnUIR
JP13v8“It’s been a few years. Where have you been all this time?”XuuE
j1j“Just here and there.”blljs0
GntVlad quietly stroked Noir’s neck as they watched the two chat loudly.msU
WV9DeE9Both seemed uncomfortable even though they were talking.HK0jSQ
Hup9And even the sight of other guards standing silently around.9CPpTpt
AzZ‘I don’t think I’m particularly welcome.’9oLrLKN
sOMSRaCVlad, who always controlled the atmosphere whenever he arrived at an unknown place, noticed that the attitude of the people greeting Goethe was lukewarm.sgbGA
TqxrcVLApparently, something was wrong when he left the village.PDk4se
WXz22Uk“Is my mother and younger brother okay?”eyMp
C3A5Aff“Yes. Nothing happened.”q16
S7YmKQHowever, Goethe didn’t seem to care much about their reactions.D1P7G
DO8pVlad silently scratched his chin at Goethe’s seemingly familiar attitude.wSfN
NYwmHIq“It’s good to see you again after so long. Will you be calm and leave?”GJHs
XbA2JAg“Yes, I’ll leave shortly. Just one or two days.”WJP
ug4Goethe tried to smile as he looked at Thompson, who was more cautious than happy to see him after a long time.qXO5PQ
TUu“Go see the village chief and greet him first.”WpTZvcJ
DajxMYGoethe quietly walked past the guards who had sheathed their spears, nodding his head.mf1JSI
Kj8D7x“Stop.”nrf1j7F
NBH“…?”U2o
6ygqkuAHowever, the spears soon blocked the path again.65Z
TpXGm8Although Goethe confirmed his identity, the guards once again were blocking Vlad’s way.mQ0Ik
0hmMD“Hey. Thompson. He’s my guest.”vBg
TDx0Jv“Even so, I have to check.”73o555H
aCQ“Thompson!”V33c
oI0ROP8This was something guards in a big city would naturally do, but this was a small village and they were just vigilantes.AJhy
1N5kV2Goethe, who was a resident of the village, vouched for his identity, so it seemed like they would simply overlook it, but the subsequent reaction was cold.Yr9O
u8PM“What’s your name? You look young.”pRqV
RHM“…Ha.”lSA
Jwg1ubLGoethe was being ignored.NnuPh2
BcAd06eIn front of the village where he was born and raised.eCVtW0f
KGNttThe boy from the dark alley inside Vlad felt the unpleasant yet familiar air and lifted his eyes fiercely.mA8jGA
vrlV“My name is Vlad.”H2GZcO
eUsB4mVlad removed the cloak given to him by Oksana and placed his hand on the sword hanging from his waist.j1dX2r
PmYThe shining sword of the spirits showed that the person in front of them was an unusual person.RoXn
TSkIR4s“I am the knight of Bayezid. Vlad.”2c1LRm
CvnuWRNBlond hair and blue eyes.bjrQ
IwF34And the strength of a fierce predator contained in those eyes.9A6H9
n60TY6LThompson’s back was covered in sweat and he felt like a rabbit standing in front of a wolf.hmkLrCc
sZ7PfVThis was going wrong.CPxP
Q7Jv1W“I don’t want anyone like you to ask for my name again.”SIGvM5f
66j“I’m sorry!”jKIt
b2HFpDPThompson, who was finally released from Vlad’s nightmare, sharply bent his back and lowered his head.c5gnx
e2WFor someone with such a fierce personality as the knight in front of them felt, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the sword was drawn immediately, which would have been impolite.5G7ncR
tzlVlad, who easily overcame the guards with just his momentum, looked at Goethe with irritated eyes.JG2
DqroIYK“I’m sorry. Captain.”JjNv
gYNlPiIt wasn’t the trouble caused by the guard blocking the way.JsFom
sIxGoethe was always smiling cheerfully, but now he only had a bitter smile on his face.iGjGRkn
IOfv‘It’s annoying.’8ze
R4X8SaTIt’s been a while since he returned to his hometown, why is he so withdrawn?IWg
vqNVlad didn’t like that look at all.Dn5tG
3HpV“Listen.”nB9
SGGCK“Eh?”rSJO
sC4N2Suddenly, Goethe saw a white object flying towards him and quickly caught it.BtkZ
HeP“…Why is this?”JcZe2YP
67xtpA white flag fluttering in the wind.vBQmV
AxAhNOPatterns of numerous nobles and organizations engraved on it looked at Goethe.w4swk
AWBf“You take the lead. This will never happen again.”7Sw
dIjRIt was an indifferent tone, but it contained consideration for Goethe.qGIgq
FshI don’t know how you were when you left, but shouldn’t you look confident when you come back?5AP
0SLzjU“…I will guide you. Sir Vlad.”M3ea9
3ARheC“Alright.”YxlfmXX
1MRR0NSVlad nodded slightly as he looked at Goethe, who quickly understood his intentions.mcpX3
Hsb0EA flag full of honor.FOu
jZMKWQThe eyes of the young men of the village became distant as they looked at the standard-bearer hoisting the bright flag.c6u2c7
DVj1“Excuse me. Sir, sir. Welcome!”JWEWQol
ExbA wooden fence opened slowly, welcoming the two.4K1446e
f9x1ZAn honorable rider carrying a bright flag.ATxEkjy
gXE1XOLThe prodigal son of the town who left insignificantly has now returned to his hometown as a standard-bearer with a bright flag.jC4Uwq
VIBfUWith a ray of smile, Goethe’s world was slowly expanding.tbH
6FWqdUc***aUTuhM
iUP“Who is that? Who said he had so much success?”NhE
UFwPJkQ“He’s here. The second son of a miller family.”RYLTm
DOl“The fool has returned? Seems like he had success outside.”AGXoJZU
ob3oP2UA small village where only those who leave come back.XghR
TA7Therefore, the news that a new stranger had arrived was silently but quickly spreading through the village.nM8Pu9t
DeSD5k“Was it worth it for you?”wrH
lMwYQ8y“…”QnSx6S
blABCM“Well, it’s better to be a swindler than worth half a penny.”0BpJ
QYLVlad, who confirmed Goethe’s assessment of him from the whispers he heard, smiled faintly.Fhqj
ytaIf he were too cruel or had a complicated past, he wouldn’t have been able to keep him around for long.9ygpKb
QnPo2But if it’s around worth half a penny, it’ll be fine.dmHW
pWAz7h“If you go this way, it’s the village chief’s house…”2sl0la
sbqXvNS“Let’s leave your house first.”AgDNrpc
ZUpFR“Eh?”ybv4n
4AzoMNVlad clearly realized what kind of position he was in by observing and learning from Joseph’s side.A9ouF
GwxLThis meant that Vlad could now act like a proud knight rather than a rundown alley kid.hNJP7d
r2xZsP“Ask the village chief to come to your house. Because it’s complicated to get there.”Y4xPWdk
2nGYvExcessive courtesy only humiliates oneself.JRgWR
hInpJTo be treated properly, you had to know how to behave appropriately for your position.0Ax4st
unI7US“Okay.”hls
WKa6VZR“Don’t go yourself, find someone and tell them.”mqvT
nVB2“Yes.”St8Wv
V0g3VAnyway, the whole village had come because of Goethe.Q2BiXr
ghsXSo, it might be a good idea to give him a little push while he’s here.D7Q4YIp
q3pxr“Hey, it’s on the hill over there.”KgcU0
MQXy“Go see.”Sq7jBmC
8ySBNNoir, who didn’t like having other horses in front of him, this time followed Goethe silently.My0
ncZrThe knight and the horse confirmed each other’s intentions through the world they found.XOVja4X
ksy“…I guess I’m preparing lunch.”MgQh
PUGjlwL“I know.”qgX
azsThere’s a lonely house in front of you.6ldxk
1KNquSmoke was coming out of the chimney of a house with an old mill that seemed to no longer work.EijrG
RFB8“Mom… mom. I’m here.”5hxgq
cNHGoethe carefully opens the gate door.uSMM2
de6CGoethe’s voice gradually fades as he sees that his hometown looks the same as when he left.TyOLt
Nk53“Mom.”Sqt
VsxSA woman came out of the kitchen upon hearing the door open.XPv
pC2TShe looks tired.TUqR5l
eYFThe headscarf tightly tied around her head was clean but very worn out.pGRc
ZkeyHer face has wrinkles of time that cannot be hidden.wTIf
mYaThey must be deep wrinkles that my poor son couldn’t smooth out.4C1WCpC
8W5Z“Go? Goethe?”ZG05uv
Xb4H9qThe spatula the woman was holding fell to the ground.HdZ
tOv2R“Oh my God!”pio4PW
oKVA9“Mom.”uMLNA
7bQubo2Although everyone in the village ignored her, she welcomed Goethe with open arms.u5qj
rSSoobMFor some, he was a prodigal son who caused accidents, but in this woman’s eyes, he was more valuable than anyone else.GIWS
KLTkuyD“…Is there potato stew for lunch today?”yTh5eMt
CVoSeeing the mother and son embracing with tears in their eyes, Vlad patted the ground for no reason.xIl
oOsxxnt“Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I had a home-cooked meal.”BkAQUBO
7csGVlad lifted his heavy eyes and saw smoke rising from the chimney.UDeM27
27hdNThe spicy smell coming from the kitchen seemed to bring back old memories he couldn’t even remember.fOyB5
mbydToday’s lunch for Vlad will be a hot stew that his mother will serve to her son.Y3gzXc
6AdIt must be a taste he hadn’t felt in a long time.uZk
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