Chapter 15
XmzLJVIn the flickering candlelight,RRSlaB
xNxLrsVlad saw a hint of a smirk as he looked at Josef.hLN6wsy
Al2MZIt was a smile of a victor, exuding confidence in controlling the situation.vN6x6VS
pLDDg‘I got caught.’LM7aq
WYOQ2Vlad was born in the back alleys and his birth was not even registered properly, so he needed a false identity to join the monster subjugation unit recruited under the name of a lord.fKmGRR
LVBnbnAIt meant having something like a mercenary badge from someone he had killed.X5d
KPR0“That face does not look 31 years old. Is being young-looking something you’re born with?”1w2if
EFtB“It’s one of the few things I’m proud of.”9wrqdfb
t98W5Y5Vlad replied with the utmost politeness while looking at Josef with a faint smile.4a8Lx
rTKF12“Zayar.”GgsK
hWS“Yes.”d7ESET
Jd901However, Josef was not an easy-going person.uLbVW
ZD369O0Whack!Uv720P
ZigA harsh slap struck Vlad.IKvTrB
YtQIt was the kind of slap that he could have dodged but should not have avoided.zcCwJ
2zzK“Understand this once. You were born and raised up in the back alleys, so do you really think you know how to treat nobility?”jLZ0
spV5L“…”rxtb
LScYJosef was smiling while looking at Vlad who was bleeding from the nose.w8gw
CbiPxIt was a smile that seemed to say, “I know everything.”G56
zvuSjO2“I really hate lies. I should have told you this in advance.”75s
RbWKFHwA strange desire rose up in Josef’s pitch-black eyes.zVW3pY6
XA4V“Name.”6i5kP
ntlM“….. Vlad.”dBXq
j9M“Age?”m20L
EaPyMd“I’m 16. I’ll be 17 after this winter.”5d2eAt
Lso“Haha!”QTCHH
KrxEYJvJosef clapped his hands in joy at Vlad’s answer.wpIx
keT5“Excellent.”3jwN
LimmkF3“…”lgueDQ
HAgOjWwVlad decided to stay quiet, even though he couldn’t quite understand what was excellent. There was a knight glaring at him fiercely from behind.RNA8
2yNBx“Yes, you went through a lot coming from Shoara to here.”K8Q
ozT“…You knew everything.”yRr
NTWj2Q7This time I did well not to lie. The black-haired man in front of him had already fully grasped his situation.twLw
9jEl“It’s been confirmed that your mother was a prostitute, but we could not find out about your father. Do you happen to know who your father is?”pjs12us
IeaCUp1“It’s quite a funny joke to ask a prostitute’s child about his father.”vw4m
LckhVlad answered sarcastically without realizing he was in an oppressive atmosphere, and he was immediately punished.J6WGC
8Ljb“Krgh!”20z9aUM
xEC“Be polite, kiddo.”eZ5
JTW5ZtYVlad, unable to withstand the blow that struck him in the back of his knee, fell to one knee.6jW7U1T
LkG64Q“No, it was quite an amusing joke.”oFUbSA
TRUSJosef scratched his head as he looked at Vlad, who was kneeling in front of him.vE0
UtZgF00“Well, you must have killed one somewhere to get that mercenary badge, and we have already figured out why you fled from Shoara.”EcU8
u23b0Josef thought to himself. He already had the background information, but he was genuinely curious about the golden-haired young man in front of him.EWtGaEM
Jyr“Where did you learn swordsmanship?”EOr
6ZIHow did a young man who had spent his entire life surviving in the back alleys acquire such incredible skills? Who did he learn from, and under what circumstances?BL7
6LfwqvoAnd why did he possess such talent, given his background? It was enough to pique the interest of the second son of the Bayezid family, accompanied by shining swords.81mcF
6ykXJosef was too curious about what was hidden in Vlad’s blue eyes.p3L4
Qu40cn“…”lACdw5u
J8ha9RHowever, the person who had to answer the question simply kept his mouth shut.usYSM23
J4eRqxsSssshh…pJKR
oW1o4The sound of a sword being drawn quietly could be heard from behind Vlad.2dz
Pxz“Answer him.”8Q0cxN
DRdvCMMVlad, who was muttering quietly with his head down, made eye contact with Josef as if he had made up his mind.yQzF8
Q75zAD“He was a teacher who appeared like lightning and disappeared like the wind.”GPEk
NPiiIJosef found himself getting drawn into Vlad’s words without even realizing it. Vlad’s words were enough to arouse someone’s interest.go7
sW4OF“He never revealed his name, he said.”pz4bHev
xuqQ5EoVlad’s blue eyes did not waver.6aFyZ
ZLhasLSBecause it wasn’t a lie this time.NkcI
8HtuWoJ“A ‘one man ever-winning secret’ not be disclosed to anyone.”gpp
lCxzT“…. Alright.”HR9mJ
dHInSJosef nodded his head.m0I
uxkHe had some doubts and suspicions, but Josef couldn’t untie all the knots of secrets piled up at this moment.q5nc
EkBIS“I’m sorry for being harsh with you. I don’t know about you, but I’m in a pretty difficult situation right now.”Lsnm
36NUnravel one knot at a time.bgym
CgwS“I have a proposal for you.”eTz0Vv
ZuMcA6E“Please, go ahead, Lord Josef.”ar4Idc
o0tHVVlad answered politely. Although a multitude of thoughts raced through his mind, he maintained his composure.FEL
zxL5bN“I want to sponsor you.”BDNsx
D9MV“…Yes?”wJM7
UHJUDJosef’s sudden proposal left Vlad momentarily surprised. He had come here by deceiving and killing people and assuming a false identity. Yet, Josef was offering to sponsor him.ZrB
bjtP8o“Do you not want to rise to a higher position than you are now, Vlad of Shoara?”2rP6sl
mpn72KJJosef waved a card Vlad couldn’t refuse.a4eMAy4
CQHKnighthood.HgLi
CNlmPower.74XggmV
dhpFreedom.6dI
CSEUvSurvival.DjZL
f86FQTheir eyes met.hi7Pns
q8B6KThe two men were able to recognize what the other wanted in each other’s eyes.EaVmBK
8lXG※※※※xeHaWO
Fl7Clang!HV1
d8YQA loud sound echoed through the encampment in the morning. Despite the early hour, mercenaries had all gathered where the sounds were coming from. They were there to witness a spectacle they rarely had the opportunity to see.LA1MrQx
s3raj79“Can he hold his ground?”zy2rr
aTKCKE“His opponent is Sir Zayar, after all. He’s just letting him win, of course.”dkU
Hi9ZA one-eyed knight and the blond young man were facing each other with their swords crossed.TlctyvU
LcEG“Has he become Sir Zayar’s disciple?”I0P2
Htw“He certainly has extraordinary skills.”pIX
3gRol“I heard he’s over thirty.”mBP0R
EnYtg8y“There was someone here who believed that.”gm3EK
cGZThe sight of a knight-level person practicing swordsmanship was not an easy sight for mercenaries to see.QxQ
AODV6wFurthermore, the opponent who was receiving that swordsmanship was someone they were very familiar with.osuKN
16sObau“Argh!”RnYl8He
u8bt1P“You arrogant brat.”Bxl8f
z0pIn that case, there would be no better spectacle than this. Regardless of what the person who has to receive the sword thinks.dtiQ
PYVV“Do you really think you can hold your head high in front of Lord Josef with these mere skills?”WpO39
2FTN9dAlong with the feeling of a heavy wooden sword, there was a voice whispering so that only Vlad could hear it.873
1Fk“…”V6s
aKPKVlad did his best to endure Zayar’s intimidating gaze, as if he were about to be devoured, but he couldn’t do the same with the sword he was swinging.yDWILD
Ng8z9“Ugh!”jfnY
kC6Ul“You really don’t know your place!”ESvS3BW
qmnNo matter how you framed it as a sparring match, the knight named Zayar was considered a formidable figure even within the Bayezid family.PLW
K2Fi12yThe knight’s swing contained a force that would be difficult for a mere brat to accept.UdQ6Te
INEqYClang!T1C14G
VA6The wooden sword flashed continuously without respite. Zayar moved with a constant search for openings.ChQ6
dyqVlad was deeply flustered by Zayar’s movements, which exposed dozens of his vulnerabilities with each step.ui89
4pbBz4Zayar was aiming meticulously for Vlad’s weak points.6JD
1WcTAWCVlad had talent but lacked experience, and those weaknesses were painfully clear from his perspective but perfectly exploited by Zayar from the other side.aPVVm5c
38X2Y‘Darn it!’xLC
eFfCB8When he was in the back alleys, he learned the basics from Jorge, and after escaping from Shoara, he had been instructed in swordsmanship by the Voice.fZB
G5LHe had even defeated Hobgoblin with those skills. However, now he was being pushed around like a training dummy in the training field.1PSDQ7F
k3hHQ‘The difference in skill is… overwhelming.’u3gtwCd
WeDHe felt it to his core.w88
bRMHe was indeed nothing more than an amateur, just as the Voice had said.UhCi8n
2S4pO“If you don’t dodge this one, you might die.”kUJn3w
G973on“······Lord Josef will be sad if I die.”hDM
eKj75nj“Seeing you’re still talking means you’ll probably dodge well enough.”kPIa0xM
j2ZThe gap in skill and status was clear. He was in a completely different league from the beginning.dPtvTZt
bedUzr7‘This is what a knight is like!’lzEo
urXvKIt was beyond comparison to Jorge, and was a different type of sword than Godin’s.nrhgJ
YnU“Ugh!”rKn
mGIJThat sword swung down toward his head, and Vlad had to make a split-second decision. Should he dodge it? But it would follow him. Should he block it? It was too powerful.Qe3
TJjjd‘Then…’k7ly
y4VLvSwish!yIjvnYo
VSO69zThe wooden swords clashed, making a sound that seemed too slippery. Unknowingly, the mercenaries around them held their breath.5b5O
SHSOWVy“Hiya.”SPj
V02du“It’s Riemann, as expected. He had a move.”GddJJg
dNBFDespite the vast difference in their levels, the mercenaries were people who knew how to wield a sword. Thus, they could appreciate how extraordinary the scene in front of them was.95SuTW
qMktsThe positions of the two swords changed in the blink of an eye.ymcZ83
XeluHU“He managed to evade.”2YwG8Z5
WYbAs someone said, Vlad succeeded in deflecting Zayar’s sword.3w5
q3kPT“Yes, that’s good enough.”7jhDY
d5YwhWOr rather, he was granted permission to evade the strikes.Mzv
Z1n4MTQ“Cough, cough…”eKh0yI
I1icBeads of sweat clung to Vlad’s chin, and he looked pitiful.XNuoW
LZz1q“Were you really going to kill me?”4HB8GRD
Y8iye“It’s not like there aren’t squires dying when knights learn swordsmanship.”2IUQ
u4GSYThe one-eyed knight spoke with a smile, but Vlad, who was on the receiving end, was trembling.qKLIT
pF4z‘Will it continue like this in the future?’hoI9Ms
vxsDHN“We’ll keep sparring like this in the future.”eeR
Nqfx“…. Can’t you go a little easier on me?”UNdjf
szWZayar smiled and answered Vlad, who fell down as his legs had given out without him realizing it.ZL4jcM
jT4AJnd“Why? It seems easy enough.”vxfgpe
Xm5axxE“Isn’t there something odd about your eyes? Is this what someone who seems easygoing looks like?”qE41b
o6LbwkZayar responded to Vlad’s small grumbling by fiddling with his eye patch.j2vOK
1qFJWK“You may be missing one eye, but your vision is correct, so don’t worry.”BDnxoFZ
XNl9Vlad closed his eyes as he watched Zayar leaving the training ground, saying that the morning sparring was over.FFRmw
lQJQGMAnd muttered in a low voice.mu640
gXiNi“You don’t even give me a bit of advice…”L17
fXtd[Sometimes, you learn by taking hits.]4HYA
03ZHe grumbled quietly to express his dissatisfaction, but the Voice simply responded as if it were self-evident.aty
7N3YI[It was excellent sparring. He is honing your skills by chipping away at the rough edges in your body.]gybuR
oJ6xkyThe Voice’s assessment was accurate.zKfA9eY
WuoFyqThe voice was building up Vlad’s skills by passing on what he knew, but Zayar was chipping away at the rough stone called Vlad through sparring that felt like a real fight.Szf1l
UFzWTo be a little sharper and a little brighter.eMYzJcx
i5oEVThat was an area of teaching that the Voice couldn’t provide.A0n
htcJtO7“…. Seems like I have no allies anywhere.”T1XbmJl
CdWae0With that remark, Vlad closed his eyes, so he wouldn’t have seen the satisfied smile on Zayar’s face as he left.VQORI2
d3MUN6hZayar, who had beaten Vlad early in the morning, entered the tent where his lord was.zgXP
0Ftdrzz“Lord Josef.”TYHAd
WCwXOLt“Come in.”weeT
vPqVhkdJosef was sitting there, waiting for him, even skipping breakfast.EQmLLc
iCI4ch“What do you think after seeing him yourself?”Q7BQ
cp61y8“He’s quite promising.”gDkuR
aHj3“To what extent?”TB6ak1
xK21“….. If he was a child of a noble family, even the Count would have taken notice.”bTM
SEw3rt“As expected, my eyes didn’t deceive me.”ceKKEt
shi3eJosef smiled deeply as he heard Zayar’s evaluation about Vlad.bEYwb9A
EEFH“However, as I mentioned before, the problem is his lack of manners and his arrogance.”boRi3v
8hp“Etiquette is something that can be taught gradually. I think I have the right person for the job in front of me right now.”3vMG
1e2s5SVlad may have gotten what he wanted from last night’s conversation, but he had also incurred Zayar’s wrath.FHd
NlyEcTh“A sword without loyalty cannot be trusted.”mLcLF
FP5“I wouldn’t have believed him even if he had respectfully bowed to me as soon as he saw me.”wuau2p
K4A8Josef’s eyes sparkled as he thought back to last night’s conversation.rOiGnw
eQn“I’m just glad he showed his true intentions by speaking his mind.”jby3b1E
WS6KqLast night, Vlad dared to speak to him with his head held high.udPD
Cl3uOeHe said he had things he had to do.hIXdj
wUzh“Perhaps it’s for the best. Maybe a relationship where we both get what we want is more suitable.”fnBZZl
GN2uk6f“…..”5azii
yoc4sZayar could only nod in response to Josef’s words.vKU
feW2Although he was not born with a strong body and a talent for the sword, Josef was not talentless.upYmVJG
v7auHe had the talent called the qualities of a monarch.6AU
JEyP0“Isn’t he just like a wolf, arrogant, untrustworthy, and seems to live for his own sake?”IAi
rUT“…..”PPM
p01a9Zayar understood it well.wFNG
CeKEven though Josef was speaking to him at the moment, he was actually looking at someone else.lCF9c
z04h“Even if he’s such a wolf, I will eventually tame him with time, and a little patience.”K7e
nbRWolves are free creatures, which makes them even more desirable.m6tOx7
UPB0Gyg“Isn’t that right, Sir Zayar?”vfqsGBk
is8“It will be as you wish, Lord Josef.”gnD
fGjJosef decided not to rush.U4WZf
fgbUBecause it took time to build a cage large enough to make the wolf feel that it is free.mUQmnsc
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