Chapter 159: End and beginning (3)
JlHU3KvThere were two men facing each other as the sunset poured in through the window.ZTa
OYjSSEJIt was a spacious and luxurious room, but there was only silence between them, and the only sound that could be heard was the metallic clinking of tea cups.Lmc1
5CWtoJThe first to break the heavy silence was an old man who seemed older than the sunset.9bahIb
AfLzlry“…An emperor of 5 years and a collateral child whose whereabouts I didn’t even know.”Bi53
gK6His old fingers holding the tea cup trembled, unable to bear the weight of time.qqkk
Cwp75However, the look in his eyes remained sharp and harsh.xJdw
Lnklu“This succession can never be recognized. Duke Sarnus.”cG0QKpl
SYDmR6uThe old man’s face was wrinkled and horribly distorted with deep wrinkles.T6mmgo1
nIgUQ0There was a contained anger in him that could not be erased simply by the traces of time.Nku1o
3Xdf“What can we do when that child is the closest to Frausen among the remaining blood relatives?”5iV
PWFzu“It must have been done so that the child could be closer to him.”tcEvW
EdunTime had taken away many things from the old man, but it had also left him with sharp insight.bTY
OuGmLkUPrince Armand.1B0cLWJ
asv2HTHe gave up his great surname in exchange for the title of duke, and he realized that the old dragon before him was the starting point of all this tragedy.0W8
WahZiI“Well, it must have been very frustrating to endure this for 400 years. Duke Sarnus.”g4LqOC
12eXt0D“…”Jl9cD
dWAMThe owner of the Dragon Slayer Knights who have protected the empire from the remaining dragons for 400 years.I4GXCU
i8O6RThe blue eyes, which finally revealed their true feelings after so long, widened.Q17e7D
gdmSThe setting sun was gradually setting, casting dark shadows on Sarnus’s face.Yp9WX
JhwBeYK“I am still busy protecting the empire according to the oath I made with the founding king, Frausen. The reason we support this child is to maintain the empire.”yEjZ
WLJ7iJ“That child is not worthy of becoming emperor.”oVvuP
79o“What can I do even if he is not qualified? Are you at least going to sever the line of Frausen?”lPdsRa
vbuyPh“…”3lZbSf
FesCKArmand dared not respond to Sarnus’s words.xNQR
rSVL7TGIf they were to break with the line of Frausen, it would be Sarnus whom they would prefer.Mvy5c
DFalRU1His loyalty, which lasted 400 years, was maintained through an oath to the founding king, Frausen.x0w
QszIn addition to the oath with the old dragon, the only person who could support all his wishes was the successor to the emperor’s position.jov
2e7“You cannot do that.”F6ws3dI
4xL5The old duke’s eyebrows arched at the finality.fKFT
RGUOeIndeed, the bloodline had been severed.hR5g
BoTXThen only the will remains.W7wpeag
R9g7U“…The empire began with the tip of a single sword.”nWvshQ
uQtdAgThere was a man who shone brightly like a star even under the claws of the giant dragon.pe2J
UPYHUHgQuijano Frausen.gOb
sVqPeople called him the sword owner, the sword master, as he wielded the fate of all races.5mlAZC
YZFRZWS“If it is the will of the Sword Master. And as for the choice of the sword he wielded.”mK259l
WfUAYThe Frausen surname he inherited from the imperial family, but the name Quijano would be linked to a particular sword.DXpR6
B2NBecause the sword that man held pierced the most perfect dragon and marked the end of an era.9y2s
9PFLyQl“If that’s the case, it would be better than the poor blood you presume.”IrUEg4B
IGmLw“…Armand. Do not do this.”jmQV6hk
RhMSarnus looked pitiful as he watched the elder chasing the faded legend.P5KNH
kVdThe story of the founding king, which became legend because the end was not announced, has now become a fairy tale believed only by children.lgN
kvB“It is a sword I could not find even though I searched for it for hundreds of years…”4av8CK0
SuGlI“No matter how ancient it is, it definitely exists somewhere.”ikaD
kAF2KArmand’s voice as he spoke of the Sword Master’s sword was clearly filled with a strange confidence.f7l
VFn9V“It’s as if there is a dragon sitting in front of me right now.”nr6Ie
rJTuOaT“…”6d1GSZ
1ebA6hHThere was a letter sent by a knight whose news had been severed.RXMDnm
ouoKIIt was clearly written in that brief letter written in secret codes.jnP
GqopNAusurin. The Sword of the Sword Master.4ySF
00YIt has been drawn.nxOs
2y2fThat was the last communication that the former commander of the imperial guard, August, sent.1pGAN
kYfld***OP0
95aEVThe child born at the end of the dark alley loved the setting sun.3wf
MHjJMOmFor those living on the main road beyond the alley, it was the end of the day, but for people like them, it marked the beginning of the year.4TeC03L
6GlVlad’s longing for the stars in the night sky may have been since the moment he was born.nNEK
Okoz1f“Do you like the sound of the song?”2bPTl8
UD4dnB“…Yes, he does.”s3h
ozRaVlad, who was looking out the window, closed his eyes in silence as Andreas spoke.8stNW3H
vVgACKoThe sound of Cade’s breathing as he lay on the bed.1Sd
yN9sBAnd the sound of water splashing as he cleaned the blood and pus.3oi
NiCjswAmong those sounds, the voice of the young deacon filtered into Vlad’s ears, accompanying the fading twilight.Esbusj
9deJ0“In fact, as predicted by Mr. Joseph, if we had arrived even a little later, there would have been repercussions. You said this guy handles a bow?”jTn9R
djFCXeK“Yes.”n8Z
9VXAndreas said that if they had arrived a little later, Cade might not have been able to function as a knight.pldm
e8oP7PJThe war with Gaidar left many scars not only in Deirmar but also in Joseph’s knights, and seeing Cade lying now was proof of that.2U0
Ab53y“Thank you. Bishop.”mUmoS
EDm4zj0“There is nothing to thank as this is what I have been doing from the beginning. Originally, it was customary not to get involved in worldly affairs…”m8a5xb
w6xAndreas’s confused eyes watched the black flags hanging outside the window.q5h
EUkxhfFlags announcing the emperor’s death.FMemRk
89VzBThe faithful priest could no longer turn his back because he sensed the countless deaths those flags would bring.zTOIxD
YWtgMw“That’s why I didn’t want to take on something like a bishop.”J0v1QCx
S1SoGm6Andreas, who now had to worry about the realm of politics, let out a small sigh and sank into the chair next to the bed.8CGe
sWTCntOWhen the two stopped talking, a faint singing was heard.5wGcBlV
YblRtA sound that calmed a woman shedding black tears. It was a hymn.7jF
2wX“…Originally, even if there was no conflict with the Vatican, I was planning to send that guy to the Tramash Choir. I wanted to make you feel the footprints of the woman who claimed to be the voice of God, but it ended up being very unfortunate.”rYQswI
0BYPM“Is that so.”ZYd
58zMcAThough he did not say it aloud, Vlad truly sympathized with Andreas’s pain.Wy5Ad
bVnuLYoung beings who could expand their world in any field were precious.ZMrk
KvzHowever, the current young deacon did not have a proper mentor to help him expand his world.kmVm3f7
crcAndreas was certainly a good priest, but he did not have the personality of the young deacon.UBZ
WFbzpM“Even so, it’s great. I have never heard of people being healed through songs.”RPjW
rvtmz“Haha. Now my only solace is you and that boy singing right now.”LbEmbR
BMXbdYThe manifestation of ability may depend on each individual’s personality, but the healing properties contained in the song must be thanks to Andreas’s guidance.zJnm5
FzcThe song may resonate today because there was someone who guided the child.hpgiWPa
KQi2jaP“Does my existence also bring solace to the bishop?”fSbeaj6
bwWa9q“…Of course.”2buFJ
B8NnBlAndreas turned his head as he heard Vlad’s voice, which seemed depressed without knowing why.g6nx
A5ANBefore he realized it, the twilight deeply covered Vlad’s face.NfDl
lmWnfk“Vlad of Soara, you are definitely my solace and pride. I’m sure all the knights who taught you think that way.”t7Z
0peP“Is that so?”fJhrCE
lI5FjprVlad’s face, which remained in the shadow of dusk, was smiling.yrF5
kjmEven if you stop for a moment and look back, you may not be sure of the path you took, but if those ahead of you nod, you will not be afraid to walk in the darkness of the night.Efm
0ctCUn“If so.”vcTklq
TRolWFThe night sky filled with darkness as the young deacon sang a hymn. Vlad’s smile, colored in the night sky, shone brightly when he heard that his name had now become someone’s pride.82z
NpLI thought it would be good if people thought of the voice in the same way.xEh84I
4in***XW4Rh89
44MxBSomewhere under a dark night where not a single light shines.BoACrvj
ovxAg06On a night when not even the light of the stars in the sky could penetrate the clouds, there was a group of people running along a forest path that no one knew.Vwa
f64DlIt was clearly a procession of horses and carriages, but strangely, no sound was heard around them.btnR
XSlLWwO“Here it is.”Q5PNL
ujVN31l“…”Gj7af2M
H478X7USince there was no light, all that could be seen was total darkness, but the woman who stepped down from the carriage wore an even darker veil.zg9g
YDZwbAs if she wanted to hide her face from everyone.1NhCT
boVD“As you ordered, I found it while searching for the core of the spirits.”D1zw
HFZThe knight in armor placed a shining orb in her hand and pointed with his finger at the tree in front of him.jfP
Mf0846WAs the clouds passed for a moment, the moonlight shining through illuminated the knight.l0h
MgRDlHe was speaking clearly, but there was nothing hanging from his neck that should have been there.f1V
GB0n0l“Please guide me.”rUN
sdA“Yes.”CvUTrwx
eu0qg2Unlike the strange appearance of the flock, the woman’s voice was like that of a single bird.PH6Uu
cRTA voice so bright that it made you want to immediately remove the veil and check her face.ozL
2OYcThe knights who followed the order given by that voice and entered the forest soon discovered an extensive grassy forest, unlike the dense forest of trees that had been there until now.2iucRB
L4D“…”ko94Ds
R8QWAnd what awaited them there was a rotten tree.yLSFw
KvYXlHLThe sight of the great trunk lying there looked like a corpse abandoned by something huge.GWIpw
K3n0LMs“It’s inside.”sKR
VitzxdFollowing the lead of the headless knight to the base of the tree, what they saw was the hollow interior of the tree.tUOWUr2
1rtAIt was so large it seemed like a vast empty space. Inside, there was a beam of starlight shining through the thick clouds.ufQCn
IhB“He’s dead.”LHBckHr
hMdAlthough the clouds were dark, the body of an unknown man lay there under the starlight as if pierced by a needle.cqzC3
86DKqfRThe body of a man propped against a small rock as if exhausted.bNVyFf0
OSSKSFThe woman who identified the corpse removed the black veil she wore out of intrigue and approached slowly.pAj
FR8Slowly. Immensely.Db6O
uikdvsWithout even putting a foot on the ground.jdNDiQL
S0sG6“He’s been dead for a long time…”8a1
QKPhUpon closer inspection, it could be seen that the roots of the already dead tree were supporting the man’s body.xZT
JrvwBMThe woman could tell that the corpse lying there had an unusual history, as it seemed as if it had been turned into a coffin.ghy
mEvu7r“The body hasn’t rotted.”Wh2
GLxvuFFThe body was not rotten, but the accumulated dust was thick, showing that a long time had passed, and the clothes it wore were turning to dust and blowing away at a touch.rfRSYyS
GxdsWhat could be seen on the clothing gradually disintegrating from the cold fingertips of the woman was a very old imperial emblem no longer in use.MjYke
pTi4aL“And the sword he’s holding…”FNtr
BFTGm3Although it was a corpse with a mysterious appearance, the sword it held was anything but ordinary.gcsksG0
uVVsXHowever, the woman pursed her lips when she saw the more intense traces of her fingertips than the sword held by the corpse.f1U0b
Sn1“Dragon’s blood…?”AdXc
A6oThe woman, who checked the man’s story through the fingertips of the corpse, seemed very surprised, even though her heart was not beating.fqs
wPy6It was as if she had grabbed the heart of a dragon and burst it open. On her fingertips, there were strong traces of a dragon that could not be ignored.eO2k1b
96K“Who is this person… No, who the hell are you…?”0fhP
9mzAt the end of the empire, where no one looks, in a dense forest.mhys1
0OH3There was a corpse that was carefully preserved by the giant tree where the spirit resided.BRWGor
jbfThe corpse, which collapsed as if exhausted, clearly had traces of a strong dragon that she had never felt before on the tips of her fingers.cNd
eS5sDIt was a dark trace that you wouldn’t have even if you killed all the dragons in the world.hDl
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