Chapter 161: You reap what you sow (2)
zO2StIThere was a huge canyon that seemed to rise from the ground.6osaXE
YvengToThe edge of the canyon, as sharp as a needle, seemed to pierce the sky, and its very steep shape made it seem like it was about to sink into the wasteland at any moment.hVqsy
WNp“That’s it.”RM1K
9AJb8WA wasteland full of dry dust.atS
JFbTJaQPeter lowered the cloth covering his mouth and silently looked at the canyon blocking his path.iqqFZF
ChKThrough narrowed eyes, there was a large city gate visible in the distance.Pd4
F1zTr“That’s the Holland Gate I’ve only heard about, father.”S7IdhtR
rAJ“Yes.”iYML34S
7FfPeter silently nodded at his son’s words as he quietly approached him.YGV
Tv9RQ1OAs Rutiger had said, the gate rising as if blocking the way was the imposing Holland Gate, one of the proud thresholds of the west.Uliin
ad4tQsThe natural fortress, so famous that it was known even in the north, where there was little exchange, was located within the canyon and completely blocked the path to the west.Hat
NjLi7Bk“Indeed, it’s the Western Wall, and from what I’ve heard, it doesn’t seem easily passable.”5xf
ZXjYu2MRutiger looked at the Holland Gate in front of him, blocking the sunlight with his palm.RlL
FUcThe narrow and winding canyon resembling a snake that ran through it was once said to be a place where a river flowed.Y7en
LTpPerhaps at that time, the place where they were now standing would not have been a dry wasteland, but one of the great rivers.z9r
c6T“The march… Let’s stop here.”Cr29P
0uy21OWhen Peter gave the order, thousands of soldiers who had reached the canyon entrance stopped in an orderly manner.SnbXSDP
Dl99PIt was exactly the point where soldiers resting atop the gate in the distance could be seen.nAWin
48D2Ir“I think here will be enough.”ecj
KLHdYAfter giving the order, Peter raised his head and looked towards the canyon entrance they had entered.6kugnUh
MxPEaXAlthough it wasn’t as good as the entrance gate in front of them, it was also narrow and rugged.IKw
GRbijDTThe terrain seemed like it could serve its purpose, even if it were a clumsy fortress, if one were to be built.2Z45TgU
5ItF“What about the allied forces?”32yn
nNfN“They say they’ll descend within two days.”RBr6
11Ci“Count.”DZPW
Cjzs8n“Very well.”lFa
GVTAfter hearing the report from advisor Ragmus, Peter looked towards the Holland Gate.f6hzAG
uCaU35oJust as he had heard, it seemed the western gate would allow no intrusion.IrQlq
wGmFk4“…Once we seal it shut, this war will end.”dbI
zxCutVHowever, the narrow and deep path might not apply only to those who wanted to enter.XOT7uhy
eQGz6pThose who wanted to leave also had to traverse the breach, so the disadvantages created by nature were equal for all.vTedoN
6acXjb“We’ll wait here until the allied forces arrive.”1ETdwKI
OBYHM“Understood.”fHmef
xvrtBy Peter’s order, thousands of Bayezid troops began to camp at the mouth of the canyon.Jbl7ox
bblVuHowever, the western forces in front of them could only watch the scene and had no intention of advancing.e7pV0HK
VEiYl“Let’s end this war here.”SYMsUt
wnlsThe executives surrounding him nodded at Peter’s calm words.C1VPQ
u0WVTYIt started with Gaidar, but it ends with Bayezid.UXm
6UdU8Blocking the Holland Gate gorge, the gateway to the West.dK6T5
r1uThe Northern Allied Forces, still coming from behind, were coming to establish a stronghold at the canyon entrance under the instructions of the Steel Lord.LMjHpS
X2cFrom now on, the newly constructed fortress was scheduled to become the southernmost outpost of the Northern Allied Forces, which would block the west and aim at the center at the same time.RPiP
bZ2ho***RfB
pypdSoara on a sunny afternoon.XAFh
ZS566The sunlight streaming through the window was warm, but Goethe, who stood before him, began to break out in a cold sweat.ejt
g7E6ON“Yes. Goethe. Welcome back to Soara.”DoWO6
odaHpIs it because I turned my back to the sunlight or because the shadows under my eyes have become darker since I couldn’t see them?L2oqJ1
TXtq33oJoseph’s face darkened as he looked at Goethe.YJkG
5eICCL“Thank you, thank you.”jpK
zBPrRQyPang- Pang-r2ZavH
KPyAEgyHowever, there was something harder for Goethe to handle than Joseph’s dark face or Jager’s murderous gaze.YiK
zwYT“Isn’t this a knot?”QpOK2W
nzuHn“…”zc9
bHegYThe sound of Vlad’s voice came from the side.sKLmGjS
C57The blame of the squire was the blame of the knight, and as a result, Vlad, who had been dragged along unknowingly, was silently tying the knot next to him.GOotoGc
romThe rope, thick enough to hold an adult man, was gradually becoming a sinister knot at Vlad’s fingertips.Wo3ZxR
EaY7It’s like something you’d use in a hanging…lzp3h
ETI9W“Well. We’ll decide if we’re right or not later.”9EpX6
Kw9bu7Goethe, who had been distracted by the rope for a moment, tried to clear his mind and decided to focus on Joseph’s words.UgtH
dAG8CThough he was famous and insignificant, it was he who insulted the daughter of the count, and the punishment for him would be given by Joseph in front of him.volRFE
muHp“I heard you came from the central region. I’d like to hear stories about that place.”0Qu0fF
LIeGhK7“Yes! Of course!”EzpyM2o
fmMJoseph’s eyes began to scan Goethe’s movements.OAOl8X
BrlRfaHe had sunken cheeks and torn, dirty clothing here and there.vLJpP
o1E4kixJust a quick glance showed that the journey up to now had not been an easy one.z1wXEd
Mp1u“I parted ways with Lord Vlad a few months ago in the city of Marsina…”qYmrwR
h4Hp9The memories begin in Goethe’s hometown.mqe1F5
oMOaPbGoethe, who urgently took refuge after the battle with Collin the Boar, finally parted ways with Vlad because he couldn’t ignore his family.LHd
r8PyIU“Marsina would be a city with its own foundation.”sg11w
J8b“That’s right. It definitely was.”Rmqay0
nMwSAs Joseph said, the city of Marsina was a pleasant place.uguPs
3ZwXQ7Although it was on the verge of going to war, it was a city that couldn’t be expected to be easily taken, so Goethe planned to depart for Soara again as soon as he could ensure his family’s safety with the money he received from Vlad.mU6xWW
GVP“The central region isn’t engulfed in chaos at the moment. It’s as if they’ve been waiting for the present, there’s war everywhere and looting by bands of thieves…”3TcPBE
zXAfBut in the end, Goethe couldn’t find a safe land to shelter his family.LAMfHDi
MwHkHJust before Marsina fell, Goethe and his family, who managed to escape from the city, wandered through several nearby cities, but all they faced was the fire of war that had begun to spread everywhere.miFY
EtEXGb“Is it that serious?”wyU8m
hGrjOB“Don’t even mention it. Territorial wars are happening everywhere in the central region, to the point that cities not on fire are rare.”LFR
28Zd8Thinking of that time, Goethe’s expression began to pale, as if he were sick of it.EVFF8
qttavHow dare he bring his elderly mother to the northern city of Soara?jafx
LiQMJoseph couldn’t deeply believe it, but he knew Goethe was a person who wouldn’t do any foolishness, so he simply nodded silently.G7ze
onq“Very well.”hWOXy6
m1ksVbAlthough there had been letters sent by ravens, they belonged to Bayezid’s father, Bayezid’s owner, and Joseph could only obtain fragmentary information.VrO2F
BGSMeanwhile, after hearing the vivid testimony of an experienced person, Joseph was able to recognize that the situation in the central region was much graver than he expected.r7C8
vqjs“Take a rest and come back here later in the night. I need to mark in detail the path you took on the map.”giCTVC
lrnFew“Alright. Lord Joseph!”sWGwf
prdU4According to Goethe’s words, the central control that had been creaking even before the emperor’s death seemed to have finally collapsed.jC2LF5j
AeHrSo now that the emperor is dead, things will start shaking even more.QR8b2I
HWhyAs they proposed an emperor with very weak legitimacy, there would be no good news for the nobles who had been holding their breath.NFEYa
iEyu“Of course, you’ll first have to apologize to Miss Charlotte before coming to see me. Isn’t that right, Vlad?”uJn
vFYh“…Yes.”Oo5jF
Y7zHYpZVlad stood up at Joseph’s order, clicked his tongue, and began to untie the knot.WU3kS3S
mTKAXGoethe, who saw that, felt relieved to have survived, but he didn’t see Vlad tying a knot in a different manner.Fz93m4
aOQ2osAt first glance, the knot with the blunt end looked like a whip.HAWBH8
Pidb***PV11GvB
hmkrfKZ“Ugh…”qVUtyy
mLmmy“Stop being so harsh.”TA92
b2vvVVlad frowned as he watched Goethe struggling towards his unreachable back.1W6FS8
aznX“Don’t you think it’s necessary to have marks like that to remind you?”ou3S8M
35XYVD“Yes, but…”1Cjo
azIThere were several sharp scratches engraved on Goethe’s clothing.bnd
doFgrGJoseph had lightly instructed Charlotte to apologize, but it was only natural that the process wasn’t straightforward.xbuWey
7wyVF“No, just by looking at him, he was an excellent stablehand.”0XD1JUr
QwSQ“Should we change the knot?”Els0
rvTL“…Why were you doing that?”Lwsl5Hl
jyL“Why on earth?”PTABe
OQd4Even the clever Goethe couldn’t tell from Charlotte’s appearance that she was a girl, let alone a noble.oH7
UCtw8This might be because the girl’s eyes were filled with venom.4Bj
tBNlL“They said the nanny was crying and making a scene. So, when you go there, lie down as if you’re dead.”AkhgB
9qDy“…Understood. Captain.”RJD4f
hFKat4UAfter hearing Goethe’s dejected response, Vlad scratched his head and thought about Charlotte’s nanny, Martha.ybMk4E
ATF3er8Even when pierced by an arrow, she was a woman who protected Charlotte instead of herself.kskRnG
YSCZ4Although he did it out of ignorance, what Goethe did was clearly an act of insult to nobility, so his anger probably won’t be easily relieved.Vrv
LXEc“How many more strokes do I need to give?”GZQ
rd5pHV6“…Is that so?”RZV5V
26JElbnAs Vlad looked at Goethe’s back and wondered if a wound of this magnitude would be enough to calm his anger, he began to hear the sounds of soldiers murmuring outside.W9XosP
p7l“What? What’s happening?”FEiVuN
t6LkKS“Focus on your affairs.”9On9
zEJvX4“No, it seems like everyone is rushing in.”hZb3FU
vnLlmKmWhen Goethe shrugged and nodded to look over there, Vlad peeked out the window.fRP
e8JHAs expected, as Goethe had said, the guards were rushing towards the town hall.3Bfn
KAsWJeCOne person riding a horse in a hurry, and another person running hastily.2EXm5t
va7bN2However, one thing they all had in common was that they seemed very surprised.eNoy
sv54l“What?”5qO
ecW4zAt this point, all the guards would be patrolling the city.ho1tQrS
znU68The fact that they are flocking to the Town Hall means there’s an incident that needs to be urgently reported.vUk3c8
3BuOyt“Hey.”ld6M
qHM“Yes? Yes, Sir Vlad!”jwl7p
pU3kThe guard who had been running down the hallway recognized Vlad and quickly saluted him.G8z25
eD7“What’s happening?”9EpV
cgNr7“That’s it!”apmMXy
0stoAlthough he was out of breath, he seemed relieved.Meo
MfBBecause the only knight who could move around in this city at this moment was Vlad.VHN
goW2SP“At this moment, a suspicious ship is approaching the river, upstream!”422dBEw
4XmUJg“Suspicious ship?”uitZwM
tYTlAlthough it was said to be a suspicious ship, it was a guard with wide arms.omr
Hir88D“Is it really big?”2RrjGa
DAbb“Yes!”WuHrK
eZKkA very large suspicious ship sailing upstream.jSq
fA8Facing the panting guard, the knight and the squire began to brace themselves.vb0r
Xnsc***3b2
OBp2fdO“What is that!”vJj
TZNA“Never in my life have I seen a ship like that!”J5Pv
vJNZThe guards of Soara were pushing back the people who were beginning to flock to the dock.9GCg
Bqhi9However, there was nothing to be done about the crowd already there.xvJkS3h
00Nqfz“Boss!”uE3loTM
vgkQl“…What is that?”aA2U
8IrK1Captain Hoover, the head of the Dark Alley, was watching a ship making its way up the river from the highest point of his building.SDPO
saqREIt was a sight that even he, who had been wandering the seas for decades, couldn’t help but gape at.HyAq
5i3“How did it get here?”Lwy
6mLHacDExperienced Hoover knew.7GQ
L1ReZHgA ship of that size could never sail upstream.UcLCSJ
48EKCThe Soara River was wide, but the water was shallow, so if the ship were that large, the bottom of the ship would have touched the riverbed.eiFh
GIByConsidering that the two ships captured during the Nassau expedition were still anchored at sea, the sight now was absolutely impossible.98InDJW
7MAXhj“Water mill?”GzmAQ
2dqfXeHowever, Hoover couldn’t help but gape as he watched the ship gradually reveal its majesty.UFh
kqzThere was a ship that not even the old captain, who had been sailing the seas for a long time, had ever seen before.k3yAuj
XIV“We are not suspicious people! Lower your spear!”iMITqCf
3nbkFNPContrary to the man shouting on deck, the ship that appeared before the people was clearly suspicious.pEMSg
vQGHlPpAn unidentified ship with furled sails but still moving.LLavxhP
7ZnOn both sides of that strange ship, water mills were constantly pushing the current.imyzi
TYub“Human Lord. Call Joseph Bayezid! We’ve come to Soara to respond to his letter!”nLmFI
cxJFLEThe voice of a small but stout man resounded through the docks of Soara.et6zFoH
Y95lA shrill voice, as if someone had tied a horn to their throat, began to echo through the docks of Soara.vgRi
XhU8z“To Joseph Bayezid! Please also summon the human knight Vlad!”sPsyi8
crgyVlad, who had just arrived at the dock, widened his eyes as a man he had never seen before sought him out.suWW5v
d6TU“What. Does the captain know someone?”hdAG0G
bJStn30“That… I don’t think he’s human?”aaAK0XC
sXmyIn response to Goethe’s question, Vlad narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance, and soon he began to see a flag fluttering on a ship.Mv68b
rsLEThe flag bore an emblem completely different from any crest he had ever seen.6Vq
iA2od“We are from the Dwarven Liberation Front!”yLR
qlw4s5A pattern resembling a hammer striking an anvil.6DN
oXwnWoDIt was the flag of the Dwarven Liberation Front, Nidavellir.ZBUL0NQ
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