Chapter 163: You reap what you sow (4)
c5cp5The crimson color worn by the man was intense.XJoI
DSWgIt’s sticky and doesn’t move easily even in a stirred wine glass.pHDiPXH
KpmHowever, Sarnus smiled as if he liked the thick and heavy sensation.yTA5R08
M55Qa“In the end, Duke Armand did as he pleased.”pIFtKk8
RQrRSarnus calmly drinks a glass in front of the morning sunrise.M0fa
WcOEWith his carefully slicked-back blond hair and his antiquated and timeless attire, he clearly had the typical look of an aristocrat.BgxSy
DVfb“There are sporadic territorial wars breaking out across the central region. It seems everyone has been building up, not just Duke Armand.”pSn72xB
LsjTE“I kept him around for too long. Humans are inherently beings who follow their desires.”zw8Zuta
Jb1LAvSarnus simply nodded at Mirshea’s report as if he had expected it to happen.1hC0pjs
GVRPerhaps you thought that the knight who founded the great world of the empire would always be one, but the existence of the dragon actually slept in the soul of everyone.BiC7Ym
zat7sNm“The more you trample it, the higher it rises, and the more you eat it, the bigger it gets, so who can resist it?”Wbe
hCgSNo matter how peaceful it was, they must have been cowering and accumulating strength and justification.oKviQ
Bha1If you pour water into a small glass, eventually it will overflow.jcuoNQ3
m2H1Expansion to the rest of the world was not just the goal that West aspired to.VS7
glGV“Anyone would do as I did.”H1lI
utGkO4mSarnus poured the last remaining wine and quietly left it on the desk.9lEpC
68JWhen I turned to look at myself in the mirror, I only saw the image of the noble Sarnus Dragulia.rXatNts
ND7aIt seemed as if his old self, withered in the darkness, could no longer be found in him now.bkt1A
GRj4Aa“This guy isn’t pure.”DIC71
DOij5hTA reddish-gray hair was visible among the brightly shining blond hair.vwX1Ken
gjoagbzSarnus, who noticed it, smiled with a furrowed brow and began to comb it.eHEFSI
kEjAs unpleasant as it was, it was a problem to the end.KU4l0K
4KS“He returned in a funny way, but still performed Baron Utman’s job well, so it was worth praising him.”XI3vw
aPc“…Is that so.”AzE75K
Tz30zEA haphazardly plucked hair strand.HKCGDu
P6FcFL8This strand of hair, nestled among the blond locks, was of a red that evoked someone.fXZF
XmrKa“It would be good if the northern boy were a little darker. Now is the time to pick him up too.”lsD47
zRwWhat has been sown must now be harvested.ClAY
4d8fYou have sown, now is the time to reap.KQgtC
qSJJFTo what extent will my seed sown in the deepest north go, what possibilities will it show?bbEv
JC6bEmpty wine glasses and plucked red feathers.Iow
zSs6As they waited to be refilled, the old dragon smiled.dkZ3yK
Q0J7***Lmlush
w2n“Mmm, mmm,”UvL7s
B0oJRSigurd was focused, but Vlad, who was beside him, seemed restless somehow.UXN
EE60ohqThis was because Sigurd, with some strange sunglasses he had never seen before, was examining his sword as if he were licking it.SnqV
4i5Seeing the blue sword being scrutinized one by one by someone else’s hands, Vlad felt like he wanted to retrieve it right away.OVTMu
hDeEHfR“…I think it’s correct.”E8MX
OqJaYrThe morning after the wild night, the dwarves had ditched their favorite drinks and were all gathered around Sigurd.9BSkN
XeVIt was quite amusing to see the men with long beards so close to each other, but the looks they gave were serious and cautious.vCQP
nHFVL“…It’s a spark of truth.”lt4
igqQWith Sigurd’s quietly spoken declaration, the dwarves clenched their fists with determination.ZXI5Mz
a1jj4TAmong them, various voices could be heard, but the only thing that made no sound was probably the young lizard softly wagging its tail over the sword.e47
A2BQNo one should startle this young spirit.zEMImaZ
WlY“Where did you say you got this guy from?”ZtJg4d
WKD3“Didn’t I say before? It was from Ausurin.”mLkhN
7IeaQIn response to Sigurd’s question, Vlad took his sword and tossed it.0wq
oi0NqbSigurd’s oddly enlarged eyes within the monocle watched the young lizard pass through the sword as if it were pitiful.sa1f9
ljS6ac“But how can such a young spirit exist? From the beginning, the most powerful dragons should have eaten all the spirits…”X4RgU6
zHdmSa“I’m not sure what you mean, but why don’t you ask the elves for more details?”omLK
gLv91eVlad growled, pushing away the men who were getting closer as if they were possessed by something.4J4GNU
MOfThe prickling sensation of the men’s beards was driving Vlad’s spirit mad.nOre6di
xZh963Z“Those who did this are elves. So, please, try to be more respectful.”cnl
ejgWhen Vlad scolded that there was a space knights should maintain, the dwarves clicked their tongues and began to withdraw.y8bj
hrzHowever, even though they had returned to their original positions, the two letters of regret fell from their gazes.8Hy
7mVtFW‘Is this the first time you’ve seen the dwarves here as spirits?’SOP7Lg
lx9jGeronimo, the elder of the elves, told me that the sword master had left with the dwarves.0eB
OIyDbikHowever, the dwarves were now very pleased with the sight of the young spirit, so it seemed that no trace of the sword master had reached them.AH6m
Aaf3Their way of checking the spirits through scroll records was clearly quite different from that of the elves.Robj
38I“…Like I said yesterday, I’d like to take a look at your armor.”PzSbX
bl1LYsZIt was a sudden request to ask for the armor, but anyone here could guess Sigurd’s intentions.vhWp
FX3WVSigurd’s eyes, which had been widened by the monocle, still looked nostalgically at Vlad’s sword.ksI
YcYtNSw“Anyway, I’d like to take this opportunity to modify some of our ship’s equipment.”vs5
rbA“…Are you serious about that?”NSOCB
ll8Vlad smiled to himself as he looked at Sigurd, who nodded quickly.zYjcB7
q1n0Giving up the sword was an unpleasant experience, but the opportunity for the dwarves to inspect the equipment was certainly rare.sSJ1sK
AaFQThis time, Vlad felt like he could see why the West made such efforts to keep the dwarves away.jDeodQh
X1TEJjj“There’s an empty smithy nearby…”PoR
ftW1Although small and modest, there was a smithy clinging to Vlad’s memory.TN6e
URUiDb6Now no one uses it, it’s cooling down coldly, but I think it can work if it does a simple task.xzjR
Fp0Sl“…?”Z6tVsn
7BC3oH6However, Vlad turned his head when a hand urgently grabbed him by the collar.md4lJ7C
O7x01There was Zemina, with her eyes wide open as if she were surprised.WHY5j6x
kQN‘No. There!’3do
Ixj6fkEven though she only looked at him calmly, Zemina’s eyes constantly spoke to Vlad.wEmQWZT
YhA6Qj5It seemed that the redhead did not want to yield her precious smithy, which held her memories, to those drunkards.2yl
OTcI***GTkqU
e1w“…That will last for a long time.”HNPnJ
a8K“It can’t be helped. It’s the only vacant forge around.”8RdU1
itd1Harven whispered to Vlad as he glanced at Zemina, who was still tidying up the table with a clenched mouth.nyR
JL5OKSIt had been like this since the dwarves went upstairs to nap.hGOoP0
phI5kuM“Even if you say that, please don’t say it in front of me.”Bfz
OytIt probably wasn’t just about the forge.jViJd
H1uShe must have been upset about Vlad’s indifferent response, sharing the same memories.Eiw
tOmMSThough she had endured it for a long time, memories related to the ancient sword were something even Zemina couldn’t compromise on.zjdn
ubN“Anyway, how long have you been here? Don’t you know this has been a restricted area since yesterday?”Cmd73d
8Mww“You shouldn’t take out your anger on me. You two should resolve your quarrel on your own.”uZEm
9Vmhx8wHarven smirked mischievously, trying to sidestep Vlad’s question.bjpwAXP
So8VAs he just mentioned, Rose Smile had been off-limits since yesterday, but Harven still wanted to sit with them.VGwV0
Zpsj1Because he wanted to ride on their ship, which still gleamed before his eyes, just once.XWmBA
QnyuU1“…So. Did you receive something?”F1GsRP8
zHS1lZS“I didn’t understand a thing, but I heard something.”vWlvkpn
x8JUu2SAlthough he knew it, he entered anyway, and although he realized, he wasn’t actually thrown out.CZwuf
V0sRZThe two had been on the same ship for a long time and shared the common interest of being able to communicate without even saying anything.RqrkWK
zWL“The ship the dwarves arrived on.”eY90u
qZKbB4“Eh.”WW35q
iFHHarven lowered his voice as if he had heard a great secret.5t9Xt
qmiMIx3Vlad, following Harven’s lead, also started listening intently.uf2
x4Cx2As much as the existence of the dwarves, the ship they came on was one of the topics shaking Soara, and it was something even Vlad, who didn’t know much about ships, wouldn’t lose his attention over.tWlwh
RIFh“They say it heats up the water there.”Rcp250
z4lM1“What?”SJDp
NjSHLHowever, as much as he had high expectations, the response he received was completely absurd.rF38
dhTnHeats up the water.wphmj
gk3LjThey say then the water mill will start turning.jNub
MowJuG“What kind of nonsense is that?”ncqoy7X
oyD“…I know. Now that I say it, it’s ridiculous.”gjvccA
966jUgXThere are times when something seems plausible when you have it in your head, but when you say it out loud, it sounds quite bizarre.byc2pwM
S3W3kUHarven suddenly made an expression that said this wasn’t true, but many steps were skipped between heating up the water and making the water mill work.0YBj
NJBV“What do you mean by they built a bathhouse on board the ship?”cXh4DeR
SkzgfEx“No, that’s water vapor… What did they say after that?”QWnJz
ZGKXIoLHe gave him a chance, but in the end, Vlad clicked his tongue while looking at Harven, who ended up drinking in vain.fqp6FSS
tGVIf he had unearthed some secret about the ship, it would have greatly benefited him.odvFNC
NdAh“I’m leaving. I have to go to the town hall to report.”CV8q
wBPXU“I’ll organize my thoughts today. You can do it.”2IqAre
CBWKO“You even drank the alcohol that Hoover prepared with the dwarves yesterday. You’ll never remember.”wkj
OM85hD“…Ah.”pnbX55X
zL4o2pFWhen Vlad mentioned that he had been drinking alcohol and shouldn’t touch it, Harven silently held his head.5jU
8QiFrom my experience of drinking it a few times, as Vlad said, you won’t remember what happened yesterday.bcw31
8xPQdrr“I’m leaving.”aP4oh
JttS“Ugh.”fG4
DXOk8yLeaving behind Harven’s complaint-like words, Vlad left Rose Smile and headed towards the town hall.f2B
rijThe hospitality he ordered yesterday had been successfully completed, and satisfactory accommodation had been prepared for them. Now, all that remained was to report to Joseph.zRI3U
RnAVQd“…I guess I’ll have to take a look.”KJIycOB
yqMLJust turn around a little.SzQk
rbBzzAs he spoke, Vlad decided to stop by the old forge for the first time in a long time.ptAot
UeDIt was a path he had walked almost his entire life, but walking through an alley in broad daylight was just uncomfortable.6alaOQO
Ae22JYFThe appearance of day and night was clearly different, and the same was true for the ancient closed forge.Uk55i5h
jlUYyemSeeing his hometown after so long felt as uncomfortable as it felt welcoming.q5Gx4u
jdF“There are no signs of anyone entering.”q5Wj
N5RRIt was an empty house, but it was also a house where no vagrant would come.FO7CL
8ZGJ7It wasn’t really maintained, but anyone who had been wandering the alleys wouldn’t dare to invade this place related to Vlad.zPx6tCn
meEfClick-V44
QvULike a cold winter day, the forge’s door, which had opened, was covered in accumulated dust.POa3Fkt
IroGQqrThe chair the old man sat in and the old anvil covered in dust.2OamoSz
ACxKPTzAnd even the small anvil that was always lit.roYcFDQ
RP5x17G“Is this enough to serve?”SbhTM
N03Vlad looked around with eyes as complex as the accumulated dust, unable to decide whether it would be good to hand over that place to the dwarves.U2nfWw
RdMHe truly felt that it would be better left as a place of memories, as Zemina had said.hszG
8kepszI—-!3jXyzfE
kToGPHowever, unlike Vlad, who was sighing, the young lizard peeked its head out from the sword, its eyes shining.5dywkW
9UKB7Though it was chilly, it found it familiar.atvhp5M
OW2L7yThe young lizard, who hesitated over the Flower of the World Tree, clearly remembered the old blast furnace that had burned with the old man.vhz
ILlUrk“Well, if you don’t like it, I would have asked you to find another blacksmith.”LBnLAc
rQBCThe friends who had been forging the sword together had all gone one by one to find a place that suited them, but the young lizard couldn’t find a place that fit its heart.0Eabs8
cVu3xhBut that small, awkward blast furnace was more to its liking than any other place it had ever seen.xg9bg
rDlDRToClink-SUCcC9
r5cA young seed fell silently from the sword through the gap in the silently closing door.AlYhk
D5ZRAs the trembling seed disappeared into the blast furnace, a warm energy began to emanate from the forge, which had been silent a moment ago.FNpX
QjGB6***1wlQgy
kr4XWSIt was a familiar wheat field, no different from any other place, but somehow it seemed as if a drop of black paint had been added to it.GBmiiPj
mt0rIs it just a feeling that not only the wheat fields but everything in this territory feels like this?Bw8YR
hhU3h“Justia. Over here.”VHz
sbEII“…”eFFMs2a
ahsnxHoly knights who used to belong to Saint Rogino but now belong to the Northern Orthodox Church.3Vycomx
g4HdyThey were currently coming to the territory formerly known as Baron Utman to check on the forecast of the evil being.anL
oiY5Uj3“It’s all rotten.”t5tc9yi
F6mG“Not just rotten.”l7VU
dWKThe knight, as if indicating something, began to scatter the grains between his hands as if asking her to take a look at this.EqJ5
lYjx9Even among the moldy grains, some still retained their color.nis5
aFGB2SHowever, the things that were supposed to be inside the wheat were not visible.nBJdx
bRuu“Even living beings are reduced to straw.”QoKq9M5
tjSS5Yf“…”wqbIyb
LSWmRWJustia looked at the remnants of wheat fluttering helplessly from the top of her palm.CDgaUc
7FJQ6TQBroken wheat grains floating helplessly in the wind.tLmj
pt1“Why did it end up like this only here?”u1T8cNo
Ok8ChIt was the worst drought in history.5h1Uz
JOI9qQHowever, what was strange was that, except for Baron Utman, other places showed normal harvests as in previous years.pn8Bg3A
BYqwSLDNot only Justia but also the other paladins were left speechless at seeing the fields as if they had been stamped with an ink-covered finger.ccZM5
hzeyyq6“I need to investigate further. Let’s request support.”szsh
mL5M0WF“Understood. Lady Justia.”4o3k0
tYHIEven now, behind them, there were farmers crying, saying that this year’s harvest had been ruined.Wvq6z
BKHbYVFor them, who had no lord to protect them or land to accept, the black and dead wheat fields would be like a death sentence.fQU
AS9EKa“…”XIOta
KsU4Ir5Justia’s thin eyebrows made deep marks between her brows as she looked at them.PxH6h
IquqBaron Utman, who had caused a great stir in the North, was no longer there, but the scars they left behind seemed to persist here.Uk6T
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