Chapter 164: A place to come back to (1)
Ww4cPAThe morning was filled only with the singing of birds.aDxrsR
9AfZgCThe employees were busy moving around the inn, which had fallen silent perhaps because the regular customers had been expelled.paOx
1wpJmx“Smells good. Marcella.”3Ar4Kn
bfCMh“Are you awake already?”KRP
wbercYuWith natural steps, Vlad sat at the small bar that only employees could use.AJZjVfQ
u5eIt used to be used by Jorge and other gang members, and now it was mainly used by Vlad and Harven, and the fragrant smell of soup filled the air.ryhB6wb
GG93C“What about Harven?”kZ2W9
PJugUPR“He left early in the morning. I suppose he’s guiding the dwarves.”6mghCJ
AvxQ“Really?”izo
iRPDbHarven seemed ready for a ride on the dwarves’ boat.zNBtu
lBGEven if it wasn’t for that purpose, making friends with the dwarves wasn’t a bad thing at all, so Vlad decided to do so and picked up the plate of soup in front of him.qwX
TYc“I’m going to eat well. Marcella.”1pw
0gk“But wasn’t this made by Zemina?”G7RnxfF
AmOZtaR“…”G2M7w9
eTrVlad simply raised his spoon silently as he looked at Marcella, who smiled mischievously at him.VSkj
HrBzA busy red-haired girl moving around in a small bar.0JFzkc
TmBVlad barely had an appetite as he watched Zemina, who turned away as if avoiding eye contact with him.mrpXg
UheNn“How long are you going to be upset? After all, I didn’t even give it.”YIHITET
pfN“…What?”fbLsju3
gNyeyJAZemina’s lips, which seemed to be pouting, could barely articulate a response, as if she couldn’t say no.mXAkhn
zs8C“The dwarves said directly that they would do it in the old man’s smithy. I even tried to divert their attention to another smithy.”zlHZMo
KTkwh“…”eVE8
6B3DRI know it’s something that can’t be helped, but that doesn’t mean it’s not annoying.dSqPk4U
pU8Although she had many memories with Vlad since childhood, the memory she cherished most was related to the old sword.swB
7qWAVlad wasn’t the only one who took pride in his sword.afXbt
pc8Sm0J“It’s good that the dwarves are using it in the first place. Just like Rose’s smile is drawing attention now…”KD7sq8
Y1BXC3A“Oh, I don’t know. I suppose I’ll go with Noir, who is obedient.”SJ6z
mlLIf it’s going to be thrown away anyway, it would be good if anyone could use it.bcV
9SM6bMoreover, since it was being used by dwarves called craftsmen, it could be said to be an honor, but Zemina’s internal feelings were still complicated.9R49t
xw7mf“Why is that?”yAKeTuh
CqBeVlad was frowning as he watched Zemina run downstairs as if to avoid him, but the one who actually felt queasy was probably Marcella, who was watching them.7mRb
BpIFO“In the past, we would have put both of you in a room.”TwaQxi
bizgFM“Yes?”AJ79ok
cTmCcd“It’s nothing. The soup is getting cold. Hurry up and eat.”xoM1
PkyMarcella simply smiled, regretting having to come and go over something that would have been resolved in the past with a single blow.sSESVb
6UZ“Anyway, where are you going today? It seems like you, Vlad, are the busiest in Soara these days.”Po5qbl
e7WD“I plan to stop by the smithy first and then go to the church. I have a favor to ask Bishop Andreas.”FaNzn1
DkRklL“You’re exchanging favors with the bishop? You’ve grown a lot, Vlad.”gTcf
iVdMarcella gently stroked Vlad’s head as he ate soup.XdSa
u8sIt’s inevitable that we both feel sorry for each other.EzsqXW
teQAs you can see now, Vlad had a lot of work to focus on, and Zemina must have endured a lot while watching Vlad in that way.tB25wUu
eV9x“But how much did you pay?”vsaYj3u
PT5n7“What?”AntHfk
0BTTlu“It’s a donation. I gave it to the convent.”ptb
PBnMarcella’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Vlad’s hand, expecting another bowl.UUO
BglFkN0“I heard that the convent didn’t even open the door at that time.”DZn5
xfI00Bd“…”ldQT7
8JoiqVlad always had a light breakfast, but today he extended his plate as if he had a lot of work to do.sZvXx
F9Q41f“I later found out that the children there were only fed one meal a day.”zGseMe
xqDj“…Yes. They said it was like that.”JYg
TfQdTJust as Zemina has unforgettable memories, Vlad also has unforgettable memories.biR81V6
1UUMDI1The day I went to the convent for the first time, the red-haired girl I met with a swollen heart was so thin that it made me angry.JEGJxIu
YX4P“So, are you going to the convent today?”RQQ
BSXBJ“That stupid girl doesn’t know anything.”hey
lQOsfpAfter making a fuss with Marcella for no reason, Vlad looked at the soup-filled plate again and picked up the spoon.bUqir
4ve0j3Even from Vlad’s point of view, it was unfair because he thought of her that way and all he got in return was sulking.RoLOh0
ak0hK22“Well. Do well today.”qar8OD
gSq16PThey were a little out of sync, but in the end, Marcella stopped laughing when she saw them facing each other.XgOaS6
TVZEAs expected, it was good to have left my work.yjad5
qBjqThis kind of scene would have been something that couldn’t be seen in Rose’s dirty smile.5FWH
WPtWatching Vlad eat soup for a while, Marcella smoothed his hair again as if he had done well.nlum
bs61***RV2ApK
VDyb4The shadows under his eyes sank as deeply as the height of the stacked documents.y21oCCj
UjwThe elder watching Joseph didn’t hide his concerned gaze.10ui
HkGRTlIt hadn’t been long since he heard the news of his collapse, but with this killer workload, it was inevitable to worry.3Kf
JpWpTM“You seem quite busy lately.”6qPJE
ja02ftlJoseph smiled, as if trying to put up a front in front of the elder, but in reality, it only highlighted the depth of the shadows under his eyes.IQbsmT
g50oZSDespite how mature Joseph might be, he still seemed vulnerable like a child in the elder’s eyes.ZXCZ
y0w“No matter how busy you are, you must take care of your health, young master.”q4T
ZCJBA“Even so, meeting Lord Ramund after so long makes me feel renewed.”TXnz2W
hB3XMMA person who can refer to Joseph, descendant of the noble Bayezid and mayor of Soara, with the word master.8C7Pj
DH6zqRamund, a retired knight of Bayezid, saw Joseph with his thin cheeks and looked at Jager resentfully.BT0U
miQ3mni“Anyway, what brings you here? Is there something urgent?”jveT
S85“I didn’t come here because there was anything particularly urgent about me.”oi2c
CVsRjRamund, who had truly achieved a perfect retirement, as he had fulfilled even the duties of the lowest man, had returned to his mansion near Varna and devoted himself to his hobbies.slR7Jls
rdoTaeGRamund, living the retired life every knight dreamed of, was, as Joseph put it, a man who wouldn’t bother coming to Soara unless there was something special to do.VpO3zXU
brz2Sj“Are you here for Vlad?”CbJohUs
ldihP“Of course. Indeed, there is a reason I came to see him.”yEL
9qhci9hRamund, upon hearing Vlad’s name, began to smile happily.YEd7O
OHBoOFor Ramund, the nearest city was Varna, but the city he received was Soara, and it was an undeniable fact that one of the reasons was Vlad.K8LwH3o
JmZ“I plan to check on him while I’m here, but I didn’t come because of him.”Tlc
lKuHowever, Vlad was not the only reason Ramund came to Soara.c6p
RL4HA“Would you like to see this?”mdVw8N
e70bRamund left a paper with those words.YdIgBo5
C1lSOThe paper was dirty here and there, as if it had rolled on the floor, but the letters written on it were preserved and clearly identifiable.Tc2D
cWtr“…It’s the emblem of the Vatican.”4OoiBE
FBlw“Yes.”rPCDPd
JenzHowever, Joseph’s eyes caught the pattern stamped underneath instead of the words written on the paper.4w1A0
5LzraIThe emblem of the church is similar to that of the Northern Orthodox Church, but it has a completely different shape.E1vZD
M5g7cbTraces of the Holy See that the Northern Alliance had expelled were now before Joseph’s eyes.HP7
Lkk“It is said that nowadays this kind of newspaper is spreading from villages and small communities. Of course, it didn’t matter because the employees of our mansion were illiterate…”QVG8E
EIWUZEThe traces of the Holy See extended from the outskirts, skillfully avoiding the gaze of those in power.YYWA
koR2kIt wouldn’t have had much effect among common and illiterate farmers, but if someone had recognized it, the rumor that started in writing would spread everywhere by word of mouth.6HJ
qYEEcAThe pattern engraved at the bottom of the paper was one even those illiterates could recognize.k0D5a
D9h65X“…People of the North, listen. God was angry at the rise of false paganism.”vOVAB
0urWYJoseph read aloud the paper Ramund brought.0sB
N6Txv7kHowever, it might not be Joseph’s fault that he stuttered and couldn’t read it all at once.Uz7Gb
VhKe6ZThe handwriting, which is embarrassing even to call bad, was so messy that it would be better to say it was drawn rather than written.ioLy6
EEcNj2It’s as if it was written by someone who doesn’t know how to write.D6Tk
ddp“Faith in false idols is an act that greatly dishonors the One. We already see in our eyes that evil is coming upon you…”It2i
RalqrHowever, the content it contained was safe.sjqG
CS4fMFjIt was superficial wording, but the intent was clearly visible.0wLbL
6aG0EAnyone could see that it was a piece of paper with the intent to incite, but Joseph couldn’t help but feel strangely uncomfortable with this piece of paper.XswKsW
Mfe“…A plague will come. Before the year ends.”TahY9mH
CbaBgThe beginning was a warning, but the end was a curse.AFN0VB
ZcVIWkEA deep silence began to fill the office at the last sentence, saying woe to those who follow false words.CNIL
Mv7u6“…It’s quite specific. The time and events were specified precisely.”lz3viA
s4A“That’s right. ‘There’s something strange about this was created just to scare people.”m0Bk
qC18feoIf it were simply used to scare people, it would have been more correct to express it in a general way.qTUXCy
QMVyHowever, the problem is that the text of the document is too specific to match the intent.xzw
UZPApi“…If these words stray, it will have the opposite effect.”pNwbfWr
llWRJoseph silently looked at the crumpled paper.MKSzmz
whM8CRoughly written but safe text.uhfFo
ExRdEb1This kind of agitation was worse than doing nothing, but Joseph knew well that the Vatican was not an easy place.RbBZEZ
T1cmJThose words, which seemed closer to prophecy, still weighed in a corner of Joseph’s heart.CMW
QyCPmEw***3lwX4oe
AZg3cGA street in an alley where you can now even feel the cold energy.G13RiVo
dVw8This street is not as noisy as Rose’s Smile, nor is it crowded, but there are only a few old, dilapidated buildings.FCrt
xCUoehRHowever, warmth began to spread slowly, as if a bonfire had been lit at the end of the cold street.ehd
lFNEThe warmth emanated from an ancient blacksmith shop that had long been closed.OT8NaY0
sbRSKawaang! Clang!kPHn6y
XWP66wlThe rhythm was different, but the sound was similar.Nq4l
jvwdTWThe sound of hammers coming from the blacksmith shop, along with the warm orange light, began to travel through the dark alleys as before.slzN
Iye“…I don’t understand.”82sR3J
70DSigurd, who had stopped hammering for a while, looked at an iron ingot that still radiated heat and ended up scratching his head.GCrj
505Z“Is this what’s going to happen here?”oPjR5F
8QUes3RThe dwarves around him shook their heads at the same time he murmured to himself.D7d0U
LP1QThe reason the dwarves were puzzled was because it could be said that the iron ingot, which softly reflected the surrounding light, was of high quality.AeY
n9VC1Even if you looked at it through the eyes of dwarves, who are blacksmiths from birth.T9vN
CsxojM“No matter how I look at it, this is unacceptable.”3Opv6X
afa6kE4“We should never take this.”TabQ
rYA3tN“With the equipment here, you can probably only repair a kitchen knife at most.”MyhF
xxBKgSigurd and the dwarves, who had been thinking for a while, simultaneously looked at the old blast furnace inside the blacksmith shop.38G
QLtZ—-?S4Vxjzm
QjrScTJA young lizard embarrassed when so many eyes are looking at him.Epan2H
3W4ujHowever, contrary to his innocent expression, this guy was now swimming in molten iron, glowing red hot.Br3yX2
T94WIjWith an expression that says this is enough to warm you up.BE3VUx
zca“I heard there was something called brasa, but this is the first time I’ve seen it.”opDkh4K
c1m“None of these will be the first. Captain.”QT6E5C4
QV5“That’s right, I’ve only heard stories.”vSv3
9d4D7duBecause it collapsed so miserably, the dwarves’ small tradition remains, as Sigurd said, and only remains as a story.lwM4Zk
NkcEven at this very moment, the potential of the dwarves was slowly fading as the pride they had to cherish and the pride they had to protect were fading away.epq8
9l0FK2“…I have to take it somehow.”MUWJ
1oszOi3But now that everything has collapsed, there is a brasa swimming in front of Sigurd and his group that supposedly heated the glorious blast furnace in the past.7hEx
URRl1A young spirit who came here riding on the sword of a knight named Vlad.GFBc
NKrybw5The two worlds that we had just met and that had met for the first time in so long had been looking at each other for a long time.BeHZr
ctS9oJw“Uh huh?”DAKG7m3
GvDs“No, not that!”9RcWev
dOMjvBut maybe it’s been a long time since we last saw each other.gSINY4B
dCsIBecause they had forgotten how to communicate between them, the young lizard looked at the anxious looks in the eyes of the dwarves and made a guess.SJ34fo1
VMzDo you think we need this again?3SX
7H2A“No! Don’t spit now!”dAxivqS
vAJvGlRUghhh-eA8MnV8
QW71nuSigurd, guessing what was going on, quickly pulled his hand away, but the young lizard was too excited.ZV2kP
7QEMA world that expands across borders.Ko6
DhYaFor the young brasas, the world of the dwarves was like a perfect fit piece.gSH
Sw7TZBi“Bring sand, not water! Sand!”zxTo
Amzp6B8“It’s all here! No!”HSbvkZ
gBbPbT0“Argh! Stop spitting!”sI9A
dZMXThe cries of the dwarves erupted along with the high-purity molten iron.XynHn
qsLXHgVlad, who had just arrived, made a surprised noise when he saw the dwarves running out the door because they couldn’t bear the intense heat.67m
JMW“Eh?”wjs1af
LqJ6NThat was the scene Vlad saw as he passed by the blacksmith shop to pick up the armor he had brought in for repairs.y5TWjm
wm6eulA young lizard breathing fire with excitement and an old blacksmith shop ablaze.sdOJL
pflCHAnd the dwarves shouting.Q11W
15tHowever, even in the blacksmith shop where the heat grew beyond heat, the young lizard wagged his tail as if he were happy to see Vlad.cWNPR
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