Chapter 166: A place to come back to (3)
Mn2mQGNow a room that had become even narrower since it couldn’t be in the mayor’s hall.bSTY4U
cVH8There, Joseph stood by the window, carrying his luggage.pfeuOxc
da7WQwnHe was always facing away from the sunlight, but it seemed like he wanted to see the sunrise today.HgU
vIhmj3“What are you going to do?”8lBzD
7FpOYIn the landscape reflected in the window, I could see the crows flapping their wings and flying away.LERrO
wEk0sThe crows that Marcus had been borrowing were leaving Joseph one by one.JAR5gbN
Rbll“Even now, if you wish, I can move you elsewhere. It’s something natural to happen.”kuVQ
QbwFHI must leave because what was given to me was not by my choice.NxvY
HX8gOpBoth the crows and the knights, and even the position of mayor of Soara.StR
jQGktJoseph was bidding farewell to things that didn’t belong to him, one by one.g48
xUUoY“Isn’t our contract for seven years?”l8ljuaq
7Orv“The contract has ended. Now I have been eliminated from the competition for the head of the family.”2Sg
dQ9U3sYou have the chance to trust me.WAjvlE
0ENdoyTBut now that nothing could be guaranteed, Joseph had no right to hold onto Vlad.aHhcm
oY8D“…”a1qDH7B
eozc1esVlad, biting his lips in a heavy atmosphere, looked at Joseph out of habit.zCa
W6D8GA man facing the sunset away from me.n4b
KfMevyThe atmosphere was gloomy, but his back, which somehow seemed light, caught Vlad’s attention for a long time.tstveHv
lVvqgbX“Go where you want to go. I will do what I have to do.”mOabNUH
GBvcpxNToday’s sun facing alone, leaving everything behind.t7ba
yzvesShI don’t know why, but his expression in the sunlight rather than in the shadows seemed to be a smile.zsPy
DDhxt***Urh
xnxBbAn empty lot in the Town Hall with no one around.gdykFD
CAVORytRamund recoiled in horror as he saw the blue sword shoot out like an arrow.3moGmF
bRmjsGa“…!”tLOD
COHoLQIt’s painful to see the joints twist and creak with age.ARqO
KRhzHowever, Ramund didn’t have time to lament his old age; he had to hurry to face the next attack.dlH
fbfSXN“Who did you steal from again?”gzXL
eAiThe intrusive steps were cunning, not appropriate for his age, but the space where the toes were heading was precisely blocking Ramund’s intentions.IZmOtvp
n8Jol1ESharp coldness combined with flexibility.RkD2
cG0Seeing Vlad, who had expanded another piece of his world, Ramund realized there were more victims like him.xBVYV
YLzxpH“Where did you learn these tricks?”c0cjtiB
3mztxeIt was a skill too noble to be considered a remnant, but there still wasn’t a defined path at the tip of Vlad’s sword.RqD
1HdThough he eagerly consumed it, he hadn’t properly digested it yet.AaX
JYr“Damn it!”tYnf3
c94tNzVlad clicked his tongue as he felt the flow of the offensive suddenly change.pOdke
TMf29PAs expected, Ramund was a strong knight.m8s
M0tBStrong enough to grow old without dying.1qi
AZp6UTVlad was surprised to see the sudden change in the sword’s trajectory, but Ramund had already predicted Vlad’s reaction.2rd5
vWfWZ1DClang!4Vf3
dEU2IHis shoulder, forced between the sword’s blades, shone.GRWQD
t81Here was the original form of the powerful technique, learned but impossible to replicate.xQk
YLQpXC“Have some consideration for your age! Even now, you’re making rash moves!”xPw
rdlcuZ“Even my rash moves are better than yours!”761XEZ
SdTbjgkVlad burst with anger at seeing Ramund, who wasn’t holding back despite starting with a light combat.44lBSWW
YwKNow wasn’t the time to break anything, especially at this age.NL0h7r
aE0WH“And you said you weren’t going to use Aura!”fiOEXA
CIyxO“That’s why I’m telling you to be careful. Even there are knights who are capable of deceiving this way!”jFvQ6
8loFlcSeeing Ramund’s shoulders, as bright as his forehead, Vlad closed his left eye.khaE
CWoECTo be able to fight against that knight’s aura, he would also have to give his best.t2wjV
kVKK6“Oh.”RhK
MzkVlad’s world, which had grazed but not conquered the blue moon, unfolded through the sword.NZkm0
T9TVc“Look at this!”R2SMLNZ
10dRamund, who knew there was a ray of his own color in the bright golden light, grabbed the sword joyfully.25B
5eUThough youngsters grow fast, the young man before him had shown astonishing growth every time he watched.SnJ5uKq
g8dwY“Don’t complain if something breaks.”UPMb2SC
BkH95r“It seems this brat only knows how to talk.”MQsFAZS
u96ftThere was a growling beast in front of him.dSTIbKS
HSYBHowever, that growl, which had been merely pitiful when he first saw it, had now become a real threat that held Ramund’s gaze.XX9rC
HYrThe level of the knight called Vlad had already reached even his level.rBDD3
5IA“…!”xzYh
A7JMMJHe was observing, but his old body couldn’t keep up with the young man’s movements.9J4
zYuAThe unpredictability, once unimaginable in its old form, cunningly deceived Ramund’s eyes.KFM
MGs‘Much more than before!’k2weR
OyKWL2He was so fast it seemed he had surpassed time.8e7N
0xQDeceiving with his steps and gestures, Vlad seized that moment to leap right in front of Ramund.AkVG7n
rL7H“Ugh!”HSg84
phTZw5Just a creaky reaction due to his old age.vrsI6IQ
e3DHnVgSeizing that gap, Vlad adjusted the balance of power through a short breath and began to mercilessly cut through Ramund’s firmness.GTRcfo
dsDf7mA blow as dazzling as his own color.7nSzY8H
aesgvVHowever, despite its dazzling appearance, Vlad’s sticky blows continued to erode Ramund’s firmness.WCXQR33
dnHSYXVlad knew well that if he couldn’t kill with a single blow, the only thing left was a serious challenge.jTr3M
YkrBYH“You’re going even deeper!”3TI
o0k6TDue to Vlad’s constant beatings, Ramund’s strong physical abilities began to gradually disappear.IKvX
oQqYCEHe deflects the sword and takes the opportunity to deliver another powerful blow.nNV8wfr
ItoClang! Kwaang!VubV
EBJalSwinging the sword two or three times more than Ramund was also Vlad’s intention, considering the difference in endurance.hRmE
Uy0TVlad now had control of the battlefield.2Bnuo0t
65xh“Now! Stop! Let’s finish this!”71pCYCD
y44aERamund said, as Vlad’s gleaming eyes found an opening.nOr
iGLYLy0Feeling the imminence of a great blow, Ramund quickly adjusted his posture, but Vlad’s attack was even faster than his reaction.0uyPSa
y9wOm‘What…?’3kpqS
Z2gutsRight in front of him was Vlad’s forehead, shining brightly after being polished.gcZ
AFvOAdThe moment that happened because he didn’t catch the sword that went flying.iKY
FAplWhat appeared at that moment was Vlad’s forehead covered by a strong aura.d7iMDMu
IzG3y“It can’t be!”tNtzMlV
isisRamund let out a loud cry, but Vlad’s attack didn’t stop.Y3sr2
uvkEo6What was done is somehow compensated for.nqbRD9x
pqQaThat was the basic attitude of people living in the alleys.c2KN
W9OfNBoom!MhZjxBS
fgkMrThe sound of something exploding resonated loudly in the empty lot of the Town Hall, where no one was present.5XPH5
xBRrIt was a roar so loud that it echoed throughout the empty Town Hall lot, as if two fronts were colliding head-on, but the sound was too loud to be just that.nR48yML
h2R***cq8aAa
GbUbheU“…This bastard. Despite all the favor I’ve shown you, you’re still so reckless? I guess it makes sense that someone like you would even wreck a convent of nuns.”hVan
Ya5Iu“All this you learned from our excellent knights, didn’t you?”gGRS
W0Ta0MDespite Ramund’s reprimand, Vlad simply smiled and sheathed his sword again. Criticizing an incompetent for being incompetent wasn’t going to make any impact.sJTVSWg
jElZJdI“Didn’t you get hurt anywhere?”aqKOkJn
vZi8e“Oh…”064X
snV2fAhNow, seeing Ramund squirm as if pain had finally caught up with him, Vlad reached out his hand. It was a hand to help, but Vlad’s other hand, on the opposite side, was sparkling thanks to a combat technique.OO8b
fOtXb“Take my hand and don’t hit me. I put an Aura on my left hand.”QLvJ
cPlLEV“Hmm.”PWRlmjI
u88Ramund looked at Vlad’s clenched fist and made a grim sound.FhQ06
J84gIt was worth praising him for going ahead of what he was taught, but it was quite unpleasant if he did it too well.XBz1
nnU1AC3“Anyway, what are you going to do? Are you thinking of following your master?”oOU2VE
K1vsE4“…I guess that’s why I called you here.”D4o
rk2vFiIAfter all, older people can’t let their guard down.54P2Uw
SzrAs if sparring itself wasn’t the goal in the first place, Ramund’s question pierced Vlad when he was most unguarded.hIT6x
dHS“Don’t do that. It’s over now.”6QERKnb
JiE“…”RCZ
0LkSuddenly, a heavy silence began to fall on the wasteland that had been noisy a moment ago.Ub5
nukGrZIf he didn’t know, he couldn’t avoid it, but since he knew, Ramund had to tell him.8A8
6TwmK0“I don’t know, but the other knights will probably leave Joseph’s side. That’s the law.”LK4k
uBIaZThe old man’s advice to the young man was unequivocal.XPw5rTg
7xFSince Lamund had already experienced and knew, his advice was aimed precisely at Vlad’s safety.uDgNz6
vzO“Even now, Lord Joseph, if you bow down, you might save your life. Not necessarily in a prominent place, but in a quieter place…”KUzE
vLShHBC“I don’t want to do that.”wcL
5FeVlad, with no intention of getting up, slumped down next to Ramund, who had no intention of getting up.pwrYc0
VkQ“What?”3TO
N2An4Ww“It seems you don’t want to live that way.”pGi1y
bhPuI don’t want to live a life that’s just given to me.a8gY
q8A5pJoseph firmly believed that this couldn’t be the only reason why someone like him was born into this world.c4c87
9qk2Because the path he had walked so far had not been lacking or shameful.R4k7
yfYLTEven amidst coughs and wheezes, Joseph was a man who didn’t give up on faith in himself.jiqZ
W6yusA“I thought that was something cool.”GID
90i91Ni“Ha…”nEN
ukU4Vlad shook the sand off his hands and smiled at Ramund.Zam
EXVdNow, even when I look at the night sky, there’s no blue moonlight that I longed for.i3NC3
JQwGfNow the path Vlad must follow isn’t the distant sky, but the voice within himself.9zIG
RZKDwLike Joseph now.T47B
NHMhJ“I’ve been busy all this time, but I never thought about what I wanted to do.”bbpoQ
wyo1I stole to eat and killed to live.w2L
ngEDSF7But none of those things were what Vlad really wanted.roZnLv
ZVWO“So. Following Joseph is what you want to do?”gHWBJ
FJ5abnO“I’m not sure about that either.”EHFVFbk
qeHQbxXWhat you want to do, not what you have to do.8Tbex
uinW0WVlad, who was touched by the blue moonlight, decided to walk the path that I must find now, not someone else’s.GsvHrph
s5o6p1W“Simply, do you like this more?”zRvSQFh
uo0“You’re crazy…”NDe
wMqBwNot chasing after someone else, but just for myself.tWdw
ttSYrEjVlad, after opening his heart completely, seemed to understand why Joseph was smiling.QS7
OnJPPHB***k6pSYTN
fN1pFPA few days after the training with Ramund.rMQ6p
wMvFfJnTrue to his words, all the knights surrounding Joseph were ordered to demobilize.ut6mFMw
mrjcNow the only knights left by his side were Jager and Bordan, who had nowhere to go, and Joseph was preparing to return with Oksana in a pitiful manner.hW8j7
qsaay“Are you leaving tomorrow?”6zwBXkI
xZHP“Yes. Towards Baron Utman’s territory.”e0Yc7Q
h21h4eVlad was also preparing to embark on a journey across the city with Zemina.d2hx
YiqVHowever, the difference was that Vlad’s destination was Baron Utman’s and not Sturma like Joseph’s.PP0xrto
UjPbv“I’ve finished all urgent work, so I decided to assist the Northern Orthodox Church for the time being. It’s a kind of pilgrimage.”IUZeGUw
WRl1wA knight who was Bayezid’s knight but also had the backing of Bishop Andreas.vNn8r
pAqXDPeter, like Joseph, could not refuse a request from a renowned bishop.U2XkiN
0ozqcLVlad, who knew well where the name they gave him came from, decided to go to help Andreas’ young deacon and cleanse the evil place.nWF
jfSz1“But isn’t it dangerous there?”lno
iyySViBecause the alley was narrow, Zemina’s eyes, who was close by, trembled.uE56
oKLFBI’m not exactly sure what makes her tremble, but the tremor probably also contains concern for Vlad.jZX
K7UlH4G“It’s not dangerous. The Vatican has already taken care of everything there.”V80f
LZklA1“Is it really safe?”ThH3zS
Agdi“Have I ever lied to you? Why can’t you trust people?”tGQnh
Vgl“Why isn’t he there?”ZtL
djifoJThey walked side by side, but only when they stopped being alone did Zemina’s shadow grow longer.HL1jWyl
c7FjaZWIt grew longer, as if trying to catch Vlad as he walked away.eC7Veo
BOq“You only wrote lies in your previous letters.”jjUwZD
0GT“…”mgK0
AsmKH“I just stay in a safe place and by Joseph’s side, that’s foolishness. I heard you ran away alone?”v3cbDil
zFQHXVlad could feel that the voice coming from behind him was full of resentment and a little moisture.Y5VnXGh
Czfz95KThe letter was sent to reassure her, but now it seems to have only caused anxiety to Zemina.Cpfn
LRK“Do you think I’m funny? Do you think I don’t know anything? For starters, about Baron Alicia…”PPcLK3
ryfP“What about the baron?”pupCj
nk8xX0When I turned around with a sigh, I saw Zemina with an expression on her face that said this wasn’t happening.LZwYdiA
GnTTIt was a tough moment to leave again, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was not breath or comfort, but the disappointment I had been holding back for so long.ILWsI
Fz4e9D“Anyway, don’t you like Deirmar better than this shithole? Because you’re Lady Alicia’s knight.”Y4MJK
3jAvrQRIt was a word I said by mistake, but I couldn’t stop it, so Zemina continued to be hurt by the words that came out.av19Z
csAIt really seemed silly to be hurt by what she said, but Zemina had endured it all this time.mFShv
BlQzVH“Mmm…”7ItuANs
t8AiWThough she held back, Zemina finally let tears escape her eyes.ntL5lW
MMd4uYHowever, Vlad didn’t think to comfort Zemina in that way.5xSeA
f77“That’s not true. You really are a silly girl.”KRYvzYk
2hAuj“Uhhhhhh.”2z7C0
RWYcZemina’s crying increased as if Vlad were trying to make her cry even more with his annoying behavior.TM5X
VgeYes, it’s okay to cry.AxRq
OFKThe red-haired Zemina was a silly girl who didn’t know why Vlad was so busy.FfG
Cn6“Even if you cry all the time, you only cry in front of me. Nothing has changed. Oh? It’s like before.”1wm
HyrRPhvDespite Vlad trying to get angry when he saw Zemina crying like before, even though she wasn’t a child anymore, he ended up laughing.IL9WLn
TRfZemina had been trying her best to pretend to be Lady Zemina, but now the red-haired girl had finally raised her head, and Vlad was very happy to see it.frj7Z
x127Fee“Forget about this…”uAgOQxL
GtIA“Silly girl who knows nothing, keep your mouth shut.”JTVwo
4KoaoxVlad took Zemina in one hand and walked through the dark alley with a familiar step.L1m7dN7
FWyZiGAThe lights of the dark alleys lit up one by one.BU1Gw
OhGTJVlad followed the sight, which hadn’t changed much compared to the weight of the girl he was carrying, and stopped in front of a shop.KSD
9vDf1Bb“…Why are you here?”AyNw
GaCGF“Look.”yJEx
ifzFIt was always a place full of mud.KEzn4
cmWqb46Because it was a place where the heat that melted the cold ground still came out.IsvR
yhAJ0a“That’s all for you.”bkX
TxEUSOVlad, who had left Zemina holding onto the mud, took his own stance and began to stand next to the girl.mac
L67X“I’m like this.”eytSH
ueh1KThe two people who were there naturally raised their heads and began to look at the shop in front of them.4EeDQh
R99It was a familiar gesture, as it had been done for a long time.5mL
wNCUqYkClang! Clang!SyYGh
bgFzSince it was dark, the light from the blacksmith’s shop shone brighter and reached the two of them.w2I
N4dpi1JAlthough the people inside were different, it was a sound that was too familiar.rvMrR
h8Lfal“Nothing’s changed. Isn’t that right?”42Q2zZ
2xyKj9“Mmm…”TvDuvc
7I6IUjIt wasn’t clear whether she was crying or responding, but Vlad could feel that what she was trying to say was well conveyed.iBOPWy
oqDL6p“If I come back, I’ll be here more.”ZlyYr
bxT“…”T1pKIDn
z8YfJIt was a scene that hadn’t changed.5dm
oxJTThe sound of a hammer flowing and the glow of molten red metal.721Xt
NFsMusHAnd a boy and a girl standing side by side.wp42P
KS9UGFor Vlad, his hometown was Soara, but if he were to return, it would be here.LkF9
smH“…Have a safe journey.”NUj
MSsGoF“Yes.”hrvbFKU
iVyAStill, if anything had changed, it would be the two footprints that were a little closer to each other than before.pL1M
frWbndzAlthough it wasn’t narrow, Vlad and Zemina, standing side by side, remained in front of the old blacksmith’s shop for a long time.a5e15ap
nlkV0ZGThe longer they stood, the deeper their footprints became.5Gnt7Az
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