Chapter 169: The Black Horse and the Young Donkey (3)
S6iAyKThe elves lost their World Tree.WT0Q6
jzXxThe dwarves lost their perpetually burning furnace, and humans lost their shining kingdom.UQSBAy
53b7YAEEach potentiality lost something different, but in the end, they are all just another name for possibility.WmznA
8ZbmJThere was a time when a single being monopolized all the possibilities of the world.drdVMi6
tZaCJDbA moment when the light of the stars attempting to rise was gathered and trapped underfoot.HbeVq
Fb9YPeople called that era the Age of Dragons.PhLeDE2
kGzeYAnd here was another being that lost its potential in those difficult times.zfCD
IkQ4A race with beast-like ears, the beastmen.KakT
H2x3They said what they lost was “a mystery.”5wNHlSi
CSKM***pbl
pxOzYY“Knight! Priest!”NfybT
AFdxdA black horse and a young donkey walking along a small trail.roIdCxR
DpHPKjyHowever, their journey, which should have been peaceful, was cruelly interrupted by a beastman following them.Lh9s
5Gox“Let’s go together! I’ll definitely be of help!”tbJW9V
bTKxUThe man named Nibelun, whom Vlad and Jean had saved from the fire, still followed them and shouted that he wanted to accompany them.5OoYN2p
d5p“Should I break your leg so you won’t follow us?”t1w
zYj50“God is watching us anytime, anywhere. Vlad.”L5OmrM
AAj“That’s right, actually.”NjVEc
jlGVPPAfter hearing Jean’s words, Vlad scratched his head and frowned.KuH4bi
ad4YXjAlthough the world of knights dealing with swords and violence was familiar to him, there were still aspects of it he found challenging to deal with, especially with the young deacon named Jean.WjUuSY
oPsBLd“So it’s okay to just curse and tell them not to break it, right?”2xCBwv
1vW1r“…I hope you can see that.”dHpFE
KqcZVlad was the elder and leader, but Jean was responsible for this journey.rTyPzGy
sCbMcA person to follow and a rule to adhere to.NWqhYv2
DImn7DwAlthough he was a boy who could easily be ignored, Vlad had already decided to show respect to Jean instead of ignoring him.LRry0
OYxF“Hey. You Nibelun, who follows death.”hYr
UakS“Yes. Yes, sir!”xqKb68
iixSYet, the accumulated anger goes nowhere.XfS
lNjNoir’s snort, as angry as Vlad’s, brushed against Nibelun’s trembling ears.HJSzY
Ugbj40“How long are you going to follow me like this? I said no, didn’t I?”poDFvw
xizXThe growl was fierce, but Nibelun just clasped his hands together and smiled openly.IijrZ
QFqO“Oh, don’t consider it a bother…”fS6u
5SRpY54Worn-out black robes here and there.iRUIoa
VgrkJamAnd although he wasn’t wearing it now, the strange mask hanging from his back still gave the beastman an ominous aura just as it did when Vlad first saw it.MGqgSoy
X7FJR“I’ll be useful no matter what. Because I’m a wizard!”EEfmeH
yNF6jQ“What wizard in the world gets caught by swindlers and ends up about to be roasted?”Koc0pkl
B3U3jNibelun, who claimed to be chasing death, introduced himself as a wizard.8zf7NUc
Axf6A wizard who wards off diseases and curses.aifiiV
teeogVlad frowned again as he watched Nibelun utter only the words he wanted to avoid from their first encounter until now.yC5EFQ
y9OX“Due to the nature of my magic, it takes some time to activate.”cDiG8E6
I6uVm1“Well. The more I hear about it, the less useful you seem to me.”oWFTq
nm9MAHThe things he held were quite strange, so he might have been a wizard as he claimed.FENkvn
GIGuK8NHowever, if you get caught by swindlers worse than bandits, then the level will be understandable.gnx8Xs4
dNU“This is really the last warning. If you keep following me, I’ll break your leg.”477IUDr
bbaraiThere was no need for useless words.8I4j7
kulmqJEspecially if the target is someone who doesn’t seem pleasant at first sight.6W4hF
kPwVlad still felt uncomfortable with the crow mask Nibelun wore.dx4gO
Ci6aKf“Baron Utman!”ioXo
rIPoAw8However, Nibelun paid no attention to Vlad’s reaction and simply repeated what he had to say.O2e
qNtgDO“Please, let me go. I may not be useful to Lord Vlad, but I’ll definitely be useful to others.”cDY
0aGH“…He’s simply a person who only says what he wants to say.”uyv
yVKVlad glanced at the thick book Nibelun still held dearly.6jIz4w
m2aThe book he had been looking at while unconscious was filled with images and benefits of all kinds of scriptures.lPkPJ11
Xm6Wizard Nibelun.LFgrJ
PnaHe was a wizard and a plague doctor.glROccN
PGrSm***vW5GR
TQH4y“Did death follow you?”ANU7
mvYqoCE“Exactly. It’s not over.”7ci
ufhThe beastman, who had just woken up, still seemed dazed, but claimed to be someone who had followed death.Ktf0i1
abKgS“What death? Is there death here?”DFsMxOd
x0e6Q1bThe appearance of the beasts, unknown to the northerners, the tattered black robes woven here and there, and even the strange crow mask.uAC
0VhCcUThe village chief, standing silently behind, looking at Nibelun’s sinister appearance, began to mutter that he should have burned him at that moment.dZc8d
g8QN5RS“You’re right. I’ve followed death… and as you said, death is here too. Because if we stay here, everyone will die anyway!”et3
pOrnYtC“Sir Knight. Could you let me burn that crazy cat? That guy keeps cursing our village!”kiSMwz
S0cehE“The village is already ruined. We need to get the people out as quickly as possible.”fxeTLtQ
p5bMa“Please, sir knight!”2ZCew
lG5LMZFirst of all, Nibelun seemed like someone who would be burned at the stake even if he wasn’t a member of a group of swindlers.4NU5
jC0uPerhaps it was because he was mad, but the words he uttered in his ramblings showed no consideration for his own well-being or for those around him.nkn
noo1MJ“The land is already contaminated. It will not only result in poor harvests.”2WtdPYt
QIMl“…”5xFH43i
ZRBJThe village chief is furious and says the bonfire is still not extinguished.aAo
Gtp8However, Nibelun seemed unconcerned with everything around him and simply pulled out a map, offering it to Vlad, asking him to look at it.PDeK3
Q4yxD“Look at this.”m0qOZ
CSpA“It’s getting more and more suspicious.”BnbnPPV
J9eThe map that Nibelun showed was too detailed for a single traveler to carry.dviV6
aJDbQqNot only the approximate location of the road, but also the river, the height of the hills, and the size of the nearby villages.42WG
RGn7RIt was suspicious to carry it just for travel purposes.r6dU
32n“It’s a map that spies would do well to carry with them.”1wr
8FjHowever, despite Vlad’s suspicious look, the man called Nibelun only listened intently and did not react in any way.yzRi1
6YXZHe was waiting for Vlad’s response.5Kz
7ljvvkr“…What are these circles?”fBEO
M9SARIk“These indicate that the plague has spread.”qbRd
Sg1pkThe detailed map was filled with black circles.SlB
xy4The circle that seemed to have been drawn by Nibelun even marked the village where Vlad and Jean were now.QXAB6
PcfRt5M“But this…”9BNuK7
YtO2After looking at the map for a while, Vlad noticed something strange and frowned.nuI
FKRLOc“That’s right. It’s strange, isn’t it?”JOcJ
CxKy1wNibelun was pointing to a spot on the map, as if pleased that Vlad had recognized it.wDFNX7o
oF0n“If we look only at this, doesn’t it seem like the Vatican hasn’t properly conducted a purification?”hQbtH
SvNpWEr“…”fTw
fxxFp9vThe circles on the map grew larger, more numerous, and darker as they headed towards a specific place.q8qim
ftbnThe place the circles pointed to was Moshiam, the capital of Baron Utman’s domain.UieR
rZo***WTwO
uDGnIt was early in the morning when the young deacon had not yet emerged from his sleeping bag.rRGdHar
ziqFJzwThe dawn light began to shine between the bonfires where the firewood burned and emitted a misty smoke.kNZYx
1vy“Look at that. Didn’t I tell you I would be helpful?”wisfW
fR6R“…The wizard was right.”y7T
zYIKgVlad, who was rummaging around the cooled campfire, responded bluntly as if he didn’t want to agree with Nibelun’s words.Wp0
K0S1pEIA large circle seemed to be spinning around the group.maK
rpEFThe circle that Nibelun had drawn yesterday, saying that he didn’t have to stand guard, was creating strange distortions that were hard to explain even when seen with Vlad’s left eye closed.6yE8y
YhhVV“But what are you going to do going to Moshiam?”W0U
w7FCBfAt Nibelun and Jean’s request, the group decided to go together to Moshiam.poq
7sFrHowever, Vlad knew very well that in order to be able to get this suspicious mage inside, he needed the assurance of the knight himself.uxm
J8b“If you don’t tell me exactly, I won’t let you go.”CXxU4j
anrK“Ah…”ll5g
mVpRhQNibelun felt a void in Vlad’s words, and his amber-colored eyes began to shine.8grd
EJqurT“Are you letting me go?”irzCTn
u3gC“Tell me exactly why you want to go.”kYBh
HY0The Holy Knights of the Northern Orthodox Church will already be gathered in the city of Moshiam to look for unusual beings. The reason Bishop Andreas sent his young deacon to Moshiam was because he hoped that eventually he would move with them and gain experience.SFYuFgF
C34U“Haven’t you seen it yet? I’m a mage who wards off plagues and curses…”lPq8
gXtz0NVlad remembered Nibelun, who shouted that he had to go all the way, even though it was a village that had tried to burn him.HCVIR5
5dYAwPAlthough many people criticized Nibelun because it was a warning that went straight to the point without proper explanation, he simply repeated what he had to say without the slightest hesitation.Z5cp
vr6SN“Because death is there.”5UGCPg
qUTislAnd yet, like then, Nibelun kept spitting out the words in his head without organizing them.TRl2i
ubvwyIt seemed like a nature difficult to change.V1IlZD
cBVLL“Why death?”irQfdGK
aQMnnM“Death is something you don’t know, right?”xb7DP
fAxI kept it in my heart, but when I let it out, it was only very fragmented things.3Lpkm
fH3X3fVlad realized that the beastman named Nibelun was no more skilled at speaking than he himself, who lived in the alley.Ylh9OR
j5SY“The mystery lies in what you don’t know. Hiding in an unknown world. We have been wandering seeking it our whole lives.”WPfWu
P6m“We?”c57m
gCjHyHowever, Nibelun responded to this question with his hands, not his mouth, without any misunderstanding.9ArW
fy4wZ“Beast people?”clGTR
uIe“Yes. We are the ones who wander anytime, anywhere, with nowhere to go.”hwBn9
wdjXziWhat Nibelun was pointing at was his own ears trembling above his head.JVOP
Ez6LF“Please, let me go to Moshiam. There is death there, and death is something that no one has ever experienced, so I am very eager to see it.”C4NHS
11x“…”xGa
fKNWDn0A beastman mage who wants to find the mystery and experience death.”Pg2l8kg
m4ncFQThe first rays of the day began to shine on the already completely extinguished campfire.w7U0ih
R7TNibelun’s amber eyes reflected in that light retained a clear color, unlike his blurry speaking style.k0VrCiw
d4XUOZ– There is information that a plague could soon spread to a bad harvest. You must be especially careful with that.JOm
wuqBitSBefore leaving, Joseph whispered to Vlad in a low voice to be careful with this.Qqrc
MNjh87PThe rumor came from a note brought by a retired knight, Ramund, with a clumsy Vatican emblem engraved on it.KLxV
bzwwEkb“…First, let me tell the person in charge who will be there. I don’t know if it will work.”0rUQh
3Yao79t“Oh thank you. Sir!”qUDs4
7aaThanks to Nibelun’s loud voice at just the right moment, Jean began to wake up from his small sleeping bag with a swollen face.BfPucv6
qjXQUMOA black horse, a donkey, and a cat.X9b4
F6qThe three were now facing each other under today’s sun.SEDn3D
ynj***ydf
T05bw[That thing moves like a curse. It can’t be cut with an ordinary sword.]n81
QnZwhThe sound of the young deacon’s chant resonates in the misty camp.mPwMX0
vK0The voice spoke to Vlad, who was holding his breath amidst the sound.6c4o
eH0“So, what should I do?”qftGK
6Ixo2[I wonder if you can use Aura now.]i9b
vl3T“Are you kidding me?”kEIqEPR
itzM[Listen.]HyjT
5JXGHaA woman shedding black tears beyond the mist.0Wvg
zZ2bVJ0She was a poor woman crying for her son.E7oVhTb
9B3O[To break that curse, you must become an exorcist who wields the will of God and a knight with his own world. And we need a mage who challenges the rules of the world.]ZXcR2zK
EkDZX9The voice had spoken.OMnqO
UqSbOnly these three who have solidified the world can cut the tears of that evil being.AGhLnXY
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