Chapter 181: Golden knight (1)
mkamFAiAfter the fog cleared, Moshiam was a place full of deep scars.QgLOKPs
XRDThe sturdy walls collapsed, and the square that was the city’s center was ravaged without a trace.7IV
7VDWhat the Northern Allied Forces, who hurried to face the disaster that occurred in Moshiam, received was the sight of a city that had collapsed so miserably that it could almost be described as half-destroyed.kkWWE
wISr“…So, is this scene just the work of two people?”7wJh
Ru0GThe Iron Lord silently scratched his eyebrows as he looked at the city with all sorts of debris flying around.3XAUfT
yEDJJ“Does that make sense?”CdNV
6jsdIt was a report hard to accept.CbouiP
esDKnEven if the army had entered and destroyed the place, they couldn’t have done it in that manner, and all that accomplished by just two individuals.5cYsji
Q2wndG“And one of them is the Bayezid boy?”GoGWJo
0NVzIUD“…According to the testimony of Gunther, head of the Order of the Knights of the Orthodox Church, that’s correct.”Bga
E8977MuAfter hearing Valkov’s report, the Iron Duke couldn’t help but laugh incredulously.T907
itntHowever unbelievable it may be, there was no room for doubt as the leader of the Order of the Northern Orthodox Church was clearly testifying.2ehI
ds4y“I don’t know how to interpret this… I have no idea.”wsV
BAbYZeOAfter hearing Valkov’s report, the Iron Lord laughed as if dumbfounded.cJZ5Kv1
7vlbbYet, no matter how unbelievable it may be, there won’t be any room for doubt as the Commander of the Knights of the Northern Orthodox Church was clearly testifying.NTHh9G
l16FiQ“How should I accept this? I have no clue.”YVg
qH1LwPTimur, treading on the remnants of a building, looked towards Moshiam’s square in the distance.qNt1mS1
XFqvThere, a golden tree stood alone amidst the pitiful remains.OK0Fj5D
PK0JIt was the only thing clearly standing out in this city that had lost all color.C2FAq
WO34Gunther, the leader of the Holy Knights, was testifying.nImv
9CRmJ2There was a knight who created his own world in a city where everything was distorted.DxrUWr
JzNXDNow, his name will surely be remembered even by the most powerful people in the North.A8tC
7HtFmBThe knight’s name was Vlad of Soara.bJgL7n
CDkrh***obzQcSO
AWl“Where’s Bishop Pedro?”SaMQ
sNWTXk5Vlad sat on the windowsill, sipping tea.mNFpLPP
5nlvi5Though his trembling hands could barely hold the teacup, his eyes had fully regained their brightness.qjc3MB
NerR“Well, I don’t know where he went.”9zX
V9hf“Weren’t you with him until the end?”W9QlhJ
5UMJz“Yes, I was.”OFLy
y5IzDEKPop, pop, pop…X9soET
bR2gHulAfter checking the fumigator he had last used, Nibelun replied as he packed the magical tools into his backpack.61HNtZB
kohRxuThough the volume of the tools seemed too much for the bag, it absorbed them effortlessly, prompting Vlad to look on with curiosity.XhtrH
PMhxvGS“He said he was going to the bathroom when he saw the allied troops entering and hasn’t returned since.”xdGmQ
d8kGEeF“He’s escaped.”yPA71R
b0zrAofVlad frowned after pouring the tea he was supposed to savor and drank it in one gulp.v7C8w
KR3zSeems like wood and stone, but acts like a fox.sWKD
4NAbI felt it during the indulgence incident, but he was someone who couldn’t let his guard down.lyXrXi
72NMZ“I would have needed that person to know the true story.”RohX19z
wkSQP0As Vlad said, while the imminent situation might be considered resolved, nothing had been discovered about the person who truly caused this situation.yvrE
dLLfNot just the purpose of ruining the city in this manner, but also their name.hboo
WtaKdOsNibelun rummaged through his sleeves as he looked at Vlad, who pursed his lips in disappointment.ooUDYO6
mIwvau“Actually, something like this fell beneath the tree.”7H51x
naK0Lm“What’s this?”W9vHdl
BOyYtmzNibelun, a mage who pursued mysteries.OdkTYn
Z1gNormally, mages considered the mysterious clues they uncovered as treasures and wouldn’t easily show them to others, but Nibelun didn’t do that to Vlad.JUK
f31“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t seem out of the ordinary.”tnQO
luCtWhat Nibelun handed over were fragments of something that looked like pieces of glass.ROnDMQM
UZjt6The pieces, resembling broken beads, felt familiar to Vlad without him knowing why.Un0J
z4nVxg“I’ve been investigating for a while. Is it okay to take it without permission?”3dQE
awcDbXn“Doesn’t what falls to the ground originally have an owner?”ZAE
0Ov“Well, that’s true.”o8zqjd
o5WOIt was indeed a response akin to that of a beast-man, and the understanding of someone from the alley.0KPtmW
pDF“I don’t know what this is.”ogWo
kDIKb“I could just sense that there was something there. It broke so cruelly.”64dzKo
AotNQThere was no way he could have known that he was being watched, but Vlad, still bored, looked at the glass shards in the sunlight.nTjqiGP
jnldEkInside the shining fragment, there was an intense blue color.hYrq
Qygh[It’s a seed.]SKO6gxR
Tv3sCp“Huh?”t5zg
EQ56LA piece of broken glass but still containing a mysterious light.C3kXgo
PwknDI6Kihano, looking through Vlad’s vision, immediately recognized the nature of the shard.243
xbG4VX9[Look at it through the world. Other knights might not see it, but you should be able to recognize it.]KVrR
sxSOrdinary knights might not recognize it, but Vlad, who had been influenced by Kihano’s world, might.dtZizT
sFI“…”o4fKQW
MnnZAt his words, Vlad quietly closed his left eye and looked at the shard he held through his inner world.gVbwQhV
Yf2Vlad’s world was now firmly established to the point where it could extend to the rest of the world.VoClpXv
ukkh“Eh?”Ponh
9j8SyCOThe glass shards seen in that world contained a single scene.lDQ
nRnThe sight of waves crashing over the deep blue sea.Fh0
t4yThe tree standing on the cliff at the end of the sea looked at the young spirits swimming beneath the waves.EES
2hGJhIuThey were spirits that resembled creatures called squids, of which Harven had spoken to him about.g56Bp7P
YyDmo3“This is…”RBhCf9E
6am4tA brief but intense blue memory from fragments.K03Qb
Yp0gVlad, faced with that scene, could recognize that it was similar to the feeling he had when he saw Hainal’s relic.Rpf
ohc[I thought it was an unusual tree, but it turned out like this.]6jp7j
VN5KJAfter hearing Kihano’s words, Vlad could determine whether what he held was a fragment of something.865
GnCqThe hill of Deirmar where the white snake was.mtqvt
CIjwTA yellow amber stone that was a relic of Hainal. And in the forest of Dobrechi, where the troll was.CmdBp
5KDThere was always a tree standing in each place.u3g
6uw“…I must catch that woman.”9Ba
Sld“Yes?”7AdW
XSo2Just like the trees containing spirits, the upside-down tree also contained the souls of the children.ELxQrr
C7Ydg4KEven if the direction was wrong.DCULLl
AzHHqmVlad looked at the core of the spiritual tree that had been horribly broken and grasped it carefully.iCgile
JWJLjKnock knock.CduM
J9ikjU“Come in.”M2e
uEqAlOThough he wasn’t the room’s owner, the door opened when Nibelun told him to enter.RPdpfaw
FVCY“Are you feeling alright?”oLwiNk
rPgpIt was the young deacon of Andreas, Jean, who called out from the door.nhd
SRbjlDVlad quickly relaxed his frown as he looked at Jean dressed in a pure white robe.daqN3
EFwGSj“How are you, Deacon?”xoHOqt
A7u“I’m fine. They must have done something.”23s
IEpThough he shyly lowered his head and said he hadn’t done anything, Vlad remembered Jean resisting the singing voice of the woman.uXGBXRm
srv“I’m here to tell you that the funeral is already prepared. If you’re still not feeling well…”7p5
zfwT“No.”QbQBwt
g5QkxRHVlad got up from his seat with a buzz.E7bWaN
4laDWVlad reached out to the armor next to the bed and, smiling at Jean who was waiting, replied:MXYeFKp
H7o8eU“It’s the last time I’ll see Miss Justia, so I want to bid her farewell.”LKVJc8
9Hc8“Understood.”149zt7m
zQFbbguThough he had said he would go, Jean, a young deacon, approached to help Vlad put on the armor, as he was still struggling to do it alone.zs2q2
yPwnKThe bright yellow sunlight streaming through the window fell on the backs of the two.PrW
HNWNibelun, silently watching them, raised his teacup as he looked at the church in the distance.wufSIo
xaxcj***xwb6H
DwAIFeWDing Dong!lOVWV
uzTRThe bell of Moshiam rang alongside a paladin neatly dressed in armor.SFr2T
Tjn3WAlthough the bell was crushed after falling from the bell tower, it still served its original function.2jboG
jZV“It’s all destroyed.”WQf
UNR“But the first floor remains intact. That’s good.”UxwS1QW
IDRThe church was completely destroyed from the second floor up, but as Jean said, the first floor, where the chapel was located, miraculously remained intact.Tuf4wAO
pESR302-Form a line slowly!Qzl
XwEN-Injured people to the side!a0W
Y7njTTherefore, it was the only place where people could gather.TeUtqA
Tv8i5The allied soldiers couldn’t hide their surprise at the fact that so many survivors still remained in Moshiam.9z3mTwH
lhp“It’s Vlad of Bayezid. Please make way.”F0Y
bDRpUpon hearing Jean’s words, the soldiers began to look at Vlad with surprise.wlCZ
E29HfEven the inhabitants of Moshiam who were nearby.uZB
RkL“It’s an honor to meet you!”JnB
x3nZh1yThe movement of the soldiers who cleared the way was deliberate.6xuYq
GGUFor the people here, it was just one night, but for those outside, it was a long period of two months.eHQq
AFvGUThe soldiers, who were not well acquainted with the details, now misinterpreted Vlad as a hero who had protected Moshiam from demons during that long time.W2VvN
aHp“Have you come?”pWl2dYA
NNovLJ“It is an honor to meet you, Duke.”1SQc
tptQT2And Timur, the Iron Lord, who awaited Vlad in front of the church, didn’t bother to correct the misunderstanding.2z33EO
n3o0BFor healing deep wounds, there must be some joy.cYD2gl
TfwxCDRAt that moment, when the city of Moshiam was destroyed and the prestige of the North was considerably diminished, there were only two advancements that could calm the very moved public sentiment: the Orthodox Holy Knights and a knight named Vlad.U1a
OMYT2w1“I can finally see in person the rumored star of the North. Of course, I’ve heard of you through Valkov for a long time.”aNuCJi
34ZvGpXVlad recognized the knight standing next to Timur and nodded slightly.gOnRM
YrMThe person currently accompanying Timur was Valkov, wielding a lance, whom he had seen in the past during the subjugation of Lindworm.xRpX6
qIDMdni“Come in.”UcYQ
XfqKkGV“Yes.”MVa
1iRvJC3Timur embraced him by the shoulders without hesitation, but Vlad wasn’t embarrassed at all.y7H
fFfShhTBecause Vlad’s mind was already filled with the last image of Justia, who had blocked his sword, rather than the noble duke’s will.PA34gI
5eWZbT-Duke Baranov is entering!eLPfes
Ls9ZThe chapel, following the debris that had not yet been removed, was already filled with people in armor.wmAjKv
Yp29ZeKnights of seven families gathered under the name of the Northern Alliance.t2x7
W9tCwBayezid and the knights of Hainal, who already knew each other, nodded as if they were proud to see Vlad enter with the Iron Lord Timur.SXcFTOg
BuNo“Stand by my side. You deserve it.”MjorI
f3Cus“…”QdmOX7
QxCHIJWhen Timur said he was qualified, Vlad bowed his head unable to respond.43k
CneuTVlad had always sought the right to be proud, but now he felt ashamed by those words.aGAjf2Z
4uZThose who are truly qualified are the ones clearly in front of me right now.dJy
ilFs-Today we are here to send off those who have done noble deeds.OsjMlU
y1O5PThe person by his side is the only Duke of the North, and the elder in front is the noble Orthodox Pope.gVSf
VCqThese were huge connections that anyone would want, but Vlad simply directed his gaze to the single coffin lying before him.7gMRt
qZnHer platinum blonde hair, shining in the sunlight, had not changed at all since the first time they met.ZwJ8
70mwfUS-We will always remember those who fulfilled their duty even in the face of great evil.W1GCgi
gcsVjiThe funeral of saints and priests conducted under the office of the Pope.QQfr
y9F5DHowever, the Pope’s voice, gradually spreading, will reach people outside the Church.uTKeT
8E3fThis place today was for everyone in Moshiam, regardless of who they belonged to.NleTE
tUBVs8“…”xuc5fl
3r1oThe pope was saying something at the front, but Vlad only absently stared at Justia’s coffin.0uqFHSe
aazBUyLThe noble paladin who died embracing him.w6Qh
vn7zAlthough they didn’t share much time together, Vlad had received a lot from her and now had forever lost the chance to repay those debts.us3I
DjHJ“Let’s go.”M7VNi
is8Cn“Yes.”g4V
ZEOAs the engraved wound was deep, the caress he received was as formal as possible.Ixu
HFquUAfter the Northern knights finished paying tribute to the dead, the only people left were the Iron Lord and Vlad.WbiIwvO
ApW“Don’t be too surprised.”7DGSPI
zo5J7“Yes?”N1c9kin
swsv1Vlad, ascending the stairs, questioned Timur’s insinuating words, but he merely smiled and looked at the Pope in front of him.wffJ
uKFWL“You said you’d give it to me, so accept it with gratitude.”e3GH0
RqeWFTimur, who left an unintelligible comment, carefully laid down the flowers he held and began to bow his head to those lying down.pWt
vXZTWV“…”9vPrU9C
2kcNThe priests praying for Jean and Vlad, and the paladins who raised their swords against the wicked woman.VA2hha
KqFdfn3Vlad, who had been placing flowers for them one by one, finally stopped in front of Justia’s coffin.mtnb
bdIt1“Thank you. Justia.”ipT3
7kyCREven as Anna wiped away the black tears, she remained behind Vlad.6Lz
ZeCf5But now, Vlad had to carefully leave the flower he held for her in front of him.ZNc
gMiEThe salty taste of the apple she had peeled for him seemed to linger on the tip of his tongue.W15
JT2Su“Vlad of Bayezid. The knight who protected Moshiam.”znOL
TvuVlad carefully placed the last flower he held on Justia and watched the Pope approach him.GdHFDM
Sf23VWrinkles that appeared as naturally as a smile that had been worn for a long time.6QVjfj
PeB“Are you sad?”b5QW
xzzfkD“Yes?”hzLws
LQSOEven now, the old Pope smiled as he looked into Vlad’s eyes that fluttered constantly.MkhotXi
aNV11Q“We all have to leave someday.”kq7i
AIzaT1KThe Pope approached Vlad, silently looked at his chest, and spoke.dXxNWjL
LebtZtN“We have to leave someday, but the reason we don’t feel empty is because we leave something behind.”ihgQO
zQBEZGY“Yes?”uPk
yc2dThe Pope’s fingertips were already caressing Vlad’s armor.BN2WNIt
Dx2b6rIThe place where his fingers touched was where Vlad’s pride had been, even though he had changed his armor.nJzWLK
cccsdtF“Justia said I should pass this message on to you.”u57zGk3
6OKrA knight who saved the lives of children.ZtKM6n
Rye9GGThe words given as a gift by Saint Rogino were still engraved on Vlad’s chest.YzwJ
vhLIIt was a phrase that Justia gave to the boy who climbed the bell tower under the heavy rain.1Ly
BPcF“Although Justia stood by your side, she ended up leaving something behind.”iwq0f
YIlClick-A9W
cTNElftA pure white smoke began to rise from the palm of the Pope, covering the words.D2VAA9o
o0x“…!!”JCp
AeTnkVlad felt puzzled as he felt his armor heating up, but the expression on the Pope’s face as he transferred it was simply calm.FhMN
JcH7pI“I hope they become a testimony for all who have died.”S0it
ptbpNThe dead leave, but those who remain must carry the burden.hgCVhC
PIMsJSHPope Konrad began to engrave another message in Vlad’s heart for those who were like his children.JUiz8f
Pt5mE4Convinced that their deaths will shine under his current name.qmNt
cR90WP“I believe you will. Vlad of Soara.”VelF
gCTRt“…Pope.”Zkx
uqryTVlad’s eyes widened as he looked at his warmed breastplate.PhYSM
LrYQk0As the white smoke dissipates, what is seen are two newly engraved words below the text that Justia gifted.pUuzN
YUuUfThe knight who protected the lives of children.Cvtb
CyyN6Vlad.w7D
XPQcVlad Aureo. [1]E20G3W
80KmuH“Your birth name will be Vlad, but under His name, you will be Aureo.”HOD
d3oA1ZThere was a boy who couldn’t even shout his name correctly.OIk
MqDymBBut now his name was always followed by a shining word.RPLIgQ
RxjleDdThe words, with the knights of seven families as witnesses, were a name that would live forever in Vlad’s blood.I97G
9MKqT/N:(1): “Aureo” is an adjective that means “golden” or “gilded.” It is used to describe something that has a golden color or a valuable and precious quality like gold. In the context of the text, “Vlad Aureo” could refer to Vlad with a golden quality, symbolizing nobility, valor, or excellence.Gjk18G
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!