Chapter 189: City of Blacksmiths (2)
CDyBastopol, the capital of the Baranov Duchy.lgzbCpf
8mxRThis city, settled on cold and proud cliffs, gave the feeling of being disconnected from the world.0VD
c3g“Still, the streets are better maintained than I thought. Clean enough for carriages to pass through.”xDU
zEqAs Vlad had said, although the cliffs imposed an inevitable slope, the streets were clearly paved.G4p
gD5QVAnd they weren’t just simple paths, but well-maintained roads hard to find anywhere else.pzNnr
nUsv36nVlad found the sensation of the rough stones under his shoes quite refreshing.ydvH
Bey“When I saw it from afar, I thought the road would be in bad condition because it was on a cliff.”hZqzxUq
FbD“But it’s still a duchy. If we just look at the size, it’s a much larger city than Sturma.”AjlO
sZq8The city of Bastopol wasn’t located in a place with good climate for people to live in, but it was also a secure city.igQM
4M4mFrom the most perfect era of dragons to the present era.eep2
hbVPgPThe northern city, said to have never been captured for hundreds of years, was a city worthy of prosperity as it had survived for so long.dWj
SVkqgo“But don’t you think making such well-built roads would make it easier for attack? Maybe there’s no longer a reason to locate in hard-to-reach places?”S522ab
4Ur“Really?”MbIz4a7
1ZRAuVlad had started thinking from a commander’s perspective, but Rutiger simply smiled quietly.F6eSBQq
pg1kLPb“Well, there was a time when I thought that too.”qyUx
xQFtTFSSometimes, experience is worth more than ten explanations.nSzW
yBdPbPRutiger, who knew this well from firsthand experience, didn’t bother explaining it to Vlad.TFSM
EoK“Raise the flag. We’ll soon reach the castle gate.”POD
8GzSkCAs they moved away from the winding cliff road, they could finally see the castle gate of Bastopol in the distance.JhIq9
1HoThey had been traveling for exactly three weeks since Soara.SKQB
h92SagXWhen they finally arrived, the Iron City, capital of the Forge, still shone and reflected sunlight, even from afar.J9B
MK8a“Hm?”nSrbUEx
vR5Q“Now you see.”EI92e
rAZSHowever, unlike when seen from a distance, there were things he could see as they approached.qeb
nIE0apXExamining the smooth and shiny surface of the castle wall, which didn’t seem to be made of stone, Vlad widened his eyes.ESNq
vqlHSk“Why is it called the Iron City? The answer is right there.”O2zOE8D
BHviOCSThe dark gray stones that Vlad vaguely thought were stones were actually not.IW5D
UkQvOpThey were entirely made of steel.k8pA
1E5Even looking up, the castle walls, which were difficult to see with the naked eye, were filled with steel.QTS
CQ4nOO“…What the hell is that?”wQYQav
0VRsTThe dark gray walls of the castle gleamed from afar.m4nUja
kZDUFNow that he knew the reason, Vlad simply stared at the walls of Bastopol without even thinking about raising his flag.dAQ2uJ
8Lv7The great steel city approaching beyond the bounds of common sense was leaving deep marks on Vlad’s world.1zlhSV
vdGXYx***XNPOhq
0L6“Finally, everyone has arrived.”NM6
qyYGiEThere was a man standing alone by the window, his back to him, slowly sipping his drink.AT0fQ7
hJ3cTimur, the Iron Lord, watched from afar as the procession approached his mansion beyond the castle gate and brought the glass to his lips.xGeaU
siCjqw“Fortunately, thanks to Baron Alicia, we will be able to organize the meeting.”Dlb40f
ha3zQI“That’s right, Duke.”IvkX
Ra3T4jJThe mage Fernand, who was also in the office, nodded at Timur’s words.v5xCJAY
ZS9UaThe Northern Council had long been composed of seven families, but it lost one of its ancient pillars due to the extinction of Baron Utman.ppEhkiC
vyHfHowever, it was clearly a happy thing for Timur, as Hainal filled the unpleasant vacant position at just the right time.4UZabD
Fcpz8k2“…Is the seal still active?”arh
fz84xIv“Yes, Duke. It’s getting worse as time goes by.”j5eJ
p3DgeCzHowever, there was a reason why Timur couldn’t easily smile now.4wR
CkilThe uncontrolled presence of dragon fragments, much more aggressive than during Lindworm’s call, was the reason.5bTYBmZ
yGm1xDmThis warning, like a signal, also indicated that the possibility of a dragon was intensely approaching the city at this moment.3s5zc
owCUQX“Blond hair and blue eyes… And the possibility of a dragon coming.”fLf
6YhDfTimur’s eyes, which had paused on his tinkling wine glass, suddenly began to look towards the procession that had arrived in front of the mansion.eE6n62
alhXEcfWhere his eyes landed, there was a blond knight reaching out to a woman with light blue hair.JTJrS
DOK“Well, if that’s the case, then I suppose I can understand what has happened so far.”sdI
ghtxyTimur, who had been silently observing Vlad, nodded as if he finally understood.sEl
j8y6There are no results without reason.IB9
xyovAfter only a few years of wielding the sword, he became a knight and used Aura.O9DfoA
nqoAnd the unique talent to draw his own world and overlay it onto reality was a talent Timur knew had never existed before.HBY2z
j7p6K“Get ready. I want to see it for myself.”oYpKEbI
lRZkp2Q“Understood.”fbaz
EVxHYCThe old mage silently bowed his head at Timur’s words and dispersed like smoke.Tj1
DIWxh3“…That tree was as dazzling as its color.”eVVd
zNN1EHowever, the tree he had seen in Moshiam was too beautiful to be simply classified as a residue of a fierce dragon.lm6
NpIThe golden glow still lingering in Timur’s eyes proved that if they had just painted it, it would never have come out.Lfc
KkJ“I hope not.”xS8x6
Sx9GThere was one last sip from the glass he held.UUa
cBwTimur raised his tinkling glass and looked at Vlad from a distance, frowning as if he were disappointed.UlFm6
kN1***6ZzsB8
QxNXQnThe group passed through the gates of Bastopol and arrived at the Smith’s mansion, now divided according to their respective banners.X3Xdo
PwAK8The seventh banner begins to rise slowly alongside the six banners waving over the mansion. High day.uE8osZ
GeR9EG0Now, at the moment when he had to move only under Hainal’s banner, not under Rutiger’s guidance, Vlad felt so many eyes on him and shuddered.Garj
Il7“Baron Hainal of Deirmar! Welcome to Bastopol!”3QB
Pq1asThe mansion door slowly opens with a hearty welcome.jbP16C
N3yTAvABeyond there was a wide garden path that seemed capable of accommodating several carriages moving at the same time.EDiV19
ztuvE[You can’t do it now.]29s
dz1“…”zGt6V
EToiCU[Ask yourself why you’re here, Vlad.]GE3L6
S1rZTwAnd as if they were waiting, even the knights lined up on either side of the well-kept path seemed ready.7Ne
PMQlCOn the surface, it looked like a crowd welcoming Alicia, but there was a sharpness among them that was hard to ignore.e25aFEY
foyaU“Lord Vlad?”kUs6f
qXy2lDuncan, the old knight holding Hainal’s banner in front of him, silently looked at Vlad.rId
8LGxD2His innocent appearance, as if he felt nothing.BvRHEu
h9lJSeveral of the young knights lined up didn’t bother to hide their mocking towards the old knight who couldn’t even feel his own world.jUguO
jm3[Anyone who wields a sword surely has a burning desire to win. So, pay no attention to their provocations.]TeFq
GbTLCVIf you wield a sword, you’re a swordsman.9xw
wGVSzIlHowever, if you have a duty beyond the sword you wield, you’re a knight.iFZq
EE14To fulfill his duty, Vlad tried to ignore the provocative glances and quietly knocked on the door of the carriage in which Alicia was traveling.fETWF
FvI9P2I“I’m here. Baron Alicia.”zLeqkr
kDoWPv3“It’s fine.”5CjBH
hRCIKNyWith Vlad’s signal, the carriage door began to silently open.RIu0
aDk0The knights’ eyes had been shining just a moment ago, but as soon as the carriage door opened, everyone around was instantly distracted by the watery shimmer that poured out as if melting.zrjf7
z7aP“Thank you for your hard work accompanying me here. Lord Vlad.”Adb8Q9
87gUw8“No problem, Baron.”Zgn
WiJBYaThose who are currently looking forward with great anticipation probably don’t know.Ckzwhe1
mzsBJqPerhaps those who were staring right now wouldn’t know. That even now, Alicia’s radiance, which couldn’t take her eyes off her, wasn’t shining with all its splendor due to the long journey.rGHYP
wKPI0g“So, could you pave the way for me one last time?”AAslrI
FnYJAt Alicia’s request to pave the way for her, Vlad quietly nodded.tawp
tOKxHe was under Hainal’s banner here, not on behalf of Aureo.ABD6I
3lMa4Y“I’m here to do it for you, Baroness.”2QKJfuv
PlYhjqXIt was Aureo who was invited, but at this point, I am Lady Alicia’s knight.IgXFZH
3PNUnder Hainal’s waving banner, Vlad reached out to Alicia.pxEj8O
r77SAa[You can do it now.]5cH1tp
THdKEHowever, it’s not enough to just be good.h5MxT
qRM9JvCTo pave the right way for Alicia as she hoped.yEFzp
NWgmp“…Ugh!”dafUGC
yOO5l“Mmm…”5HjFv3O
QCMZDuncan, holding Hainal’s banner, began to wonder when he saw the knights suddenly stagger.IiLN
qAQxHowever, if he had looked back even for a moment while he was very nervously raising the flag, he would have completely understood the current situation.1DH3V0
2fzB“Everyone bows.”bubxoe
EeUnex“It’s a show of respect to Hainal.”SIUua
KDSwKJd“I’m glad. I was worried we would be looked down upon.”QxSJgny
Yr7Xg4AAccording to ancient tradition, a knight spreads his cloak for a noble lady.mbFry2
gcPotIVlad, who had blocked any insults that could reach her through my cloak, now silently recalled his own world through his closed left eye.Nm55GE
EGg“Let’s go. Baron Alicia.”Z0fbyn9
4sbFollowing Vlad’s lead, Alicia began to walk slowly towards the Steel Smith’s mansion.EJ1
EP67The knights of the North nodded as she moved forward.XuSHn
jyDJ0nSeeing their hospitality, Alicia began to whisper quietly.7zAbj
4p6h“It was a good idea to ask you to come.”IfSXe
xzRplEAlthough there was no Hainal tree in this place at this moment, Alicia was still standing under it.yBPS5C
JHp6mThe color of the tree was golden.nh72j
kWc2It wasn’t particularly large, but clearly, it was a tree that would reach high.qZkK8R
54CJ***GNnd
so6e“Master Yahang! Master Yahang! Come and see this!”ydxYS9s
knXThe loud voice of a man began to echo across the island where only seagulls peacefully floated.FkbCp
SCe“Ah! If you’re inside, just say so!”WBO
CND9e“…I told you. Your voice, like a boiling pot, is killing me.”2Rj
jO6ELCThe elderly dwarf named Yahang looked disgustedly at Sigurd and his crew, who came running towards him, and shook his head disdainfully.nDoF9
q8b“I thought after a bit of fresh air, you might relax a bit, but it seems not.”pzwQnH
JcXP2uh“I’ve lived like this my whole life, what’s a few months? Anyway, take a look at this.”JONE
ufsTQSigurd, who had returned from his mission, should have informed the tribe chief first, but the first person he sought out was the elderly dwarf named Yahang.tfzT
AQ7“A furnace? Why this?”J7hqG
LRMBly0“It seems your eyes are also getting unpleasant with age.”P0B
csRAs if he no longer wanted to waste any more time, Sigurd hastily took off his glasses and handed them to the elderly dwarf.SbpM
oe0v“Look now. Can you see it?”HCUIU
cT4o“What good is an old blast furnace?”SUP0
JuUBRx0The old dwarf, seeing that Sigurd seemed even more impatient than usual, began to adjust his glasses by turning the screw on the side of the frame.GWj
kJXcoB—-!fxhFVzo
obpmqJ“Eh?”VWN
aDjjdSuddenly, he saw a small tail.uuLRg
GE5The old dwarf startled as he made eye contact with a small lizard hidden in an old blast furnace.xCVR
FraI“What… is this?”BdlMuqM
UVlS“Is it him? No, we’ve only seen it in books, never in person before…”SJ1l
PQiMEOf“What is this?!”8RJGvrQ
mJXUpon hearing the old dwarf’s sudden cry, the young lizard quickly hid inside the blast furnace.JM0
uJkfNThe tail kept moving, as if all it had to do was hide its head.uMH0K8l
N9vP“Where did you get this from!”y4KriK
7udnJpLAs Sigurd watched the old dwarf gradually lose composure, he became convinced he had brought the right thing.oyEyjlf
ABVmU“I guess it’s true. Salamander.”L63
N8utSigurd began to smile as he watched the old countryman shake hands with him.7Dd
ZdAMh8DLong ago, there was a dwarf furnace said to be able to melt anything.Dumi6
HYzCmqDHowever, the heat of the furnace did not come from burning something.ATM
A4bcIt was able to melt anything because it was born with heat.FLvVk9x
pHzUwl“But Master Yahang, before going to report to the chief, I have a question.”Zxs
c3KHSince confirmation had been completed, it was time to report.7JUdR
LcaTHowever, the old dwarf embracing the old furnace was already completely absorbed in the young lizard inside.1Dyp
jFmny“Well. Go on, you’re such a kind one.”zv7G
Y7se“…Perhaps you’ve made daggers for humans before? During your days as a slave in the west a long time ago.”oqB
WcYPpK“That’s right. That’s right. I won’t harm you.”Q4w1pC
eh4kLooking at Yahang babbling like he was his grandson, Sigurd scratched the back of his head.n8ot3
6WBy“When I was fixing it, although it was a bit worn out, I saw your seal, so I asked you… I’ll ask again later.”IpSQ6V
AltAs Sigurd took the furnace, ready to go see the chief, the old dwarf’s eyes began to darken.BuZR2H
VJN2J8k“Dagger…?”Sr0KsF
YEBIONaThe old dwarf began to recall a very ancient memory in response to Sigurd’s question, which had been in his ears, but only then entered his mind.0qhj
1hVFtF“…I once made some daggers for them.”bnZIB
mNorHe couldn’t answer because Sigurd was already walking away, but as Sigurd asked, the old dwarf had made some daggers for a human knight in the days when he served as a slave.UVQao
fQjAlthough he couldn’t make anything of quality due to his hurried escape, they were daggers with his seal.XXIYJ
dvKm73Engraved with the promise that if they ever returned, he would make them a proper one.NdqzI9
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