Chapter 190: Uninvited guests (1)
2k6GZAlthough completely surrounded by dark gray walls, the space was quite bright due to the light shining from the ceiling.hf9Ckz
K6TAlicia found it impressive to see the conference room decorated entirely with swords and shields, unlike the central style.FstNQ7
oi5zj14This was because she realized that the weapons, full of scratches and breaks, were not simply made for decoration.rqikILj
ib6“Thank you for your hard work to come this far, Baron Alicia.”4vKD
5BIVVFrom the other end of the conference room, the Iron Duke Timur looked at Alicia and smiled.oP401L
8Ml5wE“It must have been quite inconvenient to come here on this cold winter day.”5iIbkb
cQ6M2bkAlthough I arrived last, it is understandable since I came from the farthest.Gbm
kbvoCLRather, since it was Alicia who filled the empty seat left by Baron Utman, the six lords currently sitting were waiting for her eagerly.m8hJqd
olPo5lP“I hope you don’t feel uncomfortable in the place I’ve prepared.”NTtXo
jLLl“Thank you for your consideration, Duke.”IFJFbpc
lAiIf the other person has shown consideration, you must respond courteously.o1GXO
o335HoAlthough Alicia arrived as a lord, she quietly bowed her head to the duke, who was one of the only four in the empire.xIHeZYH
8Kh6s“So it seems that everyone who was supposed to gather is already here.”YWH7
E6yQ7 flags.TPnuwe
Idwm7 chairs.fpvwkG
sjZtAnd seven lords.fqc
zG9jkStAs Alicia took her seat, Timur smiled slightly as he looked at the now fully crowded conference room.SeMpRms
HF5“Then let’s start the meeting now.”OI05g
25YQFwFollowing the gesture of the steel ball hand indicating the start, the door of the conference room began to close slowly.OUdS
HOirneHCreak-xJl
TVSrQHoBlue snow particles drifting with the cold wind.Wu5
a605zF9Pure white lake ice that will not break even if you hit it with all your strength.YFYQ
1V1The intense cold of the North is not only tough but even surprising.ucG
YCzHowever, the wildness that does not succumb to the cold may be the identity of the northerners.OhzD3
ZuC6K9cAn identity that was so solid that it could not be diluted until the end.OiH
e7UX9Looking at the slowly closing door, the gaze of the Iron Duke became deeper.txobhhE
QvOX1iIt was for enduring the discrimination of the empire, as if it were a badge of honor, all for this moment.R3Ygu
Aav***bkbx1
UijDBT‘It’s magnificent.’pcJFb
DjEI’ve visited many mansions of noble families, but this was the first time I saw such a long and wide hallway.sQl7Ep
qULanVlad scratched his cheek as he looked into the distance at the door to the grand conference room.ZeV
sH8YJbe‘There doesn’t seem to be any way out.’3NrmN
S1rZ4One of Vlad’s old habits was to look around upon arriving in an unfamiliar place.tMX1At
G9IKYIt can be said that the instinct of the weak is to find a way to escape, but Vlad never forgot that he started from the mud.rivC
4OFrQ“From now on, we just have to stay here and watch.”0jHGI
Henvm“Yes.”qXu
nYdVlad turned his head to follow the voice coming from behind him.sLQIN
mUPAFGWhen he turned around, there were six knights waiting to escort the lords, along with Rutiger, who shrugged and smiled.8om4UI
QnQMOu“Of course, you’re more of a guest entering rather than being protected.”5HpBd
graVPIRutiger nodded and pretended to draw a line on the ground with his finger.SS37It
To9LeAs he said, there was a gap between Vlad and the guard knights who were now standing.MCr
1cuvVlad, who had safely escorted Alicia to the conference room, was now there not as a knight but as a guest.6zqzk
7hwrGf‘So all those are the lords’ closest confidants.’NVy
FBSB9Vlad heard Rutiger’s words and observed the faces of the knights standing beside him.kjQTNsn
LUqEConRutiger of Bayezid, Duncan of Hainal.WfeK5
oqoawAzAnd among the knights whose names he still didn’t know, someone who seemed familiar was looking at Vlad.Yte
p2Q7e“We can finally introduce ourselves properly, Lord Vlad.”qS2
qlNQT“I’m honored you remember me, Lord Valkov.”0fT
rSSlUThe man looking at Vlad among the knights was Valkov the Lancer, a knight of great renown in Baranov.SwVq
q7RtuAlthough he was young, some of the knights had their eyes wide open as if surprised when they saw Vlad shake hands with Valkov naturally.zoir
Lr5Bh“In Moshiam, we were both busy and didn’t have time to properly greet each other.”FfJ
LaOi“That’s right.”ZZG4
idh6aPAlthough he had passed through Moshiam, Valkov remembered the young dragon slayer running towards the fastest dragon.we8x5mL
af1NIThis is because the image of Vlad crying with his broken sword remained as a vivid image for Valkov that day.gH8Une
oBIwf“Congratulations on moving from squire to knight, and now to noble with a castle.”Mn586
xrzHZ9D“Thank you.”ADvM
G3VoAfter hearing Valkov’s greeting, Vlad felt his heart, which he had worked so hard to calm, begin to beat again.n5Y08U
AEa7uThis is because through his words, he could once again see the process he went through to end up here.fL6g
8WzEDe“I’m Ralph, knight of Maringen.”nZAW
FBa“Guillermo of Romnie.”4lSoFzc
mKN4F1R“I’m Ernst, from Podmills.”PPLPl
Ehr“I’m Karoy of Harquita. It’s a pleasure to meet someone so famous in person.”Hlw4
Kfw5xoWhen Valkov initiated conversation, the knights began to approach as if they had been waiting.1868
CUK7Some were heirs, others advisers, and others the closest to the lords.1JX
VRdRegardless of their ability, they were all names that any northerner would have heard of at some point.qjk
8w1FZ“I heard the rumor that you even visited the land of the elves.”YZicPN
iCY“That’s right.”zRuMgG
jMx“Are you married?”n3X
UQ49b“Not yet…”QD1VzPm
rM4“My father wants to talk to you.”UI1
eKCxC“I’ll make sure to make time.”7P5
A2n5VSome knights might have thought strangely when they saw Vlad suddenly appear.mVeo2
bDhRBkHowever, the knights here were all the closest to the lords and were people who had to think first about the benefits of the territory rather than envy or jealousy towards someone.kri
cElrR“…Even if one is in a position to pursue a greater good, curiosity about Vlad is inevitable.”uDrzP
nKGwc3yHowever, even if one is in a position to pursue a greater cause, curiosity about Vlad himself is something that cannot be avoided.3FVccqJ
EtYyVlad, looking into Guillermo’s fiery eyes, realized that everyone there had some expectation of him, although they were different.e9jibJv
v1yVLy“Lord Vlad, it’s time to prepare.”XM2iUoF
l8nY“Understood.”j5sm
5DsJ7c0Just as the conversation was becoming more intense, Vlad realized it was time to enter when the butler called him.tkihB0k
KRuCurrently, he is Lord Vlad with the knights, but when he enters the conference room, he must become Aureo.tOiY
axC“Do well and come back.”lkAtZoA
diBY8PYVlad looked at Rutiger, who smiled with his arms crossed, and nodded slightly.2l1TQo
UBaW“Yes.”GHsP
t1eHMAlthough his nervousness had not yet subsided as much as his heart was beating rapidly, he felt somewhat reassured by the fact that Rutiger was behind him.DDDx6E3
p0s7***YtEN
dJD“…It’s truly steel. Real steel.”adUZpe
SugZGXWhile Vlad waited to be summoned by the lords, his mage Nibelun was wandering around the city, satisfying his curiosity.vnLv4x9
it4OAp“But how can steel be made so easily?”pbpjJg4
RNtA beastman takes a magnifying glass from his backpack, clings to the castle wall like a cockroach, and talks to himself.iQml
KN5fRlThe guards narrowed their eyes at the suspicious appearance, but Nibelun didn’t seem to care much about what others might think.r0K8R4
9iqInKe“No matter how rich this area is in iron ore, I don’t think this mineral just appears on its own…”XNZTG
wNrHIt would be hard for anyone to get a mage who has been immersed in research for a long time to shift his attention elsewhere.YJ8J4D
AJVBqgTherefore, Nibelun, who had been focused for a long time, couldn’t even hear the voices of the people starting to murmur.RTzSXK
8WkyMX“Look there…!”gk2
x7849jY“Something in the sky…!”a87yyXz
h3fM0Jq“Is there a volcano nearby?”JzVz
UvUhOriginally, steel was made under heat and pressure strong enough to melt pig iron.jNxYSI
IfTHOIt’s necessary to burn all kinds of impurities in the heat of a furnace to produce steel of the current level, but it’s unlikely that this amount of steel could have been manufactured in a blacksmith’s shop.Ugd7WlO
tUREy“Eh?”hGHH7Wh
S4514“I told you to run! What are you doing now?”wulL0
DCU8GVNibelun, who had been focused on the castle wall for a while, suddenly felt his body being lifted.0QN7
Qmz5mThis was because the soldier who had been assigned as his guide urgently took him away.2nZAZ
Rui“Why?”70DTKy5
TUaefT3“Why do you think!?”z9XI
zabOlCsThe frustrated guard shouted, while Nibelun remained stunned.GsOi3r
32Wj“Look at the sky!”m45
eq8h0“The sky?”bTd
abSNibelun looked up at the sky with the magnifying glass he naturally held up at the guard’s shout, and soon spotted something there, causing his eyes to widen.Myo8v
12Si“…What is that?”CbrOTYy
mnuvGs9As the guard said, there was a shining silver dot far off towards Bastopol.RDlI
btoKbKmAt first, it looked like a dot, but the closer it got, the clearer it became.khF2R
pPbhIu“It’s an attack! Attack!”2Zbl
L4OUtrk“It’s coming from the sky! Everyone, raise your arrows!”xrYlFW
hoCBehind the soldiers beginning to string their bows, the cries of terrified people could be heard.Joil
bLMNibelun, heading to the mansion through the chaotic streets of Bastopol, finally recognized the identity of the attackers through the magnifying glass he held.qcSPD1h
Ot2shV1“Wyverns?”zn3UD
K2aUASAccording to a long-forgotten ancient legend, the walls of Bastopol were initially built with common iron ore.bdYVaac
nGnhHowever, the reason ordinary iron ore could turn into the solid steel it is today was because of the strong, hot breath of something that reached the castle walls.SKC1hVb
1UShXvW“The dragons are breathing fire!”RJw
9mo4y“Everyone, move aside!”cH5bs
RclsTThe purest breath of the dragon.ygQ0x
G8wSUIt is said that the dragon’s wrath, which wanted to leave only pure things behind, melted the walls of Bastopol into steel.bz1
54ZKVda“…Make way, Northern knights.”XGA
tcWxVBtThere was a man who descended to the ground with the dragon’s breath coming from the sky.suhY1
qUWU“I have come here now in obedience to the orders of His Majesty the Just Emperor.”J71y
O77UdHe has bright blonde hair and blue eyes.HTxWz
Zemy5wAnd he was a man who came with a dragon banner with the head of a decapitated dragon.osiXwuN
F0R“Inform the owner of this land that Mirshea of the Dragonslayer Knights has arrived.”5cfmjTo
VcwtbBNo matter how high it was hung, it couldn’t be higher than the sky.CEGFCQ
dUTTJBefore the flapping of the dragons born in the highest place, the seven flags hanging in Bastopol began to sway dangerously.oiwPge6
q9u***zG3b
gSpa‘I want to ask you something.’2IAO
RFkG[Ask.]OftWDNk
wnO7Vlad, standing in front of the door with the knights behind him, decided to ask a question that had been on his mind for a while.rs8cN
bxYIt was a question he had when he was still a child standing in the mud, before entering the world of high nobility.9GPR
BptH‘Why did it have to be me?’IgX
VUCHsNu[Hmm?]M0nm
Tn4‘Why did you come to me?’cz2
wjWJWhen Vlad was a child rolling in the alley mud, Kihano appeared with a black lightning bolt.kGN
ydmGAt first, he thought it was an unfortunate coincidence, but now that he knew who Kihano was, he understood that he wasn’t someone who just showed up by mere chance.tUz
87fnHWQ[…Why you?]hOmT6PF
CpY5yUKihano’s voice began to fade with Vlad’s question.qTz4
WDHuIf Vlad had closed his left eye at that moment, he would have seen Kihano gazing at the sunset under a bright red maple tree.RRnj1q
WzL5rM– Lord Vlad Aureo is entering!ThLeM6
2Xp[When I was looking down from the sky, I saw you.]q2ftUo
ifpThe doors of the conference room began to open with a loud sound.nXscx
Q0aNHR2One big door opens, and the door behind it opens.lXS2U3
5gMoOtHAs the doors blocking Vlad opened, the lords seated in the distance began to appear.YGdtm
8H6fyq[Of all the pieces scattered across the land, you were the brightest.]dAij
OKFdyJAfter hearing Kihano’s words, Vlad smiled slightly and began to walk.AnYs
PyyvyJAlthough born in the mud, he is now heading into the world of nobility.p9xGj
7Nd79However, for Vlad, Kihano’s approval within him was more valuable than that of the northern lords in front of him.AYFU8m
ViLBecause, no matter who is in the conference room at this moment, there was no one who shone brighter than Kihano within him.S7y9L4J
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!