Chapter 218: Night of Peace, Holy Words (1)
wWj7It was a deep night when everyone was sleeping, but the sound of horse hooves echoed loudly across the plain.uUtyn4
JdlUnder the bright full moon, a horse advanced glidingly, followed by dozens of riders.2WVnfU
4iF0zVFrom afar, it seemed like a picturesque scene, but as one approached, the urgent shouts of men could be heard.Fwycq
ei9“Send the signal! Block their path!”yLcV
ZBHAt the center of the scene was a knight with a large shield on his back, giving orders.2K9HKCA
AHfMThe man, with a square and imposing jaw, had even thrown away the torch he was carrying, fiercely chasing the man ahead.8BQ
i47wZ“Now!”JMMb
189Wl4Following the man’s instructions, a fire arrow shot from behind.qHiO
V7dtThe red arrow, which revealed its presence even under the bright full moon, silently signaled the other knights waiting ahead.bpQEEEm
Xw8“Now! Charge!”tUS0Qu
zDvUFollowing the signal sent by the fire arrow, the hidden cavalry soldiers began to rush out from the edge of the hill.FbiST
j15PAlthough the situation was urgent, the disciplined and orderly formation clearly showed that they were elite soldiers of Arnstein.VLIoR
K8yWpv-······.XnzXH
qIKrPThe riders advanced without leaving any space, like a wave descending from the hill.8cm4E
6CVHowever, the man who was alone in front showed no reaction despite seeing the cavalry charging towards him.EnypL
QJ87j-Neigh.k2AR
3JXJxEnHe only stroked his horse’s neck.hq5WdL
2IKhKFeeling the rider’s touch, the horse’s eyes began to burn with a blue flame.OVS3AiK
8NNTz“It’s too fast!”853xW5h
NqH0“Damn it! At least change its direction!”hnEC
o2S4BgThe surprise attack was excellent, but the enemy was too fast.rbAA1eF
TMTThe Arnstein cavalry was accompanied by excellent warhorses, but the reality was that they couldn’t even keep up with a single horse.r05Ppzm
jZgnRn“…What kind of horse is that!”BHCBfX
uqhRsz3The cavalry commander who descended the hill gritted his teeth at the sight.9dRG
LX9nRThe speed was so fast it seemed like the horse barely touched the ground.MHlQkgt
xzAG0Even the experienced cavalry commander couldn’t help but be baffled by the sight, making him wonder if it was even touching the ground.fAQD
s6h“Somehow, at least change its course!”mRBWyl
kfiX22If they couldn’t catch up, they at least had to try to steer it.wGLLX
ti0“Fire!”o4DA1m
UwgThe cavalry commander, realizing that the tip of the sword wouldn’t reach, quickly ordered them to shoot arrows, but even that was already too late.pDPe9B
qE6FkwvSwoosh! Swoosh swoosh!X14W
1XaCSThe arrows rose so high they seemed to reach the clouds, but what they really pierced was only a shadow left by an unknown man.Z79s8Y
nkG0Hiiiii!lh9bPkx
0BTNejGThe mysterious man disappeared, leaving behind the sighs of the cavalry.xlbqmo3
ya41QyPablo, unable to follow him, stopped and pressed his lips together in frustration as he heard the distant neigh of the horse.PPJ2mhh
mXzyOsa***ysFoALP
LRV7Qi“The walls look bigger than Sturma’s.”IdItV
tace4wJ“A bit.”c5XCcY
tSlgZDSVlad placed his palm over his eyebrow and looked towards Valetta’s gates when he heard Nibelun’s words coming from his side.fKdUG
FihlAs they approached, Valetta’s walls seemed taller and taller.C6gFwm
32qWreUNibelung and Vlad, fascinated by the white walls they hadn’t seen in the north, turned their heads from side to side.aISUjr
GAV8Ffj‘…But it has a strange shape.’vj0Ze
fcDBValetta’s walls were not only solid but also had an elegant and refined shape.X8b
90KadWEach brick seemed to be in perfect balance.kI3YSqw
SPqt“After placing the bricks, they joined the joints with mortar. That’s why it has this elegant shape.”s7Z3ww
Kldn12Vlad nodded at Nibelun’s words beside him.6MtHbtf
7cHL2W6Indeed, as he said, Valetta’s walls were made entirely of small bricks, unlike Sturma’s walls, which were topped with large stones.IttXz8M
Vfl2He didn’t know how their durability compared, but it was certainly easier to give them the desired shape.oSxt
pbg“Stop! Identify yourselves!”yDjO
ubBH29QHowever, unlike the beautiful walls, the guards in front of them displayed a severe and cautious attitude.cUVLKf
M1KDoPSPerhaps due to the chaotic atmosphere of the central region, the guards’ attitude towards strangers was as sharp as the spears they wielded.TSK29PI
yx6us“I am Rodrigo of the Imperial Guard.”rbnXDc6
FbUKRodrigo, seeing their sharp demeanor, quickly began to step forward.ofwl
6lzI know nothing of Bayezid, but the position of the Imperial Guard in the central region is special.JsN5
YN9The guards, who already recognized Rodrigo’s face, seemed embarrassed and began to raise the spears they had lowered.UuGf7vM
uXj0“Welcome, Lord Rodrigo.”NxzA
QZHL7“Thank you. But I also want to ensure the safety of the people coming behind me…”WCXWW
RfbFK9Rodrigo, looking back, only intended to guarantee Vlad and Nibelun, but Vlad, who had sensed his intention, was already near Joseph’s carriage.tiRc
zE2KAlthough he wasn’t sure how effective the name of Bayezid would be in the central region, he thought it would be better to use the name of the Imperial Guard here.0O09T1L
BgnIKC“…To that carriage.”Y4YXvaN
ehYB“Understood, Lord Rodrigo.”1uS5F
tzbThe guard commander was puzzled when an unexpectedly large number of people arrived at once, but still, he couldn’t go against the prestige of the Imperial Guard.7HF32S
r4R4Fj“You’ve become very considerate.”MTQ3eWQ
3RaV03“I’m just here because there’s shade.”g37iK
YITyAHVlad scratched his chin while looking at Jager, who was laughing inside the carriage.8ivR1
XlExHe was trying to conceal his discomfort, but it was also an effort not to hurt Joseph’s pride.14BkA
iL2“…It will be fine for the Imperial Guard, but we ask the guests not to go out at night.”sSfYVu
MYuXHowever, the group’s entry was more difficult than expected.Ghm81
VZrThis was because when the Imperial Guard who preceded them passed through the castle gate, the guard commander secretly blocked the group’s path.tb77u
cClG“Why?”lPA
D75T5Was this another discrimination against northerners?GEPg0
DXmgIWhen Vlad, who had already experienced this before, put on a somber expression, the guard captain quickly began to speak as if that wasn’t the case.EgQBo
3h3“…Because cases of disappearances are frequent these days throughout the territory. So I hope there is no misunderstanding between us.”j8Q
WKA6m3“Disappearances?”zO97N
PjCKWDisappearances in such a fortified city.xMmuJ
9qzhVlad’s face hardened at the completely unexpected response.qGFJx
fEgnoDl“I can’t give more details.”YZARTZL
PlaBjeAlthough Bayezid was respected in the north, in the center, he was just a stranger.JYc5o78
rCqwoFurthermore, now that the structure had become more complicated due to the Northern Union, it would have been difficult to hear the internal circumstances of the territory.NBYef
3aEBcEX“Please, enter. Valetta welcomes you.”AeYVzA
OxNhYMWFrom afar, the city of Valetta seemed large and elegant, but upon entering, a sense of unease enveloped them.cNiFxOQ
rZ5rTw***iCy5
5szZN“Welcome to Valetta, Joseph of Bayezid.”m5P4cRR
gkzIt was a space filled with the smell of old books.QXZ
vLiIn a place that looked more like a library than an office, an old man observed the group.hplCF
fGNT6rb“…And Vlad of Soara.”GBlRF
HE6hWT9He was an elderly man who seemed more like a scholar than a lord governing a territory.iJrcC
EriI0lHowever, the reason why his appearance did not seem weak was probably due to the intense eyes visible behind his low glasses.HMlL
clssk9a“I regret not addressing you as Sir Vlad Aureo.”0WBzzXC
2FfUR“No problem, Count. Call me as you wish.”WmEXiZ
lwRD“As you know, the name Vlad of Soara is more familiar to me.”ugY
BDggCount Arnstein looked at Vlad and smiled as if he was happy to see him.Sx69
qGSEEAlthough they had never met, Count Arnstein and Vlad already had a relationship.8me
9oWBdThe name Vlad of Soara was an honor earned by the knight Pablo, so the Count’s gaze towards Vlad was filled with satisfaction.x4EK25
Pxyzf“The honor of my knight is my honor. It is a pleasure to see that proof.”YtuUXF
hKXEThe Count’s attention was more focused on Vlad than on Joseph standing before him.OLyP
nOWKgq8They may be the lords of the northern border area, but Count Arnstein, the leader of the central region, was someone who did not need to worry about Bayezid.t0mma6v
zZV“I feel the cold breeze of the north on your shoulders. What brings you to seek me from so far away?”uUTSH9v
ciIvUAlthough he was older, his bright eyes were already full of curiosity.CJrddaF
KJiL2yVlad looked him in the eyes and thought that the Count and Nibelun would get along well.dmM
w0Opan“It is an honor to meet you, Count. The reason for my visit is…”2Kh0
VXgan9Having been eliminated from the competition for leadership, Joseph was seeking support.LRtQ0uM
uktwPJoseph tried to capture attention by even mentioning the name of his mother’s family, the Oscar family, but the Count’s gaze on him had already turned cold.3ka4
2xRhSGMore than a look of disgust, it was a look indicating that his interest had waned.1rp
KBrTsX“…We will talk about that later.”5aGm
Xb1kqleAlthough it seemed to leave a possibility, it was a polite way of rejection in the language of the nobles.BF8lPEY
AX8XnuF“Do you also come with the same intention?”utVy
wfPLJoseph did not feel particularly disappointed by the Count’s gaze that passed by him, as if he had expected that to happen.JJyHs
RAl1VHe only looked at Vlad beside him and nodded as if telling him to hurry up and speak.JTxpWaJ
a7oB“…I have been following the dragon deaths, Count.”yJFN5M
PgbupFor Vlad, dealing with nobles was always difficult.MvQZ
FPVqqDEspecially in front of a great man like Count Arnstein.YVMHgY
POHB0ExHowever, Vlad did not seem to feel as much pressure as before, perhaps because Joseph was by his side.OfcI2T
4C7“And even the evil beings that accompany that death.”uPbDQ
9dK“…Oh.”NsVbaN1
orghVlad continued speaking as the Count wanted, and to achieve what he wanted, he chose only words that would arouse the greatest interest of the Count.VvoXQl
YAnL6vjAnd the Count’s cold eyes began to shine again, as if the choice was the right one.h6tOIJW
5rnn“I did not expect much, but you bring interesting news.”CJyRQ
QTz65Visitors from afar were always welcomed for the fresh news they brought.hI2SiY7
ZjOaw“Following sinister entities…”RC4jYb
G5z7And if the news the guest brought was related to something that had been bothering him, it would be perfect for the host.zcWfxP
Fniq76“Let’s talk about it during dinner.”zMKh
mHQQExVlad might not have known, but in the world of nobles, inviting them to dine together was the best greeting a host could give a guest.X8of
kMZz“But there is something I want to ask.”9fyk2b
xBw8“Tell me, Count.”ulwt2n
bsPNlkAnd the hidden meaning of inviting a guest to dinner was that the host wanted something special from him.B4GOn
vZ5x“I have heard that the horses from the north are excellent. Are yours like that?”3PFC
quK2Vlad was momentarily puzzled by the Count’s unexpected question.xXwnS
L68aFSAlthough the Count had a clear intention, to Vlad it was a question without context.PtWKh
Rjo6A“…Horses?”cVcCkNi
eAwmaHy“Yes, horses.”KW7lPV
ozK8vmNThe Count’s glasses gleamed white as he looked at Vlad.TVV
88CYb“I want to know if the horses you brought are as fast as they say.”lbzO
GWwk3Vlad of Soara, an honorable name given by his knight Pablo.XcP3A
sxwArbXThe Count expected that the northern knight, Vlad of Soara, not only brought good news but also a solution to the current problem.43z
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!