Chapter 222: Bright Starry Night (1)
OaRvTIgIt was a bright night without any visible clouds, and the floating stars shone.jeuw3
QsvhTimur, the Iron Lord, watched the fire burning in front of him as he sat on the carpet of accumulated white snow.I7H5y3
XXKYcAIt had been a long time since he had spent the night outside the steel walls, and even longer since he had last met the man who was laughing in front of him.jyt9
cqvpH“When did you lose your tooth? Did someone hit you?”5vKGMm9
KUiGZS“Yes, I got hit. By time, no less.”WQS
3ioHis smile was comical, perhaps due to the missing front teeth, but the old man currently warming by the campfire in front of the steel ball was once a Baranov knight who left a glorious name.KRbXz7
Ihn7Y5dOver time, he put down his sword and retired, but the reason he couldn’t help but be happy was probably due to the memories he had with the old man for so long.bflW
n3KCE6P“Then I suggest you don’t drink so much.”BP1
4exD“Ah, the old days. When I was young, I could drink an entire barrel and be perfectly fine the next day.”yKWQ
4WMThe old man, reminiscing about the past years, turned his head and looked at the house covered in white snow.kay
MHRIHMost of the houses around were made of logs, but the house the old man was looking at now was a large, spacious brick house built with great effort.AUpU
c1m“But after all these years, I got my own mansion, so I don’t think it was a meaningless life.”zze80
bXrHXND“Yes?”Zf3z
3wY4LTimur looked at his former subordinate lamenting the passage of time and took a sip from the bottle of alcohol he was holding.eBsTlw
r2YThe mansion the old man spoke of was given directly by Timur and was an honorable gift to reward his lifelong loyalty.fhe1z3v
yRguL“Anyway, I heard you’re planning to fight the central guys now?”efjiA
yMoBt“I have to. They say they’re going to come crawling, so what can I do?”T7PH
bBi220“Wow. It feels like my heart is racing after hearing a war story for the first time in a long time.”Jjop
5NW49The old man opened his mouth as if he were happy, holding the bottle of expensive liquor that Timur had personally given him.53Q8oQ
8fufHowever, Timur only had a bitter smile on his face as he watched the old man get more excited.HMb
rb7wa“You must be very busy. Even in the midst of all this, you didn’t forget me and came to visit…”sT5G
puQO7P“How could I forget you?”pLL
q2UmTimur drank the alcohol he was holding.fkzor
v35OTimur’s head was slightly tilted, as if he were exhausted, but his eyes shone as if he had decided something.Pxk8PqK
6E1vR9i“Of course, I won’t forget you, my loyal knight.”b5n
iE6s“What?”44cYEnZ
MIIcChing!IiT
v5tJX4TThe campfire flames reflected on the sword.4UT
tDgsslJThe old man was surprised when he saw Timur suddenly draw his sword and didn’t know what to do with his wide-open eyes.b4471dC
pCxv“I even brought an antidote just in case, but it was completely useless.”AquG1
2mC“Lord Timur.”w8E
IeYIdJ“In fact, what you drank wasn’t alcohol, but poison.”gOCSoP
ejoUDgTA loyal knight who had been with me all my life.TuppK3
xu3SAK0But the person in front of me now is just a cowardly fugitive trying to escape death.Udk6lm6
DwjIt was a potent poison that could kill even a large horse, but Timur silently raised his sword when he saw the old man drinking it without hesitation.TqyIt6
RvzrJs“…Please don’t leave. Remain as my knight until the end.”DCnXZK
z1GLPerhaps this is my last retirement gift for you.n2gV5hk
3zrmWNFor his subordinate who abandoned his beliefs, Timur restored the honor he had lost without saying a word.3Hgc
vBjSwish-!Tj32
zL1A round face floated above the sad, outstretched sword.STcx
0VZThe old man’s face appeared in the cloudless night sky, gazing at the full moon above, and then slowly began to fall towards his lord.qkhiq8
yOp“…Make sure the grave is deep. So no one finds it.”V942p
4iJCE“Yes, Duke.”oDS3
tqvqTo prepare for a great war, you must first ensure the ground you stand on.f66y
yqswluTimur felt relieved that the preparations weren’t too late, but he was also saddened.dfU9KLA
Z79“…”wQ7M
jBHTimur crossed a name off the paper he was holding and watched as the campfire slowly died out.BbCv3L5
BiDGTimur threw an old memory into the still-burning fire and took a sip of the last drink remaining.dRUc
elC***ftq
uBnqdn‘Don’t trust Joseph Bayezid too much.’UcNd2
4yS3GR‘The Vatican targeted him for a good reason.’9um56Bn
LomhP3“…”nLpL
xt4FThere was a man sitting alone, with his back to the moonlight streaming through the window.3ggiI
6fD3x2The blonde hair reflected in the blue moonlight now looked quite attractive, but he didn’t seem to have time to enjoy it.VvdQqLa
gql“What could he gain from this?”akOLS
BmFEnVlad, pondering Rodrigo’s last words, was having difficulty understanding what he really meant.8Z4i5
xibfZ“Is this a strategy to undermine the north?”qXPqr
L0GizvThe senior knight of the Imperial Guard tried to plant a seed of doubt in Vlad’s heart, but that seed had already withered away without a trace.27OtN
x0L0YZ5That was because Vlad’s trust in Joseph was strong.TWnw
YbmIt made more sense to suspect Rodrigo than Joseph, who was his lord and benefactor and helped him become who he is today.eymP
qT02WKnock, knock.qkrAhDJ
WPW3“…!”bbZL
I38But is it because I am in too much trouble?tlfyhAa
vPiaIt was already too late for Vlad to notice the black shadow tapping on the window.uyjcJQ
7lKThe shadow that silently approached without anyone noticing was so stealthy that even Vlad’s keen hearing couldn’t detect it, and it was skilled enough to deceive even the sense of atmosphere he had extended.hpu9
AS7M4oU“The night wind is cold. Can you open the window?”Af91c
02OpN“Marcus?”GN6eHK
o5fQoSince the window was wide, it seemed there was space to step through.Yb9
tLIVlad couldn’t hide his surprise seeing him in such an unexpected place.cAzbc
DeqMH3z“No, how are you here…”JbRla2
szRyPc2“I have something important to tell you.”pg9
4hWBayezid’s crow, Marcus, climbed through the window as if nothing had happened and sat in front of the guest table.VzN4JK
FJdSeeing him take the hot teapot and pour it was so comforting that Vlad was left speechless.k6nL
ZvJ“By the way, you still call me Marcus.”mh0JXo
55MwTj3“Did you change your name again?”AGczJ6
jTt1“I’m called Sandor now.”vepyZ
eub3rFrom intruder to guest.2CJHEQ6
SQ4xZKThe man, whose face was covered in scars making his original appearance unrecognizable, drank the tea he had poured and silently handed a letter to Vlad.i2hg
4m0“What is that?”QCGiup
KMamE8L“This is a letter sent to you by the Northern Orthodox Church. To be exact, it was sent by Lord Gunther, the second leader of the Northern Orthodox Church.”JesrZk
lh88MDrA Holy Knight who faced the Black Woman together in Moshiam, a place filled with mist.89be23
9mux5Vlad, recalling Gunther’s appearance, quickly took the letter Marcus handed him.xAnzK
FjgWaV“Where have I seen this document?”RxQ2akc
dKKVY“It’s an indulgence.”G2BvX
ymBThe envelope contained several sheets of paper.j1vr
SyTz9AOne of them was a letter written by Gunther himself, but the attached papers were nothing more than documents filled with a rigid format.nB3Q6I
OAmmCZ“As expected, you recognized it immediately.”66bXNrd
CbBQ“Why are you giving me this?”kbpPBMp
G1GOthers coveted it, but for Vlad, it only brought back bad memories.t1uI75
XpmdMoreover, unlike the secular Vatican, the Northern Orthodox Church did not grant indulgences easily, but it was natural for Vlad, who accepted them, to feel bewildered.dLeq3p
HyfOz0f“It’s already signed by the Pope himself.”xP7A3Bw
FKww“Then, why…?”EesLfi
HCy1vU“The Northern Church wants you to kill someone.”AYAJAkk
2SkGoZAn indulgence written by the Commander of the Northern Orthodox Church Knights, signed by the noble Pope, and delivered by Bayezid’s hidden sword.MUzepZ
BLnVlad swallowed hard, sensing that the sin being compensated through this indulgence would not be light.D8Q6W
NsL“Who do they want me to kill?”bOHu
FtoBLFeeling a sinister premonition, Vlad stared at Marcus’s face, but the man’s disfigured face showed not the slightest expression.3YNgt
5vqCp“To Joseph Bayezid.”mAg5cN
m4lkThe sound of the teacup Marcus was holding falling echoed.rFZ3R
gaPafAlong with the sound of Vlad’s heart pounding.cN0AJ
bcma5o“They want you to eliminate the northern stain that has made a pact with malevolent entities.”gc1sXuA
7FwVlad’s hands trembled at the familiar sound he heard.NutMi1
e9NUxJoseph Bayezid.HLyU
fzDThe name uttered by the sinister crow was the first name that recognized me in this world and was also at the core of what constituted Vlad’s world.akeOhX9
lzXIkK“Because in the land…”TLfV4hD
iVLzsSvBoom!vci7U3
maqef1Vlad wanted to ask the reason for this incomprehensible situation, but his entire body was shaken by the loud noise he soon heard.bse
Sjx“…Seems I arrived a bit late.”AcpNrJ
N2FV-It’s an attack! The enemy has invaded!KEOoLO
08FZ-They have assaulted the underground prison!KuF9UH
u21Dense smoke visible from outside.sJnzB4
NNjLb1And even the rough shouts of soldiers rising among the smoke.RQ7L
OLbVEDHA sudden roar shook his vision, but Vlad quickly looked through the broken window.mhqT
cGE6Cl7[Manifest your aura, Vlad. He is watching you.]Sse1
79atMHowever, as Kihano said, there were eyes watching Vlad outside.4hc
wyYprThe man standing in the distant bell tower had all his colors faded, but the pressure he exerted was greater than any of the knights.719Gzsg
ZUUksI“…Frausen.”gdvg9
a7RAdFThud-! Thud-! Thud-!Dye9MB
QDUhiE8Vlad’s heart pounded heavily.a408jMH
DPpThe world that had supported me all this time trembled with strong vibrations, but the sword that cried shone intensely, telling me that I had to deal with the person in front of me.yS8d
sESgpWk***OYi
yjt-Stop them!kqyDP
Qj4QE-Damn them!0IIp3
RVxS7pS“What a noisy entrance.”95XPTo
6PZieJust a moment ago, it was a prison where light couldn’t enter, but now it has become such a wide space that you can even see the sky.wFdNDM
3YDB3Jager, who was descending the half-collapsed stairs, knocked down the guards blocking his path and signaled to Joseph behind him.xGCHCW
fKZbZj“Come on, Lord Joseph.”441
JunJ“…You don’t have to do this.”ohQQT
8FZW3At Joseph’s words, Jager brushed the stone dust off his eye patch and immediately began shaking his head silently.nMqHOb1
8rbj“Don’t worry about me. If it weren’t for Lady Oksana, I would have been dead a long time ago.”zbuXEj
MvyuI dedicate my sword to those who recognized me.nu2tB
y0sThe One-Eyed Knight, who had followed Lady Oksana from the Oscar family to Bayezid, knew it was now his turn to sacrifice his honor for her son.ERLRy
GKN9wp0“Please, do what you want and what you have to do. I hope Lord Joseph will.”yzzED
vGp“…”Br9Pw
5vMO77From the first time he saw him, he was a stubborn knight.Shyax
YaVJoseph knew that Jager wouldn’t budge with vain persuasion, so he hurriedly descended the stairs to do what he had set out to do.WN0dU
Gfolb“Shortness of breath is a relief. Is this how people normally live?”fQUl
Hsr2hPIt was cold, the path downward was difficult, and black swords were still flying everywhere, but Joseph’s body didn’t flinch in the slightest.VDQR
Js6qMFeeling a sense of liberation, Joseph hurriedly ran to the deepest part of the dungeon.aviIxoc
AOaahJoseph’s racing heart had always been overwhelming, but today he was quite happy.EOpiSA
33jNDS6-Is it you…acKi
eLr“I came here because Ramashtu sent me.”eBB
D0ErvyIn the deepest part of Arnstein’s dungeon, there was a headless knight floating in chains.hYHN7w
KwRIt was a chain with a piece of paper with sacred verses written on it tied to each place.DSazvrE
mxvxV7NClang!ZmXvO
IdXWith a single blow, Jager broke the lock.Expyi
RAkY5QJager’s world became clearer than ever and seemed to show how determined he was.OIKjO
T3qTe“I will get you out of here.”m6J3h
f0sUaXmWhat was poison to the dead did not affect the living. Under the light of a star, Joseph reached out to the sinister entity.Ym6hZ59
iYHbR“…The sky is clear today.”BJ3IpF
iqFpWEven if my true self is rough and ugly, I still want to shine.yXV
6j0uThough his true form was coarse and weak, he still wanted to shine.44ejZKI
V14So Joseph decided to do this.XHumU
YnXzCBEven if lying in a place where no one could see, my burning flame from now on would be as bright as the stars above.4e41TUr
8HTw9FnSss!WY7ZpXs
QAiLEverything in life depends on my choices.uz7eEe
lN8JybThough he had no control over his birth, Joseph decided that his death would be in the way he chose.IdknG0
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