Chapter 226: When I Get Up Again (2)
s8zThe darkness grew ever denser.vA64B7
4s2itfThe corridor, without a single torch, was so dark that nothing could be distinguished as one advanced. The blackness was such that it was difficult to see even the person right in front.8WTLsP
2uMWt7In that darkness, Joseph was like a blind man with open eyes.Mqq
vqE-Can’t you see anything?nI8
b5ObJ“…No.”nYV3W
VkZMEVAt Joseph’s words, saying he couldn’t see, a bluish flame arose in the darkness. Though its light was insufficient to illuminate the surroundings, it at least allowed a glimpse of the silhouette of the one holding it.WIho
DEmvN4-It seems you haven’t taken enough yet.rpgii
GN1GyA headless man, with an empty helmet in place of a head, approached Joseph.7VX
em3VtThe headless knight, who had kidnapped children in the lands of Arnstein, stared intently at Joseph with his cold blue flames.kWfwUxU
XafbD-Even though the smell is quite strong already.DKyPNq
16JJoseph couldn’t help but tense up seeing the headless knight sniffing as if checking something.kFX
UkCqJ“Wow, you have no face, but it seems you can still smell.”zg1h9
Nbz-It’s not a smell perceived by the nose.R1Y
GdMwAlthough he tried to stay calm, his trembling voice betrayed him.J44t
gUhzThe blue flames inside the headless knight’s helmet curved coldly.KZz
ORnPPs-The stench of death comes from the soul, not the body, Joseph of Bayezid.0dkjBkK
R9YThe smell of a decaying soul is even stronger than that of a rotting body.hBnNf7x
LyIxEAfter noticing that terrible odor in Joseph, the Headless Knight turned again and began to lead the way down the narrow corridor.BIIWLtL
HGeoc7-The tea that Lord Ramashtu gave you is a blessing, so make sure to drink it diligently. If you don’t want to truly die.XtvSL1z
gowmvQCreeeek-eRjR
2T314q9With those words, the darkness opened the door from the headless knight’s fingertips.sW3
34AxJnpWith those words, the headless knight opened a door in the darkness. It was a door that had been there, but that couldn’t be seen, and a cursed door from which one couldn’t escape on their own.XYVex7
li4p-Enter. They are waiting for you.zbmX
Fcgy“…”6cUvN
kcL0xEThe trace of the fallen saint, which no one in the church had been able to find because no living person could reach it.lh1RLF
3ZESuBut before Joseph, who was on the brink of death, that door was revealed. Joseph sighed deeply before entering.iUNr6
anG***UISwVeb
AKv“Has Lord Vlad already woken up?”64TNI2
PcFY“Yes, Count.”xmf3
aymjmThe Count’s sigh was as disordered as his messy study.zGltIBf
OEfPablo, bowing in respect, did not know how to console the Count.GwFYmv
V9WwMF“We welcomed guests from distant lands with such enthusiasm, and one is in a coma while the other wrecks our land before leaving.”b7NXpD
3ABeC2The Count’s back seemed downcast as he bent over the fireplace, complaining.sDAoS
f2cHmNIf Pablo had known that the logs the Count was throwing into the fire were remnants of his precious desk, he would have felt even more of the Count’s misery.0ENXr8N
dO80H9“It’s really worrisome that this has been happening since New Year.”vRU4K6
ZozBut what can I do?YkX
gCgyNSlThings have already happened, and there are many enemies targeting me, so I have no choice but to keep moving.HAt
BRWFvnaWith a hand filled with nostalgia, the Count pushed the desk remnants into the fire and, lifting the pen before a pile of stacked books, addressed Pablo.vgWCmMl
1YqnC“As the man named Sandor said, matters related to Joseph Bayezid can be left to the Northern Alliance. I hope they will do the same.”AFV
fQeLG“Yes. They would also prefer it that way.”HWeD
k1bX“Good. We’ll make sure to claim the reward later.”2k41AgT
Pyf18cyIt was a very delicate matter that the second son of Bayezid, a noble family from the north, had allied with an evil being.IrMnQx
LUCWFor nobles, honor is important, and the reputation that comes with it is like a guarantee, so it was an issue that Bayezid had to handle alone without any urgency.yo0krdP
26f9“Having roughly resolved the issues of our land, now we must focus on the matter of Vlad Aureo. Have you investigated as I asked?”Z1HJUn
W3t0vA2The Count’s eyes, as he looked at Pablo, regained strength.jSJ
2EcCount Arnstein, leader of the central region and head of the court faction, had already heard of the valor of a knight named Vlad through Rodrigo of the Imperial Guard.8gA
35FPP“Yes. I have investigated as you asked.”CAwW
UqsynioThough he did not share his lord’s blood, it was possible that he had inherited his will.MYV88
efwBJtRIt might seem like an unfounded claim, but the Court Prince wanted to confirm it, and now Count Arnstein, known as the eyes of the Court Prince, had to carry out the final phase of the investigation.TgHbRxe
My5j3mg“Lord Vlad’s advisor, Nibelun, is from the Burgund tribe of the south. According to the investigation, he is the son of one of the most influential clans among them.”rm0
tBY4To truly understand a person, the basics are to understand their environment.DUd
HAIMhQaThe Imperial Guard would have already confirmed things like the sword he wielded and his swordsmanship, so what the Count needed to verify was the extent of the bowl that the man named Vlad had.g7c
mWtSE“A Burgund tribe… They are a group of beastmen who still maintain their structure, aren’t they?”TXweF
I4gIy6“Yes. At the beginning of the Empire, they even managed to secure their own territories.”2nh
HzsDw2Unlike the Northern Alliance, which had difficulties expanding across the continent, Arnstein’s intelligence network had already reached the South.6i7d9zP
yyoFor them, investigating Nibelun’s origins wouldn’t have been too difficult.qBho5qV
C7uyfh“And moreover, he is from an influential clan.”laKog
zpHyvbW“He didn’t seem that way when I saw him, but he turns out to be of noble blood… And what else?”43KQ
7wHr“Before coming here, Lord Vlad was said to be in the Dwarven Liberation Front. And according to rumors, Captain Harven, a close ally of Lord Vlad, recently built a ship that moves without wind.”rBZLm
RUJ6HjD“Without wind?”qZH
gIjOyh“It seems he learned the skills of the dwarves.”Fao
ygRWhat goes unnoticed when one isn’t attentive can be seen when observed closely.KGrk2
Zu5Although it was thought that Vlad was just a promising knight, Count Arnstein began to notice a strange trend around him.SeKlRij
eAU“A strange ship. Continue.”uGL
5cZMxsUThe Count’s fingertips became busy as he listened to Pablo’s report.jD1
QWJNo matter how detailed the information, without the correct interpretation, it was useless.XS6B
WHBxHowever, even Count Arnstein, who tried to evaluate Vlad as objectively as possible for the Court Prince, had to pause for a moment at the content of Pablo’s report.iuE
812ig“With elves?”SKKXl7
I3c9Zua“Yes.”VVRfXH
1YUJ“And the Northern Pope personally granted him an indulgence?”Mhi
8de6Pwy“So it seems.”ali
tAT“And he was the one who cut the supply route of Absilon…?”A3s
uurEWk“At least, that’s the conclusion of the Imperial Guard.”oYTzHyZ
Jfn6ItRThe Count’s expression was filled with disbelief, but all the information he was hearing came from sources he had personally distributed.kPJHq
4S6ILb“…I was looking the other way for a while, and things like this happened in the north.”2JiSouN
xkvUThe reason why Count Arnstein had not been able to recognize Vlad’s identity until now might not have been simple ignorance.Ht9PQD
h89BMeanwhile, the Count had been working hard to understand the trends in the central region for his future survival and for the fierce internal struggle within the imperial family.PoX2
8aBHowever, in the northern country, which he had been ignoring for so long, a variable was gaining strength that even he would find difficult to ignore.eBW
R5b“…This doesn’t make sense.”CSL9
dJrnVZAfter thinking for a while, the Count crumpled the paper he was writing on and threw it into the fire beside him.nMr
cyYPablo, who had been observing the Count for a long time, was well aware that his current behavior, which was like a habit, was not something that arose easily.PWR
n3ppcBb“What do you think? You saw him in person.”yH8im
yc8SowCount Arnstein, rising from his creaking chair, walked to the window to look outside.or0PD
jruy“Vlad of Soara. Weren’t you the one who saw the beginning of his potential first?”2RIi
XOTNHaving finished analyzing the objective data, it was now time to hear subjective opinions.ch9
m29ZAnd now, next to the Count, there was a knight who could clearly express that opinion.4U1uAM
PNllutl“…I expected nothing, but his light was very welcome.”2U0Y
u5V9DPablo of Arnstein.3n40
3pVA knight who preached the rules of the sword master to Vlad, who was just an alley boy.6ZkSET
WdMWwRPablo touched the shield he always carried and opened his mouth.hjqciJR
cbfG“A light that did not shame me to draw my shield.”j0BgQr
j2Y“Really?”0EEos
9WIT1A slight smile began to appear on the Count’s face after hearing Pablo’s response.6xPp
uBD1KdTA point, which was just a slight possibility, suddenly turned into a line, drawing a picture before his eyes.cYU
yHfYw“Prepare a magical telegram. I will inform the Court Prince directly.”m9BnNm
3Sv9Although his mansion looked wrecked under the sunlight, the Count showed no discontent.e7c
IHUCConsidering what he had gained, he felt the cost had been worth it.7Dcp0D
aFc1uB***SAK
SIuCYSFAt night, when everyone slept, a shadow moved through the Arnstein mansion.1brJp
SYXUIt was a very slow movement, but each step of the finger was a sharp motion, and every exhaled breath was filled with the fine sound that only a well-trained person can exhale.Wimij8
Esli“…”hzvyWPj
Xc4pde7A shadow traverses the corridors, passing by the rooms of the sleeping servants, avoiding the gazes of the guards, and reaching its target.jxu
VItnClick-Nmci
NSm6EThe shadow, carefully muffling even the noise of the hinges, silently entered a room bathed in moonlight.xb9
3BI1sqdThump!yr13mu
ulx“…It’s a piece.”bHUgV
IeI7KA sword was visible to his eyes.WBU
Et6OlAlthough it was wrapped in a silvery wave, his pounding heart confirmed that it was, without a doubt, a dragon piece.STaHmWa
Xu8“That’s it. That’s all I need.”dUVIs
N0VCELHis fingers were pale and wrinkled from blood loss.BHA
QsQ7JqoHowever, the desire in his fingers burned intensely, and the aged Radu Dragulia displayed a burning thirst for the dragon-slaying sword now visible in front of him.Q5KUiuv
RzC2jJeOne step, one step.eI8db
jJFEach step toward it quickened his heart. Even though his father had robbed him of all chances, with that, he could become a dragon again.INeE
e0BliKB“What are you doing?”uO7lI
5IfyG“…!”jj5Erdb
8waYZ0But, no matter how anxious his soul was, he could not ignore the voice coming from his side.JYT
tuIWThe blue eyes looking at him at that moment were exactly like his father’s, whom he feared so much.P9J
8tlT“There was a man named Burleigh, who always touched my things.”Rpepg
yvCHyThe moonlight shining through the window glistened against the blonde hair that slowly rose.QKwkTb1
kSbIRadu trembled as Vlad’s shadow grew larger with each step, and he simply walked across the floor toward the door through which he had entered.Ghuh3mj
pXS8D“That person used to touch my things like this. So, do you know what I did?”sn2iL
vO5IVStep by step.3uWC
gkGwThvAnd Radu, born as a dragon, couldn’t help but feel how big Vlad was in front of him.fZU
fcrw“Va-Vlad Aureo.”tW6W7
H2bA man standing alone in a mansion where everyone slept.PrtEiA
IOC5The name of the man standing with his back to the moonlight was Vlad Aureo, as Radu had just recited.v5ce
Hdia“I always ended up stabbing him. Kleptomania is only cured by death.”9mh9
B1XKwaaang-!s64kxb0
aRaIn the quiet early morning, there was a sound that woke everyone in the mansion.12ODH23
C6nAThe sound was loud enough to scare even the sleeping servants and guards.GnfENYH
njS“What the hell are you doing, you damn thief? Stop touching what isn’t yours!”rs6QvA
Om5SX“Let me go, let me go…!”GOahR
iHMbhqNibelun and Pedro, who were in the adjacent room, also jumped at the loud noise.vZlNpd
fFiZJrNibelun, recognizing Vlad in the hallway he ran through, raised his hand in greeting, but Pedro, who had worked harder, was only shocked to see Radu rolling on the ground.Eoo
NDmpVb“Idiot! He’s the witness we worked so hard to get, and you’re beating him up!”32q2
UH7“Let me go! I’m going to cure that disease of his right now!”240
zN90Bm“Damn lunatic! Why are you doing this as soon as you wake up?”FoK
K9jHH85Woooooong-9zeHo
0ghIBVlad’s sword wailed in an empty room.S0mI
xIFX120Looking at the two dragons rolling miserably outside.3zu8X13
IXfmupHowever, the reason why the sound was filled with joy was probably because its owner had finally woken from his slumber.jnR
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