Chapter 25: Because I didn’t surrender (2)
STUJdIn the silent dining hall, Goethe stared at Vlad, unsure of what to do.1i3F
w2O7“Captain.”P6B6AB
6zS9LfnSimultaneously, countless glances in the dining hall began to turn toward where Vlad was sitting, filled with various forms of disdain.E1myXj
VdFhEveryone was expecting something.WDx
wtG“…”b4xCi9
BponFAA yellowish mass floated on top of the soup Vlad was eating.bPFOW
6OSpdRIt was a piece of someone’s saliva.bXmwIRU
71WbN98“Sorry. I thought this was a trash bin because it smelled like garbage.”gVo
NdvGVs9“Hahaha!”ucPf8Px
5ZCThree squires standing behind Vlad burst into laughter.Icz
3fRuSooner than he thought.3cN
2mQhVlad wasn’t angry with the squires for making fun of him.UKLDAvW
91XHe simply nodded, knowing what was coming.7WeTp3v
WizHe expected this to happen someday.IyeF
7WiMHouse Bayezid was a prestigious family, even in the North.sn3RO
fXZ2yyJEven a brief stay in such a place was a significant step in one’s career, and each of the squires here now came from a good family.0pl
y6sXNaturally, there would be a reaction to the arrival of an unwelcome guest in a place that was home to a series of masters who, while not nobles, were still quite valuable.jWjaV0
s8yOVg5It had happened before in the garrison, so Vlad decided to endure it for now.Dmddbij
Sk3x0iC‘I’m used to it.’Ac1pG5W
4dSScorn, disdain, and ignominy were always familiar to him.ozpRciV
PV8nPRQOf course, familiarity didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, but Vlad decided to let it go this time.vwHKCPQ
CHrSo, silently, he picked up his spoon.CwxDd2
4w5rTR“Captain…”3KZLlXr
VLCNYnHHe picked up the spit floating in the soup and spread it on the floor.zOdWYw
h5CSThen, as if nothing happened, he picked up the spoon again and started eating the soup.4fiGV
L5RYp“…”6G7
0uui“…”fqPC
zY2The dining hall squires chuckled at the planned harassment, but they all stopped laughing at the determined look Vlad had just directed at them.flyGdQ
GLEzAA strange silence fell.QfJxj1L
sZJt“What the hell, this guy.”KAHAZr
jcAE6aqNone of the newcomers had behaved like this.ZAYix
oR7Angry, scared, or just smiling.nd1NT
IWn7XFBut this alley guy was acting beyond their expectations.BHXRuY
fVPUgv“…”zMeg
7SSHsIn the involuntary silence of the restaurant, Vlad thought of Jager’s words.Bg2jlX
elTf“Be careful about what you do from now on; everything is directly related to Mr. Joseph’s reputation.”j1ojJBT
U6fKnowing Vlad’s temperament, Jager had warned him to be careful about his behavior.fuy
x4aX‘They’ve given me something, so I’ll have to endure it.’2SlwHNh
HbRhlh9Vlad knew he had been given a golden opportunity.M86
SYuKQSo, if he could, he would stay quiet for the sake of Joseph’s dignity.ppd
taS0QH“What should I do?”PdLhnvu
AvMZI7He couldn’t help but think of the ugliness that lurked from the streets.pLd6O
Cp8Vf2hThat’s why, even though he was deliberately passing the soup, something spontaneously sprang up.mdfqMqe
GR4xBlue eyes that made Vlad recognizable even in the wildest streets.ChnC3O
o9CVzjThose eyes burned.bZABuW
VgcM“Arrogant bastard.”SwWnFAU
XqWOWhen things didn’t go as he wanted, the squire growled and approached Vlad.nBa
Mt5“I’ll see you later. I’m going to beat you up.”rMuy
jeV“What’s your name?”G8Aew
4gEZHe had intended to intimidate him with his bravado, but the boy was reacting in a way he hadn’t anticipated.EFMt7
0UIh“What?”l9LG
E1llpGJVlad slowly turned his head, his voice hoarse.rpoYO
hJPc“What’s your name?”FUHt
7fbConfronted with the boy’s burning blue eyes, the squire felt his surroundings darken for a moment.7VbCWC
I9nnThere was a look in those eyes that was even more intimidating than that of the knight he now served.3l1nD
dOml“I-I’m called Sovanin.”7mT
pXGvSovanin stammered, unable to speak.O2O3aD
ddLThe impulse was there.kQEcTcR
M8J“Sovanin.”R8RP0q
1sYQVlad chewed his soup, silently repeating Sovanin’s name.pqxg
npaOA dog about to bite doesn’t bark.RjKW
6XKWEThose who wish to kill don’t get angry.QTZji9V
6QI“I’ll remember that.”7N4XYnL
7h19WHe stared, silently.Yxc
N469xBUFinally, Vlad finished his meal and stood up with an empty plate.deK
3ti“I’m looking forward to the ceremony.”8cWhK
1g4z6gSovanin heard Vlad’s voice as he passed, realizing that something was wrong.Zo3mML4
3v5“Hey, who does this street rat think he is?”cbUv
q57NHe spat out the sharp words, intending to see his pride crumble to the end, but Vlad simply returned the plate to him and left the dining hall in silence.uj7QFt
eiitoEven when Goethe persuaded him with a look and followed him out, an eerie silence fell in the dining hall.XasA
bewQ9k7***i7IG4k7
5r2“Captain, are you okay?”9FzAW4k
IJFTB0“I don’t feel well.”WlfCys
jpdbD0“What are we going to do now? I asked the servants, and it seems that Sovanin is the leader among the vassals.”a1wZW
u0tiOHT“He is the leader?”TunUq
tAJ7WEVlad asked, and Goethe vigorously shook his head.giq
oY24c“Alright.”zXVsMk
vCz“Be careful.”9Pu
d14tlSquire and servant.T2eA53
7XPAs they parted, Vlad gestured to Goethe with his hand, then headed in the direction he was going.lLz
SpFt“I’m a bastard.”Y52z
G3o0MXEven in the restaurant, with dozens of people around, Vlad was as carefree as if he were eating at home.HKvC
6B8“That’s why I’m sure I’ve been hearing ghosts and such.”oi5
RrLMaybe it’s a natural reaction.bYPWm
h3H57aHe had seen things too terrifying to be seen, so what is a small threat from his peers?8kqS6R
1WF“That’s why you have to play in big places.”uTP1
gRPzB8gWhen Vlad’s figure disappeared at the other end of the hallway, Goethe followed him.pzed5dP
O5qqu89There would be no need to worry.dthRTk8
R4THe is not one to stop in a place like this.39N
9r0bUpon separating from Goethe, Vlad headed to the training ground where Jager would be, following the established routine.1wn
5RY“Is everything alright?”f0QU
3EbDZE“Yes.”ClWVcPR
zYte1T“Then take your sword.”okJs
NizTAfter lunch, there was a brief sparring session with Jager.4PdHHP
NwHPdIt was not uncommon for a knight to train his squire every day.buLo
X2vWUnless the squire in charge was the son of a noble family or their parents were generous with money.xEzDd
9s0xVqy“But I have a question.”l9So1
2Z0MQD“Tell me.”YG5wqoQ
xADmy1oVlad snorted and turned to Jager.fdsUaHw
6ChmlFY“If I’m surrounded by a bunch of people, what do I do then?”d8h
wUACJzD“Run.”pYr
RLzREZp“If I can’t run.”Cav
IsygcN“How well armed is your opponent?”n2WDA
q5TqliOVlad asked, looking around the training ground at Jager’s question.YyNkJDk
lmDWsw“Wooden swords, perhaps, with some guys with small shields mixed in.”XD9Za9E
F0M“Really?”1imc
D4FiZ8qJager’s eyes narrowed, as if he had noticed something in Vlad’s response.oLZAeQN
XubXnJn“Well, your sword skills are certainly not suitable for combat among several people.”BFucC
6lPKRol“If?”APZ
7dwX4Vlad’s eyes narrowed at this unfamiliar assessment of his sword skills.YBrP
5mEoOVzLooking at him, Jager drew a line on the ground with his wooden sword and spoke quietly.uqt
lTHl“You’ve learned without knowing what type of swordsmanship your master uses.”ziln9c
l3rvYLD“The man teaching me… I don’t even know who he is.”WTc
WTHAfter a moment of internal grumbling, Vlad replied.RqVYfCd
d4b“I don’t know,” he said, “because honestly, if someone is going to teach me something, I’ll have to be grateful.”faKfZd
0Ec5r“I suppose.”0PjK1ZD
wKcjBPDrawing a long line on the ground in the shape of a cross, Jager wielded his wooden sword, brushing away the sand that had scattered on it.YvNt9Eb
2mkd3M5“Your master was probably a duelist. Your sword skill is specialized in individual combat, not in battles among several people.”sTx9Ks
AIlBZW[Oh!]8lw
nRqlaXThe voice exclaimed excitedly, having gained a clue about himself from an unexpected place.OJ82Zvh
dwL[Ask him more!]4c3sv6O
MqQ“A duelist?”DzoKVm
4bW1ZIVlad seemed excited for some reason, and Jager, wondering if this boy liked this kind of thing, decided to explain a bit more.Kuqp1
yWTB“Not all knights are the same. There are house knights, like me, and there are wandering knights, who roam the land with nothing but a knight’s title. Duelists are a type of wandering knight.”cax
XuoJager tilted his head toward Vlad.VYto
5eR“A duelist is a knight who fights as a proxy, usually in an honorable duel. Do you have more questions?”vTT
yhR6GP“So, are any of the duelists famous? Or someone who used to be famous but is now unheard of?”z4TMK
wPaJager looked at Vlad’s bright eyes and thought he should end it here.Krn7n
SGsL5The boy’s curiosity was unlimited, but his time today was limited.whDjZZB
HCP“One lesson a day. Do you want me to teach you about famous duelists, or the basics of combat among several people?”nJq9Otv
WDu9yg[Famous duelists!]qzaAN2f
Nj5sDLC“Multipersonal combat.”6iETRF
F13CHis voice pleaded with him to reconsider the answer he had just given, but for Vlad, the immediate task at hand was important.HW1PDj
bBWCZ“Alright. Go ahead.”0FM4
2hXY1u7Following Jager’s gesture, Vlad positioned himself in the center of the cross.S2m3zFg
UX7“The foundation of combat among several people is the angles. Right now, you are exposed in four directions—east, west, south, and north—meaning you have to defend against at least four attackers.”qxs
AuRyg“What do I do then?”2aKMq
B400sKw“Use the terrain.”xreRI
tnBiJager grabbed Vlad by the shoulders and held him at the end of the cross.RDUuU
h6EYeTI“With your back to the wall, we have three angles left, so we have one.”syBXQ
nZDWWun“That makes sense, but what if we fight where there are no blocks?”Tmf
sss7RwK“You’ll be fighting in a very difficult situation. Fight from the most favorable position possible.”lb3x
yt3“And if there really is no such place?”Irn
fQ7LoJager shrugged at Vlad’s insistent question.AG8Kx8
ohr25F“Then you’ll have to create an obstacle.”0ug1Z
woDKhBQ“With what?”NlY5Y26
VA3c3ASVlad asked, and Jager smiled satisfied.o63R0X
HNlFB“With the other person’s body.”pQkFOA
yAWt3Jager’s smile had a certain weight.1US3CH9
Jl0al8“A human shield can be a good obstacle. They are heavy, bulky, and harden over time after death.”5kpt
QOIsXoVlad nodded, and his eyes lit up at Jager’s practical instruction.J2U
UU6d“As I said, the basics are not to give an angle, and the second most important thing is timing. It’s about not letting the opponent’s attack in.”pLiq
WR4sSigh.0lPcmdy
UXD7With that, Jager moved silently in the sightline.reCyWB6
sQ53“Eh?”39FjiK
fehddLUVlad remained perplexed for a moment as he observed Jager’s movements.0DZdmZ
zh4AUIt seemed like he was going to move to the right, but when he opened his eyes, he was standing to the left.0LDd
djIn2It was an advanced technique to deceive the opponent with shoulders, eyes, and foot positioning.vgf18Fp
eBx3os“To create it, you have to anticipate your opponent’s movements.”IxzoeQ
1Zi3[Control your opponent with your movements].d22S
RxjnlVVlad nodded as he listened to Jager’s explanation and the voice in his head.UK8GT
wrCr“Do you mean to anticipate your opponent’s movements with your own?”iOE
lAYI“Yes… Glad you understood; I don’t like explaining things twice.”gyZ
fKijVlad grasped the concept without further ado, thought Jager, considering him a bright young man.wHoOIQn
nSrIn reality, the voice of his soul expanded.sCfzR4p
nQ2N“For that, you must be in constant motion.”sBU
WjQv“Motion?”j5MyQ
zJN“All fencing begins with steps. Today, at your request, we’ll learn the steps for combat involving several people.”DoQwY9
f5pJager chuckled as the boy’s eyes lit up at the prospect.68m
K9UWnWThere was passion in the boy’s eyes, but more than that, there was desperation.sGyquP
fCNweThere was a beast in him, hungry to learn.tcz6mQ3
3qZs7“Repeat after me.”5Hgp
bSaoIThe training began at noon and continued until dusk approached.RdN6
h6gPromise.yMWzPQU
HJwicWe had a reason to do it.057J
3yF0oThere was a boy who also had two objectives.EoKi
9SISIn the twilight, the boy was dancing.jvw
LvWbl“Come on, do it.”IA1V5
X4Xl“…”9tiU
mOdj“If you’re going to do that, run away; I won’t say anything about it.”j7iK
VrT2eR“…I just learned it for the first time today; isn’t it natural that I can’t keep up?”He7v
i76Although the dance was painfully embarrassing to watch.6kxGrdF
LXvDespite his bruises, Vlad laughed from the heart for the first time in a long time.0LbPG
8pOEdIt was tough, but Jager watched over him, and Joseph trusted him.orluH
QxleThese feelings lasted until that night. I hadn’t felt this way since I cried on the garbage heap.2cFe
SntVB8oSuddenly, Vlad saw the red sun slide below the horizon and thought about the people from the Soara.pDX
WRGHe missed them.OeqEC
PrCfvg***oVo
FLj“What’s all this mud in front of the shop?”81NF8c
fYRzjaIn the midst of the streets at dusk.PFoL
D4gGb1A mercenary entered the city’s only blacksmith.xXE7wgc
UNUb19x“Yes?”IutS23
DnICu“Let me ask you something.”AypL8fq
mkFMost people who came to the old blacksmith were predetermined.Bid7B82
BVzThose who wanted truly luxurious things went to the well-known blacksmiths of Soara, and finally, those with little money looking for something to get by came here.3rVM
1JDYAJThe only exception, of course, was the blond boy who always looked at the sword.dAa
rfCidRU“You don’t seem like the type who would come to a place like this, right?”WsIQU5
MR28“Oh, of course, I haven’t come to buy anything.”zASH
TvFBut the mercenary in front of the old man seemed to have some skill.LBcTUxR
H37cThe weapons and armor he wore, and the items he had hidden in various places, indicated that he was an experienced mercenary.Ciyo
MnrlvfK“It’s my first time on the streets of Soara.”htLu
IL4“So it seems.”ihM
O0F“Is this the only forge on the streets?”7zRgI
jMTV2hD“It is.”yq00
cgr“And do they make swords here too?”DQT6Voi
QCWfV“… Not anymore.”ZTI9
Xkif9IAt the response of the old blacksmith, the mercenary nodded as if he had known it would be so.w55AT6
31gA small, dilapidated brazier. And, above all, an old man with gray hair who seemed to have rotted away in an alley all his life.qJLnnc
GsHJdThe old man seemed unnecessarily cold as the man’s eyes scanned the shop.XO1PTZ
T59h“What the hell do you think you’re doing asking me that?”7US
alezx“I want to make a sword.”QeGkx
KDQijP“Why have you come here seeking a sword when you could have gone to any blacksmith and ordered one?”xVKbpR
BnbGThe mercenary laughed at the old man’s ironic comment.a9J
MGefgvJ“Because I want to make a special sword.”l4Fv
8wkbt“What special sword?”XCmA
zguThe old man stoked the brazier’s fire without looking back at the man.N4Ijgo
hh0PW“I want to make a sword that can even ring those… ghosts.”QuWVGx
53E4jp“Ghosts?”jUOsX
NriChThe old man’s eyebrows arched as he wondered what the man was talking about.2NTpc
JvUanDJ“If you’re seeing a ghost, go to the church, not here.”2lR
jjfs“No, nothing like that. By the way, have you heard of Vlad from Soara? I heard he’s from here.”OY3epMZ
Jr87vNW“Vlad?”YdWR2y
TvvThe old man dropped the embers he was throwing into the brazier when the familiar name sprouted from the stranger.u36laN
W3w5cAi“Why did he… die?”lxgu
aOk“I see you know him, so he’s from here, isn’t he?”6CP
EWHUDbbThe mercenary smiled, as if he finally understood.kbR6
EDOHP“I gave him a blow, and he told me the sword was made in a forge in the streets of Soara.”pCEKS
e87“What.”ndGVty
YzXuHe’s alive.DVx2itE
3tWWhat luck, thought the old man.cV7GA
PAUwqQBut what the man said next was almost unbelievable.Egf
bsa“The boy cut the ghost.”mYO
S7DFl“A ghost?”hhXv
I9nF8UY“Yes. It was a cursed woman, and the sword glowed and cut her in half.”gkaVg
hVsRqSkThe mercenary who had entered the now ruined forge was one of the mercenaries who barely escaped alive from the slaughter.SzTzt
iOavAt the moment of his death, a white blade had shone.gQNnx
QcxhFor the mercenary, the light that flashed through the dense fog was brighter than anything he had ever seen.d5gB
4sO4“It’s impossible that that boy could have used Aura, so I thought the sword was special, and that’s why he cherished it so much.”K8Cn7Bo
15R7g“…”kuf
3jBkGhThe mercenary had come to the streets of Soara with a good idea.6vF
fMs3b“So, a sword that can cut ghosts. My conclusion is that there must be a mysterious smith here who can forge it, and if you know of any, I’ll make a good payment.”lqu
jZb6Y2H“Ha…”1K8
OKya0IAt the words of the mercenary, the old blacksmith let out a sigh that said a lot.TJ62ajm
KuTE4aKid, what have you done?2hu6a
khvhWhat the hell have you been doing that you’ve turned a man like me into a blacksmith forging swords that cut ghosts.CjKj0rf
001“Haven’t you heard?”JOb4N
8u47“There’s no such thing.”zJYYvu9
QPdCvA“Come on, go to—”ilR3
NrSPvN“No one would know even if you asked.”lwX
quvneNo one will know.XXe
eKOqheGNo, they won’t believe you.QzH
MZGThat the boy who fell with the garbage that night created a light that could pierce ghosts.hTbJo
NHg6That the sword he forged was imbued with that light.RtZq
7hCa6“No one will ever know.”xmIWQgC
gsP9ayx“…”Gnpa
81cLBA child born in a place where the sun never shines, and a sword forged in a ramshackle forge that created light.9gvLDG
RGAThe man walked away.mUUQxMB
BCn0The old man stopped what he was doing and sat down, staring blankly at the shop’s facade.kyn1p
pl3eRYThe display was a mass of mud as people passed by, but the old man could see it.WrsAD
wAO6EVThe sad footsteps of the boy who always looked at the stars.rSRjCKc
JTQz1XThe boy who was always alert.MWGr6
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