Chapter 26: The stars watch the boy (1)
MX8“They must be in the midst of a duel.”BD3tTWe
PSnnLFether, walking through the mansion, shook his head upon hearing the sounds from below.Acf384
xsod“Squires.”Ey4S4
zx5x“That’s what I think.”KGBf1jn
mvNThere, under the guidance of their instructor, the squires were gathered, engaging in duels with wooden swords.IjtM7a
T76mFether had often seen knights and squires training like this in secret.fPlvBWv
8PAxqOFether Bayezid, not only the head of the family but also one of the prominent knights of the North. The fact that such a prestigious and, for some, aspirational figure could be seen anytime, anywhere, was a great motivation for the servants of this place.HVr
9xO“Let’s watch for a while.”SFE2S4x
s45ba“Yes.”2GA
HXfqfe0Moreover, those who excelled in training were rewarded for their efforts, so the knights and squires of House Bayezid always trained with a warrior’s mindset.egK7
AiRHGEverything was as Fether had anticipated.dBt
pVCadxZ“It’s him.”gF7Y
Gxts“I heard he had blonde hair.”2H7bd
hgK8“It’s also the first time I see him, so it must be him.”6YkdLvs
p38Fether usually glanced at the training, but today, he had his eye on a particular squire.ZPvI0
KlfGIlY“He looks promising.”vYt
gk6it2mA blonde squire who stood out even from afar.WjbN
H12gThere he was, the boy brought by his second son, the one who always had sore fingers.5qbnIF
48h“Sir. Over there.”DNff
rGG1vSHRagmus the Advisor whispered to Fether, who was focused on watching Vlad.baXT
6GVA“It’s Jager.”FtCCr3P
eOyA“I guess he’s watching too.”GQM2
6P5WWhere Ragmus pointed, there was Jager, the squint-eyed knight, looking at the blonde boy with a serious expression on his face.QAE7aJ3
Y6hns“As with everything, the first time is nerve-wracking.”CXu0
ubc46TzKnowing that Jager was the first of his class, Fether could only smile silently.3SQz
P4J“Let’s watch.”pQxN8Xx
TA5CThe one Joseph had brought, what mattered to Jager.LEDwc
c32“…”shVfL
C5GcK“He looks fierce.”YnMBo
XZ60YJNow he was down there, fiercely wielding his sword against a squire a head taller than him.0kc
zEx“Clumsy.”TnO
1IvaYV“Is he?”J5TEt
0zLfnnIt might not be visible to Advisor Ragmus’s eyes, but Fether had recognized Vlad’s skill level with just one swing of his sword.WTTU
KPaopFU“But he has a spark. I’m sure he’ll captivate.”Id3rw
DvrPu“Certainly, there’s something in him that makes him stand out from the crowd.”RjjN
kkdW0XKFierce.1TWXz
AVMLFast.G7l0qr
gpJAnd unwavering.H5zZkIB
zN3Bp“That’s cool.”6hljJmX
lFVc5C“What do you mean?”SEdAi
uCoqyJBut even more than those things, like the talent he had since birth, Fether held in higher esteem another aspect of Vlad.066LTLa
moG“The way he tries to use what he’s learned, even if clumsily.”WWURP
NS7nAJEven in the midst of the fierce battle, the blonde boy remained composed, moving back and forth, trying to anticipate his opponent’s movements.SqBk
k3IMTrying and challenging.h8TO
xWq98qaThe boy underneath was trying to improve.M2cm
SZLKk5a“It’s a mess.”UUPc1
rF7TsPThe movement, resembling someone’s stumbling feet, was so clumsy that it made Fether laugh, but he liked how he tried to make it work.rkK7
5IfIt was the kind of movement that made you cheer.coKwAMo
c1w1R8“Good.”mS9
w81The grand squire’s wooden sword rose in the air.pj9
FoLX9It was a final move, but it was all the doing of the blonde boy.suJDO
3JL“It’s over.”Krxcz
MT335HTrue to Fether’s words, the blonde boy was now sitting on top of his opponent, punching him in the face.5j6I
uBKEN1He made him make a big move and then quickly punched him in the stomach.Ke9TpE
xDPeThe movement was clumsy, but the result was clear.Twy
b8DoQnF“Is it okay to hit him like that in training?”5JUSk
9cgBO“Leave him be. If he’s going to be a knight, he needs to have that determination.”LA3
D4hpFether moved from his halted steps and stared at the knight in the distance.NALe3C
Xf9y5iThe squint-eyed knight, looking at his squire from afar, smiled in silence.2aQ
yIp7***D7kY
cO4xVlad was always the first to move.pAOO7
trBLHe had to detect and move faster than anyone else to secure food for the day.LKEvB8H
wNGZqF9“Stop! Stop!”FpetR
UouSTYThe instructor’s call didn’t prevent Vlad from stopping his punches in a mock duel.ntUHPR
QG0N5oJ“That’s enough…”WEuc
xepx7J“Once again, if you do that in front of me…”qnUzY
7KsCDSo this time, I decided to make the first move.UzfCL
667QYKSooner or later there would be a beating disguised as training.XWEufnH
oZfyOt3Vlad decided it was better to break the momentum than to be surrounded and beaten.pgQEI
kvSIt would have been suicidal to stand idly by as the threat approached.SnEqYnD
k74Ww4“Answer me, you bastard.”ZlgzIUb
4bimsXw“Okay, okay.”5ro
TbdUwVlad’s unruly behavior left the man with no choice but to say yes, with a frightened look in his eyes.qzYIP7
ikcdOLdThe one being beaten now was the one who had been laughing heartily with Sovanin when he spat in the dining hall that day.jfLc
K4uIn street language, he was Sovanin’s favorite pupil.KNHL2m
sqi6z5L“Stop, what do you think you’re doing!”sElL
piiu71i“Sorry. Got a bit carried away.”jevL4S
z3jCIVlad stepped back only after his instructor shouted at him, but the fallen one didn’t get up easily.I1Kw
r6cA“What a look!”mfzIX2x
DtplyThere was definitely life in Vlad’s eyes as he grumbled to himself.lnvls
xpRIt was something that shouldn’t have come out in a duel, and it was also a raw feeling he had never encountered before.CskihFt
ADVEven if he closed his eyes, he could still see those piercing eyes in front of him, and the fallen squire couldn’t easily get up.U4nxY
mIZ9“…”gqf3in
w9ylT“…”Zdza0
IRUBUrtAnd he was being watched by everyone here.zRGLoUN
gKkyLJust like in the dining hall that day.CwOIx
anaYxQRVlad, shaking off his seat, approached Sovanin’s side and spoke quietly.XfPB
QtvaBch“Tell him I’m sorry. Once I start this, I can’t control myself.”HKXPjT
j5k1nVp“Damn madman.”DMmu
eGiVlstVlad was smiling as he spoke, so at first glance, it seemed like they were having a lighthearted joke, but it looked more like the words of a killer.6ZM5f
OEtH“And I apologize to you in advance.”HhsAPrU
eSh5VIjSovanin looked at Vlad with a furrowed brow.CUfm
XIIbAlthough his face was smiling, Vlad’s eyes gleamed eerily.4YC74a
1pNG“It won’t end with just that.”MW1h
kEek“What?”W12Pqr
t4hL1Sovanin was tense.DNpx6
tnzYoGThere had never been a case like this.mG1
inOlHe wasn’t a noble, but Sovanin, whose father ran a fairly large business, was known to bow down even before having the chance to intimidate them.Pwev
hcLzBut this bastard was…SJ7XkSb
eY7R“You can expect it.”5L4rG6
JQ2JtThis damn guy.pncFBv
rqvSovanin thought sincerely as he looked at Vlad, who was smiling.QN5h2
i5HQJoseph brought in a stray dog from the alley.xaMGW
KZB63F7“I’ll call you when I get bored of liver soup, and I want you to come and spit on him.”pFqtk9
Vh7The stray dog laughed in Sovanin’s eyes.mvJV
CS0hvBSovanin swallowed hard at Vlad’s smile.HXvyml
nq4kStray dogs don’t hesitate to bite people.Irg
hXE***yOG
rG2weR“Captain, are you okay? Did any of the other guys do anything to you?”WDZR
7Zk“I’m doing fine these days, and I’ve been using the bathroom to avoid the snow.”FQV
8MZMz“…Doesn’t sound like something good, right?”ooPcjp
X3nhzVlad could only shrug at Goethe’s comment.3nq
wlX“After all, I’ve been beating up the squires.”OSg
vQZxjGoethe looked at Vlad and shook his head.YvnI6
gOzB“I’ve hit three on the first day, and the others keep their distance…”dE9U2Lf
ypH“It’s a survival rule that if you’re going to fight, it’s better to strike first.”m2fLz9
YC61iWATruly from the streets, Goethe thought as he looked at Vlad.I8GP6
6hLGpShortly after the incident in the dining hall, Vlad had shown an action speed that surprised Goethe.nZ72WXm
Ozfj6Vlad had befriended Sovanin among the squires, had picked out those being disrespectful, and then, like a wolf to a lamb, had gone after them one by one and crushed them.b5JMk
42eEIn the restrooms, in the bathrooms, in the dim hallways of the mansion.J1lXXXg
vFyAnyone left alone just had to face Vlad’s piercing gaze.zuX
da3l5E4Jorge had said.w5T5isv
HCVIwIf you beat him enough, he’ll crawl.WIIoU4
syszW“That’s a crime.”eAr0UO
VX9G“I’m a criminal by nature. I’m actually quite good at assaulting people, and I don’t mind hitting people in the face.”TyaW2
2bEIcP“Oh, you did.”vFKe7
qr0biGoethe nodded, listening to Vlad’s words.HSLcXGZ
2psowHe had briefly mistaken Vlad for a normal guy, as he had been mingling with a group of guys his age, but Vlad wasn’t older than seventeen, and he had gone through the toughest environment of mercenaries.Jkm
m8RhE“You have to hit them until they feel like they’re going to die.”M7cNJSo
2Gd9“That’s what they do.”MkDTeX
4SITBefore I knew it, they were inside the dining hall.rWf96
uB3BThere sat the squires, pretending not to see Vlad, and the servants, who had already been beaten and dared not look at him.PInUf
6bo1Rie“Look at him. It’s nice not to be touched.”Kn3EOFB
taYzD“…Sausages for today’s lunch.”eWl6fU
6S3AyHappy to see meat, Vlad hummed and picked up his plate.Ne4
PTjIMQAnd as he walked away, smiling, there was someone who watched him closely.KiH
nq45“One more.”BWXYL
vXdoIt was Vlad who had smiled and asked for more sausages at the table, but the maid in front of him was a middle-aged servant with strong bones from the Bayezid family.ptLw
n1w“So the person behind you can’t eat.”XyS
3sM“He can’t?”Ujuic
xKa“No…”J1hHYeE
M9dVOSeeing the middle-aged maid refusing with a firm look, Vlad was forced to step down from the table.6Ki2Xm
4CHEZQU“If it weren’t for Joseph, I would have collapsed.”eTK
46gvhDespite his slim appearance, Vlad had a voracious appetite.DvOx
9xM3It was like a natural instinct, engraved in him by the place where he was born.bvKBelY
Co97Vlad and Goethe sat at the table, disappointment on their faces after the negotiation failed.IQMl
n98rGj2“But it’s better here.”8cLl
Yd6“Better than when we were mercenaries. Don’t you think, Captain?”rMG
wiKoqVfThey picked up their utensils and were about to bring the food to their mouths.MyHX5YD
0FbL“Oh, H-hi.”3hS
lU8sGKSomeone said awkwardly in Vlad’s direction.QMzds
UOE“What are you…”8twnN4
jxdw6Vlad slightly frowned, wondering if this time he was going to get into a fight, but the guy sitting in front of him didn’t seem like the type to do that.3IPfW
3M39dShort stature, chubby cheeks, and eyes buried in the flesh and hard to see.QBcsjAr
LI2NG“I’m Portly, Portly Kannor.”zqwS
pmSSorry to think about it, but it seemed like you could roll him if you pushed him.yxRnY
kPPq1n“Alright. What can I do for you, Portly?”YxBk1
MiG“That…”qlt4n
j5fswcjVlad slightly frowned.rQecD4
8yb5mMThe way the man hesitated with the plate in front of him didn’t look good, and by the way he fidgeted, it seemed like it would take him a while to pronounce the words.7l7xgAm
fJxc28“Sit or get lost.”e7RSxsh
XSfXK“Huh?”8vucF
Ndm5u“Don’t stand in front of me with your stomach in a knot.”LrtMXE
4TTsx2Those were harsh words, but Portly’s face lit up as if he had taken Vlad’s words as an invitation to sit.6O09
ti5“Thanks for telling me to sit.”KrUPat
82M“…”vJjbLC
EfLtMVlad looked at Portly with a “What the hell!” expression, but he smiled shyly and decided to focus on his lunch for the moment, as he didn’t want to kick the guy out of his seat.Fkr4vCx
ZOEV“I’ve been eating alone all the time. In fact, I’ve been eating alone in the bathroom.”DzSB0
9moLJ“Right now, you’re eating in…”shvK
bVoFrom this dialogue, Vlad realized that the bully had been this guy before him.A8ic
W26dBz“Good sausage, huh?”6Gjp
PrrXa“Shut up and eat it.”uay
kufAKUStill, there was no reason to worry.aSjgEs
fkcU“Eat this too.”lSrB
0EcWatching Vlad disappointedly scream as he put in his mouth the only sausage he had, Portly carefully slid his own into Vlad’s plate.S5D5nfF
7aDe7T“What are you doing?”Z8Yb
29qwciVlad longed for anything within his reach, except for vain pity and dubious favors.PWn2Z8g
XAg6tP3But even under Vlad’s piercing gaze, Portly continued cautiously.bZrjn
yFqviIt was like an employee dealing with a challenging customer.CCbI
sytvxii“You don’t think I’m…”tNd
ObI8e“These sausages… my father is the distributor.”k0tdIe
nEBeEfY“…What?”oOIo9w
BEYWPortly’s behavior had been gruff since the bullying, but when he talked about his father, he sounded confident.n9GSdq
7x9jn“The last I heard, he wanted more sausages.”O1K
ZJi“Yeah, he wanted.”SY6A1
byR8M3“You know what, sausage is a preservative, so it’s as good a commodity as jerky, if not better, for mercenaries with money.”ioeLYS
hiz“And?”JKW1q
M8lLVlad was starting to get annoyed with the unfocused dialogue.HNCBL
kBev“So my father sends me a bunch of things to eat.”VAg3cmY
XQCUPortly laughed, saying that he had a lot of sausages and cured meats in his room from his father.7hJn
ddwg“It’s too much for me to eat alone, so do you want me to share some with you?”ejxF
Ovzd“…”IqZ28
1YhrVlad thought.JEw0aNG
kMEgFI’ll never be as good as Priest Andreas, but I’ve come this far, so I might make some connections.dL3TWjL
PEAI can’t help the ones I’ve already pretended to be, but if I get to know some people here, it might help me later in life.ATQxOd
yWpG“Yes.”Mpzc
zv9tS6The son of a butcher from a family large enough to supply the Count’s family must have some usefulness.tp2
s74INot necessarily for the sausages, Vlad thought.zpmjsX
QZvTWZ***9LOrOPz
CxTRIn front of Portly’s room, Vlad and Goethe were left dumbfounded.UT3S
ZS0vxT“Why is this here?”PDbapBm
paK1“To become a squire.”vUcXK
barw8U“You’re not even a knight, just a squire?”gE4
faATG“Yes. I’m not going to be a knight, and my father didn’t expect much from me. He just wanted me to come here and make some connections.”ybw7LR
Py727qPortly smiled shyly, as if that hadn’t worked out, but Vlad and Goethe saw none of that in his eyes.6j5Z
t6sGThe room was filled with sausages and cured meats.AFE6
hprHVlad smirked ironically at the room, devoid of someone aspiring to be a squire.d7tsQr
b9sThis guy shouldn’t be here.b7v
M83DkKG“Do you want to eat with me tomorrow…?”nxyZzU
nesm“Really? Are you going to do that?”gwqo
PVWltIf so, there’s no need to condemn them to ostracism.oswKSb2
CvOlw1wVlad’s eyes lit up as he looked at the sausages hanging like decorations.rGzM
uqum“Bring me the sausages instead.”yA3iu
1FuowbPortly’s sausages weren’t the kind of thing that would make you sick.mwV
m35DSQIn more than one sense.eb304TQ
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