Chapter 265: Extra 5 – The Children Who Became Adults
UMgw2The alley lights reflected clearly on the river’s water, tinted red by the sunset.aQcHyzu
mhKUntil recently, that shadowy corner of the city had seemed peaceful, but now it was alive with unexpected noise and vibrant activity.NcLDIHP
riU“So, you’ve been at odds with Barbosa all this time?”soiS3N9
BUSdn“More like a tense balance, rather than an outright conflict.”0B1wH
vQYPj3pWith Vlad and Harven’s arrival,VjDByvs
Q7y0z1The Smile of a Rose was busier than ever, though a tense atmosphere hung over the lobby on the first floor.iKhh9qA
1ewMqzPeople dressed elegantly occupied the tables; their clean and orderly appearance clashed with the usual feel of the place.hFn
PzU3WWatching those patrons holding empty glasses and casting furtive glances upstairs, Zemina pursed her lips in displeasure.kXC7N5j
yvxaZ“Good thing you managed to reach a truce. Otherwise, we would’ve been stuck here until winter.”DXIi7
LCOA“Yeah, winter at sea is brutally cold.”427B
jAF4nYXWhile Harven took a sip, Vlad watched him out of the corner of his eye. His face was now sun-tanned, and he wore a sailor’s hat crusted with sea salt—a completely different image from the refined man once buried in piles of paperwork in closed rooms.NKw
utw“Hey, here you go.”66d
vPtZj“Oh! Thanks, Ned.”emB
QG2FlklJust then, their food arrived, and Harven reached for a coin in his pocket, but Ned quickly left without accepting the tip—a rare move for him.KQz
6O9eT“What’s gotten into him? He’s always looking for a tip.”z4N
t0v3NC“He must have his reasons.”djyzrGV
6VbOtar eyed his brother suspiciously at the unexpected change, but Vlad merely shrugged. Someday they’d have that conversation, but tonight, he preferred not to hear complaints.yaLhVU
604RX“So, have you finished your work? Are you going back to your old post?”SIIX
HTotI“…Yes.”Yueqc
tGO7Harven and his sailors had initially been a modest merchant company navigating the northern seas. If not for the war, they would have solidified their influence by leveraging Vlad’s connections.p3vw27V
8Qc“Perfect timing. The Ravnoma family just asked me to find a company to open a trade route.”TyTIE6V
LwoEmNow that the war had ended with the Golden Duke Barbosa’s surrender, it was time for everyone to return to their previous roles. Vlad, excited by the idea of seeing his friends return, took a bite of the sausage he was holding.xUVOKiY
Rh0“If it’s in Trinova, it’s close to Nidavellir. Maybe they could even share a port.”Mwy
cxAyvA“Exactly.”Xiup5iJ
bUtA7“Then, with trade routes open, they’ll start bringing in steady income—not small amounts, either, but sizable ones.”Gs1KbeM
8RcuAlthough Vlad had risen to the position of Sword Master out of honor, it didn’t mean he didn’t need money. Unlike Kihano, the Sword Master of the previous generation, Vlad didn’t have a stable foundation.DaFG8
RN9While he wished to remain free, unbound to any one place, he had decided to build his fortune through a merchant company.VEn6Dk
qrbnx9“How about we go big this time? Buy a new ship, hire more people.”zyza
t9hh3Talking about money might sound self-serving, but Vlad’s enthusiasm was unmistakable.FhpPEd
HPvjf6“Go big?”TYNgn
HzW5iY0“We could form a fleet like Barbosa’s. Admiral sounds better than captain, don’t you think?”HXCls
wAuj3kiHarven smiled, recalling the dreams they had shared in the alleyway as children, talking about their futures.KgaG1Zs
UVL3“With the money we earn, we could help the orphanage kids or, better yet, recruit kids and train them to become sailors.”wdwfvzQ
CMLXSkBack then, alone and with no one to look after them, the only way to comfort themselves was by imagining a shared future.QF5Q
uhVMcSKThose tales of a better tomorrow gave them the strength to endure the present, with all its hardship and hunger.pBxM8
vCje6“Vlad…”NF5FD
jTyN“Yes?”F3P
otLPpFh“I have something to tell you.”0BlV3w
ojiN65DBut no matter how much they shared as brothers, sooner or later, each had to find his own path. Because children always grow up into adults.Ycg
lZdJ“I received a request.”DygIq4F
Cepn3A“A request?”yZZw
jZLJChildren only dream of the stars, but adults chase after them.TnOs5fg
xtY9bEven if their paths were different, Vlad and Harven had walked together in the past. But now each would follow the road they had chosen.YzyPnz
xId“Count Arnstein asked me to open an Arctic route.”YDz
a3sibN“An Arctic route?”XpjLO
56ZdT“Yes, a route through the Arctic, beyond the northern border.”hL5kDlD
r5qu9The blue-eyed boy looked at the starry sky, while the limping boy dreamed of crossing the narrow river and venturing into the open sea.Uu3Hz
S1LKHOMThe young men who once shared those dreams now looked at each other as adults.MKX
B8EABCc“It seems that the higher-ups want an alternative to the southern route dominated by Barbosa.”oVy
W9UpVVlad’s voice was calm, perhaps out of consideration for the eager Harven.Ung9RRC
FL9sb5“It’s as if he wouldn’t go if I held him back.”mxH9zY
MeB“That request… I’d like to take it on. What do you think?”42J8h
6EHYet, Vlad could recognize the excitement in Harven’s eyes, hidden beneath his calm exterior.IqDNXhO
OTUXLNdEven as he casually swirled his drink, Harven’s brown eyes already sparkled with a determination he couldn’t hide.r5m2mnD
3pS4H“I see.”Pw1zHER
XlOgHarven, who was born by the river, wanted to venture out to the sea.7pGXgus
Fpeq1BTo the vast ocean that didn’t care about my limping steps.4etUF
6irpSCBecause this was a friend who had finally said he wanted to find his own way, Vlad could only smile.YwNgI57
RbxUx***4Ntbd
xERSA“Ugh… what a headache.”q2FXTZ
g4TINow it was time for even the lively alleyways to close their eyes.TOZ
qVhUqcfAfter sharing endless rounds of liquor, Vlad climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, his head throbbing.3MlN
krGk“…Maybe I should have drunk more. Being half-drunk is worse.”AKJawx
wDRg9PuHarven, Otar, and later Zemina, who had joined them, lay slumped over the table.uoP
7fmqxpYThe blame lay with Harven, who, after discovering “the authentic way to enjoy Captain Q,” had mixed all kinds of drinks with that horrid liquor. [1]lkOz
tbvSmPB“Huh?”CYeMkVw
8peHIuAs he climbed the stairs, Vlad noticed a faint light flickering in the hallway on the fourth floor, reserved exclusively for guests. It was coming from Nibelun’s room.2WRFe
3tg“What are you doing up?”zkcM
lvxWI“Huh? Haven’t you gone to sleep yet?”4Plyxzz
giJZNormally, Vlad wouldn’t have gone in, but curiosity, fueled by the alcohol, led him to approach unsteadily. Nibelun’s room was a complete mess—a chaos that anyone would consider extreme.BuJ1r
aBNC“…What’s all this?”Yrh8B
9urThe room was filled with knick-knacks from who knows where. Among them were strange gadgets and carpets Vlad vaguely recognized.uqnW3AW
6WQ8bT“I’m organizing my pack. I haven’t done it in five years.”6rHAf
D0ovRcd“Your pack?”5u3EyX
6YbV“Yes, the one I always carry with me.”2cxJ6
FFyMZVlad’s gaze landed on a backpack in the corner—the same magical backpack from which Nibelun always seemed to pull out exactly what he needed in moments of danger.956
dGMUkyNow, the enormous bag was surprisingly empty.AxE
SZxO“I’ve always wondered—how much can you actually fit in that thing?”Yek
ba4jTqg“In my pack? Well…”PKIpXt
8i3QF02Nibelun scratched his head as he replied, surrounded by his belongings.9FaSlc
gGgQpi9“There’s no fixed limit. I can store as much as I can remember.”VdUjcO
10EIJUJ“How much can you remember?”aDtKmA
iIB“If I forget something I put in, the pack simply swallows it up.”9IhKaz
nB1Bn2m“Oh…”HQMQo
wLXODzNibelun mentioned that, since he wasn’t especially good at remembering, he couldn’t store as much as previous users.LIn
QQMy7However, the objects that filled the room and even spilled into the hallway were enough that anyone could easily forget what was in there.r1S
FfFX“Why are you organizing it in the middle of the night?”1LmMQ
eVaqSm“Because I’m leaving with Harven.”04QCa9f
V6x“To where?”A6dga
iQbABeastfolk of this era had plenty of places to go, even if nowhere truly welcomed them.2Lzih
whXIyYou could say that Nibelun, also a mage in search of mysteries, was a natural-born wanderer.2Ytkwty
rXe60“I’m going with Harven. It looks like he’s going to explore an Arctic route.”dkrq4H3
PfW1QPvA beastfolk mage who could travel anywhere with just a pack.9ETR7c
nYIgArUBut this time, it wasn’t a journey without aim—it was an expedition with a clear purpose.qy14C59
fRinz“…And why do you want to explore the Arctic route?”1NKonMO
8XycI“It’s a place no one’s been before.”5BnOJDn
9femGpLNibelun’s eyes curved into a wide smile, and Vlad couldn’t help feeling somewhat bitter over that assured resolve.kUTn
4RPygaV“Besides, they say the climate’s warming up lately. Good for lemon cultivation.”0tC4eTK
DBQBjWhen dragons ruled, there had been a land of beastfolk that sank.gm1h49s
vAmO“Maybe now, with the ice melting, there could be habitable land.”3BGx8WD
3rAzi“…”no6M
U11Ob“If we found a place like that, the scattered tribes could gather in one place.”a2XiKu
AnMyThe elves and dwarves now had their own territories, but only the beastfolk remained scattered, unable to find land to call their own.cnB17
cR0qynkTribes like the Ruga, who found a place to settle, could be considered truly fortunate.j5P
VVFY14j“It would be wonderful if the children of our tribe had a place where they could run and play freely, like the ones here.”Rr8VM
Mo0HWMNNibelun was determined to leave, both for his life’s purpose as a mage who pursued the mystical and for the well-being of his people.5RYrx
ZIMgPHis words were logical, but to Vlad, somewhat drunk, there was only a deep feeling of sorrow.Q9c
D63G“Yes, you should go, then.”GK82XVH
sdUXVlad had returned hoping to be welcomed by everyone, but now, those children who had grown up into adults were setting off on their own paths.1N5Coyh
ga8nsAs with all the friendships he had lost over the years, each of his friends was also leaving.qLUl
PWDqgcW“I suppose I should keep drinking.”AfGPBT4
dX4“You’re going to drink more?”DaB35
pQEkm“I’m in the mood for it today.”6GZm
rnJ428Vlad turned and began descending the stairs, leaving Nibelun as he packed his belongings.9dTP
NYsnJ2He passed through the darkened hallway, past the table where his friends lay sprawled out.ydv
W1tkgqWith a bottle of liquor in hand, Vlad stepped out into the streets of early morning, still cloaked in shadows.J8M
1tjo***yadwhCb
j7VXj8“…Who would’ve put a fence here?”G52
Elud0oNVlad pushed through a neatly kept hedge and opened the gate in a fence.sEMB
9Yc“This does look better now.”0D9ESNM
X23In that chaotic neighborhood of overlapping buildings, the only spot with a bit of green was the cemetery.AFVddn
KlhcVlad walked among the graves, better tended than before, and stopped in front of one that looked familiar.TqP
CBc“How have you been, Kihano?”8tQCJqA
qk4dThe cemetery was filled with simple headstones, with colorful flowers growing here and there, as if embracing the graves of the dead.nN9DPy
1OYj“I brought a drink for you, too.”a3Qq8
jhpoZASmiling at the flowers, Vlad poured some liquor onto the surrounding graves.8Lhcen2
GWLZBefore him lay an unknown old blacksmith, and behind him, a nameless noble knight.sBXgp6D
bUzBetween them, Vlad sat down and raised the bottle, as if it were now his turn to take a drink.KJZV
C96uacU“Everyone’s leaving. It hasn’t even been that long since I saw them again.”3HGg3G
LNS9Although he disliked showing weakness, here in this quiet place, Vlad allowed himself to express his true feelings.rqOt819
AzPOrbh“If they all go, who will stay by my side?”SdE8
zbnmKihano, Joseph, and so many others he had crossed paths with.ijB0om
OFaNow, he had more broken bonds than those still intact, and feeling the hollow ache in his chest, Vlad lifted the bottle again.19e6
keuTH“But I’ve given them proper farewells. Isn’t that something good?”PDm
vNhW0NHe understood that he was able to say goodbye to his friends because, back then, others had also shown him how to do it.g6H7V8E
y89yHe knew that if those who now lay here resting hadn’t pushed him forward, he wouldn’t be who he was.rdWrsK
LGPF“…Well, it seems everyone here is silent.”bP4OI
IZrRNONo matter how much he talked, the nameless graves couldn’t answer him.MiccR
pTjrsAlready in their eternal silence, they had no more words to offer Vlad.ErpJO
j9jeHY“…”902bN39
Jd19Only the sunrise, slowly peeking over the horizon, touched Vlad’s back with its warmth.baod
wpUEnjoying that gentle light, Vlad decided to stay a little longer than he’d planned.nlY4
YUcz1xBIt felt as if Kihano, from behind, were giving him one final parting touch.lbw
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