Chapter 270: Extra 10 – In the Sky I Observed

“This mansion is haunted.”

It was early morning, a time when the sun had not yet risen and everything was shrouded in a dim twilight.

Vlad, barely able to keep his eyes open, was awakened by Zemina’s voice from beside him.

“What?”

“I’m telling you, this place has ghosts. I saw them last night.”

As his vision gradually came into focus, Zemina appeared in front of him, hands clawed like a cat, trying to convey something eerie.

To Vlad, who didn’t understand the context, it was just another of her peculiar antics.

“What on earth did you eat?”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Breaking into his room so early in the morning to talk about ghosts seemed absurd to Vlad, who sighed and laid back down.

But Zemina pulled the blankets away with determination.

“…What’s wrong with you this early?”

“Look at this! I have proof!”

While Vlad, still groggy, tried to ignore her, Zemina waved a piece of paper in front of his face.

It was the drawing the World Tree Priestess had handed her the night before.

“The ghost I saw left me this drawing. What do you think? Don’t you feel a chill just looking at it?”

“…”

“Look at this messy stroke! It’s obviously cursed.”

As Zemina claimed, the drawing was utterly chaotic.

However, its vibrant colors made it hard to determine the artist’s age or intent.

“A ghost gave you this?”

“I swear it did.”

“…Did this ghost have platinum blonde hair and wear a white dress?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”

Hearing Vlad describe the supposed ghost exactly, Zemina gasped, covering her mouth in astonishment. Her wide eyes grew even rounder as she stared at Vlad.

“I’ve got goosebumps!”

Her large eyes, now even more rounded, seemed to confirm Vlad’s accuracy.

Vlad scratched his head as he began to study the drawing she had given him.

“…Hmm?”

As dawn broke over Sturma, the faint light filtering through the windows slowly illuminated the room.

Vlad furrowed his brows as he tried to decipher the drawing’s message.

***

At the same time, the Bayezid mansion was bustling with guests, transformed into a social hub.

Nobles and envoys from across the continent had gathered.

For many, this rare chance to mingle was the perfect opportunity to form new connections.

“Oh, Lord Vlad Aureo…”

Among all the guests, the one they most sought to meet was Vlad, the new Swordmaster.

However, Vlad paid no attention to the countless individuals approaching him and instead strode confidently up the stairs.

‘You should visit our mother. I’m sure it would make her happy to see you.’

“…”

He passed the noise of the first and second floors, heading to the third—a quieter area closed to guests.

Reaching the hushed hallway, Vlad paused and glanced around.

“The sun shines just as brightly as ever.”

When he had been a squire, this hallway was always alive with the bustle of servants and activity.

Now, the stillness was so profound that he could hear the birds singing outside.

Sniff, sniff.

Before stepping further, Vlad sniffed at his clothes discreetly, checking if he smelled unpleasant.

It was an old habit from his days in the slums, one he still hadn’t shaken.

But even in winter, when he wore heavy layers, the lady of this house had always greeted him with a warm smile.

“…Lord Vlad?”

“It’s a pleasure to see you again after so long.”

Outside Oksana’s room, Vlad greeted the maid stationed there with a polite nod. She was a middle-aged woman who had come to the household from Oksana’s family.

“I’ve come to visit Lady Oksana.”

“Oh, of course.”

The maid immediately recognized Vlad and smiled warmly.

“It’s hard to believe how elegant you’ve become!”

“Thank you.”

Though her smile was bright, the somber atmosphere of the room seemed to weigh even on the maid, whose tone was more subdued than usual.

Perhaps, after so long without laughter, she had forgotten how to truly smile.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll let her know you’re here.”

Even though Vlad had announced his visit beforehand, he understood that ladies always needed time to prepare.

Waiting in the reception room, he sat quietly, taking in his surroundings.

“…”

They say a room reflects its owner.

Although the room was spacious, the furnishings and decorations were modest.

It didn’t feel empty, though, as warm orange sunlight filled the space.

“Vlad?”

“Ah… yes.”

In that sunlight was someone who had always smiled at him. Seeing that smile made the damp, moldy corners of his heart feel just a little warmer.

“You must be tired from your journey, Vlad.”

“…”

But today, the smile Oksana offered him was heavy with sorrow, like a storm cloud ready to burst.

“…Forgive me. I should have come sooner.”

“It’s alright, don’t worry. Come closer.”

Sitting on the bed, Oksana gestured for him to approach.

Her outstretched hands were dry and frail, like brittle twigs.

She hadn’t been eating well; she was ill, worn down… Like the last time Vlad had seen his own birth mother. Seeing her state, Vlad couldn’t help but nervously wet his lips.

“I know how busy you’ve been.”

“…”

“I know you’ve worked hard to accomplish what my son could not.”

It had been two years since Joseph’s death, but Oksana spoke of him as if it had happened just yesterday.

“Have you taken care of the rogue dark mages?”

“…In the north, most of them.”

“And those who sowed discord under the Blood Dragon?”

“There’s a meeting in Brigantes. I plan to close the divisions there.”

Every era bears its burdens, and the living must endure them.

A man had once said that this generation must drink the poison that had seeped across the world to cleanse it.

“You’ve done so much, Vlad.”

Joseph, who had sacrificed the last of his days trying to burn away that poison, had left the task to Vlad.

And as Oksana watched his efforts, she gave him a faint, weary smile.

“It’s a relief. Maybe the next generation won’t have to endure what you have.”

Though Vlad didn’t physically resemble Joseph, Oksana looked at him with the same warmth she had shown her own son.

“As expected, it’s good to see you well-fed. Those broad shoulders… you’re every bit a man now.”

“…Thank you.”

But Vlad, sitting beside the bed, couldn’t meet her gaze.

Because he knew that while she might have been like a mother to him, he could never truly be her son.

The only one who could comfort this woman, fading a little more each day, was Joseph, who now lay beneath the gravestone visible through the window. And Vlad was all too aware of that fact.

***

“…At times like this, it feels so unfair.”

Beneath a sky blanketed in clouds, Vlad quietly uncorked a bottle of whiskey.

Behind him, the mansion bustled with the sounds of celebration, but in the small garden, it seemed like another world—serene and removed from the commotion.

Standing before Joseph’s gravestone, Vlad poured out a portion of the liquor in silence, sighing as his gaze drifted toward the commemorative tower for fallen knights visible in the distance.

“It seems like those who left first have it easy. The ones left behind are the ones still carrying the weight of it all.”

Gregory, Ragmus, Agge… and many others, knights whose names he hadn’t even known, who had fought alongside him against Sarnus on that day.

Vlad raised his glass of whiskey in tribute to the freshly engraved names on the tower. But then he felt the presence of someone behind him and turned his head.

“Still, finishing what they couldn’t is the duty of those who remain.”

“Marcus.”

From a spot that had seemed empty a moment ago, a man stepped forward.

His face was marred with deep scars, a testament to the trials he must have endured in the past.

“At least the knights who rest here are fortunate. There are those in this world who vanish without even leaving their name behind.”

Vlad nodded silently in agreement with Marcus’s words.

No one is born without purpose, but that doesn’t guarantee their purpose will endure to the end.

“The Pope, Andreas, wanted me to relay his gratitude. It seems the ones you dealt with this time caused him quite a bit of trouble.”

“Did they?”

Over the past two years, Vlad had traversed the continent, stamping out the remnants of lingering threats.

Sometimes, he faced dark mages who manipulated others; other times, he hunted down the last of Dragulia’s followers.

His relentless pursuit was his way of ensuring that the names now etched before him had not been sacrificed in vain.

“Is there anyone else left? Once this ceremony is over, I could head out again.”

“…”

But Marcus didn’t answer Vlad’s question about his next target.

Instead, he uncorked a bottle of liquor and poured it silently onto the grass nearby.

“You’re still young, and I think you’ve done more than enough.”

“Marcus?”

Marcus, who had been pouring out the liquor for the nameless dead like himself, raised his head and nodded toward Vlad, who now wore a puzzled expression.

“By the last order of Count Peter, the Ravens will no longer provide you with information.”

“…”

“The Count wanted you to stop living for others and start living for yourself. That was his final request.”

There are stars that shine brightly because they have a dream, a goal they wish to achieve.

But now, that star was losing its light, unable to release the bonds it should have left behind. It was time to raise its gaze to a new sky.

“It seems we won’t see each other for a while.”

“It appears so.”

“Then let me ask you just one thing.”

As Marcus turned to leave after delivering his message, Vlad stopped him with a single question.

“What is your real name?”

“…”

The nameless Raven, the man who introduced himself differently each time they met.

Vlad had always been curious about the true identity of this enigmatic figure.

But Marcus, without looking back, simply gestured toward the commemorative tower.

“I don’t know. I buried my old name there.”

A man who had laid to rest the name that defined him, to meld seamlessly into the shadows.

And with that, Marcus disappeared without a trace, just as he had when Vlad first met him.

“…Looks like I’m unemployed now.”

Standing alone in the garden, Vlad muttered a dry reflection after Marcus’s departure.

Adrift and unsure of what path to follow, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and stared at it intently.

“What am I supposed to do now, Joseph?”

It was the drawing the World Tree Priestess had given Zemina.

Vlad studied the drawing for a long time. But beside him, Joseph remained silent, unable to respond.

Swaaahhhh—

From the overcast sky, rain finally began to fall.

Looking up toward the heavens, Vlad felt the rain drench him, as if it were urging him forward, leaving a bitter weight in his heart.

Chapteer 271: Extra 11 – Continuation
With the sunset behind him, Vlad stood alone in a wheat field, striking the frozen ground with a hoe.

Going back in time a bit, to the spring days, Vlad had been learning to work on Ramund’s farm.

“This is truly a curious sight.”

It was an empty field, without even seeds planted, just freshly tilled earth.

The only sound was that of Vlad’s hoe striking the soil.

Despite the persistent noise, Vlad displayed absolute clumsiness—a novice struggling with farmwork.

“You traded your sword for a simple hoe, and you still manage to look this stupid?”

“…Am I really that bad?”

Vlad scratched his cheek awkwardly, glancing at Ramund, who stood nearby making caustic remarks. Vlad already suspected as much.

It was clear he had no aptitude for farming.

“No matter how hard you try, you weren’t born for this. It’s not about adapting or learning; you simply lack the talent.”

Born and raised in the city, Vlad had never been close to the earth.

Even taking that into account, his natural inclination for agriculture was nonexistent.

“Why the hell are you doing this?”

With a sword, Vlad was the Swordmaster, admired across the continent.

But with a hoe, he was a fumbling beginner. To Ramund, the disparity was so stark he couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.

“What made you suddenly want to take up farming?”

A strong smell of alcohol wafted from the wineskin Ramund held. There was no need to ask what it contained—it was obvious.

“…Are you exhausted? Want to take a break?”

“It’s not that.”

Vlad noticed Ramund’s growing frustration. He set the hoe aside, sat down on the ground, and began to speak.

“I’ve just been thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“That the only things I know how to do are steal, pickpocket, or wield a sword.”

Ramund flinched slightly at Vlad’s words.

As a child, Vlad had roamed dark alleyways, parentless and homeless.

His path had been filled with cold, sharp things—a reflection of the life he had led just to survive.

“Isn’t it a little shameful to live a life that only knows those things?”

Vlad felt ashamed to be someone who only knew how to harm others.

Even if the world hailed him as a glorious Swordmaster, he knew better.

Kihano, the previous Swordmaster, had not guided him solely with swordsmanship.

“What’s so shameful about a Swordmaster only knowing how to wield a sword?”

“That’s exactly the problem.”

Ramund’s mildly chiding tone made Vlad smile faintly.

“I don’t want to always be the Swordmaster.”

Though the world saw him as a shining figure, to others, Vlad was something entirely different.

To some, he was an irreplaceable friend. To others, a savior in desperate times.

And to Ramund, at this moment, he was merely a clumsy farmer.

“Who knows? Maybe one day, someone will ask me about something other than my sword.”

Kihano, the Swordmaster, had been more than just that. Vlad remembered most vividly the nameless voice that had guided him onto the right path.

Perhaps the most valuable thing Vlad had learned from Kihano wasn’t his flawless swordsmanship, but his approach to life.

“That’s why I’m learning. So I’ll have something to say if someone asks me in the future.”

Vlad also wanted to emulate that side of Kihano. Not as an emperor or knight, but as the adult who had guided him.

That’s why Vlad was now trying to gather the experiences he had overlooked, broadening his understanding of the world.

***

The succession ceremony was grand.

Knights clad in gleaming armor stood in formation, and dignitaries from across the continent offered their congratulations.

It was perhaps the most magnificent event ever held in the North. Observing it, Vlad felt a strange sense of euphoria he couldn’t quite put into words.

“I’ve never seen so many nobles gathered in one place before.”

“…Oh, yes?”

“This is only my second time. The first was when I received my knighthood, and now this.”

Seeing Vlad slightly excited, Jager began to tense up.

Vlad’s behavior was a warning sign to someone who knew him well.

Jager, recalling the trouble Vlad had caused as a squire, knew this was the time to be most vigilant.

“…But why is Baroness Alicia seated over there?”

The event, meticulously planned by the Bayezid family, was drawing attention from across the continent.

The seating arrangement was carefully organized by rank and title. Yet Vlad couldn’t help but feel curious seeing Alicia seated so close to Zemina.

“You seem anxious.”

“I’m not.”

“Please, try to stay calm.”

“I’ve never felt better.”

“…”

But that wasn’t true. Even his breathing carried a trace of tension.

Each time the two women in front of him whispered to each other, the rapid beating of his heart seemed to echo loudly in Jager’s ears.

“Now entering, Lord Rutiger Bayezid!”

At the sound of the steward’s announcement, the hall doors began to open.

The doors, designed to resemble Sturma’s fortified walls, were massive and imposing.

As they swung open, the chatter in the hall died down into absolute silence.

“…”

A tall man with broad shoulders, clad in an ornate ceremonial armor, entered with steady steps.

It was Rutiger, looking far more solemn than usual.

“He looks different.”

“It’s natural.”

At the highest point of the hall, Peter Bayezid, the current head of the family, made a gesture with his hand.

It was the signal to commence the succession ceremony.

“He’s no longer the Rutiger you knew. From now on, he will be Count Bayezid.”

Bearing the weight of his family’s name on his shoulders and the burden of their lands on his back, Rutiger could no longer be who he once was.

With every step forward, carrying the responsibilities of his new role, Vlad’s gaze grew more complex.

—Please, come forward, son of Bayezid.

With each step Rutiger took ascending the stairs, he drew closer to Peter. At the same time, Peter Bayezid slowly rose from his seat.

Holding the lord’s mantle in his left hand and the ceremonial sword in his right, Peter opened his arms as if to say, “Come.” His gaze remained fixed on his son as he ascended toward him.

When Rutiger reached the highest point, Peter, holding both the mantle and sword, extended them toward him.

—Wear this mantle.

Finally, Rutiger reached the pinnacle of Bayezid, and in front of him, Peter carefully draped the mantle over his shoulders.

—This mantle symbolizes duty. Do not forget that you now bear the responsibility for countless lives who depend on you.

A lord is not just someone who rules over land, but one who protects their people. That immense responsibility now weighed heavily on Rutiger’s shoulders.

—Raise your sword.

Solemnly, Rutiger reached for the object Peter offered him: the sword of the Bayezid family.

The sword, passed down through generations, was a reminder that Rutiger must now wield it not for his personal honor, but for that of his family.

—This sword symbolizes your responsibility as the head of the family. From this moment on, you will not wield this blade for your own honor but for the honor of the Bayezid name.

He was no longer merely Rutiger the knight. From this moment, he would live as the heir and representative of the Bayezid family.

As the ceremony concluded, Peter Bayezid addressed those gathered with a powerful voice.

—I, Peter Bayezid, declare before all present that Rutiger Bayezid is the new head of the family.

Having handed over everything he needed to, Peter raised his voice, addressing the hall filled with guests.

—Rutiger Bayezid has assumed the title of head of the family!

Until then, the only sound in the vast hall had been Peter’s voice speaking to his son. But as soon as he finished, thunderous applause erupted, threatening to shake the very walls.

Clap, clap, clap, clap—!

The cheers and applause of those present filled the space, showing no sign of abating anytime soon.

It was a sound of celebration, a tribute to the Bayezid dynasty, which had endured even in the darkest times when the mightiest and oldest dragon had brought chaos.

Yet amid the deafening ovation, Vlad caught a faint voice that seemed to come from above.

“…You’ve done well.”

It was a barely audible whisper, perceptible only to someone like Vlad, whose dragon blood granted him acute senses.

The voice came from Peter, who embraced his son with a blend of solemnity and warmth.

“Truly, you’ve done well to make it this far.”

Having relinquished the mantle of leadership and the family sword, Peter was no longer a leader but fully a father. As he held Rutiger close, he whispered with genuine affection:

“Thank you for all your effort to reach this place.”

***

“That was truly a moving spectacle.”

The night following the succession ceremony, an elegant banquet was being held at the Bayezid mansion.

However, while the guests laughed and mingled, Vlad walked through a dark, empty hallway, far removed from the nobles and their revelry.

“What does it feel like to inherit something? I can’t even imagine.”

He was accompanied by Jager, who walked ahead of him.

Both carried bottles of liquor in their hands as they made their way to what had once been Joseph’s office.

“Well, I suppose inheriting something from Dragulia would have been impressive. Too bad you missed out on that.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Jager’s sudden mention of Dragulia caused Vlad’s expression to stiffen awkwardly.

“I mean something like… what a father passes down to his son.”

It was difficult to put into words, and Vlad gestured clumsily in an attempt to explain. Jager, however, didn’t even glance back.

“That’s not something everyone gets to experience, even if their parents are alive. In this world, if you don’t inherit debts, you’re already lucky.”

“Really?”

“And if you want to know how it feels, just make sure someone inherits something from you.”

Creak—

The door handle emitted a harsh, grating sound as it turned, rusty from years of disuse.

“You can’t inherit something, but you can leave something behind for others to inherit.”

Creeeeak—

Though he expected the office to be shrouded in darkness, the room was bathed in the soft, bluish glow of moonlight.

Yet despite the light, the space felt entirely different from how Vlad remembered it.

“…Nothing here has changed.”

“Nothing has changed, you say, but all the furniture is covered with cloth.”

The office, now devoid of its owner, had become a cold, dust-laden space.

However, with these two unexpected visitors, the room seemed to regain a faint warmth from the past.

“Are we going to drink here?”

“…Yes. Originally, I planned to do it alone.”

Though it wasn’t planned, Vlad and Jager naturally took up the positions they used to occupy.

Vlad sat across from the guest table, and Jager stood by Joseph’s desk, just as he always had.

Jager couldn’t help but chuckle, watching Vlad behave as if it were the old days.

“A boy who didn’t even know how to ride a horse.”

“It’s because I didn’t know I was a dragon.”

“A brat who only knew how to brawl with the other squires and get into trouble.”

“Well, that was because…”

Reminiscing about the past, Jager shook his head in amusement while Vlad fumbled to justify himself.

Perhaps because he had known Vlad since he was a boy, Jager still found it hard to believe how much he had grown.

“From that troublesome kid to becoming a Swordmaster, and yet you still have so much to envy?”

“…”

“Here, take this.”

“Liquor?”

“It’s expensive. Over fifty years old.”

The bottle Jager handed to Vlad was one he had been saving for years.

It was a special bottle that had belonged to his father, back when Jager had first come to Bayezid from the Oskar family.

“Are you sure it’s alright to give me something so valuable?”

“You said you wanted to inherit something, didn’t you?”

“Even so…”

“Enough already. Just open the bottle.”

Jager pulled a cloth off a piece of furniture and retrieved some glasses, holding them out to Vlad.

It was a clear invitation to pour the liquor, but Vlad, with a sly smile, tucked the bottle behind his back.

“…This liquor is too valuable to drink right now.”

“Then give the bottle back.”

“How about we start with the one I brought?”

“…I’ve been waiting twenty years to drink that.”

Jager sighed in defeat as Vlad poured a different liquor he had brought along.

“By the way, Jager, do you know how to fish?”

“Fish? Why are you asking that out of nowhere?”

“I thought it might be nice to learn.”

Jager, gazing at the moonlight streaming through the window, let out a small sigh.

“If you want to learn something basic, come back in winter.”

Vlad smiled as he watched Jager’s back. He had spoken about inheritance, but what he truly desired was to continue the connections forged in his life.

Chapteer 272: Extra 12 – The child and the woman
The red carpet that adorned the hallways had been removed.

Only a few withered flower petals remained on the decorations, along with an empty pitcher.

The Bayezid mansion, which had been the setting for a splendid celebration, was now calm.

The guests had left, and the only thing breaking the silence was the singing of the birds.

Vlad walked alone through that tranquil space.

“…”

He wore a light cloak, as if he were already prepared to leave.

Early that morning, as the bluish colors of dawn stretched across the sky, Vlad made his way to the room where the lady of the house, Oksana Bayezid, was.

“Are you feeling better?”

Though the sun had yet to rise, Oksana was already awake.

Or perhaps, due to her persistent cough, she hadn’t been able to sleep all night. Nevertheless, she greeted Vlad with the same warm smile as always.

“…Are you leaving already?”

Although she could have remained lying down, Oksana made an effort to sit up with the help of a few cushions.

She didn’t want Vlad, who was about to leave, to worry unnecessarily.

“Yes. I think it’s time to return.”

However, she couldn’t entirely hide the illness that afflicted her.

Oksana’s lips, pale as if covered in wax, left Vlad with a strained smile.

“That’s the right choice. If you’re going to leave, it’s best to do it early. You know how unpredictable the northern weather is.”

The rays of the morning sun began to filter through the window, bathing Oksana’s bed in a warm orange glow, similar to the one Vlad had seen the day he met her.

“…”

Under that light, Oksana’s figure resembled a painting.

It wasn’t ostentatious or dazzling, but it offered the serenity of a picture one would want to gaze upon every day.

“It looks like the sun is rising. You’d better hurry.”

That painting, which he had always wanted to keep, was now telling him it was time to leave.

Oksana caressed the small package she had placed beside her bed.

“Are you wearing clothes suited for the season now?”

Vlad had been a child who wore winter clothes even in the height of summer.

Huddled up as if he still felt cold beneath the warm summer breezes.

“The clothes that aren’t seen are the most important. True elegance is shown in the least visible details.”

“…”

Inside the package that Oksana held, there were surely undergarments and socks for Vlad.

A seemingly trivial gift, but one that only a mother could prepare with such attention to detail.

“That girl is very pretty. What was her name? Zemina? When you were together, you looked very good.”

“Thank you.”

“…”

They had already said everything they needed to say.

It was time to go.

Oksana nodded silently to her last guest, but Vlad still couldn’t take the first step toward the door.

“…I plan to come back in winter.”

“Huh?”

He turned back toward Oksana, speaking somewhat awkwardly, as if it were difficult to reopen a closed conversation.

“I want to learn how to fish. I’ve heard that ice fishing can only be done in winter.”

“Fishing?”

Though the topic had nothing to do with what they had just been discussing, Vlad was trying to keep it going.

Because he wanted to see Oksana move, smile.

Because he knew he would miss her more if she remained still, like a lifeless painting.

“It’s something that, if one had a father, they would learn naturally. I don’t know anything about those things, so lately, I’ve been trying to learn.”

“…”

“Last time, Lord Ramund taught me how to farm the land, and well…”

Vlad’s world was diverse.

The boy who once dreamed of becoming the perfect dragon now sought to become a star that radiated light.

A young man who didn’t want to be defined solely by a title.

“Even so, there are many things I don’t understand.”

To some, he was the dragon born of perfection.

To others, the master swordsman who wielded a brilliant blade.

But before Oksana, he was just an uncertain child, without answers.

And that child, with a shy gaze, now looked at Oksana.

“So, if I have more questions, can I come to ask you?”

Vlad held the package against his chest, shrinking slightly, without looking out of place at all.

At least, not to Oksana.

A child who had grown up wild, like an orchid left uncared for.

Looking at him, Oksana, whose world was painted in muted tones, felt a faint hint of color.

“…Of course.”

A child without a mother and a mother who had lost her son looked at each other.

Though the broken pieces of their hearts didn’t fit perfectly, together they could withstand the blowing wind.

“Come back whenever you want. I’ll be waiting for you.”

At those words, the young man before her began to smile.

He no longer wore the old winter coat he once had, but the summer clothes Oksana had given him.

***

“Thank you for staying until the end.”

Although it was the host’s duty to see off the guests, reaching the main door was unusual.

However, behind Vlad, who was about to leave, stood Rutiger, now the head of the Bayezid family, and his knights, all ready to bid him farewell.

“Thanks to you, my succession ceremony was splendid. It will likely go down as the most magnificent in our family’s history.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Behind Rutiger, some of Vlad’s familiar knights waved to him: Cade, Maxim, and those who had fought alongside him against the Deathsworm and Lindworm.

“So, you’re returning to Soara.”

“That’s right.”

“And what will you do afterward? Will you let yourself get dragged from place to place again, like before?”

Prestige always demands a price.

And that price was something that Vlad, as a master swordsman, had to pay.

But now Vlad shook his head in silent denial in response to Rutiger’s question.

“No, this time I plan to rest a bit.”

With those words, Vlad looked at the carriage beside him.

Inside, Zemina was quietly hiding, afraid someone might speak to her.

“…I suppose it’s time for you to take a break.”

Rutiger smiled broadly, understanding perfectly what Vlad was saying.

“I think it’s better if I leave now.”

“Yes, go.”

Rutiger nodded as he watched Vlad mount Noir’s back with a brief salute.

The squire of the Master of the Sword, who shrugged his shoulders while bidding farewell to the knights, pulled the reins, and soon the gates of Sturma began to open.

“…Today, the weather is beautiful.”

As the gates opened, Rutiger watched the morning light fill the horizon.

Vlad’s shadow followed the rising east toward the green meadows.

“Come back whenever you want, Vlad. You will always be welcome as Bayezid’s greatest dragon slayer.”

Though he didn’t say it to be heard, Vlad raised a hand in farewell.

He didn’t look back, but in that gesture, one could feel both gratitude and the promise of return.

***

From Sturma to Soara.

The carriage headed toward Soara, leaving Sturma behind. As it traversed the summer meadows, the sunset began to color the horizon around them.

“Captain, it looks like we’ll have to camp outdoors.”

“That’s fine.”

Crossing the vast northern plains in a single day to reach a village was an impossible task.

That’s why both Vlad and Zemina nodded at Goethe’s words, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“The sun sets quickly on the prairie. It seems to get dark faster than in Soara,” Zemina said as she gathered some nearby dry branches.

“The stars will come out soon.”

In the narrow alleys of Soara, the modest buildings always blocked the sky.

The glow of the lamps meant to attract customers devoured the stars, and the night sky always appeared fragmented and weak.

Finding stars in that broken sky was a difficult task.

“Wow.”

But now, the night sky of the prairie stretched out before Zemina’s eyes, filled with so many twinkling stars that it was hard to believe they had always been there.

Fascinated by their radiance, she couldn’t bring herself to lower her gaze.

“Zemina.”

“Huh?”

“Come here for a moment.”

Lost in her own world, Zemina turned her head when she heard Vlad’s voice.

“Why?”

The campfire that Goethe had lit crackled softly.

Following the sound, Zemina saw Vlad holding Noir’s reins.

“He wants to say goodbye.”

“Huh?”

“Noir wants to say goodbye before he leaves.”

He was a black horse that blended perfectly with the starry sky that night.

So much so that it seemed he might dissolve into the distant stars as he approached Zemina.

“Say goodbye? What does that mean?”

Zemina asked as she stroked Noir, who was nuzzling her gently.

But Vlad didn’t answer. Instead, he nodded toward a distant hill.

“It means it’s time for Noir to return.”

On the hill illuminated by the stars, a herd of wild horses could be seen, as if they were waiting for his return.

“You’re letting him go? Just like that?”

“Now is the right time.”

Zemina felt confused by the sudden farewell, but Vlad, without hesitation, began to remove Noir’s harness.

He took off the saddle, the bridle around his face, and unloaded the luggage he had been carrying.

“Thank you for everything.”

And so, Vlad said goodbye to the child of the prairies, who had now returned to his original form.

“Are you done saying goodbye?”

“Huh? Yes…”

“Then, go now.”

At the edge of the world where their paths had briefly intersected, they had extended a little further.

However, Noir’s world was on the prairie, while Vlad’s was in the city. It was time to part ways.

“Don’t look back.”

Noir seemed to want to turn around again and again, but Vlad just crossed his arms and watched him.

Goodbyes are better when they are simple.

Seeing Vlad apply that philosophy, Noir neighed softly, as if bidding farewell.

“…There he goes.”

At first, his steps were hesitant, but the closer he got to the hill, the longer his strides became.

Watching the black horse run toward the starry sky, Zemina began to shed tears.

“Is it because he resembles his owner? He doesn’t look back even once.”

Feeling the emptiness of the farewell, Zemina instinctively moved closer to Vlad.

“Don’t be so sad.”

Together, they watched Noir disappear into the distance. The image of the two of them, side by side, was identical to that of the children who used to stand in front of the smithy.

“It’s not like we’ll be apart forever.”

Vlad took a piece of paper from his coat as he watched Noir leave.

It was the drawing the Priestess of the World Tree had given them, one that Zemina immediately recognized.

“Now that I look at it, this sunflower… Its color resembles your hair.”

“Really?”

In the childish drawing, there was a blond man and a red-haired girl. Between them was a small, smiling flower. Why would someone draw a smiling face on that flower?

“Thank you, Zemina.”

“Huh?”

Vlad wrapped an arm around Zemina’s shoulders, as if the night wind felt cold.

Surprised by the sudden gesture, Zemina looked at him, but Vlad continued watching the sky where Noir had vanished.

Just like that time, when he looked at the undecorated sword hanging in the smithy.

“For believing in me back then.”

The winter in which he was born, the spring in which he said goodbye… And now, the summer in which he awaited new encounters.

The journey of that boy began with the sword the red-haired girl had given him.

“Let’s go back to Soara together.”

Their feet were still in the mud, but they gazed at the stars together.

Now, they looked at each other as a shooting star streaked across the prairie sky.

Even if we are not in the highest sky.

Even if we fall to a place where no one sees us, If we wish to shine, we can recognize each other.

Because we are stars.

Because we can all shine like stars.

So until we meet again, goodbye.

Star-Embracing Swordmaster (Complete).

***

Early in the morning when everyone was deeply asleep.

In the depths of the night, when even the stars in the sky were slumbering,

Under that night sky, a voice tried to wake a man who slept without a care in the world.

“…Sir… Sir.”

It was the voice of a child, a young voice that had not yet reached puberty.

For that reason, it didn’t have enough strength to wake the man from his deep sleep.

“Ow! That hurt!”

“I said, wake up!”

Was this what a bee sting felt like? A sharp pain jolted the man awake, and with his eyes still unfocused, he looked around.

“What’s going on? What’s happening?”

“Shhh!”

The child motioned for him to be quiet and glanced outside the stable, holding a small frog in his hands.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Why are you sleeping in a stable when there are decent rooms?”

“…This is a stable?”

The man, having no idea where he had been sleeping, looked utterly confused.

If not for his good looks, his expression would have been sigh-worthy.

“That’s why it felt so comfortable.”

Unlike the worried child, the still-drowsy man began to gather the straw around him to lie down again, hunching his shoulders as if he were cold.

Even the frog in the child’s hands puffed out its cheeks as if it couldn’t believe what it was seeing.

“This is no time for sleeping! We have to escape right now!”

“…What are you saying? Can’t we talk about this later?”

The smell of alcohol still lingered around him as he lay down again.

Frustrated, the child pounded his chest desperately but soon held his breath upon noticing the commotion around them.

“We know you’re hiding here!”

“Come out now!”

“Hmm?”

The voices were clearly aggressive, and the sound of doors being kicked down signaled their determination to find someone.

Unlike the child, the man only blinked, confused by the hostile tone.

“Kihano Frausen! You damned libertine!”

“Huh?”

The smell of oil-soaked torches filled the air, and the furious barking of hunting dogs echoed around them.

But what truly confused the man was hearing the word “libertine” alongside his name.

Crash!

Finally understanding the gravity of the situation, the man hurriedly stood up, but it was already too late to prepare.

“There you are.”

A bald man with a malicious grin and yellowed teeth found him just as he was getting up and adjusting his clothes.

“I found you, Kihano Frausen.”

The man, still bewildered, looked wide-eyed, while the child at his side seemed on the verge of tears. Even the frog with the hat let out a resigned sigh.

“…May I ask why you’re looking for me?”

This is a story from long ago.

A story that is neither legendary nor grand.

Yet this story, the beginning of it all, started here, in the stable of a nameless, signless inn.

T/N:

This chapter was peak from here will come the story of Kihano Frausen.

Chapteer 273: Extra 13 – The Bastard of the Frausen Family (1)
In a cell within a mansion surrounded by somber gray bricks.

On the damp floor of that place, Kihano was sitting, tied up with ropes, his gaze vacant.

“K-Kihano, sir.”

“Yes.”

The treatment he had received while being dragged there had been rough enough that his appearance was disheveled.

But that disheveled appearance was preferable compared to the situation of the boy who called to him with a weak voice.

“But why am I the only one hanging upside down?”

“Well… that’s because it’s a tradition of the Turrek family, isn’t it?”

“Then why are you perfectly fine?”

“That’s… because I’m a noble.”

The boy was wrapped in ropes as if he were a cocoon.

Even so, despite the boy’s voice, Kihano only stared at the ground in worry, biting his nails.

“C-Could you at least lift me up for a moment? The blood is rushing to my head.”

“Oh no, this is a problem. This time, I don’t think I’ll get out of this unscathed.”

“Just for a moment. Really, I’m going to faint.”

“If my brothers find out about this, I doubt they’ll let me die peacefully.”

“Sir Kihano! Sir Kihano?”

Despite the boy’s desperate calls, Kihano did not raise his head easily.

In fact, his anxiety was so intense that he was now standing, pacing back and forth.

“Old man, don’t you have a solution? You’re a mage, right?”

“…”

Although there were only two people in the cell, Kihano began to speak as if there were someone else there.

“Haven’t you recharged yet? If you have, let’s break the cell wall and get out of here.”

He spoke toward an empty corner of the cell.

He seemed to be completely out of his mind, but fortunately, there was a voice that responded to Kihano.

“Tsk! That’s why knights are such a problem. Do you think magic is as easy to use as drawing a sword?”

An old voice emerged from the empty corner of the cell.

Along with it, a small figure leapt out from the shadows with tiny hops.

“Why the hell did you get involved with the baron’s daughter? I told you not to do it!”

It was a frog.

A frog smaller than the palm of a child’s hand.

Green on its back and white on its belly, it wore a tiny wizard’s hat and hopped toward them while clicking its tongue.

“No wonder they say the Frausen lose their heads over women.”

“This is really unfair. It was a mutual agreement!”

“…Um, could either of you please lower me down?”

A tall man with brown hair.

A freckled boy tied up with ropes, begging to be lowered.

And a small frog with a wizard’s hat and a pipe in its mouth.

“In any case, we need to get out of here before my brothers find out.”

“Sir K-Kihano.”

“Hurry up and recharge! Let’s get out of here with a *boom*!”

“…What’s that boom?”

“That thing you showed me last time, that swoosh followed by a slash.”

“Sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re definitely a Frausen, explaining everything so badly.”

Though there were three in the cell, none seemed to understand the others.

Each one said whatever came to mind.

However, the boy, seeing this absurd situation, finally couldn’t hold back and shouted with all his strength.

“They’re here! I don’t know who, but someone’s here!”

“Huh?”

Hearing the boy’s screams, Kihano finally turned around.

And there, outside the bars, stood a man he didn’t recognize, looking at him with a stern expression as he slowly removed his hood.

“…Brother?”

The man was tall, with his hair slicked back and glistening from the oil he wore.

He was the epitome of noble elegance.

But what stood out the most was his sharp, penetrating gaze.

“…Damn libertine.”

It was the fifth son of the Frausen family, Perez Frausen.

Now, with his left eye narrowed, he looked at his younger brother, known as the greatest libertine in the family’s history.

“Brother, brother! Don’t use that! I can explain everything!”

With one eye closed, he saw his own world; with the other, he saw the world where he stood.

A skill available only to knights who had reached a high level.

“Don’t bother explaining. Just prepare to die.”

“There’s no need to use aura! Don’t you feel sorry for your little brother who can’t even use aura?”

“I feel more sorry for myself for having a brother like you.”

Creak—

Perez turned the key handed to him by the jailer and slowly opened the cell door.

Perez’s presence filled the space, making Kihano prepare nervously.

But Perez Frausen only looked coldly at his brother’s desperate attempts.

“Should I leave you half-dead first?”

Crash!

Before he finished smiling, a deafening sound shook the entire cell, as if a wall were collapsing.

The man’s scream echoed alongside the crash.

Even the jailers froze, confused by the dust falling from the ceiling, but they remembered their orders and held their positions.

“Huh… Gentlemen? Are you really going to leave me hanging here?”

The cell trembled with each of Perez’s blows.

The boy, dangling like a cocoon, flailed wildly.

But in the middle of all that, no one had the time to respond to his plea.

***

“Ughhh…”

If you took rice cakes and threw them, would they look like this?

Kihano, hunched and stuck to the floor of the cell, looked exactly like that.

Perez, seeing him, exhaled a sigh of resignation.

“Remember what our father told you when you left.”

Chiiik—

The match struck by Perez produced a flame that lit his cigarette, and the scent of tobacco began to spread through the air.

“…”

“He told you to keep quiet, to stay as unnoticed as possible.”

As he inhaled deeply, the tip of the cigarette glowed red.

In the dark cell, it was the only light visible in the deep night.

“You’re twenty years old now. You should understand why our father sent you away from the family.”

“I don’t know… damn it.”

Perez frowned slightly at seeing his younger brother still lying on the floor, unmoving from resentment.

But he understood his defiance.

For as cold as he seemed, even he could imagine how his brother felt crashing into an impossible wall.

“I understand you want to vent, but don’t forget that the Dragulia family’s anger hasn’t subsided.”

“…”

At the mention of Dragulia, Kihano began to stir slightly.

But Perez pretended not to notice and continued speaking.

“So go farther away. Until they forget you.”

Thud—

With those words, Perez stood up and tossed a small bag toward Kihano, who was still lying on the floor.

The bag fell with a familiar clinking sound.

It was unmistakably the sound of coins.

“I don’t need this…”

“Take it. It’s from our mother.”

After throwing the bag of gold, Perez tucked a small piece of paper into the ropes binding the boy hanging from the ceiling.

“Agreement or not, you caused trouble for the Turrek family. So handle this.”

The boy, exhausted, had fallen asleep and didn’t even wake when Perez untied him and gently laid him on the floor.

Without another word, Perez left the cell.

Kihano, still lying powerless on the floor, slowly began to rise as he watched his brother’s back disappear.

***

“It must be difficult for you, Sir Perez Frausen.”

“…”

Perez, who had planned to leave silently, was stopped by an unexpected voice.

“Clearly, as a member of the Frausen family, the problems he causes are of great magnitude.”

The man’s bald head gleamed under the moonlight.

Smiling maliciously, the man approached. He was the knight of the Turrek family who had brought Kihano here.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing in particular… There is just an outstanding debt with Señor Kihano.”

Feigning politeness, the man extended his hand toward Perez.

“As I said before, it must be the Frausen blood that makes the problems they cause so large. Your brother owes me a considerable amount of money.”

Upon hearing this, Perez’s brow furrowed slightly.

“How much?”

“About 20 gold coins.”

“…20 gold coins?”

His brother’s reputation as the libertine of the Frausen family was well known.

But Perez, who had watched him for a long time, knew that Kihano would not borrow 20 gold coins without a good reason.

“Well… The boy who accompanies your brother, right? His name is Yan.”

The man was embellishing his story, but the situation was simple.

There was a boy who worked alone on a farm.

His parents had left him with a huge debt before they died.

And coincidentally, the owner of the farm was the creditor of that debt.

It was a situation that, by coincidence or not, often occurred in this world.

“So my brother paid 20 gold coins to buy the boy’s freedom?”

“Exactly. And I lent him that money.”

Perez smiled slightly, understanding why there was a boy hanging in the cell.

He calmly approached the man.

“Then, the 20 gold coins must be paid.”

The Frausen family always paid their debts justly.

Rewarding kindness and repaying grudges was an unbreakable rule of their family.

“Sir Perez?”

However, instead of handing over coins, Perez grabbed the man’s outstretched hand.

He squeezed it so tightly that the bald knight’s eyes widened, unable to utter a sound.

“From what I saw on the way here, it seems you treated my younger brother quite harshly.”

“…!!”

Instead of coins, the man now felt the crushing grip of Perez on his hand.

The bald knight’s eyes were wide open, unable to scream, while Perez’s grip threatened to crush his bones.

“Let’s see how much your life is worth.”

“Aghhh… Ughh.”

Even though Kihano was considered a libertine, he was still a Frausen.

Not even the Turrek family could touch a family that shone among humans, even in the world of dragons.

“Surely, it’s worth more than 20 gold coins.”

“Gwaaaah!”

To defend the honor of his younger brother, whom no one acknowledged, Perez squeezed the man’s hand forcefully.

Meanwhile, his younger brother had been beaten mercilessly.

***

“…Consuegra.” (1)

Even in the dark cell, the moon shone brightly that night.

On the white paper illuminated by the moonlight, the name of a city was written.

A city at the edge of Baron Turrek’s territory. Consuegra.

From Kihano’s cracked lips, the name of his next destination slipped out softly.

T/N:

The translation to this is literally in Spanish in case you think it was mistranslated.

Chapteer 274: Extra 14 – The Bastard of the Frausen Family (2)
Consuegra.

An ordinary town within the baron of Turrek’s territory. However, although it was a common place, even this town had a special landscape: windmills lined up on top of a hill.

“Uuugh…”

On the hill, where spring had arrived, sheep wandered around grazing, spreading out like white clouds.

Additionally, flowers of various colors were beginning to bloom. Seen from afar, it was a peaceful scene, as though it were part of a painting. But on the face of the young woman standing there, there was only an expression of displeasure.

“Why has the wind been so strong lately?”

The fact that there were windmills in the town meant that it was a windy area.

However, compared to previous years, the wind was so sharp that the young woman had to hold her hat tightly so it wouldn’t blow away.

“Huh?”

After the strong wind subsided and Consuegra calmed down again, the young woman opened her eyes and stared intently at one of the windmills, as if she had discovered something.

“What is that?”

There was a flickering light like a candle glowing faintly from a small window in the tall windmill.

A light that seemed to be calling for attention with its intermittent flashes.

But by the time the girl noticed that light, the strong wind was once again whipping the hill.

***

“Is this supposed to be a path for walking?”

A group of travelers was making their way along a trail that wound through the forest.

They were holding the reins of an old horse and a small donkey, struggling to move forward.

One of them was Kihano Frausen. His face covered with bruises, as if he had been beaten, Kihano struggled to pull his horse out of the mud it was stuck in.

“Honestly! I don’t get it! How is it possible to charge a toll for something that doesn’t even look like a road?”

Perhaps because it was spring, the wind carried a warm scent.

But on the other hand, that same weather had turned the path into pure mud. In other words, it was a difficult road for any traveler.

“Damn dragons. They only care about their own matters up there and never bother to check these things.”

“Sir Kihano, what if someone hears you?”

Alarmed by Kihano’s words, Yan looked around nervously.

“In my town, in the past, someone was arrested for saying things like that.”

“…”

“It’s true!”

Yan waved his hands, visibly scared, while Kihano frowned.

Indeed, that was how this world worked. Even if they were on a lonely forest path, it wasn’t wise to speak ill of the dragons. In this era ruled by them, survival meant submitting and continuing to pull the reins, step by step.

“All I’m saying is that it would be great if the roads were well built. If it were up to me, I’d build great roads from the capital going north, south, east, and west.”

The dragons ruled this perfect world. Complaining meant rebelling against them. However, for a young man like Kihano, imagining a better future was inevitable.

“Idiot! Saying nonsense like that is why you got kicked out of the family!”

But imagining a better future was a right reserved only for the dragons. So Kihano’s dreams were nothing more than an unrealizable fantasy.

“If you still have the energy to talk nonsense, focus on getting to the town. Young people these days. Tsk, tsk.”

The frog sitting on Yan’s head waved a paw as it spoke. Kihano sighed deeply.

His dreams were big, but his reality was being stuck in the mud, pulling the reins of an old horse. If he didn’t want to sink like the animal, he would have to adapt to the world the dragons had created.

“…Well, at least the scenery isn’t bad.”

As they climbed the hill with effort, a green open meadow of Consuegra stretched out before them. A wave of green that seemed to soothe Kihano’s burning chest. He took a deep breath as he admired the view.

***

“Name.”

“…Kihano.”

“Age.”

“Twenty.”

“Why have you come here?”

Although it seemed like an insignificant town, the strict attitude of the guards watching over it was quite irritating.

“It says right there. I’ve been sent by your feudal lord; don’t you see?”

Even after showing them the order with the lord’s seal, the guards’ attitude didn’t change. Kihano’s frustration grew as he found no solution.

“They say there’s been a witch around here lately. I’ve come to capture her.”

Although his appearance, covered in mud, didn’t inspire much confidence, the feudal lord’s order was authentic.

Moreover, since he had a squire with him, he fulfilled the appearance of a knight. There was no reason to hold him any longer, though the frog he carried as a pet aroused suspicion.

“…Welcome to Consuegra, Sir Kihano.”

“So, can I go in now, gentlemen?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

When the spear blocking his way was lifted, the palisade granting access to Consuegra appeared. However, as he was about to enter, a voice from the guards made him stop.

“Once inside the town, please report immediately to the tax collector.”

“…The tax collector? Isn’t that usually the mayor?”

In small towns like this, it was usually the mayor who handled everything. The presence of a tax collector sent directly by the lord piqued Kihano’s curiosity.

“Yes. And if possible, please maintain discretion…”

“Well, what an expensive town. Hard to enter and complicated to move around in.”

With an enigmatic smile, Kihano turned toward the guards.

“It really seems like there’s a witch here, doesn’t it?”

Witch.

Unlike mages, who used magic through mysteries, witches performed all sorts of illicit acts by dark means.

The possibility that one was here sparked a glimmer of interest on Kihano’s face.

***

“Kihano, sir, this is not the right way.”

Yan’s voice sounded desperate from behind, but he didn’t dare stop him.

“The guards said we should go directly to the tax collector…”

“I know.”

Because the place they were standing in front of was not the tax collector’s office, but, inexplicably, a tavern.

Yan could only hop anxiously while Kihano, with complete ease, entered the place.

“Yan, don’t you know? Before meeting someone important, it’s good manners to shake off the dust and freshen up with a bit of liquor.”

“…Really?”

“What other choice do you have? Just follow me.”

Although Yan frowned in doubt, Kihano had already opened the tavern door and entered.

“Hmm, not bad.”

It was the typical tavern of a small town. The ground floor served food and drinks, and the upper floor functioned as an inn. The smell of food was enough for Kihano to decide that it wasn’t a bad place.

“I’d like to order something.”

“What’s the most popular thing here?”

“We only sell one thing.”

“Then bring me that and a beer.”

“Kihano, sir…”

“Better make it two of those and a beer.”

After placing the order with the tavern owner, Kihano looked around and spoke to Yan.

“There are a lot of people.”

“Yes, it seems the food is really good. In the tavern in our village, there was never this many people.”

For a large city, this was normal, but this was a small town on the outskirts of the territory. It was odd that so many people were gathered in the tavern.

“How good can it be for them to leave their work and come here?”

He estimated there were about thirty people, all men of working age.

“Here you go.”

“Oh, that was quick.”

“The stew is always ready.”

The stew came out shortly after ordering. It was a thick mixture of meat and vegetables. Yan, seeing the hot food, smiled from ear to ear.

“Thank you, Sir Kihano!”

“Yes, eat up. This will be added to the 20 gold you owe.”

“…Understood.”

Yan hung his head, dejected, while Kihano took a spoonful of stew to his mouth.

“Mmm, it’s good.”

The stew, cooked for a long time, had a thick and comforting flavor, typical of rural towns.

“…But I don’t think it’s so good that people would crowd in like this.”

It wasn’t delicious enough to abandon work and pack the tavern.

“…On my farm, the sheep were torn apart. At first, I didn’t even know what it was.”

“At night, the children get so scared they have fits.”

“This is the work of a witch. What else could it be?”

“…”

Kihano chewed slowly as he listened to the conversations in the tavern.

He had gone there on purpose to hear the town’s rumors before carrying out the feudal lord’s mission.

***

“W-What an honor to have such a distinguished person in such a humble place…”

In the city of Enares, near Consuegra, tension filled the mayor’s office as the sun set.

“If you had informed us, we would have come to greet you.”**

“…”

The mayor bowed deeply, with a pathetic expression. He could barely breathe from the effort of holding in his belly.

“I received the report from the mages. They say the investigation is about to conclude.”

“That’s right! They told me so themselves!”

The mayor, ignoring his shortness of breath, rubbed his hands as he spoke to the man before him.

“I made sure to assist them in everything and gave them the best possible treatment… I did everything I could to contribute to their goal.”

In a way, he seemed servile.

It wasn’t a look befitting a mayor responsible for a city, but the reason he did his utmost to bow his head was because the man in front of him was naturally in a position to demand it.

“…Good work.”

The man’s golden hair gleamed in the light of the setting sun. Even in twilight, his hair maintained its golden luster.

“If this succeeds, I will remember your name.”

The man’s eyes, a cold blue, reflected pure perfection. The mayor bowed even deeper.

“T-Thank you, Lord Sarnus!”

Sarnus Dragulia. A young dragon who was beginning to stand out in his family. He smiled as he looked at the mayor bowed before him.

Chapteer 275: Extra 15 – The Suspicious Town (1)
The child’s round cheeks were adorable.

His eyes moved from side to side, following the movements of Kihano’s hand.

Even Kihano, who was trying to attract the boy’s attention by waving a candy, couldn’t help but laugh at that innocent expression.

“So, you say that lately, you’ve been hearing strange noises at night?”

“…Yes.”

“Noises that the adults can’t hear, but you and your friends can?”

“Uh-huh.”

The boy’s eyes remained fixed on the candy Kihano was holding, but his outstretched fingers pointed toward the hill.

With his arm extended, he indicated the windmills that stood on the town’s hill.

“That windmill. Someone cries from there.”

“…Cries?”

“Yes. Cries. The windmill cries every night.”

When the boy said that the windmills cried, Yan, standing beside him, began tilting his head as if he couldn’t understand.

However, Kihano’s eyes remained calm and serious.

“I’ve told you everything… Can I have the candy now?”

After finishing his story, the boy held out both hands toward Kihano, as if asking for a reward.

Moved by the endearing gesture, Kihano gave him the candy.

The boy smiled broadly upon seeing the sweet in his hand, while Kihano slowly stood up.

“A windmill that cries.”

The rumor that a windmill cried at night.

Only the children had heard it, so the adults dismissed it as nonsense.

But now, Kihano’s eyes reflected a different kind of seriousness.

“…Five children have said the same thing.”

It was strange for five children to give the exact same testimony.

Even coming from children, hearing the same account five times deserved to be taken seriously.

‘And that mage told me not to go near the windmill.’

Yesterday, the grim-looking mage had warned him not to go near the windmill.

It wasn’t clear whether it was a warning or a threat.

Recalling that moment, Kihano chewed the last candy with a thoughtful expression.

***

“In any case, I would prefer you not to go near the windmill.”

For a quiet town, the mayor’s house was surprisingly luxurious.

Building a house of that size could only mean the mayor had a good reputation or had embezzled a lot of money.

“Investigating the witch is fine, but it would be better to avoid that place.”

However, the one receiving him wasn’t the mayor, but a completely different man.

A middle-aged man in an embroidered robe with a stern expression.

His refined demeanor and expensive robe made it clear that he was a mage.

“I am conducting experiments that require a certain degree of privacy. I hope you understand.”

His tone reflected a distinguished education.

And with that robe that looked so expensive, no one would doubt his position.

If it weren’t for his feet on the table, Kihano would have thought he was a respectable person.

“Well… As long as you let me investigate without interference, I don’t mind.”

Although the man’s behavior was disrespectful, the tax collector beside him seemed too nervous to say anything.

The man, who had introduced himself as Samonte, acted as if the place belonged to him.

“It’s an experiment supervised directly by the Dragulia family. It can’t be helped.”

“A very understanding young man.”

No matter how disrespectful Samonte was, the name Dragulia demanded respect.

Even if he wasn’t a dragon, no one dared challenge someone who represented that family.

“I wonder what kind of experiment is being conducted in this small town, but that’s all I need to cooperate with.”

“Yes.”

However, the man now standing in front of Samonte was the infamous bastard of the Frausen family.

Perhaps, if he had been careful with his actions until now, the word “bastard” wouldn’t have been attached to Kihano’s name.

“It’s curious, isn’t it? That in a town supervised by the Dragulia family, a witch appears — something so rare to see.”

“…”

“If this is all just a coincidence, it would truly be something curious.”

Kihano was smiling, but his eyes showed no joy.

Samonte maintained his serious expression.

The tension between them made Yan feel suffocated.

***

“I think I shouldn’t have followed Kihano…”

On the way back to the inn from the mayor’s house, Yan was pulling a small donkey while speaking with a worried voice.

“Won’t I end up being marked too? After all, he’s someone from the Dragulia family.”

Yan seemed quite nervous about what had happened recently.

For a boy who had lived his whole life in a rural village, what he had seen was something completely out of the ordinary.

“…Yes, the Dragulia family.”

“Huh?”

“But why would the Dragulia family use an expelled mage?”

However, Kihano, walking ahead, didn’t seem to hear Yan’s voice. He was lost in his own thoughts.

“And besides, a mage from a fallen family in the south. Were they that desperate for someone?”

“…Kihano, what are you saying now?”

Kihano’s tone was unusual, murmuring non-stop as if trapped in another world.

Yan found his behavior strange; he had never seen Kihano like this.

“From the south and from a fallen family? What does all that mean?”

“What?”

“I mean what you just mentioned. You said something about someone being expelled.”

Kihano, who was absorbed in his thoughts, seemed to snap back to reality when he saw Yan’s wide eyes.

His expression finally regained some vitality.

“It was Samonte who was expelled.”

“…Huh?”

Yan was visibly confused by Kihano’s unexpected words.

“That guy was expelled? Did someone mention that before?”

“Does it need to be said? Just looking at him, you can tell.”

Yan was perplexed. How could Kihano gather all that information just by looking? That Samonte was from the south, from a fallen family, and expelled seemed impossible to deduce without being told.

“…I don’t understand anything you’re saying, Kihano.”

“You saw it too. The robe Samonte was wearing.”

“What about his robe?”

Yan still didn’t understand, which made Kihano frown, as if wondering why he couldn’t see something so obvious.

“It had elaborate embroidery. Those patterns are typical of the south.”

“Ah.”

“Also, did you see his shiny boots? That means they were treated to be waterproof. Only people from the swampy regions of the south care that much about their boots.”

“Oh…”

Although they had been in the same place and seen the same person, the information they gathered was very different. That was the difference made by Kihano’s sharp powers of observation.

“So, it seems he’s from the south. But what does it mean that he’s from a fallen family?”

“He was wearing a ring with a noble family’s seal. But the emblem was unknown to me, so it must be from a family that fell at least a generation ago.”

Yan was amazed. When had Kihano found time to notice the ring during that brief meeting? Yan only remembered cowering before Samonte’s intimidating presence.

“And besides, his clothes were worn. It looks like he takes care of his clothing carefully, but even so, it was worn out. That means he doesn’t have much money.”

“…Then why do you say he’s an expelled mage?”

Each of Kihano’s deductions seemed to fit perfectly, and Yan’s eyes shone with admiration.

Now he was curious to know how Kihano had concluded that Samonte was expelled. Kihano shrugged, as if he didn’t have a clear answer.

“…I didn’t know that.”

“Huh?”

Even though he had claimed Samonte was an expelled mage, he now admitted he didn’t know the reason.

Yan looked at him confused, but the answer came from another source.

“He smelled horrible.”

A coarse, old voice came from inside Kihano’s coat.

It was a frog blinking impatiently, as if it felt uncomfortable after being hidden.

“There were many forbidden energies clustered around him. The stench was so strong it made me dizzy.”

The small frog, which wore a pointed hat, climbed onto Kihano’s shoulder. When he was still human, he had been named Andrew. Now, he scratched his head with a hind leg, clearly disgusted.

“It must be black magic, the kind spreading among mages lately. If his powers are that rotten, he was surely expelled a long time ago.”

Yan had never heard of black magic, but the term gave him chills. The word “black” alone was enough to convey something sinister.

“What’s going on in this town…? I hope I haven’t gotten into something dangerous.”

At first, the journey’s goal had only been to atone for a mistake.

But now, they were in a town where witches appeared and suspicious mages roamed.

As he walked through the town, Kihano looked at the darkening sky of Consuegra and clicked his tongue softly.

***

Night had fallen completely, and the hill where the windmill stood was shrouded in shadows.

In the newest windmill, a faint light filtered through the window while more than a dozen mages worked hurriedly.

“…It seems Baron Turrek made a mistake in selecting the staff.”

In the highest level of the windmill, in the room just below the blades, Samonte reflected on what had happened while frowning. The insolent attitude of that young man called Kihano still bothered him.

“Or maybe the Frausen family sent him here by force?”

The situation was frustrating. An unknown woman was constantly interfering, delaying the experiment. They had requested a competent knight to capture her, but instead, an irresponsible brat from the Frausen family had arrived.

“This is a headache. There’s still so much work to do.”

Pressing his temples with his fingers, Samonte let out a small groan. He had received support from the Dragulia family to restore his fallen family and complete his experiment. But the moment to show results was approaching, and anxiety was starting to weigh on him.

“…Come on, cry already, you cursed creature.”

His only hope left was the small snake in the jar he was holding.

-······!, ······!

Inside the jar Samonte held, a tiny snake hissed incessantly, showing its small, sharp fangs.

A snake so small it wouldn’t even fit in the palm of an adult’s hand.

The snake kept hissing as if telling Samonte to release it, while staring at him.

The young snake, which had not yet grown and had sharp teeth, was entirely white like the moon rising in the night sky.

Chapteer 276: Extra 16 – The Suspicious Town (2)
Under the glow of the white moonlight, at the point where the green meadow ended, a shadow emerged silently from the forest. Beyond the pastures, the dense foliage turned into a thick grove.

“…”

Even under the moonlight, the darkness surrounding the shadow did not dissipate.

It was as if the surrounding trees were deliberately concealing it, leaving no gaps. The only part that shone was a pair of fierce eyes, like those of a predator.

“Damn humans.”

The voice that came out softly carried a rage that could not be hidden, like water in a kettle that had begun to boil.

The anger in that voice was directed toward the windmill that the humans had built below.

“…I will definitely save you.”

With those words, an unknown figure faded back into the shadows.

That presence watched the town from the darkness created by the trees in the forest. The moon, which had finally revealed that figure, illuminated its bright platinum-blond hair.

***

“Hmm.”

Kihano, who had entered the windmill, opened his eyes in astonishment. Unlike the gloomy atmosphere outside, the inside of Samonte’s workshop was perfectly organized, which surprised him.

Crackle-! Crackle-!

Furthermore, a lightning bolt suddenly appeared inside an empty glass tube. It was impossible not to open his eyes wide at such a phenomenon. On the top floor of the windmill, where Samonte was, the lightning that appeared out of nowhere made Kihano flinch without realizing it.

“…Is that also magic?”

Samonte’s workshop was filled with strangely shaped gears and pipes tangled like spiderwebs. As he wandered around, Kihano noticed several glass tubes similar to the one that had produced the lightning.

“I don’t know what kind of experiment they’re conducting, but it’s quite noisy.”

They were apparently empty glass tubes. However, in some, cold dew accumulated, while in others, red flames burned. It was a sight that could only be explained by magic.

“Have you completed your investigation, Sir Kihano?”

A young voice spoke from behind Kihano. It was Samonte’s apprentice, who had come out to attend to him while his master remained busy with his experiments.

“Investigation? Yes, I think I’ve seen everything there is to see.”

Kihano discreetly touched the inner pocket of his coat.

Tap-

He felt a small vibration in response. That vibration seemed to tell him that everything was ready. Kihano smiled as he looked at Samonte’s apprentice.

“It’s really fascinating. There’s nothing inside, yet things appear.”

“Ha, ha. Naturally, it seems fascinating if you’re seeing it for the first time.”

Unlike Samonte, who had a stern expression, the young apprentice had a friendly smile. However, Kihano could clearly see the mockery hidden in that smile.

“Perhaps what you’re seeing now is the process of creating something from nothing.”

“…What?”

In the windmill, the mages continued moving busily with their tasks. But between Kihano and the young mage, there was only an awkward tension.

“In fact, our experiments are related to that — making the useless useful.”

After saying that, Samonte’s apprentice playfully waved his palm, as if explaining further would be a headache.

“Anyway, it’s an experiment closely supervised by the Dragulia family. But there’s something that’s been hindering it.”

With those words, Samonte’s apprentice nodded, as if encouraging Kihano to look in that direction.

“…”

Following that gesture, Kihano approached the window and observed the landscape. From there, the town, its pastures, and the forest beyond were clearly visible.

“Lately, our barriers have been damaged. At first, we thought it was wild animals, but upon investigating, we discovered there was human interference.”

The apprentice took a small stone out of his pocket. Although it looked like an ordinary rock, its surface was covered in intricate magical symbols.

“It definitely seems to have been broken with a sword.”

“That’s right. Someone is trying to interfere with us.”

The reason Kihano had come was to capture the witch that was supposedly appearing in the area.

And the broken stone the apprentice showed him had marks suggesting dark magic.

“Breaking a barrier stone means that person knows how to handle the supernatural.”

Brutally slaughtered animals, sabotaged dragon experiments, and now evidence of forbidden magic. Perhaps it really was a witch, just as they said.

“Please, we leave this to you, Sir Kihano.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best…”

“Who knows, maybe if you solve this problem, the Dragulia’s anger toward you will dissipate.”

Although he didn’t care about the town’s fate, capturing the witch was his job. However, those last words made Kihano tense for a moment.

“Oh, my! I think I’ve gone too far. Forgive me.”

Although he apologized, his tone was insolent and seemed to enjoy it. It was evident that his words weren’t a slip, but a small revenge for Kihano’s attitude toward Samonte the day before.

“Anyway, we trust that a member of the Frausen family like you will help us successfully.”

The apprentice smiled as he looked at Kihano, the infamous “bastard” of the Frausen family, known for earning the dragons’ disapproval.

“…Of course. I’ll do my best.”

However, Kihano also smiled in response, despite the mockery.

In a world of perfection, the only thing he could do was return the smiles. Yet, he couldn’t help but let a bitter expression slip onto his face.

***

“Sir Kihano? Sir Kihano?”

“…”

“You should get up now. The sun is setting.”

It was a hill in the town, where the sun was slowly sinking.

From a distance, it looked like a scene worthy of a painting, but at that moment, only Yan’s voice echoed as he tried to wake Kihano.

“…I told you to wake me up at sunset.”

“Don’t you see it’s sunset now? The sun will set completely soon.”

At Yan’s words, Kihano began to look around as if just realizing it.

Indeed, the green grass of the meadow was tinged with the reddish waves of the sunset.

“Where are the sheep?”

“Huh?”

“The sheep. They were here a while ago.”

Maybe he was still a bit drowsy, as Kihano suddenly asked about the sheep.

However, his eyes were scanning the surroundings with an unusual seriousness.

“There they are. So, they moved from here to there?”

Saying this, Kihano took a piece of paper from his pocket and began marking something on it.

It was a small map that seemed to represent the town’s surroundings.

But now, that map had unknown marks that Kihano had made previously.

“What is that, Sir Kihano?”

“The path the shepherds follow.”

“Why are you marking that?”

“To figure something out. I want to know which pasture the sheep are taken to today.”

Yan watched Kihano with curiosity as he meticulously made his marks.

It was strange to see something so detailed, considering how careless Kihano usually seemed.

“…Typically, shepherds rotate the pastures so they don’t get depleted. Otherwise, the grass withers quickly.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“I’m telling you before you ask.”

Looking at Yan, whose eyes trembled as if wondering why he was doing this, Kihano scratched his head as if it hurt.

“Anyway, if the shepherds rotate the pastures, there will be one where they take a break.”

The shepherd’s job was to care for the sheep.

But they also served as the town’s watchmen. If there were intruders or monsters nearby, the shepherds would be the first to notice.

“And today, that place is empty.”

Therefore, the unknown intruder lurking in the forest would try to avoid the shepherds’ watchful eyes.

So, by studying the flock’s movements, Kihano deduced that tonight would be the ideal time for the being called the “witch” to move.

“…It’s toward the windmill, right? The one we went to before.”

“Yes.”

The only pasture without shepherds or sheep that could raise the alarm.

Thus, Kihano’s finger pointed to the most direct path to Samonte’s windmill.

“That’s why I asked you to wake me up at sunset. It seems we won’t sleep well tonight.”

“…”

Kihano finished speaking and clicked his tongue, as if still sleepy.

Yan, however, couldn’t find words to reply as he watched Kihano yawn calmly.

“Do you want dinner? I brought a lunchbox from the inn.”

“Oh, that sounds good. Get it out quickly.”

A scoundrel of the Frausen family, always flirting with women and getting beaten by his older brother.

Although everyone considered him a lost cause, Yan felt there was something more to Kihano that no one else saw.

“What’s this? Lemon?”

“Yes.”

“…Why did you bring this? You don’t eat lemon like this.”

“It’s for squeezing over the meat. In my village, everyone eats it that way.”

The night was falling deeply.

There would be no moon that night.

Yet as they waited, Yan’s heart pounded heavily.

Because more than the mysterious witch, he was intrigued to see an unknown side of Kihano.

***

In the darkness where the moon did not shine, a shadow moved stealthily.

From the distant forest to the wide meadow, the shadow ran with a speed that could be described as “shot out.” It did not make even the slightest sound.

“…”

It had been worth watching carefully from the forest.

In the direction it was moving, there were no sharp-eyed shepherds or alert sheep.

Only the sinister windmill that the humans had built was visible. The shadow’s golden eyes shone fiercely.

— Grrr…

“…!”

But a faint cry in the wind made the shadow stop.

— It hurts! It hurts!

— Stop! Wheeeh!

It was the cry of little spirits born from the World Tree.

Little ones who had once left with smiles, but now their cries were too painful to ignore.

“Damn humans!”

The cries were more vivid than ever.

They were close enough to hear those heartbreaking screams.

The shadow began to feel anxious due to the spirits’ pleas.

‘…I have to hurry!’

So, with more hurried steps, the unknown entity lunged forward.

Now its movements were no longer careful but desperate.

— Ribbit.

— Ribbit, ribbit.

‘Frogs?’

That’s why it didn’t realize that the meadow had turned into a mist-covered pond.

“By the build, it seems like a woman.”

“…!”

— Swish!

A blade appeared suddenly, and the shadow retreated urgently.

But it was no longer a meadow, but a damp mire.

The muddy ground trapped its feet.

“Who are you?”

It had managed to dodge the attack just barely, but it was a lethal blow.

If it hadn’t heard that voice, its neck would have been cut.

“If I tell you who I am, will you tell me your name too?”

Beyond the mist it was staring into, a man emerged.

Tall and with reddish-brown hair.

However, what stood out most was his relaxed, smiling expression.

“My name is Kihano. Kihano Frausen.”

One of his teachers had once told him:

Controlling the battlefield is the fastest path to victory.

And now they were in the pond that the old toad had created for Kihano.

“Now that I’ve said my name, tell me yours.”

His stance, crouched and ready to strike, was like a sharp sword.

As if he were ready to cut her down in one blow.

“Tell me your name before my sword touches your neck.”

The bastard of the Frausen family: Kihano Frausen.

However, once, the name used to refer to him in the past was…

The prodigious genius of the Frausen family, Kihano Frausen.

Chapteer 277: Extra 17 – Kihano – For the Young Possibilities (1)
It was a deep night in which everyone in the village slept.

In the quiet Consuegra, where only the sounds of insects could be heard, a soft sob echoed.

“…I’m sorry.”

A ray of moonlight filtered through the coarse wooden planks.

The priestess of the World Tree was locked in some storage shed, as there wasn’t even a proper prison in the village.

Sitting with her knees together and her head bowed, the gentle blue moonlight enveloped her as if trying to console her.

“I tried to save them, truly.”

She had traveled a long way from the elven forest, Alfheim, to reach Consuegra.

However, now she was trapped in a cage built by the mages.

Tomorrow, Sarnus would arrive, and she would be taken to the capital. But she wasn’t crying because of the uncertain future that awaited her.

—It hurts so much! Please, stop already!

—I’m sorry! Please, get me out of here!

What truly tormented her were the cries of the young spirits that still echoed in her ears.

From Samonte’s mill, which still gleamed with lights, the heart-wrenching screams of the little spirits could be heard without end.

“…Why do you abandon those children, Mother?”

Those fragile and pitiful sounds made her doubt the message of the World Tree, which had sent her here alone.

But unable to do anything, the priestess could only hide her tear-soaked face between her knees.

Her shoulders trembled helplessly.

The young spirits suffered and cried out because of the mages’ cruel experiments.

However, there was no one there to hear those sobs.

“…”

Except for one person.

It was a night when only the wounded remained awake.

That’s why the knight who was alone in his room at the inn touched his left eye silently while glaring furiously at Samonte’s mill.

***

Although normally in Consuegra only the bleating of sheep could be heard, today, for some reason, it felt more bustling.

The children wore clean clothes, and the adults were sweeping with brooms here and there.

“Today, someone very important from the Dragulia family is coming.”

“They say it’s a dragon. And one of pure blood, no less.”

“They say he has golden hair and blue eyes. I can’t believe I’ll see a dragon before I die!”

The villagers were excited about the news that a dragon would arrive in Consuegra.

Born in perfection, as beautiful as jewels.

Just seeing a dragon was an honor, and everyone was hurriedly preparing to welcome him.

“They’re coming! They’ve already reached the entrance to the village!”

“Form a line! Make sure the children don’t run ahead!”

With the firm shout of the mayor, the villagers quickly stepped aside from the path.

Although they seemed nervous about seeing a dragon for the first time, they couldn’t hide the excitement coursing through their bodies.

“….”

Soon, a luxurious golden carriage approached from the distance.

That immutable gold was a color reserved solely for dragons born in perfection.

Upon recognizing that color, the villagers began bowing their heads one by one.

“Welcome, Sarnus Dragulia!”

The carriage passed through the crowd and came to a stop. Samonte, the mage, hurriedly approached with an extremely respectful posture, very different from his usual demeanor in the village.

“It is an honor to have you in this humble place…”

Finally, a noble dragon began to step out through the open door.

His golden hair shone under the sunlight, and his blue eyes observed everything coldly.

However, what was most imposing about his presence was the perfection he had borne since birth.

“Well done, Samonte. You’ve finally found a useful energy source, haven’t you?”

“Y-yes, Sarnus.”

Everyone present bowed their heads before him.

Therefore, Sarnus’s eyes, which could freely look down on others, began to slowly scan the surroundings.

“Good thing I didn’t arrive too late.”

The reason a noble dragon had come to this remote village was to oversee Samonte’s experiment.

But beyond that, Sarnus wanted to see something in particular: Kihano Frausen, the young possibility they had crushed in the past.

“But I don’t see him.”

“What?”

He looked around, but he didn’t see the brown hair he was searching for.

The youngest son of the Frausen family, who had shown such a brilliant potential that he had surprised even the dragons.

A spark of potential that needed to be verified. However, Kihano was not where he was supposed to be.

***

“Kkuuuuung!”

In Samonte’s mill, which had been left empty to receive the noble dragon, someone was carefully climbing up.

“Why did they build this so high?”

The mill that Kihano was scaling was the tallest and largest in Consuegra.

Therefore, it was difficult for anyone to climb. However, for some reason, Kihano ascended with ease, without even using a rope.

“…Will I really get my normal hands back after this?”

“I’m telling you, yes! Do you think they’ve been fooling me my whole life?”

Andrew, on his shoulder, kicked his hind legs as if trying to dispel any doubts.

Even so, it was hard not to feel uneasy.

If a swordsman’s hands turned into those of a frog, anyone would react like Kihano.

“Why are you climbing up the wall instead of using the normal entrance? Are you crazy?”

“I want to see Samonte’s workshop.”

“And why?”

“Ah… I told you before!”

It wasn’t a very dignified image to see Kihano climbing like a frog.

Yan, who was below, watched him with concern. But the knight had already passed the mill blades and was near the window of Samonte’s workshop.

“I’ve been hearing children crying all night!”

Even though he knew no one was there, Kihano spoke in an urgent whisper.

“This mill seemed suspicious to me from the start.”

Kihano peeked into the workshop through the window, and then turned his head to look back.

There were the mill blades.

“Look. They don’t even have a weather vane installed.”

The rusty blades didn’t have the vane that any mill should have to catch the wind.

The main function of a mill was to turn with the wind, but this one didn’t even have that intention.

Crraaack!

“That’s why I need to see it up close.”

Gently tapping the window with his elbow to avoid making noise, Kihano carefully removed the cracked glass.

It was a technique he had learned for secret meetings with ladies, but it proved useful in other situations.

“…”

Kihano unlatched the window and slipped silently into Samonte’s workshop.

Although Andrew had said there were no other security measures, it never hurt to be cautious.

“What a messy place. Are all mages like this?”

“I wasn’t, you brat!”

“You have papers scattered everywhere. Mages are a disaster.”

“…”

This workshop was not accessible during official visits.

That’s why the workshop Kihano was seeing for the first time was messy, with papers strewn across the floor.

“…What’s this? A blueprint?”

Among the papers filled with difficult-to-read letters, there was one that caught Kihano’s attention.

A sheet with a simple drawing instead of complicated letters and formulas.

It was a sectional blueprint of the mill they were currently in.

“Why does it have so many gears?”

Upon examining the blueprint, he saw an excessive number of gears and pipes in Samonte’s mill.

He didn’t know what they were for, but it was evident they weren’t typical components of a regular mill.

“…Kihano.”

“What is it? I’m busy.”

While Kihano quickly lost interest in the blueprint and looked around, Andrew, on his shoulder, blinked in surprise.

“This… Where we are now doesn’t seem to be just a mill.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I told you this was suspicious.”

Andrew’s voice trembled with nervousness, but Kihano was focused on finding the source of the children’s cries he had heard last night.

As he looked around, he saw something shining.

“I’m telling you, this isn’t an ordinary windmill. This…”

“Shhh. Be quiet for a moment.”

Looking up, he saw that there were glass tubes hanging from the ceiling of the workshop.

They seemed to be firmly attached as if they were part of some machinery.

Kihano felt the pain in his injured left eye intensify when he saw them.

“Can’t you hear it?”

“Hear what?”

“It sounds like crying.”

Kihano really didn’t care what the mage Samonte was doing.

After all, the experiment was supervised by Dragulia, and it wasn’t something he could interfere with.

“…Is it coming from above?”

But if children were involved, the situation was different.

Especially if the children were suffering so much they cried all night.

“¡Kngh!”

The higher he climbed, the more his wounded left eye hurt.

The bandage he wore was stained with blood, but his determination did not waver.

“Kihano! Your wound is bleeding!”

“I know!”

The closer he got to the empty glass tubes, the clearer the children’s cries became.

Finally, he reached the top of the workshop.

There was a large gear and many glass tubes embedded around it.

“Where are they?”

Kihano looked around urgently, blood dripping from his eye.

However, he only saw empty glass tubes. There was no sign of the crying children.

“There’s nothing. We should go down.”

“But…”

“Idiot, I just told you! This isn’t an ordinary windmill!”

-······!

Andrew urged Kihano to go down, but he turned his head when he heard something.

It wasn’t a sound heard with his ears but something perceived with his sight.

Looking in that direction with his injured left eye, he saw a white figure.

“Stop torturing them!”

A white spark crackled inside a large glass tube at the center of the gear.

It was a much larger tube than the others, and it was vibrating.

As he approached, Kihano opened his eyes in shock.

“Leave my friends alone, you damned humans!”

He couldn’t see it with his right eye, but he could with his injured left eye.

In a place where the colors were all dark, like a scene from an oil painting, a young and severely injured snake was screaming at Kihano.

***

A boy cried in an empty dueling arena where everyone had left.

The tears the boy was shedding now were not from resentment or anger.

“…Father.”

These were tears that flowed from helpless fear.

The dragons of Dragulia had raged when they saw the world he had created.

That was because those blue eyes desperately sought the boy’s world, recognizing Kihano’s potential, forged by sacrificing his own young dragon.

“Did I do something wrong?”

However, no one made eye contact with Kihano, who was now crying.

Neither his father, whom he respected, nor his mother, whom he loved, had the time to look at young Kihano because they were busy appeasing the angry dragons.

—Don’t look away anymore, Kihano.

A world of children that no one could protect.

Therefore, the cries of the little one he had ignored continued to echo within Kihano.

—If you keep doing this, the star inside you will die.

Perhaps the cries Kihano heard last night weren’t from the young spirits in front of him, but from the child he had been ignoring until now.

That’s why Kihano decided not to look away and took a step toward the glass tube before him.

Chapteer 278: Extra 18 – Kihano – For the Young Possibilities (2)
Clang! Clang!

A sound echoed through the dark interior of the mill.

It started from the top and spread downward.

Even the spirits, who lay weakened, lifted their heads at the sudden noise.

Crackle!

The sword slashed with such force that it even crackled with flames.

However, Samonte’s glass tubes didn’t show a single scratch. Kihano realized it.

“…It’s magic.”

The tubes trapping the little spirits were transparent, but they were filled with the mystery Samonte had embedded in them.

That power deceived the world and deflected the tip of his sword.

“Andrew, is there no way to break this?”

“…Not right now. Maybe if you give me some time.”

“Time is the last thing we have.”

Andrew had been a great wizard, but that was when he had a human form.

Asking him for a solution now was useless.

“Damn it.”

Kihano swallowed, his throat burning with urgency.

He felt cornered.

But while his hands remained still, his eyes continued to move sharply.

“Couldn’t they have enchanted all these things with magic?”

Above the little snake, who was staring wide-eyed, there were numerous mechanical devices.

He didn’t know what they were for, but surely one of them was keeping the spirits trapped.

“…I remember seeing a diagram somewhere.”

Recalling the diagram he had seen, Kihano licked his lips.

As complicated as the machinery was, disassembling it was the opposite of assembling it.

Or at least he might find a weak point.

Rumble!

“Urgh!”

Kihano had come up with a plan, but it was too late.

“What is this?”

The ground suddenly shook as if an earthquake was happening. Kihano quickly crouched down.

But the tremor didn’t stop.

“An earthquake?”

“No! This isn’t an earthquake!”

Clank, clank!

A deafening noise came from below. Kihano looked down and saw it.

“…!”

The gears of the mill began to move.

Dozens, hundreds, thousands of gears turned like a spreading wave, locking into each other and roaring in unison.

Kihano felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Uwaaaa!

Stop it already!

“…!”

At the same time, he heard the screams of the spirits behind him.

Trapped in the glass capsules, they glowed like burning candles and screamed in pain.

“This isn’t a mill!”

Rumble!

With a roar like thunder, Samonte’s mill was rising.

It was the mill a fallen mage had built to fulfill the wish of a perfect dragon.

“This is a golem!”

It was finally showing its true form—a masterpiece of magic and engineering.

Perhaps the largest golem in the world was rising, devouring the cries of the little spirits.

Roooaaar!

***

Rumble!

A deafening sound rumbled through the peaceful hills of Consuegra.

That noise came from the mill, which was slowly standing up.

The villagers, who had been watching the event in honor of the noble dragon, screamed in horror at the sight.

“My God, what is that?”

“The… the mill is rising!”

It was such a terrifying sight that they even forgot about the dragon’s presence.

Samonte’s mill, with its rusted structure and sharp spear-like head aimed at the sky, was slowly standing up.

The sight was so grotesque and monstrous that the villagers could only hold their breath.

“What do you think, Lord Sarnus?”

While everyone was silent, the only one who couldn’t hide his excitement was the mage Samonte, who raised his arms in triumph.

He had been rejected by his fallen lineage and expelled from his order of wizards.

But now, no one there could dare to despise him, because the roar of the golem above was Samonte’s triumphant cry.

“Look! Look at that imposing figure!”

Roar!

Finally, the giant that had stood up roared in fury, as if announcing its arrival to the world.

Samonte laughed like a madman, his face a mask of lunacy.

But the dragon’s blue eyes only showed a cold smile.

“Excellent, Samonte.”

The mill, disguised until that moment, was actually a giant golem born of the mage’s madness.

Even Sarnus, always composed, allowed a smile to slip as he admired the monstrous creation.

“…My God.”

It was large enough to destroy the hill.

The villagers, frozen in awe, began to awaken from their trance when they saw the golem moving closer.

Thud! Thud!

“Huh?”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Huh, huh?”

Each step of the golem was a crashing boom that brought it closer and closer.

But as it advanced toward Consuegra, fear replaced any reverence the villagers felt.

“Where is it going?”

“It’s heading toward the village!”

Because the golem was heading for the village, an unstoppable mass of machinery and magic.

Even Samonte, the golem’s creator, was stunned.

“Th-this can’t be!”

He frantically turned the control levers, but the golem wouldn’t respond.

It kept moving forward, its massive steps closing in on the gathered humans.

Panic drained the color from Samonte’s face.

“Lord Sarnus.”

“What’s happening?”

“Th-this…”

Roar!

The golem picked up speed, venting steam as it advanced like an enraged beast.

Now Sarnus also understood the gravity of the situation.

“I’ll kill them all!”

Accompanying the golem’s roar, a childlike voice screamed.

No one else could hear it, but it was the spirits trapped in the mill who cried out in rage.

“Now you’ll suffer like we did!”

A young world that was wounded because no one stepped forward.

Now, those worlds were crying out to the humans, pouring out their fury with no place left to go.

***

“Aghh!”

Clang! Clang!

Kihano struggled against the scorching heat emanating from behind him.

The hot air made him squeeze his eyes shut tightly; it was as if all that heat was coming from the trapped spirits.

But what truly tormented him wasn’t that heat…

“This is way too high!”

“Try to stay quiet, for a bit!”

There was Kihano, hanging precariously from the tip of the windmill blade, which was finally starting to turn.

It had always been a tall structure, but now that it was moving, it seemed even higher.

He had managed to escape the heat, but now he was trapped on the gigantic, rusted blades of the windmill.

“I should have turned into a sparrow instead of a frog!”

“That really would’ve been adorable!”

Andrew kicked his legs in fear, but Kihano was no less terrified.

“…Don’t you think my head just brushed against a cloud?”

Being so high up, he felt the cold air and laughed nervously.

“It’s time to get down!”

“Aaaahhh!”

What goes up must come down.

When the blade reached its lowest point, Kihano clenched his teeth and prepared himself.

“Not even when I was born did I feel this!”

The ridiculous sensation of floating made the area below his navel tingle as if it were going to burst, but this was not a moment when he could simply squeeze his eyes shut like he had before.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The golem’s footsteps grew closer and closer, signaling that the ground was near.

Kihano, who had already failed three times at landing and was feeling the dizzying slide, didn’t want to taste the clouds with his tongue any longer.

“Hold on tight!”

Kihano’s eyes glowed, concentrating on the precise moment.

When the windmill blade passed near the golem’s knee, he leaped.

“…!”

At the moment the rotating blade came close to the golem’s knees, Kihano, aiming for that instant, jumped like a flying squirrel.

There was a frog’s scream along with him, but Kihano’s body was already flying toward the next landing point.

“Waaah!”

You couldn’t jump from a moving golem unless you had the courage to do it.

The difficulty level was equivalent to stepping on the debris of a collapsing building.

“Aren’t we on the ground yet?”

“You’ll see for yourself!”

“I have my eyes closed!”

However, Kihano descended with precision, landing on each point he had planned.

Even Yan, who was following him on his donkey, watched with his mouth agape.

“Last jump!”

Perfectly understanding the golem’s movements, Kihano executed his final maneuver.

Kihano, who had flown by following the motion, was now attempting the final leap toward the meadow.

“Aaaah!”

“Ribbit!”

Although the landing wasn’t perfect, at least he was back on solid ground.

“Sir Kihano! Are you all right?”

“….”

Kihano’s expression was so twisted that it was hard to ask him what had happened. His brown hair was mercilessly tousled by the strong wind, which did not help his appearance.

However, confirming that his feet had finally touched the ground, Kihano tried to steady his trembling legs and pointed at Yan.

“Take a potion out of your backpack. It’s the one glowing green.”

“This one?”

“Yes, that one.”

The glass bottle Yan pulled out glowed with an ominous green light. However, Kihano didn’t hesitate to open it and pour the contents into his mouth.

“Ugh! Cough, cough!”

The thick, concentrated taste of pine needles tortured his tongue. The smell was so strong that even Andrew, who was lying face down as if dead, opened his eyes.

“…Where is it going now?”

Kihano, who had regained his senses thanks to the potion, saw the golem heading toward Consuegra.

The cries of the spirits trapped inside the golem, running as if ready to destroy the village, still echoed.

“It looks like the giant is furious about something. Also, its eyes look red.”

“They’re probably not eyes, but windows.”

Understanding what was happening from the cries of the spirits, Kihano quickly called to Andrew.

“Wake up already!”

“Ugh… Where am I?”

“Quick, come to your senses and get ready as I told you!”

Kihano shook Andrew hard to wake him up. Then, he adjusted his sword and began looking down the slope leading to the village.

The hills of Consuegra were marked with enormous footprints. Before, the place had been full of green grass, but where the golem had passed, only dark earth remained.

“…Sir Kihano? Don’t tell me you’re going to face the golem again.”

Yan’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of Kihano preparing his gear. However, Kihano’s gaze was firm and determined, as if he had already made up his mind.

“But someone has to do something.”

“What?”

Yan couldn’t hear the spirits’ cries, but Kihano’s ears were still filled with those laments. The child who had been hiding inside Kihano began to awaken with that sound.

The world of the spirits, connected through his wounds, was no different from his own world now.

“Someone has to step up for them.”

Remembering the time when no one had, Kihano decided that this time, he would.

“Take this.”

“Kihano? Sir Kihano!”

Kihano handed Yan a bundle of white papers and ran toward the massive golem-windmill. Yan’s anxious voice was left behind, but Kihano was already charging toward the village.

“…What is this?”

Now alone on the hill, Yan looked at the papers Kihano had given him. They were the blueprints showing how Samonte’s windmill was constructed, filled with various diagrams. Yan focused on a note written in red letters at the bottom.

“Emergency braking device?”

Samonte’s golem continued advancing toward the village. Kihano ran down the hill to stop it.

His sword was small, and the enemy gigantic, but what now shone in Kihano’s left eye was the world he had forgotten.

The child crying within him slowly raised his head, guided by the starlight filtering through his connected world.

Biography of Kihano.

***

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Each footstep made the earth tremble, as if the very ground was about to crack. The vibrations could be felt even from a distance, but as the golem approached, fear reflected on the faces of the villagers.

“It’s headed for the village!”

“There are children in the village!”

Consuegra, a quiet place on a remote corner of the Barony of Turrek, had never faced a crisis like this.

The people, finally aware of the danger, ran toward the village. However, their movements were far too slow compared to the strides of the golem.

“Lord Sarnus! Help us!”

“Stop the golem! That giant is heading straight for the village!”

The only being they could trust was a dragon born of perfection. Without hesitation, the villagers fell to their knees and desperately pleaded with Sarnus. Yet the cold blue eyes of the dragon didn’t turn toward the people begging him.

“Is it impossible to control it?”

“Uh? No, technically not…”

“Be honest.”

Samonte tried to stammer an excuse, but for some reason, he couldn’t open his mouth easily in front of Sarnus. The world of Sarnus grew larger the longer you looked at him. As a rightful ruler, his gaze emitted a force impossible to defy.

“…I’m sorry.”

The last chance vanished in a powerless failure. Samonte, consumed by despair, bowed his head. However, a subtle smile appeared on Sarnus’s face.

“This is even better.”

“What?”

The gigantic golem advanced toward Consuegra. The destruction was no accident; it was the purpose of Sarnus’s experiment. What mattered wasn’t controlling the golem but how much it could crush.

“Wasn’t this golem created to face the southern beast tribes? Testing it here wouldn’t be so bad.”

“….”

The golem, born for destruction, had absorbed the cries of the young spirits. Sarnus did not hear the villagers’ laments or the spirits’ screams. He only saw the target in front of him.

“Hmm?”

But there was one person who could reach into Sarnus’s world.

“Hold on just a little longer!”

A man whose potential was so brilliant that even dragons feared it. Kihano ran downhill, charging straight toward the golem.

“I’ll stop it immediately!”

“Kihano… Frausen.”

A man who hadn’t been there when he was needed. Kihano Frausen. But as he ran toward where he should be, he shone like that boy of the past.

***

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The vibrations traveling through the air seemed to shake his insides.

But Kihano, sliding down the hill, didn’t have a second to hesitate.

‘If it keeps going, it’ll reach the village!’

He didn’t need to hear the spirits’ screams to know.

Samonte’s mill was heading straight for the village.

He didn’t even need to imagine what would happen if the enraged golem reached the village.

“I can’t let that happen!”

Kihano drew his sword and ran toward the golem’s feet.

The distance was so dangerous that it seemed he could be crushed at any moment, but his shining eyes calmly focused on the golem’s descending feet.

Thud!

“One!”

Thud!

“Two!”

There was a time when he believed he could achieve any goal, no matter how impossible it seemed.

In those days, he feared no opponent.

Thud!

“…Three!”

But now, reality had caught up to him. He was just Kihano, a pathetic version of his childhood self who had dreamed of being great.

To redeem himself, Kihano leaped toward the golem’s foot.

Crash!

“Ugh!”

The dust that splashed his face was rough, and the violently blowing wind was cutting.

Conditions impossible to endure for an ordinary person.

But Kihano didn’t let go, climbing up with the golem’s foot.

The eyes of the child watching from his inner world drew closer and closer to the sky.

“Emergency brake!”

Samonte’s emergency brake had three parts.

The first on the left knee.

The second at the center of the waist.

And the third at the axle of the still-furiously spinning blades.

“First, the knee!”

When the golem’s foot reached its highest point, Kihano climbed up quickly.

It was just a fleeting moment when the foot briefly paused before taking the next step.

But that brief instant was all he needed to move freely.

“Grrr!”

He regretted his past self.

He’d had time, but he froze.

But now, the time left to him offered a last chance he didn’t intend to waste.

“Haaaa!”

Kihano jumped from the left foot of the golem, which was quickly descending.

A risky jump, with no support.

It seemed insane, but his decision was correct. In front of him, the golem’s knee descended.

Crash!

“Ugh!”

Metal fragments grazed his cheek.

But Kihano smiled despite the blood running down his face.

He had found what he was looking for.

“…I found it.”

A small, barely visible red mark.

Clinging to the golem’s knee, he saw the emergency brake marked in red.

“Why don’t we stop and have a little chat?”

His sword gleamed with a light so intense that even Sarnus, from afar, could see it.

“Haa!”

Crash!

A small gear hidden in the dark interior.

The piece that controlled the knee’s movement shattered into pieces with Kihano’s sword.

Roar!

***

Rumble!

A corner of the hill collapsed due to the sudden lurch of the golem.

The heavy structure couldn’t support its own weight, leaving heaps of dark earth in its wake.

The villagers, watching from a nearby hill, covered their mouths in astonishment.

Some noticed a bright light on the golem.

“What’s that?”

Even through the dust, an unusual light shone.

That light climbed quickly from the golem’s knee to its waist.

-Now stop!

“…It’s… it’s a person.”

“How can there be a person there?”

Roar!

The golem, whose left leg wouldn’t move at all, was caught by the ankle and roared loudly.

But everyone’s eyes fixed on Kihano, who kept striking with his sword.

“…It’s Kihano! Sir Kihano!”

“Kihano of Frausen! He’s the guest from our inn!”

Destruction continued approaching the village, but the guards didn’t move, and Sarnus’s eyes remained cold.

People who were in the right place but didn’t do what they should.

Yet, even in that moment of despair, there remained a knight willing to do what was necessary for them.

“Sir Kihano is destroying the golem!”

“Oh heavens!”

An enemy far too big for a mere human.

Stopping the golem was an impossible dream, but in front of the villagers, a man was making it reality.

“…This is the second one!”

Sweat ran down his chin and dripped onto the red mark.

He was exhausted, and his sword trembled.

But his eyes remained fixed on his goal.

Crash!

Roar!

The second brake, at the waist, broke.

The lower half of the golem froze completely.

-Sir Kihano is destroying the mill!

-Kihano of Frausen!

-The pride of the town of La Mancha stands before us!

“….”

The cries of joy resounded around him.

It was the respect and admiration deserved by a knight who protected a world that couldn’t defend itself.

But behind those cheers, the eyes of a dragon remained cold.

“It’s done, Lord Sarnus!”

The villagers were thanking the knight instead of the dragon.

Sarnus’s heart burned with rage, but Samonte didn’t notice.

“I don’t know what happened, but Kihano disabled the brake…! The legs are useless, but the arms still work!”

“Can it still move?”

The world of Kihano, seen through Sarnus’s closed left eye, was like a wounded flower.

But even a wounded flower can reach the stars if it keeps dreaming.

“In that case, let’s test it now.”

Sarnus smiled as he made a slicing gesture.

At the same time, Sarnus’s fingers traced a line across the back of his neck.

“How about it? If I can, I promise to offer you my full support in the future.”

“….”

But only perfect dragons can reach the sky above.

Sarnus whispered softly as he watched how the trampled possibilities regained their color.

“Kill him.”

***

“Hahh! Hahh!”

Kihano was climbing the mill, dragging his already exhausted body.

Even though the golem was now still and only emitted wails toward the village, Kihano still had a task to complete.

“It hurts! It hurts so much!”

“Please, someone get us out of here!”

“…Hold on a little longer.”

The cries kept coming from the top of the mill.

Though the people behind him were celebrating, they couldn’t hear the wails of the young spirits.

Only Kihano could perceive those cries as he climbed toward the final emergency brake.

“Kihano!”

“…!!”

Suddenly, a sound rumbled like thunder in his mind. It was a warning from the mage connected through their bond.

“Look up!”

Perhaps because he was so exhausted, he hadn’t noticed the lethal presence in time.

A sharp threat bared its fangs above his head.

“What the hell is that now?!”

The golem’s right arm, as tall as a mountain, was descending upon him.

It looked like a meteor falling from the sky. But Kihano noticed too late; there was no way to escape.

“Jump!”

Suddenly, a strange sensation coursed through his legs.

It was the mage’s power transmitted through their connection.

“Jump like a frog!”

“…!”

The contact with Andrew had expanded Kihano’s world. Thus, his body adopted the agility of Andrew’s legs.

Crash!

A devastating blow struck, with no concern for whether his body would shatter. As debris flew everywhere, Samonte raised his hand to control the golem, but a silhouette emerged even higher.

“I told you to be a sparrow, not a frog!”

Hop!

The jumping power of a frog can reach up to twenty times its size.

Therefore, Kihano soared into the sky, so high that he could look over the mill.

“…And how am I going to get down now?!”

For a moment, Kihano ascended to the highest point in the world.

Seeing the sky he had dreamed of as a child, the small boy inside him smiled brightly.

***

“Good positioning!”

Seeing Kihano in the air, Andrew began to chant a spell quickly.

“Good positioning? At this rate, Kihano is going to die!”

From within the old brass basin, Andrew closed his eyes. Yan called to him desperately, but Andrew’s magical gesture had already transcended the skies.

“…Clouds of Mambrino, I summon you now.”

The Clouds of Mambrino, more powerful than any other force Andrew could invoke.

It was an impossible spell without the enchanted golden helmet, but with its aid, he could achieve it for a brief moment.

“The nobility of ideals deserves a blue sky.”

Rumble!

Blue clouds gathered above the sky where Kihano was ascending.

“Impossible dreams deserve white lightning.”

Crack!

White lightning began to form. The sudden storm painted the hills of Consuegra white.

“Let the colors I summon deceive the world!”

Even though his current form was that of a humble frog.

Nevertheless, the name he was given when he was human was the Great Mage of Mambrino. Andrew, the summoner of lightning.

“Ahhhh!”

A heavy rain began to fall over the hill where the spirits wept.

Amid the flashes of white lightning, Kihano descended with a celestial light.

“This is the final blow!”

A white bolt fell for the young spirits who had called to him.

The white lightning that the boy had embraced descended with Kihano, burning his left eye and striking the Samonte mill.

Boom!

A flower was blooming.

His faith in himself had carried him to the stars.

The hill of Consuegra shone with a brilliance so intense that even the dragon could not ignore it, and the blades of the mill shattered.

***

To dream the impossible.

To defeat invincible enemies,

to endure unbearable pain,

to die for noble ideals.

To right wrongs,

to love with purity and kindness.

To fall in love with impossible dreams,

and thus, with faith, reach for the stars.

That is the mission and duty of a true knight.

From the novel Don Quixote.

Chapteer 279: Extra 19 – Kihano – For Another Encounter (End)
A tower stood proudly, as if trying to pierce the sky.

And towards that tower, a bolt of lightning descended with fury.

“Huaaaaah!”

Crack-boom!

With a deafening roar, the top of the windmill began to explode.

Seen from a distance, it looked like a rain of fireworks scattering into countless fragments.

The villagers, upon seeing the countless luminous particles coloring the hill, began to cover their mouths in astonishment.

“…One device remains.”

However, the lightning that had started in the sky had not yet lost its brilliance.

Kihano’s left eye, wide open, still glowed with a white light.

The knight Kihano, who had drawn his sword for the young spirits still suffering, descended down the golem’s shoulder with the lightning he had borrowed from the sky.

Roooooar!

The lightning, which had started from the head, traveled down the shoulder and reached the blades.

Samonte, realizing where that current was headed, quickly manipulated his controller, but Kihano’s sharp perception had already anticipated the golem’s movements.

—Kihano! Strike again!

Andrew issued another warning upon seeing the golem’s fist descending from above.

However, upon what happened next, even he could only watch with his mouth agape.

“…What is that?”

The golem’s arm was rising towards the sky.

As if someone were pulling it with tremendous force.

Everyone present raised their heads to witness such an absurd scene.

“Grrr!”

Beneath the golem’s arm, which was slowly lifting, Kihano remained clinging to his sword, gritting his teeth.

Crack-crack-boom!

A sensation as if an entire mountain were being shifted.

Kihano’s sword, clashing against the golem’s fist, sparked and emitted a metallic screech, but his wrist did not stop moving, twisting the golem’s strength.

“Huaaaaah!”

A defensive dueling technique, deflecting the opponent’s strike with a circular motion.

A technique difficult to execute even in combat between humans was now being performed against Samonte’s windmill.

“Kihano… Frausen. So, in the end…”

Kihano’s body, burning with white light, looked like a star.

Sarnus, understanding the meaning of this sight, began to tremble visibly, as if struck by a storm.

“Just a little… more…”

Crack! Crackle!

A sound of breaking so loud it was heard even from the hill.

The sound came from the golem’s shoulder joint, which had exceeded its limit.

Unable to withstand its own force, the golem’s arm twisted grotesquely, and the windmill let out a cry of agony.

Rooooar!

Beyond the arm of the golem, which Kihano had repelled, something became visible.

The windmill blades, still squeezing the young spirits.

“Now I see it.”

A picture he had once imagined, wondering if he could ever make it real.

However, what he saw now matched that picture exactly.

“….”

A beam of light emanated from Kihano as he discovered that final moment.

It was a light similar to that of a star borrowed from the sky by a child.

With that light reflected in his left eye, Kihano aimed at the axis of the blades.

“Huaaaaaah!”

For the children who cried because no one had stepped forward.

A starlight thrown for them illuminated the hill of Consuegra as it rushed toward the golem’s chest.

Crash!

With the sound of something shattering, Samonte’s windmill began to harden like a stone statue.

With its left arm still extended towards the sky.

From that immobile arm, lights of many colors began to flow.

“I did it.”

Kihano smiled with satisfaction as he gazed at that light.

A star that had fulfilled its duty and was now falling, while many others began to rise towards the sky.

At the point where they intersected, there was a glow never seen before.

***

“…Is that an aurora?”

From the top of a hill covered in rubble, Kihano smiled weakly.

Although his body lay exhausted, he could afford to smile thanks to the rippling waves of light shining above his head.

“With a view like this, it wasn’t a bad gamble.”

The young spirits, freed from human hands, fluttered happily, painting the sky with their own colors.

It was a scene that looked like an immense silk mantle covering the heavens. Upon witnessing this sky, visible only because he had decided not to look away, Kihano slightly raised his hand and waved softly.

“Goodbye.”

A fire-breathing lizard, a shining butterfly, a tiny squid the size of a fingernail, and a small white snake that stared at him with its tiny eyes.

Although many of these small beings still hovered around him, Kihano, already exhausted, could no longer understand their words.

“Yes, I know. See you later.”

So he could only bid farewell with a promise for another time.

He didn’t know when it would be, but if fate allowed it, they would meet again.

As if understanding his words, the young spirits surrendered one by one to the aurora dancing in the sky.

“…It’s beautiful to see it this way.”

Smiling as he watched them depart, Kihano admired the sky he could now see because he had not turned away.

At last, the sky he gazed upon was filled with stars, twinkling endlessly towards him.

***

At some point in the summer, in a small nameless village.

Not far from Consuegra, the local tavern buzzed with lively chatter due to the circulating rumors.

“They say he brought down a giant golem.”

“A golem controlled by an evil mage! And it wasn’t a dragon, but a human knight!”

“What was his name again? I think it was Kihano of La Mancha.”

Kihano of La Mancha.

The knight who defended the village of Consuegra from the wicked golem.

The rumors, recounting that grand and spectacular scene, continued to spread from town to town, from city to city, further glorifying Kihano’s name.

“Ah, you’ve done something huge this time.”

However, Kihano himself, the protagonist of the rumor, couldn’t even swallow the bread stuffed in his cheeks. With a comical expression, he tilted his head.

“What did I tell you before you left?”

“….”

“I told you to lay low. To avoid drawing as much attention as possible.”

It was a village he had reached after leaving Consuegra.

There, Kihano was enjoying warm bread after a long time.

But because of Perez, who sat across from him, he couldn’t swallow it and only moved his eyes from side to side.

“And you’re telling me you destroyed a golem? And not just any golem, but one funded by Dragulia!”

“Haaa. I did it because it was necessary….”

“And on top of that, you handed the key to the cell to the imprisoned elf?”

Gulp.

In the silent table, someone swallowed nervously.

It wasn’t Kihano, who still had his mouth full of bread, but the young Yan, sitting beside him. Unlike Kihano, who was pretending to be clueless, Yan trembled like a leaf, unable to hide his anxiety.

“It’s strange. I’m sure I handed it over discreetly.”

“….”

Seeing that Kihano didn’t even attempt to make an excuse, Perez’s face began to harden.

Bringing down an out-of-control golem could be justified, so it was a matter that could be resolved.

However, releasing an elf who was under Sarnus’s custody was a far more complicated issue, even for someone of the Frausen lineage.

“…Don’t go near the capital for a while.”

Clink.

With those words, Perez placed a rather heavy pouch on the table.

The weight of those gold coins seemed to tell him to leave as soon as possible and stay far away for a long time.

“Leave as soon as you can. Word is already spreading that Dragulia is taking action.”

The order to leave sounded cold, but the words he added afterward revealed sincere concern for his brother.

Kihano, who had now humiliated Dragulia twice—a family that pursued perfection—was beginning to shine brightly with potential.

The old reputation of *”Frausen’s parasite”* was no longer enough to protect him.

“I suppose we couldn’t hide it forever.”

Young birds must leave the nest at some point, whether by choice or by external circumstances.

Looking at his brother, who had taken so long to spread his wings, Perez stood up from his seat.

“…Brother.”

If he left now, they didn’t know when they would see each other again. However, Perez showed no hesitation as he exited the tavern.

It was a determined and firm farewell, as if he were showing Kihano what he also needed to do.

But for Kihano, who still wasn’t used to goodbyes, all he could do was murmur “brother” as he watched Perez’s back moving away.

***

After winter came spring. And now, summer was full of green leaves.

The knight, the boy, and a frog walked amidst that season and stopped for a moment when they reached a crossroads.

“Which way do we go now?”

The road split into four directions: east, west, south, and north.

Without a clear destination, Kihano couldn’t help but look thoughtful.

Luckily, he knew not to head north, where the capital lay, so at least that option was ruled out.

“How about heading east? I know a wizard there, and we might get information about my body.”

“I’d prefer we head south. Lord Perez said we should be careful about dragons.”

“….”

Should he go east for Andrew, or should he follow Perez’s advice and head south?

Both suggestions had valid reasons, which made choosing difficult.

But suddenly, Kihano turned his head upon hearing the trill of a bird coming from a completely different direction.

“What’s that?”

Flying above his head, a bird seemed to demand that he make a decision quickly.

It was a messenger hawk, but unlike the usual ones, it had the powerful wings of a falcon, a species only seen in the far west.

“…A drawing?”

The hawk descended lightly onto his outstretched arm.

In the messaging tube, which was thicker than usual for a bird of its size, there wasn’t an ordinary letter, but an anonymous illustration.

“What’s this, Lord Kihano?”

“I don’t know.”

Kihano scratched his head as the hawk adjusted its wings.

“But this style feels familiar.”

After observing the drawing for a while, Kihano felt it was both strange and familiar at the same time.

Every meticulous brushstroke seemed like the work of a true master.

It was as if the landscape he was seeing had been captured alive on paper. This illustration reminded him clearly of one he had seen before.

“Consuegra…”

The same scene he had seen from a dark prison, but which now seemed illuminated in his mind.

Remembering the silver-haired elf who had made that drawing, Kihano finally realized who the author was.

“Andrew.”

“Yes?”

“In which direction is the city of the elves?”

“You mean Alfheim? It’s to the west.”

A messenger hawk had arrived when he had nowhere left to go.

As he gazed at the drawing, which had come as a sign in a moment of uncertainty, Kihano turned his head to the west.

“Then let’s head west.”

“To the west? Why suddenly to the west?”

Neither east nor south, which they had been discussing until now.

Andrew and Yan looked at him confused, but Kihano had already made his decision and began walking.

“That’s good. Anyway, my sword is broken, and I wanted to get a new one.”

The fight with the golem had been intense, and Kihano’s sword was now chipped and worn.

It could be considered an honorable scar, but for a knight, his sword was an essential companion.

“They say dwarves are excellent blacksmiths. I’ve always wanted to have a sword made by them.”

Beyond the elven forest of Alfheim lay Myrkheim, the home of the dwarves.

And it was said that every sword forged there was a true masterpiece.

“By the way, Lord Kihano.”

“Hmm?”

“This drawing is very strange. Look here.”

While walking west, Yan studied the drawing closely and showed it to Kihano with bright eyes.

“At first, I thought it was a night sky, but it’s not.”

Looking carefully, there were other hidden landscapes in the drawing.

“If you look here, doesn’t it look like a city?”

“Oh, you’re right.”

“It’s small, but it looks like a maze of alleys surrounding this star.”

What looked like a night sky was actually a drawing of a dark city.

In one corner, there was a small golden star emitting a faint glow. Kihano couldn’t help but feel drawn to it.

“…It’s an interesting drawing. The star isn’t drawn in the sky, but on the ground.”

Although not in the night sky, that small star seemed to declare itself a star nonetheless.

Though small, it was the golden star that shone the brightest.

Kihano, feeling pity for it, unconsciously traced it with his finger.

“What could this be?”

Kihano didn’t know, but what he was seeing was a scene he would encounter in a distant future.

Though the time wasn’t right yet, Kihano began walking slowly toward that uncertain destination.

Toward that star which, though not in the lofty night sky, knew how to shine on its own.

For that reason, every step he took was a step toward an encounter.

Epilogue of Kihano (End).

Chapteer 280: Note from the author and translator
Author’s Note:

Dear readers, I am Q10.

With today’s manuscript, Star-Embracing Swordmaster has reached its conclusion.

I want to sincerely thank everyone who has been with me up to this point.

Thinking that this is farewell to both Vlad and Kihano leaves an emptiness in my heart, but our story has come to an end, and it’s time to let it go.

At first, I thought this work would never become a paid story. Its growth was slow, and honestly, I was on the verge of abandoning it.

But today, I’ve successfully completed it, and I’m here writing you a message of gratitude. All of this was possible thanks to you, the readers.

That’s why I gave my utmost effort to deliver a worthy ending. I hope this conclusion, which is not a final farewell but rather a promise of future reunions, is the ending you wished for.

There are many things I’d like to say, but I believe goodbyes are better when they are simple and sincere.

Just as Kihano set off once more in search of Vlad, I, Q10, will also say goodbye for now, so that we may meet again in the future.

Thank you all.

Until we meet again, farewell.

Translator’s Note:

Hello, this is Hayze.

This is the first time I’ve finished translating a novel, so I won’t leave a long message. I can only say thank you to everyone who supported my translation, despite some mistakes along the way.

Throughout this time, this novel has been perfect. Finishing it makes me both happy and sad, but nothing lasts forever. I can only express my gratitude.

See you around. You can enjoy other series I’m working on. Thank you, and farewell!

Chapteer 281: Side Story – The Boy with Blue Eyes (1)
A Note From the Author

Hello everyone, this is Q10.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other.

I will begin serializing the side stories of Star-Embracing Swordmaster.

Through this series, I want to explore parts of the world I wasn’t able to fully develop, the relationships between characters, and other stories many readers wanted to see.

I’m truly sorry it took me so long to return.

I will work hard. Thank you.

Updates will be released every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6:00 PM.

The sky, where the glow of the sunset had faded away, was already tinged with a pale blue.

It was the hour when darkness began to seep in little by little beneath a moon that had not yet fully matured.

At that boundary between day and night, where everything became blurred, a lone figure stood in solitude.

“…Do you really have to leave today?”

It was a child.

And one so small that he barely seemed old enough to be turning four.

“Can’t you stay one more day? Just one more day.”

Not fully understanding what it was that made him so sad, the boy kept his head lowered as he kicked the ground for no reason.

Then, at the end of his gaze, a small green chrysalis appeared.

It was hidden beneath a foxtail plant, barely poking out its head.

The man had told him that tonight, that little friend would become a beautiful butterfly and fly away.

[Farewells are best when they are simple.]

The boy liked that little green caterpillar very much.

He liked it even when it became a chrysalis.

And he would surely have liked it when it transformed into a butterfly as well.

But what he truly did not understand was that, just as wings would grow on his little friend, his friend also had to leave today.

“But even so…”

The boy looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

However, the man merely smiled faintly without saying a word.

He was someone who knew exactly when it was time to say goodbye.

[It’s getting late. Your mother will worry. Right?]

At those words telling him it was time to go home, the boy let his shoulders droop and turned around.

He could have insisted a little longer.

But, in a manner unbefitting someone his age, he immediately began walking down the hill.

Sniff…

Because the boy cared deeply for that man.

For some reason, he reminded him of his father.

And when he smiled, he made him think of his mother’s smile.

Just as he loved his parents, he could not help but love and follow that man as well.

[Be careful on your way back.]

As the boy descended the hill between sobs, an enormous white snake wagged its tail at him.

[And always watch where you step.]

A yellow mole constantly inspected the ground to make sure the boy would not hurt himself as he walked along wiping away his tears.

[Then we’ll see each other next time, Emil.]

The boy had firmly decided not to look back.

But he could not resist the man’s final farewell.

Because for a small child, a goodbye was a wound too painful to bear.

“Ah…”

When he finally turned around, he saw butterflies flying above the hill.

The night sky growing darker and darker.

The man who seemed to be made of that very night.

And between them, my little butterfly flying as though it were swimming through the air.

The man never told the boy his name.

He only told him that he came from that black moon visible up above.

That small black moon peeking shyly beside the white moon.

Beneath the moonlight, the black-haired man waved his hand toward the boy.

***

Haa…

Summer sunlight passed through the window and fell across the man’s shoulders.

With his back to that blinding radiance, the man tilted his head back as he felt the warmth slowly spread across his back.

Outside was a brilliant blue sky.

But in front of him was a crying boy.

Without realizing it, he let out a resigned sigh.

“…So, who the hell did something this stupid?”

He was a one-eyed man.

Although half of his hair had already turned gray, his right eye still retained all of its strength.

And beside it, the eyepatch covering his left eye possessed such a distinctive presence that it was impossible to forget after seeing it only once.

“Tell me, Maksim. Who was it that stuck a spoon into his head?”

It was Jager the One-Eyed.

The current commander of the Bayezid family’s knights.

One of the most representative knights of the North and the great knight who had raised the Swordmaster of this era.

And now, as he looked at the boy standing before him, he rubbed his temples with an obvious headache.

“…They say it was Squire Emil.”

Perhaps around thirteen years old?

A squire standing right at the boundary between childhood and adolescence held back his tears while a spoon was embedded in his head.

It was lodged so neatly that at first Jager had thought it was one of those accessories that had become fashionable lately.

“L-Lord Jager! This is completely unfair! I was only eating in the dining hall…!”

“It seems there was a fight between squires. It happens from time to time around this period.”

The veteran knight Maksim replied as he scratched his nearly bald head.

It had all begun with an argument between young squires in the dining hall.

After exchanging words, they ended up fighting.

And apparently, a squire named Emil lost his temper and stuck a spoon into the head of the boy who was now crying.

But was it really something that needed to reach the commander of the knights?

“Such barbaric behavior! Sniff…! I cannot tolerate such injustice! Send a magical telegram to my family immediately! No, send it right now!”

Of course it was something he needed to know about.

Because the squire standing before him was the eldest legitimate son of the influential Valthof family from the center of the continent.

In other words, the Valthof family might even mobilize an army for the sake of this child, their sole heir.

“A magical telegram? Don’t be ridiculous. Take this.”

However, the one-eyed knight did not seem concerned about such a thing in the slightest.

The boy, who had tried to rely on his family’s influence, automatically caught the small teaspoon Jager tossed at him and stared at it with a bewildered expression.

“What is this…?”

At home, he might be a valuable young master.

But here, he was just another squire.

Bayezid’s squire training program was an inviolable domain that even the most influential families of the center could not question.

Because that place was the cradle where a Swordmaster had been raised.

“Have our young master do exactly the same thing.”

“Excuse me?”

Jager brought his teacup to his lips and grinned broadly as he scrunched up his face.

“Go on. Find that bastard Emil. And stick it into his head exactly the same way.”

If you get hit, you hit back.

The North was a place that had to be protected.

And one’s own honor had to be learned and defended with one’s own hands as well.

He could have explained it step by step.

But Jager was not such a kind person.

“If you understand, then get out.”

“Uwaaaah!”

A man who taught the spirit of the North with a simple wave of his hand.

He truly possessed the presence of a great knight who had raised a Swordmaster.

Moved by such profound instruction, the young squire had no choice but to leave the office in tears.

Clutching a small teaspoon tightly in his hand.

“…This is why I said I didn’t want to become the commander of the knights.”

Watching the young squire’s back as he left in tears, Jager let out a deep sigh.

He truly had never wanted to hold a position like this.

He had always hated being part of the main group.

But he had not been given a choice.

He had somehow managed to refuse the request of Count Rutiger, the current Count Bayezid.

However, when even the great lady Oksana, the widow of the previous count, personally intervened, there was no longer any escape.

“By the way, why are so many of them coming here crying this year? Is there something wrong with this class?”

At Jager’s question, Maksim shrugged.

That gesture seemed to say that he already knew the answer himself.

Jager’s brow furrowed.

“Is that Emil really that troublesome? Nothing like this happened with his sister.”

“…To begin with, his personality is rather peculiar.”

Emil, the son of Vlad Aureo.

As if inheriting his father’s face exactly were not enough, it seemed he had inherited his temperament as well.

Despite having grown up surrounded by care and affection, the boy gave off a strangely rough impression.

Really, if you took the Vlad of those days, removed some of his height, and added a little baby fat to his cheeks, he would look exactly like Emil did now.

“Besides, since they’re still children, they all want to try picking a fight with Emil. Something like challenging the strength of the Swordmaster.”

“So they have someone who looks like easy prey right beside them.”

And there was also the problem of having a father who was far too extraordinary.

Every squire in this class had grown up hearing stories about the Swordmaster.

The knight.

The elf.

The Empire’s Sword.

The Swordmaster’s Rules.

And even the title of Dragonslayer.

For children who had only just entered adolescence, it was hard to imagine anything more exciting than that.

And on top of that, they had a living example of it all right beside them.

It was only natural that anyone would feel tempted to provoke him a little.

“But it seems it wasn’t as easy as they thought.”

Taking a sip of tea, Jager thought to himself.

I like this.

Of course it should be this way.

Your father did exactly the same thing.

“Even so, he’ll have to be properly reprimanded. He’s only a squire, and he’s already using weapons.”

“Weapons? It was a spoon.”

“What are you talking about? Maksim, have you never killed someone with a spoon?”

“What?”

“Huh?”

For a brief moment, a strange silence settled between the two men, whose life experiences seemed vastly different.

“In any case, we need to keep an eye on him. He’s a child who inherited dragon blood.”

Dragon blood possessed limitless possibilities.

Depending on the life he lived, he could become an honorable Swordmaster or the oldest dragon, capable of devouring everything.

Jager was one of the few people who had observed that process from very close up.

‘Perhaps this is my final duty.’

Protecting the possibilities of the young.

Especially when those possibilities were just beginning to bloom.

He did not know what kind of flower it would become, but Jager thought the current situation fit perfectly with the Swordmaster’s First Rule.

“Hey! What’s wrong with you, idiot?!”

“Emil! I told you no! I told you we shouldn’t do it!”

“Uwaaaah!”

Jager had been lost in thought for a few moments while enjoying a cup of tea.

However, the voices of children coming from outside the window made him lower his head in resignation.

“…Now what?”

At Jager’s lament, Maksim walked over to the window and looked outside.

Then he involuntarily clicked his tongue.

“It’s Emil.”

“And what did he do this time?”

“He’s riding a horse.”

“Then why are they making so much noise?”

Maksim shook his head as if to say he would have to see it for himself.

Jager stood up with his teacup in hand.

“Haa…”

It was a splendid afternoon.

The pleasant weather of early summer, still free from oppressive heat.

A cool breeze blew gently.

And there was a blond boy desperately clinging to the saddle, while behind him a chubby boy ran after him, panting.

“No! I thought it would work if the commander said it!”

“So that brat doesn’t know how to ride either.”

It was a very peaceful summer scene.

At least, it would have been if the horse leaping around everywhere had not happened to be Jager’s horse.

“My father said that if it was an expensive horse, it would work!”

“It seems I didn’t die early enough to avoid seeing this again.”

Shaking his head as though witnessing something unbearable, Jager gestured toward Maksim.

Catch those brats.

And cook them properly.

“Understood, Commander.”

After Maksim left, Jager remained alone in the office and gently swirled his teacup.

“…”

As he watched the small glimmers of light shimmering across the disturbed surface of the tea, a feeling of emptiness suddenly came over him.

The feeling that no one was there.

The reality that he was now completely alone in that office.

“…Without a doubt, elven tea clears the mind.”

Back then, there had always been two people in Sturma’s quiet office.

That black-haired man who was always seated, drafting documents in the same posture.

If he closed his eyes and listened carefully, he felt as though he could still hear the soft scratching of a pen across paper.

“It would be perfect if the aftertaste weren’t so bitter.”

Jager closed his remaining eye and smiled silently as he remembered what always came next.

It was an ordinary and unchanging scene.

But ever since that young master had arrived, it felt as though a ray of light had pierced through the heavy curtains.

“How does it feel to have the knight you serve riding a horse while you travel comfortably in a carriage despite being only a squire?”

“…I suppose I’ll get to ride expensive horses. Probably.”

“Expensive horses should be carrying you. You’re more valuable than they are.”

“Hahaha. That’s enough, Jager.”

What would the young master have said if he had seen today’s scene?

He probably would have laughed just like he did back then.

Because he was the kind of person who could let such insignificant mistakes pass with a smile.

“Though I doubt he would have liked this tea.”

Looks like the sun has gotten to me.

Thinking that, Jager drained the last sip of tea remaining in his cup and frowned.

As expected, it was still bitter.

Chapteer 282: Side Story – The Boy with Blue Eyes (2)
Ribbit, ribbit.

When the sun set and the sky began to turn dark blue, the croaking of frogs echoed softly near the well.

It was the hour when the small creatures that had remained hidden all day began to stir along with the cool evening air.

And in the stable beside the well, some little ones were whispering as well.

“That’s why I told you we shouldn’t have done it…”

said a chubby boy in a voice that was almost tearful.

“It’s Sir Jager. The scariest person in the entire Bayezid family! Do you even know why the Commander lost an eye?”

“No.”

the blond boy answered flatly.

And he did so while hanging upside down from the stable ceiling.

“What do you mean you don’t know?! It was your father’s Master!”

“Precisely because he was my father’s Master, I don’t know! If he had been my Master, then I’d know!”

Two boys hung from the ceiling completely wrapped in ropes.

Since the ropes were brown, they looked like enormous chrysalises.

On top of that, they had small wooden boards hanging around their necks as though they were criminals.

The blond boy’s board read.

“Horse Thief!”

And the chubby boy’s read.

“Idiot Who Got Dragged Along by the Horse Thief!”

The words had been written in visibly irritated handwriting.

“My grandfather told me that when the Commander was young, he was terrifying. He said there was a time when he killed more than a hundred assassins all by himself.”

“A hundred?”

“Yes, completely alone. And they were very famous guys!”

They had plenty of time.

Nothing to do.

And they were tied up from head to toe.

Naturally, Emil began paying attention to Hampton’s story.

“The great Lady Oksana was on her way to visit her family when the assassins appeared. And he killed all of them. But the most incredible part was how he did it.”

The chubby chrysalis swayed slowly as he whispered to the blond chrysalis.

“He said it was only fair payment. The one carrying poison was killed with poison. The one carrying a sword was stabbed. The one carrying a spear was run through with a spear.”

“Wow.”

“Anyway, that was where he lost his eye. But when my grandfather went there afterward, it turned out that none of the corpses had eyes. Sir Jager had torn them all out.”

It was a story difficult to know for those unfamiliar with the internal affairs of the Bayezid family.

Because at that time, fierce political struggles still surrounded the two young heirs.

Although Jager had already built a legend in his youth as a warrior capable of facing a hundred men alone, his fame did not truly spread throughout the North until much later because of those circumstances.

“…Really?”

The blond chrysalis’s face began to pale.

Considering he was hanging upside down, his face should have been red as a tomato.

But it seemed the story had affected him quite a bit.

“Then what did he do to the thieves? Because technically I’m not a thief. I only borrowed it for a little while.”

“I don’t know. Though maybe one of your family’s mounts would be enough to settle it.”

“Really? Then I wish I’d taken my sister’s horse.”

After saying that, the blond chrysalis began untying himself with surprising ease.

A moment later, he dropped to the ground.

“Hey, Emil! What the hell? How did you get loose?”

“I learned.”

The blond boy rubbed his ankles.

The ropes had been tied so tightly that they hurt.

“Wow. They really intend to leave me hanging here all day.”

Emil clicked his tongue in annoyance.

He had assumed they would scold him a little and that would be the end of it.

He never imagined they would leave him hanging there until nightfall.

It made him realize once again that he was not at home.

“Emil! Let me down too!”

The chubby chrysalis began shouting desperately.

But Emil did not even turn around.

“And if I let you down, will you be able to climb back up?”

“Why would I need to climb back up?”

“Ah, you really are an idiot.”

They were both being punished.

And sooner or later, someone would come to untie them.

If at that moment they were found casually wandering around after freeing themselves.

And if the person who showed up happened to be the one-eyed demon who had killed a hundred assassins all by himself.

“…I’d better stay hanging.”

“Good idea.”

While the chubby chrysalis continued curing and drying like a ham hanging from the ceiling, the blond boy began slowly walking around the stable to stretch his body.

“It’s definitely different from the one at my house.”

It truly was a stable worthy of Bayezid.

As befitted one of the most important families in the North, all the horses were enormous and radiated health.

And it made sense.

After all, these were the mounts used by the Bayezid knights.

Anything less would have been unacceptable.

“No matter how I look at it, you’re the boss around here. Right?”

As he wandered through the stable, the boy stopped in front of a massive black horse that occupied a large space all to himself.

It was a mount anyone would consider special.

The horse ridden by Sir Jager.

“So what am I supposed to do if even you refuse to carry me? In fact, one of the reasons I came here was because of you.”

Neigh.

As if it had understood his words, the enormous black horse snorted.

But at the same time, it slowly began backing away.

It was clearly frightened.

“Tsk.”

The difference in size between them was like the distance between heaven and earth.

If anyone had seen the scene, they would probably have pulled the boy away, considering it dangerous.

Yet the enormous horse was backing away with its tail tucked.

And the small boy was watching him with a disapproving expression.

It was such a strange sight that it felt unsettling.

“Why does everyone hate me? Huh? I’m honestly a good person.”

Despite the harshness of his gaze, he seemed genuinely hurt that the horse was avoiding him.

He roughly ran a hand through his hair and then jumped up to sit on the fence.

“…I should have gotten that horse no matter what.”

It had not always been this way.

When he was very young, he got along perfectly well with the dogs and cats at home.

But everything began to change the day the dragon’s wild nature awakened in his blue eyes.

“Maybe I should have tried dyeing my hair red like my sister…”

And the truth was that there was another person who shared exactly the same problem.

His older sister.

Two years older than him.

As long as she had the same problem, he had never cared too much about being unable to ride a horse.

But that was already in the past.

“That was an incredible horse.”

When his sister turned sixteen, his father took both of them to the blue grasslands that connected Varna and Sturma.

And there he showed them an old friend of his.

A magnificent black horse.

His name was Noir.

“My sister is lucky. She has her own horse.”

It was a majestic mount, worthy of the man who had once ridden him.

But the horse that truly caught the boy’s attention was another one.

A foal shyly peeking its head out beside Noir.

It was completely black like his father.

But it had a white diamond-shaped mark on its forehead.

“Ha. Blond hair is useless. I can’t even win over a single horse. Red hair is the best.”

They said the children of the grasslands adored the color red.

And that foal had stopped in front of red as well.

His sister had been enchanted when she touched such a small and soft animal for the first time in a long while.

She carefully stroked him.

She rode him.

And she crossed the blue grasslands with him.

As he watched the red-haired young woman and the young black horse running beneath the moonlight, the boy became so jealous that he almost cried like a little child.

“Damn it, why did Noir have only one foal? Mares go around with several at a time!”

“If you have several wives, then it’s normal to have several children.

Even my father had two, including me.

They could have had several foals and left at least one by my side!”

“Huh?”

Emil was immersed in his own indignation.

Then, suddenly, his ears perked up.

He had sensed someone approaching from far away.

“…Emil, I’m starting to see double.”

“Hang in there a little longer. Someone’s coming.”

Grabbing the end of the rope, Emil spun rapidly like a top and wrapped the rope around his body again.

Then he used his little finger to tie a knot from the inside.

It was so perfect that, when he finished, the blond chrysalis was there once again as if he had never moved.

“…That’s why I said we could have sent a telegram before coming…”

“…I told you I did send one, brat! Stop treating me like some senile old man!”

The voices began to carry from the distance.

Only then did the horses notice the presence of visitors and begin to grow restless.

“Even if you’re that eager to see Emil, shouldn’t you greet the Count first? I think that would be proper, Senior.”

“Open the door first! I’m tired!”

Creeeak.

Upon hearing the door open, Emil smiled discreetly.

Because he already knew who was on the other side.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of dragging footsteps.

And the tapping of a cane.

It was a familiar sound he had heard ever since he was very small.

Hearing it, Emil opened his eyes with apparent difficulty.

“Gran… dpa… Ramund…”

In his upside-down vision appeared a bald knight with an awkward expression.

And beside him, an old man whose face was completely wrinkled with anger.

“Oh, dear heavens! Oh, dear heavens, Emil!”

At the sight of the children hanging upside down, the old man seemed to completely lose his composure.

He even dropped the cane he was holding and began clapping his hands one after another.

It was exactly the reaction one would expect from an elderly person.

Maksim, already accustomed to it, spoke with obvious weariness.

“They haven’t been hanging there that long. Just today.”

“Oh, dear heavens! Oh, dear heavens!”

“Normally we leave them hanging for three or four days. Besides, this custom was your idea when you were still here, Senior.”

“Shut up, you damned bald man! Get the children down at once!”

He was an old man capable of making even the knight known as Bayezid’s disciplinarian nervous.

And he was also someone whom the Swordmaster’s son naturally called Grandpa.

“Honestly, please stop calling me bald in front of the children, Lord Ramund. I have my dignity too.”

The Beacon of the North.

Bayezid’s living legend.

The leader of the unforgettable Golden Generation.

Knight Ramund.

“If I can’t call a bald man bald, then what am I supposed to call him?! You have less hair than I do!”

Watching that man, who now looked like nothing more than an ordinary grandfather, Emil smiled to himself.

Then, feeling that enough was enough, he stuck out his tongue, let his head loll to one side, and muttered a single word.

“Bleh.”

And immediately afterward, he let his body go completely limp.

“Aaaah! My boy!”

Emil was pretending to have fainted.

Ramund was shouting as though the world were coming to an end.

And Maksim, seeing the old man on the verge of a fit, hurriedly lowered the blond chrysalis.

“…I honestly think I’m going to die. Couldn’t you lower me first?”

Unlike Emil, the chubby chrysalis had been hanging there all day.

With unfocused eyes, he spoke in a weak voice.

But no one paid him any attention.

“Why did you hang this good boy up?! Where is that grumpy Jager?!”

“Please, Senior, don’t do this. We have our rules too.”

“Excuse me…”

“To hell with the rules! Why are you punishing a child?! Damn that one-eyed man and damn that bald man too!”

“…”

The chubby chrysalis was left hanging there alone.

Completely alone.

He tried swaying gently, as if to say, ‘I’m here.’

But, incredibly enough…

No one paid him the slightest bit of attention.

Chapteer 283: Side Story – The Boy with Blue Eyes (3)
Rutiger silently stared at the tea from which hot steam was still rising.

Then he lifted the cup and took a long sip.

And he thought to himself.

Ah…

This is awkward.

Did my father feel this way too?

“I apologize for troubling you at this hour of the night, Count.”

Rutiger had gained a few moments to organize his thoughts thanks to the tea.

But Ramund seemed to read them immediately and spoke first.

“This old man failed to separate public matters from private ones and ended up making a fool of himself in front of the young ones. Please accept my apologies, Count.”

“…There is no need, Lord Ramund.”

No matter how distinguished a knight Ramund had been in previous generations, it was still late at night.

Not only had he interfered in a disciplinary process, but he had also awakened the master of the house while being a guest.

Even Ramund felt embarrassed about it.

“That’s why I said you could have sent a telegram before coming. It wasn’t that difficult.”

“I already told you I sent one.”

Upon hearing Jager’s reproach, Ramund struck his chest several times with an expression of complete indignation.

“I’m not senile yet. I’m telling you, I sent a telegram from Varna during the journey.”

“…”

“Really?”

Jager had been complaining about having to receive visitors at such an hour.

But when he saw Ramund’s face, he ended up falling silent.

Because the sight of Ramund speaking in a subdued voice, so different from the energy with which he had been raging moments earlier, filled him with a sadness that was difficult to explain.

“I have prepared a room for you, Lord Ramund. I hope that this time as well, you will stay with us for a long while and continue guiding our squires.”

“Haha. Guiding them, you say…?”

Upon hearing Rutiger’s words, Ramund gave a bitter smile.

The truth was that Rutiger knew it too.

He knew perfectly well that the old man sitting before him no longer had the strength to teach or guide anyone.

“I think it is time for me to retire. Thank you for your hospitality, Count.”

Even so, he had come all the way to Sturma for a single reason.

Because he thought this might be the last chance he would have to see it again.

He wanted to visit once more the place that had practically been the starting point of his entire life while he was still capable of moving under his own power.

“…Your health has weakened considerably. The journey must have been difficult.”

When Ramund left the room leaning on his cane, Rutiger sank into his chair and spoke quietly.

“At this age, even a single illness leaves its mark. That’s also why he couldn’t come last year.”

Ramund was already over eighty years old.

When he met Vlad, he had already completed the Lower Path.

No matter how indomitable Knight Ramund had once been, time had reached an age that even he found difficult to overcome.

“…Even so, I’m grateful that he made the effort to come.”

Time flowed onward.

And farewells arrived sooner or later.

But although he could feel that moment drawing near, Rutiger discovered that he was surprisingly calm.

He was old enough now to be accustomed to goodbyes.

***

After leaving the room, Ramund began looking around the dark hallway for the servant who was supposed to accompany him.

However, the person waiting there was not a servant at all.

“Grand… no, Lord Ramund. I’ll escort you.”

It was a boy whose eyes were half-closed, as though he were fighting against sleep.

Silver moonlight streamed through the windows and softly illuminated his blond hair.

It looked as though a lunar halo rested among his locks.

Ramund reached out and patted his hair.

“Haha. It’s late. You should be resting.”

“Even so, I wanted to accompany you. Besides, thank you for helping me earlier.”

The boy’s words, saying that he had waited for him, were especially pleasant to hear.

Waiting had always been the task of the elderly.

But every now and then, it was not bad to reverse the roles.

“Come. The nights are still cold.”

Emil removed the cover from the lantern he was carrying.

The flame began to sway and illuminate the dark hallway.

“Let’s go to the annex. They say it’s the warmest place. It gets plenty of sunlight too.”

Most people feared Ramund and found him difficult to deal with.

But Emil was different.

Because ever since he was little, he had always called him Grandpa.

“How long do you plan to stay this time? You’ll stay until autumn, right?”

Emil had never had grandparents.

It was inevitable.

Both of his parents had been orphans.

That was why, at first, Ramund had allowed him to call him Grandpa without giving it much thought.

But as time passed and the child grew, Ramund eventually came to understand something.

That he could no longer remain merely a knight in front of this boy.

“Yes… yes. That’s right. I’ll probably stay until before winter.”

“That’s great! Stay for a long time!”

Seeing Emil speak with shining eyes, asking him to remain by his side for a long time, Ramund let out a hearty laugh.

If someone had observed them from afar, they would have easily mistaken them for a grandfather and his grandson.

“And since you’re going to stay for so long, could you teach me that?”

“Teach you what?”

Was it because of the brilliant white moonlight that night?

Or perhaps because of the dark black light that lately seemed to be growing stronger and stronger?

Because of those two lunar lights, Ramund’s vision became blurry, and he had to blink several times.

“You know. The body-strengthening technique. The one that hardens the body. I really want to learn it.”

In that blurred vision, Emil’s face began to overlap with someone else’s.

A blond boy with blue eyes.

Just like the child before him, he had always wanted to learn something new.

In the end, he had learned it on his own and left before Ramund had the chance to teach him anything.

But this time, Ramund had no intention of making the same mistake.

“Absolutely not, brat! To learn the body-strengthening technique, you first have to master aura.”

“Ah, seriously. Everyone tells me the same thing. I’m already thirteen years old. My father also learned aura when he was sixteen.”

“I learned it when I was thirty, boy. Don’t be in such a hurry.”

This time, he would teach him everything.

He would hold nothing back.

He no longer wanted to leave behind any regrets.

“…By the way, while the boy keeps growing up, where the hell is his father and what is he doing?”

Trying to focus his vision again, Ramund lifted his head and looked out the window.

Two moons shone in the night sky.

And between them gleamed that black moon which, according to legend, had been raised into the heavens by the Swordmaster of this era.

***

The two moonlights silently illuminated the snowy plain.

In the middle of that vast white expanse, where there was neither tree nor beast and where even the breathing of the person beside you could be heard clearly, several men glided across the snow.

“Damn it! Why does this keep wobbling? It works fine for a while and then it starts happening again.”

It was a man who wore a prosthetic leg on his left side.

“Hmm.”

The dark-skinned man responded briefly, indicating that the same thing was happening to him.

“Couldn’t it simply be because you’re missing a leg? You know, center of gravity and all that.”

said the blond man while teasing the man with the prosthetic.

“That’s not it. It’s because we used a grouch’s soap. That’s why it goes well for a while and then starts slipping again.”

explained the cat-eared man who was traveling beside the blond man.

Four men crossed the snow, stirring the silent plain as they passed.

Each wore long wooden boards strapped to their feet.

Though they looked crude, they moved at a speed comparable to that of a horse.

“And how much did someone have to grumble for you to call it a grouch’s soap?”

“Hmm, let’s say enough to go out in winter and spray soapy water on slopes so people would slip.”

Seeing Nibelun answer with a grin from ear to ear, Vlad spoke with an exhausted expression.

“…That’s not being a grouch. That’s just being a damned villain.”

“That’s why it was difficult to get. He used to do it at dawn so nobody would find out.”

“What? He was a real person?”

“Yes. He lives in the city of Timoa.”

As Nibelun explained that sometimes you had to beat him up a little to make him cooperate, Vlad thought to himself.

I will never set foot in that city called Timoa.

“Huh? Really? Elder! Here? Is this truly the North Pole?”

Suddenly, Nibelun placed something beside his ear and began speaking to someone.

It was a seashell.

But not just any seashell.

It was an extremely ancient fossilized seashell.

“Vlad, I’ve known that guy for a long time, but every time I see him, he seems crazier.”

“Hmm.”

“You know he once told me I should show respect to this seashell? According to him, it’s an elder tens of millions of years old. Do you understand any of that?”

“Harven, what I don’t understand is why you still try to understand mages. These things are simply accepted.”

If something could be understood, then it was not magic.

Because magic was, by its very nature, the art of deceiving reality.

And that was even more true in the case of the beastmen’s primitive magic.

“In any case, we’ve arrived.”

After Nibelun indicated with a gesture that this was the correct place, Vlad took the lead and began descending into a basin.

It was a depression so vast that it could have contained a small city.

Combined with the silent atmosphere of the snowy plain, it offered a majestic view.

But Vlad was looking at the sky more than at the landscape.

“It’s definitely a good place for observing constellations.”

The North was also excellent for stargazing.

But not as much as this place.

Because they were at the North Pole.

A place where the stars neither rose nor set.

Every constellation he had seen throughout his life in the northern hemisphere was etched across the dark sky and could be viewed at a single glance.

“Then I’ll begin the observations. Now, where are the granny glasses my grandson gave me?”

While Nibelun rummaged through a magical bag, the other three men raised their heads toward the firmament.

“You have to live a long time to see things like this. I never thought I’d end up coming to a place like this.”

“That’s true.”

“Hmm.”

Men who had been born and raised in the alleys of Soara now gazed at the night sky side by side.

They commented on how different it was from the one they had known during childhood.

Because the sky of their youth had been a broken and fragmented sky, hidden between makeshift rooftops and old alleyways.

“One day I’d like to bring my son here. By the way, how is Emil? I heard he entered Bayezid as a squire this year.”

“Don’t remind me. His mother cried a lot. As if he had gone to the end of the world.”

And the men, now fully grown adults, spoke about their children beneath that sky.

“Every time I see Emil, I’m reminded of you when you were little. Even though he’s your son, how can he resemble you so much? Does his mother never complain about it?”

Harven uncorked a bottle of whisky, took a drink, and then passed it to Vlad.

Vlad accepted the bottle and let out a brief laugh.

“Even so, he’s not like me.”

Above the vast sky, the black moon could be seen.

The moon that the mad Lamashut had created.

That the dying Joseph had prepared.

And that he himself had raised into the heavens.

“…Naturally, he must walk a different path from mine.”

It was a moon that symbolized a new era.

Children born in those times would never know a sky with only one moon.

Vlad believed that his son would grow up beneath a different sky from the one he had known in his own childhood.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have the observation results.”

Nibelun, wearing the granny glasses, approached while rubbing his hands as though he were cold.

Vlad offered him the bottle of whisky and asked,

“Well? Were you right?”

Nibelun stared at the bottle for a few moments.

The apologetic expression never left his face.

He seemed even more distressed by having to give that answer.

“Yes. I was definitely right.”

Slowly swirling the bottle of whisky, he continued speaking.

His voice was heavy, very different from his usual cheerful demeanor.

“The black moon has drifted from its orbit. It keeps moving closer and closer to our continent.”

A deep sigh sounded from behind Vlad.

It was the reaction of someone who desperately wished those words were not true.

“I don’t know how close it will get…”

Nibelun did not continue.

Because even for him, it was far too difficult to imagine what would happen afterward.

“…Life isn’t simple.”

Vlad took the bottle of whisky back from Nibelun’s hands.

Then, accompanied by a long sigh, he gazed at the black moon suspended in the sky.

Then…

What should they do now?

In the middle of the silent North Pole, the man’s breath spread thickly through the air as he sank into deep thought.