Chapter 284: Side Story – A Guest from Afar (1)
FcXVvCreeeak—T0ZNgs
UqOAt dawn, before the sun had even risen, someone carefully opened a door leading into the dark hallway.UoGL3
rLvwL68“Ah, my bones. I can still feel the effects.”BpcMvzw
HKcEmil struck his waist several times while cautiously looking around.Ty5Z
gpyqIn his left hand, he held a wooden sword.La072j
9OuPyWIt seemed he had come out to do his morning training.QipZ
WLzUz“Hmm, how strange. Somehow my feet feel lighter.”06nI8
IlShPfgHowever, contrary to what he expected, although his body still ached, his steps felt strangely light.CBVqE
x4qOr, to be more precise, it felt as though the sensitivity in his feet had sharpened.V5x5Ry
QJi2OOf course, Emil had no way of knowing this, but hanging someone upside down was one of the traditional training methods passed down within the Bayezid family.1jLiXT
UrDDbbIt had emerged after many years of reflection on the education of squires and was an exercise intended to strengthen the core muscles and improve balance.r3MXkH
fk7FOAlthough it was impossible to deny that it was also based on physical punishment.hEd3b
AiO“Hey, how have you been?”OlPjZ
lHFml8After quietly sneaking through the dark hallway to avoid being seen, Emil eventually stopped in front of a display case located in the central hall.3DUy
oxWInside hung an old leather armor.YPBiHPj
dwi9qBIt was armor made from gray orc leather.DC9hSm
HKzsWj3“It looks amazing no matter how many times I look at it.”NCr
6FYTzKqAlthough the boy called it amazing, the truth was very different.jK7
yiPzuIt was so battered that anyone could have mistaken it for trash.wLG70h
cVNnjeNHowever, the inscription placed beneath the armor was another story.Gn9b
vlVGNp— The armor worn by Swordmaster Vlad.G6n
jxcbO1— The Northern Orthodox Church certifies that with this armor he saved the lives of countless children.Sgx
Jle— Pope Andreas of The Northern Orthodox Church.ysX
GDl3Impressive words.3vL
Tr9isGcAnd even more impressive names.YRz
8fbwfBiBut what he liked most was something else.5t3JOZ
fn2IEPhThe fact that his father’s name was written there.yOv8
XdT“…Now that I’m seeing it in person, I want it even more.”eiXB
21diJBOAfter carefully touching the armor, Emil remained alone in the dark hallway, staring at it.cZuQ
Hic1m0UUntil the black night sky began to turn blue.6jDc
S2V8Until the birds awoke and began to sing.9PP63px
GAEsZJust as that boy from the alleys had once stared at a five-gold-coin sword hanging in a blacksmith’s shop.iDG6f7H
b1w“Ah.”L5oIvA
ytBAs though he had fallen under a spell, Emil gazed at the armor for a long time.cfjZx
91rzcGHThen he snapped out of it and ran toward the empty training ground he had chosen.aTpzZn
JSXHIf he did not hurry, all the effort of waking up early would have been wasted.jed47y
jhmk“Hmm, what nice air.”KoSQ
T6o6YQWIt was still dawn.D7qtNX9
PIKBhThe sky was tinted blue, but the sun had not yet appeared.ugiJFSa
IsIEuZIn the distance, the white moon and the black moon were descending toward the west, leaving behind only faint silhouettes.rxl
zjDUIt was the hour when neither day nor night completely ruled.8vbDUaq
RdIBfThe boy’s favorite moment.iYQM
U6JFZX“Hup!”Vl9zeKi
5ho4N9lThe wooden sword descended and came to a stop as it sliced through the dawn air.BUkqN
LcsOne breath for every strike.eX739l
dx4Exactly as his father had taught him.SS7c
6XWs5Y“Hup!”603iXN
Vublca5It was a clean strike.j2iPzR
TSsTcAnyone who saw it would have been surprised by the precision of that movement, free of wasted motion.SYwEDn
0nmIt was an excellent trajectory for someone his age.USQg5
4iF1CAnd yet, Emil pursed his lips in dissatisfaction as he repeated the same cut over and over again.JO5
8iFHZL‘This isn’t it.’OBWTJPQ
Og4FwcEIt was only a simple downward strike.Kpp
8B0QWBut in his mind, there existed a sword trajectory engraved with absolute clarity.lEQ
CZnsWhA trajectory so vivid that he could reproduce it even with his eyes closed.Yz6u
ZOFqQHIt was the trajectory his father had drawn.HQchl
haiAnd the one his sister had managed to imitate.0vTOyeg
xaNwCmlBut no matter how hard he tried, he could never reach it.1ljSGrE
e1i3r1I“…Damn it. I think that’s enough for today.”8C8nch
coZOThat trajectory kept appearing before his eyes.ULSHvC
JNkWhen he was little, it had been a source of pride.Ci2
Le8ZNow it was a wound.RppO4p
VUxHis father had called that trajectory the principle of killing with a single strike.3EzDy
1NW“Wow, it really is summer. The moons are still there.”7bHuEo
rhmLooking at the black moon that seemed unwilling to leave the horizon, Emil smiled.v4U
4oua7FThen he calmly picked up his wooden sword and prepared to return to his quarters.j2rZwQC
V3devrThump. Thump.TVlFBiB
gJzGDLC“Huh?”WtPFzeg
pVyIcO7Until he heard a strange sound.6jzwN
BJkThump. Thump. Thump.BFbqQU8
CthgIt was such a faint sound that a normal person would never have been able to hear it.I9pRtZc
C0KItOnly someone whose hearing had been sharpened by dragon blood could perceive it.oZ4
pfE2F“…What could that be?”Itz
tewIt was the first time he had ever heard anything like it.ywtPlb
xaB2KE2The young boy’s imagination began running wild.2kncZfo
b7QlWas someone digging in the distance?0kgN42
p2nOr striking a wall?2BC444
S55OCkOr perhaps a corpse inside a coffin…?3UPcD6
doW5pE“Ahem. Maybe it’s because I’m sweaty, but I just got a chill.”PqG
c9pIlIn any case, once he had heard it, he could not ignore it.iel8
cFl0KqIt was only natural to investigate what was causing it.nVoo
JsyOFollowing the sound with his ears fully alert, Emil eventually arrived at a corner of the training grounds.gFMgNVU
h6FZAnd there he found a rather peculiar sight.RCY9xY
RT7“A badly made construction project?”0CK
F8IBeneath a small hole, the earth was slowly beginning to collapse.VqBeh5
H8uiIt looked like one of those giant anthills he had seen illustrated in books.w05K
0YJJZAlthough anteaters lived in the south and would never come to a place as cold as the North.gLW7I
dv8E“Shouldn’t I call someone?”xzS1oCl
MqHIf the hole had appeared in the middle of the grounds, that would have been one thing.fkUUH0h
J9GBut it was right beside the wall.Hulx9t
rfG9jEven to Emil, it was obvious that if it kept growing, it could affect the structure.Xt7KDxI
MheTsPH“Huh?”NEDWYaB
JC7zEDriven by curiosity, he leaned over to look inside.xJl2Jg3
byWAnd then he spotted something yellow moving.HQ9
frnS“Kyuit!”ew4b
9em“What the hell?!”Pai
uBvqIt was small.nHR
bzD5UCRound.dCJ
K8NUQr8And it had tiny shining eyes that looked like buttons.4R1
ON2U“Kyuiiiit!”4QVkA
Upne“Aaaah!”Dut
EvcrIThat mysterious yellow thing suddenly leaped straight toward his face.pkWg
lYyAnd Emil could not help letting out a terrified scream.2svdl
IGogYx8***u7BY
6stJg5g“It’s a spirit.”iz2dReZ
PB7KzThe tail swayed gently from side to side.mhdIeA
cPwSince beastmen’s tails were something uncommon in the North, Emil’s eyes moved as well, following the rhythm of that tail.CjM
3nciQC“A spirit?”9Vp
9PyM“More precisely, a creature with spirit blood mixed into it. At first glance, it’s still a mole, after all.”Yhzcs
NOj3sbUAt Dorothea’s answer, Rutiger looked more closely at the small yellow mole.joKn8
GHmT“I see. It’s still a mole. Although it glows a little.”GqfiILm
Hinx9“Kyuiit!”WlIDq
eOkQEGEven at that moment, a small mole was clinging to Emil’s head.c8a65W
vEWAs if blond hair were its natural camouflage, the creature hid among the boy’s locks.BOnX
cVn8OProbably confused by its unfamiliar surroundings, it would not stop squeaking.6ET
tvpl“Kyuu! Kyuu!”AqSoo
LPojuWhile trying to intimidate Rutiger.LefSe
28eBBThough, of course, it intimidated no one.0eeBmef
QZUd“I don’t know where it came from, but it isn’t a creature from our territory. A spirit in the form of a mole has never been reported here.”fWCE
uSwOLGn“Could it have come from Dobrechi? I remember that family’s emblem was a mole.”18X4eD
U6V3jZl“That’s possible.”ulWZ8v
Q2tY5uIf Vlad or Gort had been present, they would have immediately recognized the identity of the yellow mole.VoL6r
SJvBut Rutiger and Dorothea were seeing it for the first time, so all they could do was speculate.psaCl3U
KY0JH9“But you’re saying this creature was carrying this with it?”62qoiK
tIRWkIn truth, the appearance of a spirit inside the castle was not something that required the personal intervention of the Count of Bayezid.yUC2pJN
G3J3wBUnless the mole had brought something impossible to ignore.yyqzszl
0z7yGEmil nodded as he looked at the gold coin Rutiger was holding.HPY
LTgFpzv“Yes, Count. It was clutching it as if it were something very precious. It seemed important, so I brought it along with him.”70xkhPX
JOxIt was a gold coin covered in blood.Eh5
Sdi2dThe dark stains left by dried blood covered much of the ancient engraving, causing Rutiger to frown.lzqK
m7ELHe took the coin and looked toward Ramund, who was seated in one of the chairs in the hall.AhCY8
wGCU“You were right. It’s a Ducat.”7Du
8k0JkbRamund accepted the coin.f8VLbn
N5euqa0Then he walked to the window and lightly scraped the surface with his fingernail.7b7WlGn
kBrBeneath the gold plating appeared a silver gleam more brilliant than the gold itself.OkFbDug
YXM“And why would this creature be carrying something so valuable?”JEQOX8t
Y7vft“That is precisely what we don’t know.”lMeJ8
H5taPThe Ducat was a coin of honor.MePK
6dQ4tNtA true silver coin that, according to legend, had been forged alongside the sword of the founding king Kihano Prausen when he was still an honorable gladiator.9wTY
9lFzWatching the scraped gold slowly restore itself on its own, Ramund clicked his tongue.SQZkQfU
YV6vZ“The only thing that is certain is that it changed hands not long ago. The original owner of this coin is probably around your age.”DaLmp6O
lz1Q“And how can you be so sure?”j7FNHto
X08VlqrRutiger, who had not yet walked the Path of Honor, asked out of curiosity.HAsCFMt
EmiGNaturally, Emil, who was listening attentively behind him with his ears wide open, was equally curious.mk1
5Vy“Because it hasn’t rusted yet. That means its owner is not yet old enough to retire.”a9C0
ErJwiThe idea that a gold coin could rust sounded strange.w7ONI
d9S17IvBut Ducats had always been like that.8c0D
MSyUbTo shine forever, you first had to learn how to let go.GKZK
i0ZmNo matter how high you rose.cg01a7
YPxL9jNo matter how many achievements and honors you accumulated.Hr3aJS
tO4One day, you would have to step aside to make room for the next generation.IZKe
kLwVp4And finding the place where you truly belonged was also a knight’s duty.hwbVt
XJY“When the time comes to retire, the Ducat lets you know. It’s a kind of warning.”cPz
BtuEpeTwenty years ago, the Ducat that Ramund gave to Vlad had been completely deteriorated.MdBU7BX
mpfUYdBut once it changed owners, it became a brilliant gold coin once again while resting near Vlad’s chest.RZzEAR
P5QoThat was how Ducats worked.YeQtw4g
Gsr1They passed from generation to generation, constantly reminding their bearers of honor and duty.nHZ5vW
C9E“…Then, if we put together everything Lord Ramund has said, we get the following.”7e5
MkbFQ1bThere is a knight in the prime of his life.5PPW
bIDY4BA knight talented and honorable enough to receive a Ducat.lSm
n4RAnd that knight was injured for unknown reasons.nfkM
HymzrCZSo severely that the coin of honor he kept close to his heart ended up soaked in his own blood.a4v2mr
tjcOZak“And this creature was the one that picked it up.”M3h6IT
vd4gRutiger looked at the mole that was still perched on top of Emil’s head.OOyxEa
wpkAfter such a long journey, it appeared exhausted.rHk5iOW
o53YLNow it was lying on its back, catching its breath.XC9uOz
CZg8RIt was obvious that this was no ordinary creature.gvG4D
5cz085So why had it come all the way to Sturma?zHBAaG
cJbORrn“I don’t know the reason, but I’m certain it arrived here by the correct path. Moles belong to the spirits of the earth. And the spirits of the earth always know the proper way.”s6cvoa1
mywnRVvHearing Dorothea’s advice, Rutiger slowly nodded.mbJ
Dx4Yes.D5P1
hoAX3VWith the clues they currently had, it was impossible to draw conclusions.efiaAJI
ALBIf it had arrived there for a reason, sooner or later the truth would reveal itself on its own.tnAp
X9m9“Squire Emil. I have a mission for you.”ue6MWs
xBl77AThe Count’s solemn voice caused the young squire to stand up immediately.IV337J0
6iR1BHe had known Rutiger since childhood.pzYVF
Q2vBut it was the first time he had ever seen him so serious.Tnw
2vf“From this moment onward, Squire Emil will be responsible for protecting this mole spirit of unknown identity. You will remain by its side at all times until further orders are given. And if it disappears, you must report it immediately. Understood?”UGlph0
3PejX3x“Yes, sir!”dsKl522
qodA9QIt was the first mission he had ever received in his life.SWwo
0pTYmxjAnd Emil could not hide his bewilderment.qynV
XkfLBut shortly afterward, an indescribable emotion began to fill his chest.hTcZ
1FPjlHe was not the Swordmaster’s son.22V04E
01PjrmHe was Squire Emil.cAsJ
bJCCHxjAs though he had finally been given a name of his own.aS82dUG
xTLxXThe boy answered energetically.2o0
w00FL0“I’ll do my very best!”lyM
i9KZZ2h“Kyuu!”gom
5XRmWhen Emil jumped to his feet, the mole perched on his head also sat upright and waved its tiny paws.naap
ngvmX73It did not seem to understand the situation.J2VG
wK7But for some reason, it gave the impression that it was determined to protect the boy.A0nJ
CP8Seeing that, Rutiger realized he had made the right decision.3KTZ3
2D2“Good. Then take these peanuts and feed this little creature as well…”XphM8
PLaGZY“Kit!”Ssqp9q
CLUHowever, there was one thing Rutiger did not know.wSeq
yzZOLbThe glowing mole hated peanuts.9Kd
9bd“Ah…”Vo2C
cCslThe bag of peanuts was knocked away and fell to the floor.dbxR
DGYSeeing the bag of peanuts lying there, Rutiger couldn’t help but look deeply hurt.8iSeM
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