Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1)
byjZveGray rain had covered the skies of Sturma since early morning.EbdZ1eq
YpLSDespite it being summer, the rain of the North held no warmth and struck the black stones of the wall like sharpened needles.Lq5AG5k
VIe6y“Since this morning, I already feel depressed.”nSo
U7qi0HIn the meeting hall, where only the sound of rain striking the windows could be heard, Rutiger Bayezid reclined in his chair, silently observing the gloomy landscape.NaflJH
sxbSlx5“Even so, work must continue. Begin your reports.”78nmVr
PXxQmA map of the North lay spread across the long table.jpRw
wMKBIn times of war, it would have been a strategic map, but in that era of peace it was little more than decoration.rwVn
nghr1k“Yes, Count. I’ll begin with Soara.”f1xioj7
kcF8QIt was the Bayezid family’s regular reporting meeting, held twice a year.OQo
OuwMayors, vassals, knights, and merchants acting on behalf of the family were present.9rgb
XCmGZAs Rutiger listened to their reports, his brow gradually furrowed.3xuz
ACkC“…Lately there have been occasions when magical telegrams did not function properly. According to the mages in charge, there is no problem with the magical artifacts.”jLNin
fAHRosUpon hearing the report from the mayor of Varna, Jager discreetly turned his head toward Ramund.6CB
mXIWrThe old man was sitting alone in a corner.9zHfc
OJEu7Jager did not know exactly what he was thinking about so deeply, but he still remembered Ramund indignantly insisting that he had indeed sent a telegram.B12ls
hiFMJS“I am Portly Kannor, of the Kannor family. I have a report for you, Count.”xL2Hp
fKJwo9After administrative matters came the merchants’ turn.NX1R9
D29FAnd it was precisely during the reports from those operating in the central region that a peculiar piece of news emerged.vWsX
pcTHZB“It seems that in several territories of the Center, a kind of restoration movement is beginning to appear.”rW7mVs
GXl“A restoration movement?”tZS
0CDH7Rutiger frowned as he looked at Portly.pM2
z2VBJGBRutiger was a man who hated beating around the bush.uIXVe
4esqQmPortly knew that well, but he still needed a few seconds to prepare himself.9xyQ
KtJ“Of Sarnus… more precisely, of the Dragulia family.”9u1
8mWOpstBecause mentioning that forbidden name required a certain amount of courage.MwJ
5t2“What the hell is this?”vYcmt
uxOFwD“It seems those people still haven’t suffered enough.”nCn
zSh“Seriously, of all the lunatics that exist, how can they admire someone like Sarnus?”k9RoDPb
rWoNiOAJust as Portly had expected, the moment the name of the man known as the Dragon Blood Duke was mentioned, the room began to stir.iDQvB
C59Dy“It all began in territories that formerly maintained close ties with the Dragon Blood Duke. I suppose they are regions that became marginalized because of the sins of the past and where resentment has accumulated for a long time.”AumzSYe
WdPElRutiger let out an incredulous laugh and shook his head.9k88
6JryYMTIt really has been a long time.Bwd
kO0ZsUHow is it possible that, no matter how hungry they are, they end up feeding on the corpse of someone like Sarnus?vEQA3n
An9Nk“Now that we know about it, we’ll have to keep an eye on it. You’re going to have a lot of work ahead of you, Portly. Stay alert to those movements.”frhsPw
k52ESQ“Understood, Count.”cqmTfho
truCThe meeting, which had begun in the morning, continued until noon.BqJ7xx
6crThe sun remained hidden behind dark clouds, but the hunger twisting their stomachs clearly indicated that it was time for a break.qplMr
gff0m“Very well. We’ll conclude today’s meeting here. Thank you all for coming this far.”AeQU
j3aYRutiger shook hands with his vassals with a smile and told them to get some rest.UTrX9j
62iSD0Then he made his way back to his office.BMo1Fd
DfFzNi“Dorothea, what exactly is going on with the magical telegrams?”IrQ
83aeNow he moved only in the company of people he truly trusted.R0y7TY
PiYWMIn a way, the real meeting for Rutiger began at that moment.sxo
LmWxBl“It isn’t the fault of our magical artifacts.”x8jF
eO6aj2“Then what is it?”Uca
fpC4Rutiger dropped into the chair in his office and loosened the collar of his shirt.m7iYmDw
vI8“…When we contacted Dobrechi regarding the spirit mole, there were also occasional interruptions in communication. The mages there say it has been happening frequently lately.”EinRIpL
OAKf“Oh, really?”QwN2kr
tWGFAccording to Dorothea, the phenomenon became more common the farther north a region was located.qIGFq6
QaZX5NpIt was probably not a technical issue but something interfering with magical telegrams.d4emR
30W4VI“Perhaps that is exactly why Vlad went to the North Pole. If the observations are correct and the black moon is truly approaching, it may already be affecting communications.”liajcMk
NmCwJBHFor the past twenty years, the black moon had been the primary concern of mages.VXJ1W
7nZm1PFAlthough it had been born from sinister dark magic, some mages even described it as the starting point of the world’s creation magic.vZzSB
U7HrqneIts importance was extraordinary.5WaTqj
E0pncmu“Then we have no way to counter it. Will we have to go back to using carrier pigeons like in the old days?”vryfLm
aDpoadThat was far outside the domain of a knight like Rutiger.r7qI
AzzeThere was another matter that interested him much more.lAdQkc
DzS“Good. Marcus, have you discovered anything about the bloodstained ducat?”vhLtfB
fG6MNOzThe blood-covered coin the mole had brought.pK9ZC
KNqTlWho was its owner?99uNEMq
fN8V9HwWhere had it come from?nURj
FpVfE50And why had it ended up reaching Sturma?qs80mbW
qr8Those questions had never left Rutiger’s mind since then.hMzFJTX
RlR8vz“Yes. We have obtained some results, Count.”vOY9X7i
WPAAnd there was the crow who had brought the answer.lT98ot
DHc12l“I deployed my crows to investigate mainly the whereabouts of retired knights. And, just as you suspected, the situation is concerning.”WMiccUq
qzaHe was a man difficult to place between middle age and old age.g12RG
ecbThe numerous scars on his face made it impossible to determine his exact age, although he appeared to be Jager’s contemporary.r1ws
xib“After investigating the Bayezid territories and the entire North, we found the bodies of several knights who had walked the Lowest Path.”MAJCC6
qmZkkThe bodies of retired knights.Iu2
GfvyMRutiger’s face darkened instantly.cheGsfQ
d3SfEO“…Could it be…?”sOFhOV
rK9Qxg“Fortunately, none of them belong to the former Count. Furthermore, his last known trail was in the West.”gipCUYb
rnX4chPUpon hearing that it was not his father’s body, Rutiger released a sigh of relief without trying to hide it.OXXd
xvyth“Did they die in accidents?”SNPNi9s
Cp2r“No.”Bb3
7PLVV“Were they murdered?”sXIU
Sj2WMarcus slowly nodded.xNf
xvg“They must have been difficult men to kill…”24m12y
F8ZfThey were knights distinguished enough to receive a Ducat of Honor.10L2z
6x43And they had also been fortunate enough to live long enough to retire.Q7C3s
1ZOFor several of them to turn up dead was an ominous sign.Wd0JpD
8RikqoB“We cannot ignore this.”BXTX9a
w9gzF0XCommunications were beginning to fail.U4e2D
cXYl54xThe ghosts of the past were resurfacing.IC3Boj
sf7UpThe black moon was drawing closer.hVi9Y
6kLxYAnd retired knights were being murdered.rfcj
NnTkhW“…I don’t like this at all.”WM8W
KwMBefore a great catastrophe occurred, bad omens usually appeared one after another.2Hew
q3j3And those who carried responsibilities had to be especially sensitive to such signs.iadUBv
RiuytlX“Very well. We will maintain a state of alert for a while.”R2c
XdKRecall the knights currently on missions.foj7
JzbInspect the soldiers.nDhAN
ngxoYDPrepare carrier pigeons and relay horses in case the magical telegrams stop working.zgueG
NIYInform the mayors and neighboring territories.grst2
Hx8kQpAnd if the situation is as concerning as it appears, send the crows even farther.GS3A
urhNVW“And furthermore…”hNeL
ane5wsThere was still one final matter to review.AXXX
B16I“Is something wrong, Sir Ramund?”Khqt
A73oYRamund remained seated in silence, waiting for his turn.waTu
lgfAUpon hearing the question, he seemed to come back to himself and looked up at Rutiger.GVchrJ8
a3h“Lately, Emil has been acting strangely…”mKfr
bles***8Sm9Tz
QnQnGA cold breeze mixed with the scent of rain swept over the railing.gA0nia
MswHj4fThe sky above Sturma was covered by dense dark clouds.n1Ia
QTFZ6UCThe light was so dim that even the faces of the passing servants looked gloomy, but in the squires’ dormitory, the cheerful voices of the boys still echoed with energy.WH4
LW2“This is wonderful. We even got out of training.”9Gwu
LaOsZThe squires of Sturma were gathered on the benches along the corridor overlooking the training grounds.mKc9Tk
ekGBNormally, they would have been rolling around endlessly in the field before them, but today was different.GNBj
XGr“You seem to be in a good mood, Hampton.”zmAkqWT
vdAfE2T“Yes. My dad came today.”AQJ
oeAUBecause in a few days, the welcome banquet for the squires personally hosted by the Count would take place.WtHbYJ
lhYkOHIt was one of Sturma’s most famous traditions.yIEmdZ
vHbAnd in addition, the next day they would have one of their rare opportunities to go outside.RCeA7C0
0UPSThere was no way the boys would not be excited.8LjZSP
Xb2tc“I’ll finally be able to restock my sausages.”BuY4qTZ
8XQb“…You really never change.”YyVk2
25TwHampton and Tarenian were already arguing as if they had known each other for years.VgE
iDch3However, Emil, who was sitting beside them, seemed distracted.ZZSU
3vk“Emil, didn’t anyone come to see you? You live nearby too, don’t you?”0iN
h66Tarenian asked in an upbeat voice.pGM
Viy5QAlthough he himself had no one who had come to visit him from the distant South, he seemed to have been swept up by the atmosphere.bYo7Yf
vQz9f“No. No one came for me either.”P3GAGXh
S3C8Cq“Why? Is everyone busy?”F7lqIq
XKLThe son of a Swordmaster with no visitors.rQg0rRg
mTzTrvTThat seemed strange.zeRj
UDf5IBut upon hearing the answer, Tarenian could only nod.Rl7T
E4G“My father is at the North Pole, and my mother is busy.”50SaVF
iz2CSj“Ah, I see.”Rhlj14y
pHDCXa4Ah, he’s at the North Pole.3RqG
AR0vThat’s much farther away than anything I could boast about.sgK4Cd
QGT9h“But my dad did come. So we won’t have any problems going out tomorrow.”hZ2G
irw“Of course. Besides, you have Sir Ramund. Anyway, there aren’t many boys whose parents come in person.”9vks7
TvbEmil nodded.kMU
Hm5The truth was that he did not particularly miss his parents.SwHR
ROtkAfter all, the Bayezid manor was practically his home.IiEFL
nHKFHe had simply remembered for a moment that, two years earlier, when his sister had been there, he had come together with his father.cyO
GQlSQb“The truth is, I passed through Soara when I came here, but I never got to see Sturma. I’m really looking forward to going out tomorrow.”MPUgsQ1
M0B[Run away tomorrow.]8MuDJ
aXWJYx“…!”Q8pqV
vKGXivyA male voice suddenly slipped into the conversation.8Lqj
E9FeThat voice infiltrated it like a shadow.1yB
zFjLcEmil’s hair immediately stood on end.AqYt
8Sy“…What did you just say?”Qgj0S
CkcqVKTarenian was left speechless when he saw the look in Emil’s eyes.W1Kd
ZwjBpkoThose blue eyes carried a strange pressure.uSX
IMlFEkvStartled, he answered with a stutter.4DZ
zimvWPl“I-I said I wanted to look for some Sturma collectibles. Why? Did I say something weird?”N0Ee
tbMZJ5APerhaps he was annoyed at having felt intimidated by someone his own age, because his voice rose.vRRZ
wVU8ABut Emil remained there, motionless, with a frown on his face.qV0d0r
GsP5U‘Is it because I’m sleeping badly?’eNQy
qGf4The truth was that he had not been able to rest properly for several days.ANFJEol
iyutyEverything had started after training with Ramund.p6Z
CEq0Every time he tried to sleep, memories from his childhood returned.Hxj
mkGJMemories so old that he could not even recognize them.Xl72
Xs7O‘And my chest feels heavy.’XQ7D
lOUPJDLike the sky covered by storm clouds.jx0c7
NQHEmil looked up at the sky.ZwGH1
QVwEven through the clouds, the silhouette of the black moon could be vaguely seen.NJ0ou
fFk9dE“My lady, please wait. You can’t go that way.”fwSJz
0sXzg“Knights, clear the path!”MHWYnEf
uEnk8mSuddenly, a commotion arose at the far end of the corridor.dvl
OP9The squires turned their heads.rzOrM
iJK“Who is it?”smu7
3dtU“I don’t know. Who could it be?”uckxl
NcN7DhIn the distance, a procession of maids was approaching.Y4zO6D
7t5jIt seemed they were accompanying someone important.Ih6h6lj
vIASome of the more observant squires quickly stood up and bowed their heads respectfully.imkgv6
ya7Eo“My lady, please come back. This is the area where the squires stay.”bQU8D
K45FjBut the elderly woman ignored the maids’ insistence.O64lYM
NjN0zCShe was an older lady dressed elegantly.xP4RMyd
27K8Her white hair, carefully braided, was especially striking.DrR
WYrAnd among the silver strands, traces of green hair could still be seen, a sign that in her youth her hair had been a vivid green color.IbNQ79
b4a“No, no. I’m sure I saw him come this way…”aOZAt
4NYBHowever, her eyes seemed unfocused.Q160
vFMAs if she were looking at a place far away instead of the present.4DVXx2
aD5“Ah! There he is!”eTx2Y
fiqZgTvAfter looking around for quite some time, the old woman smiled brightly.CV6lNA
1KZWShe had found the blond hair she was looking for.jKKZr8
vRXk“G-good morning, my lady. My name is…”1ZJy
j3HDSeeing her approach, Emil bowed his head according to the etiquette he had been taught.TfRPQ
vI97bAlthough the situation caught him by surprise, he acted naturally.pZhoxKA
wpj2“Vlad.”lZnf3e
M9HfS2But the old woman’s words made him stop.qDZ
IIra7yLA woman calling him by his father’s name.EVoK
yMEvZi“Have you seen my Joseph, Vlad?”kyvY
wVCAkCw“…”VqJv
3SJrEmil slowly raised his head.VrIC
FjS“I’m sure I saw him walk this way, but when I arrived, he was already gone.”qpYUzk9
3oK9OThe woman smiled with immense gentleness.KPQ2my
sxhMWhTFor some reason, she reminded him of his mother.6Ik
Pn2l“If you see him, tell him I’m looking for him. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to see him.”E3p
HBBHowever, even though she was standing in front of Emil, she was not really seeing him.fWP
iGK4V“Vlad, it seems you’ve gained a little weight since the last time.”54WXCn
NCcNwoRHer eyes were looking at someone else.lfu4o
b0EgET“That’s much better. Before, you were nothing but skin and bones.”o42S
VZUThe former matriarch of the Bayezid family.eeThYU
rcpC4GThe great lady Oksana.tRkpA
8vFXpShe remained alone in the past, conversing with that blond boy from another era.plb3P2
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!