Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1)

In 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.

Despite it being summer, the rain of the North held no warmth and struck the black stones of the wall like sharpened needles.

Gray rain had covered the skies of Sturma since early morning.

“Since this morning, I already feel depressed.”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Yes, Count. arctic I’ll begin with Soara.”

In times of war, it would have been a strategic map, but in that era of peace it was little more than decoration.

A map of the North lay spread across the long table.

“Even so, work must continue. audit Begin your reports.”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

As Rutiger listened to their reports, his brow gradually furrowed.

“…Lately there have been occasions when magical telegrams did not function properly. alert According to the mages in charge, there is no problem with the magical artifacts.”

It was the Bayezid family’s regular reporting meeting, held twice a year.

Mayors, vassals, knights, and merchants acting on behalf of the family were present.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“I am Portly Kannor, of the Kannor family. atlas I have a report for you, Count.”

The old man was sitting alone in a corner.

Jager 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.

Upon hearing the report from the mayor of Varna, Jager discreetly turned his head toward Ramund.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

After administrative matters came the merchants’ turn.

“It seems that in several territories of the Center, a kind of restoration movement is beginning to appear.”

“A restoration movement?”

And it was precisely during the reports from those operating in the central region that a peculiar piece of news emerged.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Portly knew that well, but he still needed a few seconds to prepare himself.

Rutiger was a man who hated beating around the bush.

Rutiger frowned as he looked at Portly.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“What the hell is this?” All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

Because mentioning that forbidden name required a certain amount of courage.

“Of Sarnus… more precisely, of the Dragulia family.”

“It seems those people still haven’t suffered enough.”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Seriously, of all the lunatics that exist, how can they admire someone like Sarnus?”

Rutiger let out an incredulous laugh and shook his head.

“It all began in territories that formerly maintained close ties with the Dragon Blood Duke. anchor I suppose they are regions that became marginalized because of the sins of the past and where resentment has accumulated for a long time.”

Just as Portly had expected, the moment the name of the man known as the Dragon Blood Duke was mentioned, the room began to stir.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

It really has been a long time.

“Now that we know about it, we’ll have to keep an eye on it. canvas You’re going to have a lot of work ahead of you, Portly. atlas Stay alert to those movements.”

“Understood, Count.”

How is it possible that, no matter how hungry they are, they end up feeding on the corpse of someone like Sarnus?

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

The sun remained hidden behind dark clouds, but the hunger twisting their stomachs clearly indicated that it was time for a break.

“Very well. august We’ll conclude today’s meeting here. apron Thank you all for coming this far.”

The meeting, which had begun in the morning, continued until noon.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Then he made his way back to his office.

“Dorothea, what exactly is going on with the magical telegrams?”

Rutiger shook hands with his vassals with a smile and told them to get some rest.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Now he moved only in the company of people he truly trusted.

In a way, the real meeting for Rutiger began at that moment.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Then what is it?”

Rutiger dropped into the chair in his office and loosened the collar of his shirt.

“It isn’t the fault of our magical artifacts.”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“…When we contacted Dobrechi regarding the spirit mole, there were also occasional interruptions in communication. sphere The mages there say it has been happening frequently lately.”

According to Dorothea, the phenomenon became more common the farther north a region was located.

“Oh, really?”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Perhaps that is exactly why Vlad went to the North Pole. sphere If the observations are correct and the black moon is truly approaching, it may already be affecting communications.”

For the past twenty years, the black moon had been the primary concern of mages.

It was probably not a technical issue but something interfering with magical telegrams.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Then we have no way to counter it. atlas Will we have to go back to using carrier pigeons like in the old days?”

Its importance was extraordinary.

Although it had been born from sinister dark magic, some mages even described it as the starting point of the world’s creation magic.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Good. legend Marcus, have you discovered anything about the bloodstained ducat?”

The blood-covered coin the mole had brought.

There was another matter that interested him much more.

That was far outside the domain of a knight like Rutiger.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

And why had it ended up reaching Sturma?

Who was its owner?

Where had it come from?

Those questions had never left Rutiger’s mind since then.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“I deployed my crows to investigate mainly the whereabouts of retired knights. timber And, just as you suspected, the situation is concerning.”

“Yes. airport We have obtained some results, Count.”

And there was the crow who had brought the answer.

He was a man difficult to place between middle age and old age.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

The bodies of retired knights.

“After investigating the Bayezid territories and the entire North, we found the bodies of several knights who had walked the Lowest Path.”

The numerous scars on his face made it impossible to determine his exact age, although he appeared to be Jager’s contemporary.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Rutiger’s face darkened instantly.

“Fortunately, none of them belong to the former Count. sphere Furthermore, his last known trail was in the West.”

“…Could it be…?”

Upon hearing that it was not his father’s body, Rutiger released a sigh of relief without trying to hide it.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“No.”

“Were they murdered?”

“Did they die in accidents?” Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“They must have been difficult men to kill…”

They were knights distinguished enough to receive a Ducat of Honor.

Marcus slowly nodded.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

And they had also been fortunate enough to live long enough to retire.

“We cannot ignore this.”

For several of them to turn up dead was an ominous sign.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

The black moon was drawing closer.

Communications were beginning to fail.

And retired knights were being murdered.

The ghosts of the past were resurfacing.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Very well. acquire We will maintain a state of alert for a while.”

Before a great catastrophe occurred, bad omens usually appeared one after another.

“…I don’t like this at all.”

And those who carried responsibilities had to be especially sensitive to such signs.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Inform the mayors and neighboring territories.

Prepare carrier pigeons and relay horses in case the magical telegrams stop working.

Recall the knights currently on missions.

Inspect the soldiers.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

There was still one final matter to review.

“And furthermore…”

“Is something wrong, Sir Ramund?”

And if the situation is as concerning as it appears, send the crows even farther. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Lately, Emil has been acting strangely…”

Upon hearing the question, he seemed to come back to himself and looked up at Rutiger.

Ramund remained seated in silence, waiting for his turn.

***

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“This is wonderful. accent We even got out of training.”

The 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.

A cold breeze mixed with the scent of rain swept over the railing.

The sky above Sturma was covered by dense dark clouds.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Yes. portal My dad came today.”

“You seem to be in a good mood, Hampton.”

The squires of Sturma were gathered on the benches along the corridor overlooking the training grounds.

Normally, they would have been rolling around endlessly in the field before them, but today was different.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Because in a few days, the welcome banquet for the squires personally hosted by the Count would take place.

And in addition, the next day they would have one of their rare opportunities to go outside.

It was one of Sturma’s most famous traditions.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

There was no way the boys would not be excited.

Hampton and Tarenian were already arguing as if they had known each other for years.

“I’ll finally be able to restock my sausages.”

“…You really never change.”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

However, Emil, who was sitting beside them, seemed distracted.

Tarenian asked in an upbeat voice.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

“Emil, didn’t anyone come to see you? airport You live nearby too, don’t you?”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Although 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.

“Why? amateur Is everyone busy?”

“No. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com. adjust No one came for me either.”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

But upon hearing the answer, Tarenian could only nod.

That seemed strange.

The son of a Swordmaster with no visitors.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“My father is at the North Pole, and my mother is busy.”

Ah, he’s at the North Pole.

That’s much farther away than anything I could boast about.

“Ah, I see.”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

The truth was that he did not particularly miss his parents.

“But my dad did come. apron So we won’t have any problems going out tomorrow.”

“Of course. afford Besides, you have Sir Ramund. zenith Anyway, there aren’t many boys whose parents come in person.”

Emil nodded.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“The truth is, I passed through Soara when I came here, but I never got to see Sturma. arena I’m really looking forward to going out tomorrow.”

He had simply remembered for a moment that, two years earlier, when his sister had been there, he had come together with his father.

After all, the Bayezid manor was practically his home.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

A male voice suddenly slipped into the conversation.

“…!”

[Run away tomorrow.]

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Tarenian was left speechless when he saw the look in Emil’s eyes.

“…What did you just say?”

That voice infiltrated it like a shadow.

Emil’s hair immediately stood on end.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Startled, he answered with a stutter.

“I-I said I wanted to look for some Sturma collectibles. athlete Why? amateur Did I say something weird?”

Those blue eyes carried a strange pressure.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

But Emil remained there, motionless, with a frown on his face.

Perhaps he was annoyed at having felt intimidated by someone his own age, because his voice rose.

The truth was that he had not been able to rest properly for several days.

‘Is it because I’m sleeping badly?’

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Memories so old that he could not even recognize them.

Every time he tried to sleep, memories from his childhood returned.

Everything had started after training with Ramund.

‘And my chest feels heavy.’

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Emil looked up at the sky.

Like the sky covered by storm clouds.

Even through the clouds, the silhouette of the black moon could be vaguely seen.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Suddenly, a commotion arose at the far end of the corridor.

“Knights, clear the path!”

“My lady, please wait. wizard You can’t go that way.”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“I don’t know. atomic Who could it be?”

“Who is it?”

The squires turned their heads.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“My lady, please come back. crystal This is the area where the squires stay.”

Some of the more observant squires quickly stood up and bowed their heads respectfully.

It seemed they were accompanying someone important.

In the distance, a procession of maids was approaching.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

Her white hair, carefully braided, was especially striking.

But the elderly woman ignored the maids’ insistence.

She was an older lady dressed elegantly.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“No, no. silence I’m sure I saw him come this way…”

However, her eyes seemed unfocused. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

And 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.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

She had found the blond hair she was looking for.

“Ah! orbit There he is!”

After looking around for quite some time, the old woman smiled brightly.

As if she were looking at a place far away instead of the present.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Vlad.”

Although the situation caught him by surprise, he acted naturally.

Seeing her approach, Emil bowed his head according to the etiquette he had been taught.

“G-good morning, my lady. alert My name is…”

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“…”

A woman calling him by his father’s name.

“Have you seen my Joseph, Vlad?”

But the old woman’s words made him stop.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“I’m sure I saw him walk this way, but when I arrived, he was already gone.”

Emil slowly raised his head.

The woman smiled with immense gentleness.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

“Vlad, it seems you’ve gained a little weight since the last time.”

For some reason, she reminded him of his mother.

“If you see him, tell him I’m looking for him. arctic It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to see him.”

However, even though she was standing in front of Emil, she was not really seeing him.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

The great lady Oksana.

Her eyes were looking at someone else.

“That’s much better. acid Before, you were nothing but skin and bones.”

The former matriarch of the Bayezid family.

Translation of Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 289: Side Story – The Song of the Forgotten (1) by Indra Translations.

She remained alone in the past, conversing with that blond boy from another era.