Chapter 29: Invitation from Deirmar (1)
P3lWME“What’s happening…?”lZ7
FBI5The instructor, though not a knight, was a man experienced in many aspects.3qmx
spcsfHe had served House Bayezid as a knight for many years, having fought and survived numerous battles.Ms35ay
TQyHHFether valued his experience so much that he entrusted him with the role of a tutor to train the squires, and that’s why he had been training House Bayezid’s squires for almost a decade.wP1HLz
ORPbpJBut even for a man who had been training squires for so long, today’s events were nothing short of embarrassing.dZHzi
jpE3OnS“Why is this all we have today?”Mnc
VAJii5IThe instructor asked with a bewildered voice as he looked at the squires gathered in the barracks.NQxo
WduHe was surprised that not even half of them were present.bQPGAXp
qjsHad there been an accident?580oW
AZiWWNFood poisoning?bS9I4s
q1EzPcOr a rebellion against me?Xcb
x7gtMany thoughts crossed the instructor’s mind.1Ig0zl
CQO53“Why are you all standing like fools? Isn’t there a single person who can answer me?”HAq
7MP8PUpon hearing the instructor’s shout, all eyes naturally turned to one place.JUdH4jP
7fk4k“Speak, Vlad.”kclz
P2GfXghThere stood a blond boy with a split lip and several ugly bruises.6dNjdhb
jD6t8rz“It seems they are sick.”Zd1fs
TpAS“What?”OUT
AZKzfRThe instructor raised an eyebrow at the insincere response Vlad had just given.gJfXI
uDiGOK“Something is bothering him, and it seems he won’t come out for a while.”qFS
MxLQ9YPThe instructor couldn’t help but be perplexed by Vlad’s answer.f8Q
43TM4e“Sick?”VDJSia1
NnYvNThey couldn’t be.KksX
POHIt couldn’t be that not just one, but more than a dozen of the guys who were unruly just yesterday suddenly fell ill.2OX6Ypi
ICC9“…”AIy
lqW5Ma5Sensing that something was amiss in Vlad’s response, the instructor turned again to the squires gathered.iMFg
Ts8FXN“Nothing.”vjWG5
zLPSovanin.ctK
yu7IMnAnd not a single squire who used to be with him.IgeK
QUFUPThe only vassals gathered here now were those who were not close to Sovanin and those who had followed the knights in the last monster hunt.s8La
t0lqYF“Have they fought?”sn2
qGGTSometimes, yes.RWMeki
DqbwWhen you have a group of boys with a lot of fire in their veins, it’s normal for there to be some scuffles here and there, and once every few years, more or less, a scuffle large enough to call it a brawl.1LBUtG
O5AC74C“Are they all right?”mcjmc
p9RiqnWBut this time was a bit different.9qEpO
WgnOpThe remaining men were not exactly troublesome, and they all looked too good to have been in a fight.YApqL
dSKlEven after blinking his eyes and searching, the only one who seemed injured was Vlad, the newest squire.tME
QDdU“It can’t be.”fjZ9
o1Hi5LBFor a moment, a thought crossed the instructor’s mind.JJQO
2zHIt was the only possibility that could fully explain what was happening.pqp
XIUhY“Did you do this by yourself…?”D1xmg
03AWuUvThe instructor blurted out the conclusion that naturally came to his mind, but the response was simply disdainful.mBugl
Sde“There aren’t many people here today. Can we practice a bit more horseback riding?”Q4b8Uuy
neU“Sure…”Axh
fqDThe instructor looked at Vlad, who naturally avoided his question, and realized.5zJaV
BCzQ6MvIt’s you.nPqu
2skWv‘And more than a dozen, all by yourself.’UZjbL
ITMXIThis has never happened before.RGEKfG
APtOOIn over a decade, the instructor had never seen a squire take on a group of more than ten men by himself.COFk
v6zerhSThis one is out of specifications.ZmBSUr0
WjYEpHe swallowed saliva due to the tension he felt in his throat.9lIZH
qCo3“…Yes.”kt3x
UVC7IenFaced with the boy he knew he couldn’t handle, he could only nod.03M
PVk***WPh
HaeO5A regular encounter among knights unfolded once.Jfw
7hu8The knights faced each other across a wide red carpet, with Pether seated at the highest position.7IMnP
2BiXUnintentionally, Joseph’s supporters were facing Rutiger’s, and those neutral stood on the other side.jMAzY
MSPl“We have rearranged the work schedule to accommodate Lutger’s absence and the knights who will soon be on a mission.”qxPLMX0
JHclaAAn elderly knight stood just one step below Fether.yygm
b09yEHis hair and beard were gray, but his voice was as clear and strong as ever.pua
SUREz8sIndeed, the knights responded to each of the glances he directed.2qV
KrvJA man who, with Fether’s permission, controlled all the knights of House Bayezid.wGBNq
IASXzHHSomeone who deserved it.YAwUZ3p
6SnX“So, my lords, I hope you will reconfirm your duties.”TAe
5xYrdAnatalas, Captain of the Order of Knights of House Bayezid.svii
mPaThe meeting continued at its pace.pQL
Jnm“The next item on the agenda is the distribution of sacred objects sent by the Church.”KaiY1s
XJtOUAnatalas used his keen senses to detect a shift in the atmosphere.pp54
NkGyxVY“I suppose it’s a good thing.4vKtGx
KraUseHBut he had no intention of betting on it.wrgc
FxJ“…”VlU6Lb
sETyZ93“Hmm.”FP83
ED5xJager’s group, who for some reason seemed relaxed, and Rutiger’s group, which appeared subtly severe.z8dB65U
2fV4bAnatalas had noticed the subtle war of words, but for once, he decided to let it pass.SShs
kU8Sd98For once, he thought, he could do something to boost the spirits of Joseph’s faction knights.xKF7
MBW5iSAlthough Jager and Bordan were the only two knights of Joseph still standing.JuUSpG
V6bxz9K“Finally, if anyone has any suggestions, speak up.”LQS9h68
RGIiP“…”JEWPAII
IiGg5uFSeeing the knights express through a brief silence that they had nothing more to say, Antalas inclined his head towards Fether, who was seated at the highest seat.16y977U
XVKQCE“I’ve said all that needed to be said.”vBmBHg
6Igo9A“Well done.”DUVo0HW
jwnNDIVThe meeting had concluded.AL9qVx
wliCOnly the order to dissolve the Chamber remained, unless something else happened.SOI
4aPGxBut instead of the order that should have followed, there was an eerie silence.RF3J
E46Q“…?”wYLxcD
1ULl9Just in time for the knights to sense that something was amiss.jRIGmfy
BcaUTqAt that moment, Jager realized Fether’s gaze was upon him.kreuliY
yHtOWWith a faint smile of unknown meaning.M6vr57
K03AYZ***kcB7iY
6UOl“Lord Jager!”SyHZb
bExGmmSomeone tapped Jager on the shoulder as they made their way through the crowd of knights.bbF
2eins“What’s happening?”epSC
7LHE0“As if you don’t know.”odr
HxB2lbGregory smiled, his beard twisting around his face.por
c0W“The word has already spread.”mkJ
twi5y8“What rumors?”Zt3xoL
M3F5Seeing Jager fiddling with his eye patch and feigning ignorance, Gregory smiled as if he couldn’t help it.H54l7
GcXCGA“They say Lord Jager’s squire had great power and defeated the squires all by himself.”Q9Snd
JiIlZy“He did…?”AaXJ
C8lJager was acting with both knowledge and suspicion, but Gregory didn’t feel particularly offended.iPGmJL
a2oDBQ“Well, I guess it’s worth making a fuss about for once.”irDE
f3x6eMeanwhile, the knights who had followed Joseph had done little to puff up their chests.WWfL9r0
LDe4The man they served, Joseph, was not a shining light like Rutiger, and with only five knights, it was challenging to achieve anything.Bnqws43
bPqlCTmThe tide of power was shifting, and all they could do was endure to save their lives.MQ9
xFMWBut today, for the first time in a long while, they could stand firm.4JMd
guwJiO“…”5jpSB
iaQMTwv“You brought a rabid dog that doesn’t know whom not to bite.”3IpF0Qa
gVaQaRThe knights clicked their tongues and walked past, but Jager could only gaze deeply.z4VUVKM
tqARWith just a slight expression of disdain.UY9pGP
IL8ckOm“I have a good eye for people, after all. I told you, he would go far.”1DP
BSePIh“I told him to share a meal or something.”aspO
Nllgc“He’s a knight and has good character.”qGrziJ
C1a2p“He’s so kind that he represents others.”gdM
cWRK“You can go see him. Although, he might be a bit challenging and defiant.”xhhZ0
4E3mJager fiddled with his eye patch while listening to Gregory.ODMiK
joEVMzJager was a man who didn’t show much joy, if any other emotions.AKMR2
rW4YlSIBut even if he didn’t say it out loud, he knew he thought Vlad was fortunate.xGBbYP
W5V7216He alone had taken down fourteen of them, a feat that would have made Joseph smile.40h
dzd59“You deserve it.”7sGNy
xUZVVf9After all, a knight of his caliber had worked so hard that it was only fair to be rewarded.NoJ
mvsWith that thought, Jager headed towards Joseph’s office.IunqiI
a1KeR***cTH3A
9hQyIn Joseph’s study, in a quiet corner of the mansion.0fg0Iu
Gh2I4Once there, Jager quietly announced his arrival.RnPy8uo
ksGsQ“Come in.”xMzH
sK8fOWith the room’s owner giving permission, Jager grasped the door handle, turned it, and entered.PdDEfOF
rSijMOH“Are you well?”4CXG7
U3bRG1“I’m fine.”Nd0
GNI3zcThere sat Joseph, with even darker eyes and a weary appearance.AUcWzk
DUdAloEWith a large box in the middle of the room.VO9B3Y
nwF“My father has sent a gift for Vlad.”icA
0u7zNoticing Jager’s scrutinizing gaze, Joseph revealed the identity of the box.PiH
sFGYwH“It’s not peanuts again, is it?”cw6v7En
FLTYph“No… He has a strong memory of that.”Sfft3jV
b9oHaving been struck once by Jager, Vlad didn’t make the mistake again. Jager naturally eyed the box that Fether had sent with suspicion.inINNix
sAEyQVlad was a man you couldn’t catch off guard.H0HZ9mP
9RIZR4tIn more ways than one.qB9F
yutdRS“I’ve checked. You can rest assured.”lk4EA
d886A3Relieved by Joseph’s words, Fether opened the box in the middle of his study.j0aqrV
pU9Nl“Oh…”bmc5CR
hVwaYUnWhile Fether opened the box, Bordan, who was by his side, couldn’t help but let out a small exclamation.G2yUeTe
ALh2ttf“Armor…”Mbl
QgUuInside was a meticulously crafted set of armor.QSYh
1XywA breastplate, pauldrons, wrist and knee guards, and even shoes.42z86I
rKKt4u5It was leather armor too finely made to be sent to a mere squire.4wBvQ
F9rZ“…”cHr7
HfErBut unlike Bordan, who exclaimed in admiration, Jager merely looked at the armor with serious eyes.45I6
2ZhqPrThe sunlight shining on the black leather armor reflected in the gaze Fether directed at him.gKRJb
uCYTD“Orc leather.”j7uM
7jf“It’s not the best leather, but it’ll do.”al3ylC8
UpD“That, too, is the hide of a gray orc.”3h9jf
vshScQg“Yes…”nFxFu
wOqnQ8Jager carefully took out the grayish armor and examined it closely.xjmkBe
bba6SxAnyone who wielded a sword cared a lot about their gear.l2tT
n9vpntBut Jager didn’t inspect his armor out of mere curiosity.HbP1C
ZbKu0“It’s been a while since I’ve seen this.”JX9ARI
SX8“I suppose you meant that.”bWU5PC
Lan0QgWhat Fether had sent was a suit of gray orc armor found only in the north.ynrhS
Jol1qqTherefore, armor made from gray orc hides was a sign of Northern warriors.RUJmOP
NSXJager looked at the gray armor with deep eyes.sS9JUA
i04yWT6“Where do you think he spotted you?”jfZ7Q9d
KcM“I don’t know. Do you want to catch him and torture him?”wOE
MYQ“Ah!”3ckP
Gc8cr0Bordan exclaimed, finally catching up with their conversation.XsXd
P4SxPY4“So it was the armor of a gray orc!”sNYhhk
qA1FHBordan lowered his palm as if he had realized something and approached the armor Jager was holding.PCI
XBq“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. I used to see it often when I was a squad leader.”OMJO2D4
GGLVs“Because the squires we have now are only worse than back then.”Xxj
25ZKIQOnly now were knights coming from all corners of the continent due to the reputation of House Bayezid, but for generations before, they had risen to power through their own homegrown knights.hyI
H8t0cAnatalas, the current leader of the knights, was one who had started from scratch.KAFK
9knzThe knights of that time were known to northerners as the Golden Generation of House Bayezid.5GYLm
RgilhJwIt’s an old story now.TG5Xd
302“He has earned my father’s approval within a month of coming here, so I would say he has already proven worth the investment.”4yM
NEQ3BC“Yes.”F8V5k
eFJyNhbJager replied, carefully placing the armor back in the box.5ij
6MN“I don’t think any of the squires can match him, at least not right now.”By7
QO2zv“I’ve heard that story. The word has already spread.”1z0
LlzqJoseph averted his gaze and looked at Jager.IbT
d3vkTheir gazes met, and they spontaneously smiled.JudbLN
v3BQwDOur judgment was not wrong.Qvf
lGyNbeo“Good.”wGP
JE8BQh7Joseph opened the last drawer of his desk and pulled out a letter.jGQaE
uUj“We’ve suffered a great loss, but we can’t let that stop us.”SPgtX
Gv4fl58Joseph opened the letter’s envelope and handed it to Jager.Ocr7
iED“What’s this?”hu14D
AXs“The next step.”QjgiXu
ADNWWReading the letter, Jager nodded at Joseph’s words.JtFs
UqHsr“That’s fine. Lately, it’s been piling up on me.”egBsr2
7dvvw9SUpon hearing Jager’s words, Joseph turned to look at Bordan.onNx1A6
BU0“Get ready.”tI5
JE1Rxf“Where are you going?”8P72WHp
Ae5While the blond boy from Bayezid Mansion was proving his worth, the dark-eyed youth was also struggling to get back on his feet.oqwtg
Y2Fn1IAnd with that, a letter.MJm
SefFZhTIt was an invitation, but also a step toward an opportunity for Joseph.B3i71L4
1oqs“Let’s go to Deirmar.”KA9y
P8mQThe swollen clouds in the blue sky drifted southward.uDAJfcu
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