Chapter 296: Side Story – The Last Knight of the Founding King
jgllQThe blue glow that had not yet completely faded still lingered at the edge of the sky.MPIKh
Av7ejzEIt was an hour when night had not yet fully fallen.sHcM
1jlPiAlong the road that crossed the prairie, where the deep blue darkness slowly spread, a man advanced.YBK
viiK“Emil! Emil Aureo!”NFi
X7KE3qJHe was a dark-skinned man.eLlJL
RuyP1oxAfter receiving an urgent message from the Red Lady, he had gathered the members of the caravan who were in Varna and was now desperately searching for someone while shouting in anguish.XL3owh
9UZh9Nv“Emil! Emil, Vlad’s son!”TdQ
GIXThe stream of refugees coming from Sturma seemed endless.arfM
wymVOMJSeen from afar, the crowd was so immense that it looked like a giant serpent twisting across the plain.gSeGEEB
NJ1zJGYet Ned moved against the flow of people, calling the boy’s name over and over again.gEYLlQF
LR1zuZ“I’m looking for the Swordmaster’s son! Rose’s Smile will reward any information, no matter how small!”XnGk
zA878It was a human tide that could not be stopped.wOeT
ubB5OyGAs he fought against that current, the man’s body accumulated small cuts and injuries.J92
CI9But he continued shouting the boy’s name as though none of it mattered.gXE
baMoXI“Emil! Emil Aureo!”WoDx
T2BThinking that this time it was his turn.WlTLG
1EYlWhen he was a child, Vlad had saved that dark-skinned boy.wCjJ
6h7H7DJust as Vlad had pulled him out of the back alleys back then, Ned now wanted to find Emil in that crowd and pull him out as well.wx6l39X
xIkgY“Has anyone seen Emil Aureo?!”NYvG
sTG“The Swordmaster’s son! Emil Aureo!”aGvHf
EfGWAnd perhaps it was because Ned’s sincerity managed to move the people.4cZk
szp7LFLittle by little, more people began calling Emil’s name throughout the crowd.YNWAavd
gUQP“The Swordmaster is coming?!”pVOL
wS2zfrN“Sir Vlad! Sir Vlad of Soara!”WhSUjP
SykPxyKOne person’s voice became a massive echo.oGw
dPDkJsCarrying anger.x0yx
dijlCarrying sorrow.FwxPl1
s0n2Carrying fear.jON
xHeThe gathered voices began to fill the roads of the North like the roar of a gigantic beast.0dYt
0XZRumbleee…gAx
X39bBut the salvation they were calling for was far away.Y6Y9RHI
ypMdgAnd the danger approaching was already breathing down their necks.FMG0
kUmrh8“Aaaahhh!”z8Hi
svTZ“It’s an earthquake! Everyone get down!”blULK2
8lufpThe survivors of Sturma knew perfectly well what those vibrations rising from the depths of the earth meant.4Sh8CP
qEfxFCThe gigantic dragon that seemed to pierce the heavens.GosV
nyO5uThose who remembered the nightmare of Sturma fell to their knees and began screaming once again.LIN8P1
aBcE5‘…Is that the Deathworm?’hUS06
QccIt was a vibration so intense that it seemed to shake the soul itself.AV6EYq
rQDfSb4Ned had been shouting Emil’s name at the top of his lungs, but even he could not withstand that tremor and ended up dropping to his knees.oJSE5Ax
GRqmpRumble! Rumble! Rumble!yCdF
qtCiBqNBeneath the sky illuminated by the Night of Two Moons, the northern prairies groaned.8TCjdi
nc13pHAnd the destination of that lament was Soara.6gXjOf
Qo4Toward the brightest beacon of the North.b1TOHp
2RNc9DA dragon consumed by greed opened its jaws.90w7g
tcY***W3XncdX
mvavTick.y2ATN
HDRrsrTick-tick.R8MMf
sqCs5L9Tick.dcSRGwD
wfeAn unsettling metallic sound echoed through the fog-covered prairie.TybA63h
tZAyrXIt came from an old, worn compass.acIsE
zBT4The hooded black mage listened carefully to that sound.5rDUvI
tCkmXE“The dragon… is approaching.”cvW9mT
tAhIt was an artifact capable of detecting draconic energy.8o73xe
mOOXPBWatching the needle climb higher and higher, the black mage smiled in satisfaction.afrUDxx
a9YBI“Yes… yes… come this way.”Oq57UB
pifPEach time the needle moved, the red glow of the magic circle pulsed like a heart.w07
UIIAnd so did the corpse of the knight positioned at the center.GdmDTyt
8h42kAn old nameless knight who had chosen an honorable retirement, only to end up turned into bait meant to lure a dragon.HGI9v7c
2NyPierced through by a sword, he had before him a solitary honor coin, earned over an entire lifetime and now being used as fuel for the magic circle.Qj5ceL
cjZyESWheeeeeet!WB8WfU
Bnx“…What?”OMNAIrQ
PG6BQdBoth the living and the dead remained silent within the prairie fog.s2zmRGl
FIMEVBut when he saw the compass needle suddenly leap upward, the black mage showed a surprised expression.qLX
LxkSmW“…What is this?”jzA
X2B0ajThe Deathworm was still on the northern roads.mi1
zWjweNFIt would need at least half a day to reach this place.X6K7
wSadIAnd yet the dragon-detecting artifact continued hammering frantically against the edge of the compass as though warning of imminent danger.6ugauIg
qZsCZTap-tap-tap-tap!ai6phua
zOIvSuddenly, footsteps echoed through the fog.YLg
DEIFLight and swift footsteps.l9x
iyYOne of the assassins reacted instantly and assumed a defensive stance.lAzcs
pd9ONSNBut it was already too late.iPnG
K4qThwip!zgMp
MlFNtZ“Urgh!”NCFU
7HjA dagger shot out from the fog.nKDeTc
65CIt was a dagger with the distinctive design of the Southern Isles.D08
YMFIt flew in a curved arc like a butterfly and pierced the assassin’s knee.iXbTP
psl4“Die!”6VaQJDT
uMmQThen something else appeared.fpiki
vv34n3A massive pole tore through the fog.lSzlM
Y08t0Crack!!ZqbjPvj
PZOIt was one of the main support poles of a tent.SNcokC
8jRNormally it should have been planted quietly in the ground.erCqrQ
TzjA0MBut when it came flying with such force, the assassin could not withstand the impact and his neck snapped.chM
INlbW“That’s for my father!”5KLdR
LuHeuHampton spat out those words between heavy breaths.0Pe
Ybw5o3As expected of a member of the Kannor family, famous for their sturdy physiques, he wielded that pole with terrifying strength.xXXe
rJgezQy“We’re under attack!”dutJkE
xSNL8“Barbosa’s daughter is here!”g85fc
16pxQThe assassins were momentarily stunned when they saw the children emerging from the fog.qGq
v4TVBut once they realized the children had come to them on their own, the assassin leader grinned broadly.GNBMAJS
D8b“Well, well. Things are working out nicely! The fish are swimming right into our nets!”9Fw
mribLkHis gaze shifted toward Lenia, who stood on the other side of the fog.DXmOwQ
pP4umThe girl’s orange eyes blazed with fury.tSxml1y
0jwAnd he liked that even more.yqM
VbQRR8“Capture her!”tpxn4
R3jnawSThe greater that fury, the more gold they would receive afterward.A8H
gmZThe blood of Golden Duke Barbosa was worth that much.hPBmm2
fhxKCTm“Whoever catches her gets double! And if you bring her back alive, I’ll pay four times as much!”XhCd2c
0zEac7The man who put a price on flowers that were still blooming had eyes shining without pause.FexOp
k3s0CLhAnd the other assassins, sharing his excitement, reacted in exactly the same way.2V5mc
SPxD8x“Move aside! That brat is mine!”rcHLzAp
tosQUC“You can kill the others!”G6w
l3nasThe men blinded by gold charged toward Lenia.Cfog
FUiVUxgSeeing them coming, Lenia bit her lips tightly and ran into the fog.ZSp
oWuA“Good, good. Everyone is so full of spi…”Bh0L
tTLClang!Mxcdi0J
XYlWDE8The men, completely focused on Lenia, rushed into the fog.jFVnI
wuNGThe assassins from the Southern Isles quickly began to spread out.kEtAP
WiMpzAnd taking advantage of that opening, a sword shot straight toward the group’s leader.BUe
PAqg“…Hehe, there was no need for you to show up so soon.”9AAW
qUiIt was a boy whose entire body was shining intensely.9xfXEz1
W8LtKSThe yellow mole atop his head remained motionless like a statue.Ba1N4He
323Anyone could recognize who he was at a glance.XkFSBkq
rqz0E“Emil Aureo. I was planning to take you with me anyway. You’re valuable merchandise too.”7g4wNPM
Lc4aWhen the leader spoke his name, the bright boy’s eyebrows twitched slightly.egGg
JDCThose men thought only about the fruit a flower would bear once it had withered.DrXOc
hX6But the young swordsman showed no disgust toward the reality before him.fzAgNA
01ZxdST“Hyaaah!”F95k
U5EerHe simply swung his sword.tVL
xn8Clang! Clang! Clang!WFpIZ
h5QVnX8A shrill sound erupted as the two weapons collided.OhzdRW
TzmV4GFIt was a contest of strength against strength.fMdCCZq
4CuZRealizing he was at a disadvantage, Emil quickly retreated and caught his breath.SsJ
7c4Sg“For someone your age, you’re not bad at all. You’ve been trained quite well.”dIBVMH
G06eWVIt had been a perfect strike.i7Dms
JOej6But it had been completely read.g0xp
SwMThe other children had created an opportunity for him, but the assassin leader was not someone who would fall for such simple tricks.0zN
KSaOa“But you’re too honest. That’s why little brats raised in comfort are never useful.”nhw
Dq6nFwoosh!sZ9u4kg
22JWith the tip of his foot, he kicked up a cloud of dirt straight at Emil.TjFGNJ
nCzKeYF“…!”khyTSS
sPbIt was a trivial trick.koXR4
mqBBut for Emil, it was an entirely new situation.rjYe
QJPvSNcStartled by the dirt that blocked his vision, he took a step back.zVjxcvY
pG47DHowever, the leader had already closed the distance.IwgC
kUsQkkeWham! Crack!BGkUL5
ZFG63J7“As expected of a dragon’s body, you’re pretty durable!”H4Xh
RMfVxrThe violent attacks that pierced his body from every angle made his footing falter.8fW
asQcpWithout the spirit’s blessing, his organs would have been shattered long ago.00DC9TY
6yb1“Damn it!”KiUm7V
261Under that fierce assault, the boy’s sword seemed to have lost its direction.goQF
FHe3gHis movements were clumsy, almost like those of a drunkard.1i38
9udrkurThe surrounding assassins openly laughed.BjH
Zxej“Is that all you’ve got, Emil Aureo?”cFM2Vl2
RG8VqhCraaack!kvV
m8ZahnZThe leader’s kick landed squarely.EEHl6oT
MMpfFEgThe glowing boy’s body shook helplessly.Sba2g15
uePUnable to withstand the force of the impact, he was sent flying.3PEjyPE
szVNA groan escaped through his blocked breathing.CgUO
hbr8L6“Urgh!”WJ3V
kxQTHe couldn’t even break his fall properly.e7U1HXT
M8J3He rolled miserably across the ground.HicCXuD
UQT1O1WEven so, he still clung to his sword with all his strength.xiySlt
Y5tACThe determination with which he refused to give up was almost admirable.JrlZ
les77ZhCreeeak!UvB
8Nk7“Ughhh…”avq
wZivJXtThe leader began crushing his hand beneath his foot.3Iy
8j8GVpgThe mole’s blessing was still protecting him.Mfc
oOyWeBut even it could not counter pure physical pressure.ednXd
hzokLittle by little, the hand gripping the sword began to open.GVMGVF
MBpHI“Hey, mage. How much did you say they’d pay for this kid?”eI4
ppLZThe leader looked at Emil like a fisherman admiring an extraordinary catch.nwlHVK
vISxlr“You’d better pay well! I’ve kept him fresh and in perfect condition!”sbO7bg
cearEmil Aureo.Nf0MZ
mYYVlad Aureo’s son.hI01mSP
RpRVThe leader smiled proudly as he called to the black mage.AXYJJb
h1HBut the mage who emerged from the fog looked more confused than pleased.02M
P53B“…He’s not a dragon.”NuY
UNUM“What?”bDc
TOb0UGKBecause the needle of the compass he was holding wasn’t moving.fSf
yOPRXhOnly moments ago it had been trembling like mad.jrZd0Bd
jfmNow it remained completely still.PxxyGo
2qL9B“This boy… doesn’t have dragon blood…”BCIJ9
cjwiHearing that, the leader looked down at Emil.Wwq
h4MT“Then what exactly are you?”Hqijgc
gnUgSThe boy was being crushed against the ground.tyEO
pgQBut despite his miserable appearance, his shoulders were shaking slightly.HvXE
OOXjNxHe was laughing.KE7KnO
bTrMA“You’re not much.”urRtx4T
UCo9lHe raised his head with a mocking grin.UapepN
s0LuN“Not even the assassins.”OT2zD
D91The leader’s eyes narrowed.opAgUrS
JWXAnd only then did he truly look at the boy.L3LoXj
eo50NEUntil that moment, greed and the glow of the mole’s blessing had hidden an important detail.WTkdbW1
DWWThe boy’s hair.Czm4ADN
4LpANow he could see it clearly.PkU
UdimHIt wasn’t blond.TBMtCp
MnwtVCRIt was a pale yellow.iROyU
MJOfJRattleee!4HdGrw
dQXWheeeeeet!9RjF7q
gtpWith the shrill scream of the compass needle, someone slipped into the magic circle.hyVJyHl
A9qYhEven amid that fog, it was impossible not to recognize that brilliant golden hair.I89P4G
5IO“Hyaaaah!”Yx3A5Ww
bmPTaking advantage of the black mage momentarily leaving the circle, the boy lunged like a beast.6FYm
aOPPA4sAnd the target he sought was the sword embedded in the corpse.o4MI1
6euIm“Gaaahhh!”0ZiqHQz
TIv6EThe sinister runes carved into the sword began climbing up Emil’s arm.bQrc
mMC7K1They were cursed words so cruel and vile that an ordinary person wouldn’t even be able to look at them.c1743e
SrDAwBut the dragon blood flowing through his veins refused to allow those curses to invade his soul.WYEzKS
1Woz1“Get away from there!”bvm
LrTku2The world of the most perfect dragon.NihavWZ
sD2A world that crushed all possibilities.zrOlP
Sr9And the world of curses created by the black mage, an existence that could never be accepted within that perfection.cJ9zll
c7ft“…Stop him!”TMAdKF
VXF0OlFThe black mage felt his magic circle collapsing.8P8q0
Un3KJtHis face filled with terror.Gal
vJ7But Emil’s eyes were already shining with an intense blue color.1vH
MqWPTThe dragon’s vertical pupils destroyed the world of curses.RzMUi
I7mVlAnd tore the sword free from the old knight.0tb
oOALKM“Stop him!”P1GcJ
9Ye36Fwoooosh!jOY
2Y4Z7The instant the sword was pulled free, a storm erupted across the prairie.FCBDz
If8dThe air that had remained trapped within the fog began to move violently.zWz1vY
LLkeThe sword was the core of the magic circle.Sydto2
wtoTAnd the moment it disappeared, the prairie wind burst through and swept away the milky fog.OnGAuC9
lv2[Well done, Emil.]MfQsX9
kzPUuyVAnd then they saw it.CpCVaKZ
s04NR0The green prairie.4TbLvq
GK9RNThe clear night sky.kc4GYT
d8Rp8qTAnd beneath the light of the Black Moon.T52s3U6
EKbJoseph Bayezid.cvujNh
8Oax[From this moment onward, every battlefield present here shall fall under my command.]qAk
UrNCTNThe banner he held fluttered in the air.Nzu
Yjw1nUpon the cloth, dark as the night sky, were embroidered the emblem of Bayezid and the white lightning bolt that symbolized the Founding King.6F0n7cy
yrYFh4h[All authority I exercise is simultaneously backed by Bayezid and by the Founding King.]D2aOR2D
DrBuCrunch!phK1bg
FMMNJoseph drove the banner into the ground.Xjqf
44TMRleAnd at the same time, the light of the Black Moon began descending from the sky.yPY8y
J8LWherever the light touched, colors disappeared.Dwz
7drKA world where only black and white existed began to spread.D2fs
iR7tS[I, Joseph Bayezid, declare that from this moment onward I shall exercise my rights under the honorable names that guarantee my existence.]w13
6JIThe black-haired man closed his left eye.LN4I7J
L5S2LThen, with a cold smile, he said.OZSKj0g
APVZgs[Even over your lives.]EdB
YG7NK2Dark aura, black as the night sky, began to pour from Joseph’s closed eye.FVTcK
2e6UiuJoseph Bayezid.plHU
bJPoAJLThe last knight of the Founding King.36Zx7M
mWQAnd with that rightful declaration, the world he unleashed began to devour the wretched crowd.Qol2bh
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