Chapter 300: Side Story – My Father’s City (1)
Su3It was a dark mansion.ODl
c15It was a magnificent mansion filled with antique decorations and luxurious red carpets, yet strangely pervasive shadows seemed to drain all its colors.GBySVM
fUhz“So they failed.”gPTyj
LwgsfAnd in the reception hall sat a man.5BtOZ
vvHAlone in a vast room without a single visitor, he gazed outside through the window.FV3TTb
7DM“Fifty years raising the Deathworm. What a pity.”yQliGf
a2cPale fingers, without a single drop of blood in them, caressed the needle of a compass.pz1Ra9n
2DxBut no matter how much he called, neither the most resilient dragon nor the necromancer who summoned death responded.G4y
htbSXtRealizing that something had gone wrong, the man gave a bitter smile and brought a wine glass to his lips.3AecVZ
tdaYHA“Although, now that I think about it, that Swordmaster killed everyone who seemed promising.”4oN8o
9P1kqdA deep red liquid spread across the corner of his lips as he smiled.jZhfd
1tvn0However, no matter how sweet the wine was, it seemed unable to dispel the displeasure the word Swordmaster stirred within him.CHv1
zBd“…The Court Duke has sent a reply.”uSpYzr
wRy0ESensing that his master’s mood had darkened, the butler spoke.dXe
EFHX“He says he is satisfied.”nReSU
yfM8lJ2The secret letter sent from the depths of the Imperial Palace contained only those words.63F9A
WcCSatisfied.80rquMD
0fDIt did not specify what he was satisfied with, but the man holding the glass nodded and stood up.Qms1
ukJ“I am glad to know he is pleased.”367pKp
oQoXHe approached the window.8SBWt
xauxUIn the distance, beneath the dark pre-dawn sky, the Imperial Palace Albarion could be seen.4YSlz
Ulu8To anyone else, it was a beautiful sight.3SjJbRT
eXMC9leBut the man holding the glass seemed to feel absolutely nothing.DXzI
Ozs8DOe“Why do people insist on finding flaws even in something so beautiful?”aKuEtWW
7Yk6AEYFrom afar, it looked perfect.evxTk
WZP5qBut when one drew closer, cracks and imperfections that had once been invisible could be found.8wlrie
Zvb4“I find it ridiculous to hear someone say they cannot tolerate even a single stain.”TsQurRE
48X8pEHe found it amusing.Tpcz3
UA0rM1They were born imperfect, yet they sought perfection.Qt2Y6cG
4bjHPrHe found them pathetic.Dqd2odo
R7aRs9lThey reached out toward something they could never attain.kCtzwn
smio“And even if they destroy everything and rebuild it from scratch, new cracks will appear all the same.”fMx
CUHNhQThe man known as the Court Duke pursued a dream.cZl
nZWOne could not say he was wrong.57TRG
0iFPBut from this man’s perspective, it was nothing more than a futile attempt.26Yh
nPGZtBecause he had seen too many humans like that.eRz2rM
Wp2s5For far too long.8rUtSKu
tM2“By the way, was his name Emil? The boy who destroyed our piece.”MWpHFf
w2a“That is correct.”K0x
C24DwQEmil.fmBojt
PxRMiTEmil.TTAHGN
UjiaMtNEmil…z8pYZ
mGBiMQoThe man’s lips began to twist in a strange way as he repeated the name.Ab9H3R
FPmo“Children of this generation are definitely quite peculiar. Is it because they have too much human blood?”xeNb
rEyQbHe set the glass down on a table.3fey
8yfi6gVMany red drops remained inside, untouched.QrgRpan
3ziQ“Perhaps that’s why. It has quite a pleasant taste. If my father were still alive, he probably would have liked it.”H2uCxHF
3cB6The man smiled as he looked at the wine.qFA
O8EPADReflected on the surface of the glass was a distorted face.SGroecq
tcTRBlond hair.5mq
MZN85Blue eyes.kVysM
fwbL9IB“I should see him before he grows too much. Once they become too large and resilient, it becomes difficult to find even a single crack in them. Just like his father.”ezbkGmV
LxsYQsqAt those words, the butler silently lowered his head.GaLG7
0ta9l9BIt was a dark mansion even in broad daylight.6pF
zZTAnd at the center of that darkness, the man looked up toward the sky.T3Z
Xu5In the heavens above, a black moon was slowly approaching the mansion.gEoY7Bo
COK7fuz***FYyd
FDHaClatter… Clatter…BsTBkm
d6EGsfIn the quiet pre-dawn hours, Emil opened his eyes at the sound of the wheels of an old wagon.ZEY3e
mO2B4‘Ugh… Where am I?’7WO
rFNnZSince the sun had not yet risen, the inside of the wagon remained dark.XCgZhQm
aoP2ZmThe scent of prairie grass and the dampness of dawn filled the air.Kz5a
oNPHhBut the moment he opened his eyes, a wave of pain spread throughout his entire body.fkg
YZPHe let out a small sigh and curled back up beneath the blanket.f1N
JPP7d“How are you feeling, Emil?”4AXxL
YdsZMCA hand was gently massaging his body.AQWF8zV
OR0It was a large and warm hand.MlGANWo
LTAtwUMHearing the man’s voice beside him, Emil frowned and tried to focus his vision.uyWtc
z4p“You pushed yourself too hard last night. Rest a little longer. Your father also spent several days bedridden whenever he did something similar.”kiup
ZUDLIn front of him was the black-haired man he had seen the previous night.mGpMs4
ud8RThe man who claimed to be Joseph Bayezid.YV5zd
uuE5A strange emotion appeared in Emil’s eyes as he looked at him.RfVTy
pxT“…Are you dead or alive?”eVbe
w83z3He was a man impossible to understand.UAy
P24jmAJThat was why he needed to stay cautious.VFp
kXK3PKsBut Emil also knew that, had it not been for him, he probably would have died the previous night.XWJxz
6GBt“Why are you following me? Do you have a reason?”VsX
kwonHrThe caution in the boy’s eyes had softened a little.H99hXNO
pHNdeUNow it was gradually being replaced by curiosity.n1fk1
7G98eNtSeeing the way he looked at him, Joseph smiled faintly.6b1OpKY
oA6JR“Emil, don’t you remember? When you were little, we used to play together on the hill of Dermar.”ltZ
afC2d0n“My mom told me to be careful of people who say things like that.”LiN
h5fnn“……”rQU4xyD
IbKPJoseph swallowed hard upon hearing a child who had clearly been raised to distrust strangers pretending to be familiar.MgwwBJ
mGY“…In any case, I’ve been watching you for a long time.”HIgu
jVGMNkTo Joseph, Emil was a special child.u2e
crOx5They shared no blood.vI4
eTWLrBut they were connected by a bond just as deep.mQzlgs
JCObdAnd he also possessed exactly the qualities Joseph needed.YXAt
MmOWv9d“The truth is, yes, I am dead. I had a reason for returning.”5f4wkF
nQDCRMJoseph had returned through the Black Moon.Qf8HN7i
ETFosCA moon created through magic that deceived the world.Syh
t1IyMHA moon raised through necromancy that manipulated death.9IzOvkO
BxnThat was why, whether he wanted to or not, he always carried with him the scent of magic and death.AF1A2f
l28“In fact, I also tried it with your older sister, but it didn’t work. Is she already over sixteen years old?”zf5l
Gr7n4MHowever, returning from death did not mean being able to interact freely with reality.UdW
uFtvg5For that, he needed a firm connection.xPlEZ
Jw5SyAnd someone capable of serving as that connection.2tt
Ba3sn3q“The Black Moon only responds to matters involving children. That is how it was created from the very beginning.”mrKST
RdeIt had to be a child.BAR3
pOmwFurthermore, the connection had to be especially deep.9pT
VfbCphVAnd if that child possessed senses sharp enough to hear the voices of the dead, even better.zkkH
OIi5And the only one capable of fulfilling all those conditions was Emil.JnS0T6n
HoyLr“Really?”Kfd
0Tup8kXEmil’s eyes widened.m8tsQ
zeXjIA‘So he really was dead.’8L23Au
0aZ3Thinking that, he discreetly pulled the blanket up to hide part of his face.tAP0
d5TSXWlBecause he really liked hearing that only he could do it.eei5uE
RAfQms“…Ahem. Then what exactly am I supposed to do for you from now on?”xVy
16Km9Wanting to be special was a common trait among all children.tyo
l5MAnd in Emil’s case, it was even worse.id4Ea
unFsLHYAfter all, he had a father known as the Swordmaster.AwFpq7
W5VKNAnd an exceptionally talented older sister.b4dCW9m
kyen“Who knows.”W1U9
xlQPHplThat was why Joseph decided not to rush things.vQYXH
oeR6After all, he had experience dealing with Vlad when he was a child.ZDnBD
QMXnjxV“Now even I’m curious. I want to see what you’ll be capable of doing in the future.”L62I0
s2k3hHDEmil did not respond when he saw Joseph’s smile.YiQkDGB
FTHHe simply thought it felt rather nice that a man he barely knew trusted him.2IoQa
cKyyClatter!hSp
2Zzv“Alright~. We’ve arrived. Welcome to Soara.”ei1
ajd0With a rattle, the wagon came to a stop.D9lK
jx2WAt the same time, Anna pulled back the canvas from the driver’s seat and energetically began waking the children.yVHzfXs
zNAJ“Kids, it’s time to go home now. Come on, wake up.”n1M5
qu2At Anna’s hands, the children who had been lying inside the wagon began sitting up one after another.ovo
M5gzvWtAll of them had messy hair and puffy faces.vXf
LFlf2hBThe women who climbed down from the wagons behind them clicked their tongues at the sight and immediately began taking them one by one to clean their faces with handkerchiefs.hVvK0h
Tei1Q“Aren’t you coming with us, ma’am?”iPMs10
sXQyCvQAlthough she had a strong personality, her hands were surprisingly gentle.UrD0acj
fcOueFeeling that treatment, Emil involuntarily thought of his mother and asked whether she would not come with them.JD0C
HWAVBut Anna simply shook her head and smiled.g83Gvb
xLS“We have somewhere else to go. We only came out for a moment because of you.”auZhNJ9
7UDAs if her task had already been completed, Anna held Emil’s chin and turned his face from side to side.r9fexbb
aybI“Now that I’ve cleaned you up properly, you really do look like your father. It brings back so many memories~.”3sO
OVlTxIn the boy’s face, she could see a face that no longer existed in this world.nqQR
zyMGam0A face she missed.yDq
7G09Anna smiled when she found it.SlAGUd
7cOlZ83“Emil, could you pass a message to your father when you see him?”D4qn
tP5f55D“What message?”UKvxh
FD4UzDrThere were words she had always wanted to tell him.y89w
cwAX5But she had never been able to.Hui
1N0Because the boundary between the living and the dead was too clear.RTIdSUA
8ShYhEPerhaps the women had returned precisely to deliver those words.95br
iBZbQx“Thank you.”OZZd
tfBYWThere had been women who cried silently in a mist-covered village like this one.UGS9
Wm3kVWomen who had lost their children.Ts43i0
QohWho had lost their bodies.VHAChn
GJaKKZWho had even lost their souls in that dark basement.qaLc
5FBMMLy“Tell him thank you for finding us.”0T6JDN
sPNhEBut unlike back then, those women were now smiling as they watched the children.8F7B
FKwNzThey had once been women who shed black tears.XzjhX
OEa5And there had been a young knight who wiped away those tears.fB6Qk
dmcnH6“Alright, now go!”1rlq
sIZ9kAfter saying that, Anna gently pushed Emil’s and the others’ backs.og7mVWm
pfCdJlAnd then the mist lightly covering the prairie began to part before them.xL1
rMe8nai“Goodbye, Emil! It was a pleasure meeting you!”Vw7V
IBdVLWith Anna’s farewell, the prairie mist slowly began to dissipate.2OQ99Y1
5YYNCNvThe mist the necromancer had spread.ZPQGzZC
ywyDqKqThe mist the Black Moon had used.PiuAsQ
eiysm9gAnd when it began to vanish, something familiar appeared before their eyes.j4bK
M7foPcMThe walls of Soara.QnOA96
XGDThe same walls they had seen since childhood.AjCvf
YITae3[When the next moon rises, we’ll meet again, Emil.]w74z
mPZ7Joseph’s voice came from behind Emil as he slowly walked forward.PKib
PJZGIt sounded different from before.hbTqx
VXE6BpLike a distant echo.KZP
ohbPuzzled by that reverberating tone, Emil turned around to look.hRe
uKplcBut the mist had already disappeared completely, as if everything had been a lie.Zm8B
LJLBy“…Whoa. It’s Soara.”SU2oktL
wAWeUQEIn the end, the four children were left alone in the middle of the empty prairie.FUUYnk9
Fc7yDBHampton stared at Soara’s distant walls with an expression of disbelief.MzizOyk
OACmgm“I don’t understand. Even riding from Sturma to Soara would take a week.”adFtl2
V3cEhmEmil did not answer Hampton’s words.scbKUY
IY71wnHe was only staring at the wagon beside him.JOl
bpG“…I think those ladies were ghosts.”vzRif
Hy3It was a wrecked wagon.ZQZIn
y1qDuA wagon with a wheel torn off, abandoned in a pitiful state.GFvPvL
gzKgIt was undoubtedly the same wagon they had used to escape from Sturma.ttCbCZ
DMJdLenia spoke absentmindedly as she realized what that wagon truly was.yfTawOH
mqGtXmBut Emil merely shrugged.138
UF43“They weren’t ghosts.”aIer
A7C9kJtDawn was beginning to appear on the horizon.bRqaBE
MqqAAt the same time, the two moons were setting.FGH6Ecc
j97V0FAnd watching the smaller moon, now completely white, disappear beyond the western horizon, Emil said:UTAcD
Op6“They weren’t ghosts.”tth9
1ZRLnrR“They were my dad’s friends.”wSWnXmE
iUsdm17There had been people who returned from death.hjCHdxC
r6mhrMPeople who had arrived riding upon the light of the Black Moon.hwRgO
oaLwAnd thanks to them, the children had managed to make it all the way here.hRb
uMP“Come on. We only have to walk a little farther.”chu
rpqEmil began walking across the summer prairie, now free of mist.Kni
ZFsjThe city walls rising before them were blackened and damaged.Ji96jP
5aIRBut people continued entering without end.KBpq
n5WFThe nest that had not fallen.lYRqim
PTpIgThe beacon of the North.QOK7ggS
9AtlwSoara.WK7bldD
nUzOAnd the children walked toward the city that had been protected by the Lady in Red.kruB
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