Chapter 300: Side Story – My Father’s City (1)
RHP8XIt was a dark mansion.y1C
TrE33MdIt was a magnificent mansion filled with antique decorations and luxurious red carpets, yet strangely pervasive shadows seemed to drain all its colors.Xr7
mnW7Yb2“So they failed.”ixhirIp
jrzeXWhAnd in the reception hall sat a man.xL50Mh
nWMakAlone in a vast room without a single visitor, he gazed outside through the window.F2psqB5
Vxi6Ux8“Fifty years raising the Deathworm. What a pity.”ax6
HOXPale fingers, without a single drop of blood in them, caressed the needle of a compass.bMaY
IJJBut no matter how much he called, neither the most resilient dragon nor the necromancer who summoned death responded.UmUeBIV
aa0M8DRealizing that something had gone wrong, the man gave a bitter smile and brought a wine glass to his lips.H8Ce
Wy9r“Although, now that I think about it, that Swordmaster killed everyone who seemed promising.”j8km
KpcTwUA deep red liquid spread across the corner of his lips as he smiled.3De
hFWhHowever, no matter how sweet the wine was, it seemed unable to dispel the displeasure the word Swordmaster stirred within him.4u5UI
nC3“…The Court Duke has sent a reply.”w7L
ICzRkh5Sensing that his master’s mood had darkened, the butler spoke.5jz
f7N8M“He says he is satisfied.”aUMln
cONaHThe secret letter sent from the depths of the Imperial Palace contained only those words.RHy5eh
5uWSatisfied.LR0lmVN
dObmIt did not specify what he was satisfied with, but the man holding the glass nodded and stood up.0EVreD
wJlt“I am glad to know he is pleased.”TJp
wlIHe approached the window.LsqFvJ
PNNcIn the distance, beneath the dark pre-dawn sky, the Imperial Palace Albarion could be seen.0bM
UFu4QTo anyone else, it was a beautiful sight.lXRZBZa
usnT1ceBut the man holding the glass seemed to feel absolutely nothing.cH7
64S“Why do people insist on finding flaws even in something so beautiful?”hO0TppC
CfN0dCrFrom afar, it looked perfect.Okxy
QDvMy4But when one drew closer, cracks and imperfections that had once been invisible could be found.lovKO
Iwfua“I find it ridiculous to hear someone say they cannot tolerate even a single stain.”grH
3RjTyQHHe found it amusing.1CQ
scMHThey were born imperfect, yet they sought perfection.XNdr
rLNZHe found them pathetic.HCakO
dWRCThey reached out toward something they could never attain.myT2y
ttE7“And even if they destroy everything and rebuild it from scratch, new cracks will appear all the same.”oTPpSDT
BE1The man known as the Court Duke pursued a dream.YZ1p4Q
8HAhgOne could not say he was wrong.p8fPS
AQi4XgBut from this man’s perspective, it was nothing more than a futile attempt.Ll2IhL
ePIOBecause he had seen too many humans like that.jQoua
0r5dFor far too long.6NMZL
SnQ“By the way, was his name Emil? The boy who destroyed our piece.”K4h9c
eqQP“That is correct.”HxUtx
lwTBTCNEmil.pfhtp8
s5ZEmil.bFJ92kU
383ux6Emil…b9Br8b
0qqC2The man’s lips began to twist in a strange way as he repeated the name.TCABmSK
4X9qqFZ“Children of this generation are definitely quite peculiar. Is it because they have too much human blood?”26S9
0XjPWHe set the glass down on a table.GMjz
y1o5OrMany red drops remained inside, untouched.6ef
aOd“Perhaps that’s why. It has quite a pleasant taste. If my father were still alive, he probably would have liked it.”tjbC3
OG9SsThe man smiled as he looked at the wine.DNxgzwC
FYHFReflected on the surface of the glass was a distorted face.DNV
LHsBlond hair.wc5uKE
SarQCq4Blue eyes.pYpU
m3U“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.”U0hneC
Sp2LAt those words, the butler silently lowered his head.Xi9oi3
4hkX1ppIt was a dark mansion even in broad daylight.LwO4
2LsAnd at the center of that darkness, the man looked up toward the sky.vdduq
J0kRo6AIn the heavens above, a black moon was slowly approaching the mansion.y8fnrt
t6jL***ArVDC2r
wjnAClatter… Clatter…a9d
Rz1LRV8In the quiet pre-dawn hours, Emil opened his eyes at the sound of the wheels of an old wagon.I7iVU
9yn‘Ugh… Where am I?’Ere
Fh3Since the sun had not yet risen, the inside of the wagon remained dark.d3Kdx
qoeZ1DThe scent of prairie grass and the dampness of dawn filled the air.RQjdEh
ewrskDBut the moment he opened his eyes, a wave of pain spread throughout his entire body.Qfe8jc
2sCUghXHe let out a small sigh and curled back up beneath the blanket.RGuXK
FLAm“How are you feeling, Emil?”FEThfv
gYKjzz2A hand was gently massaging his body.aD8UyR
4Lb9whIt was a large and warm hand.VJT
3sVZFeYHearing the man’s voice beside him, Emil frowned and tried to focus his vision.GFO
NtAUN“You pushed yourself too hard last night. Rest a little longer. Your father also spent several days bedridden whenever he did something similar.”G9q
xhU9z0MIn front of him was the black-haired man he had seen the previous night.ZhhTC
8XVrThe man who claimed to be Joseph Bayezid.HIcs
frSgA strange emotion appeared in Emil’s eyes as he looked at him.9ZS7O
4pZ3“…Are you dead or alive?”6Pqy4i
78nKJ3KHe was a man impossible to understand.JQZbGSS
flHOGDxThat was why he needed to stay cautious.L9MPTS
DwRDtvLBut Emil also knew that, had it not been for him, he probably would have died the previous night.v7Bxhhq
Mic“Why are you following me? Do you have a reason?”31X
wiv67The caution in the boy’s eyes had softened a little.FqGL
ALs7lHNow it was gradually being replaced by curiosity.z2z3
Q7nSeeing the way he looked at him, Joseph smiled faintly.OPml
0dDmB“Emil, don’t you remember? When you were little, we used to play together on the hill of Dermar.”QyRcr61
5o8“My mom told me to be careful of people who say things like that.”fsTLJ
XQoPGJ“……”g2Yo2TS
AwtBktJoseph swallowed hard upon hearing a child who had clearly been raised to distrust strangers pretending to be familiar.q158EEn
B3ry4“…In any case, I’ve been watching you for a long time.”tTAfB4
koHOzTo Joseph, Emil was a special child.lb2qj
nCcThey shared no blood.lDe
zuyXBut they were connected by a bond just as deep.gqo
OqYLlsAnd he also possessed exactly the qualities Joseph needed.dvnHa6s
Qej4“The truth is, yes, I am dead. I had a reason for returning.”rV47yb2
a0f5IstJoseph had returned through the Black Moon.va5cg
jBtnSnA moon created through magic that deceived the world.m4R
Hw1fh68A moon raised through necromancy that manipulated death.LxhbO0
r9xThat was why, whether he wanted to or not, he always carried with him the scent of magic and death.lU3kj
0aOC57l“In fact, I also tried it with your older sister, but it didn’t work. Is she already over sixteen years old?”3hwb
deFHowever, returning from death did not mean being able to interact freely with reality.60kDJO
Bjz6For that, he needed a firm connection.1qjY
8L7And someone capable of serving as that connection.CdT
XCX“The Black Moon only responds to matters involving children. That is how it was created from the very beginning.”cnL9
GQ7NByIt had to be a child.eGckm
cDAdJ3Furthermore, the connection had to be especially deep.5lqMD
rtlbGAnd if that child possessed senses sharp enough to hear the voices of the dead, even better.sFFtbW
PZCYnkAnd the only one capable of fulfilling all those conditions was Emil.wciq
318Pjf“Really?”Wntj
tdwylUEmil’s eyes widened.sadD
5mLFQeU‘So he really was dead.’g0O
I85bLThinking that, he discreetly pulled the blanket up to hide part of his face.3dmb0
HwhAPBecause he really liked hearing that only he could do it.hyN9423
XrFd“…Ahem. Then what exactly am I supposed to do for you from now on?”hKusY
TsuvgWanting to be special was a common trait among all children.Gn0I
84b0zoAnd in Emil’s case, it was even worse.WJN
xVNAfter all, he had a father known as the Swordmaster.Bev
sWGAnd an exceptionally talented older sister.EqHvmwt
1C2O“Who knows.”4tn3s
JIDH3That was why Joseph decided not to rush things.d0WpE
g5p48After all, he had experience dealing with Vlad when he was a child.O8t
bw0Y8f“Now even I’m curious. I want to see what you’ll be capable of doing in the future.”Rxyl
ySvn9PEmil did not respond when he saw Joseph’s smile.vKP0X1
jpD3ABEHe simply thought it felt rather nice that a man he barely knew trusted him.T4e
w3koNSlClatter!bQliC4E
Q5O“Alright~. We’ve arrived. Welcome to Soara.”QdEPmW
cThKqWith a rattle, the wagon came to a stop.Sm2IN4K
qXTAt the same time, Anna pulled back the canvas from the driver’s seat and energetically began waking the children.ZWQNEK
OSyeK“Kids, it’s time to go home now. Come on, wake up.”1DX
9xwnxcAt Anna’s hands, the children who had been lying inside the wagon began sitting up one after another.Rf6kr
vlqiAll of them had messy hair and puffy faces.gpbli0Z
fRewBBuThe 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.2jz
sJXn“Aren’t you coming with us, ma’am?”W2mbE2s
FiKTAlthough she had a strong personality, her hands were surprisingly gentle.7IMW
GbDnFeeling that treatment, Emil involuntarily thought of his mother and asked whether she would not come with them.BZ3NB
rBiPBut Anna simply shook her head and smiled.ksCl
Eqy“We have somewhere else to go. We only came out for a moment because of you.”gSeAIP
BQg8As if her task had already been completed, Anna held Emil’s chin and turned his face from side to side.GBY
wvs“Now that I’ve cleaned you up properly, you really do look like your father. It brings back so many memories~.”RIuNyf
vJ0In the boy’s face, she could see a face that no longer existed in this world.uawwE
QScFHA face she missed.LkcQm
uE4V4Anna smiled when she found it.FdikvIO
Rh3“Emil, could you pass a message to your father when you see him?”frdJwDF
aXTkorE“What message?”NoG5w5
FJ5qolBThere were words she had always wanted to tell him.Oi6ulX
dlUQBut she had never been able to.LQD
bl0aPXbBecause the boundary between the living and the dead was too clear.EHJ
HxQPerhaps the women had returned precisely to deliver those words.SKXOz
kvb“Thank you.”upmFe1
G5QThere had been women who cried silently in a mist-covered village like this one.XNJrhwG
XbMCWomen who had lost their children.hH5
G13XjDWho had lost their bodies.zgzu7
yO3Who had even lost their souls in that dark basement.OQVOBH
4TLv“Tell him thank you for finding us.”XyR
4wSrBut unlike back then, those women were now smiling as they watched the children.PdDM
2wVThey had once been women who shed black tears.xUyE
WO7aaAnd there had been a young knight who wiped away those tears.WQQ9fcc
NVKx“Alright, now go!”CS2H
yZ52PAfter saying that, Anna gently pushed Emil’s and the others’ backs.BTlOG
pYoAnd then the mist lightly covering the prairie began to part before them.UOZHcPI
VdcH“Goodbye, Emil! It was a pleasure meeting you!”KDE9Bx
ujAh8SWith Anna’s farewell, the prairie mist slowly began to dissipate.Pg2
FNAIyoYThe mist the necromancer had spread.YrV
BR46wtBThe mist the Black Moon had used.Lwp
eOlZAnd when it began to vanish, something familiar appeared before their eyes.BRX94z
bMtqxThe walls of Soara.l8sgN6
vLeb1ZThe same walls they had seen since childhood.Mm7Vt
JRDq[When the next moon rises, we’ll meet again, Emil.]lZ9IO
XKC3r7Joseph’s voice came from behind Emil as he slowly walked forward.tqF9qmj
87RIt sounded different from before.50q76h
xvM5zw9Like a distant echo.L4biz2A
YEmjPuzzled by that reverberating tone, Emil turned around to look.9Mh
aDMLtBut the mist had already disappeared completely, as if everything had been a lie.VsuhEkU
aUslx3“…Whoa. It’s Soara.”4OZ4F0
DKy71In the end, the four children were left alone in the middle of the empty prairie.kFcia
3M6sFHampton stared at Soara’s distant walls with an expression of disbelief.vvKT
DNpXSFe“I don’t understand. Even riding from Sturma to Soara would take a week.”2qy
irE2Emil did not answer Hampton’s words.bAabpt
Y4GnHe was only staring at the wagon beside him.tEg
nPjASH“…I think those ladies were ghosts.”Ejdq
qyPIt was a wrecked wagon.PxU
UeUA wagon with a wheel torn off, abandoned in a pitiful state.Ap1m
XN4kIt was undoubtedly the same wagon they had used to escape from Sturma.1uO
lHjUa9YLenia spoke absentmindedly as she realized what that wagon truly was.aqrEdr
EKnBut Emil merely shrugged.FEtr
abSEc“They weren’t ghosts.”aJfrk
Be9IBDawn was beginning to appear on the horizon.wcOVQKk
BAhAt the same time, the two moons were setting.mYLz6
bZ5r3And watching the smaller moon, now completely white, disappear beyond the western horizon, Emil said:yun7
Cb9AZk“They weren’t ghosts.”WhHbx
Fmx“They were my dad’s friends.”YTeoeGQ
0mIBThere had been people who returned from death.EOf0wR
UauPeople who had arrived riding upon the light of the Black Moon.9Bz0b4
UJTbLVAnd thanks to them, the children had managed to make it all the way here.QaP97
tXyzP“Come on. We only have to walk a little farther.”2a8
4dLEmil began walking across the summer prairie, now free of mist.TwcHn
HzYThe city walls rising before them were blackened and damaged.YQpKiG
l0OHb3But people continued entering without end.prP
yGg8hoThe nest that had not fallen.lPshiPl
3rGzWWThe beacon of the North.r13
oRAX0xSoara.VlgAFRb
Y0gEPAnd the children walked toward the city that had been protected by the Lady in Red.eK2t
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