Chapter 301: Side Story – My Father’s City (2)
7iYA9KLSoara, known as the Beacon of the North.WUs
wesWRAlthough Emil had entered the city he had always considered his home, the boy’s expression was not nearly as cheerful as one might expect.XY3p
HmbEjo— Ah… ah, my house…6PoGks
2m0nRD— Hey! Form a line and enter properly! Do you want us to mistake you for spies?x0bUu
s6vf1bA crowd of people was passing through the half-destroyed northern gate.syO
rys2Everyone looked worn out and exhausted.fGedZ8f
TYXuzh9And the guards receiving them were not in a good mood either.Wfsj
nWEVTAt“Even so, it’s fortunate that everything ended this way, young master. Last night I thought the entire city was going to collapse.”VEEJ
pEESDAThe steward sent to receive the children tried to lighten the mood as he spoke to Emil.QyE0o
9BjYGvBut Emil kept walking silently with his head lowered.SCwm
Y1d9n0“Everything was destroyed, Emil… It was one of the shops we always went to.”v51nee8
zae7A3fHearing Hampton, Emil looked up and glanced to the side.dlET
QHTjCIt was the sign of a candy shop decorated with a clown drawing.e9hn
nqy7And just as Hampton had said, it had completely collapsed.J2hfpp
ayuYZ“Yeah… it was destroyed.”0DdNTS
MYrcKuShattered to the point of being unrecognizable.TNJi
uJ17QyqShops filled with memories, places he had visited since childhood whenever he had spending money.8m17G4
gI2But now only ruins remained.qKp6p
zTIOAs he walked through those gray streets, a silent anger began to build inside the boy’s heart.T82aQ
Ox9jCp“We’re here! It’s Rose’s Smile!”gvLKLrZ
o2SwTHOnly then did the children let out sighs of relief.JOpGH
RThqThe alleys were filled with rubble and destroyed buildings.3hWhAU
OwhNBut Rose’s Smile was still there.mO3PaA
cT0Preserving exactly the same appearance it had always had.0WOWdQM
gnZ“It seems this was where the main battle took place. There isn’t a single intact building around.”zeonM
bzsF“Fortunately. Lady Zemina and Sir Radu did everything they could.”zkHvIl
PrwThe steward hurriedly supported Renvar’s words.JUkCKV
d2iHe was trying to lift Emil’s spirits.pRttUXD
0I1K1But the boy continued staring fixedly at Rose’s Smile without saying a single word.LZTA5S
4D1“…Where is the sign, sir?”xzu
Xgs8“Huh?”dpf
dCUBR5From a distance, Rose’s Smile appeared intact.Hr1Q
pmF68GThere wasn’t even a broken window.oEHk9Y
Z6KBut Emil remembered perfectly the conversations he had heard since crossing the city gates.9XwYx
aZN“Did they really steal the sign?”xyiOwgL
czYFaced with that question, the middle-aged steward could not answer.PyzLleG
fY7DBecause there was such intense anger in the boy’s eyes that it looked ready to explode.oxXKb2
waiQk“Let’s go.”ETjzSeq
ccOReceiving no answer, Emil bit his lips hard.dRL27DF
DbiLysHe no longer wanted to keep standing in front of that signless entrance.8A1
WotfrThe humiliation of having his mother’s name taken away was too much to bear.WDV
FUt3bpRCreeeak—35Q
2DqNWsAnd so they entered Rose’s Smile.JGO
c9nizUSeveral red-haired people were waiting for Emil in the impeccably organized lobby.ixRvIT
IP2Mb6X“Hey, nephew. You’re finally here.”tVH
7KfJRadu, sitting while drinking tea with bandages wrapped around his body.H9R
XXL“……”UeXKoT
FXq6T6gYustia, sitting with her arms crossed, silently swinging one leg.YTnc
bet3BWF“Emil!”OpslS
wDdAnd finally, the Lady in Red, completely forgetting all dignity.TuSnA2
NnBwZjZemina jumped to her feet.E2o
u9JThe moment she saw Emil, her eyes filled with tears.6yzrbEl
HRq4“Emil? Is that really Emil? My God!”Qa2Qds
fCpShe ran toward him as if she were flying.M50
LJS8jXAnd hugged him with all her strength.Gcq9
NTfE9aShe did it so suddenly that Emil almost lost his balance.PCu
2MDwgIBHampton had to discreetly support him from behind.3J0OZ3
0b0“Emil, look at me. Are you hurt?”V26M4Pl
k8z0“……”JAFfgfp
iykM4“Are you alright? How did you get here from so far away?”PPGk
mQUTClWhat did a stolen sign or tarnished honor matter?GHqlV77
z2veYc2Zemina had just gotten her son back.JpvBhr
8kYVjcShe kept turning his face from side to side looking for injuries.44t
bTWAnd every time she found even a small scratch, her eyes grew wetter.kWmJaYu
kSS“Mom has been looking for you everywhere. Didn’t you see Uncle Ned on the way? Huh?”cJXSxW
4qFyXsThe moment she learned of the tragedy in Sturma, Zemina had done everything possible to find Emil.XrIu3P
4pGZrShe sent hundreds of telegrams that never arrived.yd4f4
zTGnShe sent every messenger pigeon available.Zg45GMT
7vDvgPShe moved heaven and earth searching for any clue.bZ0
5x1SAnd even then, she had not slept for a single moment.JsuxY
xCqlDeep dark shadows hung beneath her eyes.N2may3F
yXFhACe“……”qFw
amCBXSeeing her like that, Emil remained motionless.MLq
iKvUTyIt was the face he had most wanted to see again.mabR8
5zE7WBut now that she was standing before him, a storm of indescribable emotions shook him from within.Bkso
Pa9vHstHe felt as though everything would explode the moment he said the word “Mom.”T2p
DivZNky“…Uncle, are you alright?”YP1Gd2g
1qYWrThat was why he forcibly turned his head and walked toward Radu.LpTtQJ
V1u“Huh? Ah, yes. It’s only a superficial cut.”4jMgAQF
3WzaHe could still feel his mother clutching his clothes from behind.nhRQOFY
Kc7jAs if she would never let him slip away again.zUcj25
spMaRCAnd that contact only caused the frustration inside Emil to grow even stronger.msEv
mkNJfBecause his mother loved him that much.Grjp
nVmAnd yet he could do nothing for her.EaGaYhv
Xdo4VT“Then I want to ask something.”dE5uNvA
NcSThe boy’s frustration began to turn toward someone else.6mG
y8lfOgS“Where is my father?”2rEN
ZXD“Where is he? What’s he doing at the North Pole?”8QEp
okJrThere was someone who should have been there.cX8Nj
A6ulSomeone who should have been present before the city he loved was destroyed.L5l
7wvue5Before his mother’s name was taken away.KKO6p
KkUvHug“Emil… your father…”XWd37
xta5N“They always say a knight must be where he needs to be! But he’s not here!”vHd1Q8Q
7DhWh3Like a broken dam releasing all the water it had held back for years, Emil’s anger began pouring out toward his father.LXLmtqY
tvtPU“Then what’s the point of being a Swordmaster?! He hasn’t done anything! Absolutely noth—!”cUYGq3U
j6CWhaam!ewHDIb6
3lLCrash!yU0
Gorb3Emil’s body was sent flying to the side.QNvAW
fTGZi0He rolled across the floor in a disastrous manner.rH4k
PFbeN2Everyone was horrified.ejta
KZJbxEveryone except one person.hfug
BQROf5eA single person walked toward him with complete calmness.PGG6VI
D1R“What the hell is wrong with you?”UMlb41
inC“And who the hell are you?!”AIKsR
220aIt was the typical defiant glare of a child.oQZIxKH
eiUhYFaced with it, the vertically slit pupils were quite intimidating, but Yustia simply snorted disdainfully.Yup1Wm
pJJN“I told you not to look at me with those eyes.”HhHD
ImPThwack!WGiw35
HlvhThe way she grabbed his hair and smacked him on the head was incredibly precise.5UT4P
pmvrIIt definitely wasn’t the first time she had done it.YaEr
qZxARlt“…Why are you hitting me?! Just because you’re my noona?!”8Omta
xI5hk8h“And who do you think you are, shouting at Dad and Uncle? Do you want to open your eyes for once?”OkV2xnT
a8sThwack! Thwack!kCZzQpp
PaEFA74She wasn’t even angry.G0wsL
Xt8ostShe simply kept hitting him in silence.JYk1n
kl3zJShe did it with such determination that even Zemina didn’t dare intervene.oP6v
RyhG“From now on, you’re going to your room, and you’re not coming out until you’re called. When it’s time to eat, you’ll show up immediately.”YK0vFbg
TW6“……”tc3Lk5
r0wkZ“Aren’t you going to answer?”jEt1c
AjoHer calm tone was even more frightening.m0ufR
y3gVS9But Emil remained seated on the floor, huffing angrily.vwvAF
b2qKb9“I won’t!”EB8f
P5S***2ndT
wuNg9Fourth floor of Rose’s Smile.x1n7KEN
pGTFTJGAll the children were gathered in Emil’s room.kpBGqV
9nVn5H4“Your noona is amazing. Did you see that kick earlier?”Jb00KED
oKBgiqLenia, who had finally recovered her spirits, swung her legs as she spoke.43cJx0i
oHln“I didn’t see it. If I could have seen it, Emil would’ve dodged it a long time ago.”4dT
4w7“And her hair is beautiful. What kind of oil does she use? It’s impossible to have hair like that in the south because of the sea breeze.”Ze7O
XEejI5fLenia touched her short hair with a regretful expression.S0t
O2wVkThe color resembled Yustia’s, but the cut was a disaster.fVEtalr
KpYShe had probably cut it to disguise herself as a boy.v1Wbb
iGOW0SwAnd now nobody would ever reward all that effort.Bblzulf
jqgewZK“……”AYX
7x4nBWHEmil watched Lenia silently.BqzQo
15M6Pa8He also looked at Hampton, who was pretending to be cheerful while eating sweets.aYM8J
HWdAnd at Renvar, who had lost the valuable tea leaves he had wanted to give his mother.nhhY9D
7BQEveryone acted as though nothing had happened.nSarhW
aOZ87But there were stories nobody dared bring up.2Kn
IoVdpN‘They said a knight must be where he needs to be.’gAoA6
q2eWhile the others talked, Emil sat alone on the bed, staring out the window.E5P21j
mEclx5‘And they said a knight must do what he has to do.’FhFmJR
TxOubThe sulky expression from earlier had disappeared.l2NmEW
HEOzkBCNow he gazed at Soara with a serious look.gjd
pUVjf5Endless columns of refugees were still entering through the main gate.F0Ru9jG
ZWt“Emil, what are you thinking about so much?”mkg1uc
3iDnlPHampton asked after seeing him stay silent for so long.vz0kh
57PZFDWEmil answered in a calm voice.ksJ
GvonB“I’ve been thinking.”cUd
Qgp9“Thinking about what?”qKuE1E
Ne3His lips moved for a few moments, as if he were trying to organize his thoughts.g6spN55
LTmThen he finally spoke with determination.Hia8OjD
bvX36“I think I need to find him.”HuJAa0M
gS0This time, Hampton didn’t ask for an explanation.WgUl
NkR2Because Emil’s tone was filled with conviction.o0GI
QSJtvZ“I need Honor Coins.”OO7PS
LNyRMLzA knight must be capable of finding the place where he needs to be.X9lD
vIKcyHe must clearly know what he has to do.ksPIn
syHNOAnd Emil wanted to become a knight more than anyone.SjlejOU
WK8cHK“…If I get those coins, I can transform. Hampton, you remember it too, right? I did it when I fought that necromancer.”w5o9
mzb18ScUnder the two moons, in that black-and-white world, Emil had borrowed his father’s appearance.WCuCfHU
gVvlP1It had been borrowed power.RbILKfv
CzHAnd he had received Joseph’s help.1NSzQfT
gEd93But Emil remembered it perfectly.GEqOhO7
Vc6WWF“Besides, my noona is right. Dad can’t be everywhere. So…”JUX
OkSPkNot even the noblest people can protect every place at the same time.pNX7m7J
rKUThat was why, if someone was where they needed to be, they couldn’t hesitate to do what was necessary.77WYy
4AdEven if they were only a child.osE6op
E4FTQ“Maybe I can do it.”vQvp
BLSeAt those words, Hampton was stunned.zG97
DVCIBut he couldn’t say Emil was wrong.Z3oWz
nmbipcpAfter all, he had seen Emil become Vlad of Soara.rHT
nQWjhZTAnd he had also seen that brief instant when the world of Aura appeared at the tip of his sword.S02UV
K0Mx“…I understand what you’re saying, Emil. But first, you need to get an Honor Coin.”nkkjkL0
NBo“Of course.”94rUi
Ca0C“And who’s going to give you one? Aren’t only retired knights supposed to be able to hand them out?”8gtw
DHQJust as Hampton said, Honor Coins were an exclusive privilege of retired knights.Ofc8lWk
Ag64Gathering the honor scattered throughout one’s life.690ba
oY8Neq2Correcting the mistakes of the past.ITq
nnnwHQVAnd passing that value on to the next generation.7Z7J
hTQTHwThat was the meaning of an Honor Coin.N9bJ29A
1kLThat was why, even if a knight possessed many coins, they could not freely hand them out without first completing their retirement pilgrimage.JE1
uGc“…Then Soara is probably the best place.”h7FT
fY2twEmil had no answer when Hampton asked where he planned to find retired knights.rk8
jKOHe had only decided that he had to do it.K0PsMR
j7zl63He still didn’t have a concrete plan.tHD6
ZJl4nY0The one who answered was the blond boy who had remained silent until then.5iK
WGBWfy“Because this is Soara.”GnOe8eE
K0YE59All eyes turned toward Renvar.9Nt
kFx“The city of the Swordmaster. The sanctuary of knights.”AVK5
ka2lXAnd he added,3xo
xIzt“Besides, it’s the city that was attacked most recently.”zd4T8Yg
lWUGJGRenvar was an imperial noble.GsleP
QAs4W2DAnd for his age, he possessed an extraordinary perspective.o7bG
vELDHe lived in the Imperial Palace, where all information across the continent converged.r1Y
siGNaturally, he saw more than the other children.vDoTny
Ra3Sfy“Retired knights always end up following events, death, and injustice. If you think about it that way, there isn’t a better place than Soara to find them.”7PVihk9
AAsBhQEEmil’s eyes began to shine.ZuD676E
qecgaBecause Renvar was saying that retired knights would soon be arriving in Soara.VRRF
y6sGdAnd behind him, the night of Soara grew deeper and deeper.iE4xQH
rqRA small black moon floated above the ruined walls.RpYDavy
9v567YEThe same light belonging to the man who had said.3PVuDvp
BB6BZ‘We’ll meet again next time.’fVCLXa
8KvTuW***vTnm
yi3uE5x“Well now, they really gave this place a beating.”EMpK
iA532Said a man wrapped in a cloak as he looked at the ruins of Soara’s northern wall.l2DoVU
2tO3R“To think that even Lindworm made it all the way here. Well, living a long time really does let you see everything.”gJ2qb
jk36UQDHe spoke casually among the refugees.udVtW
II3CBut nobody dared scold him.uTgl
Fqh9nBecause the horse he was riding carried a strong scent of blood.zXtmjs6
FrBL7P“Halt! Identify yourself!”sV2vhx
7sPIw2yThe guards were still tense after the attack.INk
ROsCxHowever, the mounted man simply nodded, as though he considered that attitude perfectly natural.d5pIHkB
jjw3ewE“Documents.”TrsDr54
NoFOA9oThe guard held out his hand without any intention of arguing.jHUDPx
g5LThe man then pretended to be alarmed and began dramatically searching through his clothes.rZtXu
xfrzT0P“Well, that’s a problem. It seems I forgot to bring my documents.”prbaD8
weahy5H“Then you won’t be able to pass through he—”n531G
U0HZTing!hGmdM
n0O6nSomething shiny fell into the guard’s palm.Wf3Mev
pCQWyv0It was an old, rusted coin.Syw6Qb
W0xCJ“Retired men don’t usually carry those things around.”9eu
lc6HXThe guard carefully examined the coin.jLJUq
4vZICThere was one coin that anyone stationed in a city like Soara was expected to recognize.1uym
E1TBrAnd when he realized what it was, he finally looked up at the cloaked man.W8oIa2h
rc4RWT“Isn’t that coin enough? I figured you’d say something like that, so I brought some additional proof.”oLx6
JMedTZlThe old knight tossed down a bag hanging from his saddle.zjyR
UvQvThe leather bag was soaked with the smell of blood.oEaLtP
nhFFrom its shape and weight, it was obvious what it contained.yeGZ5
7bP9GZ“Those are the ones who attacked Varna. Judging by the smell of salt, I’d say they came from the Southern Archipelago.”sCE
5boTYHe was an elderly man with completely white hair, elegantly slicked back.lak
1y2i7KHis well-groomed Kaiser-style beard stood out immediately.iPe9
I5Osp9YAnd as he smiled with a mischievous expression, he looked at the guards.16voO0r
uMcA smile belonging to a veteran who had survived countless battlefields.IuT4eCj
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