Chapter 303: Side Story – My Father’s City (4)
iZqThe summer light streamed in through the window.ZSr
nS9It was the midday sun, so bright that it clearly illuminated even the tiny specks of dust floating in the air.AGW9757
VAPbDjAnd in the midst of that light, there was a red-haired girl kneeling on one knee.G0j
zijWJYustia.QYIO58B
PeTL7Without understanding what was happening, she was kneeling in her own room.ao7TGUu
7REaHer eyes wide with surprise, she could not say a word.eFI1
aTo“…Guide this girl’s soul toward the light and watch over her sword-bound heart.”BPV4Wg
QtinSStanding before her was her uncle, Radu.mVM8
ZaSrYyHaving bitten his thumb until it bled, he pressed the wound against the girl’s forehead.WxjNeEQ
eyJSFeeling Radu’s blood run down her forehead, Yustia finally realized something.Gab2R
zhvhThe man standing before her was no longer there as a blood relative.kGS3
XRDflqW“May her pure oath never be stained by falsehood, and may she one day reach the end of the Sacred Path.”vzoK
3nGpGxgIt was a Sacred Initiation Ceremony personally officiated by Radu, Commander of the 2nd Knight Order of the Northern Orthodox Church.uhy
LolWyWThe first ritual to place Yustia Aureo under God’s protection and guide her onto the path of a Holy Knight.ng2OM
UQGoAnd behind that sacred ceremony, Gabriel Mordian, commander of the Dragon Slayer Knights, gritted his teeth in frustration.V1VCIr
6NcvW“Sir Radu, if you believe granting the girl the rank of Apprentice Holy Knight will be enough to prevent us from recruiting her…”vLrjT
TWhK2Gabriel had to take the children no matter what.uwXKQ
thyTo pressure the Swordmaster Vlad, there were no better hostages than Yustia and Emil.LJpqnu
2HDQWNPBut Radu had already seen through his intentions.pon
HFtqfVc“Secular affairs must not interfere with the affairs of the sanctuary!”8oq7Bo
bS2EUjAThe mighty roar of the enraged Holy Knight echoed throughout the Smile of the Rose.wN1U
UeFx“Imperial law cannot invade Sacred Law! Does the commander of the Dragon Slayer Knights dare question such a fact?”eguZ
g1cgITpWhich takes precedence?tYSVbk
w5YcESRoyal authority or religious authority?8Tia
DMI92YuThe law of men or the will of God?SZ2V
e4AWTwenty years ago, during the Honor Duel of Deirmar, a similar situation had occurred.je8f
auqGeK9The debate had been over which took priority the Swordmaster’s Code, symbol of royal authority, or the rules of the Sacred Duel, symbol of religious authority.3j2
tV1R“We issued the recruitment order first. There is a clear hierarchy of priorities.”mjQDfuS
79dG“Oh, really?”j8nm
m9KbCH5Gabriel raised his objection, but Radu merely smiled shamelessly.gqu2
KOq“Then request a formal judgment.”CDJzn
oi6tiXOIn truth, Gabriel was right.wnlx
DavRLP6What Radu had just done was a forced maneuver.2EoM
Z2zIt was not a pure and involuntary awakening like the one that had occurred during the honor duel.t7DL9N
UEKkIt was a situation deliberately created by Radu.1Vu3n
jHQ47V5But this was not the time to debate right and wrong.4cu4
6vvdIt was the time for stratagems and political games.oPl2O
llbEThe time to read the enemy’s intentions and block their movements.QvP8aOR
apPKd“Send people to the Imperial Palace. Convene the Grand Ducal Council. Summon the Pope, the Cardinals, and all those arrogant nobles from the center.”sHsJlv
45BKURadu smiled.Sxof
KsL“Gathering all those people will take time, won’t it, Sir Gabriel?”XErR
U1MuAnd Radu understood.AgAOp3O
zcPwoDWThe center was challenging the north and Vlad in a race against time.eV5X
pPPRqHHe still lacked enough information to know the exact objective, but as someone who had spent decades living as a central noble of Dragulia, he could feel it.LZDBB2F
P8liNe“By the time that happens, my niece will already be in Saint Rogino. Bayezid will have had enough time to recover. Perhaps the Northern Council will even be convened. No, they’re probably already preparing it.”EVI
lD28NO“……”Ilq
UjuOBWith each word from Radu, Gabriel’s gaze grew deeper.Hjx
iG1hOgBut the last sentence visibly unsettled him.ebH15ig
1Qmg3S“And by then, Vlad will have returned as well.”mTuzk
657NThe cold dragon eyes pierced Gabriel’s soul.zNw
8Tl“Let me give you some advice. As someone who also once belonged to the Dragon Slayer Knights.”Gm1Ev
IwvWAfter finishing the ceremony, Radu turned around and walked toward Gabriel, who was waiting by the door.Jml
3lmbZs4Shielding his kneeling niece behind him, he advanced toward the knights carrying that false banner.LgXYd
FAhybBAnd when he finally stood before Gabriel, the former vice commander of the Dragon Slayer Knights whispered to him.yeyz
BzTn“If you wish to kill a dragon, be prepared to die.”XYvq2
Ue8FXdIf you want to kill a dragon, you must be willing to die.MRZ8V
ViBBecause dragons do not forget.nTKYC
vQAN6YsDragons who seek perfection never forgive wounds, humiliations, or defeats inflicted upon them.kvB9G
cxO“If you step into this with half-hearted resolve, you will lose everything, Gabriel Mordian.”0T03iya
nLBjOZGabriel felt an intense chill in Radu’s breath.Qbt6FA
mMaiJIt was not the sticky anger that consumed everything in its path.acOL
Qa2vLIt was a declaration.tV1lc
cD6DNmThe absolute certainty that it would happen.O4Hl4
KE87And when he looked again, he saw Radu’s cold vertical pupils staring directly at him.GS6XhH
lJ5DN5i***Wez36
9lAyi“Find Emil Aureo!”F0ej
yrvJzHG“Emil Aureo, present yourself immediately to receive His Majesty the Emperor’s sacred order!”5aRAUha
owK6HThe voices of the soldiers echoed throughout Soara.fJXol
bKDJLhLThey were voices filled with fierce determination.GRQALNa
flYThe determination to find the young dragon no matter the cost.5iHN
5OqXwaMThe soldiers marched through Soara waving their banners as though the city belonged to them.vXb6C
5NH7Seeing them, the knight carrying the boy on his back let out a sigh.l44HWn
7RZkiG4“They’re completely committed. These bastards have no intention of backing down.”EOX05U
PcCsDHe remembered something he had heard before retiring.mXu
NejbsofThat the new emperor was an extraordinarily persistent man.reyZ
4hLP8QmNot the weak young emperor supported by Dragulia.UGivJ
ADRc1bBut a ruler carefully molded by the central nobles to restore imperial authority.N9UrF2x
o3LuAnd indeed, the new emperor was making far bolder moves than expected in order to rebuild the Empire.FyYJ
a2cH“What’s going on?! What’s happening?!”Fz5mny
oYdfQEmil, who had finally managed to pull the man’s hand away from his mouth, asked with a bewildered expression.OTLUcBv
t3JHe had noticed that something was strange.oaGSm
zeCEAlthough he spoke quietly, his eyes demanded an immediate explanation.0HF
4xAjF“Why are they looking for me? Weren’t the Dragon Slayer Knights supposed to have disappeared a long time ago?”JJl8f
kcEThe sound of military boots passed right beside them.x13
ML9AGkzSensing it, both the man and the boy swallowed hard and pressed themselves firmly against the alley wall.N9z8s
tdjPIt forced them to stand practically shoulder to shoulder.KknY9u
Oj7The man, apparently nervous, stroked his mustache and whispered to Emil.Ovc
wPvF“I can’t give you all the details, but if those people catch you, you’ll be in very serious trouble.”CoD
tWOkHe lowered his voice even further.xCPn0V0
ICoNZ9A“They might even take you to the capital under custody.”6SMWWE
pTNWThe Emperor’s intentions were clear.7rDpLC
adhvFV6He wanted to restrain the Swordmaster, the greatest threat to imperial authority.ruA59
eGrThe Swordmaster of this era, supported by the people to the point that the previous Grand Chamberlain had attempted to place him on the throne.hrTeWIJ
BlbV6From the Emperor’s perspective, there was no one on the entire continent who posed a greater threat to his position than the current Vlad.abUWw
Tj2jJ“So first we need to escape. If we go this way…”0p2H
w6GTbiQ“There he is! There is Emil Aureo!”Rw9LDlZ
y2T0Vs0The man was trying to avoid the sound of military boots and take another route.7NbGpIa
b22RKoHowever, the forces deployed throughout Soara were far more numerous than he had anticipated, and there were not many places left to hide from their eyes.pGd
gjsMBa“Tch!”oIHqk
HtbPtU7Seeing the soldiers rushing toward them in droves, Emil’s eyes lit up.8S9
XL4kOD1This was Soara.arh
9dtHis father’s city.4UFf
tdaZIKThe city where he had grown up.BXOHi
UOMmAnd because of that, his eyes immediately found the right route.q30m
hXF“Hey, idiot! We have to stick together!”gWbe
DmmVEmil slipped away like a squirrel.Nl2
yrxCDWith agile movements, he darted between the soldiers’ legs, planted one foot against a nearby wall, and leaped onto the roof of a house.C8rw
Qvg“…That brat is fast!”ZOGyX
Uaw0Without even giving himself time to breathe, Emil ran from rooftop to rooftop.O0c7
XFIROThe man chasing him watched the boy, already far ahead, and clicked his tongue.ajp6qM
3rNA“He’s on the roof!”aKq5kd
pp7tdYq“It’s Emil Aureo!”NxQZoX
9eyThe route he had taken was a typical commercial avenue, where the rooftops of the buildings were connected to one another.YBqiu
KBi1yBelow were countless shops and stalls.Nit9f
n09a5Everyone present looked up, watching in amazement as the boy ran across the rooftops.2qa
QiWd8“Catch him!”k5q4T
tx3“We have to capture him, even if it’s only him!”zQuNj
hfT2pbAnd below, the soldiers ran after him.U1X
FBFSeeing the ominous banners of the Dragon Slayer Knights, the people of Soara finally realized that Emil was being pursued.k6Q
3UBZp‘And my mother?’5ricO
xC2ROFrom the open rooftops, he could see it clearly.LKYrd
tKOThe Smile of the Rose in the distance.4b1
CqMp5And the troops surrounding it.QbYoxW
8av5It was encircled layer upon layer.EPeRv
0TlIt was no longer a place he could reach.fL78
E0n9spf“Idiot! Let’s go together!”gofL7v
G5vRbBThe man finally caught up to Emil, panting heavily.JAaB
UpuHBut the boy immediately changed direction.9agfUU
bozIG“Huh? Huh?”USNlR
Dn6VhIt was a movement too fast for an aging body to follow.OAPUy
SGY0phBSo fast that it almost seemed aura would be necessary to catch him.shf7
vVEA1MAfter turning, Emil launched himself from the rooftop and leaped toward the awning of a distant stall.2XX0
dYpXWhoosh—!hgvB51J
XRYq2The jump was so long that for a moment it looked as though he were flying.86PDI7
wISThe soldiers could only stare in astonishment as he passed over their heads.vFgOL
qId“Haa… haa…”pWy
75TBsKWithout even having time to catch his breath, Emil kept running.IKqmIys
pVbnADeeper into the alleys.v2Uv
fspXjSearching for routes the soldiers could not follow.felnU
Vngcno‘I have to get out!’MCgkhRu
zXwlfiuHe didn’t know all the details of the situation.oxL
tzLxBut he knew one thing for certain.CDdP
6MQDGBRHe had to escape Soara.XkH
Z9GxEETo do that, he needed to get closer to the walls surrounding the city.rAnd52J
qLpHowever, his intentions had already been discovered.cZ6V6Tv
KVC6“Block him!”ZwvTRf
3MK“It doesn’t matter if he’s injured! Just don’t kill him!”jhP
WzKaThe Dragon Slayer Knights had come prepared.iKqfxJE
7Y2They didn’t know Soara as well as Emil did, but they knew it well enough.cttj3
l48ZLAnd little by little, they were cornering him like a rabbit.dwLBo
6P4O“Over here!”r54ziUV
1GZ1bJust as Emil wandered without finding an escape route, a door quietly opened beside him.o3bA
Ddle9“Young Master! This way!”w5R
NZqr3x7It wasn’t just one door.MD8E
wykSmall houses lined the narrow alley.sZ1LKg
g0Gy3And every door opened.Sz2lP6
1v29All of them beckoned him inside.OTLZPFz
dj6dDNThe people of Soara opened their homes without the slightest hesitation to help a boy being hunted.wL7rxz2
AWYxEvery one of them remembered the blond-haired boy from many years ago.EOIA27t
x3lb“Get in already, brat!”rWQhN0
5sTOcnThe mustached man arrived, gasping for breath, and shoved Emil inside.2vGM
xynAt the same time, the doors throughout the alley began to close.jx5
iThWhen the Dragon Slayer Knights arrived, they could only stare in confusion as dozens of doors shut one after another.MVj
VGNQLXn“The North District is completely blocked. Don’t go to the Smile of the Rose.”87SnP
O7FJA young man pushed Emil forward.TJny4m
YYB0YZBeside him stood a woman carrying a baby.bx9FVlx
VFWQwQEmil was certain he had never seen them before.cnSX
Yq9“Young Master, if it weren’t for the blankets your father gave us, we would have frozen to death long ago. Please thank him for us.”2sR
fGk2vWl“To the next house!”HIDYN
d2SGuided by the young couple from the lower alleys, Emil exited through the back door and was pushed into the neighboring home.UBJta
NK1BAGA fat, bald man was waiting for him there.u6cxQ0Z
cN8He grabbed a canteen hanging on the wall and hung it around Emil’s neck.7LH7N4G
OtTH“Don’t leave through the South Gate. They say those people came through the Spirit Route. Do you know the road that connects to Aushrin?”GFqWASr
DUq5O58He was a merchant whose livelihood depended on the route opened by Vlad and the Mole.5AsT62
6fnKLgQAfter he finished speaking, heavy pounding struck the front door.F9tx
f6puFgThe man swallowed nervously and quickly sent Emil to the next house.BXI7hV
X8toDW“They say the soldiers have completely filled Forge Street. Where the dwarves of Nidavellir are.”48ExC
02DCiQ“Don’t go toward the river. They took all the oars from the boatmen.”dRXfllk
tE4hzfKFrom house to house.neWL
RiFFsnAmong complete strangers.Q9jKw
yJkWhile Emil remained confused, people stuffed food, coins, and supplies into his pockets.c5Jg
rSQdfEveryone helped the boy and the retired knight move closer and closer to the city walls.jZKxp
XQNhY8X“It would be an honor if you accepted it, Young Master. It’s the finest sword I’ve ever forged.”xcKN
Bqh8joAThe last house belonged to a blacksmith.vgk0fw
Yc7uaKAs Emil held the sword being offered to him, the man spoke emotionally.CumP
3YWOQ“Do you remember that five-gold-coin sword that used to hang there? I saw it too. The first sword your father ever used.”JXAgE
framQEIt was a story everyone in Soara knew.dWzKkT
EIxQskThe legend of the Swordmaster that had begun in a humble forge tucked away in an alley.Fgww
E3EXeSeeing that man’s son holding a sword forged by his own hands, the blacksmith could barely contain his emotions.HEe
yEBB5kHe took a deep breath and said,fhug
BMtm“He was an incredible man! Now go, quickly!”6Oc3t
EovZWhen they left the blacksmith’s house, another path appeared.Qy2NU
yCpvvl1A narrow alley used only by the local residents.bOBE
lkEAnd through a gap, they could see Soara’s central avenue.CqQUBMH
4bdK“I’m not selling a damn thing today, you bastards!”JS2pXCJ
dnn7“Who the hell do these people from the center think they are?! Go to hell!”hPNCZD
1L5The roars of an enraged crowd echoed through the air.0ar
k9ilVMGFruits, clothing, and all kinds of merchandise were scattered across the ground.79F
Fc2The merchants were throwing them at the Dragon Slayer Knights.z8v3Xso
JlU“Who the hell are you people to decide whether our Young Master gets taken away or not?!”2p4
9tz3The people of the north shouted at the banners of the Dragon Slayer Knights.LIh
p8cDThe resistance was so fierce that some knights had already drawn their swords.NSNx7z
3nIBut they did not dare use them.eWb
eWzLLqBecause the crowd kept growing.OcJ
R9pHundreds of people.xWz
kMWWjNearly a thousand.LysOf
8AwFgU“…I’m starting to understand why the Emperor doesn’t like your father. Don’t you think?”zyv
HH4jL“……”Z5WBXu
l8ArPeasants standing against knights acting under imperial orders.uVd
EVRlWChildren, elderly people, men and women filling the streets.TyX
L0OxThe man felt a chill as he witnessed firsthand the influence the Swordmaster possessed in Soara.iOb9
Wi4xR“Anyway, we need to leave quickly. Unless you want all those people to end up dying.”BR4Li
TwbfBut the retired knight knew it couldn’t last much longer.h8Fg
G7iggRXAnd it shouldn’t.D4A
RQ0Before the situation became completely uncontrollable, the lit fuse had to be removed from the powder keg.9WcZwHZ
Uhq“Let’s see… if we want to climb the wall…”CRi3fiy
54RZheP“Kyuu—!”88sp2m
xQcMThey couldn’t leave through the main gate.gOB
FnydP9nSo the mustached man was considering climbing the wall.5RgNDBr
kU5rxBut the yellow mole poking out from Emil’s arms finally stuck out its head as if it had been waiting for its turn.ibEBwX
UnCFG7JScritch Scritch Scritch!cg5
Gr2zMWiggling its backside enthusiastically, it began digging a tunnel at the foot of the wall.BN0
su4sBThe retired knight stared at the scene in disbelief.iUSTY
XgzPwr“Hey! Come on, hurry!”C0cDRzh
cy9zKbPointing at the freshly dug tunnel, he desperately called for Emil.559
a127zsBut Emil remained motionless.zuRMboR
1foM0mAs if rooted to the ground.mzR0Kk
YPMBErt“Idiot! We have to go!”mX4
KPeyHThrough a narrow opening, he could see the people of Soara.MC4U7
lYaPeople throwing away the food they were supposed to sell that day.zL0
SvoLPeople destroying merchandise intended for the next day’s business.sQwI
ZAuAll of them were shouting his name.P6n
825d“……”aASYG
bCt0LSEmil’s blue eyes absorbed every scene.lzu
sFtF7The people trying to protect him.LJU3Atz
c0DvxAAnd the banners of the Dragon Slayer Knights striking them.P5bQ2o
nrkMJjHis eyes did not blink even once.UcE2TCc
hCjg7fZAs if he were swearing never to forget what he was seeing.5Y4kCZW
Eb4s0HN“Let’s go already!”diWi
5Oace0When the retired knight forcefully dragged him away, Emil finally knelt before the dark tunnel.l1u
MgdgAnd as he crawled through the darkest and lowest place possible, a voice filled with anger escaped his lips.F23tLC1
NFhXH“…I’ll come back.”5QElZY
CKHG8qzHe had to return.J3RuHP
j2UIbGBecause there were people there who believed in him.GZ6
1SM“And I’ll repay this debt.”336e
oomAnd he had to repay what they were doing for him.V1bXQVS
7NhhTo those Dragon Slayer Knight banners that were striking those people.yX6L8yg
CCKlZNFA tear formed involuntarily in the boy’s eyes as he left Soara.c90BC3a
mw1HHe didn’t know whether it was sadness or anger.uSHAfQl
VdrBut that tear fell together with a promise.47XR
XM2The promise that one day he would return.GGsP
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