Chapter 304: Side Story – The Young Dragons in Search of a Place to Go (1)
pSqJsThe Albarion Imperial Palace.LejpUdx
fdm8TzThe symbol of the capital, Brigantes, radiated a gentle light tinged with an ivory glow.JOW
0TadR7BIn the garden at the center of that magnificent palace stood a man.o2QtC
5rH6LkG“They failed?”1iz
OzYoHe was a man with brown hair.oPRg
M0T30kTall, broad-shouldered, and thick-browed.wum
iMdOk3Although he wore loose-fitting clothes, his sturdy physique was unmistakable, showing that he was in the prime of his life.0AVeEP
liAGVV“And even after sending them all those troops?”eati
1FwZzUpon hearing the report, the man let out a disbelieving laugh.L6SA8MH
4GJAt the same time, his hand stopped moving.jaW
UzQBeneath the pond, a school of hungry carp repeatedly opened and closed their mouths, waiting for the man to throw them food.ApJyG
P6F“They say the resistance was almost on the scale of a riot. That’s why it wasn’t easy to take the children…”4uYz
6qf9a“And that’s exactly why I sent them an army, Razmael.”vcKw6d
66vrigThe man’s gaze, fixed on the Court Duke, gleamed dangerously.cza
rUBzt“That army was sent so they could use it. Since they had already drawn their swords, they should have at least pretended to swing them.”p53X
MvcYZThe fish food crumbled inside the man’s hand.sCGaw62
iG9The hungry fish continued gathering, drawn by the scent, but he had no intention whatsoever of opening his fist.cWD3
ODh“What is it that makes you so cautious? Haven’t the Swordmaster and we already crossed a river from which there is no return?”mOFspF1
1sXOThe brown-haired man walked toward Razmael.nKNvcJ
ctkHTEach of his steps was heavy and solemn.wNFrQ
9n7T3bThe Emperor of the Empire lightly tapped Razmael’s chest as he said,uZIyO8
NaGkxD“Don’t forget, Razmael. Remember who trampled both your family and mine.”oUlSR
ElNun“……”W5fO47
TZd“Never forget what the dragons did to this Empire.”q5h
bVrCwqXMore than twenty years ago, there had existed a dragon that sought to achieve perfection by feeding on the Empire’s blood.WOj
6JidAThe oldest dragon, who humiliated the noble Imperial Family and wiped out its rightful heirs.P4D
QCuHvThe two men now standing in that garden were among the few survivors who had managed to escape that monster.vQaL
BFVTqyj“As long as Dragulia’s blood still exists, there will never be peace in the Empire.”X6eX3c
qRfThe Emperor raised a finger and pointed toward the sky.WVjx
vSKqmThere floated a black moon bathed in a pale white light.8pE
NG2I“Let’s not allow those bastards to do whatever they want again. Understood, Razmael?”3QNIbqa
cgbwJ8kHearing those words, Court Duke Razmael bowed deeply.NwKa9
Hm1P“Yes, Your Majesty.”p9faclB
XUZnThe age of dragons had already come to an end.E9EQ4
MhJZjhBut the wounds they had left behind were still deep.JSv
HLbWounds that might never heal.SRKsU
yNQ4And because of them, the two moons, unable to trust one another, continued to watch each other with hatred.fKBJky
Km1EZRJ***efve8
GhUwA man and a boy walked through a dark forest.q6WB
UbS91It was the forest west of Soara, so dense that it barely allowed sunlight to pass through.QtAbSp
qo5fNBefore the Spirit Route existed, merchants had often crossed it, but now the path was covered only with patches of wild grass.24veJr6
C2hmbKp“So if I can’t call you old man, what do you want me to call you?”s7aTq2
g3FEs4Emil walked with his ears keenly alert in case any pursuers appeared.udt
pdsug2Behind him walked a man too old to be middle-aged, yet too young to be called elderly, grumbling as he listened to the boy’s words.Gj4DU
9Bj2hr“There are plenty of other ways to address me. Master, Sir Knight, things like that.”Is8
j6rThe man was quite bothered that Emil insisted on calling him old man.6gp
37vE3nL“But you’ve never taught me anything, so calling you Master would be weird.”F96
fRhIz“And Sir Knight?”1tSq0L
89TdWhen the man suggested that, Emil turned to look at him and frowned.dQF6
OTKe“And how am I supposed to know whether you’re really a knight or not?”qJQuc
OES7wCHe was a man of unknown identity.snZA
sF1UAlthough it was customary for retired knights not to reveal their names, Emil was in a situation where he had to be suspicious of everything.YlZcJmY
YteQSo“Then why do you think I saved you?”DNU
DDs“……”fketIyQ
Bh0OXAt that question, Emil was left speechless.2qZGZQj
BA1ovi“Because I’m a knight. Retired knights have a habit of sticking our noses into other people’s business.”rOw6w
QgfG98“And someone from the center came all the way to the north just for that?”eZXrY
JOMBxIWhen Emil called him someone from the center, the man fell silent for a moment.iT5
qncmOrK“How are you so sure I’m from the center?”Ye6
RkJEmil didn’t answer.igXXhyL
6ltHe simply raised a finger beside his nose and drew a circle in the air, imitating a mustache.c2HbHDg
Vtnx6m“No one in the north wears a mustache like that. Only people from the center who care too much about appearances.”xZmTyH
8D71“Ahem! Appearances? That’s called the dignity of a grown man.”03PhG
Uri8IH3Even though it had only been a guess, Emil had been right.4mBr
35ZMAwkThe man pulled a piece of dried fruit from his pocket and offered it to him as he spoke.oaZ
ZQx“The truth is, I owed your father a debt a long time ago. I came to Soara intending to repay that favor, and then this whole mess happened.”y8uCun7
8ZmwKHe was still a man of unknown identity.np1VOt
tndYXBut his actions had shown who he was.xw2r
4xJ7tMHe was the first to notice the arrival of the Dragon Slayer Knights and the one who managed to get Emil out of Soara before they could capture him.FF9ST
W78qEmil didn’t know what debt he owed his father, but he was convinced the two of them must have been very close.cepe
UOHY“I don’t like raisins.”acIL
fz8“Just eat them. Kids these days don’t know how valuable food is.”inWe7
qRi2Though he grumbled, the man reached into his pocket again and, instead of raisins, handed Emil some dried figs.E4lLqrV
xISVg9“By the way, where are you planning to go now?”4MdKo2u
FdmK4Emil took a big bite of the dried fig before answering.4QwEiR0
LPkYD“To Deirmar.”OBnium
t3a9DvoEmil’s next destination was the city of Deirmar.XzD4E
QbobThe territory of Baron Hainal’s family, Lady Alicia’s city.vWA
vzm1“That’s my home. I was born there.”kHCSuY
AMRlhSince he had been too young to remember, Emil had run through the hills of Deirmar.fpsMO
YSrSir Duncan was there, who had cared for him as much as Ramund had, and so were the elves of Aushrin, who always showed up with curious trinkets.lb5C
AOK0Unlike bustling Soara, it was a quiet, rural town, but Emil loved its scenery just as much.b6i7u
B29btQ“If we get there, we’ll be safe.”SKIi
AKnWhen he heard that Emil wanted to head to Deirmar, the man stroked his mustache and fell into thought.yvyaV
mlV82B“…I don’t think so.”wlZ0kw
9AN5kYaIf they couldn’t stay in Soara, then going to Deirmar was the obvious choice.AhZqyG8
UnqpPYBut that was precisely the problem.gROxB
77lPGxYIt was too obvious a choice.MYwFk
PRYqMgSo obvious that the Dragon Slayer Knights would surely think the same thing.dvsT3h
X9n“You shouldn’t take things for granted so easily. It’s dangerous.”RLdiw5U
AgCNThe man’s words, spoken from behind him, carried a strange depth.23Zh
eZkhlHA depth so profound that Emil stopped in his tracks.RKDs
W03t1p2“Because people who try to deceive others usually take advantage of those very obvious assumptions.”3sPHnff
JFkpR7iWhen Emil turned around, he saw the man scratching his head while looking away.4EH7M
KVjHHe seemed to be avoiding the boy’s gaze, though Emil couldn’t understand why.G3ct
3ZmFA“It’ll be safer than Soara, which has already been attacked, but the road to Deirmar will be quite difficult. I heard rumors that several of the most influential families from the center have already deployed troops to the north.”enH
6oesUUyThe Emperor had lost his influence over the north.HFtN
cD5YisHowever, because of that, he had easily gained the support of the central nobility.8jUbA
xyNNThe central nobles had lost much of their former privilege, not only because of the growing power of the north, but also because of outside forces such as the elves and the dwarves.TNq2Zh
j7K6nKX“Then where do I go?”PNjJC
zSmbcMcHearing that even the road to Deirmar would not be safe, Emil’s expression hardened.xBpBm
K4gzhopHe came to a complete stop, as though he had lost all sense of direction.APWYt
PbkW1chThe retired knight watched him before speaking.rL1U
evKZW4“As long as they don’t catch you, everything will be fine. Once your father returns, all of this will be resolved.”BZ8p
siTnDwnAfter reassuring the boy, he continued.ASxe
DPiq“So instead of Deirmar, how about heading straight west?”I1tzD
5mAnuJ“To the west?”Zvf
AdAW“Yes, to the west.”bpxNs
R8GThe Dragon Slayer Knights naturally assumed Emil would head for Deirmar.u2Yn
sfMThat was precisely why the man believed skipping Deirmar and traveling much farther away would be the best way to deceive them.41m
tuS2“Let’s go to the city of Trinova. Countess Lavnoma will be able to protect you.”mVKSWiY
K0j1There was a region that hated the Imperial Family just as much as the north did.73aSB3T
zLSThe western part of the continent.o24es
5APA land that had suffered greatly under the Gaidar family.TCN4
teuMAlthough it had been brought to the brink of destruction by the schemes of the Imperial Family and Dragulia, there was a family there that had reclaimed its name thanks to a blue-eyed boy.uBi7OxN
VWfXoSS“Besides, the dwarves of Nidavellir are nearby. Even the Dragon Slayer Knights will have a hard time getting close there.”O1X
PgeawPEmil nodded slowly.P4T
IAyBCharles Lavnoma.JtVm
SgDBTHe remembered seeing her when he was little.0sqT
UyUcLAShe was a woman with dark green hair cut into a flawless bob.2AYL4
v3y9ZHer sharp eyes seemed capable of piercing anyone like the tip of a sword, while her pale face retained only the refined elegance carved by years of training.TN3M
YJEy2R“All right.”j5QN2R
5m9M5skShe was the woman admired by every young girl who dreamed of becoming a knight, including his sister, Yustia.YR27YA
urU1JngAnd she was also one of the few people his father said he could trust completely.FKXgWz
A54L“Let’s go west.”3TMC
DzAKytWith his destination decided, Emil resumed walking.GzXqQ
3cQHis destination was the west.lGCCL
DRVn6CYThe city of Trinova, home of the Lavnoma family.EccYVw
Ad1c***dwU1W3Q
5dtThe western city of Trinova.chc
iQOA place where even the blazing summer sun could not overcome the cool sea breeze.Q1z
tujtd1UInside the study of a residence with its windows open to let in the wind, a woman rested her head on her desk with her eyes closed.swjQnUT
RXgSF“Countess. Countess?”hywvIh
a4qWs1She was a woman with very fair skin and dark green hair.2awY2Js
QgevCAnyone would turn to look at her because of her extraordinary beauty.62iY
D17JVpPHowever, Martha, the head maid, wore an expression full of concern.OtycArD
DIjk“Countess! Countess! Oh, I’m going to lose my mind!”DxPoL
RVkt1CBecause countless empty liquor bottles surrounded her.4JFfpZ
VFwTLarge bottles of every kind.SrVPgfv
RisaT9The strong smell of alcohol filled the study as Martha, completely exasperated, grabbed Charles by the shoulders and shook her.yMYzKIS
Zap3JU“Milady! How many bottles did you drink last night?”SJP5Pq
C43VFk“Mmm…”UsFd
pWIiOnly then did Charles stir and slowly lift her head.KMp
A0h5qq2“Ah… Martha… give me a glass of water.”0AJPQk
Gh8ZmktShe had slept so deeply that her sweat-soaked hair clung to her cheeks.D2d
ODu5wgHer face was also completely smeared with ink.27Yhj3p
SUweAnd there was still a trail of drool running from the corner of her mouth.FAxwn
bd11oSeeing her like that, Martha handed her a glass of water with a frown.QWrOIZ0
IFCuvbc“I’m afraid someone will see you like this. Do you really plan on getting married someday?”FKo
PJ0kThe moment she heard the word married, Charles’s hand stopped reaching for the glass of water and went straight for another bottle of liquor.vAB2o
5BVXTZU“What are you going to do with your life? You’re almost thirty already, Milady… I mean, Countess.”evkRbm
V828RvmOfficially, they were mistress and servant, but in truth they were more like mother and daughter.GDC0iAk
HFyzAfter all, Martha had raised Charles as though she were her own daughter ever since she was little.YshL
Fr3IXEven during the tragedy caused by the Gaidar family, she had endured countless hardships to protect the young Charles.SAy
saKZ9uS“I don’t want to hear about it!”P1yIZgt
UI66Kmj“What do you mean you don’t want to hear about it? Are you planning to end the Lavnoma family line right here?”y9PN
nL7I4That was precisely why Charles could never stand up to her.TzfMpr
yGAl2sMartha could even shove marriage proposals right in front of her face without the Countess being able to protest.kURKY
c7l6hBV“Look at all these outstanding young men begging to meet you, and you won’t even grant them an audience?”yVedT
uz3lwha“……”tS6W
sdJ“I might as well die now and go apologize to the late Count and the late Countess. Honestly…”4Xay
Z6aNqAs Martha continued lecturing her, Charles raised another glass of liquor.MMZucs
IfmA woman already of marriageable age, drinking hard liquor in broad daylight.QYH
a3rZRqoMartha’s eyes narrowed more and more.4Lg
hakqCV“If you won’t get married, then at least go get yourself an heir some other way!”mzTYokl
JAhKG“I’d like to do that too!”ru1ePv
5QD5TCQCharles slammed the glass onto the desk and answered, still completely drunk.H0GHmk4
lc8dL8“If I could, I would’ve done it already!”6NbV0
d7sUfThe alcohol from the previous night had still not worn off.TNdEr
vNw8eAnd after enduring Martha’s lecture, Charles’s eyes began to fill with tears.Ixc
nT8m07x“I don’t want any of these pretenders…”wig1EWp
FEUhThe desk was piled high with marriage proposals sent by countless noble families.rHg3c
InIGEvery one of them overflowed with flattery and sweet words meant to win her over.KN6n2
JEtaRUWBut Charles had not the slightest interest in any of those men.xj7e
aLN“I want a blond-haired, blue-eyed child too!”b5xwY
kLYBecause ever since childhood, she had carried her first love in her heart.PJjYPW
OWYThe blue-eyed knight who had saved her so gracefully during the hardest period of her life.U7TT1NI
25dw3Displayed in her study like a treasured heirloom was still the old, worn cloak Vlad had given her.pLgWvYA
6vws“Oh, my young lady… what am I supposed to do with you?”Fn2L
C6gIf it wasn’t that person, she didn’t want to marry anyone.jIFbvw
Qna7hgAs she watched Charles cry her heart out like a little girl, completely drunk, Martha could do nothing but beat her chest in resignation.voiCz
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