Chapter 305: Side Story – The Young Dragons in Search of a Place to Go (2)
LvKDR36The city of Nassau.iANAU
00XA coastal city that had once been ruled by the Iznik Baron family.bCC
4GmUuHowever, Nassau was now a territory under the Bayezids, and a strict inspection was being carried out at its gates.WXLbnCw
TVK0“So, I understand that you’re a mercenary, sir.”aXgPj
rmjFaced with the guards’ stern gazes, the mustached man flashed a broad smile.WjEW
ojNgOZvIt was a smile that seemed to say, I have nothing to hide.bkXHo
V6kcTo the guards, however, it looked rather suspicious.kKMcM5N
JZ5OXm“…And who’s this brat?”S2mg
lGT3Ct8Beside him stood a boy wearing an even more exaggerated smile.6F1h
LMEwmI“This one doesn’t even have an identity tag.”IbRWN
5WyUaHe was a blue-eyed boy with a white linen coif covering his head.O0Hb
6dTDespite his adorable face, he had a rather fine sword hanging at his waist, and he looked at the guards with bright eyes, as though begging them to let him in.qmh
qyWM“Hahaha, this is my nephew. He still hasn’t been able to get his identity tag.”CXc
StwfKPThe mustached man laughed heartily as he ruffled the boy’s hair.XVg
c0TBSObThe boy clearly didn’t like it, frowning for a brief moment, but when he looked back at the guard, he once again flashed him a wide smile.M5sPPqA
5cc“You know how it is. It’s not easy for country children to find a priest. Besides, his family is so poor they can’t even afford an identity tag.”nXe08
oq09XfJ“Even so, without an identity tag, he can’t enter.”hz9Aw
OxHPBn7“Come on, don’t be like that.”l6afE
eX9Just as the guard was about to refuse, the mustached man swiftly slipped a small pouch inside the guard’s uniform.DIG5
EBYOes“We came here specifically to have his identity tag issued at the local church. After all, I’m his uncle—I should at least do that much for him. Otherwise, the poor kid will have a very hard life.”WX5
J5ILHHcIt took only a brief brush of hands for the pouch to disappear into the guard’s uniform.CMvMdE
VixKwThe way he slipped it in was so natural that it was obvious this wasn’t his first time doing something like this.dEiTQzT
e0VApJ0He even had the nerve to straighten the guard’s collar afterward.MJTHvG
08FEVFH“Ahem… Very well. You may pass!”zhC7
DcWThe guard judged the weight of the pouch and decided it was enough.pCX
S7XO1mKThe moment he heard the approval, Emil smiled broadly and started walking through the gate.0QZn
NL2KtyBut in this world, there was such a thing as order and proper manners.td4
nFvD3OKSmack!doFdv0i
gvO“Thank him, brat!”NF6
wKqdmSA hard slap landed on the back of his head.YayMQ
Pm8AxThe blow made him bow his head by reflex.eq8m
xVWqD“…Thankh you.”r0w6
uReKSince he was already bowing, he took the opportunity to give a proper bow.eIDXzW
IZhWatching him leave after expressing his thanks, the guard remarked that he had a good uncle.wawfI9
HgjEmil, on the other hand, simply rubbed the back of his aching head.aQVEkW2
f78z4a5“If you keep walking around with your head held that high, nobody’s going to believe you’re a commoner. Keep your head down when you walk.”yVCoNBR
FjKCpbR“I usually do say thank you.”OCz
TYTU6REmil was disguised to conceal his identity.lRd
ysDorqThey were still within Bayezid territory, but the attackers had reached even Sturma, the provincial capital.dXx
BRnEj“Then why make things so complicated? We’d be better off digging a tunnel and sneaking in underneath.”vyj
2F902“If someone who’s already hiding also starts sneaking into every place they go, how long do you think that’ll last?”n0GSsF
MnWy4RAs he spoke, the man slipped an entry permit into Emil’s pocket.4UTRTSK
9VX“If you keep hiding this and putting that off, you’ll only end up acting more and more hesitantly. Whatever you can settle on the spot, settle it.”ttRT
JnEyFV“……”vED
FQCSx9Unable to refute those words, Emil simply looked away.HktmQ
pBI8Jn“I’ll head to the harbor and find a ship to Trinova.”2MQU
MKa“What about me?”hk5
hPMiWhen Emil asked where he was supposed to stay, the man gestured with his chin toward the building in front of them.q9dHHM
4gFKoh“You rent a room at the inn and wait quietly.”Jos5nJ
HMADEmil wanted to ask if they couldn’t go together.7WVWSS
LepOFFeBut he held back.MfMzE
DpfZEven he knew they attracted far too much attention when they were together.QR26n
XCfqPek“I’ll be back by nightfall at the latest.”OuS4
x1OrThe man was about to head toward the harbor.oG8jA
CjfPEHowever, a hand hurriedly grabbed him from behind.xuUK
WwklB“What is it?”d8DuceV
FEgPg“……”1RMCR
FUu4OEPEmil didn’t answer.Fv0Mx
U4MCXHe simply held out both hands and stared at him.rBZN
Ym3“Tsk! Fine, I get it already!”4nhw
jXblCZQThe delicious aroma of potato stew drifted from the inn.OHRUC
bx20As soon as he caught the smell, the man clicked his tongue as though he had finally understood the situation and placed a copper coin in Emil’s palm.A0VpXd
GAbUr7f“Go buy yourself something to eat in there and stay put! Got it?”urhX
8wZcThe boy didn’t answer this time either.d4vYK25
kIFbHe merely nodded, together with the yellow mole still sitting atop his head.WGCBKex
Wv4rB***mcYO
vt2kTLunch hour had already passed, so the inn was fairly quiet.kJpXPI
5K3SI9BOnly a handful of customers remained chatting at the tables.rnFmE
MWMf“Here.”qe4GsPB
pPYPerhaps because of that, a freckle-faced young woman slid a loaf of bread in front of Emil.JoTV0XP
SlW6pWIt seemed that, with nothing to do, she had become curious about him.guT
If1wWCg“I didn’t order this.”ia1X
ZLVaOPI“It’s a gift.”6vgJK
WGI2WsIt was a freshly baked barley loaf.QBT2
ZkDkVSince it was leftover bread, she had decided to give it to him.KIsi3z
0wejiAs she handed it over, the young woman casually sat down across from him.PugiF
wok“By the way, where are you from? You’re not from Nassau.”49IZe
HuV“None of your business.”OrIaN3
r8F“Come on, I gave you bread. I can ask you a couple of questions, can’t I?”ksp
20UYTContrary to what she expected, Emil was rather curt.Qzvma6
tXA8olMost boys his age smiled the moment they made eye contact with a girl.R5sHpK
kfEHe clearly wasn’t one of them.R5SFX
own9“Are you looking for work? Do you want to become a mercenary?”MC1wY0
TWfJ“You ask too many questions.”WMo
7RNT“That’s only natural. When you work here, you end up getting curious about everyone.”1wNIR
uGt2AANThe young woman was an employee at the inn.xbmE4o
hGhJust as she said, dealing with so many people inevitably meant learning about their lives and becoming curious.EVsA
YIEL7H“Then did you ask those people over there a bunch of questions too?”Vv5th9H
yghREmil subtly tilted his head toward another table.Jvlg8
dIJenWESeveral men were sitting in one corner.WlQCnRn
D4aCJudging by their appearance and the way they spoke, they gave off a very bad impression.6ewk
5pK7Aqt“Them? Did they give you trouble?”mPV
IJR“No, it’s not that…”F0TYZ8m
hK3x6“It’s just the way they’re dressed is pretty strange. Where are they from?”GUlC34B
kLiTyqEmil spoke while discreetly glancing back so the men wouldn’t notice.ctU0QJO
S32fTTaHe was right.MtsTwH
wTqkRThey dressed very casually, but it was obvious their clothes belonged neither to the north nor to the west.aB9
EJd“Oh, them? I haven’t talked to them, but I think they’re from the Southern Isles.”Yv5IzLR
3KUBKRThey were dressed exactly like sailors or pirates.7AWt
g48FyfEmil remembered that the men who had attacked Lenia had been wearing very similar clothes.h0A2aPK
Jawsv9T“…You’re not thinking of following them, are you? No matter how much you want to become a mercenary, you shouldn’t associate with people like that.”0VU2
ws3urIm“I already told you I’m not.”0zRcYd
cDt8zqQEmil’s ears sharpened.OkB
v4pOYWZThe young waitress kept chatting away in front of him, but all of the boy’s senses were already focused on the men behind him.alvN
95tTick… Tick-tick… Tick…ngO
fAp7“Where are you going? Seriously, you’re not going to follow them, are you?”eUFSQR1
ryWbOmWhen she saw Emil quietly stand up to follow the men as they left, the young woman grabbed his wrist in concern.9fiNv
hDaHowever, Emil simply smiled at her.tbVaK
DlOJL1“Don’t worry. I’m not going to follow them.”FI6Hc
416YZZCTick… Tick-tick…eikXtY
RaEpWith all his senses sharpened to the limit, Emil continued hearing that unsettling needle-like sound.bfOIMS
iYXvYPIt was a sound he could never forget.gUDKYY7
NE4zl“…I’m just going to see them off.”07S
jQoIt was an extremely faint sound.p3c3UKr
Fa5QsISo faint that not even someone standing right beside him could hear it.jfP
hfmOnly the senses of a dragon could perceive it.d8zL
9OIJGyNFollowing that same sound he had heard on the fog-covered prairie, Emil rose from his seat.Vd3k
OFTuILJ***1OV9dc
L2L“How much longer are we going to stay here?!”9PVwb7w
kTKtjIt was a dark warehouse.6lXx9
adsWOne of those warehouses used to store goods, common in any port.pj4
jNdgThe men were hiding there.BqIheh
RJO“Be a little more patient. They said the ship to Trinova will arrive soon.”RT3moDh
CzNThere were four men in total.7Mh
UDDhThe one who appeared to be the leader tried to calm down the man who had just complained.S3Ms
FLP“What if we’re caught while we’re just sitting here waiting? What if those damned black mages show up right now…?”oFTROqh
irvFwz“Shhh!”PaZgu
XY2i4YThe man’s eyes trembled with nervousness.ETT
PFABut the leader simply placed a finger over his lips and hardened his expression.Ekcjm54
3ae“Don’t say such ominous things! Watch your mouth!”F6Xd
4GEQLike proper pirates from the Southern Isles, they were extremely superstitious.t6lZQpz
3TjWjLAt sea, they were brave men.d7jJw
ZAKaBut once their feet touched land, they went back to being nothing more than miserable wretches.uvzb
Pz9zc“We all agreed on this! Steal their belongings and make a fortune!”tefW8i
xDaUrBThose men were fugitives.R9tmbIk
hB0tpPirates by nature, blinded by gold, they had betrayed the job they had been hired for and were fleeing back to the Southern Isles with both the black mages’ belongings and the advance payment.OmaGdy
ep5“When you want to pull off a big score, you have to take risks. And now, take a look at this.”X93oU
hHT8wJkThe leader spread both arms, pointing toward different corners of the warehouse.IaFgVN
MzxhHHPThere were numerous small cages stacked on top of one another, each covered with cloth.eHW9n
x8jWhen he pulled the cloth off one of them, a small, adorable-looking bird appeared, staring at them with huge, tear-filled eyes.obegflA
bZ2y5“Look at these half-spirits! Every single one is worth a fortune! Just imagine how much we’ll make once we sell them after we get home. It’s a lot better than working for those damned black mages!”rgbZSKK
3u9EThey were animals mixed with spirit blood.tyxrltF
1CPRCreatures with physical bodies blessed by spiritual energy, like Emil’s mole or Noir from the prairie.Qs5GaK
FMt26jUpon hearing the man’s frenzied voice, all the captive half-spirits began whimpering anxiously.B9S
8bR“We’ll sell these, go back home, and pull off another big score. You all know it. This compass doesn’t just attract dragons, it also—”oykF
z0U508Creeeak!KGvjF4
QeJThe leader was describing that bright future when the door suddenly opened.TieV5u
cUjAll of the men flinched.vkkIl
6KniGf“…Good afternoon.”0d10
SsuMCzThinking it might be the black mages, they immediately drew their swords.boWlp
zofHowever, the one who appeared was merely a young boy.YcBF
4Vy7mh9“Are you the gentlemen from the Southern Isles?”5PsuSF
6Fnx3It was impossible to tell who had taught him such manners.ymLIK
XY3XHe even removed his cap and gave them a deep bow.Npdl
JvcT6UIOnly then did they get a proper look at him.wSKb2
tjPrNMRHe was a very handsome boy with blond hair and blue eyes.02f8l
FXLo“Brat! At least make some noise before coming in!”Q9hyK6H
LczEAz“Damn… You almost gave me a heart attack.”oYUA
KBYkYOnce they realized he was only a child, the men sighed in relief while placing a hand over their chests.oz0ggTs
hkpX3xHe looked about thirteen or fourteen years old.VExTG
wDIwCYvHis innocent expression made it impossible to see him as any kind of threat.aF5xb2
ke7oh“And who are you? What are you doing here?”PJtKvK
ZU1IQOPerhaps embarrassed that they had been frightened by a child, one of the men stood up and walked over to Emil.qDQ5Jo4
RP8pBHe wore humble clothes.qQR
ZOe0sA completely new sword with no signs of use.YLlfQq
wEiAnd his movements were so awkward that he seemed unsure even where to stand, remaining by the doorway.jys
8Y3“What is it? Are you a rookie?”0Jmk8
UfJkThe pirates, convinced they had already figured him out, burst into laughter.lY2jKf
jAiU“This one’s just run away from home!”bTy9L81
rZkM8“Poor kid. He’s got one hell of a future ahead of him.”GQ8
Xtw9There were countless children like that in the world.N2KE
60dZDJChildren with no inheritance and no one to take care of them.ugMx
xvKe7TsChildren forced to throw themselves into the world on their own.PmBw
1XBhAAnd searching for somewhere to belong, they inevitably ended up in places they should never have gone.JYevhh
quyNx“Well then want to join us?”rrr
S6qCBthThe men’s eyes gleamed as though they had found easy prey.5NIN
2MfdThey could take him along and use him for small jobs.rplT
RU6ACAnd with a pretty face like that, they could probably sell him somewhere too.P0Wtc4E
nR8BnE“You’re lucky. We pulled off a big score not long ago.”mvon
Trp“But that scrawny kid doesn’t even look useful.”97ccQMG
chiThe men mocked him.FRct
HqDaoThey laughed at the boy who would soon fall into the very same pit as them.kL3
4WCgAfter all, few things were as entertaining as watching someone else’s downfall.S4r
Pcvan“Hey! If you want to make a living with a sword like us, you’ll have to kill people too!”dZH48A
OCsHearing those words, the boy, who had remained silent until then, slowly raised his head.NABmie
NNUX8“So you have to kill people too?”ibo87Iy
YwG1p“Of course! What, did you think you could just pick the nice jobs?”HrY
FHK“…Then, gentlemen… have you killed a lot of people?”RYX8Qu
SVMClick.2GUe
KEzThe moment he asked the question, the door behind him slowly closed.30HqQ
bMEAlLCThe boy himself had closed it with one hand.54D7O
Nav5Tgj“Where did you kill so many people? In Sturma? In Varna?”VxD4W1x
0HdAnd so, inside the warehouse once again shrouded in darkness, the boy spoke calmly as he looked at the men.bmGxSB
W0I“Or in Soara?”J8qyc
qCLrTick, tick-tick-tick…NdNqTq4
ipykIn the darkness, the boy’s eyes glowed with an intense blue light.qTSG2DR
KVfiwsAt the same time, the compass began shaking violently.2dY96
xgb8Feeling the needle trembling wildly beneath his clothes, the leader swallowed hard.NGUA
HRbg“K-Kill that bastard!”yly5e
qLJAt his desperate shout, the men flinched and drew their swords.C5EMMVF
x9ONTThe pirates from the Southern Isles lunged at Emil from every direction.Vji
bvSWatching them charge, Emil slowly closed his eyes.Hhs0L
OSxnEw‘…They’re slow.’dsCl2
fd4It was as if the entire world had frozen.T9w
rdcovSAHe had opened and closed his eyes once, yet the swords still hadn’t reached his neck.ZqkPGmb
2IBn‘Istvan… that bastard was much faster.’Fr6
RxW0MHis senses had transcended human limits.TbxDxA3
1rUyyHIt was the dragon’s instinct that had remained dormant within him all this time.KGWwmS
USiiUntil now, it had been confined within the boy’s childish soul.jF2pvmL
S5u3But there were those who had enraged it enough to crack that soul apart.wERa6ZE
8n3“You damned brat!”vW54UX
yrXOne of the men’s swords was already right in front of Emil’s face.Kj8Km0N
FqXkyvYet even with the blade only inches away, Emil merely exhaled calmly.Bwhr
Pmk9‘…’DI543PS
xkydThe entire world surrounded him.HIE5
Dz32sThe salty scent of the sea.New7
3O7CSNeThe cold sensation of the approaching blade.Epk5t
1HW8mThe men’s rough breathing.nTmCVyO
pIHfjEven the faint flickering of the candle’s flame.dMH
43LAnd the dragon’s senses captured the entire scene as though it were a single painting.LkVp
ocUSUThe moment that perception reached its peak, Emil’s pupils split vertically.q0C
JXvOJ8CBoom!hsj
BB0“Ghk!”KV0
cq6His movement was so fast that it left an afterimage.naUizr2
DbRHe deflected the incoming sword, slipped inside the guard of the off-balanced man, and drove his elbow into the man’s temple.O7T
gv9ZGn9“Everyone, be careful!”BArDKo8
FOEl6The man staggered forward from the impact.hbzgKHT
Hn39BUsing him as a shield, Emil shoved him ahead while, at some point, already holding a dagger he had snatched from the man’s belt.dmv1f1
ShW“Light a lantern! That brat is too small…! Aaaagh!”zT20n
5hIA jet of blood erupted from the fallen man’s neck.5KA
KeMHis companion’s blood sprayed out like a fountain, blinding the pirate for a brief moment.hMo2
geXaMWThe man immediately tried to open his eyes.PRL
8E4WcbBut before he could, he felt a terrible chill begin in his shin.ktT
BvIZM“Grrrgh!”vqgjZe
1R5t9FThe blade ran along his shin, climbed up his thigh, and pierced through his side.Xrps
7bpzThe instant he felt the edge, he realized death had already arrived before he could even exhale.2qaDN
V2QBang!k246
5g0ZxhEmil kicked a wooden crate that flew straight into another man’s face.56Hd3
zz5“Ngh!”QymCc9
chtisalThe pirate knocked the crate aside by reflex.QL6dV0R
WEqcBut there was no one behind it.CgfAjZy
xj3jgOnly darkness.KpfKHpM
k84MEven so, he immediately realized something was wrong with his senses.9Lia
96t“Huh…?”5iZ
DknXD8rEverything was spinning.aXnb
pCIHH4The ceiling and the floor kept rotating endlessly.KIcx
hpYjjCeiling.xlAFI2b
yTeFFloor.7Zjs
l9kcDvCeiling.EYHhWdQ
mS96zrqFloor.oPtx
yKaWhen that spinning scenery finally crashed against the cold ground, the man realized what had happened.HqSnG8
CybHis now headless body was slowly collapsing right in front of him.q1I
m4NThud!1ouskeZ
y6QvETogether with the arc of blood spraying through the air, the third man collapsed to his knees without strength.xby9Bi
Yj3ZOnly the group’s leader remained.P5GV
qeq7WzpThe man holding the sinister compass.fO0xfM
u0fN7“Haa… Haaaa…”QmWlY
cn7YTears streamed down the man’s face.OqGAae
iIRUUOnly a short while ago, he had been desperately fleeing from black mages who manipulated death.IG3SG7f
PnMgbIBut the death he had struggled so hard to escape had finally arrived.AgZBi
7gRg8lAnd it came accompanied by the cold blue eyes of a dragon.N8yoAt
apG“You’re lucky. There was something I wanted to ask you.”ogC
AnbqZVhFrom behind the shadows cast by the candle, the boy smiled.uCOlrwZ
sTHYMNo.fUpb
ZYy4QkVHe was no longer just a boy.GWZYLm
ie1AHis vertically slit blue pupils and the compass needle, still shaking as though possessed, made the truth unmistakable.sjIYIu
r06“That compass… where did you get it?”nkq8GLp
00n69WThat child was not just another unfortunate soul who had wandered there by chance.ExGVPr
XgsvQVHe was an avenger who had arrived where he belonged.tBv
SL9Ei6A young dragon that had flown from Soara stared intently at the man.sKaZH
9jH9U94***1kxY
uWjInside the inn, now enveloped by dusk, the mustached man waited with obvious anxiety.Yl3Ee
gCTHjgThe tavern was packed with customers drinking and laughing loudly.iHlM
DoUzlBut the face he was waiting for still hadn’t appeared.Y5Samj3
2A5xPn“That brat, honestly…”ueOJ
nNhOqEmil should have been there.5qpt
HSeeVisBeside him, the freckled young woman was still anxiously explaining that the boy had followed the men from the Southern Isles.QLq89J
8DY“Huh?”nuKfe
II4uOCreeeak…aBfx
ohNWhere should he even begin looking?3vfAR
Hl1piLBAs he desperately considered his options, the inn’s door opened.pCDfB2
H5FSbAnd through it walked the very boy he had been searching for.W193T
zc6v“Brat! Where the hell have you been?”AhZ
Jow4Emil walked in slowly with his head lowered.Qn2N
YyVAbHnThe man shouted at him, but the moment he saw his condition, he was left completely speechless.cLUlb
qx7V4T“Y-You… what happened to you?”3HeUHB
17DMEI3Emil was covered in blood from head to toe.8uiWzr
xA1KiyThe linen coif he had worn to conceal his identity was so soaked in red that he couldn’t even put it back on anymore.EjZ
Lp8HvAnd yet…Gqo
hT8KHis expression was astonishingly bright.PUC
4HeaeR“Ah, you’re back.”Re0
Dxr6zEmil smiled at the man, who was still staring at him in complete shock.eMlm9
awOn0Then he turned toward the freckled young woman.BLtMlak
UI49t“Hey. The bread from earlier was really delicious.”Nkr
Je0It was a smile of genuine relief.j5C
iWqThe dissatisfied expression he had worn just hours earlier had vanished completely.yT5tiCo
ZKSPerhaps because of that, to the young woman, that smile seemed to shine with extraordinary brilliance.s6HmNl
gBJCwZ“Here. This is for the bread from earlier.”EQQDUeJ
AdQHEven the blood staining his face seemed strangely captivating.PUaiXbg
xKoqu“W-Wh… what payment?”rOeC9
bq0Confused, the young woman looked down at the palm Emil had extended toward her.RBXJT3
3PHlResting on it was a gleaming silver coin.W5eM8lB
OpNPi6nFar too much money to pay for a simple piece of bread.yebC
unq1r“Oh, and one more thing… I don’t want to become a mercenary.”t9G
NUNNWFBut what the young woman had offered him had not been just a piece of bread.qt25E
wIid3jW“I want to become a knight.”8bEri6
BA65ZmWithin that silver coin was also the value of the sincere concern she had shown when she told him not to walk down a dark path.nLE
kzmxaFU“And a knight must always pay the proper price.”pPv
cWycmTEThe bloodstained silver coin gleamed in the young woman’s hand.AVy
1KXt6eThat coin was the price of the kindness she had shown Emil.Mdc8pq
UWyFAnd it was also the rightful reward Emil had collected from those wretched lives.dNiw
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