Chapter 31: The Tree of Memories (1)
cB2N3K“Waiting inside.”mDGh
5vW8“I’m ready.”9VnLuK
0huJoseph and the knights follow them inside.6ztOiP
1NQIH“You can wait here.”GVX
NGzY0h8“Okay…”iisnuCJ
rrisVxBut Vlad, the squire, couldn’t enter with them.LJ8krbV
sjKThe door to the room closed with the flutter of Joseph’s cloak.qjv
NTRR1f8This wasn’t a place where Vlad was allowed yet.JWQBtCW
hcIYhAs always, only small things were allowed for the boy.ddDS
URx9G“This is boring.”vghq
lyGpE4hHe didn’t know how long they would talk in there, but Vlad was forced to wait here.wD37Su
yyl76sMUnable to use his time as he pleased.7FXVHzG
hpiThat was the sadness of being chained somewhere.kl0yL
KyF3“Let’s take a look.”iLM
6hipPsFor a moment, the boy was about to revel in a melancholic sentiment, but he shook his head and instead revealed his curiosity about the new place.42GR
RrqjYHe might be bound, but at least he could explore the territory.t8lzCgR
4IOnrMaybe ten steps?pSVhMG
630mCWhenever Vlad entered a new, unfamiliar place, he looked around.AfknnP5
fVytnMPrecisely because of his habit of seeking an exit, a behavior born of the instincts of someone from the streets who had to look out for themselves whenever and wherever they could.nTA4XV
M8XVI“It’s smaller than the Bayezid mansion,” he said.2LPwK
obg0oxHe had noticed it as soon as he entered, but the Deirmar mansion was small, and it also seemed old.iot0
30jMaybe it was a mistake to compare it to the mansion of a powerful count, but even in Vlad’s judgment, who had lived on the streets, it wasn’t a very large mansion.m4kja
lPbIt was the kind of place that could quickly become a nice abandoned house if neglected, although the cleanliness of the place made it not seem so much.sNWN
sIu6pA“I guess not.”Hy0lrrT
ULNZBut Vlad could see it.2dj7i
zZnch9Dust accumulating in the corners of the hallway.Qw6c8S
TB0McOMSmall cracks extending out of sight, indicating that it had been a tumultuous time.FEH
spjI“Hmmmm.”VjnwCH9
2JDsAfter getting a rough idea of the radius he could move in thanks to the servant’s sigh who was waiting for him, Vlad began to stroll through the space he had been given, familiarizing himself with the place.hFZgr2
5TDDUThe hallways were narrow and winding, perfect for getting lost.PD2PPx
g4UbOG8There were wallpapers of different colors everywhere, and it seemed like they had been removed recently.lkTTqb
FD4mAn old maid limps by carrying a bucket, suggesting they have just fired the previous occupants.8cm
aAiD1OdI guess they don’t have money.en2c
rAnQCwKIt was through these things that Vlad, who had to look closely, could guess the situation here.hWB9
gyonrAEThe territory, famous for its lemons, was having financial problems.IpTNk
mBU4ZXB“Are they losing money?”UJMOBW
ZOeCI don’t know what’s going on because they won’t tell me, but the fact that he has traveled here in person suggests he’s trying to get something for nothing.Vq20o
drTdSomething he can report to his father, Peter Bayezid, and build his record on.0NpjRYy
fARKXtBut, at least from what Vlad could see, it was unlikely that shiny gold coins would appear.sQq
9Qf“I’ll manage,” he thought.ZHN
EY2After all, he was just a squire.xVomV
tlAgYou’re in the same boat, but with different roles, so you don’t have to worry about it.j0Hqv
6Dvt1VNot that he deserved to worry.aJR3
CfHg3After a while, he looked around to alleviate his boredom.cXWPlJ
oagiK[Clang-clang-clang]8Sj
zRdThe sword sheathed at his waist made a brief sword sound, calling to Vlad.h4sDssJ
9ZNz“Hmm.”i2Jw
yNTmaTurning his head momentarily to see if anyone had seen him, Vlad saw that there was no one else but the servant, and he grasped the hilt of the sword with a natural gesture.iv2
F1CThe moment Vlad wielded the unadorned sword, he heard a voice that could only be heard by wielding the sword.BZVlzF
TBnoD“It seems like I remember being here.”8sVxjx
LGtkL“Oh…”9zpNdn
kNy4Vlad let out a small sigh involuntarily.HE5N
fFew***uhvL
iFaQRL8“Thank you very much for coming all this way, Sir Joseph Bayezid.”qI2laT
dY7“The call of blood is above all, and when it’s a legitimate crisis of kinship, you must respond.”GMoRuNK
iUfA woman sitting at the highest point of the place.MB05
ZLLDZNq“…”bOFl
dh73qhA young woman with light blue hair sat in a seat only a noble could occupy, looking at Joseph.NzP92L0
18miLIuShe was young and beautiful, but it couldn’t be missed that the clothes she wore seemed heavy, and the seat she was in seemed uncomfortable.PFR9c1I
QACK“Please, convey my greetings to Lady Oksana.”RIVYojC
BgdXz4“Of course.”hrGBf0
Xu42rBetween the two.ZA52OJR
zz9That’s what Alicia and Joseph were, even if they were more than eighth cousins by maternal blood.yRvZf
OFoYpKUIt was a distant if not far-off relationship, but as long as what they wanted and what they could give were in harmony, it was actually just a matter of treaties.h0dNh
TW7UnG3“My father, Count Bayezid, has already given his permission. All that remains is for you to decide.”tXHsvr
wE1PAlicia closed her eyes for a moment as Joseph got straight to the point as soon as the brief courtesies were over.fUWg
BdDNeHer eyelashes seemed heavier today.W9YMXDl
lEybgVResponsibility, fear, and an unknown future.4ZM3R
EIGkWhile Alicia slowly shivered under its weight, the old knight next to her came closer.eUXfL
WKe7Zxr“I’ve already decided.”g52x5
AuAtmSwLooking at the old knight who had offered his sword even when everyone else had turned their backs, Alicia made up her mind.hKYWS
a0YI am the mistress of this place.TbTk
MkHIyv5I must find my place.FKPD
MXcS“It will be as the Count wishes.”BYoOQ7
8JEp“Of course.”0HAD
x8QrAt Alicia’s words, Joseph nodded and smiled.r9HaQ
CenxezThis is the first step of what he has planned.GE2
QjT“Assuming victory in the duel is mine.”af6M
kEVXTyBut the light-haired woman was an imposing person.KhZHr6
O9XMLIn this situation, where everything was a promise, she had not yet cashed in.576
0cO1“You don’t have to worry.”J8sVtG
cOQREYpTo Alicia’s faltering statement, Joseph merely responded with an easy smile.HoEfOr
bKeFki“Because the sword of House Bayezid has always promised victory.”ygn
jGVRCXsAt Joseph’s words, the squint-eyed knight silently sheathed his sword.Feu3Ox2
g5g“…”XHA
8ncaiLooking at the old knight guarding the woman.2Zgl4Ga
FYW87It was only one eye, but the aura within had the kind of momentum that could crush hundreds of eyes.tW1
h6oHCrbThe knight promised his victory with fervor.IMf
vbUqmxFA knight to protect and a knight to take.LqgAQ
0wvE1A woman to give and a young man to promise.jPn
fDhSTa8In the mansion’s largest hall, the gazes of four men intertwined.SYO
Qcq5Ngy***8tnme
w604B6r“Shouldn’t accept it so easily.”aKw87
Onw1Is“She seemed shaky, but she still had her composure as a Baroness.”5ax
65SIO“I agree.”S2I
in7As Joseph walked through the hallway, he reflected on his encounter with Alicia. Judging by her desperate plea for help, he initially thought she was cornered, but she clung to a shred of initiative until the end. It meant she didn’t give up.VDVCJl
vqyz7ra“Nevertheless, our behavior won’t change.”sn95
fQJuSJoseph said, looking at Bordan, who followed him without saying a word.oukidPc
QeDSrId“Do what you’ve planned and get ready.”vaOm
FcRLjFM“Yes, Lord Joseph.”tnCPZ4
TZUhEveryone has a purpose. That’s why Joseph carried Bordan, a sword that cost less than half a coin. When Jager opened the door to the room reserved for Joseph, he saw Vlad waiting there alone.Gp3D
lzlViy“They’ve come.”oQY
46pn9AI“Yes, you must be bored.”6FIlqJ
P8MJoseph sat on a chair in the room, letting out a sigh from the depths of his being.F9ML
1GzDso1“I’m tired.”etOmIj
cvyHe had been traveling for over a week without a moment’s rest. It had been a great strain on his frail body, and now he needed rest.fiB
SOl“Vlad.”vuUji
b1AwJc“Yes, Lord Joseph.”jme65e
LUEhgHnBut he had come all the way from Sturma to Deirmar just to take advantage. Now that the conversation had the effect of confirming their original intentions, it was time to attend to the smaller gains.HLoi
tMO9IS“You will move freely from now on.”isZN5Sg
gYQB98“Alone?”OasCT4
Ica“Yes. You can take that guy named Goethe with you.”wuP
zPpOJoseph indicated that Vlad should move with all the freedom they allowed him and see everything he could.EBafx
qm3ZcDO“Of course, on the day of the duel, you’ll assist Jager.”8Q3rzN
sPMK“With pleasure.”P91z
08fiId9Joseph reflected, watching the boy scratch his head to see if he understood his order. The boy wore the armor his father had given him over the clothes his mother had given him.JKdpz
D2RTj5kSeeing the boy who didn’t hesitate to do what the Masters of the House Bayezid expected of him, Joseph opened his mouth.BKWHEl
TAgW“The less you move, the better. There are not only nobles I must know here, but everyone is watching me.”ai4XLCA
cI2IVCThis was the city of House Heinal, but if one judged simply by stature, there was no one here who could match Joseph, the count of House Bayezid. On the contrary, everyone here, even Alicia, would be expecting a face-to-face encounter with Joseph.0tn5b
8CB9PT1Not only was it impractical, but it was also troublesome for the frail Joseph.091YiT
ooKgxGH“Think about why I brought you here. You can’t even ride a horse yet.”OmLU
y52“…”tXxN3
PWlznThere was a good reason why Joseph had brought Vlad from training when he still had so much to learn.iLj2hQY
52a4RXx“An honorable duel is a spectacle worth watching unless you’re going to see it. Besides, the Honor Duel in Deirmar is a team event, not a single-round duel.”jDt
CjPNormally, an honor duel pitted two swordsmen chosen by their respective representatives, but occasionally, as in this case, it was a team event. A trial that took place within a family, without concrete evidence, only suspicions. And since it was a duel with everything at stake, both Heinals decided to adopt the same approach to deal with this complicated situation.9PBKYe8
cqFPq“Knights from such diverse backgrounds are here in Deirmar right now. Come to see them and feel what they feel.”AL2
m3vgg2“Understood.”nfe1
5IOnIt goes without saying that seeing it once is more memorable than telling it ten times.t5Zf
QVA6uQAnyway, he was a child Joseph was going to raise properly, so he had better broaden Vlad’s world with a variety of experiences if he could, thought Joseph.VsAQ
oGZZi“You’ll have to warm up in the afternoon, so don’t let yourself be foolishly hit.”hKbPzw1
YbVaCx“I’m not that stupid…”Wm36
iVz8FIf Joseph was the carrot, Jager was the whip.fdu
uxyBa1Even when saying something meant as a warning, he always had a thorn embedded.zQnO17
IwCszfo“No. You’ve already lost your trust in me.”bPD
98vjx“…”UdaZC
hMIoZVlad lowered his head, appearing completely defeated by the blow just dealt, but Jager, who observed him, was astonished.83MF
HrjkMmYou bow so much that there’s nothing more to say.zKp
HLmJager knew.QfwXzd
gwTumYPThat the person in front of him, though acting scared, was actually relaxed.N95
Y7C80Jager’s strength would have brought any other squire to tears, but Vlad could only assimilate and understand it.30Q
hnjSlFalse threats couldn’t have any effect on this boy.Sb0V2V
6Ni“Very well. You’ll inform me every night, and if there’s any unusual trend, you’ll let me know without delay.”LT0hIA
s9OZxk“Understood, Lord Joseph.”6fsi
4OdWith Vlad’s course of action now established, Joseph told him to return to his room and rest, as it was late.CQ89w5
wSsVlad left the room, leaving Jager watching him.dLvvRuG
8WUP8Walking through the unfamiliar hallways towards the servants’ quarters, Vlad stopped for a moment.GlokT1D
MphThe bright moonlight shone through a window between the corridors.KlY88H2
EM5GZe6The light revealed a dark hill, accessible only through the mansion.NEN8l
Tjp[I remember those trees].Do4mKG2
Zdq7O5On that hill stood a tree with a very thin branch.nqKQ
5LeThe voice, not even knowing who it was, said it remembered that tree, standing in the moonlight.xsQOK
SrQVdjIt was spring in full bloom, but the evenings were still cold.YG0gSD
g56r0JUYet, for some reason, Vlad felt warmth, looking at the tree standing there on the hill.kdlY
OamXenThe branches, swayed by the breeze, seemed to greet him.tQExo
kHQ1“It’s been a while since I had a place to pray.”pgO21
RKw62pThe boy made a pact with the moon as a witness.APXu
amnJybGive me a sword.GN5
PJ6vfI give you a memory.wkok
fxR9SDYou have taken, and now it’s your turn to give.M89HjBu
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