Chapter 40: Give and Take (3)
oy8gmsAll the unwanted guests have departed, and now the only guests remaining in the mansion are Joseph’s people.tTZGyt
z9VfJ8HThe true guests are only the Bayezids from the north, and Alicia has organized a farewell ceremony for them on the day of their departure.vCY
UzR3ofIn essence, she would have offered them a grand banquet, but the Heinals were only just now repairing the rift.k7loHc
B9cYJoseph, who knew the circumstances, dropped a hint in advance, and Alicia was able to organize it without pressure.0tkS3h
TT5xSG“Vlad of Soara, Bayezid’s squire, please come forward, Lady Alicia.”uxEd41t
a85TcGAt Duncan’s call, the still bandaged boy took a step forward, looking a bit nervous.2df
A4zTBecause Joseph or Jager. He hadn’t heard anything from either of them.cUoQ0yP
abJ5qy“Get on your knees… not to the left. That’s it, on your knees.”u0S
psoVlad glanced at Duncan and knelt down carelessly as a sign of agreement.7HBG
3opzs2Alicia smiled at the still innocent look on the boy’s face.fW8WyYF
6580V9A part of her wanted to tease him a bit more, but she had to fulfill her duty.vuY5dS
sTnxG“Thank you very much, sir. Vlad of Soara. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for you.”aF6
XJkjIThere was a small murmur in the room at the small ceremony that only Alicia and Duncan had discussed.rfRG
q4jbRP“You defended my honor and brought light to a duel plagued with deceit, and no amount of gratitude will ever be enough, so please.”3IOq
PHYiThe price of borrowing from Jager had already been generously paid.95iLA7
JBDofBut Alicia wished to repay the boy herself.CztXQ
83f7It was dramatic, and she was grateful.qSYo
sxaUME8From her dress, Alicia pulled out a folded handkerchief.EZwGpBS
g2FvA handkerchief of purple fabric, embroidered with golden thread.oCoOM
77RVf2By its appearance, it was evident that it was made of the finest silk, as it reflected the light impeccably.vxLgNAA
2oN“I wish to entrust you with my name, to a man who was not a knight but was more honorable than a knight. Vlad Of Soara.”tI0FiPu
scW801v“!”8cbgL
tUGXpHeinal’s vassals watched in astonishment as Alicia handed the boy a handkerchief with her name, but Joseph, who had been listening, nodded silently.PLwhh3P
03B“Hmm.”Q2Rf
K8TFBecause he realized what Alicia intended by giving Vlad the handkerchief.WTGisi
Iwy9jQAs expected… she is a smart woman.90O
q3IUShe wants to demonstrate her connection with Bayezid and Heinal by having a prospect named Vlad.1X5f
hZGFuIt’s the best way to show gratitude and take advantage at the same time.qHL
b4NPOf course.I5T1aol
jQhJAZJoseph had every right to be unhappy with the ceremony that was organized without his knowledge, but at least it wasn’t a loss, so he let it unfold.ALrBNe
SizjD02If he had known what would happen a little later, he would have intervened.pvdvgp
vFRPH“…”0k9Lfvs
d6pPVlad thought as he watched Alicia trying to hand him her handkerchief.9tmT
wSjnHhh“If a noble gives you something, you must accept it. That is common courtesy.”jkVzXT2
dPoJager’s words echoed in Vlad’s head.wWB
ssfMlM‘I can’t mess it up again.’qWe5R
JbunjDHow he had been punished for not accepting the peanuts Rutiger had offered him upon arriving at the Bayezid mansion.jomoJ
gLUWYSo, it would undoubtedly be disrespectful to her not to accept the handkerchief now.1ohZK
pZOHe might be beaten by Jager again.2en
2Sq3“Thank you. Lady Alicia.”esvnLD
oc4lQOSo, he took it.ihQ4y9
eW48jWith both hands, politely, with the best manners he knew.ZR7mjQ
bvd“…!”G7nQ
uOpIt came out so naturally that no one stopped him.6SN
urkGAlicia couldn’t hide her surprise as she watched Vlad take the handkerchief with both hands.og16UB
WqX9Q3X“…?”ooS
fknZVlad was puzzled, looking at the aquamarine-haired woman who blushed more and more.0G3
AQtrZOo“Well, that… that’s not right.”zAUyz
RoL8Next to him, the face of the elderly knight Duncan contorted, and he began to stutter.eNK
xEw9Gm“Uh, uh. I see. I hadn’t realized.”Kwi
YkliFfEven Joseph sighed, realizing his mistake.IaF
3rPJIkThe boy who had grown up on the streets had little knowledge of the noble world.iSrBh8L
VpUntXQ“Is it… okay?”y8S
ydFcwUncertain of what to do with a simple handkerchief, Vlad just rolled his eyes.jJL
VpdZ2pA handkerchief with Lady Alicia’s name.F10OX
SafBGVThere were two ways a lady could hand over a handkerchief as a symbol of her favor.EXWbOTk
tzFBy tying it to the tip of her sword.wAV4uKQ
lGApw9VAnd by passing it from hand to hand.GRBb6a2
AOqFVlad had just received his name through the latter method.hVEMG4
Q0i5w***0lmz
hdaqLeaving Deirmar and returning to Sturma.sz3k5la
dUEZ23“….”cGjr
o3AZISeated in the carriage, Joseph couldn’t suppress the boisterous laughter from earlier.4sIn7R
Ur57Zl“It’s been a while since I felt so amazed. Of course, it’s all my fault.”embJ
kaVm“…I apologize.”FqhQE0S
oeNVlad, now aware of the situation, hadn’t been able to lift his head since he got on the carriage.7Hi9v
H0VuNIt was a mistake for which he had no words.rDMy1
dULW“What’s with you and the peanuts the other day, and why do you make such a fuss every time you’re given something?”QuiWpjU
ZbS0jJager, on his horse next to the carriage, growled at Vlad as if he had been waiting for this.dJKZ
hmz3“I didn’t know…”HZKe
XaL7eoo“Why did you grab it with both hands when you were on your knees?”Srru03E
uRCfRs“Because aristocrats… shouldn’t move?”B9FEyKa
zBH“Haa…”tOIj
wiHJager rubbed his temples and grunted forcefully from his horse.HkrOIam
yhwKHe couldn’t blame him for not knowing in the first place.3po1
BVAl9He did what he was told, so there was nothing to say about it.jXe59
OMZ2It just burned inside him.mrHbe
4gBULJQOnly now did Jager realize that it takes pain and patience to cultivate something properly.F1CU6Z
j1HiI8k“Just look at me first when you receive something from nobles in the future! Understand?”eEnkIc
LFA6D“…”tqWXXJJ
30TLKVVlad could only nod at Jager’s insistence.LRZ8gq
6fK3h2mReceiving a handkerchief with a lady’s name meant two things.yGGi7yx
70fpOne was honor.iXif34S
dfkHThe other was love.pKgW
yymHIiKThe swordsman who received honor extended his sheath, and the lady handed it to him with a handkerchief hanging from it.VyNfnoo
2T3IBVIt was a gesture so simple that a mother could give it to her son.82Nq
Zju6jncHand-to-hand, however, was different.NcHmmR
279wP7wIt was just a sign of support for a loved one.p56sS
0Cl“People in this territory won’t have to worry about making a living for a while.”cit
3mV5BYgJoseph rubbed his tingling temples from the longest laughter he had let out in a long time.p3L9o4
ZnHc“In any case, congratulations on your promotion to the rank of quasi-knight.”0eC7h
SRNMo“Knight?”y2g
ynjOyVlad repeated, sensing the weight in Joseph’s voice when he said the word.u5J6L0
ZO4u“Yes, since you are a knight honored by the noble Lady Alicia, you will be treated as a knight, at least where your name is known.”bKOAjZ
KEEgfA knight…34geZ
IAUA knight!cGRdK
ZAzC30BVlad’s blue eyes lit up as if for the first time in his life.TSf
9MD7“Well, she just became a baroness, so I guess her name is only recognizable in Deirmar.”9owZ
HIf9n“If…”labTAz
vO0That’s why it’s called a quasi-knight, not a knight.eBjMGvg
PnK5oEThe emotions that threatened to overwhelm him quickly cooled.DLPK
YvhN‘It won’t be that easy.’5iuhU3n
23mVlad had met so many great knights in his life that even if they named him a knight now, he wouldn’t take it seriously.7Mp
ZoggHe knew he was still far from being in their league.Vkw
FKaTF“Tsk.”u3V2
Yw4B8Vlad toyed with the handkerchief Alicia had given him, nostalgically.rkJ
mNexDIt was soft and pleasant to the touch.6g423X
IqLQk“It was a mistake when you received it, but now that you know what it means, you must never lose that handkerchief.”9hVPCya
VWsyR“What if I lose it?”RWnCO
yvFxBeIn response to Vlad’s innocent question, Joseph shrugged.fNBK
t2o“Just have to live with it. You made it possible by grabbing it with both hands.”7A0ZhX6
7d0DP“It’s better not to lose it…”1mB0
Hc31DHrUpon hearing Joseph’s response, Vlad buried the handkerchief Alicia had given him deep in his chest.RFo2Xe
XHPbtT4It was the first time in his life that he received something that had to be handled with care, and it started to feel unnecessarily heavy inside.qUx
PUI“Well, it’s been a crazy way to end, but I guess I won’t need it now that you’ve done your job.”STliv84
8Q1HJoseph pulled out a piece of paper and waved it in front of Vlad’s face.mAA
zeFtIt was a piece of paper with rough handwriting.bwjQtF
c5ZeMSp“Once again, I appreciate your work. You’ve saved me a lot of trouble.”fdhmlnC
KLUJJSn“What’s that?”ROU
wqcGhVlad asked, and Joseph handed him the now useless piece of paper.dTAjF
PnndUMEIt explains the essence of the case and tells us what position the boy held.nyG
ZO6NGpAIt’s like a lesson for Vlad but also a reward.CjX
v9qv“Just in case you lose a duel.”VHk
7UNtV5“Ah.”DlvYP
O21Taking the paper from Joseph’s hand, Vlad remembered the day’s events.yAL26RQ
92AxgrEJoseph had asked him to hold on for ten minutes.H05tp7
JVRI8He said he had something in mind.xlrs
xJcVqP“For…?”Mb33F3
LnhVlad groped to read what was written on the paper now that he had learned to read thanks to Haven.QGJaKqk
hav“Nevertheless, congratulations on learning to read.”brfvhAQ
skC5ARs“Thank you.”o9r
TAdtFVlad returned the compliment to Joseph and looked down at the signature line at the bottom of the loan certificate.OfT3v
NtwQGhS“Alicia?J1MZJzw
M8WThe borrower was Alicia Heinal.jpOL63
cLLkThe amount is.Y3FM7
T87aGrI“Ten thousand gold!”PMH
EimySSVlad’s eyes widened at the staggering sum, and he looked at Joseph.Oe6
qu1uZHis lord, sitting in front of him, was smiling from ear to ear.nc9Dy
Flt“It was a way to secure her soldiers in case she lost a duel. Although she didn’t actually borrow them.”L3DRfMB
1eSA7Grasping the paper from Vlad, Joseph continued.PMJG4F
SYfMN“Alicia was supposed to surrender if she lost all her status.”p0OK
dlSUeIf Alicia had lost to Endre, she would have died.qqrZZGD
X8tY0Endre wouldn’t have wanted to leave even a little of a legacy.r0kM7
8HMjr8That’s why Joseph had made a point to secure her enlistment in the first place.KEv3mb
5JYtgPAnd the power to enforce it.Lshasc0
Ox3ds“Is there any reason to bring Lady Alicia…? I thought you knew that if you lost the duel, you would lose your right to the throne.”pEDacOJ
yaK6HhThe boy asked, feeling a strange sensation that saying her name would make him unnecessarily affectionate.7BKj
N2JQOZu“That’s true.”iwXk
vryaHJoseph said, putting the paper back between his arms.pwbzcV
oGYTppl“But a cause is like an ember hidden in ashes, something that can flare up with the right wind.”Z3RovOn
XFOJMEven if Endre had become the new baron of House Heinal, Joseph would have felt great pressure if Alicia were in the hands of Bayezid.xqD8
ca8j4JA cause is a cause.WvGnf
1pXSTIt was an arrow that could fly at any moment.vfqdnjM
uZC4JY“I see.”PjpwPRj
ruKRjPThe boy, who understood a bit of the world of nobles, was impressed.Q0vcY
CEoJNow he understood why nobles lived by the order of the law.bURTG
FfpJ“So, I guess I’ll end up dueling with Lord Pablo again after all?”gA2V9kr
zv1aBu“…Really?”eJkXin
R61N9TlFrom what Vlad had just learned, Endre was still alive, so the embers of succession were still alive.deb3Nh
krYWIf so, someday he might face Pablo de Arnstein.Y2p
azNinWith that thought in mind, Vlad turned to Joseph, but the response he received was somewhat of a tepid half-question.wedMq
TD9kVG8While Vlad was perplexed by Joseph’s response, Jager suddenly appeared at the window.dF2QXQj
1SROvgI“Lord Joseph. Unidentified people are approaching.”fBlZ
MsL“What color are they dressed in?”84DpV9E
9R3mBf“They are dressed in black and have blue scarves on their forearms.”X41Ybgv
ociFnkUpon Jager’s report, Joseph nodded and commanded.R9692
cJ9OSmE“Good. Send a signal.”1Gz
iiYixe“Yes.”zocMc
QZESIUpon hearing Joseph’s order, Jager signaled Bordan with a gesture.MguY
QkVsPeevish-.xEd
t2a8FuThe old, chubby knight took out his whistle and blew it as hard as he could.XmWA
p5QkRhIt was a thin, piercing sound that only a trained ear would recognize.wrPb
WVrf3Peeeeeeep-.Qjdvy
ajtUOr at least Vlad, with his sharp sense of hearing.bvh
x0al“There’s a response.”nRGG
yooKi“Yes. And you ended up using it for something else.”cJX3m
bt0uW“…?”JLAoNV
hCMVlad, unable to join the conversation, looked at the two alternately, astonished.7wADP4
bQpmzuIn the distance, men in black began to gallop towards them on horseback.M1M
Z3VEHZThe men headed towards them in the blink of an eye, as if they were watching the road.HkSy5k
57jqp“Lord Joseph, we’ve been a bit delayed trying to settle scores.”7FIe6Z9
oy2KW“Good work.”b3VYM
EbH2TymOne of them, who seemed to be the captain, approached the carriage without any inhibition and handed Joseph a black bag.aZa3
DhAy“Hmph, is that it?”jV4c1
RNP49ut“Yes.”MYPjgE
zDSWHIn“The word has already spread in the territory.”VBlq
S7WtsIN“Well, at least be kind to me later.”FZVr0ky
6b5ynU4While the stranger chatted nonchalantly with Joseph, Vlad realized he had an ally but couldn’t hide his nervousness.VCGTTt4
oy7wU“…”oTQF
i23WVlad is finally in his own world.5lB
MawQtSo for a boy with new sensations he had never felt before, the man in front of him had enough momentum to make him feel danger.ROp0
Y5DK5sVThe scars on his face.TZUOfFY
3BzGraCThe scent of danger in the air.hYM
0FFuQMy instincts told me.4g69nA
BGQYou couldn’t play with the man in black.4NA
jKa3nn“Do you want to come with me?”SCw9Tt
2nV“I think we should head back a bit earlier.”Kbu5nCv
GIccmsP“It’s a shame, thanks for your efforts.”jcjJ55c
nlGRcC“I was just fulfilling my duty as the Sword of Bayezid.”pQn
JwgAt a signal from the scar-faced man, the men in black began to move in disciplined movements.sJM3NNK
PkyN7They looked like an army in their precision.6Ayc
3j1“Hmph. Seems like they were eager for a duel.”GnGV
mr2sL5“What?”egb
JdB8IZEWhile Vlad was worried about the men who had entered and exited so abruptly, Joseph opened the bag given to him by the man in black and gave a subtle smile.p3Gnfq
bt59l“I guess I’ll have to come up with an excuse other than a duel to see your lady again.”MyFg2
83fLX“…..”OxP1
jJa7fLyVlad felt the chill in Joseph’s jest.upyjIv
duYIt was a sensation he was used to feeling in the alleyways.Hyx
u83xMCautiously, Vlad opened the bag Joseph had handed him.cNl1F
e6YRtA familiar smell accompanied by moisture.Ke3C
l5NPTG“…I suppose so.”eZI
LWLInside the black bag that the boy opened was the world of nobility.QHlWaxT
xjvzU2The world of cold.cbh
uLlXBrutal.DqvO6De
DAiKFAnd also a world…fY4
QMdrieRelentless.CqP5WD
hscEndre, the man who mocked Bayezid.gSnc6T
EH4QoHis head was there.p84Xp
UiKocpNWith wide-open eyes.GQU83v
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