Chapter 43: A vacation that doesn’t feel like a vacation (3)
v92“Ugh.”X7rdY
w4ORA middle-aged knight, helplessly leaning against a wall, coughing up blood.Hels
9WfbzlvAs he collapsed slowly, only a lamentable trail of black blood remained behind him.hRba
QHSThe sweat dripping down his face weighed down the corners of his eyes, but the knight tried to stay awake.N38W
CtwIt was all over, but he was the one forced to witness the end.udev
6MDHJab-jab-jab9sc
5DltS9OThe man heard the sound of someone walking towards him.SOvn
3RAdNLBlurry vision, buzzing in his ears, and distant shouts.a9rFQAJ
zMiMixed with these things was the sound of approaching footsteps, silent yet unsettling.dcQ
heQfBB“Have you been here?”tOyJKF
BYyK“…You made it here, after all.”MxHhs9
1V31ljcNow, a mansion dyed red with blood.lnd9
1uEAThe knight whose duty was to protect it looked at the man who had traversed the hallway.FinVs
FOisGWhat one sees in the last moments of their life is only…srY73l
J03Z9It can only be death.lNUzxw4
lgXw2jr“My lord’s honor comes first… Cough, when you say your honor is second, I don’t think you mean you just follow orders.”UooWn
jD5“My lord’s honor is second…”vvJi
PBnfVThe blue glow of moonlight entered through the hallway window.vKJ
9GbVICThe man standing silently beside it only listened to the last words of the slowly collapsing knight.cIH
4BNRsc“The knights of Count Gaidar were not like this.”ppQgx1u
eTQFmF“That’s why they all died…”VFCdC
yz6eA sword, shining in the moonlight, entered my increasingly faint vision.nY6
4S0iIt was a beautiful light, out of place here.lFxZJ
UArwu2H“That light, too, will eventually die.”g1CZ
3g15“…..”Hht
VrJvWith those words, the moonlit blue knight raised his sword high.3QsSFdp
DE6BThe backlight of the moonlight made it impossible to see his expression, but you could almost tell.bR4Rqn
HRo“…Godin. Deliver this to Count Gaidar.”vsr
X59hJvPWinners above, losers below.SVQN
dwZ8xF6“I’ll be waiting for you in hell.”H896H
Gs67hC1Fuuk-.ev0
0m7yUAll according to the decision of the victor.5QPIz
2IYsVsXRed blood dripped down the white hallway.cQ8Yt
Bywdisg“…I will.”mkD4uDp
zWIYlA mansion somewhere that had been filled with screams moments before.HAQJt
HLFNow, it was silent, bathed in the blue light of the moon.wq4bMA
THIEverywhere the moonlight shone, the screams were painted red.NwAtJBy
fIHs***nQl6V
ERpJWA boy rested his face on the carriage window sill, looking outside with a disgruntled expression.GLlmpG
J3Lf“When will we arrive?”u3oEr
bYei“We’re almost there.”V8gdCU
z99E1c“You said we were almost there a while ago.”yVkQt3
qhvn“….”sElx
mje7xVlad was annoyed.qR2Fs
lqs6mbXHe knew his home was in Sturma, and he would reach it in half a day, no matter how long it took.XJ1iM2e
LQucMBut instead of half a day, Vlad had to leave Sturma and travel for one more day.FNAdd
Dzr1MfThis was a punishment for Vlad, who was already tired of traveling by carriage.NTWr
tYaClV“At this time of year, our whole family goes to the summer house. The meadow grass is sprouting.”OzrMxjw
z6o“If we were going to the countryside, you should have told me from the beginning.”3SRDbOj
3AxHnz6“I’m sorry….”4wq1SJW
HAYBBut what’s done is done, so what can you do?6J72yvD
10P6fuUPortly’s family had now moved to a villa outside the city, not within Sturma.Qz6O
pEZFThere, they would enjoy it much more, explained Portly, but Vlad was only annoyed that two days of his precious vacation had been spent traveling.23l
nEUP“Oh…”uC2b
Hwi“I hope you like the scenery; I wanted to show you this.”kBpdX
fFHqnBut that feeling didn’t last long.rZiPKMl
1RNFxIndeed, Portly was right, and after just one hill, Vlad’s eyes were filled with a completely different sight.kDvi
vxUqMeadows as far as the eye could see.EvbF
cj1VzvSEven Vlad, who had his face glued to the window sill, was stunned by the coolness of the scene.P4Jjn
9jj3“If…”TTd
lG5O6PVlad couldn’t help but marvel at the scene before him.SaMyUy
2Mf8JIt was the transition from spring to summer.IwE
1cI8uEverything was green, and the grass poked its head in response to the warmer weather.gwvL
amalUVHWith few trees, the meadows stretched to the horizon, and Vlad felt like he was in the middle of an ocean of a green field.SRF
A5qF“The meadows here extend to the front of Varna. Normally, monsters appear from time to time, but this winter is cool after Lord Joseph’s monster slaughter, so we shouldn’t have to worry about that.”yCXG
WDVNw“Really?”C4Zr2Q
aUM“Yes. You know, what you said you did.”HMeZ3
Hl8fQd“Oh. That.”0Y6MKEW
CWy9Every action has an intention.HEyjw
glsaTrYI realize that my first encounter with Joseph that winter day last year was to make sure the meadow would be safe to use.IB9F5h
a95S“So I have something to do with the landscape.”OiusU6
C5AVlad felt a vague pride, as if he had participated in creating this lush meadow.p9k
NJRuinP“I want to shout.”WLrx
UPo“I understand. I want to do that sometimes too.”X1V5DB
AoFetsMA world of intense green that makes me want to slam the door and run out.PQOaY
iNLFeeling like he knew what it must be for the horses frolicking in the distance, Vlad stuck his face out of the carriage and opened his mouth wide to breathe in the rushing air.7dt42PI
w4yd4fi“Aaaahhhhhhh-!”hxwZT
EdOK“…Yes. I understand.”UvR
S6WaThe boy’s scream echoed strongly in the middle of the meadow.sn6Z
Sw1gAfter a lifetime of darkness and confinement, all Vlad wanted was to unleash himself with a constant flood of fresh emotions.pORTzc
4y871***AmNIAKY
2iCMFKAs a buoy in a green sea, the country house announces its presence with various colors.s6zcd
oqu2iiIIn front of it, someone greets a carriage.B3TB
vIpNWO“He’s my family’s butler.”Xnp2
I3jU“Oh. A butler.”Plqa2g8
rr7WKZI thought he was a relative because he greeted me so amicably, but he’s a butler.5tpr
AX70H“Do you have such a big house that you need a butler?”t9DQ4r
aSgJEUF“We have a total of two butlers in the family.”S1YRW7
Ycuor6“…Really?”bYw
ErKThe Kannor House may not be a noble family, but it holds its share of influence in Sturma.1L2
PfXhoOwI befriended Portly with that in mind, but the wealth of the Kannor House was beyond the imagination of a street-raised child.MVugFd
0P8H6j“Long time no see, Butler!”9rQ20S
MbEksbg“It has indeed been a while, Young Master.”4O5z
RMC5KYPuppies, regardless of their size, were always eager to be embraced by their masters.UWRufv
P3LRcw1And right now, Portly was a perfect example.Bs7
83NJ9USomehow, the old butler’s legs trembled as he held the chubby puppy.qwvD1
uA0TFwu“And my father?”UdM
XxbyPortly, the younger son of Kannor, was apparently very dear to the house, judging by the way he spoke with the butler.J2M
zfwegQBut no one else besides the butler had come out to greet the guest, even though Vlad, who had been eagerly awaiting their arrival, was right in front of him.g6bN
LjZ“Well…”gmA
etiHsckExpressing his embarrassment with a bitter smile, the butler asked Vlad to forgive him.QNg
d6Ha7i“My lord is busy receiving our unexpected guests… So why don’t you take a look at our family home first.”CnP
oYzYou have an unexpected guest.3VZqEQY
F42CMRdSeeing the butler’s puzzled expression, Vlad responded with indifference.Pji
plM6oJ“Whatever.”G1ikShJ
V3wxMIt was almost rude to ask him to wait, as another guest had arrived, but Vlad didn’t mind.c0c
MORxg“Thank you for your consideration.”NAZ
MJ7GFSeeing Vlad, the wrinkles on the old butler’s face widened.g3E
q3XzTIv[Well done, a generous heart will return a favor someday.]S3zS4E
w25‘…I didn’t mean that.’XIXg
iH7Vlad replied quietly as he heard the voice.vCor
D7fWKJQWhen had they treated him well?b61
CVaEven now, though he had faded into the background, it would be a dream compared to what it had been.SaUJlxX
G9cAnd if you expect to be treated well for what you did in Deirmar, you’re going to be slow-witted and stiff in whatever you do.XMQpkjy
9zkSo the boy decided to be as bold as possible in everything he did.XqQw
nLiNh“I’d rather see the horses first. I have high hopes.”X3sloff
rmVhaa“Of course, the lord himself will introduce you to the really expensive ones, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a preview of the rest.”toN
l440zInstead, I’ll have to find and eat the ones that allow me.52sS
3YiVMake concessions but never lose; that had been the boy’s life until then.GGVX
e5vgDKV***CRCwgCO
6SZLnmXHeeeeeeeeeeeee-ing1lu8Q
Bxn¡Thump, thump, thump!Qjcg8hI
HFL“….”yrkSTrR
EdXkk“….”9J5s
ClTiCows, horses, and sheep. And dogs.Orkp
Otj31PAll the animals in the meadow had seen Vlad, and they were scared, fleeing.t2vfatj
CHdtJ“…This can’t be serious.”eowZev
6Q6Portly and Vlad had seen it coming, but the old butler, who had never seen anything like it, was beyond belief.XwXDkL
C7aj“Have you ever been to… church?”8HCfukt
tKUKua“Yes, my identity is endorsed by Father Andreas.”99yxfgS
vxo“Oh, my apologies.”ADx
i78W7The deacon, who had asked if you were cursed or something, could only bow his head at the name that came out of Vlad’s mouth.2KP
y5yV3FAs the butler of the Kannor family, whose lineage had been dedicated to farming and livestock for generations, he was an expert with animals.AoU4s
GkPGBut he swore he had never seen horses and sheep flee from someone like they were doing now.nDgp
UT4pPQI can’t even ride a cow.2xbvXq
jfqYVWhether the old butler next to him seemed surprised or not, Vlad could only stare blankly at the empty enclosure.pm1b
wYDgGoethe had jokingly suggested that maybe he should try riding a cow, but even that seemed impossible now.GtWWwg
baJyVlad felt dejected.GT9
5fT“….”1TWQzM
ZIG082Portly, watching the scene, felt sorry for him and reassured Vlad.ZrM
k96“Go see all the ones on our ranch; there might be one for you.”nPKji
fkzverI’ll show you all the guys here.7oxjIL
EFbI’ll show you each one of them, fighting, riding, working, killing, whatever.JAzwgO7
qemFh“But I’m sure there’s at least one that will follow me, right?”MaAA
iJLdV5“Of course!”ZXvFd4
oR6But promises don’t always come true.bnx84
BCs8dOGStill, there were a couple of people tracking the ranch, just in case, but they were too busy trying to avoid Vlad.xQP
RdaXBlMeanwhile, the beloved butler had a hard time.aAky5d
eX96eC“Still, I never thought it would be this bad…”Io9Zhr
TQnJuXVlad had been prepared for this to happen, but now that it was happening in front of him, he was going crazy.FzW
ivVKIt felt as if the handful of hope he had left was being crushed.51KL
CQ9rIt doesn’t matter if he can use aura.XNg
VqoBHe can’t even ride a horse.SsK5WI6
wtij3“I’ll be walking, eating dirt, while everyone else is going on cool rides and stuff…”Twrk
aPdSexz“I still have some good horses that my father brought me…”PFKhh4
ZBV0rG8But he would need to get the lord’s permission to bring them back.MRTy0
AoXW0jVlad returned to the cabin with a heavy heart, his hopes fading away.olI
Os0Vug4The day’s sun, sinking on the horizon, only dyed the slumped shoulders of the young man in red.WcaOod0
Agrs7Eg***uSTdT3
2UX0“Tadak-tadak-tchik-”UWT
V6yZgyp“….”AJRBq
3wYuafUpon entering the restaurant, Vlad was left dumbfounded. Meats relentlessly roasting over braziers tended to by servants. The warmth of the room heated Vlad’s heart and lifted his spirits.s6NjV
JKK2RI’m glad to be here.hPIGP
RMVmEAlthough he had complained about the distance from the carriage, Vlad sincerely thought the same as he beheld the scene now.lwPMF1
EFAITIt had been worth it.Eh3
dhFAw“Welcome, and I apologize for not being able to greet our honorable guest in person!”Eob
zFO5oVlad stood stiff as a board in front of the rotating meat, rolling his eyes.dUnvMd
TdEbOrsen Kannor, the head of the Kannor House and Portly’s father, patted the boy’s back with a thick hand, seemingly amused by Vlad’s carefree reaction.P8kVv
w52j“Nice to meet you, Vlad, squire of House Bayezid.”AVyrXf
Csn“I know, I know; rumors about you are already spreading all over Sturma!”qFjFCQN
CBwMPOrsen Kannor smirked as he watched Vlad bow, a gesture he had learned from Countess Oksana.zlktD
r8aBEIIt had been a long time since the boy invoked the discipline of the Sword Master.pKU
F1gcWLEThe people of Sturma, upon learning that the boy was in their city, spoke of Vlad with a certain pride.s4up
iZmmThe birth of a new star was always welcomed.sgzrGC
e6UV‘Looks like Portly has made a friend!’3fkma
mbGOrsen Kannor’s stomach growled, even though he hadn’t eaten, as he looked at the lanky boy before him.WFD1b8
L30WiAHe had been concerned about Portly adapting to life in Bayezid’s mansion, but the sight of the boy in front of him made his worries fade away.Iujhv
ljEvJ2iHe looks so clean, trustworthy, and, above all, like he wants to be given a lot of dry food.Wu53cx
COo0AZ“Sit down,” he said, “for it’s been a long time since I heard a Sword Master talk about discipline!”mnf0
fNErVVlad observed Orsen’s behavior, trying to deduce his disposition from his alley habits.fIsBVm
cN4VThere was sincerity in his gaze and behavior, and an air of dignity in his broad smile.fYQDA
wpXgxAHe had the air of a hospitable man, and judging by his eagerness to attend to guests, he seemed quite outgoing.WLRw7KO
Q5NV0vXIn other words, he seemed like the right kind of person to do business with.Qfk7df
4MX“I’m very happy to own this house, as today we have very distinguished guests!”Eh6
ksLKWhile Vlad listened to Orsen’s words, he remembered that he wasn’t the only guest here today.zC7w8
5vF“Do you have guests from other places?dY3xVZ
8bhVlad was unfamiliar with the norms of noble or wealthy families, so he could only assume that the owner of this place would know.QEtT
oFAy“Besides, everyone here is from Bayezid, so that’s an advantage!”UrnVcEw
z9ZcCYz“Bayezid?”uk1
yvTZAVlad scratched his head upon hearing that the other guests were also from Bayezid.TzqCgr
Pam4GKIt was then that Vlad realized the identity of the other guests and followed Orsen to his seat.Eox6r9F
XYZilpI“….”Dhg
qcgyTheir strength.l0Cukn
kyIodSMen with a strong aura, too, with a refined sense of momentum.AZUO
VGTKVlad might have held his head high when he knew nothing about them, but now that he had glimpsed the world, the strength they exuded was overwhelming.3nZpx98
oSRFoczAnd then there was the man sitting in the midst of them, looking at him as if he owned the place.r46ijL
Viwc24bThe man with familiar dark hair smiled at Vlad.kncK
CIBX“Long time no see, how have you been?”ILt6
aZZngzSThe man resembled his master, but instead of dark tones of sadness, he wore a confident smile.HF1yu
lJ2“I didn’t know I would be in a place like this, Lord Rutiger.”W94Vh
Eet0sRutiger Bayezid, the eldest son of House Bayezid.TxnU
MO2T7He was smiling at Vlad.dtrkF5
il8A“I don’t know if you’re allowed to eat with me today, but these are too good to pass up.”KoJPK1
qCNBefore Rutiger could finish his sentence, the knights sitting beside him began to grow furious.0KD
w56zwiUAnd rightly so.SiUGtxH
85xlThe brat who had rejected his lord’s favor was sitting in front of them.pxaO8bl
Hk84DJ“…..”6uQX4
eaRcRutiger grimaced, pointing his thumb at the whole roasted pig that kept turning endlessly behind him.3Bmpl
ubB6I5ELooking at him, Vlad thought.yLTv2WY
Y5reMdISo why insist on eating peanuts?oMSoaYm
oNV3TFor a man with such fierce momentum.LI8
Q01W“…I’ll be fine today.”4tIKuj9
CCTBut Vlad didn’t lower his head, even though he shivered.ZJX4O
fPrLsHe just looked ahead, decisively gripping the fork in front of him.Y82
Qypq“I was looking forward to it too.”0oXi7IA
kGsf“…Really?”hmtn5PZ
8qXRutiger smiled slyly as he saw the boy staring at him with fierce blue eyes.gXQ
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