Chapter 44: Moonless night (1)
kIt5rkFA convent in the stillness of the morning.33xyU73
NBPSThe sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the gray stone floor of the refectory.wXGNb
Soc“There’s a squire who made a name for himself in House Bayezid.”3EkMx
p1Mda“I heard he was able to use Aura in Deirmar.”6wP1S
04VSNAlthough the convent was made of gloomy gray stone, the atmosphere wasn’t as heavy as it could have been with the chattering of young girls who had not yet become nuns.pvg4rLU
ypkdiYrMoreover, the rumors circulating at that time in the convent were enough to lighten the mood.Iw34
tcAB“But have you heard that the squire is incredibly handsome?”Pbf
Nlgrw“Blond hair, blue eyes. Maybe he’s from a noble family?”fwoc
XZvv8There was a lot of talk about someone who sparked the rosy imagination of the young girls.XUfjm
QtIBTqE“Blond?”32loPO
LTR1boThe red-haired girl, crouching and brushing the floor, heard the nostalgic word from the girls beside her.JJUy4V
dmQcUE“He must be a knight since he managed to use Aura at such a young age.”EZXN3F
UCU“Maybe someday he’ll be a knight representing the North.”3ZxhPm
Tbg“…He surely will be.”qSiXz
Pil9ohZemina strained to listen, just in case, but at this point, she had lost interest in the fanciful tale.IhdV
y8YMgUdBlond hair, blue eyes. And a boy dreaming of becoming a knight.xYIMCKA
cx8qdwQThere were indeed words that sounded like Vlad, but the combination of all of them made it much less probable.ria
VrVIt was impossible for the boy who had barely left the alley to be already so accomplished.KGK4WYQ
CuqvbwI hope he’s still alive and well.7E38
pnyu5qThud.XvWQh1L
p248HsOZemina smiled for a moment, thinking of the blond boy.Gla
2tQHeOOSomething fell next to the girl.MTLZEbv
oIW“Hey, redhead.”68KE
bfoUq1“…”8UyucFi
ZRKToNOne of the girls who had been chatting for a while approached Zemina and dropped the brush she had in her hand.JSom
vDZqo“Do everything else, we’ve done enough for you, haven’t we?”0Q0z2v
2HK“Yeah, sure, you don’t even pay your share and eat for free.”VUd
MoOK37T“You should be working your whole life to pay us back for what we gave you that day. You should be thanking us for giving you a chance.”b74GDdk
WG5SThe girls laughed as if they had just punched her in the face.AjPOw
aZRqEcBut Zemina didn’t react, she stayed silent and did her work.rLf1Qz
sdyXl“You’re right.”oixG
9LtZRThe girls were right.gYBjI
KmnIt was true that she had no one to sponsor her so she could live comfortably here, and it was true that she didn’t know what would have happened if the convent hadn’t taken her in that day.DmRwd
6gMAt least it wouldn’t have been as good as it was.TjU
nCMg“Well, anyway, you’re going to be here for the rest of your life, there’s nothing to do, and no one will take you out, so you better get used to things here in advance, right?”46j
nHp9“…”ANV
rSZH6xlShe was right, too.4BNGQKk
LgH2s7oZemina had nowhere to go if she ever left here.uTF03QM
cck6The boy wasn’t the only one whose home had been destroyed.fwbtBih
BfoDyThe girl who had survived in the alleys as well as anyone wasn’t one to take this kind of harassment and intimidation lightly, but she decided to endure it for now.55r
ALrU“Here we go.”BUPe
q5eyyWq“Do it before lunch!”mi11L
8SYIf she acted as usual, they would kick her out of the convent.2Hf
jvQoFThey couldn’t stand up to Madame Marcella, who had sacrificed herself for them that night.GcRyq
HMjxd“I’m glad you learned your lesson…”MXL
XSU4AUZZemina, who had also done her share of household chores in the storeroom, was alone squatting in the dining room, scrubbing the floor as if she didn’t care.d1pobx
xpmtGHPBut no matter how much she scrubbed, she couldn’t erase the memory of that day.AQIdL4r
KTHMOyPIt was the image of the woman who had slipped between the walls of the convent and was dragged by her hair into the darkness.fujP
Dix5KPSShe shouldn’t have let her go like that.Cxhsd
Ra95“Ah…”it3z
xZmGLVzThen the girl pushed the brush harder.hYhVJf
jpMAShe wanted to push away the memories she couldn’t erase.tTdhgB
1lclThe girl gritted her teeth and swallowed the tears in her eyes.T3cwpX
cxOThe girl’s unruly red hair clumsily trembled over her shoulders.jsEwEIl
P6ZI9***uexA
ZvgWN3r“Are you sure you’ve really used Aura?”5tHq
aep“…”CQ1P
sPz1JEPIt was a cheerful but not very pleasant voice for the listener, especially if one constantly beat themselves up over it.jbzAgr
R2l“Are you tired?”vAeV1
htU2uEVlad barely held on to the swaying of the mongoose.s4h0
XDe6gBeside him was a woman, riding a horse and talking non-stop.bUdm0y
hWEC7o“Why can’t you ride a horse if you’ve used Aura? Doesn’t that change things too much?”k9T
uHFUT“Well, that’s just how life works…”hmuJJ
HTA1p2Vlad turned his head to look at the woman talking to him.LGh
Cc906LqBlack hair, black eyes, and black ears that moved.gRQU5
V9lvGl“What are you looking at?”Gg3
2919A pair of white fangs showed between her stretched lips.IeWd
tOEAAOdToo sharp to be human fangs.6H7BLEN
TGsXVlad didn’t like those fangs.XcbnY1
062lDBeside him, Rutiger’s knights laughed heartily as they listened to the banter.F1bv
azF3kQiPerhaps he had been marked by them after the peanut incident.rB7
BJIY“Let’s go.”tHHa
cocK2uSo be patient.gdq
4niIIt wasn’t your intention, but you brought it on yourself.5dk0R7D
MZwThe boy had endured this teasing his whole life.4S7wN4x
qFg“I’m here for a vacation that never happened.”gcgqP
saD6kBut he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.XmjX
RIUNow, Vlad and Portly were following Rutiger.L3zPfp
1EpUjVlad had said he was on vacation, and Rutiger had suggested they go hawking together.q4v
WpquH“If you don’t come with me this time, I’ll send two boxes of peanuts to Joseph.”Bzu
5mQwvk7‘…’oDz9kFc
gAU9ZIt wasn’t even a threat, but Vlad had no choice but to agree, given his previous history.HFyIm
7O57He looked up to see the head of the Kannor House, the man who had given him so much meat, looking at him with eager eyes.RwgS
3Ytiqp4For him, it was a golden opportunity to forge ties between Portly and Rutiger.qcwdi2
loEJ“Are Sioux always so talkative?”2p8K1DB
ejKSZ“Is that racism?”ao24
rAG2e5NA normal person would have calmly told her to be quiet, but she wasn’t that kind of person.5c9
gdNmNjNext to Fether, the head of the Bayezid family, was Ragmus, the mage and advisor.1fcAgOa
p5N7And beside Rutiger, there she was.q2bsmw
H7txWith her black ears perked up, she was a mage.QL4ucE
pITL6“Don’t pay too much attention to her. Dorothea, she’s just messing around.”bCdU3
GRlME“Every time she looks at me, she gives me that chewed-up shit look.”8uQe
egDv“They all do when you intimidate them like that.”6oc
jAZmtThe way Rutiger responded to her, she with a flick of her black tail, was exactly the opposite of how Vlad treated her. From Vlad’s perspective, it was far from flattering.KLe
MulTN17“Cat bitch.”RAzn
N9DUVlad could only furrow his brow at the cat, acting and looking exactly like the cat he hated.qpmbX
RSFrtH“That should be enough.”TMGM
hrWIhgZ“I think we can see everything around us.”ZkH5Sh4
O5uI“Sure, we can.”U4Tnrz
YtorHaving apparently reached their destination, Rutiger looked around, surveying his surroundings.uPXm
nQnW5w“…?”X8ge
PfPVlad looked around.L0jM
CRKHe hadn’t even taken the hawk out of its cage.P5GHex
5BPRst“There it is.”ZdR5HZK
qTiA6O“I see.”h1mSR
xs9Rutiger and his knights, who had been probing as if searching for something, finally found what they were looking for, and he raised his finger and pointed.VwPqbt
dmnF“Hmm.”uLBewY
kZFGdSeVlad casually looked in the direction they were pointing.pM5B
LU5UfThere were people walking across the meadow, albeit in the distance.SkU
hhSOPeople dressed entirely in white, from head to toe.VYlv
dRcZ2xVThey were pilgrims.oA30
CjzLwLd“You’re lucky to see a group of pilgrims.”Ktkx
rok5“Yes, this must be destiny too.”Lm1V07
Rv3U“I think they’re around here…”L0tJb6j
DTX7BWhile listening to the chatter between Rutiger and the knights, Vlad realized that this hawking outing had another purpose.dl9l
08lFn“Raise the banner,” he says, “show them our intentions and make them feel safe.”Vdv1HPx
GrfPSr“Understood, Lord Rutiger.”jDZ
djZG9FAs soon as Rutiger made the gesture, as if they had been waiting for it, one of the knights beside him pulled out a flag and hung it from the hawk’s perch.jyt6h
HsYeQIt seemed as natural as if the mast had been brought for that purpose.iCGv
xfLyM“Let’s take our time and find our prey.”Itb
P0FEven though they were talking about hunting, no one here was prepared for it. They simply walked along the dark ridge as if protecting the pilgrims below.TZu2Gk
HjNIzThe pilgrims below must have seen Rutiger’s banner and started moving too, with one of their own hanging from a post. A glyph hung high on a post. It was the same emblem as Vlad’s identification card.N1oegp
7zWFBqWhen the group began to move slowly, Vlad quickly jumped off the post and moved away from Dorothea’s immediate vicinity. If you can’t fight against him, it’s better to avoid him.agT
vlk6IU“Ugh. I’m dizzy.”1j2O
JdXYtbZ“Are you okay, Vlad?”ljT0
yoEBQDHis heart was pounding in his chest, probably because he had traveled in a swaying dalguzi that wasn’t even a carriage.dPbzc
3FfiZR“Do you think you’re going to vomit?”VeGs6Gf
OqSMXS“Honestly, no.”CTq75g8
DmNVlad, who still didn’t feel well, did what the voice told him, ripped a blade of grass nearby, and put it in his mouth.8Md
ykWzn[Remember this herb; it has a mild stimulating effect.]c3UxLZ
3IfH0EjI wonder what he’s been up to. Every time he heard the voice, Vlad was amazed. The man’s knowledge and insight surpassed even Joseph or Jager.fboBud
UoGFEven more than the most educated nobles and experienced knights.bnoLdQ
27d‘We’ll find out someday.’l9HY
pBKADeciding that the identity of the voice was a matter to be resolved over time, Vlad chewed the bitter herb and looked out over the open meadow stretching out before him.1rT
kIDuThings might not be going well, but at least he liked the scenery. An extensive meadow that reached the horizon. Vlad took a deep breath, feeling refreshed just by looking at the landscape.zwXZOI
TZKrpaS“Eh?”sPECXA
c2c4LESuddenly, while looking into the distance, a group of figures appeared, moving fast.N6p
ePRThey moved very quickly.fR02Fxm
mnCGalloping.SBMeIE
luq7UOl“A herd of wild horses.”ItXc
2Zz5Rutiger had also seen them and frowned, his eyes fixed on the herd of wild horses galloping toward them.6jX
TU0It was a spectacular sight, but not very pleasant for Rutiger.hNh
KCUEcThere’s nothing like a surprise when you’re escorting something.2LEQ
1Gl“But why are they traveling south?”8J5S
LiMl“…Yes, a herd of wild horses at this time of year would head north instead.”XIEI
Cu51d2The man was right. At this time of year, when it’s warmer and the grass is fuller, prairie animals would head north, not south.Xfa5RW
Z12EjThe young shoots that had just popped up would be there. But the herd of wild horses was coming from the south, not the north, where the party and the pilgrims were.P1b
VpOqhZAnd galloping, too.kaK1nAg
mrcpazGalloping.UeEejy
xyRukrOVlad’s heart pounded as the herd of wild horses came closer and closer.5uHq
YmNb“Hmmm…”fPIGo
xHbnnVlad thought it sounded like a sensation he had felt before and stood on the hill like Rutiger, watching the herd of wild horses run.lml
KQRUThey were so full of life.vGLYT41
2PTThe sight of wild horses galloping through the meadows, their muscles burning, was something that inspired admiration in those who saw it.tnHQ
qYj83LG“…”Ekr1dj
xJidJ0OHere and now, there wasn’t a single person admiring the wild horses. They only watched them with concern to see where they were going.ibTd8
B5u99wa“They’re getting closer and closer to where the pilgrims are.”c8nP54
Sj2DJVz“Their movements are strangely urgent. It’s as if they’re being chased by something…”rtZL
FbOBNoeGalloping – Galloping – GallopingiplsEU
9gNEUP9Vlad pressed his chest to calm his tumultuous heart.nVU
wlkn“…?”rin7TW
rZWTheir gazes met.NhSiXXi
pyXvmAlthough he was so far away that he couldn’t even distinguish the shape, Vlad felt as if he were eye to eye with the leader of the herd, the one running in front.pdCs
z9AUYKYAll black.ZIn0j
h11X0VFIt was impossible that their gazes had met, but they had surely exchanged glances.ACFkX
HpnRwO“…..”BPvJeKJ
3sHZHe couldn’t explain it, but Vlad felt as if it were talking to him. He felt that way.4qfo37e
YwptFT“Lord Rutiger!”bCDU
5FaBDpOne of the knights, feeling that something was wrong with the wild horses, hurried to the ground and searched for Rutiger.bTK
sNGQ0“What’s happening?”O3iS
kWdxIYu“The ground is shaking!”JeFitz
txBUKGallopingnuHR
YMIPz1The boy who met his gaze could tell.0oXj
JRwTthat the wild horses were scared.wyn
GTCKtXlNeighing.8iEx
q0UfThe knight’s scream is horrible to the end, and the earth trembles like an earthquake.1hv
nvDiRIn front of me, a group of pilgrims, startled by the vibration, step back.x07cx
YyXKaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.5Hv
tIMaA huge roar echoed in the middle of the meadow with the earthquake.bge
V1cThe ground cracks.HQkj6P
9D6Q4hFrom it emerged a huge thing with its mouth open.DyoJ
TchhhHiiiiing-.zExDJ53
iiXm6The jet-black that had been running at the forefront of reality, only to be slowly caught up, let out a pitiful cry.lhP
NaBW5K“Deathworms!”U6D2nRt
nFLOWild horses being torn apart by fierce teeth.tHi
P9mVThe poor ones’ blood fell like rain.r4t
sG8Rv“…!”uJt9N
ykdx1The boy’s heart pounded relentlessly, but it wasn’t hot blood coursing through his body but a chilling sensation.ffJ
8L4cnlThe herd of wild horses was fleeing.mCAXxg
VuujThey were asking for help.54u
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