Chapter 54: When I find you (1)
A7LThe faint light of dawn illuminated the boy.9CG8q
4M6LThe Smile of Rose.Z6I
L4HT5yThe magnificent rose garden created by the boy.3mHx
7NACFThe boy, dyed in bright red, advanced with heavy steps.gP2
aCJ6LB7Leaving behind the numerous roses he had cultivated.4cG83
XqL“·····.”uWSKv
8k0h0Always at the end of sweet pleasure, there remains a feeling of emptiness.aUxdTb
mlwRevenge is sweet, but after consuming it, only emptiness remains, and no one can avoid it.PwGm
lMwTThe soldiers of Soara watched the boy exiting the blood-soaked building with expressionless faces.c1sEn3G
VXM37q6He had faced 50 people and emerged victorious.Fkh4p
HV6tkSThe soldiers, seeing the boy who had achieved feats they wouldn’t dare approach, showed both respect and fear.IPvXfE
PBGxKZEven Bordan, who had descended to take responsibility for all this, couldn’t believe it.n81
wIplThe avenger, exercising his rightful claim, advanced alone with reverence.JXaO
ty3XWith only a dark sword to lean on.zrz
gDSY9NAt that moment.qD71
L7BCAr“Vlad! Vlad…!”StNf9X8
H2ZFrom behind the soldiers, someone was desperately calling.spiPSt
H1Cw“Vlad! Here! It’s Harven!”GrFfky
zDPWMThe boy, who had not fully emerged from his own world, turned his head upon hearing the voice he missed.0uU86
0ifoWThe image reflected in the boy’s blue eyes.KmRrZ1
acvvA scruffy cane was waving over the heads of the soldiers.F7fP3N8
dxrQB8i“…Harven.”WyrMHPs
TGZThe boy’s gaze, standing at the end of the horizon, gradually returned to reality.jqIz
gtSQFMXHarven’s modest cane.BsHw
zYJcz9tIt was something the boy had personally carved for the limping Harven.UvXH826
h5mLI“Harven?”SZtY682
7i8hMqtVlad made a small gesture with his hand towards the brown-haired man eagerly searching for him.ucZSQ
p43PThe soldiers, seeing this, quickly made way for the brown-haired man behind them.LACz6c
Dqx“Hey, you…”3Eu1ZD
LC7m1w3The view cleared, and the path opened.nzw
VsxHarven was speechless as the path cleared and the boy he was truly seeking was right in front of him.jVUqsG
OFeuJThe sight of the boy, tinged with red and looking almost desperate, pierced Harven’s heart more than the joy of seeing him after so long.QRq6yz
jaJ“Are you okay?”X6Y0TlQ
irgHarven hastily made his way through the soldiers, limping.1QucI
gThPVlad sheathed the sword he was leaning on and embraced the approaching Harven.xhF
gxRmnmrHe released the tension holding the boy tightly and let out the disappointment he had been holding while embracing him sincerely.n0c1yk
ey1p9z“Ah… Harven. It really hurts. It hurts everywhere.”iYp7RW6
mrd“What happened? What happened to you?”V87gc
qxGHarven had no choice but to set aside the cane he was holding to receive the boy coming towards him naturally.ezV7
mkpB0fJVlad, leaning on the sword.yvgL7
VFbIfnKHarven, leaning on the modest cane.8DAY3
kr0z0Both supported each other, releasing the things they had leaned on.cgxGu
m7uBThey hugged each other while holding onto each other.CdIdfsq
66LlsvRThey stood in each other’s world, as they had when they supported each other with a small blanket.Uq1K
PA03“···It seems you’ve finally returned.”wq9q
XnppNVlad closed his eyes while in Harven’s arms.e4LB
9fw***eep
1y9E3The moon in the night sky set, and the sun of Soara rose in the morning.ebfK
dKIBThe back alleys of the city, as if yesterday’s chaos had never happened, fell back into slumber.9WWTuv
Dt6lAAnd now the boy, who had to work during the day and not at night, opened his eyes as the gradually increasing sunbeams struck him.BwyIy
cSf‘…I can’t get used to it.’TpJYrv
gj9PiHe really wasn’t getting used to it.WaotxE
jmfQamThe place where the boy opened his eyes was not the back alley.6bR
wMlEFlSoara was the boy’s home, but the areas outside the back alleys remained as strange as ever.O5FP
HRidB“Oh. Get up slowly, Captain.”foUnfK
MKDdJGoethe, who was watching from beside where the boy opened his eyes, quickly offered him water.OAqr1G
2vgL“My muscles are sore.”bYYeRe
xRuW7QR“That’s right. It’s understandable.”AwZ9
zNlAVGoethe, who even prepared water to drink, was smiling and chatting as if he were a butler with a towel rolled on his arm.ohRZg
fet“Why are you like this?”pNz2T
XHHMja“Why? Because it’s always been like this.”Rbg8ZB
8VAJSSeeing Goethe’s uncomfortable behavior, Vlad frowned.mb3L7S
XCh“Calm down.”GGyGX
cuq“Understood.”Kg4Q
cCWZSeeing Goethe smile awkwardly, Vlad thought.wgwYXH
lcyhHe’s probably anxious.9aKhftZ
6a5GThe ties Vlad had left behind in Soara were beginning to appear one after another for Goethe.VFypJR
v3YTKUFor Goethe, those beings might feel like threats to his position.tg4YK3
U6GOZzF“As long as you do your job properly, I’ll take good care of you.”8zrNJyo
wFZwqqc“…”Rd9kTqO
5dkrListening to the boy’s words, who already knew his intention, Goethe simply nodded.2FmH
sarqhGXGoethe had not yet crossed the line set by the boy.8ff
3UvkwTo enter the boundary set by the boy to survive, he would need a little more time.XV6b
9vgz“What time is it now?”JlJxcwl
jbHo“It’s already lunchtime.”AXvTsJU
Xq5VWUpon hearing Goethe’s words, Vlad stared at the light coming in through the window.FIDjB
4CdNudIt seemed true that he had slept and woken up as the sunlight darkened.YCxN
ZcoBV“Lord Bordan said he wanted to see you for a moment if you’re feeling well.”Lhrw
OsL8obx“So I’d better go.”IYu
SD84Jack One-Armed is dead.xCX
iWXhHe also killed all the man’s henchmen.BfW
lqAtHowever, it wasn’t so easy to erase Jack’s shadow without help.wELV
Yz9cO4mFor a long time, he was a figure rooted in the back alleys and also someone who dominated everything.oWwaq
juf“…Lord Bordan must be busy.”VLY7
2G8IwVlad knew well, as he had seen bosses of organizations die or be pushed aside while he was by their side.r6nbx
UIHQxqHe was always most active when a new wave arose.0ZdP5qT
XKS“Mmm… I’ll have to help.”gYxB
eeOz1Vlad got up from the bed with his heavy body.rxQxrt
lp6XJ6cAfter all, there was always an end to everything.Zjb
yslUd***b82jp
Z9TB23“The woman named Marcella is safe. It seems she has been through a bit of trouble.”GftQRq7
eeM88gH“Thank you.”Itzx
ZWFnK0“You can go see her later yourself.”l8LTj
9w6pG“Yes.”hCeoPJ
6oHu0Although Vlad let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that Marcella was alright, his eyes widened as he saw the treats in front of Bordan.DPI
OcR“Do you want one?”w64JT
DhiWFZ“…Did you eat them all by yourself?”Cnw
i7WFiynPiles of sugar, desserts leaving no trace behind. The sweets the hefty knight had devoured lay scattered on the desk like the bodies of sweet things.e1uL3
NNV“You’ll die if you keep eating like that.”jHT2N
6So“If I don’t eat, I’ll die too.”mjCM
8n5ptmThough Vlad replied, upon seeing Bordan adding sugar to his coffee as he spoke, Vlad shut his mouth.e6eLr
jbM6Y1F“What do you plan to do now?”lR3Jn0s
ZtH“…Not sure.”qs0VJDY
ODaUt4sAlthough Bordan’s personal office seemed credible, to Vlad, who knew his true nature, it was only superficially refreshing.I2P2M
2Prh6“Thanks to you, things ended faster than expected. Though I’ll be busy handling the rest, officially you can consider your job done.”N2ABWiG
mfB6L“Let me help you.”825xE
pGROBordan stroked his thick chin and smiled.V3U4oq
haPgkE“I would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t said that.”AsQXGP
cKBXqHG“I had planned on it from the beginning.”Ka369k
UNV42The old knight nodded and pulled out a sheet of paper from a drawer.1HG
SQGkT“This is for you. Take it with you and carry out the tasks I’ve assigned you properly.”ux2fs
bDhz“What is this?”qORZS
777rNThe boy, who could read but wasn’t familiar with the words, fumbled to decipher the writing on the paper.t0A9q
58m4K0“Guard…Chief Authority…Deputy.”V18
7GC8“Arrest warrant…”WQ8Ze
UcEfaW“Hmm. An arrest warrant.”7Jydsw
Fn9“It’s also authorization to use force as necessary.”LPJhAse
MSJIAfter understanding what it meant, the boy nodded, and Bordan quickly wrote his signature on the paper.enEs
5ibZ0xRBut the signature he was writing wasn’t his own, but the name of Soara’s mayor.jEka8JI
HMVSzo“There are still remnants of Jack’s lackeys in Soara’s back alleys. Lord Joseph would like to take this opportunity to clean up Soara’s alleys.”aqd
YCmuQiRIt was natural for voids to emerge once the giant weeds had been uprooted.ohH
oFR24EFUprooting the weeds was already a great achievement, but it would be an even greater achievement to fill them with something suitable.Hoyi
wYBK1lLJoseph was always thinking ahead.vq4XA
LIx“If that’s the case…”ihC0i
3wZRTbVlad stroked his chin and nodded.03me7
aJhtJIf that were the case, letting the boy take charge would be the best option.CkEb
5LZxVlad was someone who knew the back alleys situation better than anyone.6dkyC
4PVQ5“For now, you’ll officially remain on standby until Lord Joseph arrives. You just have to assist me with what I do from time to time.”xh1o
R8mU9XBordan pushed the treats aside and chuckled lightly.Rwjy
dRzSdb“Rest a bit today and go see your old friends. You should also release some tension. And visit your convent girlfriend.”ezlTq2
3KZhJ“…She’s just a friend.”sdSsiO
KYVAlthough he denied it with words, Vlad, who had picked up some treats in his hand, grimaced.FPZ5
5b1Rv“Then rest today. I have a lot of work to do.”gmKBAQh
3kJ“I’ll help you.”JdY
6bmIVlad wanted to go to the convent right away, but he couldn’t go there freely just because he wanted to. He was bound by established dates and schedules.0D0S
WhaojdpAlthough Goethe had requested a separate visit, he probably wouldn’t be able to see Zemina this week.C2Tc
N8vX“So, are there any small lackeys of Jack unaided in the jail right now? Interrogate them properly. Something like Jack’s hidden property or something.”XuA62qY
ZqWc“…”BkOdqP
BF4The small lackeys of Jack unaided.H7LB5aP
5GUe5z5Upon hearing that sound, Vlad remembered the moment he escaped from Soara.TZF
bx0He had always been a child who wanted to live proudly without regrets, but life inevitably led him to depend on someone else.THWKrAh
51Sbw“That’s good.”ETaQ
rwPXHqSaid Vlad as he rose from his seat, holding the paper Bordan had given him.zrNZY
xJA9F1P“There’s also someone I need to find there.”OFJjY5
UnUwKIn the relationship of give and take that wasn’t easily severed, this time it was the boy’s turn to give.k4i7
HWs39***7qJkNWZ
R2hfkJYIn the underground prison located at the headquarters of the guard.YDZI
7nEJack’s captured henchmen were crowded together in a place where barely any light entered.0SlOr
iH7pCUDespite the increasing heat and the unpleasant bodily contact, those who were there simply remained silent, aware that there was no salvation for them, as if they were trash rolling through the streets.NIOqSt
z8h“To enter here, you need permission…”.oocptZw
VNT14x6“Here it is. I just received this.”qSCQnJm
zF5qrhw“It’s been checked.”M0nkcl
fw72e0AClang-68Q
nzsFor a moment, the afternoon sun rays illuminated the dark space, apart from the torches.TC3X
uMxwA striking color, inappropriate for this dark place, suddenly appeared.oh8Qk
HecSome of the men locked behind the bars began to murmur upon seeing the man who entered suddenly.cjjC
DtialGSSome of those present recognized the face of the young man who was entering.AJ3p7HM
hVZ“…”RkRP9
mxUMFK3But the men in the cell found it difficult to speak to the boy walking outside the cell.haGdIg
oj69The face was familiar, but the aura was not.ok4g5Df
xOmIt was hard to believe they had been alley companions.rGl
sv9AY“You were here.”jof09TJ
UL6Ignoring the men who looked at him eagerly, the young man found the person he was looking for behind the bars and smiled.fgKPlug
VQu6UX“It’s hard to recognize someone when it’s so dark.”Tb1yCL
eqUdke5The men in the cell turned their heads to follow Vlad’s gaze.8bQjy
MihV“…..”8yF5v50
5ujWVs2Upon hearing the boy’s voice, a dark-skinned man lifted his head slightly from the darkness of the cell.46CBXX
gmZ9SxThe man stared at the boy in front of him with a lost gaze.Trpjhe2
8Zn9In all his years in the dungeon, no one had ever found him crouching.GSF
5Qn“Otar. Give me 40 silver coins. Then I’ll set you free from here.”Doh
ZD0vEFThe young man extended his hand playfully towards the bars.8yYIZ
FZU2Otar simply looked at his hand in disbelief.3GGmx
UVCjx6Not necessarily because his skin color was different from his.pPe3OPQ
pYK“I’ll also accept damages.”m32
V9yThe only light shining in the darkness of the prison.K2k
P3WSJIt was the boy who had not lost his blue light among the trash.ZFlVH
bmw5IK“…Thank you.”AyL
kltlNJyOtar followed the light and, for the first time in his life, grabbed the hand someone extended to him.Lr8gGu
d8fnH8hThe boy’s eyes facing him still shone with intense blue.hzzMjwo
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