Chapter 57: The new Soara (1)
1Vx1A street in an alley illuminated with the colors of the night.83xVgW
5zNCrack! Crack!Fzt
U3EZThe sound of bones and tendons being cut was awakening the quiet alley.gUN2Ps
5DemhtThat sound, along with the unidentifiable bones hanging all over the shop, made the atmosphere of the place grim.YlOGj
o9QxMlR“Is the owner here?”SfHqk7
XYKQY“…What?”nWeb
NoshTwo men entered the butcher shop, pushing aside the meat hanging all around.OBI
NkLHUSThe owner of the butcher shop, who had been cutting meat for a while, frowned as he looked at the two men crowding in front of the store.0KOPt
nQbvQN“How can a bastard without a brain speak so rudely to an adult?”7IPi1
4e90When the boy, who looked freshly out of his teens, spoke informally, the owner, who seemed very indifferent, spat out the bone he was chewing on and growled.YkeY
KEc“Did your parents teach you that?”Aso2
tDoU“It’s been a while since someone came here looking for their parents.”YVi
IuBnJShrugging, Vlad removed the hood he was wearing and handed a small note to the owner.gLp
oUcThe owner’s face seemed to stiffen a bit as he saw the boy’s blond hair that didn’t match the atmosphere of the place and the note with tiny letters.lDH2
FAUkP4n“Why these people?”mB8C9G
LSWXbJ“No, I was wondering if you’ve seen him.”SB5w
rPwf0“Why would you come to the butcher shop looking for someone? We don’t sell people here.”Fc3
xiNnFS“Really?”UfD
CDYYOV3Vlad smiled as he watched the owner pound the meat forcefully.Rp7u1h1
bVwHe’s here.ePshWC
hEKNDVp“I used to be a resident here, but I recently came back. Was this place always a butcher shop?”PpotN
MUdqW“Ask that to the Black Bear. I have permission.”Q0U
9WglMMThe butcher. The Black Bear.erToPK
2MHThe name of another boss who dominated the back alley emerged, but Vlad simply smiled as if he found it ridiculous.6zlW
1C8He couldn’t intimidate the boy with just that kind of reputation anymore.OkkJq
QVj“Then I’ll ask later.”KhP
0hsjmAVlad leaned over the counter and brought his face closer to the butcher shop owner’s.oKULmK0
dDbdAlthough it seemed dangerous for a boy to approach someone who was cutting meat with a knife, each action of the boy carried an unknown weight.K3tM
b2Lq“But seriously, it’s quite interesting.”CBcn4t
asmWc“What is?”4or2
898f8i4The owner, staring directly into the boy’s blue eyes, swallowed saliva unconsciously.CAD
Scn5xGAt first, he thought he was just a spoiled kid, but suddenly he was influencing the atmosphere of this place with just a few words.tCA
FuqGdkx“If you want to survive, buy something. If not, leave right now…”06Ja5
eRtn“How did you know the name on the note was a person’s?”loEG
iIguFThe boy’s question stopped the descending knife’s movement.jSAc4JW
77YTN0YOnly the sound of the chain link that Vlad had just pushed could be heard in silence.HY4D
QDriPA strange silence hung over the butcher shop.7JBUHOr
SQ0N“Learning to read here isn’t easy.”ptc8N6
IGSnPGA“…”kTD
kAFEDClang-2izo
O8dw3The owner, still holding his meat knife, stared at the boy in front of him.G5kQtjt
X2vnOr more precisely, at the dark-skinned man standing behind the boy.bJb
rpfZThe man who had just closed the shop door.QJl6J
BNfk1E7“I came here to ask, so give me an answer.”MvN
5SCThe corner of Vlad’s lip curved as he looked at the owner, who gazed back with tense eyes.iuW
WFuLOne corner of Vlad’s lips curved upward, as if he were about to say something.3MT
kHmLG“Do you sell people besides human flesh?”uQNYi
5yeVRF“Damn it!”bmNBc
HWhqZUThe owner quickly brandished the knife he held, but Vlad had already anticipated it and simply tilted his head.dem
rl90RaIt was a sharp move, unusual for a simple butcher, but the boy was now an entity that had risen to the level of a knight.GSE
oAzu0GB“Business here ends today. Otar.”4QH9
Y2UyXY“Understood.”vkSv
rqSThe dark-skinned man, Otar.5f8Lt
zuEThe man who officially served as the deputy commander-in-chief of the guard. He drew an axe from his belt.mik
fwRIjC7“Who are you?! Where did you come from?!”UrEkntG
kaIv“…Where did you come from?”pSbsCG
OaUkAs the lights from outside were obscured by the closed door, inside the butcher shop, only the candles tremblingly lit by the trembling owner remained.kelY1YU
fxGHDim, flickering light in the darkness.cbBwUQ
dmgyIt was the color of the back alley.xhi9T
7TU“That’s what I want to ask.”bwIy2dR
5ewqbThe lights cast deep shadows on the boy’s face.HK14oVw
VkRXjCrack! Crack!oJru5R
uzDMInside the tightly closed butcher shop, the sounds of meat and bones being cut still echoed.FES
bM6The only difference from before was that mixed in were the screams of someone.LKS
2tst***3iOZ7
W8WIn the back alley, just before dawn.4iaTJn
NQAIz5Vlad sat across from a street vendor who was about to close up shop and picked up a skewer.p6fMB
dtK“Take one too.”BYHP
1jOUVd“Got it.”MVT38G
EjWUThe two men sitting down began cleaning their weapons as they bit into the skewers.UYUW
D9FCvjOtar’s bloodied axe.CPHe
iISAnd Jorge’s dagger, which now only Vlad could wield.uJedbCY
vQ67The appropriate tools for the back alley had now finished their day’s work in the hands of their owners.FDG0aUV
fQWfRt“When did a guy like that show up?”H47
X455ek“Jack hasn’t been managing things well lately.”nOvd
gIxwgUN“He’s messed it up that much?”woTq
diu“…Well, ever since that day, he changed a lot.”yaLn
nDv9LThough Otar had been a subordinate of Jack, he didn’t want to criticize his former boss’s final appearance.dGrGr
gURnAfter all, regardless of the outcome, only Jack had accepted the man with different-colored skin into the back alley.XPbRU
Wi7eN“Well, we’ll figure out the details with the higher-ups.”UD9fm
H2HcThe man disguised as a butcher said:gFa1Fo
Bo8gMHe was only a middleman collector and claimed that the slave traders would know more details.xiuIuP
T58mfCkHe hadn’t heard anything about Anna, but in the end, she had been secretly selling people in the corner of the back alley all this time.FkG5LqD
bg7“Even if we confirm the identity, will this be enough…?”KPifId
YfGPHe hadn’t thought that such a light matter would have such deep roots.UJM
MNSCNLxPerhaps, if it weren’t for Vlad’s existence, as always, this incident would have simply been considered one of the many that happen in the back alley and would have been buried.cwa
RFuXLight and darkness, those who are excluded and those who shine.VdHRrs
YviNoThe boy still stood on the dividing line between them.JMAZWu
qLxVcK“Vlad! Brother!”FXktski
diXThe familiar voice of the boy reached Vlad’s ears, who had been lost in thought.rOO1OL
sZ0From the end of the alley, a dark-skinned boy was running hurriedly towards them.36JXLdD
aOIwZsg“Phew… Phew… Ah!”pOEf
jQ01ED“I’m not going anywhere.”50AgD
zM8Vlad placed a skewer in the mouth of the boy running towards him eagerly.VZQWNu8
dbjM5DqIt was the fair reward the boy should receive.gJB4
28eiNWq“Did you understand what I asked you?”MA4DYa
NTd3I“Uh… I heard there are kids who saw her.”PTa2R
hFnlnVIndeed.rSq
UzRZFVlad and Otar nodded at each other.knSDT
xrWAs if birds heard the words during the day and mice heard them at night, rumors in the back alley always reached the ears and eyes of young children.SpGXM
80H14My“What did they see?”4U5gO
aGbctuC“They saw the girl Vlad is looking for. Was her name Anna?”ooXb
tyE7Zx“That’s right.”T7r9PQL
FUBpNed replied with an excited expression as he bit into the skewer Vlad had given him.YCYEW
jI6o“Someone said they saw the girl get on a stagecoach for the first time about a month ago. But it was a bit strange.”zHy
4H3S8u“What was strange?”4sG1V
tZFsKInstead of answering, Ned offered his palm to Vlad.K22
Qvj“…You did a good job raising your little brother.”cMV
heMG“Hmm.”Dm9tr
tvF9To survive in alleys like those, even the youngest had to become ruthless.As both knew, instead of getting angry, they simply nodded.5s1N
wQ2n2I“Here’s one more skewer.”aiGci0
LCkbWP“The strange thing was…”R1zr3
p1A3dhoAt Vlad’s request, Ned began to speak.YeWJDr
ks9V1oKThe little mouse that had been sniffing around the alley brought the exact information Vlad wanted.MuCHL
db0Wp5“It was said that all the women who boarded that carriage were pregnant.”mZqGicf
LYn“What?”5cI2t
oxHPEVTo others, Ned’s words might sound strange, but to Vlad, they evoked something.qrt2d5F
EZhAXfJ“…All of them were pregnant?”XWu
xQWcjF2“They say all the women who boarded the carriage had bulging bellies. Isn’t that strange? Someone is buying pregnant women who can’t even work.”95Eg2u
1kmX“······”C5a2FO
j2pRWhen Ned asked if he could have more to eat, Vlad simply nodded backward without saying a word.rn9Kyq
Y42r0a“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”wulNNF
oqe6Although Otar asked with an increasingly serious expression, Vlad couldn’t snap out of his thoughts.fVc2uI
oU8ls“Buying and selling pregnant women?”PGy2yei
RqbThfFinding out that Anna was pregnant was already shocking, but accepting that there were people buying and selling pregnant women in the back alleys was even harder to swallow.HFzzgmR
BrkIt made no sense and was morally wrong.DmIew
nTR8HqBut those people were here.Z5jvY
xIuq‘······It can’t be.’M6A
dQ6fA sinister premonition swept through for a moment.fylur
9ilXYgv[It’s always best to pay attention to bad feelings.]lMA
MChSXOThough he wanted to think otherwise, the warning from the voice in his mind reminded him of an incident that took place on a winter day.azDN9H6
7eXAThere was a woman crying in the middle of a snowy camp, searching for her son.oHo
5NKA son who hadn’t even been born yet.Npb4s
VfZ[We should be prepared. It can’t be that bad.]rky97o
uOvVlad could only nod at what the voice said.o4a
Y19naThere was something that the boy always noticed in Joseph’s behavior.IYTN
Cpn0DdCHis attitude was always one of preparing for the worst.Cw1yO
aTR2v“…There’s nothing wrong with being prepared.”twHzXQp
kH9m9The memories of that winter day still lingered vividly in Vlad’s mind.9qL6J
dj329The morning sun was rising, but to Vlad’s eyes, it still felt as if a shadow loomed deep in the back alley.YWPVx2a
tilnhF***yvjkYf
uNHmi“Mr. Bordan.”zfJwx
RIGCw“Yes, is there something to report?”onBdY
Xh4phBordan’s office located in the town hall.iIepON
2koZQkFIt was always filled with snacks, but today it was tidy.BHb7
8g5“I discovered a suspicious trend.”SauF
Gzq“Oh… really?”rFu
02ELooking at Vlad’s serious expression, Bordan seemed ready to listen, but in reality, he was busy organizing papers.5agW
eDYn“I told you to rest… I guess you didn’t listen when I told you to take a break.”zhf3g
KLSQqwD“No, I’m investigating Jack One-Armed.”bE3RG
t4E“I didn’t expect you to ask so soon.”A3G
oXF6LvWBordan awkwardly smiled as he stroked his chubby chin.2aK9Nf
0SRt9WO“You should rest, shouldn’t you?”Xhl3x
vXiZ“······”dzQYJcQ
DI0Vlad finally understood.dSiQEh
XBRYaWhy Joseph would growl every time he saw Bordan.CRUEm
4tUeYThe fat knight was a person who wouldn’t move unless someone pushed him.y2IYfb
KlK“Can’t it wait a day or two? Is it that urgent?”9nvH
lsdVrh“It seems so.”dldo9n0
g1B“Think it over. Are you sure it’s an imminent crisis?”1Alefw
qttrAlthough Bordan seemed to say this with a smile, Vlad already understood what he meant.bDn
Kb6vH“Maybe you should go see the mayor.”u9Ff
QwPlWVlad’s determined attitude finally made Bordan, who realized he was the only one who would solve the problem, sigh.iC3bP
vK8rXRS“This was my precious day off…”YiJV5U
3PKCANRAfter preparing for a delay, Bordan went to the window in frustration.96l7cp
pQWBut there was no paradise in the place he escaped to.cy22qXG
2rbT“They’re coming both up and down… I can’t avoid it… They should come in one or two more days.”IYxSqA
KBH4Vlad approached Bordan, who was sighing deeply.EsBJQ9
hpMfjhNLooking out the window, he saw the carriages and knights entering the town hall.1nS7kE
PMMiThe flag hanging in the middle of the procession bore a familiar emblem.ABF38
4XQId1It was the emblem of Bayezid.56sYNR
nUI***EcVH0W
rd6OT“Are you here?”fYVPq
pTjdM“How have you been?”GeDn
E6IgBordan and Vlad, after seeing the procession, quickly went to the front of the town hall to greet Joseph, who had arrived earlier than expected.GVdOV
9SdPyHis arrival earlier than expected began to cause a stir in the town hall.oHls
iw4Rucx“Not much has happened so far, right?”DlzyqKE
tWhMtqr“Yes, everything was quiet. Mr. Joseph.”PfR0NvW
bOLvpiBordan bowed to Joseph, despite his belly seeming not to want to bend.pEmE
FaJ“······”DkLW
BaiiBut when Joseph’s eyes met Vlad’s, the latter only returned a subtle look, as if he had something to say.bXu
mVg“It seems there are problems.”8uA
4hBlA“······”xJUd44
uRSEUnnoticed by anyone, Bordan sighed and weakly followed Joseph’s steps.YNb
otPi63VPeople greeting Joseph.iutO4Q
KCgAnd the people entering Soara along with the procession.XT0MONF
mpveRWhile servants hurriedly brought down Joseph’s belongings, the group followed the mayor’s directions and headed to the very center of the town hall, where his office was located.iYW
CaJm“Let me check first.”b5TP
oHbuCWith the possibility that there might be something suspicious among Joseph’s belongings, Jager began to search the room.V6cv
tzAINd“There’s nothing suspicious. He wouldn’t walk around with something like that, would he?”Yu8a
DdeXqhG“······”hW6P
koBAlthough the mayor’s response, who was smiling uncomfortably, was puzzling, Jager continued to search the room without saying a word.gpcF0
3fEFor Jager, Joseph’s safety was paramount.xnihnqz
NJb9The mayor’s reputation was not important at all.hzi
SA1XNFaced with that calm reaction, the mayor of Soara simply withdrew without insisting.Nroty03
k3Ov2While Jager searched the room, Joseph turned his head to look at Vlad.kyIRkfg
Vn2H67b“Thank you for your work.”F81P2Yg
UJXd“Thank you.”l47YLD
XrE91zThe two men, who knew what the gratitude meant, simply wondered about each other.QM4
a2BrThat was enough, considering they were in the same situation.6QM
QflfX“What do you mean? Tell me.”CJNm
Se16Ik“······I’m not sure if I should bother you with this.”4zp0J
lilotVlad hesitated at Joseph’s words.PtA
jFuIHe knew that procedure was important because of what he had seen and heard in the Bayezid family.7yvn
LKcq“I would like to receive support in one way or another, but I guess I have to talk directly to the mayor…”sLR
9vcyrJoseph was a nobleman, but his lineage did not guarantee authority.lmL
fu8X5A suitable position for him. Only then could Joseph have authority.PNt7kR
nB3And right next to Joseph was a person with such authority.QpA47
OV8UmLEven if he stood there not knowing what to do because of the discomfort Joseph gave him.0ao
Hpc“That’s a good judgment.”h02
5DvJoseph smiled as he looked at the boy studying the time and situation for himself and not acting recklessly.GQd
jESZMHe was proud to have taught someone who always considered the worst situation.qrSx3g9
XOy0N“I don’t see anything suspicious, Mr. Joseph.”yhK8
YgzrQWith Jager’s nod, Joseph began to walk naturally toward the center of the office.GaM4NNO
fgH8“······”Vxk
LnHWatching Joseph walk to the mayor’s desk under the afternoon sun, Vlad remembered the office in Sturma.9O1tBby
3zMAVD7He was always sitting where he should be, looking at Vlad.cYU4
WYW“The scenery here is quite nice too.”i2j
6B7txJoseph, lounging in the chair that only the mayor could sit in, smiled as he looked at the landscape outside the window.dXp
v50ZXNaturally, Soara’s mayor stepped back due to the confident spirit shown by Joseph.Ws6CI
1DHz0“I guess I’ll have to replace the chair.”77Zr
n7C“…no no. Mr. Joseph, maybe.”Cu37mGh
LJ6IThe former mayor of Soara, who had finally realized what was going on, turned pale, but no one looked at him.uok
Kdy4GNIt seemed that the air in the room was changing.cuG1
jlU8It was the air created by Joseph.AJfD
g70“Now don’t worry about that and just say it.”85pfe
oy0eeVrVlad looked straight ahead with an empty gaze.6qIIfW
8Vk8n49The man who was always sitting in front of him was there, feeling no discomfort at all.iDc3UQ
3t1L“Talk to the new mayor of Soara.”kS2dH9F
YaCzQThe young man who had fought to survive was now sitting in a position he had earned for himself rather than being guaranteed by blood.t5f1z
gA6cWm2The new mayor of the city of Soara.AWQR
fbTJoseph Bayezid.BrPoGB
ltfThe man with deep-shadowed eyes looked at the young man with a smile as the light streamed through the window.IwDX
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