Chapter 61: Town of Niebla (3)
EQWjsHThe woman wore an old tunic, but her sword contained divine power.6yO0G
lcoi8jA boy who looks like a mercenary but already has his own world.Ijj
M8RCBoth realized that their origins were not common, but their swords were already intertwined.522Mbe
KKkdEThe sword was fast, but the words were slow.3nExl15
A7kkOpting for a simple gesture with the sword could allow him to overpower his opponent, but explaining the current situation would require time.xZK7
zJS“…”fD6AsK7
6On3The woman with green eyes didn’t want to argue about a clear approach.RZeNl
FczBcIt would be much safer that way.p8m
Gf2uW0[React!]D5i
kU0vThe woman, who seemed to have decided to subdue him, ran towards Vlad before he could react.CQj
9O7pJ9Her voice ordered the boy to comply as if it were impossible to resist.qyds
2mqjALyEvents unfolded, and now there was no turning back.JYIscEk
pXtI1M“Tsk!”EqeNUI
jkYt7AhVlad resignedly accepted her attack.oCI0Y2V
Tjsv0cPreferring to think that at least it would end well. The presence of a paladin, something he had never encountered before, intrigued him.Mzc5Cg
iJk9GKwang!pTSi
QrOwvXVlad’s world clashed down his sword filled with God’s will.QGG4Uue
a7SZElWhen the worlds met and sparks flew, at the same time, Vlad’s world shook like a candle being extinguished.aIzexw
tei5NT‘It’s too heavy!’3FhvhbE
fxTyFacing a paladin’s sword for the first time, Vlad was greatly surprised.ir4A5dp
cZ0Although his sword also had weight and speed, they were insufficient to cause the same impact, and she had a power comparable to Jager’s.W8m
lhbIt was an incomprehensible result.c020E
DLZ60N[That’s a blessing. It’s evidence that the world is aiding her.]wujaJC
aZgmaYB‘…How is that?’pGNS7
d8QHCHBy merely following God’s will, she received greater power than her original ability.bQqV
1MJHZThinking that the world was unfair once again, Vlad closed his left eye once more.fOUV
QWPThe sword began to slowly burn along with the boy’s determination.3ptUAgd
my8JAlthough his power was weak compared to the divine power emanating from the unknown paladin, Vlad was proud to have built his own world with his own strength.PdhG
4N30Because it was something no one else could take away from him.X3YoHV
rDOFZ‘I see.’KpCXB
8SuMVlad, who was already quite accustomed to battle thanks to his encounters with Jager, saw that the woman in front of him was full of openings.q6Dw
R2N47xV“I can finish this.”5U1
TxDToThe key to delivering a lethal blow lies in controlling the battlefield.syZ
W74J8ChIf he can guide the opponent’s movements, he can lay the groundwork for victory.jR9jp
EyAI0spWith his determination strengthened, Vlad lunged forward with explosive movements.93OJ4H7
fxXhvVlad, aiming for the shoulder, held his breath as he prepared for the reaction to come.iI6VHH
0sJ98Yk“What?”8LaKP6
uJzzDHowever, the movements of the woman facing him were not defensive as he had anticipated, but purely offensive.XAy6C
r4FThe paladin who received the will of the gods simply advanced without paying heed to the parts the young man was trying to tear apart.67d
mnv“…!”YpKkd
OjjVlad didn’t want to inflict great harm now that he knew she was a paladin. But her fighting style was too extreme, and in this situation, retreating first would only result in great losses.C7Fa
pd4kThwack!zwfpN5x
LKRVlad had no choice but to swing his sword against the paladin, but her plate armor hidden under her tunic subtly deflected Vlad’s sword tip.D1rXTV
5nYIt was a spell of armor boasted by the Holy Knights.GISoL7
SZybJ“…!”gDYcsoV
ZC20The missed strike was the beginning of Vlad’s balance collapse.ZzqbLD8
0hRAt that moment, the woman’s green eyes gleamed as she kicked Vlad’s ankle strongly.Mtqisw
I4unLzHSpin-1whYRG
6TpKJ0nThe world was spinning.HKOHvzB
pXuP‘What is this?’4l2C
VkdiytNAlthough he felt empty as he fell, Vlad kept remembering the way the woman had moved a moment before even amid his confusion.XPGy4u
sikSmFrom the inexplicable concept of a blessing to handling armor he had never seen before.CLU
0XAaBecause it was unknown and intense, it was a scene not easily forgotten even in the moment of defeat.hmiKys
0UPKwang!3WAT
RriAnd as that brief moment of meditation ended, Vlad slammed heavily into the ground.USLTS
XQ7Plqx“Kuh!”DaWol
7DUOSoon, Vlad felt the cold sensation of the sword on his neck as he lay on the ground.ffid2S
UuNt6fa“Who the hell are you.”YIeZXgO
ibKbXa2Vlad lifted his head and met the gaze of an unknown paladin.xhfQ
vEzHThe eyes were the same color as Lady Oksana’s, but the temperature was different.GxEk
cKO8jWith a despondent smile on her face, Vlad realized that the woman had deliberately left openings.D9snq
lVoWEvR“I… come from Soara. I had things to investigate here.”4WP
AWmThe key to mastering a lethal blow lies in controlling the battlefield. However, the person who controlled the battlefield in the previous confrontation was not the boy, but an unknown paladin.dw3wbGr
z6131A new goal, a new skill.GCXP
hWiNToday, the boy who had glimpsed another world raised his hands and admitted defeat.45cKeK
Bio6uFEtching another color that was like a wound in his own world.Gezj
iQc0D***5wBPi
6oIP5l5In an inn where the only guests were a group, there were knights facing each other across a table.Zf1Bqa
ekfVlad, watching them from the other side of the brazier, took a sip from the glass of water he held.XoTxQV
23oThe taste lingering in his throat had a bitter aftertaste, perhaps because the situation had turned into a defeat for him.BbiU
kF6fEO“It must be the will of heaven that I can meet the knights of Soara here.”yAf2
1WnUdM“I agree, Lady Justia.”WCIGZME
n0vKnights gathered in a village surrounded by suspicious mist.CPiO7D
jHjB1Although they bore different orders on their shoulders, they had clearly followed unusual signs.SHbtQbj
RNH“I was investigating the strange incidents where children were dying nearby. At first, I thought it might be a contagious disease.”lerh5j
VFmZ5NDThe woman Vlad had been secretly following turned out to be a paladin sent by the church.QCbZm
32Mi9To be exact, one of the staff members sent from the Northern Archdiocese of San Rogino.Mv4KUA
miAThe church had already become aware of the problems occurring in Baron Utman’s territory.Fws
9x6“A curse. We found traces of something ancient.”xgjBO5D
ZxTbI8“That’s right.”fzY9i
lmu6pAs Justia spoke, Gregory began to stroke his beard, lost in thought.CMfGt
Wijr8Though he had anticipated it, her presence was taking things beyond his authority and capability.GC0j5vM
kvvU“But there’s a church here too, right?”jINJE9d
UFd0FOpIt was a question I barely posed after worrying if it might be rude, but the response I got was a chilly one.YOvsROP
GsxeiZ0“We believe the church here is the focus of the curse.”8eA
9FmpXW“Well…”KGJElP
wishaIWatching as the knights who followed the will of the gods pointed to the church as the culprit, Gregory decided to hold his tongue.ql0uJ6
CAcL6The situation was graver than he had thought, and this was not his territory.IC6B
Ro4nfwB“Please convey my thanks to the new mayor of Soara for his admirable attitude in trying to prepare for what we did not know.”Uebwvj
3w0Though they turned to speak, in the end, Justia’s words were nothing more than a request for Gregory to cease his approach.MUG2e8
yLuXThis was not the territory of Bayezid, and matters related to black magic were the responsibility of the church. As knights of Soara in an ambiguous position, they no longer had justification to proceed.ngPjGq
nwiW“Understood.”mg2G3R
4DE6hWith this conversation, a clear line was drawn.14gRM
eVuja2rThe investigation ended here. They had confirmed the issues in Baron Utman’s Barony and obtained testimony from a paladin of San Rogino.BMM
JxQohThough they hadn’t found the missing women, further investigation would be a burden for Joseph.VLprC2
N1cIdBecause this was not their territory.nMC
Ak1tFaced with the weight of authority and responsibility, the knights decided to step back.p3n
4QrtLfYWith bitterness rising from within, Vlad struck his glass he held uselessly.qkvj997
J4RwOIt seemed they wouldn’t find Anna in the end.JCv7sN
wf1z7FVlad remained silent, thinking of the woman smiling at him pityingly.FNz2If
0xkpG***nWUeiV
ItHL4JJustia mentioned that she had already requested support from the church.gJVx
X8F0HSince it was expected that other knights would arrive within a maximum of three days, Gregory decided to stay with Justia until then.Ixj4ik6
XcJ2Perhaps that was the best outcome Gregory could have chosen.pXRzApN
0t5a8“Should we leave now?”B51Pj
55v“Yes.”WOc5b
drTxDUAs Vlad looked at the empty square from the quiet inn, he was talking to a girl.QvV
gQlwQU“Why are you leaving so soon?”wAJUs
rxTGwvg“I’ve already finished my work.”iiwU
NY38“…There is no end in this world.”yjxF6D
f6ZYk2tAlthough the girl didn’t intend to be malicious, her words seemed piercing to Vlad, who coughed nervously.St5E
H5E5g“Don’t you have any friends? Why have you been here all this time?”V1xJj
3wd“Daddy told me not to go out.”1wig1mO
e5lNUpon hearing this, Vlad cautiously turned his head to the counter, where the innkeeper was watching him suspiciously.6P3lXlo
l7LFV“Stay a little longer. He said if we waited a little longer, the church would give us a gift.”uE9
czll“…What?”sWIm
AuLOThe chance words of the girl made Vlad uncomfortable.e3Hl
JxWWhen Vlad looked at the innkeeper with a disbelieving look, his daughter intervened to explain what she had said.g5AL
tFT0“He said the church would soon gather the children for a special blessing. It’s something parents of children like me should be thankful for in such dark times.”HGzw3n
SF7XycZ“…And when will that be?”705S
9yk“I’m not sure. I don’t remember well.”8L9wYAj
kTCzDVgThe innkeeper scratched his head as if he really couldn’t remember.IUvY57m
K0gnM“I think he said in three days, or maybe four. Anyway, the priest will take care of gathering the children.”8aR
As423Ignoring the innkeeper’s praise for the priest, Vlad looked at the girl beside him.6Logh
lXqyvSA wooden necklace carved with the symbol of the church.kuXN
FAXAlthough it was carved correctly, the way it was tied left much to be desired, making the necklace seem imperfect. Vlad’s gaze darkened at seeing this.rMKPkM
6b5“Are you going to stay until then?”ajKFU
85h8sAs he looked at the girl, who carried an ominous symbol while sending an innocent glance, Vlad was momentarily speechless.vA8Gmk
XtGTLiRThe girl wouldn’t know anything.xlj
Limgbs5That’s why the girl hadn’t done anything wrong.m5kpQ
377xbGod would understand it too.PGsT9
2ZU4x“Maybe I should stay until then.”MRJpcoR
ELsmf4“Hmph!”5Ssn6E1
fXjjBefore Vlad could finish his response, the girl quickly handed him something she was holding in her hand.dpW
JaMzhShe probably seized the opportunity while they were talking.3B36pu
RK6F7xs“What is this?”Jf8
5fX“A flower ring.”gSCXU
ApxHlm“But there are no flowers, how can it be a flower ring?”rHMRJv
19BBgAs Vlad said, it was a flower ring filled only with green stems.J3g
CzHcCQUnable to go outside, she had made the ring with vines hanging on the wall.2M0
biGEWAlthough she should have been outside playing and picking flowers, reality didn’t allow her to do so.pET5
HvTdJ“So, are we going to go out for a bit…?”vGjBd
Ywgil3“Marian.”ZG1z
3MVH0The innkeeper, who had been silently listening to the conversation between Vlad and the girl, spoke.JMEbl
BMK7ydO“Now go up. It’s bedtime.”qx2S
ec80q0“But…”FWW0xkU
HX1Faced with the innkeeper’s firm gaze, the girl got up from Vlad’s side with a somber expression.6Zcz1ig
XdQizWFor a girl who had been alone all day, the conversation with Vlad was probably a pleasure she had missed a lot.alkRfJ
Rhx“Are you really going to be here tomorrow too?”5JgfN
b8YfF1“Probably.”WhRumI
UxNyqyThen, the girl followed the owner back to her room, waving her little hand and saying:3D1
DjC“See you tomorrow.”CNejIf
HyiVlad also waved his hand as he watched her go.TXxH0Rx
pIwXjhm“…”ul4O
Zjs7Vlad silently looked at the flower ring the girl had given him on the first floor, where there was no one around.vxC
rRDs8tThe damp reality enveloped everything and did not even allow a small flower for the girl.jKF3h
VCqoAs Vlad was lost in thought, staring at the fog surrounding the outside, the curse on the girl’s neck, and the flowerless flower ring she had given him.lH1Ve
NOlo5“Marian! Marian!”TMqG42e
VkaCuN“······!”Xlz7Sm
1SXVlad silently looked at the flower ring the girl had given him on the first floor, where there was no one around.8Nsx2r8
eq1yKX“What’s going on?”BuHnSMX
raj7QuU“What’s happening!”DS85b
WW1YW8pThe people on the second floor were startled by the sound and rushed downstairs.4ypKe
dfAAVlad, who was sitting alone on the first floor, cursed a word and quickly ran to the room where the innkeeper and the girl had just disappeared.RntZeaZ
xay4“Damn it!”URVRf
u4Jq8With the recent cry for help, Vlad quickly rushed inside, where the innkeeper and the girl were.VLWt
EPi0S“No! Marian!”kAZ2r
0TTmdUpon bursting open the door, he saw the girl lying pale-faced.209
1GFPZyThe girl was crying as the innkeeper hugged her, and foam bubbled at her mouth.BOAO
NvkN[It seems that a curse has been activated. They seem to have noticed us.]XxzqqZ
GbFhSIndeed, just as Justia and the knights from Soara noticed the peculiarities of this place, the opposing side also noticed the presence of the knights.4jfodm
OOkiBF2This village was practically in their hands.SrrXgio
fzH3dThey seemed to have decided to take the first step instead of waiting silently.y14ql
iVB1S[I will lend you my world.]9eAayW
MUseRFPerhaps it may not be possible to solve the problem by looking at it, but at least the voice tried to make the boy understand the situation.oxFR6OA
gfK2“….”94tO
CPsFJA father crying and a girl struggling to breathe. And knights who couldn’t move easily.z2G3uhH
gV88AdhMeanwhile, Vlad opened the world of the voice and looked at the girl crying in pain.7UY
gBNSnnA world of voices tinged with colors.0kyc84
qPjnWhat was seen there was a black hand mercilessly twisting the girl’s neck and a thin line of smoke coming out of the girl’s mouth.O1JbeuX
JB27jQ[It seems to be a curse in the form of life force drain.]DPxPi9
NYSKlkThe smoke came out of the suffocating girl and pierced through the inn’s window.KpXPrCT
9qb2tEsIt was in the direction where the church was.ySb
O8nzSj[The curse has been activated. It seems they have noticed my presence.]mL1y
5hQm“Miss Justia.”460ty
RuUYTvHJustia, who was calmly observing the scene, hoped it would be of some help, so she secured the girl’s airways and without hesitation, put on the tunic she was holding.TMyT4
h1aShe would know very well.RsnEYcD
BYw5To resolve the current situation, they would have to eliminate the culprit.WlI8
pHz1u“If I don’t return, please explain the situation to my colleagues who will arrive later.”ITtdjAE
ryS“······.”URm6p6
7HOt6Gregory, who was standing beside her, just bit his lips without saying anything.I8vTI1a
f5qZXt3The knights leaving following God’s will and those staying bound by the weight of authority and responsibility.wmYV
gdamDzxAlthough they saw the same thing, the decisions made by the two worlds were different.0kSIpRY
LmjVlad looked at Justia’s back disappearing into the fog without hesitation, and unknowingly, followed her out of the inn.r7L0WRE
B0cxKE0“… Try to breathe.”9dEX
tTbi8w5“Something’s wrong with the girl!”G28i
NAbK“No! No!”QrH5BR
jVTIn the square, where the boy had followed her without thinking.d8Wi5x
uOoNqOne by one, the lights were turned on in the houses beyond the fog, and with them spread the miserable cries of the parents.lur21WK
qHqiuCaThe empty square was filled only with weeping.d9O
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