Chapter 73: One step at a time (1)
datlIn the midst of a snowy mountain shrouded in white mist,gfHVQ
LY9hA man with black hair was kneeling on one knee, observing the situation before him.ZGlnK
C35S“…They’re all dead.”NB6
pOsL“It seems so.”60f
srIyDorothea nodded at Rutiger’s words.Zeb
CaQEnMQThe corpses of the monsters lay frozen upon the cold breath of the white mountain.oORLW
DvtL6A5Although there was no terrible smell, the traces of their last breath were clearly visible in their expressions.pofXYv1
sWH“They died in an instant. I don’t think the first monster even realized its own death.”TGL
1Pw1n6jDorothea said as she approached the corpse of the gray orc, whose eyes were open.GaP
lGT2mr“It moved like this.”uDGaka
eqEERutiger approached Dorothea and walked in the direction she pointed.sIcTrA
HinsIndeed, she was right.ft45amh
5ZY5The first body was facing forward.0ZeZ4M3
yeJQBThe one in the middle was trying to look backward.N4qkap
AqbDwThe last corpse finally looked back but couldn’t avoid it.FuoJOO0
2WXoEIt was estimated that the number of scattered orc corpses around was close to 50.EiXd
u96tIHb“What you’re trying to say is that they all died from a single strike.”BFy3c
8OXRutiger understood the situation and nodded.D3qai
3H028zThe bodies of gray orcs that had been torn apart as if struck by something enormous.iBvHml
vAoDaIvThe being that silently approached and tore through the orcs before they could do anything about it rushed forward without even looking back, leaving only death behind.vbX7
ay2ZkRutiger looked at the orc limbs scattered here and there and let out a deep sigh.Rcuj
x57E“…Joseph’s report was correct.”k9CY
0JiFQWith those words, Rutiger lifted his head and looked at the white mountain.pul
OLPzGtHowever, the snow-capped mountain with its sharp peak did not respond to Rutiger’s gaze regarding what it held.smvK
3cdMThe perfect being shattered by the Sword Master fell to the ground, spreading its blood throughout the world.rS0V74j
WMluKThus were created the remains of the fallen dragon.kugF
fgKNrSome dragons lose their wings, others lose their eyes.iZO
vK7IThen the dragons scattered throughout the world, forgetting they were dragons.4zodb
fGj6And now, for some reason, the one with the most perfect legs realized it was a dragon.ZaBA
MEn***RFEgRjX
R0w3cfG“Let’s go!”5JI
eLzA blond boy running, sweating in the middle of a large training ground.rVlLtC
W0eSSVlad kept running non-stop with heavy sandbags tied to his arms and legs.b1k
z3emNeighing—Iyswc
XiCevThe black horse seemed to find it amusing to see him struggling under the weight of the heavy sandbag despite his strong will, so it followed Vlad and ran.hkZd
eBvob0cLooking at the excited black horse, Vlad could only exhale heavily.GbLHqJW
xyiW6jS“How long do I have to do this?”2o4xWN
WXqeOK“Until you reach your limit.”5yG
H4PAy“But why do I have to do this?”SdN
S7kI“You said you wanted to learn the type of Aura I use? Then don’t ask silly questions.”dvSH
upTIn response to Ramund’s firm reply, Vlad turned his head, gritted his teeth, and began to run.eBMHl
SD41With every drop of sweat falling from the tip of his chin, he expressed his resentment towards Ramund in his heart.nFEk
bRw“….”ihVgk
0kZfN8Ramund lost in thought as he watched Vlad run.O2IT
mGAWvNSHe was born in a dark alley, lived with glamorous prostitutes, and even had an unnecessary pretentious appearance.LlWN12W
TSMQTherefore, there were some prejudices, but the boy in front of him had no complaints and simply ran quietly like an ox plowing a field.9ZAV
GCv2IPKYou’re strangely honest.b2t
5rg2rRamund felt relieved seeing Vlad training quietly.RagJq6
euMxAt least I’ve confirmed he’s not the type to go crazy boasting and believing only in his talent.f48X
7xj“Think even while you run! Imagine infusing Aura into your body!”mBv
33sUnThe old knight shouted loudly at Vlad, who ran and panted.0DWgj
xP1S0BEAt first glance, making someone run recklessly while carrying a heavy load seemed like an outdated training method, but Ramund wasn’t just a stubborn person who believed in old values.brB
hR8qHis training method was designed with Vlad’s current condition in mind.8VzJ0qe
iCZWThe boy had talent and willpower but lacked swordsmanship and the endurance to achieve it.6LkQh
sXx0ORather, his excellent physical ability made him neglect the physical training he needed for constant development, and Ramund realized this and was pushing the boy.13loSz
XbC3a“What did you do back then? When you took down the barbarian!”vtsUV
ed9LmA body that reaches its limits is destined to keep growing, and a body that has lost its strength is destined to try to fill it with something else.sBW
2kx78xRamund constantly checked the boy’s limits using the senses he had acquired over many years.2KxJ
YCtN“No more!”CAiQg
a2zRamund’s shouts echoed in forgotten times.cF6N
1KkrUpon hearing that shout, Vlad closed his left eye once again and began to elevate his world.BcmS
JpQsZPThe boy’s world, which couldn’t be expressed through a sword, scattered everywhere without anywhere to go.JrHGkJj
lvR‘Is this okay?’5GwUQ
bNSVlad, who had been running across the training ground for an unknown amount of time, tasted blood on the tip of his neck.juE
Y6NsdeHowever, Ramund’s eyes still didn’t waver, and every time Vlad looked into those eyes, a sense of relief and reassurance spread through Vlad’s heart.My9sE
vd4b8You can go further.DAd7G
jvEcrI guess I can still do it.n9w8d
7VoEfforts without a clear goal and direction would be nothing but a futile struggle, but now there was a person next to the boy firmly guiding the way, so he could move forward without hesitation.iqOdX
5cvWmThe moment Vlad put his completely weak left foot down on the ground.mP74
UfcsuJ“…!”DKMdY1j
AHvThe body, which had completely lost its strength, caught and held a streak of color in the world to fulfill the boy’s will to keep going.ya1
GIfLThe sensation he was constantly aware of while running surged up, touched the boy’s thigh, and momentarily tensed the boy’s muscles.8kAnVw
m7ISdgLIt’s like a manifestation where arrows are fired.kEQRp
JeE“Damn it!”HooleBo
1ZcbYOFor a moment, his vision was ahead.owWxxxq
fTjeAt least Vlad believed so.SVazG
KUTBThe eyes of the black horse widened as Vlad suddenly leaped ahead of it with a single shout.4KVU8Ba
AJHvB[Attempt to fall. Otherwise, you’ll get hurt.]xpZ7LU
eOm“Eww!”TcSbn
bhlv6vIIn a move he hadn’t even expected, Vlad floated in the air for a moment and then rolled on the ground.eDGOk
K6iePdAs the boy fell, dust rose.htNboMF
9BLDn1f“Ha…”hE8F1L
VdbGjtBWhen Ramund saw that scene, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh that escaped from his heart.lsKXwsL
cH8It was a sigh between joy and despair.oxJO7rN
LKb7N8“…I told you to do it, but you did it right away.”HihYAjt
bD3SdSurely there will be a feeling of regret when giving away something you cherish.KwRT0qV
YiJENAnd for Ramund, this was the strength of his body, which he had perfected throughout his life.X16e9Fm
CyP8VY“A mouse has arrived! Mouse!”fxXi
BDOw6Neighing-JXfsGQ
pwDVlad is covered in dirt, clutching his thighs, and rolling on the ground.i2XX
fIg2rlxThe black horse approached Vlad and snorted, admonishing him for daring to leave it behind.p4TMaNK
ra3YsgHowever, as Ramund watched the chaos, he simply walked slowly, sating his appetite.CpDirYk
2msblEven if you’re old, there are probably things you can’t easily let go of.HL6ooRR
3vaGUUK***tIU
jJquVlad lay helpless on an empty table.VNDXO
KStw1There was a dinner prepared by Marcella right in front of him, but he couldn’t even lift a spoon at this moment.6SjamUz
OgYI“…Aren’t you going to die at this rate?”HpzmZhd
YPDqp1In the morning, he was training with Jager.vvMH
r0VrlAt noon, he was training the use of Aura with Ramund.wDbx
34SAnd at night, he was speaking with the voice and even discussing the day’s achievements.Q9dQ
OvD6DThe teachings of a single person were overwhelming enough, and Vlad knew it well, but his body screamed that he had to accept them.zEFxfV4
MYseRThere were three teachings from masters that Vlad had to accept, and each one was from an extraordinary world.UM0z
4k0yEG“Hey. Captain. How have you been?”G8tw9
Tf1Yx“…Leave.”d829
vpGVlad growled at Goethe, who smiled at him as he climbed the stairs.A448Td6
nFQZXwc“I listen to the captain whenever I can, but I can’t stop now. Lord Joseph told me to stay here from now on.”XyQX
f1GGlpGoethe smiled at Vlad, who struggled helplessly, and left the luggage he had brought by the table.6mabK0
EDV“Wherever there are horses, there must be a stable boy.”grB6ra
fD05pOL“….”2b2vdN
7I9j0ToVlad smiled back at Goethe, who joked that he felt a connection with the boy from back then.Atszmz
p9hbaP“Well?”MpW
YsHIt’s unfair to suffer alone.f9RRPk
AvfzBut if we do it together, we’ll feel a little more at ease.xze
hG3rfqVlad shrugged, thinking of the black horse as it had run out of the stable twice, saying it didn’t like the stuffy place.McTP379
q2o2t“Cheer up.”YHloXzw
opt“Huh? Yeah.”MNjmNU
JyHdIt was Goethe who felt anxious seeing Vlad oddly smiling at him.E6EtpKI
u4WVlad turned his stiff head with difficulty, as if frozen, and looked at Zemina sitting in front of him.kobeFNo
1yEIZemina is organizing the gifts sent to her and making a list.vVl0lB
zPkAlthough her beautiful appearance from a few days ago had disappeared, the earrings on her ears still shone.Zg12byh
kSg“Do you want me to buy you some earrings?”0Vsd4
CwZq“That’s expensive.”bSzc
NyqF“But it’s from Marcella.”mnb94F
EuP“It’s mine now.”ySo
NPylXMYThe girl who dragged the horse with the dresses and accessories Marcella gave her.LS6
Qx0Vlad wanted to do something for her because she solved the problem he desperately wished for, but Zemina coldly rejected the offer.6MZ
jAnRqF“If you don’t even get a decent salary, don’t worry about other people’s earrings and work hard to save money.”MCjI1
baQ“I’m getting pocket money.”Ne8eOO
4fqrd“Ha!”v9O4
siTiZemina snorted as she watched Vlad proudly boasting about getting pocket money.rhLo
ooQj“Do I know that? Are you saying all the money you pay to stay here will be for you?”9yhEPL
fXWcCM“…Why?”ft3YB
wDzxLWhen the unexpected words came out of Zemina’s mouth, Vlad jumped as if struck by lightning.3eiC5
KPQt“I don’t know. You have to pay that amount.”KdLFd
PIy2ofV“Why me?”JHDhM
XeITOm“I don’t know either!”iIdLg
bPxGZemina shouted loudly and pushed the accounting book she had written so far towards Vlad.kiT
ssAoh2“Anyway, you’re in debt now! You know that!”1KU
sKOTFVlad’s eyes trembled as he watched Zemina descend the stairs, as if telling him not to settle for just receiving pocket money.CaR
Te6MzC“Why me?”NVi
uZhAs much as Vlad’s gaze faltered, the accounting book written by Zemina was filled with crooked letters.nbj
dEV6xYAs much as the boy tried to move forward, the girl also tried to keep up.Ilq1
FXup***uD0BkJ
huEY“Rejoice. It’s hard to imagine trying to pay off a debt with something like an earring.”xEqbmS3
xtYNeighing—THpb
cBRZemina descended to the first-floor stable and offered a carrot to the black horse waiting for her.OuKf8rg
ZJjz1F“Is that what you think? Oh, you’re eating well.”JEfRcom
fkm1Chewing on the bright red carrot given by Zemina, the black horse grunted as if in a good mood.19KJZq
igISxg“Good. Eat this and help me out. Got it?”bZDj
pzVUBuThe black horse nodded as if understanding what Zemina was saying.PhgeL9Z
U9wMarcella had said:JqC
7wM4If you want to catch a knight, first catch the horse he rides.IDG83Bf
3dJAZemina strengthened her determination as she listened to the advice given by Rose from ancient Soara.o3f5
lJPXShe decided she wouldn’t just stand by and watch behind the boy.KyY
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