Chapter 94: As wide as the world (3)
TyEEven though they were appointed to be mayor, Joseph’s management style was completely different from that of the previous mayor.GXH
uJBXIf the former mayor’s goal was to keep Soara running smoothly and ensure tax revenue, Joseph was someone who needed solid achievements of his own.sNQXShP
TA6fpy“Do you think this guy named Agge will bow correctly to Vlad?”oHZ51HM
gHsg“…At least you understand his current situation.”XjO
Y4tXHe raised a promising boy named Vlad and gained firm control over the territory called Deirmar.V7h
aDtUAfter achieving such success, Joseph’s next plan was to deal with the barbarians beyond the northern border.02pMF
LnJotj“I’m sure he understands that the offer I made was made with the utmost sincerity.”jJbN
2cSwXQMeanwhile, Bayezid’s authority has been questioned by many families, and now is the time to show its response through action.ck1u2ce
e6cKBAnd before that, Bayezid’s first priority must somehow be to eliminate the elements of anxiety that may lurk behind it.lHgP
MDI“…So, he probably knows what will happen after he rejects my offer.”BCeyu
9atcrByAfter receiving such a strong blow from Mirshea that shook the foundations of the tribe, the Budart tribe had no choice but to take the hand that Joseph extended to them.R9f2Nw
DCtyWpAnd Joseph planned to use them to control the barbarians in the future.z5CKZdp
CxIB4G“It would be good if it goes as planned.”dRz
lXZzG“That’s right.”wmEbP
vnWPwYIt was worth a try, but it wouldn’t be easy.n7ApCnT
btmoJoseph, who knew this, poured hot wine into a glass and let out a small sigh.IJk4
zcIqCS“…I don’t know when we started to become so divided.”Hu6Wb
inGsAlthough they are from the same northern region, the barbarians and the northerners have been at odds for a long time.OZFtH
nExEGxKIt’s unknown when the chain of hatred began, but Joseph didn’t believe the current situation was beneficial for the North.sLTdBQ
QvPhXbAYour world and mine are connected, but they cannot become one.PEXZ
FI1ymkBecause there were so many differences that separated our worlds that it was difficult to even count them.4JMipkn
VBM5h8“I hope it goes well this time too.”d51o
QQ2iulStill, the reason Joseph paired Agge with Vlad was because he saw a small amount of potential in the boy.TxBc9B
fyBA boy mounted on a black horse considered sacred by the barbarians.yI7c8
NOHPAnd the boy who saved the barbarians by riding that horse and hunting the northern dragon.QPrpoc
RlEI15Vlad, unlike the northerners he had been with until now, felt a bit like the barbarians.JWu
SMxZKPJoseph only hoped that Vlad would show results that exceeded his expectations this time.BlXpOEy
vgTSeIb***GgE
qCgSince Vlad left that night, Dice’s gambling house hasn’t been able to open.1R8zAJ7
jfy7On the surface, it was known to be closed for repairs to internal facilities, but in reality, it was because Vlad had ordered a one-week suspension of business.JUV5Jw
hU0sEv“Is it enough?”rLaXo
BFU7sw“Well, it’s okay. You’ll have to see.”JNh9
ZYRQmUpon arriving at Bordan’s office, Vlad placed the stack of papers he was carrying with both hands on his desk.WI50
RPqtRhW“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”cDEOdml
Ox1rh“The simple fact of knowing that the words are written is something wonderful.”8Q70
YfGpI9pAll the documents Vlad brought with him were financial documents from Dice’s gambling house.2kr6szI
yEMzThey were confiscated to estimate the profits from fraudulent activities, but Bordan, who was actually supposed to do the work, simply set aside the documents in silence.kYWelh
pZDC“…Do you want me to take some away?”fg8x
z9LWzKV“No.”pZd6nm
kvRNSoAlthough he didn’t really know what was written, Vlad knew it was a meaningless document.W4dWt
TB9WzoFor Dice’s gambling house to reopen, shiny gold coins would be the answer, not a clear vocation.mD0g
k3lwvX“He still doesn’t want to receive bribes.”hhs
4kAE50N“Who?”Kpsd
qUy85Y“My friend.”6gfbtV
5Sq1IKjBordan shrugged upon hearing Vlad’s response.P6eW9
VrAJ“I don’t know who he is, but he’s a smart friend. It’s the basis of the art of living.”iwqd7p
u1MWhiBHarven had told Vlad it was time to sow seeds instead of harvesting.IP0tDfD
B118cYThe advice was to aim for the fruit that would be higher up instead of focusing on the gains you have right in front of you.EJlBDT
IDmb“Please, visit Sir Gregory later.”FKt
t2Uu“Why?”ZnMJ
c4xuBordan found it admirable that Vlad had managed to find the right path.NUv3
nzc8GThe boy who couldn’t even read the order correctly had now become a worthy knight.nxJt
Hut7Bd7So it would be fine to provide a little help.Y6e
KOjO“Because it’s exactly what you two want.”bHmOil
T4JiS“…?”X5YEQgV
br2lhrSeeing Vlad looking at him as if wondering what that meant, Bordan rummaged in the drawer and tossed him a candy.88LybvJ
2kyXwIt truly was a dessert suitable for a child who knew nothing.cv3
eLd“I’ve told you everything, so go on out.”tVqOrG
fL1U8gSeeing Bordan waving his hand while saying strange words, Vlad had no choice but to leave.crbJu
2VtS“What.”7g3Opzo
Jy1RLVlad, who stepped out into the hallway with ambiguous words, just scratched his head.worvVa
1ogjJorge remarked that Vlad was the type who would lead any alley, but the problem was that the idea itself was still confined to the alley.kJqXfu
ILdh6Regardless of whether he was smart or not, Vlad, who had just reached the top, still didn’t have enough time to understand the world of knights.Xpg
SZlJPd“Vlad, Vlad.”Q7A0Qr
fonwRBut everything would be fine.tr6xk
9O44“Sir Gregory?”AF9rGym
bwfEven in unfamiliar environments, Vlad always found what he needed to do.6blxwrL
9ufInsw“Now, take this.”EIUz
8JCAt that moment, Vlad followed Gregory, who beckoned him with a hand gesture, to the end of the hallway and accepted the object he handed over.1r9jfQ
WD8sAn item wrapped in luxurious gift paper.pr1A
oQAOnIt was the salted meat from the Kannor family that Portly often gave him during his days as a squire.8abD9
RpFI6F“I was already planning to come see you.”f0I
eK8“Yes?”WD0
eC8SnIt was said that he would follow Bordan’s words, but Gregory seemed to have interpreted it a bit differently and began to show great enthusiasm.NekD
RiUc3cs“Good. I thought we’d get along.”gueu
OVfgKAi“Is that so?”gmxnI
IillGregory is Portly’s uncle.I10E
pUMxNIn other words, he was a person with close ties to the Kannor family.UxR
Ww4JEKp“You said black bear? An organization that runs a meat packing business in an alley.”2lyX
Ey4kT“Yes.”PoM
PeLyvU9The Kannor family was famous for its livestock industry in Bayezid County, but its territory was limited to Sturma and nearby villages.Omt2hO
tmp5xaG“It seems that Mr. Joseph doesn’t like those guys either. What do you think? Shall we take care of it together?”8Ufwa
swXr“…”vNXEWI
K7raNYFor the Kannor family to smoothly expand its influence to other regions, it would be better to occupy existing commercial areas.7OS
yGIAnd in the city of Soara, it turned out there was a young knight sponsored by the Kannor family.hoW11s
o6DZ“That was the story.”VFC
vC3m9“Eh?”u9wv
wjtA knight is a sword, and a sword is strength.UJO
E51xKnights who pave the way with a just cause were always followed by people who wanted to profit.nppAmH
OcOZB“Excellent. I was just trying to fix it anyway.”dBrl
DLcXxVlad smiled and nodded, holding the salted meat Gregory handed him.OSAOn8
y4ue6eC“Are you going to lend me people?”R7rMd
6QHmNFH“Of course. If you want, I’ll introduce myself.”Yut
xaGkdsiDice at the gambling house and Captain Hoover in the smuggling business are fine, but black bears aren’t.KRPQN
15Rh9FBecause it was someone who crossed the line.3bp
poqrxAnd knights were people who had the authority to punish those who crossed the line.CPlG
dCwaGwlVlad thought he could finally complete his revenge for Anna’s death.kzEzM
Vrp***P3Pofau
9D3BSqueak! Squeak!UN3
DKZDPiIn the temporarily covered white alley that concealed dirty things, Vlad breathed quietly.w7wPlUm
VUEJxThe path from the dock to Harven.8a0
csoIAnd the alley leading to the blacksmith’s shop.gq4OQL
dgWrOnAs Vlad walked these two paths, he could momentarily forget reality.gRPMunv
rtpooeAlthough the reality in which he found himself was dizzying, he could have thought that the way to these two places was a straight line.28y
sqR6Bang!PSeq1l
GQYcFinally, Vlad opened the door with a rough sound and entered a dark and unlit forge, accompanied by the cold winter wind.giz
m4K9“…”DpCR
ICulUK3The first thing he saw upon entering was the dusty work surface and the small, cold brazier.TTcf
mmWoCnThere should always have been fire in the furnace in a blacksmith’s shop, but now it was only filled with pale ashes.F109O
OoBL4“I guess I arrived too late.”2dbPW0v
GHXaEmThe snow outside the door, which had not been removed for a long time, had accumulated and turned into a hard block of ice.A17m
75qIt stood there blocking the rickety door, as if to show that no one had come in for a while.H6d
HU2u3F“I had a favor to ask you.”uQHqfy
K9Tre0iVlad came here because he had something to ask the old man and something to show him.kOa0
lzZaHowever, the old blacksmith remained motionless on his old bed despite the arrival of the guest.7STj
V9fhSeeing him motionless, Vlad pulled up a chair and sat down.4UIQVWj
SsHW“I came to ask you to place this on the pommel.”ndg0
Xhrz8dVlad held in his hand the yellow amber stone given to him by Alicia and looked down silently.DM7OI
54f4He thought the old man would like this.nSFm0
4biOUoAlthough he could never escape the alleys all his life, the old man, who longed for the outside world, always enjoyed Vlad’s stories told with his sword wounds.Xtyup
iXC5“…”GJoRM
YOVCAnd Vlad also liked the sound of the old man’s laughter accompanied by the sound of a hammer.9ryB7u6
bRWifjVlad suddenly raised his head and looked up at the ceiling of the forge.ZISNT
WRtyFoyA wooden pillar deeply dented by something.bbNU
McItaJmIt was the place where the sword always hung.ihGx
UosIt’s been a while since I last saw you, so it looks strange again.g5QQRXm
lwUxLThe dream of the old man has been hanging in the alley for a long time, and the young man was able to keep hope alive by seeing that dream.MZYh9
FAIPerhaps the old man had been saving Vlad even before the night he escaped to Soara.FCJh
xIvou“I actually came to give you this.”xYEM1BK
fjirVlad stood up with a deep sigh and pulled out an object that had been carefully wrapped in cloth in his arms.0eUL
CcnA sword.mJTkAi3
YFqA sword from an alley that only has a handle that can no longer be called a sword.pfZbh
KBYVlad placed his sword in the arms of the cold lying old man.Gwx2tt
7Sh4og“Thank you.”v1lP
qACZRb4He wanted to tell him this a lot, but in the end it would just be a word.A98
55HY93He said he was grateful for having been saved.KCjoF
rfTewQVlad lit the embers of the old man’s brazier one last time and stood up.kuu
A8CPINbThe warmth spreading from there eased Vlad’s heart a little.tdio
bVH“Have a good sleep.”KYj7Zp
YUVkY7The cold winter wind entered with a squeak and soon the door closed, and the boy’s back receded further and further away.UJR5fR
lhQRXThe boy leaves and the old man stays.i29
Pi8oPHdThus time passes and no one will complain.wOZM
7aYI“…”in7p2E
i1eigODA dilapidated forge where no one was left after the boy left.DbTf2Yw
GQpZNwThere, the old blacksmith held the sword handle as Vlad had told him.qT5qzMZ
vpxJ0He was dreaming of a sword.I8QFCGr
fl0t5xIn his dream, he saw a white snowy mountain he had never been to before, and a dragon he had never seen before ran through the field.e9dO8
vXWdNow that he was out of the alley, there seemed to be a small smile on his face.6c0au08
qDXA sword that began with an old man’s dream but was completed in the hands of a boy.yLQPgvz
fwhiXkThe star that had been hanging towards the sky finally returned to the old man’s arms.pV8suQ
kLepfShining brighter than anyone.QN8Q
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