Episode 170
* * *
“No, just two. Even so, is it really okay for the eldest son of the Duke to be like this?”
“The Seven Swords of the Continent are with you, so what is there to worry about? And… … .”
“and?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Dale shook his head at Master Baro’s question.
Strictly speaking, there weren’t two people there.
Two men were riding across the lands of the Empire, without any escort or other personnel to protect them.
Passing through the northern part of the empire, where the Duchy of Saxony is located, towards the far east of the empire, where the scorching deserts spread out.
“I have spoken to my father, and I will return to the Duchy of Saxony at least until word of my absence reaches the outside world.”
“Well, when people make plans, they always make them sound plausible.”
Master Baro said with a chuckle.
“Those guys who got the Samdocheon Free Pass with my sword were also making their own plausible plans before their balls were cut off.”
“… … .”
From his galloping horse, Dale shook his head in disbelief.
“So, is there any way to properly contact the mountain assassins?”
“I decided to join up with those who could contact them along the way.”
“Are you human?”
“well.”
“Hmm, my spine feels so stiff.”
“Do you know anything else about them?”
“Similar to our fanatic brats.”
Perhaps you are referring to the shadow court.
“They are an assassination organization within the elven society who believe without a doubt that they are carrying out divine orders. It’s funny even for me to say this, but they are mostly lunatics who cannot communicate.”
“It seems you know more about them than I thought.”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?”
Master Baro answered Dale’s question calmly.
“My old teacher was from that neighborhood.”
Dale held his breath at those words that were passed over so casually.
“… … What did you just say?”
Dale asked back as if he was dumbfounded, and Master Baro answered as if he didn’t know that either.
“Oh, so that’s why you took me with you?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Hmm, this is so annoying.”
“Why is that?”
“No, I don’t think the teacher would like my face very much.”
“Did you by any chance get beaten by those dark elves?”
“Well, depending on one’s position, there are many different interpretations… … .”
Master Baro trailed off and fell into thought for a moment.
“I suddenly want to go back to the dukedom.”
“… … This is so crap.”
In many ways, it was already too late.
* * *
Little is known about the elven society. They live in the crystal land called Antarctica, the hot land called Far East, and finally the great forest with green magic towers… … All three are not suitable for human habitation, so even the Empire does not have any desire for their land.
A community that has built an extremely exclusive and closed society and values strict discipline.
That was all Dale knew.
In that respect, Sepia was more open-minded and open-minded than other elves. What seemed trivial at first glance would have been a taboo that could never be tolerated in their elven society.
“… … .”
I didn’t expect to come all this way and see Sepia.
Sepia probably didn’t even know that Dale was forgiving her debt. It was just Dale’s way of paying off his debt to her, nothing more, nothing less.
That day, from the moment I lifted the hint of Sepia, I was prepared for it. Nothing would change.
A free city in the eastern part of the Empire that promised to make contact with the Sorceress Council.
By the time Dale and Baro arrived after a week and a few days of sleeping rough, the dusk had thickened.
“See you here tomorrow morning.”
“Hmm, I don’t really need to stay by your side day and night, do I?”
“There’s no need for you to stick so close to me in a place like this.”
“Haha, as expected, being the eldest son of the Saxony family isn’t something just anyone can do.”
Dale made a reservation for two rooms on the second floor of the Mokro Tavern and walked over. Master Baro sat down on the first floor of the tavern with his legs crossed and began gulping down his beer.
A room on the second floor of an extremely shabby tavern.
It was a room with straw spread out in a suitable manner, not even worthy of being called a bed.
“Lady Aurelia.”
In that empty space, Dale muttered softly.
At the same time, the shadows beneath their feet began to ripple and form a human silhouette.
Lady Shadow, the shadow who assists the ‘Black Prince’ of the House of Saxony as usual.
“Did you call?”
“You haven’t eaten yet.”
“Food… … .”
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Aurelia smiled bitterly as she said that.
“When I am in your shadow, I can forget many things in the world.”
A special contract with Shuve, allowing you to remain in her shadow.
By existing within the shadow cast by the old dark mother, she is able to escape the many constraints of the human body.
Just like Dale now, who was reborn with a blood-red body.
“Just like your body is now.”
Dale swallowed softly at Aurelia’s words.
“Even the past when I received the revelation from the goddess and fought for the old kingdom of Bratinaa now feels like a dream from a distant past.”
“… … .”
“Without having to think about anything, without having to worry about anything… … you can feel yourself slowly moving away from people.”
Aurelia, Lady Shadow said bitterly.
“I feel like my existence is all about being a sword in the shadows, swinging it for you when needed.”
“Is that what you want, Lady Aurelia?”
Away from people. Dale asked again, and Aurelia answered coldly.
“Because you wish for the destruction of the empire.”
It was her will, beyond doubt.
“I can see and feel many things about you in the shadows. And I can also see how much effort you are putting into the destruction of the empire.”
Dale remained silent.
“My role is simply to watch over it and swing my sword to ensure that your will is carried out.”
The watcher in the shadows spoke.
“For that, I’ll gladly become a puppet dancing in your shadow.”
“I’m glad you said that.”
Dale said, and Aurelia smiled silently.
* * *
That moment.
“Hey, where the hell did you come from, you little shit? You don’t even recognize my brother’s face… … .”
Away from the room where Dale and Aurelia were, an unexpected commotion was unfolding on the first floor of the tavern.
In every street of the city, and even in the taverns that are the center of it, there are always gangs that cannot control their power.
From small-scale lawbreakers who run riot in the city and are feared by the people, to large-scale gangsters who establish their own organizations within the city and make a profit.
But Master Baro was not the kind of person to bow his head obediently before them.
“Oh my, these damn kids.”
Master Baro calmly swore in front of the group of men carrying icy axes on their waists.
“Hey, what’s so great about drinking that you’re picking a fight and making a fuss?
The expressions of the people in the tavern turned pale, and one of the gang burst out laughing.
“This kid, it looks like he still doesn’t know how to live in this city.”
As he said that, he was about to put his arm on the axe at his waist to show off his power.
“uh?”
But I couldn’t feel the handle of the axe. No, I couldn’t feel my arm itself.
Choaack!
The blood that was just pouring out was telling what had happened.
“Do you think I came all the way here to watch you show off your strength? Huh?”
Master Baro still has his legs crossed on the table, sipping his beer and continuing to talk calmly.
Chomp!
But once again, a blood line was drawn on the body of one of the gang.
“Ahhhh!”
Each time, an arm or a leg was cut off, and screams echoed from all directions.
“I may not know how to live in this city, but I know damn well how to survive in this country.”
“I’m going to leave the screams behind me,” said Master Baro, sipping his beer.
Looking at the backs of the gang trying to run away after seeing their comrades suffer too late.
“Oh my, where are you going to run off to after arguing like that?”
Something struck their feet, or rather, their insteps, as they tried to run away in a hurry.
It was memorized.
As if he could not let them escape any longer, the dark magician struck their insteps and held them in place.
Master Baro turned his head, leaving behind the resounding scream.
“Oh my, this is so.”
The eldest son of the duke’s family he was serving was there.
“… …What are you doing here?”
“I’m so sorry about that.”
Master Baro scratched his head awkwardly.
“Because I’m the type of person who just can’t pass by cripples.”
“… … .”
Dale turned his head and saw the gang begging for their lives in a sea of blood.
“I decided to contact that person here, so I thought it would be good to attract people’s attention like this… … .”
It was just then.
“Yes.”
As soon as Dale finished speaking, a suspicious robed figure appeared at the entrance of the tavern.
“I never thought you would call me something like this.”
It was a clear female voice, and Dale looked up.
“What a truly undignified, rude, and noisy way to do things.”
The woman finally took off her hood, her crystal-green hair flowing down, revealing two pointed ears.
“I thought the ‘Black Prince’ I imagined would call me in a more elegant and dignified way.”
Dale took a deep breath.
It was a snow elf. But it wasn’t Sepia.
“My name is Erje, the sorceress of the Blue Tower.”
“Haha, who called you? This delusion is a serious case of princess syndrome.”
Master Baro burst into hearty laughter at the sight. For a moment, Hergé blinked in embarrassment.
After a moment of silence, a blue cold air began to sweep across the area.
“No, you have come to the right place, Hergé.”
Dale intervened in an unexpected situation.
“This man will take us to the ‘Mountain Assassin’ as promised.”
“Hey, damn it.”
Master Baro sipped his beer in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know, Miss Elf.”
“… … It’s late at night, so I was planning to visit you tomorrow morning, but somehow things ended up like this.”
Dale also looked around awkwardly and said.
“There’s no benefit to drawing attention, so let’s get moving right away.”
Only then did Hergé silently nod his head. He turned his back on the sea of blood that had suddenly engulfed the entire tavern.
In many ways, it was a first encounter that was doomed from the start.
