Colder than North (1)
The end of midwinter.
Josef returned the chair he usually sat in to the window and looked outside.
At the gate of Shoara seen through the window, a large number of church priests were gathered and waiting for someone.
“Did you recognize me?”
Zayar realized that Josef’s eyes looking at the window were unusual.
His eyes were tense, as if he was watching an approaching typhoon.
“He is said to be Duke Dragullia’s biological son. “They say he is a half-brother with Mirshea, the leader of the Dragon Slayer Knights.”
As soon as Xayar’s report ended, the movements of the priests visible outside were becoming busier.
A dark line slitting the dragon’s neck.
Knights were entering Shoara under the banner of the Dragon Slayer Knights.
“The name is Radu. Although he is young, he is a knight who has already slain dragons several times.”
Josef’s ears were focused on Zayar, but his eyes did not leave the gate.
There are three knights coming in under the flag.
However, even among them, the man at the forefront was vaguely visible.
Even when viewed from afar in his office, he looked confident.
“Son of the Dragon Blood Prince, Radu Draguliara…”
The Bayezid family was also famous for producing great knights, but even so, it was probably not as good as the central Dragulia family.
Because they were a family that inherited the blood of the dragon, not just a vain tradition, but recorded in actual history books.
And now, a knight with the blood of the dragon was walking into Shoara with a polite invitation from Bishop Pierre.
“And here.”
This time, Zayar reported to Josef, not in words but with a small note.
“It is said that Bayezid’s eyes have discovered suspicious trends throughout the North.”
“······.”
Josef took the note that Zayar handed him, carefully opened it, and began to read what was written inside.
“hmm.”
I tried to hold it in, but I couldn’t help it.
It was a note with only a short sentence written on it, but Josef’s frown narrowed as he read it.
The note he was holding now was an explanation of the situation and also a quiet warning from his father, Peter.
“······I guess I thought wrong.”
“yes?”
With those words, Josef stood up and moved closer to the window.
Since I couldn’t wield a sword, I trained my sharp eyes and deep thoughts.
However, no matter how intensely he trained, it seems that it was still not enough for the Heretic Questioner who had lived his entire life in the battlefield of logic.
“Bishop Pierre’s target was not Vlad.”
Clearly, Bishop Josef and Pierre were fighting for control of Shoara.
However, the power of Shoara, which was the purpose and goal for Josef, was merely a means that could be thrown away at any time for Bishop Pierre.
Bishop Pierre was looking further ahead than Joseph.
The northern churches belonging to the Vatican were moving.
The first person to raise the flag was Bishop Pierre of Shoara, and the place where the church soldiers were gathering was one of the fiefdoms that had been located in the north for a long time.
The city of Baron Utman.
It was Mosiah.
※※※※
The blessing of the shining mole was truly powerful.
While Vlad and Goth were leaving the forest of Dobrechti, they were never attacked by monsters or beasts, and even their steps were light.
The trip, which had gone so smoothly, ended up leaving the two of them out of the Forest of Dobrechti much faster than expected, and that was the beginning of the problem.
“Wow. Eat it slowly. “No one will take it away.”
A bonfire burning under a tree dyed white by snow.
There were two men hungrily eating soup under the warm heat and billowing smoke.
The man who was watching the scene right in front of him spoke to Vlad and Goth with a sad expression on his face.
Their lips, which were still pale despite having the warm soup on their lips, showed how much they had been wandering around.
“thank you. “If I hadn’t met you all, I would have been in real trouble.”
We must learn to express gratitude to those who share food with us.
Vlad, who was a young hunter before he became a pickpocket, knew the gratitude of a bowl of warm soup and therefore expressed his sincere gratitude to the mercenaries who saved him.
“oh······.”
“······This is something I will live to see for a long time.”
However, the mercenaries who heard Vlad thank them only opened their eyes wide and expressed surprise.
In the suddenly awkward atmosphere, Vlad quickly began to look around to see if he had made a mistake.
The life skills I had learned in the back alleys were flowing out as naturally as breathing.
“I guess the driver is from the central region?”
However, the man who introduced himself as the mercenary leader just smiled and handed me the cut-up beef jerky.
It seemed like Vlad really liked the way he said thank you.
“I’m not from the central region. “I’m from the North.”
“oh. “So you said that.”
Vlad, who had finally come to his senses after escaping from cold and hunger, continued speaking as he looked at the mercenaries who were looking at him curiously.
“Did I just make a mistake?”
“No, no. Sir, sir. haha!”
The curly-haired man laughed out loud at Vlad’s question and served him another bowl of soup.
——————
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“It’s because it’s the first time I’ve heard low-level bastards like us say thank you to people like you.”
Vlad felt a subtle sense of awkwardness as he looked at the mercenaries who called themselves lowlifes.
In fact, it was Vlad, not the mercenaries, who had been living at the bottom, but his reflection in the new land seemed to be just a young knight.
‘I guess I was too polite.’
It seems that the hierarchical relationship between classes was more thorough in the central region than in the north.
There are bound to be various differences depending on the characteristics of each region, so Vlad thought that he should keep these points in mind in the future.
“By the way, driver, where are you going?”
“I was on my way to Tanovo. “A city in the County of Vitskaya.”
With those words, Vlad raised his head and looked at the curly-haired man.
The mercenary leader stopped laughing when he saw Vlad looking at him while holding a bowl of soup.
Even though he didn’t say it with his mouth, the intention in his eyes was very clear.
“This is truly a fate. “We were also on our way to Tanovo.”
“Oh oh.”
Before Vlad could answer, Goth quickly let out a sigh of relief.
“thank god. Leader. “If we just follow those people, we can reach Tanovo.”
“shut up.”
Vlad could not hold back the anger boiling inside him and finally let out a single word.
Before he left, he was the guy who beat his chest and said he only believed in himself.
However, since he ended up creating this division, Vlad had no choice but to blame himself, saying it was his fault for trusting a fraudster.
“This is Vlad of Shoara. “No, Vlad.”
“This is Stefan of the Thorn Mercenaries. Sir.”
Vlad suppressed his boiling anger and shook hands with the mercenary leader with a smile on his face.
As their hands held together, their eyes met each other.
Vlad thought that Stefan’s blue eyes went well with his curly orange hair.
※※※※
A city in the central region that I saw for the first time.
The sight of Tanovo, a proper city rather than a remote territory like Dobrechti, broadened the knowledge of Vlad, who had lived in Shoara his entire life, just by looking at it.
“This is my first time in the central city.”
“Then this place might not be so bad.”
From experience, he knew that if he looked like a country bumpkin, he would be an easy target for crime, but still, the atmosphere of the city he was seeing for the first time excited Vlad again.
“This city can be said to be one of the trading bases with the elves in the east. So, it is also a place where many merchants and mercenaries stop by.”
Stefan was showing the utmost sincerity he could for the seemingly inexperienced driver.
No matter how young he looks, a knight is a knight.
If you can establish a relationship with a driver with just a few bowls of soup and a few kind words, it will definitely be a profitable business.
“How can I find an inn for you? “I know a few useful places.”
“hmm. I just want you to recommend an inn. “I plan to meet the lord of this place first.”
“oh. “I see.”
Seeing Vlad proudly saying that he would meet Count Vitskaya, Stefan nodded with his eyes shining.
No matter how knightly they are, not everyone is worthy.
Among those who were knights and walked around with their heads held high, there were bound to be people who were more shabby than mercenaries like themselves.
However, the young knight in front of him had an unusually cute appearance and was proudly saying that he would visit the count, so Stefan’s eyes couldn’t help but shine.
“If you need help, please come to me anytime. “We are planning to stay at the inn at the intersection in front of us for a few days.”
“Sure, no, let’s do that.”
Vlad suddenly treated him like a mean person, but instead of being offended, Stefan just nodded as if he was doing just that.
“Thank you.”
“you’re welcome. Sir.”
It was surprisingly difficult to treat someone older than you.
But Vlad had to get used to this by now.
Since there was no Josef or senior knights who had always proven their authority in front of them, now they had to reveal themselves.
“You can find the Count’s mansion by going to the largest building in the city.”
Stefan, who was watching Vlad struggling to find his place, left with a smile of understanding.
The group of mercenaries following him carefully bowed to Vlad and disappeared into the streets.
“I really should go visit you later and buy you a drink.”
If you received something, you must return it.
If it weren’t for Stefan, I might still be wandering around the cold winter forest, so it would be good to at least show my gratitude.
“If you’re going to buy me a drink, it would be better to buy something a little more expensive. Leader.”
“why?”
Goth, who was walking behind with Stefan’s mercenaries, gave Vlad a meaningful look and said.
“It seems like a popular mercenary group. Judging by the equipment they are wearing and the fact that they quickly passed through the inspection at the castle gate, they are at least a group of mercenaries whose name is known.”
“okay?”
Vlad’s eyes also began to shine as he watched Stefan leave.
Stefan was not the only one who wanted to gain something from their relationship.
※※※※
Northern mansions had a strong practical aspect.
Facilities with a clear purpose and high walls.
In a way, it was a characteristic of the northern mansions that they were so bleak that they could be called small castles, but the style in the central part was different.
“What brought you here?”
Pure white exterior walls surrounding the mansion.
And the carvings carved between the walls were enough to leave Vlad speechless for a moment.
“I am Bayezid’s knight. It’s Vlad. “I came here because I have a special request to make to the lord of this place.”
“Can I tell you what’s going on?”
I was momentarily taken aback by the useless elegance I saw for the first time, but even so, I did not forget what I had to do.
“I have an urgent matter to convey to my lord, so I would like to borrow the wizard’s telegram. Please tell the knight in trouble that you hope for Count Vitskaya’s kind help.”
It was a quick visit without an appointment, but I think I can lend you a telegram.
A monarch ruling a territory would not miss an opportunity to save face with a small favor.
“Leader. Shall we get to the inn later? “Maybe you’ll get an invitation.”
“okay.”
Vlad nodded slightly in response to Goth’s insinuating question from behind.
In the North, there was a custom of valuing visiting guests.
If there was a similar custom here, maybe I could get dinner.
But 10 minutes passed and an hour passed.
Even as the surroundings became dark, there was no sound calling out to Vlad.
“······.”
The reason Josef sent Vlad away was partly to protect him from possible cavils by the Vatican, but it was also intended for him to come see the wider world.
In that sense, Josef’s intention was clearly succeeding.
“When will the answer come?”
“I do not know.”
“I wish I could at least hear whether it is yes or no.”
“You have to wait.”
Cold disregard.
Even a low sneer can be heard from time to time.
Vlad was not angry at the coldness he felt for the first time in a long time.
Because it was something I was familiar with, it was something I could tolerate.
However, I was just curious as to why he was being treated like this when he had clearly proven his identity.
“until when?”
“······.”
The center of the continent is in the center, and the lords of the central region believed they were at the center of the world.
They believed that they had a nobility that could not be compared to the westerners who ate dry dirt or the northerners who had the blood of barbarians mixed in.
“You have to wait until the Count finds it.”
“······.”
The frog in the well saw the world.
However, the world that I thought would be wide was only full of other walls.
The center of the world discriminated against northerners like this.
Vlad had no choice but to stand still in front of the Count’s firmly closed door.
