Man in the Fog (2)
2 carriages, over 30 people.
Anyone who looked at the upstream route, which seemed to have more people with swords than porters to load and unload the luggage, had a strange composition.
If you add in the sinister eyes of the knights seen here and there, it looked like they were attacking somewhere.
“Is this why you brought me here?”
“······Whatever this is, let’s do it together.”
Stefan, who was scratching the stinging back of his head, smiled helplessly at Vlad’s insincere answer.
For some reason, they offered a large request fee, but there was a hidden trap.
“It’s only been a month since we settled in this city. “But it’s already starting to get out of hand.”
“The Count said he would take special care.”
“Even so, there are bound to be areas that those above cannot look into.”
With those words, Stefan slightly turned his head and looked back.
There were Vitskaya knights there, looking at themselves and Vlad with unusual eyes.
“Just make a big deal and go somewhere else. “Isn’t that the nature of mercenaries’ physiology?”
“······I have nothing to say since you said the right thing in a wrong situation.”
Stefan now knew full well that there was nothing he could do about it even if he complained.
This clumsy knight, who was lost in the forest, had already had a big fight with the knights of Vitskaya, and they had been hired by Vlad without knowing it.
In other words, they were using up the resentment that Vlad had created.
“I’ll give you a little bit of my share later, so let’s do our best. “There won’t be many cases like this in the future.”
“······I’m going crazy.”
Vlad deliberately pretended not to have heard Stefan’s last words.
Because I was willing to accept as many complaints as he made.
Stefan was a man well worth the price.
‘It’s a good thing I brought you here.’
The Thornwood Mercenary Group skillfully controls the uphill movement as expected from skilled mercenaries.
Thanks to them moving quickly like soldiers, Vlad was able to easily take the initiative.
The idea of hiring mercenaries rather than forcefully dealing with the uncooperative Vitskaya knights was the right choice.
“At this rate, it will arrive within three days.”
“good.”
Vlad listened to Stefan’s words and caressed Alicia’s amber stone as a habit.
The only clue left by the voice.
The only beings who can recognize the landscape engraved within it are the elves, who are said to be deeply connected to the spirits.
‘······Three days later.’
A race called elves that are hidden in mystery and are the object of admiration for some.
Vlad’s heart pounded a little at the thought that he might meet them in the next three days.
It was a sensation I had never felt in my life, but the pounding of my heart I was feeling right now wasn’t that bad.
It started with finding the name of the voice, but the current journey was clearly expanding Vlad’s world.
※※※※
The last day of the 3-day journey.
Perhaps because of the dense trees, the smell of the air I inhaled seemed to have changed.
The carriage made a loud creaking sound as the road gradually disappeared as we moved forward.
“Lord Vlad, we will lead the way from now on.”
“Please do so.”
I didn’t retreat because of the sharp look the knight gave me.
Vlad followed him everywhere to stop the unknown marauder, and since he led the ascent safely to this point, half of the mission was successfully completed.
“Just as I heard, it looks like they only attack wagons carrying cars.”
“hmm.”
Vlad, who naturally got out and took a seat at the back of the procession, nodded to Goth’s words from next to him.
As Goth said, I have never been attacked by anything during my journey so far.
Even though it was a carriage loaded with silver bars to pay for the tea.
‘Are you on guard?’
Perhaps many armed personnel did not come forward because they felt burdened.
However, it is said that the unknown looter only appears when there is a carriage with a car on it, so you will have to watch until the way back.
“Im here. “I can see it in front of me.”
After thinking, Vlad looked at the direction Stefan was pointing to.
In a dense forest, there were several small buildings built as if they were making their way through the thick forest.
It looked like a camp for loggers, but the fences surrounding it seemed quite sturdy.
“It seems like a place to do business.”
“I think so.”
Trade is permitted, but entry into our forest is prohibited.
The elves did not easily give up their territory to humans, and Count Vitskaya had to find his own way to deal with the exclusive attitude of the elves.
Although the building you see now looks small, the count’s arduous efforts must have been inside it.
“It looks like the elves came first. “Lord Vlad, could you please watch over my luggage for a while?”
“All right.”
The knights of Vitskaya were blatantly interfering with the meeting between Vlad and the elves, but their behavior was understandable.
Because the connection with the elves was the lifeline of the Vitskaya family.
It would be a natural decision not to bring in outsiders for such a valuable task.
Of course, antipathy toward Vlad may have played a role.
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“I wanted to see something called an elf…”
Vlad quietly nodded to Goth’s words and climbed onto the roof of the carriage.
A cool rather than cold wind was ruffling Vlad’s hair.
“Is there anything else? I have to protect it. “Everyone be on guard.”
The good thing about being a knight is that you can give orders.
After giving instructions to the Goths and mercenaries, Vlad crossed his legs and lay down on the roof, looking at the sky.
For Vlad, who had lived his entire life in a city full of people, this was the first time he had experienced such refreshing air.
It was an air that I had never felt before, either in the northern plains or at the Kannor family ranch.
※※※※
Inside a small log cabin, men were looking at each other across a long table.
“······So, this is all we can pay for now.”
A box is pushed around with a jingling sound.
The man’s ears perked up as he noticed the shallowness inside the box.
“I have a different promise.”
A small but loud voice.
The Vitskaya knight swallowed his saliva.
Because there was a deep resonance in that voice that was difficult to fathom.
“The process of making thujon leaves into tea is a process that requires a lot of effort. “It doesn’t take the labor of just one or two people.”
“I know very well. Mr. Varadis. but······.”
There was a chair placed right in front, but the elves were standing still.
Under the silent pressure of wanting to end the current conversation as quickly as possible, the Vitskaya knight had to talk about the unidentified raider who was currently blocking their trade route.
As a result, there is also the inevitable delay in payment.
“······Is the car selling well?”
Negotiations may fall apart.
Since they were very picky elves, they were thinking of the worst case scenario, but the only question that came back was whether the car was selling well.
“That’s right. So, if you give us a little more time, we will be able to fully pay you.”
“What about other regions besides the center? “Do you like our car too?”
“It’s becoming a hot topic among the central nobles, so I’m sure nobles from other places will also like it. “That’s what fashion is all about.”
The elf called Varadis listened to the knight’s explanation and nodded quietly.
I thought there would be trouble due to the late payment, but it seemed like the elves were also having high expectations for the current business.
“Please don’t make us go through the trouble of finding another lord.”
“······thank you.”
You can always find other lords to deal with.
With Varadis’ last words, which were like a threat, the box on the table was handed over to the elves.
Even though it was only half the usual amount, I decided to accept it.
“by the way.”
“Please tell me.”
The knight, who was sighing inwardly as if the negotiations were finally over, suddenly saw Varadis narrowing his eyes towards the outside.
It was a wooden wall, but the way he tilted his head made it seem as if he could see outside.
“What is that guy who came with you now?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“The one lying on the carriage.”
“······Who is lying on the carriage now?”
Varadis, who turned his gaze coldly on the person he could not communicate with, stood still and felt the strange energy coming from outside.
A dizzying energy that was hard to pinpoint was clearly disturbing his senses.
“It must have been hard to come all the way here, but I’ll treat you to a cup of tea.”
“yes?”
“I won’t charge you separately.”
The knight of Vitskaya was taken aback when he saw Varadis suddenly treating him warmly.
However, the elf’s eyes were not looking at the knight right in front of him, but at someone far away.
“Invite those outside to drink with us.”
An unfamiliar yet familiar energy.
The guardian of the forest had a duty to check the strange aura that contained a lot of something.
※※※※
I didn’t fall asleep, but I dreamed.
In that dream, there was a maple tree that I had not seen in a long time.
The colors of the falling leaves were deep.
“······what. this.”
Vlad closed his eyes in the cold winter, but woke up on a hill where he could feel the gentle breath of autumn, and was confused.
In a scene too vivid to be considered a dream, Vlad hurriedly looked around.
The sunset was setting over the distant horizon, coloring the swaying wheat fields red.
“I don’t think this is a dream.”
Vlad was clearly aware of where he was now.
The scenery inside the amber stone can now only be relied on as a memory.
It was a place with a landscape that the voice said it had visited before.
Vlad hurriedly looked back.
There was a maple tree standing there, as if it had been watching him from the beginning.
“flower?”
Flowers were blooming on that tree.
The maple tree had no flowers, but it was definitely full of flowers.
Colorful flowers hiding themselves among the falling leaves.
Following the swaying wind, one of the flowers there along with the fallen leaves fell towards Vlad.
It was a pure white, platinum-colored flower.
“······driving me crazy.”
When it fell, it was a flower, but when it came down, it became a butterfly.
After seeing that scene, Vlad had no choice but to admit it.
That this place is not reality.
The sight of the butterfly flapping its wings in the sky and the sunset was beautiful.
In a landscape where everything was fading away, only a single butterfly, with its own light, landed on the bridge of Vlad’s nose.
Vlad quietly closed his right eye as he watched the butterfly slowly folding its wings.
When drawing images, use your left eye.
When thinking about reality, use your right eye.
Vlad, who understood the engraved rules of the world even though no one had told him, slowly closed his eyes and recalled the scene where he had closed them.
“Captain…Captain!”
Goat’s voice sounds vaguely as if in a dream.
Vlad finally steps into reality in the afterimage that still shakes like a wave.
“······.”
Vlad opened his closed eyes and could still see a butterfly flying in front of him.
The last breath of the twilight passing over the mountains was resting on the girl’s white-blonde hair.
“What is this?”
Armor imbued with the white snake’s protection,
“With this.”
Alicia’s amber stone with the mole’s blessing.
“And this.”
And a white finger gently pressing the bridge of his nose.
Golden eyes were looking at Vlad, along with ears twitching.
Even here when I opened my eyes, a butterfly was flying around.
