Star-Embracing Swordmaster Chapter 21

To the Bayezid family (2)

On the way back to the city of Varna.

After confirming that Vlad had recovered enough to move, Josef immediately moved the punitive force.

Although the two knights under his command had not yet fully come to their senses, it was an unavoidable measure since they were at a stage where they could not recover with just a day or two of recuperation.

“Here’s what I think. “I think this might have been an attempt to show something rather than a direct intention to kill me.”

“······.”

In the shaking carriage, Vlad was quietly listening to Josef.

No, I had no choice but to listen.

The carriage that Josef was originally riding in was given to his knights who had not yet come to their senses, so there was only one carriage left.

“Why did you think that? It’s simple. The finish is too poor compared to what was received. If they had succeeded in separating Xayar and putting me in danger, then of course they should have killed me quickly. But it wasn’t like that.”

“······Yes.”

As a result, Vlad had no choice but to quietly listen to the words of Josef, a nobleman, superior, and commander.

‘He is a man of many words.’

Josef, who had become one step closer to Vlad through last night’s battle, was willing to reveal his true self.

Of course, this may not show his true colors in their entirety, but if others see it, it will certainly seem like Vlad is favored by Josef.

‘That’s a lot of people too.’

Jemina was also talkative, but she was able to endure it.

Because when I told him to shut up, he would shut up.

However, Josef did not dare to do that.

‘Are you living well?’

Vlad, feeling depressed at the sight of himself sitting while listening to the man’s chatter, turned his head and looked out the window of the carriage.

However, where he looked to find peace of mind, instead of seeing a peaceful scenery, there was only the image of Xayar glaring at him fiercely.

‘Treat me properly.’

His eyes said so.

Vlad had nothing to say since he dared to make the knight who was serving him ride a horse and he himself was comfortably riding in a carriage.

‘shit.’

Vlad, who had been pricked by Xayar’s gaze, turned his head and looked at the window on the other side.

However, there was someone waiting for Vlad even in the place where he fled for peace.

A long-chinned man who signals himself with loud hand and foot gestures.

‘Tell me about myself! ‘Do what I say, boss!’

In the window on the other side, there was Goth, urging me to hurry up and tell Josef about his accomplishments.

‘······It looks like a real dog.’

With people talking noisily in front of him and people pecking at him fiercely on both sides, Vlad just wanted to get out of here and walk around in peace.

“Think about it. Why?”

“······I think I’ll think about it when I have a drink.”

“That’s a bit of a difficult story.”

Josef noticed that Vlad was aiming for his whiskey and quickly removed the bottle and placed it behind him.

“I also live on pocket money.”

“People live the same everywhere.”

“I just hope you wake up on your own.”

Josef smiled softly when he saw Vlad racking his brains to come up with an answer, perhaps because of the alcohol or because of his own question.

In order for a person to shine on his own, several conditions had to be met.

Not only the ability to wield a sword, but also personality, knowledge, courtesy, etc.

And the blond boy in front of him clearly had potential, but he fell short in all aspects.

‘I can’t teach you the sword directly, though.’

Because of his weak body, he may not be able to teach him how to use a sword directly, but he may be able to teach him other things instead.

Because Josef was a man with the ability to do that.

“Well, isn’t this something like a warning? A warning to send to the Bayezid family by killing Joseph? “It doesn’t matter if I can’t kill something?”

“Keep going.”

“You’re not angry because I said it doesn’t matter if I kill you, right?”

“very.”

Even though he said that, Vlad was in tears as he saw Josef opening a bottle of alcohol and drinking alone.

“Of course there’s no way I could know, right?”

“Still, think about it.”

Even though he was sitting in a carriage, Vlad was constantly receiving training.

“I said think about it.”

Josef waved the whiskey bottle in front of Vlad for no reason and said.

Think about it.

Don’t just accept the situation, but filter it through your own judgment.

Logical inference made through cause, effect, and surrounding clues.

Through them, Josef wanted to raise Vlad into a knight with as good judgment as Zayar.

Because the boy’s potential was shining.

“I don’t know…”

Whether Vlad frowned or not, the return trip to Varna was extremely peaceful.

As if the real target was not Josef as he thought.

※※※※

City Varna.

One of the three cities owned by the County of Bayezid.

And because it was also a city where a monster subjugation force was recruited, Josef, upon arriving here, had to disperse the mercenaries and report the subjugation to the mayor of the place.

Being the son of a count has a higher status than being an appointed mayor, but that’s the way it is with procedures.

And Count Bayezid mercilessly punished anyone who acted beyond the circumstances, even if it was his own son.

“I guess I’ll have to stay here for a day.”

Josef did not belong to Varna.

After completing administrative procedures here, he was scheduled to leave for Sturmah, where the Bayezid family’s main family home is located.

And there, a new plan would have to be devised to make up for the current failure.

“Is this your first time in Varna?”

“It will be my first time wherever I go.”

“Now I see he was a hillbilly.”

Seeing Vlad say that he had only been active in the vicinity of Shoara his whole life, Zayar smiled as if he had something to make fun of.

“Then I’ll give you a day off today, so you can at least go see the city.”

“Don’t get lost. bantling.”

“······.”

Vlad was incensed when he saw Xayar’s ridicule, but there was nothing he could do.

In fact, it was true that he lacked experience and insight in one way or another.

[Xayar seems to like you.]

‘If I like you just a little more, I’ll kill you.’

Listening to the absurd words in the voice, Vlad shook his jingling bag.

“What is in this city~?”

Regardless of Xayar’s attitude, Vlad’s words as he held the money naturally carried a rhythm.

What Josef gave me was a kind of gold bar.

Vlad, who is practically penniless, would need a minimum amount of money to enjoy the city of Varna.

“I heard that a rich man’s dog is stronger than a street beggar.”

[Rather than spending extravagantly, buy things for next time.]

“Eh?”

For the first time in a long time, Vlad thought about eating a lot of something, but his voice seemed to have detected his intention and warned him in advance.

[Being fully prepared is like having an extra life. Don’t forget that.]

“There’s just nagging from everywhere.”

Although he grumbled, Vlad deeply sympathized with the voice’s words.

The past day when I barely escaped from Shoara and wandered through the winter forest carrying only a sword.

If he hadn’t met the three mercenaries wandering around, Vlad might have frozen to death.

[To prevent such things from happening, it would be good to have this and that in place.]

“Then what should I buy?”

Vlad was just about to leave the city hall, pondering the voice’s advice.

“huh?”

There was someone carefully pulling his collar.

“Vlad.”

It was Andrea’s young deacon full of freckles.

“Deacon, do you have anything to ask for?”

Vlad was annoyed by children, but the young deacon who was currently holding on to his collar was an exception.

The child who was so small that the deacon’s outfit he was still wearing felt awkward, but he had done his duty in the face of fear last night.

“If you have nowhere to go today, the priest would like to invite you.”

“oh.”

Vlad looked up and saw Priest Andrea smiling behind the deacon.

“I understand why you sought me out through the deacon.”

“······sorry.”

Priest Andrea is hiding behind a young deacon and smiling humbly.

A familiar coffin lay next to him.

“Is there still no one who will listen?”

“Wouldn’t this woman also want you to see her off?”

Vlad had nothing more to say as he looked at Priest Andrea who was laughing.

“Let’s take a donkey. “I will support you from behind.”

Priest Andrea, Vlad, and the young deacon began driving the cart along the main street of Varna.

‘It’s very different from Shoara.’

Although Vlad lived in the back alleys, the atmosphere of the city of Shoara itself was imprinted on him.

However, the city of Varna seemed to have sunk a lot compared to Shoara.

It’s quiet, calm, and there aren’t many people talking loudly.

It looked like a street at dawn.

“The closer you get to the church, the more intense this atmosphere will become. “Varna is a city with a strong religious flavor.”

“okay.”

Vlad nodded and understood Andrea’s explanation.

Even in Shoara, people always walked quietly near the church.

“We’re all here.”

“wow.”

Looking at the building in front of him, Vlad could clearly feel that, as Andrea had said, Varna was a city with a strong religious color.

This is because there was a building there that looked twice as big as the church in Shoara.

“It’s pretty big. Even the church in Shoara was not like this.”

“The capital of the County of Bayezid is Sturm, but its religious center is Varna.”

Vlad nodded at Andrea’s explanation.

“Then I’ll just leave…”

“Since you’re here, let’s at least bring dinner.”

“If that’s the case, I won’t hesitate…”

“I would be even more thankful if you let me go down to the basement.”

“······It would be better to finish while we’re here.”

Vlad, who had been in the hands of Priest Andrea since he was grabbed by the young deacon, had no choice but to whine and put the coffin down in front of the temple.

“I’m sorry. “Your body won’t be strong yet.”

‘Who knows that.’

Although he was filled with dissatisfaction inside, Vlad answered with a smile.

“I have to pay for what I got from the garrison.”

“I’m really good at seeing people.”

Perhaps even being dissatisfied with the current situation was just complaining about being full.

It was a situation in itself that was practically a privilege for someone as high as Priest Andrew to personally ask for a favor.

“Poor woman.”

“······.”

Priest Andrea sighed as he stroked the coffin, which had finally reached its place of rest.

“A mother’s love is like the sea, heavy and deep. “Someone whose identity was unknown took advantage of it.”

Although it had not been fully investigated yet, given the circumstances, Andrea believed that this woman had been sacrificed by evil black magic.

“It’s a terrible curse that takes advantage of poor maternal love. From here on, it is not my territory, but the Church of Varna will do its best to reveal the background.”

“If you are a priest, you can do it.”

Priest Andrea, who was frowning with unbearable anger, looked at Vlad and smiled warmly.

“Since you have come this far, please at least pray before dinner.”

“Can a person with no roots like me dare to pray in church?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

The people who lived in the back alleys were people who had little connection to churches, city halls, or other official buildings.

Vlad, who had lived in the back alleys his whole life, was also like that.

Therefore, Vlad felt awkward and uncomfortable in this place, and more than anything, he was intimidated by the thought of being in an unauthorized place.

However, Andrea held Vlad’s hand and began to lead him to the chapel.

“Please pray for a moment, I have a place to stop by.”

He then left Vlad alone with his young deacon.

“······.”

“Shall we pray?”

The young deacon wrinkled his nose and asked cautiously, perhaps feeling sorry for himself due to Andrea’s sudden neglect.

“It’s my first time worshiping formally…”

“I’ll tell you.”

Vlad wanted to make an excuse and get out, but now there was no way.

‘I can’t help it.’

Now was the time to repay the karma of acting like a praying Liman.

[What a worthwhile vacation. Josef would be very happy if I told him that his body and mind were purified here.]

‘I only do good things for others all day long.’

Through the sword he held for a moment, his voice spoke to Vlad in a tone of satisfaction.

“Huh, hmm.”

Vlad had no choice but to kneel, bow his head awkwardly, and stutter along with the young deacon’s sonorous prayer.

About an hour or so.

Just as my knee was slowly going numb, the door to the chapel behind me opened.

“Did you wait long?”

“······no. “It was my first service, so everything was new.”

“ha ha ha! Is that possible? “I’m still quite bored.”

“······.”

Vlad didn’t know what to say as he looked at the priest who said prayers were boring and smiled kindly.

“I’m late because of this. “Take it.”

“What is?”

Vlad accepted the small piece of wood offered by Priest Andrea.

“It’s a loss of status.”

“yes?”

Vlad, who had been standing blankly at Andrea’s words, hurriedly looked at the card he was holding.

A piece of wood small enough to fit in your hand.

The black wooden plaque looked solid and was full of small letters inside.

Vlad began to read the identity card in his hand with wide eyes.

“Birth…ji show…ara.”

I knew it, but fumbled to read unfamiliar letters.

“This… Vlad.”

The moment his name was chanted, Vlad felt his heart pounding.

This small piece of wood contained proof of its existence.

As someone from a back alley who couldn’t even register his birth, it was something I couldn’t even imagine.

“Joseph would have taken care of it, but in fact, it is most effective to prove your identity at the church. Because the grace of the Lord spreads across the entire continent.”

While listening to Priest Andrea’s words, Vlad turned the identification card and looked at the back.

There was a large sentence written there that could only be used in one place.

The only god in this world. The emblem of the church that ministers His name.

And someone’s name written underneath it.

“guarantor. “Priest Ahn… Drea.”

Vlad read another person’s name written on his identity card.

A person who guarantees himself/herself.

Someone who will share their mistakes.

Vlad raised his head and looked at Priest Andrea.

“If you’re having a hard time, come visit me anytime. “I am your surety.”

“······Priest.”

“Now pray. “It just so happens to be the closest place to God.”

Vlad, unable to hide his helpless emotions, simply followed Andrea and bowed his head before God.

“Here is a new lamb to introduce to you today. “I hope you will embrace me with your wide arms…”

Garbage in the back alley.

A person who was born in a place where no one would look at him or even remember him even if he died.

But Vlad was no longer that kind of person.

“Have pity on Vlad of Shoara, your new born lamb here…”

Today Vlad presented his testimony under the Lord in front of his precious guarantor.

For the first time in his life, he recorded his name in the vast world.

From today he.

Not Vlad in the back alley.

It was Vlad of Shoara.

“I sincerely pray that you will accept me as your child.”

Vlad had roots that allowed him to confidently step into today’s world.

The twilight light coming down through the multi-colored glass warmly enveloped the boy’s blond hair.