Now is the time to go back (3)
Peter sat quietly and looked at the wooden box in front of him.
A dark wooden box.
It was a wooden box with a pattern engraved on it that I didn’t know whether to call it fancy or bizarre.
“······Count Ravnoma’s family was the only family in the West that could keep the oath.”
“I understand.”
Many priests, including Andrew, were folding their hands in front of Peter.
This is because they knew that they were placing a heavy burden on the owner of this land.
“······I will give you the knights. “I will keep my oath with the best sincerity I can.”
Peter stood up and spoke to the priests.
He said he would provide the best support he could.
He said he would do his best to move the dragon’s traces, which were proof of the oath.
“thank you. “Count.”
“Please make yourself comfortable as a guest until you are ready.”
Peter finally let out a small sigh as he looked at the priests leaving with their heads bowed.
“As expected, I was right.”
“It would have been a choice they had no choice but to make.”
Ravnoma, the ruler of the western region and the keeper of the oath, fell.
And the priests were pulling out the old covenant from within the crumbling mansion of Ravnoma and heading it to the worthy person.
“······.”
Feeling helpless and frustrated, Peter walked for a moment and looked out the window.
Fortunately, unlike the heavy air here, a welcome sight was waiting there.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a flag.”
The carriage was moving.
Hanging a small flag.
It was a flag that Peter could often see when he was young.
“I guess we can take a little rest.”
“Your body must have heated up.”
Peter nodded in response to Ragmus’ answer.
He would have done the same himself.
I could fully understand the boy’s feelings.
A boy carrying a banner that only knights who had become their own masters (Knight Banneret) could carry was leaving the mansion.
It was going back.
To your hometown.
To do what needs to be done.
※※※※
Today again, as always, there was a boy wandering through the back alleys of Shoara.
Although most of the people living in the back alleys were hungry, the boy was born into slightly worse conditions than them.
Jet black skin.
A boy born with dark skin, an object of contempt and discrimination, was destined to be ignored even in the back alleys, the darkest places in Shoara.
“······There is no place to work on this.”
Ned, a boy with dark skin.
Since I opened my eyes, I had to get up, and since I woke up, I had to eat something, but the reality was that the atmosphere in Shoara these days was such that it was difficult to get a meal anywhere.
‘It wasn’t to this extent in the old days…’
Ned quietly rolled his eyes and looked into every nook and cranny of the back alley.
Those who had made a living by begging were completely helpless and just rolled their eyes, and those who did have work could only sigh as they looked at their cheeks getting thinner despite working all night.
Everyone was sucking blood.
To a money grunt who is greedy for gold.
“The old days were good…”
While lamenting something inappropriate for his age, Ned’s eyes naturally turned to a certain building.
When people are in need, they always tend to think about the good times.
‘Now, if you try to pickpocket over there, you won’t even be able to find the bones.’
The building Ned was looking at was the smile of a rose.
Changgwan had a blunt boss and a kind madam.
But now everyone there has died or been sold.
Rose’s Smile, which was always filled with pleasant music and the laughter of prostitutes, was now just a place filled with pitiful moans and the shouts of thugs.
Now, even if he got caught pickpocketing there, there was no blond boy who could save Ned.
‘hmm?’
Ned, who was remembering the past and lamenting the reality, saw people who did not belong in the back alley.
A fat man who looks like he has some money and a sharp-looking man who looks like a mercenary.
Ned slightly stuck out his tongue as he watched them heading straight towards the street where the Changguan was located, as if they had come to relieve their accumulated desires.
“······I hope I do well.”
The mercenary-looking person seemed to be a bodyguard, but the risk was worth taking.
Even if you get caught, you don’t have to die.
Because I can’t live depending on my brother forever.
‘······.’
Hunger and impatience were interfering with the young boy’s judgment.
Ned slowly follows the two men.
——————
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The sight of the boy slowly approaching, skillfully hiding his body behind the various items sticking out here and there, was a movement worthy of praise.
‘now.’
However, Ned was a guy who, as someone once said, was not good at making a living as a pickpocket.
“······.”
The mercenary noticed the boy in black approaching right behind him and naturally placed his hand on the sword handle.
It was getting more and more intense, but Ned couldn’t feel it.
Although he had good concentration, Ned’s shortcoming was that his field of vision was not wide.
Ned tries to approach the fat man.
A mercenary man looking at Ned like that and trying to pull out his sword.
In the midst of the approaching catastrophe, today is the moment when another end is about to fall in the back alley.
“You’re still acting like an asshole.”
Taaaak-!
At that moment, someone came between the two.
A man who enters so naturally from a blind spot that the mercenary could not have predicted and leaves like the wind.
“100 million!”
Ned clutched the back of his head, which felt numb, and looked at the man walking past him at a fast pace.
The blonde hair I saw a lot of times somewhere.
Plus, a familiar gait.
“what?”
However, Ned could not move from the smile of a rose to that of a boy who sold candles.
Because he was a person who looked too confident and big to do that.
“Oh, I missed it.”
The boy, who had lost today’s prey but instead gained tomorrow’s sun, didn’t know anything and just swore.
Toward the blond man who had just hit the back of his head.
※※※※
When dusk fell and darkness came, there were stores that only then turned on their dim lights.
One of them.
Among the stores that sold colorful flowers, there was one that men especially flocked to.
In the past, Rose’s smile was like that, but now people’s attention was focused on other windows.
“Hey here!”
“Me next time! “Come play with me!”
“The rich guy is the one who owns it! Marcela! “Make a drink for me!”
“······.”
At the back of the bar, where men were screaming with their red eyes bright, a woman was adjusting her makeup.
In the past, she had rich black hair that everyone would envy, but as time passed, her hair was losing its shine.
I was already fading to the point where I couldn’t cover it up with fancy makeup or accessories, but maybe that didn’t matter.
Even now, men are throwing away gold coins stained with desire to have her, who was once a symbol of the back alleys.
“Marcella. “If you’re ready, let’s go quickly, right?”
A woman with a long cigarette in her mouth came up behind Marcella and spoke to her.
The cigarette smoke she was exhaling was unbearably acrid.
“If I need at least one more person, the debt can be cleared. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to get out of here until my body deteriorates and falls apart.”
The middle-aged woman smoking a cigarette laughed at her with a smile that seemed to have poison etched into every wrinkle.
“······.”
It was a mockery disguised as advice, but Marcela made no reply.
Anger, sadness, or fear.
Because he knew very well that all the negative emotions coming out of him were like sweet alcohol to the woman behind him.
“······Let’s see how long that confident appearance lasts.”
The middle-aged woman growled as she stroked Marcella’s chin from behind, as if she wasn’t happy that she didn’t react at all.
But Marcella just smiled innocently.
“Live long. “Madam.”
“······.”
Marcela did not give up.
Just trampled on.
Seeing Madame leaving the preparation room with a disapproving expression, Marcella continued putting on her makeup again.
Although the reflection of herself in the mirror was extremely pitiful, she chose to pour in a handful of powder instead of shedding tears.
Marcela was aware that she had reached too high a level for being a prostitute who sold her body.
And the back alleys here in Shoara were full of people who would give heartfelt applause at any time for those who fell.
“······Still, this was great.”
In the space prepared just for Marcella, she smiled sadly for herself.
Even though her entire body was torn apart by the pain of the fall, she was one of the winners of this back alley.
At least he was a person who chose his own destiny.
Even the method of destruction.
“It won’t come out!”
In response to Madame Ankaljin’s shout, Marcela forced a smile and got up from her seat.
Instead of the charm that naturally radiates, they put on extravagance with forced makeup.
“Marcella!”
“here! “Here take my gold coin!”
When she appeared under the bright lights, the men started screaming.
Marcela quietly sat in her designated seat and watched the men in front of her.
There were poor animals out there, dominated by desire.
“······.”
She knew how to cook, but did not know how to make alcohol. There were numerous bottles and glasses of alcohol placed in front of her.
In fact, they were unrelated things.
A drink is made for the man who bids the highest price.
And the man holding the glass she gave him becomes today’s winner and smells the scent of the withering flower to his heart’s content.
Because that was all there was to it.
“here! here! “I have 1 gold!”
“What with 1 gold! “I have 2 gold!”
“Can I save money here? “The two of us will pay a combined 3 gold!”
Marcella quietly closed her eyes while listening to the shouts of the men who were yelling at them.
The males in front were throwing gold coins, but the gold coins they were throwing wouldn’t even reach her feet.
Because the chain of debt that One-Armed Jack had forced upon her bound her.
Madame Changgwan, who had been laughing at Marcela just now, was smiling.
Even though it was a withering flower, it was truly amazing that she could produce golden honey.
“then······.”
When Madame picked up a long pipe and was about to bid for Marcella to the man who bid the highest price.
“100 gold.”
There was a quiet sound echoing from under the unattended stairs.
It was a voice so clear and powerful that everyone here turned their heads.
“······what?”
“I will pay you 100 gold.”
Mei profit-
To Madame’s surprise, someone was coming up the old stairs, stepping on the boards.
“······!”
Marcela shuddered involuntarily and closed her eyes as she heard a screeching sound in her ears.
Marcella was letting out a silent scream as she heard the sound of the man who brought destruction to Rose’s smile stepping on her.
Mei profit-
Although she accepted everything calmly, the wounds from the memories of that day were still deeply embedded in Marcella’s soul.
“······Customer, did you say 100 gold?”
Changgwan’s madam asked the man who was coming up the stairs to check if she had misheard.
The men, who had been panting with desire just a moment ago, also stared at the man who had suddenly barged in with their mouths open at the sight of such a large sum.
However, the man who came up with a confident gait did not say anything more and just strode towards where Marcella was sitting.
“Can I order from here?”
“······Yes, but.”
Even though he shouted an outrageous amount, Madame could not do anything to stop him.
First of all, the atmosphere was so fierce that it felt like they could kill anyone.
‘It looks like you have money?’
Above all, the black cape and leather armor the man was wearing looked very luxurious.
I couldn’t see his face because he was wearing a hood, but it was clear that he was at least a noble young man or a popular knight.
He seemed like a man who could easily pay at least 10 gold, if not 100 gold.
If so, you would be qualified to embrace the withering flower.
“······Would you like me to give you a menu?”
“it’s okay.”
The young man, who had already sensed the atmosphere of the place and stopped Madame with skillful movements, looked at the woman who was quietly closing her eyes in front of him.
Changgwan’s madam was puzzled for a moment when she saw that.
Because there was no trace of desire anywhere in the man’s smile.
It was just a sad smile.
“······I always missed these even after I left here.”
With his sudden appearance, incomprehensible words began to flow from the man whom everyone was paying attention to.
“Grilled sausage, black pudding, hash browns, and white wheat bread…”
Everyone was perplexed as they saw a man ordering breakfast in a place where one had to order alcohol.
‘Is he crazy?’
Even Madame, the owner of this place, was tilting her head as if she didn’t know what to do.
“······!”
However, I could clearly understand Marcella.
Because the words spoken by the man in front of me were things I missed.
These were the foods that always appeared in the landscape of her dreams.
“······Please give me something that Jorge always eats. Marcella.”
Because it was the meal she always prepared for Jorge.
Marcella didn’t want to open her eyes.
A familiar boy’s voice sounded like a dream.
I felt like I wouldn’t be able to accept it if, when I opened my eyes and saw the reality in front of me, it wasn’t what I expected.
“······iced coffee.”
Marcela slowly opened her eyes with tears flowing down her face.
A sigh of relief flowed from her lips.
Through the hazy gaze, I could see brilliantly flowing blonde hair.
“I told you I would come back. Marcella.”
Brilliant golden light was flowing from the man as he took off the hood he was wearing.
It was not the dirty gold that those here exhaled with desire.
It was the color that the boy had that day when Jorge picked it up and Marcela washed it.
End of volume 2.
