There is no tree without roots (1)
Blue bloodstains scattered on the white snow field.
“······.”
Vlad sat blankly on the snow field and looked down at the blue snow field.
I still couldn’t believe the traces of Lindwurm scattered across the cold snow.
And so did the feel of the unadorned sword in his hand, with a different weight than before.
“Good work.”
Rutger waved his sword in the air, shaking the blood off the sword and walking towards Vlad.
Although the boy inflicted a fatal wound, it was Rutger’s sword that ended the dragon’s rampage in pain.
Because Vlad’s world was not yet strong enough to cut off the dragon’s scales.
“······Are you okay, Mr. Young?”
“Young man? “You still haven’t told me your name?”
Vlad felt the warmth of Rutger, who came and sat quietly next to him.
It felt similar to the warmth of the old knight who blocked the white dragon’s breath.
“Well, I guess I’ll let you know soon.”
“······.”
An old knight who went on a pilgrimage with the lowest qualifications threw himself to save the boy.
Although he may not have acted with the current situation in mind, his actions ultimately produced excellent results.
Actions taken for goodness were bound to come back later.
“It’s broken.”
Rutger looked into Vlad’s still unfocused eyes.
The place where his eyes rested was on an unadorned sword that had been shattered, with only the handle remaining.
“······I did my best.”
“okay. “It seemed like that.”
Rutger nodded at the boy’s rambling words.
At that time, when everyone was frozen, he was the only one who saw the boy’s tears falling along with the snow.
“I did my best.”
Rutger remembered the sight of a boy polishing his sword next to a campfire in the meadow.
Watching Vlad carefully polish the sword as if it were a ritual, I could see how much the boy cared for the sword.
“I’ll prepare you something nice.”
It was natural that a sword made by a craftsman wanted by Rutger would be superior to a sword made by a blacksmith in a back alley.
Moreover, since it was given by Rutger, one of the family’s successors, it must be a sword with special meaning.
“······.”
However, although it was a horse that other knights would have been happy to run wild about, Vlad just sat quietly and held on to the hilt of his unadorned sword.
The boy’s blue eyes, regretting parting ways, turned to Rutger.
“Are there any other guys like this?”
It doesn’t have to be sharp.
It’s okay to not be shiny or strong.
The boy just wanted to have a meaningful sword that completely contained his world.
Like the unadorned sword that gave him hope in the mud of the back alley.
“······Well, that’s right.”
Rutger, who seemed to know what the boy was talking about, simply turned his head with a bitter smile.
Because I wasn’t confident enough to give that up.
Scattering snowstorm.
A fallen white dragon.
Lindwurm, which had been harassing the north, was subdued.
And the dragon left another title with his body.
Dragon Slayer. Vlad of Shoara.
He was the second dragon slayer of this generation owned by Bayezid.
And the broken, unadorned sword bore witness to that title.
※※※※
Shoara’s office.
While Josef was concentrating on his work, using the sunlight streaming in through the window as illumination, a one-eyed man opened the door and quietly walked inside.
“Joseph.”
“What’s going on?”
Zayar let out a small sigh as he looked at Josef’s dark eyes getting darker day by day, handed him the letter he was holding, and said,
“This is a letter from Deremar. “It was sent directly from Baron Alicia.”
“In Deremar?”
Josef, who had been shuffling through documents for a while, looked away from his work when he heard the word Dermar.
For Josef, the matter of Deermar was as important as the mayorship of Shoara.
“Have there been any particular trends on the Gaidar side?”
“At least there was no military movement.”
Josef nodded at Zayar’s report.
In cluttered times like now, the information you have is important.
Safety and success can only be guaranteed if you hide your information as much as possible and allow the other person’s information to be clearly visible.
“There was no particular military threat, but they sent a letter directly…”
Josef picked up a nearby letter knife and carefully tore open the envelope Alicia had sent.
Although Alicia lacked experience as a lord, she was a person who tried to be careful in all her actions.
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This meant that although he was a solid ally, he was not a person whose value could be diminished by trivial requests or demands.
“······.”
Zayar quietly looked at Josef, who was holding Alicia’s letter.
This was because his eyebrows were gradually lowering, showing that the situation was not that easy.
“······hmm.”
Josef, who was lost in thought for a moment, put down the letter he was holding with a subtle sound.
“When will Vlad come back?”
“It will take another month. “At least we will go as far as Bernhem Fortress.”
Josef, who had not yet heard the news that the punitive force had captured Lindwurm, wrinkled his eyebrows at Zayar’s words.
“There’s not enough time.”
“Do you need him?”
Josef nodded quietly in response to Zayar’s question.
“There seems to be a vague lack of time.”
Knock, knock, knock.
Josef, who was pounding the desk and leaning deeply into the back of his chair, pondered for twice as long as when he read the letter.
“The dragon subjugation team will return to Sturma after completing their mission, right?”
“Maybe so.”
“Then I guess I should go to Sturmah too.”
Zayar was momentarily surprised by Josef’s sudden intention to return to Sturma, but then bowed his head and answered.
“I will prepare.”
Once you have made up your mind, you must move quickly.
Hesitation only wastes time and does not help the results.
“Please.”
As Zayar stepped out of the office to prepare to ascend to Sturmah, Josef clasped his hands together and leaned his forehead against his.
“It’s done this way.”
Although it was not a visible threat, there was a movement with clear intent.
Alicia had been surprised by the movement seen in Gaidar and had sent a letter to her.
“The mistake of that day turned out to be the best move.”
Josef stopped laughing quietly after saying those words.
This was the first time in Josef’s life, where he always had to think about what was next, that an unintentional action had decided his next move.
There was a blond boy who had made a mistake with a noble lady with light blue hair.
At that time, Josef was just bewildered by the scene in front of him, but since that incident became a clue to the problem that was facing him now, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“I need to get you ready.”
That day the boy accepted the Lady’s handkerchief with both hands and at the same time took on a duty and a cause for her.
Now is the time to make amends for that mistake.
Josef sat down in his chair and quietly looked out the window.
The cityscape, the strong gates, and the northern snowfields in the distance.
The direction Josef was looking towards was where the blonde boy was.
※※※※
“Hey. Are you moving some kind of invoice? “Why are you putting pieces of cloth on my head like this?”
Vlad answered while pouting, looking at Ramund who was grumbling next to him.
“The wind is coming in.”
“Is it written because a northern man is afraid of the winter winds?”
“I heard that as you get older, your joints get stiff.”
“······.”
On top of the creaking cart.
Ramund, lying on it and covered in pieces of leather and cloth, was at a loss for words at what the boy said.
“Honestly, if you look at it now, it’s just an invoice.”
“At this age, there are some words that you become sensitive to when you hear them from others.”
Vlad was doing his best to nurse Ramund, who blocked Lindwurm’s breath for him.
However, the old man and the boy, who were not used to looking after someone or being looked after by someone, just kept moving forward, grumbling at each other.
A punitive force returning after defeating the dragon.
Rutger, who had transferred his temporary position as captain of Bernhem Fortress to his original knight, was returning to Sturmma with a punitive force.
With the Knights of the Steel Ball who joined forces to face the threat of the dragon.
“Aren’t you planning on going to Sturmah together like this? “I think your father will be happy because they are guests from a prestigious place.”
And along with the Dragon Slayer Knights who suddenly invaded the north under the guise of a cause.
“······I don’t think the opportunity to see Bayezid’s matriarch in person will be that rare in the future.”
Mirshea stroked her chin and smiled at Rutger’s polite invitation.
“But I’m not sure if I can go there and live quietly without getting excited.”
Although they were speaking to each other in the manners and conversation of nobles, there were warnings shining bright blue inside.
Just like the knights of the north and center who still keep each other sharply in check.
“Then I guess we should part ways here.”
Mirshea just smiled bitterly at Rutger’s clear command to congratulate the guests.
The cause of the Dragon Slayer Knights is the subjugation of Lindwurm.
However, that cause was lost due to the boy’s actions, and he was no longer entitled to stand on the northern land without the owner’s permission.
“What should the barbarians do? “Can we handle it?”
“Leave the northern affairs to the northerners.”
No matter how barbarian they are, they cannot be handed over to the Dragon Slayer Knights.
Agee, who had been quietly following Rutger’s firm refusal, brightened.
“If you say so.”
Two groups gradually split according to the gestures of Mirshea and Rutger.
A gap that could no longer be narrowed began to widen between the knights in the center and the knights in the north.
“Can I finally say hello to the new dragon slayer?”
“······.”
“I have a few things to ask you.”
Likes recognize likes.
Therefore, the Dragon Slayer Knights never hesitated to show respect and love to those covered in dragon blood.
If Mirshea and Rutger had not been opposing each other, their relationship would have been quite different from what it is now.
“If only for a moment.”
“Thank you.”
Rutger nodded at Mirshea’s strong will to do at least this much.
It was funny to stick my head out to him just to stop him from saying hello.
Mirshea slowly moves forward through the razor-colored northern knights.
The menacing force and stares coming from all directions were harsh, but Mirshea did not seem to be bothered by them at all.
Because those who are confident in themselves can create their own territory anytime, anywhere.
“Squire of Bayezid, Vlad of Shoara.”
After passing through the knights, there was a boy standing there as if blocking the cart on which the old man was lying.
Blonde hair and blue eyes.
And Mirshea, who caught a glimpse of the temperament within him, smiled.
“It sounds pretty good.”
“Say quickly what you want to do.”
The blue eyes that oppressed him.
Recalling the memories of those times when his intentions were not good, Vlad swung his teeth at Mirshea.
If it hadn’t been for his interference, Ramund would have been standing fine right now.
“I’m happy for you, but I guess you aren’t.”
“There is no reason to be happy, but there are many reasons not to be happy.”
Although there was no sword in hand, the force it gave off was sharp enough to cut.
Vlad was expressing his anger not with his mouth, but with his eyes and energy.
“······okay?”
Mirshea narrowed her eyes and looked at the air current flowing around Vlad.
The boy’s hair, which had been fluttering, and the snowflakes that had been blowing around nearby, all stopped.
Although it was not his intention, the boy was building his own territory with momentum like Mirshea.
It was evidence that methods of expressing the world had become more mature.
“This is a bit disappointing. “It seems my intention to not go to dangerous places was not expressed properly.”
“Don’t be a damn thing.”
Mirshea smiled quietly as she looked at the boy growling in front of her.
It really has to be like this.
You must be able to hold your head up proudly wherever you are.
Because you have to be like that.
“Then I’ll just ask you a few questions and disappear.”
However, compared to Mirshea, the world is still fragile.
Mirshea tore through the boy’s territory with one step and slowly approached Vlad.
So close that we can feel each other’s breath and see each other’s faces reflected in our blue eyes.
“First question.”
Then Mirshea began to whisper quietly.
Don’t let anyone hear you.
In a voice that only boys can understand.
“Doesn’t your heart jump every time you see a dragon?”
“······!”
Mirshea slowly gives off momentum with a question.
Just like that time, Vlad unconsciously clutched his chest with a force that only a dragon could perceive.
“······What are you saying?”
“Second question.”
Mirshea smiled as she listened to the boy’s heartbeat, which she could feel even if he did not respond.
“Lindwurm’s blood was blue.”
Vlad, who was barely able to stand while his heart was pounding as if it was going to explode, was taken aback by Mirshea’s next words.
This was because his question was so absurd.
“Didn’t you feel thirsty when you saw that blood?”
“what?”
There’s something strange about the question.
Vlad, who sensed something suspicious from Mirshea, slowly backed away and looked at the man in front of him.
Leader of the Dragon Slayer Knights. Mirshea.
Myrsea Dragullia.
“I’m asking if you wanted to drink dragon’s blood.”
Blue eyes that resembled those of a boy were smiling coldly.
