Chapter 191: Chapter 214 - There is a Path in the Darkness (2)
It Was Ti to Leave, But Winter Seed Reluctant to Go.
The winter wind lashed against the window, as if trying to hold on.
Joseph had an idea as he gazed at the winter wind blowing through the window.
"That’s right, Joseph of Bayezid. You’ve co from far away to find ."
Joseph was pulled from his thoughts by the voice he heard and looked at the man in front of him.
An old man smiling with a crackling fireplace behind him.
He had an impressive and elegant mustache and was Baron Moldavir, lord of Kisignor, a town around here.
"Thank you for granting
this audience, Baron."
"This winter has been long, and I’ve had few visitors. Your arrival is welco."
What he heard was clearly a response full of affection.
However, Joseph, who was carefully observing the baron’s eyes, realized that he wasn’t particularly pleased with him.
"Nevertheless, despite your visit, I can’t help you this ti."
As expected, Baron Moldavir, who put down the tea cup just as Joseph had thought, shrugged and continued to refuse.
"It is difficult to intervene in the affairs of another family without a good reason. Besides, you have already been eliminated from the competition for succession."
The baron didn’t say this with any particular malice, but his words were even sharper for it.
He was saying that Joseph’s proposal lacked weight and was just empty noise.
Joseph, who understood the baron’s words, simply bowed his head in silence.
"Although I can’t offer you much help, please feel comfortable during your stay here."
Despite seeing little utility in Joseph’s visit, Baron Moldavir didn’t dismiss him abruptly.
This was because he didn’t want to lose ground to Bayezid, who was now gaining power in so way.
"By the way, this tea you’ve brought is quite good."
"I’m glad you like it."
"Well, although the tea leaves have a black color that isn’t very attractive."
Perhaps due to the rejection a mont ago, the air in the room seed a bit cold.
However, even in that atmosphere, Joseph showed no signs of disappointnt.
It seed too natural to say that he was trying to hide his disappointnt.
"The tea set and the tea you’ve brought are quite refined for soone so young."
"The cups were a gift from my mother. She always wanted
to drink hot tea instead of ruining myself with alcohol."
Joseph, who was naturally arranging the tea utensils he had taken out, just looked indifferently at the baron, who was drinking tea as if nothing had happened.
Joseph’s tea had a sinister black color that made it difficult to call it common green tea.
While watching the baron’s throat slowly swallow the tea, Joseph’s gaze darkened.
***
While Joseph was eting with Baron Moldavir, Vlad and Nibelun were investigating all over Kisignor.
To be precise, they were looking for rumors that the missing Frausen and the Woman in Black might have left behind.
"Haa... We’ll have to return to the north."
However, despite all their hard work, there didn’t seem to be any results.
The knight, elegantly dressed, ruffled his hair in frustration as the nearby patrons began to discreetly leave.
"The people here really know nothing."
The tavern owner frowned as he watched the custors leave, but Vlad was lost in his thoughts.
"You should try the church. They might have information."
"...The church here belongs to the Vatican."
Vlad tapped on his left breastplate as if to check sothing.
Vlad touched his left breastplate, clearly showing the inscription that the Pope of the Northern Orthodox Church had engraved.
"They probably hate
more than they hate you, beast-man."
"Oh. That’s not good."
In the north, it might have been an honorable phrase, but in the central region, where the Vatican’s power was strong, it was simply evidence of heresy.
Since there was nowhere to seek help, Vlad tried to do it himself, but the results he achieved were minimal.
"...But the way you eat seems very natural, doesn’t it?"
Vlad’s expression began to darken as he watched Nibelun carelessly biting the skewer in front of him.
Even the shop owner had an expression that made him shudder, but Nibelun simply offered another skewer to Vlad as if nothing had happened.
"We need to find him quickly. Dragons keep dying in the west, which is a bad on."
"That’s right."
As Vlad listened to Nibelun, he thought of Frausen, who had a strange obsession with dragons.
And with him, the Woman in Black who was spreading fog in the city of Moshiam.
"I hope we can stop him before sothing happens again."
Bringing down evil beings was a natural duty for knights, but Vlad had a sowhat more special motivation.
Frausen is connected to Kihano.
And from the mist-filled village to the black-clad woman who had long been entangled in a bad relationship.
The continuous appearance of these enemies made him feel an unavoidable obligation.
"It’s a pleasure to see you again, Vlad."
"...!"
Was it because he was lost in worry?
Vlad was startled by the sudden voice.
Apparently, he hadn’t noticed anything until now, but now a man was sitting next to Vlad.
"Lord Marcus?"
"I don’t know what you’re so focused on."
A man with scars all over his face.
Marcus, who gave a new na every ti they t, took a skewer in front of him and looked at Vlad.
"...How did you get here?"
"I had so business to attend to."
Although it was a familiar and welco face, Vlad couldn’t help but be on guard.
This was because Marcus, Bayezid’s hidden sword, couldn’t have co here without any intention.
"What business do you have?"
"As I told you before, I can’t talk about my missions."
"Are you here for Lord Joseph?"
"..."
Marcus didn’t respond, just looked at the skewer Vlad was holding.
"How is Lord Joseph?"
"You should know better than I do."
Joseph has the right to succession, but he had been eliminated from the competition to be head of the family.
The fact that he was traveling alone through the central region and eting other lords wouldn’t be sothing that would please Bayezid.
Vlad suspected Marcus and wondered if that was the reason, but the answer he received was vague.
"I don’t know. At least in appearance, he seems fine."
"...?"
"But there’s sothing I want to ask you."
Marcus’s response, which was a bit hard to understand, made Vlad want to ask what he ant, but the conversation was still dominated by the scarred man.
"Did you ever travel alone to the east? When you t the elves."
"...Why do you ask that?"
"Did sothing unfortunate happen then?"
It seems that the reason Marcus appeared this ti was himself, not Joseph.
The unexpected question about his trip to the east made Vlad frown.
"Sothing unfortunate?"
"For example, stealing sothing from soone?"
Marcus was staring intently.
Although his presence around him was weak, Vlad naturally beca nervous seeing him leave a strong impression on those he knew.
"Or killing soone?"
"..."
Vlad missed the mont to answer Marcus’s question, which was hard to understand.
However, Marcus, who was closely examining Vlad’s expression, simply nodded silently as if he understood.
"So it wasn’t like that. I hope you can clear up any misunderstandings."
"What?"
Clang!
Despite Vlad’s question, Marcus simply left the coins without saying a word and quietly left the shop.
However, the coins he left were more than enough to pay not only for his own al but also for Vlad and Nibelun’s.
"The central region is not a good area for you. Personally, I’d advise you to quickly move to another area."
"..."
"Until next ti."
Vlad watched Marcus intently as he left, giving him advice.
Vlad couldn’t erase the complicated expression on his face as he watched him disappear, despite thinking he had blended into the crowd.
***
The Sun Was Setting, and It Was Ti to Close the City Gates
Heeeeeee-!
Now, at a ti when even the street vendors wouldn’t be watching, there was a group approaching the city with the loud sound of horse hooves.
The gatekeepers of Kisignor began to get very nervous upon seeing them arrive, clad in gleaming armor and riding sturdy-looking horses.
"Stop! Identify yourselves!"
The captain of the guard, following his duty, halted the riders, but upon seeing the banner they carried, he turned pale.
The black flag with a descending white lightning bolt.
Not only the guard commander but also the surrounding guards quickly raised their hands and began to salute at the simple yet powerful design of the banner.
"Welco to our city!"
"...We have received reports that the knight from the north, Vlad Aureo, is in this city. Is that true?"
However, the n who received the courteous greeting only asked cold questions as if they were not impressed at all.
The guard commander, who realized that there was an anger difficult to conceal in that coldness, quickly began to think of Vlad’s na in his head.
"Vlad... Lord Vlad Aureo must have visited our city yesterday!"
He didn’t know why they were looking for him, but the image of the blond knight was clear in his mind.
The knight who ca with the dark-eyed noble was the one who brought with him so many symbols that it was hard to count them.
"Really?"
A knight from the north who ca with a flag full of honor.
However, when the n heard the response, their expressions only hardened.
"In the na of Prince Armand, protector of the kingdom, I order that all gates of Kisignor be closed."
"...B-but..."
"Do it without question."
The captain of the guard bowed his head as the knights’ eyes shone fiercely.
The order from Prince Armand was enough, but the knight’s gaze was even more terrifying.
"...We have finally found him."
Without waiting for the captain’s permission, the riders with the unknown flag entered the city.
Everyone on horseback had such an impeccable spirit that it was impossible to look at them in vain.
"Finally, I will be able to avenge Lord August."
The appearance of a pure white lightning bolt engraved on a black flag.
The only people who could raise the glorious banner, which was said to be a tribute to the Sword Master, were the Imperial Guard, responsible for the security of the capital city of Brigantes.
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