Continuing old scenes (1)
A city surrounded by walls. Sturma.
The owner of the place, Peter Bayezid, was stroking his chin as he looked at the handsome armor in front of him.
“According to Josef’s report, Sir Ramund has now arrived in Shoara. “He seems to be interested in the squire there.”
“Right.”
Peter nodded, thinking of the time when Knight Ramund first returned to Sturma.
Ramund, the former head of the family, was a difficult person to deal with, no matter how much he was himself.
When such a person saw the condition of the servants here, he returned with a sigh, leaving Peter with a bitter aftertaste.
“Should I say that I have at least made up for it… or should I lament that this is all I can do?”
Ragmus remained silent as he watched Peter’s eyes become increasingly sharper.
Originally, Bayezid was a family that had a knack for raising not only knights but also promising squires.
Ramund, who returned with a sigh, had worked his way up from a squire to a knight at that time, so seeing the level of his squires now must have felt as if Bayezid’s old self had collapsed.
The Bayezid he had seen would not have been like this.
“Times have changed, haven’t they?”
“Even though times have changed, there are some things that should not change.”
It could have been passed off as just an old man’s complaint, but Ramund’s harsh advice clearly touched Peter as well.
“It seems I’ve neglected the prospects in the north too much.”
In the meantime, the quality of knights was improving due to increased recruitment from outside, but the quality of servants was actually decreasing.
This also meant that Bayezid’s color was fading, so it was definitely something Peter had to worry about.
“······.”
Armor that sparkles in the sunlight.
Peter’s gaze, which was pondering, automatically turned towards that place.
It was armor sent from San Logino, a northern diocese.
The short letter that came with the armor included the circumstances for sending the armor and the name of a familiar boy.
“It seems you were impressed.”
“We even received external recognition as San Rosino. “Nothing gives more reliability than cross-verification.”
Peter listened to Ragmus and nodded.
Even the selection of the Holy Knights of San Logino and Sir Ramund, a knight from the old days.
“I guess we should send him to Shoara.”
“That’s right.”
Fortunately, Bayezid’s old traditions were still being continued.
Seeing this, Peter felt greatly relieved, although he did not show it.
The strong walls of Sturma were built along with such traditions.
※※※※
“Off…”
Vlad opened his eyes on the bed with a groan.
Vlad’s eyebrows furrowed as he felt the still subtle headache.
“How did you get here?”
Judging by the damp towel draped over his forehead, it appears that someone had been taking care of him while he was unconscious.
‘I had a fight with an old man I didn’t like…’
Vlad sat down on the bed with a frown and thought about yesterday’s events.
The memories were intermittent, as if he was drunk, but there were still strong memories that came to Vlad’s mind.
Shining forehead.
It was a forehead that was shiny and had vicious power.
“······That’s it.”
They say the world is wide and there are many strange things, but when I actually experienced it, I almost laughed.
The old man’s forehead, strengthened with aura, was so hard that it would have been better to hit the wall.
“Can you use it like that?”
[Because human talent is revealed in various forms.]
Judging by the fact that he didn’t say that he had watched it to the end, it seemed like he had never seen a voice like that before.
Or maybe it was in my memory but I forgot about it.
“·····Well, since I did that much, I guess I’m still being treated well.”
[yes. He’s definitely someone I can learn from.]
Vlad quietly nodded at the voice’s words.
It was an old man whose name and identity were not easily revealed, but Vlad could roughly guess it through his intuition.
An old knight of Bayezid.
And now he is retired and wandering around here and there.
It seemed like he was performing some ritual that only a knight could perform, but it was difficult for Vlad, who was still only a squire, to guess exactly what he was doing.
“Why are you muttering to yourself like that?”
“······Please knock and come in.”
As soon as Vlad came to his senses and stood up from the bed, someone came in, roughly opening the door.
She was a girl so short that you couldn’t even see her face because she was carrying a pile of clothes.
“You don’t have to have a hand to knock before you knock.”
Jemina seemed annoyed and threw the pile of clothes she was carrying on the bed.
These were all the clothes Vlad used to wear.
“If you leave me alone, I will take care of it, but it’s okay.”
“customer. “These are all services provided by our inn.”
Zemina looked up at Vlad with a cruel smile that tried to appear friendly.
Jemina’s teeth, which looked white today, seemed ominous to the boy for no reason.
“Because you are a precious guest staying on the expensive 4th floor. “This is something we have to do.”
“······.”
Vlad knew that what Zemina was saying was not just a joke.
The smile of Rose, who was no different from Marcella’s alter ego, was being transformed into an inn instead of a storehouse according to her will.
Marcella was trying her best to survive at a crossroads in her life that came about due to Jorge’s absence.
“I don’t have that much money yet.”
“They say you’re free. “Just being here helps.”
Marcella gives the boy a comfortable place to rest, and the boy lends Marcella the value of his name.
“Can I have one?”
“That’s for Marcela to decide.”
Vlad, who had been watching the inter-organizational struggle for a long time, was worried that he alone would be able to suppress them, but from Marcella’s perspective, it seemed like it could work.
Since he is the mayor of Shoara and the second son of the Bayezid family, he is a talented person, so if not known elsewhere, at least within this city, he will be worthy of a reputation.
“Come to the restaurant. “I heard Marcella prepared lunch.”
Zemina, who was busy leaving the room, came back with an expression of regret and held out her hand to Vlad.
“I forgot this. “Take it, driver.”
“I’m not a knight yet. “I went somewhere like that for no reason…”
Vlad was about to say something to Zemina, but when he saw the handkerchief she handed him, he kept his mouth shut.
It was a handkerchief made of luxurious silk and engraved with someone’s name in gold embroidery.
“It seems clear to me that you are Lady Alicia’s knight.”
“This… was something I couldn’t help.”
Vlad wanted to explain in detail if possible, but he kept his mouth shut when he saw Gemina with a forced smile on her face.
There is a time for everything and now is not a time to resolve misunderstandings.
It was you.
“I feel rewarded for holding a sword while cutting hair. “He was very successful.”
“I think I’m grateful for that…”
bang-!
Looking at Jemina, who closed the door and left before she could finish her sentence, Bla raised both hands and shrugged.
“I was doing it. always.”
Vlad looked at the door the girl left and scratched the back of his head.
Gemina may not know that Lady Alicia is the Baroness of Deirmar and that the handkerchief she received was given through complex political calculations.
Perhaps, even if I knew, my current reaction might not have changed.
“I even did the ironing.”
Vlad looked at the clothes on the bed, remembering the devotion the girl had shown him on that cold winter day.
The red-haired girl’s hand felt warm on the clothes the lady had given me.
“······.”
Vlad did not crane his neck out for a long time as he changed the clothes that Zemina gave him.
The feeling of the fabric touching my body was different, but the warmth the girl gave me was no different from before.
It was good to come back.
Vlad thought so and craned his neck.
※※※※
“I said I was sorry.”
“······.”
“I’ll buy you one. “Something plausible.”
“There are things that money can’t buy…”
Vlad was sitting at the same table where Jorge always had breakfast, eating soup.
However, even though he was eating Marcela’s soup, which he missed, the boy could not easily calm down.
The broken leather armor he was wearing as if he were protesting gave the boy that impression.
“I liked this.”
“······yes. “It’s great armor.”
The old man, who fully understood the boy’s feelings, simply stirred the soup in front of him.
As the boy said earlier, the leather armor that the Bayezid family gave only to promising seeds was an item that could not be replaced with money.
The old man also still vividly remembers the emotion he felt when receiving the armor when he was young.
“Then, let’s go to the city hall with me later.”
“why.”
The old man wanted to throw the bowl of soup he was eating at the boy’s blunt answer, but he held back.
It was true that he had started the fight first, and he had not been able to control his strength properly, hurting the boy, and even breaking Bayezid’s armor, so he could be said to have committed a great sin.
“Don’t you think you should show your usefulness to the master again? “Will your shitty evaluation come back after a week of probation?”
Vlad, who had been tickling, listened to the old man’s words and began to think deeply.
There is certainly no better way to raise a low evaluation than by showing results.
Moreover, considering that Josef’s attitude towards the old man is very strict, even if you follow his words, you will not say that you did a good job or that you did a bad job.
“So, let’s do something together with me. “I’ll give you a generous raise after seeing it.”
“What happened?”
“If you ask Zayar or Bordan, they’ll give you at least something.”
“······Would you like me to cut you some bread?”
The old man was at a loss for words as he watched the boy instinctively know when to step back and when to step forward.
“Why did you do that then?”
“when?”
“······Slice some bread.”
Seeing the boy’s eyes widen as if he had no idea what he was saying, the old man just clicked his tongue.
‘It won’t be easy to deal with.’
The old man felt pitiful as he looked at the boy, who was so clever, and thought about how Josef must have suffered.
“But you still have to pay for the armor that was blown up.”
“······.”
But since he was the one holding that clever boy in his hands right now, the old man had to pay for it.
※※※※
Because of the probation order, Vlad could not go inside the city hall, so he found a stable outside and settled down.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I felt better after getting some rest.”
“I was so worried until I got here.”
There, Goth, who was now Shoara’s stable keeper, welcomed Vlad.
“Are you worth it?”
“What is there to be bad about? Give me a lot of money, a lot of food, and a nice place to sleep. Besides, there will be a special allowance this time.”
“······How much do you get?”
In response to Vlad’s question, Goth waved his finger and said:
“No matter how close we are, I don’t ask about things like that.”
“You cheater.”
When Goth said that he was paid a lot of money, Vlad felt jealous for no reason.
Vlad’s formal status was a squire, and the position of squire in the Bayezid family was like an assistant and apprentice to the knights.
In other words, Vlad had never received any salary other than the pocket money given to him by Josef.
“But the captain received a lot of this and that. “Something like armor or clothes.”
“······.”
But like Goth said, Vlad didn’t have anything to say.
The tangible and intangible support that Oksana and Josef gave the boy was worth something that could not be measured in gold coins.
Just because he was Zayar’s squire, it was an opportunity that some family might come to him with hundreds of gold coins.
“What’s going on these days?”
“It’s been a few days since I came in.”
Got, who was sweeping his horse as if he didn’t care about the question asked, confirmed that no one was there and quickly turned his head to whisper to Vlad.
“There are rumors.”
“······okay?”
The relationship between the two people, like the crocodile and the crocodile bird, was still valid.
The corners of Vlad’s mouth began to rise as he heard Goth’s whisper.
“The guards standing guard at night saw something strange.”
“say it.”
Even though it was said to be an uncertain rumor, there was definitely something to be said about what Goat said.
“They say a pitch-black horse keeps looking at the castle gate from afar. “When you approach to see what it is, it disappears before you know it.”
“word?”
Vlad seemed to know why Goth was whispering.
A scene I saw in a foggy village began to come to mind.
“I heard there was a headless man riding something like a ghost horse back then.”
“······It did.”
A pitch-black horse watching Shoara on a dark night.
And even if they tried to check, they were too quick to get closer.
Gott’s guess certainly made sense.
“Maybe so.”
“Be careful. “He’s still on probation.”
After hearing Goth’s words, Vlad quickly got up from his seat.
“I’m on probation, but I think I’ll work anyway.”
“huh?”
“You too, get ready.”
“Yes?”
Vlad put his hands on his hips and looked at the old man approaching in front of him.
The afternoon sunlight was shining on the old man’s forehead, which was almost completely peeling off.
“You bastard, let’s go!”
“Please call me by name.”
An old man smiling as he says he has found a job.
The paper the old man was holding had a picture of a pitch-black horse drawn on it.
“It would be nice to receive more special allowances.”
“no······.”
Looking at the boy with a mischievous expression, Goat threw the brush he was holding into the bucket.
“I couldn’t even get much rest!”
“so do i.”
Vlad broke Goth’s sweet rest and smiled brightly.
If you can’t ride a horse, you can ride someone who drives a horse.
That was the boy’s decision.
