Silent Night, Holy Words (1)
It was a deep night when everyone was asleep, but the sound of horses’ hooves on the plain was loud.
A horse gliding under the rising full moon and dozens of cavalry following it.
When viewed from afar, it looked like a nice painting, but if you get closer, you will see that it is full of urgent shouts from men.
“Send a signal! “We have to block the path!”
In the middle of a picturesque scene, there was a knight giving instructions with a large shield on his back.
A man with an impressive square jaw that looked strong was furiously chasing the man ahead of him, even throwing away the torch he was holding.
“now!”
Following the man’s instructions, a fiery arrow came from behind.
The red arrow, which revealed its presence even under the bright full moon, was sending a silent signal to the other knights who were waiting ahead.
“Now! charge!”
Following the signal sent by the fire arrow, the hidden cavalrymen began to rush out from the edge of the hill.
Even though it was an urgent situation, the refined spirit that was not disturbed at all was truly a display of Arnstein’s elite soldiers.
-…….
The sight of the cavalry running without a single gap looked like waves coming down from a hill.
However, the man who was alone ahead showed no reaction even though he saw the cavalry running towards him.
-let’s go.
I just stroked the neck of the horse I was riding.
As soon as the rider touched it, blue fire began to burn within the horse’s eyes.
“It’s too fast!”
“Damn it! “At least change direction!”
The surprise attack was great, but the opponent was too fast.
Arnstein’s cavalry was accompanied by excellent war horses, but the reality was that they could not even keep up with a single horse.
“…What on earth are you talking about?”
The cavalry commander who ran from the hill gritted his teeth at the sight.
Acceleration that easily surpasses any common sense one might have.
Even the experienced cavalry commander couldn’t help but be taken aback by the sight, which made him question whether he was even stepping on the ground.
“Somehow, a career path!”
If you can’t keep up, you’ll have to binge-watch it somehow.
“Shoot!”
The cavalry commander, who realized that the tip of the sword would not reach, ordered them to shoot arrows quickly, but even that was already too late.
months! Ssssssssh!
The arrows rose so high that they seemed to reach the clouds, but what they actually pierced was only a shadow left behind by an unknown man.
Heeheeheeing –
An unknown man who indifferently disappears, leaving behind the sighs of the cavalrymen.
Pablo stopped because he couldn’t keep up any longer, and pursed his lips in exasperation as he listened to the sound of a horse neighing from afar.
※※※※
“It seems bigger than the walls of Sturma.”
“any.”
Vlad placed his palm on his eyebrow and looked up at the gates of Valletta as he heard Nibelun’s words coming from beside him.
The walls of Valletta get taller as you get closer.
Nibelun and Vlad began to turn their gaze here and there without anyone else seeing the gray-white walls for the first time in the north.
‘…But the shape is a bit unusual.’
Valletta’s walls not only looked sturdy, but their appearance was also sophisticated and elegant.
That was because the bricks stacked one by one had a strange sense of balance.
“After the bricks were placed, the joints were connected with lime. “I think that’s why it looks so cool.”
Vlad nodded at Nibelun’s words from next to him.
Indeed, as he said, the walls of Valletta were made entirely of small bricks, unlike the walls of Sturma, which were topped with large stones.
I don’t know how the durability would differ, but at least the shape of the castle wall would have been easily achieved to the desired shape.
“stop! “The group in front of you, please identify yourself!”
However, unlike the beautiful appearance of the castle walls, the guards standing in front of them were bright blue.
Perhaps because of the chaotic atmosphere of the central region, the guards’ attitude toward strangers was as sharp as the spears they were holding.
“I am Rodrigo of the Imperial Gendarmerie.”
Rodrigo, seeing the razor-sharp appearance, quickly began to step forward.
I don’t know about Bayezid, but the position of the Imperial Military Police in the central region is special.
The guards, who already knew Rodrigo’s face, seemed embarrassed and began to raise the spears they had been lowering.
“welcome. Rodrigo!”
“Thank you for your hard work. By the way, we also want to guarantee the people behind us. Exactly…”
Rodrigo looked back and only intended to vouch for Vlad and Nibelun, but Vlad, who had sensed his intentions, was already close to Josef’s carriage.
I don’t know how far the name Bayezid will be used, but I thought it would be better to borrow the name of the Imperial Military Police, at least in the central area.
“…To the carriage over there.”
“All right. Rodrigo.”
The guard commander was perplexed when an unexpectedly large number of people arrived at once, but even so, he could not go against the prestige of the Imperial Military Police.
“You know how to be considerate, and you’ve grown up a lot now.” “I’m just standing here because there’s some shade.”
Vlad scratched his chin as he looked at Xayar, who was smiling heartily in the carriage.
The act of trying to pretend to be calm was partly intended to cover up embarrassment, but it was also an effort not to hurt Josef’s pride.
“…It will be okay for the military police, but we ask guests not to go out at night.”
However, the group’s entry was more difficult than expected.
This was because as the Imperial Military Police ahead of them passed through the castle gate, the guard commander secretly blocked the group’s path.
“why?”
Is this also discrimination against northerners?
When Vlad, who had already experienced this before, made a grim expression, the guard captain hurriedly began to open his mouth as if that was not the case.
“……This is because disappearance cases are frequent throughout the territory these days. So, I hope there is no misunderstanding between us.”
“A missing person case?”
A disappearance case that seems out of place in this seemingly solid city.
Vlad’s face hardened at the completely unexpected answer.
“It is difficult to tell you the details.”
Bayezid was respected in the north, but in the central part of the country he was just a stranger.
Moreover, now that the structure had become more complicated due to the Northern Union, it would have been difficult to hear the inner circumstances of the territory.
“Let’s go in. Valletta welcomes you.”
Valletta is a large city seen from afar and elegant up close.
However, as I approached the place beyond the gate, for some reason, it seemed to be filled with only uncomfortable silence.
※※※※
“Welcome to Valletta. Joseph of Bayezid.”
It was a space filled with the smell of old books.
There was an old man looking at the group from a space that should have been more of a study than an office.
“…and Vlad of Shoara.”
He was an old man who looked more like a scholar than a lord ruling a territory.
However, the reason his appearance does not look weak is probably because of the beautiful eyes visible behind his downcast glasses.
“I’m sorry about this. “I should have properly called you Sir Vlad Aureo.”
“no. Count. Please call me whatever you feel comfortable with.”
“As you know, the name Vlad of Shoara seems to have become more familiar to me.”
Count Arnstein looked at Vlad and grinned as if he was happy to see him.
Although they had never met, Count Arnstein and Vlad already had a relationship.
The name Vlad of Shoara was a possibility created by the knight Pablo, so the Count’s eyes when looking at him were enough to make him happy.
“My knight’s honor is my honor. “It’s great to see evidence of that honor.”
The count’s attention was more focused on Vlad than on Josef in front of him.
It may be the lords in the northern border area, but the central leader, Count Arnstein, was someone who had no need to worry about Bayezid.
“I feel like I can feel the cold northern wind on your shoulders. “So, why did you come all this far to visit me?”
Even though he was old, his sparkling eyes were already full of curiosity.
Vlad looked into his eyes and thought that the Count and Nibelun would be a good match.
“It’s an honor to meet you. Count. “The reason I came to visit the Count is…”
Josef has been looking for Beeville Hill since he was eliminated from the head of the family competition.
Josef tried to attract attention by bringing up the name of his mother’s family, the Oscar family, but the count’s gaze had already turned cold towards him.
Rather than a look of displeasure, it was a look that indicated that interest had cooled.
“…We’ll talk about that later.”
It seemed like a statement that left room, but in the style of a nobleman’s speech, it was like an expression of refusal.
“Did you come to me with the same intention?”
Josef was not particularly disappointed by the count’s gaze passing by him, as if he had expected that to happen.
He just looked at Vlad next to him and nodded as if telling him to hurry up and talk.
“…I have followed the death of the dragons. “Count.”
For Vlad, dealing with nobles was always difficult.
Even more so in front of a big man like Count Arnstein.
However, Vlad did not seem to feel as much pressure as before, perhaps because of Josef being right next to him.
“And even the evil beings that accompany that death.”
“……Ohh.”
Vlad spoke only as the Count wanted and in order to get what he wanted, choosing only the most interesting words.
And the count’s cold eyes began to sparkle again, as if the choice was right.
“I wasn’t really expecting anything, but I brought you some pretty interesting news.”
The reason guests from far away are happy is probably because they bring fresh news that is not as easily available as it is now.
“okay. He said he was followed by an evil being…”
And if the news brought by the guest is connected to something that has been bothering him all this time, then it would be perfect for the owner.
“okay. “Let’s talk about it later over dinner.”
Vlad may not have known it, but in the world of nobles, inviting them to have dinner together was the best greeting a host could give to a guest.
“But that’s the point.”
“yes. “Please speak.”
“I have one question.”
And the hidden meaning of inviting a guest to dinner was that the host wanted something special from him.
“I heard that all horses in the North are excellent. Are the horses you brought with you like that?”
Vlad was momentarily taken aback by the Count’s unexpected question.
The Count speaking probably had a clear intention, but for Vlad listening, the question was quite out of context.
“…Do you mean horses?”
“okay. “I’m talking about words.”
The Count’s glasses were shining white as he looked at Vlad.
“I am now asking whether the horses you brought are fast enough to be displayed anywhere.”
Vlad of Shoara, an honorable name given by his knight Pablo.
The Count was hoping that the knight from the North who brought good news would provide a clue to solving this situation.
