Side story – Preparation for farewell
The greenery coming from the south was coloring the continent, but it seemed that it had not yet reached this place.
Sturmah is the northernmost of Bayezid’s cities.
The coughing sound from winter could still be heard from one of the rooms there.
“…Are you okay?”
The dim candlelight beside the bed illuminated Peter’s face.
However, Peter’s expression still seemed full of darkness, as if that light alone was not enough.
“I’m worried. “As time goes by, the cough gets worse.”
Peter Bayezid, who prevented the invasion of the Golden Ball and Gaidar, is now praised as the Northern Wall.
However, even he had deep wrinkles all over his face, as if the eventful past two years had been heavy.
“Do not worry.”
Where Peter was looking, there lay a woman whose color was fading little by little.
Lips as cracked as dull hair.
Peter’s eyes were filled with worry that he could not hide as he looked at Oksana, who was lying helpless like a sick person.
“I will at least try to make it happen during Rutger’s succession ceremony.”
However, Oksana’s already empty eyes are just looking at the window next to her, not at Peter.
Peter just opened his mouth quietly as he looked at her, who seemed to not even have the strength to straighten her head, which had been turned to the side.
“…That’s not what I meant.”
A woman who had lost her will to live and was gradually withering away, but still said that she would do her duty.
It felt like he was seeing someone who was no longer in this world, and Peter felt a pang in his heart.
“Is the wind cold? “Would you like me to close the curtains?”
The window was closed, but the wind blowing through the window frame was still cool.
It was the beginning of summer, when everything was waking up, but in the north, the night air was still cold.
Peter, concerned about the coldness, stood up to close the curtain, but Oksana’s voice came from behind him.
“Don’t close it.”
For the sake of my increasingly weakened body, it would be better to keep it closed.
However, perhaps because Oksana’s voice was firm when she said she wanted to look outside, Peter let go of the end of the curtain he was holding.
“Leave it open. “I feel frustrated if I don’t look outside.”
“…I understand.”
After those words, silence began to spread between the two.
Instead of the silence that comes from not having anything to share, the silence that comes from being careful with each other began to make the air in the room heavy.
“The moonlight is bright.”
It was late at night, so it was time to go back to the room.
However, Peter’s footsteps, still lingering, were now facing the scenery outside the window.
That was because one of the scenes out there caught his eye.
“It would definitely be better to open the window.”
There was a small tombstone illuminated by the falling moonlight.
The tombstone, which appeared to have been erected not long ago, was located close enough for Oksana to see it as she lay in bed.
“…….”
Peter knew.
The curtains he is holding on to now have probably never been closed, even in the middle of winter.
Because a mother who still misses her son wouldn’t have wanted that.
A father, mother, and son looking out the window in silence under the blue moonlight at night.
The wind blowing between them seemed to be cold today.
※※※※
“……The tea is too sweet.”
The mayor’s office in Shoara is filled with afternoon sunlight.
Vlad, who was sitting at the guest table, frowned as if the tip of his tongue was tingling, and put down the teacup he was holding.
“okay? “I intentionally put less sugar in yours.”
“I told you. “If you drink it this sweetly, you’ll die really early, right?”
A lot has changed in the past two years, but nothing in particular has changed in Shoara’s mayor’s office.
Even though there were some faces that were no longer here, the air in the room that welcomed me and the sweet scent of tea were still the same.
“Dying early? Look at the documents piled up here. “I’m destined to die early anyway, even without sugar.”
“……hmm.”
In response to Vlad’s scolding, telling him to stop eating sweets, Bordan began to hang his hands as if to ask him to look here.
As if what he just said wasn’t a complaint, there were mountains of documents piled up all over the mayor’s seats.
Vlad made eye contact with them and, contrary to what he said earlier, began to secretly raise his teacup.
“I put it all away yesterday, but today I looked and there was this much piled up again. “Why on earth is this city so tough!”
We’re so busy dealing with the post-war situation, but orphans are constantly flocking in, and these days, there are even knights following the sword master’s reputation.
Bordan, who was newly appointed as the mayor of Shoara, was given only so much work that he was overwhelmed by his shining reputation.
“If I don’t die as commanded, you will kill half of the people. “I already wrote that in my will.”
“Have some tea. Then it cools down.”
The reason that Shoara, which was a chaotic mess like a heated furnace, was able to maintain its function as a city was because there was a competent mayor named Bordan.
Although he was a knight who was not good at wielding a sword, the reason Josef kept him by his side was because of his ability.
“Then why did you come here?”
“…I have a favor to ask you.”
“What please?”
Vlad began to cautiously open his mouth, as if he felt sorry for saying this to someone who seemed so busy.
“The convent up there.”
“Why are you there?”
“They say the ownership there is a bit ambiguous. That’s why I want to vouch for it.”
No matter how famous a sword master was, there were rules that had to be followed.
This would be especially true in Bayezid’s land, which he must respect.
“And this time, Haven is planning to go a bit far away. So, I was wondering if we could provide some support in advance, such as personnel to repair the ship and supplies.”
“…Keuung.”
At Vlad’s words, Bordan, who had been shuffling through documents, began rubbing his temples as if he had a headache.
“It’s strange, strange. “It really strangely comes across a line.”
Bordan’s eyes were frowning as he looked at Vlad.
However, unlike the frowning eyes, there was a faint smile on Bordan’s lips.
“You’re only vaguely asking for something that can only be answered.”
A request from a renowned sword master could certainly not be ignored, but even so, Vlad’s request, which came in subtly, clearly seemed thoroughly calculated.
It was a request that no matter how busy Bordan was, even Shoara, who had no resources, had no choice but to listen to it.
“This is all I learned here.”
“okay. “I learned it well.”
The boy from the back alley who was only sharp but had no idea about the world was no longer here.
This is because the young man sitting in front of Bordan now had the insight to understand the situation based on his experience.
“I think Josef will like it too.”
“……is that so?”
As the familiar name flowed from Bordan’s lips, Vlad smiled bitterly.
Even though his eyes were dark, he always made room for me.
His image, deeply ingrained in his memory, was like a picture that would probably not be easily erased from Vlad’s mind.
“Then I’ll assume it’s okay.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
Vlad stood up and made a strange expression as he looked at Bordan, who had his head down on the documents.
The view was the same as before, but the mayor’s office looked slightly different for some reason.
Vlad stood up and looked away, as if he felt even more awkward at such a subtle change.
※※※※
“You’ll be disappointed. “It’s impossible for a human being not to feel sad.”
People in City Hall were hastily lowering their heads as they saw Vlad coming out of the mayor’s office and walking down the hallway.
“How can everyone only think about themselves like that? “It’s all thanks to someone that I got to that position.”
However, even though everyone was a sword master, the man next to Vlad was constantly talking as if nothing had happened.
“…Can you please just shut up?”
“Should I shut up? Of course you can. “I, Goat, am a person who can do anything the captain says.”
The Sword Master’s annoyance would have shocked anyone, but only Goat responded with a sly smile.
“Just like when I helped the captain who was drunk at the graveside a few days ago. As expected, there must be a Squire Goth next to Knight Vlad. Even when all the great wizards and captains say they are leaving, this goth will forever stay by the captain’s side…” “
They told me to shut up.”
Vlad growled at Goth, who looked as if he would keep talking if he didn’t stop talking, but the most honorable knight’s squire only flirted away for a moment.
“Anyway, when are you going to ascend to Captain Sturmaro?”
“Don’t follow me.”
“I already prepared everything in advance. “With attendants and carriage.”
“Why the carriage?”
I didn’t want to see him smirking, but Goth was definitely someone who would be helpful to Vlad.
“Aren’t you going with Miss Jemina? Or were you just planning on putting me on a horse?”
“…….”
“Is it because there is no carriage on the way the Lady goes? “I already prepared something nice.”
The man who had been with Vlad since he was disguised as the praying Liman.
Goth, who had continued to take care of Vlad even after he was kicked out of Shoara, was one of the few people who could guess his true intentions without having to say anything.
“…I never said I was going with Jemina?”
“Anyway, we have to leave within a week. Even though the attacking barbarians are gone, the road to the north is still rough.”
Got says that he has to leave within a week, as if he didn’t even hear what Vlad just said.
It seemed that even that period matched the time he had thought, so Vlad kept his mouth shut.
“Oops. It’s been a while since Noir too. “You remember me, right?”
Purr-
Goat, who had already reached the stable, began to pretend to be happy towards Noir.
The most basic virtue that a fraudster must have is friendliness.
Seeing Goth showing off his friendliness to his heart’s content, Noir just purred as if he couldn’t resist.
“Let’s go together, Captain. “The captain just needs to come.”
“It’s crazy. really.”
Vlad couldn’t bear to spit at the smiling face, but he still spit out a curse.
However, Vlad himself did not know.
The fact that his expression, which had seemed gloomy just a moment ago, had suddenly cleared up.
※※※※
Vlad, who returned with a rose-like smile following the setting sun, immediately went to Nibelun’s room.
“Have you finished packing your luggage?”
“yes? Ah yes. “I organized everything.”
Nibelun’s room had been very messy until yesterday, but now it was neat and tidy as if it had never been that way.
However, the over-bulged backpack just looked a little shabby.
“Then follow me.”
“Where?”
“If you tell me, I don’t know where you are.”
It was Nibelun who remembered Vlad from yesterday, who was drunk and had a sad expression on his face.
However, the way Vlad looks now seems to have disappeared a bit from the gloomy mood he was feeling these days.
“Is there anything else you need other than the luggage you packed? “Something like emergency medicine or tools needed when boarding a boat.”
“Jemina is taking care of all of those things now.”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“Vlad doesn’t have much money anymore.”
Since he no longer belonged to Bayezid, Vlad had no special salary to receive.
As if Nibalun was well aware of Vlad’s situation, he was already receiving some support from Gemina.
“……okay?”
Vlad, who had nothing to say about money, began to walk quietly, leading Nibelun somewhere in the back alley.
Even though it is a much brighter back alley now, it is difficult to recognize unless you are a local.
“By the way, have you filled in many mysteries? “If you’re going to a rough place like the Arctic route, you’re going to have to use a lot of things.”
“Hehe. Not yet. “There’s been a lot to write about over the past few years.”
The wizard Vlad knew, Nibelun, was a man who manipulated mysteries through tools.
The Burgundian way of performing magic through objects that may appear ordinary on the outside but have their own meaning.
“okay. “I wrote so much that I couldn’t fill it all.”
However, Vlad knew well that after meeting him, he had written down the mystery without even having time to fill it.
There were already dozens of tools that he had seen in person.
“Is it them?”
“yes?”
“Is it them? “The kids who stole the beads from you.”
Nibelun, who had already reached deep into the back alley, could feel that there were many eyes looking at him.
Children raising their heads through the increasingly dark back alleys.
Nibelun nodded, looking at the children whose faces he looked familiar with.
“Yes, those are my friends.”
“good.”
After confirming his goal, Vlad stepped forward.
Holding a bag full of beads in one hand.
“Ask the captain to come out here.”
The beads felt smooth when touched in the palm of the hand.
For Vlad, it was one of those nostalgic sensations that reminded him of his childhood.
“Hit the marble once.”
The best gift I can give for my wizard who is leaving for a distant place.
The boy, who now knew how to prepare for separation, bounced a sparkling bead towards the dumbfounded children.
