What to give and what to receive (2)
One sigh and one look.
“Have all the guests left?”
Alicia was barely able to swallow another sigh as she looked at the trees outside the window.
That tree, with its memories of her father, always gave Alicia comfort.
“Everyone left except for the Bayezid family.”
“······I feel so bad that I couldn’t even give a proper warning to those who left.”
The honorable duel is over.
It didn’t start honorably, but it ended brilliantly, so it can be said to be an honorable duel.
“Did Ender escape too?”
“······Because it’s a reservation. “I requested personal protection from the church through the priest.”
Ender declared that the duel was not over yet and asserted his rights and requested personal protection.
As the church judged the request to be legitimate, Alicia could not carry out any retaliation until Ender left Deirmar.
“I feel like my heart is being crushed.”
“······.”
Alicia had to send away not only Ender but also the knights who tried to push her into downfall.
It felt like my soul was being hurt beyond my pride, but it was something I couldn’t help.
In these turbulent times, a cause could be both a spear and a shield, and besides, Alicia had not yet completely taken control of Deermar.
It took time for anything to become solid.
“Let’s make a promise for the future. Alicia.”
“For the past few days, it feels like hot anger is flowing through my body instead of warm blood. “Lord Duncan.”
That’s why I had to let everyone go with the feeling of swallowing bitter poison.
Because he had to show himself as a legitimate monarch.
Because it was a law that those who ruled had to take on responsibilities and obligations equal to their authority.
“How is the lemon crop doing?”
“It’s not that good.”
Although Alicia had been constantly shaken by recent great trials, she was a strong person.
Although she had only recently regained her position, she was working hard to take care of Deirmar’s internal affairs.
Even though my insides were burning hard.
“Production is falling more and more…”
Alicia looked at the tree outside the window again with a frown.
A tree that is said to have been planted during the time of our great-grandfather.
That tree was like a symbol of the Hainal family, and when Alicia’s father lived, it was a tree that bloomed in abundance every spring.
Although it is now becoming more and more fragile, it is questionable whether it is dying rather than blooming.
Is that why?
As time passed, the climate surrounding Deirmar became colder and lemon production decreased.
The reputation of Dermar, famous for producing lemons, was almost overshadowed.
“Should we increase the barley fields?”
“······How about watching a little longer?”
Changing the industrial structure that supported the economy of a territory was a problem that could not be easily decided.
Moreover, it must have been a very burdensome decision for the Hainal family, which had exhausted its strength due to internal strife.
“after······.”
After clearing away the mountainous ordeal, it felt like another mountain was waiting for me.
Alicia ended up sighing heavily out of frustration.
“huh?”
In an instant, a brilliant golden light appeared in her eyes.
It looked like someone running wild beyond the window.
“······Lord Duncan.”
“yes. Alicia.”
Alicia asked with a smile as she looked out the window.
“Don’t all knights know how to ride a horse?”
“If you can’t ride a horse, you can’t be called a knight. “Because it is a virtue as important as the sword.”
“ah······.”
A sound that was unknown whether it was a sad sigh or a mischievous exclamation flowed from Alicia’s thin lips.
“After all, God doesn’t give everything away.”
“······I can sense Lord Xayar’s concern.”
Alicia looked at the scenery outside the window for a moment, ignoring the numerous worries in front of her, and smiled for the first time in a long time.
The sight of a boy staggering around as if he was participating in a rodeo in the garden of a mansion in the distance was giving her peace of mind.
Although he managed to hold on, the boy eventually fell from the horse.
※※※※
“······You said an expensive horse would do?”
“I definitely rode it last time…”
A tired horse, a boy rolling on the ground in a mess, and a stable keeper who doesn’t know what to do next to him.
They all looked intimidated as they watched the driver fiddling with his eye patch.
“You said you can do it with an expensive horse?”
“Maybe it should be a bit more expensive…”
The anger he had been holding in at Vlad’s shameless answer burst out, and Xayar beat up his squire without delay.
“Oops!”
“Whenever you speak, always think!”
Vlad was once again knocked to the ground by Xayar’s blow, but he was able to immediately recover his posture using a falling technique that was now as familiar as breathing.
“Obviously I rode it last time. “Goat drove it, though.”
“yes yes. Mr. Jayar. “It was definitely a ride.”
Looking at the two guys cooing like parrots, as if they had done nothing wrong, Xayar fell into deep thought while holding his throbbing temple.
‘This is serious.’
He said he couldn’t ride a horse, so I thought I could teach him, but the problem wasn’t this guy.
Heeeeeee-
As the boy said, words really were the problem.
To be precise, the horses were turning back whenever they saw Vlad.
As if facing something fearful.
Even his own words were showing such signs.
“Enough for today.”
“Are you doing it tomorrow?”
“······Don’t do it tomorrow either.”
At Xayar’s answer, Vlad looked at him with dissatisfied eyes.
“what?”
“······.”
Perhaps it was his natural disposition or the environment in which he grew up, but the boy had a strong desire to improve and compete, and it seemed like he wanted to learn horseback riding no matter what, regardless of whether he was beaten or not.
To be honest, the noodles couldn’t survive as it was.
I know how to use aurors, but I can’t ride a horse?
What does this mean?
“Then when will you learn to ride a horse?”
“For now, it’s a reservation.”
“It’s a word I hear a lot when I come here.”
“Are you dissatisfied?”
“A little bit.”
Looking at the squire who had no intention of being scared in front of him, Xayar sighed inwardly.
I thought he was a really difficult guy to deal with.
“Let’s go back to Sturma and think about it. “That’s enough for today.”
The boy and the stable keeper just stood there with a bitter feeling as they watched Zayar say what he wanted to say and then resolutely leave.
‘It seems like the horses dislike me more and more as time goes by.’
Vlad was equally upset as he watched the situation getting worse.
“What if this doesn’t work?”
“······Why don’t you try riding a cow or something? “They are more insensitive than they are with words.”
This bastard.
Vlad’s blue eyes widened at Goth’s absurd answer.
“If you say that your mouth is open, is that what you mean?”
Vlad began to growl as he watched Goth making such a ridiculous request to him to ride a cow.
“When you speak, do some thinking.”
“······It feels like something I just heard somewhere.”
Seeing the vicious guy taking out his anger on Xayar on himself, Goth quickly turned his gaze elsewhere.
I will tolerate and accept this much.
Because I bet big on you.
······I have no choice but to endure it.
“Captain, I’ll go to the stable then. “Even if he is unkind to you, this horse is very precious to you.”
“f*ck off, both of you. “Get out of my sight.”
Heeeeeee-
Now that there were signs of getting away from Vlad, Xayar’s horse began to laugh, baring its teeth in joy.
“······.”
Even though it was the teacher’s words, it was inevitable that I would feel disgusted when I saw that.
“Then let’s go! “Take care of yourself!”
Puhi hee hee-
Behind him, whether Vlad was gnashing his teeth or not, Zayar’s horse and Bayezid’s stablekeeper were moving away from Vlad with very happy steps.
“What the hell is the problem!”
Vlad looked at the backs of the two and kicked the ground in anger.
I asked Zayar even though I was prepared to be scolded, but I got nothing.
[I think the problem is that the momentum is too strong. Animals are more sensitive to that aspect than humans.]
In response to the voice, Vlad pointed his sword and asked.
“Then what should I do?”
[You need to know how to handle momentum.]
“Tell me.”
[Because it is one of the ways to deal with the world of images, you must ultimately be able to use Aura freely to control its momentum.]
“······.”
Vlad was at a loss for words at the voice’s answer.
Although Vlad bloomed brilliantly in the duel arena that day, there were many obstacles to consciously using Aurors.
Not only was it difficult to summon it properly, but even if it was summoned, it was extremely weak.
In the end, it required a lot of mastery and training to use it in actual combat.
[Think of Zayar’s words: Don’t run before you can walk. Everything should not be done in a hurry.]
“I understand.”
Vlad looked into the distance as he pondered the words of his two teachers that one must ultimately develop the basics of swordsmanship or aura.
“······I can’t do anything here anymore, so I guess I’ll have to go one last time.”
The boy, who was trying to absorb everything like a sponge, did not just learn from Zayar and the voice.
Josef Bayezid.
The young man, whose qualifications as a monarch were guaranteed by his noble blood, was also a great teacher to Vlad.
His move to always think of the worst and covet the best also gave Vlad a lot of insight.
Josef’s attitude towards opportunities and possibilities was clearly broadening the boy’s horizons.
“Let’s take care of everything until the end.”
[thanks.]
As he learned from Josef, Vlad decided to use his last remaining free time to once again head to the tree on the hill.
Although it was not visible in the boy’s world. Because I could feel the warm energy surrounding the hill.
※※※※
“You won’t run into Alicia again, right?”
[It looks like there is a window on this side of the office.]
“Let’s go quickly.”
To avoid an uncomfortable encounter with Alicia, Vlad was moving quickly up the hill.
I was aware that it was clearly against etiquette, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
Because maybe now might be the last chance.
‘But I did this much.’
And even if he was discovered, Vlad was willing to show off a little.
If it weren’t for the boy, Alicia might have been lying cold by now.
So, wouldn’t it be acceptable if this was discovered?
After hearing that he could see this place from her office, Vlad once again knelt in front of the tree in the form of prayer.
It was a posture I had now become accustomed to.
“You seem like an old friend. Please speak to me nicely.”
[hmm. The snake recognized me. Honestly, I was shocked too.]
Even as he listened to Vlad’s words, the voice honestly thought that he would not be able to recall his memories.
The energy given by the white snake was definitely familiar, but it did not hit me very strongly.
[······Still, there must have been a connection.]
But this was the only thing I could do now.
The voice unfolded its world through the boy’s left eye, as if grasping at straws.
The boy’s world, which had bloomed splendidly with many colors, was fading away, and a world of intensely fluctuating white began to rise above consciousness.
That world was the same color as the color that was rooted in the boy’s world.
And finally, the moment when the world of white was fully established within the boy’s eyes.
[······!]
“······!”
Boy and voice. The two were startled as they saw the scene unfolding before their eyes.
A tree on a hill seen through the world of voices.
There was nothing there.
Easy profit-
Before they knew it, they had come down from the tree and were coiling up right in front of them.
It was such a distance that I felt like I could even feel my breath.
“······You’re friends, right?”
[······I hope so.]
As if it had been waiting for them to arrive, the snake came down from the tree and began to twist its body little by little, wrapping itself around the area where Vlad was standing.
I couldn’t tell for sure because they couldn’t communicate, but they were rolling Vlad’s body as if they were excited.
“This is a greeting to meet you, right?”
[······I think it should be done that way.]
The snake, which was not visible but clearly existed, was suddenly wrapping its arms tightly around the boy and waving its tail.
If you apply even the slightest force in this state, Vlad will probably turn into a shapeless mush.
But still.
Although the boy and the voice were surprised, they did not feel threatened.
Because everything about the snake that treated them was warm.
There was a feeling going on that couldn’t be conveyed through words.
“—-.”
The snake, which had successfully wrapped itself around the boy, raised its head high and was bobbing back and forth.
It looked like they were dancing, but even though their large bodies were moving, they didn’t feel any weight at all.
“This?”
[Do not try to understand the spirit. Because those are different aspects of the world.]
Humans always try to interpret everything in the world according to their own standards, but the fragile souls of mortals alone cannot understand everything surrounding the world.
That may be why humans rely on a being called God.
Honestly, even the boy was calling out God’s name at least in this situation.
Easy profit-
Things began to rise from the top of the hill in accordance with the movements of the dancing snake.
Even though it was a bright day, the blue lights that emerged were similar to fireflies that can only be seen at night.
They were flying towards the snake.
[······Why are they doing this?]
Even the voice that had always remained calm was confused about the current situation.
Easy profit-
The snake began to retreat.
It seems like he did everything he had to do.
“······.”
At the same time, the boy’s black-grey armor began to glow the color of blue fireflies.
Vlad stood blankly, looking at his shining armor.
[God bless you.]
Vlad, who had suddenly returned to his own world with the voice’s words, looked ahead.
I saw a snake.
He was looking at himself.
It was visible even in his own world.
Easy profit-
He was smiling as he watched the boy’s armor shine.
He drew a boy and blessed his voice.
With your own warmth.
“······.”
Vlad didn’t know why, but it seemed as if his armor had a refreshing lemon scent.
