Chapter 112 - Man in the fog (3)

Above the table, there was a strange atmosphere.

I feel overwhelmed by the golden eyes staring directly at me.

Unlike before, his face was expressionless, but his bright eyes shone like a butterfly fluttering in a dream.

'Why are you doing that?'

Contrary to his eyes, the elf looked at him with a cold gaze.

The gaze of the elf named Baradis was fiercely different from the girl's.

It was like a look indicating that he had touched something he shouldn't have.

'Why are you doing that again?'

While facing the gazes of the two elves whose auras were clearly different, Vlad was trying to maintain an impassive expression.

Vlad was trying to keep a calm expression while facing the stares of the two elves whose temperatures were clearly different.

Neither of them knew why they were doing this, but what was certain was that the image of the elves they had imagined was slowly crumbling.

'When the hell is the tea coming?

Knights and elves facing each other across the table.

In the uncomfortable atmosphere where no one was willing to open their mouths, Vlad hoped that at least the tasteless tea would come out quickly.

Because it wasn't easy to ignore all the attention without doing anything.

"…A knight who protected the lives of children."

It was Varadis who first broke the heavy silence.

"What does this mean?"

Varadis' navy blue eyes looked at Vlad's armor.

There was also an amber stone hanging from the tip of the sword.

Although his mouth asked about the words engraved on the armor, his eyes clearly looked at something behind it.

"It was recorded by the Northern Diocese of San Rogino."

Vlad clasped his hands under the table as he watched Varadis's reaction.

Just like the previous girl, the elf named Varadis was also looking for objects imbued with spirits.

The idea of asking the elves about spirits and amber was correct.

"I had my own achievements during a mission to fight an evil being."

However, unlike the joy boiling in his heart, Vlad's voice was calm.

Because he knew very well that there was still a long way to go before he could celebrate with a single achievement. If Joseph were here, he would have definitely done this.

"If fighting against a special being… Impressive."

The two elves listened to Vlad's words and nodded at the same time.

Looking at Varadis and the girl, who didn't look alike on the outside but had similar actions, Vlad realized that the two had been together for a long time.

"The tea is ready."

As soon as the door of the cabin was opened, a fragrant smell began to waft out.

It was the smell that came from the tea cups brought by the elven soldiers.

"I greet the knight who challenged extraordinary beings regardless of their race."

"Thank you."

His expression was still cold, but the kindness he showed was clear.

If you treat someone with tea that is so valuable that you give it in exchange for a silver ingot, it would mean that at least you are not hateful.

"If I do well, everything will be fine."

Vlad had not forgotten the purpose of coming here.

The reason why he came here to help Count Vitskaya with his work was to enter the forest of the elves.

If the current good atmosphere continues, maybe it will be possible to receive a direct invitation without going through the Count.

"It smells good."

Vlad smiled as he looked at the tea, which emitted a clear green light.

Although it wasn't my cup of tea, I could laugh as long as I could leave a good impression with just one sip.

It should have been like that.

"No."

But Vlad couldn't lift the tea cup.

"You can't drink it."

White fingers urgently grabbed the tea cup Vlad was holding.

A girl who was almost lying face down because of the great distance between the tables was looking at Vlad.

"…"

"…"

The air in the cabin stopped as a result of the girl's sudden behavior.

Not only the elves but also the knights of Vitskaya were frozen like stones, not knowing what to do with the situation unfolding before their eyes.

"…Why?"

Vlad barely managed to exhale a word after releasing the little air left in his lungs.

However, the girl simply buried her face, tried to avoid eye contact, and silently took Vlad's tea cup.

The girl's feet hopping at the end of the table looked pitiful.

***

Tea time was over.

Meeting the elves for the first time in his life was as bitter as the lingering taste on the tip of his tongue, and Vlad still couldn't easily escape from the shock.

"Captain, calm down."

"I didn't do anything wrong."

Looking at Vlad's dazed eyes, Goethe tried to calm him down, but the response he received was hollow.

"Still, you have to come to your senses. The elves are still only looking at the captain."

It was a strange atmosphere.

The elves distrusted Vlad, yet they looked at him with curious eyes.

It was as if they were looking at a strange creature.

"Besides, that boy seems to have a high status. When I got on the carriage earlier, there were elves waiting by my side."

Among them was a girl who was looking at Vlad with the most passionate eyes.

An elf named Varadis was holding onto the waist of an elf and peeking his head out to look at him.

Vlad sighed as he looked at the girl whose eyes were desperately searching for something, yet what she was actually doing was pushing him away.

"Anyway, I think it's wrong to enter the elves' forest."

Although it wasn't his fault, something went wrong in Vlad's recent meeting.

Since the elves already distrust humans, they won't look favorably on the current situation.

"Now let's go. We have to leave before it's too late."

"Alright."

Upon hearing from the Vitskaya knights that they had to cross the cliff before sunset, Vlad helplessly climbed to the top of Noir.

"Wait a moment."

Behind the group getting ready to leave, Varadis's voice was heard.

He listened silently as a girl whispered something quietly.

Varadis nodded upon hearing the girl's words and with an awkward smile stopped Vlad.

"I apologize for bidding you farewell in this manner."

Varadis's strange expression, unsure whether he was smiling or angry.

Vlad thought his cold impression from earlier was better.

"Please allow our honorable person to apologize for the mistake he made towards you."

"No, it's okay."

"I heard something happened in the carriage earlier."

"…"

Seeing Vlad silently affirm, Baradis shook Vlad's hand with a tired expression.

"I hope to see you again soon. I would like to apologize for today's rudeness."

Vlad silently looked at the hand being extended to him.

Does a handshake mean the same thing for elves?

"It's just the way elves invite. Unlike humans, we don't ask for a handshake so easily."

"I understand."

The muffled gasps of amazement from the Vitskaya knights who heard Baradis's words couldn't be avoided.

They couldn't help but be surprised to see Vlad granted permission to do something they had worked so hard for, for so long, in just one day.

"Thank you for inviting me."

Vlad was confused as he looked at the girl waving her hand in the distance.

Suddenly, he jumped onto the sleeping person and immersed her in a fantasy.

They took away a cup of tea from someone trying to enjoy the tea.

However, now she invites me to the elves' forest and says she hopes to see me next time.

'What are you doing now?'

Vlad couldn't help but think for a moment as he watched the behavior of the most whimsical girl he had ever seen.

However suspicious the girl's behavior might be, it was impossible to ignore the extended hand.

"It will be a valuable opportunity to broaden my horizons. I will definitely visit you sometime."

"Alright. I hope you come to visit us sometime."

The eyes of the two men met as they shook hands.

The nervous Vitskaya knights let out a small sigh as they saw Vlad hesitate for a moment while shaking Varadis's hand.

"And be sure to bring the amber stone with you."

"Yes?"

"Our precious person is very interested in it."

Varadis let go and looked at Vlad again with a cold expression.

"The same goes for you."

"…"

Vlad listened to Baradis and looked at the girl standing in the distance.

Among the heads peeking out behind, a hand waving among the heads seemed to say, until next time.

***

"At the end, I didn't even ask for her name."

Vlad frowned as if he had just emerged from Noir's trembling back.

Since it was a time when things were getting crazy, he couldn't ask what he should have asked.

"Why the name?"

"I guess I'll have to call her something when I see her again."

"Indeed, she was quite beautiful for an elf. If she were a bit taller, she would be hard to ignore."

Vlad looked at Goethe as if feeling sorry, listening to him smile meaningfully.

"Do you want to think that when you look at your son?"

"How old do you think the captain is to think like that?"

Vlad was speechless at Goethe's question in response.

Now that he thought about it, he himself had only become an adult a few months ago.

"…Anyway, I am an adult."

"She might be an adult too. You seem more mature than Zemina."

Vlad had no choice but to keep his mouth shut as Goethe countered his words with embarrassing truth.

In this situation, using Zemina as an example was a low blow.

"Besides, you can't guess the age of elves in the first place. Although she may seem so, she might be over a hundred years old."

Because she was a long-lived elf, it was difficult to guess her age, but Vlad definitely thought that the golden-eyed girl was not an adult.

The incomprehensible behavior she occasionally showed seemed clearly insufficient to be considered mature.

"We're close by here."

As he intentionally closed his mouth to end the conversation, the Vitskaya knight cautiously approached to report.

"It seems to be more effective than hitting them."

Until yesterday, the appearance of silently ignoring him because he was a stranger from the north had disappeared.

Varadis's invitation clearly had its effect.

"The area from here to the bridge crossing the cliff is a dangerous area. The raiders mainly came from this area."

After hearing the knight's explanation, Vlad quickly unfolded the map and estimated the location.

The map reading skills he had learned in Sturma were finally paying off.

"…The stone bridge I saw on the way seemed the most dangerous."

"Indeed, we lost many wagons there."

Vlad was worried as he watched the sun gradually set.

The sun was about to set soon, so he wanted to secure a spot if possible.

"What if we stay here for the night and then leave?"

"That's impossible."

The Vitskaya knight spoke sternly, as if this wasn't enough.

"Unlike the elves' realm, the forest here is very cold. If we don't get to Tanovo as soon as possible, the thujon leaves will freeze."

The elves only harvested and dried the leaves of the tea called thujon and did not perform any other process.

So, unless he quickly returned to Tanovo, ground the thujon leaves into powder, and compressed them into a single piece, the thujon leaves would quickly freeze.

"From now on, we'll have to move even if it means cutting down on sleep time."

"…Alright."

It was something he was prepared to do, but the conditions when he came and when he returned were very different.

Still, he suggested it because he thought it would be fine for a day, but the knights' reaction was too strong.

Their position was understandable, as their efforts up to this point would have been in vain if they hadn't been careful.

"Let's go. Stephan, go to the back."

"Alright. Sir."

He was at the front, and the Thorn Mercenaries were at the end of the procession.

Vlad formed a formation with the Vitskaya knights flanking both sides of the carriage and began to advance cautiously.

There probably wouldn't be big bandits who would touch the current procession of only 6 knights.

"But if they come out, they definitely have a different purpose."

No matter how expensive the elves' carriages were, there was a cost to everything.

A person who would fight against six knights and ten mercenaries to rob a carriage must have had other objectives besides money.

Vlad silently looked ahead as the forest darkened.

A stone bridge stretched between the cliffs ahead.

Between the darkening sky, a stone bridge that looked even stranger awaited the group.

***

At first, I thought it was the starlight.

It was a dark night, and since it was a cliff area with a steep slope, the boundary between the sky and the earth was not clear.

"Kaaak!"

However, when the starlight approached quickly, Vlad realized that the light was not hanging from the sky.

"It's an attack!"

"They are raiders! The marauders have arrived!"

Torches trembling violently, horses neighing.

In the procession that quickly became noisy, Vlad looked at the Vitskaya knight who was already lying on the ground.

'…I didn't even see him!'

It happened in an instant.

The brutally distorted armor of the knight showed how much impact it had received.

"First, make sure to avoid the dust…"

"Everyone run! Let's leave the bridge now!"

On a bridge with openings everywhere.

Vlad shouted loudly as he watched the knights naturally forming their formation.

"But Lord Vlad!"

"Follow my orders!"

Vlad quickly placed the fallen knight on the saddle and growled in response.

"If you stop here, he'll simply do as he pleases!"

Understanding a predator is only possible by being a predator oneself.

There must have been a good reason to show a warning by defeating a knight.

"Run! Let's get out of here as fast as possible!"

"Hold the reins, everyone!"

On a dark bridge, Stephan and Goethe repeated Vlad's orders aloud.

And the Vitskaya knights, who were overwhelmed by Vlad's sudden change in momentum, had no choice but to hastily mount their horses.

Plop!

Thud!

"The rocks are flying!"

"The perch is breaking!"

The marauder in the darkness was hurriedly extinguishing the torch, perhaps confused by Vlad's decision to cross the bridge as before.

A knight with a sword must be able to face threats.

However, the knight from the alley was a man who didn't mind fleeing at all.

"Don't worry, just run!"

Vlad quickly closed his left eye and raised his sword high.

"Just follow me!"

Vlad's aura forming between the sword.

The wagons began to creak along the single light shining on the dark bridge.

Creak!

'Where!'

This time, Vlad struck the rock flying towards him and quickly assessed its direction.

The trembling tip of the sword gave an idea of the power of the stone that had just flown.

'There's only one!'

It came from many places, which increased the confusion, but it was clearly thrown by one person.

Vlad's sensitive ears caught the sound of someone moving in the darkness.

'He's coming!'

Vlad gritted his teeth and looked towards the end of the bridge.

Certainly, it didn't seem dark, but the unknown raider was standing in front of the path they were about to take, catching his breath.

"Move forward like this!"

The group runs like a furious bull.

A small horn sprouted from Noir's forehead, which was at the front.

'Piercing!'

Vlad planned to trample the marauders with this momentum.

The person currently blocking the group was clearly a master, so if they lost their current momentum, they might never have the chance to cross the bridge again.

"Knights! Prepare for the attack…"

Vlad shouted loudly but couldn't bear to continue with his next words.

Because it was getting brighter from that end as if receiving the light of dawn.

'Damn!'

Vlad felt the sudden change in the power of the assailant and quickly invoked his own world.

Only the Aurores can confront the Aurores.

The only person here who could create an aura was himself.

"Noir!"

Neigh-!

At Vlad's shout, the spirit of the prairie, which pierced even the troll, slowly began to take its own form.

The death blow of a single strike is unexpected.

And the best way to create surprises is speed.

Only unexpected speed can block the blow of the man in front of me.

"Now!"

Vlad and Noir, who had been in line with the procession until now, took advantage of the strange rhythm and quickly ran forward.

At a speed three or four times faster than the speed I've been running at so far.

The eyes of the unknown man who was watching that scene were widening.

"Pierce him!"

Finish with a single blow.

Just as the voice told me.

A white lightning that couldn't be captured flowed from Vlad's left eye, which he was trying to close with all his might.

Kwasik-!

Kwazizig-!

Dawn light and white lightning.

Lights of the same color clashed once, creating a loud roar on the bridge.

***

"…The path of the sword must be straight, firm, and unwavering."

A hood, half-torn gray.

Red blood splattered amidst white hair and visible wrinkles in between.

"And the only thing that paves the way is an unwavering sword based on the unexpected."

"…Cough."

Through his fading mind, Vlad slowly reached out to grasp the sword that was far away.

However, he couldn't help but widen his eyes at the voice he soon heard.

"That's the trick to a one-strike kill."

"…What?"

The carriages halted.

Noir collapsed.

And Vlad lay on the ground, looking at an unknown man.

"Who the hell are you?"

A drop of blood flowed between his pure white brows.

"Who are you, using the imperial sword technique?"

The dense fog enveloped the dark precipice where light and darkness faded away.

The eyes of the two men, walking the same path yet unknown to each other, intertwined in confusion.

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