Chapter 133 - She calls you (3)

A two-story cabin built very closely together.

In front of the house, which was too large for a single villager to build, there was a vast field of rye about to be harvested.

"Where is he?"

The ground creaks loudly.

A sturdy man walked around the cabin as if it were his own.

"I came here knowing everything. So let's not tire each other out."

Bloodstains splattered on the brown wall.

The owner of the cabin, an old man, looked at the red marks with confused eyes.

Under the indelible red mark was his son, who hadn't even been able to close his eyes.

"…I don't know what you're asking."

"Didn't you see how your son's head was blown off while he said that?"

His behavior was that of a nobleman, but his tone of voice was extremely vulgar.

"Are you really going to open your mouth only if your whole family dies?"

The threatening man's thick eyebrows mercilessly furrowed.

The muscles in the upper part of his body still moved threateningly as if he were about to draw his sword.

"No matter how much you've lived off Ravnoma's iron, isn't it time to take care of your family? There's no need to be loyal to a family that no longer exists."

The old man, once a knight, stopped laughing at the overflowing malice.

I can't believe I have to see this guy boasting.

If you live too long, you'll end up seeing things like this.

"No matter what you say, there's no trust in what you say. Vile usurpers."

A retired old knight.

The old swordsman from Ravnoma, who tried to quietly spend the rest of his life in his mansion, opened his mouth with an ironic smile.

"Who in the West will believe you, dragon dogs?"

"Damn it..."

After hearing what the old man said, Stephen lifted his head and closed his eyes, unable to contain his boiling anger.

"…If you tell me right now where the Ravnoma kid has gone, I'll kill you painlessly. Anyway, you know that kid won't be able to do anything no matter where he goes."

An uninvited guest who spoke as if he were invited, but who finally spoke of destruction.

Looking at him like that, the old man simply smiled silently.

"No matter where you go, you can't do anything..."

The wrinkles were deep on the old man's face as he looked at Stephen.

It was a smile like the expression of a winner.

"The northern crow doesn't say that."

"…!"

After hearing the response he hated the most, Stephen's face twisted like a demon.

No matter how fierce the fire, if the roots are alive, it will sprout again.

The true ruler of the West.

A family that brought out the piece of dragon to swear before their own blood, even as they were being defeated by a sudden attack.

Ravnoma.

The West still hasn't forgotten them.

"Old man!"

Stephen shouts as if he were struggling to see the old man speaking as if mocking him.

"You should have looked carefully anyway!"

The sword extended from the tips of his fingers and pierced the old man's chest like lightning.

"…Ugh."

An old man collapsing with a single cry.

However, the reason he can smile is probably because of the knight's pride in having fulfilled his mission to the end.

Because the old knight from Ravnoma finally protected a seed to the end.

"Burn it all!"

With Stephen's furious shouts, the fire began to spread throughout the cabin.

As the cattle mooed loudly, the unharvested rye stalks began to bend.

The honorable mansion that a man had built throughout his life was burning.

"Damn it..."

An unfounded and despicable usurper.

A promiseless shell.

Stephen was trying to calm his anger, recalling Gaidar's contemptuous names that still roamed the West.

"…You can take everything."

If you lack honor and are scorned, you just have to take it.

If you are ignored because you have no history, just take it.

Because that was the law of the West and Gaidar's history.

"Even my sword."

Gaidar's veins roar to the north.

Stephen's eyes filled with the shadows of flames fluttering in all directions.

***

"Ha…"

Stephan let out a small sigh as he watched the scene before his eyes.

The city I found for the first time in my life.

The city of Deirmar, bordering the frontier that separates the central and northern regions, was a place with a unique flavor that I had never seen before.

"You were a very famous knight in the North."

"...Not to that extent."

However, the reason Stephan and the mercenaries were surprised was not only due to the first impression of the city of Deirmar.

"Welcome to Deirmar, Lord Vlad!"

A small but sturdy castle wall.

The sight of soldiers standing below and saluting Vlad was enough to stir unfamiliar emotions in the mercenaries.

"No matter how you look at it, it's not so bad, right?"

"Shut up."

Seeing the soldiers welcoming them as if greeting a triumphant general, the mercenaries unconsciously straightened their shoulders.

The life of a mercenary where there were many places to go, but no welcome.

For those who had lived a wandering life like a drifting ship, the current scene was clearly a completely new experience, as if they were experiencing something like this for the first time since their birth.

"Let's go for now."

Vlad felt the perplexed looks of the mercenaries on his back, but decided to move for now.

The relationship between the city of Deirmar and the knight named Vlad was too close to explain in a few simple words.

"Why are they following me?"

"Move away. You!"

The group entered the city as the soldiers bid them farewell.

It was a quiet road, almost like a rural path, but the group's progress inevitably slowed down little by little.

"…Why the hell are they clinging to me?"

The mercenaries felt embarrassed as they saw the children looking at him with bright eyes.

Children clinging to the mercenaries.

Although he had seen many children run away, the ones who approached were mercenaries he had never seen before.

"It's Vlad, a knight of honor!"

"I've never seen blond hair like that before."

"I guess you really come from a noble family."

"..."

The mercenaries, understanding what the children were saying, looked at Vlad once again.

They tried to keep as quiet as possible and whispered among themselves, but the unique high-pitched voices of the children were enough to reach the group's ears.

"The children really like the knight, sir."

"...It wasn't to this extent originally."

In response to Stephan's question, Vlad sighed and shook his head as if tired.

I've been to this city several times, but this was the first time I've seen a reaction like this.

Apparently, while moving with a large group of people, the children noticed me.

"It becomes more like this the further you go."

A northern star that slowly spreads by word of mouth. Vlad of Soara.

However, in this city, he is a known man with a slightly different title.

Perhaps it was natural for children to express curiosity towards Vlad.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea to settle in a place like this when I retire later."

"You're talking about retirement as soon as the contract ends. I don't think it's appropriate."

"Haha! That means the impression of this place was good."

Stephan laughed at Vlad's resolute response and began to clear the way, pushing away the clinging children.

Apparently, the young knight in front of me was not accustomed to this kind of hospitality.

"This is my first time in a place like this."

All the mercenaries nodded as Stephan spoke quietly.

They were men who had lived their whole lives in a low and harsh place, so even though their current situation was quite shocking, it wasn't particularly bad.

The soldiers salute and the children follow.

And there was even a white snake waiting on the roof of the mansion, eagerly stretching its neck.

The small town of Deirmar now welcomed them wholeheartedly.

***

The color white silently fades away.

One two. Without a sound.

"We believe they're around 5,000 people."

"5,000?"

The knight from Bayezid begins pouring sugar cubes into a small teacup.

Alicia swallowed hard at Bordan's powerful movements, who lived only for today, not for tomorrow.

"That's right. It's 5,000."

Bordan's teacup was rising, but Alicia's mouth was actually closing.

Because the word "5,000" he uttered carried a lot of weight.

"The letter you sent clearly stated 3,000..."

"Gaidar's riders are following us."

Gaidar, the new ruler of the West.

They weren't traveling alone to the north.

They were also emerging with other families from the West.

"This is the fear of monarchs who call themselves rulers."

"..."

As soon as Alicia heard Bordan's words, she felt bitterness welling up inside her.

She felt like she wanted to take the teacup held by the old knight and drink it right away.

"...What do you plan to do, Bayezid?"

Alicia's face hardened under the increasing burden.

The expression on the face of the old knight Duncan also grew sterner as he looked at her.

"Currently, 500 reinforcements are on their way to Deirmar. The reason I came here first was to ask you to please open the gates for them."

"500? Is that all?"

The number of troops sent to prepare for 5,000 was only 500. 

Upon hearing Bordan's response, Alicia frowned as strongly as she could, but the old knight dealing with her just remained calm.

"We're currently keeping Bayezid's soldiers in Soara. We even eliminated the soldiers in the north."

The city of Deirmar was too small to accommodate thousands of soldiers.

Although it had strong walls, it was a small city that would be inefficient, so Peter Bayezid had to manage his troops as flexibly as possible.

"...And you're even eliminating soldiers from the North. So, what do the barbarians plan to do?"

Those who don't believe in God.

The barbarians beyond the Northern Limit Line had always been a nuisance to the northern lords.

This was also the reason why the Baranov family, which had blacksmith workers, could receive the title of duke even though they were despised northern lords.

"You don't have to worry about that. Lord Joseph has already taken care of it."

Bayezid was already aware of Gaidar's ambition to advance northward, so he made constant efforts to prevent the creation of two fronts.

Although it may not be complete, appeasing the barbarians using the Agge and Budart tribes would be effective at least in this war.

"Lord Joseph said he would protect Deirmar as if it were his own body."

Seven hundred fifty against five thousand.

And the walls of Deirmar, which had protected Hainal for a long time.

Continue with this and counterattack while preparing.

The cold northern wind was already prepared for the harsh western wind.

"Can we just wait?"

"Of course. Not only this, there are many methods that Lord Joseph is preparing..."

Knock knock.

As the two exchanged detailed stories about the war, they heard a soft knock.

"Lady Alicia. A guest has arrived now."

"Ah. It seems you've finally arrived with the soldiers."

Bordan heard the butler's words and stood up, rubbing his palms.

"Please believe in Bayezid's sincerity. The person who led this reinforcement force of 500 is..."

Following the butler's guidance, the door opened and the man entered the office with Bordan's introduction.

"Huh?"

Everyone's eyes widened as they recognized the man.

The man's blonde hair, illuminated by the sunlight, filled Alicia's eyes.

"Long time no see. Lady Alicia."

A man who came running from the distant West upon learning of Deirmar's misfortune.

Lady Alicia's knight had already arrived here.

With Bordan's puzzled expression as if asking why he came from there.

"...You're a little late. Sir Vlad."

Alicia, who finally found the face she was looking for, greeted her knight with a bright smile.

The tips of her fingers, trembling slightly like her eyes, held a lump of white sugar.

All her senses, which until now had only felt bitterness, finally found the sweetness that she could finally exhale.

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