CHAPTER 126

The winter was coming to an end, but this place was still full of coldness.

A cold spot untouched even by the oncoming warmth of spring.

The gaze of the man sitting there was as sharp as a sword.

"Is that the only reason you've come all the way here to blabber such nonsense?"

The only duke in the north, Tymur Baranov, his expression icy as he looked down at the man before him.

"If I give you a piece of the dragon, you will return. Are you really trying to threaten me?"

The Rabnoma family in the west was already extinct.

The pilgrims who watched over the oath had brought the dragon piece kept by the Rabnoma family and entrusted it to the north, and the man before him now was asking for one of them.

"As you know, Lord Duke, the potential of the dragon becomes more perfect as more pieces are gathered. Isn't Lindworm already attracted to that potential?"

"..."

Certainly, when it came to dragons, they couldn't hide anything from them.

The butler sent by the Dragon Slayer Knight Order, Debious, had already grasped that Tymur was holding two pieces.

"We, Dragulia, will share that burden. Please do not misunderstand our offer."

Though his head was deeply bowed, was there sincerity within it or was it just an illusion?

Tymur's gaze at Debious sank deep.

"I believe that the Baranov family will be able to resolve this issue as long as the Iron Duke only pays attention to the North and not the dragon."

Tymur's eyebrows twitched at Debious's proposal.

In the end, Dragulia family was now forcing him to make a choice.

A piece of the dragon or Baron Utman.

But whichever he chose, it would only be a bitter loss for Tymur.

"Iron doesn't change."

The gaze of the man below, head bowed, was ominous.

The dove sent by the dragon.

The message that the dove carried still reeked of blood.

"The oath to the Swordmaster will likely be the same."

Tymur brushed off his hesitation and shook his head as if shaking off his thoughts.

Having made his decision, he slowly rose from his seat and approached Debious.

"Go and relay the message to the Dragonblood Duke."

The ruler of the north and the guardian of the oath.

The Baranov family, acknowledged by the Swordmaster.

The Northern Lion approached Debious, who had his head down, and opened his mouth with cold breath.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Get rid of those jagged claws. Fallen dragon.

Iron will not bend to a dragon.

"...Won't you regret it?"

"That's none of your concern."

He wasn't just making this decision because of the oath; as a rational ruler, he believed it was the right decision.

He couldn't hand over the potential to a dragon with a leash around its neck.

"For the Utman family, we'll offer our support as well. We can't stand shoulder to shoulder with those who have accepted evil beings."

The family that was in charge of one axis of the once strong Northern Alliance had rotted away.

So they had to be cut off.

In order to stand up with the full power of the North.

While spring was finding its way everywhere, in the north, only a cold atmosphere still lingered.

※※※※

The light coming in through the window spread out in all directions.

Watching the sunlight scattering across the table, Vlad furrowed his brow slightly.

"Sword, scabbard, armor..."

Gott, watching the sparkling Elven armor in the sunlight, found himself swallowing involuntarily.

"How much for all this?"

"Just get lost."

Seeing the insolent fellow trying to put a price on his armor, Vlad kicked Gott away from the table.

"No, wait, you can reconsider."

"Your eyes just lit up with greed. Don't try to cheat me."

"...Did they?"

Gott's enthusiasm died down at the sight of the back-alley thug still lingering beneath the noble facade.

Although he looked like a smooth nobleman on the outside, Vlad had been fighting all his life, and still harbored an untamed fierceness within him.

"Anyway, it's worth risking your life, right, Captain?"

"...Just quiet down."

He couldn't help but feel pleased that the knight he served was rewarded handsomely.

However, the downside was that the rewards from the Elves were items that couldn't be shared with Gott.

"They said the sword sheath was made from a fragment of the World Tree."

The sturdy-looking black scabbard still had a clear wood grain despite being processed.

They don't know if it was the intention of the craftsman who created it or the strong energy of the materials, but it gave off a unique feeling.

"The joints are flexible, too?"

"And it's thin."

The plate armor provided by the elves looked sleek even though it was clearly made of iron.

This is probably because there are many empty parts here and there to emphasize agility.

"And this chain armor..."

However, even if there were many empty parts in the armor, there seemed to be no need to worry too much.

The silver inner armor rustled softly as it flowed down.

The chain armor given by the elves was sewn so tightly that it looked like ordinary clothing when viewed from a distance.

"This is something I could just wear like regular clothes."

The gambeson Vlad had been wearing as his undershirt may have been functional, but it was utterly inconvenient. It smelled, it was hot, and most importantly, it hindered his agile movements.

However, the chain armor he was holding now not only fit snugly but was also lightweight, so Vlad couldn't help but like it.

"Knock knock."

"....Gott. Please show her in."

A girl knocking on the door, unnecessarily making noise with her mouth.

Gott quickly composed his expression and opened the door to greet the girl.

"Have you arrived, priestess?"

"What about Vlad? Does he like it?"

Though she greeted him with a bright smile, Gott's expression turned bitter as he watched the girl who seemed to only have eyes for Vlad as soon as she entered.

"He loves it. He's never seen equipment like this in his life."

"Really?"

As if the praise was directed at her, the girl's ears tinged slightly red.

"Sorry. I didn't make it properly."

With the girl's apology, Vlad's gaze turned to the sword on the table.

A longsword emitting a faint blue light.

The sword created by the World Tree, the girl, and the young spirits by beating up the meteorite may have been rough in shape, but it was a sword that seemed to have extraordinary strength.

"It's because it's our first time doing it. We didn't make it properly."

However, although it may have the form, the sword in front of them could not be called a finished product.

It was something that could not be helped since it was the first time the young people had tried this ritual following the faint records.

"Grandpa said that he sharpened the blade but did not temper it properly. Still, I think it will be usable..."

Without realizing it, she tapped her toe on the ground with a click.

Vlad could tell from the increasingly shrinking voice that the girl was truly sorry.

"No, priestess."

Though the girl said there were durability issues, the old blacksmith had clearly confirmed it.

He was worried that his sword might catch Vlad's ankle, so Vlad knew that if it had been truly unusable, he wouldn't have given it up in the first place.

"It's a sword I truly like."

The new sword, which conjured images of an unadorned sword, seemed to subtly change its color whenever Vlad looked at it. Each time he saw that light, Vlad felt as if something was filling his chest.

"Really? Well, I'm glad then."

With Vlad's words, the girl's mood brightened, and she quickly handed him a letter with a smile.

"What's this?"

"It's a letter from me to Lady Alicia, the head of the Hainal family. I wrote an apology about the amber stone."

Vlad, who had received proper compensation for protecting the World Tree, had nothing appropriate to give to Alicia, who had lost her heirloom. 

Perhaps this issue would need to be resolved not through personal negotiations but rather through the territories of Hainal and Ausrina.

"Perhaps it's just the priestess…."

"The great elder is also included."

"I see."

He felt uneasy about delivering a letter from the girl who doesn't know where it will go.

However, if the wise elder Geronimo's letter was also included, he could be reassured.

The letter brought some comfort to the girl's knight, who only seemed to cause trouble for Alicia.

"Perhaps soon we'll send envoys to Hainal and Dobrechti. I want to meet the spirits there too."

"Understood."

If the elves were to forge connections with humans anyway, it would be wise to establish ties with relevant lords. 

Moreover, for Alicia, who had few places to rely on, the influence of Ausrina, though distant, might provide some comfort.

"And this."

Unlike the letter, there was a neatly folded note.

The note, folded like a four-leaf clover, was clearly a personal message from the girl.

"Open this when you reach a crossroads."

"....A crossroads?"

Whispering quietly into Vlad's ear, the girl seemed worried that someone might overhear. 

The carefully folded note conveyed the sincerity of the girl.

"Then, farewell. I won't be able to see you off tomorrow."

"······."

The girl just said her piece without answering Vlad's question.

However, her sparkling golden eyes were filled with Vlad's image.

"I've been curious about something."

"What is it?"

It's now time to part ways.

The girl, unsure when they would meet again, still smiled and looked at him.

"May I ask for your name? I realized I never knew it."

In the human world, names are exchanged to form connections.

Naturally, Vlad asked for the girl's name according to such etiquette.

"······Name?"

Upon hearing Vlad's question, the girl stood frozen in place like a statue.

Her ears gradually turned red.

"....Why do you need my name?"

A sudden silence fell.

Gott's eyes darted around, trying to gauge the freezing atmosphere, but human common sense and elf common sense were completely different.

The pointed ears of the girl were turning increasingly red.

※※※※

"It was a snowy field when I arrived."

"Ausrina's winters are short. The World Tree dislikes the cold."

Vlad, upon hearing Baradis's words, raised his head and looked at the distant hill.

The faintly visible hill was still covered in white snow.

"We're here."

"Thank you for escorting me."

The border between the worlds of elves and humans.

Although Noir seemed reluctant to go further, their world was not in Ausrina.

"Ausrina will not forget the favor you have shown."

Though expressing gratitude, Baradis's voice sounded strangely stiff, indicating that asking for the girl's name had somewhat bothered him.

"For elves, the concept of names is far more sensitive than for humans, so be cautious in the future."

".....Understood."

Baradis introduced himself as Baradis, but he mentioned it wasn't his true name. Perhaps asking or revealing names was a sensitive matter for elves.

Although Vlad didn't want to, he made another mistake and his knowledge expanded.

"And..."

Baradis approached Vlad and spoke with a solemn tone.

"I don't know what the priestess said, but please don't ignore her words."

"...Alright."

Baradis left a small warning to Vlad in case something unexpected happened.

Right now, the girl who was the priestess of the World Tree and his own younger sister was lying in bed sick.

It must have been because of the prophecy given to a knight named Vlad.

"Please convey my thanks for worrying until the end."

"Thank you for protecting the World Tree. I'll wait for the day we meet again."

With Baradis's farewell, the spirits riding on Noir's back began to descend with a rustling sound—wings, tails, heads, and so on. 

Each part that could be shaken was waved in farewell to the knight departing for Ausrina.

"Well then, I'll be going."

Lightly waving their hands towards him, the ranger and spirits were bidding farewell to Vlad. 

Vlad's eyes caught sight of the giant tree standing behind them. Though now distant and faint, its branches swayed in the breeze.

"Let's go."

"Yeah, Captain."

The knight and his squire turned away.

Behind the black horse, a white flag began to flutter. On one side of the flag was inscribed a sentence that closely resembled the World Tree seen now.

※※※※

"But Captain, where are we going from here?"

It was only natural for Vlad's squire, Gott, to ask him about their next destination. After all, Vlad was the one who had set the goals thus far, even if they were not entirely clear.

"..."

Three branching paths.

Yet, the atmosphere around Vlad at the crossroads was heavy with uncertainty.

Vlad's brow furrowed as he tried to decipher the note.

"...If we go right, where does it lead?"

"That's where we came from. Going this way would lead us to Dobrechti via Tanoboya. If we're heading back to Shoara, this is the path."

Gott seemed to have hoped inwardly that they would turn back, but Vlad quietly turned his head towards the central path.

"If we go this way?"

"If we take the central path..."

Gott quickly pulled out the map and licked his lips.

"It seems like we'll be traversing through the central region. The closest city for now would be Marcia."

"Then let's go this way."

Vlad, who held the note the girl gave him, grabbed Noir's reins and headed down the middle path.

"Why does the note say not to go left?"

".....If we go left, what's there?"

Noir and Gott's horse moving along the widest road.

Having walked so far that they couldn't see the crossroads anymore, Vlad finally spoke to Gott in a soft voice.

"I saw earlier. If we go left, we'll encounter the road leading to the capital, Brigantes."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Maybe the old man was heading in that direction?"

Vlad, who remembered Auguste at Goth's words, felt his appetite become sour for some reason.

He had instructed Vlad to find him whoever he came to Brigantes, so he probably followed Gott's words and headed towards the capital.

"We'll have to check the list of dragon slayers later."

Vlad quietly closed his left eye and lit the note handed to him by the girl on fire.

As the scraps of paper fluttered away in the wind:

-Never go left under any circumstances.

The small writing on the burning note conveyed not gratitude or farewell from the girl to Vlad, but a firm warning.