CHAPTER134

A two-story cabin, solidly built.

In front of the house, which was extravagant for a rural area, lay a vast wheat field, ready for harvest.

"Where are you?"

A loud creaking of the wooden floorboards.

A sturdy man was walking around the cabin as if this was his home.

"I know everything. So let's not tire each other out."

Bloodstains protruded from the brown walls.

The old man, the owner of the cabin, looked at the red stains with a troubled expression.

Beneath the indelible red mark was his son, who had not even been able to close his eyes.

"...I don't know what you're asking."

"Just now, didn't you see your son's head flying off? Old man?"

Though his demeanor was noble, his language was utterly vulgar.

"Do you have to see your entire family perish before you speak?"

The threatening man's thick eyebrows contorted mercilessly.

The muscles of his tense upper body seemed to threaten to draw his sword even now.

"Even if you used to live off the spoils of the Rabnoma family, isn't it time to protect your family now? You don't need to be loyal to a family that doesn't exist anymore."

The retired old knight stopped laughing, looking at the inflated malice.

He can't believe he just has to see this guy showing off.

He must have lived too long to witness such a sight.

"I don't trust your words, you vile usurpers."

An old retired knight.

The old sword of the Rabnoma family, who was trying to quietly spend the rest of his life in his manor, opened his mouth with a bitter smile.

"Who among the people of the West would believe the words of dragon's dog?"

"Old man..."

Upon hearing the old man's words, Stephen raised his head and closed his eyes, unable to hold back his boiling anger.

"...If you tell me where the Rabnoma family's brat is right now, I'll kill you painlessly. You know he's powerless wherever he goes."

An uninvited guest spoke gently, but it was ultimately a harbinger of doom.

Seeing him like that, the old man could only smile quietly.

"He's powerless no matter where he goes..."

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

It was a smile akin to that of a victor's.

"The crow from the north didn't say so."

"...!"

Stephen's face twisted like a demon upon hearing the most unwanted response.

Even if scorched by the fiercest flames, if the roots remained alive, they could sprout anew.

A true ruler of the West.

The Rabnoma family, which prioritized the piece of dragon over their own blood for an oath, even while falling under sudden attack. The West still remembered them.

"You old fool!"

Stephen shouted as if in tantrum, looking at the old man as if mocking.

"You should have died more gloriously anyway!"

From his hand, the sword extended like lightning, piercing the old man's chest.

"....Kuk."

The old man crumbled with a scream.

Yet, perhaps the reason he could still smile was the knight's pride in accomplishing his mission until the end.

In the end, the old knight of the Rabnoma family had safeguarded a single seed until the last moment.

"Burn it all down!"

With Stephen's furious cry, flames began to engulf the cabin.

The livestock, bellowing loudly, and the unharvested wheat began to bow their heads.

The honorable manor that a man had built up over a lifetime was burning.

"Damn it..."

A baseless, despicable usurper.

An empty shell without a covenant.

Recalling the epithets of the Gaidar still roaming the West, Stephen struggled to suppress his rage.

"....Just bring everything."

If you are despised because you have no honor, you can bring it.

If it is ignored because it has no history, just take it away.

That was the law of the West and the history of the Gaidar.

"Even my sword."

The Gaidar's bloodline roared towards the North.

The shadows of flames flickering from all directions filled Stephen's eyes.

※※※※

"Wow..."

Stefan couldn't help but utter a small exclamation at the sight before him.

The first city he had ever laid eyes on.

The city of Deomar, bordering the central and northern regions, exuded a unique scent unseen thus far.

"You were quite famous knight in the North."

"...Not to that extent."

However, the reason Stefan and his mercenaries were currently astonished wasn't solely because of the impression Deomar gave.

"Welcome to Deomar, Sir Vlad!"

The small but sturdy castle walls.

And beneath them, soldiers standing and saluting Vlad; it was enough to stir unfamiliar emotions in the mercenaries.

"Seems like it's more than you bargained for?"

"Quiet."

Seeing the soldiers' reception akin to welcoming a triumphant general, the mercenaries found themselves straightening their shoulders involuntarily.

The mercenaries had gone to many places, but they never experienced hospitality, so the current scene was undoubtedly a new experience, like nothing they had ever encountered before.

"For now, let's proceed."

Vlad sensed the bewildered gazes of the mercenaries behind him but decided to move forward nonetheless.

The relationship between the city of Deomar and the knight Vlad was too deeply intertwined to be explained in a few simple words.

"Why are these following us?"

"Back off. You lot!"

Accompanied by the soldiers' farewells, the group entered the city. Though it resembled a quiet rural road, the group's progress inevitably slowed.

".....Why are you sticking so close?"

The mercenaries, taken aback by the children's curious gazes, couldn't help but feel puzzled. Children sticking to mercenaries was unheard of for them.

"It's the knight Vlad of the honor duel!"

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

"Is he really of noble descent?"

The mercenaries listened to the children's chatter, then looked back at Vlad once again. 

Though they whispered quietly to each other, the children's high-pitched voices were enough to be heard by the group.

"The children seem to really like you, sir."

"...It wasn't always like this."

At Stefan's inquiry, Vlad sighed, seeming somewhat embarrassed. 

Despite having visited the city multiple times, this reaction was unprecedented. 

Perhaps it was due to the large group he was traveling with, catching the children's attention.

"The more we go, the more it's like this."

Slowly, word of the sacred figure of the North, Vlad of Shoara, was spreading.

However, this man was known by a slightly different title in this city.

Perhaps Vlad, being accustomed to a different kind of attention, didn't realize that the children's curiosity towards him might be considered natural.

"It wouldn't be bad to settle down in a place like this after retiring."

"Talking about retirement right after completing a contract doesn't seem appropriate."

"Haha! That just means I was impressed by this place."

Stefan chuckled at Vlad's blunt response and began to gently push the clinging children, clearing a path forward. 

It seemed that the young knight in front of them was not accustomed to such hospitality.

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

At Stefan's casual remark, the mercenaries all nodded in agreement.

Having lived in rough and tough places all their lives, the current situation felt somewhat surreal, but it wasn't necessarily bad.

The saluting soldiers, the clinging children, and even the white snake eagerly waiting on the roof of the mansion.

The small city of Deomar was genuinely welcoming them all.

※※※※

The white slips away quietly.

One by one, silently.

"I estimate about 5,000."

"5,000?"

Bayezid's knight begins to pour white sugar cubes into a small teacup.

Alicia swallowed her saliva at the assertive gesture of Vordan, who lived only for today, not tomorrow.

"Yes, 5,000."

While Vordan's teacup was rising, Alicia's lips were sealed.

The number he uttered, 5,000, carried a significant weight.

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

"The flag bearers of Gaidar are coming up."

The new ruler of the west, Gaidar. They were not traveling north alone. They were accompanied by other noble houses from the west.

"This is the terror of the lord who calls himself a ruler."

"······."

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

She felt like snatching the teacup from the old knight's hands and drinking it all at once.

".....What are the plans of Bayazid?"

Alicia's face stiffened with the increasing burden. Even Duncan, the old knight, seemed to be freezing up as he looked at her.

"Currently, 500 reinforcements are coming to Deomar. The reason I came here first was to open the gates for them."

".....500? Just that?"

Sending only 500 troops as preparation for 5,000 was disappointing news for Alicia. Despite her frown, the old knight dealing with her remained calm.

"Bayazid's troops are currently gathering towards Shoara. It means bringing soldiers from the north as well."

Deomar was too small to accommodate thousands of soldiers. 

Despite having strong walls, it was inefficient to gather too many troops in such a small city. Therefore, Peter Bayazid had to operate his forces as flexibly as possible.

"Bringing troops from the north... What about the barbarians then?"

The non-believers. Beyond the northern border, barbarians were always a nuisance to the lords of the north.

This was also the reason why the Baranov family was able to receive the title of duke even though they were despised northern lords.

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

Bayezid was already aware of Gaidar's ambition to advance into the north, so they made constant efforts to avoid creating two fronts.

Utilizing the Aage and Budart tribe as a means of pacifying the barbarians may not be perfect, but it would certainly be effective in this upcoming war.

"Lord Josef has pledged to protect Deomar as if it were his own body."

Seven hundred and five hundred against five thousand.

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

Hold on with this and strike back as you prepared.

The cold northern wind has already prepared for the harsh west wind.

"Can we just hold on?"

"Of course. Not only that, but Lord Josef has prepared various other methods..."

Knock, knock.

As they discussed the details of the war, a faint knock interrupted them.

"Lady Alicia, a guest has arrived."

"Ah. Have the soldiers and their entourage finally arrived?"

Vordan wiped his palms and rose upon hearing butler's words.

"Please trust Bayazid's sincerity. The one who has come with these 500 reinforcements is none other than..."

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

"Hmm?"

Everyone's eyes widened as they recognized the man.

The sunlight illuminated the man's blond hair as it filled Alicia's eyes.

"It's been a while, Lady Alicia."

A man who had rushed from the distant east upon hearing of Deomar's turmoil.

Lady Alicia's knight had arrived at this place.

With a perplexed expression that seemed to say, "Why are you here?", Vordan looked at him.

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

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

Her trembling fingertips, like her eyes, reached out to pick up the white sugar cubes.

After experiencing only bitterness until now, all of her senses finally found a sweetness that allowed her to breathe again.

[T/L: I am sorry for uploading the chapter late. I forgot the mail I used to create account on webnovel, and my website was taken down. Follow me on ko-fi page for latest updates. My username on ko-fi is "RevengerScans" https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]