The crackling and tranquil sound of a fire burning in silence.
"…"
Vlad thought, watching the fire sway with the breeze.
It felt like himself now.
He wanted to stand firm, but the flickering light swaying in the direction of the wind reminded him of a child who, though he wanted to stand tall, was tossed back and forth by beings bigger than himself.
"Why are you thinking so intensely?" Gregory asked, looking at the boy who was closely watching the fire but not really focusing on it.
"It's just... various thoughts," Vlad responded quietly to Gregory's question.
"...There are so many incredible people in this world."
"Really?"
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up among those incredible people in the future."
That night, the boy lost.
They probably would have died if they hadn't had the voice.
Just like Jorge, Jack, and Anna.
Like them, they would have been crushed by a world they couldn't fight against.
"...There are moments in life when you find yourself thinking about things like that."
Gregory, who had a vague idea of what the boy was thinking, threw a branch he was holding into the fire.
The fire, having received something to burn, crackled louder than before.
"Is it burning well?"
"Yes."
In the darkness of the church that night.
The boy had approached the church's bell tower whipped by the wind and reached out to where the children's breaths intertwined.
Although Gregory didn't see that scene, he imagined it was something that fit perfectly with the boy.
A child born in the lowest part of the world desperately trying to reach the heights, but one day he might reach the highest point.
Maybe there he would put a star with his name on the edge of the sky.
"In the end, it's about survival."
Vlad, stepping away from the flickering flames, turned to look at Gregory, who was sitting on the other side of the fire.
There, the robust knight with a strong beard looked back at him, smiling contentedly.
"You just have to keep burning. As long as the fire doesn't go out, you can always reignite it whenever you want."
It's impossible not to sway with the wind.
But what's important is to keep burning.
As long as the flame that is you doesn't go out, it can be reignited even under the strongest winds.
Understanding what Gregory was trying to say, Vlad nodded in response.
"I see."
To face the vast world that suddenly loomed ahead, he too would have to become a giant flame.
As the boy watched the fire burning in silence, a ray of color began to seep into his world.
Gregory passed the bottle of alcohol to the worried boy. And a dark horse, in the distance, watched from the hills the reflection of the boy in the fire.
It was one of those nights when each of them thought of something missing and threw their worries into the fire.
The last night of camping on the way to Soara was fading away.
***
"Good job."
Seated in the hall, Joseph greeted the research team returning from their mission.
Vlad thought that the dark circles under his eyes had become darker since he had last seen him a few weeks ago.
It probably wasn't just because he was sitting under the sun.
"I want to praise your diligent attitude towards the task and also appreciate your ability to address the problem at its root."
Joseph calmly evaluated the performance of the research team, despite their tired appearance.
But although he praised with words, his eyes showed no hint of emotion, which made the whole research team feel a strange pressure.
"You've done well but… I can't easily overlook the fact that you drew Bayezid's sword on another lord's land."
What he feared had come.
Gregory had already anticipated that Joseph, who had clear criteria for punishment, wouldn't let this pass without further action.
"I'm very sorry."
Gregory took a deep breath and prepared to say what he had been thinking since their return.
As the leader of the research team, he wanted to take responsibility for everything.
"We're living in unstable times, and it's not appropriate to get into trouble on others' lands without reason."
But a strident voice interrupted Gregory's apologies.
It was a voice as heavy as the accumulated years.
"Moreover, you knew very well how things would unfold, yet you acted recklessly."
Although it was the first time he had seen the old man, his presence was not ordinary.
Vlad felt increasingly pressured by the old man's momentum.
Once again, a higher world was crushing the boy.
"…You're right. You struck a sensitive nerve in the midst of a complicated moment."
The atmosphere in the hall froze at the words of the stranger, but Joseph, very aware of his intentions, took a moment to catch his breath before continuing.
"There are many territorial wars, big and small, throughout the country. The royal family hasn't been able to keep them under control, so everyone is letting loose things that had been held back. The North, where we are, is no exception."
The old man had good reasons to rebuke Gregory.
The empire was crumbling.
Under the sword of the founding king and Sword Master, Frausen, all lords gathered their swords, but that was a long time ago.
In such a time, giving the slightest cause would be like throwing embers on dry straw.
"In a time like this, even the damned old ones show up, and even the iron forges watch over the present."
Even the iron master, another key figure in the North, was watching, and Joseph had to be sensitive.
Gregory simply nodded in understanding as Joseph reprimanded him for having good intentions but playing too much with fire.
"So you should have made a proper retreat. You said there was a Paladin of San Rogino there, so you should have followed the proper procedure and handed it over to him."
"…"
Vlad's heart began to race as he heard the old man's voice scolding him for not following the rules.
It was like a child's instinct to defy the great world.
"…You weren't even there!"
The children's labored breaths and their parents' cries were there, more than simple words could convey.
In Vlad's eyes, Gregory had done everything he could and had made a brave decision.
It wasn't the kind of decision that a nameless old man could belittle.
"After all, today's youth only think about the moment and don't consider the long-term consequences…"
"The children would have died. If we hadn't intervened."
You have no right to say that without knowing anything.
The young man, with his blue eyes fixed on the unnamed old man, said it like that.
"…What?"
The elderly man was interrupted by the sharp intrusion of the young man into their conversation, momentarily leaving him speechless.
He wanted to protest immediately, but the burning gaze of the young man stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Sir Gregory did everything he could for the children. And San Rogino ensured it. And..."
Glancing sideways at the old man, Vlad began to let out the burning anger he had been holding in his chest.
"Of course, I would have done the same. I believe that the decision made by Sir Gregory deserves praise, not reprimand."
It was a heap of unrefined heat due to his inexperience.
However, precisely because it was unrefined, it could be sincere.
Everyone present was left speechless as the boy poured out his feelings without a hint of hesitation.
"..."
But the reality is that sincerity alone is not enough.
Jager's eyes narrowed as he watched Vlad release his unauthorized comments, forcing Gregory to lower his head even further.
The boy had good intentions, but he had just crossed the line.
"Vlad."
Joseph Bayezid.
The man who cared for the boy more than anyone else, but who needed to restrain him gently, stood up.
"That's enough. Don't test my patience any further."
Joseph couldn't wield a sword, but the power emanating from him overwhelmed everyone present.
No one from the blood of Bayezid could possess such power.
"..."
Vlad bowed his head at Joseph's stern warning.
The hard look from Jager, indicating that he should not go on, also quelled the boy's growing momentum.
"...I believe Sir Gregory will understand. The Second Rule of the Sword Master is particularly sensitive."
Joseph subtly shifted the conversation towards Gregory, but those who knew him well could see that he was now containing his anger.
Evidence of this was the way he silently unbuttoned one of the buttons on his collar.
"I made a bad choice. I'm sorry, Sir Joseph."
Gregory quickly acknowledged his mistake to avoid further fire from the boy defending him.
"There were complicated circumstances. We had to act before complaints were sent directly from there."
Joseph glanced at Vlad for a moment, then turned on his heels and approached the window.
He gazed out at Soara and opened his mouth to speak.
"Sir Gregory will be punished for an indefinite period. He will not receive his salary for the time being, and he will not enjoy any of the rights that Bayzed guarantees to his knights."
"Understood."
Gregory lowered his head in acceptance of the punishment.
However, Joseph, after giving the orders, turned to the boy who was staring at him and met his eyes.
There were procedures and rules for everyone, and they had to be applied to the boy.
"Squire Vlad."
The boy looked at his summoner with a slightly subtle angle, still the rebellious child he had been.
"…"
I can't believe I've fed, clothed, and treated him so well, and he's still not tamed.
Seeing the boy, unchanged since the first time he saw him, Joseph felt an uncontrollable pang of regret.
"I deeply regret offending you with my unauthorized comments."
Vlad looked into Joseph's deep eyes and nodded his head.
The young man had always seemed calm with himself, but now he had the gaze of a sharp-minded monarch.
"By this, you are also punished to a week of supervised freedom, and for the time being, you must stay out of my sight."
"…Yes, sir."
Lifting his head in response, Vlad looked at Joseph, who was giving him cold orders, deliberately avoiding his gaze.
The boy couldn't help but feel a pang of regret realizing he had done his best to comply with the order, only to be sent home on probation.
"Everyone, leave. I have to write a letter to Baron Utman explaining the situation."
The knights, who had reported and received their orders, were about to leave when Joseph thanked them.
But as the old man watched them, he couldn't help but smile at the blue eyes that hadn't lost their shine.
So it was you.
No need to introduce yourself.
"You're the one called Vlad."
"…"
Vlad, who had just returned from his journey, came to a halt at the old man's words.
A moment of silence enveloped the hall.
"You don't even answer when an adult speaks to you. I guess you weren't taught good manners."
Vlad's eyes widened at the sarcasm from the old man.
I've had plenty of manners.
From the lady with maternal eyes.
Turning to the old man addressing him, Vlad introduced himself with more politeness than ever.
"That's correct. I am Vlad."
The boy's greeting was straightforward, with all the fierceness he could muster before drawing his sword.
"May I also ask for respect?"
The old man felt a shiver rise from deep within his chest as he observed Vlad's courteous yet fierce demeanor.
It was almost as if they were asking each other's names before beginning their confrontation.
"So, you want to know my name."
The old man smiled at the boy, who radiated an unusual sense rarely found in young people today.
"But unfortunately, I can't tell you my name at this time."
"…"
Vlad's expression hardened at those unintelligible words, but only now did he pay attention to the tattered flag behind the old man.
It was similar to his own, but unlike his, which bore only two crests, the old man's banner had more than a dozen.
There were knights who, without having died or aged, remained low.
Having been unable to retire honorably from the battlefield, they had to reclaim the honor they had lost for a long time.
Such was the final appearance of the first Sword Master.
The nameless old man who looked at Vlad with deep eyes was celebrating his honorary retirement.