The end of deep winter.
Joseph pulled the chair he used to sit on closer to the window and looked outside.
At the door of Soara, seen through the window, a large number of church priests were gathered, waiting for someone.
"Did you recognize him?"
Jager noticed that Joseph's eyes, peering out the window, were unusual.
They were tense, as if he were watching a typhoon approaching.
"He's said to be the biological son of Duke Dragulia. They say he's Mirshea's half-brother, the leader of the Dragonslayer Knights."
As soon as Jager's report ended, the movements of the priests outside became busier.
A dark line cutting through the dragon's neck.
Knights were entering Soara under the banner of the Dragonslayer Knights.
"His name is Radu. Though young, he's a knight who has already slain dragons several times."
Joseph's ears were tuned to Jager, but his eyes didn't leave the door.
There were three knights entering under the banner.
Yet, even among them, the man at the forefront was vaguely visible.
Even when seen from afar in his office, he seemed confident.
"Son of the Dragon Blood Prince, Radu Dragulia…"
The Bayezid family was also famous for producing great knights, but still probably not as good as the central Dragulia family.
Because they were a family that inherited the dragon's blood, not just a vain tradition but recorded in real history books.
And now, a knight with dragon's blood was walking towards Soara with a courteous invitation from Bishop Pedro.
"And here."
This time, Jager informed Joseph, not with words but with a small note.
"It's said that the Bayezids' eyes have spotted suspicious trends throughout the North."
"…"
Joseph took the note handed to him by Jager, and carefully unfolded it, beginning to read what was written inside.
"Mmm."
He tried to contain it, but couldn't help it.
It was a note with only a short sentence written, but Joseph frowned as he read it.
The note he held now was an explanation of the situation and also a silent warning from his father, Peter.
"…I suppose I thought wrong."
"Yes?"
With those words, Joseph stood up and approached the window.
Since he couldn't wield a sword, he honed his sharp eyes and deep thoughts.
However, no matter how intensely he trained, it seemed it still wasn't enough for the Heretic Interlocutor who had lived his whole life on the battlefield of logic.
"Bishop Pedro's target wasn't Vlad."
Clearly, Bishop Pedro and Joseph were vying for control of Soara.
Yet, the power of Soara, which was Joseph's purpose and goal, was merely a means that Bishop Pedro could discard at any time.Bishop Pedro was looking beyond Joseph.
The northern churches belonging to the Vatican were moving.
The first to raise the flag was Bishop Pedro of Soara, and the place where the church soldiers were gathering was one of the fiefs that had been in the north for a long time.
Baron Utman's city.
It was Mosiah.
***
The blessing of the bright mole was truly powerful.
As Vlad and Goethe left the Dobrechi forest, they were never attacked by monsters or beasts, and even their steps were light.
The journey, which had gone so smoothly, ended up leaving the two of them outside the Dobrechi Forest much faster than expected, and that was the beginning of the problem.
"Wow. Eat it slowly. No one will take it from you."
A blazing fire under a tree dyed white by the snow.
There were two men eagerly eating soup under the warm heat and smoke.
The man observing the scene right in front of him spoke to Vlad and Goethe with a sad expression on his face.
His lips, still pale despite having the hot soup on them, showed how much they had been wandering.
"Thank you. If I hadn't met you, I would have been in real trouble."
We must learn to express gratitude to those who share food with us.
Vlad, who was a young hunter before becoming a pickpocket, knew the gratitude of a hot soup plate and therefore expressed his sincere gratitude to the mercenaries who saved him.
"Wow…"
"…This is something I'll remember for a long time."
However, the mercenaries who heard Vlad thanking them only opened their eyes wide and expressed surprise.
In the suddenly uncomfortable atmosphere, Vlad quickly began to look around to see if he had made a mistake.
The life skills he had learned in the alleys flowed as naturally as breathing.
"I suppose you're a knight from the central region?"
However, the man who introduced himself as the mercenary leader simply smiled and handed me the sliced jerky.
It seemed that Vlad really liked the way he said thank you.
"I'm not from the central region. I'm from the north."
"Wow. So you said that."
Vlad, who had finally regained his senses after escaping from the cold and hunger, continued to speak as he looked at the mercenaries who were watching him curiously.
"Did I just make a mistake?"
"No no. Sir. Haha!"
The curly-haired man burst into laughter at Vlad's question and served him another bowl of soup.
"It's because it's the first time low-level bastards like us have heard thanks from people like you."
Vlad felt a subtle sense of discomfort looking at the mercenaries who called themselves bastards.
Indeed, it was Vlad, not the mercenaries, who had been living at the bottom, but his reflection in the new land seemed to be only that of a young knight.
"I guess I was too polite."
It seems that the hierarchical relationship between classes was deeper in the central region than in the north.
Surely there will be several differences depending on the characteristics of each region, so Vlad thought he should keep these points in mind in the future.
"By the way, knight, where are you going?"
"We were on our way to Tanovo. A city in the Vitskaya County."
With those words, Vlad raised his head and looked at the curly-haired man.
The mercenary leader stopped laughing when he saw Vlad looking at him while holding a bowl of soup.
Although he didn't say it out loud, the intent in his eyes was very clear.
"This is truly a coincidence. We were also on our way to Tanovo."
"Oh ah."
Before Vlad could respond, Goethe quickly let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God. Captain. If we follow those people, we can get to Tanovo."
"Shut your mouth."
Vlad couldn't contain the boiling anger within him and finally let out a single word.
Before leaving, he was the type to beat his chest and say he only believed in himself.
However, since he ended up creating this division, Vlad had no choice but to blame himself, saying it was his fault for trusting a swindler.
"I'm Vlad from Soara. No, Vlad."
"I'm Stephan from the Thorn Mercenaries. Sir."
Vlad suppressed his boiling anger and shook hands with the mercenary leader with a smile on his face.
As their hands came together, their eyes met.
Vlad thought Stephan's blue eyes matched well with his curly orange hair.
***
A city in the central region that I saw for the first time.
The sight of Tanovo, an actual city and not a remote territory like Dobrechi, expanded Vlad's knowledge, who had lived in Soars all his life, just by looking at it.
"This is my first time in the city center."
"Then this place might not be so bad."
Through experience, he knew that if he seemed like a country bumpkin, he'd be an easy target for crime, but still, the atmosphere of the city he was seeing for the first time excited Vlad once again.
"It can be said that this city is one of the trading bases with the elves of the east. Therefore, it is also a place where many traders and mercenaries pass through."
Stephan was showing the utmost sincerity he could towards the seemingly inexperienced knight.
No matter how young he may seem, a knight is a knight.
If you can establish a relationship with a knight with just a few bowls of soup and a few kind words, it will definitely be a lucrative business.
"Do you want me to find an inn for you? I know some useful places."
"Hmm. I just want you to recommend an inn. I plan to meet the lord of this place first."
"Wow. I see."
Seeing Vlad proudly say that he would meet Count Vitskaya, Stephan nodded with bright eyes.
No matter how chivalrous they are, not all are worthy.
Among those who were knights and walked with their heads held high, there were surely people who were in worse shape than mercenaries like them.
However, the young knight in front of him had an unusually pleasant appearance and proudly said he would visit the count, so Stephan's eyes couldn't help but shine.
"If you need help, come see me anytime. We are planning to stay at the inn at the intersection in front of us for a few days."
"Okay."
Though Vlad responded abruptly suddenly, Stephan didn't feel bad. Rather, he seemed to agree with that attitude, nodding his head as if it was the right thing to do.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Sir."
It was surprisingly difficult to deal with someone older than you.
But Vlad had to get used to this now.
Since there was no Joseph or older knights who would always assert their authority in front of them, they now had to stand up for themselves.
"You can find the count's mansion by going to the largest building in the city."
Stephan, who was watching Vlad struggle to find his place, left with a smile of understanding.
The group of mercenaries following him bowed carefully to Vlad and disappeared into the streets.
"I really should visit him later and invite him for a drink."
If you receive something, you must return it.
If it weren't for Stephan, he could still be wandering in the cold winter forest, so it would be nice to at least show my gratitude.
"If you're going to invite him for a drink, it's better to buy something a bit more expensive. Captain."
"Why?"
Goethe, who was walking behind with Stephan's mercenaries, gave Vlad a meaningful look and said.
"They seem like a popular mercenary group. Judging by the equipment they carry and the fact that they passed quickly through the inspection at the castle gate, they are at least a group of mercenaries whose name is known."
"Really?"
Vlad's eyes also began to shine as he watched Stephan leave.
Stephan wasn't the only one who wanted to get something out of their relationship.
***
The mansions in the north had a strong practical aspect.
Facilities with a clear purpose and high walls.
In a way, it was a characteristic of the northern mansions that were so gloomy they could be called small castles, but the style in the central part was different.
"What brings you here?"
Outer walls of pure white surrounding the mansion.
And the carvings between the walls were enough to leave Vlad speechless for a moment.
"I am the knight of Bayezid. Vlad. I came here because I have a special request to make of the lord of this place."
"May I ask what's going on?"
I was momentarily taken aback by the useless elegance I saw for the first time, but I still didn't forget what I had to do.
"I have an urgent matter to communicate to the lord, so I would like to borrow the wizard's letter. Please tell him that the knight in trouble awaits the kind assistance of Count Vitskaya."
It was an unannounced visit, but I think I can lend a letter.
A lord who rules a territory would not miss the opportunity to save face with just a small favor.
"Captain. Will we reach the inn later? Perhaps you'll receive an invitation."
"Yes."
Vlad nodded slightly in response to Goethe's suggestive question from behind.
In the North, there was a custom of valuing visitors.
If there was a similar custom here, maybe he could have dinner.
But 10 minutes passed, then an hour.
Even as the surroundings darkened, there was no sound calling for Vlad.
"…"
The reason Joseph sent Vlad was partly to protect him from possible objections from the Vatican, but it also aimed to have him see the world in general.
In that sense, Joseph's intention was clearly succeeding.
"When will we get a response?"
"I don't know."
"I would at least like to hear if it's yes or no."
"You have to wait."
Cold contempt.
You could even hear a sneer of disdain from time to time.
Vlad wasn't angry at the coldness he felt for the first time in a long time.
Because it was something he was familiar with, it was something he could tolerate.
However, he was only curious as to why they treated him like this when he had clearly demonstrated his identity.
"How long?"
"…"
The center of the continent is in the middle, and the lords of the central region believed they were at the center of the world.
They believed they had a nobility that couldn't be compared to those of the east who ate dry land or the northerners who had mixed barbarian blood.
"You must wait until the count calls for you."
"…"
The frog in the well saw the world.
However, the world I thought would be vast was only filled with other walls.
The center of the world discriminated against the northerners.
Vlad had no choice but to stand still in front of the firmly closed door of the Count.
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