On the hill of Kihano, where the red leaves of the maples fluttered, Vlad sat with his head bowed.
Although Vlad had done nothing wrong, he sat there feeling like a sinner. It took him quite some time to calm the boiling sensation of defeat.
"…Can I win?"
[Probably not now, maybe someday in the future.]
"At least you don't say I can't."
It's okay to dream when you're a child, but you can't do it when you're an adult.
He believed he could overcome any obstacle, but his opponent was a high-ranking sword master, and Vlad had to acknowledge the enormous gap between him and Frausen.
"How did you do it, Kihano?"
[What do you mean?]
"The most perfect dragon."
Finally lifting his head from his knees, Vlad looked at Kihano, who was sitting beside him.
"How did you kill it? It must have been a difficult enemy to face."
The only comforting thing was having Kihano by his side.
Unlike when he was a boy from the alleys, now he had someone to ask, Kihano, someone who had walked that path before.
"It must have been harder for you than for me."
[…It was.]
In response to Vlad's question, Kihano licked his lips as if he had a bitter taste in his mouth.
The only sound that emerged from his delayed response was the sound of the wind swirling under the World Mother Tree.
[I couldn't win.]
"But you killed it."
[Yes. I killed it, though I didn't defeat it.]
Kihano's eyes got lost in memories of ancient times.
His lips, trembling as if hesitant to open, indicated how deep his internal struggle was.
"Kihano, I want you to tell me. What should I do right now?"
[······.]
Kihano's eyes grew more complex as he looked at Vlad, who bowed his head again.
Should I tell him or not?
For this young man who is thinking about it right now, there is not just one correct path in this world.
[I saw earlier that Frausen had a dragon fragment in his heart.]
Children should only be taught what is right and just.
However, as we cannot live only in the right way, there comes a time when we must also teach in this way.
Even for children who have just become adults and must go out into the cruel world.
[There will be times in life when you cannot worry about the means or the method.]
Maybe it wasn't the straight path, but a diverted one.
In Kihano's story, which he spoke after a long period of reflection, memories of that day arose that did not fit with the noble title of a sword master.
***
"…Didn't we see each other this morning? Lord Vlad."
The midday sun had just risen and shone through the window onto the men sitting in front of the Count.
Among them was Vlad, with whom he had had a serious conversation that very morning.
"You look quite different from how you looked this morning."
"I'm sorry, Count."
Count Arnstein silently watched Vlad, who shook his shoulders as if still out of breath.
And even the old man sitting next to him.
Vlad's appearance was very disheveled, but what really caught the Count's attention was the very pitiful appearance of Radu.
"…Did he have the right to be treated as a prisoner?"
A look of disappointment slowly appeared on the Count's face as he examined Radu.
This was because the Count, who had been anticipating Vlad's potential, was not entirely satisfied with the assertiveness he was now showing.
"…I couldn't call him 'Hyung'." [1]
"Hmm?"
Is it because he grew up in the North?
The Count felt a bit disappointed seeing Vlad, who still retained the ferocity seen in northerners, but the excuse that came out of Vlad's mouth was quite unexpected.
"I finally found a blood relative, but he avoided me. And the sadness made me lose control. Please forgive me for my mistake."
"…Oh, I see."
The Count's eyes began to shine, as if hearing Vlad's words was truly meaningful.
Certainly, with the current excuse, it would have been vague for anyone to criticize Vlad's actions.
"Crazy bastard! Why do you keep calling me brother?"
"Fights between brothers are inevitable."
"Count! How can you associate Dragulia's blood with these northern barbarians?"
"…"
Looking at the furious Radu, the Count slightly tilted his head.
Although both had the same blue eyes, the Count's attitude towards each was clearly different.
"It's none of my business the family problems, I just know that Duke Dragulia has a rather complex love life."
"…"
Radu's mouth, which had been snorting at the Count's words, closed.
As he had just said, anyone who knew anything about the Dragulia family knew about the numerous love affairs of the duke.
And since Radu himself was born under such complicated circumstances, there was no way he could refute the Count's words.
"The issue of lineage is like that. Sometimes, what seems important now may be irrelevant in another situation. You can't always decide everything clearly."
The Count looked at Vlad as if he had done well, then turned his head towards Radu and continued speaking.
"Do you really think that Lord Vlad beside you is not your brother?"
"Of course he's not!"
"Then, I'm sorry to say you're out of luck."
The Count shrugged at Radu's firm response, took a letter from a drawer, and showed it to Radu.
"As I said, nothing is more important than lineage."
The letter the Count waved as if asking him to look at it had a pattern drawn that was very familiar to Radu.
A line fiercely drawn across the neck of a fire-breathing dragon.
Radu's eyes began to widen as he recognized the emblem referring to the Dragulia family.
"It seems the Dragulia family has discovered Bishop Pedro's whereabouts. They want me to hand you over to them."
"I, I..."
"For your information, the Dragon Slayer Knights are half a day away."
Radu's complexion began to pale when he heard that Dragulia was looking for him.
"The leader of the vanguard must be Mirshea, right?"
"Brother."
A cause that not even the owner of this territory can protect because they are blood relatives.
Moreover, the person carrying that cause is Mirshea, said to be the one who resembles his father the most.
Radu, who quickly understood the situation, looked at Vlad with a determined look.
"I want to go north as soon as possible. In fact, I've always admired the white and snowy fields of the north."
"…Damn, really."
Being stung in a barrel of wine or accepting Vlad as his younger brother?
It was such an easy decision that Radu did not hesitate in his actions.
Seeing Radu like this, Vlad only showed a look of boredom.
***
From the capital, Brigantes, a group was moving quickly along the imperial road.
Their name was Dragon Slayer Knights, and they ran with a flag that anyone living in the empire could recognize.
Among them, the blue eyes of Mirshea, who was running in the front, seemed filled with cold anger.
"Stop! From here on, this is Arnstein's land."
Although it wasn't the castle gate, it was difficult to block the Dragon Slayer Knights.
Judging by the shabby appearance of the entrance gate blocking the road, anyone could see they intended to stop the knights.
"My name is Mirshea. Mirshea Dragulia."
And Mirshea could also understand that intention at a glance.
The knights of Arnstein shivered at the dragon's force that spread as soon as he arrived.
As such, the spirit Mirshea was showing at this moment was unusual and truly seemed like that of a knight representing the empire.
"I have already sent a message to the Count."
"What message?"
However, although the knights of Arnstein might have retreated for a moment at the ferocity of the attack, they never stepped aside.
Because they also had a knight at the front whose reputation was comparable to that of Mirshea.
"Explain in detail the purpose of your visit to the territory, Mirshea Dragulia."
A knight with an impressive large shield on his back.
With a large shield on his back, the imposing knight Pablo faced Mirshea firmly.
"It's a family matter."
"Why would you seek your family here, in Arnstein?"
Before the roaring dragon, Pablo stood firm like a wall.
He showed not the slightest sign of weakness as he faced Mirshea.
"...It's about my missing brother."
"Then, why are you looking for that younger brother in our territory?"
As the two faced each other without yielding an inch, the tension began to seep to the point where it was hard even to breathe.
The tension was so great that even without orders from the captains, the surrounding knights spontaneously drew their swords.
"...I have brought with me solid evidence of Pedro's whereabouts. So don't provoke me any further, Pablo of Arnstein."
"Evidence?"
According to the empire's custom, it was natural to give way to a pursuer of lineage.
However, Count Arnstein decided not to yield.
"Whatever the evidence, the Count said he did not want the dragon's claws to set foot on this land."
This was partly due to his relationship with the Lord of the Dragon's Blood, which was already deviating, but it was also a consideration for Vlad, in whom he had high hopes.
Pablo's attitude was as firm as the Count's resolute decision, and Mirshea, who was facing them, could also feel their determination.
"The Count ignores the customs of the empire."
"Would it be as bad as you who recklessly invade foreign lands with armed personnel?"
Although it wasn't said aloud, the war had already begun.
Mirshea and Pablo, who knew this well, looked at each other as if the place they stood was a battlefield.
"Mirshea! Mirshea Dragulia!"
The imperial road that connects all the lands of the central region.
At the moment when a dangerous spark was about to fall on that old road, someone's voice was heard from the Arnstein territory.
"I have Radu Dragulia that you're looking for!"
A small flag waved by someone riding a black horse.
The sight of flags with numerous patterns was clearly familiar to Mirshea.
"...Vlad?"
A unique flag that only Vlad Aureo, the Knight of the North, could display.
Mirshea, who recognized Vlad under the flag, made a frustrated expression.
He knew from experience that things got complicated when he appeared.
"Radu Dragulia will go with me to the north! Not by anyone's order, but by my own judgment, Vlad Aureo!"
Not by Arnstein nor by the Northern Church, but in my name, Aureo.
"If you want Radu, come to the north to find him!"
"...Damn it."
Seeing Vlad trying to take control of the situation, Mirshea bit his lip as if he was annoyed.
Although imperial customs granted Mirshea rights, in front of Vlad, a blood relative, those rights became powerless.
"Is this okay?"
[Excellent. This is enough.]
Although they were received as guests, they ended up causing much damage.
So, the best way I could show respect would be to clean up the space I'm leaving before I go.
"Thank you until the end, Pablo."
He might not have heard it because it was so far away.
Vlad expressed his gratitude to Pablo, who defended him until the end.
Neigh!
When he pulled the reins, Noir kicked the ground and started running as if he had been waiting.
Toward the group waiting behind.
"Is everything ready?"
"Why are you acting so friendly?"
However, the direction they were heading while riding was not towards the north that Vlad had just mentioned.
A mage, an inquisitor, and two dragons, one young and one old.
The place they were heading was not the north, but the opposite direction, the south.
T/N:
[1] "Hyung" is a Korean term used to refer to an older brother or a close older male friend. It is an expression of respect and affection that a man uses to address another older man.
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