Chapter 117 - The Prodigal Returns (1)

The tail end of winter was fading, yet this place alone remained filled with an icy chill.

A cold seat that even the warmth of the approaching spring could not heat.

The eyes of the man sitting there were as sharp as a sword.

"Did you come all the way here just to spout such drivel?"

The only duke of the North. Iron Duke Timur Baranoff.

With a cold expression, he was looking down at the man in front of him.

"You say you will leave if I hand over the dragon's fragment. Are you threatening me right now?"

The Romanov Family of the West had already been exterminated.

The pilgrims observing the pact had taken the dragon's fragment kept by the Romanov Family and entrusted it to the hands of the North, and the man right in front of his eyes was asking him to hand over one of them.

"As Your Grace knows, the possibilities of a dragon become more perfect as they gather. Wasn't the Lindworm already drawn to that possibility as well?"

"......"

As expected, matters regarding dragons could not be hidden from them.

Devious, the head butler sent from the Dragon Killer Knights, had already grasped that Timur was keeping two fragments.

"Our Dragulia Family will share that burden. Please do not misunderstand our proposal."

He was bowing his head deeply, but was it merely an illusion that no sincerity could be felt from him?

The gaze of Timur looking at Devious sank deeply.

"If the Iron Duke would focus entirely on the North rather than the dragon, I believe the Baranoff Family could sufficiently resolve this matter as well."

Iron Duke Timur's eyebrows twitched upon hearing Devious's proposal.

In the end, the Dragulia Family was forcing a choice upon him right now.

The dragon's fragment, or House Uthman.

However, no matter which of the two he chose, it would only be a painful loss for Timur.

"Iron does not change."

The eyes of the man bowing down below were ominous.

The pigeon sent by the dragon.

The message delivered by that pigeon still reeked of blood.

"The oath made to the Swordmaster shall be the same."

Timur brushed up his hair as if to shake off his worries.

Having made his decision, he slowly rose from his seat and walked down toward Devious.

"Go and tell the Dragonblood Duke."

The ruler of the North and Guardian of the Pact.

The Baranoff Family recognized by the Swordmaster.

The lion of the North approached the bowing Devious and opened his mouth with a cold breath.

"Stop spouting bullshit."

Put away those filthy claws. You fallen dragon.

Because iron has no intention of bowing to a dragon.

"...... Will you not regret this?"

"That is not something for you to worry about."

It was not simply because of the pact; his judgment as a cold-hearted ruler also told him this decision was right.

That he must not hand over the possibility to a leashed dragon.

"We will also provide support regarding House Uthman. We cannot stand shoulder to shoulder with those who have accepted a wicked existence."

The family that formed one pillar of the solid Northern Alliance had rotted black.

Thus, it must be cut off.

In order to stand purely on the power of the North.

Spring was arriving everywhere, but only a cold chill still lingered in the North.

* * *

The light coming through the window spread in all directions.

Watching the sunlight scatter here and there on the table, Vlad ended up frowning slightly.

"A sword, a scabbard, armor......"

Looking at the elves' armaments gleaming in the sunlight, Got unknowingly gulped down his saliva.

"How much is all this worth?"

"Piss off."

Seeing the insolent squire daring to put a price on his armaments, Vlad kicked Got and pushed him away from the table.

"Come on, I can at least think about it for a second, can't I?"

"Your eyes just rolled back in your head. Who are you trying to con?"

"...... Did they?"

At the sight of the back-alley thug still existing inside the noble knight, Got became deflated.

Although he looked like a sleek noble on the outside, a ferocity that had yet to be put to rest still resided within Vlad, who had lived his whole life fighting.

"Anyway, it was worth risking our lives. Right, Captain?"

"...... Just be quiet for a bit."

His serving knight had received a hefty reward, so there was no way he wouldn't be happy.

The only regret was that the rewards received from the elves were not things that could be shared with Got.

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

Even though it had been processed, clear wood grains still remained on the sturdy-looking black scabbard.

Whether it was intended by the artisan who made it or because the energy of the material was strong, it gave off a unique aesthetic.

"The joints are flexible, huh?"

"Plus, it's thin."

The plate armor given by the elves clearly looked nimble despite being made of iron.

It was probably because there were many areas left empty here and there to emphasize agility.

"And this chainmail......"

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 flowing down with a metallic clinking sound.

The chainmail provided by the elves was woven so densely that from a distance, it looked just like ordinary clothing.

"I could probably just wear this around like regular clothes."

The gambeson he previously wore as inner armor might have had good functionality, but its comfort was terrible.

Between the smell, the heat, and above all, it was an item that hindered agile movements.

However, the chainmail he was holding now not only fit his body perfectly but was also light, so Vlad couldn't help but absolutely love it.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"...... Got. Let her in."

The girl deliberately knocking on the door while vocalizing the sound.

Got quickly composed his expression and opened the room door to welcome the girl.

"Welcome, Divine Maiden."

"How is it, Vlad? Do you like it?"

He had welcomed her with a bright smile, but seeing the girl look only for Vlad the moment she entered, Got's expression stiffened bitterly.

"It's incredibly good. I haven't seen equipment like this in my entire life."

"Really?"

The tips of the girl's ears were a little red, as if taking it as a compliment directed at herself.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't make it properly."

Along with the girl's apology, Vlad's gaze turned toward the sword placed on the table.

A longsword suffused with a faint blue light.

Though its shape was rough, the sword forged by the World Tree, the girl, and the young spirits hammering a meteorite possessed an extraordinary aura.

"It's because it was our first time. We couldn't make it properly."

However, even though it had taken shape, the sword in front of him could not be called a finished product.

It was a ritual the young ones were trying for the first time by following faint records, so it couldn't be helped.

"Grandpa said we sharpened the blade, but we didn't temper it properly. He said it would still be usable, though......"

Her toes unconsciously tapping and kicking the floor.

From her voice growing softer toward the end, Vlad could tell that the girl was truly sorry right now.

"Not at all, Divine Maiden."

The girl said there was an issue with the durability, but the old blacksmith had clearly said it was good enough.

He knew that since the old blacksmith had been worried his sword might hold Vlad back, he wouldn't have handed it over in the first place if it truly was an unusable sword.

"I really like this sword."

The new sword, which brought to mind the unadorned sword, subtly changed colors every time Vlad looked at it.

Every time he saw that light, Vlad felt as if something inside his chest was being filled.

"Really? That's a huge relief then."

Instantly put in a better mood by Vlad's words, the girl quickly handed him a letter and smiled.

"What's this?"

"It's my letter to the lord of the Heinal Family, Lady Alicia. I wrote that I'm sorry about the amber."

Vlad, who protected the World Tree, had received an appropriate reward, but there was nothing fitting to give Alicia, who had actually lost her family heirloom.

This issue would likely have to be resolved not through personal negotiation, but on the level of the Heinal Family and Aushrina.

"Is it just the Divine Maiden's......"

"The Great Elder's letter is in there too."

"I see."

It felt uneasy to only deliver a letter from a girl who was completely unpredictable.

However, if the wise Great Elder Geronimo's letter was also included, he could be at ease.

Her knight, who only ever caused nuisances for Alicia, felt somewhat comforted by the letter he was holding.

"We'll probably send envoys to the Heinal Family and Dobrechiti soon too. I want to meet the spirits there as well."

"Understood."

If the elves were going to form connections with humans anyway, it would be best to do so with lords who had at least some relation to them.

And for Alicia, who had few places to rely on, wouldn't a faction like Aushrina be a sufficient source of comfort, even if they were far away?

"And this."

A small note that was folded up tightly, unlike the letter.

The note, folded like a four-leaf clover, was clearly something the girl was giving him personally.

"Open this later when you reach the crossroads."

"...... The crossroads?"

The girl whispered quietly into Vlad's ear, worried that someone might overhear.

Her tiptoes, which she struggled to raise, conveyed the girl's sincerity.

"Well then, have a good trip. I won't be able to see you off tomorrow."

"......"

The girl simply said what she had to say and offered no reply.

But her sparkling golden eyes fully captured Vlad's reflection.

"I've been curious about this for a while."

"About what?"

It was time to say goodbye.

The girl, whom he didn't know when he would see again, was still looking at him with a beaming smile.

"May I ask your name? I haven't known your name all this time."

In the world of humans, connections were formed by sharing names.

Naturally, Vlad had asked for the girl's name out of such courtesy.

"...... My name?"

However, upon hearing Vlad's question, the girl just stood completely still on the spot, freezing up like a stone statue.

Her fluttering ears were gradually turning red.

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

A silence that sank in an instant.

Got's eyes darted around as he tried to figure out the freezing atmosphere, but human common sense and elven common sense were strictly different.

The girl's perked-up ears were turning redder by the second.

* * *

"It was a snowfield when we came in."

"Aushrina's winter is short. The World Tree dislikes the cold."

Hearing Varadis's words, Vlad lifted his head and looked at the hill far in the distance.

The faintly visible hill was still covered white with snow.

"This is as far as we go."

"Thank you for seeing us off."

The borderline between the worlds of elves and humans.

Noir, standing in front of it, snorted as if he didn't want to leave, but their world was not in Aushrina.

"Aushrina will not forget the grace you have bestowed."

Although he was giving thanks, Varadis's strangely stiffened voice felt uncomfortable.

It seemed that asking for the girl's name had been quite offensive to him.

"For elves, the concept of a name is a much more sensitive matter than for humans, so be careful from now on."

"...... Yes."

Varadis had introduced himself as Varadis, but he had said it wasn't a name with true meaning.

It seemed that the act of revealing or asking for it was a rather sensitive matter to the elves.

Vlad hadn't intended to, but he ended up broadening his horizons through yet another mistake.

"Also."

Varadis stepped closer to Vlad and spoke in a solemn voice.

"I do not know what the Divine Maiden told you, but please do not ignore her words."

"...... Understood."

Varadis left a small warning for Vlad, just in case something were to happen.

Because right now, the girl—who was the Divine Maiden of the World Tree and his younger sister—was lying in bed, sick.

It was undoubtedly due to the revelation she had imparted to the knight named Vlad.

"Please tell her I'm thankful that she worried about me until the very end."

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

With Varadis's farewell, the spirits riding on Noir's back began to swarm down.

Wings, tails, heads, and so on.

They were waving whatever parts they could, bidding farewell to the knight leaving Aushrina.

"We'll be on our way then."

The rangers and spirits lightly waving their hands at him.

Through Vlad's eyes, he could see the massive tree standing behind them.

It looked faint now because it was far away, but the branches swaying in the breeze were waving in all directions.

"Let's go."

"Yeah, Captain."

The knight and squire turning their horses around.

A white flag began to flutter behind the black horse.

Engraved on one side of that flag was a crest that looked exactly like the World Tree visible right now.

* * *

"By the way, Captain. Where are we going now?"

It was only natural for Got, the squire, to ask Vlad for directions.

Although it wasn't clearly defined, it had been Vlad who decided their destinations so far.

"......"

A three-way crossroad.

However, standing at the crossroad, Vlad's atmosphere was incredibly heavy.

As he read down the note, the space between Vlad's brows grew narrower.

"...... Where do we go if we head right?"

"It's where we came from. If we go this way, it'll lead through Tanobo and up to Dobrechiti. If we're going back to Soara, this is the path."

Got seemed to secretly hope he would say they were going back, but Vlad quietly turned his head toward the center path.

"And if we go this way?"

"If we take the middle path......"

Got quickly took out a map and stuck his tongue out slightly.

"It looks like we'll cut straight through the central region. For now, the closest city is Marcia."

"Then let's go this way."

Crushing the note the girl had given him in his hand, Vlad grabbed Noir's reins and advanced down the middle path.

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

"...... What's to the left?"

Noir and Got's horse moving along the widest path.

Having walked until the crossroads were no longer in sight, Vlad finally spoke to Got in a low voice.

"I saw it earlier. If you go left, you meet the highway heading to the capital, Brigantes."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. The old man probably headed that way, right?"

Recalling Auguste at Got's words, Vlad felt a bitter taste in his mouth for no reason.

As a final goodbye, he had told him to find him if he came to Brigantes, so he had probably headed toward the capital just like Got said.

"I'll have to look at the list of Dragon Slayers later."

Vlad quietly closed his left eye and burned the note the girl had given him.

Scraps of paper fluttering in the wind.

-Absolutely do not go left.

The tiny writing that had been written on the burning note.

The final thing the girl had handed to Vlad was not a message of gratitude or farewell, but a stern warning.