Chapter 97 - Watchman of the Barley Field (2)
Joseph had always said that one must return what they receive.
Regardless of whether it was a favor or a grudge.
"P-Please... Please spare us, Sir Knight."
If you received something, you must return it.
Vlad hadn't lived softly enough to safely return someone who had tried to harm him.
"Did you spare others when they begged for their lives?"
Just then, the moonlight shone down on the bandit begging for his life.
The fingers of someone dangling from his neck looked far too pitiful.
"Yes! We spared them! It's the truth!"
"Is that so?"
There are far too many unworthy people in this world.
Taking more than others and standing higher despite being unworthy.
And too easily crushing worlds weaker than their own.
"Don't bullshit me."
And there is one thing all unworthy people have in common.
That they are all liars.
"Take those finger bones off your neck before you speak, you pieces of trash."
Got stared blankly.
At the moonlight that began from Vlad's closed left eye and flowed down to the tip of his sword.
The boy who used to marvel at the moonlight summoned by another was no longer here.
The person standing here now was someone who possessed a world of his own.
The smooth moonlight summoned by Vlad began to capture the bright red blood.
Beneath the sword strikes wielded by a worthy one, the lies began to howl.
The price for daring to insult a rightful knight.
It was a debt that paying with their lives was not enough to settle.
* * *
Dobrechiti, a quiet rural territory.
It was a secluded village where even the passing merchants were all familiar faces, but the guards currently standing before the wooden palisade were visibly tense.
This was because the ominous rumors recently circulating the territory had put them on edge.
"What's that over there?"
"Hmm?"
In their eyes, there appeared a suspicious group.
Two men riding on horseback from the distant snow-covered hill.
"What are those?"
And even the men being dragged behind them.
Seeing how they were tied to ropes and being dragged along without even wearing boots despite the cold winter, they were clearly not an ordinary group.
"Halt! You in the front, halt!"
The guards aimed their halberds forward at these unfamiliar men they had never seen before.
However, the man at the very front simply approached slowly, completely unfazed by the guards' sharp deterrence.
"Who..."
"I am a knight of Bayezid. Vlad."
A blond young man riding atop a pitch-black horse.
The young man, not only possessing a striking hair color but also wearing clothes that all looked luxurious, exuded an elegance that made him look like a noble from somewhere to anyone who saw him.
"I have captured the bandits who were causing trouble in this vicinity."
"B-Bandits, you say?"
Although he hadn't even checked a proper identification yet, the guard found himself addressing Vlad with respectful language without realizing it.
It wasn't simply because the aura he gave off seemed like that of a noble.
The men bound by ropes trailing behind the young man.
It was because every single one of them was holding someone's solidly frozen severed head.
"I wish to meet the person in charge of security in this village."
With those words, Vlad raised his scabbard and showed it to the guard.
In the center of the sword hilt Vlad presented, a single flag fluttering over a massive fortress wall was engraved.
It was the crest representing Bayezid, the prestigious family of the North.
* * *
"Welcome! Welcome to Dobrechiti!"
The guard who had sprinted inside in a flurry respectfully ushered Vlad into the village while letting out rough breaths.
Since Vlad was an armed knight rather than an ordinary merchant or traveler, they couldn't easily grant him entry based solely on their own decision.
"The Lord wishes to meet you in person, Sir Knight!"
"... The Lord?"
Vlad couldn't help but be a little taken aback at the words that the lord suddenly wanted to see him.
Because initially, he had only planned to meet the person in charge, hand over the bandits, and receive a reasonable reward.
Along with the thought that it would be even better if there happened to be a bounty on them.
"Alright. Lead the way."
"Understood!"
At Vlad's answer, the guard quickly tried to grab Noir's reins, but the ill-tempered horse merely bared its white teeth and growled like a wolf.
"... Don't grab the reins."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Thanks to living in Soara, Noir no longer shied away from people, but that didn't mean his shitty temper had gone anywhere.
Other than Vlad, perhaps only Got, who at least had a familiar face, could grab Noir's reins and put a saddle on him.
"I will guide you to the Lord's manor."
Vlad and Got walked on horseback, following the guard who took the lead after offering his guidance.
Along with the bandits trudging behind them.
It was a group with a very peculiar composition, but the atmosphere among the villagers looking at them was a bit different from what one might expect.
"Boss. The mood in this village is a bit strange, don't you think?"
"... Yeah."
If this were Soara, people would have flocked over to see a novel spectacle for the first time in a while.
However, the villagers of Dobrechiti quickly locked their doors and hid their children behind them, as if looking at plague victims.
A former pickpocket and a swindler.
The two men, who were adept at reading the room, could sense that something was off about the atmosphere in Dobrechiti.
"We have arrived."
"Hmm?"
Vlad tried to assess the situation by looking around, but even that wasn't easy.
Because Dobrechiti was so small that it didn't afford Vlad any time to get lost in thought.
"The building ahead is the Lord's manor where Lord Dalmatia resides."
"..."
Vlad lifted his head and looked at the building the guard pointed to.
A three-story wooden building.
It didn't look bad, but it was far too shabby a building to house a lord.
'It's too small, isn't it?'
Although he had lived in the back alleys, Vlad was undeniably a city dweller by origin.
From the perspective of Vlad, who had seen towering city gates, churches, and the grandiose mansions where lords lived—even if only from afar—he couldn't help but feel a little baffled to hear that a noble lived in the small building right before his eyes.
"The Lord is waiting for you. Sir Knight."
"Right. Show me the way."
The authority a noble possessed was not guaranteed by their family's history or a high title.
In that sense, it would be safe to say that Baron Dalmatia had failed to establish his authority.
Because Vlad's first impression of the Dalmatia Family was simply a worry over whether he would even be able to get a proper reward for the bandits.
"Oh-ho. To think a knight who had proven himself would visit our territory!"
Recognizing the knight banneret, Baron Dalmatia personally came outside the Lord's manor to welcome Vlad.
It was an excessive welcome for merely greeting a wandering knight.
"Thank you for the warm welcome."
"No, not at all. You've captured those scoundrels who were causing headaches in the vicinity, so as the master of this land, what reason would I have not to welcome you!"
Baron Dalmatia nodded with satisfaction as he looked at Vlad greeting him with impeccable manners.
Although he hadn't fully internalized them yet, the manners that Countess Oksana had practically beaten into Vlad were still shining through.
"Let us go inside!"
"Yes."
Stepping into the drawing room behind Baron Dalmatia, Vlad became certain that his thoughts were correct.
"..."
"..."
The scenery of the village he had seen while walking to the manor.
And even the drawing room, which should have been the most lavish place in Dobrechiti.
Vlad and Got exchanged glances, realizing that things were already a bust.
This territory was flat broke.
"Right. I heard there are 9 captured bandits in total?"
"Including the ones who were brought back as just heads, that would be correct."
Vlad had exacted a rightful price from the bandits who had threatened and insulted him.
And it was only right that the lord standing before him paid the remaining price he hadn't been able to get from them.
Since he had caught the bandits threatening local security, the one serving as the master of the land should provide a fitting reward.
"Ahem. The journey from Soara to here must have been rough, so you must be tired. I've had lunch prepared in advance."
However, Baron Dalmatia only subtly gauged Vlad's reaction while putting off any talk of a reward.
Because if possible, he wanted to keep Vlad around for a long time.
'15 men by himself!'
Five bandits captured alive, four killed.
And because he was alone, he said there were about six others he couldn't catch in time.
Since he dragged the proof here himself, there was no room for doubt.
Not a single knight under his own command would be able to achieve such a feat.
"Right. Since you are a knight who came bearing a flag, you must be looking for a deed to prove yourself."
"That is correct, Baron."
In all honesty, Vlad wanted to say no, but he couldn't just say that to the face of a lord who had personally come out to welcome him.
The mistakes he had made with nobles in the past had equipped Vlad with his current judgment.
"It just so happens that I have a favor I'd like to ask of you. I say this because you are a true knight who pursues honor."
At first, he intended to refuse.
Because Vlad's goal was focused on finding traces of the voice rather than proving his honor.
"Lately, a bizarre incident has been occurring in our territory."
"What kind of incident is it?"
But to Vlad, who thought he was about to be saddled with an annoying chore, Baron Dalmatia began to tell a rather intriguing story.
"This is the very season when we must sow our barley. So our territory has been scattering the seeds we had stored up in the fields."
After wetting his mouth with an elegant tea that didn't quite suit his chubby cheeks, Baron Dalmatia spoke.
"But as soon as we scatter the seeds in the fields, they disappear."
"... The seeds disappear?"
"Yes. Even when we station soldiers to keep watch all night, the same thing happens."
At first glance, it was an incomprehensible statement.
To think that the barley seeds scattered in the field were vanishing even with soldiers standing guard.
If it was the doing of animals like rats or monsters, there was no way the guards on duty wouldn't have noticed.
"Some of the old folks in the village say it's the work of the spirits living in the forest, but..."
"Spirits, you say?"
From within Baron Dalmatia's words, a term that caught Vlad's interest could be heard.
"Yes. There are many tales passed down about spirits in this forest. Of course, I follow the church's teachings and do not believe in such things."
The newly established orders that came with the founding of the Empire had no place for ancient beings like spirits.
Especially in the case of the church, which denied everything that did not stand under the name of God; thus, the only people who still remembered the existence of spirits nowadays were likely just the old folks who had lived for a long time.
'Spirits, spirits...'
However, Vlad knew perfectly well that beings known as spirits existed in this world.
Because he was someone who had seen them firsthand, felt them, and had even received their blessing.
With a bizarre, inexplicable incident now bringing the word 'spirits' to light, Vlad couldn't help but seriously consider it.
"So, could you perhaps keep an eye on our territory's barley fields? Because to the eyes of an outstanding knight such as yourself, you might just be able to see something else."
It was a trivial task, but the eyes of Lord Dalmatia as he made the request were filled with desperation.
For him, if they failed this sowing season, they wouldn't be able to hold out until next autumn when the wheat would be harvested, and if that happened, even the survival of his family could be in jeopardy.
"... Understood, Baron. I will do my absolute best."
"Oh-ho. Thank you truly! To think that a true knight who follows chivalry still remains in this era!"
It could just be meaningless drivel spouted by old men, but Vlad decided to accept.
Because for Vlad, who had been looking for clues about spirits, even a lead like this was something to be deeply grateful for.
Besides, he judged that since it was a simple task of just guarding a barley field, it wouldn't tie him down too much.
"Make yourself comfortable during your stay! I'll also make sure to pay utmost attention to the reward for the bandits!"
"Thank you, Baron."
If it was related to his own business and the mission was simple, leaving a good impression on Baron Dalmatia wouldn't be a bad idea.
For a knight, the value of honor was something that the more one gathered, the better.
"But boss. What happened to our reward money?"
After finishing the conversation and stepping out of the Baron's drawing room, Vlad heard Got's small but urgent voice.
"We have to get the money. The money! That bastard Noir has only been eating boiled fodder lately. What with the cost of fodder and firewood..."
"That is for you to figure out."
"What?"
One must know how to distinguish between major and minor matters.
That was exactly why Joseph had always kept Vordan, a half-knight who couldn't even wield a sword, by his side.
"You take care of things like that from now on. That's why I brought you along."
"Oh..."
Vordan and Got.
A schemer and a swindler.
Got, having been handed the negotiating rights for the bandits, was looking at Vlad with sparkling eyes.
* * *
"Wild berries, where are the wild berries?"
She looked to be barely ten years old.
A young girl with rosy cheeks, holding a basket, was walking toward the edge of the forest.
Her clothing was shabby, reflecting her impoverished circumstances, but her neatly braided hair showed that she was a child who received her parents' care and love.
"There they are."
Up ahead, small berries revealing their natural color could be seen atop snow-covered vines.
Winter berries.
They were one of the few fruits that could offer comfort to people in such a destitute season.
Drawn by the vivid color of the wild berries, the girl approached the vines.
It would have been tempting to pop at least one into her mouth, but as the girl hurried to toss the wild berries into her basket while thinking of her family back home, a strange sound suddenly reached her ears.
GROOOOAR!
"...?"
A bizarre noise that seemed to echo from far away.
At the sound echoing like a reverberation, the girl stopped her hand from picking the wild berries and stared deep into the forest.
The darkness of the forest is alive.
The forest of Dobrechiti was as ancient as it was full of countless legends and strange tales.
And the moment the girl looked into the forest.
"Aaaah!"
The forest also looked back at the girl.
The spot where the young girl had stood.
There, only a rolling basket and wildly scattered wild berries remained.
And a single pit that had swallowed the girl was merely gaping its dark mouth.
