Star-Embracing Swordmaster (Full)

"This time it will take a month."

With those words, Vlad pulled up a small chair, leaned against the wall, and began to polish his sword.

The sword illuminated by the candlelight, as always, soothed the boy's mind.

"Mmm. It's good to be busy."

Zemina, who responded to Vlad's words with little sincerity, sat on the bed, picked up the flag, and began to sew it.

A phrase sewn by a red-haired girl was engraved next to the phrases sewn by a noble lady.

"You've been doing well these days, Vlad."

Zemina, who had been concentrating all her attention on sewing to not be embarrassed compared to the phrases nailed next to hers, raised her head and looked at Vlad in front of her, as if she had suddenly remembered something.

"Madam would have been pleased to see this too."

Vlad suddenly looked at the girl speaking of his mother with a subtle expression.

Zemina sometimes embarrassed Vlad with these out-of-context conversations.

"Why did you mention that suddenly?"

"No, an idea just came to me out of the blue."

Now, more than ten years later, only a few people remember Vlad's mother, but Zemina is one of those few people.

One of the few people who can speak of memories no one remembers.

"I don't remember my mom, but I remember your mom."

"Well?"

There were traces of wounds in the words the girl spoke carelessly.

Vlad's mother let her son die, but Zemina's mother did not.

Zemina, like many other children in the alleys, was an abandoned girl.

"I don't really remember my mom either."

There are wounds you can't heal on your own.

Vlad, who found traces of that in Zemina's words, only responded calmly as if nothing had happened.

Because it was one of the few considerations that could be given to a girl.

"It's done."

As if she had properly heard Vlad's concerned words, Zemina simply shook his hand and stood up, waving the white flag as if to show off.

"It won't be noticeable at this level, will it? The Countess's skills were so good."

The white flag with which the boy proves himself.

There was a new phrase engraved there by a red-haired girl.

"...It won't be noticeable if you look from a distance."

The shield of San Rogino gleamed in the candlelight.

Just as Vlad pretended to be indifferent and worried about Zemina, Zemina also worried about Vlad, who, as usual, went to a dangerous place.

I haven't seen a dragon in person, but it's definitely a dangerous creature.

Otherwise, the experienced old knight in the next room wouldn't have had reason to prepare well.

"I won't arrive until winter. So."

"I guess so. Because autumn is a fast-passing season."

"Then take this too."

Vlad looked puzzled at the piece of fabric that Zemina had casually thrown on the bed.

"What is this."

"It's a handkerchief."

Vlad smiled as he looked at the handkerchief, which was as white as the flag.

"I guess you didn't have anything to do?"

"I made it for you because I felt sorry for you wearing a handkerchief you couldn't even use."

At Zemina's words, Vlad grabbed the handkerchief and examined it closely.

Zemina's handkerchief, as she said, was made of precious silk and was not intended for actual use.

"It's pure cotton. It'll be good to use here and there."

Vlad silently held the handkerchief in his hand as he looked at Zemina's fingerprints, who had done her best.

Zemina left and left him a message to be careful.

In the empty room where only he remained, Vlad carefully folded the handkerchief with Zemina's name on it and tucked it into his chest pocket.

"...It was made to be used, but why did you engrave a name?"

Zemina's handkerchief, lying next to Alicia's handkerchief, did not seem destined to fulfill the purpose the girl had in mind.

Vlad deeply embedded it in his breast pocket so it wouldn't easily fall out.

***

The group advanced northward along endless white snow plains.

After traveling for over a week, they finally reached the northernmost part of the county of Bayezid, with about half a day's journey remaining to their destination, Fort Bernhem.

The knights Rutiger had already stationed would be waiting for the group there, preventing the barbarians from moving southward and exploring Lindworm.

"I definitely only asked for you."

".…"

"But obviously, I asked for one, and they gave me three. What does this mean?"

"Isn't it consideration for your brother?"

Rutiger shook his head firmly at Vlad's uncertain response.

"That guy Joseph must be dissatisfied with me for something. Is that what you think?"

Looking at Rutiger speaking confidently, Vlad could only shrug.

Joseph couldn't have done it on purpose, but seeing the two men looking at each other behind them was a situation where such a misunderstanding could have occurred.

A barbarian warrior and an old knight from Bayezid.

If handled well, it would definitely be of great use, but for now, seeing the two people who couldn't get along was just a headache for Rutiger.

"I haven't even arrived yet, but I'm already exhausted. From now on, you'll be in charge of those two."

"I'm not in a position to do that."

Although the refusal had its own reasons, Vlad had no choice but to nod when he saw Rutiger, whose eyes were as low as Joseph's.

Setting aside age, Ramund was a knight who had served Bayezid for a long time, so Rutiger wouldn't have been able to speak to him firmly, not even out of respect.

"...I'll try my best."

"Thank you."

For that reason, Vlad, who could at least keep them together, might have been a better alternative.

From Rutiger's perspective, Ramund's attitude towards Vlad was clearly soft.

"I managed to get out of prison without dying."

"The young master has managed to survive until now. I can smell the dirt just by being around him."

"Hehehe. There's no order in which we go."

At the moment Rutiger tightly closed his eyes against the sharp sounds of the barbarian and the old knight that he could still hear, Vlad raised his hand and stopped the group.

"Wait."

It's already working.

Rutiger nodded with a satisfied expression, saying that he had done as he was told, but Vlad's moderation came from a completely different direction than Rutiger's wishes.

"...I think there's something ahead of us."

"Hmm?"

After hearing those words, Rutiger looked in the direction Vlad's finger pointed with nervous eyes.

A snow-covered field to the north where only white snow fell endlessly.

Vlad pointed beyond, which he couldn't clearly see, and looked at Rutiger with a stern expression.

"Take the lead from now on."

During the week-long journey north, Vlad showed great sensitivity.

Hearing, sight, smell, and even a subtle, sharp energy.

This time too, Rutiger, who thought he had discovered something unusual through his senses, didn't easily overlook Vlad's report.

"You've stirred up a wild one."

".…"

And following Vlad's guidance, the group reached the center of the snow-covered field and discovered there a terrible scene.

The corpses of the barbarians were scattered everywhere in a gruesome manner.

Horses, sheep, and even people were strewn about.

Agge's expression grew increasingly harsh as he saw the warm beings lying on the frozen snow.

"It seems you came here."

Rutiger dismounted his horse and turned to the bodies lying on the ground.

There was one who had a gruesome wound piercing through his chest.

Rutiger looked at the wound and frowned at the reality that was different from his expectations.

"...They were cut."

Certainly, they seemed like people who had been pursued by the ravaging Lindworm, but the wounds they bore told a completely different story.

A cut from something sharp, not from something that had been broken or violently burst open.

Rutiger looked at Agge, observing the wounds that only a human could have created.

"Is this from your tribe?"

"...Not exactly."

In response to Rutiger's question, Agge silently shook his head.

At first glance, the body of a barbarian with tattoos all over resembled Agge, but it was not from the Budart tribe to which he belonged.

"They're not from our tribe, but we know each other."

It was fortunate that it wasn't Agge missing, but that didn't mean they could breathe a sigh of relief.

The barbarians were moving southward simultaneously, and the reason for this was a being called Lindworm.

The Budart tribe that followed suit must also be roaming somewhere in this area.

"The ones from the north wouldn't have done this."

Rutiger nodded at the words of Ramund coming from behind him.

Although the barbarians and the north hated each other, they still rubbed elbows, so there was no reason for such extreme massacres as now.

Because both forces knew very well that if they did that, a long fight that would have to be washed with blood would erupt.

This would be especially true for Rutiger's knights at Fort Bernhem.

"Move quickly."

Something unusual was happening on the northern border.

Rutiger, sensing this fact, planned to quickly reach Fort Bernhem and investigate the situation.

"…."

The group advances, urgently urging their horses.

However, Vlad simply frowned as he held onto his chest atop the black horse.

Thump-

Vlad, remembering the beats he felt when he encountered the Death Worm, simply bit his lip, holding his heart as it beat strangely while he advanced.

In an urgent situation, the black horse, sensing the boy's discomfort, carefully adjusted the upper body and tried to reduce the vibration.

***

Fortress of Bernhem.

A military installation that forms the northernmost border of the county of Bayezid.

After arriving at the place that Peter cared about as much as the three cities owned by the county, the group simply looked at the highest point of the fortress with puzzled expressions.

"Are there two flags?"

Vlad, who was in the darkest circumstances, asked as he looked at the flags waving at the Fortress of Bernhem.

One flag was the emblem of Bayezid, which he was familiar with, but the other flag was a type of emblem he had never seen before.

"Why are those people here...?"

However, Rutiger and Ramund, who recognized the flag, were also confused because they couldn't understand the situation.

Vlad approached Ramund, who was blinking, and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"What kind of flag is that?"

"It's not the Northern flag."

In response to the boy's question, Ramund squinted.

"It's the central one."

"The center?"

"Yes, the center."

When Ramund said it was the center, not even the central region, Vlad raised his head once again and looked at the waving flag.

Its shape was that of a dragon spewing fire.

"It's the emblem of the Dragon Slayer Knights, an order of knights directly subordinate to the Dragon Blood Prince."

The image of a dragon spewing fire represented on the flag had a peculiar drawing engraved.

It was a drawing symbolizing a sword sharply cutting the dragon's neck.