A little star rescued from the darkness.
I don't know who I am.
But I know there's something I must do.
Although the memory of my existence has long vanished, the duty I must fulfill was deeply engraved in my soul.
I existed solely for that.
***
The first encounter was a confrontation, but from the second it turned into anger, and from there on...
[Are you saying you went mad as if you could achieve something with that ridiculous ability?]
It was simply violence.
At the pinnacle of relentless violence, the headless knight was stunned and could only step back.
He seemed to have forgotten for a moment.
The headless knight, who had lived by consuming the death of others, also realized that someday he might be devoured by someone else.
Clash! Roar! Clash!
Watching the flash of light pierce his sword, the headless knight remembered an emotion he had long forgotten.
"...Who are you?"
It was fear.
He feared that the crumbling priest and the distant specter might become his own image in moments.
[I have no words for trash like you who soils themselves with children's blood.]
A roaring storm passed through the left eye of the voice.
It was a merciless storm.
[So die.]
For a moment, the whole world turned white.
At least, that's how the headless knight felt.
Here it comes.
A white monster.
With fierce teeth bared.
It's coming to devour me.
A wild beast made of white lightning rushed straight toward the headless knight.
At a speed not even raindrops could wet.
'Left? Or right?'
In an instant of doubt, the headless knight shuddered several times as he moved.
The steps of the voice carried with them dozens of possibilities.
The problem was that each of those possibilities was marked with his death.
It was like a fate relentlessly closing in.
'Right!'
Despite reacting as best he could to the voice's movement, all he received was a chill coming from behind.
[Were you talking so much but are this slow?]
"...!"
The fierce beast, which had suddenly closed in, exhaled a cold breath behind the headless knight.
How dare you mock the possibility I value?
Roar!
"Aaah!"
The voice, full of anger, mercilessly struck the headless knight with its fury-filled sword.
The headless knight, who had been so heavily struck, was thrown to the ground barely standing, screaming without realizing it, but that wasn't all.
Clash! Burst!
Floating in the air and being cut again and again, the headless knight fought with a fear worse than his death.
"Ah!"
Free from death and resilient even to pain, the headless knight couldn't regain reason against the voice's attack that seemed to tear his soul apart rather than his body.
How can such a being exist in this world?
Looking at the voice, incomparable to any enemy he had faced until now, the headless knight could only wave his powerless hands.
[Give it to me!]
The white beast lunged at the headless knight, lying pathetically in the rain-soaked mud.
[I told you to hand it over!]
"Aaah!"
The voice, echoing the words of the boy a moment ago, mercilessly struck the headless knight again.
Each time the sword and fist swung, dry fragments fell impotently from the headless knight.
Crash!
"Ah!"
The voice found the breaths of the children in the arms of the headless knight, and kept attacking him with its sword or crushing him with its fists.
Though it's likely a weak world will be devoured.
Even so, children are not guilty; they are innocent.
Children shouldn't be pushed into the cruel realm of rules.
[You were here.]
Thus, the voice was able to detect the breaths of the children who were being sucked into darkness.
The voice carefully gathered the tiny flickering breaths.
Though they were small, the existence of the children felt heavy.
To grow the small glow they hold, both worlds must shed blood and tears.
The voice, feeling the weight etched by father and mother, once again struck the chest of the headless knight.
"Ugh!"
On a rainy night, the headless knight, who didn't know his name, retrieved a star from the darkness in that manner.
[Now let's finish this.]
The voice carefully placed that star in the arms of the youth and then grasped the sword once more.
Because there was still something to do.
[I used to remember how to kill people like you with this kind of ability, but it seems I've forgotten.]
"..."
The headless knight slowly looked at the approaching voice and reproached himself for his mistake.
He thought it was one of his own, but it wasn't.
Though he was someone who had escaped death alongside him, he possessed a pure energy different from his own and was an infinitely noble being.
[I can't remember, but it's not like there's no way.]
From the fingertips of the voice, a white lightning began to glow intensely on the sword.
[I'll tear off each and every one of your limbs and tear you to pieces, that won't be different from being dead.]
The winners are above, the losers below.
The one who wins decides everything.
And today, you will be torn apart here.
Upon hearing the merciless end decided by the voice, the headless knight recoiled and reached out his hand.
It was almost like a plea.
"Ramashthu... Ramashthu, Lord!"
The headless knight, who couldn't call upon God and had no choice but to utter the name of his master, writhed and cried out the name of someone.
“…Ramashthu, Lord!”
The headless knight, who couldn’t call out to God and had no choice but to utter the name of his master, writhed and cried out the name of someone.
[…!]
Though the voice couldn’t remember, it could sense it.
That the foul thing before it was calling for help from someone.
Crunch!
[…That’s right.]
However, the boy’s body began to scream, indicating it could no longer bear it.
The boy’s body and world had clearly grown, but it could no longer endure.
He should have been grateful for everything it had done for him until now.
“Here I am!”
While the voice hesitated for a moment, the headless knight extended both hands to the sky as if seeking salvation.
But the salvation he truly desired did not come from the sky, but from the ground.
As if a hole had opened, a dark shadow began to slowly open its mouth and pull the headless knight and the phantom horse from below.
“Lord Ramashthu? Lord Ramashthu!”
Looking down at his hands that were becoming thinner and thinner, the headless knight shouted in desperation, but his master was already reclaiming his immortality from him.
[Ramashthu.]
Hearing the familiar resonance in his mouth, the voice watched the end of the headless knight, crumbling away.
Things that have fulfilled their purpose will eventually disappear.
It didn’t know if it was punishment or to leave no evidence, but the headless knight was shrinking like that.
“No!”
Death was returning to the ground.
Following the call of the master.
The last thing he left in the world was a useless and empty cry.
However, the voice, the only one who heard the cry, had no intention of remembering the man’s end.
The voice began to make its final move, preserved within the bounds of the boy.
[Return.]
Kwaang!
In the dying screams, the voice knocked down the foul symbol with the last movement it had left.
From the tip of the sword, the bright breaths of the children spread out.
The diminishing death and rising life.
What the voice saw in the village where the rain had stopped was life or death itself.
Standing on the boundary between the two, it simply took in the whole sight without saying a word.
The mist was settling.
***
A lonely inn in a village that still has no customers.
There was a busy man moving alone in that quiet place.
He was also the one who secretly returned to the now dead and silent church and picked up the knights lying there like corpses.
"Captain, how is your body now?"
"...It's just a pile of garbage."
Vlad let out a small sigh as he looked at Goethe.
It was frustrating to see himself still having trouble even lifting a spoon.
"Still, it's lucky you came out all right. At first, when I brought you back, I thought you were just a piece of rag."
"...”
Vlad remained silent as he vigorously stirred the soup he was holding.
He'd better save a bit of energy because he had things to do after eating this.
"There are other knights we need to take care of too. Rest a little."
"Alright."
With those words, Goethe left the room where Vlad was.
Vlad, making sure Goethe was away, began speaking aloud and engaging in a conversation with the voice.
Perhaps because he was exerting himself too much, he couldn't convey his true feelings.
Maybe he'd have to do this for a while, as the voice had suggested.
"Still, it's a relief that everyone is alive."
[That's right. That's the most important thing.]
The knights who had fought against the headless knight and had suffered injuries large and small, but still managed to save their lives.
This was because the barrier placed by Justia held tenaciously and protected the knights, and Vlad's cunning actions drew the Headless Knight out of the church.
But in the end, their survival was thanks to the voice.
The knights only thought it was just the four of them that night, but in fact, there was one more person hiding.
It was a secret that only the boy and the voice knew.
"Thank you."
[...It's okay.]
The boy was still not used to expressing his feelings, but at least at that moment, he tried his best.
The voice, knowing the situation, said nothing more and simply closed its eyes within the boy.
Inside the room with only the boy, only the sound of dishes and spoons clinking together could be
heard.
***
After finishing the meal, Vlad, though having an uncomfortable body, rose from his seat to finish what he had to do.
“Thank you! Thank you very much!”
“Sir, thank you very much!”
The parents hugging the children who were on the brink of death that night spared no thanks when they saw the boy moving with difficulty.
They probably preferred to praise this young man more than any other hero.
The boy didn’t respond to that sight.
He just rubbed his nose at the irritating emotion he felt.
And there was also something he had to finish.
“Don’t come any closer than this.”
“I’m from Soara. Paladin Justia will know me.”
“…Wait.”
Vlad stood in front of the church, slightly hunched over, awaiting the scrutiny of the Paladin of Saint.
The paladins called by Justia arrived a little late, but they were still ensuring that everything was resolved.
The sight of the paladins investigating and examining the curse that had spread from the church would surely have reassured the villagers.
“Go inside.”
With the permission of the unnamed paladin, Vlad cautiously entered the church.
The church, still filled with traces of that day and the sound of creaking floors, had a gloomy atmosphere even though it was daytime.
If it weren’t for busy paladins moving back and forth, Vlad would have moved with his sword drawn.
“Justia.”
“…What are you doing here, Vlad?”
Vlad, who was searching for the woman with green eyes scanning her head, found Justia holding a book resembling the Bible under the foul symbol.
“Could I go down to the basement? There’s someone I need to find.”
“The missing women from Soara have already been confirmed by Lord Gregory.”
The investigative team sent from Soara originally came here to find the missing women.
Although things got out of control along the way, Gregory did not forget his mission.
“There’s someone I want to find personally.”
“Then come with me.”
And so the boy did.
There was someone he had to find.
Justia, who had guessed the situation, closed the book she had been looking at for a while.
Two people descending the stairs leading to the basement, opening the burnt and darkened door.
In the shallow basement, some light came in through a small hole in the wall.
“There may still be traces of the curse here.”
Descending to the basement with Justia’s consideration, Vlad frowned at the smell of blood emanating from there.
“May I take a look?”
“After we’re done, if you have my blessing.”
Understanding the meaning of Justia’s words, Vlad began to carefully search through the rubble, looking for someone.
“…”
All you need are the pained faces of young women.
He lifted it carefully, prayed for her peace, and covered it.
Vlad, who was searching among the rows of corpses one by one, let out a small sigh.
The familiar brown hair, though dirty, was there.
“I’ll step out for a bit.”
Justia, noticing that the person Vlad was looking for was here, made way for him.
An empty basement.
In a place where only a small amount of light shone, Vlad looked at Anna without saying a word.
“Life is so cruel. Right?”
The woman who had asked the young man to protect her while offering him food lay there after being struck by a man who didn’t even seem suitable.
With marks of black tears that had not yet dried.
Seeing that scene, the boy felt more sadness than anger.
If the tip of his sword had been a little sharper, if he had been a little stronger, maybe she wouldn’t be lying on the cold ground right now.
The young man, who couldn’t be satisfied despite having done his best, swallowed bitterly before speaking.
“…In the next life, I wish you were born as something different, not as a prostitute.”
Vlad raised his hand and closed the woman’s open front chest, which was fully open like that day.
I hope my current touch warms her a little.
In the place where the boy left, only the carefully tended woman remained.
The woman, unlike the other women, had no marks of black tears.
In her hand, illuminated by a small filtering light, she held a flower ring with a single flower.
A woman who doesn’t breathe.
A woman who doesn’t tread the ground.
Free from gods and not subject to the laws of the world.
“…”
The woman closed her eyes and remembered the blue eyes of the boy.
Also the soul of someone trapped in the boy’s left eye.
It was a bright soul but with cruel marks, clearly someone who had used some ancient spell.
“Old things are waking up,” thought the woman with closed eyes.
The time has come.
Time of chaos. Time of cracks.
It was the perfect time for those like them, who lived on the margins, to take a stand.
The woman had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
“Let my knights choose what they wish from what is before them,” said the woman as she continued with her eyes closed, pointing with her finger amidst the darkness.
In the place indicated by the tip of her finger, there were still faces dripping blood.
Faces of agony, faces of horror, faces of dread.
All you need are the faces of the knights of Baron Utman.
"Stay here as our vassals for a while."
"Understood, Lady Lakshma."
The headless knights, who waited silently in the darkness, bowed their heads to their lady.
Baron Utman had paid the price.
His only son had returned from death, and as payment, the city of Mosiam plunged into darkness.
Darkness seeps everywhere.
And it always waits for its chance.
Like the woman who now has her eyes closed.
The night sky that approached the city of Mosiam this night came with a slightly darker color.
***
Vlad thought as he looked at the woman making eye contact with him.
If you look closely, her eyelashes are long.
Although she had the same bright eyes as Lady Oksana, the sensation of brightness was completely different, and it was amusing to look at her closely.
"So, were you absorbed by a black hole that suddenly appeared?"
"Yes."
Justia's harsh tone and facial expressions recorded a scene of interrogation, but her actual attitude towards the boy was considerate.
It was the blond-haired boy who took care of his headless knight while they lay in the half-collapsed church, leaning on a weak barrier.
It would be natural for him to want to give something more to the boy who did his best.
"Please explain it in more detail."
Justia asks in a rough tone, but in reality stirs the sweet tea with her hand and hands it over.
Although their first encounter was disastrous, after facing together a battlefield that was like death, they were now comrades close enough to call each other companions.
"So I climbed up the bell tower and broke the pattern. Then he got angry..."
Vlad began to explain in detail the situation of that night, strengthened by Justia's consideration.
The boy, the last witness and survivor who faced the headless knight, held in his hands an important clue to explain what had happened.
In other words, it also meant that there was no solid evidence that could replace the boy's testimony.
"The battle was very intense. I could barely withstand dodging the blows of the sword that guy wielded."
The scene recreated through careful investigation was truly heartbreaking.
Because there were traces of another person who had been miserably treated before the violence of a single person.
Among the confusingly mixed footprints, the Holy Knights who found someone's desperate struggle in the place applauded the boy in a sign of respect.
Because no one had thought that the boy, just a squire, could have mastered the headless man.
"And then, suddenly, a black hole appeared in the ground. It looked like the mouth of some giant beast, and the headless knight disappeared..."
Justia was focused on listening to Vlad's testimony, who described the events of that day mixing truth and lies.
The boy, who had lived among prostitutes who made a living with their eloquence, spoke quite skillfully.
"And then he disappeared. Although I'm not that old, I've never seen anything so strange in all my life."
"Hmm."
Justia, although she seemed distracted, was sunk in worry as she listened to Vlad's words.
"Oh, and I think I called him by some name."
"What name? What name?"
With a hint of clues, Justia looked at the boy, who was tearing his hair trying to remember.
"Oh, I don't remember. My mind went blank."
"Wait. Can't you remember anything?"
Justia quickly grabbed a fruit nearby and began to peel it at a rapid pace.
In some aspects of her, not a single crack could be seen, but in her current appearance, Vlad saw her innocent gaze and made a subtle expression on his face.
"Oh, yes. I think it was... Ramasht?"
"Ramasht?"
"Yes, that's it. I think I said 'Ramasht'."
When Justia heard Vlad's words, her expression suddenly hardened, and she stopped moving.
Even without realizing it, her hands tightened more and more around the fruit she was holding, leaving deeper marks.
"I understand. Thank you for your cooperation."
Justia left the fruit she was peeling and got up from her seat.
"San Rogino will never forget your bravery that day."
"Yes..."
"Rest."
After saying her words, Justia hurriedly got up from her seat, leaving Vlad sitting with an absent expression.
Somehow, she showed firmness in moments like this, so Vlad really couldn't catch Justia.
But anyway, it was a relief.
Everything had passed without incident.
[What luck. That she didn't suspect.]
"Even the size of the footprints was the same! Even I would get confused."
A boy who had given false testimony to a faithful paladin, using common sense and prejudice as a shield.
Although he lied, the information contained within his words was true, so Justia's efforts would not be in vain.
"If you're going to peel it, peel it all."
Vlad took the fruit that Justia had left and bit into it in one gulp.
"Sour!"
In the half-peeled fruit, you could still taste the flavor of it.
***
The next morning.
Justia and her Sacred Knights bowed their heads as they bid farewell to the group leaving the village after faithfully completing all the investigations.
Although they were people of pride as great as their closeness to God, Soara's expedition to this village had clearly been something worthy of recognition.
Even now, the knights were grateful and extended their hands in respect to the young man who had distinguished himself.
"San Rogino will never forget the brave sacrifice of all of you."
"...Then please speak to me kindly. Because the mayor I currently serve is a very strict person."
Justia had no choice but to respond silently to Gregory's joking remark.
As a knight of God, she always had to tell the truth, so she couldn't afford to forget Gregory's name, even in this situation.
"Although I cannot lie, I promise to consider Gregory's position as best as I can."
"I just hope you don't mess it up."
"I'm very sorry."
The group, revitalized by the divine power of the knights, was making final preparations and awaited Gregory's signal to depart.
Justia's green eyes stopped at a particular spot as she looked around.
There was a small flag that the boy was carefully folding.
"...It seems Vlad had the flag."
"It's a talent that has caught Bayezid's attention; we are being cautious in handling it."
The paladins nearby who heard Gregory's words nodded, saying it was worth it.
He was a brave boy, so his potential was probably extraordinary.
"Then, we will withdraw for now."
"May the grace of San Rogino be with you."
Bidding farewell to the knights and the village waving them off at the entrance, the group left back to Soara with a lighter heart than when they arrived.
The group rode in a rickety carriage instead of the one they had lost in the fire.
Although they had lost the carts, they now had the favor of the northern diocese, Rogino.
They didn't know when they might need it, but they could surely count on help in the future.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I can keep sitting."
"If you feel uncomfortable, let me know. We don't want you to get hurt."
The echo of the voice still resonated in Vlad's mind as he settled on the edge of the modest cart borrowed from the village.
Though riding in a cart was somewhat unsettling for him, he had no choice but to accept it since he didn't know how to ride a horse.
"It's nice to see the fog clearing."
"They said it was originally a place with good sunlight. After all, that was all it was doing."
Gregory's words reassured the boy a bit.
It would be better for Anna to be in a village with sunlight and fresh air than in some dark alley in Soara.
The village, which was once shrouded in fog.
Now filled with light as the inhabitants came out to bid farewell to the departing group headed for Soara.
Among them, Vlad noticed a boy who had handed him a small ring of flowers and returned the greeting by waving his hand to him.
The boy looked up as he swayed on the shaky cart.
The sky, full of white clouds, was tinged with a clear and fresh blue.
"It's nice."
I hope Anna is warm and safe here.
The boy thought sincerely.
The group returning to Soara, blessed by the sacred knights and bid farewell by the villagers, felt much lighter in heart than when they arrived.
***
The mayor's office in Soara bathed in sunlight.
Joseph, the owner of the place, sat across from an elderly man at the reception desk, serving him tea.
Although dressed modestly, his gaze was as sharp as his attire.
"When did you arrive here?"
"A while ago. I think it's been two days."
"If you had notified me, I would have come right away."
The elderly man, observing Joseph with a satisfied smile, looked at him with pride.
The boy who seemed as fragile as to faint at any moment had grown to this point.
Seeing this, the old man felt proud because he felt he had contributed even a little.
"Now I am just a simple servant, how can I dare to call a noble?"
Although he referred to Joseph as "sir" instead of "servant," both he and his companion, Jager, overlooked this detail without saying anything.
The elderly man who was drinking tea at the moment had the right to call Joseph "noble" wherever he was.
"Well, where's that guy?"
He knew well that the elderly man had an impatient temperament since he was young.
Joseph responded with a carefree laugh as he looked at the elderly man, who went straight to the point before setting down the tea cup.
"I sent him on a temporary mission. I sent him to Baron Utman's, so he should be back soon."
"Oh, I see. The brat already has a mission."
The elderly man, upon hearing Joseph, nodded enthusiastically.
Perhaps this boy will turn out to be useful after all.
"In fact, before coming to Soara, I passed through Sturma to see the Master. Only the Duchy remains, so I wanted to finish here."
Upon hearing the word "Duchy," both Joseph and Jager were taken aback.
Was he really here for that reason?
"Those guys there are all blind. How is it possible that all those who will bear the name of Bayezid are like this?"
The elderly man clicked his tongue, saying that nowadays there are no useful young people, then turned his head and spoke, this time looking at Jager.
"Are your apprentices like that too?"
"They're probably better than those guys."
"It seems the whiner has some talent." {1}
Jager pursed his lips upon hearing the elderly man calling him a whiner.
But what can be done.
In his youth, he had shown the elderly man all possible facets, so he had nothing to say.
"I hope that boy named Vlad likes it. If he acts arrogantly relying solely on his parents' backing, even if he is a noble's apprentice, he will get what he deserves..."
"He doesn't have parents."
Joseph extended a tray of snacks to the elderly man with an ironic smile.
"He's a boy who grew up parentless in an alley and made it here through his own efforts."
"Oh..."
Joseph, realizing the old man's intentions in coming here, tried to keep his interest as much as possible.
Joseph's story about the beginning of self-confidence would surely evoke the old man's nostalgia for the old tough times.
"I don't need to go to the duchy, just teach a lesson to that friend of yours."
"Well, if you say so..."
While chewing on a snack, the elderly man stroked his beard.
Joseph turned his gaze to the flag placed behind the elderly man.
"Of all the young people I've seen these days, there wasn't one I liked."
Although small and worn, the flag, which had been carefully maintained, was clearly similar to the one Joseph had given Vlad.
"You also had a request, so I will look into it thoroughly."
The elderly man toyed with his upright beard.
The old flag brought by the elderly man had over ten patterns engraved.
The flag, as old as its owner, was the flag of someone who had proven their own honor.
Translator's notes
(1): A "whiner" is someone who frequently complains or expresses dissatisfaction in a persistent or annoying manner, often about trivial matters. It's typically used to describe someone who complains excessively or in a way that others find bothersome.
A little star rescued from the darkness.
I don't know who I am.
But I know there's something I must do.
Although the memory of my existence has long vanished, the duty I must fulfill was deeply engraved in my soul.
I existed solely for that.
***
The first encounter was a confrontation, but from the second it turned into anger, and from there on...
[Are you saying you went mad as if you could achieve something with that ridiculous ability?]
It was simply violence.
At the pinnacle of relentless violence, the headless knight was stunned and could only step back.
He seemed to have forgotten for a moment.
The headless knight, who had lived by consuming the death of others, also realized that someday he might be devoured by someone else.
Clash! Roar! Clash!
Watching the flash of light pierce his sword, the headless knight remembered an emotion he had long forgotten.
"...Who are you?"
It was fear.
He feared that the crumbling priest and the distant specter might become his own image in moments.
[I have no words for trash like you who soils themselves with children's blood.]
A roaring storm passed through the left eye of the voice.
It was a merciless storm.
[So die.]
For a moment, the whole world turned white.
At least, that's how the headless knight felt.
Here it comes.
A white monster.
With fierce teeth bared.
It's coming to devour me.
A wild beast made of white lightning rushed straight toward the headless knight.
At a speed not even raindrops could wet.
'Left? Or right?'
In an instant of doubt, the headless knight shuddered several times as he moved.
The steps of the voice carried with them dozens of possibilities.
The problem was that each of those possibilities was marked with his death.
It was like a fate relentlessly closing in.
'Right!'
Despite reacting as best he could to the voice's movement, all he received was a chill coming from behind.
[Were you talking so much but are this slow?]
"...!"
The fierce beast, which had suddenly closed in, exhaled a cold breath behind the headless knight.
How dare you mock the possibility I value?
Roar!
"Aaah!"
The voice, full of anger, mercilessly struck the headless knight with its fury-filled sword.
The headless knight, who had been so heavily struck, was thrown to the ground barely standing, screaming without realizing it, but that wasn't all.
Clash! Burst!
Floating in the air and being cut again and again, the headless knight fought with a fear worse than his death.
"Ah!"
Free from death and resilient even to pain, the headless knight couldn't regain reason against the voice's attack that seemed to tear his soul apart rather than his body.
How can such a being exist in this world?
Looking at the voice, incomparable to any enemy he had faced until now, the headless knight could only wave his powerless hands.
[Give it to me!]
The white beast lunged at the headless knight, lying pathetically in the rain-soaked mud.
[I told you to hand it over!]
"Aaah!"
The voice, echoing the words of the boy a moment ago, mercilessly struck the headless knight again.
Each time the sword and fist swung, dry fragments fell impotently from the headless knight.
Crash!
"Ah!"
The voice found the breaths of the children in the arms of the headless knight, and kept attacking him with its sword or crushing him with its fists.
Though it's likely a weak world will be devoured.
Even so, children are not guilty; they are innocent.
Children shouldn't be pushed into the cruel realm of rules.
[You were here.]
Thus, the voice was able to detect the breaths of the children who were being sucked into darkness.
The voice carefully gathered the tiny flickering breaths.
Though they were small, the existence of the children felt heavy.
To grow the small glow they hold, both worlds must shed blood and tears.
The voice, feeling the weight etched by father and mother, once again struck the chest of the headless knight.
"Ugh!"
On a rainy night, the headless knight, who didn't know his name, retrieved a star from the darkness in that manner.
[Now let's finish this.]
The voice carefully placed that star in the arms of the youth and then grasped the sword once more.
Because there was still something to do.
[I used to remember how to kill people like you with this kind of ability, but it seems I've forgotten.]
"..."
The headless knight slowly looked at the approaching voice and reproached himself for his mistake.
He thought it was one of his own, but it wasn't.
Though he was someone who had escaped death alongside him, he possessed a pure energy different from his own and was an infinitely noble being.
[I can't remember, but it's not like there's no way.]
From the fingertips of the voice, a white lightning began to glow intensely on the sword.
[I'll tear off each and every one of your limbs and tear you to pieces, that won't be different from being dead.]
The winners are above, the losers below.
The one who wins decides everything.
And today, you will be torn apart here.
Upon hearing the merciless end decided by the voice, the headless knight recoiled and reached out his hand.
It was almost like a plea.
"Ramashthu... Ramashthu, Lord!"
The headless knight, who couldn't call upon God and had no choice but to utter the name of his master, writhed and cried out the name of someone.
“…Ramashthu, Lord!”
The headless knight, who couldn’t call out to God and had no choice but to utter the name of his master, writhed and cried out the name of someone.
[…!]
Though the voice couldn’t remember, it could sense it.
That the foul thing before it was calling for help from someone.
Crunch!
[…That’s right.]
However, the boy’s body began to scream, indicating it could no longer bear it.
The boy’s body and world had clearly grown, but it could no longer endure.
He should have been grateful for everything it had done for him until now.
“Here I am!”
While the voice hesitated for a moment, the headless knight extended both hands to the sky as if seeking salvation.
But the salvation he truly desired did not come from the sky, but from the ground.
As if a hole had opened, a dark shadow began to slowly open its mouth and pull the headless knight and the phantom horse from below.
“Lord Ramashthu? Lord Ramashthu!”
Looking down at his hands that were becoming thinner and thinner, the headless knight shouted in desperation, but his master was already reclaiming his immortality from him.
[Ramashthu.]
Hearing the familiar resonance in his mouth, the voice watched the end of the headless knight, crumbling away.
Things that have fulfilled their purpose will eventually disappear.
It didn’t know if it was punishment or to leave no evidence, but the headless knight was shrinking like that.
“No!”
Death was returning to the ground.
Following the call of the master.
The last thing he left in the world was a useless and empty cry.
However, the voice, the only one who heard the cry, had no intention of remembering the man’s end.
The voice began to make its final move, preserved within the bounds of the boy.
[Return.]
Kwaang!
In the dying screams, the voice knocked down the foul symbol with the last movement it had left.
From the tip of the sword, the bright breaths of the children spread out.
The diminishing death and rising life.
What the voice saw in the village where the rain had stopped was life or death itself.
Standing on the boundary between the two, it simply took in the whole sight without saying a word.
The mist was settling.
***
A lonely inn in a village that still has no customers.
There was a busy man moving alone in that quiet place.
He was also the one who secretly returned to the now dead and silent church and picked up the knights lying there like corpses.
"Captain, how is your body now?"
"...It's just a pile of garbage."
Vlad let out a small sigh as he looked at Goethe.
It was frustrating to see himself still having trouble even lifting a spoon.
"Still, it's lucky you came out all right. At first, when I brought you back, I thought you were just a piece of rag."
"...”
Vlad remained silent as he vigorously stirred the soup he was holding.
He'd better save a bit of energy because he had things to do after eating this.
"There are other knights we need to take care of too. Rest a little."
"Alright."
With those words, Goethe left the room where Vlad was.
Vlad, making sure Goethe was away, began speaking aloud and engaging in a conversation with the voice.
Perhaps because he was exerting himself too much, he couldn't convey his true feelings.
Maybe he'd have to do this for a while, as the voice had suggested.
"Still, it's a relief that everyone is alive."
[That's right. That's the most important thing.]
The knights who had fought against the headless knight and had suffered injuries large and small, but still managed to save their lives.
This was because the barrier placed by Justia held tenaciously and protected the knights, and Vlad's cunning actions drew the Headless Knight out of the church.
But in the end, their survival was thanks to the voice.
The knights only thought it was just the four of them that night, but in fact, there was one more person hiding.
It was a secret that only the boy and the voice knew.
"Thank you."
[...It's okay.]
The boy was still not used to expressing his feelings, but at least at that moment, he tried his best.
The voice, knowing the situation, said nothing more and simply closed its eyes within the boy.
Inside the room with only the boy, only the sound of dishes and spoons clinking together could be
heard.
***
After finishing the meal, Vlad, though having an uncomfortable body, rose from his seat to finish what he had to do.
“Thank you! Thank you very much!”
“Sir, thank you very much!”
The parents hugging the children who were on the brink of death that night spared no thanks when they saw the boy moving with difficulty.
They probably preferred to praise this young man more than any other hero.
The boy didn’t respond to that sight.
He just rubbed his nose at the irritating emotion he felt.
And there was also something he had to finish.
“Don’t come any closer than this.”
“I’m from Soara. Paladin Justia will know me.”
“…Wait.”
Vlad stood in front of the church, slightly hunched over, awaiting the scrutiny of the Paladin of Saint.
The paladins called by Justia arrived a little late, but they were still ensuring that everything was resolved.
The sight of the paladins investigating and examining the curse that had spread from the church would surely have reassured the villagers.
“Go inside.”
With the permission of the unnamed paladin, Vlad cautiously entered the church.
The church, still filled with traces of that day and the sound of creaking floors, had a gloomy atmosphere even though it was daytime.
If it weren’t for busy paladins moving back and forth, Vlad would have moved with his sword drawn.
“Justia.”
“…What are you doing here, Vlad?”
Vlad, who was searching for the woman with green eyes scanning her head, found Justia holding a book resembling the Bible under the foul symbol.
“Could I go down to the basement? There’s someone I need to find.”
“The missing women from Soara have already been confirmed by Lord Gregory.”
The investigative team sent from Soara originally came here to find the missing women.
Although things got out of control along the way, Gregory did not forget his mission.
“There’s someone I want to find personally.”
“Then come with me.”
And so the boy did.
There was someone he had to find.
Justia, who had guessed the situation, closed the book she had been looking at for a while.
Two people descending the stairs leading to the basement, opening the burnt and darkened door.
In the shallow basement, some light came in through a small hole in the wall.
“There may still be traces of the curse here.”
Descending to the basement with Justia’s consideration, Vlad frowned at the smell of blood emanating from there.
“May I take a look?”
“After we’re done, if you have my blessing.”
Understanding the meaning of Justia’s words, Vlad began to carefully search through the rubble, looking for someone.
“…”
All you need are the pained faces of young women.
He lifted it carefully, prayed for her peace, and covered it.
Vlad, who was searching among the rows of corpses one by one, let out a small sigh.
The familiar brown hair, though dirty, was there.
“I’ll step out for a bit.”
Justia, noticing that the person Vlad was looking for was here, made way for him.
An empty basement.
In a place where only a small amount of light shone, Vlad looked at Anna without saying a word.
“Life is so cruel. Right?”
The woman who had asked the young man to protect her while offering him food lay there after being struck by a man who didn’t even seem suitable.
With marks of black tears that had not yet dried.
Seeing that scene, the boy felt more sadness than anger.
If the tip of his sword had been a little sharper, if he had been a little stronger, maybe she wouldn’t be lying on the cold ground right now.
The young man, who couldn’t be satisfied despite having done his best, swallowed bitterly before speaking.
“…In the next life, I wish you were born as something different, not as a prostitute.”
Vlad raised his hand and closed the woman’s open front chest, which was fully open like that day.
I hope my current touch warms her a little.
In the place where the boy left, only the carefully tended woman remained.
The woman, unlike the other women, had no marks of black tears.
In her hand, illuminated by a small filtering light, she held a flower ring with a single flower.
A woman who doesn’t breathe.
A woman who doesn’t tread the ground.
Free from gods and not subject to the laws of the world.
“…”
The woman closed her eyes and remembered the blue eyes of the boy.
Also the soul of someone trapped in the boy’s left eye.
It was a bright soul but with cruel marks, clearly someone who had used some ancient spell.
“Old things are waking up,” thought the woman with closed eyes.
The time has come.
Time of chaos. Time of cracks.
It was the perfect time for those like them, who lived on the margins, to take a stand.
The woman had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
“Let my knights choose what they wish from what is before them,” said the woman as she continued with her eyes closed, pointing with her finger amidst the darkness.
In the place indicated by the tip of her finger, there were still faces dripping blood.
Faces of agony, faces of horror, faces of dread.
All you need are the faces of the knights of Baron Utman.
"Stay here as our vassals for a while."
"Understood, Lady Lakshma."
The headless knights, who waited silently in the darkness, bowed their heads to their lady.
Baron Utman had paid the price.
His only son had returned from death, and as payment, the city of Mosiam plunged into darkness.
Darkness seeps everywhere.
And it always waits for its chance.
Like the woman who now has her eyes closed.
The night sky that approached the city of Mosiam this night came with a slightly darker color.
***
Vlad thought as he looked at the woman making eye contact with him.
If you look closely, her eyelashes are long.
Although she had the same bright eyes as Lady Oksana, the sensation of brightness was completely different, and it was amusing to look at her closely.
"So, were you absorbed by a black hole that suddenly appeared?"
"Yes."
Justia's harsh tone and facial expressions recorded a scene of interrogation, but her actual attitude towards the boy was considerate.
It was the blond-haired boy who took care of his headless knight while they lay in the half-collapsed church, leaning on a weak barrier.
It would be natural for him to want to give something more to the boy who did his best.
"Please explain it in more detail."
Justia asks in a rough tone, but in reality stirs the sweet tea with her hand and hands it over.
Although their first encounter was disastrous, after facing together a battlefield that was like death, they were now comrades close enough to call each other companions.
"So I climbed up the bell tower and broke the pattern. Then he got angry..."
Vlad began to explain in detail the situation of that night, strengthened by Justia's consideration.
The boy, the last witness and survivor who faced the headless knight, held in his hands an important clue to explain what had happened.
In other words, it also meant that there was no solid evidence that could replace the boy's testimony.
"The battle was very intense. I could barely withstand dodging the blows of the sword that guy wielded."
The scene recreated through careful investigation was truly heartbreaking.
Because there were traces of another person who had been miserably treated before the violence of a single person.
Among the confusingly mixed footprints, the Holy Knights who found someone's desperate struggle in the place applauded the boy in a sign of respect.
Because no one had thought that the boy, just a squire, could have mastered the headless man.
"And then, suddenly, a black hole appeared in the ground. It looked like the mouth of some giant beast, and the headless knight disappeared..."
Justia was focused on listening to Vlad's testimony, who described the events of that day mixing truth and lies.
The boy, who had lived among prostitutes who made a living with their eloquence, spoke quite skillfully.
"And then he disappeared. Although I'm not that old, I've never seen anything so strange in all my life."
"Hmm."
Justia, although she seemed distracted, was sunk in worry as she listened to Vlad's words.
"Oh, and I think I called him by some name."
"What name? What name?"
With a hint of clues, Justia looked at the boy, who was tearing his hair trying to remember.
"Oh, I don't remember. My mind went blank."
"Wait. Can't you remember anything?"
Justia quickly grabbed a fruit nearby and began to peel it at a rapid pace.
In some aspects of her, not a single crack could be seen, but in her current appearance, Vlad saw her innocent gaze and made a subtle expression on his face.
"Oh, yes. I think it was... Ramasht?"
"Ramasht?"
"Yes, that's it. I think I said 'Ramasht'."
When Justia heard Vlad's words, her expression suddenly hardened, and she stopped moving.
Even without realizing it, her hands tightened more and more around the fruit she was holding, leaving deeper marks.
"I understand. Thank you for your cooperation."
Justia left the fruit she was peeling and got up from her seat.
"San Rogino will never forget your bravery that day."
"Yes..."
"Rest."
After saying her words, Justia hurriedly got up from her seat, leaving Vlad sitting with an absent expression.
Somehow, she showed firmness in moments like this, so Vlad really couldn't catch Justia.
But anyway, it was a relief.
Everything had passed without incident.
[What luck. That she didn't suspect.]
"Even the size of the footprints was the same! Even I would get confused."
A boy who had given false testimony to a faithful paladin, using common sense and prejudice as a shield.
Although he lied, the information contained within his words was true, so Justia's efforts would not be in vain.
"If you're going to peel it, peel it all."
Vlad took the fruit that Justia had left and bit into it in one gulp.
"Sour!"
In the half-peeled fruit, you could still taste the flavor of it.
***
The next morning.
Justia and her Sacred Knights bowed their heads as they bid farewell to the group leaving the village after faithfully completing all the investigations.
Although they were people of pride as great as their closeness to God, Soara's expedition to this village had clearly been something worthy of recognition.
Even now, the knights were grateful and extended their hands in respect to the young man who had distinguished himself.
"San Rogino will never forget the brave sacrifice of all of you."
"...Then please speak to me kindly. Because the mayor I currently serve is a very strict person."
Justia had no choice but to respond silently to Gregory's joking remark.
As a knight of God, she always had to tell the truth, so she couldn't afford to forget Gregory's name, even in this situation.
"Although I cannot lie, I promise to consider Gregory's position as best as I can."
"I just hope you don't mess it up."
"I'm very sorry."
The group, revitalized by the divine power of the knights, was making final preparations and awaited Gregory's signal to depart.
Justia's green eyes stopped at a particular spot as she looked around.
There was a small flag that the boy was carefully folding.
"...It seems Vlad had the flag."
"It's a talent that has caught Bayezid's attention; we are being cautious in handling it."
The paladins nearby who heard Gregory's words nodded, saying it was worth it.
He was a brave boy, so his potential was probably extraordinary.
"Then, we will withdraw for now."
"May the grace of San Rogino be with you."
Bidding farewell to the knights and the village waving them off at the entrance, the group left back to Soara with a lighter heart than when they arrived.
The group rode in a rickety carriage instead of the one they had lost in the fire.
Although they had lost the carts, they now had the favor of the northern diocese, Rogino.
They didn't know when they might need it, but they could surely count on help in the future.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I can keep sitting."
"If you feel uncomfortable, let me know. We don't want you to get hurt."
The echo of the voice still resonated in Vlad's mind as he settled on the edge of the modest cart borrowed from the village.
Though riding in a cart was somewhat unsettling for him, he had no choice but to accept it since he didn't know how to ride a horse.
"It's nice to see the fog clearing."
"They said it was originally a place with good sunlight. After all, that was all it was doing."
Gregory's words reassured the boy a bit.
It would be better for Anna to be in a village with sunlight and fresh air than in some dark alley in Soara.
The village, which was once shrouded in fog.
Now filled with light as the inhabitants came out to bid farewell to the departing group headed for Soara.
Among them, Vlad noticed a boy who had handed him a small ring of flowers and returned the greeting by waving his hand to him.
The boy looked up as he swayed on the shaky cart.
The sky, full of white clouds, was tinged with a clear and fresh blue.
"It's nice."
I hope Anna is warm and safe here.
The boy thought sincerely.
The group returning to Soara, blessed by the sacred knights and bid farewell by the villagers, felt much lighter in heart than when they arrived.
***
The mayor's office in Soara bathed in sunlight.
Joseph, the owner of the place, sat across from an elderly man at the reception desk, serving him tea.
Although dressed modestly, his gaze was as sharp as his attire.
"When did you arrive here?"
"A while ago. I think it's been two days."
"If you had notified me, I would have come right away."
The elderly man, observing Joseph with a satisfied smile, looked at him with pride.
The boy who seemed as fragile as to faint at any moment had grown to this point.
Seeing this, the old man felt proud because he felt he had contributed even a little.
"Now I am just a simple servant, how can I dare to call a noble?"
Although he referred to Joseph as "sir" instead of "servant," both he and his companion, Jager, overlooked this detail without saying anything.
The elderly man who was drinking tea at the moment had the right to call Joseph "noble" wherever he was.
"Well, where's that guy?"
He knew well that the elderly man had an impatient temperament since he was young.
Joseph responded with a carefree laugh as he looked at the elderly man, who went straight to the point before setting down the tea cup.
"I sent him on a temporary mission. I sent him to Baron Utman's, so he should be back soon."
"Oh, I see. The brat already has a mission."
The elderly man, upon hearing Joseph, nodded enthusiastically.
Perhaps this boy will turn out to be useful after all.
"In fact, before coming to Soara, I passed through Sturma to see the Master. Only the Duchy remains, so I wanted to finish here."
Upon hearing the word "Duchy," both Joseph and Jager were taken aback.
Was he really here for that reason?
"Those guys there are all blind. How is it possible that all those who will bear the name of Bayezid are like this?"
The elderly man clicked his tongue, saying that nowadays there are no useful young people, then turned his head and spoke, this time looking at Jager.
"Are your apprentices like that too?"
"They're probably better than those guys."
"It seems the whiner has some talent." {1}
Jager pursed his lips upon hearing the elderly man calling him a whiner.
But what can be done.
In his youth, he had shown the elderly man all possible facets, so he had nothing to say.
"I hope that boy named Vlad likes it. If he acts arrogantly relying solely on his parents' backing, even if he is a noble's apprentice, he will get what he deserves..."
"He doesn't have parents."
Joseph extended a tray of snacks to the elderly man with an ironic smile.
"He's a boy who grew up parentless in an alley and made it here through his own efforts."
"Oh..."
Joseph, realizing the old man's intentions in coming here, tried to keep his interest as much as possible.
Joseph's story about the beginning of self-confidence would surely evoke the old man's nostalgia for the old tough times.
"I don't need to go to the duchy, just teach a lesson to that friend of yours."
"Well, if you say so..."
While chewing on a snack, the elderly man stroked his beard.
Joseph turned his gaze to the flag placed behind the elderly man.
"Of all the young people I've seen these days, there wasn't one I liked."
Although small and worn, the flag, which had been carefully maintained, was clearly similar to the one Joseph had given Vlad.
"You also had a request, so I will look into it thoroughly."
The elderly man toyed with his upright beard.
The old flag brought by the elderly man had over ten patterns engraved.
The flag, as old as its owner, was the flag of someone who had proven their own honor.
Translator's notes
(1): A "whiner" is someone who frequently complains or expresses dissatisfaction in a persistent or annoying manner, often about trivial matters. It's typically used to describe someone who complains excessively or in a way that others find bothersome.
