Joseph handed her the teacup and looked at the nun sitting in front of him.
An elderly woman dressed in worn-out yet carefully ironed clothes.
The convent's prioress spoke as she sipped the tea Joseph had given her.
"I understand that the mayor is considering cultivating that seed, but we must be cautious."
The convent's prioress was looking Joseph straight in the eyes with her head held high.
Her simple posture was evident simply by her seated stance.
"From what I personally observed, he was very impatient and cruel, perhaps due to his low social status. This child will definitely cause trouble."
That day, Vlad dragged Zemina out of the convent without following the proper procedures.
If he had thought about the future, he probably shouldn't have done it, but in life, there are moments when emotions take precedence over reason.
"I told you this because I was concerned he might damage the mayor's reputation."
"...Is that so."
Joseph already knew that Vlad had committed some indiscretions in the convent.
However, it was quite intentional to question that behavior and issue a warning.
There must be a good reason why the prioress is doing this to the boy who received approval from Priest Andreas and Saint Rogino.
"Sir. Joseph."
"What's going on?"
Just as Joseph was thinking about who might be behind the prioress, Jager called, opened the door, and entered the mayor's office.
Although Jager didn't have permission to enter and knew he was speaking with a guest, he had good reasons for doing so.
"The stable caretaker I sent with Sir. Ramund has returned."
Joseph narrowed his eyes when he saw that Jager's expression was unusual.
"He returned alone."
"What's the reason?"
Joseph looked Jager in the eyes and leaned in.
"Let him in."
Click-!
The prioress was sitting right in front of him, but Jager's attitude was urgent.
"Hello, Sir. Joseph. There's been a major problem."
While Jager nodded, Goethe, who had been waiting outside, entered with urgent steps.
His face covered in sweat and dirt showed how urgently Goethe had moved.
"Speak."
Goethe swallowed hard with Joseph's permission and quickly began to speak the words he had been thinking.
"The barbarians have appeared."
When the word "barbarian" came out of Goethe's mouth, the nun covered her mouth unconsciously.
Having lived for a long time, she knew well the fear that barbarians brought.
"...Where."
"It's a road that connects Soara and Varna. They were attacking people there."
It was an impossible situation, but the man named Goethe was a person with a certain degree of confidence, based on his past experience.
It was worth listening to his report.
"I was told to bring someone."
Goethe opened his mouth, licking his dry lips with his tongue, perhaps feeling overwhelmed by Joseph's gaze or by an urgent situation.
"Sir. Ramund and Vlad are holding the barbarian leader hostage."
"..."
Goethe was saying.
That Ramund and Vlad are conducting a sit-in, holding onto the barbarian leader to protect the people who were attacked.
Just the two of them.
"...Jager. Gather the knights and move out immediately. Take charge yourself."
"Yes."
"Goethe. I'm sorry for you who just returned, but you need to be a guide for Jager."
"Alright."
"Then hurry."
Joseph, who had dismissed the two of them, bowed his head with both hands on his forehead as if praying.
But Joseph didn't bow his head to pray.
He was suppressing his anger, thinking of the barbarians who dared to defile and harm Bayezid's land and someone who warned him.
"...Isn't it truly amazing?
Joseph slowly lifted his head to the nun who was sitting across from him.
"Although I am of humble origin and impatient, don't you say that I am protecting the lambs according to God's will?"
"...That's right."
The Joseph seen in the eyes of the Mother Superior had a more dangerous look than the boy she saw that day.
The look in his eyes made it seem that if trouble were to arise, it would be him and not the boy.
"Please, tell her my words. Mother Superior."
The city of Soara moves with two hands.
Joseph Bayezid, legitimate mayor of Soara, recognized by blood.
"Thank you for worrying about me."
The bishop of Soara, who cares for humans according to God's word. For these two people.
"And he will come to see you soon."
Although they belong to different realms, the two people moving in the same city were destined to meet at least once.
Ultimately, both human power and divine power come from the people.
Outside the mayor's office window, the sound of horse hooves could be heard as the cavalry soldiers galloped noisily.
***
If it were an ordinary group of bandits, the leader would have surrendered the moment they caught him.
However, these were not bandits but barbarians, warriors from a barbarian tribe called Budayatra, and Agge was the son of the tribe's chief and its leader.
"Don't you think there are more and more of them?"
"...Many of them are moving south."
Ramund nodded heavily at Vlad's words.
The barbarians didn't abandon their leader.
They continued to follow them, pressing Ramund and Vlad, who led the people and slowly headed south.
Even now, the walls of Soara are barely visible.
"It seems like the guy named Goethe has arrived at the right place."
However, this tedious confrontation, which lasted more than a day, has ended from this moment on.
Ramund held his sword against Agge's neck and looked at the dust rising in the distance.
They were the soldiers of Soara.
"We arrived a little late."
"Don't forget that this is the land of Bayezid."
Agge watched as he looked at the troops coming from Soara.
If the warriors he had brought with him had gathered even a little earlier, not even the two knights using Aura would have been able to protect everyone present. {1}
If so, they could have at least liberated me.
"That was a good decision. Elder."
The decision to cling to him and press himself while leading the group back to Soara.
Worried about being caught, he calculated the appropriate distance and time and sent Goethe to Soara.
If either of the two had gone wrong or had not attempted it, the group would have been surrounded by unknown barbarians instead of seeing Soara.
"Why the hell did you come here? Why did you come so deep?"
Ramund, who had finally achieved his intention, began to ask the questions he had been harboring.
However, instead of the sword tip threatening him, Agge's eyes were only focused on the boy in front of him, mounted on a black horse looking at his comrades.
"We needed the son of the steppes. That's why he followed you here."
"Are those who followed the horse plundering the people?"
"I guess that was also a way to earn pocket money."
Although Vlad threw Agge to the ground, he did not lose his confident attitude.
"But I didn't know the son of the steppes would choose the boy from the empire over us."
Although he was alone, the boy did an excellent job holding off the charge of the barbarians on the way here.
Although he didn't want to admit it, there must have been a reason why the son of the steppes chose the boy over him.
"...You'll have to explain this in detail."
It seemed there was some story behind this, but the tip of Ramund's sword did not waver.
In any case, since these were the guys who entered Bayezid's land without permission and plundered it, there would be no need to investigate the situation.
"Get back! Everyone get back!"
Agge, realizing that the situation was already over, shouted loudly to his companions.
"Stay still!"
Due to Agge's sudden action, Ramund's sword lost its hold on his neck and bright red blood was forming, but Agge did not stop shouting.
"Get back!"
The barbarian warriors who heard Agge's voice hesitated for a moment but nodded when they saw the soldiers of Soara running from afar.
Their leader failed and was captured.
Since we cannot have a frontal clash with the soldiers on the front territory of Soara, we will have to wait until a later date.
"Goodbye. Leader!"
Barbarians turning the reins with a cunning neighbor.
The people running as if fleeing, dragging their bodies unaided, could only sigh in relief at seeing that sight.
"Thank you. Sir!"
"Thank you for saving us!"
People fell to their knees in sobs.
No one here thought they could return to Soara with their lives preserved.
The pressure from the barbarians was intense and threatening, and the situation was desperate.
However, there were men who led them here, blocking those barbarians.
"...It's over."
As the boy watched the barbarians recede, he bit his tongue and said that finally everything was over.
Vlad's blonde hair waved in the wind as he looked at the people.
His name was Vlad from Soara.
***
"What happened?"
"I don't know. The barbarians suddenly appeared."
When Vlad mentioned he had been involved in the incident but didn't know the internal story, Jager approached quietly.
"...Good job."
As they neared Soara, the group of barbarians that Agge had brought along numbered almost 40 people.
Since only the two of them were holding them off, it was a situation Vlad was exhausted from.
"But where did that come from?"
Jager's gaze settled on the black horse carrying Vlad.
Even to the naked eye, it seemed unusual as it was large compared to other horses.
"Oh, this guy?"
A smile crept onto Vlad's lips, as if he had been expecting that question.
"This is the guy I saw when I was dealing with the Death Worm back then. How did you find me?"
"Mmm."
The kid seemed tired, but he shrugged, saying he could finally ride a horse.
Especially because he was in front of Jager, he seemed desperate to be more condescending.
"Stop acting so proud."
"As soon as I return, I'll have to saddle him up first."
"..."
Vlad was extremely excited and ignored his own words.
Seeing that, Jager wanted to kick him, but as there were still people behind him occasionally shouting the kid's name, he decided to bear it for now.
"Now you know you're paying for the food."
A small growl escaped him.
He saved the people from the barbarians and also revealed the identity of the rumored ghost horse.
Vlad nodded, thinking that was enough to regain the points he had lost with Joseph, but the job was not yet finished.
"Huh? Hey. Let's go."
Neigh-
It was a black horse that had been following Vlad's words a moment ago, but as soon as it approached Soara's gate, it started to move away and refused to come any closer.
"Huh? Huh?"
Vlad began to panic at the horse's sudden and strange behavior, and the soldiers around him started to hurriedly flee the scene.
"They said they would saddle him up first."
"Why is it like this?"
Jager squinted and began to notice the strange behavior of the black horse.
For some reason, it seemed uneasy from the moment the soldiers approached.
"...The guy who seems to be hated by horses, and also the horse that doesn't let anyone ride it also hates humans, so they really got along."
Watching the black horse that wasn't even stepping back now lifting its front hoof and gleaming, Jager thought they were quite the pair.
Translator's notes:
Agge thinks Vlad is also a knight because he used Aura so I included 2 knights.
____
Joseph handed her the teacup and looked at the nun sitting in front of him.
An elderly woman dressed in worn-out yet carefully ironed clothes.
The convent's prioress spoke as she sipped the tea Joseph had given her.
"I understand that the mayor is considering cultivating that seed, but we must be cautious."
The convent's prioress was looking Joseph straight in the eyes with her head held high.
Her simple posture was evident simply by her seated stance.
"From what I personally observed, he was very impatient and cruel, perhaps due to his low social status. This child will definitely cause trouble."
That day, Vlad dragged Zemina out of the convent without following the proper procedures.
If he had thought about the future, he probably shouldn't have done it, but in life, there are moments when emotions take precedence over reason.
"I told you this because I was concerned he might damage the mayor's reputation."
"...Is that so."
Joseph already knew that Vlad had committed some indiscretions in the convent.
However, it was quite intentional to question that behavior and issue a warning.
There must be a good reason why the prioress is doing this to the boy who received approval from Priest Andreas and Saint Rogino.
"Sir. Joseph."
"What's going on?"
Just as Joseph was thinking about who might be behind the prioress, Jager called, opened the door, and entered the mayor's office.
Although Jager didn't have permission to enter and knew he was speaking with a guest, he had good reasons for doing so.
"The stable caretaker I sent with Sir. Ramund has returned."
Joseph narrowed his eyes when he saw that Jager's expression was unusual.
"He returned alone."
"What's the reason?"
Joseph looked Jager in the eyes and leaned in.
"Let him in."
Click-!
The prioress was sitting right in front of him, but Jager's attitude was urgent.
"Hello, Sir. Joseph. There's been a major problem."
While Jager nodded, Goethe, who had been waiting outside, entered with urgent steps.
His face covered in sweat and dirt showed how urgently Goethe had moved.
"Speak."
Goethe swallowed hard with Joseph's permission and quickly began to speak the words he had been thinking.
"The barbarians have appeared."
When the word "barbarian" came out of Goethe's mouth, the nun covered her mouth unconsciously.
Having lived for a long time, she knew well the fear that barbarians brought.
"...Where."
"It's a road that connects Soara and Varna. They were attacking people there."
It was an impossible situation, but the man named Goethe was a person with a certain degree of confidence, based on his past experience.
It was worth listening to his report.
"I was told to bring someone."
Goethe opened his mouth, licking his dry lips with his tongue, perhaps feeling overwhelmed by Joseph's gaze or by an urgent situation.
"Sir. Ramund and Vlad are holding the barbarian leader hostage."
"..."
Goethe was saying.
That Ramund and Vlad are conducting a sit-in, holding onto the barbarian leader to protect the people who were attacked.
Just the two of them.
"...Jager. Gather the knights and move out immediately. Take charge yourself."
"Yes."
"Goethe. I'm sorry for you who just returned, but you need to be a guide for Jager."
"Alright."
"Then hurry."
Joseph, who had dismissed the two of them, bowed his head with both hands on his forehead as if praying.
But Joseph didn't bow his head to pray.
He was suppressing his anger, thinking of the barbarians who dared to defile and harm Bayezid's land and someone who warned him.
"...Isn't it truly amazing?
Joseph slowly lifted his head to the nun who was sitting across from him.
"Although I am of humble origin and impatient, don't you say that I am protecting the lambs according to God's will?"
"...That's right."
The Joseph seen in the eyes of the Mother Superior had a more dangerous look than the boy she saw that day.
The look in his eyes made it seem that if trouble were to arise, it would be him and not the boy.
"Please, tell her my words. Mother Superior."
The city of Soara moves with two hands.
Joseph Bayezid, legitimate mayor of Soara, recognized by blood.
"Thank you for worrying about me."
The bishop of Soara, who cares for humans according to God's word. For these two people.
"And he will come to see you soon."
Although they belong to different realms, the two people moving in the same city were destined to meet at least once.
Ultimately, both human power and divine power come from the people.
Outside the mayor's office window, the sound of horse hooves could be heard as the cavalry soldiers galloped noisily.
***
If it were an ordinary group of bandits, the leader would have surrendered the moment they caught him.
However, these were not bandits but barbarians, warriors from a barbarian tribe called Budayatra, and Agge was the son of the tribe's chief and its leader.
"Don't you think there are more and more of them?"
"...Many of them are moving south."
Ramund nodded heavily at Vlad's words.
The barbarians didn't abandon their leader.
They continued to follow them, pressing Ramund and Vlad, who led the people and slowly headed south.
Even now, the walls of Soara are barely visible.
"It seems like the guy named Goethe has arrived at the right place."
However, this tedious confrontation, which lasted more than a day, has ended from this moment on.
Ramund held his sword against Agge's neck and looked at the dust rising in the distance.
They were the soldiers of Soara.
"We arrived a little late."
"Don't forget that this is the land of Bayezid."
Agge watched as he looked at the troops coming from Soara.
If the warriors he had brought with him had gathered even a little earlier, not even the two knights using Aura would have been able to protect everyone present. {1}
If so, they could have at least liberated me.
"That was a good decision. Elder."
The decision to cling to him and press himself while leading the group back to Soara.
Worried about being caught, he calculated the appropriate distance and time and sent Goethe to Soara.
If either of the two had gone wrong or had not attempted it, the group would have been surrounded by unknown barbarians instead of seeing Soara.
"Why the hell did you come here? Why did you come so deep?"
Ramund, who had finally achieved his intention, began to ask the questions he had been harboring.
However, instead of the sword tip threatening him, Agge's eyes were only focused on the boy in front of him, mounted on a black horse looking at his comrades.
"We needed the son of the steppes. That's why he followed you here."
"Are those who followed the horse plundering the people?"
"I guess that was also a way to earn pocket money."
Although Vlad threw Agge to the ground, he did not lose his confident attitude.
"But I didn't know the son of the steppes would choose the boy from the empire over us."
Although he was alone, the boy did an excellent job holding off the charge of the barbarians on the way here.
Although he didn't want to admit it, there must have been a reason why the son of the steppes chose the boy over him.
"...You'll have to explain this in detail."
It seemed there was some story behind this, but the tip of Ramund's sword did not waver.
In any case, since these were the guys who entered Bayezid's land without permission and plundered it, there would be no need to investigate the situation.
"Get back! Everyone get back!"
Agge, realizing that the situation was already over, shouted loudly to his companions.
"Stay still!"
Due to Agge's sudden action, Ramund's sword lost its hold on his neck and bright red blood was forming, but Agge did not stop shouting.
"Get back!"
The barbarian warriors who heard Agge's voice hesitated for a moment but nodded when they saw the soldiers of Soara running from afar.
Their leader failed and was captured.
Since we cannot have a frontal clash with the soldiers on the front territory of Soara, we will have to wait until a later date.
"Goodbye. Leader!"
Barbarians turning the reins with a cunning neighbor.
The people running as if fleeing, dragging their bodies unaided, could only sigh in relief at seeing that sight.
"Thank you. Sir!"
"Thank you for saving us!"
People fell to their knees in sobs.
No one here thought they could return to Soara with their lives preserved.
The pressure from the barbarians was intense and threatening, and the situation was desperate.
However, there were men who led them here, blocking those barbarians.
"...It's over."
As the boy watched the barbarians recede, he bit his tongue and said that finally everything was over.
Vlad's blonde hair waved in the wind as he looked at the people.
His name was Vlad from Soara.
***
"What happened?"
"I don't know. The barbarians suddenly appeared."
When Vlad mentioned he had been involved in the incident but didn't know the internal story, Jager approached quietly.
"...Good job."
As they neared Soara, the group of barbarians that Agge had brought along numbered almost 40 people.
Since only the two of them were holding them off, it was a situation Vlad was exhausted from.
"But where did that come from?"
Jager's gaze settled on the black horse carrying Vlad.
Even to the naked eye, it seemed unusual as it was large compared to other horses.
"Oh, this guy?"
A smile crept onto Vlad's lips, as if he had been expecting that question.
"This is the guy I saw when I was dealing with the Death Worm back then. How did you find me?"
"Mmm."
The kid seemed tired, but he shrugged, saying he could finally ride a horse.
Especially because he was in front of Jager, he seemed desperate to be more condescending.
"Stop acting so proud."
"As soon as I return, I'll have to saddle him up first."
"..."
Vlad was extremely excited and ignored his own words.
Seeing that, Jager wanted to kick him, but as there were still people behind him occasionally shouting the kid's name, he decided to bear it for now.
"Now you know you're paying for the food."
A small growl escaped him.
He saved the people from the barbarians and also revealed the identity of the rumored ghost horse.
Vlad nodded, thinking that was enough to regain the points he had lost with Joseph, but the job was not yet finished.
"Huh? Hey. Let's go."
Neigh-
It was a black horse that had been following Vlad's words a moment ago, but as soon as it approached Soara's gate, it started to move away and refused to come any closer.
"Huh? Huh?"
Vlad began to panic at the horse's sudden and strange behavior, and the soldiers around him started to hurriedly flee the scene.
"They said they would saddle him up first."
"Why is it like this?"
Jager squinted and began to notice the strange behavior of the black horse.
For some reason, it seemed uneasy from the moment the soldiers approached.
"...The guy who seems to be hated by horses, and also the horse that doesn't let anyone ride it also hates humans, so they really got along."
Watching the black horse that wasn't even stepping back now lifting its front hoof and gleaming, Jager thought they were quite the pair.
Translator's notes:
Agge thinks Vlad is also a knight because he used Aura so I included 2 knights.
____
