Man in the Fog (3)
On a table with a strange atmosphere.
I feel burdened by the golden eyes staring at me right in front of me.
Unlike before, her face was expressionless, but the girl’s sparkling eyes were shining like the butterflies that flew in the fantasy.
‘Why are you doing that?’
Contrary to his eyes, the elf man was glaring at him with a cold gaze.
The eyes of the elf called Varadis are the complete opposite of the girl’s, and are somewhat fierce.
It was as if he had touched something that should not have been touched.
‘Why are you doing that again?’
Vlad was trying to keep a calm expression as he met the gazes of the two elves whose temperatures were clearly different.
Neither of them knew why they were doing this, but what was certain was that the images they had imagined of the elves were slowly breaking apart.
‘When on earth is the car coming out?’
Knights and elves facing each other across the table.
In the awkward atmosphere where no one was willing to open their mouths, Vlad hoped that at least the tasteless tea would come out quickly.
Because it wasn’t easy to ignore all the attention while doing nothing.
“……A knight who protected the lives of children.”
It was Varadis who broke the heavy silence first.
“What does this mean?”
Varadis’ navy blue eyes were looking at Vlad’s armor.
There is also an amber stone hanging from the tip of the sword.
Although his mouth was asking about the words engraved on the armor, his eyes were clearly looking at something behind it.
“It was engraved by the Northern Diocese of San Logino.”
Vlad clasped his hands under the table as he watched Varadis’ reaction.
Just like the girl before, the elf named Varadis was also looking into items imbued with spirits.
The idea of asking the elves about spirits and amber was indeed correct.
“There was some success during the mission to fight against the evil being.”
However, unlike the joy boiling in my heart, Vlad’s voice was calm.
Because I knew very well that there was still a long way to go before I could celebrate with just one achievement. If Josef were here, he would definitely have done this.
“Fighting against an evil being… That’s great.”
The two elves listened to Vlad’s words and nodded at the same time.
Looking at Varadis and the girl, who did not look alike on the outside, but had similar actions, Vlad could tell that the two had been together for a long time.
“The car is ready just now.”
As soon as the cabin door opened, a fragrant smell began to waft out.
It was the scent coming from the teacups brought by the elf soldiers.
“I salute the knight who left his race to face a strange being.”
“thank you.”
His expression was still cold, but the kindness he showed was clear.
If you treat someone with tea that is so precious that you hand it over in exchange for a silver ingot, it would mean that you are at least not hateful.
‘If I do well, it’ll be fine.’
Vlad had not forgotten the purpose of following him here.
The reason I came here to help Count Vitskaya with his work was to enter the elf forest.
If the current good atmosphere continues, perhaps it will be possible to receive an invitation directly without going through the Count.
“It smells good.”
Vlad smiled as he looked at the car, which was emitting a clear green light.
Even though it was not a cup of tea that suited my taste, I could laugh it off as long as I could leave a good impression with just one sip.
It should have been so.
“no.”
But Vlad could not lift the teacup.
“You can’t drink it.”
White fingers urgently grabbing the teacup that Vlad was holding.
A girl who was almost lying down on her stomach because of the wide distance between the tables was looking at Vlad.
“…….”
“…….”
The girl’s sudden behavior stopped the air in the cabin.
Not only the elves, but also the knights of Vitskaya were frozen like stones, not knowing what to do about the situation that was unfolding before their eyes.
“……why?”
Vlad barely managed to exhale one word after pulling out what little air was left in his lungs.
However, the girl just buried her face, tried to avoid eye contact, and quietly took Vlad’s teacup.
The girl’s feet bouncing around at the end of the table looked pitiful.
※※※※
Tea time is over.
Meeting elves for the first time in his life was as bitter as the taste lingering on the tip of his tongue, and Vlad was still unable to easily escape from the shock.
“Captain, calm down.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Looking at Vlad’s dazed eyes, Goth tried to calm him down, but the answer he got back was only empty.
“Still, you have to come to your senses. “The elves are still only looking at the leader.”
It was a strange atmosphere.
The elves were wary of Vlad, but they were looking at him with curious eyes.
It was as if he was looking at a strange beast.
“Besides, that kid seems to be of high status. “When I got on the carriage earlier, there were elves waiting next to me.”
Among them, there was a girl who looked at Vlad with the most passionate eyes.
An elf girl named Baradis is holding onto the waist of an elf and sticking her head out to look at her.
Vlad sighed as he looked at the girl whose eyes were desperate for something, but what she was actually doing was pushing him away.
“Anyway, I think it’s wrong to enter the elf forest.”
Although it wasn’t his mistake, something went wrong in Vlad’s recent meeting.
Since the elves already reject humans, they will not view the current situation favorably.
“Now let’s go. “We have to leave before it’s too late.”
“All right.”
Hearing from the Vitskaya knights that they had to cross the cliff before the sun set, Vlad helplessly climbed on top of Noir.
“for a moment.”
Varadis’ voice came from behind the group that was about to head back.
A girl whispering something and Varadis listening with his head down.
Varadis, who was listening to the girl, nodded and smiled awkwardly, stopping Vlad.
“I’m sorry to send you away like this.”
Varadis’ strange expression, not knowing whether he was smiling or angry.
Vlad thought that his cold impression from before was better.
“Please forgive our precious person for the mistake he made towards you.”
“no. it’s okay.”
“I heard something happened in the carriage earlier.”
“…….”
Seeing Vlad silently affirming, Varadis shook Vlad’s hand with a tired expression.
“I hope to see you again soon. “I would like to apologize for today’s rudeness.”
Vlad quietly looked at the hand held out to him.
Does a handshake mean the same thing to elves?
“It’s an invitation method unique to elves. “Unlike humans, we don’t easily shake hands.”
“okay.”
The muffled cries of astonishment from the Vitskaya knights who heard Varadis’ words were heard.
They couldn’t help but be surprised to see Vlad getting permission to do something they had worked so hard to do for a long time in just one day.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
Vlad was confused as he looked at the girl waving her hand in the distance.
Suddenly, it jumped on top of the sleeping person and plunged them into a fantasy.
A tea cup was taken away from someone who was trying to enjoy the tea.
However, now he is inviting me to the forest of elves, saying I will see him next time.
‘what are you doing. now?’
Vlad couldn’t help but think for a moment as he watched the behavior of the most capricious girl he had ever seen.
However, no matter how suspicious the girl’s behavior was, it was impossible to ignore the outstretched hand.
“It will be a valuable opportunity to expand your horizons. “I will definitely visit you sometime.”
“okay. “I hope you’ll come visit sometime.”
The two men’s eyes met each other as they held each other’s hands.
The nervous knights of Vitskaya let out a small sigh at the sight of Vlad hesitating for a moment while shaking Varadis’ hand.
“And be sure to bring the amber stone with you.”
“yes?”
“Our precious person is very interested in it.”
Varadis let go and looked at Vlad again with a cold expression.
“The same goes for you.”
“……”
Vlad listened to Varadis’ words and looked at the girl standing in the distance.
The hand that was hiding behind my back and waving between my sticking out head seemed to be saying, see you next time.
※※※※
“In the end, I didn’t even ask your name.”
Vlad furrowed his brow as if he had just emerged from Noir’s shaking back.
It was a time when things were going crazy, so I couldn’t ask what I should have asked.
“Why the name?”
“I guess I’ll have to call it something when I see it later.”
“Well, she’s pretty, like an elf. “If you grow up just a little bit, it will be hard to even look at you.”
Vlad looked at Goth as if he were pitiful, listening to him smile meaningfully at him.
“Do you want to think like that when you look at your child?”
“How old is that captain?”
Vlad was left speechless by Goth’s question, which he asked in response.
Come to think of it, he himself had only become an adult for a few months.
“…Anyway, I’m an adult.”
“He could be an adult too. “You seem more mature than Gemina.”
Vlad had no choice but to keep his mouth shut as Goth refuted his words with the shameful truth.
In this situation, using Gemina as an example was tantamount to foul play.
“Besides, elves can’t guess age in the first place. Even though it looks like that, it may be over a hundred years old.”
Because she was a long-lived elf, it was difficult to guess her age, but Vlad definitely thought that the golden-eyed girl was not an adult.
The incomprehensible behavior he occasionally displayed clearly seemed insufficient to be considered a mature person.
“It’s around here.”
As I ended the conversation with my mouth deliberately closed, Vitskaya’s driver cautiously approached and reported.
‘It’s more effective than beating it up.’
Until yesterday, the appearance of quietly ignoring him because he was a stranger from the north was gone.
Varadis’ invitation clearly had its effect.
“The area from here to the bridge crossing the cliff is a dangerous area. “Looters mainly came out from around this area.”
After hearing the knight’s explanation, Vlad quickly unfolded the map and estimated the location.
The map reading skills I had learned at Sturmah were finally paying off.
“…The stone bridge I saw on the way seemed the most dangerous.”
“We actually lost a lot of wagons there.”
Vlad was troubled as he watched the sun gradually fall.
The sun was going to set soon, so I wanted to get a seat if possible.
“How about we spend the night here and then leave?”
“That is impossible.”
The Vitskaya knight spoke in a stern tone, as if this wasn’t enough.
“Unlike the elf realm, the forest here is very cold. “If we don’t get to Tanovo as soon as possible, the tea leaves will freeze.”
The elves only picked and dried the leaves of the tea called thujon and did not perform any other processes.
So, unless you quickly return to Tanovo, grind the tea leaves into powder, and compress them into one lump, the leaves of Thujon will quickly freeze.
“From now on, I have to move even if it means reducing my sleeping time.”
“……All right.”
It was something I was prepared to do, but the conditions when I came and when I returned were very different.
Still, I suggested it because I thought it would be okay for a day, but the backlash from the drivers was too strong.
Their position was understandable, as their efforts so far would have been in vain if they were not careful.
“let’s go. Stefan goes to the rear.”
“All right. Sir.”
I was at the front, and the Thorn Mercenaries were at the back of the procession.
Vlad formed a formation with Vitskaya’s knights surrounding both sides of the carriage and began to move forward cautiously.
There would probably be no large bandits who would touch the current procession of only 6 knights.
‘But if he comes out, he definitely has a different purpose.’
No matter how expensive the elves’ cars are, there is a cost that must be paid for everything.
A person who would fight through six knights and ten mercenaries to steal a car must have had other goals than money.
Vlad quietly looked ahead as the forest grew darker.
A stone bridge spanning between the cliffs in front of you.
A stone bridge that looked even more bare in the darkening sky was waiting for the group.
※※※※
At first, I thought it was starlight.
It was a dark night, and because it was a cliff area with a steep slope, the boundary between heaven and earth was not clear.
“Kaaak!”
However, as the starlight approached quickly, Vlad realized that the light was not hanging from the sky.
“It’s an attack!”
“They are looters! “The marauders have come!”
Wildly shaking torches and wailing horses.
In the procession that quickly became noisy, Vlad looked at the knight of Vitskaya who was already lying on the ground.
‘…I didn’t even see it!’
It happened in an instant.
The knight’s brutally distorted breastplate showed how much impact he had received.
“First of all, let’s make a lineup….”
“Everyone, run! “Let’s leave the bridge now!”
On a bridge with openings on all sides.
Vlad shouted loudly as he watched the knights naturally forming their formation.
“But Lord Vlad!”
“Follow my words!”
Vlad quickly placed the fallen knight on the saddle and growled in response.
“If you stop here, he’ll just do whatever he wants!”
The only thing that understands a predator is being a fellow predator.
There must have been a good reason for showing a warning by defeating a knight.
“run! “Go through the bridge!”
“Everyone, hold on to the reins!”
Stefan and Goth loudly repeat Vlad’s commands on a dark bridge.
And the knights of Vitskaya, overwhelmed by Vlad’s sudden change in momentum, had no choice but to hurriedly mount their horses.
Pow!
grasp!
“Rocks are flying!”
“The perch is breaking!”
Perhaps confused by Vlad’s decision to break through the bridge unlike before, the marauder in the dark was hastily extinguishing the torch.
A knight with a sword must be able to face threats.
However, the knight from the back alley was a man who did not mind running away at all.
“Don’t worry, just run!”
Vlad quickly closed his left eye and raised his sword high.
“Just follow me!”
Vlad’s aura forming between the swords.
The carriages began to creak along the only shining light on the dark bridge.
Cough!
‘Where!’
This time, Vlad hit the rock flying towards him and quickly assessed its direction.
The trembling tip of the sword gave an idea of the power of the stone that had just flown.
‘There’s only one!’
It came from many places, adding to the confusion, but it was clearly thrown by one person.
Vlad’s sensitive ears picked up the sound of someone’s footsteps moving about in the darkness.
‘come!’
Vlad gritted his teeth and looked at the end of the bridge.
It certainly didn’t look dark, but the unknown looter was standing in front of the path they were about to take, catching his breath.
“Rush forward like this!”
The group runs like an angry bull.
A small horn was sprouting from the forehead of Noir, who was at the forefront.
‘Piercing!’
Vlad was planning on stepping on the marauders with this momentum.
The person currently blocking the group was clearly a master, so if they lost their current momentum, they might never have the chance to cross the bridge again.
“Knights! Everyone prepare for the attack…”
Vlad shouted loudly, but could not bear to continue his next words.
Because it was getting brighter from that end as if receiving the light of dawn.
‘shit!’
Vlad sensed the sudden change in the power of the raider and quickly evoked his own world.
Only Aurors can stand against Aurors.
The only person here who could create an aura was himself.
“Noir!”
Heeheeh-!
At Vlad’s shout, the spirit of the grassland, which pierced even the troll, slowly began to take on its own form.
The trick of a one-hit kill is its unexpectedness.
And the best way to create surprises is speed.
Only unexpected speed can block the blow of the man in front of me.
“now!”
Vlad and Noir, who had been in line with the procession until now, took advantage of the strange rhythm and quickly ran forward.
At a speed three to four times faster than the speed I have been running so far.
The eyes of the unknown man who was looking at that scene were widening.
“Drill it!”
It ends in one blow.
Just the way the voice told me.
White lightning that could not be captured was flowing from Vlad’s left eye, which he was trying hard to close.
Kwasik-!
Kwazizig-!
Dawn light and white lightning.
Lights of the same color collided once, creating a loud roar on the bridge.
※※※※
“……The path of the sword must be right, straight, and without hesitation.”
Gray hood half torn.
Red blood was splashing between the white hair and wrinkles visible between them.
“And the only thing that opens the way is a strike without hesitation based on unexpectedness.”
“…cough.”
Through his fading mind, Vlad reached out little by little to pick up the sword that was far away.
However, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the voice I soon heard.
“That is the trick of killing with a single blow.”
“……what?”
Carriages stopped.
Noir collapsed.
And Vlad is lying on the ground looking at an unknown man.
“Who the hell are you?”
A drop of blood was flowing from between his pure white eyebrows.
“Who are you, using the imperial swordsmanship?”
There was a thick layer of fog on the dark cliff where light and light had disappeared.
The gazes of the two men, who were walking the same path but did not know each other, became entangled.
