Star-Embracing Swordmaster – 61



Village of Fog (3)

A woman wearing old robes but her sword contains divine power.

A boy who looks like a mercenary but already has his own world.

They realized that their backgrounds were unusual but their swords were already intertwined.

The sword is fast the horse is slow.

If you choose to use one sword move you can overpower your opponent but it will take time to explain the current complex situation in words.

“….”

The green-eyed woman did not want to talk about a definite method.

Because it would be much safer that way.

[…React!]

The woman who seems to have decided to subdue him is rushing towards Vlad.

The voice ordered the boy to respond as if he couldn’t do it.

The situation has moved on and there is no turning back now.

“Tch!”

Vlad accepted her attack with the feeling that it was a good thing.

I was also curious about the existence of a paladin something I had encountered for the first time in my life.

Wow-!

Vlad’s world struck down her sword filled with the will of God.

As worlds met sparks flew out and at the same time Vlad’s world was greatly shaken like a dying candle.

‘It’s too heavy!’

When Vlad encountered the paladin’s sword for the first time he was greatly embarrassed.

Her sword came with insufficient weight and speed to cause the same shock as it did now but when it actually made contact it had a power comparable to that of Xayar.

It was an unconvincing result.

[That is a blessing. It’s proof that the world is helping her.]

‘…Where is that?!’

Just by following God’s will you can compensate for the power that is greater than your original ability.

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Thinking that the world was unfair Vlad closed his left eye once again.

An unadorned sword that slowly begins to burn with the boy’s determination.

Although it was a weak energy compared to the divine power emitted by an unknown paladin Vlad was proud of the world he had built solely with his own strength.

Because it was something that no one could take away from him.

‘I can see it.’

Through the sparring with Xayar which was like a real battle I had already become somewhat accustomed to fighting.

When Vlad looked at it the woman in front of him was full of gaps.

‘I can finish it.’

The trick to killing with a single blow comes from controlling the battlefield.

If you can induce the opponent’s movements you can lay the foundation for victory.

Vlad who had strengthened his resolve charged in with lightning-like movement.

Vlad aiming for the shoulder held his breath as he prepared for the reaction that was about to come.

‘what?’

However the woman’s response is only an attack not a defense as expected.

The knight who obeyed God’s will simply moved forward leaving alone the part the boy was trying to bite.

“…!”

Vlad knew she was a paladin so he didn’t want to hurt her too much.

However her attack method was so extreme that in this situation the one who retreats first suffers great damage.

Teuung-!

Vlad had no choice but to slash his sword at the paladin but her plate armor hidden under her robes subtly distracted the tip of Vlad’s sword.

It was an armor spell that the Holy Knights boasted about.

‘…!’

The RBI missed and Vlad’s balance began to fall for a moment.

At that moment the woman’s green eyes lit up and she kicked Vlad’s ankle hard.

Bingle-

The world was spinning.

‘What is this?’

Even as she was falling down in vain Vlad was remembering her movements a moment ago until the very end.

From the incomprehensible concept of blessing to the skill of handling armor that I have never seen before.

Because it was unfamiliar and intense it was a scene not easily forgotten even at the moment of defeat.

Kwaang-!

After a moment of meditation-like thought Vlad was thrown hard into the ground.

“Big!”

Soon the cool touch of a sword was felt on the back of the boy’s neck.

“Who are you?”

Vlad raised his head and faced an unknown paladin looking down at him.

The eyes were the same color as Oksana’s but the temperature was different.

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Vlad smiled helplessly as he looked at her face without even a drop of sweat.

You deliberately showed a loophole.

“…I am from Shoara. “I had something to investigate here.”

The trick of killing with a single blow comes from controlling the battlefield.

However the person who controlled the battlefield just now was not a boy but an unknown paladin.

New target new technology.

The boy who glimpsed another world today raised his hands and admitted his defeat.

With another color like a wound engraved into his world.

※※※※

In an inn where the only guests were the group there were knights facing each other across a table.

Vlad who was watching them from across the brazier took a sip of the glass of water he was holding.

Perhaps because it was a situation created by his own defeat it was bittersweet to swallow.

“It must have been heaven’s will that I could meet the knights of Shoara here.”

“I think so too. “Justia.”

The knights I met in a village surrounded by a suspicious fog.

The orders on each other’s backs may be different but they have clearly followed a suspicious sign.

“I was investigating strange incidents of children dying around here. “At first I went into the investigation thinking it might be an infectious disease or something.”

The woman Vlad was secretly following was a paladin sent by the church just as the voice said.

To be exact one of the personnel dispatched from the Northern Archdiocese of San Logino.

The church had already noticed the troubles taking place in Baron Utman.

“It was a curse. “I found traces of something old.”

“okay.”

At Justia’s words Gregory stroked his strong beard and began to worry.

He had expected it but with her appearance this matter was beyond his authority and ability.

“But it looks like there is a church here too.”

It was a question I barely brought up after worrying about whether it might be rude but the answer I actually got was cold and cold.

“I believe that the church here is the subject of the curse.”

“…oh.”

Gregory decided to keep quiet as he watched the knight who followed God’s will point out the church as the culprit.

The situation was more serious than expected and this was not their territory.

“Please say thank you to the new mayor of Shoara. “The mayor’s attitude of trying to prepare for it using information we didn’t know was truly excellent.”

Although she was speaking back Justia’s words were essentially a request to not approach Gregory any further.

This was not the land of Bayezid and anything related to black magic had to be done by the church.

The knights of Shoara who were in an ambiguous position had no reason to proceed any further.

“All right.”

A line was drawn in the conversation between the two people.

The investigation team’s work ends here.

They confirmed the ominous situation in the Barony of Utman and secured the testimony of a paladin from San Logino.

Although the missing women were not found approaching the situation any further would be a burden to Josef.

Because this was not their territory.

Faced with the weight of authority and responsibility the knights decided to take a step back.

“….”

Vlad flicked the glass of water he was holding as a bitter feeling rose up from within.

It seemed that Anna would not be found in the end.

Vlad kept his mouth shut thinking of the woman who smiled miserably at him.

※※※※

Justia said that she had already sent Jeonseo-gu to request support.

Since other knights were expected to arrive within three days at the latest Gregory said he would stay by Justia’s side until then.

Perhaps that was the best ending Gregory could have chosen.

“Are we going now?”

“huh.”

Inside a quiet inn looking out onto the empty square Vlad was having a conversation with a child.

“Why are you going already?”

“I did all the work.”

“…There is no ending in this world.”

It may not have been intentional but for a young girl to say something it seemed to hit the nail on the head so Vlad cleared his throat for no reason.

“You don’t have any friends? “Why have you been here since earlier?”

“Dad I don’t want you to go out.”

At those words Vlad carefully turned his head and looked towards the counter.

There was the owner of the inn who was looking at him with angry eyes.

“Just wait a little longer and then go. “I heard the church would give me a gift in just a little while.”

“…what?”

Vlad felt a sense of discomfort that he couldn’t ignore as the girl’s words flowed out inadvertently.

When Vlad looked at the owner with a look in his eyes asking what this meant he began to explain supplementing what his daughter had said.

“What do you mean that we will soon gather the children at the church and hold a congratulatory message? “As a parent of a child I am very grateful in these dire times.”

“…When did you say that?”

“When did you say that? “I don’t remember much.”

The innkeeper scratched his head and frowned as if he really couldn’t remember.

“Is it 3 days later or 4 days later? Well anyway the priest will go around and collect the children himself.”

Vlad looked at the girl sitting next to him leaving behind the innkeeper’s words that said the man was a very good priest.

A wooden necklace carved with a church pattern.

Vlad’s eyes deepened as he looked at the necklace which was carved properly but the part where it was hung was made subtly so it kept taking on an unclean shape.

“Are you going to stay until then?”

Vlad was at a loss for words for a moment as he looked at the girl with innocent eyes and an ominous symbol hanging on her.

The child will know nothing.

Therefore the child will not do anything wrong.

God knows too.

“I guess I’ll stay until then.”

“flaw!”

As soon as Vlad finished answering the child quickly put the thing he was wriggling into his hand.

It seemed like he had sensed an opportunity during the conversation.

“what’s this?”

“Flower ring.”

“How can you make a flower ring if there are no flowers?”

As Vlad said it was a flower ring filled with only green stems.

Since he couldn’t get out properly it seemed like he made it from ivy hanging on the wall.

I was a child who needed to run around outside and pick flowers but reality did not allow that.

“Then let’s go outside for a moment…”

“Marian.”

The innkeeper who had been quietly listening to the conversation between Vlad and the child opened his mouth.

“Now go up. “It’s time to sleep.”

“but….”

At the innkeeper’s stern expression the child stood up next to Vlad with a gloomy expression.

As a child who had to be alone all day talking with Vlad must have been the first pleasure I felt in a long time.

“Are you really going to be here tomorrow too?”

“maybe.”

Then the child follows his owner back to his room waving his small hand and saying “See you tomorrow.”

Vlad looked at that and waved his hand along.

“….”

On the first floor where no one was around Vlad quietly looked down at the flower ring the girl gave him.

The damp foggy reality did not allow the girl even a single flower.

When Vlad was lost in thought looking at the fog surrounding the outside the curse on the girl’s neck and the flowerless flower ring the child gave him.

“Marian! Marian!”

“…!”

Suddenly a man’s scream-like cry was heard echoing throughout the quiet inn.

“what!”

“What’s going on!”

The people on the second floor were startled by the sound and ran down.

Vlad who was sitting alone on the first floor swore a word and quickly ran into the room where the innkeeper and the child had just disappeared.

“shit!”

Vlad who seemed to know what the scream he just heard meant quickly ran towards the inside of the counter where the innkeeper and the child were.

“no! Marian!”

Vlad roughly opened the door and saw a child lying there with a pale face.

The innkeeper is crying while holding a child and the girl is crying and holding a foamy mouth.

[It seems like a curse has been activated. It seems they noticed us.]

Just as Justia and Shoara’s investigation team noticed the uniqueness of this place the opposing team also noticed the presence of the knights.

This village was practically in their hands.

They seemed to have decided to make the first move rather than wait quietly.

[I will lend you my world.]

It may not be possible to solve the problem by looking at it but at least the voice tried to make the boy understand the situation.

“….”

A crying father and a girl breathing heavily. And knights who cannot move easily.

Meanwhile Vlad opened the world of voices and looked at the girl who was twisting in pain.

A world of richly colored voices.

The sight seen there was a black hand mercilessly twisting the girl’s neck and a thin line of smoke coming out of the girl’s mouth.

[It seems to be a curse that drains life force.]

The smoke was escaping from the suffocating girl and flowing outward through the inn’s windows.

It was in the direction where the church was.

“…The curse has been activated. “It seems they have noticed my presence.”

“Justia.”

Justia who was quietly watching the scene hoped that it would be of some help so she secured the girl’s airway and without hesitation she put on the robe she was holding.

She would know very well.

In order to resolve the current situation the culprit must be eliminated.

“If I don’t come back please explain the situation to my colleagues who will arrive later.”

“….”

Gregory who was standing next to her couldn’t say anything and just bit his lip.

Knights who leave to follow God’s will and knights who remain bound by responsibility and authority.

Even though they saw the same things the choices made by the two worlds were different.

Without any hesitation Vlad watched Justia leave into the fog and followed her outside the inn without realizing it.

“…Try to breathe!”

“The child is strange!”

“no! no!”

In the square the boy followed without thinking.

One by one lights came on in the houses beyond the fog and along with them the miserable cries of parents were heard.

The empty square was filled with only crying.