CHAPTER 52

Every sword has its own purpose.

Just as the situations where large swords and small swords can be used differ, it can't simply be said that a sharp sword is always better than a dull one.

Vordan, who was always pushed around by Josef, was also such a person.

Though old and chubby, and a knight who didn't even know how to properly handle a sword, Josef chose to keep him by his side.

Because he was a person who could definitely be used.

"Have you completely sealed off the other alleys?"

"Of course... I've done my best."

The mayor of Shoara nodded to the chubby knight in front of him, wiping sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.

Though he was just a mere knight, the mayor, who seemed to know the ins and outs of city affairs, raised both hands in resignation.

He was curious where this man had come in from.

"Why did you let it escalate to this point in the first place? Even the count knows about it."

"Because One-Armed Jack is quite skilled... But after today, won't the cancer of Shoara be removed?"

Looking at the knight who bore the authority of the count, the mayor revealed a continual sense of consternation, but Vordan, in response to the mayor's words, just grinned.

'The cancer must be you.'

Birds of a feather flock together.

How could a man like One-armed Jack manage to rule over such a vast underworld ecosystem called the back alleys?

It must have all happened under the tacit approval of this man, who bears the title of mayor.

"By the way, when will the knight who will enter come? The one specially sent from the Bayezid family..."

The mayor had gathered not only soldiers but also all the knights dispatched to Shoara, but Vordan refused, saying that there was someone else in charge of this matter.

This wasn't simply about taking down One-armed Jack, the boss of the back alleys.

It was also Vlad's official debut match arranged by the Bayezid family.

"It seems he's coming over there."

The dimly lit street of the back alley.

There was a man walking alone along it.

Drops of blood that had not yet dried were falling from the dangling sword.

"Just one person?"

"..."

The mayor, seeing only one figure no matter how he looked, frowned in puzzlement, but Vordan simply answered with silence.

"Have you arrived?"

"Yes. Lord Vordan."

The boy emanated a strong smell of blood from his cloak.

Seeing Vlad for the first time, the mayor was surprised by his appearance and the aura he exuded.

'It doesn't fit him like this.'

Behind his handsome face was an expression of an animal.

The blonde hair that everyone would admire was shiny and wet with blood, and the vivid blue eyes had a strange glow that made them look blue even at night.

"Preparations have been made."

"Thank you."

"But wouldn't it be better to enter with the soldiers now? If you were to be seriously injured, I would truly lose face in front of Lord Josef."

Upon hearing Vordan's words, Vlad chuckled.

His consistent attitude of always worrying about his own safety was, in a way, trustworthy.

"Even if I get hurt, I'll make sure it doesn't harm you, Lord Vordan."

"...That's not possible."

Confirming his determination, Vordan personally took out Vlad's unique flag.

Though it only had two emblems on it, being able to hold it was a great honor for an individual.

"Is that a banner?"

"I thought the tradition had disappeared."

As Vlad and Vordan walked, the soldiers began to murmur softly.

What they were about to witness was nothing short of a reenactment of a fading scene from the history of the North.

"Plant the flag."

"Yes."

Vlad planted his flag into the ground, handed to him by Vordan.

From now on, this land is my territory.

Under the honorable names that guarantee me, I will now exercise my rights.

Even at the expense of your lives.

"Good."

Confirming that Vlad's declaration was properly stated, Vordan took out a parchment from his pocket and unfolded it.

The boy with the honorable flag.

The chubby knight with the count's orders.

Each had their own role to fulfill.

"Listen up, One-armed Jack, the scum of the back alleys! You have been ignoring the rules and laws set by the Bayezid family and sucking the lifeblood of the people!"

Reading out the contents of the parchment on behalf of Vlad, who was weak in etiquette and procedure, Vordan unfolded the parchment and went through its contents.

For those seeing Vordan's confident proclamation for the first time, the knights couldn't help but applaud in admiration.

"Therefore, I, Peter Bayezid, the rightful owner of Shoara, cannot stand idly by any longer, and sent forth Vlad, as my representative. Henceforth, all authority exercised by him is the right jointly endorsed by me, the rightful owner of Shoara, and the faithful church!"

After Josef had drafted and Peter had approved, when the declaration from the Bayezid's knight came to an end, the soldiers' cheers echoed loudly.

"Bayezid! Bayezid!"

"Kill One-armed Jack!"

"May the gods protect him!"

"Open the door, One-armed Jack and his minions! Accept the rightful representative!"

However, even after Vordan's solemn declaration, the Rose's Smiles remained firmly shut.

It was the expected choice.

Whether they opened the door or not, all that awaited them was a cruel demise.

"My task here is done."

"Thank you."

Vlad, having finished cleaning his plain sword, listened to Vordan's words and quietly adjusted his breath.

"Once again, there was no need to go this far. There must be at least 50 people inside. So..."

"I said I would do it this way."

"...Understood."

Looking into the determined blue eyes of Vlad, Vordan nodded and took a step back.

With his own world in hand, that kid would undoubtedly have his own stubbornness.

Only those who have confidence in their own path can handle the aura.

Vordan's task, undertaken to assist Vlad in place of the incapacitated Josef and Zayar, was now complete.

He had effectively pressured the mayor and successfully utilized Shoara's administrative power to blockade One-armed Jack.

All that remained was the execution of the rightful representative.

Vlad remained silent, his hand resting on his unadorned sword, his eyes closed.

The soldiers around him nodded in approval, as if Vlad's posture resembled a prayer. They all thought he appeared befitting of the role of the rightful representative, but as always, reality was far from their assumptions.

[They are probably already preparing.]

'I know.'

[You need to broaden your horizons. This will be a completely different battle from before.]

'I understand.'

Having successfully established his own world, Vlad no longer felt the need to speak aloud with voice.

There was a horizon where the boundaries of worlds met.

[Begin in splendor. The foundation of every battle is seizing the initiative.]

Having received the final advice, Vlad closed his left eye.

Slowly, the aura began to permeate his plain sword.

"It's an aura!"

"At that age?"

The soldiers murmured with excitement, and Jack's henchmen, who had been observing from the window, hurriedly closed the curtains, startled.

The key to a one-hit kill lies in its unpredictability.

And the boy currently emanating the aura was nothing if not unpredictable.

"....I am Vlad of Shoara."

Vlad thought within his own world.

If he hadn't called for Godin that day, could Jorge have survived?

If One-armed Jack hadn't threatened Jorge, would Vlad have called for Godin?

"I am not only the rightful representative but also the rightful avenger."

Countless what-ifs had haunted his mind, but ultimately, there was only one conclusion:

One-armed Jack must die.

"I have come here to end our struggle."

His world was devouring his own.

As Josef had said, messy ties needed to be severed for progress.

"I have returned, One-armed Jack!"

With a resounding cry, Vlad charged towards the broken nest, towards Rose's smiles.

I have returned.

To bring everything to an end.

Crack!

The boy's tightly held world split apart Jack's world.

Under the boy's intense onslaught, the stolen Rose's Smiles finally blossomed open.

※※※※

Crash!

What power is this!

The men blocking the door stumbled backward, clumsily rolling to the ground as they failed to withstand the boy's strike.

Merely organization members, they were woefully inadequate against the boy's sword, which embodied his world.

"Stop him from getting in!"

"Strike him down!"

Amidst the flying splinters of wood,

The boy's golden hair scattered,

Mixed with someone's blood droplets.

As soon as he see Rose's Smiles,

Sharp blades flashed from various directions.

They thrust their sharp blades towards the boy charging through the broken door,

But...

Thunk! Thunk! 

The boy's swift counterattack carved paths through the wicked blades' onslaught.

Compared to the knight who was like a castle wall, their strikes were feeble.

"Kwaaak!"

"This madman!"

Vlad was no longer someone who used half-baked counterattacks.

If he found an opening, he had to dive in.

In order to dig in, he has to extend his sword.

That's what Zayar had said.

Godin had swept away all of Jorge's daggers with his sword, but Vlad could not do that.

However, if there were only a few surrounding him, it might be possible.

"Haah!"

The boy's sword gleamed in an instant.

In a flash, Jack's bewildered henchmen had no choice but to surrender their vulnerable bodies without any defense.

From the tip of the boy's sword, roses bloomed gloriously, just like that day.

"Throw the nets! Iron nets!"

Jack's henchmen were taken aback by the boy's fierce charge like a bison.

The boy shining brightly before their eyes was not the Vlad they knew.

"Hurry!"

Now that Jack's henchmen understood the situation, they attempted to resist, but Vlad didn't move according to their will.

Clang!

In the vast lobby and the corridors surrounding it, iron nets were being thrown.

Although the nets fell precisely where Vlad had been, he had already widened his field of view as advised by the voice.

"······!"

Sensing malice, Vlad swiftly rolled along the familiar hallway, even with his eyes closed.

It was always the hallway where he carried out his pushes.

"Too fast!"

"It can't be reached from our side!"

Vlad skillfully evaded the nets with his swift movements, hiding behind pillars and relentlessly attacking the men who stood still, unaware of what to do.

"Aaah!"

"That brat is too fast!"

Jack's henchmen couldn't cope with Vlad's agile movements, combined with his elite training.

Vlad was a potential target for the prestigious Bayezid family in the North.

"Block the stairs! There's only one staircase here!"

"After firmly blocking it, make them charge!"

Faced with the obstruction, Jack's henchmen quickly converged towards the central staircase.

It was a basic strategy to seize control of high and narrow spaces.

"······!"

And Vlad was well aware of that common sense.

Watching Jack's henchmen converge towards the stairs, Vlad's eyes gleamed.

The key to a one-hit kill lies in controlling the battlefield.

By unexpectedly crushing the enemy and controlling the battlefield, one can confine the opponent within their own world.

If that is possible, a fatal blow can be delivered to the opponent.

"What's that!"

Vlad quickly rushed towards the window side near the entrance and cut the large curtain hanging by the window.

Then, naturally grabbing the rope hanging down, he leaped towards the second floor.

It was the curtain he had lifted for the little red-haired girl.

"Insane! He's flying!"

"Get your weapons! Charge!"

Jack's henchmen, trapped by Vlad's intentions, tried to block him as he charged towards them, but it was too late.

"Is this all you've got? You bastards!"

Vlad shouted fiercely as he cut through the men.

Although the blades wielded by the men were razor-sharp, their approach was predictable.

Dealing with Zayar in a duel was far more threatening.

"Aaah!"

"Get the bows! Bring the bows!"

Despite their unexpectedly swift appearance, a few who knew how to shoot bows came down from the third floor and aimed at Vlad.

"······!"

The first floor was the lobby, the second floor was the window.

"Fire!"

Vlad quickly opened the door to the room, protecting himself from the arrows.

It was the room where Anna, who had been unfairly beaten for a short period of time, was staying.

Tatadatang-!

The narrow corridor made it impossible to avoid the arrows, which were blocked by the doors to the prostitutes's rooms.

Although the specially requested room Marcella had booked was now reduced to shreds by Jack's henchmen, she would understand.

"Aaah!"

Vlad forcefully shoved Jack's henchmen who hadn't yet left their positions into the open room doors.

The men, suddenly trapped in a tight space, began to struggle.

"Die!"

"Aaaargh!"

Instead of prostitutes, it was the men who were thrown onto the beds and impaled by a sharp sword.

One man per room.

Vlad, the youngest member, dutifully followed the rule of the Rose's Smiles.

Tatadatang-!

Opening doors to block arrows.

Grabbing someone and thrusting.

Repeatedly performing the simple yet ruthless task, Vlad advanced towards Jack on the fourth floor.

Though the twenty-silver shorts allowed only a brief moment to indulge one's desires, now no one would dare to complain.

The men Vlad pushed into the rooms would remain lying on damp beds indefinitely.

"Go up! Go up!"

"That crazy bastard!"

"Is that Vlad?"

Jack's henchmen, who couldn't stop the boy on the first or second floors, were now rushing up to the third floor.

Any formations they had set up at the start had long since crumbled.

[······Looks like you have killed over twenty.]

The voice faltered upon seeing Vlad's superior agility and determination, far beyond what was expected.

With his innate talent, intense effort, and unwavering determination, Vlad was natural at killing people.

"Block the stairs!"

"It's okay! There are no curtains this time!"

Once again, Jack's henchmen, who had blocked the stairs, were holding their weapons aloft, staring at the boy.

"Come on in! You bastard!"

"Phew..."

Vlad, who had been relentlessly swinging his sword, paused for a moment to catch his breath and assess the situation.

No matter how much he controlled his own world, throwing himself into such a narrow gap was something he had to avoid.

'Is this it?'

Vlad looked up and slowly walked down the second-floor corridor, which was littered with corpses.

There were traces he needed to find.

'Here!'

His mentor and senior, Burleigh, had good skills but was inherently lazy.

Perhaps because of this, Burleigh had a natural talent for filling in gaps with whatever he could find.

That paved the way for the boy.

Perhaps it was a trace of consideration for his junior.

Thunk!

"....What's that?"

"Why is there a hole?"

Just by bringing the tip of his sword, the ceiling on the second floor was pierced.

It was where Burleigh had made repairs.

Vlad smiled at Jack's henchmen who were foolishly holding their weapons.

"I'm coming in. Boys."

"Stop him!"

"He's coming up. That crazy guy's coming up!"

Ignoring the henchmen's frantic shouts, Vlad sheathed his sword and swiftly dashed down the corridor, utilizing the momentum gained from there to deftly place his hand on the floor with a hole and launch himself upward.

Using his freed hands to hoist himself up like a spring, Vlad successfully drew his sword again.

"Haah..."

A rightful avenger.

A born killer.

Vlad, who succeeded in climbing to the third floor, looked relaxed as if he had just returned home and took out the water jug ​​that had been left in the prostitutes' room.

"...."

Seeing Vlad in such a state overwhelmed Jack's henchmen. What kind of experiences could transform a person like that?

"Wanna take a break? I can keep going though."

"Y-you bastard!"

The boy chuckled as he tightened the lid of the water jug, his smile deepening with each kill, throwing Jack's henchmen into a state of panic.

"You should at least pay the rent of the house. You guys."

Jack's henchmen thought this place was their territory, but they were mistaken.

This was Rose's Smiles.

The boy's nest.