CHAPTER 72

"I've come to see Lord Vlad."

"······."

Marcella's eyes widened as she looked at the men gathered in the inn that hadn't even opened yet.

The same was true for the former prostitutes and current employees who had been maintaining Rose's Smiles for a long time.

They had never seen such well-behaved guests in their lifetime as prostitutes.

"Oh, Vlad······ Lord Vlad just left for some business."

There was no need to attach the honorific, but Marcella realized that now was the time to elevate Vlad's presence as much as possible.

Her senses, honed from a lifetime of dealing with people, told her that.

"He seems quite busy these days. I guess it's because he is a talent that the mayor cherishes."

"Oh, yes. That must be it."

The men crowded in the inn nodded in agreement as they listened to Marcella explaining the situation with a bright smile.

Marcella's graceful mannerisms instilled trust in the men with just her smile alone.

"So, when do you think he'll be back?"

"I'm not sure myself. Would you like to leave a message?"

In a standoff with the barbarians that lasted more than a day, the old knight threatened with his sword and the young squire used his force to block them.

The merchants heading to Varna and the people there could witness the confrontation of the two and the result was what they saw now.

The rumors about Vlad that had been circulating finally had some substance, spreading among the people in Shoara.

"Zemina."

The men who left gifts along with their names to be conveyed to Vlad.

As they left, Marcella called for the girl who had been observing the situation from the second floor.

"Yes, madam."

Zemina responded to Marcella's call with a slightly timid demeanor.

The brighter the boy shone, the more Zemina felt her own spirit wane.

She couldn't be sure if her plain self could continue to be by Vlad's side.

"From now on, you'll be in charge of all the guests who come to see Vlad."

"Me?"

And Marcella, who knew why Zemina felt demoralized, decided to give the girl a chance.

Marcella was sincerely one of those who cheered for the girl and firmly believed that Zemina had the qualifications for it.

"But······."

Zemina was taken aback by Marcella's words.

Not only were her words shocking, but she also knew it herself.

"Everyone seems to be gathering around one person······ It seems more appropriate for madam to handle it."

It was undoubtedly a great opportunity, but Zemina, with her neck shrunk, rejected Marcella's offer.

One of the biggest reasons was not only her lack of confidence in her abilities but also the fear that she might make a mistake and bring trouble to Vlad.

"Zemina."

Seeing the dejected Zemina, Marcella spoke in a firm tone.

"If you're deemed qualified to receive Vlad's guests, there's no one here more qualified than you. Isn't that so?"

"······."

The women around Marcella affirmed her question in silence.

Without the red-haired girl, Vlad might not be where he is now.

So Zemina needed to be a bit more confident in Vlad's success.

"Me······?"

"Yes. You."

"I'm sure I'll make mistakes. I don't know much either."

Marcella nodded as she looked at Zemina looking up at her with wide eyes.

Of course, just because she was told to do it doesn't mean she could perform well immediately.

To serve important guests, she would need to accumulate her own experience and knowledge, and Zemina wasn't familiar with such things yet.

"What if you make mistakes? Vlad should be able to handle that much."

But there was no need to worry.

There was a woman here who was the best at serving guests.

"And this time, he even asked you to lead the horse? Look at this. Vlad still needs you."

Zemina quietly nodded as Marcella's words rang quietly in her ears.

The boy clearly owed something to the girl.

Even if she were to demand it now, it wouldn't be an unreasonable request.

And if the reason for it was to struggle to stand by the boy's side, then even more so.

Marcella gently lifted Zemina's head, lost in thought, and shaped her appearance.

Indeed, it seemed to fit her thoughts perfectly.

"Let's go to my room later."

"Yes?"

Zemina gave Marcella a puzzled look, but she just smiled.

Going to the battlefield wasn't just for men.

Women had their own battlefields as well.

And today, Marcella planned to impart to Zemina the weapons of a woman, just as Jorge had given Vlad a dagger.

※※※※

"The Gaidar family won't come straight north."

Larmund was drinking the tea provided by Josef and sharing his judgment based on his experience.

"Expansion requires stability. Although the momentum of expansion is fierce, remnants of the former rulers, the Rabnoma family, still linger in various parts of the west."

Josef was listening attentively to Larmund's words.

As a knight from the north, Larmund had been active in the west when he served as the lowest rank.

"Furthermore, behind them lies the Dwarven Liberation Front. If there is an order, wouldn't it be better to solve the concerns behind them rather than advance north or central?"

"....I was thinking the same."

As Josef spoke, a letter from someone was placed in front of him.

It was a letter stamped with the seal of the Hainal family.

"But there is cause for concern."

Larmund reassured Josef that there was nothing to worry about for the time being, but he himself leaned back in his chair, sighed deeply, and continued, "What do you mean?"

In response to Josef's question, Larmund weakly smiled and turned his head.

"I only have one ducat left, and there was a reason I thought I should use that for Bayezid's squire."

Although it was a retirement ceremony to be released from honor and duty and return to being a pure natural being, the pitiful knight continued to think of Bayezid until the last moment.

He had been loyal, protected it all his life, and it was a place he loved.

"The knights of the west have already surpassed the north."

"Is that so?"

However, no matter how affectionate the place was, evaluations had to be made coldly.

Larmund firmly believed that doing so was truly for the sake of Bayezid.

"I can't help but feel like I've been too complacent. The moment I saw the knights of the west, I realized I hadn't finished what I needed to do."

With those words, Larmund closed his eyes and recalled the old days in the north.

The relentless onslaught of barbarians and monsters.

And the discrimination in the central region is colder than the cold of the north wind.

The knights of the north were people who fought against all of that.

Therefore, they were stronger and more honorable than knights from any other region.

"Perhaps because of the nature of the frontier, the knights there are always hungry and want to steal. Young master, you will have to prepare for them."

However, time marches on, and people cannot always greet the next era in the same way.

The empire weakened, the rough north stabilized, and meanwhile, the west expanded.

Now was a time when the balance of power was shifting.

"...."

Josef rose from his seat and approached the window, guided by the elegant scenery of Shoara, which always seemed to lead his footsteps to the window.

"....But the north still bears strong fruit, does it not?"

And the view outside the window comforted Josef's frustrated heart.

Larmund nodded quietly at Josef's words.

"Of course."

People were gathering at the gates of Shoara Castle, visible in the distance.

Although the era of the old man might have passed, a new era was rising once again.

※※※※

"Why are so many people gathering here?"

[Something interesting has come, so naturally people will come to see.]

Struggling to control the black horse with barely held reins, Vlad lost his words at the voice's response.

"Interesting?"

[Of course it's interesting. Just think about what you've been doing all this time.]

"······."

After pondering the events of the past few days prompted by the voice's words, Vlad indeed understood what was being said.

Vlad had been making desperate attempts to drag the black horse into Shoara Castle all this time.

He tried covering its eyes, pulling with force, tempting with food, even begging and scratching his head in frustration.

He even tried to seduce it using the mare according to Gott's suggestion, but the black steed didn't budge.

A boy who had been making a name for himself in this way for a long time was doing something unusual, so people's attention was likely to be focused on him.

"······But is it really necessary for so many people to gather like this?"

And today marked the final moment of that endeavor.

Vlad bit his lip at the people's perverse attention, but he was confident that this time it would be different and pulled the pitch-black horse to the front of the castle gate.

"How long are you going to make me wait!"

As Vlad made up his mind, someone's voice sounded in his ears.

Turning his head, Vlad saw Zemina standing in front of the gate, dressed in a red gown with her head and face veiled by cloth.

"Why are you wearing a dress?"

[The dress is a woman's combat uniform. I admired her well-prepared appearance.]

Vlad, who had been muttering despite her request, turned his head and shouted loudly that he was ready.

"Zemina! That's enough!"

"······."

Not just Zemina but also the bystanders held their breaths at Vlad's words.

"Alright."

Taking a deep breath, Zemina nodded in understanding at Vlad's signal.

Feeling the weight of the people's gazes and finding the black horse larger than she had anticipated, Zemina bit her lip and then removed the cloth covering her head.

If she hesitated out of fear, she wouldn't be qualified to stand by the boy's side.

"······Oh."

"Wow. It was really worth hiding it."

Along with the girl's determination and the admiration of the people, a gorgeous red flower bloomed under the shining sunlight.

Finally revealing herself, Zemina's red hair indeed captured the attention of the black horse as intended.

"······Why did you wear earrings?"

"They match the dress!"

The girl, wearing a fancy dress and sparkling earrings, looked completely different from Zemina Vlad had seen before.

Even Vlad was momentarily speechless at the sight of Zemina's dazzling appearance.

"Here. This way."

However, Zemina ignored Vlad's remarks and focused on the black horse in front of her.

Vlad might not have known, but Zemina had prepared herself for this moment.

"Good. Come here."

With determined resolve, the red-haired girl shook the bouquet of roses hidden behind her back.

The black horse began to move as it saw the girl, who was filled with red roses in her petite frame.

"He is moving!"

"It's working!"

The surrounding people applauded in admiration at the current situation.

The boy who caught the attention of a Bayezid, the confident black horse, and now the unbelievably colorful girl, all marched together in a dazzling spectacle.

As the three of them filled the street with their vibrant display, the onlookers found themselves inexplicably drawn to the scene.

With a triumphant neigh, the black horse finally entered through the castle gate along with the boy holding the reins, prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers.

"There's really nothing he can't do!"

Despite Vlad's grumbling about becoming a spectacle, the situation had already slipped from his grasp.

"Keep pulling!"

"Great job!"

The crowd was in awe of this extraordinary sight, where a small girl effortlessly pulled a massive horse.

A girl with fiercely raised eyes, clutching the hem of her skirt with one hand and holding up a bouquet of red flowers with the other.

The confident appearance that anyone could see was reminiscent of a knight with his sword drawn.

"Zemina! Lady Zemina!"

Amidst the crowd's admiration, someone began shouting loudly.

"She is the Lady in Red! Shoara's Rose!"

A young man with brown hair, walking with a limp and a cane, shouted for everyone to hear.

"Lady Zemina!"

"Zemina! The Lady in Red!"

Joined by the enthusiasm of Harven's Vanguard, the surrounding crowd began to chant loudly.

Harven chuckled loudly as he watched the scene unfold before him.

Has there ever been a time when the back alley kids received such attention?

Has there ever been a moment when they were applauded and celebrated like this?

But today, even Shoara was looking at the boy and the girl.

The gates of Shoara.

This was the girl's battlefield.

Lady Zemina, who wielded her bouquet of flowers as her weapon, smiled brightly as she looked at the black horse following her.

Her radiant smile shines even brighter than her sparkling earrings.