CHAPTER 93

Amber stone is also said to be the gemstone that contains time.

This gemstone, formed when the sap of a tree hardens over a long period, hardens along with its surroundings such as leaves or insects.

"Is it clean?"

[Hmm.]

However, the amber stone that Vlad was holding showed nothing like that.

There wasn't even a speck of dust visible anywhere, and it looked so worn out that it made one wonder if it was really amber.

"A field with maple trees... Could this possibly be magic?"

However, even though nothing was visible, the amber Alicia handed over certainly contained time.

This is because the amber seen in the world of voice contained the still scenery of an autumn day.

[I'm not sure about that.]

If one were to look closely, it was as if they were standing there themselves, vividly experiencing the scenery.

Inside the gemstone was a landscape of reeds swaying in the wind beneath red maple trees.

"This doesn't make sense..."

Right eye, left eye.

Vlad, alternating between opening and closing his eyes, couldn't help but make a puzzled expression at the vastly different appearances of the amber depending on which world he looked at it from.

"Anyway, it must be related to the elves."

[I think so too.]

Even if an inexperienced boy and the voice without memories tried to wrap their heads around it, they wouldn't come up with an answer.

In the end, Vlad thought he should go to the elves who handed over this gemstone to find out the exact reason.

"It's quite far, though..."

Vlad, who had promised to find the memory of the voice, has now found a new clue.

And that clue pointed to the east of the Empire, where the elves' forest was located.

"Knock knock."

Vlad, who had been thinking for a while about how he could get to the elf forest, turned his head when he suddenly heard a knocking sound.

It wasn't the sound of knocking on a door, but rather someone making knocking sounds with their mouth.

"What's going on?"

Vlad, who had hidden the amber received from Alicia in his embrace, opened the door.

Outside the door, there was a red-haired girl carrying laundry piles as big as her body, looking up at Vlad.

"...Is no one here?"

Zemina, standing in the corridor, glanced around Vlad's room with a curious look.

Vlad was momentarily taken aback by the appearance as if she were censoring him, but eventually he had no choice but to grab the piles of laundry flying towards him.

"Why is this happening?"

Ignoring the question that came, Zemina, who quickly glanced around the corridor, confirmed that there was no one outside and promptly pushed Vlad inside and closed the door.

"Why can I hear you talking when no one is there?"

Vlad's voice flowed as if he were conversing with someone in the quiet corridor where no one was present. 

However, Zemina, realizing that there was only one person in the room now, sharpens her gaze and looks at Vlad.

"Are you still talking to the ghost by any chance?"

"... "

Vlad wanted to say no, but he couldn't when he met Zemina's eyes. There were more days when he knew her than when he didn't.

They had rolled around at the bottom, they were friends, comrades, and sometimes accomplices.

"... Not a ghost."

So, he couldn't hide anything from Zemina.

She was someone who had seen Vlad closer than anyone else in this world.

For a very long time, and even now.

"... You move to another room."

"Where to?"

"To the end of the corridor."

With those words, Zemina sat on the bed and let out a small sigh.

"Then I'll go to the room next to yours."

Zemina pushed Vlad to the end of the corridor and said she would use the adjacent room.

She was now willingly becoming an accomplice, ensuring that no one would notice Vlad talking to a sinister presence.

"Are you really okay with this?"

"... Yeah."

Zemina's eyes, full of concern, pierced into Vlad's eyes.

Even without words, Vlad could sincerely understand Zemina's intentions.

"Be careful. You're someone who can't hide anymore."

A boy from a back alley who no one paid attention to could easily slip into the darkness, but Sir Vlad, Bayezid's knight, cannot.

Now that Vlad has become a knight, he has become someone who attracts people's attention wherever he is.

"You must go to church."

However, whether he was a boy from a shabby alley or a shining knight, Vlad was always the one in the girl's worries.

"Zemina."

"What?"

Vlad called out to Zemina, who was about to leave, and took out a small pouch from his pocket.

The first salary Vlad ever received.

When Vlad received it from Vordan, the first person he thought of was the girl with red hair.

"Is there anything you want? I'll buy you something."

Even if the value of 1 gold is the same, the meaning is different.

For the wealthy, it might be easy money to hand over, but for the poor, it could be everything.

"What do you want?"

And the girl who stood at the forge that day emptied out everything she had and handed Vlad an unadorned sword.

Although it was a 5-gold sword, for Zemina, it was money that represented both the present and the future, everything she could afford to give.

"Take care of yourself. You idiot."

However, Zemina didn't expect anything in return from Vlad.

She knew that the shining coins in the boy's hands were the price of his life.

"Get some gear or something."

With those words, Zemina took back the laundry piles and headed back into the corridor.

The laundry piles seemed too heavy for her small frame to handle, but Zemina walked through the corridor and down the stairs without any hesitation.

"..."

Some expected, while some demanded.

But the girl gave without asking for anything in return, only offering her care and concern.

"Just say something, at least."

The weight of a favor without repayment is heavy.

That's why Vlad always felt like he owed Zemina something.

※※※※

The bustling Rose's Smiles.

Even though it was not yet evening, Marcella's shop was buzzing with the same vitality as before.

"Business seems to be doing well."

"There's nowhere else to go at this time."

Rose's Smiles, which used to be a brothel but is now a luxurious inn.

Marcella had chosen to switch her business so boldly because she had her own convictions.

"Everyone is going to warm up here before we get serious."

A prodigal son who wants to enjoy from an early age.

People who want to have fun but don't want to go too deep.

Marcella saw the potential of the new market and boldly expanded her business, creating a new Rose's Smiles.

"Aren't you worried about not having enough people? Someone might cause trouble."

"Trouble?"

Marcella couldn't help but laugh at Vlad's innocent question.

The boy in front of her still didn't fully realize his position.

"Who would dare?"

She was able to expand her business so boldly without the protection of the organization because she had trustworthy support.

"Who would dare argue with the Knight of Shoara here?"

"I'm glad it helped."

"That's why I won't charge you for staying at the inn."

Marcella looked at Vlad leaning on the railing, peering down at the first floor.

Vlad had certainly considered it, but he hadn't expected such a drastic change in status.

"Take him."

"Who?"

The boy had become a man and was now looking at a bigger world.

And if so, someone would have to support him from behind.

"It was a waste of his size to have him in our store where there is no fight."

Marcella laughed, pointing somewhere on the first floor with the tip of her chin.

The entrance to Rose's smiles.

There stood a large black man with his arms crossed.

"His muscles are getting bigger because we fed him well."

"Is it okay?"

Even if the back alley bosses don't bother her, a sturdy man's presence would still be necessary.

This was a place where alcohol was sold and an unexpected situation could occur at any time.

"There are plenty of guys who want to work as security guards."

However, there are probably few people in the back alleys who have a deeper connection with Vlad than the dark-skinned man over there.

Knowing this, Marcella had no regrets about giving Otar away.

"As long as you keep staying at our inn, feel free to bring anyone you want."

"Sure thing."

No matter how deep the connection, relying on it alone would eventually wear one out.

Knowing this well, Marcella was willing to invest whatever it took to firmly grasp the line connecting her to Vlad.

"If there's anyone you want to work with, feel free to bring them. We have plenty of rooms on the fourth floor."

Relationship of giving and receiving.

Marcella was offering Rose's smiles as a base for knight Vlad.

"It's a good deal."

The last remaining knight of the prostitutes now laughed as he looked at the madame who was no longer a prostitute.

Now he could protect someone without wielding a sword.

What Vlad liked most about becoming a knight was precisely that.

※※※※

Where the sun sets in the city.

Feeling the subtly changing air, Vlad walked towards the western dock.

"It's a bit of a waste."

[The more expensive it is for people, the better it is.]

There were a total of three bottles of whiskey that Josef gave to Vlad to commemorate becoming a knight.

One bottle had already been used for the White Snake, leaving only two bottles of whiskey remaining.

Vlad held one of the bottles and was on his way to Captain Hoover's headquarters.

The cold river breeze carried with it the pungent smell of water.

The smell of dried fish wafted from everywhere.

Although not particularly pleasant, smelling those scents made Vlad feel oddly at ease.

"Nothing has changed here."

A reliable presence is truly valuable.

Whenever he felt tired or troubled, Vlad always passed through this place.

At the end of this street, there was always a man with brown hair to greet him.

"Let me go in."

"Huh? Uh, yes. Yes, of course, Sir."

Vlad passed the startled gatekeeper and walked down the creaking wooden planks into the narrow corridor.

The corridor grew narrower and narrower.

At the end of it hung a modest door, the place Vlad was heading towards.

"Are you there, Harven?"

"Huh?"

At the sudden voice, the person inside seemed startled, making a noise as they pushed their chair back.

Step by step.

Even though it was a small room, the owner inside couldn't come out to greet visitors.

"What's up? Vlad."

The face, now paler than before, smiled upon seeing the guest who hadn't visited in a long time.

"Nothing much."

Vlad chuckled at Harven's appearance, which seemed to be dwindling every time he saw him, and shook the whiskey bottle he was holding.

"I thought I'd repay the Captain Q I got last time."

"Oh, wow."

Just from the sound, Harven could tell that the whiskey Vlad was holding wasn't an ordinary item.

Since a rare guest had come with precious goods, it was impossible to refuse.

"Quick, come in. Hurry."

Vlad, who entered the room under Harven's guidance, let out a small sigh when he saw his room, which was no different from before.

Harven's room was so small that it could barely fit one desk and one chair.

Perhaps because it was right next to the river, the place had a fishy smell, but there was still no place better for Harven, who was disabled.

"They say you should not harvest black-haired animals, but blonde hair is different."

"What are you talking about?"

After clearing away the bundles of paper piled up here and there, Harven quenched his appetite and quickly created a place to have a drink.

"Are you done with your work?"

"The work never ends. Just keep going."

Harven pulled the stopper off the bottle with words full of the hardships of life and took out a dusty glass that had been lying in the corner.

"Wait a moment."

Harven wiped the wooden glass with his apron. 

Even though the glass was worn out, Harven, as the host, handed it to Vlad with a smile and poured the whiskey.

"Alright, alright. What brings you here today? It's not to borrow money, is it?"

"Not that."

Seeing Harven happy even with a bottle of whiskey, Vlad felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

He knew Harven wasn't someone who should be in such a sorry state here.

"Are you still studying navigation or astronomy or something?"

"Oh, that?"

Harven, who had finally tasted a mouthful of whiskey, frowned happily and looked at Vlad.

"I've stopped doing that."

"Why?"

No matter how hard one tries to shine, if no one acknowledges it, they'll eventually wither away.

It was simply impossible for everyone to grasp opportunities like Vlad did.

"Who would hire a cripple as a navigator? It's just not realistic, no matter how you look at it."

Harven, who didn't even have the qualifications to dream, was withering away in this cramped room as well.

".....You once said you wanted to sail."

The scent of the river brushing against their noses.

Harven was someone who dreamed of sailing away on a ship to faraway places.

"This is enough. People need to know their limits."

But Harven's dream ultimately ended up confined to a narrow room at the end of a dark corridor.

The weight of reality never allowed people to simply dream and be left alone.

"....Is that so?"

Even if someone dreams, not everyone can grasp it.

Not everyone can obtain something just by exerting effort.

Vlad knew this well, so he didn't blame Harven.

It wasn't Harven's fault.

"The problem is here."

"Huh?"

Harven's eyes widened when he saw Vlad suddenly standing up, refusing to drink.

"What's the matter?"

"...,"

Just as a bird kept in a cage for too long forgets how to fly, people trapped in narrow and dark places also forget their potential.

It couldn't be solely their fault.

Bang! Bang!

"Vlad!"

With Harven screaming, Vlad began kicking in all directions.

Creak! Creak!

"Hey, man!"

"It's all their fault!"

The same walls that block Harven and the river.

These bastards, which could be broken with just one kick, have been eating away at Harven's dreams.

"It's all their fault!"

With his sword sheathed, Vlad smashed and kicked relentlessly, breaking down the walls that had been blocking Harven.

Creak! Creak!

If you can't do it, then let me do it for you.

You did the same for me.

Showing that the target above wouldn't be consumed by the darkness of the alleyways.

"Vlad….!"

With the uproar, Harven's room was gradually expanding.

Vlad was breaking down the walls that had confined poor Harven, walls made of obstacles and reality.

"You're insane! Stop it!"

Despite Harven's panicked shouts as the reality he had struggled to accept crumbled, Vlad didn't stop.

No, he had no intention of stopping.

Through his efforts, Harven had shown Vlad that there was another world.

If it weren't for the world Harven had shown him, Vlad might never have dreamed of becoming a knight.

"Now I see!"

This was a place where stars couldn't be seen.

That's why Vlad had to break down Harven's walls.

He thought Harven deserved the right to dream.

"······."

Harven saw a ray of light shining over Vlad's shoulder, who was breathing heavily.

A red light that even the thick dust couldn't block.

The river of Shoara was there, turning red with the setting dusk.

The gusting river breeze.

The papers flutter in the wind in all directions.

The realities that had held Harven captive for so long were now flying away on the wind.

"....It feels refreshing."

The river was still there.

He just forgot what he dreamed of.

Harven drank the whiskey he had been holding in the cold winter wind.

His head was getting dizzy, but his soul felt awake.