CHAPTER 158

There is nothing that does not bow before time.

No matter how beautiful a flower is, it will wither someday, and even the strongest sword will eventually rust and decay.

And the same goes for the sun that rose in the sky.

The imperial capital of Brigantes was gradually being tinted with the reddening hues of dusk, casting long shadows.

The shadows, wavering along with the setting sun, finally reached the most magnificent building in Brigantes, even to the heart of the empire, the Imperial Palace.

Dang- Dae- Dang-.

At the sudden sound of the tolling bells, everyone in the city stopped what they were doing and turned their heads.

The bells began to ring, even though it was not yet time.

Those who wondered what was happening soon saw black flags slowly rising above the palace.

The sun was setting.

The sun, which had been hanging at the highest point of the empire.

Finally, from the edge of the fallen sunset, the pitch black night was beginning.

※※※※

When Vlad opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

"They changed the wallpaper."

With a groggy voice, Vlad began to count the patterns on the ceiling as he stared blankly.

However, the more he counted, the blurrier his vision became.

It seemed that a single night's rest couldn't relieve the fatigue accumulated over the past while.

"...Maybe a little more sleep."

Although he said he should sleep a bit more, Vlad, already full of the thought of sleeping more, began to wriggle under the blanket like a caterpillar.

It had been almost a year since he was expelled from Shoara.

During that time, although he had a place to stay, Vlad hadn't had a comfortable place to toss and turn, so he finally decided to indulge himself in a long-overdue lazy morning.

"Nice."

Today, he really had to sleep until his nose got crooked.

The accumulated fatigue was too heavy, and his homecoming after a long absence was warm.

Even though it hadn't been long since autumn began, the chilly air creeping around his nose was already tightly enveloping Vlad's blanket.

"Hey."

"..."

"Hey. Hey."

"...Don't touch me."

However, despite Vlad's determined decision, there was a hand that shook him without hesitation.

A small but unreserved hand.

The hand that was gently shaking his shoulder had suddenly moved boldly to ruffle Vlad's hair.

"I told you not to touch my hair."

"I told you not to worry."

"...Hey."

Although it was a shady street, the red hair visible through the uncovered blanket was enough to brighten Vlad's eyes.

"Just a little... more sleep. Until lunch."

"It's lunchtime now."

Zemina's rounded eyes were suddenly pointing towards the window.

The afternoon sunlight shining through the curtains.

It was an unfamiliar sight to Vlad, who always woke up in the dim light of dawn.

"If you're going to sleep more, at least eat lunch and then sleep. prepared the ingredients early in the morning just because you were coming."

Zemina's hand, which had been ruffling his hair, grabbed Vlad's collar and began to pull him gently.

Zemina's face, getting closer as he stood up, was refreshing.

"You. Did you put on makeup?"

"Huh."

Vlad asked because he couldn't see any freckles on her nose, but Zemina started smiling triumphantly as if he had finally found out about it.

"How do I look? Do I look tolerable?"

"This is almost a crime."

Perhaps it was because he was still not fully awake.

Or perhaps it was because the room was dark.

But Zemina in front of him now looked quite different from the Zemina Vlad had seen before.

"Hurry up and come out. Lunch is almost ready."

"..."

With a creaking sound, the door slowly closed.

Vlad stared at Zemina's back for a long time through the gap.

"You've become arrogant."

The Zemina full of freckles that Vlad had expected was nowhere to be seen.

Nor was there the pitiful girl squeezing a rag with bony hands.

The Zemina in front of Vlad now was simply a smiling rose that had risen on its own.

"Does putting on makeup change someone this much?"

A mysterious scent began to linger in the place where Zemina had left.

Vlad vaguely thought it was the smell of powder, but in fact, Zemina barely applied makeup.

※※※※

"Did you sleep well, Vlad?"

"Yes. Did you sleep well too, Marcella?"

"I couldn't sleep well. Thanks to you."

Vlad looked at her as Marcella jokingly spoke.

Swollen eyes that didn't suit her slender face.

It was Marcella, rather than Zemina, who had hugged Vlad tightly and cried yesterday upon his return.

"I'm getting old, so it is hard to control my emotions. Maybe it's time for me to retire."

"You're still in your prime."

"Is that so?"

As if that was indeed the correct answer, the plate was full of meat.

Perhaps now would have been a good time for the same perceptiveness to be directed at Alicia.

"..."

Vlad began to quietly look around as he ate the food Marcella offered.

Yesterday, when he had just returned, it was too hectic, too crowded, and too confusing.

That's why he couldn't give her what she deserved.

"Marcella."

"Yeah?"

"Here."

Confirming that there was no one on the fourth floor, Vlad cautiously handed Marcella a small pouch.

"What's this?"

"...I'm not sure if this will do."

Vlad probably wasn't the only one captivated by the blue moonlight that day.

In a way, on that night, Marcella was the one who lost the most, so she needed this kind of evidence.

"What's this? A ring?"

"It's Godin."

Beyond the spoon moving absentmindedly, a name too significant to ignore was heard.

"Godin?"

Vlad's words seemed to startle Marcella, as her hand trembled when she opened the pouch.

Or perhaps it was something more frightening.

The blue moonlight that still seeped into every corner of Rose's Smiles was nothing short of a nightmare to Marcella.

"I may not have killed him myself, but he's dead nonetheless."

Inside the pouch Vlad handed her was a ring.

It was precisely the signet ring used to seal letters, adorned with the emblem of an eagle, Gaidar's symbol.

"It is yours, Marcella."

"...I see."

Because he was a loser rather than a winner, he did not bring the whole thing home.

Even though it could have been a great trophy, Vlad decided to hand over Godin's ring to Marcella.

Marcella, who received the ring from Vlad, stared at it for a long time.

What passed through her black pupils was likely memories of someone and the pain of that time.

"Prrrr!"

"Ha!"

But Marcella didn't want the ring.

Seeing the ring suddenly thrown into the fire, Vlad spat out the water he had been holding in his mouth.

"Marcella?"

"What's it made of? It's a ring, yet it burns so easily."

On the stove, Godin's ring began to melt crimson red.

However, unlike Vlad's surprise, Marcella's face was filled with the same smile as always.

"Sometimes men can be more sentimental than women."

"Yes?"

What can heal wounds is time, not revenge.

Marcella knew this well, which is why she threw Godin's ring into the fire. 

The ring was not something to heal the wounds but rather a reminder that kept haunting her.

"It's impressive that you bought it thinking of me, but I don't need this kind of thing anymore."

Vlad had to move forward.

So, Marcella tossed away the ring of the past for Vlad's sake, and simply brought out today's cooking.

"You don't need it anymore, right?"

"...No."

Vlad, picking up his fork, began to faintly smile at Marcella, who was seemingly unfazed.

Indeed, the rose of Shoara had not yet withered, and there were still things to learn from her life.

"Yes, I guess I don't need it anymore."

Over the simmering pot where the ring was melting, there was Marcella's dish, a sight Vlad had not seen in a long time.

Mashed potatoes, roasted sausages, and even black pudding made from beef blood.

They were all dishes Jorge liked.

※※※※

"Did you enjoy lunch?"

"It would've been better if you had joined me."

As Vlad descended to the first floor to go outside, Harven stuck close to his side.

His captain hat looked rather stylish now, but his cane remained as shabby as ever.

"I think I might as well have bought the cane while I was buying a new hat."

"Why would I need to change this?"

Harven picked up the cane as if to say, "What nonsense," and began to polish it exaggeratedly.

It was so worn out from long use that it even shone in the light.

"I already benefited a lot from this. When I told them that it was you who made it, even the rough sea creatures listened to me."

"Is that so?"

Vlad, the sacred figure of the North, the brightest among the young knights of Bayezid who had long failed to assert themselves, and the man who had pierced through the provocations of the West like a thorn.

It was the current Vlad who was responsible for both pride in the trend and peace of mind for the next generation.

"And these days, they've started calling you 'Elf' after your name. Are you really on good terms with elves?"

"Move aside. I have to go to church."

Vlad felt uncomfortable with Harven's words and quickly began to walk away, leaving behind Rose's Smiles.

The alleyways of Shoara were bathed in the twilight, as if greeting Vlad after a long absence.

For ordinary people, the setting sun might mark the end of the day, but for those in the alleys, it was like the rising sun of their day.

"Since when have you been going to church?"

"Starting today."

It wasn't by choice that he hadn't gone to church until now. It was because he hadn't been accepted.

God was a glorious entity, but the path to Him was too distant for those in the back alleys.

"······Why is she so busy?"

As Vlad was about to step outside, he quietly turned his head to look at the Rose's Smiles.

The boy's nest hasn't changed much, but something seems to have changed.

Amidst the nest, he saw Zemina constantly moving around without a moment's rest.

"Kids grow up fast, don't they?"

"She is the same age as me."

"That's what I mean."

When seen from afar, Zemina looked nothing like its previous, scruffy appearance.

Though it felt unfamiliar, Vlad decided to step outside after seeing her somewhat reassuring figure.

"Is the ship okay?"

"It's small, but there shouldn't be any problem."

"No, I meant aside from Zemina."

"Right, aside from Zemina."

Vlad and Harven started joking, referring to different versions of Zemina.

Finally noticing that Vlad looked somewhat more like himself, Harven adjusted his captain hat properly.

"By the way, if you're going to church, you should take me along too."

"Since when have you been going to church?"

"To be honest, it doesn't matter if you don't take me."

"Huh?"

Following Harven's gesture, Vlad shifted his gaze to a small, humble corner even within the back alley.

A street where the sun didn't shine.

In the darkness of the night, there were faint lights shining cautiously.

"Last bishop prohibited pedophilia, but do you know what this bishop has banned?"

".....What?"

Through the slowly setting dusk, darkness began to slowly seep into the back alley.

The things that carefully crawled out from there were looking at Vlad.

"No discrimination."

They were children.

The children in the back alleys, who had been hiding from the light until now, were gradually paying attention to Vlad and following him.

"They're all going to church now. It's a place where anyone can go."

As Vlad headed towards the church, he suddenly noticed a procession of children lining up behind him.

Everyone was hungry and exhausted, but the children's steps toward church were light.

"Who knows when another Vlad of Shoara might pop out from somewhere around here."

"······."

Potential exists in the young, no matter where they come from.

Vlad of Shoara proved that.

Therefore, Priest Andrea, who watched the scene closely, had no hesitation in lowering the threshold of the church.

"You said you were going to church. Aren't you coming?"

"······I have to go."

A new night was beginning in the back alleys where the sun had set.

Tiny stars were rising through the spreading darkness in the back alley.

Those stars were heading towards Shoara's church.

Perhaps today these children will be able to enjoy a warm dinner from a faithful priest, like Vlad did on a winter day.

[T/L: Read more chapters here: - https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]