176. Cinders in the Ashes (5)

My name is Maxim Appart. The eldest son of a baron who lives a mediocre life. There are no brothers. He lived under a father and mother who were not very greedy. Our territory is a mountain village in the southeastern part of the kingdom. They delivered apples to the royal road, but the taste was good, so the villagers did not die of starvation.

“Now, here is your wooden sword. Maxim.”

I wanted to become a knight. It was a vague dream that started from an old story before falling asleep. I remember receiving a wooden sword as a gift when I turned 11. I wielded the wooden sword that my father gave me as a gift. I was happy while swinging the sword. I was a dreamer and the sword always wielded dizzy with my delusions.

“So, do you want to become a knight?”

My father looked down at me as a child and asked. The tip of my sword didn’t shake then.

“Yes, I want to become a knight.”

Whatever the confidence, my answer was firm. My father’s hand stroked my hair and stroked it.

“yes. A knight, a knight… .”

Father’s answer did not seem to be heard by me. Because my father’s face, which I looked up from my low gaze, was blocked by the sun like a branch extending from the top of a tree. The father, who had a black shadow, was looking somewhere.

“This father couldn’t become because of lack of effort, but you should definitely try to become a knight.”

It was a heavy word. I replied that I would know clearly, not knowing the weight of what my father had said at the time, saying that hard work was not enough.

“Yes, Father!”

My father looked down at me again and seemed to be smiling.

—

“What did you do.”

Theodora’s voice sank. Maxim stiffened in a blank stare at the ceiling. Her arm was drooping and the tip of Baek Ah’s knife was placed on the floor. Leon Benning’s shoulders trembled as he looked down at his heart, which turned to black blood. The air was strange. Theodora cried out, unable to hide her anxiety.

“say!”

Leon Benning raised his head. Leon Benning’s expression was contorted. Distortion, Theodora realized that the unknown distortion was similar to laughter.

“I am, Theodora. I don’t know what it means to laugh.”

Leon Benning lowered his sword to the floor and stuck it.

“Yeah, I think I know a little bit about what it is now.”

The count’s gaze turned to the side. Frozen Maxim was there. The count’s hand went up to the sky and rested on Maxim’s shoulder. Theodora flinched to run away, but she couldn’t move. Because he didn’t know what Leon Benning would do to Maxim.

“Your lover must be slowly crumbling from the inside. Well, it seems like they tried to seal the curse somehow, but it’s by no means perfect.”

Tok, tok.

Leon Benning smiled and slapped Maxime on the chin. Maxim’s eyes were unfocused.

“The memories of puppets are jumbled. The most important memories of their identity are ruined and destroyed. For example, my wife’s memory is ruined.”

Leon Benning then drew the sword stuck in the ground. Theodora gripped Heilang tightly. The wind was blowing. Leon Benning raised his black mana and stepped towards Theodora.

“It’s late, Theodora. It is already too late.”

The Count laughed and created an aura. Again, a black whirlwind swept over Daejeon.

“If you were going to stick with your lover, you should have gone a year ago.”

—

“Wait there a minute.”

One day, I ran into an elf. It was the first time in my life that my life was in danger. Grizzly, the giant bear beast, imprinted deep in my bones what it is to live, and I, overwhelmed by the essential difference of existence, sat down on the floor and did nothing. In my hand, the free wooden sword trembled. The fairy appeared with the wind and cut the grizzly in an instant.

Blood, the blood of the Witchbeast poured out. The sword cut off the beast’s breath with a single, beautiful trajectory. I was staring blankly at the elf’s sword, seized by an intense inspiration that even removed my fear. There was no blood on the blade at all. Golden hair fluttered through the wind.

“It’s okay not to be afraid. The Witchbeast is dead.”

It was then that I first learned about the existence of elves. The elf dropped the sack he was carrying on his back and looked at me. I looked at her pointy ears with a puzzled expression. The elf narrowed his brows in annoyance and glared at me.

“Why, if you’re safe, go quickly. don’t look any further And, you have to keep the fact that you saw me here a secret.”

The elf sighed and grabbed the hood. The black hood cast another black shadow under the elf’s eyes. The elf took a quick look around and started digging up the herbs growing on the floor. Until just a moment ago, there was nowhere to be seen that was strong enough to match the expression martial arts, and a certain herbalist was pulling grass. I looked at the elf pretending to be a herbalist and opened my mouth.

“… Why is someone like you looking for herbs?”

“A hobby, a hobby. Anyway, why are you still there? I must have told you to go.”

Saying that, the elf frowned as he looked at the plucked grass. Soil fell from the roots of the grass. I told the elf in a limp voice.

“That’s a weed.”

At my words, the elf’s face brightened. Aren’t elves a race that knows grass well?

“… Weeds are also useful.”

“The real herb blooms about two steps to the left. It does look similar.”

The elf looked at me suspiciously, then picked up the herb that had fallen two steps away. After sniffing the scent, he clicked his tongue. Pride or something, the elf stared at the herbs for a long time, glanced at me, then opened the pouch and put the herbs in. I saw various blades of grass or roots that half filled the pouch. I wondered if the grass in that pocket was really a medicinal herb.

“How do you know so well?”

“Here is our estate. It’s about the herbs grown in the manor.”

At my words, the elf approached me with a sharp look in his eyes. What the hell happened to do that? Well, it doesn’t seem that serious.

“Then, tell me some types of herbs.”

“I can teach you… .”

Swallowing the words, ‘Could you please do me a favor?’, I blurted out my words. The elf was looking at me with an uneasy look.

“What is it, please ask as far as I can listen.”

I swallowed. It felt like the neck that hadn’t even formed yet was shaking and moving.

“Teach me the sword. Then I will also teach you all the types of herbs grown in our estate.”

live. For a moment, the eerie feeling of being stabbed in my back with a needle made me break down in a cold sweat. The elf was looking at me with infinitely cold eyes.

“Consider yourself lucky that you are young and ignorant, child. Otherwise, my sword would have pierced your uvula.”

The breath coming out of his mouth was dry. I didn’t know if the breath I exhaled was breath or the wind of the cracking earth. Did you see my terrified expression? The elf sighed as he let go of the murderous intent in his eyes.

“I cannot teach you a sword. It’s not that I don’t know what your words mean.”

Saying that, the elf drew his sword. I looked at the elf who turned his back, devastated. A cool wind blew. The elf’s silvery blonde hair rustled. The elf, who was about to turn around and walk like that, stopped abruptly, scratched his head nervously, and turned his head back to me.

“Oh really. I didn’t want to come down here because of this.”

Saying that, the elf held out his hand to me.

“I’ll teach you the basics, just the basics.”

Bewildered, I reached out my hand to the elf’s slender hand toward me.

—

bang-!

“Your sword is shaking, Theodora.”

“You acted so conceited that you ended up fighting swords with me. A trashy human being.”

When Leon Benning spoke struttingly, Theodora snarled and protested. Theodora’s eyes kept glancing at Maxim, lest he be hurt in the meantime.

“Are you worried about your lover?”

“Wear-!”

bang!

Theodora triggered an aura. Platinum wings rose. Leon Benning’s eyebrows twitched as he watched Theodora’s aura suddenly overwhelm his black aura.

“Is there still power left?”

didn’t hear the answer. Theodora pulled out mana even more forcefully. To the point where he couldn’t be pushed back even by the abnormally strong aura that borrowed the power of black magic. The count spit out a laugh as he looked at Theodora’s sword, which had already formed the middle age with him.

“Yes, my daughter, but she is too strong. Literally deserves to be the strongest knight in the history of the kingdom. You must never die, Theodora.”

“You will die by my hands.”

As if pleased with Theodora’s answer, Leon Benning smiled crookedly.

“Yes, do whatever you want.”

bang-!

Theodora, who overturned the inferiority of the aura, began to push. Unlike the whistle or the black count of Theodora, the swordsmanship was growing each time they collided. The count struggled to block Theodora’s sword, which curved in an unpredictable trajectory.

“Wouldn’t it be better if I killed you first?”

“Of course it could be. But do you really think you can kill this father?”

Theodora snapped the tip of Heilang’s sword in the face of Leon Benning, who was grinning. Leon Benning ducked his head to avoid the sudden surprise. But for the first time, it seemed that he couldn’t avoid it properly, so a thin cut was formed on his cheek, and drops of blood splattered. The count’s face hardened, and Theodora tightened her grip on the black grove.

“-this,”

Heilang left an afterimage of the aura. The blurry flying blade was mercilessly cutting through the black aura of the count. It was regenerated at the same time as the aura was destroyed. It was as if the black eggshell was cracking and attaching again and again. The heart was an inexhaustible fountain. The platinum wings wrapped around Theodora’s shoulders spread wide. The Count frowned at the irresistible pressure. The regeneration speed of the black magic flowing from the heart began to fail to catch up with Theodora’s attack.

“quite-.”

blank.

The count’s body floated into the air. Theodora grabbed Heilang with both hands and jumped into the air together. Like the tail of a meteor, mana became scattered particles and left an afterimage. The Count gathered up all the black auras and formed a shield.

“-!!”

With a silent cry, Theodora’s sword cut through the air. The ceiling of the Great Hall was split in half by the Aura and began to collapse. Just before the Aura and the Aura collided, the Count glanced in the direction of Maxim. Maxim, who was still stiff, seemed to show no signs of moving.

And then-

The fingers that held the white egg clicked and trembled slightly.

Even as he greeted the dazzling aura that covered his eyes, the Count smiled with a smile of repentance.

—

“Be careful, Maxim. Be sure to write a letter when you successfully complete the training course.”

My father’s hand wasn’t as strong as I remember. My father patted me on the back several times and finally let me go. I looked at my father, who was at eye level lower than me before I knew it. My father had an expression that was half proud and half worried.

“Maxim, this mother believes in you. You will do well.”

My mother held my hand and said so. If the father’s expression was a little more proud, the mother’s expression was mostly worried. She kept sighing out of sight of me, but her senses, trained in training with Naira, caught all her worries. I could see my mother’s reddened eyes, and my father’s twitching nose, enduring something.

“Don’t worry, I’m stronger than I thought.”

The coachman was waiting. My father pushed me on the back. I walked toward the carriage with an awkward gait. Pushing myself through the crack in the open carriage door, I looked out the window at my family again. Leaving behind them waving their hands, the carriage departs. The landscape blurs.

“So you’re going to be a knight candidate soon!”

The coachman’s voice is heard. Probably because he usually burned a lot of pipes, his voice was very uneven.

“Yeah.”

I answered that. My answer was obscured by the car’s rattling sound. Maybe it’s because of my beating heart. I put my hand over my left chest. I could feel my heart beating fast.

“I look forward to it.”

The wagon heads for █████. I thought the road that spreads out in the sunlight was hazy.

—

clap.

There was the sound of a sword being drawn. Then there was a rumbling sound of the tip of a knife scraping the stone floor. Theodora knelt down and looked at Leon Benning, who had managed to block her sword, then turned her head towards the sound.

“… Maxim?”

The battle has stopped. Leon Benning’s and Theodora’s auras faded at the same time. Leon Benning continued to smile and looked back and forth between Theodora and Maxime. Maxim, with his head down, was moving very slowly towards Theodora and the Count.

It’s not the Maxim’s presence that I knew.

Theodora did not release the strength of the hand holding Heilang. Leon Benning, who had been watching Maxim, giggled again.

“Looks like it’s gone.”

A radiance that could be called joy flashed in the Count’s eyes.

“Now, watch closely what will happen, Theodora.”

—

“■■■■.”

Words, I didn’t remember the words. My eyes were covered and ■■ was covered, and I couldn’t remember anything. Everything else was blurry again. The memories that had been played back as if they were flowing down a river were cut off and couldn’t be seen properly after riding the ■■ to ■■■■.

“■■■■?”

Who, what are you talking about I know that this is a very important person and important words, but I had no idea who was talking to me. But it was so warm and nostalgic. At the same time, it was as cold as ice. I raised my hand over my chest, which constantly froze and thawed.

“Do it.”

“I also.”

I don’t know what the conversation was or what was said in that blank space. Before I could remember all the words in the blank, another word came through.

“■ is ■■■, if ■■ is ■■■■■.”

“rejoicingly.”

I tried to open my hand, but I couldn’t catch the running water. I tried to hold on to the memories slipping through my fingers, but then I had to face the water that was washed away.

“You always hesitate at the crucial moment.”

With the voice of someone unknown, these words sounded very clever. Is there anyone who doesn’t? Because we all hesitate You hesitated, and I hesitated too. But to me, that word comes as a pain like a whip. do i regret What are you regretting?

“■■■■.”

Read at noblemtl. com

Next I said Fragments of the language I couldn’t remember became an incomprehensible noise that lingered in my ears and mouth as a reverberation. Who was it, who was it? Only vague colors remain, like a watercolor painting in which vague memories are washed away. Platinum, platinum color. Someone’s color fluttered behind ■■■■.

“■■■■.”

I followed the color as if possessed, but was stopped by something that attracted me. I turned around at the feeling of a tug on the back of my head. In the deep darkness like the entrance of a dark cave, someone was slowly walking out. ██████, my mouth said something. However, the face of this person at the end of the darkness was the first I had ever seen.

“Forget the unimportant.”

forget it? How can I forget ■■■■ that I can’t even remember in the first place. ■■■■.

“Anything that has meaning to you doesn’t exist in the first place.”

The voice that speaks like that eats away at me. Like a doll whose limbs were tied, helplessly unable to resist the force of gravity, I was dragged along and sacrificed like property. I looked up. The person who pulled me was looking down at me and smiling. Like a miracle, in a corner of my memory, ■■■■, that person’s name came to mind.

“Leon Benning.”

Leon Benning, the Count, nodded with a benevolent expression. I was on my knees, a lost sheep, looking at the shepherd who would guide me.

“yes. I am your only meaning Maxime Appart.”

Yes, it was this memory. The fond memories of ████ didn’t matter. I approached Count Leon Benning, almost dragging my knees on the floor. The Count looked at me with very satisfied eyes and nodded. Then, in a gesture that even sanctified, he reached out his hand to me. I frowned as I felt a radiance radiate from that figure.

“Come on, Maxim Appart. Now take my hand.”

Oh, what a splendid glory my light I let out a sigh filled with criticism toward myself. How could I have found out so late? I brought my trembling fingertips toward that light. Count Leon Benning’s expression gradually became clearer.

“right.”

Slowly, slowly, and then again ■■■■■■■■■

—

“Maxim… .”

Theodora looked at Maxim, standing between herself and Leon Benning. Heilang, who had been spitting out sharp swords the whole time, remained silent with the tip of the sword facing the floor. I heard Leon Benning say something in my ear. To Theodora’s ears, it was just a noise, like a rolling stone.

make eye contact Maxim.

Theodora stretched out her trembling hand, but Maxim did not even look at it. Leon Benning spoke again.

“Come on, Maxim Appart. Now you know what to do.”

Maxim’s drooping head moved up and down. The arm slowly lifted up. Baek Ah let out a sword that sounded like a sad cry. Leon Benning spat out the words between his raised lips.

“Don’t kill, knock down. Because it’s a waste. Got it?”

Maxim raised his head. Theodora met Maxim’s golden eyes. Even in this situation, there was a faint light in those eyes. Theodora put her hand to Maxim’s face. Maxim’s heartless mouth opened. Theodora couldn’t help but harden her face as she watched the shape of Maxim’s lips.

peel

go

have

Yes.

White wolves rushed in. There was a sharp sound of the tip of the sword digging into the body.

“… Maxim?”

Baek Ah was hanging with her master’s heart pierced, not Theodora’s. Maxim smiled as he wrapped Theodora’s left hand on his cheek. Then, he turned around and faced Leon Benning.

“uh… How?”

It was worth watching as he hung his sword while being dumbfounded. There was no gaze that looked down on the world so arrogantly. Maxim grinned and smiled even in the pain that seemed to cut his whole body.

“Are you the only wizard?”