5. Bread and dagger (82)
The cold night wind knocked on the window.
The old man was staring out the window with deep, blood-red eyes. Heavy snowflakes blew and obstructed his vision, but his gaze did not take his eyes off him.
He was an old man with a serious illness.
The onset, like most illnesses, was carried on by stealth. From one day, the signs began to feel, and years of fighting the disease continued.
And at the end of that difficult process, the man had no choice but to admit it.
that he had some sort of incurable disease.
The name of the disease that no one can avoid is ‘aging’.
A chill penetrated every corner of the once strong man’s body.
The old man was particularly saddened by that fact.
In the distant past, it was said that at least this kind of cold was overcome with a smile.
In fact, I could still do that if I put my mind to it. No matter how old your body may be, the state you achieved in the past did not disappear.
But I didn’t want to do that today.
It would have been nice to call it resignation.
It was an irresistible fate. There was no way to change the impending reality even if he struggled ugly. If so, I’d rather just adapt.
And there was only one routine for the old man who accepted his care.
Falling into the swamp of the past and reflecting on the brilliant past.
Even that was something I had been feeling sick of lately.
The man’s youth did not shine as brightly as others knew. On the contrary, I don’t know if it’s the days when I was dragged by the shadows.
One day you will have to pay for your sins.
But I had no idea that that day would come so suddenly.
The old man’s wrinkled eyelids covered the retina.
His breathing was getting faster and faster. It was evidence that lung function was failing.
The end is not far.
Sensing this truth deep inside, the old man slowly opened his mouth.
“I’ve been hearing some nasty rumors lately. You’re probing my youth… Did I teach you that?”
“Don’t choose any means to win.”
At the topic raised by his daughter, the old man fell silent again.
It was something I had heard somewhere.
A long time ago, I vaguely conveyed this to my daughter. Yurdina’s fate is only victory.
However, there was no such thing as eternal victory.
In order to win, you must have blood on your hands. He shouldn’t have hesitated to do dirty things, and even so, defeat was inevitable in life.
Therefore, the means and methods should not be chosen even more.
The stigma of ‘defeat’ was enough to put on others. Yurdina’s footsteps had to be the trajectory of victory.
Because Yurdina’s fate was the fate of the North.
To do this, you had to be able to do anything.
Going behind someone’s back?
It wasn’t even a trivial thing. It was also the reason why Delphine’s voice was still bold.
“It’s something I’ve had in my heart since childhood, Father… To be precise, since my father killed old Hanson right in front of my eyes.”
“It’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. “Hansson”… Was it a stablekeeper?”
It was a memory that I spit out with a bitter smile.
Delphine’s bloody eyes deepened. Even the slight hostility was a young face.
After that day, Delphine’s life changed completely.
The lively girl loved by everyone died along with old Hanson. A madman obsessed with victory was just taking his place.
Yeah, at least until I met Ian.
No matter how bloody or bloody he was, there was no way he wouldn’t be resentful. The wounds left in Delphine’s mind by that day’s scenery were great.
“It was a sad incident for me too. Because he was a good stablekeeper.”
“There was no hesitation… Did you really have to kill old Hanson? That too in front of my little daughter watching.”
“It’s not for you to decide, my daughter.”
It was calm, but it was a voice with more weight than that.
The remorseful tone left a bitter echo in Delphine’s eardrums.
“Didn’t I tell you? You don’t even have the freedom to take responsibility… You are Yurdina. All the people of the north think you are the sun. Your mistakes and defeats will eventually be borne by someone below you… … .”
“What about your father?”
Now it was Marquis Yurdina’s turn to remain silent.
The gaze of the woman looking at the old man was sharp. The dim light flickered and cast fire shadows everywhere.
Even in the dim lighting, the bloody eyes were clear.
Delphine continued to speak as if chewing and spitting.
“I guess your father did too? Were you happy that you sold off your vassals and subordinates one by one until now, and enjoyed the honor so tenaciously?”
“… … It’s too rude today.”
“No, it’s not rude. Because I am the next head of Yurdina!”
It was a rare expression of excitement.
Emotions buried long ago were regaining their color. Confessions vomited with heat were more like appeals.
Delphine was also a human made of flesh and blood.
I didn’t like the situation of having to doubt my father. That confused feeling shook Delphine’s composure.
“Looking back, my father always had a troubled face. I never looked happy… What kind of burden did you have to carry?”
“Delphine… … .”
“Someone is deliberately suppressing information about elves. But Alex said he was on a solo mission in a place he’d never heard of. Even in the village of elves… … !”
“Delphine!”
Delphine’s mouth fell shut at the outburst of names.
The old man had already turned his back. Bloody eyes that had not yet lost their vitality glared at Delphine.
The baptism of moonlight pouring down was brilliant.
After staring at Delphine in silence for a while, Marquis Yurdina let out a long sigh.
“It is not a good thing to find out anyway. The flesh monster seems to be disturbing me lately… Leave it to me.”
It was an unexpected proposal.
Delphine was still glaring at the Marquis with wary eyes.
Whether it was or not, the old man’s persuasion continued.
“Let me win.”
It was then that Delphine’s body stiffened.
It was such a sweet offer.
Even though the opportunity was unfortunate, it was a value that he had pursued throughout his life. It was impossible to easily let go of my obsession with him.
Especially when the breakthrough was no longer in sight.
Suddenly, a man passed through Delphine’s mind.
Ian Percus.
He would have been fighting for his life on the front lines by now. I didn’t hear the details of the plan, but to be honest, it was a hopeless battle.
Will accepting the Marquis’ offer save him?
It was the first calculation in my life.
It was funny.
Delphine Yurdina of that world was in conflict over a man. That too, in a place that might decide the fate of the North.
If he had told Delphine just a few months ago, he wouldn’t have even snorted.
But this was the stark reality.
“We are gathering all kinds of troops, but things are not going well. At least Ian Perkus, I heard that he was going to war, but… Unless you are a Master, you cannot overturn the inferiority alone.”
It was a very reasonable claim.
Deep down, Delphine thought the Marquis was right. Any human with common sense would come to the same conclusion.
Ian is strong.
But the war was not fought alone. Numerous troops supporting him were essential. And in the battle of scale, the role of the hero was limited.
Raising morale, or riding momentum.
It was a fluke that could only be aimed at when the strength was equal. The monster the North had to deal with was a mythical being born by eating countless elves.
Delphine’s lips chewed on themselves.
“You win, Delphine.”
That one word weighed heavily on Delphine’s heart.
can you win?
The story was clear enough to overdo it.
“I am going to die soon anyway. Then you will succeed Yurdina… Until then, I’ll try to contain that monster. Until then, if we gradually rearrange our forces, we can win.”
“… … How do you say restrain it?”
“Do you need to know? All that matters is that you can win.”
The old man put his hands behind his back and turned his back again.
Only those bloody eyes were still looking at Delphine.
“Don’t choose any means to win.”
It was the second word spoken today.
It was only that the narrator was different. From Delphine, to the Marquis.
The woman had no choice but to keep her mouth shut like the marquis just before.
Avert your gaze, grit your teeth.
Dozens to hundreds of agony passed through Delphine’s mind. There was even an auditory hallucination that sounded like a rattling noise.
long time to do that.
In the end, Delphine came to a conclusion.
“… … I do not like it.”
“Why?”
Surprisingly, the Marquis did not panic or get angry.
I just asked in a voice filled with pure doubt. I really can’t seem to figure out why.
He was also a person who lived obsessed with victory.
Delphine’s dramatic change was incomprehensible.
So Delphine did not deliberately try to convince the Marquis.
“Because there is no wife who abandons the West.”
I just replayed what I heard from the man the other day.
At that answer, Marquis Yurdina made a stupid expression for the first time.
It was a truly bewildered look. For a while, the marquis didn’t even show the slightest movement.
After a while.
The Marquis, who had barely regained consciousness, smiled dejectedly.
“hehehe, they said it’s no use raising a daughter… Okay, then there is only one way.”
With those words as a signal, the old man took a step forward. His footsteps, without hesitation, reached the place in front of the countless number of decorated swords on the display stand.
The Marquis picked up one of them and threw it at Delphine.
The sword slid with a heavy crashing sound. Until he touched Delphine’s toe.
The old man smiled ferociously.
“Let’s do it the northern way.”
That word meant only one thing.
A sword fight.
Delphine had a nervous look on her face involuntarily. Because, the Marquis who brought up that proposal had been in memory for the first time in a long time.
It was the momentum of a lion in the north who did not know defeat.
On the other hand, the Marquis smiled bitterly inwardly.
damn thief.
Originally, the target this swordplay was supposed to aim at was him. Because he was the enemy who swallowed the heir he cherished.
However, that ugly kid will realize it sooner or later. After all, the fact that war is not alone.
You can’t change anything alone.
yes, alone
*
Meanwhile, facing Ian, Leoric was screaming within minutes.
“I-Ian… Ian Percus! The vanguard of those who have!”
Bullets and arrows rained down from the sky. The occasional lightning strike gave off an acrid smell. It was never a landscape that could be produced alone.
The person Leoric was pouring the curse on took a few steps back from the horror.
Arms crossed, Ian thought.
Life is play, dude.
Okay, I am really liking Delphine now.