Chapter 42: Breezy Winds of Lanshmoore
TL: Potato-tan
Proofreader: Asianpotato
Fortunately, the egg didn’t break right away.
It seemed to be merely absorbing warmth from Russell’s palm.
Russell, who was slightly worried that it would break, sighed in relief and carefully placed the egg on the floor. He couldn’t put it inside the coat because no living being could.
Russell noticed that the two magic circles that had been shining on the floor and ceiling had disappeared. Right in the middle of where the magic circles had been, the egg was floating in the air.
He looked around the room. It was empty. There was no treasure like the dragon’s, as he had expected. There was no pile of gold, silver, or dazzling weapons.
There was only a small table in the corner of the room, with a pouch on top. Russell picked up the pouch and opened it.
“Hmm.”
Russell closed the pouch once more and placed it inside the coat. He then placed the egg on his side and left the room. It was time to leave.
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Despite fighting two major battles in a row, Calisden surprisingly didn’t have many casualties.
The reason was simple. The Dawn Knights led by the princess were excellent, and there were also soldiers and mercenaries who had distinguished themselves.
However, if one were to choose the person who had contributed the most, no one would fail to mention Russell, a man who was now shaking the great city of Calisden.
Anyone in the city could see the dragon soaring in the night sky. All the citizens were terrified of what was happening outside the eastern gate.
However, as the darkness receded and another day dawned, the lord announced to the public that the invasion of monsters had ended and a dragon slayer had been born.
Even those who had heard the dragon and its roar firsthand were skeptical, but when the lord presented a piece of scale that Evelyn had barely found in the ashes, everyone cheered.
Everyone wanted to see the dragon slayer, but they couldn’t. He was already preparing to leave.
Russell was in the castle’s spacious reception room. The princess, the lord, Albert, Zeona, and Elenora were all present.
The princess said,
“You’re leaving already?”
“Yes. I’ve been here too long.”
In fact, it had only been about three days, but the experiences he had had during that time felt like a month. Russell knew it was time for him to leave.
“. . .I see you’ve already made up your mind.”
For some reason, the princess sighed, took something out of her arms, and handed it to him. It was similar to Ludwig’s nameplate, which opened the gate to the dungeon.
A small, round gold plate. The back had the royal crest, and the front had Julia’s full name written in initials.
“If you ever come to the Empire and have any trouble, take out this gold plate and show it. It’s a sign that you’re a very close person to the First Princess.”
Russell accepted it without hesitation.
“Thank you very much.”
He bowed his head and then raised it, and the princess was looking at Russell with a somewhat overwhelmed expression. The princess soon extended her right hand.
“Thank you. I’ll never forget it.”
Russell took her soft, small, white hand.
“Don’t mention it. Your Highness.”
The princess shook her hand gently and walked out of the reception room with a brisk step. She was about to return. To the empire,
Russell also said goodbye to the Lord.
“You’re leaving already? I was thinking of having a festival, so please enjoy it and go.”
“I’ve stayed longer than I thought. I want to leave now.”
“I can’t help it. A man who wants to go. Which gate are you going to?”
Russell thought for a moment and answered.
“I think I’ll go northwest.”
“Then proceed to the North Gate. Later, the West Gate will turn downward. Stop by the market and purchase a horse. You can’t have been planning to walk, can you?”
When Lord Frederick laughed sarcastically, Russell also smiled back.
“Thank you for your kindness.”
Albert said,
“Can I try on that coat just once?”
“No.”
“Just kidding. Have a good trip.”
“Yes.”
Zeona asked to shake hands.
“Thank you for saving the city twice. Calisden will remember you forever and welcome you back.”
Russell chuckled and shook her hand.
Elenora came out last. She looked a little different than before. Her blonde hair seemed brighter than before, and her blue eyes sparkled with a clear light. On top of that, there was even a faint halo behind her head. She said,
“Russell.”
“Hmm.”
Elenora quietly looked up at him and said,
“Your path ahead is full of hardship and adversity. Nightmares that ordinary people can’t even imagine are lurking about. But. . . I think you can overcome them all.”
“. . . . . . . .”
Russell didn’t know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut. It was because it was praise rather than slander. She rolled up a long scroll in her arms and handed it to him.
“Never forget that there is always light above your head.”
Russell said, taking the scroll.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a letter of introduction that I wrote separately. Any branch of the Church of the Radiance will provide you with a warm bed, meals, and holy water at a low price if you show that letter of introduction.
Russell looked at the scroll with slightly surprised eyes. A candidate for sainthood, as expected, wrote a different letter of introduction.
Moreover, the current Elenora was definitely stronger than before in terms of divine power.
Not only did she flow in her body, but her voice was also filled with an untouchable aura of light. Should a demon appear before her now, it wouldn’t be unusual for it to ignite and perish instantly.
“Thank you.”
Elenora nodded and made the sign of the cross.
“May your future be blessed.”
Russell walked out of the castle.
Evelyn and Lexi were standing right in front of the gate.
Evelyn was carefully examining a large dragon scale that had almost completely burned away.
“I wonder if the professor will believe this is a dragon scale.”
“Can’t you just show him the magic reaction?”
Evelyn sighed.
“That’s the problem. I mean, who has ever met a dragon in person? I can’t be sure what kind of reaction is felt here, or that it’s really a dragon’s. I guess I’ll have to do some research.”
“Then I guess you’ll be heading back to the Magic Tower?”
Evelyn nodded.
“To the Mage’s College, yes. Thank you. I hope I can see you again next time.”
“Yeah.”
Evelyn said goodbye and left first. Her red hair swayed in time with her steps. She soon disappeared into the crowd.
Russell walked to the market.
The street was full of life. White clouds drifted away, dotted the sun high in the sky. Merchants were doing business; people were haggling; mercenaries in leather armor were walking around; and guards were patrolling the streets.
Russell asked for the horse that the lord had given him at the stables, and the stableman looked as if he had expected it. Later, the reason for his expression became clear.
The stableman dragged a large black horse out, rather than leading it. Hee-hee, hee-hee!
Orel, the stableman, watched the barely calmed horse and spoke miserably.
“Oh, I’ve been wondering when this guy would go out, and now he’s going out.”
“Is there something wrong with him?”
“Oh, don’t say that. Three months ago, as he led a herd of wild horses across the vast grasslands in the northeast, people discovered him under attack by griffins. Oh, half the herd was dead, but this guy was alive and well, fighting the griffins. In the end, he didn’t kill the griffins, but it was after he had already lost his family to their claws.”
Russell looked around at the black horse. The massive stallion perfectly complemented his physique. The skin was black, and the mane was also black. The black mane that extended from the head to the back was both beautiful to look at and smoothly shiny.
“He survived on his own and wandered from city to city before coming here. He was very handsome and well-bred, but he was so savage that no one could tame him. Despite his limited use as a stallion, he was truly remarkable. I felt so sorry for him.”
Russell looked at the horse as he listened to the stableman’s words. The horse’s eyes were large. The black pupils took up most of the whites, making it look like black marbles were rolling around.
“Just look at his muscles; he’s a guy who could easily run around the continent, but he’s just getting the other mares pregnant here.”
The black horse snorted. Poof, poof. The snort and the black eyes seemed to be asking if you dared to ride it.
“Can I hold the reins?”
“Yes? W, Would that be okay?”
“He was given to me anyway.”
Orel handed the reins to Russell hesitantly. As soon as Orel let go of the reins, the black horse snorted violently and vibrated its muscles as if it would run away at any moment.
At that moment, Russell’s eyes met the horse’s black eyes. He said,
“Behave yourself. You’re going with me now.”
The horse’s large eyes grew even larger. The black pupils reflected the shape of Russell’s face and eyes. Poof.
“W, What?”
Orel exclaimed in shock. The savage beast that no knight or mercenary could tame had obediently bowed its head! Orel couldn’t believe it.
“W, Who are you?”
Russell smiled and said,
“Get me a saddle.”
“Oh, yes. I, what about the others?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
Indeed, Orel shook his head as he watched him skillfully put a saddle on the horse’s back and tie various complicated strings.
“You must be a knight. You’re so skilled.”
For a moment, Russell’s hand stopped. Then, as if nothing had happened, he tied the remaining strings.
“Tell the Lord that I received it well.”
“Oh, come on. Look at it!”
When Russell led the huge black horse out, Lexi, who had been waiting outside, opened her mouth wide.
“It’s so big?”
“Let’s go.”
Russell walked down the street, leading the horse. People didn’t bother to hide their surprised eyes and mouths at Russell’s height, which was half a head taller than an average person, and at the huge black horse he was leading.
Lexi followed Russell, who was eliciting real-time eye and mouth widening, and asked,
“Where are you going?”
“The blacksmith’s. I’m going to give this to her.”
Russell removed the broken claymore from inside his coat. The blade, which was only about a foot long, had the World Tree’s crest shining black. The great sword, completely shattered, amazed Lexi.
“Wow. How do you turn steel into this?”
“I was fighting several monsters in the dungeon, and it turned out like this.”
He walked with his long legs, and soon he was in front of the blacksmith’s shop. When he knocked on the door, Alicia and Aunt Philly came out together, as if they had known he was coming. They were surprised to see the horse behind Russell.
“Oh, that horse? Isn’t that the wild stallion?”
Russell answered Aunt Philly’s question.
“Yes. The Lord gave it to me. Were you waiting for me?”
“Hmm. I thought you’d stop by. Are you leaving now?”
Russell nodded and handed the broken claymore to Alicia. Alicia received the great sword with a slightly hazy expression.
“What did you fight with?”
“A basilisk and a 300-year-old ghost. The ghost’s ax swing was a bit rough.”
Alicia chuckled.
“If someone else had said that, I would have thought it was nonsense, but when you say it, it sounds like it. Thank you. This child would have been happy to fight with a warrior like you.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Come back to this city next time. I’ll have made something even more.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Aunt Philly spoke. She also had a beer mug in her hand.
“If you’re in town, come by. The beer is always cold.”
“Yes.”
Russell looked back at Lexi. She looked the same as when they first met. However, the slight elevation of the corners of her mouth conveyed a gentle impression. Lexi said,
“It was fun being with you.”
Russell smiled and said,
“You’re the first person to call me by my name, so strangely. You’re also the first person to never buy me a drink.”
“I still haven’t bought you one?”
“Yeah.”
Lexi chuckled.
“Then I’ll buy you one when we meet again.”
“Yeah.”
Lexi took a step closer and hugged Russell. As she did so, she whispered in his ear.
“I wish you’d do it with me next time.”
“. . . . . .Yeah.”
Russell barely managed to respond in such a manner before turning away. ‘Are all dark elves like that?’ He didn’t know because he hadn’t met enough of them to gather sufficient data yet.
However, judging from the fact that Alicia, who had excellent hearing, slapped Lexi on the back and Aunt Philly laughed heartily behind him, it seemed that Lexi might be the only one who was like that.
Russell chuckled and led the horse toward the inn street.
Poof-poof.
The horse whinnied, as if to laugh with him.
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The restaurant was bustling with lunchtime. Waitresses and busboys were busy carrying dishes back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room.
Russell tied the reins to a pillar outside and went into the restaurant. He then called a waitress, who was carrying an empty plate. Shasha turned her head and then opened her eyes wide.
“Russell-nim!”
Shasha put her plate on top of the dishes piled up in the arms of a passing busboy and ran over.
“Why are you here now? What about dinner? Haven’t you had dinner yet? Should I bring you a lot of meat, like last time? This time, we got a lot of pork and duck, and we smoked them. It’s going to be delicious.”
Russell shook his head and said,
“It’s okay. Shasha, can you get my bag?”
Shasha opened her eyes wide when she realized what he meant. She didn’t know what to do for a moment. Then, the innkeeper, who had come out of the kitchen at some point, approached, wiping his hands on his apron.
“You’re leaving.”
“I’ve been here too long. The food was delicious. I’d like to come again.”
The innkeeper smiled and said,
“It’s an honor to have pleased the dragon slayer’s palate. I’ll have another staff carry your luggage. Shasha.”
Shasha looked back at her uncle with teary eyes. The innkeeper said,
“See him off.”
Soon, a busboy came down with Russell’s bag.
Russell carried the heavy bag containing the dragon’s egg over his shoulder. As he left the restaurant, Shasha followed him anxiously.
“Why are you leaving so soon? The Lord said there would be a festival. It’s a festival that will last for more than a week. They say a traveling theater troupe that was touring nearby is coming, and the food and drinks are free.
Russell put his hand on Shasha’s shoulder. Shasha could no longer say anything. Russell said,
“I’ve had a lot of experiences since I came to this city, but I think the most enjoyable memory I have is of this inn. Breezy Winds of Lanshmoore. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
“Do you know what Breezy Winds of Lanshmoore means?”
Hmm? Russell tilted his head. Come to think of it, Alicia had said something similar.
“What does it mean?”
“It’s a legend. A hundred years ago, there was a poet and traveler named Lanshmoore.”
Russell stood quietly and listened to Shasha’s voice.
“He wasn’t exceptionally handsome or very tall, but he had one thing: a very beautiful voice. He was also very good at writing poems and songs, as well as being very good with a sword. Lanshmoore traveled the continent, spreading countless love affairs with his songs and poems, so he was the enemy of many men and the idol of women.”
He was a womanizer.
The street was noisy, but at the same time, it was quiet. That was because there were so many voices coming and going at once. In the midst of that noise, Russell only listened to Shasha’s voice.
“Then one day, Lanshmoore disappeared. His body was never discovered. However, travelers could hear his songs and poems in the mountains, grasslands, and forests. Our inn’s name carries that meaning. Breezy Winds of Lanshmoore.”
“. . . . . .I see.”
Shasha smiled brightly. Transparent tears fell from her large, night-colored eyes, but she smiled.
“Have a good trip. My Lanshmoore.”
Russell embraced Shasha, who was approaching him. She murmured into Russell’s chest.
“I’ll wait for you.”
“I hope not.”
“I’ll wait for you.”
Shasha, who said so, took something out of her arms. It was a necklace. The necklace featured a transparent amethyst set on a leather string.
“Take it.”
Russell took the necklace and put it around his neck. Then he turned around and got on his horse.
In no time at all, his eye level had changed, but Russell adapted. He looked down at Shasha with a view that was almost like that of a giant. He then nodded. Shasha nodded back. There was no need for words.
Russell made the horse walk. As he slowly moved away from the inn, he could feel Shasha still standing there and watching him. But he didn’t look back.
Shasha stood there with her hands clasped together, watching Russell. His horse and size were easily discernible, even in the crowd.
However, it gradually became blurry as it moved farther away. Eventually, it was no longer visible. Shasha burst into tears that she had been holding back.
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Three weeks later, A group of travelers from the north arrived in Calisden.
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