Chapter 84: Preparations for Departure (1)
With blank eyes, the crowd watched the arena’s settling dust. The suspicion they had harbored towards Russell and the slander of the narrow-minded people who had been provoking him had completely vanished at this moment.
Lord Ramon Errandis, who had been one of them, suddenly came to his senses and gave orders.
“What are you doing? Knights! Clear the crowd and tidy up the surroundings. Chamberlain! Chamberlain, where are you?”
“I am here, my lord!”
The arena was quickly cleaned up. Fortunately, there were no casualties. The onlookers dispersed at the Lord’s command, each finding their own thing to do.
A stretcher carried Kai to the infirmary. With his strong body, he would be back on his feet in no time. The servants began to clean up the chaotic arena.
The lord approached Russell, who was brushing the dust off his body.
“You really did a number on it.”
He stated that the arena suffered near total destruction. The two powerful fighters’ stomping left the ground dented.
Furthermore, the location where Kai finally stabbed Russell had created a crater. Russell smiled wryly and said,
“My apologies.”
The lord waved his hand.
“No, on the contrary, it was a good show. This should change people’s views of you a bit.”
“You knew.”
“I am the Lord. I don’t need to hear about what my subordinates are doing in order to know about it. I was wondering what to do about it, but it seems it has been resolved. You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? I have neither. Shall we eat together?”
“That sounds good.”
He was indeed hungry. But before that, Russell had to wash himself first. The aftermath of the fight covered his entire body in gray dust.
After washing himself and changing his clothes, Russell followed the lord to a building. It was not a restaurant, but a building for the lord’s exclusive use. The building’s caretaker came out and guided the Lord and Russell inside.
The interior of the building was clean, but it did not feel warm. It seemed that no one had been there for a long time. In the dining room with a long table, Russell noticed a large painting hanging on the opposite wall.
It was a painting of the lord when he was younger, and a much younger, or rather, a young woman holding a baby in his arms.
Russell realized that the painting was of the lord’s family. However, the Lord ignored the painting and sat down.
The caretaker and the guard protecting the building stood against the wall behind the lord. Behind Russell, Jirach stood respectfully with his hands folded.
The Lord said,
“Your body seems to have recovered a lot.”
“Thanks to you lord, I was able to recover quickly.”
“Head Chef Barnes was screaming.”
“I will not eat as recklessly as I did before.”
Russell decided that he could reduce the amount of food he had been eating for the past three days. His body, which had received enough nutrients, would now naturally create the appropriate physical condition.
Of course, the amount he had just consumed was probably twice that of an ordinary adult male.
The two finished their meal quickly. Russell had developed the habit of eating as quickly and efficiently as possible since he was born and raised, and the lord, as the ruling lord who protected the territory, had to keep his mealtimes very short.
The butler, who managed the building, came in with a cart to clear the dishes and serve tea and refreshments. Hot steam rose from the teacups. The lord stared at the hot steam and said,
“Why did you fight with Kai earlier?”
“I learned that Kai had heard rumors about me. He expressed his desire to both fulfill his personal goals and satiate his curiosity about the rumors about me, leading him to request a warrior’s conversation with me, a request that the orcs then passed on. Do you know about a god named Vulcan?”
“I don’t know much about him, but I do know about Arcule. He was an orc who followed Vulcan. He was a pretty good guy. Thanks to him, the back alleys of the territory only had a moderate amount of darkness.”
There is no city that is completely bright. It is natural for shadows to appear when there is light. The Arcule Guild maintained the balance by creating the largest shadow in the Errandis Territory.
“What was Kai’s purpose?”
“He said he wanted to follow me.”
The Lord smiled. Russell’s pious and handsome appearance, sitting across from him, reminded him of himself when he was young.
“You’re a man who is worthy of it.”
“You flatter me.”
“No, I’m not. So, did you accept him?”
“I think he’s useful in some ways.”
Russell agreed to Kai’s joining for several reasons. The first was the red aura he possessed, the Vulcan aura. Russell still did not know much about the red aura or the power that was similar to divine power.
It was a power that acted similarly to mana, but instead had an effect that was more like sexual energy. He thought that if he became familiar with the aura, it would help him later when he faced the man in the gray armor.
The second reason was the need for a companion. Russell has encountered various incidents since he began his journey. His journey took him from Calisden to Logos village and finally to the Errandis Territory.
There did not seem to be any connection between the series of incidents. However, in the Errandis Territory, he unmistakably sensed that something was conspiring against the good of the world.
The dark wizard Herokeinin, along with the man in the gray armor, attempted to bring the devil Logos back to life in Logos village. The paladins Hailyn, Jess of the Church, and Ulca prevented the resurrection of Logos.
Although the Paladins returned to their church and Ulca remained in the village, a young dragon named Aellasis hatched from an egg and was now accompanying him.
And in the battle with Iscalia, he would have had a hard time surviving, or perhaps become something like a puppet, if it had not been for Aellasis’s help. Just like Jirach, who was now charmed by Russell’s blood.
The lord shook his head.
“Yes. . . . . . Kai is leaving.”
Russell could sense a hint of regret in his expression.
“It seems like you’re worried about something.”
“. . . . . .Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
The lord sighed.
“The back alleys of the territory are in chaos.”
Russell listened quietly.
“Too many guilds have left at once. The neighborhood is like a battlefield right now. The new gangsters and the original gangsters are fighting over each other’s territory.”
“Were you thinking of asking Kai to take over the Arcule Guild?”
“I had a good plan, but since he’s decided to follow you, I can’t help it.”
Russell thought about it for a moment. Then the Lord spoke. His face appeared to indicate that he had made up his mind about something he had been thinking about.
“Russell. If I offered you the position of vassal, would you accept it?”
“. . . . . .If you make me a vassal, does that mean you’ll give me a territory? What territory?”
“This place. I’m talking about Errandis.”
Russell looked surprised. He couldn’t help it. Was he planning to hand over the territory? Russell was about to ask if that was possible, but then he thought of a way.
“You’re thinking of adopting me as your son.”
“That’s right.”
Russell shook his head.
“I’m sorry, but I have to decline.”
“May I ask why?”
“Because my father is still alive, and I don’t want to stay in one place.”
“Do you have a destination in mind?”
“Not a destination, but rather to fulfill a wish that I have harbored for a long time.”
“I see.”
The lord raised his hand and rubbed his face. He showed the wrinkles on the back of his hand and the joints of his fingers. When he lowered his hand, the lord’s face looked several years older.
“Perhaps I’m just tired.”
“Tired, you say.”
“Ever since I killed my own son with my own hands.”
“. . . . . .I’m sorry.”
The lord shook his head.
“No, you have nothing to be sorry for. On the contrary, I’m grateful. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have failed to stop my son and become a foolish lord who pushed my territory and its people to the monsters as food.”
Phew. The lord sighed.
“I only had one son. He was a late bloomer. After giving birth to him, my wife became ill. She didn’t last long.”
Russell glanced at the painting on the wall. The artist’s skill was good, and the people in the painting were almost lifelike, with their sparkling eyes and skin texture well represented.
Russell could see the woman’s thin cheeks and delicate wrists.
“After that, my son, Edmond, also inherited his mother’s weak body. I tried every medicine and treatment, but nothing worked. He grew bigger day by day, but he couldn’t go outside and had to stay in his room. . . . . . That’s why I was so preoccupied with the discovery of the dungeon outside the territory and my son’s return to health. Hope is a scary thing.”
Russell looked at the painting before turning back to the Lord.
“Lord, have you trained recently?”
“Trained?”
The lord looked back with a blank expression.
“No, I haven’t been able to for the past two weeks because I’ve been so busy. But why do you ask about training?”
“Let’s spar.”
“With me? Didn’t you just fight Kai?”
“Not something that intense, just a swordsmanship spar. When I last saw you, I saw you holding a sword. May I ask for some guidance?”
The lord was about to refuse with a chuckle, but then he suddenly met Russell’s eyes. His eyes, which reflected the light, shone like jewels as he stared at the Lord.
The Lord touched his bicep. He was busy and tired, but he had been protecting the territory and killing monsters for over 40 years. This much rest was not enough to completely drain his strength.
“. . . . . .Alright. There’s a good space in the back.”
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
The setting sunlight seemed determined to turn everything into gold. The white exterior walls of the building, the leaves of the trees, and even the stones glowed with a yellow light.
Russell and the Lord stood facing each other in the annex’s backyard. It was different from when he had faced Kai earlier.
The group consisted of a young man and an elderly man. There is black and white hair.
Both of them were holding wooden swords. Despite their skill, they could spar with steel swords without any injuries.
Russell gripped the wooden sword tightly. He appreciated its solid feel.
“It’s a good piece of wood.”
“It’s called ironwood. It’s named that way because it’s as strong as iron. There are many good medicinal herbs around this territory.”
“You shouldn’t tell me that.”
“Oh, you caught me?”
Soon, the two of them got into position. With his legs spread wide, the lord stood in a classic stance, with the handle down and the tip of the sword facing up in a middle stance.
Russell had his feet a little narrower, his right shoulder forward, and his left shoulder back, with the sword held horizontally.
There was no display of mana. It was just silence. The spar was solely based on physical strength, stamina, and reflexes.
“Are you really okay? You just had that fight earlier.”
“I’m fine.”
Russell’s monster-like body had regained its vitality after a few hours of rest.
The lord could not help but be surprised as he compared the Russell, who was standing bare-chested earlier, to the Russell, who was now holding a wooden sword. He would have believed it even if someone else had told him.
There was no way to start. The spar had already begun the moment they got into position.
With the sharp eyes of a predator, they scrutinized each other’s postures. They had not moved an inch from their initial positions, but now the two of them were exchanging blows in their minds, using only the angle of their toes and the slight trembling of their swords’ tips.
With a thud, Russell was the first to stamp on the ground.
His thrust shot out like a bolt. Ramon Errandis immediately kicked away the bolt and slashed sideways. Russell, who had dodged the slash by leaning back, jumped up like a spring and slashed upwards from below.
Ramon Errandis’s sword came down from above to meet him. There was a loud ringing sound. The two stepped back at the same time and then charged again.
Since he was a runny-nosed kid, Ramon Errandis had been honing his swordsmanship for nearly 50 years, cutting down monsters and people. He had no concern for Russell.
One by one, Russell received, blocked, deflected, or dodged Ramon Errandis’s swordsmanship. Ramon Errandis was greatly pleased with his skillful and mysterious movements, and he swung his wooden sword even faster.
For a moment, only the sound of the wooden swords clashing echoed around them. The sunset had completely disappeared, and the western sky had turned purple and then dark blue.
The lord gradually felt his cloudy mind clear up, like the sky.
One of the wooden swords, Clank, shot into the sky. The spinning wooden sword soon fell to the ground. The lord gasped as he saw Russell point his wooden sword at his neck.
Russell smiled.
“I won.”
“. . . . . . Don’t tease an old man. Did you think I wouldn’t see it?”
The lord was pointing out that he had a moment to defeat him earlier, but did not go any further and continued the combo. Russell shrugged.
“Doesn’t it feel good to sweat?”
The lord slowly lowered his wooden sword. His ragged breathing stabilized. The refreshing night air filled his lungs, and then he escaped.
“I suppose so.”
“Use Jirach.”
The lord turned his head at Russell’s sudden words.
“What?”
“If you intend to seize control of the back alleys. Use Jirach as your confidant. Give Jirach a suitable guild to lead, and assign him the task of overseeing the underworld. Jirach will be more than capable of doing it.”
The lord glanced at his butler and Jirach, who were waiting in the distance.
“Isn’t he your subordinate?”
“He was originally a resident of this territory. I’ve also talked to Jirach.”
“Did he say he would follow you?”
Russell recalled the conversation he had with Jirach before the spar.
‘Can you do it?’
‘My life has belonged to Russell-nim since the moment of my rebirth. It is a pity that I will not be able to serve you until the end, but if you command me, I will follow you faithfully.’
‘What on earth did my blood do to make a vampire so obedient?’ However, Russell did not have the hobby of dwelling on a question that he could not find the answer to for a long time. If he could do it, then that was it.
“He said he would. Will this be enough to help you solve your worries?”
“Of course it will be a great help. . . . . . But didn’t you want to take him with you as a companion, like Kai?”
“I have something else in mind for that.”
Russell patted his coat. There were a variety of miscellaneous items inside, but what he was thinking about was something relatively recent.
The red orb. He’d been thinking about what to do with it tonight.
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