The Stellar Swordmaster — Chapter 141

KARL RAVNOMA.

AS IF TO PROVE HE WAS THE HEIR TO A NOBLE BLOODLINE,

I HEARD HE WAS A CHILD OF GREAT SPIRIT AND DIGNITY.

THOSE ARE QUALITIES ONE CANNOT HIDE, EVEN DISGUISED AS A SLAVE.

AN UNCHARACTERISTIC MISTAKE ON YOUR PART, I MUST SAY.

I APOLOGIZE.

I FAILED TO EXAMINE THE CHILD CLOSELY ENOUGH.

YES.

I SUPPOSE I CANNOT BLAME YOU.

EVEN IN THE FACE OF ANNIHILATION, [THE GUARDIAN OF THE OATH] SPIRITED AWAY THE DRAGON'S FRAGMENT BEFORE ITS OWN BLOODLINE.

SINCE THIS IS THE CHILD THAT RAVNOMA SENT AWAY WITH THE LAST OF ITS STRENGTH,

EVERYONE INVOLVED MUST HAVE BEEN DESPERATE.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THROUGH ALL THEIR DESPERATE EFFORTS...

IN ANY CASE, THE CHILD DOES APPEAR TO BE A RAVNOMA.

TELL ME YOUR TRUE NAME,

CHILD OF RAVNOMA.

I, I'M...

LET ME WARN YOU FIRST.

I DESPISE LIES.

CHAR...

CHARLOTTE RAVNOMA.

WELL...

SO SHE WAS RAVNOMA'S DAUGHTER.

HAD THEY KNOWN THE CHILD THEY SECURED WAS NOT THE ELDEST LEGITIMATE SON,

THEY WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO SUCH LENGTHS.

BAYEZID HAS PAID A STEEP PRICE.

I...

HATE JEMINA.

JEMINA IS TOO SMALL,

TOO SLOW,

AND ROCKS WAAAY TOO MUCH.

I HATE THE SEA.

AND STORMS.

I'M NEVER GETTING ON A SHIP AGAIN.

I'M KEEPING MY FEET ON LAND FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

I WILL FOLLOW YOU EVEN INTO HELL,

AS LONG AS IT'S NOT THE SEA...

THE... THE GRASSLANDS.

BURY ME IN THE GRASSLANDS...

...THEY'VE ALL LOST IT.

WE'RE LUCKY THAT'S ALL THAT HAPPENED TO THEM.

WE WERE IN REAL DANGER LAST NIGHT.

ALL THOSE SQUID CLUNG TO THE HULL AND STEADIED THE SHIP,

WHILE THE ONES SWIMMING AHEAD LIT UP AND GUIDED US THROUGH THE SEA!

IT FELT LIKE I WITNESSED A MIRACLE LAST NIGHT.

WELL, IT WAS REMARKABLE.

THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE SPIRITS...

BUT THE SWORD DID REACT, DIDN'T IT?

THE WHITE SNAKE WAS REALLY PLEASED TO SEE IT, TOO.

WHAT EXACTLY DID THEY MAKE FOR ME?

The young knight knew not what seeds he sowed.

The sword of stars, born of the young World Tree and the spirits...

...Had given form to countless fledgling possibilities.

Possibilities that had yet to become spirits themselves...

...Now journeyed forth, guided by the young knight's hand,

Spreading to every corner of the world.

LAAAAND!

IT'S LAND!

LAND!

IT'S NOT ROCKING!!

THEY'RE EXCITED, ALL RIGHT.

I'D BETTER GET GOING RIGHT AWAY.

I HAVE GUESTS TO ESCORT TO SOARA.

ALL RIGHT. GO ON, THEN.

THANKS FOR WAITING FOR ME IN NASSAU.

...DON'T PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD.

SEE YOU AGAIN.

...YEAH. IN SOARA.

NO SOONER HAVE YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE STORM...

...THAN YOU'RE HEADING BACK INTO THE STORM OF WAR.

STILL...

I'M GLAD I CAN STAND BESIDE YOU NOW.

THOUGH THERE'S LITTLE I CAN DO RIGHT NOW,

SOMEDAY, I'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE THE BURDEN OF YOUR DUTIES.

GRASSLAAANDS!

THAT'S RIGHT. RUN WILD TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT.

YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO RUN FOR A WHILE ONCE WE REACH DEIRMAR.

HM?!

GAIDAR?

AN ADVANCE FORCE.

THEY'RE STICKING THEIR HEADS OUT PRETTY BRAZENLY, AREN'T THEY?

AGEH.

THE BANNER.

HM?

LET'S BE BRAZEN JUST ONE MORE TIME.

I'M SURE THEY'RE FINE.

PLEASE DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH.

...THEY'RE LONG OVERDUE.

THEY SHOULD HAVE ESCAPED NO MORE THAN HALF A DAY APART FROM THE SECRET UNIT.

HAVE YOU SENT OUT SCOUTS?

YES. I'VE SENT OUT MORE THAN USUAL.

LORD JOSEPH!

SMOKE IS RISING IN THE WEST!

THAT LOCATION?!

THAT'S WHERE GAIDAR'S ADVANCE FORCE SET UP CAMP.

DID OUR COUNT SEND AN ADVANCE FORCE TOO?

WHO KNOWS?

I DIDN'T HEAR A HORN, THOUGH.

I'LL HAVE THE CAVALRY READY, JUST IN CASE.

I WONDERED WHAT WAS TAKING HIM SO LONG.

LOOKS LIKE HE HAD A GRAND TIME WREAKING HAVOC.

OH, GOOD HEAVENS!

ISN'T THAT THE BANNER OF GAIDAR'S CAVALRY?

HE'S OLDER NOW, BUT STILL AS UNPREDICTABLE AS EVER.

HE LOOKS SO DIGNIFIED,

BUT BEHAVES LIKE AN UTTER RUFFIAN.

YES. UNPREDICTABLE AS HE MAY BE,

HE HAS THE CHARACTER BAYEZID NEEDS.

THE SORT EVEN MY OLDER BROTHER COVETS.

WHO ELSE AMONG OUR KNIGHTS...

...COULD PULL OFF SOMETHING THAT INSANE?