UGH... I CAN BARELY BREATHE.
WHAT DID I DO WRONG THIS TIME?
THIS BOY...
HE'S THE SORT WHO ONLY SHINES WHEN HE'S FREE OF RESTRAINT.
IN THAT CASE,
I SHOULD RESPECT THE INDIVIDUALITY HE'S DEVELOPED.
OF COURSE, I'LL HAVE TO COOL HIS HEAD A LITTLE FIRST.
WAS IT RECKLESSNESS...
OR CONFIDENCE?
IT'S FAIR TO CALL THIS THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT OF THE WAR, WOULDN'T YOU SAY?
YET, I GAVE NO SUCH ORDER TO DO SO.
...I'LL MAKE SURE HE LEARNS THE IMPORTANCE OF MILITARY ORDERS.
ACCORDING TO THE SCOUTS' REPORT,
YOU BURNED NEARLY ALL THE GAIDAR ADVANCE FORCE'S SUPPLIES.
AH, WELL...
IT BECAME A HABIT WHILE I WAS IN THE WEST...
I SEE.
YOU MUST HAVE DONE IT BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD MANAGE IT.
I DO HOPE YOUR ACTIONS WERE BASED ON SOUND, LEVEL-HEADED JUDGMENT.
YES, MY LORD.
BUT REMEMBER THIS.
YOUR NAME HAS LIKELY ALREADY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL LEAVE MARKS LIKE FOOTPRINTS, TRAILING BEHIND YOU.
THAT IS WHY, AS A KNIGHT, YOU MUST GIVE SERIOUS THOUGHT TO YOUR DECISIONS,
AND WEIGH EVERY STEP YOU TAKE.
YOUR ACTIONS NOW AFFECT MORE THAN BAYEZID ALONE.
YOU SHOULDER THE HONOR AND PRIDE OF THE NORTH.
YOU ARE A KNIGHT OF THE NORTH, AFTER ALL.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
YES, LORD JOSEPH.
I WILL TAKE YOUR WORDS TO HEART.
GOOD. YOU'VE WORKED HARD.
GET SOME PROPER REST.
YES, MY LORD. I'LL TAKE MY LEAVE.
...WHAT DO YOU THINK?
HE HAS AMPLY PROVEN HIMSELF A KNIGHT.
HOWEVER,
HE WILL NEED CAREFUL SUPERVISION DURING THIS WAR.
YES, I SUPPOSE HE WILL.
FOR THAT BOY, THIS WAR...
HAS ANOTHER MEANING AS WELL.
SIR VLAD!
I'M GLAD YOU'RE SAFE!
OH, STEFAN. HOW ARE THE MERCENARIES?
NO ONE'S HURT, ARE THEY?
YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH.
I HEARD YOU HAD QUITE A ROUGH TIME AT SEA. SHOULDN'T YOU BE RESTING?
I NEED TO GO SEE NOIR.
AH, YOUR HORSE?
YEAH. HE'S IN A FOUL MOOD RIGHT NOW.
THAT LONG VOYAGE REALLY IRRITATED HIM,
AND HE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO RUN AS MUCH AS HE WANTED.
WOULD YOU LIKE US TO TAKE CARE OF THE LITTLE THINGS FOR YOU?
WE CAN AT LEAST HANDLE FEEDING HIM.
I'D APPRECIATE THAT...
BUT I'M NOT SURE YOU COULD MANAGE IT.
PARDON?
IT TAKES SOMEONE LIKE GOETHE TO PUT UP WITH HIS TEMPER.
...I'LL JUST LOOK AFTER HIM MYSELF.
STAY AWAY FROM HIM IF YOU CAN.
HM?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
H-HOW MUCH DOES A HORSE LIKE THIS COST?
WHY DO YOU ASK?
WOULD YOU BUY HIM IF YOU HAD THE MONEY?
SOME THINGS CAN'T BE BOUGHT, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU OFFER.
HE'S ONE OF THEM.
OH! I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR CLOAK BACK.
KEEP IT FOR NOW.
IT ONLY GETS IN THE WAY DURING COMBAT ANYWAY.
...THEN PLEASE TAKE THIS.
I WAS TAUGHT TO ALWAYS BE SINCERE WHEN SHOWING MY GRATITUDE.
THAT'S WHAT IS EXPECTED OF A RAVNOMA.
THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO OFFER RIGHT NOW,
BUT SOMEDAY, I PROMISE I'LL...
PUT IT AWAY.
I CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING THAT IT HAS A STORY BEHIND IT.
A KEEPSAKE FROM SOMEONE YOU LOST, OR A FAMILY HEIRLOOM, RIGHT?
I WON'T EVER ACCEPT THINGS LIKE THAT AGAIN.
BESIDES, I'VE ALREADY BEEN PAID FOR THIS MISSION,
SO I WON'T ACCEPT ANYTHING FROM YOU.
A KNIGHT MUST ACCEPT ONLY WHAT HE HAS RIGHTFULLY EARNED.
FROM A FALSE KNIGHT TO A BOY FROM THE BACK ALLEYS.
AND THEN, IN TURN, TO A GIRL WITH NOTHING TO GIVE.
AND SO, A KNIGHT'S OATH CONTINUED TO PASS FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER.
SIGH...
WITH WAR SO CLOSE, I CAN'T SLEEP AT ALL.
IN THREE DAYS AT MOST...
HM?
HMPH!
THE NERVE OF HIM.
"LADY ALICIA'S KNIGHT"? ABSOLUTE RUBBISH.
HE'S SO GOOD AT HIDING THAT I NEVER SEE HIM.
EVEN WHEN I SUMMON HIM, HE BARELY EVER COMES.
IT'S ALL TALK. HE DOES NOTHING TO MAKE ME FEEL HE MEANS IT.
MUST BE NICE TO BE SO CAREFREE,
SLEEPING SO SOUNDLY.
ISN'T HE NERVOUS ABOUT THE COMING WAR?
DO KNIGHTS NORMALLY SLEEP THIS DEEPLY, THOUGH?
YOU'D THINK HE'D SENSE ME HERE AND WAKE UP.
DOES HE TRUST THIS PLACE THAT MUCH?
●●● ●●●
...VLAD IS LADY ALICIA'S KNIGHT.
THAT'S WHY, FROM NOW ON, HE WILL VISIT ALICIA OFTEN.
HE WILL VISIT ALICIA MORE OFTEN THAN LORD JOSEPH.
UNDERSTOOD?
?!
...YOU ARE ASLEEP, AREN'T YOU?
WHY IS YOUR EAR TWITCHING?
LISTEN CAREFULLY.
I'M GOING TO MEDITATE NOW.
I'LL BE GOING DEEP INTO MY WORLD TO PUT THINGS IN ORDER,
AND IT'S DELICATE WORK, SO WAKE ME IF ANYONE COMES.
UNDERSTOOD?
MAKE SURE YOU WAKE ME, OKAY?
VLAD IS LADY ALICIA'S KNIGHT.
THAT'S WHY, FROM NOW ON, HE WILL VISIT ALICIA OFTEN.
HE WILL VISIT ALICIA MORE OFTEN THAN LORD JOSEPH.
THE WESTERN ALLIED FORCES INVADE THE NORTH WITH 5,000 TROOPS!
The Stellar Swordmaster Chapter 142 finds Vlad reprimanded by Lord Joseph for burning the Gaidar advance force's supplies without orders. Joseph warns him that as a Knight of the North his actions carry the honor of the North. Vlad checks on Stefan, the mercenaries, and his temperamental horse Noir, and refuses a grateful girl's keepsake. That night Alicia watches the sleeping Vlad and orders him to visit her more often.