The Stellar Swordmaster — Chapter 97

NORTHERNMOST POINT IN THE EMPIRE'S CENTRAL REGION DOBRECHTI

AGAIN!

AGAIN!

AGAIN!

WHY IN GOD'S NAME DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!

BARON OF DOBRECHTI DALMATIA

WHO COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?!

WHY IS IT THAT EVERY TIME WE PLANT BARLEY SEEDS, SOME FIEND COMES ALONG AND DIGS THEM ALL UP?!

MY LORD...

WE GUARDED THE AREA THROUGH THE NIGHT, BUT AT SUNRISE--

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR PATHETIC EXCUSES!

FORGIVE ME, SIR...

SIGH

BLOODY USELESS, THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU...

LOOK AROUND YOU. NOT A RICH, GREEN PASTURE IN SIGHT.

EVEN THE MISERABLE CLIMATE STANDS AGAINST US.

ALL WE HAVE ARE OUR DENSE FORESTS AND OUR BARLEY CROP...

IF WE DON'T GET THOSE SEEDS INTO THE GROUND IN TIME, WE'LL STARVE TO DEATH.

BUT MY LORD, WE'RE ALREADY SHORT ON MEN AS IT IS--

THEN PUT THE TOWNSPEOPLE IN SHACKLES IF YOU MUST! JUST GET MORE GUARDS!

IF WE DON'T ACT SOON, WE WON'T LIVE TO SEE NEXT YEAR! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!

IT'S THOSE MONSTERS IN THE WOODS RUINING OUR CROP! I'M SURE OF IT!

GATHER EVERY ABLE-BODIED MAN IN TOWN AND GUARD THE BARLEY FIELDS WITH YOUR LIVES!

YES, MY LORD.

UGH, MY HEAD...

PERHAPS I SHOULD LOOK INTO HIRING SOME MERCENARIES.

THOSE WRETCHED WOODS...

THEY'RE EVEN EERIER THAN USUAL TODAY.

Episode 97

PEPPER, SALT, JERKY...

WHAT'S THIS?

MY PILGRIM'S TOKEN.

FATHER ANDREA SIGNED IT FOR ME.

HMM, I SEE.

SO YOU REMEMBERED TO PACK ALL YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSIONS.

AND YET...

...HOW IS IT YOU COULDN'T THINK TO BRING ONE PIECE OF FLINT?

YOU'RE ONE TO TALK. ALL YOU PACKED WAS THAT LOUSY FLINTSTONE.

I'VE HAD A BUSY WEEK...

AT LEAST I BROUGHT ONE!

IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT FOR CRUSHING IT LIKE THIS!

IT WAS DEFECTIVE TO BEGIN WITH.

DEFECTIVE?! NONSENSE!

YOU WENT AT IT LIKE YOU WERE HELL-BENT ON BREAKING IT!

JUST GET BACK TO RUBBING THOSE STICKS.

IF WE DON'T GET A FIRE GOING SOON, WE'LL FREEZE TO DEATH OUT HERE.

HMPH...

THIS IS NEVER GOING TO WORK.

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A-ARE YOU TIRED, SIR?

L-LET ME TAKE OVER FOR YOU.

OI. YOU THERE.

WOULD YOU MIND LENDING US SOME FLINT IF YOU HAVE ANY?

HUH?

MY, MY!

WHAT SHARP EARS YOU HAVE, YOUNG MAN.

A-ARE THOSE BANDITS?!

YOU SHOULD'VE RUN WHILE YOU HAD THE CHANCE.

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, JUST SITTING THERE, WAITING TO BE SURROUNDED?

WITH A PRETTY FACE LIKE THAT, YOU'D FETCH A FINE PRICE AT ANY MARKET.

I WONDER WHICH NOBLE FAMILY OUR DARLING YOUNG DANDY BELONGS TO.

HEY, KID. TELL US WHO YOUR PARENTS ARE, AND WE MIGHT JUST GIVE YOU BACK TO THEM... FOR A PRICE.

WELL?

DO YOU HAVE ONE OR NOT?

WHAT?

I JUST ASKED IF YOU HAVE A PIECE OF FLINT.

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO WE ARE?

NEVER MIND.

DON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH THE FLINT.

WHEN I LEFT SCHOARRA, I PROMISED MYSELF SOMETHING.

TO RESHARPEN MY RESOLVE TO DEFEND JUSTICE.

HAND OVER EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT.

THAT INCLUDES YOUR LIVES, YOU WRETCHED SCOUNDRELS.

HURK...

THOSE WOODS SEND CHILLS DOWN MY SPINE.

IS IT JUST ME, OR DO THEY SEEM EVEN EERIER TODAY?

AYE... LIKE SOMETHING COULD LEAP OUT OF THEM AT ANY MOMENT.

DON'T SAY THAT, EVEN IN JEST.

WITH ALL THE DREADFUL RUMORS GOING AROUND LATELY...

WH-WHO GOES THERE?!

WH-WHAT MONSTROSITY IS THAT?!

WHOA, EASY THERE.

NO BITING, REMEMBER?

HUH...?

A HORSE?

LOWER YOUR SPEARS.

I'VE BROUGHT YOU SOME OF THE BANDITS WHO'VE BEEN PLAGUING THESE PARTS.

BANDITS...?

YOU MEAN THOSE VILLAINS WHO SLAUGHTER INNOCENT TOWNSFOLK IN THE NEARBY VILLAGES?

GASP

I WISH TO SPEAK WITH YOUR LORD.

I AM VLAD OF SCHOARRA...

KNIGHT OF HOUSE VAYEZID.

IMAGINE THAT!

A BONA FIDE KNIGHT OF HOUSE VAYEZID, RIGHT HERE IN DOBRECHTI!

I APPRECIATE YOUR WARM WELCOME.

WELL, YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO BRING US THOSE TROUBLESOME BANDITS!

AS THE LORD OF THIS TOWN, I COULDN'T POSSIBLY TURN YOU AWAY AT THE GATES!

NOW, THEN!

ENOUGH WITH THE FORMALITIES. PLEASE, HAVE A SEAT.

SO, NINE BANDITS, IS IT?

15 IF YOU COUNT THOSE WHO WERE BEHEADED.

A FEW OF THEM SLIPPED AWAY.

HAHAHA! VERY IMPRESSIVE!

I ASSURE YOU, YOU WILL BE GENEROUSLY REWARDED FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE!

THANK YOU.

SO...

...I SUPPOSE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MORE CRESTS TO ADD TO THAT STANDARD OF YOURS.

INDEED...

HOW FORTUNATE. AS IT HAPPENS, I HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK OF YOU.

I TRUST IT WILL INTEREST A TRUE KNIGHT IN PURSUIT OF HONOR, SUCH AS YOURSELF.

HE'S HOPING I'LL WORK FOR FREE.

BEST TO COLLECT MY PAYMENT FOR CAPTURING THOSE BANDITS AND GET OUT OF HERE.

MY MAIN CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS TO TRACK DOWN SOME TRACE OF THE VOICE.

A MOST STRANGE THING HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN OUR LAND AS OF LATE.

THIS TIME OF YEAR IS TYPICALLY WHEN WE PLANT OUR BARLEY CROP,

YET THE SEEDS HAVE BEEN DISAPPEARING AS SOON AS THEY'RE LAID ON THE GROUND.

I HAVE GUARDS WATCHING THE FIELDS DAY AND NIGHT, BUT NO ONE HAS SEEN THE CULPRIT.

IF SOME BEAST OR MONSTER WERE RESPONSIBLE, SURELY THE SOLDIERS WOULD HAVE OBSERVED IT BY NOW.

SOME OF THE OLDER TOWNSFOLK BELIEVE IT'S THE WORK OF A SPIRIT DWELLING IN THE WOODS.

A SPIRIT?!

RASPBERRIES~♪

RASPBERRIES~♫

MMM, THEY'RE DELICIOUS!

MOTHER WILL BE SO PLEASED.

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WH-WHAT WAS THAT...?