The Stellar Swordmaster — Chapter 98

I HAVE TO SAY, I REALLY DON'T THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA.

JUST LOOK AROUND. THE PLACE DOESN'T EXACTLY SCREAM WEALTH.

I DOUBT WE'LL BE PAID ENOUGH EVEN FOR A SIMPLE MEAL, MUCH LESS A PROPER REWARD.

THE BARON PROMISED HE'D PAY US.

EASY ENOUGH TO SAY...

I CAN SPOT A MISER FROM A MILE OFF...

...AND THAT BARON'S A PRIME EXAMPLE.

MARK MY WORDS. WHEN IT COMES TIME TO OPEN HIS PURSE, YOU WON'T SEE A SINGLE PENNY.

WE SHOULD HAVE DEMANDED A DOWN PAYMENT, AT LEAST.

THAT'S FOR YOU TO DO.

WHAT?

WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE LORD JOSEF KEEPS A KNIGHT AROUND WHO CAN'T EVEN FIGHT?

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CALL SIR BORDAN?

UH... NO...

THE SUGAR KNIGHT?

BORDAN THE MOUNTEBANK.*

HUH?!

THAT DOPE? THE MAN LOOKS LIKE HE CAN BARELY TIE HIS OWN SHOES!

*MOUNTEBANK: A PERSON WHO DECEIVES OTHERS TO TRICK THEM OUT OF THEIR MONEY

THEN YOU CAN SEE WHY NO ONE WOULD SUSPECT HIM OF BEING A CHARLATAN.

ANYWAY...

THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT LORD JOSEF VALUES IN HIM.

HE BELIEVES EVERY TALENT HAS ITS USE.

WHEN IT COMES TO DOWN PAYMENTS OR COLLECTING REWARDS...

I'M PUTTING YOU IN CHARGE FROM NOW ON.

ME?

GIVE OUR NEW FRIEND A TASTE OF NORTHERN CULTURE.

LORD KNOWS THAT TONGUE OF YOURS HAS HAD PLENTY OF PRACTICE IN DECEIT AND TRICKERY.

HEHE...

Episode 98

THERE ARE COUNTLESS TALES AND LEGENDS ABOUT THESE ANCIENT WOODS OF DOBRECHTI.

IN FACT, A YOUNG GIRL WENT MISSING THIS VERY MORNING...

JUST OVER IN YONDER WOODS.

THEY FOUND A DEEP PIT IN THE GROUND NEAR THE RASPBERRY BUSHES WHERE SHE WAS LAST SEEN.

MY GOD, DOES HE EVER TALK A LOT...

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL AMBUSH IS STEALTH...

SURELY EVEN A KNIGHT IN A SMALL PROVINCIAL TOWN WOULD KNOW THAT MUCH.

HAS HE NO COMMON SENSE?

SHE WAS A BRIGHT CHILD... SUCH A SHAME.

!

HER MOTHER'S BEEN MOANING AND WAILING AT THE LORD'S MANOR ALL DAY...

I'M SORRY TO ASK THIS OF YOU, BUT IF YOU COULD HELP US FIND--

?!

MMPH!

MM--

SHH...

G-GOOD HEAVENS...

THAT LOOK IN HIS EYES...!

M-MOVE IT, MEN!

FOLLOW SIR VLAD!

S-SIR VLAD!

WHAT'S THE MATTER?!

IT BEAT US HERE.

PARDON?

WH-WHAT IN THE WORLD...?

THE SEEDS WE PLANTED AS BAIT... THEY'RE ALL GONE...!

DID YOU BRING A SHOVEL?

YES, SIR. RIGHT HERE.

I HEARD IT APPROACHING...

...BUT I SAW NO MOVEMENT.

WHAT'S MORE, IT DIDN'T EVEN LEAVE ANY FOOTPRINTS.

HOW FAR IS THE SPOT WHERE THE GIRL WENT MISSING?

IT'S JUST NEARBY, SIR.

WHY DO YOU ASK...?

GASP! WH-WHAT'S THIS?!

I CAN'T EVEN SEE THE BOTTOM.

NO HUMAN HANDS COULD HAVE DUG THIS.

CAPTAIN.

LEAD THE WAY.

I NEED TO SEE WHERE THE GIRL VANISHED.

WELL?

WHAT'S SIR VLAD DOING AT PRESENT?

AFTER VISITING THE SPOT WHERE THE YOUNG GIRL WENT MISSING...

...HE RETURNED TO TOWN AND HAS BEEN SUMMONING THE ELDERS, MY LORD.

THE ELDERS?

WHAT FOR?

I BELIEVE HE INTENDS TO ASK THEM ABOUT THE TOWN'S HISTORY.

LOCAL LEGENDS AND SUCH.

YOU DON'T THINK THEY MIGHT TELL HIM ANYTHING THEY SHOULDN'T, DO YOU?

I TRUST THEY POSSESS ENOUGH SENSE NOT TO REVEAL TOO MUCH.

THEY WON'T SAY ANYTHING THAT COULD CAUSE YOU TROUBLE, MY LORD. SIR VLAD IS A COMPLETE STRANGER TO THEM.

UGH...

THERE WAS THE EMBLEM OF SAN ROSINO ON HIS BANNER.

HE MUST HAVE DEEP TIES TO THE CHURCH.

I CAN'T SIMPLY ASK HIM TO CALL OFF THE INVESTIGATION NOW...

I WAS THE ONE WHO ASKED FOR HIS HELP...

...BUT HE'S DIGGING A LITTLE TOO DEEPLY FOR COMFORT.

ASSIGN SOMEONE TO WATCH HIM.

SEE TO IT THAT HE DOESN'T START ASKING TOO MANY QUESTIONS.

ESTEEMED ELDERS, IS THERE TRULY NOTHING THAT COMES TO MIND?

THAT LITTLE GIRL IS STILL OUT THERE SOMEWHERE, WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME TO HER AID.

JUST THINK OF THE POOR SOUL, ALL ALONE IN THAT DARK PIT...

...STIFLING HER SOBS, TEARS SPENT, WEEPING IN SILENCE...

WELL, NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT...

...THE BARLEY'S DISAPPEARED LIKE THIS BEFORE, MANY MOONS AGO.

AYE, THAT'S RIGHT...

THEY USED TO HOLD RITES WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN, REMEMBER?

THEN THE CHURCH CAME AND PUT A STOP TO ALL THAT, OF COURSE.

THE BASTARDS...

BUT WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYONE GO MISSING IN A HOLE BEFORE.

THE WOLVES HAVE TAKEN A CHILD OR TWO OVER THE YEARS, THOUGH.

WHAT KIND OF RITES?

ELDERS, WHAT WERE THOSE RITES THEY USED TO PERFORM?

WE CAN'T SAVE THE GIRL UNLESS YOU TELL US.

THIS HAS BEEN A PARTICULARLY COLD WINTER.

DO YOU WANT THAT CHILD TO FREEZE TO DEATH OUT THERE?

THE EARTH SPECTER...

THERE'S AN EARTH SPECTER LIVING IN THOSE WOODS.

COULD YOU TELL US MORE?

SIR, IT MIGHT BE BEST IF YOU WAIT OUTSIDE.

A YOUNG KNIGHT IS STILL A KNIGHT.

BESIDES, YOU HAVE THE CHURCH'S EMBLEM ON YOUR BANNER.

THE ELDERS SEEM VERY NERVOUS.

I DON'T THINK THEY'LL OPEN UP WITH YOU HERE.

FINE... JUST FIND OUT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

I WILL.

SIR VLAD.

MAY I SPEAK WITH YOU FOR A MOMENT?

AHEM... REGARDING THE RITES...

I ASSURE YOU, THERE'S NOTHING AMISS...

I KNOW.

THE CHURCH HAS LONG FORBIDDEN THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS.

I'M ALSO WELL AWARE YOU AREN'T TOO KEEN ON ANYONE ELSE FINDING OUT...

I-IT'S JUST--

I UNDERSTAND.

YOU HAVE YOUR OWN RULES TO FOLLOW.

YOU MEAN...

ALL THIS TALK OF EARTH SPECTERS AND RITES...

NO ONE WILL HEAR A WORD OF IT.

I SWEAR BEFORE GOD...

...MY ATTENTION WILL BE FOCUSED ENTIRELY ON FINDING THE MISSING GIRL AND THE BARLEY THIEF, NOTHING MORE.

SO YOU CAN STOP KEEPING AN EYE ON ME.

TELL THE BARON AS WELL.

AH... YES, SIR.

I APOLOGIZE FOR TROUBLING YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

SIR.

OH, RIGHT. WHAT ELSE DID THEY TELL YOU?

THE SPECTER ISN'T SOME EVIL SPIRIT.

THEY JUST USED TO PRAY TO IT TO MAKE THE LAND MORE FERTILE.

FARMERS SOMETIMES NEED TO DIG HOLES AND TRENCHES IN THEIR FIELDS,

AND THEY SAY THE SPECTER WOULD DO IT FOR THEM.

I KNOW, IT SOUNDS ABSURD, DOESN'T IT?

WHAT'S SO ABSURD ABOUT THAT?

I'VE SEEN SNAKES THAT LIVE IN TREES.

OH, AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S REALLY EERIE?

THE SPOT WHERE YOU DUG A HOLE IS WHERE THEY USED TO PERFORM THOSE RITES.

IN ANY CASE, WHOEVER OR WHATEVER THIS SPECTER IS, IT SEEMS TO LIKE BARLEY AND LIVE UNDERGROUND.

UNDERGROUND?

THEN I SUPPOSE IT PREFERS THE DARK.

PERFORMING RITES FOR AN EARTH SPECTER...

PAYING TRIBUTE TO A SPIRIT...

ON THE SURFACE, THEY APPEAR DIFFERENT, BUT IN ESSENCE, THEY'RE THE SAME.

GO GET ME SOME BARLEY.

BARLEY? WHAT FOR?

THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME I'VE LURED A SPIRIT OUT OF THE GROUND.

I HAVE AN IDEA.