The Flower Dances and the Wind Sings

20.

“Sir Veron.”

Vicente called quietly when Ercella completely disappeared. The man who appeared from somewhere slightly bowed his head.

“Yes, Master.”

The man who was knighted a long time ago obeyed Vicente, a mere apprentice. It was partly because Vicente was the only successor of the Bernhardt Dukedom, and that Vicente was skilled enough to be ordained as a knight.

However, he was still an apprentice knight only because the law required him to be at least 15 years old to be knighted. Perhaps his young master may be knighted this year.

“Call the Capital Guards immediately.”

“Yes, Master.”

Vicente handed the paper to Veron. Veron did not question Vicente’s orders and headed straight to the Capital Guard’s house.

***

Hunter, the owner of the archery field, rushed towards somewhere. He almost tripped over a stone in the middle, but he didn’t care because of his hasty steps.

With a broad grin on his face, he hurried his steps. Finally, he stopped in front of a cabin with a red roof. He opened the door in excitement. Just as Hunter reached the door threshold.

Clang!

A sharp noise tore his eardrums. Hunter trembled and took a step back. He habitually winced and observed the eyes of those in there. He looked so ridiculous that voices filled with ridicule ganged up on him.

“Crazy f***er! What would you do if you were a b*tch?”

“I wondered who the scamp was, turns out it was Hunter.”

“Damn, Hunter! You crazy bastard! Who do you think you are, crawling back in! Cut it out, will you?!”

He was afraid that if he didn’t leave, he might swing the weapon in his right hand on him right away but this was not the time to worry about this. He shouted with courage.

“T-that’s not the problem right now!”

“What the hell are you doing, you horny brute! Is it worth it to live like that? You think your boss is a p*say? Want me to slit open that neck of yours? Huh?!!

“P-p, pr-”

“Don’t stutter, bastard.”

A vicious-looking man with a long scar on the left side of his face. He cracked the whip he was holding. Hunter was frightened and shouted, thinking that if he stuttered again the cruel beating would begin.

“Top prize!”

The man’s face crumpled like a piece of paper when he blurted. He was just about to swing his whip.

“P-prize! It’s a top prize! They’re nobles!”

The man suddenly stopped.

“Nobles?”

Hunter was finally relieved because of the mild interest in his hoarse voice.

One of the corners of his mouth went up slightly.

“Are you sure?”

“Y-yes! I’m telling you. You mentioned you needed a couple of nobles!”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“And one of them was a beauty!”

“A beauty?”

The man’s eyes shone cruelly. He’s tempted! Hunter’s face brightened up instantly. He began spouting what he felt.

“I promise you. I’ve never seen such a woman in my life!”

“You’ve caught quite a big fish out of your business. If they aren’t, you know what happens, right?”

“Y-yes, I know. Carter… So now, uh, is my debt clear?”

One eyebrow of the man called Carter rose upward.

“What? Is this enough to write off all your debts?”

“It is!”

“What the hell are you so loud?!”

Carter’s whip flew to Hunter. It hit Hunter’s shoulder with an agonizing pang. Hunter’s shriek was heard instantly.

As the stinging pain spread throughout the body, Hunter curled up his upper body and apologized obsequiously.

“S-s-sorry. I g-got excited.”

“Well, I’m curious about something. Did you confirm that it’s not an influential family? Otherwise, we’re the ones who’ll get f*cked. The higher-ups will simply cut off their tails and run away.”

“There’s no way such a big shot will go there in the first place. All the nobles who have ever come so far had nothing.”

Surely enough, the aristocrats who considered themselves noble did not step into such a dirty and cramped place. The aristocrats who come from time to time are usually the ones that are almost abandoned by their families or commoners, so there was no major threat in touching them even if they hid well. Did they avoid the eyes of the guards?

They couldn’t have thought it was kidnapping because they disappeared one by one over a long period of time.

It’s already been a year since I’ve been here. For the longest time, the number of times they harmed people was very small. It was because of their client who did not want them to stir up the capital. There was no way to know the intentions of that high personality, but because the sum he offered was quite huge, their leader accepted the money.

In any case, their lives were safe, lots of money came in, and every now and then drunk women came, so it was a good thing all in all. At Hunter’s words, Carter nodded in slight conviction.

“That’s true. Right. Anyway, the boss will love it. That toy died so fast that it was boring.”

Hunter was stunned when he saw Carter telling a cruel story so casually. Their leader, Drion, was a pervert who treated women like toys and enjoyed beating them.

He imagined a scene where the dazzling beauty he saw earlier was harshly abused by Drion, but he had no choice but to ignore it.

If he could write off his debts, it was none of his business whether she was killed or raped. He has his own issues to deal with.

“And so I’m excited too.”

Carter smiled evilly. If Drion enjoyed a toy he used to play with, he would give them to his subordinates, so they can enjoy playing with them once. If they survive Drion’s abuse, he will give them to the slave dealer.

Of course, they were sold off in Conrad, so that no one will know. Hehe. Carter drooled and smiled when he suddenly stiffened his face.

“You, what are you wearing?”

“What do you mean-“.”

Gak. Hunter suddenly held his breath. A sharp blade was pointed at his neck. His whole body hardened like plaster from the cool sensation of the blade.

“You seem like a young nobleman. What are you doing here?”

Carter’s grunting was unheard. However, Hunter’s head slowly turned back when he heard ‘nobleman’. It was a stiff machine-like motion.

“Eek!”

When their eyes met, Hunter breathed shallowly as he could see his life reflecting in his blue eyes. He was the boy with the beautiful woman from earlier.

‘Why is he here? He was supposed to go to the blue-roofed cabin.’ None of that occurred to him.

The moment he met the boy’s eyes, all of Hunter’s thought circuits stopped. He couldn’t even roll his eyes. The blade on Hunter’s neck was about to cut his neck.

“Where’s your leader? Bring me to him.”

“Hey, Young Master! It’s no use trying to act cool. How can a brat like you kill him?”

“This is no place for a bastard like you to come- Wait a minute…”

Carter got up from his seat, his eyes glowed.

“Oh my, his face is worth something.”

Carter’s eyes flashed his foul thoughts. He moistened his lips with his tongue. The sticky mucus was entangled like a spider’s web in his mouth. The men around Carter began to giggle insidiously.

“Hehehe. Do you have a taste for men too?”

“That boy has a pretty face. I’ll groom this b*tch as a punk just for myself.” (T/N: He meant what “punk” actually used to mean.)

“Oh, sounds great!”

Despite Carter’s insulting remarks, not a hint of humiliation was on the boy’s face. He just watched the situation quietly.

The boy’s sword was still on Hunter’s neck, but it didn’t bleed yet as the blade didn’t go in.

Is he hesitating to kill people?

At the thought, the corners of Hunter’s mouth went up.

If so, he’s obviously just a spoiled noble brat.

Then this is a piece of cake. He’ll escape as soon as he hits him and makes him unstable. Hunter moved his arms slowly without the boy noticing. No, he tried to move. It was just a slight movement. Just like how your body moves when you move a finger.

Slash-

The cold blade relentlessly cut Hunter’s neck. Blood gushed up like a fountain and the huge body dropped down dead in a straight line. The red blood creeping out of his throat soaked the floor.

The man, who was screaming and trembling until earlier, turned into a cold corpse as if never alive. They looked at the boy in front of them, holding their breath.

They couldn’t take their eyes off the boy as if someone was holding their heads by force. And then-

Tsk.

The boy drily clicked his tongue. He stepped back in advance to avoid the blood splatter from cutting Hunter’s neck but looks like he still got some on his clothes.

He was staring at the bloodstains on his sleeve as if they were dirty filth. But that was not what mattered to them. He was a boy who looked barely in his mid-teens. Yet, he cut Hunter’s throat so effortlessly. Without a hint of remorse about killing people.

To the boy, killing Hunter was just like slaughtering pigs. His hollow eyes seemed not that of a human.

“You… what the hell are you?”

Carter, who froze like his men, finally opened his mouth and stuttered. Carter couldn’t believe what had just unfolded before him.

He clenched his whip with the intention of swinging it. The boy’s subdued eyes quietly watched his gestures.

“Bring me to your leader.”

Carter went wild at him for blatantly ignoring him and looking for the leader.

“The hell are you, bastard!”

Carter shouted and immediately swung his whip. But the whip only hit the threshold as the boy stepped back. The whip rebounded and struck his goons.

“Argh!!”

Carter’s men screamed in pain. Carter’ roared not because his men were hurt by him but because his pride was hurt that the boy escaped his whip easily.

“What are you guys doing? Catch him fast!”

“Y-yes, boss!”

Contrary to what they said, they were hesitating to run at the boy. The pressure from the boy kept their feet glued to the ground. They feared that they too would become like Hunter’s body on the floor.

Just as Carter was about to shout again at their dawdle, the boy, who only watched until now, ran quickly and kicked Carter in the stomach.

Carter, unable to defend himself, took the blow. He leaned against the table and fell back as a terrible pain raised in his abdomen. Without missing, the boy quickly struck his sword from top to bottom.

“Aaaaargh!!!”

A desperate scream rang through the cabin. The tip of the sword stopped penetrating the back of Carter’s hand. Cool blue eyes looked down at him without mercy. A calm voice that didn’t fit this situation fell upon him.

“Are you going to make me say it twice?”

“N-no matter how noble you are, you can’t kill people as you plea…… Aaargh!! S-stop it! Stop it, you crazy bastard!”

The blade penetrated more and more into the back of his hand. An excruciating pain swept through Carter’s body. He wondered if he cut his bone too. Carter trembled and said in a suppressed voice.

“…G-geschrel.”

“…….”

“He’s… there.”

As soon as Carter’s words stopped, the sword was pulled out.

“Hah, hah.”

He panted as if his breathing stopped but suddenly stopped due to the scary feeling. A sharp blade was pointed at his neck.

Don’t tell me… He intends to kill me?

Carter’s pupils shook violently. He scampered his thoughts to say something. He felt movements behind the boy.

Strangely, Carter was more relieved than shocked when he saw the person standing in the middle of the room.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing that dog-like face here. It’s a pleasure to see you, Carter.”

It was Sir Earnhardt, captain of the Capital Guards.

***

This chapter took me 10 working hours (2 days) to TL. I contemplated dividing this chapter but didn’t. It’s easily the top chapter I hated to TL. All action and no Harsen.

I learned so many swear words and slang while TLing this chapter. I need to cleanse my eyes now.

I miss wholesome scenes :((

*sigh*

The Captain’s name in Korean is 언하드 which literally sounds like Eonhadeu/Unhadeu. I thought of Eonhard like in manhwa but it didn’t sit well with me so I chose Earnhardt. It’s prettier, right!

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