It was a snowy night.

It was also a quiet night, the kind where one could even hear the sound of the falling snowflakes touching the ground.

Sitting alone on the wooden fence of the stable, Vlad pulled his cloak tightly around himself and quietly watched the falling snowflakes.

"The snow comes a bit late here."

If he were in his hometown of Soara, it would be the time of year when the snow wouldn't just be falling, but piling up.

However, here in Valletta, an inland city even within the central region, it was only just now snowing, making Vlad finally realize just how far he had come.

"Is it good?"

PRRRR.

Noir, who had his head buried in the manger, snorted at Vlad's words, expressing his pleasure.

Though it was a winter lacking in food, Noir's manger was currently filled with plump beans.

"You're quite lucky too. Of all days, today happens to be Liberation Day."

The abundant feed Noir was eating today wasn't simply meant for the upcoming mission alone.

As Vlad had just mentioned, today was also Liberation Day, commemorating mankind's liberation from the most perfect dragon.

Honoring the Founding King, a saint recognized by the church, and the Swordmaster who was the knight of knights, today was a day when everyone—human and livestock alike—ate a plentiful dinner.

"My mom used to say my birthday was around this time too."

["Is that so?"]

And the day Vlad was born was also said to be around this time.

Because he had heard it when he was so young, he couldn't remember clearly, but the boy of the back alleys was definitely a child born in the snowy winter.

"Anyway, they say children are being taken again. Do those bastards hold some kind of grudge against kids or something?"

Idly scratching the ground with a branch, Vlad exhaled a large puff of breath as he recalled what he had heard from the Count earlier.

Count Arnstein had said there was an unidentified monster roaming the outskirts of the city and the territory, kidnapping only children, and upon hearing that, Vlad could intuitively sense that he had come to the right place.

Just like in the fog-filled village and Moshiam, the same thing was currently happening here in the Arnstein territory.

["There must be a reason. A reason why they only take children."]

There had to be a reason.

However, whatever reason they might give, Vlad had absolutely no intention of ever understanding it.

"No matter what reason they give, it could never be justified."

Silently keeping his head bowed, Vlad suddenly looked up and gazed down at the houses below.

Between the brightly lit houses, there were sparsely scattered homes filled with only darkness.

"Especially to those sitting in those dark houses over there."

It was a day everyone should be celebrating, but because it was such a day, there would be people grieving even more.

Knowing their feelings all too well, Vlad stroked Noir's back and quietly let out a deep breath.

* * *

There was a village where everyone was holding their breath.

It was a small village, only now barely having a few dozen households living together.

But today, the villagers here were holding their breath and shutting themselves inside their homes, and it wasn't simply because the night was deep.

CRUUUNCH!

In an instant, a loud noise that shattered the silence echoed from one part of the village that had been filled only with stillness.

It was the sound made by a small house collapsing.

That house belonged to the village's only herbalist, and it was also a house with a child who had recently celebrated their fourth birthday.

"No! My baby! My child!"

Under the bright moonlit night, a woman whose child had been stolen away was wailing at an unidentified man.

The child the man was currently holding was the only treasure the poor couple possessed, and something akin to a hope that allowed them to live to see the next day.

"-..."

However, the man's gaze as he looked at the weeping woman was merely cold.

The blue ghost fire, which looked even colder perhaps because of the moonlight, simply turned its head to head on its way with an indifferent demeanor.

The cries of a young child could be heard from the worn sack slung over the man's shoulder.

CRASH!

"... I've finally found you."

And there were knights who had come seeking that crying sound.

A knight with his back to the moonlight was smiling as a door shattered loudly.

"I finally get to see your ugly mug."

He must have run with all his might, as he was out of breath up to his chin, but a chilling smile that was hard to hide hung on Pablo's lips.

It was because the tragedy he hadn't been able to prevent, as he could never reach them in time before, was now standing right in front of him.

"How about you put down the child you're holding first?"

"-..."

Pablo of Arnstein.

From his closed left eye, his world began to flow out.

His blazing yellow world was also the world that had drawn out the potential known as Vlad of Soara.

"Then I'll just beat you half to death."

Today, the day when, long ago, the Swordmaster who was the knight of knights killed the most perfect dragon.

To honor him who had been where he was supposed to be, the knights of Arnstein did not hesitate to hide in this shabby village.

* * *

NEEEEIGH!

"Block him! Don't let him get out!"

"Throw your bodies at him to block his path if you have to!"

The kick of the horse emanating blue ghost fire was fierce.

Even the horse the man was riding seemed to realize the severity of the situation and was bucking fiercely, but Pablo did not hesitate to walk directly into that storm himself.

"Haaah!"

CRASH! BANG!

There were kicks that seemed to shake the earth, but even though Pablo staggered heavily, he didn't hesitate to push forward.

Because what he held was a fortress wall, and what he wanted was the crying child.

Pablo's march to protect a young possibility was resolute, both in Deirmar and here now.

"I said get down!"

Pablo's swordsmanship was neither flashy nor fast.

It was monotonous and strictly adhered to the basics, but the reason it could still be threatening was because of the shield that could block all of an opponent's intentions.

SWISH!

NEEEEEIGH!

Having finally closed the distance despite the brutal kicks, Pablo raised his sword high.

Startled by the flashing movement of the blade, the horse suddenly reared up, and the tense equilibrium began to collapse.

"Now!"

"Go in!"

The unidentified man's sword was only one, while the charging knights were many.

To prevent a family's tragedy that might happen today, some used their entire bodies to block the Sword Path, while others moved to block the horse's trajectory.

"Lord Pablo!"

"Well done!"

And as one of the knights who charged in forcefully twisted the man's right arm and managed to snatch up the crying child, Pablo, who had been waiting for the right moment, gritted his teeth.

"How dare you come here!"

CLANG!

With nothing left to hold him back, Pablo forcefully struck his sword against his shield.

The world of Pablo that then revealed itself was a world akin to a sturdy fortress wall.

His fortress wall, which hadn't suffered a single scratch no matter how many times the newly bloomed world of a boy crashed into it, began its rough advance.

"I'll show you exactly what I meant by beating you half to death!"

BANG! CLASH!

Sword clashed against sword, but the sound that rang out was like cannonballs being fired.

Although Pablo was facing an opponent on horseback, in a situation like this where there was no room to maneuver, the one with their feet planted on the ground would actually have the advantage.

"-Beaten half to death, you say."

Yet, even in this desperate crisis, the unidentified man's response remained calm.

"-Could there be a more hollow threat to us than that?"

"What?"

Pablo sensed an ominous omen approaching in the man's words.

"Us?"

The unidentified man who had only operated alone up until now.

However, the ones crawling out from the darkness with snickering laughter were clearly not one, but many.

"-You aren't the only ones who can lay a trap."

"...!"

The unidentified man was smiling as he looked at the bewildered Pablo and the knights.

As if offering a greeting, he politely took off his hood, which contained the very head that had been smiling at Pablo just moments ago.

"You wicked bastard!"

Beneath the clouds that obscured the moon, the unidentified men began to charge.

Having all laid down their heads, they began to mock the knights of Arnstein floundering on the ground with fierce kicks and flying blades.

"Everyone, form a phalanx! Center on the child and family!"

The knights' screams filled the air amidst the scattering blood.

Realizing that what they thought was the prey were actually the hunters, Pablo once again closed his eye tightly, trying to summon his world.

THWACK!

"Urgh!"

"-...!"

Instantly, one of the headless knights was violently sent flying backwards by a spear shaft that suddenly flew in.

It had been thrown with such force that the spear shaft embedded in the ground was still vibrating.

"-Who goes there!"

The small village nestled in the plains.

The fierce sound of galloping hooves began to be heard from beyond the wooden fence that the villagers had barely managed to erect.

The banner of Arnstein, the banner of the Imperial Enforcers, and even a small but densely patterned banner of the North.

Watching the approaching dust on the horizon, the headless man had no choice but to hurriedly pull out the javelin stuck in his subordinate's body.

"Did it hit?"

["It hit. It definitely hit."]

"It's my first time throwing one, but it actually worked. It's a good thing I got to see Volkov's technique beforehand."

It was a man with striking blue eyes.

His bulging shoulder muscles made it perfectly clear who had thrown the javelin just now.

WHOOSH!

SNATCH!

"Guess they didn't like the gift I sent."

The surrounding knights were greatly astonished watching Vlad casually catch the javelin that had been thrown back from far away.

He was pulling off a miracle among miracles, but the senses derived from the dragon's blood merely accepted the current situation as a matter of course.

"The enemies are fleeing!"

"Dammit! We can't lose them!"

The Captain of Arnstein's knights felt a sense of relief watching the intruders retreat from his knights, but conversely, a growing sense of urgency arose within him.

"Ride! We cannot lose them again!"

If they lost them now, there might be more children disappearing again.

However, despite the Captain's desperate cries, the intruders who had attacked the village were already mounting their horses.

"Dammit! We shouldn't have let them get on their horses!"

Dozens of knights were charging in, but he knew they ultimately wouldn't be able to catch them.

Because the Arnstein territory was a land full of fertile plains, and it was a place without a single obstacle to block them.

"....."

From the village they were swiftly passing by, there was a gleaming yellow light.

Vlad could recognize at a glance who that familiar light came from.

["Debts of gratitude must be repaid."]

"I know."

They were giving chase, but the headless knights were only getting further away.

Just as the pursuing knights were growing tired from the ever-widening gap, a single black shadow broke away from the formation.

"My life was always meant to be spent repaying my debts, anyway."

From the unadorned sword given by the old man to the tears shed by the young girl.

Vlad knew well that the person he was now stood on a path paved by repaying, repaying, and repaying again.

The clouds finally parted, and the blue moonlight illuminated the broad plains, pointing out a single path.

As if telling him all he had to do was run along it, Vlad looked at the brightly shining light and tightly gripped the reins in his hands.

"Let's go!"

NEEEEEEIGH!

A son of the plains inheriting the bloodline of a unicorn.

Through the connected worlds, the horn of Noir steadily formed, and soon began to blaze past the banners of the central region.

"Th-That..."

At a speed that left not only Arnstein's Captain but even Rodrigo astonished.

"-...!"

"Have we met before?"

Watching Vlad charge forward like that, the headless knights were greatly taken aback.

They had escaped even from death, but before this black horse with its brightly erect horn, they had no choice but to be overtaken.

"Well, you'd need a head to recognize if we've met before or not."

"-You are..."

"Vlad of Soara."

The heartbeat he heard right next to him sounded similar to that of the one who had lost all color.

The faint scent of tea wafting along the wind was the same as what the black woman usually drank.

However, the smile that looked at him was quite distinct from those two, being extremely dreary.

"I've come in place of Pablo of Arnstein, whom you bastards shook off."

The sword was crying out.

The sword that slays dragons, roaring that it was now its turn.

"Go back and fetch the heads you bastards left behind!"

Hoping that, at least for today, it would be a silent night where no one wept.

Keeping the image of the unlit windows in his mind, Vlad swung his sword, sincerely wishing for that to be so.

Believing that this alone was the rightful reward he was owed.