Chapter 657

Chapter 657

While Enkrid worked on sharpening his perceptions, Kraiss set out to fulfill the task his superior had assigned.

He traveled to survey the territory where the Fairy City was slated to be established. The location lay to the south of the Border Guard’s jurisdiction, passing beyond the desolate plains to a point where the river’s reach finally touched the land. This destination sat tucked against a minor mountain chain—a terrain perfectly suited for a burgeoning forest.

In truth, this was a region where even the designated “Safe Road” offered little in the way of true protection. Nearby loomed a jagged, tower-like stone hill—once a sanctuary for harpies—and at the mountain’s skirts lay a dense thicket that served as a frequent haven for predatory beasts and monsters.

Positioning a settlement here would create a natural barricade against threats migrating from the southern wilds. It was a strategic masterstroke; if the fairies possessed the strength to cleanse the area of such dangers, the arrangement would be mutually beneficial.

With these thoughts in mind, Kraiss made his way toward the southern frontier. He was accompanied by Zero, who acted as a guide for his kin, and escorted by his partner, Nurat. Carrying her blade and sporting a more muscular physique than in previous months, she walked closely by Kraiss’s side. Like many others, she had fully integrated Audin’s grueling physical regimen into her daily life.

“A forest that walks?” Nurat inquired.

“To be precise, it is a grand relocation—a holy tradition of the Woodguard lineage,” explained Zero, walking on the other side of Kraiss.

While most of his kind projected an aura of icy detachment, Zero was remarkably animated and transparent with his feelings. It was clear that fairies were not a monolith. While some differences were surely innate, it was well-known that Enkrid had essentially beaten a sense of emotional reactivity into Zero.

The knight hadn’t just used his blade; he had dismantled the fairy with scathing critiques.

“Is this truly your limit? Your greatest achievement? How fascinating. You pose slightly more threat than a common insect. A decent strike—provided your target is a mosquito.”

Under such relentless mockery, even the most stoic fairy would eventually discover the capacity for fury. And once the gate to anger was opened, the rest of the emotional spectrum tended to follow.

As the trio arrived at the southern outpost, the duty soldier stepped forward to offer a formal salute. In the past, some had looked down upon Kraiss because he was a non-combatant within the Mad Knight Squad, but those prejudices had withered away. The soldiers had learned that showing him contempt would lead to severe consequences. Furthermore, Kraiss never pretended to be a warrior, often stating his lack of combat prowess openly.

If the man himself was humble about it, there was little ground for others to mock him. Of course, a few fools remained, but Kraiss possessed a sharp intellect. After spending several weeks under the protection of Rem’s strike team, even the whispers had died down. No one was brave enough to insult a man whose bodyguard was a firebrand ready to unsheathe an axe at the slightest provocation.

“What? You’re looking for a way to vanish from this world by joining our ranks?”

Dark rumors circulated that men who transferred into Rem’s unit occasionally disappeared. In reality, these weren’t just rumors; the training was so brutal that accidents were inevitable. Greater strength required higher stakes. However, despite the intensity, Rem had never actually lost a soldier under her direct command.

Consequently, open insults toward Kraiss had ceased. As for the quiet grumbling behind his back, Kraiss paid it no mind. He was preoccupied with the logistical nightmare of settling an entire race of fairies.

During their trek, Zero spoke at length about the intricacies of fairy culture. He confessed that his ultimate ambition was the total eradication of every demon across the land. He was a talkative companion, and Nurat joined the dialogue from time to time, providing updates on the progress of the guard’s training exercises.

Suddenly, a heavy sound echoed through the air.

Boom.

“…A monster,” the outpost guard whispered.

Even with the prior warnings about the mobile tree, the actual sight of it was enough to paralyze the senses. One soldier instinctively reached for his bow, while another prepared an arrow. Yet, looking at the sheer scale of the approaching entity, they both realized the futility of their weapons.

Thud—

A massive, root-like limb struck the ground as the giant tree lumbered forward. Silhouetted against the bright sky, it dominated the horizon. Within its sprawling canopy, glowing orbs drifted, and upon closer look, fairies could be seen perched among the branches, watching the humans below.

Zero raised a hand in a friendly sign.

Kraiss regained his composure and issued a firm command: “Hold your fire.”

When Enkrid had first described this to him, Kraiss hadn’t reacted, but now he found himself staring in disbelief.

“It’s actually happening. It’s moving. An entire tree is walking,” Kraiss whispered.

“Indeed… hearing it described doesn’t do the reality justice,” Nurat added, standing firm at his side.

It was fortunate that the arrival occurred during the day. Had it been under the cover of night, it would have surely been mistaken for a catastrophic monster invasion. The scale of the creature distorted one’s perception; it seemed slow because of its size, yet it covered ground with terrifying speed. It was a sight beyond anything they had ever witnessed—an organism so tall that one had to strain their neck just to find the top.

“They are guests. This is not an attack,” Kraiss reminded his men.

Behind him, a soldier muttered, “I’m about to lose my bladder.”

“You too? Me as well.”

“If that thing puts a foot down on us, we’re nothing but stains on the grass.”

“Stop. You’re making me nauseous,” another replied.

The soldiers spoke in low tones, their words sounding like panic, but they weren’t truly broken by fear. If they were genuinely terrified, they wouldn’t have been able to joke. It was merely their way of venting the immense pressure of the moment.

Kawk, kawk.

Without warning, several man-faced hounds lunged out from the brush. The southern border was notorious for such encounters; it was the most monster-infested territory under the Mad Knight Squad’s watch, second only to the Pen-Hanil Mountains.

The beasts, driven by mindless hunger, sprinted toward the base of the walking tree. Being low to the ground, they likely couldn’t even comprehend the magnitude of the entity they were approaching. Eleven of the creatures charged—until, in a sudden blur, they all collapsed simultaneously.

Thin projectiles had whistled through the air, pinning them to the earth. The hounds’ first instinct was to hunt; their second was to pounce. How had they all been neutralized in a single heartbeat?

It was the work of the fairies. From the high branches, their marksmen had fired with impossible accuracy. The fairies communicated with swift signals, moving in perfect harmony. One of the twitching beasts was flattened as a massive root descended.

Thud.

When the foot lifted, nothing remained but a dark smear of blood. As the arboreal giant drew closer, its shadow swallowed the outpost.

Deeply moved by the display, Kraiss finally called out:

“Welcome to the lands of the Border Guard.”

“We appreciate the reception. Though, I must say, the atmosphere here is quite stifling,” one of the fairies remarked. “Do not mistake us for being naive. I once served as a clerk for an information network. I began my career in a settlement further down this very river…”

The fairy continued a rambling monologue, but Kraiss followed along effortlessly. He might not have been familiar with walking trees, but he was an expert at navigating erratic, high-speed social exchanges.

“Are you suggesting I shouldn’t try to deceive you? Have no fear. This region is plagued by monsters and the occasional group of bandits, but I assume that won’t trouble your people. If you make your home here, our commander will be in your debt, even if he is too proud to say so. We can even provide military support if the need arises. I suggest the terrain to the west, nestled against the mountains—it is the most fertile and defensible spot.”

Fairies were famously incapable of lying, yet they were masters of omission and redirection. However, given their reverence for Enkrid, Kraiss doubted they would act in bad faith. Still, the fairies had clearly chosen an envoy who understood human greed and politics.

Every first meeting between two wary groups begins with this kind of posturing. But Kraiss had no interest in playing games. He knew that with swindlers, one must be cunning, but with those who value the truth, one must be transparent. He wanted this alliance to be built on a foundation of honesty.

The fairy gave a satisfied look, though the expression was too subtle for Kraiss to fully read.

“That is acceptable. However, as Emily always told me, one must always verify the facts. Emily was my first partner; she was a brilliant receptionist at the guild.”

Kraiss ignored the irrelevant personal history and began leading the newcomers into the territory. There was a mountain of administrative work ahead, but the path was finally clear.

The massive trees began their slow migration into the valley. Even when the earth seemed to shift or massive rocks were displaced, the soldiers remained at their posts, watching in awe without drawing their steel. Some nobles in the south sent panicked requests for aid, convinced a monster of myth was invading, but that was the extent of the chaos. No blood was shed.

“Once more.”

It was Rem who stepped into the sparring circle this time, not Enkrid. The hierarchy of their relationship had undergone a shift. Every day or two, Rem would demand a match. Enkrid never turned her down, though he rarely did so without a comment.

“Hm. Are you certain you want to do this?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve never found much joy in picking on the weak.”

“Ha! Who are you calling weak, you madman?”

Rem pretended to let his taunts get under her skin, but her fighting style remained cold and calculated. She was a prodigy—intense and violent, yet never losing her focus.

After several days of recalibrating his physical and mental state, Enkrid finally understood where he stood. In the terms of his internal system, they were equivalent to high-tier knights, while he sat at the middle tier. However, his system measured growth and potential more than raw power levels.

His Will was a bottomless reservoir, granting him unparalleled stamina and efficiency during a fight. This allowed him to trade blows with those who technically outranked him. Furthermore, his mastery of the wave-breaking sword style, combined with his ability to divide his focus, made him a specialist in high-speed, prolonged engagements.

Every move he made was minimal and lethal. While Rearvart or Sir Jamal might wait for an opening, Enkrid forced them.

He wasn’t just facing Rem.

“Face me, Commander! I’ll knock some sense back into that head of yours!” Ragna shouted, launching a fierce assault that Enkrid met head-on.

“Yes. If I lack natural genius, I will simply have to outwork everyone else.”

He took pleasure in the struggle, yet he also felt that pleasure beginning to wane. The rank-and-file soldiers watched the Mad Knight Squad with burning envy and inspiration. Even Rem and the others could feel the change—they had never truly been overtaken before.

But now, they had been left in Enkrid’s wake. To not savor that victory would be against human nature.

“I’m taking you down next time!”

“My Lord!”

“I’ll slaughter the lot of them!”

Rem, Audin, Ragna, and Jaxon all threw themselves into training with a newfound desperation.

“Are you planning to hunt down every knight on the continent?” Jaxon’s partner asked him during a rare break.

“There is someone I need to overtake.”

“Need to?” She knew Jaxon didn’t use such words lightly. “Why?”

Jaxon hadn’t articulated it to himself before, but the answer was now clear.

“It’s unsightly.”

“What?”

“The way he stands there, acting so superior. It’s irritating.”

That was his outward excuse. Internally, his motivation was different: I promised I would be an asset. I refuse to become a liability.

So he pushed himself. And the effort bore fruit.

Two weeks after Enkrid’s return to the Border Guard—

Audin was busy waiting for an appointment, and Enkrid, having no other distractions, spent his hours training. He hadn’t yet visited Aitri; he wanted to fully understand his new limits first. He had sent over the materials and gear he’d found, and Aitri had told him she needed time to work.

Esther spent most of her time roaming in her leopard form. Shinar was nowhere to be found. Only Lord Greyham had made a fleeting appearance. Aside from his duties, Enkrid had nothing but the thrill of outclassing his subordinates.

“It isn’t enough. There’s no challenge here. None of you can push me anymore.”

He would let those words slip frequently. The reactions were always immediate.

“You ran into a cultist, didn’t you? Did you trade your soul for a bit of power?” Rem asked, brushing a stray leaf from her hair.

The wind had turned warm. The harsh winter was finally fading, and the first signs of spring were appearing. The change in weather made her think of Shinar.

“I only hear the complaints of those beneath me.”

Enkrid’s insults had become more sophisticated. He held his blade with a deceptive laziness as he delivered his jabs with the cadence of a poet. Rem’s expression turned grim. She was tired of hearing the same refrain.

“You’re finished today, you brat. Ptuh.”

She spat on her hand and gripped her axe with lethal intent. The tension in the air became physical—as if a friendly spar was about to turn into a bloodbath. Rem dropped into a low crouch, coiled like a spring.

Enkrid, using his insight, foresaw her trajectory and positioned Penna for a counter-strike. He assumed this would end like every other match. Unless Rem decided to burn through all her magic and strike with her full weight, the result was a foregone conclusion.

But then, Rem seemed to vanish. She hadn’t disappeared, but she had lunged backward with such explosive speed that it tricked the eye.

A retreat?

She leaped away, keeping her gaze locked on him, her boots thudding against the dirt. In that same instant—

Voom, voom, BUUUUUIIIIIIING—!

Rem launched a heavy disc into the air. After a few slow turns, it caught the wind and began to scream, attached to a thick leather cord.

A sling.

“This is no joke.”

WEEEEEENG—!

As the weapon reached a deafening pitch, Rem poured her Will into the strike.

“If you don’t stop this, you’re a dead man!”

WHUNK.

The projectile was released.

BOOM! The sound barrier shattered.

Through the distortion of the air, Enkrid saw it with his heightened perception. It was a single, tiny point of destruction aimed directly at his forehead. Even with his mind racing at high speeds, the object remained a blur that seemed to ignore the laws of physics. It was infinitely more lethal than any blade he had ever parried.

He threw his body backward in a desperate arch. The stone whistled past, clipping several strands of his hair, which disintegrated in the wake of the pressure. He barely had time to roll away.

BANG!

The shot impacted exactly where his head had been, cratering the ground and sending a plume of dirt into the sky.

And she wasn’t finished.

WEEEEEENG—!

Rem had already set two more discs into motion. One whirled vertically, the other horizontally. The two lethal circles hovered just inches apart, vibrating with destructive energy.

“Die, you lunatic!” Rem shouted, her voice full of genuine exhilaration.

And Enkrid—looking at her—realized she meant every word.