Chapter 847

Chapter 847

“Where has Sir Enkrid gone—the king’s closest confidant, the slayer of demons, the kingdom’s savior, the defender of the Border Guard, the Knight of Demonic Allure, the breaker of hearts, and the commander of the Mad Order of Knights?”
The messenger inquired. Sitting across the table, Kraiss observed the courier breathlessly rattling off the titles and mused,
‘Don’t you need to breathe? The captain would find several of those monikers distasteful. Plus, you failed to mention Balrog Slayer.’
Perhaps the time hadn’t come to make that public?
It was possible. If conflict with the South was on the horizon, revealing their full hand wouldn’t be wise.
After all, a war begins long before the first sword is drawn on the battlefield.
‘Stay hidden.’
And understand the foe.
The South was a powder keg ready to blow. Their monarch had been relentlessly provocative, and the influence of the Demon Realm had become a tangled web between Naurillia and Rihenstetten.
‘Is this struggle truly unavoidable?’
Or is it someone’s meticulous plan?
From a purely political standpoint, one might claim ignorance as Krang might—but Kraiss didn’t hold the mantle of a ruler. To be honest, he never viewed himself in that light. Thus, he tried to envision the man known as the King of the South.
What was that man’s true ambition?
‘Does he dream of uniting the continent? It’s impossible to say.’
Speculating about a man he’d never met was a hollow exercise.
The best he could do was deduce the other’s motivations.
Some individuals bet their entire existence on a vision. Kraiss had seen such conviction firsthand in the person standing right beside him.
‘If his objectives clash with the captain’s—’
Regardless of whether that vision was righteous or flawed, even if it meant the deaths of many and forced those dwelling on this continent to endure hardship through this age—
‘If a man truly desires it, he moves forward.’
That was Kraiss’s conclusion. He suspected this war was being driven by the singular will of the King of the South. That was his theory.
“When you encounter him, stick to Sir Enkrid. I’ve never seen him react well to being called a ‘heartbreaker.’”
“Is that right?”
“The captain is currently out on a tour of inspection.”
He spoke while dampening his throat with a swallow of tea. Kraiss’s movements were marked by an air of calm.
The Salamander had gone on a rampage, and the mage organization known as Astrail had made the city a target. Those were facts known to nearly everyone. Many had witnessed the violence with their own eyes.
Had people been so moved that they turned the events into songs? It was actually Kraiss who had commissioned several bards for the task.
‘The people will be anxious.’
It was only natural. Even if they were told to remain calm, there were many who had watched the carnage while fearing for their children, their spouses, and their elders.
Kraiss decided that a soothing presence was vital.
The most effective measure was to send Enkrid into the heart of the city.
There is no better way to reassure the populace than to let them see the man who stands as their protector.
If he paraded through the streets and made appearances here and there, the mere sight of him would bring comfort to many. That sense of peace would ripple outward, providing the entire city with a needed sense of equilibrium.
That was the result of Kraiss’s strategizing. And his strategies were rarely off the mark.
“For a variety of reasons, this is a necessary step.”
Kraiss avoided getting into the specifics. The messenger likely wasn’t there to demand an immediate response.
The only reason the man lingered was to convey Krang’s words personally.
“Understood.”
The courier gave a nod. Kraiss shifted his attention to the view outside the window. The developed land, and the souls inhabiting it.
Past the glass were the dwellings, the soil, and the urban sprawl where these people made their lives.
‘War.’
The continent was perpetually locked in strife. Recently, they had engaged in brutal combat with Azpen just across the frontier. The small-scale clashes with the South were a constant.
‘Is the shedding of blood truly the only way?’
Could they not resolve their differences through some other form of rivalry?
‘Perhaps a competition to see who is the most graceful dancer in a ballroom?’
If that seemed too biased, could they not select a variety of different challenges?
Foolish daydreams. You cannot decide the dominance of a nation with such trifles.
‘And yet.’
The reality remained that war claims the lives of people.
Wealth and food are finite; when one person is satiated, another must go without. He had understood that. Kraiss had grasped that harsh reality since he was a boy.
‘So, is violence the only resolution?’
He was loath to agree. He had known the answer for a very long time.
‘It seems I’ve placed my own weight behind the captain’s vision as well.’
There is a knight who envisions a world where war has ceased and all things have reached their conclusion. There is one who desires to live as the protagonist of those heroic ballads.
Kraiss was well-acquainted with such a man. Therefore, even if the looming specter of war caused a stir of dread, he would not allow himself to be unmoored by it.
‘No—as long as a man doesn’t break even when he falters, isn’t that sufficient?’
He was lost in this contemplation when—
“I shall wait.”
The courier’s voice pulled him back from his brief trance. Turning away from the window, Kraiss replied,
“As you wish. He should return before the sun sets.”
His expression remained tranquil. The messenger felt a surge of quiet respect as he studied Kraiss. Despite the mention of war and the maneuvers of the South, the man hadn’t so much as blinked.
In truth, the reality was somewhat different.
Kraiss was working hard to keep his own internal dread from showing.
‘Even if you fall once, the only thing that matters is standing up again.’
While such thoughts continued to cycle through his mind.
Nurath, sensing the underlying tension in her partner, watched him intently from the doorway. Once the messenger departed, she planned to tease him about escaping their duties once more.
The man who said such things was the foundation that held everything together. Nurath was well aware of this. Consequently, it was only natural that her own expression mirrored the admiration the messenger had shown.
If the people looked at Enkrid and found peace, calling him a champion, then Nurath viewed her partner as a champion and held him in high esteem.

—

“Uh—hey, you—no, I should call you Captain now.”
The city of Martai had once stood as a neighbor to the Border Guard and served as a symbol of the power struggle with Azpen.
Now it was fully integrated into Naurillia, serving as one of the fundamental pillars among the fortress cities of the Border Guard.
The man in charge of the city was Torres, a veteran who had once served in the Border Guard’s elite Frontier Defense Unit.
He had been a warrior famed for his mastery of the “hide knife,” a technique for tucking a dagger away in a sleeve; now, he looked every bit the legitimate castellan. He had put on some weight, and he had a family to look after.
“Speak to me as you always have.”
Enkrid told him.
“Is that alright?”
“Recall the Torres known as the Butcher of the Frontier. Not the Torres with the spare tire around his waist.”
At the casual remark, Torres let out a dry laugh.
Always had a sharp tongue, this one.
“So, what brings a man like you out here?”
“Just taking a stroll.”
“If it were only the two of us, I’d call this a date.”
The fairy chimed in immediately from just behind him. Torres shifted his eyes toward her. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was truly the same former commander of the fairy unit.
‘She seems noticeably gentler, somehow.’
She’d always been one for jokes back then, but now it felt even more pronounced.
Well, she must have experienced a great deal during the time he hadn’t seen her.
Torres was a mature man. He understood that everyone carried their own burdens and changes.
“How about a drink?”
They were old brothers-in-arms reuniting after a long separation. They had stood side-by-side on the field of battle. Because of that shared history, Enkrid felt a sense of ease with him.
“I’d like that.”
He wasn’t usually one for alcohol, but he knew how to honor a comrade. It wasn’t anything too potent. His wife brought the wine out herself and served them.
She was the daughter of a master brewer, if his memory served him.
The vintage was superb. It had the right balance of bitterness and acidity, with the aroma of fruit blooming through the sweetness.
Torres was a man who performed his duties as a castellan with diligence. He grasped the reason for Enkrid’s unannounced visit.
The knight had entered the city with his head held high for all to see.
The citizens would be whispering to one another that the leader of the Mad Order of Knights was visiting Martai.
Given the legends surrounding him and the power he wielded, Enkrid didn’t often make such public appearances.
‘He’s likely spending every waking hour training.’
That was the truth. Enkrid devoted most of his time to practicing his swordplay and hardening his physique.
“The Frontier Defense Unit is a name from the past now. It’s gone. Still, as far as the fate of such groups goes, this is the best kind of retirement.”
After finishing three glasses of wine, Torres spoke while snacking on thin, fried potato slices.
Specialized units that defined a region, like the Frontier Defense Unit or the Grey Dogs, had always come and gone. They faded away, and eventually, people created them anew.
“You understand what it means to be the ones assigned the most suicidal missions on the front lines, don’t you?”
Torres asked the question as if the answer were obvious. Enkrid, of course, understood perfectly. The most dangerous positions carried the highest probability of death.
Therefore—
“The typical end for such units is that the majority of the members perish, and the name is eventually forgotten. Then, as the years pass, a replacement is formed.”
Nothing in this world is permanent. Especially the lifespan of military units designed to be used up in the fires of war is even more fleeting.
“I’m in your debt.”
Torres stated plainly. Had he continued on the path he was on, he would have eventually left his corpse on a battlefield.
Torres had perfected the art of concealing a blade in his sleeve. Why? To survive. Every member of the Frontier Defense Unit who had fought tooth and nail to stay alive shared that same sentiment. It was because of this man that they had been given a second chance at life.
“For a retired group, your soldiers looked remarkably disciplined.”
Enkrid had observed the troops filling the training grounds on his way into the city.
“……You’re the one saying that?”
Torres had laid eyes on the standing army of the Border Guard. In the old days, the Frontier Defense Unit only accepted those who were ranked in the upper tiers of Naurillia’s military grading; what about the current standing army?
Even if they weren’t at a “continental” level of fame, men with enough prowess to make a name for themselves in any city were now standing in the ranks as simple soldiers without any ego. He had even noticed a few who were at the level of squire-grade soldiers.
‘What exactly are you trying to create?’
The question rose in his mind but remained unvoiced. Leaving his old friend behind, Enkrid departed from Martai.
“To the great knight.”
Torres lifted his glass toward the man’s retreating back. Standing in formation behind him, the Martai security forces—all former members of the Frontier Defense Unit—offered a formal military salute.
They placed their left hands on their belts and inclined their heads.
It was because of this man’s very existence that their fates had been rewritten.
The sky was vast and high that afternoon. There were few clouds, and the breeze was crisp.
The atmosphere was incredibly clear.
“A lovely day.”
Shinar remarked. The dragonkin merely watched the scene unfold in silence. Lua Gharne repeatedly puffed out her cheeks and said,
“I’m happy enough to make up for everyone.”
Was Enkrid’s heart any different? No, it was the same. He felt a sense of contentment. He had just witnessed the lives of those he protected flowing onward like a massive, steady river.
The tour was intended to bring peace to the people, but Enkrid’s own spirit felt as full and rounded as a Frokk’s cheek.
“Yes, it’s a fine day.”
Hardly had they cleared the city gates when a wild stallion came galloping up from the side of the road—du-du-du-du.
Hiiiiiing.
A horse with eyes of two different colors. He had officially named the beast Indomitable, but everyone simply called him Odd-Eyes.
“I haven’t forgotten you. I haven’t.”
Enkrid patted the horse’s neck. Odd-Eyes made a few attempts to nip at his hand. The sharp sound of teeth clicking together was quite intimidating.
“Intriguing—intriguing.”
The dragonkin’s curiosity extended to the animal. To him, everything involving this man was a fascinating new experience. If a scholar from the Empire or a kingdom who specialized in dragonkin had seen this, they would have been speechless with shock.
By their very nature, dragonkin were detached and coldly contemplative of the world, earning them the title of Observers. That was the reputation of their race—and yet this dragonkin—
“Do horses naturally bite people?”
—showed genuine interest even in a beast of burden. It was an animal that had triumphed over the blood of monsters. Its strength of will was remarkably high.
“No, they don’t. It’s a sign of affection. Hmm.”
Enkrid stopped mid-sentence—Odd-Eyes had clamped down on the back of his hand. Clear marks from the teeth were visible on his skin.
“He bites.”
The dragonkin spoke, peering into the horse’s internal state. If a living creature possessed a distinct will, there was no reason he couldn’t interpret the mind of a beast.
‘Frustration.’
A sense of being stifled. Those were the flickers he caught. If that negative emotion was a tiny speck, then the joy the animal felt was a massive sun, large enough to overwhelm everything else.
“His back looks worse, doesn’t it?”
He pointed it out because a dark bruise was visible on Odd-Eyes’s back. The inflammation had become more pronounced as well.
Hiiiing.
Odd-Eyes merely shook his body as if the injury were of no consequence.
“Come along then.”
Enkrid brought Odd-Eyes along as another companion and set his sights on the city of Lockfried. There, he encountered Leona, the leader of the merchant caravan and the city’s castellan.
“What brings a man like you to such a humble place?”
Judging by her skill with a bow, Leona was also a person of significant talent.
“Indeed. It’s good to see you as well.”
Leona gave a small smirk at Enkrid’s reply. This man always moved at his own pace. Well, that was part of his charm.
If this man weren’t the leader of the Mad Order of Knights and was just a common soldier—
‘I would have resolved to try and win him over.’
The dragonkin perceived her private thoughts.
“She has questionable intentions. That woman is targeting you.”
At those words, Leona’s face flushed pink for a moment, and Shinar’s eyebrows twitched. It wasn’t every day a fairy showed such a reaction.
“Where do you think you’re looking? His fiancée and the Golden Witch is standing right here.”
The fairy didn’t hesitate to refer to herself as a witch. Leona shook her head dismissively.
“That’s not it at all.”
The city of the fairies was one of the caravan’s most important partners. The various items they produced were highly sought after throughout the continent. The partnership between the two had progressed smoothly and quietly.
Even Shinar’s current outburst was the sort of thing they could laugh off as a joke.
“The problem is his demonic allure.”
Shinar clicked her tongue. Seeing a fairy click her tongue in annoyance was also a rare sight.
The conversation that followed was lighthearted. The primary leaders of Lockfried had stood firm against the previous danger, but now they watched Enkrid and their castellan walking the streets together as if they were old, close friends.
“Coming here was Kraiss’s suggestion, wasn’t it? That man’s mind is always working.”
Once his short visit with Leona ended, Enkrid proceeded toward Cross Guard. Since he was already out, he might as well finish the circuit.
And in the city where he arrived next, he ran into someone he hadn’t anticipated seeing.