CHAPTER 417

"Even when you're busy, you have to do what needs to be done."

Encrid wondered if sending him off was really necessary, but since the other person said it like that, he couldn't bring himself to tell them to just go back.

More importantly—

'It's good to see him.'

Of course, Krang wasn't alone. No matter how regularly he dealt with the monsters and beasts around the Kingdom, danger always existed.

Matthew and Squire Lawford, along with the guard who used a trident, whom he had met before, were present.

In addition, there were five more warriors from the Royal Guard.

They slightly bowed their heads when they saw Encrid. It was a gesture of respect for the hero who had saved the Kingdom. Encrid nodded in response with a slight tilt of his head.

The number of escorts seemed small, but this certainly wasn't all of them.

Most likely, there was a whole unit stationed nearby, ready to rush in if needed. That would be standard protocol.

'Marcus would likely do something like that.'

While he was deep in thought, Matthew approached and asked,

"Are you leaving now?"

From the first time they had met until now, Matthew's opinion of Encrid had changed drastically.

At first, he saw him as an arrogant man, but now, if someone asked him, 

"Who saved this country?" 

He would, without hesitation, say the name of the man standing before him.

'Apologies to my King.'

It wasn't Krang who led the country to victory in the civil war, it was Encrid, the Demon Slayer.

Even Krang would likely nod in agreement.

"Ah. Are you disappointed?"

Encrid gripped his sword. Matthew was about to ask if it wouldn't be better for him to stay, considering how much more he could do for his Lord in the future.

But then, out of nowhere, Encrid made a move as if he were challenging him and said,

"Come on, then. If you're disappointed, let's settle it."

'This crazy guy.'

Encrid truly believed that Matthew had come because he felt regret. Pel, who had been standing behind them, shook his head and thought,

'Sword-crazy maniac. Sparring addict. There's not a single ordinary thing about him.'

Then again, that's why it was worth following and watching him. After all, what's ordinary is the opposite of extraordinary.

Pel didn't want the path he walked to be an ordinary one, which is why he was here.

"I'm still not fully healed."

Matthew responded. The injury he had previously sustained was close to being a severe wound.

Encrid and his group were the strange ones.

They had come back from fighting specters, and any normal group would have been bedridden for a month.

'And they're sparring after only a few days?'

That was abnormal. Matthew, on the other hand, was the normal one.

"I wish to follow you, sir. I humbly came here to seek your permission."

It was Squire Lawford speaking, his tone extremely polite.

Encrid knew that he was a Squire from the Red Cape Knights.

"Aren't you part of the Knights?"

"Senior Asia assigned me to long-term duty. I'm no longer tied to the order."

Lawford's expression was one of firm resolve. He looked at the man who had changed his life.

This was a conclusion he had reached after long and serious contemplation.

'I want to learn the sword—or rather, life—from this man.'

Having overcome his once hesitant personality, Lawford had now become excessively bold.

Encrid didn't really care either way.

"Take him with you. Look at how eager he is."

"I guess so."

Krang chimed in, and Encrid nodded. Lawford, overwhelmed with gratitude, bowed deeply. If left unchecked, he might even swear an oath of loyalty on the spot.

While that would be a problem in itself, the idea of swearing loyalty to someone other than a Knight, especially a local Company Commander in front of Krang, was laughable.

If a Squire from the Knight's order were to pledge loyalty to someone who wasn't a Knight, it would be borderline treason.

Of course, Krang probably wouldn't care even if he saw it.

"I heard Sinar already left?"

Krang asked. He had some connection with Sinar, but had been too busy to find time to check in on her.

"She said she had somewhere to stop by."

Sinar mentioned that she had to deliver the news about a Fairy she had slain.

Encrid answered based on what he had seen and heard. Not even a day after the battle, Sinar had applied ointment to the wound on her thigh, wrapped it in bandages, and left.

Krang hadn't changed even after becoming King. And neither had Encrid.

The two of them moved together for three days.

With the luggage already loaded onto the carriage, there wasn't much else to do.

Krang had been watching Encrid spar for the past three days.

To someone who didn't know better, it might have looked like they were desperately trying to kill each other, but it was just a sparring match.

Matthew, who had been watching, flinched several times. The techniques were that dangerous, and there were plenty of close calls.

Even outside of sparring, during his breaks, Encrid never failed to swing his sword.

When sitting in the carriage, he would even practice hand-to-hand techniques. When asked what he was doing, he simply called it 'informal sparring'.

Krang nodded with a faint smile.

'As always, a crazy bastard.'

At one point, a group of bandits attacked their party. It was a terribly unlucky incident. The bandits must have spat in the face of the Goddess of luck to have encountered them.

"Hey, hand over everything you've got, and we might let you live."

There were a few armed men among them, and despite Rem's fierce expression and Audin's massive frame, the bandits dared to block their path.

At this point, it wasn't the Goddess of luck's fault—it was more likely an issue with the bandits' intelligence.

Or perhaps they placed far too much trust in the crossbows behind them.

The Kingdom's security, already in disarray before the civil war, had now become an utter disaster.

Krang didn't sigh when he saw this, though. He had experienced such things numerous times during his travels across the continent.

"Hey, you have to prove you're useful, right? You didn't think you'd just tag along without earning your place, did you?"

Rem egged on Pel when he saw the bandits. Encrid, hearing this, wondered when the Border Guard started evaluating soldiers this way.

The number of bandits exceeded thirty.

They were a well-known group in the area, called the White Bandana Bandits.

"We are the White Ba—"

Pel, being a Shepherd, never forgave uninvited guests who crossed into his territory.

He reacted like a true Shepherd.

Before the bandit could even finish his sentence, Pel struck him on the head with the sheath of his sword.

It was an impressively swift and precise blow to the crown of the bandit's head.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

Among the thirty bandits, five were armed with crossbows, and a few were skilled at throwing daggers, but the difference in skill was too vast.

Even Squire Lawford could have handled them on his own—though it might have taken some effort.

Pel, however, was on a higher level than Lawford. This had been true since that fateful night when Encrid had repeatedly tested him.

'No, he's even better now.'

Encrid gauged Pel's skill with his newly heightened awareness. Since awakening his ability to see one step ahead, his perception had broadened, and his insight had improved alongside it.

'He's improved.'

Not just at an average pace—he had grown significantly. If Luagarne had seen this, she would have surely made a remark.

Pel wielded his sword with precision, even though it was still sheathed. Few survived after being hit by him.

At the very least, most of them suffered fractures.

'Luagarne would be fascinated.'

Before leaving, Encrid had tried to see her, only to hear that Luagarne had departed with the Queen.

It was likely due to the Frog's Oath. Even so, not getting to see her was a bit disappointing.

"Is that enough?"

Pel asked, displaying a level of skill that didn't match his youthful appearance.

Rem nodded.

"Pass."

"…No, I wasn't trying to pass your test, so what's this about passing?"

Despite grumbling, Pel's face showed a hint of satisfaction.

Why wouldn't it? Among the shepherds, he was often criticized for practicing swordsmanship on his own.

But here, everyone recognized him and nodded in approval. And they were people of remarkable skill.

"For now, we should deal with them. Got any good ideas?"

Krang asked, glancing at the half-dead, half-fleeing bandits. He was clearly frustrated with the deteriorating security situation. Though he phrased it vaguely, Encrid understood well and responded.

"Do you think I'd have the answer if you asked me?"

The problems in Naurillia were partly due to Count Molsen, but there were other reasons for the internal security gaps.

That's why gangs like the Black Blade Bandits and these idiots kept popping up.

Some of these groups were even composed of spies sent by foreign countries under the guise of bandits.

But bandits weren't the only issue.

There were also cultists, beasts, and monsters to deal with.

Krang had a lot of headaches to deal with. Yet, he smiled. This was the moment he had wanted, and it was what he had been working towards.

So, of course, he smiled—what else could he do?

And with that, the three days of seeing him off came to an end.

It wasn't because his friend was a hero who had saved the Kingdom that the King had personally come to see him off.

Krang had come because they were friends.

"See you again."

"Yeah."

The two parted with simple farewells.

Encrid still couldn't shake the thought that the number of escorts seemed small, but he knew they weren't the only ones.

Jaxon had already mentioned on the first day that a unit was following them from behind.

A large group of the King's guard was trailing them.

As they walked along the main road, signs of a military camp became visible. It was evidence of Krais moving his forces.

That wasn't the end of it. As they neared the Border Guard, a large outpost had been set up in the middle of the road.

It was a fortified outpost, complete with a stone tower where archers could shoot from all directions, a stone wall, and a gate reinforced with iron bars, equipped for both offense and defense.

The outpost wasn't small either.

It could house at least twenty soldiers.

It wasn't hastily built like a wooden shack, it was a proper building made of bricks, clearly crafted by someone skilled in construction.

"What's this?"

"Haha, after you left, Big Eyes and his brothers got busy with various tasks."

It was Audin who answered.

Krais?

As Encrid approached the outpost, an archer who had been on guard blew a short whistle.

A group of soldiers emerged from the outpost.

"Mad Company Commander?"

It was Bell, a soldier whose life Encrid had saved during their first mission together and who had since been promoted to Squad Leader.

"Are you returning?"

"Yes."

Bell nodded as he saw the group trailing behind Encrid.

"Independent Combat Company, return!"

At his shout, the archers on the tower lowered their bows, placing their hands on the short swords at their waists as they bowed in salute.

"Understood."

Encrid passed by, spotting three more outposts just like the first one.

'The spacing…'

It was consistent. And the benefit of this setup? Control over the surrounding bandits and monsters.

But was that all? No.

The Border Guard had become a city that regularly suffered attacks.

On top of the outpost's roof, they had even set up signal fires, ready to be lit at any moment.

The chimney-like structure would allow smoke to rise unless it rained, making it a reliable communication system.

Having a signal fire meant that these soldiers were the frontline scouts.

Instead of constantly moving around on foot, they had switched to this stationed form of defense, effectively preventing bandits, beasts, and monsters from even entering the area.

Given enough time, even beasts and monsters would stop trying to invade.

Once they recognized the area as dangerous, they wouldn't bother attacking.

'Why did the soldiers accept this?'

The first reason was probably the relatively high and stable supply lines.

Next, there were large-scale hunting operations to minimize danger, so the soldiers likely knew it wasn't as risky as it seemed.

Normally, starting construction like this would have been a massive headache for everyone involved.

'But the Border Guard is making a fortune in gold.'

It was likely the perfect time for construction.

The monsters and bandits in the area had been practically wiped out.

Thanks to the relentless attacks on the Border Guard, there were no more threats left to throw themselves at the stronghold, at least for the time being.

Krais had taken advantage of this.

The high wages were just an added bonus.

The real key to this success was timing.

'There was an answer after all.'

Encrid remembered what Krang had asked: how to deal with the bandits and monsters. The solution would involve a large-scale extermination.

'With this situation, most of the Count's army has become part of the King's forces.'

They could train the soldiers and establish discipline by fighting monsters. They could wipe out the bandit groups while they were at it.

By pardoning the sins of rebellion and receiving praise for doing so, it would be like killing two ghouls with one stone for the King.

As they passed the outposts, receiving salutes, they continued on their way.

At the last outpost, a signal fire was lit.

The tall smoke announced Encrid's return.

"Big Eyes sure went all out with this." 

Even Rem expressed something close to admiration. He recalled how Krais had once asked about communication methods used by his tribe.

Rem had mentioned the 'heated stone' method, and Krais had built this beacon system based on that.

Was it a thought anyone could have?

Perhaps.

But it meant nothing unless you put it into action.

Krais was a man who could coordinate and make all this happen.

"You're here?"

They arrived at the Border Guard's gate, where Krais waved his hand. Standing next to him was—

"You're late, fiance."

It was the Fairy Company Commander, who had dashed into battle like the wind and then disappeared from the battlefield just as quickly.

"You're late."

Even Frog Luagarne was there. Encrid wondered why Frog was here if she had left with the Queen.

Finally, the Battalion Commander and Lord of the fortress stepped forward. He approached, knelt on one knee, and said,

"I greet the General."

Encrid blinked.

"What General?"

Rem asked the same, while Ragna looked at Encrid in confusion.

Audin also appeared curious.

Only Jaxon kept his blank expression, lost in his own thoughts.

"Hm, haven't you heard?"

The Battalion Commander, who had previously spoken more casually, now asked respectfully.

Encrid nodded.

It was one of Krang's schemes.

Even though they had given him a medal, were they really going to send him off without proper compensation? A Hero who saved the Kingdom? His only close friend?

Krang wouldn't let that happen.

Before Encrid had even arrived at the Border Guard, Krang had sent a messenger ahead.

"From Count Molsen's lands to the Border Guard, including Martai and four other cities and their surrounding territories, they will now be royal territories, and a General has been sent to govern this area. His name is Encrid."

While everyone was still in shock, only Krais had fully grasped the situation.

Without giving Encrid an official title, Krang had handed him all the land where Krona could potentially emerge.

Rather than ask Encrid to accept it, he simply thrust it into his hands.

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