Chapter 55 - The End of Persistence
Chapter 55 - The End of Persistence
It really wasn't a big deal.
City patrol duty was a routine task, something that happened frequently.
In fact, it was a rotational duty that could come up three or four times a month.
And besides, where was this?
Border Guard.
A royal territory known for its impeccable security, where even minor trouble wasn't tolerated.
It wasn't without reason that major trading companies considered it a prime location for their dealings.
Although it was a border city in the far east of Naurilia, bordering Aspen and located near battlefields, its security was unparalleled.
This was thanks to the large number of stationed troops who worked tirelessly in shifts, day and night.
Border Guard had a square at its center, marked by four inns surrounding a well.
These inns formed a crossroads and a market square in the heart of the city.
The city itself was built on a plateau.
Leaving its outskirts, one could see gentle slopes descending below, with a river flowing beneath the northern incline.
The Pen-Hanil River.
It provided water to most of the surrounding towns.
Along the riverbanks were farmlands, scattered with occasional farmhouses.
This past summer, the river had flooded, breaking one side of the embankment.
Workers were now busy rebuilding the structure.
Most incidents occurred between people.
Although patrols occasionally dealt with farmland inspections or magical creatures, today's duty was market patrol.
"I'm Jack, and this is Bo," one soldier said.
Patrols were conducted in groups of three, so two soldiers joined the team.
Enkrid, Jack, and Bo—this was the trio heading toward the market.
"That mist was sorcery? Damn it, I almost died because of those Aspen bastards, but I survived thanks to you. Much appreciated!"
Jack spat on the ground as he spoke.
Holding a standard-issue infantry spear, he swaggered as if his gratitude wasn't entirely sincere.
Enkrid nodded nonchalantly.
"I almost died without spending my saved Krona."
Bo also expressed his gratitude.
He seemed like a particularly cheerful soldier.
Big Eyes had once mentioned that Bo was quite talented.
'This combination seems familiar somehow.'
But no particular memory surfaced.
Since it wasn't significant, Enkrid didn't try to recall it.
The three of them walked toward the market in good spirits.
Enkrid wasn't much of a talker, but Jack and Bo were in the same squad.
As they chatted, they occasionally praised Enkrid.
"A high rank soldier, huh? You must be really skilled. Damn, let's spar sometime. I'd love to see what a senior soldier is capable of."
Jack tapped the ground with the butt of his spear as he spoke.
"Sure."
Enkrid didn't refuse sparring.
He believed every duel, no matter the opponent, had something to teach.
"You promised, damn it."
Jack punctuated his words with a customary curse.
"I heard you succeeded in a reconnaissance mission too. Squad Leader Andrew couldn't stop singing your praises," Bo chimed in, lifting Enkrid up even more.
"Just got lucky."
"Modest, too," Bo said, giving him a thumbs-up.
No one disliked compliments, and Enkrid was no exception.
The two chattered incessantly, laughing as they walked.
Reaching the market's edge, they passed several single-story buildings before entering the market itself.
On one side, someone was selling wildflowers they had picked, while on the other, tanned leather goods were for sale.
From the opposite side of the market, where Enkrid had entered, the faint clang of metal being struck echoed in the air.
It came from a blacksmith's shop.
Although located on the outskirts of the market, the sound of iron meeting iron faintly stimulated the ears.
"No, if you sell it for that price, there's nothing left to profit!"
A merchant's voice rang out.
"Freshly baked bread here!"
A boy standing by the roadside called out, inviting people to his stall.
Rumble, rumble.
Carts moved through the market center.
It was chaotic, as markets usually were.
The bustling scene was familiar.
"Dried apples taste great," one merchant said.
Enkrid's eyes met those of a vendor selling various dried fruits.
"No thanks," Enkrid replied.
The merchant quickly turned away.
It was an ordinary day.
Once the patrol was over, maybe he could convince Jaxen to spar, or he could spend time with Jack instead—it might be fun.
The weather had grown noticeably colder, stiffening his body.
Walking felt better than staying still.
"Should we walk a bit more?"
"Yes, yes," Jack and Bo replied, sticking close on either side of him.
Just as Enkrid wondered if they were huddling together because of the cold, a child in tattered rags stumbled and fell forward.
Enkrid instinctively caught the child.
Thud.
A searing pain followed.
He tried to twist his body immediately, but the cold had stiffened him, delaying his reaction.
Had the dagger struck at a slight angle, it might have been bearable.
Instead, it pierced his organs without hesitation.
After stabbing his insides, the blade unerringly aimed for his heart, delivering another blow.
An excruciating pain surged through his mind.
As the dagger struck, a cry or groan was about to escape his lips when someone behind him covered his mouth with thick fabric.
The market was busy.
Even if someone staggered and fell, it was barely noticed.
Jack and Bo hid Enkrid with their bodies.
"Whoops, had a bit too much to drink so early, huh?" Jack joked.
"Exactly," Bo agreed, matching his tone.
What the hell is going on?
Enkrid couldn't make sense of the series of events.
The final punctuation was delivered by the child who had stabbed his abdomen and heart.
"A persistent lover never forgets."
It wasn't a child.
Beneath the rags were large ears and jewel-like eyes.
The features were peculiar.
One eye was green, shining like a gemstone, while the other was brown, dull by comparison.
It was a heterochromatic gaze.
The green eye was so clear that the brown eye seemed exceedingly murky, like dirty oil mixed into clean water.
Their skin was mottled like a spotted cat, with deep wrinkles around the mouth and eyes.
Although the facial features were quite attractive individually, together, they gave off an unsettling impression.
'A mixed-blood fairy.'
Enkrid recognized the figure's identity, but that changed nothing.
Blood streamed onto the ground while his mouth remained gagged.
His arms were pinned, and Jack and Bo offered no gaps to exploit.
"Farewell," the mixed-blood fairy said.
Judging by the wrinkles on their face and the tone of their speech, they weren't young.
Their small build resembled that of a boy around twelve or thirteen years old.
'This... I really didn't expect this.'
An assassination attempt?
And a "persistent lover"?
Wasn't that the name of Aspen's Independent Unit?
Rumored to be relentless, they had sent assassins after the war.
'They're utterly insane.'
The resources and effort required to send an assassin were substantial.
Targeting a mere soldier for such a purpose was madness.
From the perspective of the victim, it was infuriating.
As Enkrid tried to tilt his head backward, the person gagging him tightened their grip.
"Let him go. He seems to have something to say," the fairy said.
Perhaps it was an elven intuition, but the diminutive, aged, mixed-blood elf seemed to have read Enkrid's intentions.
The thick fabric strangling his neck loosened.
"Did Aspen send you? Are you, Jack and Bo, spies?"
Enkrid swallowed the sharp pain crawling up his body and asked.
"Something like that."
"Who's the behind me?"
"Why do you care? You're dying anyway."
"I'd hate to die ignorant. I'll be waiting for you in hell."
"Rotten."
The last word was whispered behind him.
Rotten?
That bastard's name was familiar.
Jack, Bo, Rotten.
Weren't they all from the reconnaissance team?
As death loomed closer, his mind spun wildly, dredging up old memories.
The reason he'd been sent on that reconnaissance mission during the Green Pearl battlefield.
Jack had claimed a broken arm, Bo a smashed nose, and Rotten had supposedly been bitten by a snake.
All of them had faked their way out of the mission.
"Those bastards."
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"Persistent, weren't they?"
The fairy spoke before slipping aside like a shadow.
The figure darted nimbly toward the outskirts and disappeared into an alley.
Jack and Bo, who had been holding him down, quietly let go and moved away.
Rotten?
Needless to say, he was already gone.
Enkrid used up all his strength exchanging just a few words.
He didn't even have the energy to shout.
Not that he would have, even if he could.
Instead, he collapsed, trying to catch a glimpse behind him.
Rotten, they'd said.
But what if it was someone else?
How did Rotten even look?
He couldn't remember his face.
As the thought struck him that it didn't matter, Enkrid let his body go limp.
Blood dripped from his mouth, and his insides felt like they'd been churned with kindling.
Pain soaked his body, blood the ground beneath him.
The chill wrapped around him even tighter. His body shivered violently.
'Bastards, if you're leaving, at least finish the job.'
Bleeding out like this was the worst.
Better to die in one swift blow.
"Aaaaah!"
A passing waitress screamed at the sight of the blood pooling on the ground.
That was the last thing he heard.
Enkrid closed his eyes and welcomed death.
***
A flash.
Morning greeted him as his eyes opened again.
He shot upright, startling Rem, who was bundled in blankets nearby.
"Nightmare?"
"No. Just wanted to start the day with some energy."
"It's disgustingly cold."
Rem grumbled from the moment he woke.
Though a large bonfire blazed in the camp's parade ground and the night guards brought in heated stones for the soldiers, it wasn't enough to stave off the cold.
If they had an abundance of krona, they might've bought furs or magical heaters.
But such luxuries were out of reach for ordinary soldiers.
Not that they needed a magical heater.
Even a beast's hide, said to emit a subtle warmth, would've been enough.
But even that was an expensive dream.
To sum up, all of it was wishful thinking.
"Krais, aren't you cold?"
"Freezing. Absolutely freezing."
Rem asked Krais for no reason.
Big Eyes was the only one here with an abundance of krona.
"How about a magical heater?"
"Do you think we can use something nobles have? You're dreaming. Why don't you try becoming a noble tomorrow instead?"
"Oh? Are you asking for a blow from my axe?"
"Resorting to violence every time isn't a good habit... Squad Leader!"
Big Eyes ended the conversation by calling out to Enkrid.
"Don't bully him."
Enkrid's gaze shifted to Audin Pumrei, the burly soldier in their squad with a religious streak.
For some reason, he'd ended up in this squad of misfits.
Today was exceptionally cold.
Jaxen was out on leave for some reason, while Rem, Big Eyes, and Ragna showed no intention of getting out of bed.
Even bundled in blankets, it was cold.
"Since you're up, Squad Leader, could you bring us some warm stones?"
The heated stones left by the bonfire overnight would help somewhat.
"Sure."
Despite his answer, Enkrid didn't move.
Instead, Audin stepped out of his bed and approached Rem with long strides.
"Brother, staying in bed because it's cold will make your body stiff. Moving to generate heat is how you defeat the cold. Come on, follow me."
"Get lost before I warm my body with your blood after chopping you to pieces."
"That's not a good attitude, Brother. Someone might find that offensive."
"Offended? Good. That's what I was going for."
"Do you wish to go to heaven, Brother?"
Ever consistent, wasn't he?
Normally, Enkrid would've stopped him by now.
But today, he just stared at Audin and spoke.
"You mentioned a training method to preserve body heat. Teach me."
Audin, who'd been staring at Rem intently, turned back to him.
"You mean the unarmed training method?"
Audin probably wasn't immune to the cold either.
But he was undoubtedly better at enduring it than the rest of them.
He'd once mentioned a training method to keep the body from freezing up in the cold.
For some reason, Enkrid recalled it now.
It seemed useful.
Jumping in place to stay warm wasn't practical.
Learning a method to prevent his body from stiffening sounded like a good idea.
It was impulsive yet logical.
Enkrid was always eager to learn.
"Yeah, that."
"Teaching it is easy. Do you have time?"
"Now."
"You can grasp the basics in a day or two. It's not hard."
Audin smiled, seeming pleased that Enkrid wanted to learn.
As Enkrid prepared to start immediately, Rem mumbled from his bed.
"Squad Leader, bring the stones first. I'm cold."
Oh, right.
Enkrid fetched the stones first.
They had two hours before the shift.
Enough time for breakfast and some training.
Enkrid did just that.
The unarmed training method was grueling but effective.
Afterward, he went on duty again.
'How did I end up on shift with those two?'
Clearly, someone had meddled.
"Ha, what an honor. Standing guard with the Spell Breaker himself."
Jack replied, and Enkrid nodded.
When they entered the marketplace, Enkrid was already prepared.
He noticed the fairy approaching before anyone else.
Jack and Bo tried to grab his arms, but Enkrid struck out with his fists on either side.
Thunk, crack!
Jack took a hit to the chin, while Bo dodged reflexively, sidestepping quickly.
Bo was fast.
He stepped back and reached for his waist, where a shortsword hung.
The fairy was still far away.
That meant Bo had to be dealt with first.
Enkrid gripped the hilt of his longsword.
Drawing it, he swung, sharpening his senses and boldness into a blade.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
He heard a strange sound.
He tried to dodge, but whatever was flying at him was faster.
Thud!
Enkrid's breath caught.
He looked down to see the tip of a blade protruding from his chest, near his heart.
It was a throwing knife—no hilt, no decorations, just a double-edged blade.
An exceptionally difficult weapon to master.
"A persistent lover never forgets his prey."
The fairy, now close, whispered before stepping back.
'I was prepared.'
But he hadn't anticipated a thrown weapon.
Even if he had, it would've been difficult to block such skilled precision.
Enkrid closed his eyes, thinking he'd need better preparations.
And thus, his third day began.