Chapter 71 - Rumors Fly on Wings of Light
Chapter 71 - Rumors Fly on Wings of Light
"That body of yours, it's finally worth looking at, Brother."
"This level of skill isn't bad for the basics."
"You won't be falling to just any blind sword now. Your responses are decent—just that much."
"Heh, looks like your sword is finally sticking to your hand? And has the Heart of the Beast ripened as well?"
These were the words of each squad member.
Without needing to dwell on it, all their comments pointed to the same conclusion: his skills had improved.
For Enkrid, such growth held a profoundly special meaning.
It was the thread tying him to his dreams, the moonlight piercing through his darkest nights, and the dawn that heralded a new morning.
A sliver of light had seeped into his tattered and faded dreams.
That sliver of light became the foundation to revive his dreams.
A knight is a name built upon honor and perfected through skill.
Enkrid didn't aspire to be a mercenary or warrior of knightly caliber—he wanted to be a knight.
If asked why, he might struggle to provide an answer.
There was a faint itch in his chest, though it wouldn't easily find its way into words.
He could lie, but even that he disliked.
Enkrid was stubborn in matters like these.
The injustices he had witnessed during his mercenary days fueled his refusal to abandon his dream.
Yet, that wasn't the only reason.
Why does one dream?
Simply because one longs for it.
He wanted to hear others cheer for him.
He enjoyed the time spent honing his swordsmanship.
He cherished the moments of banter with those around him.
And, he desired to confront those who had once dismissed and cast him aside, showing them how much he had changed.
A tangle of desires, intertwined and mixed.
The human heart is never simple.
For Enkrid, this bundle of desires culminated in one word:
Knight.
It was his dream.
Even if he lacked the skills now and the path ahead seemed distant,
as long as a path toward his dream existed, he wanted to walk it.
Thus, building honor became part of his purpose.
He also wanted to test himself.
"Just how far can my sword take me?"
Though sparring was constant with his squadmates,
he had defeated Mitch Hurrier in battle, won his promotion duel, and survived an assassination attempt by a half-blood fairy.
Still, today's Enkrid wasn't the same as he was then.
He clenched and opened his hand.
"I want to fight."
He yearned for a moment when he could wield his sword purely to prove himself.
He had been promoted to a high soldier rank.
Even so, disparities existed within that rank.
His growing skills bred both ambition and curiosity.
He craved to test his abilities in real combat.
That was when the mission came in.
And with the company commander accompanying them, it wouldn't be an easy task.
"Why, though? Why is the company commander coming in person?"
That was Enkrid's question.
Surely others had similar doubts.
For the company commander, it was just a detour on his way, nothing more.
But for other platoon leaders, it seemed unusual.
In particular, for Enkrid's direct superior, the 4th Platoon Leader, this was a perplexing matter.
Though it was purely coincidental, some people struggle to see coincidences for what they are.
The Border Guard's standing army often provided its military services to citizens and merchant guilds.
This was one of the dual policies established by Naurilia.
The first was the soldier ranking system, and the second was the soldier-mercenary system.
Instead of relying on mercenaries, soldiers would undertake missions.
This system, along with the ranking policy, had become one of the kingdom's most successful strategies.
"Border Guard soldiers are reliable," became a common sentiment.
Replacing mercenaries with soldiers to handle missions naturally gained the approval of citizens and guilds alike.
Mercenaries were rough and unruly, whereas soldiers were disciplined.
Like any well-regulated unit, they followed orders diligently.
Moreover, their services were cheaper than those of large mercenary guilds.
"Shouldn't escorting citizens for city security be an obvious duty? Charging krona for every little thing feels excessive, doesn't it?"
Occasionally, grumbling merchants would raise such complaints.
But after using the escort soldiers even once, those complaints disappeared entirely.
The Border Guard's standing army engaged in two local wars annually.
Stationed in a military city near the frontlines, their soldiers naturally underwent constant filtering through battle and death, raising the overall standard of skill.
Cost, skill, safety—
all three factors contributed to high satisfaction, marking the policy as a success.
The company commander's decision to accept the mission was part of this system.
"But why?"
Many still pondered the same question.
This mission wasn't significant enough for the company commander to personally intervene.
Even the platoon leaders, despite keeping their mouths shut for propriety, understood their commander wasn't someone of average caliber.
"Couldn't she even face off against the Frontier Defense leader?"
The Frontier Defense Captain was the strongest in the Border Guard.
Leaving the battalion commander out of the equation, of course.
"The Heavy Armor Company Commander should be a fair match."
"The Fairy Company Commander has already proven her combat prowess in the field."
"I'll take this mission myself."
So, when the Fairy Company Commander chose to take on a mission, no one could object.
"Why are you taking this on personally?" asked the 4th Platoon Leader.
"To bring along our troublemaking squad leader."
That was her answer.
A mission is just a mission—nothing remarkable in itself.
The issue lay with who was accompanying him.
The Spell breaker, Enkrid, now a high ranking soldier.
The 4th Platoon Leader, who had risen purely through wit, pondered deeply.
Once the Fairy Company Commander left, the 4th Platoon Leader combed through his memories.
Cleverness stems from information.
Lagging behind in understanding the surrounding circumstances would harm his prospects for promotion.
Dutifully, he recalled the past.
"Didn't she visit the medical barracks back then, too?"
The Fairy Company Commander had personally visited Enkrid right after his appointment.
She even went out of her way to visit the medical barracks.
Later, she held several private meetings with Enkrid.
Furthermore, private meetings with other platoon leaders were rare, if they happened at all.
It was fortunate to get any proper answers.
The company commander had once interfered in Enkrid's promotion match.
The 4th platoon leader had witnessed it as well.
"It was during that fight with the border defense troops."
Back then, it had appeared to the 4th squad leader that the commander stepped in to protect Enkrid, who seemed to be in danger.
Moreover, on a snowy day, the commander had specifically ordered the troublemaker squad to go out.
They only returned the next morning after clearing all the snow.
"And they even brought heated leather."
What had they been doing?
The operation was classified, and the details were only reported directly to the commander, so he didn't know.
It was also said that the two had sparred alone in the private training yard.
But why?
The infirmary meetings, private encounters, the promotion match, the snowy day mission, the sparring sessions, and even their assignments...
All the information blended together, forming a conclusion in the 4th platoon leader's mind.
Chills ran down his spine at his own speculation.
Although his reasoning was misguided and filled with misunderstandings and foolish thoughts, he felt a strong sense of conviction about his theory.
Thus, one thought came naturally.
"Could it be... the two of them?"
He imagined the fairy and the troublemaker squad leader standing side by side.
Surprisingly, the picture seemed to fit well.
"Nah, that can't be, right?"
Even though he felt deeply convinced, he muttered to himself in denial.
"What can't be?"
A subordinate nearby asked.
It was a mundane moment during guard duty.
The 4th platoon leader cautiously shared his suspicion.
Had it been dismissed as nonsense, it would have ended there.
"...Whoa, no way."
The subordinate's reaction was peculiar.
His pupils trembled as if he was genuinely shocked.
He seemed equally shaken.
While Border Guard wasn't a small town, rumors spread quickly.
Certain kinds of rumors, in particular, traveled faster than winged horses.
The idlers in the unit, especially the women managing the baths and preparing meals, thrived on this kind of gossip.
Thanks to them, the rumor gained "wings of light" and spread swiftly through the unit.
In less than a day, no one in the unit was unaware.
***
"Squad Leader! I heard you're going to be a dad soon. Is it true?"
Krais, who had returned to the unit after three days, asked directly.
Where had it gone wrong?
Enkrid tried to figure it out, but he couldn't pinpoint the cause.
The rumor had already spread.
At Krais's words, Rem clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
He laughed so hard that his heated leather shifted, exposing his bare feet.
"Keh-hahah! That's right! A dad! Big Eyes, did you hear about the mom too?"
"Y-yeah, I thought the rumor was ridiculous. I figured the kid part was exaggerated, but when did the commander get you wrapped up like this? Truly impressive, Squad Leader."
When Krais gave a thumbs-up, Enkrid grabbed his thumb and pushed it back down.
"It's a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
"Someone started a strange rumor."
It was the 4th platoon leader, but Enkrid didn't know that.
Even Krais, who was adept at handling information, hadn't pieced it together.
If they really tried to track down the rumor's origin, it wouldn't be impossible.
But was it worth the effort?
It wasn't life-threatening, after all.
"Hmm, not a bad deal, though. If you make her your partner and swordsmanship teacher..."
Ragna chimed in.
What on earth goes on in that guy's head?
At times, it seemed worse than whatever nonsense Rem spouted.
Was he seriously suggesting marriage as a way to improve swordsmanship?
"Heek—keeii!"
Next to them, Rem was laughing so uncontrollably that it now sounded like a beast's cry.
"Don't get too attached. It'll hurt more when you're rejected later."
Jaxen spoke while folding his clothes nearby.
"Why is rejection already a foregone conclusion?"
The premise seemed completely skewed.
"Blessings, brother."
Everyone was teasing while fully aware of the truth.
They all knew Enkrid's routine.
He barely had time for anything, let alone relationships.
"Let's drop it."
It was just a baseless rumor.
He thought so, reaching out to Esther.
Snap!
For some reason, Esther rejected his hand today.
"I'm not Krais," Enkrid said, feeling wronged.
But Esther glared sharply at him before stretching out on the heated leather.
Why was she suddenly acting this way after spending all day nestled in his arms?
"She must be jealous. Comfort her a bit," Rem quipped, then doubled over in laughter again.
Rem was undoubtedly insane.
"Thanks for the entertainment. Anyway, when are we leaving?"
"For where?"
"For the escort mission. You can only bring one person, right?"
"And?"
"Of course, it has to be me."
Rem flapped his leather cloak dramatically, half-rising as he spoke, confidently pointing to himself.
The heated leather draped across his shoulders, spreading like a cape before settling there.
"Are you doing this because I teased you? Let's be rational. Squad Leader, that icy Jaxen? If the escort says something snarky, it'll be chaos. Do you want to see a feral cat clawing at the escort target?"
Is this guy even hearing himself?
Enkrid was stunned but kept his face neutral, signaling for him to continue.
"A lazybones like Ragna wouldn't even care."
Ragna rarely volunteered for missions unless absolutely necessary.
"And you're not seriously considering Big Eyes, are you? Would you take on an extra escort target?"
That much was true.
Krais was never an option.
"And sure, the lump—Audin—is decent. But what if he starts mumbling prayers next to the escort target? All day long? The escort wouldn't appreciate it."
Rem's smooth-talking ability was impressive, especially for a Western immigrant.
His argument made it sound like the only viable option was himself.
But...
"You're the biggest problem."
Why did he assault his superior?
Because of his temper.
If it were a situation where beating the escort target to protect them was acceptable, fine.
Rem might work.
But if that wasn't an option?
If the escort target was even slightly temperamental?
Rem was out of the question.
Not even half a day would pass before disaster struck.
If Enkrid wanted to complete the mission without paying hefty penalties, Rem was the worst choice.
"You're out. Absolutely."
There was no need to think further; his answer was firm.
"...Wow, I'm hurt. Especially the absolutely part. How do you plan to deal with this wound you've left on a grown man's heart?"
"Still no."
"I'm going to go rogue."
Enkrid ignored him. Rem often spouted nonsense as if his brain were filled with pebbles.
He scanned the unit.
"If you insist, fine."
Ragna, who met his gaze, said casually.
As if.
If Ragna went, the mission wouldn't be an escort—it'd be a nap break.
Ragna, who loved his morning sleep, would be impossible to wake up.
"Can't send him alone either."
He'd get lost.
Ragna's sense of direction was abysmal.
The only choices left were Audin and Jaxen.
The decision was obvious.
"You're it," Enkrid said.