The request was simple.
In Naurillia, there is a system of mercenary soldiers, so this was both a favor and a request based on that system.
[Go to the Demon Realm Border and assist the Knights.]
It was even mentioned that the request came directly from Knight Oara.
The letter was written by Marcus, but it seemed as though Krang's voice could be heard.
"A Knight. Don't you want to meet him?"
He did want to meet him. There were many things offered in return for the request.
"What's this, a sewage system? Oh, a proper sewer? With this, it seems like we could install a proper sewer system in the Border Guard, just like in the Capital."
Thanks to the monsters and beasts, the world had become accustomed to living within the safety of the city walls. Many conveniences were developed for that purpose, but most of them were only available in the Capital.
They were going to share some of that technology.
They would show off the Knights, give them the technology, basically, they were offering everything.
'They even gave Aker, is this okay?'
Encrid placed his hand on the hilt of the sword that rested in his sword belt.
He didn't know much about politics, but he briefly wondered if the surrounding nobles would oppose this, though he soon dismissed the thought.
The ones who were passing on this technology were nobles themselves.
'They must have been well persuaded.'
Just as Encrid's persuasion was through hand, foot, and sword, Krang's persuasion was likely through words and atmosphere.
The concern was fleeting. While such things were important, they didn't capture his attention at this moment.
The word 'Knight' was all that remained vividly in his mind.
'Knight.'
Strength naturally filled his hand. The string binding his right arm for training began to snap, bit by bit. If he applied just a little more force, it would break.
The Knights of Aspen, the Mercenary King, Ragna, Sinar.
Encrid had faced them all and seen what it meant to be a Knight.
Among them, he was still constantly facing the swords of Ragna and Sinar.
And this wasn't the end.
Encrid swam through the lake of experience guided by Luagarne. He shed his former self in the process.
However, despite experiencing all of that, he still felt lacking. There was still a thirst that burned within him.
Perhaps this task would quench that thirst.
Knight Oara.
He wanted to meet him out of pure curiosity. Refusing wasn't even a consideration.
However, not all of his unit could go. It wasn't a task that required everyone.
There was a note at the bottom of the letter stating that the suppressive force of Aspen would be needed.
There was no need for the entire Mad Company to go for something of this scale.
Krais folded the letter neatly and spoke first.
"Let's leave Audin behind. We need someone to oversee the general training."
The training of the Border Guard Reserve Unit was grueling and tough. It was essential to have someone who could lead all the soldiers through the process without a single word of complaint.
In fact, anyone, including Encrid, could have taken that role, but for now, Audin was filling that position.
Anyone who had seen Audin's fist up close would sooner desert than dare to rebel.
Of course, Audin believed that everything was done with a heart full of compassion.
The soldiers, however, believed that divine compassion resided in Audin's fists.
"I don't need to go, brother."
The Knights had requested support, but it wasn't said to be a serious matter.
The letter also mentioned that the main concern was to fend off a troublesome monster ambush due to a lack of manpower.
"There's still much to pass on. I should go with you."
Luagarne, who had been listening nearby, said. Encrid nodded in agreement.
"I have much to do."
Esther, with her long hair and blue eyes—an unforgettably beautiful woman—spoke up. Today, she was in human form.
As she brushed her long hair back, a few soldiers guarding the barracks in front of the training ground couldn't take their eyes off her.
Encrid subtly moved to block their view with his body.
He thought if they kept staring, Esther might soon mention plucking out their eyeballs.
"I'm busy."
Ragna lazily added.
It wasn't something that should have been said by the idlest member of the unit.
It wasn't hard to guess his thoughts.
Since it wasn't a dangerous task, he probably didn't feel the need to step up, and he also seemed eager to hone his skills further.
If he wanted to release some pent-up energy, he could always patrol around the Pen-Hanil Mountains, where some recent issues had arisen, or near the five walled cities Krais had recently mentioned.
Lately, the monsters were said to be more active than usual.
"Fine."
Encrid nodded again this time. He wasn't sure how diligently they would work in his absence, but that was out of his hands.
Lawford stayed behind, and Pel remained as well.
Pel's complexion had darkened significantly in the few days since they had last seen him.
His energy had waned due to a loss of confidence, but no one offered him any consolation.
After all, wasn't it the norm to overcome such things on your own?
For Encrid and his companions, that was simply how things were.
And if someone fell behind? Well, they'd just consider that the swordsman raised by the Shepherds of the Wilderness was a bit lacking.
Encrid didn't worry about such things. It was something Pel would have to handle on his own.
Teresa offered to stay behind to help Audin.
"I want to fight."
Dunbachel hid her true feelings as she spoke.
To be honest, among everyone present, there wasn't a single person who was weaker than her.
That included Teresa and the newcomer, Lawford.
Although Dunbachel's skills had improved after enduring Rem's training.
'Is this my limit?'
Recently, she had been thinking that a lot. Every time she considered her limits, she had nightmares. Sometimes, she would even transform in her sleep.
Dunbachel would relive the nightmare as she looked at her cursed form.
It was the day she was driven out of the village where she was born and raised.
"You can't live here."
"Go die quietly somewhere else."
"Throwing yourself off a cliff would be the smart thing to do."
What had she done so wrong?
At the time, flames of resentment had flared in her chest, and she wanted to beat every villager to death, but she didn't want to make a life out of such a grim goal.
Back then, and even now, after losing to Encrid, Dunbachel's desire was the same.
She wanted to live.
Had she insisted and held her ground that day, she might have stayed in the village. But Dunbachel hadn't done that.
'I want to run away.'
Her mind had reared up to avoid a dangerous situation that stemmed from her instincts.
'Should I just find a quiet place and live out my days as a guard, collecting an easy paycheck?'
But she didn't really want to live like that. Dunbachel didn't even know what she truly wanted to do.
So every time she thought about running away, she looked at Encrid and steeled her resolve.
If she ran and kept running, would the place she ended up be paradise?
It was something that the now-deceased, respected storyteller, painter, and former saint, Kentaro, had said.
He said that there was no paradise to be found at the end of a runaway's journey.
In other words, Dunbachel's claim that she wanted to fight was just a cover for her desire to flee.
"Very well."
Of course, Encrid paid no more attention to Dunbachel's inner turmoil than he would to a ghoul's sense of compassion.
Meanwhile, Rem returned, his body splattered with the black blood of monsters, and suggested they go together.
Encrid, once again, agreed.
It wasn't a serious matter. It would be more like a light journey.
Even if the Demon Realm Borderland was dangerous, it wasn't likely to be as perilous as the actual Demon Realm or a labyrinth in the south.
The border of the Demon Realm that bordered Naurillia was also dangerous, but the general consensus was that it was less so than the actual Demon Realm.
"We depart in three days."
Encrid said as he roughly discarded the binding that had wrapped his right arm.
It was a tough binding, but he had snapped it using nothing but the strength of his muscles.
"That's my secret technique: The Escape from Restraints."
Audin remarked when he saw this.
"Bulging your muscles and breaking it through sheer force?"
Rem, who had been quiet lately, praised the technique.
"Why has your spirit returned after being beaten down so badly?"
Ragna, noticing Rem's return to his old self, remarked that it was good to see him like this again.
It had been a while since they had seen such a familiar scene.
Even Encrid hadn't witnessed such a sight recently.
Rem smiled and exuded a subtle menace.
"Heh, yeah. It's about time I replaced my head with an axe blade instead of just carrying it on my shoulders. Let's make a head out of an axe blade, let's replace my head with an axe blade."
Rem sang a nonsensical tune.
Audin smiled and said,
"You brothers really do enjoy causing trouble."
Ragna lazily let his sword hang by his side.
Rem rested his axe on his shoulder and gave a slight nod. It looked like a fight was about to break out.
If left alone, they might very well end up fighting to the death.
In that tense moment, a lightning strike flashed between them.
Crackle.
It wasn't real lightning, but the afterimage left by a sword. The white flash zigzagged, making a sound similar to a bird's cry.
The two instantly shifted their weight backward in response to the sword's slash through the air.
In that moment, Encrid, who had brought down his sword, spoke.
"My blade is the White Lightning."
The slash that had passed between them was from Encrid's sword. It was a technique he had created by combining what he had learned from Ragna's lightning.
Naturally, it was a technique imbued with willpower.
If the Giant's Strike was about channeling explosive power into a single blow, then this technique was about distributing that power in small, precise bursts, striking moment to moment.
It was forged through blood, quite literally through blood and sweat.
For Encrid, it was a technique born from such efforts, and it had proven to be highly effective.
What once required him to forcefully push forward could now be achieved with a single slash.
It was a slash that reminded everyone present of the significant progress he had made.
"Are you borrowing this technique too?"
Ragna asked with interest.
"No, I've modified it into something original."
Encrid replied.
The outward appearance might have been similar, but the underlying elements were different.
Ragna's dark lightning was a product of a fast and heavy sword.
So what about the White Lightning from a moment ago?
Ragna analyzed the characteristics of the sword in front of him.
'It focuses on speed, distributing power.'
It was about drawing a swift, lightning-fast slash in a zigzag pattern, leaving an afterimage that prevented the opponent from predicting the point of impact.
All of this was done by twisting and driving the blade down with brute force.
Ragna's genius allowed him to grasp the essence of the technique with just one look.
It wasn't a new Will.
It was a variation of speed, mixed with the Giant's Strike.
"Yes, I see."
Ragna agreed, and Encrid nodded as he lightly tapped Rem's shoulder.
"We leave in three days."
Rem wiped his nose and nodded in response.
"Got it."
Although it seemed like Rem might have something to say, he didn't speak further.
Three days later, the group set out.
The Demon Realm borderland was located in the northwest of Naurillia.
As they traveled, they came across the main road leading west, and at that spot, Rem turned his head slightly to the west.
It was as if a familiar scent tickled the tip of his nose.
"Why?"
Encrid asked.
"Just looking."
Rem replied.
"That's the west."
Encrid remarked casually.
"Do I look like an idiot who can't even find my way?"
Rem suddenly burst out in anger, which was understandable. It was clear that Encrid had compared him to Ragna.
"No, I was just saying."
Encrid replied as he casually started walking again.
On the way, they encountered several groups of bandits, but only one group was bold enough to actually attempt an attack.
Encrid found this rather curious.
Their group included a Frog, and they were all heavily armed.
If the bandits still attacked after seeing this, one might question their intelligence—or perhaps they had something they were counting on.
Their group included the fully armored Encrid, the fierce-looking Rem, Frog Luagarne, and the beastwoman Dunbachel.
They had ridden on horseback until they reached the outskirts of the area and were now proceeding on foot.
Since they had supplies, they kept one packhorse, but they had sold the rest of the horses in the last village they passed.
They were slightly off the main road, with a slope on the left and some bushes and trees visible on the right.
It was good ground for walking or running, but not suitable for riding.
"The monsters near the Demon Realm are so rampant that a horse would just become food."
They had been warned earlier on their journey.
The Royal Palace had offered to dispatch a Ranger unit to guide them, but they had declined.
It was unnecessary. They weren't Ragna, and finding their way wouldn't be difficult.
In any case, it was about five days on foot from the Demon Realm Borderland when a group of bandits blocked Encrid's path.
The murderous intent gleaming in the eyes of the bandits would have appeared quite threatening to any ordinary merchant caravan or other travelers.
"Are they fearless?"
Dunbachel muttered to herself. Judging by the position of her hands and feet on her weapon, she was ready to spring into action at any moment.
It was also a position from which she could easily retreat.
Encrid paid little attention to Dunbachel's words as he carefully observed the bandits.
The man standing in the center had a scruffy beard, and the others had similar rough appearances.
They looked like they could be distant relatives of Rem.
Judging by how they held their spears and swords, this wasn't their first time doing this.
The ones who subtly spread out were forming a makeshift encirclement.
It wasn't anything exceptional, but it was enough to catch ordinary folks off guard and leave them defenseless.
There were even a few holding bows.
In other words, they had some level of skill.
Living as a bandit wasn't just about knowing how to swing a sword.
They had to survive the threat of monsters and secure safe zones.
As they neared the Demon Realm Borderland, they had seen rough characters within the larger villages, so it wasn't surprising that something like this would happen.
It wasn't uncommon to encounter bandits who would attack regardless of the armament or race of their targets.
One of the bandits, apparently having heard Dunbachel's words, spoke up. He had sharp ears.
"We're risking our lives too. Do you think it's easy to rob merchant caravans here?"
Encrid wondered how many more of these types were scattered throughout the country.
Probably too many to count.
It wasn't feasible to eliminate them all. But that didn't mean he would let the ones in front of him go unchallenged.
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