The border city guarding the border of the Demon Realm was called Thousand Bricks.
A city with walls built up from stacked bricks.
The name implied that Naurillia had constructed it with thousands of bricks to block the invasion of the Demon Realm.
No matter how close it was to the Demon Realm, it didn't seem like the kind of place where what was happening before his eyes would be a common sight.
"Hold them back!"
It was right in front of the city wall. Soldiers were facing a fierce battlefield.
Above them, harpies were flying, while below, pitch-black hunting beasts were rampaging.
Encrid saw that the gate of the city, called 'Thousand Bricks', was half destroyed.
And this wasn't even the side of the gate facing the Demon Realm, yet this chaos was happening.
Among the people holding their ground, he recognized a familiar face.
It was Asia.
She was striking the head of a charging hunting beast with the flat side of her sword.
Though it looked like a light slash, the force behind it was that of a Junior-Knight.
Thud, crack!
The beast, with its head smashed, rolled to the side. There were quite a few beasts, but would that really be a problem?
Asia was also a Junior-Knight. She calmly struck and stabbed each of the black hunting beasts to death, occasionally glancing upward.
Above her, five harpies circled.
She wasn't in any danger. They were fighting in proper formation, and if she were to die from this, she wouldn't be called a Junior-Knight.
Still, just watching seemed a bit absurd.
Encrid couldn't just stand by and watch, so he stepped forward.
It was only a matter of time before they killed all the beasts, so why not help speed things up?
"Rem, Dunbachel."
"Time to stretch out a bit?"
Before he even finished calling, Rem had already jumped forward, with Dunbachel following behind.
Encrid called them and then ran as well. Because of the beasts, he dropped his backpack on the ground and grabbed his throwing spear as he moved.
Encrid ran, pushing off the ground evenly with his entire foot. He was practicing the 'step' he had learned from Luagarne.
It was basic training to ensure that his center of gravity could shift at any time.
As he felt the wind hitting his face, Encrid looked up.
A harpy was just about to strike Asia from above, swinging its wings forward like arms. Following the flapping wings, his Sixth Sense warned him.
He couldn't see it, but he could feel it.
The gathered wind poured down like a blade.
Asia raised her shield to block it.
Clang!
The wind blades shattered against the shield, creating a sharp sound.
A harpy using spells? Encrid thought as he ran.
The harpy gained altitude. It was too high for the blades to reach, and even a crossbow would have trouble hitting it.
Unless the shooter was a marksman, sniping it would be difficult.
There were a total of five harpies.
They knew how to use spells and gain a favorable position.
They also knew how to gauge their opponent's strength. Otherwise, they would have already ended up skewered on Asia's sword.
Encrid sorted through the information he had seen in the time it took to take a few breaths.
His senses sharpened like a blade.
An optimal line of action formed in his mind, a skill he had awakened thanks to Avnair, the genius strategist of Aspen.
Encrid acted on it immediately.
As he ran, he drew the Gladius horizontally from behind his back and threw it.
Holding it in reverse grip, he adjusted his running direction slightly to the left, opened his chest, then closed it as he extended his arm.
It was a sword-throwing technique, adapted from the Tangum style.
Whoosh!
The thrown sword spun and appeared like a disc in the air.
The harpy, which had used wind spell to block the approach of crossbow bolts, seemed to realize it couldn't do the same with this. It twisted its wings to change air resistance and tilted sideways as it flew.
The Gladius sliced through the air where the harpy had just been and embedded itself in the bricks of the wall behind.
Thud!
Just as the harpy thought it had dodged the attack, a new, sharp sound burst from its head.
The harpy, with an axe embedded in its head, drew a long line as it plummeted.
It had dodged Encrid's Gladius but failed to avoid the throwing axe that Rem had hurled, which was now buried in its head.
"One down."
Encrid said. Rem matched his pace silently.
This time, Rem threw an axe first. Encrid, recalling the experience he had gained, picked up a short throwing spear.
He hadn't expected to use the spear he had brought for training here, but…
"I trained to handle all kinds of weapons, right? This is just a continuation of that."
The training that began with Rem was carried on by Luagarne.
By handling all kinds of weapons, it was a process of drilling everything into his mind, whether it was about outmaneuvering an opponent or anything else, and making it part of his instinct.
Encrid had been diligently practicing with the throwing spear. Unlike before, his sharpened senses gifted him with a different learning speed.
It might have seemed inadequate to geniuses, but Encrid thought he was doing well enough.
Now he could prove it.
With a thunk, the throwing spear buried itself in the harpy's chest after it dodged the disc-like axe.
The harpy was pushed back by the force of the spear that broke through its ribcage and pierced it through. It hit the wall with a thud, then bounced forward and fell to the ground, kicking up dust as it landed with a heavy thud.
"Enki?"
Asia recognized Encrid.
"Let's finish this up first."
Encrid replied. Dunbachel, paying no attention to the harpies, charged at the hunting beasts below.
Running on two legs, she lowered her stance, drew two scimitars, and swung them wide, as if two whip-like blades were slicing through the beasts.
As he got closer, Encrid could see why Asia hadn't rushed in earlier.
If she had decided to charge, five harpies would have been no problem, so why didn't she?
She was protecting a few people who looked like merchants along with her group.
She was only holding back because if she left her position, the harpies would undoubtedly target them.
After two of the harpies casting spells were killed, the remaining three started flapping their wings and fled.
The three harpies flew far away, leaving behind only the damp air and the dim sunlight that struggled to break through the clouds.
Encrid intended to take his time talking now that the beasts were dealt with, but Asia wasn't the same.
"So you're the reinforcements."
"And you?"
"I'm reinforcements too. This is my original post, after all."
She was right. She was a member of the Red Cape Knights.
"Let's head inside."
Asia calmly said as she pulled out a cloth to roughly wipe her sword before sheathing it.
Her attitude showed that this kind of thing didn't faze her at all.
Among the group of merchants who had turned pale, a few had collapsed to the ground, their legs giving out.
"No one mentioned there would be harpies using spells."
One of the merchants spoke up, his tone accusatory, though it seemed more out of shock.
There wasn't likely to be any merchant bold enough to speak to a Junior-Knight in such a manner under normal circumstances.
Fists and swords were usually closer than any merchants to someone like her.
Fortunately for him, Asia understood his state.
"It's the first time I've seen it too. In any case, we're here to do our job, so shouldn't you do yours?"
Encrid was suddenly reminded that Asia was a member of a Knightly order.
Those who concerned themselves with trivial matters didn't become Junior-Knights.
Hearing her curt response, it sounded as though she was implying the merchant was making a fuss.
"Get a grip. If you keep lying there, those harpies might think you're a packed lunch they left behind and come back."
So Encrid stepped forward and gently coaxed them with a softer tone.
At his words, everyone quickly got to their feet. Some were gritting their teeth as they helped those whose legs had given out.
"Hey, don't scare them."
Asia, already turning to head inside, called back to Encrid.
"When did I do that?"
Encrid asked, to which Rem laughed and patted his shoulder.
"If you mentioned being a harpy's packed lunch, that's definitely a threat, isn't it?"
Rem laughed heartily as he followed Asia inside.
Encrid thought the merchants were lacking a sense of humor since his comment was half in jest.
With a Junior-Knight guarding them, they wouldn't die to something as trivial as a harpy.
"It'd be good to practice throwing while running more."
Luagarne, who had gathered up the remaining bags and retrieved the Gladius, said as she handed it back to Encrid. Encrid nodded and stepped inside.
The fact that the gate was half-destroyed didn't seem like a big deal.
The people inside were unperturbed.
The soldiers near Asia walked casually, chatting as if there was nothing to whisper about.
"Harpies really need to be wiped out."
"All these beasts should just be killed."
This was Thousand Bricks.
A gate on the border of the Demon Realm, blocked by a thousand bricks.
It was a dangerous place where most wouldn't even want to live, leaving only those who hated monsters behind.
Thousand Bricks was far rougher than the former Border Guard, known as a fortress city.
Two soldiers, who could have been either guards or bandits, approached without even wearing helmets, passing by the merchants entering the city to stare at Encrid.
A soldier with a long scar above his right eyebrow, who looked like a cross between a guard and a bandit, stepped forward.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
The soldier, tapping the ground with the spear in his right hand as he walked, stood in front of Encrid.
He ignored the Frog, the Beastkin, and even Rem.
"Are you the Demon Slayer, General Encrid?"
He asked.
Encrid nodded, sensing a subtle pressure.
The man moved his hand opposite to the one holding the spear. Encrid didn't react.
He switched the spear to his left hand, slightly bent his right arm, and placed it at his waist as he spoke.
"It's an honor!"
It was a military salute.
The man's name was Milio, and he had long wanted to meet Encrid after hearing his reputation.
"Nice to meet you."
Encrid greeted.
Milio, overwhelmed with emotion, trembled as he held back his excitement.
"Could you possibly... spar with me sometime?"
"Are you out of your mind? Where do you get off asking for a spar?"
Another soldier beside him exploded in anger.
"The atmosphere here is a bit different, huh? You'll need to get used to it."
Asia said, leaning against the city wall. She looked extremely tired. Now that he saw her up close, Encrid noticed dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept for days.
"Get used to it? You must be thrilled."
Rem said from the side. He was right.
If the guy wanted a spar, then Encrid would oblige.
"And you two, sparring in a situation like this? You must be out of your minds."
"No, ma'am!"
"We'll correct ourselves!"
The two soldiers immediately straightened up at Asia's words.
They must have gotten used to being hit on the head if they stepped out of line because their discipline was sharp.
"Let's go. First, we need to meet with Sir Oara."
Knight Oara.
The reason Encrid had come to this place.
In the meantime, a few more soldiers arrived, each with a menacing appearance.
"Rem, it looks like you have a lot of friends."
Encrid said, and Rem looked around. The Westerners were nowhere in sight. Rem quickly caught on and smiled.
It was the kind of smile he made when he was about to kill someone or bury an axe in a monster's head.
Rem realized that his Captain was teasing him out of excitement.
"Why are you so excited?"
Rem asked and quickly figured out why Encrid was in such high spirits.
"Damn, you're excited about meeting a Knight."
"Correct."
Encrid said as he followed Asia's lead inside.
The city was large, but there weren't many people. Most were armed, and there were no flower-selling maidens to be seen.
There were shops, like general stores and grocers, but they all seemed very quiet.
One shop was full of people carving long horns, with hardly any other goods in sight.
There was a bakery too, selling bread shaped like arrows.
It was called 'Arrow Bread'.
The tavern next to it was more than quiet—it was silent.
You'd expect it to be full of people eating and drinking even in broad daylight, but everyone was avoiding the tavern.
The tavern owner, standing outside with a scowl, shouted angrily.
"How am I supposed to make a living like this? Just because you're Knights?"
Knights are respected.
Because they face a thousand enemies alone.
Knights are honored.
Because the power they wield is unpredictable.
Knights are revered.
Because they display their will for the sake of their beliefs.
"Oara! Please!"
The burly man who seemed to be the tavern owner repeated similar pleas several times, but no one responded.
Asia also passed by indifferently.
"Understandable, given the situation. They've imposed a ban on alcohol."
She explained.
"A ban on alcohol?"
Encrid asked, but Asia's only explanation was to "Ask Sir Oara."
As they walked along the rough, unpaved streets, Encrid noticed a few women selling their bodies in an alleyway.
That business seemed to be doing well.
He overheard one of the men, who looked like a soldier, speaking ahead.
"Give me a discount."
"Don't be ridiculous. Are you really trying to save money on this?"
"Seriously, I'll—"
The soldier, now enraged, raised his hand as if to strike the woman. Encrid's pace naturally slowed.
The woman was the weaker party. He couldn't just stand by and watch her get hit. His plan was simple: stop him, even if it meant using force.
But the man never got the chance to lay a finger on her.
"Go ahead, hit me if you want to die."
The prostitute was confident, and the soldier hesitated before lowering his hand.
"I'm sorry. I lost at cards yesterday, and I've been in a bad mood since morning."
The soldier apologized, and the woman snorted before grabbing his arm and leading him through a side door.
Despite their argument, it seemed they were familiar with each other.
"That's unusual."
Rem said with interest.
Encrid agreed. What he had just witnessed felt different, not quite like an ordinary occurrence.
"I think I'll take a little tour of the city."
Rem said, more intrigued by the city than the Knight, and he wandered off to explore.
In the center of the city stood a house that could hardly be called a mansion.
It was a log house.
Even though the city was called Thousand Bricks, not all the buildings could be made entirely of bricks.
How could they transport all those bricks here, apply mortar, and build everything?
For most things, it was better to solve the problem by cutting down trees from the nearby forest.
This house was one of those log-built structures.
Creak.
Asia opened the door without knocking, and a strange noise filled the air.
It was the sound of rusted hinges.
"Aren't you going to fix that door?"
"You can do it if you want. The only thing I'm good at is cutting with a sword."
A voice came from inside. It was a woman's voice, drained and listless.
"Well, then, you might as well do it yourself."
Another voice joined in. This one was deep and masculine.
Dunbachel waited outside, while only Luagarne and Encrid stepped inside.
They entered a room lit by candles and lamps.
In the center was a round table with a bottle of brown liquid, and three people were sitting around it.
"Did you bring the merchants safely?"
The woman sitting in the center asked with sleepy eyes. Thanks to the candlelight, her hair appeared red, but outside, it would likely look closer to brown.
Her eyes were a similar color. Without the candlelight, they would probably be brown too.
The smell of alcohol was strong, sharply filling the air.
"Reinforcements have arrived. The Demon Slayer."
Asia announced, and the brown-haired woman gazed at Encrid with bleary eyes.
"...You."
She paused for a moment, then spoke again.
"You're handsome."
For a brief moment, focus returned to the hazy Knight's eyes.
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