Asia, after hearing the whole story, briefly forgot her fatigue and smiled.
The dwindling supplies had been annoying her a lot.
The fact that a Junior-Knight had to personally step in to bring a few merchants showed just how dire the situation was.
What an inefficient way of handling things.
That was the nature of the city of Thousand Bricks. It wasn't a place where even a Junior-Knight could afford to be arrogant.
Asia also needed time to adapt to this place. The feeling she had when she saw Lord Oara hammering a nail with the flat of his shortsword was indescribable.
It was like watching a sacred sword being used to plow a field.
And yet, Lord Oara laughed.
Brightly laughing Oara.
Smiling Oara.
Oara, the smiling sword.
Oara, the sunshine smile.
The nicknames people used to refer to Sir Oara were all quite similar.
She smiled a lot.
Asia had seen Oara's smile and had immediately written a letter to the Royal Palace, sending a pigeon to request a few artisans.
"You're the best. Handsome as always. Truly."
Asia erased her thoughts and gave a thumbs up as she spoke.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"It's a compliment, Oara style."
Asia seemed to have developed a sense of humor as well. Encrid listened to the rest of the matters he needed to handle besides dealing with Jack the Knife.
One of the deserters had apparently conspired with a cult to establish a new religion, essentially becoming a heretic.
Asia mentioned that this deserter had been at it for about two years now and that it seemed the cult was involved, given its considerable size.
"I'd love to chase him down and kill him right now, but if a wave happens while Lord Oara is away, it would be disastrous."
For the same reason, Asia couldn't easily leave her post.
Due to harpies or monsters frequently probing the city, leaving the area would result in immediate and severe attacks.
That was why Encrid's arrival was welcome on many fronts.
However, this wasn't just a simple battle, it was a pursuit, a chase to drive the enemy out, so Asia didn't have high expectations.
The leader of that new cult was so quick to flee that if it weren't for that, she would've already killed him, even if it meant gritting her teeth and finding the time to do so.
Honestly, if Encrid hadn't come, she would've taken the opportunity to go and deal with it herself.
They weren't dealing with a cult bishop or anything, just some amateurs calling themselves a leader and god. She could have easily slit their throats and returned.
Encrid asked a few more questions.
Things like the location and scale of the colony, and the characteristics of those religious fanatics.
Asia answered as best as she could.
"Did you see the village tavern? The owner probably knows more than I do."
"He seemed pretty upset because of the prohibition."
"He's known for being a good guy. Just go over, order some food, and strike up a conversation. Oh, and there's something you should be careful about with those cult bastards. I heard there's a swordsman among them who uses spells."
"What kind of spells?"
If they were casting spells, caution was necessary.
They could breathe fire from their hands or entangle your body in something like spider webs.
Encrid had experienced various things while sparring with Esther.
He hadn't gained any new insights from dueling a wizard, but at least he'd gotten used to fighting them.
That's why he asked.
"I heard that without even touching them, he made a hole appear in someone's stomach."
Asia mimicked stabbing the air with her hand as she explained.
She mentioned that a few soldiers had fallen victim to this and added that if they ever caught those cult bastards, they'd be sure to put a hole in their faces.
Encrid had heard everything, but these weren't people who would be easy to find right away.
There had been three new colonies established recently.
This was the border of the Demon Realm after all. If you didn't take action soon, crazy monsters would gather, build nests, and cause all sorts of chaos.
"Welcome to Thousand Bricks, the border of the Demon Realm."
Asia said again, and Encrid nodded calmly.
There was nothing different about the Demon Realm. It just had a few more monsters than other places, but that wasn't any different for the Border Guard.
Asia was busy, and rest seemed to be her first priority for now. The dark circles under her eyes looked like they might give birth to a malevolent spirit at any moment.
She was a Junior-Knight, so she had physical strength, but recently, too many tiring things had piled up.
"I've been up for two nights because of those damn harpies."
It would be easier if they attacked all at once so she could lead her troops into battle, but instead, they would send just a few at a time, watching from a distance and attacking only if they thought they could get away with it.
Even for a Junior-Knight, it was difficult to catch a harpy that was using spell to escape.
She could do it if she really tried, but they were always too far away, just teasing from a distance.
If those bastards would just come close to the watchtower, she could handle them, but they rarely came near the outer watchtower or the walls of Thousand Bricks.
The harpies only attacked when they saw the group of merchants coming, and Asia had to rush in to fight them off.
She even considered herself lucky for that.
It was an opportunity to kill a few of those annoying creatures, after all.
"Milio, show him around. The quarters and the dining hall."
"Yes, ma'am."
As Asia went off to rest, she assigned Milio, the soldier she had seen at the gate, to guide Encrid.
Encrid casually glanced around the city to see if there was any commotion, like cursing or fighting. He was looking for Rem, but there was no particular disturbance.
It was still just a moderately noisy and smelly city.
Most of that smell was sweat.
The stench of clothes soaked in sweat mixed with the humid air, creating a fantastically foul harmony.
People could be seen everywhere, training their muscles or swinging their weapons.
"One for the monster's head!"
"Two to break it!"
"Let's die with a smile!"
"Orah!"
The shouts and chants could be heard.
Six people were seen lifting logs and training their bodies.
The majority of them were fletching longbows and making arrows.
They, too, were drenched in sweat. It was that kind of weather.
The kind where sticky sweat trickled down your body even if you just stood still.
The pervasive smell wasn't exactly rotten, but it was filled with unpleasantness that stung the nose.
Dunbachel, who had been frowning from the smell since the beginning, finally gave in and covered her nose.
"The smell is awful. Don't these guys ever wash?"
"Don't you have any shame?"
Encrid reprimanded Dunbachel.
"Why should I? I bathed ten days ago."
Encrid resolved to throw Dunbachel into a bathtub, head first, if their lodgings had one.
If it was ten days ago, it was on the way here.
Dunbachel had reached a stream, dipped her fingers in the water, and rubbed a few drops on her face.
That was what she called a bath.
"The bathtub better be sturdy."
Sensing something ominous from Encrid's words, Dunbachel took a step back.
Of course, that wouldn't change the outcome.
Luagarne, being a Frog, was accustomed to the damp air. In fact, she liked it.
The smell was bearable, too. Frogs generally had duller senses, given that their limbs could regenerate even after being severed.
A humid environment was something she welcomed.
Occasionally, she would indulge in her hobby of half-submerging her body in the lake water as a form of relaxation. That was typical for Frogs.
They weren't actual frogs, but they enjoyed everything a frog would like.
They'd catch bugs with their tongues, and they considered wiping themselves with mud from the swamps near the water's edge one of the best ways to relax.
Sometimes, Luagarne would recall the things she had been given as a courtesy at the Royal Palace.
"Would there be a mud-filled bathtub around here?"
Of course, there was no such thing here.
"Mud, you say?"
Milio reacted to Luagarne's words. The soldier with a deep, resonant voice still wanted to test his strength against Encrid, but for now, he focused on his assigned task.
He was a soldier who fulfilled his duties.
"There's a swamp beyond the western gate, past the Gray Forest, but you shouldn't go there. That swamp is always covered in poisonous mist."
That seemed like unnecessary information.
Encrid thought as he shifted his gaze.
The city's appearance came into view. He had seen it before, but it was still a unique sight.
The houses were scattered around, and the dirt roads that ran through the city led to the two gates.
Most of the buildings were built by stacking bricks neatly on the ground and then constructing the houses on top of that.
The reason became clear—because the ground was prone to flooding when it rained.
To avoid that, drainage ditches had been dug in various places.
Most of the drainage was planned to flow downward from higher areas.
The most impressive was the large, roofless drainage channel in the center, like a small cave.
With this much, wouldn't a small stream form when it rained? Did a Giant dig this?
"It's the work of Lord Oara."
Milio noticed Encrid's gaze and spoke up. He was a soldier with keen instincts.
Though his manner of speech was rough, there was a hint of kindness in it.
According to him, it seemed that even Knights were involved in tasks as mundane as digging ditches.
Should he be surprised? Encrid wasn't sure, so he just ignored it.
Anyway, thanks to the large, crudely dug drainage ditch in the center, it didn't seem like any houses would be at risk of flooding when it rained.
Encrid continued to observe other things.
There were general stores, grocery stores, taverns, a few empty houses, blacksmiths, shops displaying butchered meat, shops that didn't seem to be doing any business, buildings standing alone, half-destroyed wooden scarecrows between them, and stores selling piles of firewood.
"Merchants from outside hand over their goods and take Krona in exchange, but here, most people buy things with contribution points."
Milio chose his words carefully. The way the city operated was quite unusual.
"Contribution points?"
Dunbachel asked, her voice muffled by the hand she held over her nose.
Milio nodded at her and continued his explanation.
"Yes, contribution points. You earn them by defeating monsters and killing beasts. Or by doing something that benefits the city, like helping to restore the city gates. If you want a big boost, you can assist Lord Oara in battle. Didn't you kill that harpy earlier? A spellcasting harpy is a rare species, so that should cover your meals and lodging for at least ten days."
As Encrid pondered this unusual system, he noticed that few of the people in sight were without weapons.
Everyone seemed to carry a bow.
They all also had a stick-like emblem on their shoulders.
"Oh, that's not a symbol of their unit, but a rank indicator. It's loosely based on Naurillia's soldier ranking system. Once a month, a Squire from the Knightly order comes to give instructions."
One stick indicated a lower rank, two sticks a middle rank, and three sticks a higher rank.
If the sticks were broken, it signified a Commander.
It was somewhat similar to the system used in the Royal Palace, but with the added advantage of being easily identifiable by the shoulder emblem.
'It would be convenient to apply this to the Border Guard as well.'
As Encrid continued to survey the city, he felt a sense of unease.
The smell was unpleasant, but there was a certain comfort to it.
It felt like coming home.
Not his actual home, but a place that made him feel at ease.
The unpleasant, sticky weather remained the same.
Sweat continued to trickle down his body, making him want to wash up immediately.
The weather was so bad that he considered grabbing Dunbachel's head and shoving it into a bathtub.
Encrid's attention was drawn to two soldiers in a small clearing, sparring with wooden clubs.
'A duel.'
They weren't fighting, they were measuring each other's skills.
Stripped to the waist and wearing only pants, the two soldiers swung long wooden clubs at each other.
At that moment, Encrid realized something. This wasn't a city.
'This isn't a city, it's a military camp.'
Thousand Bricks was a city in name only.
This place was more like one giant military camp.
And he could understand why.
It was necessary to repel the endlessly attacking monsters and beasts.
There was no land specifically for farming, and it wasn't a commercial hub. Who would fill this city if not for those people?
They were all combatants.
'They've turned the entire city into a military camp.'
Who else could have done it?
It was Knight Oara.
This was her work.
"Now, you can stay here, and meals are served on the first floor. You're famous as the Demon Slayer, so everyone will recognize you."
It was a fairly large brick building. It even looked to be in better condition than where Lord Oara was staying.
There was a door covered in graffiti.
Various words were carved into it with sharp objects, like knives.
"Everyone, run. It's not too late."
"Forever, for Knight Oara."
"I will crush the monster's head. For life."
"Orah!"
"Let's die with a smile!"
These were the kinds of things written there.
Encrid pushed the door open.
If this place was a military camp, then the truth was that all the city's residents were warriors.
Encrid entered the building and saw the soldier and the woman he had seen arguing earlier. Both were dressed differently now.
The soldier wore a shabby linen outfit and was carrying food.
The woman was armed. She had a short bow slung diagonally across her back and was dressed in light armor, wearing thin leather.
She looked ready for combat or a mission at any moment.
"Welcome."
The male soldier said.
The woman glanced at Encrid.
"They say you're the Demon Slayer. You're quite handsome."
Was that the usual tone of the unit?
Or had the tone changed because of Lord Oara?
The woman spoke openly, not hiding her thoughts. Her words made most of the people in the dining hall look at Encrid.
"...A man's face isn't everything."
The soldier who was carrying food said.
Luagarne couldn't hold back and chimed in.
"Not just his face, everything else is great too."
It was nonsense.
Encrid ignored it and sat down. The woman approached and spoke.
"My name is Rowena. I'm a decurion."
A decurion, someone who leads ten people.
"I saw you in the alley earlier."
Encrid said, curious.
"Oh, that was a side job."
In this city, everyone was a soldier.
"If you need anything, come find me."
Her words had a double meaning. Whether she was referring to work during the day or at night was unclear.
"That won't be necessary. Or maybe it will."
Dunbachel muttered with a crude hand gesture, her fist dangling by her side, and Encrid asked the innkeeper.
"Is there a place to wash up here?"
"Huh? Yes, there's a bathtub."
The innkeeper replied, and as Dunbachel tried to flee, Encrid grabbed her by the scruff of the neck.
[T/L: Please support me AND read further chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans.]
[T/L: Subscribe for a membership on my Buy Me a Coffee page and receive 15 extra chapters upon joining, along with daily updates of one chapter: buymeacoffee.com/revengerscans ]
[Additional Info: If anyone is facing the issue of payment on Ko-Fi, please contact me on [email protected]]