Chapter 14: Knight
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 14: Knight
"Get over here!"
"You're being too loud. This is a medical tent."
"So what, you bastard?"
He was growling, but even the wildest beast is no threat when it's out of reach.
"I suppose we really do share a strange fate. The first time we met was in that lower village, wasn't it?"
It was an ill-fated relationship—one where their paths constantly crossed.
"Where do you get off acting friendly, you unlucky bastard?"
Vengeance was the one who had spoken first, though. Encrid didn't bother pointing that out. He wasn't petty enough to argue over such trivialities.
"Well then."
Instead, he simply turned away. The ointment Sachsen had given him was incredibly effective; he barely felt any pain, even when moving his body like this.
"What are you doing?"
"You told me not to act friendly, so I'm pretending I don't know you."
"Is this bastard messing with me?!" Vengeance bellowed.
If he knew it was a joke, he didn't need to get so angry. But how should he put it?
Maybe it's because my usual squad members are so terrifying.
Seeing Vengeance after a while, the man actually seemed almost cute. Watching Rem, Sachsen, and the others bicker usually felt like it was shaving years off his lifespan.
"Ah, you noticed. As expected of a platoon leader—the future of the Cypress Division."
"You... you!"
With veins bulging on his forehead, Vengeance snatched up his boot and hurled it. Encrid caught it with a swift, fluid motion.
"Is this a gift?"
"I'll kill you, you bastard!"
Had Rem said it once before? That while he himself was pretty good at getting under people's skin...
"I have no desire to trade words with a squad leader who’s just flapping his gums."
...or something like that.
Encrid held the boot with a nonchalant expression. Vengeance snorted like an enraged bull as he glared at him.
And then.
"Pwahahaha!"
A soldier, who had been busy killing time by staring into space, burst into hearty laughter. It was the kind of laugh that made him seem absolutely ecstatic. At the sound, Vengeance's murderous glare whipped around.
The blonde man, having laughed his fill, curled a finger to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.
"No, seriously—'Is this a gift?' That was too much. I was barely holding it in since you started pretending not to know him. Whew."
Grit.
Encrid thought Platoon Leader Vengeance's molars would probably shatter before he turned forty. Grinding your teeth like that wasn't good for the gums. He debated whether to mention that as well, but decided against it. If he pushed any further, Vengeance might end up recorded as the first soldier to die from a ruptured cerebral blood vessel out of sheer rage.
"Your unit?" Vengeance managed to calm himself. Instead of swearing, he demanded the man's affiliation.
"Me? Hmm, just a passing soldier."
Oh?
Encrid inwardly admired the man's audacity. At least Encrid was a squad leader; this guy really seemed to be just a common soldier, yet he carried himself with such an air. However, speaking like that made it feel more like he was intentionally hiding his unit and rank.
Vengeance, not being a complete idiot, picked up on it too. "Are you saying you can't reveal your unit?"
"It's a bit like that. But it's true that I'm a soldier. I just... forgot my unit."
How carefree. Encrid saw the dignity of a noble in the blonde man. If a fool who "forgot" his own unit wasn't a noble... he’d deserve a beating to within an inch of his life. He really wouldn't have any right to complain even if he were beaten to death for such an excuse. Therefore, the attitude he was displaying had to be noble dignity.
Grit, grit.
Vengeance was caught in a tight spot, unable to act.
"But instead of staring at me like that, I think you should look behind you."
Encrid and Vengeance had been fixed on the blonde man for a while. Naturally, both turned their heads.
Someone was standing behind them.
Since when?
Though Encrid wouldn't claim his sensory perception was extraordinary, he still had the experience of surviving countless battlefields. He possessed a decent sixth sense, yet he hadn't even realized someone was there. He hadn't heard a single sound.
"Is this the place? Where the 444th Squad Leader is?"
It was a woman. Moreover, she belonged to a race with slenderer frames, clearer eyes, and larger ears than humans.
An elf.
She spoke while staring intently at the blonde man. Judging by her natural tone, she was a superior. Deducing this, Encrid raised his hand.
"4th Company, 4th Platoon, 444th Squad Leader Encrid, over here."
Only then did the elven woman's gaze shift away from the blonde man. The tent flap fluttered, and the soldier guarding the medical tent entered, offering an explanation.
"Yes, that is the squad leader under your command."
"An elf?" Vengeance blurted out, clearly surprised.
Hearing this, the elf didn't even twitch an eyebrow as she turned her head.
"And this is the 2nd Company, 3rd Platoon Leader," the guard volunteered the information without being asked.
The elven woman's subsequent tone was incredibly dry. Someone had once said elves were symbols of lush forests, but her voice was like the sands of a desert.
"Does the 2nd Company teach its members to state a superior's race upon seeing them? I know better than anyone else that I am an elf."
Brutal.
Encrid saw an innate grace and charisma in the woman. She crushed her opponent with a single sentence.
"N-N-No, ma'am! 2nd Company, 3rd Platoon Leader, Ven... Vengeance, ma'am!"
"I have a request."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Platoon Leader Ven-Vengeance, I ask that you please shut your mouth while I am here. You do not need to answer this request. Every time you open that trap of yours, I feel the urge to drive a fist or a blade into your face. Platoon Leader Ven-Vengeance."
Encrid didn't bother correcting her that the man's name was just Vengeance. Vengeance started to open his mouth, then quickly clamped both hands over it.
"Now then, I heard you are leading quite an interesting squad."
The company commander's gaze returned to Encrid.
"Yes, thank you, ma'am."
There was nothing to gain by getting on the new commander's bad side. He replied politely. During the conversation that followed, Encrid felt a strange sensation.
Why did this woman even come here?
It was entirely trivial talk. She mentioned his active role in the battle. From Encrid's perspective, it was indeed an active role—he had slain the enemy soldier who had stabbed him, and in the process, he had saved quite a few allies within his reach. But if asked whether that had influenced the overall battlefield... he doubted it.
Quite apart from his actual skills, Encrid's eye for the battlefield was fairly keen.
"I hear you survived an encounter with Frok?"
"Yes, I was lucky."
"Luck is a skill too. The Goddess of Fortune doesn't drop her coins very often."
"Yes, thank you."
She came all this way just for this? Encrid couldn't understand her intentions at all. In any case, the elven company commander conversed with him, her glowing green eyes fixed on his. Encrid answered faithfully.
Before long, the company commander said, "Well, I look forward to your future achievements," and turned to leave. Just before exiting, she looked back once more toward the blonde man.
"And what is your name?"
"Uh, well, it's Krang."
He rolled his eyes and furrowed his brow as he spoke. Anyone could see it was a fabricated name.
"I see."
The company commander replied flatly and left the tent. Only then did Vengeance, who hadn't been able to breathe properly, let out a long, ragged breath.
"Fuck."
"Oh, Company Commander."
Hearing the curse, Encrid spoke up, causing Vengeance to jump in fright.
"Ah, my mistake. It was just a passing soldier."
"This motherfucker, seriously..."
The platoon leader, who had become "Ven-Vengeance" for the day, flared up in rage. The blonde man, Krang, burst into hearty laughter once again. The guard glanced at the three of them, wondering what was wrong with them, before slipping back outside.
Looking at Platoon Leader Vengeance, Encrid thought he wouldn't be bored during his stay here.
*
Reviewing the battle. The path forward.
Encrid focused on these two things.
Thrusting with all my might, yet not pouring my entire heart into it.
Having found a clue in less than a day, his body was itching to move. But he couldn't push himself yet. With his flank aching, the only training he could manage was grip training.
Encrid trained his fingers and forearms. Though it might seem foolish to some, the body was the foundation of all techniques. No matter how tiny a leaf, it still had weight, and even a single drop of water could pierce a rock given enough time. Therefore, this seemingly insignificant effort would surely bear fruit.
Believing this, Encrid had built his tower to this point.
"You're really working hard."
It was Krang. Two days had passed since the company commander's visit. Encrid had done nothing except review his battles and perform grip training. He dedicated himself to resting, because recovery was also an essential part of training.
If there was one change, it was that the half-mad soldier who called himself Krang was constantly lingering around him.
"Why are you working so hard?"
Krang spoke informally to everyone—to Encrid, and to Vengeance as well.
"I am the platoon leader! Your superior!" Vengeance would shout, but Krang just teased him.
Seeing that, it didn't seem like Krang had come here due to an injury. He clearly possessed decent skills; watching him deliberately stroll past Vengeance, dodging just out of reach, proved he was no ordinary soldier.
"What do you mean?" Encrid asked. Since the other man claimed to be a soldier, Encrid also spoke informally.
"You just clench and unclench your hands all day. Other than that, you just stare blankly into space. I was wondering what you're thinking about so deeply."
For someone who wasn't an eight-year-old child, he certainly had a lot of questions. Still, it wasn't particularly annoying.
I am bored, after all.
Teasing Platoon Leader Vengeance got old after a while. Having someone to share light conversation with was a good tool for warding off boredom.
"This is grip training. And when I'm still, I'm not staring blankly; I'm reviewing the mistakes I made on the last battlefield."
"Right, but why do you do that?"
"So I don't die on the next one."
"I've never seen a soldier go to such lengths just to avoid dying."
"And have you seen any soldiers who survived long without doing so?"
"Hmm, quite a few?"
What kind of life had this guy lived? Encrid had suspected for a while that the man was merely playing at being a commoner. Not that it changed anything. If the other man wanted to play along, Encrid was willing to humor him. He wasn't losing anything, nor did he feel envious of what the other man possessed.
If he were the type to get jealous, he would have already gone mad with envy over others' swordsmanship talent. But Encrid was not like that. He had a path to walk, and he felt more fulfilled by the joy of growth.
I just need to practice my thrusts more.
Pouring his heart and soul required training. The Beast's Heart remained a pillar that protected Encrid. One more step forward. A step taken every day. Even if today did not repeat, nothing would change.
Of course, not everything remained unchanged.
"What is it you want to become?" Krang asked.
It was similar to when Rem had asked him in the past. The memory of that time resurfaced.
Why does that feel like such a distant past?
It was a day that had already ceased to exist. A day erased because he had died. Thus, the ambition he had uttered like a joke had vanished just like one. If he opened his mouth to speak of the future, of his dreams... would today disappear?
No, it wouldn't. Even if his dreams had been silenced, devoured, and torn apart by reality, their traces remained.
Traces. Yes, he had once thought that only mere traces remained near his heart. He had thought that way before. But what about now?
Is it really just traces?
Encrid looked down at his palm. He saw a hand calloused and split over and over again, leaving it ugly and misshapen. The deep-set calluses on every knuckle would probably never disappear. This was how desperately he had wanted it.
Is that really so? Do only traces remain?
He asked himself and sought the answer. It wasn't. He believed it wasn't. Funny enough, even during the times when only traces remained, Encrid had never once given up.
"A knight."
A low-ranking soldier from a third-rate mercenary background. A mere squad leader despite that. A tiny rank, a pathetic level of skill. Yet what came out of his mouth was the pinnacle of everyone's aspirations.
Sitting nearby, Vengeance was about to burst into mocking laughter. But Krang's response was faster.
"I see. A knight."
It was strange. He should have laughed. But Krang's attitude stopped Vengeance. It wasn't forced, but instinct told him he shouldn't. Though spoken in a flat tone, the words were heavy. They carried weight. Krang took that ridiculous dream seriously. He listened with all his heart.
"Looking at you, I think I'm starting to get an idea of how I should live my life," Krang said.
Encrid shrugged. The strange atmosphere that had briefly enveloped the medical tent vanished as abruptly as it had appeared.
"Pfft, a knight? Don't make me laugh!" Vengeance finally mocked him, but he only ended up looking foolish. Neither Encrid nor Krang paid him any attention.
"I am your superior!" Vengeance attempted a timid rebellion. Of course, it didn't work.
*
Exactly one week. Encrid's flank no longer hurt.
Was it thanks to the ointment? It had healed remarkably quickly.
As bedtime approached, Krang asked, "You're returning tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah."
Today had been simple. The bard, returning after a week, had been singing the praises of Cypress right next to the medical tent since morning. The guard had overslept. During a light stroll around lunchtime, Encrid had spotted Krais. "Big-Eyes" looked pale; before Encrid could even ask anything, he had quickly walked away.
Nothing happened after that. Since patients in the medical tent didn't have to stand night watch, he had truly gotten a good rest.
"Good night, Encrid."
"You too, Krang."
"Just you wait until we get back, both of you," Vengeance delivered his daily greeting.
With that, Encrid closed his eyes and fell asleep.
And then.
"Cypress! Cypress!"
He woke up to the sound of the bard's singing.
Today too?
He had heard that this fellow, who had become a battlefield bard after tasting the sweetness of money, traveled all over the camp. He wouldn't stay in the same spot for two days in a row. Today, the singing should have been heard from much further away. Why was it coming from right here for two consecutive days?
"Are they slacking off, damn it? Why isn't breakfast here yet?" Vengeance grumbled as he woke up.
At those words, the hairs on the back of Encrid's neck stood on end. Because he had heard those exact words yesterday. No, to be precise, he had heard them on the "today" that was now repeating.
"Was the soldier late with breakfast yesterday too?" Encrid asked.
Vengeance stared at Encrid, then smirked. "What kind of nonsense is that? He brought it right on time yesterday."
Encrid let out a hollow sigh. This made it certain. Today had repeated.
Which meant...
I had died in my sleep, without a soul ever knowing.