Chapter 348: Who Are You Worrying About?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 348: Who Are You Worrying About?
“I’m staying behind.”
Just as the group was being divided into those leaving and those staying, Krais was the first to decline. Encrid hadn't actually planned on taking him along in the first place.
“There’s too much work left to do here. And don't go getting yourself thrashed somewhere just because I’m not around to watch your back.”
He spoke with such unearned confidence that Encrid felt compelled to nod in agreement.
“Right. I’ll try not to get beaten up.”
After Encrid made that solemn vow, Krais took a wary step back.
“Why are you acting like that? It’s creepy. You’re going to hit me, aren't you?”
“Why would I?”
Encrid had only answered because Krais had spoken out of genuine concern.
“Anyway, I can't go. I have to maintain the outpost. And while I trust Leona, merchants are the sort of breed that will pick a granary clean if you leave them in charge of it. I have to keep an eye out.”
Just as he said, Krais couldn't leave.
From laying down roads in the surrounding areas to dealing with the half-witted fools who called themselves nobles—though "complete dumbasses" was a more accurate description—his hands were full.
It seemed like he would need ten bodies to get everything done, but that wasn't entirely true. Krais still managed to do everything he wanted in the midst of the chaos. He got his rest and met everyone he needed to see.
He even seemed to go on occasional dates with Nurat, who had entered the city about ten days ago.
Nurat was a Black woman who had served as the guard and adjutant to Garret, the battalion commander of the Greenpearl camp. Encrid had heard that Krais had first requested personnel from Garret by tying a letter to a crow’s leg, and that she had come because they had urgent matters to discuss.
But surely that "discussion" didn't require eating every meal together and strolling through the market? Seeing as there were nights when he didn't return to his quarters at all, one could easily guess they had already gone all the way.
Of course, it was none of Encrid’s business.
“Since Battalion Commander Garret wants to retire, we also need to select a successor.”
Krais was deliberately sticking his hands into every facet of the city’s management. Seeing his passionate attitude, Encrid felt it clearly.
He’s caught the Krona bug.
And it was true. Krais intended to make this city wealthy. The scraps falling off in the process would be massive enough that it wouldn't matter if he devoured them all himself. He wouldn't give up on earning gold coins even while preparing for the outbreak of a civil war.
That was Krais’s goal. In fact, while establishing the outpost, he had also set his sights on the various herbs and poisons harvested from the swamp.
For that reason...
“It breaks my heart to send you on such a long journey without me.”
...Sinar had ended up saying this. There was no better talent than her when it came to exploring the swamp, distinguishing medicine from poison, and discovering useful ingredients.
“Is that so?” Encrid asked.
Her doll-like face—not just her beauty, but her overall aura—remained completely expressionless as she spoke.
“It’s a joke.”
“Yes, I know.”
“I thought you wouldn't.”
So, had she not been joking until now? No, it was all a joke. There was no point in trying to tell them apart. An elf’s sense of humor was always difficult to get used to.
Encrid shook his head inwardly. Sinar aside, Audin and Teresa were also staying behind.
“As for me, it’s because I still have too many soldiers left to train, Brother.”
Audin spoke with a benevolent smile, but that surely wasn't the only reason. Encrid instinctively felt that Audin was reluctant to go to the capital—specifically, the royal palace.
But it wasn't something to pry into. As always, Encrid respected the choices of his company members. He didn't think the reason behind that reluctance was important, anyway.
“I’ll stay and help, too.”
At some point, Teresa had started sticking close to Audin’s side. No soldier was brave enough to call them the "Giant Siblings" to their faces, but the nickname suited them remarkably well.
“Do as you wish.”
With that, the arrangements were settled.
“Ugh, the weather looks gloomy.”
The fierce barbarian, Rem.
“Once we enter the capital, I have some personal business to attend to.”
“Do whatever you want.”
The sly wildcat, Sachsen, who openly admitted to having his own motives.
“To the capital? It’ll probably take about half a year.”
Assuming they rode horses and the weather permitted, taking the main road would only take fifteen to twenty days. Why Ragna thought it would take half a year was beyond comprehension. In any case, he was a lazy swordsman who, if left to his own devices, would quickly get lost and end up writing legends with a single sword in some random corner of the world.
“A journey, is it? A pleasant distraction from a tedious daily routine.”
A fickle mage whose reasons for tagging along were unknown, and who had transformed into a female form today.
“Will there be a lot of fighting? I hope there is.”
A beastman who had volunteered as a guard but didn't care in the slightest who he was guarding, openly wishing for ambushes in front of his charge—completely devoid of any tact.
“Neighhh.”
And finally, a wild horse with the blood of a demonic beast flowing through its veins, sporting different colored eyes.
“Are you people serious?” the whip-wielding guard asked.
He looked at each of them one by one, his expression turning grave. They had to escort his lord and carve a path through treacherous terrain. Nothing could be taken lightly.
To this end, Marcus had even agreed to lead a force and act as a decoy. Yet, that very Marcus had left ahead of them last night, claiming he had urgent business.
Disloyal bastard.
The whip-wielding guard cursed Marcus inwardly. However, Krang brushed it off lightly.
“He’s a busy man,” Krang defended him.
Without Marcus, how were they supposed to reach the capital? They should have at least borrowed his escort troops. If not, the guard thought they would have to dig up the "seeds" they had sown here and there—even if they had only grown into saplings, they were still contingency plans prepared in advance.
For instance, places like the Language Restoration Guild. That was indeed one of the seeds his lord had planted.
But even that was impossible.
Why on earth...
The Language Restoration Guild had failed to gather any real power within the Border Guard. At least in terms of military strength, they were pathetic. Hadn't they heard that a single crazy Frok was hunting down and beating up anyone who tried to use force?
What kind of...
What kind of nonsense was that? What idle Frok would do such a thing? Though there were bound to be such Froks given how many eccentric people existed in the world, to think one was staying right here, taking care of all the troublesome matters?
Are they bound by a covenant?
It was a reasonable suspicion. With their hands and feet tied like that, having Encrid’s mad company step up as escorts should have been a good thing. It certainly should have been, but...
I have a bad feeling about this.
The guard’s intuition, honed through years of risking his life, whispered to him.
These bastards are not normal.
If we rely solely on them, we’re doomed.
Every single one of them was a walking anxiety trigger. Why would it take half a year to reach the royal palace, and why did they seem to have absolutely no interest in their escort duty? And why were they smirking while estimating how many attackers they would face?
“Alright, everyone knows how to ride a horse, right?” Encrid addressed the group.
“No carriage?”
“A carriage stands out too much! We should be moving undetected, and you want a carriage?!” the whip-wielding guard snapped in anger.
Rem merely picked his ear. “Did that guy eat something bad? Why is he shouting first thing in the morning?”
This motherfucker...
“Enough.”
Just as the guard was about to lose his temper for real, Krang stopped him. His eyes were shining brighter than ever. Even to him, they were an incredibly peculiar bunch.
There was one fact that Krais had roughly guessed and Encrid knew by instinct: Krang possessed extraordinary insight. In other words, he was an excellent judge of character. Of course, it was not some magical ability to peer into everyone’s soul.
What fascinating talents.
He knew instinctively. Not a single one of them was ordinary. It felt as though the rumors about them had vastly underestimated their capabilities.
The Mad Company, is it?
Whoever coined that name deserved an award. He was hard-pressed to find any other words to describe them, despite having written poetry and essays as a hobby since childhood.
An uncontrollable force.
It was obvious at a glance. These were not people who moved at another’s command. But then, why were they gathered here? To protect him? Not a chance.
“Cut the carriage nonsense. Snap out of it. This is a mission. We are going to escort the person standing right there to the capital.”
As Encrid scolded Rem, the barbarian looked at the two standing there and asked, “Those two?”
“I am a guard,” the whip-wielder replied.
The guard found it exceptionally difficult to control his temper today. At first, he had somehow managed to keep his agitation in check. But his lord’s unfamiliar demeanor flustered him, and the subsequent events had defied all common sense, shaking his composure. On top of that, he thoroughly disliked everything about this situation.
All of these factors combined made him uncharacteristically worked up. As he answered, the guard took a deep breath to calm his mind.
This is bad.
If things went awry, he might have to flee with his lord all by himself. Getting agitated was out of the question. The guard took two deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling. He, too, was no ordinary man.
It was then.
“A guard?”
“Not a guide?”
“Who is?”
The gray-haired motherfucker. The blonde, droopy-eyed bastard. And finally, the crazy beastman. A trio of voices chimed in.
Ah, these motherfuckers, seriously...
“Stop teasing him,” Encrid put a stop to it.
Rem and everyone else naturally obeyed. Seeing this, Krang’s eyes gleamed even brighter.
They can be controlled?
These people, who were like unpredictable whirlpools? How? Through authority? Through sheer skill? No, that wasn't it.
Influence.
Just as Krang himself had been influenced, these people had also been influenced by Encrid. They followed his words. They respected his will. Encrid was the key to controlling them.
Ah.
Krang’s insight was indeed extraordinary. By observing the result, he deduced the process.
To ordinary people, Encrid would have seemed like nothing more than a madman.
To an average person, Encrid’s attitude was difficult to comprehend. Standing by his side was even harder. He was a difficult man to get along with, yet he was equally difficult to ignore. No matter what he did, he drew attention, and his way of life made others feel as though they were being silently rebuked.
Many different people must have crossed paths with a man like Encrid. Some would have criticized him. Some would have tried their best to ignore him. And some among them would have highly valued his persistence.
But none of them could have stayed by his side. That was the kind of man Encrid was.
Then what of those who remained?
Utter madmen.
Or individuals possessing outstanding talent in a particular field. People who wouldn't crumble when faced with Encrid.
“Intriguing,” Krang remarked, reaching his conclusion.
“See? He says it’s intriguing. You’ve got a good eye for people. What did you say your name was?”
Rem walked over to Krang and threw an arm around his shoulder. It was a casual gesture of camaraderie—hardly the way to treat a man destined to become the king of a nation. Even a mere noble would have thrown a fit and demanded his arm be severed. Of course, Rem didn't give a damn about such things.
And neither did Krang.
Before the guard could have a seizure, Krang waved his hand and replied, “Krang.”
“Good. I’ll protect you. Let’s go.”
After a recent stretch of sunny days, the sky was gloomy today. Hazy gray clouds blocked the morning sun.
“But why are you coming along?” Encrid asked Odd-Eye from behind.
“Neighhh.”
No human could actually converse with a horse. The guard wondered why on earth that guy was trying to have a conversation with a beast.
“Ah, you’re bored. I guess you’ve finished exploring the area. Alright, let’s go together.”
Encrid spoke as if he truly understood the horse, stroking the mane of the beast with the strange eyes. It was a wild horse, bearing neither saddle nor horseshoes.
That bastard isn't normal either.
The only reason Encrid seemed normal was due to the relative comparison with the others. The guard resolved to keep his wits about him more than ever.
Odd-Eye followed them, though he didn't let anyone ride on his back.
“May fortune favor you,” Graham said, seeing them off and providing the horses.
“Have you decided on a direction?” Krais asked, having come out to the front of the city.
“If you don't know the way, should I take the lead?” Ragna chimed in.
“You crazy bastard, do you want us to wander the continent for half a year?”
When Rem scolded him, Ragna turned his head away. “Shut your mouth, you barbarian who can't even fight.”
“...Did he lose?” Sachsen reacted to those words.
Rem’s cheek twitched. A smile that was anything but friendly played on his face.
Encrid slipped in between them. He was an experienced rider, and the saddled horse moved smoothly under his guidance.
“We’re taking the main road.”
“What?”
The guard was the most shocked by his words. Krang was also slightly surprised. It wasn't that he doubted their skills, but wasn't this practically begging for danger?
“Oh, did you think of that beforehand? I was actually about to suggest it,” Krais nodded.
“Yeah. It felt like the right move.”
“Is it intuition?”
“Half of it.”
“What’s the other half?”
“I thought it through.”
Encrid ran a hand through his short-cropped hair. It was the haircut Krais had given him not too long ago.
Krang mulled over their conversation. He was no fool.
We’ve already been exposed. Our movements are known.
He had faced threats to his life in many different places. Krang was quick to grasp the situation thanks to his vast experience. Those targeting him were already in position before they even departed. Whether they took the main road or wandered through mountain paths, the outcome would be the same.
In that case, it was better to take the main road and maximize their speed. Choosing horses and discarding the carriage was indeed the fastest way. When it came to experience traveling the continent, Krang was not one to fall behind anyone.
Soon, a single line was drawn in his mind: the fastest route from the Border Guard to the capital.
“I know a few shortcuts,” Krang said.
Encrid nodded. Their charge was highly cooperative. There was nothing to complain about.
Rumble!
Right on cue, thunder rumbled and lightning struck in the distance. Blue lightning struck in jagged streaks over the Pen-Hanil Mountains. Any mountain ranger caught up there would have faced terrible danger. Of course, with the weather being this foul, they would have descended from the mountains long ago.
Soon, raindrops began to patter down, one by one.
“Well then.”
Thud, thud, thud.
Led by Encrid, everyone set their horses into motion. All of them were skilled riders. Esther simply transformed into a panther and ran alongside them.
Watching them recede into the distance, Graham muttered, “Will they be alright?”
“Who are you worrying about?” Krais replied.
This group was practically the strongest force in the entire region. An attack by an assassin guild? If they were the type of people to die from something like that, shouldn't they have all crossed the river of death hand-in-hand a long time ago?