Chapter 366: Not All Associate Knights Are the Same
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 366: Not All Associate Knights Are the Same
The Red Cloak Knights boasted three full-fledged knights, each leading a unit named in their honor. Needless to say, their renown was immense.
But a knightly order could not consist of only three people.
In reality, the backbone of the order lay in its Associate Knights, who numbered over twenty. Of those, fewer than five remained in the capital. As for the squires, there were over fifty in total, but less than ten were currently stationed in the city.
Or so Aisia explained.
"Well, there are a few others whose skills are on par with an Associate Knight. The commander of the Royal Guard is from our order, and then there are the twins famous for guarding the Marquis."
"Those two were twins?" Encrid asked, interrupting her.
"You said you met the Marquis of Okto, right? Yeah, fraternal twins. They don't look much alike, do they? I was surprised too when I first heard it."
Aisia was easygoing—or at least, that was the impression Andrew got. Though her orange hair was frayed with split ends, it only served to highlight her vibrant, lively nature. She felt like a farm girl raised without a care in the world.
Or so he thought.
In terms of pure aesthetics, the mage Esther or Kin Vaisar were superior, but when it came to raw charm, the Associate Knight Aisia seemed like the type to leave many a man lovesick. With that appearance and her infectious cheerfulness, she was incredibly attractive.
On top of that, she acted friendly without a hint of distance. The word 'unreserved' immediately came to mind. She joined the dining table naturally, eating and drinking as if she had been a regular guest for years.
"Pass me that bread, will you?"
The amusing thing was that Rem and the others treated her with complete indifference as well. This was an Associate Knight of the prestigious Red Cloak Knights, yet no one seemed starstruck.
Andrew found it hard to adjust at first, but he soon cast aside his seriousness.
Whatever, I don't care anymore.
Whenever someone got involved with Encrid, things tended to spiral in nonsensical directions. It was no different from the first time Andrew had gone on an operation with the captain. Even back then, the man did nothing but the unbelievable.
He acted like he knew the exact positions of the enemy while hidden deep in the brush.
On top of that, they had fought while setting fire to the enemy barracks, and only after they escaped did Andrew realize: this guy is different. The scale of their problems had grown and Encrid's position was higher now, but the core of the man hadn't changed. Andrew decided to leave it at that.
"Here."
Aisia sliced a round loaf of bread and tossed it. Snatching it out of the air, Rem spread marmalade on the slice and began to chew. Ragna sliced some salted ham, trimmed the crust off his bread, and ate only the soft center.
"Picky little bastard," Rem muttered at the sight.
"If watching that woman fight made you so eager for a beating, just wait. I’m trying to eat, you animal," Ragna retorted calmly.
"Not 'that woman,' it's Aisia," Aisia interrupted, raising a hand.
"Ah, right. Aisia."
Ragna naturally dropped his honorifics as well. Aisia even thanked Andrew, the master of the estate, for inviting her. Of course, no one had actually uttered the word 'invite.' She had simply barged in, sparred, and was now helping herself to dinner.
Andrew replied, "Don't mention it," sparing her any potential embarrassment.
"That one over there is totally my type," Aisia said, pointing toward Sachsen.
"Most women say that, but don't be fooled. He sees more than a few women," Rem added.
"They are all friends," Sachsen retorted softly, a rare response from him. Looking at him, Aisia figured that women probably did flock to him. Just because he was her type didn't mean she had instantly fallen for him, however.
Aisia turned her gaze to Encrid, who was chewing bread across from her. No matter how many times she looked, he was a fascinating man.
"I don't even have many women I meet as friends," the fascinating guy, Encrid, spoke up, sensing her gaze.
"I didn't ask."
"Right. Sparring after this?"
Aisia nodded reflexively. "After we digest."
She could organize her thoughts on what needed to be done while the food settled. Aisia hadn't come here just to play.
"We agreed to catch the Moonlight Beast."
"You already named it?"
"Because it only appears under the moonlight."
The capital wasn't entirely populated by fools. They had managed to narrow down the enemy's appearance, location, and time of activity.
Listening to the explanation, Encrid asked, "Why have you left it alone until now?"
She had said five Associate Knights remained in the city. There were squires, and there was the Royal Guard. This was the capital of a nation—could there really be no one capable of handling a single beast?
Of course there were. Yet, they had failed. There were several reasons for this.
First, they had underestimated their opponent. Second, those outside the knightly order were unwilling to deploy their own private military forces.
"Everyone is too busy looking out for their own necks. Well, I suppose I understand," Aisia spoke frankly, then added, "One of our squires was taken out. He’s heavily wounded. I don't even know if he'll survive."
A squire was a formal member of the order; the fact that one had been defeated was proof that the Moonlight Beast was highly dangerous.
"What about the priests?" Encrid asked.
Getting hurt was one thing, but why was the treatment so lacking? A squire was someone whose talent had been recognized, chosen from among thousands. A knight was a symbol of martial power, and the squires were those preparing to inherit that mantle. Naturally, they were treated exceptionally well. Having a dedicated cook was basic, and they should have had easy access to a priest's prayers. With divine power, even severe wounds could be closed. They should at least be stable.
"Right now, even the priests who were in the capital have left. And they say the palace's exclusive priests are unable to manifest divine power for other reasons."
Encrid recalled the temples he had seen while passing through the capital. There were several. Since Naurilia did not persecute religion, the capital of Nauril was home to many faiths. While not on the level of the holy city-state Legion, there were still plenty of clergy here. And not a single priest among them could help?
"To be precise, there are no priests left who can manifest divine power. One of them was already targeted by the beast."
When the Moonlight Beast first appeared, their response had been slow. The beast had immediately targeted a priest who had awakened divine power. As a result, that priest was currently gasping for her life, hanging on by a thread day by day. Meanwhile, the other priests capable of manifesting divine power had already been dispatched to the border.
"Divine power is inherently precious, after all."
At least the palace healers were stepping in to do what they could with alchemical potions.
"He won't die," Aisia said. Her flat tone made her sound as if she held a deep, simmering grudge. Her determination to kill the creature at all costs was palpable.
"We'll catch it," Rem added, lending weight to her words. His tone made it sound like an absolute certainty. And with good reason—such hunts were familiar territory for him.
"Yeah, thanks. Rem, was it?"
Encrid found Aisia quite intriguing. Was she always this sociable? He hadn't known before because they'd never had the time or the right circumstances to talk. Then again, his impression of her hadn't been bad during their first encounter either.
"It is cloudy today as well," Sachsen spoke in an indifferent tone.
It was just as he said. The moon wouldn't rise tonight. Above all, it wasn't as if the beast would unconditionally appear just because the moon was out. Why was that? It was unknown, but it was a question worth pondering. Pondering it might lead to a hypothesis.
"Anyway, after it struck down the squire and fled, one of our Associate Knights pursued it but lost the trail. It's incredibly fast. I think it'll be hard to catch if we just chase it from behind like before."
"Is there a reason the order hasn't stepped in officially?"
As Encrid finished his meal and cleared his plate, a maid brought tea. Aisia split an apricot in half, popped it into her mouth, and grimaced. It was far too sour.
"What do you think?"
There was no need to ask twice. It was because of the political situation inside the palace.
"We serve the Queen."
They didn't leave the Queen's protection solely to the Royal Guard. They guarded the throne itself.
"Then what about you?"
"With the Marquis's power, slipping away a few Associate Knights is child's play. They say he's harbored so many serpents in his belly that his guts are made of hydras."
At those words, Andrew shot Encrid a look. See? Everyone calls him that, his glance seemed to say.
Encrid gave a vague nod. He had recognized at first glance that the Marquis was not one to easily reveal his inner thoughts. But what of it? What mattered was that the Moonlight Beast was connected to the Black Sword, and they had to find the leader of that organization.
Since he's Sachsen's sworn enemy.
Whether they captured him, killed him, kept him alive, or sliced him into jerky, that was for Sachsen to decide. But as for the search itself, Encrid was determined to go all out. It was a matter concerning his unit member. Though unspoken, it was as good as a direct request. That was the primary reason to hunt down and crush the Moonlight Beast. The second was for the people who were suffering. The third, distantly, was the Marquis's request.
Whether his opponent had the guts of a hydra or the slippery nature of a serpent, Encrid couldn't care less.
"So that means you have free time until tomorrow?" Encrid asked. They could only wait on standby once the moon rose. Unless the clouds suddenly cleared in the middle of the night, there was nothing Aisia could really do.
"Yeah."
"Then?"
"Let's go again."
As she spoke, Aisia's eyes burned with fire. Encrid also wanted to face her sword once more.
"I'd like to spar with you guys too."
At that, Aisia's fire flared even brighter. If Sinar had seen it, she would have wanted to douse it with water immediately. Rem and Ragna reacted to that heat.
"Sounds good."
"Anytime."
Neither of them was the type to back down.
"Count me out," Sachsen said, shaking his head.
"I'll join too," Dunchabel added, her voice lower than usual.
"Great!"
Aisia shouted heartily and headed outside. They were sparring right away.
Everyone moved. Andrew joined them. The five trainees, though busy rolling around in their own training on one side, couldn't help but watch once the sparring began. Even Mac took the time to observe. It was a spar between Associate Knights, after all; it would be a waste not to watch.
Of course, watching wouldn't instantly improve their skills. But by watching, they could visualize the heights they aimed for. That made a massive difference. In the end, it was a stroke of good fortune for them.
Encrid was serious about everything. Aisia, more excited than ever, sparred, ate, drank, and practically claimed a room in the estate for herself.
The sky grew overcast, and eventually, rain poured down. It seemed they wouldn't be seeing any moonlight for a while. Meanwhile, Encrid learned and learned again.
"Hey, do you think all Associate Knights are created equal? Are all knights the same? Were mercenaries all the same? Shall we talk about the Naurilian Soldier Grading System? Just because they're low-grade soldiers, were they all identical?"
No, they were different. Even among low-grade and intermediate soldiers, there was a clear disparity in skill. The higher up one went, past the senior grade, the more pronounced the gap became.
"By the time you reach the level of an Associate Knight, that gap can widen quite a bit. And I'm about average."
Her talent was recognized, but in terms of skill, she was in the middle of the pack.
"Among the Associate Knights, there are actually those who, though clumsy and only for a few exchanges, can hold their own against a true knight."
As she spoke, Aisia's eyes sparkled. It was as if she were saying she, too, would never stop moving forward.
"I see. I didn't know."
Because they were too far and too high, Encrid hadn't been able to see the nuances before. Only after climbing to their level did the differences become visible. For instance, to Andrew, Aisia, Encrid, Rem, and Ragna were all the same kind of monsters. Yet during their spars, Aisia never once defeated Rem or Ragna. And on the rare occasions Rem and Ragna clashed, Rem never once defeated Ragna.
As for Encrid...
Was it right to insist on the Orthodox Sword to break the Illusion Sword?
He was repeatedly crushed by Aisia. Encrid judged that defeating her in a spar was currently his greatest challenge.
The Illusion Sword.
He knew what her technique was. Through contemplation and review, he had realized how it worked. It sowed illusions and locked the opponent's vision. It distorted their sense of distance and infused speed into that distortion. No, it didn't just contain speed. Previously, he had aimed for that and struck, only to be caught by her Soft Sword.
Hidden within the Illusion Sword was a blade from which one never knew what would emerge. It was deception itself. She had truly mastered the Illusion Sword and made it her own.
Encrid smiled as he watched her. The harder it was, the more motivated he became. That was the core of the man named Encrid.
The rain fell for four days. Contemplation, review. Sparring, training.
When four days had passed in this manner, the weather cleared up beautifully. Rolling in the mud, sparring, washing up, and chatting—while discussing how to catch the Moonlight Beast, Aisia had somehow grown close to everyone.
"Whoa, a mage? Fascinating."
She hadn't even ended up on awkward terms with Esther, of all people.
"Is this your horse? What's with its eyes? What, do you understand me?"
She had even introduced herself to Odd-Eye. It wasn't just a matter of being sociable; it felt like this was her special talent. From time to time, Encrid could hear her stories.
"I'm of commoner birth, a cliché story. I happened to pick up a sword when I was young, realized my talent..."
"I have one more wish besides becoming a knight."
"It's not something I can tell just anyone. Gosh, I'm sharing all sorts of things. You're a bit strange, Encrid. You have a knack for making people let their guard down."
Thus, on the fourth day, in the late afternoon just before sunset.
"The full moon will rise," Sachsen said.
It was the sky before the sunset. From the center of the training ground, Encrid looked up. He saw a clear, high sky without a single cloud. Sachsen was right. Even before the sun had set, the faint shape of the moon was visible.
It was the silhouette of a perfect full moon.