Chapter 371: Persuading the Sheriff
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 371: Persuading the Sheriff
"What?!"
Polman Vertes. Though he hadn't intended to memorize the man's name, Encrid stared at him as his face flushed a deep crimson while he shouted.
A sheriff. That meant he was a bureaucrat.
And naturally, a noble.
By the way, do they pull nobles out of some bottomless pocket in this palace? Encrid wondered. Aren't there just too many of them?
Every Tom, Dick, and Harry was a viscount, a baron, or a baronet, all boasting of their blue blood. Had they handed out titles like candy?
The idle thought flashed through his mind for a brief second before fading away. Whether there were many nobles or few was none of Encrid's business. Still, he couldn't help but think that since there were so many, it wouldn't hurt to trim their numbers a bit.
"Hey there," Rem said, picking his ear as he addressed the fuming Polman. "Now, listen closely."
"You bastard! How dare you speak up in a place like this!"
It was a guard captain—and by the looks of it, one who commanded a different gate.
Smack!
When the man roared in anger, the South Gate Guard Captain standing behind him slapped his own forehead. His expression clearly said: Why is that idiot sticking his nose in this?
Encrid knew the military, and he knew soldiers. How many of them had actually come here of their own free will?
The quick-witted and sharp-eared soldiers looked uncomfortable. They knew what the people before them had done. These were the warriors who had slain the Moonlight Beast, ensuring the safety of their families, fellow citizens, comrades, and friends. They had done the job the soldiers themselves were supposed to do.
Their eyes were uneasy, and their expressions matched. This was especially true of the men surrounding the South Gate Guard Captain.
Rem smoothly ignored the shouting man and continued. "A Moonlight Beast was out there killing and threatening citizens. When it couldn't be dealt with, even an Associate Knight had to step in to help hunt it down. But once we caught it, it turned out to be that Vantra guy, or whatever his name is. And now what? Murder?"
"You insolent wretch!"
One of the guard captains, his anger reaching a boiling point, raised a spear longer than he was tall. He looked ready to charge at any second.
Rem lowered the hand he had been using to pick his ear and stared back. His posture made it clear he would slice the man to pieces the moment he lunged.
"W-Wait, just a moment!"
The South Gate Guard Captain hurriedly stepped forward. If he let this go, it would turn into a massive disaster. He had seen Encrid's group fight.
Polman had rushed out blindly, his jealousy exploding as he saw this as an opportunity, but the South Gate Guard Captain had tried to stop him until the very end. He had resisted so much that if this complicated situation ever ended, it would be impossible for him to keep his current position.
Yet, nothing had changed. In the end, he too had been dragged here. He couldn't very well be executed for insubordination, could he? He had come here with the desperate mindset of licking a ghoul's blood, knowing full well it was poison.
But he couldn't just stand by and watch either. If he let things play out, his subordinates would all die. It was obvious his comrades would be hacked to pieces by axes and swords, their severed heads rolling on the ground. He couldn't just stand by and watch that.
"There has been a misunderstanding."
Polman glared, his eyes narrowing as he saw the South Gate Guard Captain step forward. "Step back! How dare you interfere!"
Where did authority and dignity come from? One only had to look at Krang to know. It came from the person himself. His stride was different, his speech was different, and the weight carried in his words was entirely different. The trust and faith earned through his actions lent power to his words.
"Kneel this instant!"
Did the man before them possess such authority and dignity? To Encrid, the force behind his voice sounded like nothing more than a mosquito's whine. Standing there was merely a pathetic fool blinded by jealousy.
Though he lowered his voice to mimic dignity, he sounded like a whining, spoiled child. Indeed, the very act of coming all this way might have been nothing more than a childish tantrum.
Is it because I've seen too many truly great people lately?
Krang, the Marquis of Okto, Luagarne, Aisia, and the like. Even the Whip Guard had come to face the Moonlight Beast. Though protecting their lord was their highest priority, they had moved because they knew that upholding their lord's will was paramount. In their movements, one could glimpse spirit, duty, purpose, and conviction. They looked like human beings who possessed something they had chosen themselves, rather than mere tools of Krang.
Compared to them, the fellow whining in front of him seemed incredibly pathetic.
Encrid had ears too. Hadn't someone mentioned that the Sheriff was grinding his teeth in jealousy because Encrid had attended the party?
"If you didn't come here to talk, we might as well get this started," Ragna said, stepping forward from behind.
Smack.
The South Gate Guard Captain slapped his forehead again. He was being driven absolutely mad.
The Sheriff believed he had been patient enough. Didn't these insects dare to disregard even the dignity of a noble? It was absolutely not because the lady he fancied had fallen for Encrid at first sight.
He was a Sheriff, a noble, while his opponent was a mere lowlife soldier. According to the rumors, hadn't that soldier even stolen his comrade's achievements to get to where he was? The rumors spread by those envious of Encrid were snowballing.
Furthermore, the stubborn Sheriff only heard what he wanted to hear. He completely ignored the talk of Encrid being a hero of the Border Guard.
Viscount Vantra turning into a monster? Putting aside whether he had actually turned into a monster, this was an opportunity for the Sheriff. Besides, hadn't Viscount Mernes subtly egged him on? Telling him to go and finish it.
The result of that was this very moment, and the words he now spat out.
"Bind them!"
At the Sheriff's command, two captain-level commanders and three or four cavalrymen dismounted and approached. Their aura was quite menacing.
Even if the rumors were false, the deeds Encrid had accomplished were far too great. Even if only a fraction of them were true, Encrid was not someone they could handle. Yet, the fact that they dared to step forward like this showed just how widely the false rumors about Encrid had spread.
Encrid watched the approaching group with indifference. Should he go quietly? No. Even if they asked nicely, he shouldn't comply.
Encrid knew instinctively. Something has already gone wrong.
Otherwise, why would they come to arrest him when Krang and Marcus were around?
"Arrest Baronet Andrew as well. He is charged with the same crime. If he resists, you have permission to kill him."
"Hmph."
Andrew snorted at those words. His attitude was clear: Go ahead and try, if you dare.
Polman's eyes swept over the armaments of Encrid and his companions. He looked as if he were praying for them to resist.
Encrid granted his wish. It didn't even require a grand battle. Completely ignoring the approaching men, Encrid spoke.
"Dunchabel, grab him and bring him here."
There was no need for Ragna or Rem to step in. A single beastman leaped forward. A white shadow stretched out rapidly, her short white hair blurring into a long line.
One of the guard captains instinctively thrust his spear forward. He was a man whose specialty lay in fluid spear techniques. Among ordinary soldiers, he was highly skilled, but Dunchabel was a beastman whose prowess even Aisia had acknowledged.
As she ran, she deflected the spearhead with a flick of her fingernails, altering its trajectory, then grabbed the shaft and flung it aside.
"Ugh!"
The guard captain, who had been holding onto the spear, rolled sideways onto the ground. Three or four more soldiers blocked her path. Dunchabel didn't even draw her curved sword. She closed the distance, swept their shins to trip them, and threw punches aimed at their jaws.
Their helmets did not protect their jaws. They were especially vulnerable to punches delivered from below at point-blank range.
Thud, whoosh. Crack, smack.
After a brief flurry of sounds, the soldiers blocking the Sheriff collapsed like falling leaves. Dunchabel didn't stop there. This was merely a stepping stone.
She surged further forward. Seeing this, the Sheriff grabbed the sword at his waist—a broadsword with a wide blade. While he was still placing his hand on the hilt, Dunchabel reached the mounted Sheriff. She grabbed the wrist of the Sheriff, who was trying to draw his sword, and twisted it.
Since he was still on horseback, the startled horse whinnied loudly and reared up.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
The panicked Sheriff was dragged down, his wrist still firmly held. Because his foot was caught in the saddle, there was a sickening crack as his ankle twisted in the wrong direction. His left foot had slipped out easily, but his right foot had caught in the stirrup.
"Aaaargh!"
The Sheriff screamed in sudden agony. Dunchabel dragged him the rest of the way down with sheer force. Thus, the Sheriff's scream, which had begun atop his horse, ended right in front of Encrid.
In the blink of an eye, Dunchabel had beaten down five soldiers, dragged the Sheriff off his horse by the wrist, and brought him forward.
The Capital Security Captain, who was second-in-command and the highest-ranking officer present besides the Sheriff, started to move but froze.
What the hell is this?
To be honest, he didn't even dare to try and stop her. Standing right next to the Sheriff, he had barely managed to draw his sword. The sharp shring of his blade leaving its scabbard reflected his state of mind. It sounded like a weak, powerless noise devoid of confidence.
Or perhaps it only sounded that way to him. He held his sword out in front of him. But was he really supposed to swing this?
They were clearly out of their depth. They should have brought members of the order. In other words, they needed an Associate Knight. In truth, he himself was a former squire and had brought some order members, but looking at the current situation, this was a massive miscalculation. The one who had accompanied him was a squire, not an Associate Knight.
"Can you stop her?" the Security Captain asked in a low voice.
To his left, the wide-eyed squire stared unblinkingly and replied, "She's a cut above me."
He had omitted the word "way," but the squire knew the moment he saw her. If that beastman attacked him, could he handle her? Though the outcome of a fight could only be known by clashing blades, he could recognize the gap in their skills at a single glance.
He could tell just by her movements. She was at least a top-tier squire, on the verge of becoming an Associate Knight, or perhaps already at that level. Her movements and techniques warranted such an assessment. Her strikes made full use of a beastman's unique physical capabilities.
But there was something that felt even more dangerous. There was someone who had ordered her to do this, and others who were watching nonchalantly.
The soldiers were completely overwhelmed by their aura. No one could utter a word. The Security Captain, the squire—everyone kept their mouths shut. After all, their highest-ranking commander had just been captured.
Everyone watched as the Sheriff, unable to stand due to his broken ankle, lay sprawled on the ground before Encrid, cold sweat pouring down his face.
"How dare you!"
Even though his spirit was crushed, he resisted to the very end. He lacked authority and dignity, but he still had his stubborn pride. Well, he had to have at least that much stubbornness to hold his position.
Encrid looked down at the Sheriff and asked, "Associate Knight Aisia was with us as well. Are you sure the charge is the murder of Viscount Vantra?"
"Associate Knight Aisia? Did you think you could get away with this just by hiding behind a member of the order?! These people are traitors! What are you all doing?!"
Blinded by jealousy, the Sheriff threw all situational awareness out the window. He shrieked at the top of his lungs.
Watching this, the squire took a step forward. Someone had to speak sense here. The Security Captain beside him showed no intention of opening his mouth, and in the end, the squire had come here to deliver this message anyway.
"It is true. Associate Knight Aisia did not deny any of the charges," the squire spoke up.
"Then was she arrested too?"
Encrid's gaze shifted to him. His blue eyes locked onto the squire.
"She is a member of the order."
The squire wanted to gulp. The moment their eyes met, the tension in the air spiked. Nevertheless, he managed to answer calmly on the surface.
Encrid pondered the squire's words. Does that mean they can't hold a member of the order responsible for such matters? It sounded like Aisia had not been arrested.
Then how were things progressing elsewhere?
It was clear that something had happened inside the royal palace at the very least. Just as Encrid was piecing the situation together through a few deductions—
"What are you doing?! Arrest this band of traitors at once!"
The Sheriff persisted in his stubbornness to the end. The tear tracks near his eyes, however, stripped his words of any weight. He talked big for someone who had just cried from the pain. His tongue was truly the only thing about him that was better than a ghoul's.
Encrid chose the fastest way to persuade the man. Frankly, he was also getting a bit noisy.
Thud!
He kicked him straight in the jaw, knocking him unconscious. He had kicked him with enough force to kill, and a sickening crack echoed as the man's neck twisted, but whether by good luck or bad, he didn't die.
His neck bent to the side, and he faceplanted into the dirt, drooling. A quick glance confirmed he had merely passed out.
"Hey, if you're going to kill him, let me do it," Rem said from behind, chuckling as he added, "Did you forget my nickname?"
The Noble Hunter. He certainly had a peculiar hobby.
Leaving the unconscious man aside, Encrid spoke. "Who's the next in command? If you're thinking of ordering an all-out charge, I suggest you think twice. I have no intention of turning Andrew's estate into a graveyard."
He intended to show a modicum of kindness. The South Gate Guard Captain was standing right there. That man had fought for the people and for the security of the capital. Didn't that alone make him worthy of respect?
He walked the right path. Having witnessed that, Encrid used it as his standard of judgment. Since he couldn't know everything, it was only natural to base his choices on what he had heard, seen, and learned.
And so, Encrid did just that.
"I'd appreciate it if you could explain what happened in the royal palace," he said.
Something had definitely happened. Otherwise, a situation like this could never have occurred. A personal transgression by the Sheriff? If he were the type to act on his own to that extent, he would have invaded long ago under any random pretext. The reason he had only come now was because permission had been granted.
Krang had said that Viscount Mernes was the biggest problem.
A turbulent atmosphere pricked at his skin. Encrid stopped mid-sentence and turned his head.
Clop, clop! Clop, clop!
The frantic sound of horse hooves echoed, drawing closer to the estate.
"Save me!"
A desperate cry was mixed in with the noise.
Leaving the crowd before him, Encrid kicked off the ground and launched himself into the air, leaping lightly onto the estate's perimeter wall. Rem followed close behind, lightly tapping his feet against the wall as he soared upward. His wall-climbing skills were exceptional.
Startled by this, some members of the security force flinched and tried to move, but—
"Stay still."
Ragna blocked them. The sheer weight of his presence was on an entirely different level. Everyone froze in their tracks.
Atop the wall, Encrid looked down and saw someone sprinting furiously along the bluestone-paved road.
It was Marcus.
And the cry for help had indeed come from him.
Someone was chasing him on foot. The pursuer wore a bizarre outfit, clad in a cloak layered with multiple sheets of leather, with spears seemingly floating above both shoulders as they trailed behind.