Chapter 374: Woof
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 374: Woof
While Sachsen was busy causing a ruckus, Encrid tossed Marcus aside.
"The Grand Duke is at the royal palace," Marcus grunted, rolling to the side. He wasn't completely dense; he immediately shrank back, eyes darting around for a place to hide.
Since he lacked the authority to mobilize any military force at the moment, he had no choice. The least he could do was stay out of sight. Though he had served as a battalion commander, he currently had no troops under his command to follow his orders.
Damn Vaisars.
His main family had refused to take a side.
Marcus hated that indecisiveness. Still, he couldn't just sit on his hands. Once he sent Encrid to the royal palace, he would do what he could—after ensuring his own survival, of course.
If he had known things would turn out like this, he never would have dismounted.
Encrid gave a brief nod and climbed onto Big-Eyes. He could feel the same intense energy as before radiating through the beast's skin. It was a powerful will.
I am fast.
A strength purely meant for running.
The beast did not like to wield its power or will recklessly. Even so, the reason it ran now...
Because I asked.
Big-Eyes had fully accepted Encrid's request.
The horse, a half-transformed demonic beast, stamped its hooves a few times and moved. To compare its movements to an ordinary mount would be an insult.
Big-Eyes kicked off the ground smoothly, lowering its center of gravity. With its legs coiled like springs, it shot straight through the mansion's main gate—a black shadow vanishing in a flash.
This happened just as Sachsen was drawing all the attention by slaughtering a few assassins. They guarded the tops of the walls, but no one was watching the main gate. Is this some sort of habit unique to assassins? Encrid wondered.
"That way," he whispered.
He gripped the mane and leaned low. At his command, Big-Eyes pivoted. They headed straight for the outer road leading to the royal palace.
The capital was in chaos. Quick-witted citizens had already retreated into their homes and bolted their doors. A few shops were hastily shuttering, and guards patrolled with spears, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
Encrid ignored them all. Big-Eyes lightly tapped the ground as it came to a halt before the outer road leading to the royal palace. This wasn't a road meant for ordinary foot traffic; it was a direct path built along the outskirts, leading straight to the palace with the city wall on its left.
"Let's go."
Snort!
Big-Eyes answered, kicking off the ground with a powerful burst. Instantly, their surroundings blurred into streaks of light rushing backward.
Would it feel like this to trigger Moment's Will in rapid succession?
The speed was exactly like that.
Before long, an obstacle blocking the path came into view. No—the moment it entered his sight, it was already right in front of them. Single-Point Focus activated, allowing him to perceive what lay ahead.
It was a wooden barricade. Sharpened stakes were driven firmly into the ground at an angle. Whether horse, carriage, or human, anyone who carelessly rammed into it would end up with several gaping holes impaled through their body. It was a barrier that even the finest warhorse could not easily charge through.
If a direct path to the royal palace existed, it was only natural they would prepare a means to block it.
"H-Halt...?"
The soldier standing before the obstacle tried to speak, but he couldn't finish his sentence. To him, it looked like a massive black mass was flying toward him. The speed was unbelievable. In the blink of an eye, it was right in his face. He wanted to yell for them to stop, but before the words could leave his mouth, the black mass soared over his head.
Thud.
With the sound of hooves striking the ground, a gust of wind rushed past his ears. Something heavy had leaped right over him. It passed overhead without losing a shred of its momentum.
Big-Eyes had cleared the barricade in a single bound. To the beast, it wasn't even that high. Encrid didn't need to say a word; Big-Eyes handled it on its own.
"...Whoa."
The heads of several startled soldiers whipped around. While an exceptional steed might leap a decent distance, this was practically flying. They had blocked the path to the palace with dozens of soldiers and a barricade, yet the beast had cleared it effortlessly.
"Wh-What—Hey, shoot!" the commander finally barked, far too late.
The order was meaningless. The horse was already charging into the distance, faster than any mount they had ever seen.
This was only the second time Encrid had ridden Big-Eyes, yet it felt even faster now than it had before. The royal palace, which had seemed so distant, loomed large before them in an instant.
The moment they reached the front of the palace, Big-Eyes slammed its forehooves into the ground and pivoted sideways to stop.
Screeech!
As its hind hooves scraped against the stone to halt, a massive cloud of dust billowed up. Running at such a monstrous speed was one thing, but controlling its body perfectly to come to a sudden stop was a work of art. Encrid steadied himself and spoke.
"Thank you."
He immediately leaped down. Now was not the time to marvel at Big-Eyes.
Encrid dashed into the royal palace. There were no soldiers guarding the inner wall. Instead, the clashing of metal and the scent of blood drifted from within. Encrid ran, following the sound and the stench.
"Huh? That brat!"
He spotted someone who recognized him. A group had gathered ahead. Was this a moment born of coincidence, the help of the Goddess of Fortune, or perhaps a secret wish of his own? There was no way to know.
It was the bastard who used to spread rumors—a familiar face. The former instructor who specialized in talking absolute bullshit.
"Hey, bring that maid over here," the man ordered.
Encrid could still remember the way the man had run his mouth back then. He had been beaten half to death for it afterward.
"Say you lost, say you're sorry, say you were wrong," the instructor had demanded.
Back then, Encrid had replied quietly.
"What? Did you say 'woof'?"
Encrid had plenty of memories of almost dying. Some were helpful, but others were just bitter. This was the latter.
The former bullshit-spewing instructor was now a soldier of Viscount Mernes's house, wearing a gambeson emblazoned with the family crest. He smirked as he saw Encrid.
"Hey, be honest. You sold your body to get to where you are now, didn't you?"
It had been a long time since Encrid had heard such utter nonsense. The instructor knew the Encrid of the past—the guy who swung his sword like a madman despite having zero talent. The guy who swung until his palms split open. A total idiot. How could a guy like that be a hero of the Border Guard?
It was absurd to him. He assumed Encrid must have had powerful backers. It had been the same back then—weren't there always bastards quietly looking out for him?
"By any chance, do you know where Krang is?" Encrid asked.
"What?"
"Guess you don't."
"What the hell are you talking about, you dumbass?"
"Still busy barking, I see. Woof, woof?"
Bringing up their past connection made the man's face turn beet red.
"I'm going to kill you," he snarled, thrusting his sword forward and taking a stance.
Yet, among the things the bastard had said in the past, there was one thing that had actually been helpful: "If you get cocky just because you think you're strong, you die. Even when hunting a rabbit, you have to give it your all. If you don't, you'll end up in a ditch in this business."
Encrid agreed. That was why he showed a fraction of his "all."
In the corridor, the instructor and his group numbered thirteen. Seeing them snickering with swords in hand, it was obvious they had been committing atrocities under the name of Viscount Mernes's army. Behind them, a maid with torn clothes and scratched arms was trembling violently.
Encrid stepped forward with his left foot, tensing his muscles. Bending and then straightening his knees, he gripped Spark and looked ahead. He kicked off the ground.
Thud!
The sole of his foot pushed off the stone floor. An instantaneous acceleration. At a speed that left everything behind, Spark became a single point, putting an end to their past connection.
Clink, squelch.
With a sharp sound, a corpse was made. A stream of blood followed Spark, which was withdrawn as quickly as it had pierced. The man hadn't even been able to react to the thrust. The difference in skill was absolute.
The man holding the sword collapsed. His knees hit the ground with a thud, and he fell flat on his face. A heavy crack echoed as his head made contact with the stone floor.
Seeing him fall, the rest of the group gasped, utterly stunned.
Encrid silently drew the gladius strapped to his left hip. With a sharp shring, the blade slid free. Gladius in his right hand, Spark in his left. Holding a blade in each hand, Encrid became a wolf leaping into a flock of sheep.
Two of the sheep reached out with trembling hands, but the wolf lightly deflected and severed them. The subsequent slashes of the wide blade and the thrusts of the narrow one reduced the remaining twelve to a state just short of a slaughterhouse floor.
Having killed them all, Encrid flicked his weapons through the air to clear the blood.
"Wh-Whimper..."
The maid had been saved, but she was now even more terrified. The men who had seemed like demons to her had been turned into lumps of meat in an instant. It was a miracle she hadn't fainted. She wasn't in any state to answer questions, and Encrid wasn't in a position to look after her.
"Go hide somewhere," he told her before moving on.
As he walked away, sheathing his sword, he clenched and unclenched his fists.
It's gotten easier.
It was something he had felt after facing Aisia and sparring with her countless times: he had grown far more accustomed to using Will. In the past, if he overused it continuously, he would pass out, only to wake up perfectly fine the next morning. Aisia had been shocked to see that, but Encrid had still felt a sense of awkwardness.
Yet, the more he repeated it, the more it felt like second nature. It was as if his body was naturally adapting to the way he used Will. Or perhaps he was evolving. In any case, it was far more comfortable and refined than before.
Encrid had a premonition that someone else would block his path soon.
It feels like every bad connection I've ever made is showing up today.
First, the sheriff driven mad by jealousy. Then, the group of assassins. Now, the bullshit-spewing instructor.
Encrid moved his feet, guided by instinct. Before long, he found another group fighting, following the noise to the inner garden of the royal palace. No wonder there was no one guarding the inner walls; they were all busy here.
The Royal Guards had split into two factions.
"Who goes there!" one of the guards shouted.
Encrid replied, "Just passing through, so keep doing what you were doing."
"...What a lunatic."
"If anyone knows where Krang is, I'd appreciate it if you told me."
Encrid's gaze shifted to one of them—a man wearing a dark gray helmet. This man had clearly been through a rough time as well, his body drenched in blood.
"He's in the inner annex of the palace. You're late," the man said.
"You crazy bastard!"
One of the Royal Guards, brandishing a golden spear, lunged at Encrid. Encrid drew his right foot back, then snapped it forward in an upward kick. It was a Valaf-style back-foot high kick.
Using the rotation of his hips, his foot whipped forward like a lash, striking the hand gripping the spear shaft dead-on. The Royal Guard, who had been bracing for a sword strike, took the hit directly to his fingers.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bones echoed. Encrid's boots, reinforced with hard leather, were weapons in their own right.
"Argh!" the soldier shrieked, dropping his spear.
Only then did Encrid recognize his face. It was a Royal Guard soldier who had once mocked him. To think they'd meet again here. Encrid struck the head of the man clutching his hand with the flat of his blade.
Clang!
A satisfying ring was accompanied by a choked gasp. The man collapsed sideways, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Blood began to seep from inside his golden helmet.
Averting his gaze, Encrid asked, "Do you need help?"
He was remarkably casual for someone who had just knocked a man unconscious. A subtle pressure and aura overwhelmed the surroundings—the kind of presence only a truly skilled warrior could project. Faced with a pressure that felt like an Associate Knight of the Red Cloak Knights, everyone fell silent.
"Didn't I say you're late?" the man in the dark gray helmet said. He was telling Encrid to go to Krang instead of wasting time here.
"Right then."
Encrid dashed forward. He didn't know where the annex was, but he trusted his instincts. If he got lost, he could just ask the next person he ran into.
"This is treason!" a voice shouted from behind.
"If doing what I believe is right is treason, then I am a traitor," the voice of the dark gray helmet rose in response.
Encrid entered the building and searched for the annex. A long, winding corridor drew him in one direction. Light filtered through the windows lining the wall. Wondering if Her Majesty the Queen might also be in danger, he took a few more steps.
It was at that moment someone blocked his path.
It was a woman with orange hair, wearing common leather armor instead of a cloak and plate armor. Encrid stopped in his tracks. This was someone he would talk to before attacking.
"Aisia?"
"This is as far as you go," Aisia said, standing before him without a trace of a smile. "I cannot allow you to enter any further."