Chapter 427: The King's Sincerity
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 427: The King's Sincerity
As far as Encrid knew, Krais was not the type of man to cling to a lost cause.
“I have no need for you.”
At the Mercenary King's blunt dismissal, Krais immediately abandoned his attempt to curry favor.
“Yes, of course!”
In truth, he likely had no real intention of following the man anyway. If he did, he wouldn't have shifted his stance so shamelessly.
“Since you've come as a guest, surely you didn't come empty-handed?”
Instead of trying to win the King’s heart, Krais set his sights solely on his gold.
During his travels across the continent, Encrid had heard rumors of a vault in the East overflowing with wealth. There were stories of a coalition of thieves' guilds that had attempted a heist, only for not a single soul to emerge alive.
At the time, Encrid had simply dismissed it.
‘Ah, gold.’
There must be a lot of it.
That was the extent of his interest. Since he had no personal need for such riches, why bother looking into it? It was the same for Rem, Ragna, Audin, and Sachsen. The members of the Mad Platoon held no lingering attachment to Krona.
But Krais was different.
A strange, predatory light gleamed in Krais's eyes. It was as if he were possessed by a vengeful spirit—one betrayed by a lover and trapped in a derelict house for a century, leaving behind nothing but sheer, obsessive spite.
A burning heat smoldered in Krais's gaze as he spoke of gold. A glimpse of true madness shone through.
However, Encrid couldn't help but think that Krais had picked a far too formidable opponent.
“A gift? What, are you asking for the gold of the East?”
“I wouldn't mind if you spared some.”
“No.”
“They say the King of the East has a heart as vast as the great ocean. Why are you being so stingy?”
“I am not a generous man.”
“You are the King of the East. Does a meeting like this hold absolutely no meaning to you?”
“I can't hear you.”
Encrid didn't think the King of the East was particularly eloquent, but the man possessed an extraordinary talent for forcing others to dance to his tune.
Krais didn't get angry. He didn't even grit his teeth. He simply continued in the exact same tone, wearing the same oily smile as before.
“Is that so? Then I shall ask again tomorrow.”
From a distance, it looked almost like a friendly conversation. The King smiled and nodded.
Encrid felt a brief flicker of concern. If Krais took even a single blow from the King, it was unlikely Encrid would ever see him again in this lifetime.
“Are you going to be okay?” Encrid asked as Krais walked away from the meeting.
With his back turned to the King, Krais merely mouthed the words: ‘What a petty bastard. Aren't you going to kick him out?’
Not only was the King not the type to leave just because he was asked, but Encrid also felt he still had much to learn from him. In other words, he was a useful teacher.
“You do know who you're talking to, right?”
When Encrid pressed him, Krais frowned and nodded. “Yes.”
“And you still want to demand gold from him?”
“Yes.”
When Encrid gave him a look demanding an explanation, Krais jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
“He is the King of the East, of all people. Would a man like that kill someone so recklessly? Especially when he came all this way, desperate to recruit talent? He's someone who wants to leave a good impression, not a bad one, so he won't raise a hand against me easily. More than anything, it's Eastern gold. I don't know if you're aware, but Mount Lewis steel is from the East, and Mount Uber ink gold comes from there too. Should we really let an opportunity like this slip away?”
His first point was pure logic. Having read the concern in Encrid's eyes, he addressed the safety issue first. But the conclusion spoken by Krais's burning eyes was simple:
Gold.
Would he succumb to the immediate threat, blinded by greed? No, Krais was not that foolish. A true knight would not kill someone making a reasonable demand. Since the man was the King of the East, he would not act rashly.
Furthermore, the fact that he had come here with only a single escort, without a massive guard, offered a glimpse of his easygoing nature. He had even sparred with the platoon repeatedly and offered guidance. Krais had pieced all of this together to grasp the King's character before making his move.
Krais was just that kind of man.
“By the way, Captain.” The golden gleam in Krais's eyes faded slightly as he addressed Encrid.
“What is it?” Encrid replied, wiping the sweat from his chin with the back of his hand after finishing his hundredth downward slash.
“You're not going, right?”
The King of the East did not hide his intentions. Yet, the fact that he didn't come across as obnoxious showed he was a man of immense natural charm. He wanted to take everyone, including Encrid, to the East.
In truth, Encrid himself had never actually received a formal offer from the King. Starting with Rem, then Ragna, Dunchabel, Audin, and Teresa—they had all been invited, but Encrid had yet to hear the words.
To be more precise, the King had alluded to it when they first met, but since then, he hadn't brought it up at all.
Was his pride wounded? Did he dislike repeating himself? No. The King was a man who diligently repeated the same offer to the others. He only made an exception for Encrid. Instead, he simply sparred with him and offered brief, sharp pieces of advice.
What if he did ask? Encrid knew the answer instinctively.
“I'm not going.”
It was a question asked only because the answer was already obvious. Krais let out a quiet sigh of relief, yet a subtle anxiety lingered within him.
‘If the Captain leaves now, will the five walls of this frontier even hold?’
Krais had subtly expanded the city territories by encouraging wall expansion projects in every city assigned to 'General' Encrid. Afterward, he had quietly spread rumors through traveling merchants.
Naturally, this was a calculated move. By making the five cities perceived as a single entity, he ensured everyone recognized their new ruler, while also enticing the mayors of each city to invest in securing trade routes.
‘The scale of Krona moving through here is on a completely different level now.’
All of this was only possible because Encrid served as the central axis. Krais was one of the people who understood his captain's desires best. He was a man who wished to become a knight—the kind of knight found in epic poetry.
What he desired was chivalry. Honor and loyalty. He was a man who forged ahead while upholding those values.
‘So, would the East be attractive to him?’
In Krais's eyes, the King of the East was a man whose charm didn't just overflow—it erupted. Even though the King's attention was focused on the platoon, several others were drawn to him just by observing his demeanor.
Among them was a mercenary from the Border Guard who had once made a name for himself. A few swordsmen who used to guard nobles also showed interest.
Krais had also seen the King's personal letter that had arrived urgently the day before yesterday. What could have been written inside? It was a sealed letter meant only for Encrid's eyes. Krais hadn't bothered to ask. If the King knew of the current situation, it was obvious the letter promised a great deal.
Krais left the training ground, lost in thought, his mind already spinning through worst-case scenarios.
*
Rem spun his axe in his palm as he looked down at the table he had carved. The light axe rolled over his fingers, tracing a strange, fluid trajectory in the air.
“Are you doing that because it's fun?” The King of the East approached from the side, his escort following closely behind.
“It's the process of making the axe feel like an extension of my hand.”
Spinning the axe and carving the table served the same purpose. Even though a monster over a hundred years old was questioning him, Rem replied without turning his head. Whether the man was the King of the East or a commoner was none of his concern. That was simply who Rem was.
“You are a man without greed.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You just seem that way.”
“I'm plenty greedy,” Rem said bluntly.
The King of the East shook his head. “If that is so, then why won't you follow me?”
If he wanted gold, he would have it. If he wanted women, he could claim them. If he wanted an adversary, he would be provided with the best. Yet Rem desired nothing. At least, that was how it appeared to the King.
“Would you like to go on a hunt with me?” the King proposed. It was an offer with hard-to-gauge intentions, but—
“Sure, why not.” Rem nodded.
His body had been itching for action. While Encrid spent his time sparring with the old man, Rem had been mentally reviewing his own techniques.
This was based on a small realization. Rem had used another's sorcery through several tools he obtained after killing the Immortal Madman.
‘I thought it would strain my body or inflict a major curse.’
But nothing of the sort happened. Only a tiny fraction of the expected damage manifested as a side effect. This wasn't something that could be explained merely by the size of his mana pool.
‘Has my body changed?’
Verifying his limits was only natural. He had carved chairs and tables to test his precision; now it was time to find some monsters and swing his axe to his heart's content. If he had been fine-tuning his delicate senses until now, he now felt the need to unleash his raw power.
“Alright, let's go!”
At the King's hearty shout, Dunchabel, who had been watching from the side, raised her head. She saw the axe-man hitting it off with the King.
‘Is that bastard actually going to follow him?’
If so, the person who constantly beat her into the dirt would be gone.
‘But it'll also be that much harder to improve.’
She didn't exactly welcome Rem's torment, but she had to admit one thing: the more he broke her down, the faster her skills grew. Dunchabel's gaze shifted to Encrid. Showing no signs of worry, Encrid looked the same as always.
*
A hunt conducted by the King of the East could not possibly be ordinary. Above all, his hunting partner was Rem. Neither of them had any intention of catching something as mundane as a deer.
“The Pen-Hanil Mountains are right behind us. Have you ever been?”
“When I was active on this continent in the past, it was my playground.”
“Sure it was.”
“Indeed, it was.”
The two exchanged dry banter. Asaluhi noted that the King had taken quite a liking to the man. Conversely, Rem didn't go out of his way to push the King away either. Watching them trade jokes, they almost looked like old friends.
The three of them headed into the Pen-Hanil Mountains. At the entrance stood an outpost that Krais had deliberately established. It was three times larger than any other outpost, resembling a small town. This was a measure intended to block the monsters descending from the peaks. Securing a safe trade route required dealing with whatever emerged from the Pen-Hanil range on a regular basis.
If left alone, creatures like gray ghouls, blood-sucking flies, and the Five Troll Brothers would inevitably return. However, establishing the outpost created a new problem.
Rem assessed the shape of the mountains and realized that blocking the monsters in this manner would eventually lead to a disaster. The interior of the mountain range provided plenty of places to hide and gather. This meant the creatures that would have trickled out one by one would instead gather together, forming a massive colony.
In the future, the horde that came rushing out would number in the hundreds.
“Look at this. Simply building an outpost won't solve the problem. At this rate, a massacre is inevitable.”
The King of the East recognized this as well. He was no amateur. He was just as capable as Rem at reading the terrain.
“What are you looking at? Didn't I tell you? This place was once my playground.”
Half of those words were a bluff, and Rem knew it. The Pen-Hanil Mountains were still shrouded in unsolved mysteries. It was the first destination for ruin explorers looking to strike it rich. Such a place could never be a mere playground.
But still.
“Well, you do have some skill,” Rem admitted.
“Of course.”
Despite being a king, he was incredibly down-to-earth. Rem found himself liking that.
The two soon ventured deeper. Krais wasn't ignorant of the colony risk; he had simply judged it better to funnel the monsters into one place so the Mad Platoon could sweep them all out at once, prioritizing the immediate safety of the trade route.
In any case, the King and Rem encountered a pack almost as soon as they entered. It was a nest containing over thirty trolls. The entrance was concealed by tangled, thread-like vines, and the faint scent of crude sorcery lingered in the air.
Occasionally, monsters were born with innate supernatural abilities. It seemed there was such a creature among this pack.
“It's here.”
“Indeed, it is.”
The two looked at each other, perfectly in sync.
Kwoooar!
A troll poked its head out, catching the scent of humans.
“How do you want to do this?”
With those words, Rem suddenly lunged forward. It was a vertical downward strike. The axe blade split the troll's head as easily as carving tender meat. Even as its skull was split, the troll swung its left hand in a desperate arc. Rem severed its wrist with the axe in his other hand without breaking stride.
Right beside him, another troll thrust its head forward. The lumpy, dark-green monster, far larger than any human, opened its maw to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Seeing this, King Anu spoke. “This will be a delightful hunt.”
Thirty trolls would pose a threat that even an associate knight could not ignore, but to these two, they were nothing.
The King drew his weapon. It was not his jambiya, but the long spear that his adjutant, Asaluhi, had been carrying. Catching the spear, the King unwrapped the cloth binding it and took his stance. As the cloth fluttered away in the wind, Asaluhi reached out and snatched it from the air.
The King had no intention of holding back. There was something he wished to show the warrior from the West standing beside him—something far greater than the might he had shown Encrid.
The King of the East finally exerted a fraction of his true power.
For the trolls, it was a death sentence.