Chapter 47: Squire or Apprentice Knight
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47: Squire or Apprentice Knight
In the aftermath of the battle, the Elf Company Commander realized that the flag had served as the medium for the sorcery.
Then, who was the one who had destroyed it?
Tracing back the events of the battlefield, she arrived at a single answer.
'The Troublemaker Squad Leader.'
That was why she was here.
It was a detail the Battalion Commander hadn't even spared a thought for; he didn't seem to care who had destroyed the sorcery's medium. He simply assumed some incompetent shaman had botched the ritual. In truth, since frauds were common among the continent's shamans, that explanation sounded plausible enough.
Even if that weren't the case, the Battalion Commander would have found it hard to keep his wits about him right now. After all, a figure of higher rank than his direct superior had just arrived at the unit.
"What do you mean?" Encrid asked.
The answer came in response to her question of whether it had been him.
"The sorcery. The flagpole. The medium."
With just three short words, she conveyed everything she wanted to say. Encrid had no intention of denying what he had done; it was just that no one had bothered to ask him until now.
"Yes. I did it."
"How?" she asked briefly.
"I just picked up a spear and threw it."
"There were five decoys."
There were six flagpoles in total, and only one was the real deal.
"I guessed."
"And how did you know the flagpole was the medium?"
"I saw a few things while out on scout duty, and I have some prior knowledge regarding sorcery," he answered without hesitation.
The elf's sharp intuition did not sense a falsehood. However, one didn't need elven intuition to tell that he had no intention of being completely honest. It was as if, though he had done the deed, he was reluctant to speak of it in detail.
The Elf Company Commander stared into Encrid's blue eyes, then nodded. "I see."
"Did you come all this way just to ask that?"
"Yes. And to see your face." The Company Commander fell silent for a moment, catching her breath, before speaking again. "It seems our fates are intertwined."
The Company Commander turned and walked away after leaving those words. It was a highly misleading statement. Rem nudged the ribs of Encrid, who stood frozen in sheer disbelief.
"What's your secret?"
"What?"
"Spill it. What’s your secret for charming an elf? I'm all ears."
"Impressive," Ragna chimed in as well.
"It's not like that."
Even Big-Eyes acknowledged Encrid's good looks. Even without putting any effort into his appearance, women would occasionally flock to him back in the territory. And of course, he was no virgin. Encrid was neither naive nor dense enough to misread the signals between a man and a woman.
So, the exchange just now was definitely not that. There were no signals whatsoever. If anything, it only left him with an unsettling feeling. Moreover, she was his direct superior's superior.
"You wouldn't even have had time to meet separately... Ah, I get it! Was it then? When you were in the medical tent? That's the only time it could've been!"
"I said it's not, you crazy bastard."
Rem went on about the same topic for the next four hours. Ragna went to take a nap halfway through. Sachsen, who came in later, nodded mindlessly, which at least made Encrid feel a bit better.
Big-Eyes, who arrived even later, was about to chatter about something, but upon hearing what Rem said, he pressed close to Encrid and spoke.
"That's why I keep telling you—stop rolling around on the battlefield and open a Noblewoman's Salon with me."
"I'm not doing that, you lunatic."
Big-Eyes' dream was to amass a fortune of Krona and open his own shop. A Noblewoman's Salon—specifically, a shop where handsome men entertained noblewomen. That was his dream. He said he would open the shop, sell alcohol, and serve side dishes. Since the purpose was clear, he claimed people would flock to the place even if he charged several times the normal price for drinks and food, and he had repeatedly asked Encrid to join him.
It was a proposal he rarely brought up after nearly getting beaten to a pulp by Rem for suggesting the same thing, but it had made a reappearance after a long time.
"Don't you dare say that to him. I'll split your skull with my axe," Rem said with a broad grin from behind.
"I-I won't," Big-Eyes replied in a dying voice. "Pretending to be a barbarian only at times like this," he grumbled quietly. He didn't seem to have the courage to say it out loud.
Actually, even this required outstanding courage. There was no way Rem hadn't heard his muttering. Just as Rem was about to glare at him, Big-Eyes clapped his hands together.
"Ah, right! I rushed over here to tell you this, but I almost forgot because of the Squad Leader's love story."
Forgot, my foot. He had just blurted it out quickly before Rem could retaliate. Encrid saw right through it but let it slide. Any topic would be more valuable than a rumored romance between him and the Company Commander.
"They're coming."
"Who?"
"Ah, I mean, they've arrived," Big-Eyes whispered. His expression was so serious that Encrid naturally leaned in closer. "A Squire from the knightly orders."
"...The Red Cloak Knights?" Encrid asked.
"Yes."
The division Encrid and his companions currently belonged to was named Cypress. That was also the name of a knight belonging to the Red Cloak Knights. Usually, military divisions were named after knights, and those knights belonged to an order.
Of course, there weren't many who could truly be called knights. Knights possessed a talent that was rare even across the entire continent. Thus, the kingdom's knightly orders did not consist solely of knights. There were those with the potential to become knights in the future—the Squires, or apprentice knights, who followed knights as their attendants and disciples.
Once their apprenticeship ended and they were recognized by a knight, they would become Associate Knights. That was how they came to serve in the knightly orders. Normally, Squires did not participate in battles independently of their knights. For such a person to have come to the battlefield now meant...
'They are soon to become an Associate Knight.'
What is a knight? As a certain bard once said: "To view a knight as a mere human is a grave mistake. Indeed. They are individuals who have transcended human limits, stepping outside of normal boundaries. If that weren't the case, how could they possibly clash with monsters like Frok?"
Knights were said to be beings who had surpassed human limits. Then, what is an Associate Knight? They are those with the potential to become knights, standing at the very edge of those limits. Associate Knights are experts in combat and warfare.
A Squire who would soon become an Associate Knight and serve in the order. Encrid wanted to see them. He was curious about their skill. The "knight" he aspired to become was not just an honorary title. In this era, a knight was the ultimate symbol of military might. And a piece of that symbol had arrived here.
"You look like you're dying to see them," Rem said, looking at Encrid.
"Of course I am."
"They say they're already prepared to march out," Big-Eyes said.
"Did they say he came alone?" Rem asked, crossing his arms.
Big-Eyes nodded. "Yes, he apparently said he alone is enough."
At those words, Encrid understood why their forces hadn't retreated.
'If Azpen prepared sorcery... then our side held raw martial power as our trump card.'
Both Naurilia and Azpen had introduced variables to a place where tedious localized warfare repeated year after year.
'Is the intention to swallow up a portion of the plains with this?'
If the sorcery had worked properly, there would have been nothing for an Associate Knight or anyone else to do, even if they had come. But that wasn't the case now. The sorcery had been thwarted, and their side had seized victory instead. If the Squire had arrived just a day or two earlier, they would have pushed forward relentlessly.
'He is a bit late, though.'
By now, the enemy forces would have finished reorganizing as well.
"Prepare to march! The entire army moves immediately!"
Encrid cut off his train of thought at the sound coming from outside. It was the Platoon Leader's voice. Suddenly, the Platoon Leader poked his head into the tent.
"Hey, did you hear? Ah, of course you did." The Platoon Leader started to ask, then answered his own question upon seeing Big-Eyes. "Everyone is marching out. They're going to take this opportunity to push our camp on the Greenpearl Plains way forward."
"Are you really blabbing about the strategy so openly?" Encrid asked, looking at the Platoon Leader.
"There's nothing to hide. We're heading out right away. You going too?"
"I'd like to watch."
Encrid pushed his aching body up. His injuries hadn't fully healed yet. Normally, he should refrain from going to the battlefield, but...
"I'll stay by your side," Big-Eyes raised his hand and said. He was a guy who always looked out for his own life from the rear. Encrid would be fine if he stayed near him.
The Platoon Leader didn't cherish Encrid like family. He was also quite old, which made him a bit overbearing at times. Moreover, as the leader of the Troublemaker Squad, Encrid clashed with him often. Still, the thought of Encrid dying weighed on him. Encrid was a hard worker who swung his sword every day and never let a single moment slip by, sometimes drawing frowns from those around him. Seeing such a man turn into a corpse was not something he would feel comfortable with.
"Just make sure to look after yourself," the Platoon Leader said and left.
"If you want to go watch, you should go," Rem nodded.
Ragna began gathering his gear to prepare for departure. Sachsen strapped on his sword and packed a few throwing knives—equipment he rarely bothered to carry under normal circumstances.
"I'll be by your side," Sachsen said.
"By my side?" Rem joked.
Sachsen shook his head. "You smell too rank. It's hard enough sharing a tent with you."
While Rem was good at gently teasing people, Sachsen was equally skilled at instantly spiking someone's irritation.
"Squad Leader, I think I want to split that bastard's head open before I deal with Azpen. What do you think?"
"Hold it in. Let's just go watch. Aren't you curious to see how well the Squire fights?"
"He'll probably fight insanely well, what else," Rem replied, grabbing his axe.
As Encrid limped over to join the formation for departure, Vengeance approached him.
"Are you crazy? Do you want to die?"
After the battle, when Encrid had thanked him, Vengeance had grumbled and even sought him out at his tent. Then, he had rambled on excitedly by himself, saying his debt was paid, that they were even now, and that his mind was at ease.
When Encrid asked what debt he meant...
"The fire in the medical tent back then. Did you already forget?"
"No way. How could I forget?"
He had forgotten. It was a side effect of repeating today so many times. Still, it wasn't something he could completely erase. Krang, the assassin, and the fire. The fire had been started by Encrid. Vengeance believed Encrid had saved him from burning to death, but in reality, Encrid had saved him from the assassin's hands.
'Well, saving him is saving him.'
A debt was a debt. If it made the other guy feel better to think of it that way, so be it. Thanks to that, hadn't Vengeance dashed over to save him on the battlefield?
Looking at Vengeance, who was glaring at him as if asking what he was doing here, Encrid spoke. "Who in their right mind wants to die?"
"Then why are you out here?"
"I want to watch."
"Watch what?"
"I heard the Squire arrived."
"Ah, hey, don't push your luck. I'm not saving you a second time," Vengeance said and returned to his own formation.
"Why is that bastard suddenly acting so friendly? Wasn't he always picking fights with you before?" Rem asked from beside him.
There had indeed been such times. Vengeance used to detest Encrid. It felt like a lifetime ago.
"He's not 'that bastard,' he's a Platoon Leader. Once you get to know him, he's actually a decent guy."
"Don't be too soft on people. It'll be too late to whine when you get stabbed in the back."
"Mind your own business."
The alignment and movement of the unit were completed in an instant. The formation was not neatly arranged; the march began with the troops spread out in a wide, loose formation. At the very front of the march, a lone figure could be seen stepping forward.
A red cloak fluttered in the wind.
The figure at the front trudged forward, wrapped in the cloak. From appearances alone, the greatness of a Squire—an Associate Knight—was nowhere to be seen.
"Hmm, looking at his stride, he seems to know how to fight," Rem said, crossing his arms and furrowing his brow.
"It's not just 'knowing how to fight.' His posture is perfectly set. Unless the enemy has someone like Frok on their side, this is going to be a boring fight," Ragna added.
Sachsen also cast his gaze forward. His eyes seemed to scan the back of the red cloak. Big-Eyes, standing next to Encrid, brought up something else.
"We should fall back to the rear now. We have to pull back. Otherwise, we'll get swept up in it."
Big-Eyes was calculating the right moment to retreat. And at that moment, the red cloak snapped. The fabric fluttered backward in the wind as its owner dashed forward.
Encrid had to blink, questioning his own eyes. An afterimage trailed behind the running figure. Just how fast did a person have to run to leave such a trail?
"Looks like he infused his legs with Will," Ragna muttered as he watched.
Encrid didn't understand what that meant, but he didn't even want to ask right now. It was time to shut out everything else and focus.
Startled by the cloaked figure's charge, the enemy forces loosed their arrows. Perhaps they hadn't deployed crossbowmen separately this time, as a dense cloud of arrows flew overhead. It seemed at least a hundred archers had drawn and released their bowstrings.
A rain of arrows poured down upon the cloaked knight. Instead of drawing his sword to deflect them, the Squire accelerated.
Boom!
The ground exploded, dirt geysering into the air, and before anyone knew it, the owner of the cloak had closed the distance to the enemy's doorstep. He had escaped the arrows' impact zone simply by running.
It was, without a doubt, a movement that transcended human limits.