Chapter 543: A Night Out and a Meeting
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 543: A Night Out and a Meeting
Encrid knew he could be quite bold when the situation called for it. However, the masked man standing before him was no less daring.
"How do I look?"
The man asking the question from behind the mask was Kudianat Landius Nauril. He was the King of the very nation Encrid served.
"Is there really a need to cover your face? We are already traveling under the cover of night in a black carriage," Encrid remarked.
"It sets the mood, Encrid. The mood."
Krang—as the King was often called—replied, lowering his mask.
There had been many steps leading up to his sudden arrival, but the primary factor was Krang's own stubborn will. Chronologically, it all started when the details of the war reached the capital of Nauril. The King had been stunned by a single, impossible statistic: zero casualties.
"Does that even make sense?"
Some within the court, especially those who harbored secret envy toward Encrid, had scoffed at the report. Even before the rumors of an "Iron Wall" who blocked an entire army single-handedly reached their ears, the story seemed utterly incomprehensible.
"They might as well say four soldiers from the Border Guard became knights and formed a new order to defeat them. That would actually be more believable," one noble had muttered.
Ironically, that skeptic had unwittingly hit the nail on the head, but at the time, it was dismissed as idle chatter.
The royal palace immediately dispatched an envoy delegation. It was a modest group of about ten people, and among them was Andrew Gardner.
"I was originally supposed to join as part of the reinforcements if a full-scale war broke out. But... why is it already over?" Andrew asked upon arrival.
His eyes held a complex mix of joy, confusion, and sheer astonishment. On his way to the front, he had heard Encrid's name echoing across the region, coupled with a new, formidable moniker: the "Iron Wall."
Even before this, Encrid's reputation had been legendary within the Border Guard. Every lady proud of her beauty had her eyes on him, every merchant guild wanted his favor, and wandering swordsmen sought to serve under his command. But the rumors spreading now were on a completely different level.
If Encrid were to declare, "Starting tomorrow, I am King," people would likely flock to him in droves. At this point, he could declare a principality or claim a crown, and few would dare stop him.
The core of the rumors was simple yet staggering: He blocked an entire army by himself.
The stories claimed he didn't even have to kill them; the enemy simply stopped because he glared at them. Some said a literal wall had materialized behind him, while others swore that when he drew his sword across the dirt, a barrier of divine light erupted to halt the invaders.
As rumors tend to distort, the tales eventually escalated to claims that an army of angels wielding flaming swords had descended to protect the border. Apparently, with a single gesture from one of these angels, men were sent flying into the clouds.
Naturally, it was nonsense. But a grain of truth remained at the center: he had stopped an army alone.
"Is it true?" Andrew asked, his voice trembling.
Encrid gave a simple, stoic nod. Andrew’s pupils shook violently at the confirmation.
"How?"
"You just have to create a forest made of vital energy," Sinar answered for him. It was, of course, complete gibberish to Andrew.
"The official message is that the palace wishes for you to depart from the Border Guard in a month," one of the envoys said, his gaze extremely cautious. "You are to enter the capital to be honored for your military achievements."
Encrid nodded. This should have been the end of the delegation's duties, but one of the envoys sought Encrid out in the middle of the night. Andrew, naturally, was right beside him.
Encrid and his squad members had already realized the true identity of this "envoy" during the day.
"Are you insane?" Encrid asked his visitor with utter sincerity.
"I'm not crazy," the King replied. "No one will know. Besides, with the famous 'Iron Wall' and his sword by my side, what danger could there be? Azpen is likely too busy opening every diplomatic door they have to clean up this mess. I’ll bet five silver coins they’re too distracted trying to keep their own house from burning down to notice me."
"That’s a petty bet for a king," Encrid noted.
"The treasury is tight. I actually came in person to ask for some Krona."
Beside them, Andrew rolled his eyes. Even he thought this was sheer madness. What kind of king fakes an illness just to travel to a former battlefield in secret?
And that wasn't even the end of it. Hearing the plan that followed, it seemed this might turn out to be an even wilder stunt than Encrid’s feat at the wall. Of course, the world was never supposed to know the King had left the palace.
He’s not normal, Andrew thought. In a situation like this, what could a sane person do? He decided to stop thinking entirely.
Since he was already close with Encrid, Andrew had become one of the five people entrusted with the secret, serving as the King’s personal guard for the journey. The only others who knew Krang was here were the Duke of Okto—who had nearly fainted trying to stop him—the Captain of the Royal Guard, Marquis Vaisar, and Marcus Vaisar.
Normally, the Captain of the Royal Guard should have been here, but Krang had been persuasive.
"If you leave too, it’s as good as announcing I’m gone. I need you to guard the palace so no one finds out I’m missing."
Thus, Andrew had come in the Captain’s stead. He threw away his logic and prepared to do as he was told. During the day, he had sparred with Encrid for the first time in a while, feeling both shocked and delighted to see his friend had truly become a knight. Now, it was time to fulfill his duty to the crown.
There were two reasons Krang had come. First, for the peace negotiations with Azpen. Second, to literally beg for a tax hike.
"I can’t publicly demand Krona from the Border Guard when they’ve already done their duty," Krang explained. So, he was asking them to "voluntarily" increase their contributions.
"Still, I do not believe this is something Your Majesty should have handled in person," a voice said.
Krais, who was responsible for the Border Guard's external affairs, stood behind Encrid.
"If I come in person, wouldn't you be so moved by my sincerity that you'd burst into tears?" Krang joked.
"My emotions dried up a long time ago," Krais replied flatly.
"Ah, are you the 'sand' type?"
There was a trend spreading across the continent lately—a way of categorizing personalities. One was the "moist soil" type, describing someone emotional and soft. The opposite was the "sand" type, describing someone dry and purely rational.
"Yes. I am pure sand," Krais said, unyielding.
In the end, however, Krais agreed to the taxes. Unless Encrid planned to claim the crown himself or swallow Azpen whole, they needed to maintain a good relationship with Nauril. Since Nauril’s trade routes had been disrupted by the recent civil war and the treasury was dry, it was only right to help.
Krais just didn't want to do it for free.
"Are you familiar with salons?" Krais asked, already extracting personal gain from the situation. He explained his vision for a high-end salon and asked the King to visit once the business launched.
"As much as you like," Krang promised with a bright smile. If sacrificing his own time could fill the national treasury, he would gladly do it. He’d dance naked in the streets if the price was right.
"So, you're going into Azpen? Are you planning to start another war?" Rem, the barbarian, asked as he joined the group.
Krang replied without a hint of worry. "No."
"Then what?" Encrid asked.
"I told him to come out."
"To whom?"
"The King of Azpen."
"And he’ll just come out because you told him to?"
"What if he doesn't?" Krang countered with a grin.
It didn't look like he had thought deeply before acting, but in reality, Krang had calculated everything. It would be a problem for the King of Azpen even if he refused the request.
Krang looked at results, not processes. Toppling Azpen publicly or marching an army to burn their cities was out of the question. If the Border Guard struck now, it would likely ignite a continental war. Even putting that aside, wiping out a nation was a logistical nightmare Nauril couldn't afford.
Taking hostages and making them a vassal state? The people of Azpen were too proud; they wouldn't break easily, and rebellion would flare up everywhere.
The best scenario is for the King of Azpen to handle his own mess, Krang reasoned.
But the King of Azpen had to move according to Krang’s liking, which meant they had to meet—whether for threats or negotiations. By moving in person, Krang intended to align their stories behind the scenes. There was nothing better in politics than pulling strings in the shadows while pretending to know nothing in public.
What if Azpen laid a trap? That would be a disaster—not for Krang, but for Azpen. If Krang changed his mind even slightly, he could authorize Encrid to wipe Azpen off the map.
If things go south, I’ll just kill their King and pull out, Krang thought. He wouldn't take useless lives, but a king bore the responsibility of the throne. The defeat, the deaths of the knights—it all fell on the King’s head.
Krang didn't voice all these heavy thoughts. He knew Encrid wouldn't be interested in the political nuances. Instead, he kept it short.
"I just want to see his face. To see who the bastard is that keeps picking fights."
It was a crude reason for peace negotiations, but Encrid accepted it. He knew Krang wouldn't act without a plan.
Thus, a trio of wildcats was assembled: Sinar, Sachsen, and Encrid. Sachsen and Sinar were there to prevent assassinations or tricks, and Encrid was there as the ultimate deterrent—the hero of the battlefield.
This had also been a specific request from the King of Azpen.
“I will come out only if the one who blocked the army at the end of the battle comes along.”
With Andrew Gardner acting as the carriage driver, the small group set out. There was no need for Rem or the others to follow. The Azpen side had also agreed to bring only five people, including their king.
The mission was simple: Go in secret, meet in secret.
After traveling a distance in the carriage, the group switched to horses, keeping Cross Guard to their west. They passed the scorched earth where the enemy army had once camped, slaying a few monsters that prowled the night. Eventually, a light flickered in the far distance.
It was the promised meeting place.
Encrid found himself genuinely curious about the King of Azpen. Just how much did a man have to love war to keep picking fights like this?