Chapter 566: Why
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 566: Why
Chasing the pursuers instead of the target—becoming a "second pursuer"—proved even more effective than Encrid had anticipated.
Much had changed since the days when he used to chase rumors alone, asking around by himself. As Krais opened the Safe Road and expanded his trade, he had established information networks across the land.
It wasn't anything grand; he simply gathered local rumors through the taverns and eateries he had set up in various cities. The owners, customers, wandering peddlers, and storytellers received a few copper coins in exchange for sharing new stories.
A few copper coins weren't a massive reward, but sharing a story wasn't a difficult task either. Because the structure of how information circulated was so simple, the speed of transmission was incredibly fast. To add to that, those dispatched from the Holy State had a distinct appearance, making them easy to spot.
They had no intention of hiding their identities, either.
‘Who would ever think someone is tailing them?’
Probably no one. It was only natural.
Whether they were priests of Abundance or priests of the Scales, why did they request the Kingdom of Naurilia’s help to search for the Saintess? It wasn't actually a request; it was a notification.
We're going to your kingdom now to look around, so cooperate, got it? No? Are you bastards crazy? Don't you want potions anymore? Fine, we won't sell them to you from now on.
Look, let's keep things friendly. Just quietly open your borders and let our troops pass through. Then no one gets hurt, and everyone's happy.
Stripped of its diplomatic pleasantries, the message boiled down to exactly that. Of course, they wouldn't have used such blunt words on the surface.
"We only hope you will assist us in carrying out the revelation bestowed by the Master of the Fallen Fruit."
They likely presented a gift, like a twelve-potion set, while saying that.
Encrid's prediction was spot on. The envoy from the Holy State had indeed delivered ten beautifully packaged potions, and Krang had eagerly accepted them. On top of that, Krang had added, "We will certainly lend you our strength."
What they received as a gift wasn't important. What mattered was that this was exactly the kind of response the Holy State wanted. They didn't need a grand welcome at the border. If they requested help, it would be nice if the checkpoints were opened, but basically, they were telling the kingdom to just sit quietly and watch.
Even if she was the Saintess, from the perspective of the Kingdom of Naurilia, she was just a single girl. Would they boldly mobilize the kingdom's troops just to find one child? At most, they would have sent a brief notice to each city to keep an eye out.
Deploy troops for something like this? No way. Normally, that was the case.
But Krang had made the request, and Encrid had accepted. Krang's intention? The single letter he sent was explanation enough.
The child is crying, and I said I'd help, didn't I?
Now, onto the next thing. This was where things started to nag at Encrid's mind. Pursuit? He could do that. However, there were some things that made him wonder.
It was rare for him, but Encrid felt a deep, simmering curiosity—thick and rich, like a bone broth that had been boiling for days.
‘How are they running away?’
Even if the kidnapper was one of the few elite knights on the continent, did this make any sense? The Holy State's military power was not weak. They didn't talk big for nothing. There was even a saying that the Empire, which rarely interfered in the affairs of the central continent, would take a step back for the Holy State.
Snatching a child from the Holy State? And the Saintess, no less?
Besides, even if she was just a child, could someone really flee from the grasp of the Holy State with an uncooperative companion in tow? Was there another accomplice? Encrid tried putting himself in their shoes, but he didn't feel very confident.
‘It wouldn't be easy.’
One could tell just by listening to Audin. The Saintess was an incredibly important resource. There was no way the priests of the Holy State would guard her carelessly. While ordinary soldiers might complain of fatigue if put on three-shift guard duty, believers armed with faith would do so gladly.
Snatching the Saintess from a place teeming with such people? Moreover, would those guarding her have been mere believers? If so, kidnapping her should have been out of the question.
Then how did they do it? And how had they avoided capture until now?
‘I'd really like to catch them if possible.’
There were too many questions. Still, he had no intention of just sitting back. There were too many things weighing on his mind.
First, Audin's words nagged at him. Audin had spoken of his past, and Encrid had listened. Was what lay within those words merely things that had happened in the past? Was it only regret and remorse? Was he merely chewing over his errors and suffering?
No. What was contained in the bear-like man's words was not just reflection and regret, but also will and determination.
Encrid had seen this attitude in Audin before. He had seen it in a past "today."
When he was dying in the process of realizing Will, Audin had radiated light from his entire body, blood pouring from his eyes, nose, and ears. Encrid remembered Audin spewing blood along with that light. His momentum and attitude when speaking of the past were identical to back then. The only difference was that he wasn't currently dying.
He didn't know Audin's intentions. Even if he asked, Audin wouldn't answer. He simply had no intention of just standing by.
The second thing weighing on him was that if the child had indeed been kidnapped, he fully intended to treat that kidnapper’s head like a ghoul's head. Meaning, the moment he caught him, he would split it open.
With his thoughts organized but still filled with questions, Encrid arrived at his first destination: the city of Crazy Encrid's Wall.
Upon entering and asking for the mayor, the man came rushing out barefoot. Literally kicking off the ground and sending dirt flying, he welcomed Encrid in a frantic hurry.
"Welcome!" shouted the man, standing on the pebble-strewn ground. This happened the moment Encrid asked for the location of the mayor's manor and revealed his identity.
Encrid looked at the man who was welcoming him with an almost suspicious level of enthusiasm. He first noticed the man's single eye and well-trained body. He was someone who knew how to fight. Furthermore, from the way his balance was subtly tilted to one side, it was obvious he was right-handed and used a very heavy weapon.
His hair was cropped above his ears, with the top left a bit longer. His face was fierce, marked by several scars. Though unfamiliar, it was a face he knew.
But for the life of him, he couldn't remember the name. How many days had he repeated "today" since he last saw this man? No matter how exceptional one's memory was, it was impossible to remember everything. Just remembering that this was a vaguely familiar face was impressive enough. Since it was a face he had seen during his repetitions of "today," the impression he had formed back then probably helped keep it from being forgotten.
"It's been a while. Uh..."
As Encrid trailed off, the other man spoke up.
"Deutsch Fullman, sir."
The man spoke with a smile, as if it were only natural that Encrid wouldn't remember someone like him.
This city was once home to the crazy master architect who had tried to name the city wall after Encrid. The reason? It was thanks to Encrid repeating "today" over and over to destroy the Gnoll Colony created by the cultists.
Although his name was indeed attached to the wall, people rarely called it Crazy Encrid's Wall. They preferred to call it the Wail of the Gnoll. Encrid also thought that was a more fitting name.
This pioneer village had now earned the name Felheim. It was named after what the local terrain used to be called. In the past, beyond history and in the mythic era, a fire-breathing divine beast supposedly lived here. Felheim meant "the fire-breathing city."
Hearing the story, it sounded like the birthplace of the divine beast that protected Naurilia, but since it was passed down orally, it wasn't certain. But if people believed it, one just had to accept it. Now, the name Felheim seemed to roll off everyone's tongue naturally.
Felheim was located near the northern part of the Border Guard. Going far east from here would lead to the Pen-Hanil Mountains, and far to the north, the Gigant Mountains were visible. Since the Gigant Mountains served as the boundary separating the Empire in the north from the central kingdoms, it was a truly grand and massive mountain range. In other words, the north was firmly blocked off.
In front of Felheim's west gate, there was a small plot of farmland. The city sustained itself by hunting animals and monsters from the forests to the east and north and selling their byproducts. Naturally, it was a territory under the direct control of the kingdom. Since it also bordered the former Count Molsen's territory, it was a neighbor to the land Encrid now owned.
"I remember you being the guard captain, but it seems you've become the mayor."
As Encrid pulled up the memory, the other man replied with a smile. No matter how fierce someone's impression was, a genuine smile always looked good. Deutsch Fullman's face was no exception.
"Yes, that's how it turned out."
This man was now the highest authority in Felheim, recognized by the kingdom. Yet, his attitude remained extremely respectful. Was it because of Encrid's fame? That was part of it, but more than that, the impression Encrid had left when he wiped out the Gnoll Colony still lingered in the city. Even more so for Deutsch Fullman.
"Please, come in!"
Deutsch guided the group to the reception room. While a maid stole glances at Encrid as she served tea, Encrid asked, "I have something to ask. Did anyone from the Holy State stop by?"
Deutsch searched his memory for a moment. "They did stop by, but they left almost immediately."
"Is that so? You don't happen to know where they went, do you?"
Deutsch answered the hero immediately. "No, I don't. But there was something strange."
"Something strange?"
"There were three people among them who were far stronger than me."
Is that such a big deal?
The words Encrid had thought to himself echoed in his ears in someone else's voice.
"Is that really such a big deal?"
Encrid had hidden his thoughts, but Sinar did not. It could have been taken as an insult—implying that someone of his caliber was common—but Deutsch did not dare to snap back after seeing the elf's face. Besides, wasn't she traveling with the great Encrid?
"Brother, the world is a vast place," Audin added.
Only after hearing the two of them speak did Encrid recalibrate his perspective.
‘My mistake.’
Natural geniuses like Audin or Sinar might not know, but because Encrid had crawled his way up from the bottom, he knew that Deutsch Fullman's current skill level was by no means common. He had been surrounded by so many monsters lately that he had momentarily lost his sense of scale. Deutsch Fullman would struggle to even become a squire of a knightly order, but he was still quite capable in his own right.
"Three of them?" Encrid offered a proper response to smooth things over.
Deutsch, who had been in a tight spot, immediately nodded. "Yes. One of them looked absolutely furious but didn't say a single word. Anyway, the atmosphere was a bit... how should I put it..."
"How should you put it?"
Even though he had become a knight, Encrid was still an excellent listener. He prompted Deutsch, waiting for his next words. He even nodded to signal that Deutsch could say whatever was on his mind. It was a reassuring nod, telling him that no matter how ridiculous it sounded, he should just speak.
Encouraged, Deutsch spoke up. "Like they were going to scold a child who had done something wrong? Well, should I call it that kind of atmosphere? Anyway, it looked strange to my eyes."
Deutsch Fullman had worked as a mercenary for a long time. Surviving as a swordsman for so long was proof that his wits were sharper than his martial skills. Deutsch was currently sitting in the mayor's seat; a clueless man could never rise from guard captain to mayor.
In other words, Deutsch was a quick-witted mercenary. Therefore, the vibe he picked up on might be more accurate than one would think. On top of that, since he was full of goodwill toward Encrid, he had no reason to lie.
His intuition said the same. Deutsch Fullman's eyes were clear.
Here, Encrid found himself with yet another question. Even if the kidnapper was some kind of expert in abduction...
‘It really is strange.’
He didn't know how, but the kidnapper had taken the Saintess, secured her cooperation, and was currently making a smooth escape. Nevertheless, what was strange was strange.
"Why did they kidnap her?"
This was where the core question arose. There was no logical reason to kidnap the Saintess.