Chapter 585: A Different Caliber
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 585: A Different Caliber
Encrid found a sudden clarity in Seiki’s words—a glimpse into a fundamental truth of the world.
It was a cyclical flow, like spring yielding to summer, or autumn fading into winter.
This realization immediately connected to his swordsmanship, touching upon his own lingering weaknesses.
‘What if, instead of forcing my Will out, I simply feel the natural flow and give it a gentle nudge?’
If fighting Prophet Overdear had given him a vague sense of direction, this was like finally learning how to walk toward that horizon.
Still, he didn't make a scene. After all, nothing could be truly understood until it was experienced firsthand.
"Go ahead."
"Are you cheering for me?"
"I am."
"Thank you."
That was the extent of their conversation. He realized then that Seiki wasn't particularly eloquent, yet she never hesitated to express her feelings. In a way, this was a strength, though living among others might prove difficult for her.
Well, even that would be fine within the Border Guard.
The Border Guard was a city inhabited by people far wilder and more eccentric than her—a woman who was a Saintess, a Highlander, and a natural-born mountain ranger whose only dream was to eat, sleep, and eventually die in the mountains to become a part of them.
The stronghold of the Order of Madness had earned its name for a reason.
‘I should look out for her from time to time.’
Encrid considered himself the anchor that kept the Order of Madness grounded.
‘Since they're all madmen.’
At the very least, he had to keep his wits about him.
Seiki had shone when she spoke of her dreams and desires. Encrid didn't dismiss her words just because of her youth. A person speaking of their true desires always radiated a certain light. Moreover, it didn't sound like childish whimsy. Even if her desires changed later, he would support her then, too. If that was what she truly wanted, he could do that much.
In any case, it was clear that becoming a Saintess was not her dream.
"I told you, I don't really like meeting people."
Besides, Seiki preferred her own company anyway.
Encrid let her do as she pleased. At that, Sinar offered to guide her to a suitable place to stay. Apparently, elves—the children of trees and flowers—had a natural knack for building solitary hideouts. Whether that was true or not, Seiki seemed satisfied, so he simply nodded.
Amidst his reflections on his conversation with Seiki and the events that followed, Esther asked, "Popularity?"
It was a question prompted by some nonsense he had muttered earlier about the sorrow of an unpopular man.
"No, it's nothing."
It was a trivial remark, a silly bit of banter easy to brush off. For the next few days, Esther spent her time watching Encrid from his side. No one knew what was going through the witch's mind.
If there was anything different from before, it was that she now had a few soldiers attending to her. They all belonged to the magic infantry. Short wooden rods were tucked into the belts of those who used to train with crystal balls. They were tools called wands, designed to aid in casting magic. Small gems were embedded in the tips, a sight that likely made Krais's heart ache. Those gems couldn't have been cheap.
"Shit, it's too cold. Way too cold."
Rem returned to the quarters about three days later. It wasn't even winter yet, but he was making a massive fuss about the temperature. Furthermore, minor wounds were visible all over his body.
"Where have you been, and what were you doing?"
"Hmm... exorcising evil spirits?"
Encrid didn't press further. Rem didn't seem in the mood to chatter, either.
During the three days Rem was gone, Ragna forgot his usual laziness and actually swung his sword. Of course, this only happened for brief moments in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening. Swinging a sword every day without rest was far too out of character for Ragna.
So, he trained in short bursts and spent the rest of his time sparring with Ropode or drifting into a half-asleep state of meditation.
Did his skills actually improve with just that? They did.
"You crazy bastard," Encrid blurted out—the ultimate praise—during their spar.
It was clearly the same swordsmanship he knew, yet it had become faster, sharper, and heavier. When he asked how such a thing was possible, Ragna simply replied:
"You just swing a bit faster, put more strength into it, find an opening, and strike."
It was like asking how to excel at studies and being told to just sit down and read a book. This bastard's explanations had always been poor, but they were getting progressively worse.
Yet, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
‘It's similar to the Iron Wall.’
There were parts of mastery that simply couldn't be explained. So what could he do? He just had to accept it as it was.
While Encrid built his skills step-by-step, tracing every single detail from the ground up, Ragna's skills leaped forward in bounds. Still, it wasn't as if Ragna or Rem didn't help Encrid with his training. He had sparred with both of them long ago, and neither held back their advice.
"Putting a sudden burst of strength in that exact moment—you really can't do that?"
"You just have to focus when you swing the sword. Why isn't this working for you?"
Those were the respective critiques of Rem and Ragna. Sachsen also chimed in.
"You just need to cultivate the sense to feel Will."
No, but what on earth is that 'sense'?
The retort rose naturally, but Encrid silently listened to everyone's opinions. It was no different from when he had tried to explain the Iron Wall before; now, he could understand their words better than he ever had.
If the direction was right, wasn't it just a matter of putting in the effort? That was what Encrid did. He knew the direction and had learned how to move forward. All that was left was for time to resolve the rest. Even if he practiced his current swordsmanship until the day he died, he might still end up staying exactly where he was.
But that was no reason to stop.
After about five days had passed, Krais called a meeting.
"The Church! Danger! Trade! Trouble! Public order! Obstruction!"
Judging by Krais's usual style, Encrid predicted these would be the main topics. Encrid didn't think of it as trouble he had caused; to him, it was simply something that had already happened. Thus, he attended the meeting with a light heart.
The atmosphere wasn't heavy. To begin with, not many of those standing by Encrid's side would perceive this situation as a crisis. However, some of those in charge of practical affairs wondered if they could really just let this slide. They worried that, at this rate, they might end up making enemies of the entire continent.
There were indeed such people at the meeting.
At the head of the wide, oval table sat Encrid. To his left sat Graham, the symbol of an old warrior whose talent had blossomed late in life. Opposite him, for some reason, sat Rem. Ragna sat next to Rem, claiming he needed a change of pace.
Esther and Luagarne, who had recently formed a duo dedicated to observing Encrid, naturally took seats near him. Instead of sitting at the main table, the two pulled up chairs against the wall where they had a clear view of Encrid.
"What a prime spot."
With Sinar joining them, it became a spectacle of three beauties—a human, an elf, and a Frog Kin—sitting in a row, observing Encrid. It was a truly bizarre sight, but no one spoke up against it. Graham didn't even spare them a glance, though a few others stole looks at the trio huddled together.
Still, no one could say anything. After all, even Encrid remained silent.
As everyone gathered, there was Graham and the Castellan's faction. There were the administrators, including Krais, Nurat, and Abnayor. On top of that, the core forces of the order—Rem, Ragna, Sachsen, and Sinar—were all present, along with Vengeance, who had become the security captain in charge of the city's overall forces.
As Encrid entered the meeting room, Vengeance offered a military salute, placing his hand on his waist and bowing his head.
"Battalion Commander now?" Encrid asked.
"That is how it turned out," Vengeance replied with a faint smile. His expression was warm, practically radiating happiness. The man who had once been blinded by jealousy was no more. He was now happily married, and his wife was pregnant. Because of this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of worry about what Encrid had done this time.
How would this turn out? Even so, Vengeance knew better than anyone that he was in no position to step forward and voice his concerns.
"We will begin the meeting regarding the Church's actions," Krais spoke in a slightly raised voice. His pleasant, clear tone echoed through the hall.
Since there weren't enough seats around the wide table, more people were standing than sitting. Though it could have felt crowded, everyone watched in silence, keeping the atmosphere calm. Due to the chilly air, braziers had been placed here and there. The only sound was Sinar's quiet muttering as she stared at them, whispering that they must be careful with fire.
In this quiet atmosphere, Krais began to speak.
"The Church is involved in many trade routes. Merchants affiliated with the Church used to receive food and goods to sell across the continent, but now that they are refusing to accept our exports, the trade cities are also subtly declining to trade with us."
It was a serious matter, but Krais presented it in a concise, straight-to-the-point manner. Encrid had no intention of wasting time. After listening to the brief explanation, he spoke up.
"What about the Stone Road?"
The Stone Road was the name of the trade route connecting the West to this place. Leona Lockfried, who attended as part of the administrative faction, raised her head. Interfering with trade? But didn't the Border Guard already have its own independent trade system that had nothing to do with that? Her expression carried that implicit question.
"It's running perfectly fine, completely independent of the Church," Leona said.
Since this was an official meeting, she addressed Encrid formally despite their friendship. There wasn't even a hint of anxiety on Leona's face. The Lockfried Merchant Guild had originally built its status through adventure, and Leona possessed a spirit of adventure stronger than any of her predecessors. It wasn't that she would gamble her entire fortune blindly; rather, she would calculate and weigh everything, and if she deemed it worth a shot, she would boldly make her move.
To her, this situation was actually an opportunity. If they established their own trade route through the Stone Road, they wouldn't have to walk on eggshells around neighboring countries or other major merchant guilds. Currently, other major guilds were pulling out because they were wary of the Theocracy.
Leona disliked this entire situation. Merchants only needed to focus on doing business, yet they were constantly forced to bow to politics and external pressure. In that regard, Encrid's words and actions were entirely to her liking.
"Then that's enough."
It meant she could do as she pleased. Leona's eyes shone as she nodded.
Pressuring the trade routes? Trade cities refusing to deal? A few major merchant guilds throwing their weight around?
So what?
As far as Encrid was concerned, as long as the passage between the Border Guard and the West remained stable, there would be no blow to their trade. Was it natural to think this far ahead? To Leona, it was. But to Encrid, it might or might not have been. What was certain, however, was that his horizon had broadened.
Leona was secretly impressed. It felt as though he was seeing the current problem clearly, pinpointing it, and offering a solution.
In truth, this was something of a habit for Encrid. Though he seemed to live only to swing his sword and look straight ahead, Encrid read situations well and saw the solutions alongside them. This was because he had accumulated so many similar experiences.
‘A blocked path.’
What he had encountered countless times while swinging his sword were walls and obstacles blocking his way. Some walls seemed infinitely high, impossible to scale. Some walls were so heavy they felt like boulders that could never be pushed aside. Yet, Encrid had never once given up in the face of any obstacle.
Thus, this matter was no different. Because he had never given up, the answer to what lay ahead naturally came to him. He possessed the will to do whatever it took, and the martial prowess and power to back that will.
Because his caliber was different, the scale of his perspective was entirely different.
Krais had already pointed out what would become a problem, and Encrid had confirmed it. Now, he had simply spoken the answer that had come to him.
As the conversation flowed, the strategist—who might end up as a spy for Azpen or truly become one of their own—raised his head. The exchange was indeed fascinating.
Encrid added a few more words.
"Am I wrong? If we open trade with the West, what do we have to lose? If the trading nations are the ones who stand to lose, they won't dare act rashly. Can the Lockfried Merchant Guild not take responsibility for that? What do you need? Spears and swords? People? Or is there something else?"
Every single word was correct, yet they were not words easily spoken. After all, if trade were to be cut off immediately, difficulties would certainly arise. However, it was not an unsolvable problem. And the person to solve it was clear.
Leona nodded. She would do it—with the determination to somehow achieve it with her own hands.
"I'll let you know if I need anything."
"Good."
With that, one issue was settled. When it came to viewing the situation from a grand perspective, making judgments, and delivering answers, Encrid was superior to Krais. Of course, the fine-tuning and ensuring the work actually got done remained Krais's responsibility. Even in this meeting, Krais had already organized all the problems and proposed many of the solutions. Encrid had simply looked at those solutions with a broader vision and provided his answer.
"I understand that a letter of protest has also been sent to the Kingdom."
This time, it was the envoy from the capital who spoke. He had cautiously opened his mouth, having stayed in the Border Guard for a few days specifically to attend this meeting.
"And? Is Krang—is the King holding me responsible?"
Encrid asked back. The envoy's gaze shifted toward Encrid.