Chapter 586: The Crest of the Border Guard Standing Army
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 586: The Crest of the Border Guard Standing Army
The envoy met Encrid’s gaze and shook his head. The letter contained no such words. The reason the envoy had stayed behind in person was to deliver a verbal message, avoiding the risks of the written word.
His advisors had practically begged him not to put it in writing.
Even though members of the Holy Church were present, making it a gamble to deliver this message, the envoy felt a surge of heat welling up inside him.
Go ahead and tell them if you must.
Encrid’s sheer presence provoked his pride.
If a man walked the path he believed to be right, whether it involved the Holy Church or the heavens themselves, what did it matter what others thought?
Did it not seem as if the man sitting at the center of the hall was radiating that exact sentiment?
Who was the man speaking?
He was a hero of the kingdom, a confidant of the King, a Demon Slayer, and the Knight of the Iron Wall.
Whether blocking his path was right or wrong, he would simply sweep away whatever stood in his way.
Feeling a sudden urge to scold anyone who dared obstruct the hero’s path, the envoy spoke.
"Striking the Knight of the Iron Wall is the same as striking me. Therefore, do as you wish, and you may consider your actions to be my will."
It was a message from Krang. It was a declaration that he would back Encrid no matter the circumstances—a promise of absolute support.
"I see. Tell him that if things get dangerous, I’ll head over to lend a hand," Encrid replied immediately.
He didn't think meetings were useless, but he had no desire to waste time on empty formalities. Nor did he care to deliberate over things that required no second thought.
"They say the movements of monsters, demonic beasts, bandits, and cultists in the surrounding areas are unusual. Especially in the south..." Krais spoke up this time.
Since the civil war, the territory surrounding the Border Guard had stabilized. The capital’s outskirts were also mostly settled, but the southern part of the kingdom was still plagued by issues.
Hadn't a notorious new bandit group emerged there recently?
"We will dispatch troops under the guise of live-combat training," Encrid answered in a single breath.
Krais stared blankly at Encrid. This was something they hadn't discussed beforehand, yet Encrid’s answer was identical to the one Krais had prepared.
"Do you think our security will falter with only this many gone?"
When Encrid’s gaze shifted to Vengeance, who stood to one side, Vengeance saluted sharply.
"Not at all, sir."
Krais immediately followed up. "I will finalize the logistics and select the troops for deployment."
"If a problem arises, I will go myself."
Encrid was, as always, entirely serious. If the newly formed bandit group knew the contents of this meeting, they would have disbanded immediately and fled to live as ordinary citizens.
"Well, my hands are idle too. Same for the kids I've been training," Rem chimed in.
"I can go alone," Ragna added, refusing to be outdone.
"I can drop by for a bit as well," Sachsen offered.
"Next."
Encrid nodded. His acknowledgment didn't mean he would actually let Ragna go alone, but this wasn't the place to argue.
There were many problems, but there was nothing they couldn't handle. That was Encrid’s stance.
It had remained unchanged from the time he was a simple squad leader to the present day. That was why they looked to this man and followed him.
Krais knew all the answers were already decided, yet he had called the meeting out of lingering anxiety.
Encrid, as always, did not blame him. Instead, he made his intentions clear for everyone to see and hear.
"I will be the sword on the path the King walks, and if anything obstructs the path I walk now, I will cut it down. The Holy Church was exploiting a child, so I rescued her. If something similar happens again, I will act exactly as I did then."
Children who could be called saints or saintesses were rare within the Cult of Abundance. It wasn't for nothing that they had recklessly tried to capture Seiki without looking back. They must have been incredibly desperate.
Thus, Encrid had already dealt a significant blow to the Cult.
While the priests serving the God of Abundance were fuming over Encrid’s radical actions, Overdear and Audin would be steadily striking them from the shadows.
Consequentially, Encrid’s actions would aid the two, though he wasn't particularly concerned with that. Krais, however, was different.
He already knew what Audin had set out to do.
After listening to the conversation and observing the unfolding situation, Krais had naturally finished his calculations.
All of this was an offensive.
Striking the Holy Church.
To be precise, it meant making an enemy of the Theocracy.
If Audin failed, they would likely face an incredibly dangerous enemy.
But he had heard that a paladin had joined Audin’s determined endeavor.
Looking at how things were progressing, the probability of success seemed higher than failure. Of course, his anxiety still spiked. There was simply too much to lose if they failed, which was why he was desperately racking his brains.
But what if they succeed?
In that case, they would gain an incredibly powerful ally. At the very least, it would be a gain if the Holy Church simply ceased to be their enemy.
Until then, what was the Border Guard’s role?
It was to endure, no matter what the Holy Church did. Therefore, confronting them head-on was the worst possible strategy. After all, they weren't trying to start an actual religious war.
Of course, Encrid would do just that if pushed, but Krais would not. That was the worst-case scenario. He could not let that happen.
"We must endure. If a head-on collision or a religious war breaks out, winning or losing won't even matter. Only the cultists will benefit."
As Krais racked his brains, the genius strategist born of Azpen chimed in from beside him.
Krais turned to look at Abnayor. His words perfectly mirrored Krais’s own thoughts.
"We have to endure. Pretending everything is fine on the surface."
"Exactly. But behind the scenes, we must do everything necessary."
"What is the greatest danger here?"
"Any movement that directly inflicts damage on neighboring or allied territories."
That meant the outbreak of monsters, demonic beasts, bandits, and cultists. If they could go beyond merely blocking them and endure without taking damage, it would be a massive success. But would that be easy?
"You probably think it won't be easy, right? No, I see it differently. Even if we disperse our forces, it will be more than enough."
If there was one thing Abnayor had over Krais, it was his eye for assessing the quality of troops and his unwavering confidence.
Abnayor clearly saw a bright future. He saw a truly brilliant tomorrow.
Krais felt his anxiety ease slightly. Abnayor was a man called a genius strategist for a reason, and his words carried weight.
Well, everyone did train to the brink of death.
The two geniuses exchanged words, speaking of things others couldn't even begin to comprehend.
Thump.
Encrid lightly tapped the table. The resonance was by no means quiet. The room had grown noisy as everyone chimed in, but at the sound of Encrid striking the table, everyone fell silent and looked at the protector of this land.
With all eyes gathered on him, Encrid spoke with a nonchalant attitude.
"Then, I’m leaving."
It was a remarkably simple farewell and a declaration that brought the meeting to a close.
Having said all he needed to say, he stood up. Rem and the rest of the knights followed behind him.
Sinar, known as the Gold Witch, and Esther, known as the Black Flower, were also present, but no one spared them a glance. Everyone looked only at Encrid.
They saw only the path he laid out, accepted the will he revealed, and listened to the future he spoke of.
Once Encrid and his party departed, only those captivated by his spirit remained in the hall.
"Very well. Vengeance, please call a meeting of the platoon leaders, leaving only the minimum force required to guard the city. Castellan Graham?" Krais began handling the minor details. Now that the broad direction was set, it was time to take care of the rest.
"Speak."
"I request that we distribute equipment and fully arm everyone."
He was asking to prepare the units as if for war, not just training.
"Please spread the word to everyone, including the merchant guilds. Inform the neighboring nobles that the Border Guard’s forces will operate on a commission basis, with payment deferred."
Since they had decided to help, they would do so with absolute resolve. Normally, moving troops between territories was a sensitive issue, but the Border Guard’s forces would be perceived differently.
Encrid’s presence ensured that. With his reputation as the Knight of the Iron Wall, no one would mistake their deployment for a greedy land grab.
What if they did misunderstand? What if they didn't ask for help because of it?
That was their choice. But they would save everyone who reached out. That was what they had decided.
And such was Encrid’s will as well.
"It’ll work. This will work," Abnayor repeated from the side.
Not bad.
Krais quickly finished a few more calculations in his head.
In truth, all of this was an act of expanding their regional influence. If Krang, the King of Naurilia, had tried to keep Encrid’s movements in check, they wouldn't have even been able to start. Yet, the King had officially offered his support.
In other words, there was not a single obstacle blocking the Border Guard’s path.
Still, his anxiety didn't vanish entirely.
This is nerve-wracking.
If things went wrong, the loss of life would be substantial. This single decision could send people to their deaths.
Krais was somewhat weak when it came to these matters. People dying, falling in droves at a single wave of his hand? He hated it. He didn't want to do it. But if it had to be done, he would do it.
Krais, too, had learned that from watching Encrid.
I really just want to open a salon and live a comfortable life.
In reality, what Krais desired would only be possible once an era of peace arrived. People from all over the continent coming to a city of pleasure to eat, drink, and play—it was a wild dream.
So, in a way, his dream was no different from Encrid’s.
Krais steeled his heart. People would die at his gesture. But that was unavoidable. It was also their own choice.
"If they remained in the army without knowing that, they could die from that alone."
It was what Encrid always said.
If one resolved to take up spears and swords to kill the enemy, they had to be prepared to die themselves. Without such resolve, they wouldn't even be able to endure the basic training of the Border Guard.
"Now, let’s move, everyone," Krais spoke, having steeled his resolve. For the time being, everyone would be incredibly busy.
And this was all happening before the Holy Church had even begun to make its move in earnest.
*
Viscount Harrison, a noble in the southern part of the kingdom, shouted until his face was flushed red to his scalp.
"Absolutely not!"
"But if we stay like this, we might all die. I believe we must employ scorched earth tactics and hold out."
Scorched earth tactics meant burning military supplies, food, and other resources so they wouldn't fall into enemy hands. What was being suggested now was to burn down all the fields the Viscount had cultivated.
The speaker was the vigilante captain, a former mercenary who was now one of the Viscount’s vassals.
His words were correct. The Viscount knew it. But if he abandoned the land now, the aftermath was obvious. He would lose his land and his crops. If everything was burned and destroyed, restoring the land would be a distant dream.
What would happen afterward? He would likely spend the rest of his life being exploited on a tiny plot of land.
Their opponents were a newly formed bandit group that somehow controlled demonic beasts using magic. There were hundreds of boar demonic beasts, and the bandits numbered well over a hundred. On top of that, there were dozens of skilled archers among them.
Yet, the Viscount’s vigilante force consisted of only fifty spearmen and thirteen archers. Even this was only possible because he hadn't spared a single krona on military expenses, but the bandits still outnumbered them more than twofold.
Viscount Harrison was left with two choices.
One was to abandon the land, hold out, and fight the bandits. The other was to die defending the land.
Neither option was acceptable. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. Even though winter was approaching, his body temperature rose. Just as he felt like he might collapse from the fever, a vigilante member who had been scouting outside entered.
"Uh, well... reinforcements have arrived."
"...Reinforcements?" the vigilante captain asked.
There was no one who could have come. Lately, the entire southern region was in chaos due to monsters and demonic beasts. There were even rumors of cultists appearing.
So what reinforcements could possibly have arrived?
"Should we let them in?"
"Let them in!"
Reinforcements—whatever the circumstances, the Viscount was in no position to be picky.
"Hello there."
It was a soldier. He was a complete stranger. Instead of a greeting, he lifted his cloak, revealing a vivid city crest emblazoned upon it.
It was the Dancha Emblem, a pattern of thick horizontal lines representing a castle wall, drawn with distinct steps.
It was the new crest recently bestowed upon the Border Guard by the King of Naurilia. Even without being a herald, everyone knew that crest—the crest of the Border Guard Standing Army.
It was also the home of the Order of Madness, who had not only guarded the border but had even swallowed up their former enemy, the Azpen Principality.
It was also the place ruled by the man to whom the Viscount had once gifted his Sacred Spring Water.
All these thoughts flashed through the Viscount’s mind in an instant. Several epithets describing the city whirled past.
"I've come to announce the arrival of a single platoon under the Standing Army," the soldier spoke nonchalantly.
Though their numbers weren't particularly large, Viscount Harrison saw a spark of hope in this alone.
Although what followed deviated significantly from his expectations.
"Boars? Nice. We’ll handle the front. Your vigilantes should just guard the rear in case anything slips through."
The reinforcements, upon confirming the charge of dozens of demonic beasts, declared they would fight them on their own. The Viscount was dumbfounded.
And upon seeing them fight, he was soon left speechless.