Chapter 589: Concerns and Worries
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 589: Concerns and Worries
"Is an ill omen approaching?"
Encrid had never taken the Ferryman's warnings lightly.
He always listened intently to the man's words, never dismissing them. As always, Encrid was dead serious.
"Is it truly coming this time?"
When the second question followed immediately, the Ferryman stared blankly at him. If the Ferryman were cursing him with his eyes, Encrid was not so dense as to miss it. But today, there was no emotion in the Ferryman's gaze.
The Ferryman looked even more gray than usual. He was like an emotionless doll, a mask carved out of stone.
With the purple light of the lamp shining from below, splitting across the bridge of his nose and casting a shadow up to his forehead, his face was terrifying enough to haunt one's dreams based on looks alone.
Then again, this very moment was practically a dream itself.
Whether this was a dream or reality, Encrid was not one to be frightened by someone's appearance.
So, he simply spoke his mind.
The Ferryman finally answered Encrid's question.
"I do not wish for you to turn this day into a regret."
Though devoid of emotion, his tone feigned benevolence, sounding like a child mimicking an adult—or perhaps an adult mimicking a child.
For a long moment, their gazes locked across the empty space.
Encrid sat near the gunwale, staring intently at the Ferryman, but it was difficult to read anything behind that stare.
So, he simply spoke with his usual sincerity.
"Really?"
It was pure curiosity. He truly didn't know if an ill omen was coming or if the Ferryman was just trying to scare him again.
Normally, the Ferryman might have shown a slight opening or wavered at such an unexpected reaction, but today, he was as immovable as a rock.
He ignored Encrid's words completely.
"I will give you two choices."
He only said what he wanted to say. Encrid listened intently. Listening seriously was his specialty. He didn't feel embarrassed just because the other party didn't react.
The Ferryman set the lamp down on the table and held up two fingers. Dull, milky nails tipped his gray fingers. The light of the lamp cast deep shadows between them.
Folding his middle finger and leaving only his index finger extended, he spoke.
"One: find a rock right now, smash your head against it, and die."
What did those words mean? It was the same offer he had made when dealing with Overdear.
It was a command to stop and enjoy the present. Since that obviously wouldn't work on him, the Ferryman continued smoothly.
"By doing so, you can become an immortal who enjoys a bountiful day like today forever. You will be praised by passing travelers, walk with the sun and wind as your friends, fall asleep watching the moon and stars, and share jokes with your companions. You will be comfortable; you will rest in peace."
Encrid did not bother saying that if he had wished for such a 'today,' he wouldn't have come this far in the first place.
The Ferryman surely knew this already, so he merely stared blankly. That was answer enough. As if expecting nothing else, the Ferryman did not wait for a reply and continued.
"Two: turn back. Go back and prepare to face the wall. Not now. Face another wall, not this one."
What should he call this?
Advice? A warning? It was certainly something like that. The Ferryman was twice as serious now as when he spoke of swords.
Encrid looked into the Ferryman's colorless eyes. Were those dark eyes like those of a monster? Probably not. As he focused, color seemed to return to the Ferryman's pupils.
Though a dull gray, once the pupils became distinguishable, he could read the look in them. What was revealed there was concern. Unless his senses were broken, that was exactly what it looked like.
However, this was a dream, and the Ferryman could only show what he wanted to show. Encrid remembered the Ferryman saying something similar in the past.
And though the Ferryman had told him he wouldn't remember what happened in his dreams, Encrid always had.
While he couldn't remember every single word the Ferryman had said from then until now, he hadn't forgotten the main points.
Thus, he knew that today's Ferryman was very different. Usually, the man never showed even a shred of concern.
There had only ever been words with clear, cold purposes. But now, it was different. He wasn't telling Encrid not to cross the wall, but rather guiding him toward a better path, suggesting that promising to face another wall—the next one, not this one—would be more beneficial.
Was it a bad suggestion? No. It could be a wise path.
If the front is blocked, taking a detour is the smart thing to do.
"If you go forward, you will regret it."
The Ferryman's dull gray lips moved.
He's saying what he always says again.
Since this was a dream or a mindscape, there was no vibration of air with his voice; the meaning was simply transmitted directly into his mind.
What the Ferryman offered was a fork in the road. He had given him two choices and had even pointed out the path he should take.
And to Encrid, it didn't matter whether the Ferryman was concerned or whether his words were right.
This was neither pride nor stubbornness.
Tomorrow is always uncertain. That was why life was beautiful and enjoyable. Encrid truly believed this, so he did not believe that a repeating 'today' was eternal life.
That was likely the difference between the world the Ferryman saw and the world Encrid saw.
Therefore, he would not follow the Ferryman's words.
If these were words spoken because he had seen the future, he would follow them even less.
Even if the destined tomorrow was harsh, he would still march toward it.
That was the way Encrid had lived his life until now.
"Thank you for the advice."
Encrid spoke and woke up. It was a morning where winter rain poured down with a rhythmic pattering sound.
A light mist greeted him, and the temperature had plummeted, making it even colder than yesterday. When he exhaled, white steam drifted from his mouth.
"Should I hug you if you're cold?"
Beside him, Luagarne spoke as she casually kicked away the wet remains of the campfire. Encrid blinked a few times. After reflecting on her words for a moment, he replied.
"Have you been hanging out with Sinar too much?"
"Indeed, just as the elf said. She said you'd give that exact response."
Luagarne puffed out her cheeks and laughed. Had she said that traveling together was quite enjoyable?
Even though it wasn't a very long journey, this Frok had said so.
Encrid didn't particularly dislike it either. It was a reasonably pleasant time.
The Ferryman's words? If he were to live his life carrying concerns and worries over such things, he would have stopped at 'today,' listening to the Ferryman.
But since he wouldn't do that, he would simply forget it and move forward.
On second thought, after exchanging a few words with Luagarne, Encrid was inwardly impressed by Sinar. Even though the elf wasn't here, hadn't she delivered her joke through someone else's mouth?
What an incredible talent.
It wasn't that elven jokes were trendy or spreading like a plague. Aside from Sinar, the only ones who made such jokes were Esther and Luagarne.
And she had said she wanted to come along.
Lately, cultists in the vicinity had been hiding in the forest and performing bizarre rituals, so Sinar was extremely busy. That was the reason she wasn't here.
She always showed a sense of responsibility for the tasks she undertook. It was true when she was a company commander, and it was the same during the request to rescue Krang.
Once she took on a job, she did it properly.
Could she be relied upon? Of course. Encrid thought he was lucky. He believed that only good, albeit crazy, people remained around him.
He didn't realize that people gathered around him because of the person he was, but that was something hard for him to perceive.
"Let's get going."
Encrid spoke and resumed his walk toward Cross Guard. The rain stopped quickly. Once the rain cleared, a picture-perfect blue sky appeared. Around noon, the sun even cast a warm light.
For some reason, Audin came to mind. With all due respect to him, today's sunlight was warmer than his Holy Light.
The two walked diligently and arrived at Cross Guard. Seeing the parapets and castle walls brought back memories of his previous visit.
The thorn vine mage, Finn, Torres, the werewolf pack...
Back then, he had to strain himself just to scale the walls. He had to repeat the day over and over just to open a path. But now, the gates opened just by him walking up to them.
Ruuuumble.
The iron-banded, oiled wooden gates swung open, revealing a group of soldiers operating the pulleys inside.
There was no moat, but the castle walls themselves were thick. Looking at the parapets, Encrid figured that since his physical abilities were different from before, climbing those walls now would be much easier than in the past. However, he noticed something had changed.
Sharp, thorn-like spikes had been embedded atop the parapets.
They had become bladed parapets.
It was something they had done after being bested by him before, and Encrid knew this was Abnayor's doing.
"There is a saying that it's like putting up a fence only after being raided by ghouls. It's obvious, but shouldn't you put up a fence even if it's after the attack? If you don't even do that after being hit, doesn't that mean you're just asking to be hit again?"
Those were Abnayor's words, and Encrid deeply agreed with them.
If you didn't move because it was 'too late,' nothing would ever happen.
Whether late or early, taking action was what mattered.
Encrid scanned his surroundings as he stepped through the open gates.
A few things caught his eye. One was a group of hooded figures standing among the haphazardly arranged, shack-like houses inside the walls.
He could feel a distinct wariness radiating from them.
After ascending to the rank of Knight, Encrid's sixth sense had become more sensitive and sharper than before.
He could feel such things just by them looking in his direction.
Wariness.
Those who seemed to be the owners of the shacks also came into view, but they were all dressed shabbily—thin and impoverished, staring blankly in his direction.
Their eyes wondered what was going on, but the emotion felt from them was different.
Anxiety.
He also saw several people with swords strapped to their waists scattered among them, and the meaning in some of their intense stares was clear.
Curiosity.
Or perhaps a competitive spirit.
Along with the gazes mixed with wariness, anxiety, and curiosity, the scent of tobacco seemed to drift through the entire city.
In fact, there were people right next to the gate with tobacco in their mouths, smoking.
"Welcome."
Encrid looked at the man welcoming him. He had narrow eyes and resembled a snake. That was his first impression.
Krais had widely spread the word that the Border Guard Standing Army was heading to Cross Guard because of the cultist issue.
It was a deliberate move with several intentions mixed in. The biggest among them was building a justification. It was to convey the message that the cultist issue was something the entire continent had to address.
Whether they formed alliances behind the scenes or not, that was the reason they stepped forward boldly despite being enemy nations on the surface.
Was that how he had heard the news?
In any case, the snake-eyed man had come to greet Encrid, introducing himself as an administrator working directly under the mayor.
He was accompanied by three swordsmen acting as guards, but their skills were nothing impressive. Encrid recognized their level at a single glance.
"How did you know to come out in advance?"
When Encrid spoke with moderate politeness, the snake-eyed man smiled and replied.
"I was told to report immediately if anyone from the Border Guard arrived."
Who told him? The ones standing on the castle walls?
There were a few archers on the walls, but they didn't look particularly sharp.
Well, it didn't matter where he had heard it from.
"It is an honor to receive you, Sir."
Encrid did not state his identity. Even though his fame had spread far and wide, it was quite difficult to figure out who someone was just by their appearance or attire.
While his physical characteristics were known, no portraits had been drawn, nor had his detailed appearance been widely publicized.
Besides, when one spent nights camping outdoors and traveling, even the most handsome face was bound to look scruffy.
Encrid was no exception right now.
On top of that, because he frequently swapped out his armor, distinguishing him by his attire would have been difficult.
This time, he wore a navy cloak with gray scale armor underneath, though he had ripped off the pauldrons because they restricted his arm movements.
The only equipment that remained the same as before was the leather gauntlets on his hands.
These rarely ever tore. Eitri had shaped them using leather bought from a giant merchant at the Border Guard market, and even while making them, Eitri had commented on the excellent quality of the material.
"You seem to know who I am."
Encrid let the words slip casually.
"How could anyone not know of the black-haired, blue-eyed knight?"
The snake-eyed man replied with a smile. Encrid nodded. He didn't particularly like the man's smooth-talking behavior, but it wasn't something to make a fuss about.
He couldn't just go around beating up everyone who annoyed him.
"Let me guide you to the manor."
"No need. An inn is enough for us."
Encrid politely declined. When he looked at the snake-eyed man, the man simply nodded and turned to lead them to an inn.
Without showing any fluster or asking why, he readily changed direction.
The three swordsmen acting as guards did the same. They accepted it as it was and quietly followed along.
The place he guided them to was not a shabby building, but a musty smell assailed their noses the moment they stepped inside.