Chapter 610: Of Course
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 610: Of Course
Weighing the circumstances, his own strength, and the martial prowess of his order, Encrid didn't see the situation as a crisis.
This remained true even though he didn't recognize every face gathered ahead, having only heard the general gist of the situation.
"I heard Paladins have joined them. But that doesn't mean we aren't going, right?"
Krais had said as much. The only unpredictable factor was the faction arriving from the Theocracy.
"They're in utter chaos over there, split into factions and at each other's throats. On top of that, cultists are rising up, causing clashes everywhere, and monsters are pouring out of the Demon Realm. It's a total mess, so there's no telling how they'll react."
That was what Krais had told him. Encrid had merely nodded.
Even if every single one of them turned into an enemy, he had no intention of changing his mind.
Encrid was simply that kind of man, and everyone knew it. If he hadn't been such a madman to begin with, he never would have made it this far.
Thus, Encrid firmly established his resolve.
Noah would live. The monastery would be saved. No one inside would die.
He had decided. Therefore, this was a commission he had given to himself.
"If we are to be friends from now on, shouldn't I stop you all the more?" Noah asked. He was entirely sincere.
"I’m not really the type to listen to others," Encrid retorted.
Noah’s face fell, leaving him at a loss for words.
"So, just watch."
Words laced with Will naturally spilled out as Encrid poured out his resolve. Still speechless, Noah stared at the hero who had just offered him his friendship.
Framed by the light streaming through the window, the hero stood up.
*
"Assemble."
Encrid spoke as he left the room, but his companions were already gathered nearby.
Among them, a warrior from the Heresy Purging Priests approached. No one moved to stop him; the man had been pestering them incessantly while they waited.
The Unnamed Crusader spoke with a tense expression. He seemed urgent, his voice thick with concern.
"Do you even know who is waiting out there?"
He didn't. Encrid shook his head. He had heard the summary, but since he hadn't bothered with the details, he truly didn't know.
What on earth are they relying on to come here? What are these people thinking?
The Crusader wondered if they were insane, but he still had to say what needed to be said. These people weren't just "madmen" in name.
I must make them realize the danger.
He had to snap them out of it and make them consider their own safety. At the very least, those who had come all this way to protect what was right shouldn't die a dog's death.
"There are two Paladins born of the Scales and Abundance. Both are proven masters."
The Unnamed Crusader's tone was incredibly serious and solemn. Now, do you understand how dangerous this is? That was the subtext Encrid heard.
Encrid blinked, staring blankly at the Unnamed Crusader. His gaze asked a simple question: So what?
The Crusader couldn't quite read Encrid's eyes, but one thing was certain: the man had no intention of backing down.
"I'm saying they aren't just ordinary knights. They are outstanding even among Paladins," the Crusader repeated. He was asking if they had known this before coming.
"Apparently, that's the case," Encrid said. He scanned the Crusader's chest and attire before addressing his order. His voice was nonchalant.
"We already heard. That's what they say," Rem replied. He had already heard the Crusader nag until his ears bled. Hadn't the man been prattling on the entire way here about how dangerous it was?
Rem's tone was more irritated than indifferent, much like when they had first left the Border Guard. The reason for his irritation wasn't the Crusader's nagging, however.
There was only one reason.
Why the hell are we doing this in this freezing weather? A sense of crisis? Is that something you can eat?
His actions and expression screamed those very words. Naturally, whatever the Crusader said fell on deaf ears.
Standing beside him, Ragna pretended to ponder for a moment before asking, "Are both of them mine?"
Paladins? Wouldn't Paladins packed with divine power be fun opponents? Hadn't that arrogant bear Audin said he would educate him? Warming up by fighting them before that bear returned would be perfect. If he cut those two down, beating up the returned bear again wouldn't be difficult either.
They would make excellent training partners. Such thoughts drifted through Ragna's mind, though, of course, no one could read them.
"I shall show you the sword style that chases away the cold—the Spring Breeze."
Sinar spoke in riddles, though she had mentioned it to Encrid a few times on the journey. She wanted to show him the unique swordsmanship of the elves.
Encrid had taken it half as a joke. Just because she cracked silly elven jokes didn't mean Sinar's skills were silly. She was more than capable of backing up her words against the army standing ahead.
Simply put, she meant she would cut down that army with her Spring Breeze style just to show Encrid. Since elves had little consideration for the feelings of others, she felt no sense of crisis. She wouldn't even pretend to show such a thing out of politeness.
Watching them, the Unnamed Crusader took a deep breath to steady himself. The frustration of being unable to get through to anyone tightened around his chest.
Ropode, Pel, and Teresa merely nodded. Ah, I see. There are Paladins. That was their attitude.
Will we get a chance to fight them? It might be hard to win, but I'd like to try.
Luagarne and Sachsen weren't much different. Sachsen was thinking, Should I go ahead and kill them first? while Luagarne wondered how Encrid would fight against a Paladin.
Even without words, the atmosphere was palpable. They were the Order of Madness because they were dyed in Encrid's own madness.
"Did you even hear what I said?" the Unnamed Crusader burst out, unable to hold back.
He had witnessed their exploits as they cut through the front of the monastery, and he had heard of their reputation as the "Order of Madness" and the "Knight of the Iron Wall." But they had only made a name for themselves recently.
In contrast, the two Paladins holding their ground outside had maintained their positions for over twenty years. One was known as the Guardian of the Nest. The other had inherited the name of one of the Apostles of Abundance—a disaster named Azratic, nicknamed the "Joint-Crushing Serpent." He was said to be the most skilled in combat, second only to the Apostles of War.
In terms of one-on-one combat, he was a monster who could contend for the title of the continent's strongest.
"By the way, are there no priests or believers of the God of War?" Encrid asked, still perfectly calm.
Was now really the time to ask that? The Unnamed Crusader paused his breathing to answer. He intended to answer first, then try to persuade him again.
"There aren't many who worship the God of War. I don't know how many of them are out there, but those who have reached the rank of Knight or Associate Knight would all be on the battlefield, not here."
Within the order that worshipped the God of War, many things had happened after they lost Audin. One consequence was that they barely interfered in the order's internal affairs, including the Inquisitors. They had lost a prodigy destined to lead the next generation; it would have been stranger if nothing had happened.
Thus, the followers of the God of War had stepped back from the order's affairs. Because of that, the Apostles of War present here could be counted on one hand. This was also why the worshippers of the God of War had become a secluded order. Because they did not involve themselves in external affairs, they had no opportunity to seek power, and losing power meant their words carried no weight.
Currently, the Pope of the God of War was simply focusing on internal discipline and his assigned duties. Of course, there was no need to explain these internal matters in detail, nor was Encrid particularly curious about them.
"A holy war?"
"A battle to stop the monsters." The Unnamed Crusader's expression darkened significantly, followed by a muttered self-reflection. "A true holy war, one might say."
The battlefield the Crusader referred to was the fight to hold back the Demon Realm.
Encrid nodded. Even in such circumstances, there were always those who did their duty. If not, the continent would have been utterly ruined long ago.
So, Encrid intended to do his duty as well.
"Az... what was it?"
"Azratic! It's Azratic!" the Unnamed Crusader shouted in his urgency. "Not all knights are the same..." he whispered to himself.
"Yeah, I agree," the gray-haired barbarian nodded beside him.
What the hell is wrong with these bastards?
Who was the Paladin Azratic? He was a serpent who had been coiled for over twenty years. If caught in that serpent's constriction, it wouldn't end with just a broken bone or two. Yet, why did they have absolutely no sense of crisis?
"Are you really planning to fight?"
"Did we look like we came here for a picnic?"
Encrid replied to the Crusader and led the group toward the front of the monastery once more. It was an answer that put an end to the nagging. The Crusader could no longer open his mouth.
As Encrid took the lead, the Crusader had no choice but to follow.
Walking along the uneven path through the monastery, they saw colonnades wrapped in dry vines, a statue of the God of Abundance that had been wiped relatively clean, and small, hut-like dwellings. Along the roadside, everyone living in the monastery had come out to watch Encrid and his group pass. Their gazes were a mix of hope and anxiety.
To be precise, there was twice as much anxiety as there was hope.
Encrid walked silently despite their stares. The Unnamed Crusader did not know whether it was right to give those watching false hope or to make them face reality. Thus, he too had nothing to say. Hadn't even Noah agonized over telling lies just to reassure the children?
As they passed, a child asked, "Mister, did you come to protect us?"
A middle-aged priestess had her hand resting on the child's shoulder. There was no blaming the child for asking; it was the question everyone present was dying to ask.
As soon as Noah had restored the monastery, he had taken in orphaned children from the nearby city. “We can just share our food and sleep in tight quarters. That will do, won't it?” he had said.
But that choice could hardly be called right now. Because of his care for the children, more than ten young corpses were about to be made here. Knowing this, the Unnamed Crusader had come because he couldn't just stand by and watch.
Power, strength... must innocent people truly die for such things? Lord, give me an answer.
Since the Lord Father did not provide an answer, he had come to seek it himself. For the Holy Scripture said, "Ask and it shall be given," and that nothing is gained by merely wishing in one's heart.
Thus, the child asked. It was a question born of equal parts anxiety and hope.
Encrid placed his hand on the child's head.
"Of course."
Would they find hope in such a simple answer? Though their anxiety eased slightly, the dark clouds did not disperse. Naturally—such things could never truly hit home through mere words.
As they reached the main gate of the monastery, they saw the enemy forces ahead. They had organized themselves to some extent, perhaps irritated by having been broken through earlier.
One man sat on a high chair in the center, surrounded by several others. They seemed to be the core of the ghoul's relatives who worshipped the Gray God.
As Encrid walked, the Unnamed Crusader trotted alongside him, speaking incessantly. He was genuinely worried about them.
"The two Paladins aren't all. There are also priests and those skilled in divine magic. Among them, a man named Noma can fire over twenty Gray Holy Light Bullets at once, and each one is said to strike with the force of a giant's blow. No matter how strong your order is, you shouldn't confront them head-on like this. We should at least devise a strategy..."
It was a bit noisy, but it was fine. Encrid's eyes fell on the dented breastplate covering the Crusader's chest. Judging by the exhaustion on his face, he clearly hadn't slept in days. Hadn't he nearly died a few days ago while risking his life to steal food?
He limped slightly on his left leg, perhaps injured back then. It was an unnatural gait, barely noticeable unless one looked closely. It meant he was currently enduring the pain and pretending to be fine. Encrid had also seen his pupils tremble when the child asked the question.
Yet, he still walked with his chest puffed out, pretending to be fine, and offered words of comfort to the child whose head Encrid had patted, telling them not to worry.
He must know that if he wavers, it will affect others.
Encrid had already heard about his affiliation from Noah. Even though the Heresy Purging Priests was a group that fought solely to eradicate cults, he was here.
Why? He had asked Noah and received an answer.
"I couldn't just stand by and watch innocent people die. That's all there is to it," Noah had said.
Encrid liked this fellow, too. This man believed that what was happening was wrong, and he had come here prepared to die. Would his death change anything? Probably not. Judging by his words, he had come knowing that. Yet, why was he willing to suffer a dog's death?
Because he believed it was right. That was what conviction was. That was why Encrid liked him.
"If you are 'Unnamed,' does that mean you have no name?" Encrid asked, looking at the crowd gathered in the distance.
"Yes, I have not received a name yet, brother. But that is not what is important right now."
Encrid found the title "brother" quite endearing.
"I see."
No sooner had Encrid finished speaking than dust rose from the top of the monastery wall, forming a hazy shape. It was a gray mass of light resembling a dragonfly.
"The Gray Explosion Spell!" the allied Crusader recognized it and shouted.
That gray mass was a spell that exploded instantly upon contact—a signature spell exclusive to those who had realized the Gray Holy Light.