Chapter 80: Leona Lockfried
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: Leona Lockfried
"You tried to use Azpen’s name to bury a crime, didn't you?"
When Leona pressed him again, Torres cut her off.
"That's enough. From here on, this is our concern."
"Is that so? Well, at least the misunderstanding has been cleared up."
Leona smiled brightly. It was a smile that screamed, 'I'm just an innocent girl who doesn't know a thing.' Of course, she knew everything, and she was far from innocent.
Instead of replying, Torres grabbed the man's shoulder and hauled him forward.
"Let's go."
He didn't even bother saying goodbye to Encrid. He simply shoved the shoulder of the man with the battered face and glared.
"P-Please, s-spare my life!"
"Shut up. You're nothing but an enemy spy."
"I'll tell you everything! Everything I know! I'm not a spy. There's been a—a misunderstanding!"
"Don't worry. I'll save your tongue for last."
At Torres's words, the man's legs gave out, but he wasn't even allowed the dignity of falling. The two squad members flanking him immediately hooked their arms under his armpits, practically carrying him away.
Looking at Torres's stiff posture, he was clearly irritated that things hadn't gone as planned.
There was a battle of wits going on.
Because he had been so obsessed with the sword, Encrid hadn't paid enough attention to his surroundings. Only now did he see the full picture.
Why hadn't Leona pinned the blame on Polid?
What would have happened if it were revealed that Polid had instigated the hit?
Would the responsibility lie solely with Polid, or would the Lockfried Merchant Guild also be held accountable?
If the guild were to be held responsible, would it benefit Leona to admit it or deny it?
If she was certain the guild would eventually be hers, it was better not to admit to a scandal. That is, unless she absolutely had to use this incident to discard a fool like Polid.
Encrid had assumed Leona would accept the sacrifice and cut Polid loose to secure her succession. If she had, the Border Guard would have used the fact that a member of the Lockfried Merchant Guild commissioned an assassination as leverage to demand massive compensation.
After all, the honor of the territory had been tarnished by the guild’s internal power struggle. And since the honor of the territory was synonymous with the honor of the military unit, they could have extracted a hefty sum.
Did she make this decision for the sake of the guild?
Was she really that devoted to her organization?
"Why? Have you suddenly fallen for my beauty?"
Encrid realized he had been staring blankly at her.
What on earth was this woman?
Her face was twice as bright as it had been when she slapped Polid. She exuded a natural, effortless composure. Yet, even in her relaxed posture, there wasn't a single opening.
It was the face of a merchant who had finished all her calculations.
Her attitude suggested she didn't need to sacrifice anything belonging to the guild. She must have had a trump card to rely on. And that "something" certainly wasn't the Border Guard Standing Army.
She was a truly bizarre woman.
"No."
Encrid gave a blunt, straightforward answer. Regardless of her thoughts, attitude, or intentions, Encrid only needed to finish his mission.
"What a pity," Leona laughed.
Had he once thought her beauty didn't suit a spider? He needed to correct that thought. Looking at her now, didn't it suit her perfectly?
Shedding her mask of innocence, her current smile was the very image of a spider with its prey already caught in its web.
*
"Thank you for everything."
The request was nearing its end. Leona spoke as she stepped out of the inn, her bags packed. Beside her, Polid was grinning foolishly. In truth, he hadn't won any arguments with Leona regarding the succession, nor had the assassination he planned succeeded.
Yet, he was still smiling. That smirk seemed to declare that he was already the master of the merchant guild.
"Hey, soldier. You're going to end up begging at my feet later."
I thought he was picking a fight with Sachsen at first.
At some point, Polid had turned his sights on Encrid, constantly trying to drag him down.
Should I have just ignored him?
Did this happen because he had been too lenient? The thought suddenly crossed Encrid's mind. Polid's face was the textbook definition of a triumphant expression—the smirk playing on his lips, the absolute confidence in his eyes, and even the heavy breathing from his inner excitement.
"I might not be able to grab your pants, but I can certainly chop off your ankles."
Encrid muttered to himself, not wanting to give the man any room to reply. Only Sachsen, the Company Commander, and Leona, who was standing nearby, heard him.
"If you're going to do that, you might as well just cut his throat. It's faster," Sachsen advised.
"You're quite popular with the men, soldier," the Company Commander teased.
"I feel somewhat responsible," Leona apologized.
"Huh? What did you say?" asked Polid, who hadn't caught Encrid's muttering.
Encrid ignored him completely. He shouldn't have shown even a shred of kindness from the very beginning.
Though Polid threw a brief tantrum at being ignored, he quickly calmed down. The plainly dressed man standing behind him pulled at his collar, and that immediately cooled his temper. Even so, Polid glared once more to show off his misplaced confidence.
Anyone can see he's prepared something.
It was obvious what that preparation was. Since any further disturbance within the Border Guard wouldn't be tolerated...
He'll probably try to kill us the moment we step outside the gates.
Looking at the members of Leona's party gathered in front of the inn, Encrid wondered if they could actually handle the opposition. As he fell into thought, Leona approached his side.
"It feels like I'm being escorted."
It wasn't just a feeling; it was exactly what they were being paid to do. While Polid foolishly wore his heart on his sleeve, Leona was the exact opposite. What was she relying on?
He began to grow curious. Not a trace of worry could be seen in Leona's demeanor.
"I won't forget that you saved my life. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will surely repay you."
The female guard, who had barely survived the retired soldier assassin on the second floor, also approached to offer her thanks.
"Sure."
Encrid didn't pay much mind to it. What were the chances of them meeting again on this vast continent?
However, the thoughts of those watching were different. The two squads that had been guarding the inn were still by their side. They were assisting with the escort duty as well, taking responsibility for the incident that had occurred within the Border Guard's jurisdiction.
"Spreading rumors of romance with every passing woman."
"Casting the poison of charm upon every lady he brushes past."
"Behold, the Charming Squad Leader."
Encrid sighed. Why were they composing poetry instead of doing their jobs?
"...Why are they doing that?" the female guard asked, her face flushing red.
"They all want to become bards after they retire, so they're practicing. Just leave them be," Encrid said, letting whatever came to mind slip out.
Meanwhile, the Company Commander leaned in close to Leona and whispered. Encrid's sharp hearing caught her words.
"You'd better be careful. That soldier has a tendency to bed every woman he lays eyes on."
Bed them? What was she talking about? Encrid hadn't even smelled a woman's powder recently. He had been far too busy dealing with one chaotic event after another.
"Aren't you leaving? I believe it's time for you to get lost."
Encrid politely saw off the soldiers of the two squads. As if they truly intended to become bards, they instantly made up a song called "Charming Squad Leader" and sang it as they marched off.
They were madmen.
Because of this incident, Torres's side—the Border Guard—had left with a massive headache, but this group of soldiers was completely carefree. Well, it made sense. They were only doing what they were told.
Thinking of the Border Guard made him realize once again how outstanding Leona's resourcefulness was.
Does this mean she has put the Border Guard in her debt?
She had overturned the situation with just a few words. Though he didn't know if the Border Guard would actually acknowledge it, she had framed the attack itself as a public security issue within the territory.
If the attack had been caused by the succession dispute of the guild, the responsibility would lie with the Lockfried Merchant Guild. But if they had attacked targeting the Krona, it became a failure of the territory's security management.
Incredible.
Everyone knew Polid was the one who ordered it, but since the target of the assassination herself denied it, there was nothing to be done. Was this what they called a natural-born merchant? It was only visible now because the conclusion had been reached; otherwise, it was a scheme that would have slipped by unnoticed.
Krais, who had remained at the inn after Torres left, had filled in the details.
"In the end, the Border Guard will probably deny it too. But the situation is advantageous for her side. Didn't they say those attackers were a spy unit from Azpen?"
When asked why that made a difference, Krais had explained smoothly.
"When it comes to assigning blame for trouble caused by Azpen's spies, who does that benefit? Which narrative do you think they'd want to put more weight on: that Azpen's spies targeted the guild's Krona, or that they tried to stir up trouble within the territory?"
Krais's words made sense. The moment the name Azpen was brought up, the situation became advantageous for the merchant guild. In the end, it was all thanks to the spy who had died shouting for the glory of his homeland.
Listening to that explanation, Encrid realized that Krais's mind worked just as fast as Leona's. He had always known Krais was smart, but still.
He seems on par with the successor of a major merchant guild.
It was just a passing thought. What was the use of being smart anyway? Krais's dream was merely to open a salon to swindle noblewomen.
Lost in thought as he walked, he soon arrived at the city gates. The guard standing watch turned around as he saw Encrid and his group approaching.
"You're Encrid, right?"
As they were watching, the swordsman from Polid's side approached.
"I didn't catch your name."
"My apologies for that. I'm not in a position to reveal my name here."
"..."
Staring blankly at him, wondering why he had suddenly approached to talk, the swordsman spoke toward the space behind Encrid.
"I only wish to say a few words. Lower your killing intent."
To Encrid's right, Sachsen had closed the distance before he knew it.
"You're sensitive. Killing intent, you say?" Sachsen replied.
The man who had ignored Polid so thoroughly was quick to answer here.
"Don't worry. Cutting off a man's head is easy even without killing intent."
The Company Commander had appeared behind Polid's swordsman before anyone noticed. The swordsman looked at the two of them in turn, then cleanly ignored them and looked back at Encrid.
"Put down your sword."
It was a sudden, blunt statement.
"There are things in this world that cannot be achieved by passion alone."
It had been a very long time since Encrid had heard such words.
Give up. You have no talent. It's a waste of time. It's like walking where there is no path.
Do you have to get hit to know it hurts?
Don't you know by now that getting cut by a blade is painful?
Why can't you see that the more time you spend training, the more obvious it becomes how pathetic your talent is?
Why wouldn't he see it? Yes, he knew. He had heard it countless times. Even if he didn't fall into the abyss of frustration and despair over a few words, Encrid knew it too.
That he could never become a knight.
Yes, once upon a time, that was true. Yet, he still swung his sword. Yet, he did not give up. He had lived on, merely cradling the torn and faded fragments of his dream. He couldn't even see what the wall blocking his path looked like. Everything around him was pitch black.
Even in those times, he had lived swinging his sword until his palms burst open.
Would hearing these words now change anything?
The Beast's Heart, the Blade's Sense, Single-Point Focus, the Isolation Technique. The basics of swordsmanship, including the Heavy Sword Style. The application of the Valen-style Mercenary Sword.
The repeating today, the continuous training and practice, the growing skill.
Though it might look like a half-step slower than a turtle to someone else, to Encrid, it was a half-step more meaningful than any moment in his past.
And so, without realizing it, a smile spread across his face.
"Are you laughing?" the swordsman muttered, seeing this.
"Worrying over nothing," Sachsen remarked.
The Company Commander silently watched Encrid. The swordsman wanted an answer, and Encrid threw back the very response the man had been waiting for.
"The next time we meet, I might win."
It was arrogant to predict a person's future, Encrid thought.
"I see."
The swordsman did not force his thoughts on someone who had closed his ears. He simply turned around. It was a minor disturbance before the city gates.
"Thank you so much for your hard work."
They reached the city walls. Leona turned around and spoke to Encrid and the others. Just when they thought they were about to head out, Encrid noticed the guard looking back and forth between their group and the outside.
The guard looked troubled. Wondering why, Encrid looked past the city walls and saw an armed group gathered in the area.
The moment he saw them, he understood. If the opponent brought force to bear, what should this side put forward? This was the card Leona had relied on. They were waiting outside the walls.
"Mathis of the Lockfried Merchant Guild Guard, reporting."
He was the only one who had entered the city walls. He was a man with a neat mustache. His steps seemed light, and dust had accumulated on the shoulders of his coat.
Without military force, a merchant guild could not establish its name on the continent. Unless they wanted to be picked clean by surrounding bandits, outlaws, demonic beasts, and monsters, military force was an absolute necessity.
The man who stepped forward was the one responsible for the Lockfried Merchant Guild's military power. Simply by approaching and showing himself, he drew everyone's attention.
Encrid felt a strange sensation. His field of vision was completely filled by the man named Mathis. He couldn't see anything else. The man's presence was extraordinary. With his presence alone, he commanded everyone's gaze.
"You have some interesting friends with you," he said, then dropped to one knee before Leona.
"The guard has arrived, Guildmaster."
Only then could Encrid cast his gaze behind him.
The Lockfried Merchant Guild Guard. An armed force of over thirty men could be seen arrayed outside the city gates.