Chapter 821: When Gold Shines Upon the World
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 821: When Gold Shines Upon the World
Krais sat in the shade, seeking refuge from the afternoon sun as he drifted into thought.
There was once a man who said he would plant an apple tree even if the world were to perish tomorrow.
What was his name again?
Was it Martin? Spinoza? He couldn't quite recall.
However, he knew the name of the man standing over there. Encrid. Beside him, Rem spoke up.
"Well, they say a Demon's Minion paid us a visit, but he's as consistent as ever."
It was the day after the Demon's Minion had arrived. The man stood before them, sword in hand, announcing that it was time for afternoon training. Black hair, blue eyes—the leader of this group.
The commander of the Mad Knights, Encrid.
To the world, he was known as the Demon Slayer, the hero who saved the nation, the guardian of the Border Guard, the King's friend, the Knight of Demonic Charm, the Heartbreaker, and the Monster Slaughterer.
'And he deserves to have "Balrog Slayer" added to that list of titles.'
Funny enough, it was the Demon Realm, not the continent, that had reacted first to that feat.
'Well, once the rumors spread, it's going to cause an uproar anyway.'
He recalled Abnayor, whose jaw had practically unhinged in shock upon hearing that Encrid had killed a Balrog. Even the man who claimed composure was his greatest weapon had been that stunned.
How would others react?
Should he subtly leak the information to the trading cities they had recently opened relations with? They were already making various concessions, but if they heard the name "Balrog Slayer," they would likely yield several times over. After all, those merchant hubs were quick to sense which way the wind blew.
Then again, he had no intention of exploiting them, so there was no real need to tell them. If anyone asked why he didn't resort to exploitation, he would say it was all because of the man standing before him. It was only right to attribute it to the values born from the human named Encrid.
'Conscience, standards, convictions.'
His decisions were born from a tangle of such things.
"It's an ideal setup, but for this to last, the trading cities must share the same mindset."
Abnayor had offered that bitter piece of advice upon seeing their progress, and Krais had nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yeah, obviously."
He knew. If the other party turned their back, what they were doing now would, at best, make them look like fools.
But.
'As long as the Captain stands strong.'
Whether it was the trading cities or anywhere else, they would have no choice but to watch their step.
'But what if the Captain gets dragged away by a demon?'
The mere thought sent a suffocating dread squeezing his heart. The current situation loomed like a razor-sharp blade pressed against his throat. Krais felt a headache coming on.
Was this fine? No, it wasn't. Normally, he would have packed his bags and fled long ago. Yet, such thoughts didn't even cross his mind now. Even though it felt as if a cold blade was drawing a bead of blood from his neck, he could endure it.
Why?
'I've invested too much here myself.'
He told himself that, but he knew the real reason lay elsewhere. Krais, too, had finally been influenced by his Captain. Of course, that didn't mean he wanted to utter embarrassing words about "protecting people" or anything of the sort. Sometimes, even when you recognize your own change, you just don't want to admit it.
"They say men are just children even when they grow up."
It was a phrase he often heard from his lover. Krais simply didn't want to say anything cheesy. If you show it through your actions, it amounts to the same thing anyway.
"Isn't this a bit dangerous?"
Beside him, Nurat voiced her concern. From now on, unexpected events would likely occur without pause.
"Yeah," Krais replied calmly.
"Are you still okay with that?"
She was his lover; she knew how he would react.
"Yeah."
Krais gave a simple reply and let his mind work through his anxiety.
'Are all demons the same?'
Probably not. There was Frok, who carved ornaments, and there was the giant who belonged to the Holy Order. It was a matter of individual traits transcending racial characteristics.
'Demons are likely even more independent.'
Since their numbers were few, their collective traits would be faint.
'There will be persistent ones, ones holding grudges, and ones looking to retaliate immediately.'
And probably some just watching.
Whatever the case, Krais decided he had to prepare for various scenarios. With that thought, he spoke.
"We should add one more soldier to each post along the Safe Road..."
As his voice trailed off, Nurat asked, "And then?"
What else should they do? Was it even possible to predict how a demon would react? The moment he let his guard down even slightly, anxiety surged. Krais turned his gaze toward Encrid.
There, he saw the man training, swinging his sword. Unshaken and upright, no matter the moment. Like a reliable barrier, or a castle wall. He hadn't changed a single bit from the moment he declared he would become a knight. No matter what the Demon's Minion had said during the visit, his will remained without a single scratch.
"I will protect those who stand behind me."
A man who uttered such words, speaking of the End of War, and who made it his knightly conviction to eradicate every Demon Realm on the continent.
"Hey, tsk, how about a round?"
Beside him, the gray-haired barbarian thrust his axe forward. The barbarian also seemed utterly indifferent to the visit of the Demon's Minion. In other words, it was business as usual.
"Do I need to line up?"
Ropode and Pel stood behind them, and Dunbakel, who had been watching for an opening, rushed Encrid before Rem could. Without a word or signal, she suddenly threw a punch, but Encrid calmly deflected it with the flat of his blade.
Clack!
With a dull thud, the two began to spin around each other. Encrid moved his feet in response to Dunbakel's three-dimensional maneuvering. Of course, Krais couldn't even follow the movements with his eyes.
"A knight is a calamity," Nurat muttered.
If that calamity was on their side, shouldn't they call it something else?
"Not a calamity, but a blessing," Krais corrected.
"You all seem to be having fun, brothers."
Audin and Teresa returned then, having finished their all-night prayer service.
"Did those things leave?"
Sachsen, who had returned at some point, examined the traces of combat and muttered to himself. His question, "Did they leave?" carried the implicit meaning of whether they had been killed and disposed of.
"A blade that is not consumed by heat."
Then, the directionally challenged genius appeared alongside Luagarne, muttering incomprehensible words. The moment he arrived, his gaze was stolen by the fight Encrid was engaged in.
"If you cut in line, I'll plant an axe in the back of your head."
The barbarian, who had been cut in line by the beastman, spoke in a grumpy tone, but the directionally challenged genius simply ignored him.
"Oho."
Luagarne's eyes rolled left and right without pause, widening in interest.
Croak.
Frok's cheeks puffed up as he watched Dunbakel's movements and Encrid's response. The elf and the witch were currently in the Elven City to recover.
"They say a demon bastard came?"
Though it was hard to call him a replacement, the wood giant, who grew angry the moment he heard the word "demon," was present.
Puff.
Bran, the Woodgard, puffed out a cloud of smoke. Every time he saw it, Krais felt he would never get used to the sight of a Woodgard biting down on a lit cigar.
Watching all of this, Krais's anxiety began to subside. Funny enough, a sense of relief reared its head. He hadn't expected the demon to send a minion, but because he didn't know what might happen, he had poured his time into training the Border Guard standing army alongside Krona.
It was an investment that even the homeland, including Krang and the capital, did not know about in detail. In fact, most information guilds would have missed it. Since the Mad Knights drew all the attention, it was impossible for outsiders to know the truth.
The amount of Krona poured into the Border Guard standing army was astronomical. On top of that, all the Mad Knights were in charge of their training. Those influenced by them became commanders, and those commanders in turn exerted a similar influence on the soldiers.
'If the Captain is an infectious disease, the rest of them are a terrible plague.'
It was a fair assessment.
"Ah, this is fun," Encrid spoke in the midst of the fray as he delivered a mid-level kick to Dunbakel's flank, sending her flying back.
His right foot was raised in the air, balancing solely on his left. Even on one foot, his sense of balance was extraordinary. There was no wobbling. As always.
The beastman who had been struck spun her body in midair, landed on her feet, and bounced backward. It wasn't that the blow had no impact, but she was dispersing it with her absurd athletic ability. It was like a demonstration of the Soft Sword Style using her entire body. In principle, it was the same as Audin's body-deflection, but the execution was an entirely different movement.
"Saying that after hitting me is just irritating."
Drip. Though not as tough as a giant's, a beastman's body was still sturdy, yet a nosebleed trickled down. She hadn't been able to fully disperse the force behind Encrid's kick.
"What was that last thing?" Dunbakel asked, and Rem chimed in.
"What do you think it is, you smelly beastman?"
But it was Audin who was truly shocked.
"Holy Penetration?"
Ragna's eyes also changed. Just a moment ago, Encrid's Will had shifted. Indules. The change was different from before. It wasn't rigid like a castle wall; it flowed like water, permeating the opponent.
Encrid calmly let his sword hand hang loose and said, "Encrid-style combat technique: Permeating Strike."
Rem spoke without a trace of humor. "...Please don't name things yourself."
In truth, he had just made up the name on the spot. Encrid smiled. Grinning, he beckoned with his finger.
"One by one."
A Demon's Minion had come? So what? Should they cower in fear? Should they worry and agonize? No, it was far better to swing a sword one more time in that span.
'But how many people can actually do that, even if they know it's the right thing?'
Krais asked himself, and answered in his mind.
'Well, there are quite a few here.'
Such people were right here. They were all gathered in this place.
Watching them, Abnayor recalled those in Azpen who had recently argued they should oppose the Border Guard for the sake of national sovereignty.
'I should tell them to behead them all.'
He wouldn't actually chop their heads off, but he certainly couldn't leave those fools alone—the ones who wanted to get on the bad side of people who calmly sparred even when faced with a clash against demons.
* * *
The sunlight was warm. It was a good day for training.
Though, since he tended to think rainy days were good in their own way, there was practically no such thing as a bad day for training. Still, it was an exceptionally sunny day. The sky peeking through the clouds, which dotted the expanse like scattered islands, was incredibly blue.
Last night, it felt as if the starlight would pour down. Even so, he preferred days like today over those thick with dark clouds.
'A clear day.'
A day when the sunlight embraced one's heart.
Encrid moved his body, enjoying the sun. Drenched in sweat, he used the Isolation Technique to move each muscle individually.
'It's better than before.'
Since strengthening his Will like a castle wall with Indules, his body had responded in kind, changing the quality of his muscles. They had become firmer and tougher.
'Though I still won't become like a giant.'
According to Luagarne, giants drew letters imbued with Will directly onto their bodies. It was a method of engraving Will onto their skin instead of using imprinted weapons.
'Fury.'
And that Will was said to react to the giant's emotions.
He let stray thoughts drift as they pleased, continuing to move as usual. The Demon's Minion was not in his mind. He simply lived today to the fullest.
Each member of the order moved to attend to their duties, and only Bran, the Woodgard who had come in place of the elf and the witch, remained like a bored spectator.
"Your progress is astonishing every time I see it," he said, having heard the title "Balrog Slayer." "And yet, you never let a single day go to waste."
He had a look of admiration on his face. At least, that was Encrid's guess. No matter how perceptive one was, it was difficult to read the expression of a Woodgard covered in tree bark.
"Elves have learned to control their emotions and spend their days dryly, but perhaps it is time for us to change as well..."
With those words, Bran departed.
In the meantime, Luagarne came by to chat about various things.
"Our unit has become quite decent now," Rem shared the training progress of his unit. It wasn't exactly a report; it was closer to boasting. "Is that directionally challenged bastard actually teaching those ten properly?"
He didn't do any teaching. He only sparred with them occasionally, or so they said. Even so, Ragna had ten swordsmen under his command. Teaching them was mostly Ropode's job, though.
Pel came by and mentioned he was researching a new technique. Anne even complained about her relationship with Ragna.
"Sometimes, it would be nice if he came to find me."
She meant she could only see him if she went looking for him every single time. Encrid cleared up the misunderstanding.
"He can't find his way alone."
"Ah."
Anne realized the truth and went back. Her laboratory wasn't in the middle of the city; it was in a corner of the inner castle. Naturally, her room was near the lab as well. It was far too complex a route for Ragna to navigate.
As he saw off those who visited and immersed himself in training, time flew by.
Today's sunset was golden.
The sun of the clear day sank very slowly, and as it tilted, the color of the sky shifted, hanging gold across one side of the heavens. Shadows cast over the clouds, and trees and structures were divided into sides touched by light and sides left in the dark.
The hour between dog and wolf—the time when one cannot distinguish a four-legged beast shrouded in the shadows.
It was Encrid's favorite time of day. He paused his movements and looked up at the sky. Perhaps today, instead of the hour between dog and wolf, it should be called the time when gold shines upon the world.
"It's a beautiful sky."
"It is."
It was Esther. She approached and stood beside him.