Chapter 50

After the battle ended, Encrid fulfilled his duties as a member of the Border Guard’s standing army.

He stood guard at the borders and patrolled within the city.

During his remaining time, he immersed himself in his sword training every day.

To someone observing Encrid for the first time, his repetitive routine might seem tedious.

However, it was a peaceful routine that everyone around him considered normal.

In fact, even if someone had paid close attention, it wouldn’t have bothered him.

He was deeply introspective, constantly pondering.

‘How can I win?’

Or, how can I wield the sword better?

It was a time to review and reflect on what he had.

Watching the junior knight’s skills, a fierce desire to surpass him boiled within.

But he wasn’t impatient.

Slowly, one step at a time.

Even if it’s slow, he always moves forward. That was Encrid’s specialty.

“The Heart of the Beast, the Sense of the Blade, Focus Point.”

To move forward, he utilized everything he learned from Rem, Jaxon, and Ragna in his sparring.

At first, he mainly sparred with Rem, and later Ragna joined in.

Then Jaxon occasionally joined as well.

“Before your brain turns into muscle, let me refresh it for you.”

“Huh? Are you saying that for me to hear?”

A stray comment sparked tension between Rem and Jaxon, but to Encrid, it was just a part of his peaceful routine.

Sparring with Rem was rough. It required quick thinking and instant judgment.

He had to focus on boldness. It was a time when his body had to move before his mind.

Ragna was a bit different.

The fight with Ragna focused on swordsmanship itself. Even if it started offensively, letting your guard down could quickly put you on the defensive.

Throughout the sparring, he had to be mindful of the overall flow of the fight.

Jaxon was different from the other two.

Jaxon often used tricks. He deceived with sounds, footwork, hand gestures, and slight movements of his shoulders.

Every action required attention. It was a fight that made him think reflexively.

“Clear your mind. Focus on the present.”

These were Jaxon’s words.

The knight was soon erased from Encrid’s mind.

He repeated what he could do every day.

In the afternoon, two weeks after returning to the Border Guard, there was a reward ceremony.

“These are those who contributed to the victory against the treacherous Aspen!”

The company commander distributed the rewards. Among them, Encrid received the most.

“For revealing and breaking the spell, we bestow this reward!”

The lieutenant loudly proclaimed Encrid’s achievement.

“They’re actually mentioning all this?”

Encrid was surprised, thinking the command might have claimed his achievement for themselves, but they acknowledged it openly.

Among the several company commanders lined up next to the battalion commander, a fairy with green eyes stood out.

What did the company commander do? He couldn’t tell. It didn’t seem like they would answer if asked.

“It’s our victory!”

The battalion commander shouted victory once more. However, unlike the last night on the battlefield, no one was overwhelmed by madness.

The soldiers at the front, led by the platoon leader, clapped their hands.

As Encrid returned to his place, a few soldiers at the back glanced and muttered among themselves.

“Sorcery? Did he break that banner by himself?”

“Probably one of his squad members did it.”

“No way he did it alone.”

“The fog was a spell, and they say he dispelled it? I can’t believe it. That squad leader?”

That was something someone who knew the usual Encrid would say, he thought.

But not Rem.

“Do these youngsters miss the taste of my axe or something?”

He spoke expressionlessly, but the meaning behind his words was terrifying.

He was the kind who usually enjoyed hitting the heads of the surrounding soldiers.

“Why do we even do this? We could just get some more sleep instead.” Ragna grumbled as he glanced behind. The battalion commander’s speech seemed extremely tedious to him.

Encrid, as the squad leader, calmed him down.

The battalion commander was in the middle of his long-winded speech.

He was bragging about his role on the battlefield, claiming it was his idea to send the scouts, and that he knew it was a spell as soon as he saw the banner—a parade of nonsense.

As the boredom grew, the murmuring behind Encrid increased.

“That troublemaking squad leader, he’s probably sneaking into the battalion commander’s quarters too?”

“Hey, he’s not some male whore, what kind of nonsense is that?”

The soldier who mentioned the term ‘male whore’ laughed louder at his own words.

It was the usual kind of talk. A squad leader surviving by pandering to his squad members’ whims.

Even back when his skills were terrible, he didn’t let it bother him.

Now, he had reached a level where he didn’t even hear such comments. Encrid ignored it again.

But his squad members did not.

“Having fun, are we?”

It was Jaxon. The red-haired squad member had silently moved and now had his arms around the shoulders of the two soldiers who had been talking.

Encrid hadn’t even noticed Jaxon move.

He saw the two soldiers flinch in surprise.

Jaxon lowered his head between them and whispered something. With his head lowered, Encrid couldn’t read his lips, but whatever he said made the two soldiers immediately shut their mouths.

Their faces turned pale as a bonus.

Jaxon leisurely returned to his original spot.

“What did you say?”

Rem, curious, asked. Ragna also perked up, and even Big Eyes and the faithful squad members subtly leaned towards Jaxon.

While Encrid didn’t care what the others were talking about, he was curious about what Jaxon had said.

“Just advice, essential advice for living life.”

“Yeah, right.”

Rem scoffed at him.

Encrid didn’t see it, and neither did Big Eyes, but the rest did.

In Jaxon’s hands, draped over the shoulders of the two soldiers, were short knives.

The tips were precisely pressing against their necks, sending a chill down their spines.

“Do you need some advice too?”

Jaxon asked Rem. His tone was casual. Rem heard it and laughed, veins bulging on his forehead.

“Quiet. The battalion commander is giving a speech.”

Encrid intervened just in time.

Despite Jaxon’s show of force, the discontent towards Encrid persisted.

The criticisms were tinged with jealousy and envy.

Originally, he was a nobody.

Originally, he was struggling at the bottom.

Originally, he was a squad leader barely surviving thanks to his squad members.

That was Encrid’s position.

Being a low-ranking soldier also played a part.

But this soldier had broken the spell.

The battalion commander personally commended him, and the kingdom even sent a reward.

There were more people with the hearts of snakes, filled with envy, than there were those genuinely happy for him.

In Naurillia, snakes were traditionally depicted as treacherous, jealous creatures who couldn’t stand to see others succeed.

Hence, this kind of behavior was often described as having a ‘snake’s heart’.

The soldiers’ current behavior was exactly that.

They couldn’t stand that someone who was supposed to be beneath them had achieved something significant.

Even though Encrid saved them by breaking the spell, many soldiers couldn’t easily acknowledge it.

“Could it be, that squad leader?”

Even a casual remark like this one reflected the entire situation.

The disbelief that a mere squad leader could have accomplished something significant was filled with contempt, envy, and jealousy.

“Hmph, everyone sure has a lot to say.”

Even Big Eyes, who usually let things slide, made a comment.

The battalion commander’s speech finally ended.

The leather pouch Encrid received was heavy. If it wasn’t just copper coins, it was a substantial amount.

Encrid decided to buy a new sword with his hefty reward.

“Disperse! It’s time for the shift change.”

The battalion lieutenant announced the end of the tedious time.

“Want to have a match right away? Do you have a duty?”

As everyone started to disperse, Encrid asked Rem, “Want to have a match right away? Do you have a duty?”

Rem found this man endlessly fascinating.

“Have you ever thought about playing with those loudmouths instead of me?”

“Those guys? Why? Would it help?”

The squad leader just stared at his sword again. Seeing this made Rem feel a warm affection.

How could someone be so consistent?

Dealing with the arrogant loudmouths could wait.

“Let’s do it. Let’s spar.”

Rem suddenly recalled the first time he saw Encrid at the Border Guard.

Back then, he was beyond terrible, relying solely on tricks.

But now?

He vividly remembered the time they sparred again after the battle in the city.

‘Where did he get such solid fundamentals?’

His swordsmanship, based on solid basics, seemed like it had been taught by a prestigious family. It was hard to believe it was the same person.

“You’ve improved a lot.”

With that, Rem quickly raised his game. He had to. The sparring couldn’t be the playful match it used to be.

While Rem took it in stride, Ragna was quite surprised after sparring with Encrid.

“If I had taught him, he couldn’t have done better.”

The squad leader’s skills had improved significantly. His fundamentals were solid, and the Focus Point technique, which Ragna had briefly taught him, was executed well.

This wasn’t surprising, though.

The Focus Point technique was about pushing oneself into a trance-like state.

With talent, it could be mastered in a day.

Ragna had done it himself.

Although it was surprising that the squad leader had achieved it,

‘It’s not impossible.’

Thinking that someone else can do something just because you can is the mindset of a genius.

That was how Ragna understood Encrid’s current state.

Jaxon found joy in facing a squad leader whose skills had suddenly improved.

‘Is this enjoyable?’

What is a sword, what is a spear, what are weapons including daggers?

They are tools meant to kill someone.

Until now, he had always regarded weapons as mere tools.

But strangely, after sparring with the squad leader, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

To the point where he momentarily forgot the goal he had set for himself.

It was a truly curious thing.

So, he wanted to look out for the squad leader even more.

On the other side, the faithful squad member, Audin Plumray, was staring intently at the squad leader.

His insight was quite remarkable.

‘His skills improved significantly in just one day.’

Did the squad leader have this much talent for physical combat?

If that were the case, his skills should continue to improve.

But now, he seemed to be stagnating again.

Everything you learn and master can hit a plateau.

Audin knew this, but he always felt a sense of awkwardness when looking at the squad leader.

‘Something feels strangely off.’

But it wasn’t something to worry about too much.

Or, if he thought of it as a blessing from the gods, it eased his mind.

Encrid was someone who trained so hard that a day felt too short.

If someone like him didn’t receive a blessing, then who deserved to be blessed?

Audin embraced the questions that started with the squad leader.

God and man, blessings and curses.

He took everything that came to mind as a topic of contemplation and fell into deep thought.

* * *

“Seems pretty decent.”

Encrid had bought a sword.

“Decent? It’s not just decent. That one has Valyrian steel mixed in!”

The blacksmith spoke with a vein bulging on his forehead.

“Is that so?”

Encrid asked as he examined the blade.

There were no traces of the distinctive bluish hue of pure Valyrian steel.

Seeing Encrid inspect the blade like an expert, the blacksmith continued.

“I said it’s mixed with Valyrian steel, not that it’s pure Valyrian steel.”

“I see.”

Valyrian steel is renowned across the continent as high-quality metal.

Steel from the Valyrian region is highly elastic and resistant to breaking. When a sword is made with Valyrian steel, it doesn’t chip easily.

Once sharpened, it becomes an exceptionally durable weapon.

What better ally on the battlefield than a sturdy sword?

That’s why everyone coveted weapons made of Valyrian steel.

If not Valyrian steel, the next best option was Imperial steel, but Imperial steel was never exported outside the empire, making Valyrian steel the best available option.

“I’ll take it.”

Spending half of his reward money on a single sword made Big Eyes shake his head.

“Why spend so much on a sword? You could just use something lying around the battlefield, or even apply for standard issue.”

“Wouldn’t it be a shame to die from using a shabby weapon?”

“…When you put it that way, I can’t argue. So, are you going to apply for promotion right away?”

“Yeah.”

He had recently refined the skills he had honed through countless sparring sessions.

Now, he wanted to test his abilities.

‘How far can I go?’

He was currently at the lowest rank. He judged that he could at least reach the intermediate rank.

Then what about the advanced rank? The highest rank? The elite rank?

Naurillia had introduced a soldier ranking system to boost morale.

To advance in rank, one simply had to defeat a soldier of a higher rank.

Challenges were always accepted. There were even people in the unit who arranged these sparring matches.

It was a simple but effective system.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Big Eyes was one of those who arranged these matches.

Krais, or Big Eyes, would do anything that made money.

Promotion matches involved betting, which meant there was money to be made. The higher-ups knew about the betting but turned a blind eye.

Some commanders even placed bets on the matches themselves.

“I bet on the Squad Leader’s victory.”

Big Eyes said. It wasn’t because he trusted his own judgment.

Before starting, he had squeezed some information out of Rem.

“If possible, bet on the Squad Leader.”

That was all, but since Rem wasn’t one to speak lightly, Big Eyes believed him.

‘If I lose…’

He wouldn’t just let it slide. Of course, he wouldn’t confront Rem directly.

Krais knew well that challenging Rem would mean being left in pieces.

“You want to have a promotion match?”

When Encrid requested it from the platoon leader, he nodded in agreement.

“Well, there’s no need to stay at the lowest rank.”

After getting the platoon leader’s permission and with Big Eyes’ arrangement, preparations for the sparring match were made in the central training ground, attracting a few idle soldiers.

It wasn’t really an event that should gather spectators, but this was the infamous Troublemaking Squad Leader.

The one who supposedly broke the Spell of the Fog.

The squad leader is rumored to have survived by licking his squad members’ anuses!

So, naturally, the spectators increased.

More and more eyes gathered.

With over twenty spectators present, Encrid faced his opponent.

The soldier was a mercenary with curly hair.

“I’m an intermediate rank. You applied directly for the intermediate soldier rank?”

“I did.”

“You’re arrogant.”

After this brief exchange, they crossed swords. Encrid received his opponent’s downward strike.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed.

Encrid waited for his opponent to attack again.

That’s how it had always been.

Rem, Ragna, and Jaxon all did the same.

In every sparring match, they exploited Encrid’s gaps.

And in real battles?

Even the pervert who loved to thrust.

Even Mitch Hurrier of Aspen.

They were all formidable opponents who did not tolerate any gaps.

But his current opponent was not like them.

Clang! Clang!

A few more strikes were exchanged.

Encrid furrowed his brow.

‘Is he playing around?’

His opponent’s skill was far below his expectations. It was hard to tell if he was serious or not.

“Ha!”

The soldier who claimed to be of intermediate rank swung his sword down. There were so many openings that it was almost concerning.

Encrid pretended to block, then dodged and tripped his opponent with his foot on the shin.

Thud, whoosh, bam.

The soldier’s right foot lifted to the side, causing him to fall flat on his back. He landed with a crash.

“Aagh!”

As he fell, he must have placed his hand wrong, because he screamed and clutched his wrist, rolling on the ground.

This was unexpected.

Encrid’s mind was flooded with questions.

‘Why is he so weak?’

That was Encrid’s main concern.

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