Chapter 235

‘Are you mad?’

As a Rapier Swordsman, that was the only thought that came to mind.

Finally, he thought that head of his had truly gone haywire.

Seeing how quickly he had mastered that technique, it must have been a stroke of luck amid continuous grueling efforts.

Had the cumulative training and luck broken that guy’s head?

Rem had a similar thought.

‘Are you crazy?’

His hand trembled reflexively. There’s a vast difference between resisting and succumbing to Intimidation.

Ragna gripped his sword.

He judged it was impossible. He planned to rush forward and swing, aiming to ‘severe’.

In other words, he intended to cut through that aura of ‘Intimidation’.

Audin prepared his Divine Power.

As long as he didn’t die, he could be healed.

Jaxon silently drew his stiletto from behind the swordsman.

Stab and kill. No matter what tricks the opponent had, he could kill.

Jaxon was confident. Whether the opponent was a Knight, a Junior-Knight, or whatever.

Just before everyone reacted, an invisible blade approached and was about to touch Encrid’s body.

In that split second, Encrid conveyed his will to the invisible something inside him.

‘I refuse.’

The will imbued in the blade was to cut.

Then, what was the will imbued in the Intimidation beyond that?

‘Step back.’

Encrid refused that too. He rejected the invisible pressure weighing on his shoulders and the blade cutting him.

‘Will’ is the manifestation of one’s intent.

Soon it emits some kind of invisible force.

If Intimidation is that, refusal is that too.

Feeling that the pressure of Intimidation, which had given a pain similar to reality, was now just an unseen force, Encrid could ignore it.

This was easier than enduring being cut by the Shepherd Pel’s sword.

So, it was clear that his current action was not an overreach.

Encrid demonstrated this through his actions.

The approaching invisible blade scattered like dust. It was a blade seen only in the mind.

Step.

Encrid took a step forward and nonchalantly spoke.

“What are you doing? Ragna? Jaxon?”

Ragna, who had approached unnoticed, stood beside him with his sword raised vertically, while Jaxon stood behind the Rapier Swordsman.

The two, surprised, blinked.

Jaxon reacted first.

Without a sound, he stepped back.

The Rapier Swordsman probably hadn’t realized someone was behind him.

Ragna froze, still holding his sword.

Soon, as if he thought of a plausible excuse, Ragna spoke.

“It’s a good day to hold a sword.”

Was it because Encrid had said today was a good day?

As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous rumble echoed, and it began to rain.

Plop, plop, plop.

“…Huh?”

The Rapier Swordsman, seemingly oblivious to the rain, couldn’t take his eyes off Encrid.

No, he couldn’t even speak properly, his mouth agape.

It seemed he had become mute.

“Huh?”

All he could do was let out a single word full of astonishment.

Encrid tilted his head.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Huh?”

The swordsman repeated the same word. Encrid had seen people so shocked they couldn’t speak before, but this was a first.

His opponent, still with his mouth open, couldn’t continue speaking.

Encrid spoke carefully.

“We should find a healer.”

The mentally afflicted are not easily treated. Even if a healer came, they might just shake their head.

“It seems his head is broken.”

Encrid continued.

“Pfft.”

At those words, Rem burst into laughter. It wasn’t meant to be funny.

It was a serious comment.

“Huh?”

The Rapier Swordsman kept repeating the same word.

He seemed genuinely and thoroughly shocked.

“If your sword gets wet in the rain, it’ll rust. Is today really a good day to hold a sword?”

Encrid asked, looking to his side. Ragna, who still held his sword, nodded in agreement at Encrid’s words.

“Yes. Today, this much is enough.”

“Fine, oil your sword.”

Otherwise, it would rust.

“I will.”

Ragna sheathed his sword and stepped back, revealing three more people just as shocked as the Rapier Swordsman.

They all stood with their mouths open, staring at Encrid.

“How?”

Among them, the half-blood Giant managed to speak.

“Well.”

Encrid replied kindly. There wasn’t much more to say.

‘Will’ is not something that can be easily explained.

“Will?”

The Swift Blade muttered. Though it wasn’t a question, Encrid answered readily.

“Yes.”

The bodyguard furrowed his brow.

Unable to comprehend or accept the situation, he couldn’t speak.

The rain, now pouring heavily, drenched his hair.

Naturally, it soaked the others as well.

“Perhaps we should get out of the rain?”

Encrid suggested.

“Huh?”

The Rapier Swordsman replied, still seemingly out of his mind.

“Someone take care of him.”

Encrid said as he turned away. Rem and the others followed him.

Even though they were used to their leader’s transformations, this was something beyond their understanding.

It was different from merely being skilled with a sword or controlling one’s body well.

“Is it Will?”

Ragna, who possessed the Will of ‘Severance’, asked. His voice was higher and faster than usual, a sign of his astonishment.

Ragna’s blonde hair, soaked by the rain, hung down in front of his eyes.

“You need a haircut. Yes.”

Encrid replied nonchalantly. While he was pleased and willing to enjoy the moment, he knew this wasn’t the end.

This wasn’t the ultimate goal.

A true Knight’s ‘Will’ is the natural manifestation of one’s intent.

Intimidating, rejecting, and cutting the opponent with one’s presence.

Once he realized part of it, he understood.

Asia’s Intimidation, the Rapier Swordsman’s Intimidation.

Both had developed their Will in that direction.

In the same way, Ragna’s Severance is similar.

Even if one masters Lion Slash and Steel Slash, they can’t mimic his ‘Severance’.

In the end, understanding ‘Will’ is essential.

“What is it? Where did you learn it? Do you train to the point of death in your dreams?”

Rem was just as surprised.

Encrid responded to his comment.

“In my dreams, it’s usually a perverted ferryman rather than training.”

“Huh? A perverted ferryman? What’s that about?”

It was a question he couldn’t answer, so he ignored it.

Rem would likely take it as a joke anyway.

Audin muttered afterward.

“It’s as if you’re walking through time differently, brother.”

Just like the Rapier Swordsman, he had sharp eyes and was deeply devoted to his faith.

He was right.

“Are you training somewhere with time stopped, brother?”

He looked dull, but he was sharp. Encrid thought this inwardly as he answered.

“Something like that.”

Instead of replying, Audin quietly began reciting a scripture.

He assumed Encrid’s response was a joke.

Who would even suspect otherwise?

Jaxon remained the same as usual. He said nothing, but his gaze was intense. He scrutinized Encrid from head to toe.

“I trained properly and didn’t use any drugs.”

When Encrid spoke, Jaxon rarely flinched his shoulders.

It was a sight rarely seen.

“What made you suspect drugs?”

Jaxon asked.

“Your eyes are full of suspicion.”

Considering his knack for handling drugs, it wasn’t surprising he had such doubts, but they were real.

“Hmm, did you also master mind-reading?”

It wasn’t mind-reading, but rather, Jaxon’s instruction had heightened his ‘Sense of the Blade’.

It made it easier to read others’ intentions and emotions.

Especially hidden ones.

For example, Swift Blade, who ultimately didn’t attack earlier, had spoken with a smile.

“I’m done. It’s clear that if I attacked, I’d get beaten.”

But what lay hidden in his eyes?

Murderous intent and malice.

There was also the opposite.

The half-blood Giant, who outwardly displayed fighting spirit and competitive nature.

After being thrown aside, what had shown in her eyes?

It was something like regret and disappointment.

Of course, it wasn’t directed at Encrid. It felt self-deprecating.

‘Well, it might not be entirely accurate.’

That was just the general feeling. Encrid was about to enter the lodging but then took off his clothes.

He organized his equipment and placed it under the eaves, just as Krais came out of the lodging.

“Wipe down and organize the equipment.”

As Encrid instructed, others piled their gear on top of it.

“Isn’t this too much?”

Rem tossed a pouch on top.

“Payment for your trouble.”

“Visit Krais’s Equipment Care anytime!”

His attitude changed instantly. Rem tended to use Krona liberally, so the amount in the pouch was likely substantial.

“If we go inside soaking wet, the lodging will be a mess. Let’s head straight to the bath.”

It was Encrid’s suggestion. The Border Guard barracks had many good facilities. One was the well, but since becoming an Independent Company, they had access to the unit’s private bathhouse anytime. ṛ𝔞ℕ𝖔βȧ

There were large wooden tubs filled with water, and water was constantly being heated.

In other words, they could bathe in hot water.

A well had been dug, with a roof built over it, so water was plentiful.

One side was always boiling water, making the place full of steam.

“Let’s go.”

As everyone headed to the bathhouse and stripped down, the women stoking the water laughed and said,

“Wow, after only seeing my husband, looking at you guys feels like heaven!”

Everyone burst into laughter at the coarse remark from one of the women.

“Hey, be nice to your husband. Living with a woman bigger than himself can’t be easy.”

Rem teased with a sly smile, and the woman promptly splashed cold water on him.

“Oh, that’s cold.”

Rem, unfazed by the cold water, continued to smile and said, “You, with the gray hair, have a sharp tongue.”

It seemed they knew each other.

Later, when they were in the bath, he asked how they knew each other.

“Because Dunbachel kept passing out and rolling in the dirt, I had to throw her in the bath often enough to recognize her. She’s a lively woman.”

The fact that Rem was having a conversation with her like that was impressive.

Come to think of it.

‘Rem, that rascal.’

He’s kind to women. He might pick fights with anyone, but he rarely hits women.

‘Then, what about Dunbachel?’

“Dunbachel? She’s a warrior, not a woman.”

Rem’s answer came when he asked just in case.

“By the way, it seems we’ll really need to use ‘strength’ properly if we’re going to face the Commander now.”

Rem said, submerged up to his neck in the bathwater.

Encrid ignored the glances from the women and looked at Rem.

What was in those gray eyes?

Rem had developed a fighting spirit and competitiveness that weren’t there before.

No matter how wild he got, had Rem ever shown such emotions toward him?

Had he ever displayed such an aura?

There had been times when he said it was hard to use his strength because he might accidentally kill someone.

“Properly, how?”

Splash.

Rem flicked the bathwater as he replied.

“It’ll be fun.”

At those words, Encrid also laughed. The eyes of the mad training enthusiast and the mad axeman met.

It was a moment when a new intensity directed at each other. Jaxon, observing, said,

“Everyone’s gone mad.”

Audin laughed as usual, and Ragna remained silent.

But it was clear his eyes were constantly wavering, lost in various thoughts.

“Is it really Will? Truly? Honestly? Not a lie? Not a trick?”

Krais, who had joined late and stripped down, asked as he entered the bath.

Big Eyes, who never stopped training his body, had much to show off.

Some of the women said their preferences leaned toward him instead.

“It costs one coin for the show!”

Krais joked, making a few women laugh.

Maintaining his friendly attitude with everyone, Krais asked his question.

Through the steam rising and filling the room, everyone’s gaze focused on Encrid.

They said he had overcome Intimidation.

It wasn’t quite a rumor, but it was something people in the know would talk about.

Encrid started with the truth.

“It’s like repeating ‘today’ over and over again.”

“No more fiction. Next.”

Jaxon responded, indicating how unrealistic that sounded.

Encrid scratched his head and spoke again.

“Just lucky.”

The answer remained the same. In truth, there wasn’t a better excuse than that.

Everyone, including Rem, swallowed their words.

Was he really using that as an excuse?

Was this guy actually a genius?

It couldn’t be. They had taught him and found he had no special talent.

There was doubt in everyone’s eyes, but no suspicion.

In truth, there was nothing more to say beyond luck.

“Maybe he slept with the Goddess of luck.”

Rem’s muttering seemed to be the correct answer.

More guests arrived in the bathhouse.

“Will? Really? Is it true?”

It was Marcus, in his everyday clothes.

His face was red, and he was soaked, perhaps from the rain.

“Since you’re here, why not join us in the bath?”

Encrid said nonchalantly, and Marcus quickly stripped off his clothes and jumped into the bath.

His body was more toned than expected, with scars scattered here and there.

Of course, he had fewer scars than Encrid.

“Is it true?”

Marcus’s eyes gleamed. It seemed like he was asking what Encrid was, how far he could go.

“Yes.”

Encrid nodded.

He had said he wanted to be a Knight, called it a dream, and showed his will and intent.

But could Encrid really become a Knight?

How many people had this question?

Marcus was the same.

He believed Encrid would advance, but hearing it become a reality was surprising.

“Heh.”

A hollow laugh followed.

“Fiancée?”

The Fairy Company Commander burst into the bathhouse.

“It’s all men here, but you’re quite confident. Care to join us?”

Krais welcomed her, but she shook her head.

“Anyone who sees my naked body, except my Fiancée, would have their eyes plucked out. Is that okay?”

Her Fairy-style joke echoed through the bathhouse.

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