Encridâs âWillâ was neither complete nor perfect.
It was a fragment. A piece, a part.
And yet, it was still âWillâ.
This was why Marcus was astonished, and why the Fairy Company Commander returned immediately from whatever trip or vacation she had taken.
The Fairy Company Commander didnât deny that she came back to enjoy the sight while she was at the bath.
âIt looks good.â
Her words were an acknowledgment.
âAnything else you want to say?â
âNo.â
She simply came to confirm if what Encrid had done was genuine.
Itâs a strange thing, Encrid thought.
He knew what he did was impressive, but was it really something to make such a fuss over?
Even Encrid himself knew.
It was just a part, a fragment.
Yet, he felt joy and exhilaration from it.
Nothing else could give him this much satisfaction.
Feeling fulfilled, he also longed for more.
âIf this is just the beginning.â
It meant he could go further.
It felt as if a faded, torn dream had been stitched together into something magical.
âNo, it actually is like that.â
He scratched his cheek as he thought.
The curse of repeating âtodayâ stitched the torn fabric of dreams together.
Encrid didnât deny that.
âWell then.â
The Fairy Company Commander turned away. She walked out into the pouring rain.
Encrid, who was staring blankly, ran a hand through his hair.
He thought that the Fairy had a peculiar personality.
No matter how nimble a Fairy, avoiding the rain was impossible, and she was soaked through.
As she walked, Sinar checked the wound on her side.
âIt hurts.â
With some medicine and a day or two of rest, it would be fine. Though not completely painless, she could still move.
The Fairy, adjusting her wound, thought of Encrid.
His blue eyes staring at her from the bath.
She liked his face from the start.
So? Was he a target from the beginning? No. He was just a subject of a joke.
But now, he had become someone she found quite enticing.
âIt would be nice to bring him in.â
But that wouldnât be as easy as she thought.
She had just handled a task for the guild created to restore the Kingdomâs language.
She believed it would help with her future and what she desired.
If it wasnât helpful, there would be no reason for her to be here.
So, after finishing a tough and rough job, she returned to hear that Encrid had fainted.
No, to be precise, he had fainted but now endured without fainting.
Those who didnât understand wouldnât get it, but those who knew, understood.
âWillpower.â
âWillâ can only be blocked by âWillâ. Without comparable strength, resistance is impossible.
To endure beyond resistance.
âWill.â
That man, the one who had been a subject of jokes? âWillâ?
Sinar was so shocked she couldnât tend to her wound.
Wasnât it worth it?
She also had eyes. Even if she couldnât recognize talent, she knew Encridâs condition.
Even if struck by luck multiple times, it was impossible.
Yet, despite any hardship or crisis, he overcame and stood up every time. Watching that, how could she not be delighted?
âIâd like to show him to the idiots back home.â
She half meant it when she said she wanted to take him to her parents.
Fairy jokes often hide true intentions within.
âIt is amusing.â
Sinar moved her red lips and spoke to herself.
Shhhh.
The rain, relentless, poured down.
Rumble, crash!
The sound of thunder mixed in.
The Fairy unconsciously smiled.
The work was tedious, painful, and its end was bleak, but it was necessary.
Rarely had she smiled while doing such work.
But now, because of a certain man, she smiled easily.
Even though she found it quite amusing, she was satisfied with the present moment.
Was that why she hadnât left this place, even though she should have long ago?
âMaking various excuses?â
Perhaps so.
The Fairy, Sinar, continued walking.
Neither the pain nor her aspirations could hold her back right now.
She simply celebrated inwardly.
She celebrated what Encrid had accomplished.
For now, that was enough.
âSeems like sheâs hurt.â
Encrid had eyes. His sharpened sense of smell picked up the scent of blood mingling with the distinctive aroma of steam.
Even if he could tell by sight, others surely noticed as well.
âSeems like youâve fallen for her.â
Rem spoke up.
âFor what?â
âFor the Commander, I mean. If youâve got something like that, youâve got the strength of a beast.â
Rem said this while looking at Encridâs legs as he had just risen from the bath and was rinsing off sweat and other residues.
âCrazy bastard.â
When Encrid responded, Rem shook his head and said.
âI give up. I canât beat that.â
Heâs a madman, no doubt about it.
Encrid kicked at Remâs side. Rem, of course, dodged it.
âEven when hurt, she comes to see you. She is something else.â
Ragna added.
âYou should open a salon with me, seriously, especially that.â
Krais also commented, looking at Encridâs legs.
âWeâre in front of the Battalion Commander.â
Encrid warned them. Marcus laughed heartily beside him.
âIâm envious of that too.â
What exactly he was envious of was unclear.
And so, they all washed up and started heading back.
âLooks like sheâs been through a rough time. Seeing that Fairy hurt. But it doesnât seem to be a serious injury, so you donât need to worry about your FiancĂ©e.â đ§ĂÎá»êĐêš
Jaxon said as they neared their quarters.
Encrid corrected him.
âSheâs not my FiancĂ©e.â
âYes.â
Jaxon replied indifferently as he opened the door to the quarters. Dunbachel and Esther turned their gaze towards them.
And, at some point, Finn had also returned.
âIs it true?â
Finn asked. Encrid knew the question was directed at him.
Was it true about âWillâ? Did he really withstand the Intimidation? It was a question about the truth of the rumors.
âJust lucky.â
He didnât have much else to say.
âWow.â
Finn could only gape in astonishment.
âAt this rate, wonât you become a real Knight?â
From the first time she saw him, Finn never thought Encrid was a normal human, but this was realââWillâ!
Encrid didnât respond to Finnâs amazement.
Dreaming of becoming a Knight, striving for that goal.
He had never thought about whether he would achieve it or not.
He just crawled forward.
That progress had now borne fruit.
As everyone settled down to sleep, there were trivial jokes, Remâs teasing of Dunbachel, and Encridâs question to Finn about where she had been, to which Finn replied with nonsense about hanging out with language-obsessed lunatics.
Finn shook her head, saying she couldnât give more details, and no one seemed particularly interested.
Encrid had asked, but didnât listen closely.
âWhy ask if you donât care? Why doesnât anyone here pay attention to me? Especially when thereâs such a lovely woman in the room?â
Finn said. Her hair might be a bit messy, but she wasnât unattractive.
Thanks to the repeating day, he didnât remember the face of the female thief from the Black Blade Bandits anymore, but compared to her, Finn was definitely a beauty.
âPfft.â
Esther snorted beside him. It was clearly a derisive laugh.
âEven the pantherâs laughing at you. Go wash up and get some sleep.â
Rem laughed and teased, and Finn cursed as she blamed the pouring rain.
âDamn rain.â
With those words, Finn was about to go out to wash. As she reached for the door, Jaxon grabbed her wrist, Esther, who had gotten up, stood at her feet.
Rem, Ragna, and Audin also turned their heads.
Encrid blocked her path.
Even Dunbachel, with her beast-like instincts, twitched her shoulders and bared her fangs.
ââŠWhatâs going on?â
Krais, the only one who didnât understand, asked.
âA visitor.â
Encrid replied.
This was the Border Guardâs barracks. It wasnât an inn room in the city, and uninvited guests couldnât come easily.
And yet, there was a visitor.
âCan I see him for a moment?â
While everyone was watching the door, a voice was heard. Encrid stepped forward and said.
âMy guest.â
When he opened the door, there stood a middle-aged man, soaked like a wet mouse.
A Rapier Swordsman, once a guard for the Rockfreed merchant group. Earlier today, he had shown his Intimidation to Encrid and had been so shocked by Encridâs rejection that he could only utter a single exclamation repeatedly.
âYouâve come to your senses now, I see.â
Rem sneered from behind. Maybe it was a racial trait.
Anyway, his tongue never stopped. The Rapier Swordsman ignored Remâs words.
âI braved the rudeness to see you once more.â
He got straight to the point. The incident earlier had clearly shocked him greatly.
Just looking at his current state made that easy to understand.
Soaked by the rain, his eyes had dark circles, and his cheeks had hollowed in just half a day.
âAs much as you want.â
Encrid didnât refuse.
âIsnât it a hassle since you just washed?â
Krais asked a practical question. Encrid shook his head lightly and answered.
âItâs no hassle at all.â
If such things were bothersome, he should have given up the sword long ago.
The opponent before him was rare.
He could wield Intimidation and seemed to possess considerable skill.
Encrid had already planned to suggest sparring again tomorrow.
âI have to leave tonight due to some matters. I apologize for coming like this, knowing itâs impolite.â
He had secretly scaled the barracks wall in the middle of the night.
Of course, he had avoided the watchful eyes of the guards. Quite a skill.
Regardless, Encrid decided to increase the training intensity of his troops.
Allowing someone to scale the wall so easily was unacceptable.
Despite that, he was inwardly pleased at this moment.
âHere we go again.â
No matter what Rem said from behind, someone had come to find him for a duel.
Wasnât it Ibarin who was constraining him?
He wasnât a nobody. The shock from that nobody was so great that even though he forgot Edin Molsenâs name, he remembered the three letters of Ibarin.
The opponent was a wielder of âWillâ, which, in some sense, meant he was a true Junior-Knight.
The rain hadnât stopped yet. Though it had lessened, getting wet was inevitable.
Encrid, who had just washed, was drenched again. He didnât care.
Whatâs a bit of wetness?
Standing in front of the dedicated training ground, the ground was muddy.
The soil, which usually reduced the risk of injury from falls, was now slippery and gripping their feet.
But the ground wasnât a big issue for the two standing there.
âIâm going alone.â
Encrid said as he stepped forward.
Everyone roughly agreed, but Jaxon fundamentally distrusted humans.
âIf things go wrong.â
They strike from behind. Thatâs why Jaxon disappeared alone from the quarters.
Rem, having noticed this, didnât move, and neither did the others.
Esther sensed a peculiar change in Encridâs aura.
âWhat is it?â
She knew how to handle weapons, but unless it was related to magic, she wouldnât usually sense things this sensitively.
Has the power that blurred her curse weakened?
No, that wasnât it.
Has his attitude changed? He was still the same crazy man as before.
Yet, Esther felt a strange change. However, that wasnât a reason to stand in the pouring rain and watch.
Esther closed her eyes. She was tired. Recently, she had transformed into a human several times, honing her skills in the world of magic.
Thanks to those experiences, she had also learned about the world.
No longer a wizard trapped in her own world, she had rolled in the battlefield as a panther.
What she realized was this:
In human affairs, you never know what might suddenly happen.
Therefore, itâs essential to always be prepared.
Wizards are, by nature, a preparing sort.
Esther rested her head on her legs. There was no way Encrid would die, so she didnât worry.
She immersed herself in her world.
âSince the wildcat has gone, Iâll just sleep.â
Rem said.
âYeah, really. Jaxon disappeared quickly?â
Krais, who noticed late, replied.
Even though they had agreed to spend their time separately in the quarters, it wasnât long before Rem got up.
âItâs kind of boring.â
Those words reflected everyoneâs thoughts.
Even with an excuse, they would go to watch.
Standing opposite each other in the training ground, Encrid once again rejected the Intimidation.
âItâs real.â
The Rapier Swordsman said. He was surprised again, naturally. Who would have thought someone would realize âWillâ and return like this?
Meanwhile, a trickle of blood flowed from the left side of Encridâs nose.
âItâs easier than using a sword, butâŠâ
Still, it wasnât something he could use recklessly yet. However, he felt something.
âThe more you use it, the more youâll train it.â
The Rapier Swordsman remarked, seeing the faint nosebleed mixed with the rain.
Encrid felt the same way.
The more he used it, the more he would train it.
He was already feeling it in his body.
The two stood watching each other for a while. As the rain started pouring down harder, the Rapier Swordsman, staring directly into Encridâs blue eyes, spoke.
The words that came out were:
âI cannot reveal my affiliation, but I am a member of a renowned Knightly order. This is all I can say for now, but do you have any thoughts of following me?â
The pouring rain filled the space between them.
Boom! Crack!
The rain, which seemed like it might stop, poured harder, and thunder roared.
A bright blue lightning bolt lit up the sky and illuminated the world.
The Rapier Swordsmanâs eyes met Encridâs.
âNot a sparring match.â
He hadnât come to fight, but to measure and win him over again.
Moreover, he said he was a member of a renowned Knightly order.
In other words,
âJoin the Knightly order. I will illuminate your path.â
It was an invitation to a path where he could become a Knight.
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