Chapter 415

How many nobles were there in the capital?

Not all of them were decent.

It was something that could easily be realized with just a little thought.

"What do you think? If you come to my territory, I can give you a manor along with the title of Territory Guardian..."

It all started with Baron Somerset.

Enkrid usually tried to be gentle in turning people down.

"I'm not interested."

It was a situation he had never experienced before. Had he ever received such attention from nobles in his life?

Enkrid pushed the noble away by clearly stating his intentions.

"U-um."

Baron Somerset was speechless. It was due to Enkrid's firm tone in rejecting the offer. What he didn’t realize was that this was Enkrid being polite.

Still, Somerset couldn’t help but think it was rather rude.

He knew Enkrid was a skilled man, but how could anyone live by just relying on a sword?

Everyone needed a background.

Surely, if Enkrid wanted to make a name for himself in the capital, it was only natural to act that way, right?

The way Somerset saw things, this was the obvious thing to do.

"Then, I'll leave now."

Enkrid nodded lightly and turned to leave. The boy who served Somerset saw his master trembling with his hands.

Even so, the sight of the hero of the nation walking away looked quite impressive.

‘Impressive.’

Whether a noble or anyone else, Enkrid spoke his mind and turned away. How many young children could have such admiration for someone like that?

Admiration wasn’t limited to just others.

Among the palace maids, there had even been a discussion comparing the faces of Enkrid and Jaxon, wondering who looked better.

Meanwhile, Audin, Rem, Dunbakel, and even Teresa had found themselves mentioned in the discussion.

Enkrid had already gained a reputation among the noble ladies. But now, his fame wasn’t just at that level. Among the nobles in the capital, no one didn’t know about Enkrid and the Mad Platoon. Some nobles even brought their daughters to meet him. Enkrid met them all, thinking about Crang.

"My daughter."

She was fairly pretty. When she shyly lowered her head, she seemed pure.

Enkrid looked at her exposed arm and thought that with those arms, she wouldn’t even be able to properly hold a rapier, so he politely declined.

"I'm busy."

"What’s so busy?"

"I need to train."

There were various polite exchanges, but the essence of the conversation was simple.

There were some who brought their daughters and urged them to become their heirs.

"I don’t have any children."

He seemed to be about seventy, an old, skinny man. He said he had never recklessly spent his wealth in his life, and this time, he said that supporting the king’s side was the greatest gamble of his life.

After handling him as best as he could, Jaxon came over and said,

"I hear he has six children, but he didn’t like any of them, so he kicked them out."

This nobleman was known for being a miser, even eating black bread instead of white bread at home.

Such a person had come to offer everything he owned.

No, he had even brought a deed with him. All that was left was to stamp the seal, and it would be done.

Enkrid didn’t have a seal. After all, he was a commoner.

A few more nobles came after that.

Among them, the higher-ranking ones were the ones who arrived.

Meanwhile, a few particularly special ones showed up.

"I’ll say it in advance, I’m not from Azpen, and this is just a request. So, there’s no need to kill or strike me. My job is just to relay their words and get a response."

He looked incredibly nervous, sweating profusely under the shade of a tree.

He appeared to be a judicial officer working in the capital.

A minor noble, but one who made extra income through various requests.

He was clearly trying to show he was just a messenger, asking for understanding as though someone had a hold on him.

Enkrid nodded.

"They promised the title of Duke from Azpen."

Was the civil war only a problem for Naurillia? No, it was a matter that concerned all surrounding nations.

It made sense that Azpen would be the first to speak on it.

What about Enkrid?

Was he a person loyal to the country? Or did he have his own ambitions?

"They also said a marriage proposal with the princess is possible."

Enkrid started to worry about the officer’s dehydration symptoms.

He was sweating so much it was almost alarming.

"I’ll decline."

"Oh, yes. Understood."

He didn’t seem like he wanted to try convincing him a second time.

He was offering gold like a mountain and giving a beauty to boot.

At this point, everything started to irritate Enkrid.

"How about cutting off a few arms? They won’t come back then."

Rem gave his suggestion. Enkrid, feeling how bothersome it all was, found the idea tempting.

"Better just ignore them."

Ragna also stepped in. It was a more gentle approach, but the problem was that the nobles didn’t come alone—they brought their servants or maids with them.

Do nobles suffer? It’s the servants who suffer.

Seeing the young boy trembling as he came to find him, it was hard to just ignore him.

"Hehe, you just need to calm your mind with prayer. You can pray with those who come to see you as well, Commander Brother."

If the first prayer was literally a prayer, the second prayer he mentioned could involve fists and feet as well.

Enkrid thought this approach was no different from Rem’s.

Dunbakel and Teresa had no interest in such things.

Jaxon secretly thought it would be easier to just kill them off, but he didn’t voice it.

He knew when to be discreet.

Esther only watched lazily with half-closed eyes.

"You should be careful. You’ve caught the demon’s attention."

When he said that, Enkrid’s response truly stirred something in Esther’s heart.

"He’s strong, right?"

Asking about the demon’s strength.

"Do you think we can’t win easily?"

The face expecting a fight with a demon.

"Crazy bastard."

Esther muttered to herself, spitting out curses, then turned back into a leopard.

It was a soliloquy, but if she didn’t say it aloud, she would have exploded inside.

To maintain the magic world, such frustrations couldn’t be allowed.

Enkrid wasn’t one to criticize suddenly bringing up such a thing.

Anyway, Enkrid decided to ignore any advice and simply send them away.

But it was annoying, and for a moment, he even thought of just sending them straight to the Border Guard.

"It’s been a while. The hero of the nation and demon slayer, the Guardian of the Border Guard..."

"That’s enough."

It was someone he had met before. Enkrid opened his mouth, thinking that if he forgot her name, that beautiful face would turn into an angry ghoul.

"Lady Baisar."

"...You didn’t forget my name, did you?"

"Of course not."

Enkrid was particularly good with words. He could handle situations without even mentioning her name.

The capital’s most beautiful woman, Kin Baisar, couldn’t press the matter further.

She hadn’t come alone, and the man in front of her left no openings in his words.

It wasn’t appropriate for her to press him for his name either.

It wasn’t courteous, and as a noble, it would lower her dignity.

‘Maybe I did forget.’

But Enkrid had his doubts.

It was a reasonable doubt. He had indeed forgotten her name while repeating the same routine today.

But as he observed her walking to the training hall, he saw five attendants and an old man following her.

"Seems like a lot of troublesome people have been coming lately?"

It was Marquis Baisar.

Kin bowed her head and stepped aside.

"There’s no need to give up your seat, I have no intention of wasting your time."

Marquis Baisar was a man of efficiency by nature. He hated wasting time.

This was the difference between him and those who had come. Instead of sending servants or maids, he had sent people from his family and entered the training hall. In front of Rem and the others, the Marquis spoke.

"I hear you’re getting quite old, Kin, and planning to marry."

Enkrid wasn’t a fool. His intelligence was recognized by Kraiss. Kin, without the slightest sign of embarrassment, lowered her head, and the Marquis had the attitude that his proposal couldn’t be wrong.

"My title as Marquis will be passed to Marcus."

Taking that into account, it was easy to understand the meaning behind what was being said now.

Kin Baisar was a symbol.

A symbol connecting him and the Baisar family.

What advantages did that bring?

When the award ceremony for military merit started, the Baisar family would receive the Duke’s title.

Marcus Baisar, one of those who had made significant contributions on the battlefield, had the influence to make that happen.

If he became the master of the Centipole family, a Duke’s title was certain.

The kingdom’s only unique ducal family would be backing you.

Do whatever you desire.

And no pressure would be applied.

This was the hidden meaning behind the offer being made.

Marquis Baisar was no fool either. He had no intention of forcing or oppressing Enkrid.

He simply wanted to form a deeper connection. In exchange, he would offer the kingdom’s most beautiful woman and anything else that was needed.

That was the Marquis’s proposal.

It would have been fine to put forward someone else instead of Kin, but he didn’t.

Kin Baisar was the honor being shown by the Marquis.

Even if it had been Crang, hearing this would have made him think "perhaps" it was a bold offer.

Enkrid stared at the Marquis for a moment before turning his gaze.

He looked at Kin Baisar.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

As the daughter of a noble family, it was common for her to engage in a political marriage. It was a society that encouraged that.

So, was that an enjoyable thing? Fun?

Enkrid didn’t know Kin Baisar well. But he saw her as a person, not just a woman. Though he didn’t know her completely, they had exchanged a few words during their brief encounters.

From what he had seen, Kin Baisar didn’t appear to wish for a life of being a mistress of a mansion.

This might be a bold thing to say, but Enkrid acted as he always did.

When had he ever lived by holding back what he wanted to say?

"What is your dream?"

So, he asked.

Kin Baisar remained expressionless before looking at Enkrid.

She was a symbol. A target for a political marriage. That was all.

There was no need for affection from her, and it didn’t matter if she did nothing.

But what dream? This was an odd question, one that didn’t fit the situation.

"Don’t you have a dream? Something you want to do?"

Kin Baisar was flustered. She thought, ‘This guy is truly unpredictable.’

The Marquis remained silent. He was never one to show his emotions.

Should she answer?

"I think you do."

She had been born into a noble family, but she wasn’t just quietly staying in the house. That’s why she had something she wanted to do. But it wasn’t something she could say in front of the head of the family.

Within the family, the Marquis’s word was law. If he said she should marry for political reasons, that was what she would do.

"I will be with the hero of the nation."

Kin responded with the standard answer. No one spoke a word. The Marquis simply watched.

"What is it you want to do?"

Enkrid asked again with a blunt tone, and Kin began to sweat. It felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff.

"Say it."

The Marquis, staring at Enkrid, spoke. Kin hesitated before finally opening her mouth.

"I’ve been interested in working with jewels, so I’ve been doing a small business on the side."

"You found a fairly large merchant group for such a small endeavor, didn’t you?"

The Marquis’s words. He already knew.

Kin Baisar had an excellent eye for jewels. She was also a trendsetter in the capital’s fashion.

It was thanks to her innate sense and the eye that had been trained since childhood in the Baisar family.

Of course, she also had a talent that could be called genius.

"Is that what you want to do?"

The Marquis asked. Kin didn’t know how to respond. When she didn’t answer, Enkrid spoke in her place.

"Why ask? It’s because you’re old and stubborn. Stop being so stubborn and stop bothering her."

Half of the attendants gasped.

Wasn’t that crossing the line?

But Enkrid had no intention of going further.

While ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) he was terrifying, looking at the people behind him made it clear that it was not something he could afford to do.

Rem was licking the edge of his axe blade with his tongue.

"Disgusting."

Ragna scolded him.

"Don’t mind it."

The two of them soon began to argue.

"Am I old and stubborn?"

The Marquis blinked, asking back. There was no trace of laughter in his eyes. He could have felt pressured, but compared to Count Molsen, who was possessed by the demon, this was nothing.

"To prove myself, a sword is enough."

Enkrid answered.

That was the end of the conversation. Unlike the other nobles, there was no reason to treat him any differently. Enkrid truly thought so.

Whether it was Marquis Baisar or Somerset, it didn’t matter.

"Then."

Just troublesome people who were wasting his training time.

After bowing his head as a sign of courtesy, he turned around, and the Marquis, after glaring at Enkrid for a moment, turned his head.

He seemed to be quite upset.

"Still, do you think it’s okay with a Marquis? Or should I just go with a quick cut?"

Rem suggested, making a slicing motion across his neck, and Enkrid ignored him.

"It’s a waste of time."

He was serious.

He had learned and realized many things recently. These things made his body itch to train.

It made sense, since Enkrid had no talent when he first picked up a sword.

Someone like him had awakened Will in a moment and began using it, even mimicking Ragna’s swordsmanship.

Now, feeling his body changing, every time he swung his sword, it was ten times more enjoyable than before.

Of course, if someone like Pell or others who didn’t know him saw him, they would think he was just a maniac for training.

Pell, upon seeing Kin Baisar’s beauty, looked at Enkrid and wondered if the man had two stones and one stick made of stone.

"Is he castrated?"

So, he asked Dunbakel next to him.

"I thought the same. He’s the type who wouldn’t fall for me either."

Pell thought while looking at the smelly Dunbakel.

‘Even I wouldn’t fall for you.’

The beastfolk next to him hated washing, that was for sure.