Chapter 189

“Good sword.”

He’d gone to the blacksmith for a new weapon.

“This is yours too.”

He also received a steel breastplate. It was a type that only had rivets on the side for fastening.

It didn’t sit on the shoulders, which made it comfortable, but he’d probably need to find separate pauldrons.

Encrid noticed a pile of scrap metal stacked in the corner of the forge.

There were two other forges inside Border Guard.

Among them, this one had the best craftsmanship.

Since there were no personal blacksmiths assigned to the lord in Border Guard, all three forges had to supply the weapons used in the barracks.

With the war over, it was time to restock supplies, and they were going to use scrap metal to make spears, swords, and blunt weapons.

In short, the blacksmith who overexerted himself to fix Encrid’s sword despite the lack of time was standing right in front of him.

“Here.”

Ting.

He flicked a gold coin over, then stacked a few more on top.

“That’s a lot.”

“Buy your wife some flowers with the extra.”

The blacksmith stared at Encrid with sunken eyes.

Just take it, no need to stare.

Lately, Encrid’s finances had been rather generous. And he wasn’t exactly the thrifty type.

Krys always said that was the captain’s biggest flaw.

But honestly, within the squad—or rather, the entire company—Krys was the only one obsessed with money.

Even Finn wasn’t particularly frugal.

And Esther was a panther, so that went without saying.

‘Still, should Esther even count as part of the unit?’

Well, with all she’s done, why not?

Even if she couldn’t be formally listed in the unit roster, the panther was a comrade.

Anyway, Rem, Ragna, Audin, and Jaxson—

They all spent Krong pretty freely too, didn’t they?

Or at least, it felt that way.

And Encrid was the worst offender of them all.

Whether it was reward money or treasure hauls, once his pockets were full, he spent without hesitation.

Same story after leaving the forge.

Ting.

“Take it.”

A gold coin sailed through the air and was snatched up by a rough hand.

It belonged to John, the tanner.

John was highly skilled. Some traveling merchants even came to this city just to see him.

His leatherworking skill was worthy of being called masterful—far beyond just a regular craftsman.

This time, Encrid received leather forearm guards from him. Known as bracers, they covered from wrist to elbow.

Even wrapped tightly, they were soft yet sturdy.

Jet-black in color, fastened by pulling matching leather cords underneath.

Clearly a piece crafted with care.

The work of a true artisan, visible in every stitch. Well worth a gold coin.

“Three rounds of oil for that monster leather.”

One coin wasn’t going to cut it.

Ting. Another gold coin.

“That’ll do.”

John always charged fair prices. A leatherworker with integrity.

That’s why the merchants kept wearing out his doorstep.

Normally, once someone’s called an artisan, their prices skyrocket—but not John.

Anyway, monster leather was notoriously hard to work with. Even the tanning process required special reagents and still often failed.

In the capital, maybe you could find this kind of thing easily. But out here on the frontier? Not likely.

‘Does anyone else even have something like this?’

Probably not.

He liked the sword too. The ghost who had taught him swordsmanship was gone, and the blade that had housed him—once worthy of being called a cursed sword—was now just a piece of metal.

The new blade had a faint blue gleam, its hilt wrapped in deer leather thanks to the blacksmith’s special attention, and the round, solid pommel was especially satisfying.

“Here, I had some free time.”

Maybe because he hadn’t been to the market in a while—

The shoemaker he’d met back when he opened the [Gate of the Sixth Sense] approached and handed him boots.

The soles were thicker than before, and the tops were reinforced with a hard shell.

Just looking at them, you could tell these weren’t made with ordinary care.

“Didn’t put much effort in, but didn’t feel right selling them either.”

What kind of nonsense was that?

“Dad, just say you wanted to give them to him.”

His daughter giggled beside him. A bright smile.

Encrid flicked another coin.

Ting!

A gold coin.

The daughter caught it.

“That’s a lot.”

“If there’s extra, use it however you want.”

Encrid scattered coins as he went, and along the way, he received plenty of spiced jerky.

Also a couple bottles of wine. Not bad stuff.

Though… why the charcoal?

“It’s good charcoal.”

Where was he even supposed to use this? Should he do a charcoal barbecue or something?

These people were amusing.

Was this the power of the Gilpin Guild? The dark, stained parts of the city seemed to be fading.

Though, some stains wouldn’t go away so easily.

For example—

“Out of the way, commoner.”

A damn noble brat like this.

A noble with an escort, encountered on the road.

Upon seeing Encrid, he smirked on purpose. A sneer.

“Company commander, huh? Absurd. I don’t know what tricks you pulled on Marcus, but that was a mistake.”

Hmm, if it were Rem, the moment he said that, he’d probably split his skull with his axe.

Actually, he might have thrown a punch the second he said ‘out of the way.’

He could only hope the guy never said anything like that to Rem.

His face looked like it belonged on some ghoul’s best friend. Slitted eyes, thin lips. The kind of face that had lived a petty life.

Looks didn’t prove everything, but this guy seemed to live exactly as he looked. The rumors confirmed as much.

‘Rua would have a heart attack at that face.’

Frok cared a lot about appearances. Human appearances, at that.

What a peculiar race.

Didn’t Frok say she had a crush on him?

“Hmph.”

The noble passed by with an escort in tow. Maybe he had business in the market—he was headed toward the city gate.

He’d always made it clear he disliked Encrid. Nothing new. So Encrid remained indifferent.

Instead, the fruit vendor nearby muttered,

“That bastard’s rotten to the core. Hope he dies foaming at the mouth.”

Now that was a creative curse.

What was his name again?

He’d heard it before, but there was no real need to remember it.

As long as he didn’t run into Rem, that would be enough.

“Wonder what the officer-beater is up to.”

Encrid sang the words to himself as he made his way back to the company.

Then, Rem dropped a completely random line.

“Don’t suppose you’ve got an Andrew-type guy stashed somewhere?”

“Huh?”

“My fists’ve been itching lately.”

That was dangerous—Rem’s telltale sign of frustration.

“Sparring?”

Time to put out the fire—fast. His sparring matches were intense enough to wear down even the [Heart of Monstrous Strength].

“Nice bracers you got there.”

He noticed the gear change. Sharp eyes, as always.

“That sword doesn’t look like anything ordinary either?”

“Picked it up off the ground.”

After that kind of casual exchange, they finished their sparring session. By evening, Encrid’s entire body was aching.

Had he ever pushed himself this hard during sparring recently?

Still, it seemed to have taken the edge off Rem’s frustration.

“Feels like I’ll sleep well tonight.”

He’d been acting out of character lately, brooding over whether he could become a knight—but now he was back to normal.

“Yeah, sleep tight.”

That evening, as usual, Audin finished his prayers and called for Encrid.

“Company Commander Brother.”

“What?”

“How about joining the night patrol today?”

He smiled as he spoke. A big bear of a man with a surprisingly gentle grin. With a face like that, if he actually set his sights on wooing someone, he could probably do some damage.

Now it made sense why Krys wanted him in his salon.

“How about becoming a priest who prowls the night?”

Krys would sometimes probe with lines like that.

Still, Audin just smiled in return. Didn’t even bother replying. Clearly didn’t think it was worth his time.

Either way, Audin looked like he had something to say. Or maybe he just genuinely wanted to go for a nighttime stroll.

“Sure.”

With their company now labeled as independent, they were excluded from all standard duties, which made them stand out in the barracks.

So this patrol was mostly by chance—almost more of a walk.

Audin had something to say, and night patrol made a good excuse. Encrid, for his part, had been meaning to do something vaguely duty-related at least once.

“There’s a scripture in the Holy Book that says a day of steady work is better than a day of overexertion. What it means is…”

A sermon. The usual kind.

Audin could really talk. Especially when it came to sermons and scripture.

How was Finn okay with this?

“You and Finn?”

He’d said he was aiming for her.

“I’m trying to guide her into conversion.”

Trying to instill religious beliefs in someone you’re pursuing, huh? It fit Audin, but from a woman’s perspective, that had to be kind of insulting.

Then again, Finn always looked pretty cheerful every day.

“The point is this: it’s better to train at a sustainable pace than to push too hard, Company Commander Brother.”

He really remembered the change in title well.

Encrid nodded at Audin’s words. He got it. Lately, he had been pushing himself as if something were chasing him.

It was like—

‘It feels close, but just out of reach.’

Swinging his sword, using the [Heart of Monstrous Strength]—

The thought that maybe he could break through to the next level gave him a kind of restlessness.

Just because he didn’t know despair didn’t mean he was immune to impatience. He hadn’t exactly been overdoing it, but mindset changed behavior, and behavior changed perspective.

It was good advice.

“That so.”

“It is.”

Say a few things, and if they made sense, he accepted them immediately. That was Encrid’s greatest strength.

Still—

‘Guess your conscience really is dead, huh. You’re one to talk.’

Wasn’t he the one who kept pushing his limits every day using the [Isolation Technique] as an excuse?

“When I’m watching, it’s not overdoing—it’s exactly the right amount.”

Encrid had only said it with his eyes, but Audin answered with his mouth.

“Lately, you’ve been reading my expressions way too well.”

“You make it too easy.”

Encrid chuckled.

Audin smiled too.

As they walked along the gallery for patrol, a few soldiers who recognized them saluted.

“Just a random patrol. Don’t mind us.”

The city was peaceful. It was safe. Whatever happened beyond, this wall would protect them.

‘Was it “Love your city” or something?’

With the moon at his back, he looked out over the sleeping city. From the gallery above, the city lay beneath his feet.

The sound of summer insects tickled his ears.

‘Love might be too strong…’

But at the very least, he wouldn’t just sit and watch them die.

Protect the weak.

That was the first line when people talked about chivalry.

Some say that’s just an excuse to swing a knight’s power around.

‘If you have power but don’t use it properly, you’re just a thug.’

Encrid’s dream wasn’t to become a thug. The moonlight warmed him. He didn’t believe he could become a knight overnight.

There was still a long road ahead.

There was [Will]. He still believed there were things he had to learn.

And before that, he needed time to fully digest what he already had.

Just because he learned new swordsmanship didn’t mean he could neglect what came before.

‘There’s still room to refine it.’

That was Encrid’s own conclusion.

He was lost in thought, drunk on moonlight, when his ears perked up.

“Something’s here.”

Audin reacted as well. Then came a rank, feral stench—something shot up the wall with a burst of speed.

“Krurrrghhh!”

It wasn’t a wild beast—it was a demonic beast’s roar. A sound imbued with the power to shake a person’s core.

“Ah, ah…”

The soldier standing in front of it froze at the roar.

Encrid hadn’t even moved yet.

Before he could, a bear darted across the moonlight. A fast, agile, and resourceful bear.

It was Audin.

“Krrgh!”

The opponent was a manticore. A high-level beast—no, monster—that looked like a lion with a scorpion’s tail.

Its roar alone could bind its enemies.

A graze from its scorpion tail meant instant poisoning—and a one-way trip to the afterlife.

Even entire companies were told not to fight it head-on.

Not all demonic beasts were the same.

The manticore was a monster that couldn’t be compared to something like a hyena beast.

That kind of monster—truly terrifying, a nightmare in the eyes of a regular soldier.

“Kitty, if you’re that noisy at night, you’ll wake people up.”

Watching Audin gently soothe such a creature made it feel like the manticore had dropped from apex predator to stray alley cat in an instant.

The manticore lowered its stance the moment it saw Audin.

Audin simply raised both hands from a relaxed posture. His palms half visible, thumbs turned inward toward himself.

In the meantime, Encrid grabbed the nape of the frozen soldier and pulled him back.

“Breathe in deep, then exhale as you move. Slowly, start putting strength into your fingertips.”

“Y-yes!”

A manticore’s roar alone had the power to suppress its enemies. Encrid murmured the method to shake it off.

One soldier standing guard atop the gallery had already grasped a whistle—ready to blow it any second.

“Hold it.”

Encrid stopped him with a glance. They didn’t want to make a noise and become the manticore’s next target.

Even frozen stiff, the soldier obeyed Encrid’s command.

“Back.”

Encrid motioned for the soldier atop the gallery to retreat.

The manticore moved. It split through the moonlight, charging forward and swinging its forepaw. Fast. As expected of a high-grade beast.

It lightly kicked off the ground, leaving behind a hazy afterimage. Encrid’s eyes tracked every motion.

Its target, Audin, barely dodged the swipe and responded with a punch from his left fist.

‘Ah.’

Encrid marveled inwardly. A perfect dodge followed by a counterstrike.

It mirrored part of the swordsmanship he’d just learned.

“Pull your foot back to draw the enemy into your reach, then twist your body to create space and strike. If you predict their attack, it’s doable.”

Rua’s teachings came to mind, overlapping with Audin’s punch and movement.

Audin twisted his body, and his fist slammed into the manticore’s snout.

Pop!

It echoed like a hand smacking a taut leather drum.

With a skitter, the beast hit the ground and slid sideways.

Grrrgh!

The struck monster let out a pained growl.

“You brat, you need a spanking.”

And just like that, Audin became a teacher scolding a misbehaving child.

The fact that the “child” in question was a high-grade beast capable of devouring an entire company didn’t seem to matter.

Everything else played out like a daily routine of lectures and discipline.