Chapter 239
There is a resolve that can be seen in words and actions.
Because that resolve was visible, Encrid’s words carried weight.
He said for everyone to fall back.
He said he’d protect them. If he said it, he’d do it.
If he failed? That would be something to think about when the time came.
The last to leave was Ragna.
Until the end, he silently watched Swallow Blade and, only after tossing out a brief line, turned away.
“See you later.”
Swallow Blade ignored him.
Encrid thought ignoring that was a bad idea.
‘It’s rare for Ragna to say see you later.’
Not a common sight.
So, as everyone retreated, they moved far out of sight.
Once Encrid was left alone, Swallow Blade spoke again, his face and voice now expressionless.
“Amazing, really.”
The smile vanished from Swallow Blade’s face. He looked indifferent.
Encrid remained silent, sword drawn, watching.
“Let’s begin.”
Swallow Blade said. For a brief moment, silence fell.
Nothing happened.
It could have been awkward, but Swallow Blade just twisted his lips in another crooked smile.
Encrid looked at his face and thought it looked like a forced smile.
The original plan was for the half-blood giant to charge in first, and then Swallow Blade would rush in at the opening.
But the half-blood giant didn’t move.
“Want to talk?”
Encrid asked quietly, hoping to ease the awkwardness, but it didn’t land.
“Damn it, just shut up.”
Swallow Blade glared at the half-blood giant. She stood there in her helmet, not even glancing over.
If the two of them worked together, they could probably kill him, so why wasn’t she moving?
Of course, Swallow Blade hadn’t trusted the half-blood giant alone.
He had something hidden for an emergency.
‘If I mess up, it’ll backfire—but if I use it right, it’s deadly.’
The more dangerous a tool is, the more lethal it is if used well.
When the half-blood giant didn’t move after being told to start, Swallow Blade urged her again.
“Let’s go.”
At his prompting, the half-blood giant silently raised her shield.
Encrid looked at her.
The helmet covered her face. The visor had a single horizontal slit, barely enough to show her eyes, but her eyes were so narrow and small he couldn’t see any expression.
That didn’t mean he couldn’t sense the mood.
People reveal their feelings not just in words, but also in attitude.
“Don’t want to fight?”
Encrid asked, facing her.
He’d noticed before in their duels that, knowingly or not, the half-blood giant would get excited, and he could feel it.
That was long before the days started repeating, but the memory was still vivid. Some memories don’t fade easily.
Forgetting Edin Molsen’s name was different.
“Just doing my duty.”
The half-blood giant replied. Her husky voice echoed through the helmet. It was clearly a woman’s voice, but with a unique roughness.
She raised her shield—a wall of gray iron.
The moment the shield was raised, she leaned in and kicked off the ground. Powerful thigh and ankle muscles sent dirt flying as her body surged forward.
Boom!
The sound of her kick shook the air.
At the same time, the half-blood giant crashed toward Encrid.
It was like a mountain sliding down.
She even called this technique “Landslide.”
The shield, angled, came barreling down on Encrid.
It looked like it would smash him from above.
Encrid instantly focused all his attention on a single point.
That familiar sensation—where the world seemed to slow and all his focus was consumed.
Even in that state, the shield’s speed was impressive.
He realized he couldn’t simply deflect the charge by angling his shield upward.
Then what?
If he couldn’t deflect it, how about redirecting it?
His opponent had lost her excitement, but Encrid hadn’t. As he moved to evade the landslide charge—
He felt a murderous intent prickling at the back of his head. His sixth sense activated, instinctively readying for evasion.
Swallow Blade made his move. Encrid found that wasn’t so bad, either.
‘This should be interesting.’
That was why a smile appeared on his face, and when Swallow Blade saw it, it looked like he’d go mad with irritation.
The killing intent he’d held back suddenly exploded.
‘Die.’
Swallow Blade muttered inside as he reached for his belt and swung it forward.
This was the weapon that gave him his nickname.
A thin, flexible sword made of wrought iron—a whip-sword.
It had been wrapped around his waist. What looked like a belt became a sword, extending forward.
It was about half again as long as a regular longsword, the tip looking almost like a steel whip.
Chirararang!
With a rippling sound, the thin blade shot for the back of Encrid’s head, like a viper.
At that moment, Encrid was just about to raise his left hand against the shield barreling toward him.
—
“I keep thinking this is my fault.”
Krys muttered, and Rem glanced at him.
“Why?”
“The map. And I left things a little sloppy on purpose.”
Krys had drawn and sold a map of the territory.
That map had become a guide for them to navigate the domain, and instead of using the Gilpin Guild to keep an eye on things, he hadn’t.
He didn’t want to send guild members to their deaths against skilled opponents.
He weighed practicality. That nagged at him.
“If you’re going to blame anyone, blame the company commander.”
Finn spoke from behind. Dunbakel was beside her, looking as blank as ever.
She just asked a question.
“Is it okay to just leave him there?”
Rem responded.
“If you don’t leave him, you going to sneak in and help? You think you won’t get caught?”
Some beastkin are natural hunters, but Dunbakel wasn’t.
She was a warrior, not a hunter.
“I’d probably get caught.”
“Then why bring it up?”
“If he dies, there’s no reason for me to stay.”
Saying that out loud was strange.
Wasn’t she admitting she only stayed here because of Encrid?
Rem thought about it as he kicked at Dunbakel’s calf. Thanks to all her training, she lifted her leg and blocked Rem’s kick on instinct.
Whack!
There was impact, but little pain. After all the violence she’d endured, this was nothing.
“Well done, beastkin. And stop worrying. Do you even have time to worry?”
Rem then bluntly criticized Dunbakel’s skills.
“A beast who can’t protect herself is going to worry about someone else? Who? The captain? The one who just awakened [Will]? And you think you can beat that pervert with the weird sword? Oh, you can’t? But you’re still going to try? Did you leave your brain somewhere? Why do you carry around a head you couldn’t even use as a helmet rack?”
It wasn’t perfect verse, but it was a fine poem nonetheless.
“Four and a half stars.”
Krys rated Rem’s poem.
He was worried, but he believed. He felt responsible for what happened, but he trusted him.
If he’d realized sooner, he should’ve reinforced security. Regret—briefly.
The reality in front of him had to be faced.
Since it was the captain himself, Krys decided to believe.
He still remembered the back of the captain who once saved him.
‘Because that’s the kind of captain he is.’
And lately, Encrid’s skill had improved to an unbelievable degree. He was rising higher.
So he believed.
More than anything, right before he retreated, seeing the man with black hair standing under the blue sky, two words came to his mind.
‘A knight.’
What kind of person is a knight?
It’s not just someone who’s strong.
‘A knight is someone who protects.’
Encrid once said that, and if he said he’d protect them, he would.
“What a pain.”
Rem grumbled, stopping his feet. They’d gone pretty far.
Worry and curiosity were different. It was disappointing not to be able to see what was happening.
Especially since that lazy bum next to him seemed more eager than usual.
Ragna was uncharacteristically motivated. It was rare.
As soon as he stopped, Ragna turned and got ready.
Rem figured that was him preparing.
He didn’t draw his sword—he just stood there, facing Encrid’s direction.
‘That’s preparation.’
If anything happened, he’d dash in right away. Probably wouldn’t be needed, though.
“Father will protect him.”
Audin murmured, the usual prayer. Jaxson had already disappeared.
The moment they were out of sight, qhe turned into a stray cat.
Esther hadn’t followed, either.
The mage who’d turned human today said,
“Busy. Don’t bother me.”
That was that. The blue-eyed beauty had a mysterious air, clearly a mage. Still, she pretended to be a panther on the outside.
‘Pretends not to care, but never leaves the captain’s side.’
Rem snickered at the thought, when suddenly someone came rushing from the other direction.
“Is it true? They’ve taken hostages?”
It was Commander Markus with a group of quick-footed soldiers—mostly archers. Lieutenant Benzense was there, too.
As soon as things went south, Rem and the others moved, and Markus showed up with the archers after being briefed.
“Yes, but you don’t have to worry. If we get closer, they’ll kill the hostages, so you’ll have to wait here.”
Krys stepped up and answered.
Still, the captain came in person for something like this.
Well, if Encrid awakened [Will], maybe he was considered high-level manpower now.
Rem thought about that and watched Krys answer.
Then—
“What nonsense is that, trading a few hostages for a commander!”
Edin Molsen, with his faded gold hair, came forward and yelled.
“Lead the way! I’ll punish that bastard myself!”
Since when did he worry so much about the captain?
Edin Molsen, snorting in anger, was as feisty as ever. Only this time, it was about Encrid, which was surprising.
“Leave it.”
Rem had to step in.
“What?”
Edin Molsen’s eyebrows shot up. He was good at expressing anger with his face.
Annoying, but he couldn’t kill the noble’s son again.
That would be a real disaster.
Rem was patient.
“Leave it, nothing’s going to happen.”
He spoke with near certainty.
What kind of nonsense is that?
Edin said with his face. Rem mustered his patience and spoke again.
“It’s fine.”
Encrid’s last sparring partner was Rem.
After fighting him, he lost an axe, but also learned something.
‘He’s not a threat.’
The half-blood giant’s skill wasn’t bad, but Swallow Blade wasn’t on his level.
And as for Encrid now—
‘Fighting the half-blood giant and bashing that sly bastard’s head in at the same time? No problem.’
Plus, that sly stray cat had already moved.
“Just watch and see.”
Even after Rem said this, Edin had no reason to back down.
“Step aside, you insolent barbarian.”
Edin snapped, taking a step forward—
A chilling killing intent slashed at Edin’s neck. He thought he was dead. He’d come within a hair’s breadth of dying.
What saved him was his bodyguard.
“That’s enough.”
“I told you, listen. If you keep crossing the line, what do you expect?”
Rem grumbled.
Just now—what was that?
Edin touched his neck. Was that pressure? Or something similar?
“Did you always know how to do that?”
the bodyguard asked.
It was a question only Rem would get. Audin understood too.
Ragna didn’t seem interested. He still had his back turned, facing Encrid’s direction, not caring who came up behind him.
“I saw it once and tried it.” (T/N: What a monster.)
Can you really just copy something like pressure by watching?
The bodyguard thought he was being mocked, but didn’t draw his sword.
Now wasn’t the time for infighting.
“The captain said he’d protect and save them. So wait.”
Rem said again. With that murderous aura, Markus kept his mouth shut.
It was the smart thing to do for a commander—not to open his mouth and risk embarrassment.
Typical politician’s move.
“I’ll wait.”
Markus took control of the situation. Edin Molsen grumbled a few more times, but that was it.
They waited.
They didn’t have to wait long for news from the front. Even out of sight, Rem could more or less figure out what was going on from the distant movements.
“Let’s go.”
Rem said afterward. He could see the situation was wrapping up.
