Chapter 348

               

“I can’t go.”

Just before dividing those who would leave from those who would stay, Krys declined first. Encrid had no intention of taking him in the first place.

“There’s too much left for me to do here. Don’t go getting your ass kicked just because I’m not around.”

He said it so confidently that Encrid naturally felt compelled to nod.

“Yeah, I shouldn’t get beat up.”

Having made that resolution anew, Krys took a step back.

“Why are you doing that? It’s scary. Are you going to hit me?”

“Why would I?”

He was just replying to his worried words.

“Anyway, I can’t go. I have to maintain the outpost, and although I trust Leona, you have to be careful because merchants are the kind of people who will empty the coffers if you leave them in charge.”

As he said, Krys couldn’t leave.

From paving roads around the area to dealing with those who hadn’t come to their senses yet, those who should be called morons instead of petty nobles.

It seemed like he needed ten bodies, but that wasn’t quite the case. Krys still did everything he needed to do in the meantime.

So, he rested when he needed to and met all the people he needed to meet.

He seemed to be dating Nurat, who had come to the city about ten days ago.

Nurat was a black woman who was the Green Pearl Garrison Battalion Commander Garrett’s bodyguard and adjutant.

Krys had tied a letter to a crow’s leg and requested personnel from Garrett first, and I heard she came because there was something important to discuss.

That discussion wouldn’t be about having dinner together and strolling through the market, would it?

Considering there were days when he didn’t even come to the lodgings, it was possible to assume he had already done everything he needed to do.

Of course, it wasn’t Encrid’s business.

“Battalion Commander Garrett wants to retire, so we need to select a successor.”

Krys deliberately meddled in the city as a whole.

Seeing his passionate attitude, Encrid felt it.

‘He’s caught the Krong bug.’

It was true.

Krys was planning to make this city wealthy.

The byproducts that fell in the meantime would be so large that he could eat them all without any problem.

He wouldn’t give up on earning gold while preparing for a civil war.

That was Krys’s goal.

In fact, he had his eye on the various herbs and poisons that came out of the swamp while building the outpost.

For that reason.

“You’re burning with anxiety, sending me off on a long journey without you.”

That’s why Sinar said this.

There was no one as talented as she was in exploring the swamp, distinguishing between medicine and poison, and discovering useful materials.

“Is that so.”

A doll-like face, not just her beauty, but also her impression. She said it without any change in expression.

“Just kidding.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I thought you wouldn’t know.”

Then, until now, it wasn’t a joke?

No, it was all a joke.

There was no point in distinguishing.

It was still difficult to adapt to the jokes of the fairy.

Encrid inwardly shook his head.

Even if Sinar was like that, Audin and Teresa remained.

“Well, it’s because I still have too many soldiers to teach, brother.”

Audin said with a benevolent smile, but that wasn’t the whole reason.

Encrid instinctively felt that Audin was reluctant to go to the capital, or rather, the Royal Palace.

But that wasn’t something to argue about. Encrid always respected the choices of his squad members.

He didn’t think the reason for his reluctance was important either.

“I’ll stay and help too.”

Teresa had been stuck to Audin’s side since some point.

There were no brave soldiers who would say the nickname “Giant Siblings” in front of them, but the name suited them very well.

“Do as you please.”

That was the end of the matter.

“Ugh, the weather is gloomy.”

The savage barbarian Rem and Jaxson.

“Once we enter the capital, I have to take care of some personal business.”

“Do as you please.”

The sly wildcat Jaxson, who openly said he had other intentions.

“To the capital? It’ll take about half a year.”

Assuming they rode a horse and the weather cooperated, it would take fifteen to twenty days to go along the road, so it was unknown why it would take half a year.

Anyway, there was one lazy swordsman who would soon become a lost child and write legends everywhere with just one sword.

“A journey. The joy of a boring daily life.”

A whimsical magician who had transformed into a female form today, for reasons unknown.

“Will there be many fights? I hope there will be.”

A beastkin who set out as a bodyguard but had no interest in who the bodyguard target was, and said she hoped there would be many people attacking in front of that target, having thrown her sense to the dogs.

“Hee-hee-hing.”

And a wild horse with the blood of a demonic beast flowing through it, with different colored eyes.

“Are you guys serious?”

The whip-wielding bodyguard asked.

He looked at everyone one by one and became serious.

He had to serve his lord and break through rough roads.

He couldn’t take any of it lightly.

Marcus had even decided to lead the troops and become bait for this.

But Marcus himself had left last night because he had urgent business.

‘Disloyal.’

The whip bodyguard cursed Marcus inwardly. But Krang brushed it off as nothing.

“He’s a busy man, that person.”

He rather defended him.

How would he get to the capital without him? He should have borrowed his bodyguard troops.

If not, he thought he would have to take out the seeds he had sown here and there until now, that is, the preparations he had made as a contingency, even if they had only grown into saplings.

For example, the Language Restoration Guild.

That place was one of the seeds that his lord had sown.

But he couldn’t do that either.

‘Seriously.’

The Language Restoration Guild had not been able to build up its strength within the Border Guard. At least in terms of military power, it was terrible.

Hadn’t they said that a crazy Frok was catching all those who used force and killing them all?

‘What the.’

Was that a ridiculous story, that some unemployed Frok was doing such a thing?

Just as there were many unique humans in the world, there might be such a Frok, but was he staying here and taking on all the troublesome tasks?

‘Bound by a covenant?’

It was a valid suspicion.

In a situation where his hands and feet were tied like that, it was a good thing that Encrid’s mad squad was acting as bodyguards.

It certainly was.

‘I’m uneasy.’

The bodyguard’s senses, which had risked his life for many years, told him.

These bastards aren’t normal.

There’s no answer if you rely on them and rush in.

Aren’t they all guys who create anxiety?

Why does it take half a year to get to the Royal Palace, and why do they seem to have no interest in bodyguard duties?

Why are they grinning while estimating how many attackers there will be?

“Okay, everyone knows how to ride a horse, right?”

In the meantime, Encrid said to everyone.

“Isn’t there a carriage?”

“A carriage stands out! We don’t even have enough to move while avoiding attention, a carriage?”

The whip bodyguard burst out in anger in the middle, but Rem picked his ear.

“What’s wrong with that guy? Why is he yelling from the morning?”

This son of a bitch…….

“Stop.”

It was the moment the bodyguard was about to get really angry. Krang stopped him.

His eyes were more sparkling than ever.

Even he could see that these people were very unique.

Krys had roughly noticed, and Encrid knew it by intuition, but Krang had very excellent insight.

In other words, he had an excellent eye for people.

Of course, it wasn’t a magical story that he could see through everyone’s hearts.

‘They’re interesting talents.’

He knew it instinctively. These people were all extraordinary.

The rumors he had heard were underestimated.

‘Madmen.’

He didn’t know who named them, but he should give them an award.

He was at a loss for words to describe them other than those four characters.

Even though he had been interested in poetry and writing since he was a child.

‘Uncontrolled power.’

It was obvious at a glance. These people weren’t people who listened to someone and moved.

But then why were they gathered here?

To protect him? That was ridiculous.

“Don’t talk about carriages. Get a grip. It’s a mission. We’re going to take that person to the capital.”

As Encrid scolded Rem, Rem looked at the two standing there blankly and asked.

“Those two?”

“I’m a bodyguard.”

The whip bodyguard found it particularly difficult to control his mind today.

At first, he was able to calm down somehow.

He was flustered because his lord’s appearance was unfamiliar, and his composure was shaken because what happened afterward far exceeded common sense.

And he didn’t like all of this very much.

All of it combined to make him unusually excited.

As he answered, the bodyguard calmed his mind by regulating his breathing.

‘This is bad.’

If things went wrong, he might have to run alone with his lord. Excitement was forbidden.

The bodyguard took a few deep breaths. He wasn’t an ordinary person either.

It was then.

“Bodyguard?”

“Not a guide?”

“Who?”

The gray-haired bastard.

The blonde, droopy-eyed brat.

Finally, the mad beastman’s trio was heard.

‘Ah, these bastards, really.’

“Stop teasing him.”

Encrid stopped them. Rem and everyone else naturally followed his words. Krang’s eyes shone even more when he saw that.

‘They’re controlled?’

These people, like a whirlwind that you don’t know where they’ll go? How? With ability? With skill? That wasn’t it.

‘Influence.’

Just as Krang himself was influenced, these people were also influenced by Encrid.

They followed his words. They respected his will. Encrid was the key to controlling them.

‘Ah.’

Krang’s insight was indeed extraordinary. He grasped the process by seeing the result.

‘If they were clumsy people, Enki would have just looked like a crazy bastard.’

To the average person, Encrid’s attitude was difficult to understand. It was even more difficult to stand by his side.

He was a human being who was difficult to get along with.

But it was also difficult to ignore him.

Because he made you worry about whatever he did, and his lifestyle made you feel like you were being scolded.

Various people must have passed by Encrid.

Some of them would have criticized him.

Some would have tried to ignore him.

And some of them would have appreciated his perseverance.

But none of them could stay by his side.

That’s the kind of person Encrid was.

Then what were the people who remained?

‘Truly crazy bastards.’

Or those with outstanding talent in some field.

Those who wouldn’t be broken by Encrid.

“Interesting.”

Krang said, coming to a conclusion.

“Did you see? He says it’s interesting, that guy has an eye for people. What did you say your name was?”

Rem approached Krang and put his hand on his shoulder. It was a shoulder-to-shoulder. It wasn’t something you should do to someone who would become the king of a country.

Even a noble would make a fuss about cutting off his arm. Of course, Rem didn’t care about such things.

Krang was the same.

Before the bodyguard could freak out, Krang waved his hand and replied.

“Krang.”

“Good. I’ll protect you. Let’s go.”

Recently, there had been a series of sunny days, but today the sky was dark.

Faint gray clouds blocked the morning sunlight.

“But why are you coming?”

Encrid asked the odd-eyed horse from behind.

“Hee-hing.”

There was no one who could communicate with the horse.

The bodyguard wondered why that guy was talking to a horse again.

“Ah, you’re bored. You’ve seen everything around, haven’t you? Okay, let’s go together.”

Encrid seemed to be talking to the horse. He stroked the mane of the horse with strange eyes as he spoke. It was a wild horse without a saddle or horseshoes.

‘That bastard isn’t normal either.’

The fact that that guy looked normal was a relative effect.

The bodyguard decided to be more alert than ever.

The odd-eyed horse followed, but didn’t put anyone on its back.

“Good luck.”

Graham saw them off and gave them a horse.

“Have you decided on the direction?”

Of course, Krys also came to the front of the city.

“If you don’t know well, should I take the lead?”

Ragna interjected.

“Are you crazy? Are you going to wander around the continent for half a year?”

As Rem scolded him, Ragna turned his head.

“Shut your mouth, you barbarian who can’t even fight.”

“……Did you lose?”

Jaxson reacted to those words.

Rem’s cheeks twitched. A smile that didn’t seem like a smile lingered on his face.

Encrid slipped between them.

He was also a skilled rider. The horse with the saddle moved as he led it.

“Follow the road.”

“What?”

The bodyguard was the most surprised by those words.

Krang was also a little surprised.

It wasn’t that he doubted their skills.

But wasn’t this asking for trouble?

“Oh, did you think of it in advance? Or I was going to tell you.”

Krys nodded and said.

“Yeah. I thought we should.”

“Is it intuition?”

“Half of it.”

“What’s the other half?”

“I thought about it.”

Encrid swept back his short hair with his hand. It was the hair that Krys had trimmed a while ago.

Krang pondered over their words.

He wasn’t an idiot either.

‘We’ve already been robbed. It’s been revealed.’

He had been threatened with his life in many places.

Krang was quick to recognize the situation. It was thanks to his experience.

Those who were aiming for him had already been deployed before he left.

Whether he went along the road or wandered through the mountain path, the result was the same.

It was better to accelerate along the road.

If he chose horseback riding and abandoned the carriage, that was the fastest way.

Krang wasn’t someone who would easily fall behind anyone in his experience wandering the continent.

Soon, a line was drawn in his head.

The fastest way from the Border Guard to the capital.

“I know a few shortcuts.”

Krang said. Encrid nodded.

He was a bodyguard target who communicated well. There was nothing bad about it.

Kwarreureung!

At that timing, thunder rumbled in the distance and lightning struck.

Blue lightning struck the Pen-Hanil Mountains, forming streaks.

If a mountain ranger was in that place, he would face terrible danger.

Of course, the weather was like this, so he would have come down from the mountain long ago.

Then, raindrops began to fall little by little.

“Then.”

Doo-doo-doo.

Starting with Encrid, everyone soon moved their horses.

Everyone rode horses skillfully.

Esther even turned into a leopard and ran.

Watching them move away, Graham muttered.

“Will they be okay?”

“Who are you worried about?”

Krys replied. They were at a level where they should discuss the strongest force in this area.

An assassination group’s attack?

If they were people who would die from that, wouldn’t they have all joined hands and crossed the river of death long ago?