"Why aren't you part of the Knights?"
Roman's question was valid.
Hmph.
With a word, Roman swung the greatsword that rested on his shoulder vertically.
The blunt blade stopped just in front of Encrid's nose. Encrid didn't flinch. There wasn't even a hint of killing intent, so he just watched.
"Everyone in the Capital must either be blind, or maybe you have something else in mind?"
Oara's final wish was something she had wanted. Roman knew that.
He also knew that the one who gave the master their final honor wasn't him, but this man.
There was no hesitation.
There was a greatsword blocking the way. Roman had made up his mind.
He reversed his grip on the greatsword and thrust it into the ground. The sound of the sword piercing the earth echoed and shook the heart.
Amidst the gazes of everyone, under the scorching sun, Roman opened his mouth.
"My name is Roman. I will not forget this debt. If you call for me, even if it's in the middle of the Demon Realm, my sword will be by your side. This is my personal promise, separate from the Knight order's opinions."
Roman's words carried resolve. It was a vow he would uphold even after becoming a Knight.
More impressive than the will behind his words was their content. It was a pledge to entrust his life.
A promise to risk his life in a battle for him.
"What makes you trust me?"
Encrid asked, a bit incredulous.
If he harbored even a bit of ill intent, Roman's life would be forfeit.
That vow could become a shackle that bound Roman from ever standing against him.
"It's simply respect for the second hero who saved the city. If you don't like it, just forget it and live your life."
Roman spoke like Roman always did.
He offered a gift that was too much and then told him to forget about it.
There was a madman here as well.
"Here."
Next was a short, blonde Junior-Knight. She approached and handed over three daggers.
All of them were meant for throwing, and seeing them made Rem's eyes narrow.
"You, that...?"
"I know. I'm giving it knowing what they are."
The blonde cut off Rem's words.
Three daggers were placed in Encrid's hands. As he held them, he felt something subtly stir his sixth sense.
It was something he wouldn't have noticed if his sixth sense wasn't open.
"Take care of them, and don't throw them carelessly."
Rem chimed in from the side.
"May they aid you on your path."
The blonde added.
Shouldn't she at least explain how to use these?
"When the time comes, they will take the form you need them to."
That was the answer to the look that asked for an explanation.
The dark circles under the blonde's eyes suggested she was very tired. These two weren't the only ones.
"There isn't a person in the city who doesn't know what you've done."
It was Milio. He ran his hand over his freshly shaved short hair.
He might be planning to devote himself to the monastery. His hair was that short.
"If you're thinking of joining the monastery, should I recommend you?"
Encrid joked, seeing this, and Milio paused, chuckling. He raised his left hand.
"Well, who would have thought I'd live my whole life alone with Lady Left Hand while always thinking of Lady Oara? That's not happening. I'll find a woman ten times more beautiful and skilled in combat than her."
Milio said, mixing humor and bold ambition.
No such woman existed. Oara was special, and for Milio, even more so.
Even in death, she had left behind so much.
Encrid respected Milio's dream, knowing full well.
"Stay strong, and don't give up, no matter what others say."
It was the same advice he had given when Milio declared his intention to become Oara's partner.
"I will."
The Milio who once would have asked, "Does it seem hopeless?" was gone.
Milio nodded. The soft smile suited him.
He would soon become a Squire, part of the Knight order, and march forward resolutely.
The will to live like that radiated from his entire being. Call it determination, or belief, whatever it was, it was a manifestation of that intangible will.
To Encrid, Milio's determination seemed to take on a tangible form.
Solid and firm like a fortress, Milio would become that kind of man.
"Some parts of monsters are occasionally special."
As Encrid quietly watched, Milio began to speak again.
Humans are different, and so are Dwarves and Fairies.
Would Giants be any different?
He hadn't seen a dragonkin yet, but they were likely the same.
Frogs, as a species, had clear individual differences.
Monsters were similar.
That was how the ghoul Jerix was born, and why there were spiders that walked on two legs and used eight arms, and why an owlbear capable of killing Junior-Knights had appeared.
After killing all of them, there were remains. Among those remains were special items.
Those items were twisted into the creation of something unique. Milio handed him a bow, as long as his own arm.
"It's made from ghoul skin, thread from a spider, and the bones of an owlbear."
It was a composite bow. Not just any piece of work.
For days, smoke had continued to rise. It turned out they had been making the bow. Even the most skilled craftsmen in Thousand Bricks had gathered to work on it, trading shifts and staying up nights to pour their heart into its creation.
"Please accept it."
Milio handed the bow over with both hands. Encrid took the bow without the string attached.
He figured it would be convenient to attach a string and carry it slung across his back or waist.
This wasn't all.
"This is a breastplate made from spider's skin."
The blacksmiths who had claimed they didn't even have time to sell a single dagger came forward.
They brought a breastplate they had crafted with great effort.
At first glance, it looked like black leather, but the surface was covered in fine black bristles.
Touching it revealed that the bristles were actually like steel pins.
No ordinary sword or spear would be able to pierce it.
Along with the breastplate, he received pauldrons and bracers.
All made from the same material. The expressions of the craftsmen were uniformly bright. They were clearly exhausted, but satisfied smiles graced their faces.
"Thank you."
A female soldier bowed her head.
"We honor you for protecting our master's pride."
Squire Oliver spoke.
"If anyone dares speak ill of you, I'll personally chase them down and shove my fist down their throat."
The brawling Squire laughed heartily as he spoke. Tears welled up in his eyes.
The friend who used to be known as a brawler had cried every day since Oara's death. Crying wasn't a sign of weakness.
Sometimes, it takes great courage to cry in front of others.
This Squire, if judged by tears alone, could defeat even the Demon King.
"If I have a son, I'll name him Encrid, and if it's a daughter, Oara."
Squad leader Admor, Rowena's partner, said.
The people gathered at the gate now surrounded Encrid and his companions.
"You don't have to go that far with the name, do you?"
Encrid asked with a completely serious face, and Admor scratched his head.
Seeing that, Encrid spoke.
"I'll make you a deal. If you stand at the front during the next wave, do whatever you want."
The Demon Realm wasn't as threatening as before. Oara's sword had cleaved through it.
"Deal."
Admor answered boldly, lowering his hand from his head.
"You're getting cocky."
Rowena, standing nearby, teased him. When she met Encrid's gaze, she bowed her head.
"Thank you."
Rowena said. Everyone spoke in unison.
"For the second hero who saved the city."
Encrid had never spoken of what he had done. But one thing was certain.
He fought with all his heart, with all his might, not for the sake of repeating today, but to uphold Oara's pride.
He hadn't fought for himself.
So, there was no need to boast.
It wasn't about meeting tomorrow with no meaning, but making today one where a Knight could have a glorious end.
"Was that your best?"
The ferryman asked.
There was no need for an answer.
You can't live every day at your best.
But he wouldn't stop and dwell on the past.
Here, now, the people before him were living the same way.
They, too, were walking toward tomorrow.
"Well then."
At Encrid's brief farewell, the people parted.
And so, they left the city.
"Enki!"
Someone shouted.
"Enki!"
A cry to replace Oara's shout erupted from behind.
Encrid looked back once and then turned westward.
The road led to the west.
It was a sunny day. The damp air cleared, and the mist of the Demon Realm melted away in the sunlight.
With that, Encrid and his companions left the city of Oara, born from the death of Knight Oara.
* * *
The time of dawn, when the blue world of early morning pushes away the night, or the time of sunset, when the orange world rules.
That time when you can't tell the difference between a dog and a wolf.
It was Encrid's favorite time of day. Why did he like it so much?
Even if someone asked him, he couldn't give a clear answer.
Was it because it was the moment when a new day began?
Or was it because he often found some sort of realization during that time?
That could be it.
When that time came, his mood changed, his motivation surged, and he felt a sense of elevation.
It was why he liked sunny days more than rainy ones.
Sunlight, dawn, wind, flowers. He enjoyed the elevation these useless things gave him.
In that sense, some rainy days were enjoyable too.
But in any case, enjoying the brightness and raising his motivation made all those experiences come together, making him love this moment, this time.
Orange light bathed the world.
Looking at the gray forest of the Demon Realm, he moved southwest, past the poisonous swamp, and further south before turning west.
That's when they came upon the open land.
In the distance, the horizon stretched. As the sun sank below it, the world turned orange.
Even now, Encrid found a new realization.
'Rem was human too.'
Even someone like Rem had something to fear. He hid it, but it could be glimpsed. Normally, Rem wouldn't show even a crack.
Rem was the kind of man who wouldn't back down, even when facing a monster, displaying reckless courage.
"Have you mastered The Heart of the Beast? I don't need it. This body has beast blood in it from birth."
The image of Rem grinning and baring his fangs came to mind.
So different from now.
"Are you really coming along?"
Rem's tone, gaze, and everything about him said they didn't need to come.
They didn't need to follow, they didn't have to, they could just stay back.
"Absolutely."
Encrid showed the same determination he'd seen in Roman.
Was this the dragonkin's power of invocation?
Encrid wanted to use it now.
Absolutely, without fail, no matter what.
With that meaning in mind, he looked at Rem. Rem's pupils wavered.
"I'll follow."
"So will I."
"And me too."
Encrid spoke, and Dunbachel followed, with Luagarne finishing it off.
Rem met their eyes one by one.
The tremble in his pupils disappeared, and though his sharp gaze seemed to be filled with killing intent, Encrid read the fear hidden deep within.
What in the world are you afraid of?
"It won't be fun. It could even be unpleasant."
Rem finally spoke.
"I'm not going for fun. I'm going because I'm curious about the West."
Encrid said as he walked.
"...Good luck with that."
Rem wasn't a fool. He understood Encrid's underlying intention. He saw this as an opportunity to mock him.
"I've given you a warning."
"Warning received."
Dunbachel chimed in but was promptly hit in the head with the axe handle.
Rem stretched out his left leg, waved his right hand to draw attention, and then swung the axe in his left hand.
It wasn't particularly fast, but it was skillful.
The hand raised above his head traced a smooth arc, and Dunbachel, focused only on Rem's right hand, got hit on the crown of her head.
Thwack!
"Ouch!"
Even if it was a smooth arc, that didn't mean it lacked power.
It was more than enough to hurt.
Sometimes, Encrid thought that Rem might be stronger than him.
In any case, if Dunbachel could analyze and avoid or block the movement Rem had just displayed, she would grow one step further.
But not now.
It was similar to Jaxon's Silent Stab, except aimed at the top of the head.
It was an unnecessarily complex technique for striking a pesky follower.
Suddenly, Encrid realized that he could see the shape of that technique, and he understood the movements Rem had mixed into it.
Another realization.
That's why.
This wasn't just about following him to the West.
If one of the reasons was Rem's reaction, there was also another reason.
"There's a form of sorcery that requires you to wish and hope while sacrificing part of your life. Those daggers are probably made from that. They didn't actually sacrifice their life, but it seems like they put in all the karma they've accumulated. With something like that, they might never be able to use sorcery again. And, well, it's as valuable as life itself, do you hear what I'm saying?"
Rem was in the middle of explaining something about the daggers the blonde had given.
Despite having asked earlier, Encrid wasn't really listening.
"You really are a crazy bastard."
Rem muttered under his breath.
An aura of power began to radiate from Encrid's entire body.
His will to fight was now manifesting as an aura that pressed down on the surroundings.
Even though he wasn't a Knight, the Intimidation was palpable, and Rem smiled.
The crazy Captain's body was fully healed.
So was his.
Both were now completely fine.
The axes made from Lewis Mountain steel were broken beyond use, so Rem had brought two ordinary hand axes instead.
Though his weapons were a bit lacking, it didn't matter.
Rem's fighting spirit began to rise.
"When we left the city, there were no cheers for me. Did you make that happen, Captain?"
Rem tossed out random words.
"Yeah."
Encrid replied.
"If Dunbachel brushed her fur properly, she'd be pretty cute, wouldn't she?"
For some reason, Dunbachel lifted her head. Her golden eyes, full of curiosity, looked at the two of them.
"Yeah."
Encrid nodded.
Rem was certain. He's not hearing anything right now.
They came to a stop. Dunbachel had been gathering kindling to prepare for the camp.
The swords and axes stood against the orange backdrop, the open land serving as their stage as they faced each other.
"I won't hold back."
Rem said.
At those words, Encrid grinned wide.
The fact that his subordinate could now say such things filled him with joy.
It was a different reaction from before. This wasn't overconfidence, but preparation to show his best.
That's why Encrid felt an indescribable happiness.
His face naturally broke into a smile.
"You're smiling again."
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