Ragna came wandering, without washing or eating, but Encrid couldn't take him down even after using everything he had.
The sword of the dull sloth had become heavier than before, and faster than before.
Seeing that large greatsword move as if it were bending, Encrid couldn't even think of receiving it.
Nevertheless, Encrid blocked, deflected, and avoided Ragna's sword nine times.
In between, he also added a thrust called the Knight's strike.
Ragna dodged it simply by twisting his body.
In the continuous motions Ragna displayed, Encrid recalled one of the conditions that Luagarne had mentioned for a Knight.
'Time.'
Did they say they possess different times?
While Encrid swung his sword once, Ragna could twist his body and extend his blade.
It was a movement and timing possible because Ragna's reflexes, athletic abilities, and strength were far beyond limits.
That didn't mean he lacked in technique either. He was a true Knight, incomparable to those chimera Knights.
How could a Knight cut down a thousand men?
The answer was right here.
"If a soldier can thrust a spear ten times in the time it takes for one thrust, then it's possible."
Luagarne had said so, and Encrid was reminded of this once again through his own experience.
In fact, just realizing this was an achievement in itself, thanks to his ability to see a bit into the future, which some called foresight.
That didn't mean Encrid was satisfied or content with his current level, though.
The desire and flames of ambition to go further burned brightly in Encrid's blue eyes.
Ragna was amused seeing those mad eyes again after so long. Despite not having eaten or slept properly for days, he felt that way.
"Is that all?"
And so, he repaid Encrid for what happened earlier, looking down at the fallen Encrid and saying just one thing. Encrid didn't get angry but chuckled instead.
It seemed his companions grew in both skill and wit proportionally.
"Cut in line? Obviously, I should go first, right? Hmm? Huh? Huhhh?"
There was even a time when Rem went berserk because Encrid fought Ragna first.
When Encrid stepped forward to stop Rem from throwing his axe, it led to such a scene.
However, Rem didn't interrupt halfway through or strike from behind.
Such things couldn't be allowed by Rem's pride.
Ragna looked at the returning Captain absentmindedly. In one spar, Ragna realized that Encrid had broken through a wall and reached a certain level.
Ragna didn't care about classifications like Junior-Knight, Knight, or Squire.
Why?
There was no reason. He simply didn't care.
In truth, his genius made it unnecessary to set such standards.
Setting standards would only trap oneself in a box.
Once inside a box, you unknowingly begin fighting to fit within it. But battles, combat, are unpredictable things.
If one let their guard down, even a child holding an awl in their arms could pierce their heart.
Of course, if it were Ragna, even if the child in his arms turned into an assassin and tried to stab him with an awl, it wouldn't be a problem.
He would react the moment he felt the touch of the awl on his skin.
Being a Knight made such things possible.
And Encrid seemed capable of doing something similar.
He might not dodge everything, but perhaps he could avoid most blows. Compared to before, his progress was unbelievable.
Yet, there were still areas where he was lacking.
His reaction speed, the time it took him to see and decide, and the limits of his athletic ability were still evident.
This was because he hadn't fully mastered his Will. Ragna instinctively recognized this.
Even so, there was nothing to say.
Offering help might instead create a box and trap him within it. So, Ragna only watched and refrained from giving advice.
Jaxon, who had been observing as well, was equally astonished.
Facing Ragna, the Captain had shown particularly exceptional momentum.
'Intimidation.'
In other words, it was the natural pressure that came from being at the Knight level. The directionless guy exuded this momentum, naturally crushing the Captain's mind and Will, but instead of struggling to resist it, the Captain raised his own momentum and effortlessly dispelled it.
It wasn't that he used Will of Rejection to escape, he scattered it with natural momentum.
Suddenly, it was clear. There was no longer the Captain of the past.
"This bastard!"
Eventually, Rem couldn't hold back and lunged at Ragna, who hadn't rested properly.
Their fight was fierce but also lackluster. It was like a parallel battle.
At some point, Encrid saw the two's sword and axe clash at speeds beyond his vision.
Sparks flew from their weapons, and heat began to radiate.
Yet neither was serious.
Meanwhile, raindrops started to fall one by one, and soon a downpour began.
"I went easy on you, lazy idiot lost bastard."
"And you've learned well how to squirm your way through."
They kept growling at each other, but their hands stopped. It was raining, after all.
"Let's wash up."
Encrid said, and somehow Krais got dragged along, and they all ended up in the bathhouse together.
The place was just as it had been before. Steam filled the air from the hot water, making it hard to see, and the middle-aged woman who managed the bathhouse was still as bold as ever.
"Come on in!"
Even her greeting was as sharp as a Knight's sword. She boldly pointed to the tubs for the mud-covered men.
"Hurry up and get undressed! It's been a while since I've had a good show."
Though she said that, she likely had no real interest in the bodies of the men.
Encrid, Rem, Ragna, Jaxon, Audin, and Krais all stripped completely. Luagarne and Teresa naturally opted out.
Although they thought it was the same, there were some changes. The most noticeable was the large stone tub. They had brought in a big, flat rock, carved it out, and polished it so everyone could soak together.
No doubt, a skilled stonemason had been needed.
"It's a gift from Lord Graham."
Krais explained, and they all entered the tub. The water, heated to just the right temperature, made their bodies relax.
The bathhouse culture, originally from the Empire, had spread across the continent, including Naurillia.
Although it didn't exist in the west, Rem found it quite enjoyable. The prickly tension in his mind gradually melted away.
"Went easy on you, lost traveler."
"Before you go to bed tonight, you should thank whichever God you pray to. You're lucky to be alive."
"Haha, brothers, don't fight. The Gods are always watching over you both."
"Fools."
One by one, from Rem to Jaxon, they all spoke, and it felt as if the bath's temperature rose.
Encrid knew that they weren't entirely serious. Half of it was probably a joke. It was just their way of expressing their camaraderie.
That's how Encrid chose to see it.
Still, they were getting along much better than when they had first met. Back then, it seemed like someone could become a corpse at any moment.
Rem looked rather satisfied.
Was it because he hadn't ended up getting beaten up?
Maybe. Or maybe it was simply that he liked the bath's temperature.
"But where did the beastwoman sister go?"
Audin asked.
Encrid glanced at him, thinking how quickly he asked.
"She's gone to the east."
"I see."
That was all.
They figured Dunbachel had her reasons for going, and left it at that.
Respecting someone else's judgment.
It wasn't an attitude they originally possessed, but it wasn't the same now.
Encrid had always treated them this way, and since they accepted it, they realized they had grown.
Separate from their talent with a sword, Encrid was a different kind of person.
There was much to learn from him.
Though they all thought so, it wasn't something anyone would say out loud.
"I heard you gave Company Commander Sinar and Esther gifts. Don't we get anything?"
Krais asked, submerged up to his neck.
While it wasn't exactly a gift, Encrid did have something for them.
"I put it in the barrack's pack but forgot."
If they had all been together when he arrived, he would have naturally given it to them, but they had all been out.
Encrid didn't know, but in fact, that was to be expected. A group without a central point naturally scattered.
In that sense, Encrid was like the string holding the beads together.
Without the string, the beads scattered, each rolling to its own place.
Only Krais sensed the atmosphere.
'Still, it's better than when we used to fight like mad.'
Though they were scattered, the beads still lingered nearby, hovering in place on their own.
Krais thought back to something he had learned from an astronomer he read in a book long ago.
Didn't he say that the world revolved not around this earth, but around the sun?
Most of what the astronomer had said went over his head, but he remembered one thing.
'Stars revolving around the sun.'
In some places, that theory was persecuted as wrong, but to Krais, it looked just like that.
Like stars and the sun.
After washing and returning to the barracks, Ragna had a meal of bread, ham, and vegetables, something like a boxed lunch.
These days, this kind of special sandwich was all the rage in the city. Inside was thinly sliced yellow pumpkin, made at Vanessa's Pumpkin Soup Inn.
Vanessa certainly had a talent for cooking and business.
Thinking of cooking reminded Encrid of Juol in the west. He wondered if Juol and Vanessa might be able to help each other if they were together.
Lost in these trivial thoughts, Encrid rummaged through his pack.
"I picked this up on the way."
The first item was the Carmen Collection. A dagger in a gem-studded scabbard, likely reflecting the previous owner's taste.
When Encrid tossed it, Jaxon caught the handle.
Sring.
Jaxon slightly drew the blade from the scabbard, and although it made a sound, the blade itself was invisible.
For once, Jaxon's eyes grew wide.
"The Carmen Collection?"
He muttered to himself and touched the invisible blade with his fingertips. Though it couldn't be seen, the shape of the blade was clear to the touch.
"Was treasure just lying around for you to pick up on your way?"
Krais asked, blinking his large eyes.
"You're not wrong."
Next to him, Luagarne nodded and added a bit of explanation. Krais heard that the dagger was taken from a deserter they had caught.
Wasn't that supposed to be a rare weapon? Was it luck?
Maybe. Krais couldn't pursue the thought further.
"This seems like it's yours."
Feeling quite good, Jaxon threw the gem-studded scabbard to Krais.
Krais quickly assessed it.
It wasn't top-tier, but it wasn't bad either.
The gems weren't particularly precious, but it was certainly better than some damaged relic from a raided dungeon. It would be good for selling.
Since it was a bonus profit, of course it wasn't bad.
"Thank you, I'll use it well."
Jaxon seemed genuinely pleased, even nodding slightly toward Encrid.
But that wasn't the end of it.
"There have been a few assassination attempts. A few on the Lord, and even some on Big Eyes."
Jaxon casually mentioned, and Krais blinked his large eyes.
"When? I didn't know."
Of course, he wouldn't have known.
While Encrid was away, Jaxon had dealt with disobedient fools, using fists, daggers, and threats to persuade them, ultimately shaping Geor's Dagger to his liking.
Although it wasn't perfect yet, they had established enough of a foothold in the city.
Jaxon's capable men now had nests spread throughout the city, acting as a filter for any assassins entering the city.
Of course, there could be some that slipped through their net, but none so far. In Jaxon's eyes, those who came had been no more than mediocre.
At best, they were mercenaries working for a few gold coins.
Krais blinked several times, finally reaching a conclusion.
When he thought about it, there was probably no one more obvious to target than him and Graham.
There were plenty of people to target.
Madmen driven by envy and jealousy.
Aspen men who wanted the Border Guard to collapse.
Noble bastards stirring up trouble, and so on.
"Ha, really too much."
Krais spoke with frustration. What if they poisoned the food one day and they all just dropped dead?
Of course, to prevent such a thing, he carried a long silver needle and mostly used silver utensils.
After all, silver was known as the best material for detecting poison.
The only thing left to give as a gift was the Invisible Blade.
Next, Encrid pulled out a corrupted relic, and Audin immediately recognized it.
"Sinner, you shall be judged. Father, do not forgive them."
Audin muttered to himself but spoke as if he were shouting as he approached the relic and reached out his hand.
Hmm?
Encrid had intended to find a priest to deal with it, not to give it away so easily.
"It's a sacred item that must be cleansed in the name of the Lord. Please hand it over."
Audin extended his large palm.
Well, if he was going to say that much, Encrid figured Audin would know what to do with it, so he handed over the cup without further comment. The relic had a strange smell, but none of them were tempted by it.
Krais added a single comment.
"Gin?"
"Yes, Big-Eyed Brother."
Audin said, putting the cup into a small pouch and hanging it on his belt.
The Sacred Cult of Demon Realm once indiscriminately stole holy relics of the Gods. They threw their lives away recklessly and eventually stole several relics.
And the stolen relics caused disasters wherever they went.
In one region, endless undead rose, forcing the summoning of a Holy Knight Order.
The item Audin had just received was one of those relics.
Purifying the relic held great meaning for him.
So, if Jaxon had received a desirable item, Audin had the feeling of having recovered something precious he had forgotten.
As Audin prayed, Teresa joined him.
Having recently devoted herself to the War God, Teresa also understood the importance of this relic.
What could be more important than restoring an item infused with the will and power of the Gods to its rightful state?
As they left, there was a snorting sound outside the barracks.
It was Odd-Eye.
Without much thought, Encrid pulled out the Lucky Fish he had brought all the way here, without even considering it a gift.
He threw it to Odd-Eye, who had poked his head in through the open door. Big Eyes extended his neck, caught the fish in his mouth, and chewed.
After chewing a few times, Odd-Eye stared at Encrid and nodded, seemingly satisfied.
It seemed like he had emptied his pack now.
As Encrid dusted off his hands, Ragna, who had finished two sandwiches by now, asked.
"Is it the end?"
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