Passing Martai all the way to the East.
The journey wasn't as tough as Dunbachel had thought. Dealing with monsters and beasts was expected, but their numbers had clearly dwindled since before.
It was only natural.
Outposts had been established everywhere, from the Border Guard to Martai.
The troops stationed at these outposts focused solely on killing monsters and guarding the posts through rotational duty.
That didn't mean that the number of thieves had increased either.
There was a saying on the continent that when monsters decrease, bandits run rampant.
When monster activity dwindles, people move around more, and it's only logical that thieves would settle in such places.
But not in this area.
"If you're caught stealing, we cut off your head. If you're caught thieving, we cut off your wrist."
The Border Guard Commander, who had become the Lord of Martai, ruled over criminals in the same way as he had at the Border Guard.
This was also why the criminal guilds couldn't thrive here.
Sometimes, a Frog called Maelrun would drop by for fun, and whenever mercenaries or sword-for-hires caused trouble, that Frog would beat them mercilessly.
"If you're mad about getting beaten, come join the Border Guard."
Recently, since the number of people in the Border Guard who fought better than Maelrun had increased, Maelrun's new hobby was taking walks here when his pent-up frustrations built up.
At one point, a rumor spread that if you really went to the Border Guard after hearing that, a muscular monster would forcibly train you.
Dunbachel heard similar stories along the way and nodded. Seemed like a plausible rumor.
As the Border Guard raised strong troops and invested more in the military, Martai naturally followed suit.
"Will we let the name of the Border Guard be sullied?"
Torres pushed his troops even harder than before.
He couldn't allow a unit with history and fame to lose its dignity like this.
Torres didn't want the Border Guards, under his leadership, to remain just another average unit.
As part of the training, Torres sent the Frontier Guards Garrison on outpost duties, and as Krais had hoped, Martai also began building outposts.
With the safe road connecting the Border Guard to Martai, it naturally became a route frequently used by merchant caravans.
Martai had originally been a gateway city for rare relics coming from the East.
The items and relics from the East weren't cheap, and although Rockfreed could have monopolized it, they acted wisely.
Instead of trying to grab everything, they took what they could and left the rest.
They didn't interfere with Eastern relics, peddlers, or traveling merchants. They could pass through without trouble as long as they paid the toll.
Because of this, it had become an environment where continental merchants who didn't go through the Border Guard were seen as fools.
Business was booming. Although there weren't any particular specialties, and the Green Pearl region still had many hurdles to overcome before it became proper farmland, trade was flourishing, and Krona was circulating actively.
That's why Martai was bustling.
Dunbachel found Torres as Encrid had told her and obtained the appropriate supplies.
"Heading to the East? Dangerous? No. You're with Encrid's people, right? Do as you please."
That's all Torres said before adding one more thing.
"Shall I have the tub filled with water? You look like you haven't bathed in days."
"No, I'm fine. I'm leaving right away."
Dunbachel moved on in her dirty, ragged state. From Martai, heading East.
At first, a wide wasteland greeted her.
As she left the region with fewer monsters and bandits, she encountered a new kind of monster for the first time.
A two-headed lizard, one head clacking its teeth to create sparks, while the other spewed gas.
Together, they formed a fire-breathing monster.
It was a remnant of the time when the fire-breathing lizard monster known as the Salamander had descended upon the continent.
This was a lesser species of the Salamander, and its name was roughly translated as 'Fire Lizard'.
In some areas, they simply called it a 'two-headed lizard'. It wasn't a common sight.
The journey continued, killing monsters along the way. The East was far. As the long road dragged on, idle thoughts crept into her mind.
'The Chronicles of Dunbachel's Journey to the East.'
How about making a story like that?
Subtitle: The Story of Bees Drunk on Flowers?
Everyone, including Encrid, would fall for her.
'Should I leave Rem out of it?'
He's married, and Ayul was a good person. She remembered how Ayul had looked after her back when she was stationed in the West.
Dunbachel nearly died twice before finally reaching the Eastern frontier city.
It was a long but short story, depending on how you looked at it. When she met Anu, the Mercenary King, his first words were:
"Hey, did that guy lose all his fingers or something? Why hasn't he replied to my letter?"
Encrid hadn't replied to the letter Anu had sent, and Anu was upset about it.
There was no welcoming greeting, but that didn't matter. When had she ever received a warm welcome?
In the past, it would have bothered her, but now she didn't care.
"I wouldn't know."
Dunbachel answered indifferently.
The King looked at her.
"So why are you here?"
"To rest."
When she said she came to the East to rest, the people beside the King stiffened with surprise.
What was this half-wit beastwoman saying now?
Dunbachel had come to endure hardships. That was the plan.
And so.
"So, take good care of me."
Dunbachel declared boldly.
* * *
Krang hated politics. Look at this now.
"It seems that many eyes are watching Encrid."
"Why? Are they afraid if they get too close, I'll take their land and give it to Enki?"
The Marquis of Octo laughed as he spoke.
"What can we do? When the royal power strengthens, it's only natural for the nobles to feel uneasy."
Krang tapped the armrest of his chair.
Why is it that no matter how many of these greedy fools he gets rid of, new ones keep showing up? They were like mosquitoes.
Just like the annoying pests that appeared every summer, these people kept reappearing.
It wasn't a matter of concern.
You can't take care of everything while forging ahead. Those who were destined to fall, would fall on their own.
Several landlords from the frontier complained that Encrid's domain was too large.
Some even said they'd use force to take parts of it.
Were they crazy?
What if they died?
Krang told them to do as they wished but warned them to bear the consequences of any damages caused by armed conflict.
Some of the landlords, perhaps driven to madness by the smallness of their wells, agreed.
Well, the interference of neighboring countries seemed to play a part in their actions, but what could be said when they were hell-bent on getting themselves killed, despite all the warnings and attempts at appeasement?
"Well, what can you do? Is Aspen preparing for war?"
The seasonal rains had come and gone, and now the season properly called autumn was beginning.
Krang spoke as he looked out the window at the slowly reddening leaves.
"We've kept all routes open and are gathering information. My judgment is that, yes, they are preparing for war."
The Marquis of Visar, sitting next to the Marquis of Octo, responded. Across from him, Marcus Visar moved his utensils. It was a breakfast meeting disguised as dinner.
The only difference was that instead of sandwiches, there were steaks, grilled broccoli, and mashed potatoes.
Krang hated waste. It was because he had seen so many people die from hunger while wandering the continent during his childhood.
He believed that if the Royal Family reduced its use of plates, they could save tens or even hundreds of citizens. And in practice, they had.
Of course, not all nobles liked this.
Why deprive us of what we're entitled to?
Krang didn't punish them. They would do as they saw fit. Instead, the Royal Family led by example.
Creating a culture of taking care of the people and fulfilling their responsibilities instead of indulging in waste.
Naturally, some opposed this, claiming that Enki was being favored, or complaining that the Knights weren't being trained properly.
Nobles were always like that.
And now Aspen was preparing to attack. Could they pull the Knights from the southern border to fight?
Should the forces in the city of Oara be redeployed?
They would need Knights.
This war wouldn't be like the regional skirmishes of the past.
Aspen was determined to go all out. There was nothing they wouldn't do to obtain the Green Pearl. But what were they relying on to make this move?
If Krang were the King of Aspen, now would be the time to bow his head in submission. But for them to push forward like this, they must have some ace up their sleeve.
Some people don't see failure as despair but as a new opportunity.
Encrid was one such person.
Perhaps Aspen had someone like that too. Someone who didn't see their previous failures as failures but as a chance to try again.
Krang thought all this with a blank expression as he chewed on his meat. The well-cooked lamb melted in his mouth.
Nobles, war—it didn't matter, the meat was delicious.
"The lamb is well-cooked. Why don't we eat while we talk?"
At Marcus's words, the Marquis of Visar also moved his hand. As he aged, the Marquis's chewing power had weakened, making it hard for him to eat meat. He had once received divine healing, but his gums could not regain their former health.
However, the young lamb was tender enough to be easily torn by the Marquis's weakened teeth.
"If Aspen crosses the line, you're saying we should let Enki handle them with just the Border Guard?"
Some nobles had gathered to undermine the power of General Encrid.
They were saying that as the great lord responsible for the city built to stop Aspen, he should fulfill his duty.
It seemed like these bastards had no conscience left.
Had they forgotten that he was the one who ended the civil war and was hailed as the Demon Slayer?
Well, the provincial nobles likely hadn't seen Encrid's achievements firsthand.
Even now, it was these provincial nobles rallying together to make their case.
Among them were those who disliked that Count Molsen's land was being managed as if it were royal territory.
These idiots believed that if Count Molsen died, parts of his land would become theirs.
Krang asked, and the Marquis of Visar nodded.
"No matter how long it takes, the Royal Family should be able to send reinforcements within a month."
That force could include Knights as well.
A month at most. They didn't even need to fight seriously.
It was a charade, but it would still show that the Border Guard was doing its job and that Encrid was the right person for the position.
"We might also send Viscount Andrew's troops. They would certainly be helpful."
Marcus swallowed his food and spoke.
Andrew was the lord of a city right next to the Capital, having received land.
With royal support, he was raising a strong army day by day, so as Marcus said, he would be a great help.
Krang nodded. It was time to write another letter by hand.
"But is this guy busy? Why hasn't he replied?"
Krang had sent over ten letters, but there had been no response from Encrid.
If he had returned, shouldn't he have sent a reply by now?
Hadn't some time passed since he came back from the West?
* * *
'Is he thoughtless?'
Or maybe he was good at fighting but not so bright.
That's what Encrid thought as he read the Mercenary King's letter.
It was nagging him about why he hadn't replied. There was nothing particularly important in the letter, so why the rush for a response?
It wasn't hard to understand that sending a reply was no simple task, unless you had a disease in your brain.
Sure, the Mercenary King could have someone send his letters, but to send a reply to a frontier city required at least a squad of soldiers.
So far, whenever Encrid left a reply in Martai, the eastern envoy would take it back on their return.
So the timing had to align for the response to be delivered.
Encrid had been busy traveling between the city of Oara and the West for some time.
And now they were complaining about not getting a response.
Even if they didn't know that, it didn't seem like the sort of matter that required a response.
Encrid began checking the letters that had piled up while he was away. Most were from Mercenary King Anu and Krang.
There were also a few useless letters.
Love letters claiming they had fallen for him at first sight.
Letters from nobles asking him to meet their daughters.
Excluding the letters from the two Kings, half of the remaining letters were proposals for marriage, a quarter were provocations questioning if his fame was deserved, and another quarter were from merchants and companies asking for favors.
"Looks like the bribes are pouring in too, huh?"
Encrid said as he skimmed the letters and wrote a few replies, turning to ask Krais, who nodded.
"Yes, quite a lot. Would you like some?"
"No."
There wasn't anything he needed. He did need to buy some armor, but if he poked Krais's side just once, the Krona needed for that would easily come out.
In fact, his personal gambeson, chainmail, and plate armor had already been prepared.
The gambeson was dyed deep blue, with a golden sword embroidered on the outside.
Whoever made it clearly had left their sense of aesthetics somewhere in the depths of the Demon Realm.
But it was sturdy. The outer layer was made from the hide of a beast-turned-wolf, and the inside was lined with Owlbear feathers. It was a bit heavy, but nothing too bothersome.
After writing and organizing the letters, Encrid donned his armor, strapped Aker to his side, and placed three throwing knives on his chest.
It was a small office. As he stood to leave, Krais asked.
"Where are you going?"
"To say hello."
"To whom?"
"Nobles..."
With just that, Krais knew what Encrid was planning.
There was a noble who had been sending amateur assassins and constantly provoking him.
This noble's territory lay between the Border Guard and Count Molsen's land. It wasn't a small territory, but it wasn't particularly powerful either.
But recently, the noble had adopted a son, claiming the boy had learned from a master of martial arts.
Since then, with this supposed master staying in his territory, the noble had been acting more and more unhinged.
He started acting as if parts of Count Molsen's land belonged to him and said that Encrid was just a lucky swordsman.
"Are you going alone?"
Krais stood up as well.
Sitting armed at his desk, he had clearly been eager to leave.
Was there really any need to take more people?
That's what Encrid thought.
It wasn't much different from a casual visit.
Encrid set off straight for the noble's land, and, feeling bored, Rem followed.
"Let's go together. I'm bored."
Ragna, too lazy, went back to sleep, while Luagarne devoted herself to training after returning from the West.
Pel was still a bit gloomy, and Lawford was still as lively as ever.
On a deep night, as the seasonal rains poured, they chatted and spent time in training as usual.
After several days of rain, the weather cleared. It was a cool day, perfect for walking and moving about.
"Are you going to cut off his head?"
Rem asked as they set out.
"Don't start by cutting off heads."
Encrid replied as the two began their journey.
It was a bit too far to walk, and though they were offered a carriage, Encrid declined.
He felt like walking. He wanted to think over the vague clues they had about their destination and clear his mind.
They walked for about ten days, training and hunting along the way.
Encrid finally reached the noble's territory. As luck would have it, the noble was out hunting monsters, and they met at the border of his land.
The noble was accompanied by his son and twenty attendants, while Encrid had only Rem by his side.