"Zaun is to the north. If you face the Pen-Hanil Mountains and cross to the northeast, you'll find a small cave. Pass through that cave, and you'll come to the 'Hill of Stargazing.' From there, make a large detour east, and you'll arrive. It's near the Empire's territory."
Magrun said this with a perfectly fine face, as if he had never coughed up blood. Enkrid had once wandered the continent as a guide. His sense of direction, when compared to Ragna's, was at the level of the continent's strongest knight. Compared to a regular guide, it was just enough to keep from starving.
Even with this level of sense, Magrun's words painted a picture in his mind.
It wasn't as complicated a path as he had thought. This led to a new thought.
'The reason Zaun is unknown isn't because it's hard to find.'
Frankly, the town where Enkrid himself was born and raised was better hidden than Zaun.
'They didn't hide the path; they just didn't build a reputation.'
The Zaun clan doesn't step forward or put their name first. They have no thought of spreading or making the name Zaun widely known.
'No, there might have been someone who thought that way. Someone must have stopped them.'
His thoughts continued to branch out on their own. Sometimes, his mind would map out the aftermath, aspects, and dynamics of a single event, and this was the part Krais had called a truly outstanding talent when looking at Enkrid.
To infer the back of a picture by looking at its front was indeed a talent.
Enkrid continued his train of thought with a question.
'Why did they stop it?'
If he asked Krais or Abnaier this question, an answer would come quickly. Even without detailed information, the two would have a good grasp of the direction the Zaun family was pursuing.
And now, it wasn't difficult for Enkrid to guess the reason either.
"The Empire's territory?"
Enkrid asked as he put a sweet potato, imported from Aspen and baked in an oven, into his mouth.
The texture crumbled as his molars moved. There was only a slight resistance, but a sweet taste and nutty aroma spread in his mouth.
Crunch! Eating it with pickled radish, the two flavors harmonized in his mouth, creating a chorus of delight. It was delicious.
"I said it was nearby. Zaun is adjacent to the Imperial territory, but it's a separate, independent city."
The answer was in what Magrun was saying now. Magrun also peeled a sweet potato and put it in his mouth.
Watching him eat, blowing on it with a "hoooo," it was hard to believe he was the same man who had collapsed coughing up blood a few days ago.
He had even sparred with him at dawn. He said he was fine on the outside, and there was no choice but to believe him. This was not his area of expertise but Anne's, and Anne had nodded, saying he was fine now.
'An independent city.'
There is a group with that much military power nearby. If Enkrid were a statesman, how would he see them?
'A threat.'
Or an opportunity.
He would either embrace them or eliminate them. But that hadn't been done. The Empire had left them alone.
The people of Zaun were not hiding. Those who knew, knew of their existence and location.
'And yet, they leave them be.'
It must be because they created a reason why they had to be left alone.
To use a strategic analogy, it's like not giving the opponent a reason to cut you.
'And they would have let it be known that a careless attack wouldn't end with just a scratch.'
To eliminate them would require pouring in the nation's full military power. They would have to lose at least one arm to get rid of them. So, they were left alone.
He remembered what Krang had told him.
"The Imperial territory, funnily enough, has many shields. First, the Pen-Hanil Mountains serve as a shield against the central continent here, and to the west, the Great Forest, where the King of Beasts is said to live, stands like a shield. There's also a shield on the way around to the east. That shield is..."
He hadn't listened to the end because he wasn't interested, but now he thought he knew what that eastern shield was.
'Zaun.'
They must be one of those shields.
Scrape- Grida pulled her chair over and came closer, continuing the story.
"They say they have no relationship with the Empire, but since the guys who can't adapt in the family sometimes become knights of the Empire, you can't say there's no connection at all. To be precise, it's amicable. That's the kind of relationship it is. And it's also a relationship that has to be amicable."
What happens when you're on bad terms with a neighboring country?
Naurilia and Aspen were a very good example of what was about to happen.
You have to fight endlessly.
"You'll have to go on horseback for a while, and then you'll have to walk."
Magrun finished. Enkrid nodded.
He turned his gaze to one side. The door of the knights' dining hall was large enough for five Audins to stand side by side and pass through at once.
To borrow Krais's words, the door had to be big for ingredients to come and go easily.
Well, the knights ate a lot. They ate like madmen.
There were less than ten of them, but the amount of food they consumed was equivalent to more than a company. That was why they had created a separate knight's meal for wartime.
Outside that large door, Ragna was visible. Lawford stood beside him.
As he cleared away his nearly finished breakfast, Enkrid heard the conversation between the two.
It wasn't that he was eavesdropping; he could hear them just fine even while sitting still.
"Lawford, don't just stick to efficient methods."
The two held not real swords, but wooden ones. Ragna spoke as he swung the one in his hand.
When a knight swings it, even a rotten branch, not just a wooden sword, can be lethal. What couldn't they do when they could break logs with their bare fists?
Ragna raised his wooden sword to the sky. A high guard stance. From that position, he brought the sword down in a cutting motion, then changed the direction of the force at the point where it became parallel to the ground. In terms of movement, he crossed his feet and thrust the sword.
It was a technique that required the physical control of a Beastkin, easy to say but hard to do.
Enkrid also read the meaning embedded in the technique.
'Valencian Mercenary Sword Style.'
Deceive to gain an advantage. That was the goal of the Valencian Mercenary Sword Style. The trajectory of the swordsmanship Ragna was demonstrating was just that.
Lawford tried to bring his sword up to meet the suddenly changed trajectory of the blade. It was clear that Lawford was also a formidable swordsman.
He barely blocked the thrust. Clack-clack-clack- the sound of two wooden swords clashing was loud, and the two blades met in mid-air and stuck together.
'Bind.'
A technique to lock weapons together.
Ragna pushed the bound wooden sword forward, crossing his feet once more to close the distance.
It was an unorthodox attack that would have been startling if one were facing him directly.
Ragna, with the swords still bound, pushed his blade forward and tapped Lawford's cheek with the hand gripping his sword.
Tap.
There would be no impact. To be precise, there was no physical impact left on the body, though there might be a shock to the mind.
This easily? It wasn't because I was pushed back by strength or speed, but because I couldn't read his moves? What's the reason?
Lawford's mind must be in a whirl. As Enkrid watched and thought this, Ragna spoke again to Lawford.
"Don't limit your movements."
It was exactly what was needed right now. Lawford's eyes shone. He was in the process of surpassing his limits. Anyone could see it.
Whether it's one step or half a step a day, he steadily moves forward. Ragna was currently teaching Lawford what he needed most.
And it didn't end there.
The man, who seemed to have forgotten his usual laziness, was there.
"This time, I'll teach you how to swing by wringing out your muscles in an instant. It's the heavy sword style's spinning slash."
The pace was so fast that it was difficult for Lawford to keep up. It was something a lazy person would never do.
"He's changed so much."
Grida said as she watched the scene. Perhaps he changed because of the influence of Enkrid, who is right next to me? That was her inner thought.
This man was someone who had that much influence on those around him.
Being near him might change you.
He had even made her feel that the work of tempering her body these past few months was quite enjoyable.
Enkrid had a knack for making people move their bodies with joy just by watching him.
"Didn't he say he left because he was tired of the sword?"
Magrun added a word. He glanced at Enkrid. The very person who had changed a genius, who had felt disillusioned with everything, was right beside him.
By what means did he change a person so much? Of course, he had a rough idea. A person so serious about both training and life is rare. No, he had never seen one before.
That sincerity must be the reason for a change like this. Magrun concluded.
While the two were lost in thought, Enkrid opened his mouth.
"What's with him?"
His tone was one of genuine surprise.
Grida's and Magrun's heads turned to Enkrid.
Why are you surprised too? Their eyes seemed to say. Enkrid, reading their gazes, replied.
"I don't know either. Seeing him like this is actually kind of scary."
In all honesty, wasn't this a side of Ragna he never expected to see?
The two from Zaun looked on, dumbfounded.
After guiding the swordsmanship practice, Ragna wiped his sweat with a towel and entered the dining hall.
It was a truly unfitting sight. Sweating, concentrating on training, and teaching Lawford in his spare time.
And it wasn't just Lawford.
On his way in, he encountered Squire and a fallen Klement, and Ragna said,
"Grip your sword."
"...Yes?"
Klement knew Ragna. It was hard not to, since he frequented the knights' quarters.
Yet, his bewildered expression was evident.
Frankly, it was the first time he had a conversation with Ragna. He was a person who usually didn't even bother to answer properly when called, saying it was a hassle.
Klement, taken aback, did as he was told and gripped and drew his sword.
"Practice being able to change your grip at any time. And yet, grip it firmly so you don't lose it."
It was a short but effective lesson.
Klement gave a military salute with a dazed look on his face.
Why is he suddenly like this? His expression seemed to ask.
Ragna sat down to eat and spoke towards the three gazes that were fixed on him.
"What remains in the place that one leaves behind? It is a problem worth considering."
Whether he had eaten the Philosopher's Stone or drank the Philosopher's Blood, Ragna was acting wise, unlike himself.
And that appearance was extremely annoying. It was like watching Rem pretend to be gentle, or Jaxen acting cheerful and saying the world is beautiful.
Enkrid reflexively swung his water cup. The water that had lightly filled the cup scattered and landed on Ragna's hair.
Enkrid felt the need to exorcise whatever had possessed Ragna.
He had heard from Rem that this kind of ritual sometimes worked. So, he said with sincerity,
"Shoo, evil spirit, be gone."
A short silence settled in the dining hall. A trainee who was bringing out another dish took a step back. It seemed he had decided to unsee and unhear what he had just witnessed.
"What are you doing?"
Ragna didn't get angry, nor did he argue. He just looked on indifferently without shaking his head and spoke. That look deeply grated on Enkrid.
It was the look of an adult looking at a childish man-child.
To exaggerate a little, it was like looking at Rem.
"If a person suddenly changes..."
Provoked, Enkrid struggled.
"Yes, they die."
Ragna even parried that. At the end of the short exchange, Enkrid felt a sense of defeat.
'Have you grown?'
He didn't pretend not to understand, just calmly maintained his stance. Behind Ragna, an adult who seemed to be muttering, "I know everything," and clicking his tongue in disapproval, came to mind.
"Commander, any person sometimes needs to be serious."
Magrun, who had been discussing sword theory with him so seriously until now, backed out.
This bastard?
When Enkrid looked at him, Grida opened her mouth this time.
"You can't exorcise an evil spirit like that. You have to cut it with a magical sword, or you need a similar tool... not plain water."
It wasn't that he didn't know that. He swallowed the words he was about to say. No, he had to swallow them.
Enkrid saw that if he made any kind of excuse here, he would be pushed back even further.
"Do not bully my fiancé. You three evil spirits."
Shinar said as she entered just in time. With her fairy hearing, she must have heard their entire conversation from outside.
Ragna, as if transcendent to this whole situation, simply nodded his head in understanding with eyes as deep as a pond.
Enkrid couldn't say anything to Ragna about his change. He really couldn't fathom why he was acting like that.
But it wasn't like he was going to say anything here anyway.
If there's a catalyst, people change. Enkrid simply realized the principle of the world once again.
"Alright. Whatever it is, it's better than being lazy."
So he said vaguely and stood up to go find Krais.
He saw Krais's eyes narrow when he said he would be leaving again. He would have to do his work before he left.
He was definitely not running away from his seat right now.
"Retreat is a good tactic. I will hold them back. My fiancé. Go."
Shinar blocked Enkrid's back with a determined attitude.
After that, he roughly handled the estate's affairs for two days.
"Come back safe and sound."
Krais coolly provided Krona and horses.
He had said that the horse breeding at Green Pearl was a great success, and the few horses he brought now had shiny manes and clear eyes.
"Of course."
Anne had hastily learned to ride a horse in a few days, and Enkrid set off with the three from the Zaun family, Ragna, and Anne.
"Please, just abandon that bastard on the way."
Rem bid him farewell with a greeting full of concern for a healthy trip. Ragna, hearing the words of blessing directed at him, stared at Rem intently.
It was the deep, pond-like gaze he had been showing often lately.
"What? You want to fight?"
Rem reacted, but Ragna answered with words instead of killing intent.
"Rem, I respect the life of a barbarian. You must have had to live through such struggles. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to survive."
Ragna spoke and turned away.
Clop, clop.
The horse carrying him moved out of the training ground.
"...Did he hit his head hard?"
Even Rem was taken aback by the response.
"That's not the way."
Anne steered her horse to follow behind Ragna.
Strangely, the horse Ragna was riding moved on its own, despite being extremely well-trained.