Chapter 727 - Let's have a spar.
"What? Are you telling me to kneel too?"
Ragna frowned as he stared at him.
Enkrid shook his head.
One by one, the House members who had been kneeling rose to their feet.
The gloomy days had passed and the sun had come out.
With not a single cloud in the now blue sky, the sunlight would gently dry and soothe the damp earth.
Still, not all traces left on the ground would disappear.
Enkrid had made up his mind and set out, determined that no one would die behind him.
But that didn't mean there had been no deaths at all.
Those killed by him, including Hescal and the ones who followed him, were gone.
From what he'd heard about the recent events, even the representative of Hunter's Village had changed.
After all, the dead can't represent a village.
He'd also heard Kato had chased after someone to the end and killed them.
Well, that was none of Enkrid's concern.
In any case, with the vacancies left by the dead, some people were plunged into sorrow, others were angry, and some insisted they had to find joy in simply surviving.
There was no right or wrong in how people responded.
Everyone was finding their own way to heal.
Enkrid had gotten up, but he still couldn't say he was in perfect condition He wasn't fully recovered yet.
Though rest and recovery may seem like the same thing, they are actually different.
'I've gotten enough rest until now.'
Now it was time to focus on recovery.
Simply put, rest is passive while recovery is active.
If resting means sleeping and taking it easy, then eating and lightly loosening up the body is what you might call recovery.
Moreover, because Enkrid's body had been forged through training, his body healed faster the more he moved.
So, after shaking himself awake and getting up, Enkrid spent two days repeating a cycle of avoiding intense sparring, resting, eating, and drinking.
He held back from swinging his sword, and instead repeatedly stretched and contracted his muscles and did light jogging.
Of course, 'light jogging' was according to the standards of a knight or Enkrid himself.
If an ordinary person watched, they might wonder if he was running that much because he had a death wish—it was that long and strenuous.
He spent half the day at a slow run.
"Wow, you really eat a lot."
The Giants are big eaters.
Even Ana Hera, who was herself a Giant, looked at Enkrid in amazement.
The dining table in the manor, which seated eight, was overflowing with food.
The main dish today was pork steamed until tender, served with vegetables steamed alongside it.
Enkrid put all of it into his mouth without a second thought, chewing and swallowing everything.
He didn't eat hurriedly.
Instead, he took a long time to eat.
As a result, meals now took twice as long as usual.
In short, he was running slowly and eating slowly, but never stopping.
"Drink this. It'll help."
Anne, sitting at the same table, had just finished off the small dish allotted to her.
Enkrid gulped down the medicine bottle Anne handed him, making sure not a single drop remained.
It didn't taste good.
It was astringent and bitter.
Still, he didn't scrunch up his face like a child.
Watching this, Anne commented,
"Hey, is someone chasing you? Seriously, why do you look like you're in such a hurry?"
Apparently, moving slowly yet never stopping could look rushed to others.
As Enkrid's mouth was full and he couldn't answer, he just looked at Anne.
Ragna, who was also eating with similar intensity, answered for him.
"He probably wants to recover as quickly as possible so he can get back to doing what he likes. Mostly swordplay, of course."
"So basically, he's in a hurry because he wants to get back to training? Sigh"
Anne sounded incredulous, but to Enkrid, it was only natural.
'I've learned a lot.'
There was so much he had newly realized.
He needed to sort it all out in his mind, but he didn't feel confident unless he put it into practice with his body.
He would need to try things out himself, and set some milestones along the way.
Wave-breaker Sword, Sword of Chance.
Along with those two sword styles, various thoughts floated around in his head.
In theory, he had managed to organize his understanding to some extent.
But even aside from that, starting with how to handle Will, there was a long list of things he wanted to do.
All of it would have to wait until his body had fully recovered.
If you try to force things because you're impatient, you'll end up buttoning everything wrong, won't you?
The present was what mattered most.
It was a time to move forward calmly and steadily, one step at a time.
"That's an attitude worth emulating."
Although she had eaten separately, for some reason Ana Hera was stationed at one side of the table like a bodyguard, making this remark.
"And why are you here?"
Ragna asked, looking at her.
Ana Hera wasn't good at hiding her feelings.
She was honest and straightforward.
"I just felt so guilty about trying to kill him. If you want anything, just say so and I'll do it for you. If you want, I can even spend the night with you. Yes, I mean exactly what you're thinking. It's not every day you get a chance to spend a night with a charming giant, you know."
"I'll have to decline."
Enkrid swallowed his food and replied.
His answer was swift as lightning.
"That's all I wanted to say. If you need anything else, just let me know."
Having finished what she wanted to say, Ana Hera turned to leave.
Chances are, there were quite a few people in situations similar to hers right now.
That would explain why some people were hovering nearby without saying anything.
Even now, there were lots of folks loitering outside the manor for no real reason.
Of them, one little kid came over and cried, saying he was sorry.
The kid who practiced Eil Karaz-style Martial Arts tried to act tough, saying that even if he were in the same situation again, he'd make the same choice; so Enkrid told him, if you're really sorry, bow your head and apologize.
The kid immediately planted his forehead on the ground.
Such pure-hearted folks.
Yohan is a place full of people like that.
Enkrid found himself repeating the same thoughts he'd had during the fight.
"Shouldn't you take care of yourself and rest before getting involved? Why do you keep doing this?"
Even though I saved his family, Ragna couldn't help but throw a bit of a jab at me.
Maybe he's feeling half grateful, half awkward.
It's been two days since Enkrid woke up, and only now he's bringing this up.
That guy just can't hide what he's feeling.
If he's grateful, he should just say so.
I considered telling him to bow his head and thank me, but held back.
It really seemed like Ragna was genuinely curious this time.
Enkrid rested his arm, still holding his fork, on the table and answered.
"I'd make the same choice if I had to do it all over again."
"But why?"
Should I talk about my convictions?
Say I did it because of an oath?
Or explain that, at that moment, I had the chance to make a choice and the power to see it through?
All of that is true, but there was another reason as well.
Even in that moment, the Luagarne-style Tactical Sword was in effect.
I calculated my surroundings, took everything into account, and that was the conclusion I reached.
"I trusted Anne."
With that blunt and casual reply, Anne lifted her head and looked at Enkrid.
Ragna's eyebrows twitched for a moment before settling.
Is Enkrid's way of thinking just on another level?
No, it wasn't that.
He just looked at things differently.
Naturally, his thoughts branched out in that direction and bloomed into action.
If he stepped in, there would be no chance of Yohan breaking apart.
Ragna wouldn't have to raise his sword against his own father, either.
'If my body could just hold out a bit longer, Yohan would do everything in their power to save me.'
After all, I was the person who sacrificed myself for their family.
From what I'd heard and seen on the way here, that healer, Mileschia, was also extremely skilled.
Didn't she probably have some rare herbs or a special medicine tucked away?
Besides, Yohan is considered a place of legends.
Could they really not have a single precious relic?
I'd even heard that Rhinox, once upon a time, gathered relics he found while traveling across the continent.
There must have been both medicine and relics.
If Yohan didn't fall apart, I'd be able to use those medicines or relics. With Anne around, she could pick out exactly what I needed.
"Dmule was offering an illness, and if it was an illness, Anne would have cured him."
Just from listening to him, it sounded like complete trust.
It gave the impression of pure faith, with not the slightest hint of calculation.
Hearing that, Anne's cheeks turned red.
Raban's disciples had always kept their guard up around each other, and Raban himself was even more so.
If Raban hadn't died, he would have tried to kill Anne himself.
So, it was rare for her abilities to ever be acknowledged.
Now, as she felt her heart tremble at the faith shown by the core of the Madmen Knights and the Commander of the Border Guard, who put his life on the line for her, it was a new experience.
"How mischievous. Still, no. I already have Ragna."
"…What are you talking about?"
Anne cleared her throat and turned away.
Naturally, she turned toward her lover.
"How are you feeling?"
"No more coughing, no more blood."
"Then why did you keep it to yourself and make yourself suffer, hmm?"
By the time Enkrid recovered from the last illness spread by Dmule, Ragna had confessed his condition to Anne.
Anne's reaction was definitely unlike that of most women.
"What did you do before the cough started? Did you eat something bad or something?"
Not a hint of distress showed on her face It was like standing on the battlefield with a sword in hand.
This was Anne's territory.
She knew the Madmen Knights and she knew Ragna.
Even after coming to Yohan, she had checked on his condition multiple times.
She saw no signs of a fatal illness.
Of course, she didn't claim to know every disease that spread across the continent, but it was rare for someone to die without showing any symptoms at all.
Yet, here was Ragna, coughing up blood.
Anne questioned Ragna thoroughly about his condition, and Ragna admitted that he had fainted a few times while experimenting on himself, trying to spur Will's changes.
"Did you ever feel chills or a fever?"
"My head felt a bit warm for a couple of days."
Is this idiot just slow, or is he half out of his mind?
Anne was dumbfounded, but at least she understood the situation now.
"And this shift in Will—did it take a toll on your body?"
"It was a bit much, yeah."
"Did you have a sore throat at any point?"
"I did."
What on earth is wrong with this guy?
Anne's face said it all.
Watching her, Ragna paused to reflect.
Was he getting hasty because Enkrid had been changing so much?
That's what had happened.
Even though inducing another change in Will with intention had not been easy, he'd rushed in recklessly.
"Eat this. Then get a good day's rest. And don't say a single word."
Ragna was never much of a talker to begin with.
Doing as she said, the pain eased even when he coughed, and the blood stopped appearing.
He felt as if he'd completely recovered now.
No wonder during the last battle, after he pushed Will to the limit to kill that old man with three eyes, blood had started pouring from his throat.
"Next time you're unwell, come to me right away. I'm Remede Omnia, destined to become an Elixir, you know."
"Alright."
With his usual calm, Ragna patted her on the head and added,
"Since I want to stay by your side too, let's do it that way."
So that's what happened.
Enkrid stared fixedly at the two, who were suddenly emanating an odd atmosphere from their eyes.
Not that it was any of his business.
Whatever was going on between them, Enkrid just needed to focus on his own recovery.
That didn't mean he wanted to keep watching them making eyes at each other, though.
"Get out. Go outside and play, you two."
At those words, Anne closed her mouth, and Ragna replied nonchalantly,
"I suppose I should go fetch Sunrise."
Enkrid simply nodded, figuring that was fine.
Odincar made a point to visit at least once a day and would spout off whatever came to mind.
Not that what he said was always coherent.
"I'll probably be the next head of the Yohan house, so when can we start sparring?"
That's the kind of thing he'd blurt out.
Following Odincar, Grida seemed to have picked up on something in Hescal's behavior.
"Being a Guardian really doesn't seem like it's worth doing."
Maybe she'd pressed the house head for more information too.
"Why are you telling me that?"
"Just saying."
Anne was rarely seen.
Ragna returned to his old self.
"So you're not curious anymore about whether you'll leave anything behind?"
When Enkrid asked, Ragna just gave a wry smile.
It was as if he'd realized something, showing now that he had the composure to take whatever teasing came his way.
Which made it all the more irritating to watch. Enkrid spoke again.
"When we get back, is it okay if I tell them you acted that way because you thought you were dying? To Rem, or maybe, Rem... or Rem?"
"Are you hoping to die here?"
Ragna asked seriously.
Enkrid shook his head, saying no.
It was still too soon to spar.
But maybe after resting for another couple of days, he'd be fine.
In the meantime, Enkrid organized his swordsmanship in his mind, made a list of things he wanted to do, and took care of some tasks.
"Riley."
This was one of those tasks.
Enkrid went looking for Riley.
It was early evening.
As twilight scattered its last rays and the moon and stars began to fill the empty sky, Riley sat motionless in front of a mound of earth.
His gaze was vacant, and his fingertips were blackened—probably from handling dirt for days on end.
"Have you come to judge me for my sins?"
Why did Riley alone have to answer for a crime that no one else questioned?
He spoke again.
"Are you here to hold me accountable for the sins my father committed?"
Before he spoke, it seemed like his soul was someplace far away, but when he finally spoke, he sounded much stronger.
Riley spent half his days here.
There was a crude grave, clearly handmade, visible on the spot.
Instead of a headstone, a piece of wood was stuck into the earth, with letters carved into it by a dagger.
Hescal lies here.
Riley couldn't bring himself to hate him.
Enkrid thought, at the very least, Riley deserved to know the truth, even if no one else did.
Riley was Hescal's son.
The House Head couldn't deliver the news himself—the emotion in his voice would have been too much.
Maybe this wasn't really Enkrid's responsibility, but he couldn't ignore it and so took it upon himself.
Slowly, he told Riley everything the House Head had speculated, and what Enkrid himself had realized.
Riley listened in silence.
When the story ended, Riley's expression never changed, but tears streamed silently down his face.
"If he left you behind, it means he knew you'd be spared. If he really intended to completely destroy Yohan, he would have killed you too. You never served in the military, but you learned some basic tactics and command, right?"
Enkrid asked.
Riley didn't answer.
Everything Enkrid said was true.
His father had taught him even that.
Hescal was clever and cunning, but he couldn't completely abandon his fatherly love.
He couldn't kill Riley.
He just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Leaving Riley behind in tears, Enkrid turned away.
It was about the time when the sunlight had mostly dried the earth.
As usual, Enkrid had come out at dawn to stretch his body.
It was also the day he'd finally decided to seriously practice his sword swings.
Tap, thud. Tap, thud.
A limping figure approached, using the sheathed sword as a cane.
His expression was resolute.
His lips were tightly shut, his eyes filled with determination.
He knelt on the dry ground, folding his injured leg beneath him.
"I'll become your slave if you want."
This was, perhaps, Riley's way of repaying him.
The words he'd spoken to Enkrid, the hero who had saved Yohan, had stuck in his mind.
Once he truly grasped the fact that his father was gone, he must have figured out what he needed to do next.
Maybe he felt he had to erase any resentment or guilt Enkrid might bear in his heart.
That thought had brought him here.
He would become a slave, and Enkrid wouldn't hold any grudges against Yohan.
That was what Riley thought he had to do.
But such a gesture only mattered if the other person truly felt hurt or bore resentment, and it also required that the other person actually wanted it.
"I don't need a slave."
Enkrid, as always, was matter-of-fact.
Just as he'd calmly approached everyone when he came to Yohan, without ever losing his head, he was the same now.
"Let's just spar."
The words fit him perfectly.
It drove home once again that this was who Enkrid had always been.
Riley's solemn expression crumbled in an instant.
"And a slave? Please. And get in line, kid. You're not the first."
Of course, Riley wasn't the only one here. One-armed Rhinox was teasing him, and Odincar, Grida, Magrun, and Alexandra were all gathered together as well.
This was the moment Enkrid had been looking forward to.
For him, this was play—this was joy.
A crooked grin crossed Enkrid's face, showing his front teeth.
"Or you could all just come at me at once."
At those arrogant words, the faces of those belonging to Yohan stiffened.
"If he weren't the hero who saved the village, seriously."
Odincar muttered under his breath.
Everyone felt much the same way.
***
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