Chapter 729 - Deeply Moved
Someone who finds a gold coin fallen to the ground may still wish for something better than what they have now.
Even when faced with unusual luck, it's possible to feel that the fortune received isn't enough.
But Enkrid was different.
"It's so clear."
The air was different, the sunlight was different.
With the changes brought by twilight's magic, Enkrid felt content. It was the season when warm air began to arrive. Even Yohan, who had been battered by storms, was now at a time to stand firmly on both feet.
"I will carry on Mileschia's legacy. That doesn't mean I'll neglect my swordsmanship."
Magrun had taken charge of everything Mileschia left behind.
Because he had often been sick, he naturally became knowledgeable about various medicines.
His interest in swordsmanship hadn't faded, but someone needed to take up the responsibility.
If that burden were felt only as a heavy stone, it would just weigh him down.
But if accepted not as a burden but as something joyful, it could be enjoyable, too.
Magrun was clearly the latter.
"It's interesting. Yohan's skills with herbs will keep growing."
"Healing arts, you mean. It's not just about handling herbs."
Anne gave him a notebook she had written by hand. She said it contained treatment methods and responses for various diseases. Judging by the contents and the level of detail inside, if this book ever spread across the continent, people would probably kill to get their hands on it. In other words, it was something that could truly be called a treasure. In this world, people fight and even kill each other over a single artifact. Sometimes, entire knight orders are dispatched by different nations just to explore ruins. Furthermore, treasure hunters know well that artifacts aren't the only treasures out there.
"…If you gave me this because you have feelings for me…"
Magrun, having received it, once deluded himself in that way.
"Have you seen yourself in the mirror? Doesn't Yohan have clear water around? You'd know if you just looked at your reflection in a stream."
He was rejected immediately.
With her delicate features, Anne might look like a gentle lady on the outside, but she's a strong-willed woman who once crossed the continent with nothing but a handful of potions.
Besides, she and Ragna had already promised their futures to each other.
In any case, when it's time to stretch, you have to do so. Just like Yohan is doing now. When Enkrid had just about finished preparing to return home with a refreshed mind Schmidt, who had always insisted that the Empire was full of rare things, actually brought one of those extraordinary items with him.
It wasn't as if anyone had said they didn't believe him or even asked him to prove it.
"Schmidt, is that your friend? The one you said you wanted to bring along?"
The man had extremely short hair on the sides and back, as if shaved with a razor, and kept only the top and front at a moderate length.
He was large and broad-shouldered, with a hefty, angular club hanging loosely from his waist.
The club had a square, upright head that left an impression.
He wore specially modified armor: a breastplate, pauldrons, bracers on his forearms, and thin cylindrical steel plates wrapped around his thighs like tubes.
The joints weren't connected, so it was clear he'd divided up a set of plate armor to wear it in segments. Yet the way it curved smoothly was so remarkable, it was hard not to be impressed by the craftsmanship.
Back when they'd fought that Panito or whatever his name was, he'd also worn special armor, but this was something else entirely.
What stood out even more was how naturally the armor seemed to blend as if it were part of his own skin.
'Why does it look like that?'
Maybe it was because his mind was so clear and calm now.
More than anything the man said or who he actually was, Enkrid found himself oddly curious about that detail.
"You're Enkrid of the Border Guard?"
The man asked.
Enkrid hadn't finished sizing up his opponent, but there was no reason he couldn't respond.
The man showed no particular signs of hostility or murderous intent, but Enkrid could tell just by looking—even without any overt movement or display of will—that this was someone ready to fight at any moment.
This one could spring into action anytime.
He wore that determination like armor.
That was fascinating, too.
Not that the words that came out of his mouth were particularly polite.
"Who are you?"
He didn't tilt his head mockingly, but the response was exactly what you'd expect when mercenaries get into a spat.
If they'd been in some seedy tavern on the edge of town, a few drinks in, with the stench of vomit, liquor, and tobacco thick in the air, it would have been a perfect fit.
But for Enkrid, this was simply the natural way to respond.
If you want to know someone's name, you start by giving your own.
That's just basic manners.
"…It's been a while since I've gotten a reaction like that. When you only operate inside the Empire, encounters like this are rare."
As he spoke, the man raised his left hand, held it flat, and brought it to his chest so it was level and horizontal—clearly inviting Enkrid to look at the emblem.
The crest was a large circle with a smaller circle inside it. It was the emblem of the Empire.
Specifically, it was also the insignia of the Imperial Knights.
Within the Empire, the symbol of the Knights was not just a pass for free movement or proof of one's position; it was a mark of power that drew respect from everyone who saw it.
Of course, this just wasn't the Empire.
"So, who are you?"
Enkrid asked again.
At that, the corners of the man's mouth curled up.
The twisted smile that formed made him look like a tiger.
Even as he smiled, there was a murderous intent in it.
Seeing that intention take shape, it was clear that this man was skilled. The pressure he exuded took the form of a spiked club. It was wild and rough by nature. Like a club studded with barbs, thrust forward without a care, still stained with blood and flesh. Should I be seeing him as someone on the same level as the House Head?
Maybe that's why. Expectation sparkled in Enkrid's eyes.
How about a fight?
A lot about him was fascinating.
The armor he wore looked like skin, and the way he handled 'Will,' who was always ready at his side, was impressive too.
Most of all, it was impossible to predict what kind of attack might come.
"I am Valfir Balmung."
The man stated his name, and Enkrid replied, his lips barely moving.
"Enkrid of the Border Guard."
On the plateau where the storm had passed, only a gentle breeze was blowing.
Amidst that calm wind, two beasts stared each other down. It looked as if they might start swinging their swords at any moment. Samcheol sang out.
Ziiing.
As the sword rang, the man's hand somehow found its way to his waist. Gripping the club, he bared his fangs. His fangs were especially sharp.
"Sir Valfir."
Schmidt said something from the side, but this wasn't a moment for him to intervene. Still, it didn't mean a fight broke out right away. There were plenty trying to stop the fight. And they were clearly taking sides.
"That's enough, Balmung. If you take it any further, you won't be leaving here."
"Sparring is one thing, but if you show killing intent, that's another matter entirely."
"It's best if you stop. If you refuse to listen, I'll swing my sword without warning."
For now, those three spoke up first. In order, it was the house head, Rhinox, and Alexandra who spoke.
Yet Balmung didn't back down. In fact, his intensity only grew. Did he seem even more threatening than the Medusa he'd just recently slain? It was a different sort of danger, but just as real.
Why had things suddenly turned so hostile? No one really knew. It just happened.
"As a knight of the Empire, you cannot draw your sword against our hero within Yohan."
Odincar stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a blade. He meant every word.
"If it's a fight you want, go play with the monsters."
Magrun also chimed in, his face stony. Even in expressionless faces, a range of emotions can show through, but what he displayed right now was clearly contempt.
"Hey, who do you think you are?"
On top of that, Yohan's self-proclaimed most beautiful woman as well as Riley, Katu, and even the children who had learned the sword from Enkrid, all stepped out fearlessly.
Basically, before anyone knew it, all of Yohan had gathered to put pressure on the knight from the Empire.
"Who the hell is that guy?"
"Why is he acting like that toward our Enki?"
"Is he threatening him? Is he actually radiating killing intent?"
"Just because you're a knight doesn't mean swords can't cut you, does it?"
Seriously, he has no fear.
But it wasn't a bad feeling.
They were simply reacting to someone showing hostility toward their hero.
When something precious is threatened, anyone would react.
To them, Enkrid had become someone important.
Of course, Enkrid would be able to handle himself in a fight, but they just couldn't stand to watch someone attack him out of nowhere.
So, there was definitely something a little moving about it too.
The man who had introduced himself as Valfir Balmung kept his gaze fixed on Enkrid, then was the first to lower his aggressive stance.
"Sir Valfir."
Next to him, Schmidt grabbed his arm, a cold sweat on his brow.
"I am Valfir Balmung, knight of the Empire."
He repeated himself, even smiling as he reached out his hand.
The moment I reflexively tried to shake his hand, the house head, Alexandra, and Rhinox all stepped in closer.
"I came here to help Yohan and hold no ill will toward this man. All right?"
Valfir Balmung said this to the three of them.
From the way they looked at each other, it was clear they were already acquainted.
"And besides, the three of you don't look to be in the best shape, so don't push yourselves."
As Balmung finished speaking, Odincar interjected.
"I'm perfectly fine."
He, too, had moved to stand beside Enkrid.
Seeing the entire Yohan group stepping forward, the man let out a dry chuckle.
"Schmidt, when you said this guy saved Yohan, I half thought you were exaggerating—but it turns out you were telling the truth."
Schmidt shook his head.
"I already said as much."
"In any case, I mean no harm."
With that, he finally extended his hand.
When Enkrid shook it, Balmung tried to squeeze hard with all his might, but Enkrid's body had been tempered by Audin himself.
In terms of grip strength, he was second only to Audin within the Madmen Knights.
Crack, crack, crack.
A strange noise came from their clasped hands, but neither's bones broke.
"You're strong."
Valfir Balmung remarked, frowning slightly from the pain.
"I've never met a knight of the Empire before."
Enkrid responded nonchalantly and released his hand.
As the conversation continued, it became clear that one of the reasons Valfir Balmung, as a knight of the Empire, had come here was to help Yohan.
"Isn't this a bit late, though"
Continuing from Odincar's reply, the man went on to explain that when he received word from Schmidt, he was already tracking down the leader of some bandit gang. However, the target managed to escape, which messed up his route a bit—hence the delay.
Enkrid wondered why a knight would bother chasing after a mere bandit chief, but as it turned out, the person he was after was practically at a knight's level himself.
Was everything in the Empire on a whole different scale, even when it came to crime?
"I actually know the guy—he used to be a soldier in the Empire. It's good that he's awakened to his talent, but he's gone rogue and become a real problem. He has a habit of killing people."
There are all sorts of people in the world, but this sounded like the kind of guy who made you want to curse just by running into him. Or so it seemed to Enkrid.
Balmung explained that his initial plan was to deal with the runaway first, but suddenly the man changed direction near here. Since he could circle around and continue the chase, he decided to stop by for now—but insisted he still needed to go after that bastard.
He could simply take off after him, but—
"Want to come along?"
Balmung abruptly invited Enkrid to join him.
"I've got someone waiting for me, so I can't leave right away. Don't you need to hurry and catch up?"
Enkrid asked, to which Balmung just laughed and shook his head.
"A day or two won't make much difference."
Judging by how he said it, the pursuit wasn't all that urgent. It made Enkrid wonder why Balmung had been so late to help Yohan, but that wasn't really something worth pressing.
'Looking back on it all…'
Was he planning to make a dramatic entrance once Yohan was worn out, like, 'ta-da'?
But thanks to Enkrid, that didn't go according to plan. And he learned a few things in the process.
'Yohan is in an implicit alliance with the Empire.'
Otherwise, this kind of exchange wouldn't be possible. This is why the House Head and others, including Balmung, are acquainted with each other.
So, who set up this situation?
'Hescal, of course.'
It was the third safeguard he'd put in place to ensure Yohan's continued existence. If everything else fell apart, it was a plan to bring them under the Empire's roof. So really, these were not people he should make enemies out of.
Yet, everyone in Yohan was willing to go up against even imperial knights for his sake.
The House Head seemed to be expecting a response from Enkrid, so Enkrid spoke up first.
"If Ragna doesn't come, I have no intention of leaving. He's the kind of friend that, if I left behind, we might never see each other again."
If he just left a message for Ragna to find him, they'd probably only run into each other in their next lives.
But then Balmung, who said he would wait, tossed out a rather tempting lure.
"Don't you want to see Imperial swordsmanship? I'm not originally from the Empire, but the runaway I'm chasing is a master of Imperial swordsmanship."
It was extremely hard for a fish like Enkrid not to bite at that bait.
'Should I leave Anne behind and go?'
That would be enough to serve as a guide.
Ragna had said it would take at least another week before he could come.
Did he say it would take that long to wrap up the Sunrise?
Balmung seemed to have a knack for speaking provocatively, always prodding at people's nerves with every word.
Yet, Enkrid actually found that entertaining.
What an unusual personality, especially for an Imperial knight.
He couldn't deny that he was intrigued.
Besides, he didn't get the sense that this man meant him any harm.
"So, what do you think? And the rest of you needn't worry either. I give you my word as an Imperial Knight—no harm will come to your friend."
Balmung offered these words readily to quell everyone's objections.
He might not be a master orator, but Balmung knew how to skillfully manage a situation.
***
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