It was truly no great matter. City patrol duty was a common task, after all. It was a rotational duty that could happen three or four times a month when frequent.
Besides, where was this place? It was the Border Guard. A city under the king's direct command, a place of public order where no ordinary trouble was tolerated.
It wasn't for nothing that it was considered a prime location for large merchant guilds to conduct their trade. A frontier city in the far east of Naurilia, bordering Azpen, and the closest city to the battlefield, yet its public security was second to none.
This was thanks to the large number of stationed troops who were on duty day and night. The Border Guard was centered around a well, with four inns. The intersection and square where the four inns met served as the Border Guard's marketplace.
As a city built on a basin, a gentle slope could be seen leading down from the outskirts, and a river flowed beneath the slope to the north. The Pen-Hanil River. It was the water source for most of the surrounding cities.
There was farmland around the river, and farmhouses could be seen here and there. This summer, the river had flooded and one side of the levee had collapsed, and a group of workers was busy rebuilding it. Most incidents happened between people.
While they rarely patrolled the farmlands or dealt with monsters, today's duty was to patrol the market.
“I'm Jack, and this is Bon.”
Since it was a duty carried out in three-man teams, two soldiers joined him. Enkrid, Jack, and Bon. The three of them were on their way to the market.
“That fog was sorcery? Ptooey, I almost died because of those Azpen bastards, but I survived thanks to you. Thanks!”
Jack said, spitting phlegm on the ground. The way he spoke, swaggering with his short infantry spear, didn't seem truly grateful. Enkrid nodded, unconcerned.
“I almost died without getting to spend the krona I'd saved up.”
Bon also expressed his gratitude. He was a soldier with a particularly light step. He had once heard from Big Eyes that the man was naturally talented.
‘But I feel like I've heard of this combination somewhere.’
No specific memory came to mind. It wasn't an important matter, so Enkrid didn't try to remember. The three walked toward the market, and the atmosphere was good.
Enkrid didn't say much, but Jack and Bon were from the same squad. The two of them chatted away, often praising Enkrid.
“A high-rank soldier, your skills must be incredible. No, shit, let's spar sometime. Let me see the skills of a high-rank soldier.”
Jack said, tapping the ground with the butt of his spear.
“Sounds good.”
Enkrid didn't refuse sparring. He believed that no matter who he sparred with, there was always something to learn in the end.
“That's a promise. Shit.”
Jack had a habit of ending his sentences with a curse.
“Squad Leader Andrew was praising you to no end, saying you succeeded in the reconnaissance mission too.”
Bon also praised Enkrid.
“I was lucky.”
“Humble, too.”
Bon even gave him a thumbs up. No one feels bad being praised. Enkrid was no different.
The two of them walked along, grinning and chattering endlessly. They reached the edge of the market, passed a few single-story buildings, and had just entered. On one side, people were selling picked wildflowers and such.
On the opposite side, they were selling tanned hides. From the far side of the market, opposite the entrance where Enkrid came in, the clang clang of iron being struck rang out. It was the sound of a blacksmith's forge.
Even though it was on the outskirts of the market, the sound of metal striking metal gently stimulated his ears.
“Hey, if I sell it for just that much, there's no profit.”
The voice of a merchant.
“Freshly baked bread!”
A boy standing on the street, calling people to his shop. Rumble, rumble, rumble. And even a cart passing through the center of the market.
It was chaotic. But markets were always like this, so it was a familiar sight.
“Dried apples are delicious.”
As Enkrid walked, he made eye contact with a merchant selling a collection of various dried fruits.
“No, thanks.”
The merchant quickly turned his head away. It was an ordinary day. After duty, maybe I should coax Jacksen into a sparring match today.
Or maybe it would be fun to hang out with that guy Jack as soon as I get back. The weather had grown much colder, and his body kept stiffening up. It was better to walk than to stand still.
“Shall we walk a bit more?”
“Yes, yes.”
Jack and Bon stuck close to him. Just as he was wondering if they were huddled close on his left and right because of the cold. A child in rags approaching from the front suddenly collapsed forward.
Enkrid instinctively caught the child. He felt a sharp, searing pain. He immediately tried to twist his body, but his reaction was slow because the cold had made him stiff.
If he had twisted just a little, he might have been alright, but the dagger plunged mercilessly into his guts. Right after stabbing his organs, without even pausing for breath, the blade was buried near his heart in a continuous motion. An excruciating pain struck his brain.
At the same moment the knife was twisted, a scream or a groan tried to escape his lips, but someone from behind covered his mouth with a thick cloth. The market was bustling. So much so that if someone were to stagger and fall, people would hardly notice.
And on top of that, Jack and Bon shielded Enkrid with their bodies.
“Aigoo, looks like he started drinking in the middle of the day.”
Jack said playfully.
“I know, right.”
Bon chimed in. What's with these bastards? For Enkrid, it was a series of utterly incomprehensible events.
The final punctuation was delivered by the child who had stabbed him in the stomach and heart.
“The Stubborn Lovers never forget.”
It wasn't a child. Inside the rags, he could see large ears and eyes that shone like jewels. A peculiar appearance.
One eye was green, and the other was brown.
Heterochromia.
Because the green eye was as clear as a jewel, the brown eye looked extremely dull in comparison. It was like dirty oil mixed in clear water. Their skin was mottled like a calico cat, and there were deep wrinkles around their mouth and eyes.
Looking at the features alone, they were rather pretty, but all together, it gave off an unpleasant feeling.
‘A half-elf.’
Enkrid realized the other's identity. But that didn't change anything. With his mouth gagged, blood trickled to the floor.
Enkrid's arms were being held. Those bastards Jack and Bon gave him no opening.
“Farewell.”
The half-elf said. Judging by the wrinkles etched on their face and their manner of speaking, they were no child. Their build was like that of a boy of only twelve or thirteen.
‘I really didn't expect this.’
An assassination.
And the Stubborn Lovers, at that. Isn't that the name of an autonomous company from Azpen? Their reputation for being persistent was widespread, and now they'd sent an assassin after the battle was over.
‘They're completely insane bastards.’
Considering the krona and effort it took to send a single assassin, doing this just to kill one soldier was definitely an act of madness. From the perspective of the one being attacked, it was even more infuriating. As Enkrid strained to tilt his head back, the one covering his mouth with the cloth tightened his grip.
“Let go. It seems he has something to say.”
Was it an elf's intuition? The small, old half-elf had somehow read Enkrid's mind. Soon, the thick cloth constricting his mouth loosened.
“Did Azpen send you? Are Jack and Bon spies?”
Enkrid asked, swallowing the sharp pain that shot through him.
“Something like that.”
“Who's behind me?”
“You're dying, and you still want to know things like that?”
“Because it would be unfair to go without knowing. I'll be waiting in hell.”
“Rotten.”
The last word was whispered from behind him.
Rotten?
That bastard's name was familiar too. Jack, Bon, Rotten. Weren't they all from the reconnaissance team?
As death approached, his mind raced and the memory surfaced on its own. The reason he'd gone on that reconnaissance mission on the Green Pearl plains. Jack's arm was broken, Bon's nose was broken, and Rotten was supposedly bitten by a snake.
So all these bastards intentionally skipped the reconnaissance mission?
“Son of a…”
An empty laugh escaped him.
“Persistent, weren't we?”
The elf said so and then stepped aside like a shadow. The elf darted this way and that toward the outskirts, then slipped into an alleyway. Jack and Bon also discreetly let go of his arms and slowly backed away.
And Rotten, needless to say, did the same. He had used up all his strength exchanging those few words. He didn't even have the strength to scream.
Though even if he had the strength, he probably wouldn't have screamed. Instead, as he collapsed, he tried to look behind him. They said it was Rotten, but he thought it might be someone else.
But what did Rotten look like? He couldn't remember his face. The moment he realized there was no point in seeing, Enkrid let the strength drain from his body.
Blood streamed from the corner of his mouth, and his insides felt like they'd been stirred with a fire poker. Pain soaked his body, and blood soaked the ground. The cold wrapped around his body even more intensely.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
‘You bastards, if you're going to kill me, at least finish the job.’
Dying like this, bleeding out, was the worst. It would be better to go all at once.
“Aaaah!”
A passing waitress saw the pool of blood on the ground and screamed. That was the end. Enkrid closed his eyes and welcomed death.
Flash.
The morning he opened his eyes again. As he shot up in bed, Rem, wrapped snugly in a blanket next to him, asked.
“A nightmare?”
“No. I just wanted to start the morning energetically.”
“It's a damn cold day.”
Rem grumbled first thing in the morning. Although a large bonfire was lit in the barracks' training yard and the night watch put heated stones inside the quarters every night, it was nowhere near enough to fend off the cold. If he were overflowing with krona, he might bring in furs or a stove made with magic.
But an ordinary soldier didn't have that kind of krona. In truth, he didn't even need a magic stove. The hide of a magical beast that was said to emit a gentle heat would be perfect.
But even that was an expensive item. In conclusion, it was all just an empty dream.
“Krais, aren't you cold?”
“I'm cold. Very cold.”
Rem asked Krais for no reason. Big Eyes was the only one here who had an abundance of krona.
“How about a magic stove?”
“We're going to use something only nobles use? You've got it good. Why don't you try becoming a noble starting tomorrow?”
“Huh? Are you asking for a massage with the blade of an ax?”
“Resorting to violence at the drop of a hat is a bad habit, Squad Leader!”
Big Eyes ended the conversation by calling out to Enkrid.
“Don't bully him.”
Enkrid, pre-emptively shutting down any bullying within the squad, turned his gaze to the preacher squad member who was getting up, revealing his muscles. His name was Audin Peumrei. For some reason, he was a muscular soldier who had joined the troublemaker squad.
Today was a terribly cold day. Jacksen was out for some reason, but Rem, Big Eyes, and Ragna seemed to have no intention of getting out of bed. It was cold even wrapped up in blankets.
“Since you're up, Squad Leader, go bring us a few of those stones.”
It would be a little better if they had a few stones that had been heated in the bonfire all night.
“Yeah.”
Even after answering, Enkrid didn't move. Instead, Audin got out of bed, strode over, and said.
“Brother, if you stay in bed just because it's cold, your body will stiffen. You can overcome the cold by moving your body to generate heat. Now, follow me.”
“Get lost. Before I chop you into pieces and warm my body with your blood.”
“That is not good. Brother, what you just said could be unpleasant for the listener.”
“Unpleasant? Good, that's a success. That was the intention.”
“Brother, do you wish to go to heaven?”
Truly, he never changes. Enkrid, who would normally have stopped this long ago, watched Audin silently before speaking.
“You said there was a training method to preserve body heat, right? Teach me.”
Audin, who had been staring intently at Rem, turned his head.
“Do you mean the bare-handed training method?”
Audin probably wasn't immune to the cold either. But it was true that he endured it better than the others. Audin had mentioned before that it was a training method to keep the body from stiffening even in the cold.
He didn't know why. It just came to mind now. It seemed like it would be useful.
He couldn't just jump up and down in place to warm up. Learning a training method to keep his body from stiffening didn't seem like a bad idea. It was impulsive, but also a matter of course.
After all, Enkrid was a man who thirsted for knowledge.
“Yeah. That one.”
“It is not difficult to teach you. Do you have the time?”
“I do now.”
“You should be able to grasp the basic framework in a day or two. It is not difficult.”
Audin smiled, seemingly pleased that Enkrid wanted to learn. Seeing Enkrid straighten his posture to begin right away, Rem mumbled from his bed.
“Hey, Squad Leader, I asked you to bring the stones. I'm cold.”
Ah, I forgot. Enkrid brought the stones first. He had two hours of free time before his duty.
It was a suitable amount of time to train after eating breakfast. And so Enkrid did. The bare-handed training method was a series of pains, but it was useful.
And then he went out on duty again.
“How did I end up on duty with you guys?”
Someone had clearly pulled some strings.
“Ah, shit, it's an honor. To be on duty with the Spellbreaker.”
Jack replied. Enkrid nodded.
After that, he entered the market, prepared. He glared at the little elf kid before they could even approach. Jack and Bon tried to grab his arms, and Enkrid threw punches to both sides.
Thwack, tick!
Jack was hit in the jaw, and Bon dodged reflexively. Bon was quick. He took a step and swiftly moved aside.
As he did, he placed a hand on his waist. A single shortsword was tied there as his weapon. The elf was still far away.
In that case, he had to deal with Bon first. Enkrid also gripped the hilt of his longsword. Draw and swing.
He focused, sharpening the blade of his senses with boldness as his weapon. At the same time.
Whoooosh!
He heard a strange sound. He tried to dodge, but the flying object was faster.
Thud!
For a moment, Enkrid's breath caught in his throat. Looking down, he saw the tip of a blade sticking out near his heart. It was a throwing knife that had no hilt or any other decoration, just a blade on both sides.
Among throwing knives, this type was an extremely difficult weapon to handle.
“The Stubborn Lovers do not forget their prey.”
The elf, who had approached without him noticing, whispered and stepped aside.
‘I was prepared.’
He hadn't expected them to throw something. Even if he had known, it was a display of such high skill that it would have been difficult to block. Enkrid closed his eyes, thinking he needed a more certain preparation.
And so, the third today began.