The sconces lining the walls of the inn's hall were only half-lit. There were no guests. Perhaps they were trying to save a little on candle wax.
Thanks to this, the deep shadows made Enkrid's own stretch long across the floor. He had been practicing the Sense of the Blade all through the dawn. The quiet interior, the sound of the soldier standing guard outside, the clink of the person he was protecting tilting their cup.
He focused his concentration, sharpening his senses to listen. He read their presences and counted the number of people nearby. He even listened to the cry of a night bird far away, trying to gauge the distance.
As he did, Enkrid reconsidered the range of his perception.
‘If it’s within five steps.’
He could even read their presence. He could hear the rustle of their clothes. A thought occurred to him.
‘Is that possible just by listening alone?’
Recalling the conversation between the Elf Company Commander and Jacksen just before the attack, they had already predicted the ambush. How did they do that? It couldn't have been purely through hearing.
He decided he would have to ask Jacksen about it later. If it was something he could learn, he wanted to.
‘This time, it wasn’t the wall.’
At this rate, he might not have to repeat the day again. Not that he had any intention of deliberately dying to get stuck in today. Enkrid was still the same.
‘For tomorrow.’
He always ran while looking straight ahead. That was the driving force that kept him from being trapped in today.
Crackle, pop.
A log in the fireplace broke, sending sparks flying. Besides reviewing the battle, various other thoughts drifted through his mind. Enkrid sat, chin in hand, and thought of the men he had killed.
‘For the glory of my homeland.’
Were they a unit of Azpen spies? What was the person who moved such a number of men thinking when they started this? What did they hope to accomplish by causing such an incident within the Border Guard?
Would there be another attack? Through two squads of soldiers? Would they send an assassin?
As he thought this, it seemed that catching the one who ran away might be easier than he expected. Just then, Leona came downstairs.
“You’re up early.”
“I’m on duty, it was my shift.”
“Ah, I see.”
Leona nodded and approached. The floor still bore traces of the previous night. She seemed to be trying hard to appear unfazed.
But that would only make one more self-conscious. It would be easier to focus on something else. Enkrid knew this from experience.
“Is this your first time coming to the Border Guard?”
“Pardon? Yes.”
But hadn't Big Eyes said this woman had a peculiar personality? She seemed to have a strong will, but she didn’t yet show the same kind of madness as Rem.
‘No, I shouldn’t compare her to Rem.’
That would be rude.
“They say there are many legends about the Pen-Hanil River. Have you heard the one about the sword made from its water?”
The tales of bards always stirred the heart. Enkrid had memorized a few such stories. They were good for conversation, and also a good way to pass the time on duty without getting bored.
So what he was saying now was just idle chatter during his shift. But for someone hearing it for the first time, it would probably be quite fresh.
“Tell me.”
Leona’s interest was piqued. She smiled and nodded. Even though it was a trivial story, Leona listened with sparkling eyes.
She even responded with smiles and reactions throughout.
“So for a time, there was a trend of making swords from the river water, but none of them ever became a sword that could call forth the river spirits like in the stories.”
“You’re a good storyteller.”
“I’m told I am.”
Rem himself had admitted that when it came to provoking an opponent with words, no one could beat his squad leader. And since that squad leader was him… He nodded, and Leona suddenly spoke.
“Would you like to come with me?”
Enkrid tilted his head and asked back.
“Pardon? Where?”
She was still the person he was assigned to protect. Though the inn was empty because two squads were controlling it after the attack within the Border Guard. Enkrid’s mission, the request she had made, was not yet over.
There were still two days left. So it was only natural for him to follow wherever she went.
“I’m proposing you come with me when I leave the Border Guard later.”
The words came out of nowhere, yet they seemed prepared. They carried the unique nuance of those used to commanding many people. She sat quietly, her red lips parting.
“Come.”
A confidence that assured him the position she offered would be better was plain to see. Leona truly believed so. What kind of place was the Lockfreed Guild?
Though it was slightly behind the Rengadis Guild or other large merchant guilds, it was a guild with influence in its region.
This guild had even opened trade with the ‘Shepherds of the Wasteland’ at the northernmost tip of Pen-Hanil, the ‘Black Hide Guild,’ a group of hunters said to be able to hunt dragons if they prepared for it, and the ‘Glacier Rangers,’ who lived in harmony with nature deep in the mountains. Those three were their core trading partners.
On top of that, they had a map that held the accumulated experience of their ancestors who had roamed all over the Pen-Hanil Continent. It was a thing called the Lockfreed Trade Route Maps. A map that recorded their trade journeys.
It organized the specialty goods of each merchant guild and marked the fastest routes, a treasure among treasures. A treasure so valuable that if someone stole and sold it, they wouldn't have to worry about making a living for the rest of their lives. This was the kind of guild Lockfreed was.
Anyone would covet it. Especially if one carried the bloodline of the previous generation, one might think of it as their own. That thought must have been what led to yesterday's bold attack.
‘To draw a sword here, of all places.’
That’s why she was angry. Why did that boldness have to show itself now, of all times? She, who didn't share a single drop of blood, was trying so hard to honor the previous generation’s last wish.
Why did her opponent ignore all of that? Yes, if not for that last wish, she never would have come this far. What was that last wish?
“Before you kill each other, please try to reach an agreement first. Will you do that for me, Leona?”
The predecessor, the person who had raised her like a daughter. But also someone she couldn't easily call father.
‘The guild, and blood ties.’
It was a last wish made because he couldn't give up on either. Leona understood his heart. He had raised Leona to grow the Lockfreed Guild.
But he couldn't just cast out the one born of his own bloodline. That was why she was here now. At the Border Guard of Naurilia, the last bastion for talking without swords.
It was a succession race that would have been over long ago if not for the predecessor's final wish. And in this situation, an ambush. To draw a sword in the Border Guard, no less?
‘Idiot.’
That was the end of her jumbled thoughts. The man who had saved her in her moment of crisis came into view. The first thing she noticed were his eyes, like a lake.
Those blue eyes. They were so captivating they seemed to hold magic. Black hair and blue eyes, a trained body.
And on top of that, he was handsome. It was only natural for her to be interested.
‘He’s really good-looking.’
And his skills were outstanding. The way he instantly rushed into the room and subdued the opponent. And what of his character, which sought nothing in return?
After saving her, his simple statement that it was his job made Leona's heart pound. It started from that moment. She coveted him.
She wanted to take him with her.
“I promise you a better position, and better treatment than you have now.”
Enkrid had nothing to think about. He had served as a guard for a merchant guild before. If his sole purpose was to earn krona…
‘That wouldn’t be so bad.’
Living as the sword of a growing merchant guild would be a decent life. But he had a dream, he saw a path forward, and though it was slow, he was currently walking that path. There was no time for distractions.
“I’m fine.”
His hands rested on his thighs, his back straight. A firm answer from a straight posture. It’s best to be firm when refusing.
Enkrid knew this from experience. Leona’s pupils wavered.
“It’s pathetic to cling to someone who says no.” Jacksen’s voice came from behind, he must have come down at some point.
“I see, so it’s pathetic.”
The Elf Company Commander's words followed.
“Is that so.”
Leona didn't lash out in anger, get annoyed, or throw a fit. She simply nodded calmly.
“You are content with your current position.”
Not exactly.
But he could see the path to ascend from here.
“Sigh, my business.”
The innkeeper, who had appeared at some point, sighed deeply. The blue light of dawn was slowly turning into the yellow light of sunrise. It was morning.
“The guild will cover your losses.”
Leona said again. It sounded as if she had brought it up expecting a definitive answer.
“Oh my, if you would do that.”
The innkeeper said, rubbing his hands together. Leona watched him and nodded.
“Don’t you worry. A guest will be arriving around noon, so please prepare.”
“Yes.”
She seemed accustomed to giving orders while seated. Soon, the wet nurse came down from upstairs. Leona said she would rest and left the room.
Then Jacksen approached and spoke.
“There are plenty of pretty women in the city, so don’t go messing with a guild’s heiress.”
He didn’t mess with her. He refused her. Enkrid had plenty of experience with women being drawn to him.
His face wasn't just for show, after all. Moreover, a trained body was a good tool for exuding charm in many ways.
“High-rank soldier Enkrid.”
It was the company commander. Without approaching, from her usual spot, in her usual posture and tone, she called him and then asked.
“Do you have a history with women?”
“... No.” “Are you the type to hit on every woman who passes by?”
“I am not.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
It had to be a joke. It must be a joke. But her expression was completely serious, and her gaze was completely calm.
That's what made her difficult to deal with.
‘I wish she would stop now.’
“I see.”
The company commander nodded. He went outside for a breath of fresh air. One of the squad members from the Second Company, Third Platoon, acknowledged him.
“If you go around charming every woman that passes by, what are people like me supposed to do?”
This, too, was a form of acknowledgment, I suppose.
“Who?”
“First the company commander, and now the young lady of Lockfreed. Heh, what an enchanting squad leader, an enchanting squad leader indeed.”
The one exclaiming in admiration was a platoon leader. He recognized him as well. He had been temporarily dispatched here and there for various missions, so he'd seen a lot of faces.
“It’s not like that.”
“He says it isn’t.” “So it’s not.”
“He says it’s not like that.”
A few soldiers repeated his words. A call and response. They must be bored, suddenly being dispatched to surround an inn in the city.
It was understandable to be bored. There had been no further attacks since then. There wasn't even a hint of one.
Yes, he understood they were bored.
‘But that doesn’t mean I appreciate them teasing me to pass the time.’
Rumors were always a scary thing. As expected, it wasn’t long before another rumor spread like wildfire. It made Krais, who came to the inn, say this.
“No way, Squad Leader, I heard you slept with the guild master's daughter in a single day? How did you manage that? It’s not easy for me, and the Lockfreed young lady is famous for being haughty. Her personality is prickly too.”
“She’s not prickly.”
“Hey, that’s not what I heard.”
“If you’re here, make yourself useful.”
“Pardon?”
Instead of engaging in trivial talk, Enkrid gave Krais a job. He didn't even bother clearing up the misunderstanding. He knew this one was just teasing him for fun.
“One of the attackers got away. Find him.”
The one who ran. Enkrid was curious about his whereabouts. The man who died by his sword, an Azpen spy, had died crying out for the glory of his homeland.
It wouldn't be very interesting if the one who plotted this whole affair got to live, would it?
‘He should pay the price for what he’s done.’
That was the natural order of things, the right thing to do. It was also a good way to say that justice was alive. And an order to find him would soon come down from the unit anyway.
He didn't want to just let it go. If you start something, you have to take responsibility. To abandon all your subordinates and run away…
Now that he'd identified himself as an Azpen spy, there was no way they could let him leave alive.
“Yes.”
With the night guild, he could find out most of what happened in the city. That was an advantage. So finding one person shouldn't be a difficult task.
‘And the krona comes in regularly.’
He thought about saving up his money this time to buy a decent shortsword or guard sword as a secondary weapon. He had tried a guard sword before and quite liked it. Ragna had also recommended using a shield, but the shield didn't feel natural in his hands.
He would learn if necessary, but if his strength was his specialty among the skills he possessed…
“In that case, it would be better to just grip the sword with both hands and swing. Still, on the battlefield, it's good to have a shield.”
Ragna had said that as well. As a lightly armored infantryman, he knew how to handle a shield to some extent. What was the purpose of an army?
It was a place that valued the strength of a standardized majority over one outstanding individual. It was common sense that a ten-man squad of identically trained and standardized soldiers was stronger than a ten-man squad with two exceptional swordsmen mixed in. As part of that standardized training, there was also group formation training using shields.
His squad members had just gone through the motions, but Enkrid had diligently learned that too. It's just that he didn't improve easily.
‘It just doesn’t feel right in my hands.’
That’s what he thought every time he held a shield. As Ragna said, gripping a sword with both hands and swinging it felt like a much better-fitting set of clothes. To use a shield or not.
If he became someone who could break the rules of the standardized majority, it wouldn’t be something he’d have to worry much about. Not long after Krais left, a man with cheeks puffed out in a pout and about ten soldiers arrived. One of the men who came as a guard caught his eye.
The man’s eyes were narrow and slanted, and his arms hung low. At his waist, he wore a rapier with a long, thin blade.
‘He looks fast.’
That was his first impression. The opponent made no effort to hide himself. It seemed to be a show of confidence.
‘I use a fast sword. But you can’t block it even if you know.’
His posture and attitude seemed to say just that. The man whose cheeks were filled with a pout was named Polid. He was the one competing with Leona for the succession.
As soon as he entered, he took a table and sat down, then spoke.
“Hey, bring Leona out.”
The one called ‘hey’ was Jacksen. And Jacksen, naturally, ignored him.