The center of the city was bustling, but there were only a few people where Encrid had moved to.
Though the atmosphere was contrasting, Encrid was enjoying the moment.
A butterfly, flaunting its red wings, fluttered past in front of him.
Beside where the butterfly passed, there was a long flower bed.
Such flower beds were built all over the city, and yellow or orange-colored flowers caught his eye.
They were beautiful.
It was called the Holy Gold, the Flower of the Virgin. It wasn’t truly a flower imbued with divinity, but that was its meaning.
Wasn’t it said to be a flower blessed by the Gods as a symbol of earthly beauty?
Therefore, Holy Gold did not only signify the Virgin but also represented saints.
Because saints were those who were directly blessed by the Gods and imbued with divine nature.
In front of the flower bed were a few maple trees as well. The red-colored leaves scattered onto the ground.
It was a pleasant path to walk along. A newly paved road in the city outskirts, without any commercial establishments in sight.
Instead, here and there, construction guilds and artisans were seen building structures.
But even that seemed like just part of the scenery.
What is peace?
Perhaps it’s simply enjoying happiness while living each day.
The atmosphere was so idyllic that such thoughts naturally came to mind.
It was a beautifully designed path, uncommon for a rural town.
Encrid kept walking and finally reached his destination.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of a hammer striking at a steady rhythm filled the place, a blacksmith’s workshop.
He ducked slightly to enter through the small entrance, and the scene inside unfolded before his eyes.
Along with the hot air pushing back the cool breeze.
The space had become wider than before, but nothing much had changed.
Gray ash and black soot, the burning forge in between, and the bellows came into view. And a person who looked like part of that scenery caught his eye.
"Eitri."
Encrid called out as a greeting, and the person responded.
“You’ve come.”
Eitri turned his head slightly while sitting in front of the forge, meeting Encrid’s gaze.
“How’s it?”
After the previous battle with Aspen, Encrid had collected every weapon the enemy Knights used.
Of course, he only took the engraved weapons.
Naturally, they were precious items made from rare metals using various forging techniques, so Encrid handed them over to Eitri.
For research and experimentation.
“I can’t make engraved weapons at the moment.”
Eitri spoke abruptly, in a firm tone.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Encrid had already decided to entrust his weapon to a man with dreams. He wasn’t going to change his mind.
In a way, Encrid was stubborn to a creepy degree.
Everyone around him knew that.
Even Sinar would have given a similar answer.
“Then, will you tell me what you have realized, Encrid?”
Eitri asked. It was Eitri’s request.
He wanted to know what Encrid had experienced and gained through battle.
He wanted to learn about the use of willpower, the mindset, and the changes that occurred in the process.
And as Encrid spoke, Eitri observed his palms, his habits when wielding a sword.
Through these discussions, Encrid realized that Eitri also had considerable martial skills. The level of their conversation was different.
“You can wield a sword, right?”
“I can handle all kinds of weapons, at least a little. I needed to learn for crafting and testing.”
“You train separately?”
“No, only as much as necessary.”
Eitri had talent too. But his desires were only fueled by the heat and fire of metal, so that’s all he pursued.
An engraved weapon was named so because it was imbued with willpower.
So such a process might have been necessary.
‘Are they all like that?’
Encrid briefly wondered but didn’t ask.
It wasn’t an important matter.
No matter how others did it or had done it before, Eitri had found his own way and wanted to walk that path with Encrid, and that was enough.
If he failed?
That would be Encrid’s responsibility to bear.
It was already a chosen path he felt no regret in, and the only thing left to show was trust.
“Do you trust me?”
Eitri asked as if sensing his thoughts.
“I don’t know.”
Encrid answered honestly.
Neither of them laughed, they simply continued their work.
Eitri remained calm. Although it might have been a moment he had long awaited, he didn’t show it outwardly.
Neither did Encrid.
“Then so be it.”
At Encrid’s words, Eitri pushed his chair back with a scraping sound and adjusted his posture.
It was the stance of someone ready to listen attentively.
‘Or perhaps he’s only focusing on what’s necessary?’
That seemed to be the case.
“I’ve learned many things.”
Encrid spoke as if chatting idly. Before long, Frog, the sculptor, had joined them.
It was only natural. Since he hadn’t given up on his dream, he seemed to be still training.
As Encrid spoke, Eitri occasionally nodded.
Even if he couldn’t fully understand, it was enough to grasp the conceptual aspects.
Eitri repeatedly asked questions and compared them to what he had learned, rechecking them against his own understanding.
He had his own realizations from melting and hammering down the engraved weapons.
Soon, Frog joined the conversation.
It was an unexpected and unplanned time for Encrid, but it was enjoyable.
They weren’t formally trained swordsmen, but each spent every day giving their best.
As Encrid continued listening, he realized and learned a lot too.
The three of them talked until the sun set and the moon rose. When Encrid finally stood to leave late at night.
“Use this. It would be better to stop using that Gladius.”
Encrid didn’t question the suggestion and followed suit. Eitri’s apprentice brought a short sword, its blade moderately thick and a bit shorter than a gladius.
He gripped it and assessed the weight distribution. It felt relatively heavier.
“I mixed in some black gold.”
Eitri commented, watching.
“I’ll use it well.”
The payment or reward had likely already been handled by Krais.
After hearing Eitri’s dream, Encrid had already instructed to back him up.
Encrid stepped outside and saw the bright moon in the cloudless sky.
As he gazed at the full moon, Encrid reflected on the conversation he had just had and on the day’s events.
There was no sudden moment of enlightenment like a lightning bolt.
‘Did I push myself out of a compulsion to do my best every day?’
It was just a fleeting thought.
Then, he started the same routine again.
He strolled through the city, observing various things, but nothing had changed. He still swung his sword as he always did.
After meeting Eitri, he heard more about engraved weapons, threw himself into training again, signed off on necessary matters, and received letters.
It had been a while since he last got a letter from Anu, the King of the East.
The content suggested that rumors had spread all the way to the East.
—The Iron-Wall Knight? Is that really you? What the hell did you do? Write back and explain. Ah, and that guy you sent is still alive. Might die soon, though. And the Mad Knights? Quite a name you’ve got there. But it suits you all, a bunch of lunatics.
Hmm, not wrong.
Except for himself, calling them all lunatics wasn’t far off.
The scent of blood faintly emanated from the letter, and the handwriting was hurried and sloppy. He must have scribbled it quickly amidst some fight.
Encrid wrote a brief reply.
He saw no reason to write a long one, so it was extremely short.
—It just turned out that way. Dunbachel is not one to die easily.
After sending the letter and swinging his sword again to pass the time, Rem, polishing his axe blade meticulously at one side of the training ground, asked.
“But why did you name it Mad Knights?”
Encrid didn’t fully believe in rumors. However, he didn’t think that the people under his command were normal either. It was similar to how he responded to Anu’s letter.
When Rem asked, Ragna, Jaxon, Audin, Teresa, Lawford, and even Pel perked up their ears.
Even Luagarne, rolling her large eyes, gazed at him with curiosity.
Seeing Frog’s characteristic inquisitiveness reflected in its expression, Encrid couldn’t help but smile.
Luagarne puffed up her cheeks and spoke.
“Yeah, I was curious too.”
Encrid pondered for a moment. Was it really okay to call a lunatic a lunatic to his face?
Probably not.
Thus, Encrid couldn’t speak too honestly.
“Because they fight like crazy.”
There wasn’t much strength in his voice. But the meaning was clear, and the message was delivered.
Rem, satisfied, nodded.
“Sounds right.”
As Krang said, everyone, including Encrid, nodded in agreement.
It seemed fitting.
Afterward, until the sun set, Encrid continued wielding his sword, meditating, and using his willpower to experiment with various techniques.
Then Krais came looking for him.
He looked like he had a lot to say. At least that’s how Encrid saw it.
Krais’s face bore clear signs of concern and anguish.
* * *
Krais felt that this was a crossroads.
‘Alright, let’s think about it.’
He had two paths.
One was to continue living as he was now, and the other was to throw it all away and flee to the outskirts of some empire.
Living as he was now meant what?
‘It means living a life where I could be poisoned to death or shot by an arrow at any moment.’
And running away?
‘It means hiding away and living quietly for the rest of my life.’
To be honest, he didn’t really want that kind of life either. But the risk was lower. Would Nurat follow him? Probably not.
In other words, he would have to abandon everything and leave.
‘That’s the right choice.’
His chances of dying would significantly decrease. There wouldn’t be more troublesome matters like now. That would be enough.
Living life short and intense is madness.
Life should be lived long, comfortably, and enjoyed moderately.
Just set up a salon in some corner of the city and live quietly.
Krais was different from others. He knew that better than anyone.
“I’m completely normal.”
The name Mad Knights didn’t suit him at all. That was why.
‘Let’s give up.’
Krais could somewhat foresee the upcoming turmoil on the continent.
Fire and steel, blood, the boundary of life and death, monsters and beasts, he would eventually go insane with anxiety.
Would he have to calculate every time to find a way to survive?
‘Ragna touring the continent might be faster.’
A world soaked in blood was coming. It would happen. But even so, he couldn’t just tell Encrid to take it easy and let’s all live comfortably.
It had come to a point where he couldn’t say that.
Was there still a place for him here?
There would be. There would be plenty of needs for someone like him.
But that would mean being best friends with death.
In the end, he might have to cross the river to the other world, holding a friend’s hand.
A firm resolve solidified within his heart.
They said the Captain once built a wall with willpower.
Krais, too, now stood firm with such resolve.
After pondering alone for days, unable to speak to Nurat, he came to Encrid as soon as his decision was made.
“Captain.”
It was the time when the orange light of the setting sun was fading behind the mountains, making way for darkness.
Should he call it a blue darkness? As if the sun were making its last struggle, scattering traces of light to dye the darkness blue.
In that darkness, two blue eyes, staring straight ahead, were looking at him.
The owner of those eyes would never bend his will, no matter what.
Krais knew that even looking into the Captain’s eyes, his resolve remained unshaken.
‘This is not the place for someone like me.’
The continent would burn. The war with Aspen wasn’t the issue. Up until now, the board had been set, but he could no longer handle it.
Krais felt his limit, and that’s why he was here.
The recent internal conflicts within the city, the factional struggles, and countless other issues were beyond his ability to resolve.
He didn’t feel regret. It’s just that his capacity was only this much.
Well, maybe a little regret.
He was curious to see how far Encrid would go.
But Krais valued his dream, his life, his very existence more.
Nothing was more important than that.
‘This is it for me.’
Encrid had become a Knight. It was the fruit of never stopping and pressing forward. He had seen it through to this point, and so Krais felt no lingering attachment.
“Do you have concerns?”
Encrid asked, and Krais shook his head.
“I wouldn’t call it a concern.”
The problem was already resolved.
Clouded eyes, a murky voice. His appearance was unkempt.
Encrid realized that Krais had been overburdened recently.
Some of it was his own duty, and some were things that even Encrid couldn’t solve by stepping in.
In such times, wasn’t encouragement the right thing?
"During my comings and goings, I heard of Krang’s ambitions."
Ambitions?
Krais wasn’t particularly curious, but since it had come to this, he decided to listen to everything before saying what he needed to say.
"Krang’s plans include the Empire and the Great Kingdom."
Demon Realms, the Empire, the Great Kingdom, and the Cult.
The scale was massive, far too massive.
‘This really isn’t where I belong.’
His resolve remained unwavering.
“So you’re saying we can build salons in the Empire and the Great Kingdom as well.”
Encrid said, and Krais felt as if he experienced an earthquake.
His body didn’t shake, but his heart did.
Thanks for the Chapter Bro!!! :DD
Thanks for the Chapter.
Is it updated regularly? Also what is release schedule
Creo que he leído el manhwa, talvez lo esté confundiendo.. 🤔