Clatter.
Plates were placed in a row on the table.
Though he wasn’t picky about food, no one disliked delicious meals.
Encrid was no exception.
It was a dining hall exclusively for the Knights, built separate from the barracks dining hall.
Krais had expanded and remodeled the barracks to create this place.
Usually, they ate the same meals as the soldiers in the barracks, but when guests visited, serving proper meals was a kind of courtesy.
It was a cultural custom of the Empire and the surrounding kingdoms to welcome guests this way.
In the West, when showing respect, even a small dish made personally or food prepared by family was served, but this was the way of the central continent.
The old man had wanted an invitation, and Encrid had nodded, which brought them to the present.
Jaxon had mentioned that this person felt strangely faint in presence.
Even when they exuded a killing intent, the old man easily handled it with skill.
Encrid got a similar feeling from him as from the King of the East, Anu.
In other words, this person could fight at the level of a Knight. Strangely, however, when seen up close, none of that was apparent.
It was a curious thing.
In fact, before this, he hadn't sensed anything at all.
A peculiar, blind old man.
That was the entirety of the impression Encrid had of him until now. But today, things felt different.
Luagarne seemed to sense something similar, her large eyes rolling around as she busily observed the man.
What would Frog’s insight reveal about him?
Curious, Encrid glanced at Luagarne, and she spoke up.
"I can’t see anything."
So she couldn’t see either.
Even Frog’s talent for reading people wasn’t infallible.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
Feeling Encrid’s gaze, Luagarne puffed her cheeks slightly.
"You look particularly pretty today."
"Does Frog differentiate between appearances?"
He could. Encrid had a good eye for observation.
Sinar turned her head and said in response to that.
"Is Frog more to your taste than a Fairy?"
"Let’s eat."
If he answered such questions, a Fairy’s jokes would dance atop the table, and Encrid didn’t particularly welcome that. So, he changed the subject.
"Indeed. Eating comes first."
The blind old man chimed in.
Seated at the table were Encrid, Jaxon, Sinar, and Luagarne. No one else.
Ragna was asleep, and Rem had gone into the mountains to train his unit, armed only with an axe and without even proper provisions.
It seemed more like he was focusing on tormenting his unit rather than training them.
Of course, if they endured that torment, they’d likely emerge far more skilled than before.
He had heard that the twins, who had come from the West, had joined as training instructors.
The twins, who had joined Enri's caravan from the West, had remained with the Border Guard after traveling with them.
The Border Guard and the Rockfreed caravan had taken up escort duties for Enri’s caravan, making it a suitable arrangement.
If you wondered why the Border Guard and Rockfreed were involved, it wasn’t just due to Encrid and Enri’s friendship.
To put it simply, Krais and Leona had recognized the value of the route that stretched from the West to here, along with the goods it brought.
They saw the path Enri had traveled from the West to the center and then to the East or the southeastern region of Naurillia as a future major trade route. They had already named it the Stone Road.
One of the main items was obsidian, along with several other precious stones.
The plan was to start by making a safe highway, then build small cities and pave roads with stone at key points.
Of course, this wasn’t something that could be done in a day or two, or even in a year or two.
Even with advanced construction techniques, laying roads and building a dozen or so cities was no easy task.
It wouldn’t be enough just to forcibly create a city by tearing down Krona. People needed to live there for it to have any meaning.
So, it was a long-term project that required great effort.
The fact that they were willing to step up and undertake such an endeavor proved that the potential benefits far exceeded the substantial effort.
Both Krais and Leona knew well that expanding trade routes would multiply profits many times over.
There were already those who had demonstrated this truth.
If you traveled to the southeastern region of Naurillia, you would find the largest trade city and city-state on the continent, and its development was thanks to its waterways.
Of course, it wasn’t just the waterways that made it possible.
It was their shipbuilding technology, capable of producing cargo ships and fast vessels for swift travel along the rivers cutting across the continent, along with their skill in building cities at key points, that made their prosperity possible.
At any rate, with Ragna, Rem, and Audin all absent—Audin had taken Teresa to a prayer ritual, supposedly to awaken her talents—there was only Encrid, Jaxon, Sinar, and Luagarne left.
Lawford and Pel were present, but they were both too focused on their own training.
The two constantly sparred each other on, if one had a breakthrough and trained like a madman, the other would naturally follow, training in Encrid’s style.
Encrid’s style, of course, meant swinging their swords like madmen.
So, neither of them cared who came or went.
Esther was in the barracks, but she was in panther form.
She didn’t explain why, but she had mentioned that she would remain in panther form for the entire week.
She said she’d handle her meals in the wild, claiming she needed to accumulate natural power.
With everyone else out of the picture, only Sinar, Luagarne, Encrid, and Jaxon were present.
The chef placed the dishes on the table and stepped aside.
"Hmm."
The white-haired old man lifted his chin and sniffed the air from side to side, as if savoring the aroma of the food.
The main course was soup, dried fish with a boiled sauce, and tender cuts of pork served with steamed vegetables.
Asparagus, carrots, green vegetables, and beautifully sliced meat were visible to all except the old man, who was blind. Yet he seemed to read the food through his nose.
"They used pork. The fish… hmm, seems like it was dried."
He correctly guessed the dishes just by their scent. It was an impressive skill.
"It looks good, too."
Encrid informed him.
Next to the main course was a dish of marinated tomatoes, their aroma and colors adding to the visual and sensory enjoyment.
The old man tapped the plate with his fork before poking the meat and vegetables and placing them in his mouth.
Though it was natural for a blind man to fumble, nothing about his actions seemed awkward.
If you didn’t watch closely, you might not even realize he was blind.
‘How can he do that?’
Encrid thought idly as he watched. Based on his observations so far, he understood one thing.
The old man’s every action was highly skilled. He never seemed flustered and always appeared to know his surroundings.
Even now, without anyone having explained the position of the plates or utensils to him, he effortlessly found them and ate.
After taking a bite, the white-haired old man looked into the distance and nodded, speaking.
"Hmm, do you know what I value most?"
"What is it?"
"It’s the doneness of the vegetables."
The old man spread his hands as he spoke with utmost seriousness.
"They’re neither too hard nor too soft. Perfect. Wonderful. Even the way they were chopped is excellent. This is food made with care for the person eating it. The sauce… did they use pig liver? The flavor is excellent."
His sense of taste, like his sense of smell, had to be among the finest on the continent.
His sharp palate picked out the ingredients and preparation methods.
"Yes, that’s right."
The chef replied in a thrilled voice, clearly moved.
"Hmm, very good. Delicious."
The white-haired old man praised the food again and focused on his meal. Watching him made Encrid’s hand automatically move to eat as well.
Just as the old man had said, it was an excellent meal.
Encrid might not have been able to break it down in such detail, but the well-cooked pork, combined with mashed potatoes and the rich sauce made from pig liver, delivered deep flavors that filled his mouth.
"Were you a chef?"
Encrid asked after filling his stomach to some extent. The old man smiled faintly and replied.
"I lost the joy of sight but gained the joy of taste."
The old man waved his hand, holding a fork, and Jaxon gripped his eating knife, looking as if he might throw it at any moment.
If Encrid sensed it, then surely the old man could as well. Yet the old man showed no reaction and continued to speak.
"Without such pleasures, life would be flavorless, wouldn’t it?"
The old man said again, implying that his taste buds had sharpened in compensation for his blindness.
When the meal ended, the chef returned to serve dessert and tea.
Marcus often sent over refined tea leaves, and although the alchemist he had recently hired was terrible at everything else, he excelled at drying tea leaves properly.
The tea brewed from those leaves, served with crispy fried dough and simple bread baked with salt and butter, was brought out.
"Hmm, the bread is baked just right."
The old man enjoyed the meal.
"An interesting fellow."
Sinar commented while watching him. Though not fully armed, everyone at the table, except the chef, had at least one weapon.
And everyone knew that the cane the old man held wasn’t just a walking stick.
It was a sword stick, a type of sword where a blade was concealed within a cane.
It was easy to carry, but because it lacked a guard, the techniques one could use were limited.
Without a guard, if your hand slipped, you could cut yourself on the blade, and techniques that relied on using the guard to parry or disarm wouldn’t work.
For example, even deflecting an opponent’s blade would have to be done using just the sword’s edge, making it a weapon that prioritized portability over effectiveness.
The old man’s cane, after the meal, rested against the table. A servant approached to clear it away, but the old man stopped him.
After complimenting the chef for the delicious meal, the old man turned his head toward Encrid.
Though he couldn’t see, the way he directed his gaze felt natural, as if he was making eye contact.
"It’s an honor to meet you in person. Just as I’ve heard, you’re quite a handsome man."
"Hmm."
Sinar reacted to the comment. How could he tell when he couldn’t even see? Sinar tilted her head in confusion.
"I’m joking."
The old man laughed at his own joke.
"In my younger days, thanks to my wit, many ladies fell ill with love for me."
"Did you learn those jokes from the Fairies?"
Encrid asked seriously, causing Sinar’s eyebrow to twitch in annoyance. It was a bothersome question.
"No, it’s just natural for me. Actually, I’ve never been able to see. I’ve been blind since birth."
Hahaha.
The old man laughed, but no one else joined in. Instead, they were left wondering if the old man was out of his mind.
"Is his head broken?"
Luagarne questioned the old man’s mental state, while Jaxon remained silent.
The old man pulled out a clean but worn handkerchief and wiped his mouth.
"I’ve eaten well. Should I repay the favor?"
It was a reasonable statement. He wouldn’t have just eaten a meal with anyone.
"Let’s spar."
Encrid responded as if he had been waiting for this moment. They had eaten well and chatted. His affiliation? His position? The reason he had come here?
He didn’t know. He wasn’t even curious yet.
Everyone views the world differently. It was a matter of perspective.
This was the second time Encrid had seen the old man. The first time, he hadn’t noticed anything. But now, he saw it clearly. This old man could fight well. He could feel it.
The old man would be a formidable fighter.
Why was it so hard to gauge his strength?
Why had Jaxon said something felt off?
Even Luagarne couldn’t assess the old man’s skills. The blind man had shown something to Encrid that was full of intriguing potential.
So, who cared about his affiliation or intentions?
A fiery passion started in Encrid’s heart and spread throughout his body. His Will naturally rose, pushing him to convey his desire.
He wanted to fight.
He didn’t know what the old man was capable of. And that’s what excited him.
After all, there couldn’t be any other reason for bringing him here, feeding him well, and treating him kindly.
"Do you enjoy beating up blind old men?"
The old man asked.
"You don’t seem like you’d take it quietly. Would you?"
Encrid retorted immediately, and the old man’s clouded eyes softened into a smile.
"I can’t beat you in words. Even when I throw jokes, you don’t laugh."
"That’s because I’ve been trained by others already."
"That ‘other’ isn’t me, though. Isn’t that right, fiance?"
Sinar chimed in.
Encrid knew that the best strategy when in a tough spot was to not respond, so he pushed his chair back.
Scraping the chair with his thigh, he stood up.
"Let’s go outside."
Without waiting for a response, Encrid headed out immediately.
Sinar, watching him leave, murmured to herself.
"We’ll have to have a long talk later, fiance."
Though her voice was soft, her keen-eared fiance would have heard it.
The Fairy stood up as well. Though not as eager as Encrid, she was curious to see the fight.
This old man wasn’t from the forest folk, yet he used their techniques better than most of her kin.
In the forest, he blended in like part of the surroundings, as if he was using the forest’s power to hide.
It was a technique called assimilation, where one harmonized with the environment to hide their presence.
Though many skilled Knights who wielded willpower could use it, its origin lay with the Fairies.
This old man was unusual in that sense.
Even her senses could barely detect his presence, so well was he blended into the environment.
"If you’ve eaten, it’s only natural to pay for it."
The old man said as he got up and tapped his cane on the floor as he followed Encrid outside.
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.. 🤔