The envoy met Encrid’s gaze and shook his head. There was no such content.
The reason the envoy remained here was to deliver something verbally, rather than through a letter.
Everyone around him had dissuaded him from putting it into writing.
There could have been someone from the Temple in attendance, so this too could be leaked.
However, the envoy felt a surge of heat rise within him.
Let them reveal it if they dare.
Encrid's demeanor spurred his courage.
What did it matter if it was the Temple or anyone else? If you’re walking the path you believe is right, why care about others’ opinions?
Wasn’t that exactly what the man sitting in the center of the meeting room seemed to be saying?
Who was the person sitting there, speaking so boldly?
A hero of the nation, the king’s close friend, the Demon Slayer, and the Iron Wall Knight.
Whether obstructing his path was right or wrong, he would remove anyone who stood in his way.
Feeling an urge to shout at those who obstructed a hero, the envoy spoke.
"To strike the Knight of the Iron Wall is to strike me. So do as you wish, and you may say that this is my will."
This was the message from Krang.
It was a statement of complete support, a promise to back him in whatever he did.
"Oh, I see. Tell him I’ll join in if things get dangerous."
Encrid immediately responded.
He didn’t think the meeting was necessary but didn’t want to waste time on formalities either.
He had no interest in wasting time deliberating over something so clear-cut.
"There are reports of strange activity from monsters, beasts, bandits, and cultists, especially in the southern regions…"
This time, Krais spoke.
After the civil war, the area surrounding the Border Guard had stabilized. Even the Capital had become relatively peaceful, but the southern kingdom was still rife with trouble.
Recently, a new, notorious bandit group had emerged.
"Send troops as part of live combat training."
Encrid instantly provided a solution. Krais stared at Encrid.
This hadn’t been discussed beforehand, yet the answer was exactly what he would have proposed.
"Do you think this will leave a hole in our security?"
Encrid’s gaze shifted toward Vengeance, who saluted again and replied.
"Not at all."
Krais immediately added to that.
"We’ll devise a method and select the troops to send."
"If any issues arise, I’ll go myself."
As always, Encrid spoke with sincerity.
If the new bandit group had known the contents of this meeting, they’d have disbanded immediately and returned to civilian life.
"Hey, I’ve got idle hands and the kids I trained, too."
"I can go alone."
Rem and Ragna chimed in, not wanting to be left out.
"I can stop by as well."
Jaxon added his voice.
"Next."
Encrid nodded and moved on. His nod didn’t mean he intended to send Ragna alone, but this wasn’t the place to debate it.
There were many problems, but none were insurmountable. That was Encrid’s stance.
It had remained unchanged from his time as a squad leader to now. That’s why people followed him.
Though Krais knew all the answers beforehand, he held the meeting out of anxiety.
As always, Encrid didn’t blame him. Instead, he made his intentions clear for everyone to see and hear.
"I will be a sword for the king’s path, and if anything obstructs the path I walk, I’ll cut it down. The Temple was exploiting children, so I rescued one. If something similar happens, I’ll act the same way."
Children called saints or holy ones were rare within the Temple of Abundance.
They hadn’t rashly tried to capture Seiki without reason—they must have been desperate.
Thus, Encrid had already dealt a significant blow to the Temple.
While the priests of the Temple of Abundance fumed at Encrid’s audacity, Overdeer and Audin were surely taking advantage of the chaos.
Though Encrid’s actions ultimately aided the two, he wasn’t particularly concerned with that.
But Krais was different. He already knew what Audin intended to do.
He had already calculated the flow of the conversations and situations unfolding.
This was all an offensive move.
‘Striking the Temple.’
More precisely, it meant making an enemy of the Holy Nation.
If Audin failed, they would likely face a formidable foe.
However, word had it that even a crusader had joined Audin in his efforts.
Judging by the situation, success seemed more likely than failure. Yet the anxiety lingered.
The cost of failure would be immense, forcing Krais to think desperately.
‘But what if they succeed?’
If they did, it would bring a tremendous ally.
At the very least, avoiding making the Temple an enemy would already be a win.
Until then, what should the Border Guard do?
They had to hold out no matter what the Temple tried. Direct confrontation was the worst strategy.
This wasn’t a call for a holy war.
Of course, if pushed, Encrid might go that far, but Krais wouldn’t.
That would be the worst-case scenario, and it had to be avoided.
"We must endure. If a direct clash or religious war occurs, it won’t matter who wins or loses. It’ll only benefit the cultists."
As Krais calculated, the brilliant strategist birthed by Aspen chimed in.
Avnair’s words made Krais turn to him. They mirrored his own thoughts perfectly.
"Endure, yes. And act as though nothing is wrong."
"Exactly. Meanwhile, we handle everything behind the scenes."
"What’s the most dangerous thing?"
"Any movement directly harming allied or nearby territories."
This included monsters, beasts, bandits, and cultists. Preventing and surviving these threats without suffering damage would be a great success. But would it be easy?
"You think it won’t be easy? I see it differently. Even if we disperse our forces, it will suffice."
What Avnair had over Krais was an eye for assessing troop capabilities and confidence.
Avnair clearly envisioned a bright future—a shining tomorrow.
Krais felt a bit of his anxiety ease. Avnair was a genius strategist with a sharp intellect, and his words resonated.
"They’ve all worked themselves to the bone."
Two geniuses exchanged their thoughts, baffling everyone else in the process.
Thud.
Encrid lightly struck the table. The sound wasn’t small.
Amid the ongoing discussions, it drew attention as everyone turned to the meeting’s focal point—the man protecting this land.
As the gazes centered on him, Encrid, unfazed, spoke.
"Then I’ll go."
It was a simple farewell and a declaration to end the meeting.
He said what he needed to and stood up. Rem and the rest of the Knights followed.
Though Sinar, the Golden Witch, and Esther, the Black Flower, were also present, no one spared them a glance. Everyone’s eyes were on Encrid.
They saw the path he laid out, accepted his intent, and focused only on the future he spoke of.
After Encrid and his group left, only those inspired by his aura and determination remained in the room.
"Alright, Vengeance, call a platoon leader meeting after accounting for the minimum forces needed to guard the city. Lord Graham?"
Krais began addressing smaller details. With the overall direction set, it was time to handle the rest.
"Speak."
"I request the deployment of equipment for full armament."
Rather than training gear, the troops were to be prepared for war.
"Notify all involved, including the trading company. Let nearby nobles know the Border Guard forces will be deployed on request, with costs to be settled afterward."
If they were going to help, they’d commit fully. While troop movements between territories could be sensitive, the Border Guard’s forces carried a different weight.
Encrid’s reputation as the Knight of the Iron Wall ensured there would be no misunderstandings about territorial ambitions.
If someone misunderstood and refused assistance?
That was their choice. But those who extended a hand for help would be saved. That was the decision made.
And it aligned with Encrid’s wishes.
"It’ll work. This will work."
Avnair reiterated.
"Not bad."
Krais swiftly made a few more mental calculations.
This was all about expanding their influence in the region.
If Krang, the king of Naurillia, had opposed Encrid’s movements, none of this would have been possible. Yet he officially supported and aided the effort.
In other words, there were no obstacles to the Border Guard’s plans.
That didn’t mean all of Krais’s anxiety disappeared.
"This is nerve-wracking."
If things went wrong, troop losses would be significant. This one decision could lead people to their deaths.
Krais was weak in this aspect.
He disliked the idea of people dying in mass from a mere gesture. He didn’t want to make that call. But if necessary, he would.
Krais had learned this from observing Encrid.
"I’d love to retire and live a carefree life in a salon."
What Krais truly wished for was only possible in an era of peace.
The idea of lounging in a pleasure city while the continent thrived was a lofty dream.
In a way, his dream wasn’t so different from Encrid’s.
Krais steeled himself.
A wave of his hand could lead to deaths. But it couldn’t be helped. Everyone had made their own choices.
"If they didn’t know this when they joined the army, then they could die for that ignorance."
This was something Encrid often said.
If you’re prepared to take up arms and kill your enemies, you must be ready to die as well.
Without that resolve, one couldn’t even survive the basic training of the Border Guard.
"Alright, let’s get moving."
Having resolved himself internally, Krais spoke. Everyone would be extremely busy for the foreseeable future.
And this was all happening before the Temple even made their move.
* * *
One of the southern kingdom’s nobles, Viscount Harrison, shouted until his scalp turned red.
"Absolutely not!"
"But at this rate, we’ll all die. I suggest implementing a scorched-earth strategy."
A scorched-earth strategy involved burning military supplies, food, and anything else that might fall into enemy hands.
The suggestion was to burn down all the fields the Viscount had cultivated.
It came from the leader of his militia, a former mercenary now serving as one of his retainers.
He was right, and Harrison knew it. But abandoning his land meant certain repercussions.
Losing his land and crops meant losing everything. If they burned and destroyed everything, restoring the land would be a distant dream.
What would happen afterward? Likely, they would live in a small, exploited area for the rest of their lives.
Their opponent was a newly formed bandit group that, for some reason, had summoned monstrous beasts.
Hundreds of wild boar-like beasts and over a hundred bandits were on their side. Among them, dozens were skilled archers.
Meanwhile, the Viscount’s militia consisted of fifty spearmen and thirteen archers.
Even with significant investment in military supplies, the bandits outnumbered them two to one.
Viscount Harrison faced two choices:
Abandon the land and endure while fighting the bandits.
Or stay and defend the land, even if it meant dying.
Neither was acceptable to the Viscount. Sweat dripped from his brow. Winter was approaching, yet his body heated up.
He felt as if he might collapse from the rising fever when a militia member came running in.
"Sir, reinforcements have arrived."
"…Reinforcements?"
The militia leader asked. No reinforcements had been expected. The southern regions were currently plagued with monsters and beasts.
There were even rumors of cultists appearing. So, who could have come as reinforcements?
"Should we let them in?"
"Let them in!"
Reinforcements? Whatever the reason, the Viscount couldn’t afford to be picky.
"Greetings."
It was a soldier. He was unfamiliar, but the man raised his cloak to reveal a distinct emblem.
It was a symbol of thick horizontal lines resembling a fortress wall.
The emblem had recently been issued to the Border Guard by the King of Naurillia.
Even without being a herald, everyone recognized the emblem of the Border Guard Reserve Forces.
The Border Guard, home to the infamous Mad Knights Order, which had conquered even Aspen, their former enemy.
A place governed by the man who had gifted them the sacred spring.
All these thoughts flashed through the Viscount’s mind. Several descriptors of the Border Guard swirled within him.
"We bring a single platoon under the reserve forces."
The soldier spoke calmly.
Though not many in number, Viscount Harrison felt a spark of hope.
What followed, however, defied all his expectations.
"Boars? Excellent. We’ll handle them alone. Have your militia guard the rear in case of an ambush."
The reinforcements assessed the charge of dozens of beasts and declared they would fight them on their own. The Viscount was stunned.
And when he saw them in action, he was left utterly speechless.
No comments yet. Be the first to leave a review!