Eternally Regressing Knight
Chapter 76 - 76 - The Carmen Collection
Chapter 76 - The Carmen Collection
"Hey, are you deaf? You with the auburn head."
Jaxen ignored the comment again.
Watching this, Enkrid thought it was fortunate that he brought Jaxen along.
What if it had been Rem?
"Are you talking to me now?"
Accompanying the words would probably have been a flying axe.
Jaxen, on the other hand, simply ignored the provocation.
That was a relief, though the person being ignored would undoubtedly feel otherwise.
"You bastard, I'm Polid Rockfreed!"
And so what?
Jaxen's eyes conveyed his thoughts clearly.
Fortunately, before things escalated further, Leona descended the stairs.
Leona arrived with her nanny and greeted them with a radiant smile.
"You're late."
"Late? What about that guy you brought along as a guard—what's he even doing?"
"You sent him, didn't you?"
'Huh?'
Leona walked gracefully toward Polid, cutting off his complaints with a question.
Polid tilted his head, confused, wondering what she meant.
Then, Leona's hand cut through the air.
Smack!
'Wow.'
Enkrid admired it inwardly.
Without any warning, Leona delivered a crisp slap across Polid's face.
The swing was clean, and the impact was solid enough to leave him speechless.
Polid, his head turned to the side, glanced at Leona with wide eyes.
"You said it yourself, you crazy bastard."
Leona's clear and delicate voice rang out.
Enkrid reconsidered his earlier thoughts when talking to Krais.
That woman wasn't just sharp—she was downright ruthless to others.
Clang!
The sound of weapons being drawn echoed through the hall.
While Enkrid didn't draw his weapon, he positioned himself behind Leona.
Jaxen stood by his side, and the fairy company commander remained silently in place.
"You crazy bitch! Do you want to die?"
Polid clutched his stinging cheek as he finally managed to speak.
"If anyone's dying, it'll be you. Do you even know where you are? Did you think you could just spend money and employ troops here without getting caught?"
Enkrid watched with growing curiosity.
What was all this about?
It seemed things were about to get very interesting.
The inn at Border Guard sometimes served as a venue for guild meetings.
Since the troops didn't have official barracks, the inn business thrived.
That was why this group had gathered here.
The innkeeper, guarding the hall, widened his eyes at the unfolding scene—an unexpected slap followed by drawn weapons.
Even someone as experienced as the innkeeper looked troubled.
After a few moments of thought, he made his decision and turned toward the kitchen.
He'd given up.
The man was wise enough to know he couldn't stop this and had no intention of getting involved.
Luckily, all damages here would be compensated under the name of the Rockfreed Merchant Guild.
That's why he remained calm.
As he retreated into the kitchen, the innkeeper shot a glance at Enkrid.
'This won't get too out of hand, right?'
Enkrid, familiar with the innkeeper Allen, gave him a subtle nod.
Leona wasn't reckless.
She wouldn't allow things to escalate into a full-blown fight.
Despite the tense atmosphere, this commotion was all there would be.
"You're so stupid. That's why the previous leader didn't entrust the guild to you," Leona said.
She appeared completely unbothered by Polid's protests or his threats of force.
Her entire demeanor radiated confidence, as if daring anyone to lay a finger on her.
Enkrid found her attitude fascinating.
'Bold.'
How should he describe this?
She had a knack for cutting off any chance of resistance or response.
"Do you even know where you are? Say it."
Grinding his teeth, Polid growled in frustration but unconsciously answered.
"Bor-Border Guard."
"Exactly, you idiot. This is Border Guard. And you hired some back-alley guild to do dirty work here? Even knowing I'm under the escort of Border Guard's standing army?"
"I-I didn't—no, I mean, I didn't know about the Border Guard escort until after—"
Polid's voice faltered, his bravado crumbling under her pressure.
His trembling hands betrayed his fear.
Shing!
Clack.
A man standing behind Polid partially unsheathed his sword but then slid it back with a click.
The sound seemed to snap Polid out of his stupor.
He changed his tone in desperation.
"I didn't do it! I'm being framed!"
Judging from the situation, the truth was clear.
'He must have planned his alibi before coming here.'
But the intense atmosphere almost made him confess everything.
Click.
Leona clicked her tongue, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Crossing her legs in her leather pants, she took out a cigarette.
"Fire."
Her nanny brought a candlestick and lit the cigarette for her.
"Sit down. Aren't we here to discuss succession?"
This was the same woman who had caused weapons to be drawn.
She exhaled a puff of smoke as if nothing had happened.
Polid dragged a chair noisily and sat as well.
Starting a fight here would clearly not end in his favor.
Did he not realize where the two squads outside were stationed from?
The two began a heated discussion.
They exchanged points and counterpoints, preparing their respective claims for succession.
For Enkrid, it was a barrage of words he could barely follow.
"You want to inherit the guild but can't even interpret the trade codes or decipher the maps? Have you memorized the guild's cipher language?"
"Th-that's something the steward can handle! Besides, I'm the legitimate heir! What right does an outsider like you have—"
"The previous leader acknowledged my qualifications to inherit the guild. Are you saying you'll go against his decision? Claiming legitimacy by blood alone won't convince anyone when you lack the ability to lead."
Enkrid listened with half an ear.
Leona clearly dominated the conversation, both in tone and content.
'So, was the assassination attempt his last desperate gamble?'
Border Guard happened to have groups willing to take on such jobs.
Was this clever planning or sheer stupidity?
The two bickered for quite a while longer.
From what Enkrid observed, Leona seemed to be using this meeting as an opportunity to mock Polid.
"Are you really the son of the previous leader? You don't look like him at all. Makes me suspicious."
"You... w-what? Are you saying my mother might have... someone else's child?"
Enraged, Polid stammered and slammed the table with a loud
"That's not what I meant. But if that's how you interpret it, well, what can I say?"
Leona exhaled another puff of smoke, completely in control.
Was she always like this?
Reserved and quiet, wasn't she?
Who knew?
They'd only spent two days together, and they'd exchanged fewer than fifty sentences.
People were complex, after all.
No one was simply one thing.
"This damned woman!"
"Watch your mouth, you ugly bastard."
"You wretch!"
The man, who had held back even when his mother was insulted, reached for the shortsword at his waist when called ugly.
Seeing this, Enkrid lightly gripped the hilt of his sword.
This was a place where the Border Guard ensured safety, and unsheathing a sword for a fight here was unthinkable.
One of the reasons the Border Guard elevated the city's value was its guarantee of civilized discussions without resorting to violence, whether for merchants or nobles.
Of course, backdoor dealings and assassinations still occurred, but drawing a sword openly?
That was tantamount to requesting death.
Jaxen stood to my right, and the company commander observed from a step behind as if watching a show.
I placed my hand on my sword grip, covering Polid's bodyguard within my weapon's range.
'First step to the left.'
I would unsheath the sword and slash downwards at his crown.
With no time to assume a proper stance, the draw and the strike had to be simultaneous.
Polid's guard, who was within my range, reacted.
With a subtle motion, he extended his arm further.
What kind of swordsmanship would he use?
For a moment, Enkrid wished the man would attack.
Logically, he knew it wouldn't happen, yet he couldn't help but hope.
'How fast is he?'
Was he faster than Rem's axe?
Or the hybrid elf's whistle dagger?
He wanted to experience it.
To face it.
To measure his skills against his opponent.
This was pure competitive spirit—a burning desire to test his mettle.
The heat of it coursed through his body.
If the man attacked, Enkrid would strike him down.
A strange tension filled the air between them.
Meanwhile, Polid broke out in a nervous sweat.
His thoughts raced: could he draw his sword here?
Would he seem cowardly if he didn't?
Leona despised people like him.
If you're going to draw your sword, do it.
If not, resolve it with words.
If neither, don't even start.
Without the last will of her predecessor, she would have avoided dealing with him altogether.
The tense standoff rendered the inn eerily quiet.
And then—
Thud.
The sound of the inn's door being flung open broke the silence.
The thick wooden door swung wide, striking the wall with force.
The person who had burst in expanded Enkrid's field of vision.
Both he and his opponent relaxed slightly, retreating half a step in unspoken agreement.
'What was I thinking?'
This wasn't like Rem, who would draw a weapon without regard for the situation.
For a moment, Enkrid had nearly lost himself.
He sighed inwardly and turned his head.
A familiar face appeared—Torres, from the frontier defense forces.
Behind him were five others in similar attire: tunics over checkered brown leather armor, topped with dark brown coats adorned with eagle-crested shoulder patches.
"We are the Royal Frontier Defense Forces. We've come to arrest the instigator who hired Aspen's spies to stir up trouble."
"Eek!"
Polid let out a foolish squeal.
His bodyguard grabbed his shoulder to steady him.
Enkrid found himself curious about their relationship—it didn't seem to be a simple employer-employee arrangement.
"You dragged Aspen's dogs into the succession battle?"
Torres' words caused Polid to pale, but Leona remained unfazed.
'Who called the frontier defense forces here?'
Enkrid silently observed the situation unfold.
"All present will be detained," Torres announced.
Neither Polid nor Leona reacted.
Instead, a calm man with brown hair and a modest appearance stepped forward from behind Polid.
"Are you saying you'll detain people without evidence? This man is the heir to the Rockfreed Trading Company. Surely you haven't been bought by the opposition?"
His words, insinuating bribery, made Torres frown briefly before breaking into a faint smile.
"...Quite the cheeky bastard," he said, openly expressing his displeasure.
But the man wasn't wrong.
The reason a major trading company was discussing succession in Border Guard was precisely because the Border Guard's standing army maintained strict neutrality.
If trouble arose within the city, the standing army would inevitably intervene.
But their commitment to neutrality meant that without solid evidence, they couldn't detain anyone, leaving them open to misinterpretation.
'A calculated move.'
The opponent had played their hand wisely.
Torres, aware of this, couldn't simply cut down the "cheeky bastard" outright.
A tense silence followed. Leona broke it.
"Bribery? Of course not," she began, denying the man's implication.
"Though it's possible someone from the company may have involved Aspen's spies," she added, prompting Polid to flinch in shock.
Seeing his reaction, even Enkrid nearly sighed.
He might as well confess outright.
"We don't know yet, which is why I called the frontier defense forces," Leona continued.
Who called them?
Enkrid was genuinely surprised.
Leona explained further.
"Until this is resolved, I request both heirs be detained. We'll uncover the evidence in the meantime."
She scanned the room.
Her ability to steer the situation with a few words was impressive.
"I heard there's a ringleader who fled. Let's capture him and have him confess."
It was a checkmate—a gambit leaving no room for escape.
Could the fugitive withstand interrogation if captured?
The current detainees had all claimed ignorance, stating only that the leader knew everything.
And that leader had escaped.
"Very well, Lady Leona. But what if the fugitive doesn't show up?" asked the brown-haired man, now addressing Leona directly.
"Then it wouldn't be the frontier defense force's concern," Leona replied.
"After that, it would become an internal matter for the trading company, and the major figures would decide the heir's qualifications."
The brown-haired man grinned, understanding the implication.
'Once they leave the city...'
Could Leona handle Polid's guards?
Enkrid doubted it.
"I'm a merchant. I don't ask for favors without compensation. Whoever captures the fugitive first will receive this."
Leona produced a dagger, placing it on the table.
A long, slender blade sheathed in black leather—a stiletto dagger.
"The Carmen Collection?"
Someone recognized it.
Enkrid noticed Jaxen stepping forward.
It was rare for his usually stoic friend to react to something as simple as a dagger.
Not that it lacked value.
'Unexpected.'
Carmen was a renowned assassin who had made his mark with custom-crafted weapons.
While his assassination skills were notable, his craftsmanship was unparalleled.
The weapons he crafted were known as the Carmen Collection, and the dagger Leona revealed was one of them—said to pierce and withdraw without leaving a trace of blood.
"Why are you giving that away?"
"This is mine. A gift from the previous generation chief," Leona replied firmly, ignoring Polid's protests.
"It's whoever brings him in."
A bounty had effectively been declared.
Enkrid couldn't help but marvel at Leona's cunning.
'She summoned the frontier defense forces to buy time, declared a bounty to incentivize others, and ensured everyone gained something.'
Everyone except Polid.
Still, the reward was enough to set many eyes aglow.
"I'll bring him in," someone declared unexpectedly.
It was Jaxen, volunteering confidently.
Enkrid nodded, surprised.
Jaxen rarely acted so decisively.
'He must really want that dagger.'
The task wouldn't be difficult.
In this city, the underworld was controlled by the Gilpin Guild.
Its leader, Krais, was one of Enkrid's subordinates.
Enkrid had already ordered them to keep an eye out, making the fugitive as good as caught.

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