"Uh, well, I want to stay out of sight ."
On a summer evening with the wind blowing, the white-haired beastman spoke in front of the barracks.
"Out of sight?"
In response to the question, Dunbakel carefully chose her words.
In reality, it wouldn't matter what happened at this point.
"I'd be fine as a slave or a servant. As long as I can stay unnoticed, I'll do anything."
If Frog had been blinded by some personal achievement or desire, the beast-woman had lost her mind over the two words: reproduction.
So, her words could easily be misunderstood.
"The continent is wide, though?"
Enkrid tried to phrase it indirectly, saying he wouldn't catch her if she left.
"As long as I can stay unnoticed."
Dunbakel kneeled. Her messy, oily hair and scalp were exposed, and an unpleasant odor lingered.
Seeing that, Enkrid felt the immediate urge to wash up and rest.
But then what would he do with her?
It wasn't a dilemma.
If she was planning on betraying him later, that would be troublesome.
'But is that even possible?'
Before that, he had a feeling that Jaxen would be the one to strike her down.
It felt like it. The feeling was strong.
In truth, it wouldn't necessarily be Jaxen, but if Rem or anyone else noticed a dangerous hint from Dunbakel, they'd immediately strike her down.
Luckily, there didn't seem to be any ill intentions from her. Letting her live had been something of a whim.
It didn't have any real meaning. So...
'If there's no ill intent...'
Enkrid thought about how his squad had only ten members.
A platoon typically had around forty to fifty members, and a company usually commanded one hundred to two hundred people.
'But my unit...'
Krais, Rem, Ragna, Jaxen, Audin, Finn.
Including himself, there were seven.
Wasn't that a bit too little?
He almost wanted to check if Marcus's conscience was still intact, because it was such a small number.
'If they're going to make me a company commander, they should send more people.'
Of course, only a few would survive. Would Rem just sit back and do nothing?
He couldn't help but think of Andrew. Ever since that guy, Finn was the only new person who had joined.
The conclusion was that the company was understaffed, and Dunbakel's physical strength was greater than that of regular soldiers.
Judging by her current attitude, she was even obedient.
Obedient beast-women were rare.
Among the many complicated thoughts, one clear point stood out.
'Lack of personnel.'
He could get the battalion commander's approval later, and if it didn't work out, he could just kick her out.
"Alright."
"I swear to Creamhalt. If I swear while being kicked out, that would be my faith... huh?"
"Come in. There's space on the bed. But wash up first."
To Dunbakel, it seemed like a bold decision. There was no sign of hesitation.
'Was I planning on accepting her from the beginning?'
He even thought that for a moment. But no, that wasn't it. There had been many times when it was fine to let someone die, or even when it was fine to kill them.
But still, he let her go.
A person who keeps their word.
"Joining the unit's roster requires the commander's permission. If you get rejected there, I can't help you."
'That's fine.'
When Enkrid spoke those words, Dunbakel thought she wouldn't be rejected.
If he were the commander, and there was someone like him under his command, he would nod even if she had ten servants following her.
Who would reject that?
"Don't even think about serving me at night or anything like that. I'm not interested. So you're joining as a soldier. If you want to stay unnoticed, pick up a weapon and fight. If you die in the battle, it can't be helped."
Enkrid said just that, opened the barracks door, and walked in.
Dunbakel stood there, hesitating.
She had wanted this, but when it came to taking action, she needed courage.
She had longed for this, but now that it was happening, accepting it required even more courage.
Should she step inside?
'Someone like me?'
She had expected to be rejected. So she hesitated. And as she hesitated, the closed door of the barracks suddenly opened with a creak.
"Not coming in?"
Beyond the open door, blue eyes with black hair appeared. That face, though it could be considered masculine, was beautiful.
The blue color of his determined eyes reflected the moonlight that broke on his cheek.
In front of the barracks, where no romance could be found, Dunbakel felt like she might cry.
Why?
What's the reason?
She didn't really know.
It was simply because no one had ever welcomed her before.
The first person who had invited her in without any ulterior motives.
"I'll go."
Her voice trembled.
Dunbakel took a step inside.
It's said that opportunities in life come around, and that turning points are necessary.
Dunbakel thought meeting that man was one of those turning points.
Even if others cast her out.
She would endure.
Even if everyone ostracized and cursed her.
She would bear it.
"I'm really curious," said a woman with orange hair as Dunbakel entered. She was talking continuously to Enkrid.
"You actually like the nickname 'Demon Lord', don't you? That's why you bring a woman every time you go out?"
Hiss!
A leopard beside her suddenly growled.
Dunbakel flinched at the sound, and Rem spoke from the side.
"It's fine. This leopard doesn't usually bite. Oh, only that big-eyed brat does. Just don't touch him, and he won't bite."
Why is there a leopard in the barracks? Dunbakel thought for a moment but didn't dwell on it.
And surprisingly, the atmosphere didn't seem that bad.
"Stop talking nonsense and go wash her up. She smells," Enkrid said, beginning to tidy his things.
He seemed to be getting ready to bathe, taking out a thin linen shirt. Meanwhile, the orange-haired woman approached.
"You don't have spare clothes, do you? Do you think they'd give you some if you ask for them? Maybe if you mention the commander's name?"
"Do you think they'll give them to me?"
"Then, will they not?"
Finn said with a cheerful tone. It seemed like it would be a bright night with the moon high.
Finn, who had taken Dunbakel out, asked,
"What's your name?"
"Dunbakel."
"I'm Finn."
She extended her hand to offer a handshake. If we borrow from ancient customs, a handshake was a way to prove that neither person was holding a weapon and would not harm each other.
In modern terms, it could be seen as a way of saying "let's be good friends."
When they shook hands, Finn smiled and said,
"But how long has it been since you last bathed?"
"Hm, about half a year?"
Beastmen didn't enjoy bathing.
"Let's walk a little further apart."
Under Finn's guidance, Dunbakel entered the bathroom and, without any complaints, immersed herself in the tub.
The water turned black, and Finn, standing outside, said he would leave her clothes.
Dunbakel scrubbed herself with soap.
Enkrid didn't seem to like smells.
After washing and changing clothes, she returned to the barracks. The path wasn't difficult.
It had been so long since she had bathed that her body felt light.
"...Is that how you really look?"
When she entered the barracks, Enkrid asked.
"Why? Did something change?"
Dunbakel, feeling a little self-conscious, looked down. Her clothes, puffed up by her chest and loose pants, made her appear different.
Was it because of the clothes?
"Alright. That spot is yours. Go ahead and sleep. And remember to wear some underwear."
Why make a fuss over it? Dunbakel thought, but nodded.
Enkrid waved his hand vaguely and pointed. That spot was her place.
That's how Dunbakel became an independent squad member. No one spoke of her as an enemy or as a member of the Black Blade.
No, even if they did, they didn't doubt her or push her away.
Why?
Well, that was something she herself didn't know.
The atmosphere in the unit was cold as usual, but Enkrid was unchanged.
After waking up, they trained, then observed Finn getting beaten up briefly after performing an isolation technique.
"So this is all that's left of the Eilkaraz-style martial arts, huh, sister?"
Audin, the sharp-tongued demon of hell, was as consistent as ever. Finn's forehead had veins bulging up in anger.
After sweating profusely from the morning training, Finn gulped down water and slathered butter and orange marmalade on some soft bread.
"Where did you get this from?"
Enkrid bit into the bread and asked. The marmalade tasted exquisite.
It was sweet and tangy.
Krais, who had been muttering to himself next to her, swallowed a bite of bread and said,
"It opened across from the seasoned jerky shop. It's a twenty-six-year-old woman with dull brown hair and a lot of freckles. Her name's Juri. She doesn't have a boyfriend, and her ideal type is someone like Commander Enkrid and Ragna. She really dislikes people like me."
Dunbakel looked at him, wondering why he was speaking so in detail.
"I know the major people in the city. That's the Guild's job, the Gilpin Guild."
Is that really true? But is someone who makes fruit jam really a major person?
"It's important. You've tasted it, so you know."
True enough.
As they continued their meal, Krais started talking again.
"Something similar will happen again."
"Something similar?"
"People around here won't leave Border Guard alone."
Enkrid, who had been about to get up, paused and looked at Krais. His large eyes briefly flickered toward Dunbakel.
Dunbakel, still sitting motionless, stared blankly into the air.
Should she assign him a task or something?
She shifted her gaze back to Krais, who continued speaking.
"By defeating Aspen, the kingdom expanded its territory. As a result, Border Guard is becoming a military city where a standing army is stationed, and it will be the central trade city of northern Naurlia. That's what's happening now."
Recently, the frequency of visits to the upper guilds had increased, and new goods kept flowing in. The city's population was growing.
"Juri says that when making marmalade, it's essential to make a lot at once. But if you don't sell it all, it's hard to store. Fortunately, as the number of people passing by increased, the jam sold well."
That was the reason she had opened a marmalade shop.
Where does commercial success come from? It's determined by population size and the number of people passing through.
Krais, who often babbled when he was bored, had come to learn such common knowledge.
"Then, how do people around here view Border Guard?"
"They probably see it like well-cooked barbecue or ripe tomatoes."
If they had knives in their hands, if they were ready to eat,
It's just a matter of sliding the blade in.
That's the position of Border Guard. In a place where, if they were to be skewered, they would look like a well-cooked, golden-brown barbecue.
How would the hungry look at it? They'd probably want to tear off the flesh immediately.
Things might improve when the pioneering town Enkrid helped found grows and trade routes widen.
But for now,
'The center of northern trade.'
According to Krais, that's the location of Border Guard.
"That's why there's no shortage of packs of wolves around here."
"When did you start suspecting this?"
"Well, I had a bad feeling since we pushed Aspen out."
If Krais had known since then... did Marcus know too?
After returning, he had pretended to be in love with the city, feigning indifference.
But the battalion commander knew the city was in danger.
Then he must also know how to get out of it.
The meeting time was approaching.
"I'm going."
"Let's protect the jerky and marmalade, Commander."
Krais said from behind. It didn't sound like crazy talk.
Those two foods were quite precious to Enkrid, after all.
The battalion commander's office had already turned into a meeting room.
A large table was laid out with a map, and various chess pieces were scattered across it.
"Do we know the number of enemies?"
"We've been sending out scouts every hour. Based on what we can see, we estimate over two battalions of infantry."
"That's a lot."
Marcus said with a half-smile, his expression not showing fear.
It was clear that he had something to rely on.
But could they really say it here, with all the squad leaders gathered?
Enkrid quietly stood beside Marcus.
"Do you have something to say?"
"My squad has fewer than ten people."
So what?
The eyes spoke. The battalion commander had no conscience.
A squad leader should have enough people to lead a squad.
"Can I add someone? It's the beastman we captured earlier."
He used to be part of the Black Blade bandits.
After slitting the throat of a suspected spy, he was suddenly suggesting to take in a bandit under his command.
Now that he thought about it, he needed to mention the noble bandit whose head had rolled off.
"Fine."
Fine.
'Is that it?'
Is that really the end?
"Talk to the quartermaster about the organization and details."
That was really the end.
Without needing to say more, Enkrid turned his head away.
Wondering if the other squad leaders would object, she looked around, but no one seemed to care. Well, except for the Fairy Squadron leader, who made a mouth gesture,
'Did you charm another one?'
It was a Fairy-style joke. She ignored it.
She watched the meeting for a while, observing the enemy formation, where the battle would take place, their numbers, and the enemy's main structure.
"Martai may use cavalry, but we don't have any cavalry."
If they combined all the horses in Border Guard's stables, there might be around fifty, give or take.
There were also a few horses prepared for urgent messengers.
But cavalry was a different story.
If they removed a few, the rest would all be pack horses.
There was a saying: an untrained unit is like a blade that stabs its own chest.
So, it was possible that they might face soldiers mounted on horses without having cavalry of their own on the battlefield.
"The Border Defense Commander has just returned."
During the military meeting, the Border Defense Commander came back.
The following report was all as expected.
He had ambushed the main force of the Black Blade bandits.
However, there was one unexpected detail.
The commander suddenly said,
"Good job. I heard that some of the Black Blade bandits ambushed Baron Vancento. The Baron suddenly fled, causing the guards to lose him. It's not something you can be blamed for, but you did a good job eliminating some of the Black Blade guerillas and surviving."
It sounded like theater. Hearing that, Marcus slammed the desk.
With a clatter, several pins that were distinguishing friend from foe fell over. The pins rolled across the map.
"Daring to kill a nobleman! Damn the Black Blade!"
Marcus was giving quite a performance.
"So we immediately retaliated. If we hadn't followed, who knows what would have happened."
The Border Defense Commander seemed a bit awkward.
Enkrid watched without smiling.
At the end of it,
"Some of the members tried to escape, and we lost them. Please give me a reprimand."
"Oh, that's fine. We caught them."
The real story followed the act, and Marcus pointed to the side. More precisely, at Enkrid.
"We ran into them on the way and caught them."
That was the story. A gift package had come through. There was some idiot from the Black Blade bandits who had been running away.
"Really?"
The Border Defense Commander's eyes softened with unexpected favor.
While he had claimed that losing the guards wasn't a fault, looking at the Battalion Commander and Border Defense Commander, it was clear.
'It's a definite accomplishment.'
It was an accomplishment acknowledged by the influential Battalion Commander in the center and the current power behind Border Guard.
A few nobles turned pale.
They were quick to catch on.
"Let's all take a moment of silence for Baron Vancento."
The Battalion Commander said. He wanted the nobleman to die as one rather than a bandit's agent, and he would memorialize him as part of the kingdom.
It was better for everyone that way.
So, let's do this properly?
It was like speaking to the remaining noblemen through a moment of silence.
The sharp-eyed nobles understood.
"Now, let's get back to the meeting."
Covered in dust from his shoulder guards, the Border Defense Commander stood and became one of the people surrounding the table.
The meeting resumed.
Marcus's plan was full of holes.
He had seemed to have some reliance on something, but it wasn't visible, and only flaws were overflowing.
'What exactly is he relying on?'
It was a question that suddenly came to mind.

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