Chapter 742 - A Man Who Has Received Grace Opens His Heart
Enkrid wrapped his injured forearm tightly with a bandage and stepped forward.
The black blood stuck to the bottom of his boots stretched out in a long, viscous line before finally dripping away.
The blood of the tiger Beast was a bit thick and sticky.
That Beast had died with its ear torn, one front leg severed, its skull split open, and its guts strewn across the ground.
Just by looking at the wounds, anyone could tell this wasn’t a fight settled in a single stroke or two.
Despite facing a knight—someone possessing exceptional martial prowess—the Beast charged in relentlessly.
Maybe it was thanks to that tenacity, but the fight had its own kind of enjoyment.
’It wasn’t bad.’
The Beast’s movements were dynamic, defying predictions time and again.
Enkrid defended by layering the Sword of Chance over the Wave-breaker Sword.
Then, in a flash, he thrust, slashed, and struck.
As they fought, he focused on the creature’s vigorous, unpredictable movement.
There was much to learn.
’How to channel power.’
The heart of Valaf-style Martial Arts lay in rotation.
More precisely, it meant twisting the body and wringing out every bit of strength.
And to unleash such tremendous force, your vessel had to be solid as well.
That’s why the body must be trained to its absolute limits Solid bones, well-honed muscles, and a body structure that could instantly respond to one’s thoughts—inside the tiger Beast’s dynamic movements were all the essential elements Enkrid had considered vital.
’Every strike from the Beast’s forepaw was heavy.’
On top of that, it used unexpected tactics.
It breathed fire, and from a distance, it swiped its claws, sending invisible blades flying through the air.
Clang!
Sensing it on pure instinct that surpassed mere perception, Enkrid swung Samcheol and deflected the unseen blade. If he hadn’t, he would have been badly cut somewhere.
Not all Beasts could use supernatural abilities or spells, but this one did. And it used its head, too.
’Hit and retreat.’
When up close, it focused its power into single heavy blows. When it pulled back, it used its supernatural powers. That was both strategy and tactics. Watching it, Enkrid learned something new once again.
’No matter how many different sword techniques one learns, it’s up to the person using them.’
That was the lesson he picked up from the tiger Beast—a creature that combined dynamism and supernatural abilities. It was like seeing his previous theoretical knowledge played out right before his eyes, making for an invaluable lesson.
"Whew."
Enkrid let out a breath, picked a broad leaf from nearby, and wiped down his sword, then roughly smeared off the blood on his own body.
He was ready to leave just like that
’Whatever it is they’re hiding in the village.’
That belongs to them.
Besides, Enkrid hadn’t fought expecting any sort of reward.
To be precise, he’d stepped in because he was confronted by past regrets, and he had no intention of explaining all that or claiming he was owed something for just lending a hand—it sounded ridiculous even to himself.
If Rem had been there to watch, he probably would have patiently explained, "You want to show off, but if you actually do, you’ll just end up looking lame, so you’d best say you’re just leaving, right?"
But really, who cares about that?
What mattered was that these people would survive, at least for now.
If Eirik and Brunhild continued to grow as they had been, they might survive even longer.
If, someday, those two chose to find the Border Guard, he wouldn’t mind, but he would never try to force that path on them.
He would offer them the chance to choose, but he would never recklessly decide their future for them.
"Do you feel a little better now?"
A woman holding the hand of a small child stepped out to the village entrance and spoke.
She looked just as she had the first time they met.
Her clothes were worn but carefully mended.
The child by her side wasn’t plump, yet his eyes were clear.
She was one of the many people he’d once failed to protect, even though she’d been right behind him.
The village no longer existed, and she was already gone, but Enkrid still found comfort in her words.
’If you spend your whole life living in yesterday, you may never notice the dawn of tomorrow.’
He hadn’t learned it from anyone, but that thought came to him.
Even if you relive today over and over, you should keep walking toward tomorrow.
That’s why you can’t stay stuck in yesterday
’I can’t afford to waste more time.’
He had already spent about a month in the village.
That was a lot of time.
He was deep in the lush, green mountains.
Now, if he didn’t wear lighter clothing, he’d end up with heat rash on his joints—the weather had grown that warm.
Enkrid walked, following the direction of the sunlight. His shadow stretched out long behind him with every step.
He found a stream along the way, washed up, and before even half a day had passed, he sensed movement all around him.
It wasn’t time for the Border Guard to appear yet, but there were too many signs of people.
’Refined blades.’
It was like the blades that a skilled blacksmith would hammer out for days—a sense of their presence sharpened and polished.
An organized group was approaching, the air around them taut.
Elite soldiers who had received proper training were closing in on the area from all sides.
Compared to them, the packs of Beasts he’d fought day after day were nothing more than children.
Enkrid was standing on a steep slope, so he could look down from above, but the thick undergrowth below kept him from seeing the approaching figures clearly.
Rustle, crunch, thunk.
Only the subtle, deliberate noises reached his ears.
Enkrid rested his hand on Samcheol’s Hilt—a sword tied at his waist with a braided cord of tree bark.
With even the slightest effort, the weapon would be ready in an instant.
He even hid his presence through Assimilation, but a faint trace of movement caught him from behind.
’Stealthy.’
In fact, stealthy didn’t even begin to cover it.
This presence was quieter than a fox with multiple tails.
It concealed itself better than any beast turned Monster, and exuded a dangerous energy that surpassed any monster he’d faced in Yohan’s territory.
Enkrid shifted his footing.
Being attacked from both the front and back here would put him at a disadvantage.
Naturally, he moved to a position that gave him even the slightest advantage.
Turning his body sideways, still looking down the slope, he adjusted his stance.
Now the stealthy figure was to his left, while the troops were advancing uphill on his right.
With his preparations complete, one of the figures with a particularly remarkable presence emerged from the brush.
He had gray hair and dull gray eyes.
An axe hung at his hip, swinging loosely as he watched Enkrid.
The wildness in his gaze seemed equal to that of the Tiger Beast King—he looked ready to spring into action at any moment, like a bowstring pulled taut.
He’d originally dyed his hair brown when they first met, but now he didn’t even bother to hide his natural color.
"What are you doing here, you barbarian bastard?" Enkrid asked.
Rem, resting his hand on his axe, scratched his chin and replied,
"...Just out for a walk?"
He says he’s just out for a walk, but brings his entire personal squad right behind him?
And they’re all armed to the teeth.
Next to Rem, a man with the build of a Bear stepped forward—he was big enough to easily be mistaken for one.
Somehow, he’d managed to make his way here, hidden within the underbrush despite his massive frame.
Straightening up from his crouch, Audin smiled and spoke.
"I was simply following the teachings of God on my walk."
"...And those teachings just happen to include bringing your entire personal squad with you?"
Behind Audin stood members of the Border Guard, known among themselves as the Zealot Squad, gazing this way with calm eyes.
Anyone could see they were fully prepared for a fight.
"You’re moving according to the Tactical Sword style, right? You’ve improved again."
Luagarne was here too.
More than anything else, she was fixated on the changes in Enkrid.
Whatever the circumstances of this chance meeting, that wasn’t important.
What mattered was how he had changed—again.
The frog’s bulging eyes glinted with curiosity and longing.
In fact, it was because real oil was leaking and trickling into her eyes.
Jaxen, the one who had first suppressed his presence, also came down from above.
When Enkrid saw Jaxen, he asked.
"You?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Commander—where have you been, and what were you doing?"
"Traveling together?"
For some reason, Krais was with them too.
The last question came from Krais, standing behind Luagarne.
Enkrid met his eyes as he continued.
"I discovered a secluded village."
"Discovered, huh."
Krais’s interjection was as sharp as one of Ragna’s sword strokes.
What was he supposed to say now?
Should he just say he saved them?
"There were a lot of Beasts, so I dealt with some of them and came back."
One reason Enkrid thought he shouldn’t waste any more time was right here—this group.
If he stood still, they’d probably start looking around for him.
Though he didn’t expect they’d come out fully armed and ready for an outright battle.
"Ragna said there was no need for concern, so why did you go ahead and gather everyone up like this?"
Krais scolded the rest of the ones gathered.
In truth, the moment Enkrid mentioned a village and Beasts, most of them had probably figured it out right away.
They must have thought, "There he goes again, rescuing people and showing up late."
Rem was the one who voiced what everyone was thinking.
"You were out there again, trying to help someone somewhere, thinking ’as long as the people standing behind me don’t die, it’s fine,’ and that’s how you ended up here, isn’t it?"
"...I never said that."
"You probably said something close enough."
"I did not."
The villagers had been too wary for him to say anything of the sort. Krais shook his head and added,
"Anyway, if you’d been even a little later, His Majesty the King would’ve been ready to abandon the Southern border and go touring the Empire himself."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Rem, Audin, and Jaxen all gave different excuses, but they were really out looking for Enkrid.
Would they actually have gone to war against the Empire, if necessary?
Perhaps the three of them really would have.
Enkrid hadn’t known, but Jaxen had even intended to use the power of Geor’s Dagger.
As for why Krais was involved, that much was clear.
’Even if I can’t mediate, at least we can’t fight a losing battle from the start.’
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to negotiate from a position of strength.
Maybe he’d come along thinking that, at the very least, he could try to talk them down before a real fight broke out.
Still, it was surprising.
That coward was stepping up himself.
Enkrid had expected as much, but the reality was quite different.
Of course, Krais had been deeply troubled as well—wondering what he’d do if his crazy bastard of a Commander had caused a scene in the Empire.
Ragna, who returned before Enkrid, claimed he just got lost and volunteered to act as the guide to the empire.
But not a single person in the Border Guard would allow that.
Even Anne, who seemed to have redefined her relationship with Ragna when she came back, firmly stopped him.
In the end, after giving up on his own plan, Ragna added,
"There won’t be any trouble."
There was complete confidence in his words—meaning that no Imperial Knight could ever lay a hand on Enkrid.
At any rate, Krais hadn’t come all this way just to try to stop things. Rather, if they were going to fight, it was better to strike before their enemies were prepared.
Besides, this wasn’t even the end of it. With Ropord and Fel leading their units behind him, it meant they had set out fully ready for action.
’If something had happened to the Commander—’
If the Empire had been responsible, they would have paid the price.
Krais let out a sigh of relief.
He’d let his anger cloud his judgment when he set out, but after seeing Enkrid with his own eyes and cooling down, reality became clear.
’At this rate, none of us are going to die a natural death’
Well, that’s what crossed my mind too.
"But anyway—"
Enkrid was about to ask something when Krais spoke up first.
"Esther said, ’Wizards always show up from the most unexpected places,’ and that she would join us with the next group. As for Shinar, she said there are plenty of things to show those who underestimate the power of fairies, and headed for the city of Kiraheis. Naturally, they’ll catch up with us later."
If Enkrid had hesitated even a little longer, it would have been an all-out war.
"Is everyone here insane?"
Enkrid asked in all seriousness.
"Isn’t that a bit rich coming from you, Commander?"
Rem shot back.
Audin laughed and nodded in agreement, and then Jaxen, supporting Rem’s words, gave a rare nod as well.
For Enkrid, seeing those three in such perfect sync was surprising in itself.
In any case, since they’d all met up here, surely there wouldn’t be any more misfortune.
Enkrid scratched his head.
"Should we head back?"
He didn’t really have anything else to say.
"Yes."
Krais answered for the group.
When they returned to the Border Guard, Ragna, who had said everything would be fine, was heading out with his squad of ten.
Enkrid also saw the assembly of fairies, gathered with a fierce air, as if emotions were a luxury for them. A green wave of Driads and a brown wave of Wood Guards surged forward, and in between them, Shinar drew her sword.
"Let’s go. To avenge my husband."
"And just whose husband would that be?"
Enkrid stepped in front of the fairy army.
"Instead of studying the stars, you almost ended up tearing through the largest nation built by humans in your quest for knowledge."
Esther, having heard news of Enkrid, had returned as well.
And in less than two days, a letter from Krang arrived.
—I was on my way to see the Empire.
The message was short, but it said plenty.
Enkrid thought all of this was ridiculous, but to be honest, he didn’t feel particularly bad about it.
Afterward, finding a brief moment, Enkrid sought out Leona with a few requests, and he also passed on a message to Krais.
Harkbent, having defeated the Beasts and restored order to the situation, waited for Enkrid.
To describe his current mood, it was half anxiety, half expectation.
’I might finally be free from the Beasts’ clutches.’
That was the hopeful side.
’What is it he actually wants?’
That was the anxious side.
But even after four days, the anxiety hadn’t returned.
The Beast attacks had become sporadic.
Even as the village was being reorganized, he did not return.
’Why?’
The question lingered.
It was during a conversation with the old woman—the midwife and healer—that he found some answers.
"He must have just helped and moved on. It’s as if he’s possessed by a spirit."
That’s what the old woman said, and Harkbent realized just how shamefully he’d acted.
’It’s not like he wanted anything from us.’
And yet, he hadn’t turned his back on them either.
He felt ashamed.
Embarrassed.
He wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
Had he even managed to properly say thank you?
He’d come away from the fight with the Beasts bearing a long scar across his chest, but the deeper wound was inside—a scar named shame.
"Why."
Why did he help only to just leave?
And his help hadn’t even ended there.
Though their battle with the Beasts was over, their reality remained.
Even with summer upon them, they’d used up nearly all their stored food and had many worries about what came next.
"Hello there?"
A traveling merchant had arrived.
He looked much more well-groomed than the last one who’d come by.
"I’m Malton, a merchant with the Lockfreed Trading Company. Do you have anything to trade? For now, I’ve brought some food, clothing, and daily necessities."
Malton, the merchant, set down his bundle of goods.
Over ten people—a group of sturdy men and a swordsman—had accompanied him as guards.
Seeing this, Harkbent looked up, and Malton delivered the pitch he’d prepared.
"We have no intention of causing trouble, and if you don’t want to trade, we’ll just leave these here and be on our way. But if I were you, I’d trade with me. The ones who did business with your village before weren’t exactly trustworthy. There’s a reason I came all the way here—it’s the wish of the man who stayed in your village before leaving."
Malton was telling the truth.
Previously, the merchants who’d come to buy herbs or sell goods to the village had made more than a hefty profit.
Calling them scoundrels who sold their conscience cheap would’ve been accurate.
Malton knew the trade well—he’d done it himself many times.
"Well? What do you say?"
Malton asked, and Harkbent nodded.
And so, the man who had been helped so one-sidedly finally opened his heart.
"Our village has something very precious, and you must make sure this gets to him."

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