Chapter 812
"Do you believe that the path I have walked until now has always been the right one?"
The king's voice spread far and wide.
A low tone, firmness, and the kind of power that only one who believes in themself could show were contained in his voice.
No magician had cast a spell, nor had he used a spell object or an artifact, but the king's voice seemed to be imbued with magic.
He raised his left hand, opened his palm, and extended it to one side as if to indicate everyone.
"If there is anyone who believes so, I must ask why you have that head on your shoulders."
It was half a joke, but the meaning contained within was like a sharp blade.
What did this mean?
Didn't it sound like he was urging them not to trust him?
The king with the Sun Tree at his back.
The king who had wiped out the surrounding bandits and monsters.
The king who was sided by the unprecedented military power of The Order of the Madmen Knights.
The king who had simultaneously gained the support of the Crimson Cloak Knight Order.
The king who had wielded a stronger royal authority than ever before.
This was the conclusion one reached when looking at what Krang had done so far.
The royal authority in Naurillia was stronger than it had ever been.
And the king was wise, sagacious, and had even gained the support of all.
It meant he was enjoying an unprecedented era of prosperity.
To be honest, the dissatisfaction of some nobles could have been crushed with force.
And that would have been fine.
Since the prosperity he was now enjoying had not been achieved through the efforts of the nobles who claimed to have blue blood.
That was why Krang had drawn his sword.
'And the process of shaking them began with the Salons.'
That's what Enkrid understood.
Even without pressing Krang for the reason for this task, it was what Krais—who had been making a fuss, even cross-dressing—had told him.
"What do you think will happen if we show our strength to the nobles? We should be able to quell most of their dissatisfaction, don't you think? Looking further ahead, we can make it so that nobles who oppose the royal authority no longer exist. With the current king, that is."
The core of that was, of course, military power.
And what was the sword that most nakedly revealed Krang's military power?
"The Order of the Madmen Knights. The Captain."
Krais had said, wiping his reddened lips with linseed oil.
"You didn't just come to hit the Salons."
Enkrid's wits were always sharp.
The man named Krais was not simple.
He had come to confirm the security of the Border Guard and himself, and furthermore, the position The Order of the Madmen Knights should take.
Because as the prestige of the royal family rose, he needed to know where its movements were headed.
He had even jumped into a dangerous task for that.
Normally, Krais would not go so far as to cross-dress for a job like this.
"Ah, hitting the Salons was from the bottom of my heart, though."
...Well, even if one's wits were sharp, not all guesses are always correct.
In any case, Krais had predicted Krang's next move.
"To form an agreement with the Legion and a structure of joining forces with various cities, the kingdom must become one. His Majesty will crush all the nobles with force."
For siblings not to fight, a strict parent is necessary. Whether the central role of that parent is the father or the mother.
The strict hand that holds the switch makes it so that the children can coexist without fighting among themselves.
It will also make them follow the strict parent's words well.
With that, the group becomes a single organism that moves with the will of the leader.
If the south was showing seditious movements and trying to start a war, now was the time to prepare accordingly.
To make all those preparations, Krang had to now use the royal family's military power to wield a strict switch.
That had been Krais' prediction, and the majority of those who used their heads had expected the same result.
Only Enkrid had seen something different.
Was that really the case?
Beside Enkrid, the Duke of Okto spoke.
"His Majesty has but one request, Sir."
"Please speak."
The Duke of Okto was different from Marquis Baisar.
The deceased marquis would have joked that now was the chance and asked how about marrying his daughter, but unlike the marquis who had died with a smile, the duke simply said what he had to say.
"He said he believes you will fill the tenth seat."
In a situation like this, Krang had said that he was not always right.
Why?
What was the reason for saying so?
To make them doubt the royal authority?
To make them band together for their individual interests at a time when they should be uniting as one?
That couldn't be it.
"I, Kryanaht Angius Naurilius, speak with the rights and authority granted to me."
And then the king declared.
Krang held the royal scepter symbolizing the Sun Tree and struck the floor.
A thump sound spread out, making everyone's chest vibrate.
"As of today, I will form the Council of Ten."
No one understood the king's words at once.
While everyone blinked their eyes, Marcus, who already knew, knelt on one knee and opened his mouth.
"I will uphold Your Majesty's will."
Krais, who was watching, muttered.
"He's not crushing the nobles' power, he's nurturing it?"
Though he was said to be smart, Krais was a man who belonged in the genius category when it came to using his head.
He grasped the meaning contained in the three words of 'Council of Ten', read the current spreading atmosphere, and at the same time, saw through Krang's gambit.
"The first is you, Marcus Baisar."
The king said.
"I will receive the command."
As Marcus received the words while on one knee, the Duke of Okto stepped forward.
"I believe you will accept the second seat, Duke."
"I will uphold it."
The Duke of Okto was next.
Besides them, others who represented the interests of the nobility took their places.
And the tenth.
"My friend, you will accept it too, won't you?"
In reality, the Council of Ten was a position that symbolized the power of the nobility, and the tenth among them was the sword that would always stand by the king's side.
Krang's calculation went that far.
Of course, it also included respecting his friend and the hero who had saved the nation.
Enkrid simply smiled and replied.
"Of course, my king."
What Krais had predicted was the common view.
Even with Krais' brilliant mind, there were those who were unpredictable.
They were those who, putting forth ideals, a greater cause, dreams, and hope, walked a path others did not and chose options others did not.
There was a reckless fool who became a knight with mediocre talent and said he would erase the Demon Realm for the sake of protecting everything behind him.
And here, there was a king who, despite having power, did not crush everyone but declared that he would listen to their stories and lead everyone in a good direction.
If one were to measure the extent of their madness, there probably wasn't much difference between the two.
"I really didn't see that coming."
Krais was at a loss for words.
He heard later that the Council of Ten had a structure where each member would in turn form a group of ten trusted individuals below them.
The ten chosen in this way would be in a position to discuss with the members of the Council of Ten, and the Council of Ten, in turn, would be in a position to face the king and offer direct counsel.
'An opportunity that goes to even those families that had not previously sided with the royal family.'
Instead of crushing with force, he widens his embrace.
It was something that could only be done because his capacity was different.
"The blade of The Order of the Madmen Knights can be swung at any time. Therefore, it can be used against a target that poses a threat, but it will not be used against you. That's what he was saying. He used us wonderfully."
Krais said, having seen through Krang's intention.
The affair in the capital ended with that.
After finishing his farewells, Enkrid rode in a carriage stamped with the royal family's crest and returned to the Border Guard.
He saw Krang briefly on the way back, but there was no time to talk at length.
Along with the safe roads, the truly clean roads were optimized for carriage travel, and thanks to the soldiers guarding the outposts, there were no monsters, beasts, or bandits.
It was truly a peaceful road.
"You've returned!"
It was the path into the Border Guard, receiving the military salutes of the soldiers who had recognized the carriage.
"I really need to rest now."
As soon as they arrived, Shinar spoke and returned to the city of elves.
A journey that was short if you called it short, and long if you called it long, had ended.
"Unless the great nation of the south is a fool, they won't charge in right away. They too will need time to catch their breath. But war is unavoidable."
Krang had said before they parted.
The reason he embraced the nobles was not because he was a coward.
This was a matter created by the capacity of the man named Krang.
What should one do if the opponent desires only a fight?
Krang had no intention of avoiding a fight.
"There was a message from Sir Cypress. He said the movements in the south are unusual."
Therefore, even knowing that a foretold war was approaching, he would just do what he had to do.
"Call me when the time comes."
Enkrid replied and returned.
After that, various news was heard.
"It is said that Naurillia and the Legion have established diplomatic relations. And that monsters have been swarming from the south more frequently."
Krais relayed the news and dispatched Rem's assault squad to the south.
Since this kind of thing happened often, the members of the assault squad would show Krais an affectionate gaze.
"Vice-Captain, got any more work?"
These unfortunate souls, whose speech had even come to resemble Rem's, had made Krais the official vice-captain of the assault squad.
Of course, neither Rem nor Krais had wanted it, but they simply respected the man who gave them the only opportunity to skip training with their captain, who was the incarnation of a demon.
Enkrid also did what he had to do in the meantime.
Training, practice, swordsmanship, contemplation, deliberation.
It was a continuation of what he usually did.
In between, he also took charge of training the soldiers.
This was also something he was doing to establish some kind of concept, but right now, something wasn't quite clicking into place.
Luagarne had been helping him on the side, but she too had gone off in search of some swamp, saying she was reflecting on and establishing what she had learned and mastered in the previous battle.
"It seems I cannot satisfy my desires in my current state."
As they say, for a frog captured by wants and desires to advance further, she must learn to control her desires.
Luagarne had done so.
And so, it had been less than a month since they had returned to the Border Guard.
Rustle, rustle.
With the sun at her back, someone stepped into the training grounds.
A halo spreading from behind her, silver hair shining, a faint sour smell, and steps that were deliberately made to be heard.
It wasn't difficult to guess who the opponent was from the auditory information.
Enkrid's gaze turned in that direction.
"Have you forgotten me?"
The returned beastkin asked.
With a smile.
Her face was neater than before, but the familiar beastman had returned.
A white leather armor, golden eyes, and dented gauntlets and greaves here and there could be seen.
"Tell that barbarian bastard Rem to come out."
She called for Rem as soon as she arrived.
It was in the midst of a few members of the assault squad who were out for training, watching with intrigued eyes.
Enkrid had seen the letter sent by Anu, the king of the east, which had been like a notification that he would no longer be keeping her.
Still, her return had been quick.
It was as if she had run without resting.
Rem also happened to be entering the training grounds.
He had been feeling frustrated because something was bothering him, even after rolling his assault squad over and over all day.
"Oh, you?"
Rem recognized Dunbakel too.
The golden beastkin's eyes curved.
Showing a smiling expression, she spoke.
"Hey, western hooligan. Been well?"
The majority, including Enkrid, had been in the training grounds all day, as always.
So it was a place where they could engage in a sparring match at any time.
The two soldiers who had followed Dunbakel and had been standing guard on the perimeter cautiously retreated.
They had been flustered when the beastkin had abruptly said she was also a part of this place, and had followed her in before they had a chance to stop her.
And so, the two guards also became spectators, and the gazes of others who were coming and going around the training grounds also gathered.
Rem re-gripped his axe, Enkrid naturally stepped back, and Dunbakel placed her hand on her hip.
A single curved scimitar was her weapon.
It was no ordinary weapon.
As if to prove she hadn't just been playing and eating while wandering the east, it reeked of a relic.
Along the hilt she gripped, and on the scimitar that didn't even have a scabbard, unrecognizable letters revealed themselves and scattered light.
"I have experienced hell in the east."
And had become a Champion.
Humans call them knights, but in beastman society, a warrior of a certain level is called a Champion.
It is a title for one who knows and overcomes fear.
In other words, it refers to the level at which one can handle Will, but because Dunbakel was a beastkin, she called this Life Force, not Will.
A beastkin's life force is more tenacious than any other race's.
What happens if you stimulate that foundation, spread it throughout your body, and use it even on a subconscious level?
Life Force overflows, and you rise to the ranks of a Champion.
Dunbakel drew her scimitar and swung.
It wasn't with the intent to kill.
It was just to teach him a little lesson.
Life Force was stamina, vitality, vigor, and power.
Her unbelievably increased muscular strength led Dunbakel into a split-second of time.
The thick air pressed down on her shoulders.
Through it, her scimitar advanced, shedding light.
She extended her left foot forward, a crescent moon that drew a semi-circle toward the sky and fell.
'Starlight.'
With the slash, she simultaneously unleashes the relic's power.
The relic, which was said to hold the light of the stars, exerts a repulsive force toward the opponent the moment it touches.
It meant it pushed them away.
Rem's axe was not late in meeting her sword.
It then clashes with Dunbakel's sword.
Ting, Clang.
It was the moment the axe blade blocked the middle of the scimitar and held firm.
A crack went through the middle of Starlight.
Rem, holding the axe with a short grip, showed a smile from beyond the weapon.
The corners of his mouth went up, and his canines were revealed between them.
Dunbakel felt a sense of crisis.
CRASH!
Simultaneously with a great roar, the blade Dunbakel had brought with her snapped in two and was flung to one side.
Jaxen, who had come over to watch at some point, caught the blade with his bare hand, examined it, and said.
"Low-grade piece of shit."
It meant that in terms of relic grade, it was nothing special.
And.
"What were you trusting in when you called for me?"
Rem, who had broken the scimitar, asked with a smile.
Dunbakel was not on the smart side.
She hadn't thought that just as her skills had improved, her opponent's skills would have improved as well.
"Ah."
As she let out a gasp, Rem withdrew his axe and took out the club he carried around for the mental education of his squad members.
On the outside, it was just a jet-black club, but it was forged by mixing Black Gold and True Iron.
The club spun once in Rem's hand.
"Let's see how much you've improved, you little pup."
"I'm not a dog, I'm a lion."
Dunbakel's golden eyes knew no surrender.
She had survived in the east, fighting dozens of monsters.
Among them were many unique specimens.
Of course, if Rem had been a monster, he would have become a demon-class one.
Enkrid calmly observed Dunbakel's movements and came to a conclusion.
'Knight-initiate.'
Though she showed movements that highlighted the unique physical abilities of a beastkin, her ability to handle Will was not that outstanding.
He naturally knew what he had to teach her.
'First, that sense of omnipotence.'
Currently, Dunbakel was drunk on her own abilities.
Breaking that would be the first step.
To put it another way, it meant she needed to get beaten up by Rem.
Thwack!
Dunbakel, who had been tangling with Rem, finally allowed an opening on the outside of her thigh, was hit by the club, and rolled on the ground.
"Son of a..."
That was her last word.
No, she wasn't really dead, just half-dead, so it wasn't quite her last word.
"The taste of beating is good!"
Rem charged in and began a club massage.
It wasn't for a long time.
In any case.
"Welcome back, Dunbakel."
Enkrid welcomed her, her nose bleeding profusely.
"...I think I've come back to the wrong place."
Though Dunbakel looked as if she regretted it.

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