Chapter 138 - He Had to Endure.

“Do you really have to use two swords?”

It was after the spar had ended.

Rem asked.

He had sweated buckets.

Of course, not Rem, only Encrid was soaked.

“Yeah.”

Encrid nodded while sitting collapsed on the ground.

Rem’s mouth opened, then stopped.

To be precise, he saw Encrid’s expression and swallowed the words that would have come next.

For example.

“Want me to explain how fucking stupid dual-wielding swords is?”

“You thought having two swords would make your attacks, what, twice as strong?”

“Quit doing pointless shit and just hold one sword like a good boy. Listen to me before I split that blue sword with my axe.”

Words like those.

Rem controlled his tongue and pressed it obediently against the roof of his mouth as he thought.

Well, he had received an axe as a gift too.

The axe Encrid had brought him was better quality than he had expected.

The faint blue sheen was proof that good iron had been properly refined.

It was definitely Valery steel.

Judging by its hardness and refinement, the axe he had received this time looked like it would last quite a while.

In other words, he liked the thing quite a bit.

So.

'Let him be.'

Of course, the axe was only an excuse.

In truth, he gave up nagging because he had seen Encrid’s expression.

Sometimes, when he made that face.

That was to say.

Whenever he muttered things like his dream was to become a knight, or today was a good day to swing a sword, or whether it was a battlefield or not, he would train in whatever time he had left.

Stubbornness showed on Encrid’s face whenever he said such things.

No, should he call it resolve?

It was too calm for that, though, more than it needed to be.

In any case, starting with that calmness, Rem could see a line in Encrid that could not be touched.

He must have one of those himself too.

Until now, Encrid alone had respected that line.

'If he keeps at it and tangles himself up, gets stuck, and gets all twisted around, then well.'

He would quit then.

Lately, there had been a lot of talk about Encrid.

That he was a late-blooming genius, that he had awakened at the age of thirty, and so on.

'Is that thanks to me? Yeah, I guess some of it is.'

But fundamentally, if one dug deeper, it would be right to say that Encrid himself had done it, by himself, alone.

At least, Rem thought so.

Encrid had not given up at any moment.

He had not despaired.

Without even thinking of hopelessness, he had simply moved forward, steadfastly.

Forward, even if he had to crawl.

That phrase came to mind anew.

Was it because of things like this that he ended up watching?

Or was he watching because Encrid was different from him?

Because he himself was a wanderer who had given up everything and left.

One could even say he had been born with everything, talent included.

'But I threw it away.'

He had turned his back and looked away.

By contrast, his Platoon Commander, this calmly stubborn Platoon Commander, was not like that.

What he held in his hand was only a sword.

A single well-honed sword, that was all.

Even so, he walked.

Not knowing what lay at the end of that road.

Not even weighing what qualifications were needed to walk it.

Nor did he ever whine about walking a difficult road.

Because it was a road he had chosen for himself, a road he had decided on himself, he simply said he enjoyed it.

What kind of person could be like that?

Rem’s feelings were complicated.

Learning the Heart of Monstrous Strength in a single day?

Well, that was surprising, but he could let it pass.

Because geniuses existed in the world.

Though it was strange that his own Platoon Commander was the one doing such a thing.

'I guided him through everything myself, demonstrated it for him, and even checked his condition.'

At that level, he ought to be able to imitate it at least a little.

However, that attitude toward life was truly difficult to imitate.

At the end of his thoughts, he moved the tongue he had pressed to the roof of his mouth and spoke.

“I think I like you, Platoon Commander.”

“... Did someone drug your food?”

“I mean you’re satisfying to beat up.”

“Uh, right. That’s like you.”

Encrid let it pass as if it were nothing.

As Rem looked at that Platoon Commander for a moment, the lazy, sulking, directionally challenged bastard stuck his face in.

“Spar over?”

“I think I fucking hate you.”

Rem said it with all his heart.

Because there could be no misunderstanding about these words, he said them truly and sincerely.

He said them the way Encrid did.

“Yeah, me too.”

Ragna nodded.

He even wore a gentle smile.

His tone suggested he very much agreed.

Ragna’s face was usually on the pretty side, but when he smiled, Rem wanted to smash it in even more.

“That goes for me as well.”

Then, from one side, the sly stray-cat bastard, who had appeared at some point with his arms crossed, added his own words.

For a bastard who usually spent his days without saying a word, he was moving his mouth just fine.

“Brother. All things in this world, everything, rests in the Lord’s embrace. Of course, the Lord also soothes the personal hearts that humans possess. Yes, as I too am human, how could I hide my heart merely because I am the Lord’s servant? I feel the same. Haha.”

The hulking religious bastard said this as he stripped off his top.

That was extremely irritating.

It was just dressed up on the outside, but wasn’t it no different from saying he fucking hated him?

Why ramble on and on about something like that?

Even though all the bastards he hated looking at had added their words like that.

For some reason, truly for no reason, Rem felt good.

Whenever he looked at a human being called Encrid, that happened.

With that excited feeling still intact.

So, feeling slightly buoyant, Rem decided to bestow consideration and grace.

“Runt!”

Andrew’s shoulders flinched at Rem’s voice, but he soon stood up proudly.

'To make the enemy in my heart larger is the same as seeing my opponent as large.'

'And seeing my opponent as large means I have decided to lose before even beginning.'

With his heart thus steeled, Andrew drew his sword.

SHING.

“You little shit, I like that you’re quick to read the room.”

Rem stepped heavily across the ground and approached Andrew.

The blue-edged axe swung back and forth like a pendulum around his shoulder.

The swaying axe blade was rather chilling.

“... If you ask to be saved midway, I will intervene.”

Mac said from behind.

Andrew nodded.

He was a grateful man.

Starting with how he had helped him raise his family.

And lately, even down to how he repeatedly stood against Rem together with him.

But Mac, why are you backing away as you speak?

Hm?

If you back away that far, will you not have trouble helping in an urgent moment?

I feel like you are getting too far away.

“You can do this. Lord Gardner, you are the only hero who will raise House Gardner.”

Why are you saying that from so far away?

And why are you suddenly calling me Gardner?

Usually, you call me Andrew and sometimes even speak casually to me, do you not?

I think you did.

Mac kept moving farther away and finally stopped only when he reached Encrid’s vicinity.

If one wished to avoid the lunatics of this platoon, there was a single sanctuary, and that place had to be right there.

Andrew could not head for that sanctuary.

Because of the last bit of pride he had left.

And because it was certain that the more he fought this insane barbarian, the more his skill improved.

For tomorrow, if not today.

Just as he had learned from watching his Platoon Commander.

“Let’s go, you arrogant barbarian.”

“Hm? You said I can cut off one arm?”

His dull gray eyes held sincerity.

“Bullshit.”

Andrew struggled.

Struggling was the only answer.

Encrid watched all of this while sitting collapsed on the ground.

He had gone all out against Rem.

With two swords, he had done his best.

The Heart of Monstrous Strength had indeed given his two arms unbelievable power.

It was a dramatic increase in muscle strength.

That did not mean he could immediately call it dual-wielding.

He had not been able to pressure Rem as much as when he wielded one sword.

A lack of training.

He felt that.

'I can’t get used to it.'

Encrid thought that as he looked at his palms, which were full of calluses.

It was not that he was blaming his talent all over again.

He had merely felt that he needed time.

Then what should he do?

“Are you going to rest?”

The answer was before his eyes.

Ragna asked.

He showed a level of motivation he had never shown before.

Why?

He did not know why Ragna acted this way only toward him.

But it was not a bad thing.

It absolutely was not.

Because Encrid knew that all too well, he placed a hand on his thigh, where a bruise was sure to remain from Rem’s kick, and stood.

“No.”

Nod.

As if he had expected that, Ragna nodded and drew his sword.

“Will you do it with two?”

“Yeah.”

Ragna did not ask further.

It was a strange thing.

If he said he would use two swords at the same time, he had thought Rem and Ragna would stop him.

If not those two, then Jaxon and Audin at least.

For that matter, if he used swords this awkwardly, could even Andrew, Mac, or Krais not say something?

And yet no one opened their mouth to say anything.

It was a truly odd thing.

Still, he did not ask further.

Instead, he swung his swords.

He drew the two swords in even tighter.

The most useful way to use two swords.

Because pondering it was the answer, he pondered and considered.

He had not simply been playing around all this time.

While making the Heart of Monstrous Strength settle into his body, he had also trained in handling two swords.

Even so, it was awkward.

It was like a sculpture he could keep carving and carving and still never understand what it was supposed to be.

So Encrid’s hands were busy, awkward, and chaotic.

Ragna knocked away each of Encrid’s swords one by one and ended the fight in a form similar to Rem’s.

In other words, he overwhelmingly seized victory and subdued him.

“Hmm.”

Then he started to say something, but closed his mouth instead.

“Hoo, hoo, haah.”

Encrid, whose breath had risen to the very tip of his throat, placed his right hand on his thigh and planted the sword in his left hand into the ground as sweat dripped from him.

His waist was half bent, and his head faced the ground.

The sweat beading on his forehead ran down the tip of his nose and fell to the ground with a drip.

What should one call this?

Brutal training?

For that, though.

His limbs were trembling violently.

The Heart of Monstrous Strength.

It was a side effect that came from breaking the limits of the muscles for an instant.

While Ragna kept his mouth shut, Audin stepped in.

“You pushed yourself too hard, Brother Platoon Leader.”

Encrid raised his head slightly and looked at Audin.

Audin wore the same smile as usual, the smile he showed when doing the isolation technique, and said that.

What was that?

That expression was usually the expression he wore when hiding a demon’s intentions.

“It means you must rest.”

“Rest?”

“You must not do the isolation technique either, Brother.”

What was this?

Usually, he was a man restless because he could not train him more, could not torment him more.

“I will speak later, later.”

Ragna said this, lost in thought by himself.

Encrid tried to stand, then flopped over sideways.

As if he had been waiting, Audin supported him.

“Let us go inside.”

“Don’t we have duty or a mission today?”

“Even if we do, Brother Platoon Leader, you cannot go out.”

Was that so?

Encrid had vaguely felt it too.

The Heart of Monstrous Strength was a good weapon.

A good technique.

The fact that it increased his muscle strength for an instant meant it could become the foundation that would allow him to exchange swords with monsters like Frogs.

If he had the skill, he might even be able to receive a giant’s blow like Rem had.

Rem’s back, standing before the giant, had been very impressive.

So much so that Encrid had felt a little envious.

Since he had seen that, there was no chance he would give up on the Heart of Monstrous Strength.

Audin supported Encrid.

“I should wash first.”

Even with his arms and legs trembling, Encrid properly fastened his gear.

“No, why do you fight so much every single day?”

Krais scolded from beside him for no reason.

Even while saying so, he busily moved his hands and helped Encrid.

“Go wash. I’ll maintain it for you.”

“My gear?”

“How many years do you think I’ve been eating army black bread? Do you know how many crona I’ve earned from gear maintenance? I’m probably better than most blacksmiths.”

Thinking about it, that was true.

Sometimes, when there were no women, no tobacco, and nothing else to sell, what did Krais do?

At the drop of a hat, he made rounds through the barracks of other units.

His gear maintenance was both a means of easily getting close to soldiers from other units and a skill that earned him side income.

Except for bastards who treated their weapons like lovers, weapon maintenance was certainly a more bothersome task than expected.

Encrid also treasured his weapons.

His swords and his armor too.

However, Krais was trustworthy.

In fact, while Encrid went to wash and returned, Krais had even polished the swords.

“If I draw this on a moonlit night, it’ll make a good signal telling people where I am.”

“That was praise, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Captain, sometimes when I look at you, even your compliments are, how should I put it, very Captain-like.”

Krais said that.

Before Encrid could ask what that meant, Audin approached.

Encrid had just finished wiping off the water and sitting on his cot, but when Audin’s bulk cast a shadow over him, the startled Krais quickly stepped back.

“What is it? Ah, Audin? What is it?”

“I have business with Brother Platoon Leader.”

Smile, smile.

It was a smile.

The smile of a bear, the smile of a huge beast of prey, or the smile of a demon who had planned something.

This was not good, was it?

Encrid thought so.

Soon, Audin’s hand touched Encrid’s body.

“When muscles are overworked recklessly, they are bound to knot up. There is a method for loosening those knotted areas. That will be the technique I teach you this time.”

When the words teaching and learning came out, Encrid’s defensive attitude changed.

“What is it?”

Smile.

A smile instead of a name.

As expected, it was ominous, and the ominous feeling proved correct.

“Ghk, ghuuuugh. Grrrr.”

When Audin’s fingers began pressing and twisting here and there across his body.

Encrid felt excruciating pain.

His vision went black.

He thought he could faintly see the Boatswain of the Black River.

It felt as if he had dipped a foot into the river of death and returned.

Pain worthy of that dug through and coursed across his entire body.