Chapter 543 - A Night Out and a Meeting

Encrid knew he could be rather bold at times. And the masked man before him was every bit his equal in that regard.

“What do you think?”

The man asking from behind the mask was Kdianat Langdeers Nauril, king of the nation Encrid served.

“We're traveling in a black carriage under cover of night. Do you really need to hide your face too?”

“It sets the mood. The mood.”

Krang lowered his mask as he spoke.

Many things had brought him here, but the most important was his own determination. Chronologically, it had begun when a report on the war's course and outcome reached Nauril, and the king learned there had been no casualties.

“Does that make any sense?”

Some people, particularly those who secretly envied Encrid, scoffed. Even before rumors arrived of the iron wall who had stopped an army single-handedly, the news had been utterly incomprehensible.

“Why not just say four of Border Guard's soldiers became knights, formed a new knight order, and attacked? That would make more sense, wouldn't it?”

One of them unwittingly hit upon the truth, but it was all just talk among themselves.

The palace immediately dispatched a small delegation of around ten people. Among them was Andrew Gardner.

“I was supposed to join as reinforcements once full-scale war broke out. So why is it already over?”

His eyes held a complicated mixture of joy, bewilderment, and surprise. On the way, he had heard the name Iron Wall, along with tales of Encrid's might that resounded throughout the region.

Encrid's reputation had already been formidable, at least in Border Guard. Every lady who prided herself on her looks had her sights on him, any trading company worth its salt wanted connections with him, and some wandering swordsmen had even joined his ranks.

But these new rumors went far beyond that. If Encrid announced, “Starting tomorrow, I'm a king too,” people would flock to his banner. At this point, he could establish a principality, proclaim himself king, or do just about anything else.

At the heart of those rumors was this:

'He stopped an army by himself?'

He hadn't killed them all—they had stopped simply because he glared at them? Some said a wall had appeared behind him and blocked their way. Others claimed that when he drew a line across the ground with his sword, light poured from it, forming a wall that stopped the enemy army.

Rumors inevitably became distorted. Eventually, people were saying an army of angels bearing flaming swords had descended to stop Aspen's army. Supposedly, a gesture from an angel had sent people flying high into the sky.

Of course, it was nonsense. But there was some truth mixed in: he had stopped an army single-handedly.

“Is it true?”

Andrew had wanted to race straight over, abandoning his troops if necessary, but first he had to send back the men who had accompanied him. Supplies, food, lodging—everything an army needed cost money, and he couldn't push that expense onto Border Guard. He couldn't march into a city that had already poured Krona into war preparations and ask it to feed and house them.

Had they arrived as reinforcements, receiving supplies would have been natural. But the fighting was already over. Nor were Andrew's pockets deep enough to pay for their stay in the city.

So he had gathered his troops and sent them back. In the meantime, an official request had come from the palace for him to join the delegation. Since he was nearby and knew Encrid, he might as well join them while he was there. Andrew had intended to visit without being told, so he gladly accepted.

“Yes.”

Encrid nodded matter-of-factly in answer, and Andrew's pupils quivered wildly.

“How?”

“You make a forest of spiritual essence.”

Sinar, who had come with him, answered, but of course that explained nothing Andrew could understand.

“We bring word that you are requested to depart Border Guard in a month's time and come to the capital, where your wartime achievements will be honored.”

One of the envoys delivered the message with an exceedingly cautious look and manner, and Encrid nodded. That should have concluded the delegation's duties, but one of its members visited Encrid that night. Naturally, Andrew was beside him.

Encrid and some of his men had already recognized one member of the delegation during the day.

“Are you insane?”

Encrid could only ask his visitor in all sincerity.

They exchanged various remarks, but the gist was this:

“I'm not insane. No one will know. Besides, with the famous Iron Wall Sword—a knight—beside me, would I be in danger? Aspen must be busy opening every diplomatic door it has to clean up this mess. I'd wager five silver coins they're just as busy keeping things under control at home.”

“That's a stingy wager for a king.”

“The treasury's strapped. Part of the reason I came in person was to ask for some Krona.”

Beside them, Andrew's eyes darted about. He thought this was madness too. What king faked an illness to visit a place that had just been a battlefield? And that wasn't even the end of it.

After hearing the rest of the plan, he thought it might outdo even Encrid's feat as the Iron Wall. Not that anyone could be allowed to know a king had come all this way.

'They're not normal.'

What could a normal person like him do in this situation? Stop thinking. Because he knew Encrid, he had become the king's escort and one of the five people privy to the secret.

The only other people who knew Krang had come here were the Duke of Fertile Lands, who had collapsed in a dizzy spell after failing to dissuade him, the commander of the king's personal guard, Marquis Vaisar, and Marcus Vaisar.

Normally, the guard commander should have been here.

[“If you disappear too, we might as well announce that I'm not in the palace. I want you to protect me by making sure no one finds out instead.”]

Krang's persuasion had brought Andrew here in the commander's place. So he should stop thinking and simply do as he was told.

During the day, he had sparred with Encrid for the first time in ages and been astonished and delighted to learn that he had become a knight. Now it was time to fulfill his duties as a noble and one of the king's closest confidants.

Krang had come for two reasons. First, to negotiate an end to the war with Aspen. Second, quite literally, to pester them into raising the tax rate.

“I can't publicly demand Krona from Border Guard when it has already done its duty.”

So he wanted them to voluntarily increase the taxes they sent.

“Even so, I don't believe this warrants Your Majesty coming in person.”

Naturally, Encrid wasn't alone. Krais, who handled external affairs, was there too. It was he who had spoken from behind Encrid.

“If I come in person, you might be so moved by my sincerity that you burst into tears, mightn't you?”

“My emotions dried up long ago.”

“Are you a sand type?”

A trend had lately been spreading like wildfire across the continent: classifying people's personalities. Those rich in emotion were said to be like moist soil, soft and yielding. At the opposite extreme, people who handled everything rationally, their emotions dry, were likened to sand.

“Yes. Pure sand.”

Krais held his ground, but ultimately agreed to send the taxes. Unless Encrid intended to proclaim himself king here or suddenly swallow Aspen whole and place it under his rule, they needed good relations with Nauril.

The recent civil war had disrupted Nauril's trade routes in numerous places, and various other matters had emptied the treasury. Helping now was the right thing to do. Krais simply didn't want to do it for nothing.

“You know what a salon is, don't you?”

Krais used public business to secure a private benefit. He explained the salon's purpose and usefulness, then asked Krang to visit once he opened for business.

“Gladly.”

Krang smiled. If offering himself up would fill the treasury, what wouldn't he do? He could even strip naked and dance.

“So you're going to Aspen? Planning to start another all-out war?”

Rem the barbarian had quickly caught on and joined them, and now casually interjected. Krang answered without a trace of worry, not even an ant's whisker's worth.

“No.”

“Then what?” Encrid asked.

“I told him to come out.”

“Told who?”

“Aspen's king.”

“He'll come just because you tell him to?”

“And if he doesn't?”

Smiling, Krang ended his answer with a question.

He might seem to be acting without much thought, but refusing his request would indeed be a problem for Aspen's king.

Above all, one might ask what good any of this would do. Krang knew his methods might look questionable. But he looked at results rather than methods. He had acted after calculating the repercussions of what had happened.

Openly destroy Aspen? Raise an army now and march in, burning and pillaging its cities and everything else?

'Even if I can, I won't.'

Border Guard would have to lead that attack, and it would very likely spread war across the continent like wildfire. Even aside from that, attacking and wiping out a nation was no easy task.

Then take hostages and make it a vassal state? Aspen's people were proud. They wouldn't break easily.

'Wouldn't rebellions flare up everywhere?'

Some nobles would join his side, but others wouldn't. Any hope of stable governance would be lost. The problem was that Naurilia currently lacked the resources to deal with that.

Crushing them by force was possible. Normally, it would have been out of the question, but Encrid and the lunatic unit made it possible. Completely subjugating Aspen, however, was another matter entirely.

Had they been prepared, swallowing up their neighbor might have been worth trying. But Krang didn't think it was a good idea, and now was the time to pursue stability.

'The best outcome would be for Aspen's king to handle it himself.'

And he needed that king to act exactly as he wished. For that, they had to meet at least once, whether it ended in threats or negotiations. So Krang was taking action himself to reach an understanding with Aspen behind the scenes.

Was there anything better in politics than feigning ignorance in public while scheming in private? There was not. And so he had sent an envoy to Aspen proposing a secret meeting.

What if Aspen laid a trap? Then there would be a catastrophe. Not for Krang—for Aspen. If he changed his mind even slightly, Aspen could be wiped off the map.

Of course, going himself carried risks. Krang had simply judged this the better option if it could be done.

'If things go wrong, we'll just kill the king and leave.'

He wouldn't take lives needlessly. But a king had things to answer for simply by occupying that position.

Duty in the crown, responsibility in the throne. It was a common saying about kings.

Thus, Aspen's king could have no complaint if he died merely for sitting on that throne. Responsibility for defeat, for the knights' deaths—follow it to the top, and it all belonged to the king.

Those were Krang's values, admittedly, but didn't people live by what they believed? He was no different.

However it happened, if Aspen's king died, the country would be plunged into civil war. Even if its two great families, Hurrier and Ekkins, joined forces to install a puppet king, that wouldn't change. A period of turmoil would be unavoidable.

If they could actually talk things through, none of that would happen. The meeting might be secret, but they were staking their names on it. Neither could disregard the weight of that covenant.

In any case, Krang had all of this in mind. A bold move, an audacious stance, a face-to-face discussion with Aspen's king. What he stood to gain from them would be far from negligible.

'It would be better if we could talk this through, though.'

If civil war broke out in Aspen and some fools decided to throw caution aside and attack, war would follow immediately. Then casualties on his own side would be inevitable.

Naturally, he would fight if necessary. He would shed blood if necessary. But it didn't have to be now, and there was certainly no need to suffer the final desperate thrashing of a defeated, crumbling nation.

Krang didn't spill out every consideration he had weighed. Encrid probably wouldn't be particularly interested. Instead, he stated his intent briefly and bluntly.

“I want to see his face. The bastard who keeps picking fights with us.”

It sounded rather crude as a reason for peace negotiations, but Encrid agreed. He knew full well that Krang wasn't acting without thought.

And so three alley cats were assembled: Sinar, Jaxon, and Encrid. Jaxon and Sinar would prevent any assassination attempts or trickery. Joining them was Encrid, the hero of this battlefield.

His presence was also a request from Aspen's king.

[“I will come if the man who stopped the army at the end of the battle accompanies you.”]

That was roughly the message they had received.

Andrew Gardner joined them as coachman. There was no need for Rem or anyone else to come along. Aspen, too, had agreed to send just five people, including its king.

The key to this operation was simple: go in secret, meet in secret.

“Well, then.”

After traveling some distance by carriage, the party continued on a little farther, keeping Cross Guard to the west. They passed traces of an army's encampment and killed a few monsters and demonic beasts as they traveled through the night. At last, a light appeared far in the distance. Their meeting place.

Encrid found himself curious about this king of Aspen too. Just how much did the man love war to keep picking fights like this?