Chapter 549 - For Knights Are Calamities

Henri had set out with a load of obsidian and talismans, specialties of the West, along with several other useful items he thought would sell.

He had expected a difficult start, but it had been truly grueling. Enough to make him question whether he was doing the right thing. He had never considered giving up halfway, but that did nothing to ease the anxiety that kept drying his mouth.

Still, he had to keep going. He had decided he would, and no one knew better than he did what an opportunity this was.

'Captain.'

Gripping the bow Encrid had given him, Henri told himself he could not be the fool who let this chance slip away.

He needed wagons to carry the goods and animals to ride. Velopters were little use outside the West, so he needed horses.

'Not enough Krona.'

With his limited funds, Henri bought donkeys and carts instead of horses. There were ten carts in all, with a respectable quantity of goods, but the donkeys and the people accompanying them made for a shabby-looking procession.

"Don't worry."

"We're coming with you."

Fortunately, the western twins had joined as guards. They left little to be desired in fighting strength. He had also borrowed a few spare hands from the oasis village.

"Will you pay us well when we get there?"

"You'll cover our food and lodging along the way, right?"

Everyone asked much the same questions.

"To be precise, if this trading journey succeeds, I intend to give you enough to live on wherever you settle. But there's no guarantee of success."

The village attracted plenty of fugitives, but some had fled false accusations. One man had brought his wife and children. He seemed to have no talent for fighting, but he looked trustworthy. Henri had picked only people like him. Being dumped by a woman and knocked about by life had taught him how to judge people.

And if his judgment proved wrong?

'It should be fine.'

Even if a few turned their blades on him along the way, they could do little with the western twins there.

Joining Henri's trading journey was a gamble for the others, too. There was no pay up front. He would only pay them once the journey was over and had turned a profit. As a result, it mainly attracted the steadfast and those with many mouths to feed, rather than the shrewd. The work was hard and exhausting, but it seemed more respectable than life in the oasis village. More of an honest living than hunting beasts with jewels on them, at any rate.

That was how the trading journey had begun. Monsters and demonic beasts were bad enough; even rain brought misery. Naturally so, when they could not afford to stay in a city. He had spent all his Krona on the donkeys and carts. They slept outdoors the entire way.

Henri drew on every bit of the guiding skill he had developed as a hunter to find tolerable routes and choose their campsites. Whenever they needed fighting strength, the western twins stepped in.

Bandits still appeared now and then along these roads. Making a living as a bandit on this continent meant being strong enough to survive attacks from monsters and demonic beasts. Naturally, they came in considerable numbers, and quite a few were skilled fighters. None were a match for the twins. Along the way, one child who had come with his father even showed a knack for throwing stones.

Somehow, they reached sight of Nauril without a single death. By then, Henri was utterly exhausted.

"We'll have to sell some of the goods here before moving on."

But once they entered the capital, the first merchant they met tried to pull a fast one.

"Western goods? How do we know they're really from the West and not fakes? Talismans? How can you guarantee they work?"

Henri knew it was bullshit. The man was spreading rumors to drive down the price. The twins had wanted to act on the insult immediately, but that would bring the capital's constabulary down on them. They looked like foreigners from the West, and shabby ones at that. Henri knew they would be at a disadvantage. He had seen this sort of thing more than once.

"We have to put up with it. Please, restrain yourselves."

Henri held the twins back, swallowed his own anger, and prepared to abandon selling anything in the capital. With so many fat bastards who looked like pig-toad hybrids picking fights, getting a fair price was impossible.

Once they reached Border Guard, Encrid would vouch for them, and none of this would be a problem. Henri knew that perfectly well. But he had a reason for trying to sell his goods in Nauril. The journey had been brutally hard.

Still, was staying in the capital without a single silver coin the right choice? If they bedded down near the slums, they would probably see a hundred thieves in one night. Kill them all? Thieves' guilds were the sort to start trouble themselves, then come demanding revenge when they got hurt. Outside a city, perhaps, but they could not fight and spill that much blood inside one.

"Hah."

He had sighed a couple of times and was about to leave, but the pig-toad or toad-pig bastard kept provoking him to the very end. Henri's hand kept straying toward the bow Encrid had given him.

'If I catch you outside, I'm putting an arrow through your fucking head.'

Just as he resolved that, Encrid appeared out of nowhere and called the toad "Uncle" with a bright smile. The man he had addressed merely tilted his head.

* * *

Not everyone in the world lived an upright, honest life. There were people like these, too. Encrid did not necessarily consider them evil. This, however, was a somewhat different matter. He could see the situation at a glance.

Encrid swung down from his horse, his feet landing with a tap that stirred the dry dust. Judging by the stones underfoot, the road had recently been repaved. He took in the carts and donkeys standing on it, and Henri's face, his cheeks hollow from what must have been a hard journey. It was a stark contrast to the greasy face of the merchant, Malton, standing opposite him.

"Uncle, why are you pretending not to know me?"

As Encrid walked toward him, the guard captain drew alongside and asked, "You have an uncle?"

"Acquired one a while ago."

"... Pardon?"

Rem let out a breathy snicker. He had realized that Encrid's occasional, viciously mischievous streak had kicked in.

"Why don't you recognize me?"

Encrid obligingly raised his wrist. The hide the Giant had sold that day was now a bracer wrapped around it.

"Uh, uh, you? That bastard?"

Startled, Malton pointed at Encrid.

"That bastard?"

The guard captain reacted, turning his gaze on the toadlike merchant. The merchant's bulging eyes darted about.

What was this? Why did the guard captain seem to be fawning over him? And why was he so confident? Wasn't he just some unreasonable swordsman? All sorts of thoughts ran through his head.

"Uncle."

When Encrid called him again, Malton remembered his own outrageous boast.

["You're a friend of the Roquefried trading company's head? Ha! Then I'm General Encrid's uncle."]

Friend. Uncle. The head of Roquefried. Encrid. The words jumbled together, he remembered the face, and he reached a conclusion. A tentative guess as to why this man was calling him Uncle surfaced in his mind. Even as he asked, he could hardly believe it, yet something close to certainty stirred, too. Everything fit all too well.

"The Iron Wall Knight?"

The widely known epithet slipped from Malton's lips. The question was almost a prayer: please say no, please say you're an impostor.

"You know your nephew's nickname, at least."

Encrid smiled as he spoke. Malton felt his world collapse.

How could this be real? Why did he have to be the actual Iron Wall Knight?

"Huh?"

Malton's mind froze. It had been true? And this was Encrid himself?

His survival instinct turned his head. Behind him stood the noble backing him. More precisely, the noble who had his eye on the goods from the West.

Barely any time had passed since the civil war, yet this noble was already building a faction. Well, perhaps not a faction, but he was certainly gathering influence. Building influence naturally cost plenty of gold, which was why he coveted the valuable goods.

Encrid, of course, did not even know the noble's name. Had he heard it, he would have forgotten. He simply followed Malton's gaze toward him.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding."

The noble thought a little mediation would settle things. General or not, this was the capital, a place where law and proper order still held sway. His status could not simply be ignored. That assumption underlay his thinking.

Even so, cold sweat poured down him. Surely he wasn't going to get cut down over this? His anxiety made him ease his backside away. He spoke while standing in an odd posture, his rear drawn back as though ready to flee at any moment.

"What misunderstanding?"

Encrid's blunt question made the noble's eyebrows twitch.

"That merchant was merely trying to conduct an honest transaction."

The funny thing was, Encrid had not accused him of anything yet, but the noble was already making excuses. It was comical.

While Encrid stepped forward and exchanged those few words, a conversation was taking place behind him.

"Looks like you've had a rough time."

"Never mind that. That bastard..."

Rem heard the whole story from the twins.

"Hey. You called talismans made by westerners fake? Said spells were a fraud?"

Malton had indeed said that. But wasn't it all because of the greedy noble behind him? He looked at the viscount. Save me.

The message in his eyes was unmistakable. Normally, Rem showed no restraint in situations like this. He took his axe in hand and strode forward.

"Going to apologize or fucking die? Four words: 'I was at fault.' Say that, and nothing horrible happens," Rem said.

Was it his nature? His personality? Or was it because, when he first came to the continent, he had seen a noble bastard who took pleasure in molesting women and tormenting his subjects? Rem hated bastards like these.

His menacing approach with the axe made the three guards behind the noble frown and start forward. Then the guard captain spoke.

"Know when to step in and when to stay out. Don't you know who you're dealing with? Black hair and blue eyes. Gray hair and an axe. A man built like a bear. You really don't know?"

As the songs spread, so had rumors about the people who had defended Border Guard. And not just Encrid.

"The Noble Slaughterer."

A lunatic whose parents had been killed by nobles in his childhood, who now split the head of every noble he saw with his axe. It wasn't true. That was merely the rumor.

"The bear Beastman who tears people in half for fun," one of the guards muttered.

"... Is that supposed to be me?"

Audin could not smile as he asked. He was not a Beastman, nor did he have any such hobby.

"Ah."

The three guards shut their mouths.

As far as Rem was concerned, he was backing down out of consideration for Encrid. That was why he had demanded an apology. Left to his temper, he would have beaten them first and talked afterward.

"... I apologize. I was at fault."

The viscount was cowed. There was no need even to use Will. His guards had refused to intervene, and he had heard the name Noble Slaughterer loud and clear. He needed to piss.

The viscount bolted, leaving the merchant looking ready to cry. Encrid addressed his uncle.

"Give me some spending money."

"Pardon?"

"You're not going to?"

As Encrid repeated the question, the guard captain glared from behind him. From what he could make out, that merchant bastard had done something. And he was the one who had let him inside. The bastard had then tried to pull some shit on his idol.

He would kill him. He would absolutely kill him. That bastard was dead. Though he could not wield Will, his resolve was so firm that his killing intent seemed ready to take physical form. In short, the guard captain looked ready to kill the man with his eyes.

"Of course I will. Absolutely!"

Malton untied his purse.

"Not much."

Encrid glanced at it as he spoke. There were more than twenty silver coins, and even a gold coin, but if Encrid said it wasn't much, it wasn't much.

Malton immediately sent a servant to the bank. Large cities generally had a sizable bank, usually staffed by citizens of the trade city posted there on business. They had fled during the civil war, but had recently returned and reopened the bank.

CLINK.

A purse of satisfactory size changed hands. A beautiful sight. Encrid took the whole sum and gave it to Henri.

"Sell the donkeys and replace them with horses. Get some better carts, too. Feed everyone well and get a good rest before you leave. The road should be easier from here."

"Thank you."

Henri bowed his head. Remembering all their hardship, he felt close to tears.

Watching from behind, the guard captain interjected.

"I'll arrange your escort as far as Zaltenburg. Please don't refuse. I want to do it."

"I was about to thank you."

Encrid nodded.

"Then please wait a moment."

The guard captain exhaled, approached Malton, and placed a hand on his shoulder before leading him aside. Encrid waved his uncle goodbye.

Among Henri's companions was a child of thirteen or fourteen who had come with his father. To that child, Encrid and his companions seemed immeasurably exalted. More so than even a king.

There were many children like him. To them, Encrid was not merely a swordsman who had shown heroic qualities. The king was far away. Encrid had protected them in person.

In any case, it was only a small, chance incident.

"See you in Border Guard."

Encrid parted ways with Henri. Meanwhile, Rem gave the twins some instructions. Afterward, they rode their horses at a walk along the outer road leading to the palace. It was the same road Encrid had once raced down on Odd-Eyes.

Upon reaching the palace, they stayed the night. With nothing to do that evening, Encrid borrowed a training ground and threw himself into sparring. People appeared from all over, asking him for a lesson. Some faces were familiar, others not, but he fought them all without distinction.

"As much as you like."

Among them was Lierban, an old acquaintance who had since joined the Royal Guard, as well as Matthew, who should have been at Krang's side. The Royal Guard commander, the man who wore the dark gray helmet, also stopped by briefly. Rather than spar, he merely exchanged a nod with Encrid and left. He was a remarkably taciturn man.

Whatever else, Encrid found all this familiar and comforting. Having everyone come to him to discuss technique was more than enjoyable. He could hardly have been happier. Rem remarked that his affliction had flared up again, though he seemed to be enjoying himself, too.

After exactly two days of rest, servants and maids took his measurements, swiftly made an outfit, and dressed him in a tailcoat. Rather than a shirt stretched tight across his muscles, it was generously cut.

He did not take Rem or Audin along.

"Not interested."

"I'm quite all right."

They were not the sort to come just because they were told to. Krang would know that, too.

The previous evening, Encrid had suddenly asked Audin why he had come along. Now that he thought about it, Audin disliked leaving Border Guard.

"I thought I might stop imprisoning myself in delusion."

That had been Audin's answer. Encrid had not understood a word of it, of course, but Audin did not seem to want to say more, so he let it pass. He still respected his unit members. Audin seemed to appreciate that, too, and simply smiled.

"Savior of the Kingdom, the King's Dear Friend, Demon Killer, Iron Wall Sword, Generaaal Encrid of Border Guard!"

Listening to the servant announce him at the audience chamber's entrance, Encrid stepped inside. He saw Krang seated on the throne.

They exchanged a few perfunctory greetings.

"Welcome."

"I have answered your summons."

As soon as the greetings ended, Marcus raised the matter of knightly rank, and objections came from among the nobles.

"Of course Sir Encrid deserves that rank, but might we not reconsider whether it is appropriate to grant it to the others as well?"

A noble who seemed reasonably eloquent stepped forward. Behind him stood the toad's friend from yesterday.

"Have you heard the name Noble Slaughterer?"

The noble stroked his mustache as he spoke.

What did the established powers, the royal houses and the nobility, fear most? Knights. Those living calamities themselves. Should they change their minds, they could overthrow a royal house at any time with a single sword.

Naturally, every royal house took precautions to protect itself. The bound knight who had formerly served Naurilia's royal house was one such safeguard. All knights swore loyalty to the royal house, in an oath-taking ceremony held even before they became knights. But neither Encrid nor the lunatic unit had ever done so.

Could Nauril stop them now? Even if Encrid could be trusted, what about the others? That was why the noble questioned whether it was right to elevate and recognize someone of deficient character as a knight.

Encrid thought every point was valid. Try as he might, he could not imagine Rem pledging loyalty to the royal house. Then his mind immediately wandered.

'Those pastries yesterday were good.'

The bread had been excellent, too.

The noble delivered a passionate speech. Stripped of all the unnecessary words, it amounted to asking how anyone could trust the Noble Slaughterer and insisting that the matter deserved reconsideration. Had some country bumpkin been standing there, he might have applauded in admiration. Naturally, nothing of the sort happened.

"Are you finished?"

Krang alone answered him, wearing a gentle smile utterly at odds with the situation.