Chapter 55 - How Far Does Their Persistence Go?

It was really nothing out of the ordinary.

City patrol duty was something he did all the time.

It was a rotational duty that required going out three or four times a month if it was frequent.

Moreover, where was this place?

Border Guard.

As a territory under the king's direct control, it was a city of public order that tolerated no ordinary trouble.

It wasn't counted as a prime trading location among major merchant associations for nothing.

Although it was in the far east of Naurilia, a frontier city bordering Aspen, and the closest city to the battlefield, its public order was second to none.

It was thanks to the large number of garrison troops running patrols day and night.

Border Guard had four inns centered around a well, and the intersection and plaza where the four inns met served as the Border Guard's market.

Because the city was built on a basin, heading to the outskirts revealed a gentle downward slope, and beyond the slope to the north flowed a river.

Penn-Hanil River.

It was the water source responsible for most of the surrounding cities.

There were farmlands around the river, and farmhouses could be seen sparsely.

The river had overflowed this summer, collapsing one side of the embankment, and a group of workers was currently moving diligently to rebuild it.

Since most accidents occurred between people, they rarely patrolled the farmlands or handled monsters, but today was market patrol duty.

"I'm Jack, and this is Bo."

Because the duty required moving in a three-man team, two soldiers joined him.

Encrid, Jack, and Bo.

The three of them were on their way to the market.

"That fog was a spell? *Ptoo*, I almost died because of those Aspen bastards, but I survived thanks to you. Thanks a lot!"

Jack said, spitting phlegm on the ground. Holding a short spear for infantry and swaggering about, he didn't seem truly grateful.

Encrid nodded casually.

"I almost died without getting to spend the crona I saved up."

Bo also expressed his gratitude. He was a soldier with an especially light step.

He had once heard from Big-eyes that he originally had many talents.

'But I feel like I've heard of this combination somewhere.'

No particular memory came to mind. Since it wasn't important, Encrid didn't try to remember.

The three walked toward the market, and the atmosphere was good. Encrid didn't talk much, but Jack and Bo were in the same squad.

The two of them chatted and often praised Encrid.

"An upper-grade soldier, your skills must be amazing. Man, fuck, let's spar sometime. Let me see the skills of an upper-grade soldier."

Jack said, tapping the ground with the other end of his spearhead.

"Sounds good."

Encrid didn't refuse the spar. He believed that no matter who he sparred with, he would end up learning something from it.

"That's a promise. Fuck."

Jack lived with a curse word at the end of his sentences.

"I heard Squad Leader Andrew praised you until his mouth went dry, saying you succeeded in the recon mission too."

Bo also praised Encrid.

"I was lucky."

"You're even humble."

Bo even held up his thumb.

No one felt bad when complimented. Encrid was the same.

The two of them walked, constantly chattering with silly grins.

They had reached the edge of the market and passed a few single-story buildings to enter the market.

On one side, they were selling picked wildflowers and the like.

On the opposite side, they sold tanned leather and the like.

From the opposite end of the entrance Encrid came through, across the market, the clanging sound of iron being struck echoed from afar.

It was the sound coming from the blacksmith.

Even though it was on the outskirts of the market, the sound of striking metal gently stimulated his ears.

"No, I won't have anything left if I sell it for just that much."

The voice of a merchant.

"It's freshly baked bread today!"

A boy standing on the side of the road, calling out for customers to come to his shop.

RUMBLE.

Even the carts coming and going through the center of the market.

It was chaotic. Markets were naturally like this, so it was a familiar sight.

"The dried apples are delicious."

As Encrid walked, he made eye contact with a merchant selling various dried fruits.

"No thanks."

The merchant quickly turned his head away.

It was an ordinary daily routine.

After duty ends, should he coax Jaxon into a spar today?

Or perhaps hanging out with that guy Jack as soon as they got back would be fun.

The weather had gotten noticeably colder, and his body kept stiffening. Walking was better than standing still.

"Shall we walk a bit more?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Jack and Bo stuck close to his side. Just as he wondered if they were sticking close to his left and right because they were cold.

A little kid covered in rags approached from the front and suddenly collapsed forward.

Encrid reflexively caught the kid.

He felt a deep stab and a burning pain.

He tried to twist his body immediately, but his reaction was slow because his body was stiff from the cold.

If he had just twisted a little when hit, it would have been fine, but the dagger shredded his internal organs without hesitation.

Right after stabbing his internal organs, the blade plunged into the area around his heart consecutively, without even a breath's pause.

A terrible pain struck his brain.

At the same time the blade was thrust into him, a scream or groan was about to slip from his mouth, but someone from behind covered his mouth with a thick cloth.

The market was crowded.

To the point where it would be overlooked if one person stumbled and fell.

On top of that, Jack and Bo shielded Encrid with their bodies.

"Oops, he's had a drink since daytime."

Jack feigned a joke.

"Tell me about it."

Bo also chimed in.

'What is it with these bastards?'

For Encrid, it was a continuous series of completely incomprehensible events.

The kid who had stabbed his stomach and heart put the period on it.

"Persistent Lovers never forget."

It wasn't a kid. Inside the rags, he saw large ears and eyes shining like jewels.

It was a unique appearance.

One eye was green, and the other was brown.

Heterochromia. Because the green eye was as clear as a jewel, the brown eye looked extremely dull in comparison.

It looked as if dirty oil had been mixed into clear water.

The skin was mottled like a spotted cat, and there were deep wrinkles around the mouth and eyes.

Looking only at the facial features, it was a pretty appearance, but having them all gathered like this somehow gave off a displeasing feeling.

'Half Fairy.'

Encrid realized the opponent's identity. However, nothing changed.

With his mouth covered, blood trickled down onto the ground.

Encrid had both of his arms held fast.

The guys named Jack and Bo gave him no opening.

"Farewell."

The Half Fairy said. Seeing the deep wrinkles on its face and the way it spoke, it was no child.

Its size was only like that of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy.

'I really didn't expect this.'

An assassination.

And by the Persistent Lovers, no less.

Wasn't that the name of Aspen's independent company?

Rumors were widespread about them being persistent, and they actually sent an assassin after the battle had ended.

'They're truly crazy bastards.'

Considering the crona and effort that goes into sending a single assassin, doing this just to kill a single soldier was definitely a crazy thing to do.

And from the perspective of the one suffering it, it was an even more infuriating matter.

As Encrid applied strength and tried to throw his head back, the guy blocking his mouth with the cloth tightened his grip.

"Let him go. Looks like he has something to say."

Was it an intuition unique to a Fairy? The small, old Half Fairy remarkably read Encrid's mind.

Soon, the thick cloth suffocating his mouth loosened.

"Did Aspen send you? And Jack and Bo are spies?"

Encrid asked, swallowing the stinging pain rising within him.

"Something like that."

"Who is behind me?"

"You're dying, and you still want to know that?"

"It'd be unfair to go without knowing. I'll be waiting in hell."

"Rotten."

The last word was whispered from behind him.

'Rotten?'

This was a name he knew too.

Jack, Bo, Rotten.

Weren't they all from the Recon Party?

As he was about to die, his head spun quickly, and the memories naturally surfaced.

The reason he ended up going on the reconnaissance mission at the Green Pearl battlefield.

He was told that Jack had broken his arm, Bo had a broken nose, and Rotten was bitten by a snake.

So all these bastards had skipped out on the reconnaissance mission on purpose?

"Ah, shit."

A dejected laugh escaped him.

"Persistent, wasn't it?"

The Fairy said so, and then stepped aside smoothly.

The guy quickly weaved his way toward the outskirts and slipped right into an alleyway.

Jack and Bo also subtly let go of his arms and stealthily slipped away.

Not to mention Rotten.

He had used up all his energy exchanging just a few words.

He didn't even have the strength to scream.

Even if he had strength left, he probably wouldn't have screamed anyway.

Instead, as he collapsed, he tried to look behind him.

They said it was Rotten, but he thought it might be someone else.

But what did Rotten look like again?

He couldn't remember the face.

The moment he realized there was no point in looking, Encrid let the strength drain from his body.

Blood trickled down his mouth, and his internal organs felt like they had been poked with a fire poker.

Pain drenched his body, and blood drenched the ground.

The cold enveloped his body even more intensely. His body shivered violently.

'Sons of bitches, if you're going to leave, you could have at least finished the job.'

Bleeding to death like this was the worst. It was better to go all at once.

"AHHH!"

A passing waitress screamed upon seeing the blood pooling on the ground.

That was the last thing. Encrid closed his eyes and met his death.

* * *

FLASH.

The morning he opened his eyes again.

As he sprang up, Rem, wrapped tightly in a blanket next to him, asked.

"Nightmare?"

"No. I just wanted to start the morning energetically."

"It's a damn cold day."

Rem grumbled right from the morning. Although a large bonfire was lit on the barracks' parade ground and the night watch placed heated stones inside the quarters every night, it was nowhere near enough to endure the cold with just that.

If crona were overflowing, they would bring in fur or magically made stoves and the like.

A mere soldier didn't have that kind of crona.

Actually, they didn't even need a magical stove. The pelt of a demonic beast that emanated a gentle heat would be perfect.

Even that was an expensive item, though.

To jump to the conclusion, one could say it was all an absurd dream.

"Krais, aren't you cold?"

"I'm cold. Very."

Rem needlessly asked Krais. Big-eyes was the only person here who had an overflowing amount of crona.

"How about a magical stove?"

"You want us to use something only nobles use? You're asking for too much. Why not just become a noble starting tomorrow instead?"

"Huh? You want a massage with an axe blade?"

"Resorting to violence at the drop of a hat is a bad habit. Squad Leader!"

Big-eyes sought out Encrid at the end of the conversation.

"Don't bully him."

Preemptively blocking harassment within the unit, Encrid's gaze turned to the devout squadmate who was getting up with his muscles exposed.

Name, Audin Pemray.

For whatever reason, he was a muscular soldier embedded in the troublemaker squad.

Today was an extremely cold day.

Jaxon was out overnight for some reason, but Rem, Big-eyes, and Ragna seemed to have absolutely no intention of getting out of bed.

Because it was cold even when bundled up tightly in a blanket.

"Since you're up, Squad Leader, bring us a few stones."

Having even a few stones heated in the bonfire overnight would make it at least a little better.

"Yeah."

Even after answering, Encrid didn't move.

Instead, Audin got out of bed, strode over, and said.

"Brother, your body will stiffen if you stay in bed just because it's cold. You can overcome the cold by moving your body to generate heat. Now, follow along with me."

"Piss off. Before I carve you up and warm my body with your blood."

"That is not good. Brother, what you just said could offend the listener."

"Offensive? Then it's a success. That was the intention."

"Do you wish to go to heaven, Brother?"

Truly, wasn't his demeanor consistent?

Encrid, who normally would have stopped them right away, looked at Audin wordlessly before speaking.

"You said there was a training method to preserve the body's heat, right? Teach me."

Audin, who had been staring intently at Rem, turned his head.

"Do you mean the Bare Body Training?"

It wasn't that Audin wasn't cold either. But it was true that he endured it relatively better than the others.

Audin had mentioned before that it was a training method to keep the body from stiffening even in the cold.

He didn't know why. But it had just come to mind.

It seemed like it would be useful.

Since he couldn't jump up and down in place to warm his body.

It didn't seem like a bad idea to learn a training method that prevented the body from stiffening.

It was impulsive, but it was also a natural thing to do.

Because Encrid was a man thirsty for learning.

"Yeah. That one."

"Teaching you is not difficult. Do you have the time?"

"Right now I do."

"You should be able to grasp the basic framework in a day or two. It is not difficult."

Audin smiled, as if pleased that Encrid wanted to learn.

Seeing Encrid fix his posture to start right away, Rem muttered while still glued to the bed.

"No, Squad Leader, bring us the stones. I'm cold."

Ah, he had forgotten.

Encrid brought the stones first.

There were still two hours left until his duty.

It was a suitable amount of time to eat breakfast and train the body.

Encrid did just that.

The Bare Body Training was a continuous string of pain, but it was useful.

And then he went out on duty again.

"How did I end up on duty with you guys?"

It was obvious someone had pulled some strings.

"Ah, fuck, it's an honor. To be on duty with the Spellbreaker."

Jack replied. Encrid nodded his head.

Later, as they entered the market and he prepared himself, he glared at the Fairy kid even before he approached.

Jack and Bo tried to grab his arms, and Encrid threw punches to both sides.

SMACK, SWISH!

Jack got hit in the jaw, and Bo reflexively dodged. Bo was agile. He took a step and quickly slipped to the side.

At the same time, he placed his hand on his waist. A short sword was tied to his waist as his weapon.

The Fairy was still far. Then, he would have to deal with Bo first.

Encrid also gripped the hilt of his longsword.

Draw and swing. Concentrating, he used his boldness as a weapon and sharpened his Sense of the Blade.

At the exact same moment.

SWOOOOOSH!

He heard a strange sound. He tried to dodge, but whatever was flying at him was faster.

THUD!

Encrid's breath caught in his throat for a moment. Looking down, he saw the tip of a blade lodged near his heart.

It was a flying dagger completely devoid of a hilt or any other ornaments, existing purely as a double-sided blade.

Even among throwing knives, this was an extremely tricky item to handle.

"Persistent Lovers never forget their prey."

The Fairy, who had approached at some point, whispered and backed away.

'I was prepared, too.'

He hadn't expected him to throw something. Even if he had known, the skill was profound enough that it would have been hard to block.

Encrid closed his eyes, thinking he needed a foolproof preparation.

And then, his third today began.