Chapter 81 - Because I Always Do My Best

After the appearance of the man named Mattis.

"Why is she the head of the Merchant Association?"

Polide's stupid question followed.

"Because while we were spending time here, everything inside the merchant association had already been settled. Ah, we decided to hold the inauguration ceremony when we get back."

Leona gave that answer.

Afterwards, as the people on Polide's side grasped the situation and started walking on eggshells, Leona beckoned to them.

"Come over. I will accept you."

She didn't actually say it like this, but to Encrid's ears, the message was no different.

It was essentially her saying, let's become one under the name of the merchant association and live on, or something like that.

Only two people didn't move.

The plain-faced man and the swordsman who had told Encrid to lay down his sword.

Ah, Polide also remained.

He dropped to his knees with a thud. It looked as if his legs had lost their strength.

"Why? I'm the son! Everyone in the merchant association is my father's people, aren't they?"

Why else? Judging by his actions, the intelligence of those who stuck to Polide's side was rather what should be questioned.

Encrid's gaze locked onto the remaining two.

It seemed those two were the ones who had pulled some tricks.

The two didn't exactly look like they were in a crisis. Even though everyone except them had turned their backs, they remained calm.

"It's over."

The swordsman said.

"It seems so."

The plain-faced man replied. The two of them simply ignored Polide.

"I can't accept this! What is this! I'm the son!"

As Polide shouted and tried to approach Leona, Mattis blocked his path.

"Come any closer and I'll cut you down, son of the former head of the Merchant Association."

‘He’s prickly.’

With that, the situation was concluded.

The two who looked to Encrid like they had played tricks simply stepped back.

Polide demonstrated in real time how a person changes when they fall into a state of panic, drowning in frustration and despair.

Dropping to his knees on the floor with a thud, he began to drool.

‘The kid is quite shocked.’

The groups of peddlers passing by, the merchants within the city, the soldiers, and even the groups of beggars near the town gates all stared at them.

As the guards made troubled expressions wondering what to do, Leona stepped forward.

"Take him away. We can't let the son of the former head of the Merchant Association die drooling on the street."

"Yes."

When Mattis gestured outward, someone came in and dragged Polide away.

The guards even stepped aside to let them leave comfortably.

"Wait a moment."

Leona said to Mattis before approaching Encrid.

"Did you give Carmen's Stiletto to your subordinate?"

Somehow, her tone made it feel like he had given a gift received from a woman to someone else. Encrid couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt a little uncomfortable.

"... He wanted it badly. Yes, I gave it to him."

Glancing back, he saw Jaxon standing silently.

When he had first given him the Stiletto, Jaxon's reaction hadn't been normal.

Encrid knew he wouldn't be so moved as to shed tears, but he had just been completely stoic.

He had simply pocketed the Stiletto and tossed out a single phrase.

"What is the purpose of continuously training the five senses, and how can one dodge a dagger flying from behind without even looking at it?"

What might have been nonsense to someone could be the desperately desired answer to another.

"That is what you will learn next."

That single phrase was enough. Jaxon was a guy who knew how to make a deal.

"I see."

Leona smiled brightly and nodded. Even looking at her smile, he felt like he owed her a debt of the heart.

‘She is a truly peculiar woman.’

She stared intently at Encrid's face before speaking again.

"I am a merchant, and a deal starts with knowing what the other party wants. I gave you an expensive item, yet you handed it over to your subordinate, and you didn't even bat an eye despite having two beautiful women around you."

Leona had to spend her time with the Border Guard.

During her free time, she observed the person she coveted.

What exactly did this man want?

He didn't bat an eye at an item that was essentially a treasure.

Instead, he had looked subtly sick of it while listening to his subordinate explain the dagger's origins.

It wasn't that he lacked greed, but he didn't seem like the kind of person to flounder in his desires either.

Leona knew the strengths her looks possessed very well. Therefore, she had even shown some subtle, seductive gestures, but...

"He has a severe history with women. Be careful."

There was a Fairy blocking her halfway.

And even when she saw an opening and approached him boldly, Encrid hadn't fallen for it.

‘What could it be that this man wants?’

From then on, her pride as a merchant began to stir and act up.

What is a merchant? A person who makes deals happen.

Shepherd of the Wilderness, Black Leather Guild, Glacial Rangers.

They were all closed-off groups. A merchant is someone who opens up trades even with places like that. That was what Roquefried was.

Leona loved Roquefried and took pride in it.

The other party was just a mere soldier, a nobody in the grand scheme. That was his status.

‘It bothers me.’

Although she did want him.

There was still supposed to be a line, generally speaking.

But now, even her pride was on the line.

Leona began to observe him.

Only then did she see it.

The foundation of a deal—what the other party wanted.

‘It wasn't material goods.’

The Carmen Collection was also a price she displayed to swallow up the merchant association.

While everyone was distracted by the dagger and paying attention to the group that launched the ambush, the resources she possessed were already managing affairs within the merchant association.

She had incidentally used it to gauge the greed of the man named Encrid, but she had guessed wrong.

Leona was only able to figure it out after observing him.

What he desired was the future.

His own future. Improving his swordsmanship, his skills, and his martial prowess.

That was why she called Mattis inside.

The greatest warrior of the Roquefried Merchant Association, and a guard captain who once made a name for himself as a city-class mercenary.

"How about it? Training your sword under Mattis. Nurturing your future here?"

If he was drawn to training his body with a strong person.

This was the answer.

Of course, it was a massive misunderstanding. Leona didn't know Encrid's squadmates.

‘He does seem like an incredible person.’

Because there was something Jaxon had told him while Leona was sorting out the situation.

"He is a skilled fighter capable of representing a single small city. That is exactly the extent of it."

Having one's name spread naturally within a city just by showing off one's skills a few times, even without intending to.

That was what it meant to be a city-class fighter.

"Compared to Torres?"

"Based on the soldier grading system, he is special-grade or higher, but he is not a knight."

Jaxon's assessment was cold.

Those who were special-grade or higher, but not knights.

‘Should I tell her they're everywhere in my squad?’

Rem, Ragna, Jaxon, and Audin too.

None of those four seemed like they would lose to a guy like Mattis.

Let alone the fact that he had already learned from them and had proven results.

"I'll decline."

That was why there was no hesitation in his answer. Leona failed to manage her facial expression for the first time.

"This is my first time missing out on something I coveted so much."

Encrid liked this resourceful young lady and exceptionally beautiful head of the Merchant Association.

‘Especially the fact that she doesn't try any clumsy tricks just because she fancies someone.’

Come to think of it, wasn't it quite amusing?

One of the people he met during this incident had told him to lay down his sword.

The other coveted him and asked him to come to her side.

They were conflicting evaluations.

"Do you absolutely have to keep me by your side?"

Encrid opened his mouth.

Since the affection the other party had for him didn't come across as too bad, Encrid treated her with goodwill as well.

At those words, Leona blinked.

"That is true. The request is over. Then, shall we be friends? I think you could spare a day to spend time with a friend. How about it?"

He had only meant that they could get along well with a moderate amount of fondness, even if they weren't friends.

"... Pardon?"

"If you reject this too, I think this pitiful girl might just despair right here."

‘Pitiful girl? Who’s a pitiful girl?’

She had just become the master who seized the Roquefried Merchant Association.

"Mattis, may I stay in the city for just one more day?"

"As you wish."

Mattis stepped back.

"You'll need your unit's permission, right?"

At Leona's subsequent words, the Company Commander answered instead of Encrid.

"As a reward for carrying out the request, I will grant you a full day of leave."

It was an unexpected answer.

"Why? Do you not want to?"

Leona asked, flashing a mischievous smile. Once again, he realized the power of her looks.

Even making that kind of expression, she was cute.

To think that a spider who had swallowed an entire merchant association whole could make such a cute expression.

Despite thinking so, Encrid nodded.

"I don't mind."

He had met so many instructors, but this was something they all said unanimously.

Rest when it's time to rest.

Swinging a sword day and night and overworking his body wasn't the only answer. That was a fact Encrid knew well too.

More than anything, he had developed a strange debt of the heart, and he wanted to resolve it.

"Great. Then."

Leona turned back to Mattis. Meanwhile, Jaxon approached, and seeing this, Encrid spoke first.

"Don't spread weird rumors."

"That's something you'd say to a barbarian. Do I look like I would do that?"

Encrid thought once again that it was a good thing he had brought Jaxon.

If it had been Rem, even stories that never happened would have spread.

"Good work, soldier."

The Company Commander didn't particularly stop him from staying behind alone with Leona, proving that the things she had said until now were just jokes.

"If you miss me, you may come back, soldier."

Even so, she made sure to add a Fairy-style joke. Having heard it so much, he didn't even feel troubled by it anymore.

"Yes, I will."

As he calmly brushed it off, Jaxon quietly spoke from his side.

"By any chance."

"By any chance?"

"If she has more of the Carmen Collection, use a honey trap or whatever it takes to get them."

‘Is this bastard joking, or is he being serious?’

It was harder to judge than the Fairy Company Commander's jokes.

"It's a joke."

It was a relief to see him at least say it was a joke.

No, but it also felt like it was half sincere.

The Carmen Collection—hadn't he truly desired it?

"I will head back first."

Jaxon and the Company Commander withdrew, and Leona, having wrapped up the situation, came back.

"Let's go."

After that, Encrid and Leona enjoyed their time together.

They wandered around the market sightseeing and filled their stomachs under the guidance of Encrid, who already knew the locations of good restaurants inside out.

"This is really delicious, isn't it?"

Among them, she even gave a thumbs up after eating the herb pie and Vanessa's pumpkin soup.

Vanessa's pumpkin soup was the pride and joy of the place that boasted the best-tasting food among the four inns.

"This is delicious too, isn't it?"

He laughed at Leona's jokes, and conversely, Leona giggled at the remarks Encrid tossed out.

It was an unexpected period of time, but funnily enough, it was quite enjoyable.

After the sun went down, they drank a glass or two of alcohol.

"I had fun."

They spent the night together, but there was no physical intimacy between them.

"Great. From today on, we're friends."

"Let's do that."

And so they became friends, chatting until morning before parting ways.

Though Encrid occasionally wore a blank expression in between, it was undeniably an enjoyable time for both of them.

* * *

"How unexpected."

Mattis thought it was an incredibly rare occurrence.

Leona was a woman who didn't know how to rest. She was fiercely relentless, decisive, and exceptionally capable.

If that hadn't been the case, he wouldn't be in this position right now.

In other words, Leona was on a completely different level from an idiot like Polide.

‘To think he’s the son of the former head of the Merchant Association.’

He was so stupid that rumors of him being an adopted street urchin were perfectly natural.

Since childhood, Leona had lived a life on an entirely different trajectory than Polide.

For her to be tied down for a whole day just for one man?

It was a rare occurrence.

Not that this meant he didn't respect her, of course.

‘The future of the merchant association is bright.’

Now, the Roquefried Merchant Association would head down a better path than when her predecessor was in charge.

Mattis believed in Leona.

Having finished her day of rest, the head of the Merchant Association returned with a refreshed expression.

"Let's go."

And so, the merchant association headed on its way. Keeping the previous head of the Merchant Association's dying wish to exchange final words for the succession.

Behind the scenes, she had done everything that needed to be done.

Thus, Leona swallowed everything up. This was the answer she provided.

The former head of the Merchant Association had saved her and raised her.

By simply not killing Polide, she was essentially repaying that debt of gratitude.

Leona knew full well that the actual intention of the will lay there.

Inside the returning carriage, she laughed as she recalled the previous night.

‘It was fun.’

How many times had she ever had conversations with zero benefit?

Chatting without a purpose was something that really didn't suit her.

Even so.

‘Encrid.’

The man's name lingered in her mind.

* * *

The plain-faced man and the warrior who wielded the rapier separated from Polide's group and headed outside.

There was no one to stop them. Although the guy named Mattis glared at them fiercely.

"Leave them be."

Leona's single word was all it took.

The two walked straight out the town gates.

Even if the final season, winter, was coming to an end, it was a rough road for just the two of them to travel.

Since demonic beasts and monsters could jump out at any moment.

However, the two of them didn't worry about such things at all.

"Why did you do that?"

The two shared the same affiliation. They were members of the same nation.

Among them, the warrior with the rapier was an outstanding fighter. The kind of skilled fighter who wouldn't bat an eye at average monsters.

Because the plain-faced man knew the warrior's indifferent personality, he found this recent action curious.

Giving advice to a passing person—someone who, putting it nicely, was a stranger, and putting it bluntly, was an enemy.

"Watching him made me feel like it was a waste."

Worldly affairs don't always end cleanly and neatly, after all.

Things like this happen too.

"I see."

The plain-faced man agreed. It was now time to return.

Although their operation had failed, they had gained something. The fact that the abilities of the woman who would be the next head of the Roquefried Merchant Association were extremely outstanding.

Information was always a precious thing.

* * *

Encrid returned to the unit in the morning.

"Oh, you must be so excited, so excited."

Rem welcomed him as soon as he arrived.

‘He’s already heard everything.’

He could tell from his very first words.

"Was it good?"

It was an understandable misunderstanding. Even though he and Leona had only exchanged words.

Whatever answer he gave here, some nonsense would undoubtedly follow. Rem was just that kind of guy.

Instead of answering, Encrid picked up his sword.

"A spar?"

"You tiresome man, sounds good."

Without pressing any further, Rem picked up his axe. He liked the fact that Encrid chose him as his first sparring partner upon returning.

It was the same this time.

Encrid stood facing Rem.

And he mulled over what had happened during his day with Leona.

It was a strange thing.

It was rest, and it was a vacation.

It was safe to say he had forgotten about the sword and rested fully.

He had chatted with Leona all night.

A continuous stream of chatter—a time one could easily consider a string of meaningless conversations.

But why?

‘I think I can do it.’

Spending time with Leona, Encrid had felt a strange sensation. It would be more accurate to say he had physically realized something.

It wasn't that time had slowed down, or that his concentration had flared up to bring about some sort of change.

It just felt like it would work.

It felt like he could effortlessly pull it off.

The trajectory of the swinging sword, the foot stepping forward just before, the movement of the shoulders.

Everything blended together to produce a single answer.

What is speed?

Though clumsy, he felt like he could show a part of the answer to the question he had harbored ever since facing the swordsman who used the rapier.