985. Honorary Member
“Riley?”
There are names that remain unforgettable no matter how many times one relives the day. The name of the man blocking the path came out of Encrid’s mouth. It was a face Balmung recognized as well. After all, he had some contact with the Zaun family.
One of the safest routes out of the Imperial territory was near the Zaun family, but wasn’t this place a bit far? What brings you here?
Balmung looked at him with a mixture of questions.
It has been a long time since I last saw you, Sir.
He showed wariness and hostility toward Balmung, an imperial official, and bowed respectfully to Encred.
The discrimination is severe.
Balmung muttered.
We are watching, Valfir.
He is Rhinox, a middle-aged swordsman living with a cheerful disposition. He still carries a multitude of swords. Or perhaps fewer than before?
Now, three weapons appeared to be his primary force: a slender sword, a long sword, and a short sword. Of these, the short sword looked the most precious. It was clearly an artifact. With
his arms hanging down, Rhinox’s fingertips seemed ready to touch the three weapons tucked into his sword belt at any moment.
He intends to fight if things go wrong.
The remaining one of the three is Grida Zaun.
“Right, um, Encred, did your hair color change? Wasn’t it black?”
She looked at Saxon from a step to the side and spoke. If Ragnar couldn’t find his way, she couldn’t distinguish people’s faces. Remembering him roughly as a handsome guy, she looked at Saxon and spoke to him.
The captain is over there.
Saxon pointed at Enkrid as if nothing were wrong and said.
“Ah, right, I knew it would be you.”
Temares nodded in satisfaction upon seeing her.
“What unusual eyes. But beautiful.”
Yongin sees the inner purity possessed by individuals. In that respect, everyone who came from the Jaun family appealed to him.
After all, they were all pure souls, obsessed with swordsmanship.
Riley Jaun did not let his guard down. He simply glared at Balmung.
The interesting thing was that among the three who came from Jaun, the person in charge was neither Grida nor Rhinox.
Encred found this the most intriguing. It was Riley Jaun, the man with a disability in one leg, whose skills had improved beyond recognition and who now stood in the position of leader.
Rhinox seemed to be in the role of a monitor or advisor, while Grida Jaun appeared to be in charge of pure combat.
Riley finished his remarks with a calm posture and gaze.
“I speak on behalf of the Jaun clan. This is the will of the clan head, and the will of all. We are watching. The side of those you intended to use as gatekeepers, giving them titles like ‘Shield Lord’ or ‘Guardian Lord,’ is clear. If any harm befalls our benefactor, everyone you sought to make gatekeepers will take up their swords with a determination to fight to the death.”
It was a considerably aggressive threat and, at the same time, a declaration of firm resolve.
Balfir Balmung thought that somehow, nothing he encountered on his journey was easy. And how did they know I was coming here?
Big-eyed brat.
In the meantime, Rem muttered. Along with his muttering, Encred and Seriana’s eyes met.
It seemed they should have known who had orchestrated things to get to this point, and their eyes met as they realized it at the very same time.
No eye contact.
Sinar’s Leaf Sword obscured the path of their exchanged glances. Encred turned his head away, gazing at the blade’s leaf pattern, which was difficult to notice without close inspection. Seriana did the same.
“also.”
Esther marveled once again. Although he was faced with another complete mess, Krang merely smiled. Wasn’t this better than having monsters or demon minions swarming in?
Though, in reality, they were the kind of people who wouldn’t mind if Astrail or demon minions swarmed in.
While thinking this, he realized something.
It’s the work of Crys.
How did the Jaun family wait for us here?
Predicted the path.
They sent a letter to the Border Guard before leaving and also contacted the Zaun family.
This was before they had planned their route or schedule.
So, you predicted and got right one of the routes to reach Imperial territory without stopping at the Border Guard?
If this isn’t a prophet, then what is it?
Predicting future decisions and preparing for them right where he sits. In a way, this is natural to those who know Crys, but to those who don’t, it is a shocking revelation.
That is why Krang remained calm and Enkrid nodded, but Seriana’s expression was frozen like stone.
Did you wait knowing we would pass by here?
How? Because this is the safest and fastest way.
It is only possible if you look only at the map, mentally trace the nearby terrain, and predict the behavior of the person guiding you.
It was Lord Balmung who decided the path.
Balfir Balmung took the center stage, and even though he was a complete stranger, the path he would choose was predicted. Is that all?
No.
It must have been easy because of him and his companions. Even if Lord Balmung or Moul carried him, the paths they could take him would be limited.
Jaun is watching.
A man named Riley Zaun spoke. His gaze was upright and free of doubt.
Is the intention clear?
It was as if I could hear the man behind this matter speaking.
We are always watching, so we would appreciate it if you were careful with your behavior.
He speaks with one of his large, light brown eyes obscured by shadow. He is insidious and meticulous.
He is the mastermind and dark schemer lurking in the shadows. He is a monster who predicted and prepared for all of this.
It’s scary.
There were many formidable figures in the Empire, yet this was the first time I had seen someone this meticulous.
If His Imperial Majesty saw him, would he covet him? Or would he cast him out for being dangerous?
Seriana considered Crys the most dangerous of the Mad Knights.
A knight known as a Calamity cuts through a thousand, but one who foresees the future from his seat kills ten thousand. That is, if they lived a life like that.
While Seriana was shocked by Crys’s contrast and was arbitrarily adding shading and imagining things, Crys himself was trembling uncontrollably with anxiety.
I miss Nurat.
While searching for his lover, that is. It was a psychological state that emerges when anxiety reaches its peak. He simply wanted to be with his lover, someone he felt comfortable with, and those who provided him with stability. It
was only natural not to let the shadows obscure his face; instead, by repeatedly taking walks in the sunlight, Crys did his best to reduce the anxiety within him.
In doing so, he began to doubt himself, wondering if sending the King and the Captain had been a mistake.
He also felt the urge to just quit all this and open a salon. However,
regardless of his thoughts, he had no time to envision a future where he opened a salon to forget his anxiety; instead, Crys simply used that very anxiety to prepare for the future, and then prepare again. Regardless of
what Seriana thought, Crys was simply living his own life. So, in truth, it wasn’t really a case of a mastermind or anything like that, but misunderstandings always begin with a delusion.
Seriana realized the mastermind behind what had just happened, but that didn’t change what she had to do.
Is this hospitality? I am grateful.
She responded to their words as if nothing had happened. Balfir Balmung frowned, then relaxed.
He knew that not everything in the world goes as planned. The Empire had devoted itself to the Zaun family, but things did not go as they wished. That is the truth.
Moll and Seriana revere the Emperor like a god, but she is not a god. Therefore, the Emperor, too, cannot have everything he desires.
I hope this time things go my way.
If the Emperor was a god to Seriana and Moll, he was like a mother or an older sister to Balfir Balmung.
In reality, the feeling was similar to that of a mother or an older sister to him. That is to say, it was a feeling
of being embraced. So, if asked if this was the reason for his loyalty, the answer would be somewhat ambiguous; but if asked if he would risk his life fighting for the Emperor, he would nod without hesitation.
That is why Zaun’s threats, proposals, and hospitality now felt nothing to him. If you
want to antagonize the Emperor, go ahead. Then I will just fight. The reason for the moniker “Knight of the Beast” boiled up inside Balmung. He merely controlled the wildness dormant within him; he did not forget it. It was the moment when such momentum was slowly creeping up.
Tell them there’s no need to worry.
Encred said to Riley, “If Crys orchestrated this, then the one who accepted it must be the Lord of Zaun.”
Odinkar has taken over the position of head of the family, and Zaun will be on wartime alert until Sir returns.
The perceptive Riley spoke up. He meant that they had the Lord’s permission and hadn’t come of their own accord. Good grief
. Should I say I was at a loss for words?
Well, I didn’t feel bad. No, I did. I fought for someone, and now they are fighting for me in return. If we are to ultimately fight the Demon Realm, perhaps we need more people like this. That thought crossed my mind as well.
That’s disappointing.
Krang spoke. “You are the King, so why would you say you will fight only for Encred?”
Of course, it was a joke. They had no connection to him. Besides, they were stepping forward for his own friend.
He wore a broad smile. Three of the five Royal Guards, who had initially been wary of the newcomers’ arrival, lowered their guard after overhearing their conversation.
“No, I won’t let my guard down until I return to the Empire.”
The captain of the Royal Guard, sensing this, spoke. Rearban shared the same thought. They were all truly faithful to their duties. That was how Encred saw it. The Royal Guard was like that, and so were those who came from the Zaun family.
Balmung, and Princess Seriana too.
No one was nervous about the unfolding situation. It was merely a minor commotion.
It was also the work of the Zaun family that no monsters or beasts were to be seen upon entering the Pen-Hanil Mountains.
I’ve paved the road.
Riley said. Although his leg was uncomfortable, his gait was more powerful than before. It was evident that he had desperately balanced his body through significant training.
It seems like I realized a lot while doing that.
Seeing things like that, one can certainly feel the stark difference in talent. There are many in the Zaun family called geniuses, but Riley was one of the most fierce among them.
Why? There are many reasons.
‘lack.’
The limitations imposed by the disability of one leg—an achievement accomplished by Hescal Zaun, who was like a father to him.
If the absence of his leg was something he inherently possessed, the absence of his father was something he had newly lost.
What would he fill that void with? The choice was his own. He chose, he filled it, and now he stands here.
Have your skills improved a bit?
While drawing, she stood close to Encred and asked. Sinar showed no wariness toward her.
Seeing this, Seriana almost asked why he was leaving that woman alone, but stopped herself. She maintained her dignity and refinement.
“I’m still struggling to move forward, one step at a time.”
Encred replied as he walked. “Unless we are going to waste any longer here, we have to get on with it.”
With that as a starting point, they all began to move again. The fact that the Zaun family had paved the way meant more than simply clearing away protruding branches to create a walkable path.
They had pitched tents at a spot to use as a campsite. They were not people who formed a village and lived within the mountain range for nothing.
Aside from their sword training, they were half mountain rangers. Particularly adept at roaming the outdoors, they had mastered the art of living in the mountains.
Living in a dangerous place and honing their swordsmanship was their entire existence.
That was the Zaun people, and judging by the circumstances, they had all stepped forward for the sake of a man named Encred.
His Majesty would click his tongue if he saw this.
Balmung had cooled down a bit, but ultimately could not hold back and let out a remark. There was no one to answer. Encred looked at Rhinox and, instead of asking how he had gotten here, asked a slightly more intuitive question.
“What did they say in the letter?”
Rhinox answered as he poured the water-filled canteen into the pot.
“Someone from the Empire is on their way and wrote that I should see them off since it might be their last meeting. Come to think of it, the content is absurd. What’s wrong with that guy?”
Rhinox looked up, stopping in the middle of pouring water. It felt like being manipulated. It wasn’t a bad feeling, though, but it was absurd.
That’s typical of Christ.
Encred simply nodded and helped prepare the meal. Rem giggled and joined in, while
Temares, Sinar, and Esther followed closely behind Encred.
The three behind them are a bit unusual, aren’t they? Are they all Knights?
Rhinox asked.
“yes.”
Temares stepped forward before Sinar or Esther could speak. He naturally draped a dark green cloak. When Encred looked at Sinar, she answered.
He asked for one.
It is a precious item produced in small quantities, but considering the scale of the Fairy City, it makes sense to make a few sets without much difficulty.
It is rare for a Dragonman to wear a cloak, one of the Knights’ ceremonial robes, complete with the stepped pattern. The
fact that the item itself originated in the Fairy City is something one would simply nod in agreement about.
But the Dragonman asked for it first?
It had been a long time since I saw the Dragonman Temares, and he had definitely changed. His attitude was noticeably more proactive than before.
Are you going to join the Knights?
Encred asked.
“That’s right. I’ll go in.”
Temares answered.
I see.
That was the end of it.
Rhinox merely nodded, thinking, “Well, these bastards are lunatics, so I suppose that’s just how it is,” but Balmung, who had been looking around and approached them, was dumbfounded.
He disliked ostentation himself, but this was truly a strange sight.
“Joining is easy. Why don’t you accept me too?”
When Balmung said it as a joke, Encred thought for a moment and replied.
“How about becoming an honorary member?”
“We’re going to fight the Demon Realm later anyway, so the more decent swordsmen we have, the better.”
Krang, who had been listening from the side, burst into hearty laughter. Not everything he saw was unpleasant in the slightest. It just looked like they were having fun.
“Huh? Huh?”
Balmung was flustered, never expecting such an answer.
“Then, Honorary Member Balmung, grill some jerky.”
Enkrid, a skilled mocker, really made a good joke on someone this time as well.
Is he crazy?
Balmung reacted to his joke, and everyone laughed. Even Seriana let out a laugh. It was the moment the stiff atmosphere softened like freshly baked bread.
Camping was easy thanks to Zaun clearing the tents and the path. With monsters and beasts long cleared away, and with a campfire lit and alcohol brought out between the cozy tents, it felt like half-just on vacation, yet no one let their guard down. Saxony, in particular, was.
Hadn’t Kreis earnestly warned them?
That the King’s safety would become the very reason for war.
He added that while they would protect the Empire, there wouldn’t be only those willing to defend it.
Most of Kreis’s anxieties never come true, but this time was different.
One of his fears had exploded. And Saxony reacted to it.
