995. Welcome crowd
Temares possessed the talent of mind reading and inferring a person’s true intentions from their attitude and posture.
If asked how this was possible, he would have nothing to say but that it was tolerance; for this reason, he was the first among them to realize Enkrid’s intentions.
Deceive.
And she was deceiving him with sincerity. Temares had long since played along.
Could Sinar not have known? She concealed her true nature, remembering this as the very moment their hearts connected without words.
For Sinar, concealing was easier than clumsily deceiving. It was only natural, as concealing her emotions was a daily routine for a fairy.
Since Saxon was by nature a man of few words, he maintained a sloppy demeanor so that, on the surface, it would appear effortless to double his body from one to two with a single sword stroke.
As a sorceress, Esther had never caught the knight’s eye from the start, and Rem was quick enough to assess situations to be called a knight of keen observation.
Well, I said let’s hang out.
Rem knew very well that he was not the type to get caught up in such games. He, too, had displayed a natural yet clumsy display of jealousy several times.
In this respect, Rem was certainly a little different from others. He acted in a way that subtly irritated his opponents. He would tighten and release his axe at the slightest provocation, gripping it as if ready to attack.
A guy who would be easily defeated if he actually attacked, yet is brimming with the will to fight? That is truly irritating.
It was as if he had reflected back exactly what they were doing.
Could Balmung have been unaware of what they were doing?
They are a really unique breed.
The military power they possess? Even if they joined the Imperial Knights, they would immediately be at the top rank. If they adapt reasonably well and get along, could they even become the Knight Commander within ten years? After all, Encred is a man of great stature.
I’ll have to see how that goes.
Anyway, seeing them do this despite possessing such military power.
You could have acted like you couldn’t even dare to fight back in the first place.
It wasn’t malice, but perhaps I should say it was full of a strange mischievousness.
Meanwhile, that fellow Encred was truly filled with a desire to fight each and every one of them.
Hadn’t Balmung already dealt with him for quite some time? Balmung now knew Encred pretty well.
Half playful.
Curiosity, fun, and enthusiasm make up the other half.
No, it would be more accurate to say that half is enthusiasm and the other half is playfulness and curiosity.
Encreed was sincere, as always. For instance, just moments ago,
when he faced the young knight Labelt—or was it Ranolt?—he didn’t simply win with a single blow.
If only they had stayed a little calmer, they could have avoided it.
The young knight wavered. The battle was over right there. Winning was out of the question anyway, but he hadn’t even been able to show what he had. That was why a faint disappointment flickered in Encrid’s eyes. His eyes, which had called him lucky, quickly found their next opponent. Though
the other three Imperial knights standing ahead didn’t know it.
You’re acting like you’re forcing me to show off my skills at a razor-thin level.
It was visible to Balmung, but they failed to notice. That was Encrid’s intention. He wasn’t trying to gauge their skill, but simply wanted to experience it and fight.
‘really.’
He has a knack for making people’s blood boil.
It’s not because he’s angry from being ignored, but because he acts that way with such sincerity.
You’re an interesting guy.
If he had met Encred first instead of the Emperor, he might have gotten along with the other side.
Balmung was also a human and a knight, and his will was clear and pure enough for Temares to call it beautiful. This means that he, too, understands the heart of Margrave Count Coty.
It’s a shame, but.
He did not dislike himself as a Knight of the Empire. No, on the contrary, he was satisfied. He was more than content with his current situation, given that the Empire and the Emperor were the final destination of his wandering and tormented youth.
* * *
An opponent ignoring him? He rarely took it meekly, even when he was powerless. But did that matter?
To Encred, such a thing was too minor a reason. It was of little use to his swordsmanship or to achieve his goals.
His desire to witness the power of the Empire was far greater.
Imperial Knights.
There are four such opponents right in front of me. Ignore them? You can do as much as you want.
I don’t care at all. The difference in skill is so obvious that if I feel suppressed before even starting and fail to show what I have to offer, that would simply be a shame.
“I was so lucky. Hmm.”
Encred’s acting skills were not bad. He looked like someone who had barely managed to win. Saxen looked at him with satisfaction from a distance.
His acting ability was good enough to work as an assassin. Approaching while concealing one’s identity was one of the basic skills of an assassin.
There’s a saying that even luck is a skill. I’ll handle the next step.
A female knight stepped forward. Her name was Rodi. She spoke again.
Knight Ravel, or rather Ranolt, was not in his best condition as he had only recently recovered from an injury.
At those words, Palan, whose expression had hardened even more than before, opened his mouth.
Excuses are a bad habit, Roddy.
Rodi nodded. It was a long-standing habit of his to think of excuses or justifications no matter what happened. Just because they were Imperial Knights didn’t mean they lived on clouds.
They were human, too. Some were sloppy, and some were clumsy.
If you looked purely at what they had achieved as knights, both Ranolt and Rodi were sloppy and clumsy, yet they were overflowing with the spirit characteristic of youth.
Of course, Encred wasn’t lacking in spirit either, but he wasn’t showing it at all right now.
“Luck is also a skill. That is a fine saying, Knight Rodi.”
Encred cast aside his pointless provocation and raised his sword. He assumed a middle stance, angled toward the sky. Rodi also drew out her imprinted weapon.
It was the Singing Sword. Whenever she swung or clashed with her sword imbued with will, a melody-like sound flowed out to disrupt her opponent’s mind.
It was a sword perfected by drawing inspiration from the demonic sword known as the “Scream of the Undead,” once wielded by a Death Knight.
For this reason, Rodi preferred a defensive style of swordsmanship focused on holding out as long as possible rather than ending the battle with a single blow. Finishing off an opponent after disoriented them in this manner was her sure-fire tactic, a secret technique that had never failed to work against opponents of similar skill.
earth.
The singing sword and the sword living today clashed, and sparks flew. Encred suited the opponent’s tactics. As the swords met and separated, four distinct noises—ding, ting, bang, and thump—rang out with varying pitches, stimulating the auditory senses.
It was a technique that shook the five senses, starting with auditory hallucinations.
It’s not bad, but.
It was a skill that would not work against those with strong wills, regardless of swordsmanship ability.
If you change it a little more precisely, like an awl.
Then it would be a little better.
Encrid instantly grasped the strengths and weaknesses of his opponent’s skills and swayed his body slightly, pivoting on his left foot.
Although they were fighting head-on, it was a subtle tremor that was difficult to perceive unless one was paying close attention.
Rodi seized a moment that could have been easily missed.
‘aperture.’
Although she was not consciously aware of it, in the realm of the subconscious, Rodi knew that the opponent before her was of a higher rank. Therefore, she also knew that if she missed this opening she had just noticed, she would never have another chance to seize the advantage.
Instinct moved her body. Her will exploded and was channeled into her sword. As her feet crossed back and forth, her sword traced a short arc. With that, she struck and pressed down on her opponent’s sword at an angle. The opponent naturally tensed up and resisted.
Grasping the sword with a bind, she crossed her feet once more, took another half-step closer, and tucked the opponent’s sword into her side. She had deliberately created a situation where it was difficult to apply force by striking with short, sharp strokes, thereby bringing her sword close. Everything was for this very moment. And just like that, “Today” was tucked into the side of Knight Rodi.
I won.
He didn’t miss an opening and blocked the opponent’s sword. Rodi then swung his sword upward. It was a short and concise strike. After all, the important thing is to take away the timing.
hook.
She sliced through the black void. The opponent suddenly vanished.
‘where?’
She was startled, but she responded. The opponent had vanished, but would she be a knight if she stopped just because she was startled?
Her five senses and sixth instinct tracked the opponent. Her gaze found Encred, who had disappeared.
As soon as his sword was caught in Rodi’s side, he immediately let go. Stepping back to dodge the subsequent strike, he charged forward again to close the gap.
I let go of the sword.
It was a bold and radical method. It was Rodi’s final thought.
bang!
A fist flew and struck her head. Her brain shook, and the world turned black. She lost consciousness.
When she woke up again, it was still daytime with the sun shining brightly. Before she knew it, most of the cavalry had approached and were watching from one side.
Besides Knight Ranolt and herself, Knight Level was sitting with his nose clutched by a blood-soaked cloth, and next to him, Knight Farran was kneeling, his sword resting on the ground. The traces of coughing up blood were clearly visible on his chest.
Knight Farran was a well-trained knight recognized by Count Coty, yet even he had lost. Although
she hadn’t seen it, Level had naturally attacked as well. She had spoken playfully, bringing up the topic of fairies, but Level was also a knight and had witnessed the unfolding situation, so he gripped his sword with a serious attitude.
This seems like no joke.
Level stepped forward saying that, specializing in the Formal Sword Style, which was Encred’s forte.
From Aker’s Web to Wave Barrier and Embers Extinguishing,
Level was a single-minded stickler who focused solely on the Formal Sword Style. If asked if that made it boring, that wasn’t the case.
Ultimately, in terms of skill alone, he was the best opponent among the three, yet Encred acted like his nemesis.
He knocked two of them down in a flash. Encred was just beginning to reveal his true colors. With his left hand turned to the back, he preemptively blocked every attack with the single sword held in his right.
Level, struck by Embers Extinguishing, blushed, abruptly abandoned the Formal Sword Style, and attempted a thrusting strike to settle the matter, only to be struck in the nose by a fist and forced to retreat.
Hiding his left hand behind his back was not a provocation, but a deceptive tactic. It was the left hand that struck his face.
In effect, Encred had intentionally finished all three of them off with his hands rather than his sword. It was an elbow strike at first, but in any case, he hadn’t finished them off using a sword.
Did you hide your skills?
Knight Farran stepped forward next, but he was no different from the other three. Although Farran was a well-trained knight with no particular specialty to speak of, he was no match for them.
Encred, who had demonstrated the Embers Suppression technique, launched an attack this time with a lightning-like sword invisible to the average eye, disabling Farran’s stance and pushing him back.
Farran’s legs were tangled, but he did not give up. Even in a strained position, he extended his sword and quickly regained his balance. “
Yes, a knight should be able to do at least this much.”
Farran’s eyes gleamed as his blade split. His engraved weapon was “Hide,” a method where one of the two swords was hidden away.
While he maintained a serious demeanor on the surface, his tactics resembled those of an assassin.
The handle of his original longsword split in two, and a blade about a handspan shorter emerged to target Encred’s chest.
It was a truly well-hidden move. Because the blade was concealed with deliberate intent, it was difficult to predict, even for the most insightful or mind-reading dragonkin. It was a technique perfected through grueling training.
Encred dodged the thrusting blade by leaning backward with his feet firmly planted on the ground using pure reaction speed, and kicked him in the chest. The kick, imbued with the will of penetration, tightened around his heart.
“Cough!”
With that, the fight ended. Phalan recoiled, spitting blood, and knelt on one knee on the ground.
This was the scene Rodi witnessed when he stood up. The fight hadn’t lasted long. Encred hadn’t suffered a single scratch. Only then did it become clear to everyone, including Phalan, that none of them were to be trifled with. It wasn’t
just Encred; everyone was. The reputation of the Mad Knights from the continent was not in vain.
Is this all?
Encred asked. That nonchalant question was not mockery, but a genuine inquiry.
Four knights collapsed in an instant. While this alone cannot judge the level of the Imperial Knights, isn’t this too one-sided? It
was as if everyone watching was about to harbor such doubts.
I’m getting restless just watching. Let’s have another round.
Balmung bared its fangs and stepped forward. He had intended to just watch, but as expected, this bastard somehow made his blood boil.
Encred did not hesitate. On his first day in the imperial city of Manur, Encred did nothing but swing his sword.
He stayed for exactly one day and left the next.
It was impressive. I will strive harder and see you again next time.
The three young knights of the Imperial Order changed their attitude. It was filled with politeness. Encred left them with some brief advice, but whether they heeded it or not was up to them.
Knight Palan did not speak to him privately afterward. He did not show great displeasure at the fact that he had lost, but neither did he accept the situation with amusement.
However, when I secretly watched, I saw him swinging his sword alone, even in the middle of the night. He had reached his current state because he hated losing.
But having lost to a knight from the continent, his pride was deeply wounded. If things had gone a little further down a bad path, he might have resorted to ambushes or scheming, but he was not a person broken to that extent.
He was a moderately ugly person.
This was Temares’s assessment of the knight Palan, and Encred now understood the meaning.
If a duel with Balmung was ten times as fun, a duel with Palan was not even three times as fun. He was a man who struggled desperately to win rather than enjoying the fight. They
boarded the carriage again and began traveling along the Imperial Road. Not long after, a group of people blocked their path. Stepping forward was a woman with a neat appearance.
“I am Ilain Rengadis, the head of the Rengadis Merchant Guild.”
She was a beauty. Comparable to the Witch of the Black Flower and the Witch of Gold.
She had come out beside the wide road, stopped the carriage, and set up a campsite. It was just as the sun had set.
Mountains and forests were visible in the distance, and the plains had ended just as they had crossed two hills.
She welcomed the party at the perfect moment and location to rest.
“Do those in the Empire intend to come out one by one?”
Krang said with a smile, “It seems there is someone welcoming us wherever we go.”
The woman who introduced herself as Ilaine replied with a sweet smile.
That shows just how much I have been looking forward to Your Majesty’s visit.
It was a skillful attitude.
