992. Friendship and Treason
“What do you mean by ‘me’?” The Count’s words left a lingering doubt, but he had already turned and left.
Instead of needlessly grabbing him to ask, Encreed went inside, washed up, and went to sleep. He repeated “Restauratio, Iterum, Enobatio” right up until he fell asleep.
He had let the Count speak for himself, as his attention was focused on him.
Restoration, again, purity.
I roughly understand the concepts and memorize them. Thinking things through is Enkrid’s forte.
Putting that understanding into practice is a whole different story, though.
Restoration? Well…
He wasn’t particularly interested. Was it a bold decision? It was understandable. Encred already knew the concept of Restauratio.
If asked how he knew, he would answer Rem, Saxen, Ragnar, Audin, and Sinar.
Furthermore, Dunbakel, Theresa, Pell, and Roford, who had trained under them, were also included in the answer.
Something you already know.
Restoration is one of the techniques of saving up and using the Will you intend to use.
It is a concept of gathering up and hoarding it during normal times, then unleashing it when fighting. To be precise, it is storage rather than restoration, but if you look at the structure, restoration would be the correct term.
Reawakening and using what has been stored away.
Once you’ve used it all up like that, it’s the Iterum.
This is similar, too.
It is a technique developed to guard against pouring out all the will one possesses and reaching exhaustion.
So, you should subtly accumulate Will throughout your body in your daily life, and just before reaching exhaustion, use Iteum to replenish it with a new mass of Will just like the beginning.
Since the container must be empty to put anything in it,
the key is to learn how to keep things outside the container in normal times.
This is nothing special, either.
It is something his subordinate madmen are already doing. Enkrid’s attention was focused on Enobatio.
‘water.’
Enovatio is renewal. It discards what is blurred, wrong, and old, and makes everything new. At first, I thought it was similar to density, but one cannot reach it by simply adjusting density.
Raising Will’s purity through renewal.
It is like flipping over a misaligned puzzle and putting it back together again from the beginning, piece by piece.
By repeating today.
Knowing it was the wrong path, I did not go down it. I did not waste a single day that I faced in that way.
Renewal.
Repeating today, I encounter a time of high purity. It is a similar concept. Something felt within reach but just out of reach, yet nothing clearly came to mind.
It’s not working.
It tickled and bothered me somewhat, but the conclusion was that I didn’t know what it was. That said, I didn’t feel impatient. On the contrary, a surge of euphoria made my heart pound.
If it were the past.
Moments I could never have even dreamed of arrived one after another. And in the end, I was glad. My pounding heart returned to its usual calm state, and Encreed, who had been continuing his thoughts while half-asleep, soon fell asleep.
I expected the boatman to come out and say something, but it was a deep sleep without a single dream. After waking up, I got off the rough straw bed, wiped the sleep from my eyes, and instead of morning training, went out in front of the quarters to loosen up my muscles; a nearby soldier gave me a nod of greeting.
A soldier of the Empire, huh?
It’s not low.
How do they compare to the Border Guard? They are comparable.
These Imperial soldiers, without exception, looked like seasoned veterans who had survived dozens of rough battles. If they entered the mercenary world, they would easily crush even the most elite mercenaries.
He looks more like a soldier himself.
They strictly adhered to discipline and rules, maintaining high military discipline. While appearing relaxed, they never forgot that they were soldiers.
The intensity of their training was evident in their standing posture and attitude.
It’s different from border guards.
It is not that the Border Guards lacked discipline, but there was a clear difference in temperament.
If this group were soldiers, the Border Guards were closer to mercenaries.
Was this the part Luagarné meant when she told Kreis he needed to refine further?
If an Imperial soldier receives an order to charge into the fire, he will carry it out exactly as instructed. That temperament was evident.
At the command not to approach, only two sentries stood there.
The two soldiers exchanged no words other than a nod. They didn’t even ask who he was.
They might chatter amongst themselves after it was over, but even that would remain silent if ordered to keep their mouths shut.
If the Border Guard are wild horses, then this is a warhorse raised over several generations.
The difference is stark. Well, just because they are wild horses doesn’t mean they are easy targets.
So, what if we had to fight them right now?
The outcome would depend on how many such cities there were and how many troops were available. In other words, the continent would be in danger if there were just two more cities like this.
If the battle is settled in a head-on hand-to-hand combat between armies, it is a sure defeat.
Barring any variables, it is a foregone conclusion that the side with more refined soldiers wins.
Although mainly soldiers and their families lived within this fortress-like frontier city, it was difficult to call it small. Perhaps
it was only slightly smaller than a border guard post.
Above all, aside from a training ground where they devoted themselves solely to training without doing any other work, and simple amenities, there was nothing else.
It appeared to be a system where the soldiers’ families produced and shared food to survive.
It is a form that cannot exist without external supply.
This is the reason I realized that the Empire’s supply lines are truly solid and the road construction was carried out neatly.
The empire is big.
That is what Duke Seriana said. Is that why he said things would fall apart without laws
? For the foundation of the rule of law—for the words of the few philosopher-kings to be heard—there would need to be that much closer communication, wouldn’t there? How?
The Wizard of Flirting.
What was its name again? The name probably isn’t important, but if there is a Wizard’s Tower.
Is it possible to mass-produce spell objects?
It is currently one of the businesses that trading city-states and Naurilia are focusing on the most. I heard they are conducting such business by trading with a few close wizards.
If mass production of magical tools is possible, then creating a means of close communication would also be possible.
That is as far as my distracting thoughts go. There is nothing more to delve into here, nor is it of interest.
From now on, it is up to Krang or Krys. Krang has seen the same thing here as I have, so he must have already reached a similar conclusion.
Therefore, I just needed to do what I wanted to do, as I had always done.
Do you go on vacation often?
Now is the time to tease the Imperial soldiers who are desperate for a vacation. At Encred’s words, one of the soldiers on guard looked at him. “
Why is this a joke?” you ask. “Look at the city. They are at a level where they pray every day just to get a vacation. Well, there must be something to do for fun.
Judging by the discipline, if you get into an accident while betting gold coins on card games, you get beheaded.” This was purely Encred’s speculation and an exaggerated thought. In reality, it wasn’t beheading; they let minor offenses slide and beat the more serious ones. Since
Count Koti himself laid hands on them or his knights intervened to leave them half-dead, it did have an effect similar to beheading.
While this might leave a sense of value and pride in this city, that wouldn’t completely suppress people’s desires.
Do you need anything?
A man who appeared to be a high-ranking soldier asked.
Is it right before the squire?
These soldiers of Count Coty were highly ambitious. They were all serious about training and devoted to discipline.
“Since our eyes met, I just wanted to get to know your face.”
“Do you have a hobby of forming friendships with people you might fight or kill?”
He’s a bit stiff. He
has neat, straight black hair. His eyes are ordinary, but his nose bridge is high, so he has a fairly good-looking face.
Were you planning to kill me?
Even though it was obvious who would win if a knight and a soldier fought, Encred threw out a joke mixed with a provocation.
The lower-ranking soldier looked as if he were about to get angry, but the higher-ranking soldier he had spoken to was not.
I’ll probably die.
He cuts off the jokes and the momentum. From the first time I saw him, he was a friend who gave off an unusual vibe.
“What is your name?”
“Klaus, Klaus Müller.”
“Do your ancestors serve in the military?”
No matter how I looked at it, the aura, gaze, and attitude were extraordinary. Even though I only glanced at it briefly, it left a deep impression.
I took charge of the mill.
This was the conclusion reached after a brief conversation. It was that the soldier, Klaus Müller, was the son of a miller who had decided to serve in the army after a certain incident and was currently serving here. It
was not a friendly conversation, but neither was it hostile.
“See you again, Klaus.”
“……If the chance arises, yes.”
Klaus Müller bowed his head in greeting. Encrid headed straight for the dining room and drawing room. Krang greeted him.
I thought I would be up all night.
It was last night. It suited the Count so well.
I found it fun as I did it.
I skipped my early morning workout today. I know that rest is just as important as training. So, I just lightly loosened up my muscles, chatted with a soldier named Klaus, and then set off.
You might wonder why he caught my eye.
Didn’t you say there were seven knights in this city alone?
Excluding the Count, that is the number of knights staying in the fortress city.
Power level equivalent to that of an ordinary kingdom.
Five of them were abroad, so I couldn’t see their faces.
There will be eight knights.
Klaus’s talent is not easily apparent on the surface, but it is exceptional.
‘genius.’
That is how it seems. Should I say he is walking a path different from mine?
Well, seeing one exceptionally talented soldier is not enough to shake my resolve. I merely reminded myself that I must continue to train with all my might and struggle to move forward.
“Who else?”
“Sinar and Temares were taken to the Count again.”
Encreed nodded. The Count was probably not in top condition, considering how much he had spent with him yesterday.
It’s not that I’m trying to win in the first place.
Fight solely to gauge. The Count was like that. So, he went along with it.
By accommodating him completely, he essentially unleashed and displayed everything he possessed, one by one. One might ask why he would reveal all his skills to someone who might become an enemy. But
if he held back his techniques out of fear that his opponent would counter them, when would he ever become proficient?
As always, actual combat was the best training.
I really didn’t know we would get along this well.
Seriana muttered. She had expected it, but it was a bit excessive.
The Count and Encred had built a bond of intimacy in less than half a day.
Breakfast consisted entirely of oatmeal porridge and steamed pork tenderloin. It was excessively frugal for a king’s table, but here, this was the norm.
Executor Seriana did not worry about complaints regarding the simple meal. She knew by now that the King did not care about such trivial matters. Neither did the others.
Rather, it was just one of her own men who had expressed dissatisfaction.
This is why I hate changes.
It is Nephir Tesher. Here, there is no such thing as a meal that pleases the palate. But this was Count Coty’s policy.
I eat what the soldiers eat.
It wasn’t always like this, but today was a bit drier than usual.
Count Coty was certainly a peculiar figure who considered himself a brawler rather than a noble.
Seriana led the party in this direction based on two calculations. One was the destructive power Count Coty’s unpretentiousness had on others.
It is easy to gauge a person’s character by their reaction when faced with a situation like this.
The second, though obvious, was that it was the safest path.
Of course, if it weren’t for the first reason, she wouldn’t have bothered to choose this route.
Yet, the more she observed the King, the less she understood his true character. After all, she was usually the one who was surprised.
“Hahaha, this guy fights quite well.”
The Count entered the dining room. He did not show any courtesy to Krang. In fact, he paid no attention to his presence and was busy solely looking out for his own interests.
And those interests were the selection of the Knight of the Year.
It’s you. I’ve decided on you.
He pointed at Encred, who was sitting at the table, and spoke.
Encred had just heard from Krang the origin of the nickname Count Coty.
“Who was it last year?”
Encred asked after gulping down his porridge and emptying his bowl. His purpose was obvious. He was simply determined to seek out the person once he found out who it was. After all, having as many as five knights on an overseas excursion was one of his grievances.
Good heavens, one could say that no one cared about the meeting between the Empire and the Continent.
The guy I picked last year left the Empire.
The Count spoke, and only then did he look at the King and burst into laughter.
“I have a carriage ready. From now on, we just need to follow the Imperial Highway!”
The Count changed the subject. What was the point of prying into someone who didn’t want to talk about it?
Encred didn’t ask any further questions, and Krang nodded in agreement. After all, that Margrave didn’t seem to care what happened to him.
How many days can you stay?
The Count suddenly asked Seriana in a serious tone. The executioner glanced at Krang and spoke.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Ah.”
The Count was deeply disappointed when he met Encred’s eyes.
“Can’t I go without sleep for a couple of days? I can just sleep in the carriage, can’t I?”
Leaving aside the assessment of skill, the Count enjoyed the fight itself just the same. Encred agreed with him.
“Of course.”
“Hey, you haven’t forgotten why we came all the way here, have you?”
Rem asked. No answer came back.
Encred had already gathered his sword and left, and the Count followed behind. Having fought, eaten, slept, rested, and washed together until the next morning, the two had become close enough to put their arms around each other
‘s shoulders by the time they left. Of course, if a human puts their arm around a giant’s shoulder, it wouldn’t be an arm around the shoulder, but hanging on.
“Ah, I want to quit being a Margrave.”
He said he wanted to follow Encred.
“I heard you swore an oath with the Emperor?”
“Yeah, that’s why I can’t go. It’s such a shame!”
This giant expressed his affection simply and clearly. It would be more accurate to say he expressed it rather than just said so, as he didn’t just say it; he also added that if we ended up fighting the Empire, he would let us off the hook, so we should come over.
“Count, that is treason.”
When Seriana, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up, the Count burst into laughter.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. The Emperor isn’t petty.”
He just spoke as if shouting.
At this point, I am really looking forward to meeting the Emperor.
Krang, having boarded the carriage, spoke. He is a vessel capable of taking in even such a giant. There was no way he wouldn’t be curious.
I am on my way to meet you now.
Seriana replied calmly. She had expected that she would get along well with Count Coty, but even she did not know they would become this close.
The King and the Mad Knight Commander were fascinating figures in many ways.
“I’m the coachman!”
In the meantime, a female assassin volunteered to be the coachman. Saxony’s brow furrowed briefly before relaxing again.
Hey, you better watch out.
Rem watched that and teased Saxon.
