Chapter 189 - You Punk, Time for a Beating
After retrieving his sword from the blacksmith…
"This is a fine sword."
…he also received an iron cuirass. It was a type that fastened with rivets only at the sides. It was comfortable since nothing hung on the shoulders, but it seemed he would need to find separate pauldrons. Enkrid's eyes fell on a pile of scrap iron in the corner of the smithy.
There were two other blacksmiths in the Border Guard, but this one had the best skills. The Border Guard had no exclusive blacksmith for a lord, so all three smithies had to supply weapons to the barracks. Now that the war was over and it was time to stockpile materials, they would be busy making spears, swords, and maces from scrap iron.
In short, the blacksmith before him had pushed himself to work on Enkrid's sword despite having no time.
"Here."
Ting.
He tossed a gold coin and placed a few more on top of it.
"This is too much."
"Use what's left to buy your wife some flowers."
The blacksmith stared at Enkrid with hollow eyes. Just take it when it's given, what are you looking at?
His krona situation had become very comfortable recently, and Enkrid was not a man who was stingy with his money. Krais called this his commander's greatest flaw, but in reality, the only one in the platoon—no, the company—who was sensitive about krona was Krais. Even Finn didn't have a particularly strong concept of money. As for Esther, she was a panther, so there was no need to even mention it.
'But is it right to consider Esther a member of the unit?'
Well, she had contributed that much, so what could he do? He couldn't put her on the official roster, but the panther was acknowledged as a comrade.
In any case, Rem, Ragna, Audin, Jaxen. Didn't they all spend krona like water? He seemed to recall they did. Of course, the biggest spender of them all was Enkrid. Whether he received a reward or plundered a treasure trove, if his pockets were full of krona, he spent it without hesitation.
It was the same after he left the blacksmith.
Ting.
"Take it."
A gold coin flew through the air, and a rough hand snatched it. It was John the Tanner.
John's skills were excellent. In fact, some of the traveling merchants who visited this city came just to see him. His skill in handling leather was worthy of being called an artisan; he was well beyond the level of a craftsman. This time, what he had received from him was a pair of leather forearm protectors called bracers, which protected from the wrist to the elbow. Even though they wrapped around his arms, they were soft yet sturdy. They were pitch black and fastened with leather straps of the same material. The marks of careful work were evident everywhere. The artisan's skill was visible in every detail. So, a single gold coin was nothing.
"It's beast leather, oiled three times."
One gold coin won't be enough, then.
Ting. Another coin.
"That's about right."
John the Artisan always received a fair price. He was a leather craftsman with a conscience. This was why the traveling merchants wore a path to his door. Usually, when someone gets called an artisan, the price of their goods skyrockets, but not for John. In any case, beast leather was one of the most difficult materials to work with. The tanning process itself required special chemicals, and even then, it often failed. It might be easy to acquire in the capital, but in the borderlands, it was doubtful.
'Is there anyone else who has something like this?'
Probably not.
He also liked the sword. The spirit that had taught him swordsmanship was gone, and the vessel that had contained it—the sword that could have been called a cursed sword—was now just a piece of metal. It had a faint blue sheen, the hilt was wrapped in deerskin that the blacksmith had paid special attention to, and the round, solid pommel was also much to his liking.
"Take these. Had some time on my hands."
Was it because it had been a while since he came to the market? The shoemaker he had met when he opened the gates of his senses approached and gave him a pair of boots. The soles were thicker than before, and the instep was reinforced with a hard shell. It was clear at a glance that this was not an item made with ordinary care.
"Just made them roughly, so it felt weird to sell them."
What is this ridiculous excuse?
"Father, just say you wanted to give them to him," his daughter said from the side, smiling brightly. It was a refreshing smile.
Enkrid's hand tossed another coin.
Ting! A gold one. The daughter caught it.
"This is too much."
"Just use the change however you want."
Enkrid scattered coins, and on his way, he received a large amount of seasoned jerky. He also received a couple of bottles of wine. It didn't taste bad. But why was he being given charcoal?
"It's good charcoal."
Where am I supposed to use this? Should I have a barbecue?
They were interesting people, anyway. Was this the power of the Gilpin Guild? It seemed many of the city's dark and stained parts had been wiped clean. Of course, there were some parts that couldn't be erased. For example…
"Commoner, get lost."
…a noble bastard like that. It was a noble with an escort he had encountered on the street. When he saw Enkrid, he deliberately raised the corners of his mouth. A sneer.
"A company commander, of all things. How absurd. I don't know what tricks you pulled on Marcus, but that was a mistake."
Hmm. If it were Rem, the moment he said that, his head would have been split in half with an axe. No, he probably would have thrown a punch at 'get lost.' He could only hope that Rem never heard such words.
The man looked like he would be friends with a ghoul. His eyes were narrow and his lips were thin. It was the face of a man who had lived his entire life despicably. An impression doesn't prove everything, but this bastard seemed to live a life similar to his appearance. In fact, such rumors were rampant.
'It's a face that would make Luagarne recoil.'
Frogs are particular about appearances. Human appearances, at that. A peculiar race, aren't they? And that was the Frog who had said she would fall for him.
"Hmph." The noble bastard passed by with an escort behind him. He was heading towards the city gate, perhaps on some business in the market. He was a man who had always shown his dislike for him. There was nothing new about it. So, Enkrid was unfazed.
Instead, the fruit vendor next to him muttered, "Unlucky bastard. May he die from shit poisoning."
Now that's a creative curse. But what was that bastard's name again? He had heard it before, but there was no need to know. He just had to make sure he didn't run into Rem.
"I wonder what the 'superior-officer-assaulter' is up to," Enkrid muttered to himself with a tune as he returned to the unit.
Rem spat out some unexpected words. "Any thoughts on finding another guy like Andrew somewhere?"
"Hmm?"
"The thrill's been a little lacking lately."
This was dangerous. It was a signal of Rem's frustration.
"A spar?"
It was time to quickly put out the fire. It was a rather rough spar, enough that he had to use Heart of the Beast indiscriminately.
"You're using some nice bracers," Rem noticed the changed equipment. His eyes were sharp. "That sword doesn't seem like an ordinary item either."
"Found it on the road."
After finishing the spar with such conversation, by evening, his whole body ached. Had he ever pushed himself this hard in a spar recently? In any case, thanks to that, Rem's frustration was moderately relieved.
"I think I'll sleep well tonight."
He had been acting uncharacteristically troubled, wondering whether to become a knight or not, but now he seemed fine.
"Right. Sleep well."
That evening, Audin finished his prayers as usual and called for Enkrid.
"Company Commander-brother."
"What is it?"
"Would you like to go on a night patrol today?" the bear asked with a gentle smile. His build was large, but his smile looked gentle. Looking at him like this, it seemed Audin could do quite well if he set his mind to wooing women. He could see why Krais wanted to bring him into his salon.
"How about becoming a priest who roams the night?" Krais would often poke at him with such words. But Audin would just smile. He didn't even answer, as if it wasn't worth responding to.
In any case, it seemed that Audin had something to say. Either that, or he was literally suggesting a night walk.
"Let's do that."
As it was, he was being exempt from all duties because of the whole independent company thing, and he was starting to feel the eyes of others in the barracks. So, this patrol was a coincidence and was closer to a walk. Audin had something to say, and the night patrol was a good excuse. Enkrid, too, had been thinking of doing something like duty at least once.
"There is a saying in the holy scriptures that a day well-built is more important than a day of overexertion. What this means is…"
A sermon. The usual sermon. Sometimes, Audin talked way too much, especially when it came to sermons and the scriptures. Was Finn really okay with this?
"How are things with Finn?" he asked. She had said she was aiming for him.
"I am endeavoring to convert the sister."
He's trying to instill his religious views in someone who's trying to bed him? It suited Audin, but for a woman, that must be quite damaging to her pride. Despite that, Finn had a bright face every day.
"The point is this. It is better to push your body to an appropriate level than to overdo it, Company Commander-brother."
He remembers to use my new title every time. Enkrid nodded at Audin's words. He understood. He had been pushing himself as if he were being chased recently. It was just…
'It feels like it's within my grasp, but I can't quite catch it.'
As he swung his sword and used Heart of the Beast, he thought that it would be nice if he could advance one more step, and perhaps a sense of impatience had set in. Just because he didn't know frustration or despair didn't mean he could stop his heart from rushing. It wasn't as if he had really pushed his body with intent, but one's actions and attitude change depending on one's mindset. And through that, one's perspective on the world also changes.
It was a good lesson.
"Was that it?"
"It was."
A few words. If he thinks it's reasonable, he immediately acknowledges and accepts it. It was Enkrid's greatest strength. However.
'Does he have no conscience? For you to be the one to say that.'
Who was it that said breaking his limits every day was his job, using the Isolation Technique as an excuse?
"When I am watching, it is not overexertion, but just the right level," Audin replied verbally to the look in Enkrid's eyes.
"I'm starting to think my expressions are too easy to read lately."
"It is because you show them so easily."
Pfft. Enkrid laughed, and Audin laughed too.
As they walked on patrol along the gallery, a few soldiers they knew saluted them.
"It's just an irregular patrol. Don't mind us."
The city is peaceful. It was safe. Whatever was happening around them, these walls would protect them.
'Did he say he wanted me to love the city?'
With the moonlight at his back, he looked down at the city shrouded in darkness. On the gallery, the city was spread out beneath his feet. The sound of summer night insects stimulated his ears.
'I don't know about love.'
But at the very least, he wouldn't just stand by and watch them die before his eyes. Protect the weak. It's the first thing that comes up when discussing chivalry. Some say it's just an excuse to wield a knight's power.
'If you have power and don't use it properly, you're just a brute.'
Enkrid's dream was not to be a brute. The moonlight warmed him. He doesn't believe he can become a knight overnight. There is still a long road to walk. There is Will. He believes there are still things to learn. Before that, he also needed time to properly digest what he currently had. Just because he learned a new sword style doesn't mean he will neglect what he had before.
'There is still room for training.'
That was Enkrid's own judgment. He was lost in thought, drunk on the moonlight. Enkrid's ears perked up.
"There's something here," Audin also reacted.
And then, a foul smell wafted over, and something scrambled up the wall with a pababat.
"KHHHUUUURRR!"
The roar of a beast—no, a monster. It contained a power that shook a person's spirit.
"Uh, uh." The soldier standing right in front of it froze at the monster's cry. It was before Enkrid could even move. The moment the cry was heard, there was a bear that crossed the moonlight. A very fast and skillful bear. It was Audin.
"KHHHUNG!"
The opponent was a Manticore. A high-level beast with the tail of a scorpion and the head and body of a lion—no, a monster called both a monster and a beast. A creature that binds its opponents with its roar alone, and sends them to the next world with a single touch of its scorpion tail. It's a creature they say not to fight even with the strength of a full company. Not all beasts were the same. A Manticore was a monster that couldn't be compared to a hyena beast.
Such a monster, a truly fearsome monster, was nothing short of a nightmare to an ordinary soldier.
"Kitty cat, if you make so much noise at night, you'll wake people up."
Seeing Audin gently soothe such a monster, it was as if the Manticore had plummeted to the level of a stray cat. The Manticore was seen lowering its posture as soon as it saw Audin. Audin stood in a relaxed stance, only raising his hands in front of him. His palms were half-visible, and his thumbs were pointing toward himself.
In the meantime, Enkrid grabbed the neck of the frozen soldier and pulled him back. "Take a deep breath in and out and move. Start by slowly putting strength into your fingertips."
"Uh, yes, sir!"
A Manticore's roar contains the power to overwhelm its opponents. Enkrid muttered how to break free from it. A soldier on guard duty on the gallery gripped his whistle, ready to blow it at any moment.
"Wait a moment." Enkrid warned him again with his eyes, not wanting him to make a sound and become the Manticore's target. Even with his frozen body, the soldier was faithful to Enkrid's command.
"Back."
As Enkrid was moving the soldiers on the gallery back, the Manticore moved. It dashed, splitting the moonlight, and swung its foreleg. It was fast. A high-level beast, indeed. It lightly kicked off the ground, leaving a faint afterimage. Enkrid's gaze followed it all.
Audin, its target, narrowly dodged the foreleg and threw a left punch.
'Ah.'
Enkrid was inwardly impressed. A perfect dodge followed by a counter. It was in the same vein as some of the swordsmanship he had just learned.
'By moving your foot out, you draw the opponent into your embrace, then twist your body to secure space and strike. It's possible if you predict the opponent's attack.'
Luagarne's teaching came to mind, and Audin's punch and movement overlapped with it. Audin, having twisted his body, slammed his fist into the Manticore's snout.
POW!
The sound of a leather drum being struck rang out clearly. The creature, knocked to the ground with a padadak, was pushed to the side.
Krrrrung!
The struck monster let out a cry of pain.
"You punk, time for a beating."
After that, Audin became a teacher scolding a child. It was just that his opponent was a high-level beast that could chew up a company. The rest was a scene like any other, a mixture of discipline and sermon.