CHAPTER 19

He endured today.

The repetition of training and drills.

That's how Encrid lived.

And it was the first time he'd come this far in the repetition of today.

'Am I going to die?'

It was the first thought that came to his mind at the company commander's reaction. Encrid quickly corrected himself.

'If she wanted to kill me, she would have done it earlier.'

When did Krang slip away?

He hadn't felt any sign of that.

'Sigh.'

Even in this situation.

'I'm still lacking.'

Encrid felt the inadequacy of his trained hearing.

It was in his nature.

So, he missed the timing to respond.

The newly appointed company commander, a fairy woman, was staring intently at him.

Did she say, "You're alive?"

Then what should he reply with?

Encrid opened his mouth.

"...Should I have died?"

"Hmm, that's not it."

The company commander replied, moving only her lips.

She stared at Encrid for a long time and then turned around.

She then retrieved the poisoned needle that had fallen on the floor and checked the state of the guards she had brought along with Vengeance, turning their eyes over to inspect them.

'Is she checking to see if any soldiers died in the meantime?'

Then, she brought the poisoned needle to her lips and lightly touched it with her tongue.

'She must have some knowledge of herbalism.'

Occasionally, he had seen mercenaries doing such things.

Fairies, being naturally inclined to nature, often had deep knowledge of poisons and medicines.

Encrid just watched while sitting down.

He had no desire to get up.

Of course, if someone were to target his neck right now, he would roll or dodge to avoid it, but it was still exhausting.

Though not as much as the first repetition of today, this was just as tiring.

If the first time was a matter of physical stamina,this time, it felt like he had drained his mental strength completely.

He had dodged numerous repeated attacks by sound alone.

Not a single scratch was on him.

Of course, it wasn't by chance.

How many times had he been attacked before?

There had been times he was caught off guard, but he had also narrowly avoided the first strike many times.

Repeated patterns tend to be learned.

There were patterns even in the actions of an assassin.

Encrid had reflexively learned them.

'I've tried this once before.'

Was it a bit easier the second time?

No.

It was never easy.

If anyone had seen Encrid's repeated today, if they had been with him, they would never say such a thing.

But no one could do that.

In the isolated today, he was always alone.

Encrid pressed his temples with his fingers while sitting down.

His excitement hadn't subsided, and his head throbbed.

In time, it would turn into a headache.

Instinctively, he knew this.

Swish.

Sensing someone bringing something close to his neck, Encrid instinctively twisted his body to the side and extended his palm.

He saw Krang mimicking a chop to his neck with the edge of his hand.

"Do you really have eyes in the back of your head?"

Krang said, seemingly amazed.

"This doesn't seem like a time for jokes."

Look at this carefree friend of his.

Krang laughed and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Ah, sorry."

Was it really an assassin targeting this guy?

'Then why didn't they just kill him, why come after me first?'

Was it just bad luck?

Was it really just a matter of misfortune?

That couldn't be it.

The target must have been Krang.

No matter how he thought about it, it didn't make sense for an assassin to come after him and Vengeance.

'If it was me and Vengeance, it would be easier to frame us and kill us quietly.'

Why send an assassin to deal with two powerless soldiers?

There was no need for that.

Why send an assassin at all?

They wanted to eliminate someone quietly and without a trace.

After the killing, what about the body? Just set the tent on fire.

Who would care about the cuts on a burnt corpse?

Even if not that, there were many ways to deal with a body.

Erase the blood and traces, and throw it in a remote place.

People would assume it was desertion, not focus on abduction and murder.

Moreover, this was an outlying infirmary.

It wasn't a place for officers to stay; it was just a temporary medical tent for soldiers.

A place no one really paid much attention to.

Of course, it wasn't a place you could come to just because you wanted to.

"They were probably targeting me."

It was when the company commander was roughly assessing the situation inside and glancing outside the tent.

Krang, who was squatting nearby, suddenly spoke.

"Uh, why?"

"You don't seem very surprised."

"I am surprised. Plenty."

"You have a good poker face."

Is this really the time to focus on that?

Encrid wanted to snap at him but held back.

He knew from experience. This guy was carefree by nature.

'Of course, he knows when to be serious.'

Though today had already passed, and Krang wouldn't remember it, the image of Krang giving a speech, absorbing everything around him, was etched into Encrid's mind.

"You're not going to tell us who you are, are you?"

The company commander had approached silently and spoke.

Krang nodded slightly and spoke again.

"Anyway, sorry about that."

Is that supposed to be an apology?

Krang stood up, looked around, and met the company commander's eyes.

"I don't think I'm in a position to give orders, so I'll ask for a favor."

Krang spoke casually to both Vengeance and the company commander.

If he wasn't a high-ranking noble, he couldn't do that.

Otherwise, he'd have no right to complain if he got stabbed and died.

He didn't just open his mouth for no reason.

One step.

He merely took a single step forward.

It was the same as back then.

The atmosphere became reminiscent of the time when they asked about his identity.

Krang quietly accepted their gaze.

Two spectators, one actor.

But the actor was like a vortex.

A greedy being that absorbs everything around him.

"Can I ask this favor? I'll consider it a debt to be repaid."

"Go ahead."

The company commander answered with a bow.

Krang spoke with a gentle smile.

"I hope no one else dies today."

His voice was small but firm, quiet yet stormy.

If a voice could have magic, it would be like this.

It made you want to grant his wish. The tone and manner of speaking made you feel that way.

How does he make one feel like this?

Encrid felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Because he had experienced it once before.

The vortex that absorbed everything around it quickly subsided.

Krang, having spoken, extended his hand to Encrid.

"Are your legs giving out?"

"No, not quite."

Encrid, with mixed feelings, grasped his hand.

"…Is this the reason you changed your mind?"

Seeing the two of them, the company commander asked.

"Let's just say that it is."

Krang replied.

Encrid couldn't understand any of the conversation between them.

Not that he had any intention to ask.

'They probably wouldn't tell me anyway.'

The company commander sighed slightly and spoke to Encrid.

"Can you keep today's events to yourself?"

"Yes, of course."

Considering she asked with a tone that implied she'd put a hole in his neck if he didn't, there was no other answer he could give.

He had caught a glimpse of the new company commander's skills earlier.

Just one move.

'Could she really deflect it like that?'

A single move pushing away with the back of her hand.

With a single gesture, Encrid lost his balance and fell.

He would prefer not to see that repeated.

If so, he could die and that would be the end of it.

He could repeat today.

What if he refused to keep quiet here?

Would they not kill him?

No, that wouldn't work.

There were plenty of ways to silence him without killing him.

It would be useless. Besides, he had no intention of committing suicide on purpose.

"I ask you."

Most importantly, Krang said this.

Encrid had known him only for a few days and had only a few conversations.

But he felt a considerable bond with Krang.

Their relationship was strangely intimate despite the short time they had spent together.

"Keeping my mouth shut is my specialty."

It wasn't an empty promise.

He knew several secrets within the squad.

Some were important, others not so much.

But he had never spoken about any of them anywhere.

"Then we just need to resolve this situation," the company commander said, looking at the torn tent and the two fallen soldiers.

"When you say you hope no one else dies, that includes those two as well," Krang said.

The company commander nodded nonchalantly.

No one knew what had happened here yet.

But if they found out?

It seemed revealing Krang's identity would be problematic.

The company commander was contemplating.

"When those guards wake up, will they know they were attacked?" Encrid asked, brushing the dirt off his backside.

"I suspect they won't. Even if they did, they wouldn't have seen anything," the company commander replied with a hint of confidence. Encrid thought the same.

He had been caught off guard several times himself.

That freckle-faced guard likely passed out without knowing anything.

So then...

"Just carry one of them outside," Encrid said.

The company commander looked back at him.

"I have a simple and convenient solution. But I might get some flak for it. You'll need to cover for me, Commander."

Encrid explained his plan. Krang laughed upon hearing it, while the company commander nodded without a trace of a smile.

* * *

Whoosh!

"Hmm?"

The guard, who had been dozing off in front of the tent, suddenly felt a stinging sensation on his cheek and opened his eyes.

When he looked around, he felt a warm heat coming from somewhere.

Still half-asleep, he turned to the side and instantly froze.

'Fire?'

There was fire. Flames were rising up the front of the tent, sending sparks flying.

Clang.

The sound of the spear he had been holding hitting the ground fully woke him up.

"F-Fire! Fire! Fire!"

The soldier who dropped his spear shouted. He was so shocked his tongue got twisted.

"Fire! Fire! Fire!"

He couldn't even manage to say 'There's a fire', just kept shouting 'Fire'. 

But his urgent cries quickly reached the ears of those around him.

"Fire!"

A nearby patrol guard shouted loudly, making the situation clear.

"The medical tent is on fire!"

The sharp voice of the patrol guard echoed loudly.

"Bring water!"

Finally, other soldiers started to poke their heads out and assess the situation.

"Damn it, is anyone inside the tent?"

"Were there people inside?"

"Yeah, those damn soldiers!"

The fire that started in front of the tent quickly spread upwards, engulfing the entire tent.

Chaos erupted in the middle of the night.

Black soot and smoke rose into the sky.

Even the bravest soldier wouldn't dare go inside.

"Bring water!"

The supply officer shouted loudly.

Those who had been running around quickly brought buckets of water.

Splash!

They threw the water onto the fire. For a moment, the smoke billowed.

"Form a line and pass the buckets along!"

The supply company commander shouted, showing his experience from hauling supplies.

The bucket brigade method involved soldiers lining up and passing items along a single line.

A long line of soldiers began passing water buckets forward in the same manner.

Splash!

One of the soldiers dropped a bucket on the ground.

"Are you messing around? Pick it up quickly!"

"Yes, sir!"

Amid the commotion, the flames illuminated the soldiers' faces.

The supply company commander was stomping his feet in frustration.

The fire on the tent wasn't the main concern.

If it spread to the nearby tents, it would cause chaos.

To him, the fire spreading was a bigger issue than a few soldiers dying inside.

As the bucket brigade started to quell the flames, the supply company commander sighed in relief.

'Why did a fire break out suddenly?'

Was it fire season?

The weather wasn't particularly dry.

Fortunately, the fire didn't spread.

The flames, as if they had waited for this moment, consumed just the one tent and died down.

"There's someone in there!"

One of the soldiers with good night vision shouted.

"Get them out, it's lucky if they're alive."

The supply company commander said, though he didn't really mean it.

He was a hundred times more relieved that the fire hadn't spread than that the people inside were saved.

* * *

Encrid laid the freckled soldier down next to Platoon Leader Vengeance, who the company commander had moved outside.

"Here!"

He shouted, and people rushed over.

"Are you okay?"

"A fire, all of a sudden?"

"What happened?"

Encrid, with soot on his face, coughed and sputtered.

Anyone could see he had just emerged from the burning tent.

"I don't, cough, really know either," Encrid said between coughs.

The midnight fire ultimately ended as an accident.

* * *

A distant owl's hoot echoed.

It was probably coming from the forest.

The fairy company commander, listening to the sound, aligned the map in her mind with their current location and walked in the right direction.

It was a gravelly stream not far from the camp.

Upon reaching the destination, the company commander spoke.

"If it weren't for that squad leader, it would have been dangerous."

Just by inspecting the tent, the commander had figured out the assassin's intention.

'Eliminate the ones at the entrance first, then go straight for the target.'

Encrid had been at the entrance.

Thanks to him, they survived.

Had he held out even a little less, he would have died.

He would have died, and so would the escort target.

"I see."

Krang said, taking a deep breath in and out.

The commander turned around, looking at him.

"Then."

A straightforward farewell.

The fairy's light footsteps made not even the slightest sound.

Her current position was Company Commander of the 4th Company, 4th Battalion, Cyprus Division.

It was time to return to the camp.

The fairy's figure soon vanished from sight, disappearing into the darkness.

Watching this, Krang thought of Encrid's dream.

'A knight.'

"When I see you, I feel like I have a better sense of how I should live."

Krang responded after hearing Encrid's dream.

It wasn't an empty remark.

Krang might deceive others, but he had never given a false word to those who approached him sincerely.

Krang had a secret about his birth.

However, he didn't like his birth or his secret.

So, he had avoided it until now.

'I'll face it too.'

He recognized Encrid's skill at a glance.

Such a person dreams of becoming a knight.

Out of ten passersby, five would say that dream is unattainable.

The remaining five would be busy mocking it.

Yet he dreams.

He won't give up.

Although it had only been a few days, Krang could sense from Encrid's steady, repeated practice of clenching and unclenching his fists that he would not change.

Such a person doesn't change easily.

"He was indeed an interesting friend."

A peculiar sense of intimacy lingered. The clouds above Krang's head parted. The moonlight began to peek through again.

He walked on.

A slightly different life awaited him now.