CHAPTER 47

The Fairy Company Commander learned after the battle that the flag was the medium for the spell.

So, who broke this flag?

By retracing the situation on the battlefield, the answer came out.

'The Troublemaker Squad Leader.'

That's why she was here.

The battalion commander hadn't even noticed. He didn't seem interested in who broke the spell's medium.

He thought the foolish sorcerer had simply failed.

Given that there were many quacks among the sorcerers on the continent, his conclusion made sense.

Even if that wasn't the case, the battalion commander was likely too overwhelmed to think straight.

After all, a figure of higher rank had come to the unit.

"What do you mean?"

A response came to the question of whether it was him.

"Sorcery, flagpole, medium."

With those three short words, she said everything she wanted to.

Encrid didn't intend to deny what he had done, even though no one had asked him about it.

"Yes. I did it."

"How?"

A brief question came back.

"I picked up the spear and threw it."

"There were five decoys."

There were six flagpoles in total, with only one being the real one.

"I guessed."

"You knew the flagpole was the medium?"

"I saw something while scouting, and I knew a bit about spells beforehand."

His answers flowed smoothly. The Fairy's sharp intuition judged that he wasn't lying.

However, it was clear he wasn't telling everything, even if it didn't require the Fairy's intuition to know that.

How should I put it?

He admitted to doing it, but he seemed reluctant to go into details.

The Fairy Company Commander looked into Encrid's blue eyes and nodded.

"Understood."

"Did you come here just to ask that?"

"Yes. I thought I'd see you while I was at it."

After briefly pausing, the Company Commander took a deep breath and said, "It seems we're connected by fate."

Leaving this ambiguous remark, the commander turned away. It was a statement ripe for misunderstanding. Rem jabbed Encrid in the ribs, who was stunned by the absurdity.

"What's your secret?"

"What?"

"Tell me your secret for charming fairies. I'll listen."

"Impressive," Ragna chimed in.

"I don't think that's it," Encrid replied.

Even Big Eyes acknowledged Encrid's looks. Without even trying, he often attracted women when he was in the city.

He wasn't a virgin, obviously.

Encrid wasn't naive or clueless enough to mistake signals between men and women.

So, that wasn't the nature of their conversation. There were no signals exchanged.

Instead, it left him with a lingering sense of unease.

Especially since it came from a superior's superior.

"There wasn't even time to meet separately. Ah, I get it. Was it back then? When you were in the infirmary? That was the only time!"

"No, you crazy fool."

Rem went on about the same topic for the next four hours.

Ragna left in the middle to take a nap.

Jaxon, who came in later, nodded meaninglessly, which somehow made Encrid feel a bit better.

Big Eyes, who came in afterward, was about to chatter when he heard what Rem had said and leaned close to Encrid.

"So, instead of rolling around on the battlefield, let's start a noblewoman's salon together."

"No way. You lunatic."

Big Eyes' dream was to save up a lot of Krona and open his own shop.

His dream was to open a place where handsome men would entertain noblewomen.

The shop would sell drinks and snacks.

With a clear purpose, he believed that even if he charged multiple times the price for drinks and snacks, people would come. He had suggested partnering up before.

He had mentioned it to Rem once and nearly got beaten up, so he hadn't brought it up for a while.

"Don't talk to me about it. I'll split your head with an axe."

Rem chuckled from behind.

"Oh, I won't do it."

Big Eyes spoke in a voice that was barely alive.

"Only pretends to be a barbarian at times like this."

Big Eyes grumbled quietly. He didn't seem to have the courage to speak up loudly.

No, having this much courage was impressive. There was no way Rem hadn't heard his muttering.

As Rem glared at him, Big Eyes clapped his hands together.

"Oh, right! This is what I came rushing to tell you. I almost forgot because of the Squad Leader talk."

As if he could forget.

Big Eyes hurriedly spoke before Rem could retort.

Encrid knowingly played along.

Anything would be more valuable than the current conversation about the company commander and his supposed love story.

"He's coming."

"Who?"

"Oh, he's already here."

Big Eyes whispered, his expression so serious that Encrid couldn't help but lean in.

"A knight's squire."

"The Red Cape Knights?" Encrid asked.

"Yes."

Currently, Encrid and the others belong to a division named Cyprus.

That was also the name of a knight belonging to the Red Cape Knights.

Typically, military units were named after knights, and those knights belonged to a knightly order.

Of course, there weren't many who could be called knights.

Knights were individuals with rare talents even across the continent.

Therefore, the kingdom's knight orders didn't consist solely of knights.

There were those who had the potential to become knights in the future.

Squires, who were the followers and students of knights, or apprentice knights.

After completing their apprenticeship and being acknowledged by a knight, they became junior knights. That was how they joined the knight order.

Usually, squires didn't participate in battles separately from their knights. The fact that one had come to the battlefield now meant:

"He's about to become a junior knight."

What is a knight?

A minstrel once said:

"Thinking of knights as the same as regular people is a big mistake. Yes, that's right. They are beyond the limits of humans, beyond any category. Otherwise, how could they face beings like Frogs?"

A knight is said to be someone who surpasses human limits.

So, what is a junior knight?

They are those who have the potential to become knights before they actually do.

Junior knights are experts in combat and battle. If knights are those who have overcome human limits, junior knights are those who are at the threshold of those limits.

A squire about to become a junior knight and join the knightly order.

Encrid wanted to see them. He was curious about their skills. The knight he aspires to be is not merely a title of honor.

In this era, knights were symbols of power. A part of that symbol had arrived here.

"You look like you're dying to see them," Rem said to Encrid.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I heard they're already prepared for deployment," Big Eyes said.

"Did they come alone?" Rem asked, crossing his arms. Big Eyes nodded.

"Yes, they said one is enough."

With those words, Encrid understood why their forces hadn't retreated.

'If Aspen had prepared their spell.'

This side had kept their military strength as a trump card.

Naurillia and Aspen.

They introduced an element of unpredictability to the annual, tedious skirmishes.

'Is their intention to seize a part of the plains with this?'

If the spell had worked properly, there would be nothing for the junior knight to do, no matter how skilled they were.

But now, that wasn't the case. The spell had been blocked, and our side had secured the victory.

Had the squire arrived a day or two earlier, they would have been able to launch an all-out assault.

'A bit late, indeed.'

By now, the enemy would have also completed their preparations.

"Prepare for deployment! The entire army moves now!"

Encrid broke out of his thoughts at the sound from outside.

It was the platoon leader's voice.

Suddenly, the platoon leader poked his head into the tent.

"Hey, did you hear that? Oh, I guess you did."

He asked and then answered himself, seeing Krais.

"We're all deploying. We're going to push the front line of Green Pearl Plains right up to their base."

"Are you supposed to talk about the operation so openly?" Encrid asked, looking at the platoon leader.

"There's nothing to hide. We're moving out immediately. Are you coming too?"

"I'd like to see it," Encrid said, getting up despite his injuries. He still wasn't fully healed and ideally should avoid the battlefield.

"I'll stay by your side," Krais volunteered, raising his hand. He was always good at keeping himself safe in the rear.

Encrid would be fine staying close to him.

The platoon leader didn't care for Encrid like family. Being quite a bit older, he often found Encrid burdensome.

Moreover, as the Squad Leader of a troublesome unit, they often clashed.

Still, the thought of Encrid dying bothered him. He was a diligent person, always practicing with his sword and never wasting a moment, even drawing some ire from those around him for his dedication.

Seeing such a person turn into a corpse was something he couldn't stand.

"Take care of yourself," the platoon leader said as he left.

"If you want to watch, then you should go."

Rem nodded. Ragna began to prepare for deployment, gathering his gear.

Jaxon strapped on his sword and packed a few throwing knives, equipment he usually didn't bother with.

"I'll stay by your side," Jaxon said.

"By my side?" Rem joked. Jaxon shook his head.

"You stink so much it's hard to share the same tent."

Rem was good at gentle teasing, but Jaxon was equally good at delivering a single stinging insult.

"Squad Leader, I think I want to split this guy's head more than Aspen's. What do you think?"

"Endure it. Let's just go watch. Aren't you curious how well the squire will fight?"

"He'll probably fight like a demon," Rem replied, grabbing his axe.

As Encrid limped into formation, Vengeance approached him.

"Are you hell-bent on getting yourself killed?"

After the battle, Encrid had thanked him, and Vengeance had grumbled his way to the tent.

He'd then rambled on, saying he had repaid his debt and felt better now.

When Encrid had asked what debt he meant.

"The medical tent fire back then, have you already forgotten?"

"Of course not. How could I forget?"

He had forgotten. The repetition of days had that side effect.

Still, it wasn't something he could completely forget.

Krang, the assassin, and the fire.

Encrid had started the fire. Vengeance thought he'd saved Encrid from the flames, but in truth, Encrid had saved him from the assassin.

'A rescue is a rescue.'

A debt is a debt. It was easier if Vengeance thought of it that way.

That's why he had rushed to save Encrid on the battlefield.

Watching Vengeance glare at him, Encrid spoke.

"No one wants to die."

"Then why are you here?"

"I want to see."

"See what?"

"They say a squire has arrived."

"Hey, don't overdo it. I won't save you a second time."

With that, Vengeance returned to his formation.

"Why's he acting all friendly now? Wasn't he always picking fights with you?" Rem asked beside him.

There was a time like that. Vengeance had really disliked Encrid. How long ago was that?

"He's not a jerk; he's the platoon leader. We got to know each other, and he's not bad."

"Don't treat people too kindly. If you get stabbed in the back and start crying, it'll be too late."

"Mind your own business."

The unit quickly assembled and started moving. The formation wasn't perfectly neat. They began marching in a wide, radial formation.

Someone was walking alone at the front.

A red cape fluttered in the wind.

The person at the head walked slowly, caped.

At a glance, the squire's or junior knight's greatness wasn't apparent.

"Hmm, judging by the walk, he's probably quite skilled."

Rem crossed his arms and frowned.

"It's more than just a bit. His stance is solid. Unless they have something like a Frog on the other side, it's going to be a boring fight."

Ragna added his observation.

Jaxon also looked ahead, his gaze seemingly following the red cape.

Big Eyes, next to Encrid, spoke up with a different concern.

"We should fall back now. We need to retreat or we'll get caught in the fray."

Big Eyes was timing their retreat.

At that moment, the red cape fluttered dramatically. The cape caught the wind and billowed behind as its owner dashed forward.

Encrid blinked, needing to confirm what he was seeing.

The figure running ahead left a trail of afterimages.

How fast must someone be running to leave afterimages like that?

"Looks like he's channeling his will into his legs," Ragna muttered, watching the scene.

Encrid didn't fully understand what that meant but didn't feel like asking right now.

It was time to close his ears and focus.

The sight of the cape wearer running startled the enemy, who fired arrows.

Unlike before, it seemed they hadn't positioned crossbowmen separately, as a concentrated volley of arrows flew overhead.

At least a hundred archers must have drawn and released their bows.

A rain of arrows fell over the caped figure.

Instead of raising his sword to parry, the squire accelerated.

Boom!

The ground and dirt erupted like a fountain, and the cape's owner had already closed the distance to the enemy.

Just by running, he had moved beyond the range of the arrows.

It was certainly a movement that surpassed human limits.