CHAPTER 151

It was early morning.

Perhaps it could be said that it was the point where the end of dawn and the beginning of morning meet.

As the sun began to rise, the training ground on one side of the parade ground was bathed in an orange glow.

How many people would be out at the parade ground at this hour?

If not for the patrolling night watch, Encrid would be the only one.

So, seeing someone else already at the parade ground earlier than himself at this hour was a rare occurrence.

No, it was the first time, actually.

Thinking this, Encrid placed his right hand on his waist and saluted.

It was someone worthy of such respect.

The one who hosted yesterday's banquet and currently the commander responsible for the city of the Border Guard.

Nod.

Battalion Commander Marcus nodded in acknowledgment of the salute.

Marcus was not alone. It was rare for him to be alone. There were two others with him.

The two stood in the shadows of a corner of the parade ground.

One of them, Frog, stepped forward.

It was difficult for a human to fully distinguish the appearance of a Frog.

But it was clear that this Frog was different from the ones encountered before.

There was no scar on its neck.

It did not have a fierce look in its eyes.

Instead, there was a sense of curiosity, and its white cheeks puffed up slightly.

Ribbit.

Frog made its characteristic sound, surveying Encrid from head to toe.

From head to toe, and back again, its gaze lingered on his face.

It was a skill to so clearly indicate where one was looking.

"It seems an introduction is in order."

Marcus said from behind.

It was a timely suggestion.

Frog stopped its ribbiting and opened its mouth.

"I'm Frog."

Well, that was obvious just from looking at its face.

You could tell not just by its face but even by its three fingers. Its appearance was distinctly of another species.

"Enough talk."

The other person stepped forward, or rather, didn't just step forward.

Encrid saw an illusion in that moment. An illusion of his neck being cut. The illusion came first, then the reaction.

Clang!

The sound of swords clashing echoed through the parade ground.

Encrid blocked the attack with a half-drawn sword.

When had he drawn his sword?

If not for the instincts honed from countless brushes with death...

Would he have died? Or stopped?

He wasn't sure about either.

"You blocked that?"

A voice came from the other person. The voice was high and thin. A woman with short hair tied back tightly.

Her round face seemed gentle, but the sword in her hand was anything but.

"Shall we continue?"

With a voice full of ease, the blade struck again.

What could he say? There was nothing to describe it but to say it was an onslaught.

Encrid saw the sword descending from above his head.

He saw the blade aiming for his abdomen.

He experienced his neck being slashed, his arm being severed.

He even saw a sword piercing his thigh.

It felt like standing naked in a storm.

Like being in a small boat facing a tidal wave.

'If I don't leave here right now, I'll die.'

The fear of death loomed over him.

No matter how many times he repeated today, no matter if it offered a chance for growth in the end...

It was impossible as a human to completely cut away and forget the fear.

Encrid was simply a madman who knew how to fight against that fear.

'If I retreat...'

In the midst of the storm of blades, Encrid realized that if he retreated, he could escape this. It would end if he just stepped back. He wouldn't have to stand alone in this storm anymore.

So, would he retreat?

"Dreams are there to be given up."

"Are you having a headache because you're a bit like that?"

"Are you crazy? What? A Knight? Some lowly mercenary?"

"Sorry, it was my first real battle."

"Go back to the village. Become a farmer, and if you don't like that, join the village militia, then you could become the captain of the militia."

With mocking laughter, the words of those who had spoken to him flashed through his mind.

His heart pounded wildly.

They told him to give up, saying it was meaningless.

They also asked if the path he was on was the right one.

In the storm of blades, Encrid had died countless times.

Yet, there was no blackout, and he didn't see the ferryman.

He just died. And died again. He died countless times.

The light faded. Instead of the dawn's sunlight, the shadow of death loomed.

Everything struck his body with pain and suffering.

He already knew the answer.

He just had to step back.

One step back was enough.

The storm of blades urged him to retreat, saying that this wasn't the ground for him to stand on.

It said that if he just stepped back, he would be freed from all this pain and suffering.

He knew and understood this.

Even so, he couldn't retreat.

He knew that stepping back here wouldn't affect his swordsmanship, his trained body, or his being in any way.

Even so, he couldn't retreat.

Even knowing that everything would end by just stepping back.

Even so, he couldn't retreat.

The faded and torn dream asked, "Will you become a Knight like this?"

He wasn't shaken by the words of those he had met in life.

There was no reason to be.

But this was different.

This couldn't be.

The moment he decided to become a Knight, Encrid held the sharpest sword.

It was his will, his conviction, which could also be called stubbornness.

If his resolve crumbled, there would be no place left to stand.

He couldn't take back the steps he had taken, whether they were half-steps or crawling forward.

Encrid didn't even think about retreating.

He just realized his own shortcomings.

The coordination of his body, the sense of evasion.

What if he had trained these? What if he had fully mastered them?

What about the Heart of the Beast?

Even the Isolation Technique and Valaf-Style Martial Arts would have been helpful.

What if he had thoroughly mastered the basics, trained, and could extend his sword straight and true like the mustached man?

All of these could have been the foundation to navigate this situation.

Encrid couldn't retreat.

"Stop."

The storm ended as suddenly as it had begun.

The moment Frog intervened, it vanished as if washed away.

"Whew."

Encrid exhaled the breath he had been holding.

His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of his chest.

His legs trembled. He wanted to collapse, but he held firm.

Instead, he looked at his opponent—a seemingly gentle woman with short hair.

Encrid focused on one burning question.

He wanted to know what kind of trick she had just pulled.

"It's the first time I've seen someone like you endure this without knowing how to handle it. If you had held out a bit longer, you would have died."

The woman who had unleashed the storm spoke from beside Frog.

"Who are you?"

Encrid managed to ask, struggling to move his lips.

"Me? Asia."

As she spoke, she stepped forward.

The cloak she had draped over her shoulders fluttered as she wrapped it around her body. It was a cloak that fluttered and spread out.

Its color was a crimson hue that cut through the orange morning light.

A red cloak, accompanying Frog and being personally escorted by Marcus—who was she?

"The Red Cape Knights?"

Encrid murmured, and the woman nodded.

"Knight-in-training Asia."

She smiled brightly, a smile that matched her gentle appearance.

That was the end of it.

Standing there stiffly and watching was the best Encrid could do.

After that, his consciousness abruptly faded. Darkness enveloped him, and the ferryman appeared.

"Am I dead?"

No, it didn't feel like that.

He wasn't dead. Then was this a dream?

As he pondered inwardly, the ferryman spoke.

"It's a dream."

It was still astonishing to hear him speak, despite having no eyes, nose, or mouth.

"I've been watching."

At the ferryman's words, Encrid felt another question arise.

"Weren't you watching before?"

At those words, it seemed as though the boat floating on the black river tilted slightly.

As suddenly as it had begun, the dream ended.

In the interplay of darkness and light, only the ferryman's last words brushed past his ears.

"Seems like you skipped today's training?"

Why did that sound like teasing?

It could be. There's no rule saying a ferryman can't tease someone.

But the tone and words gave off a peculiar feeling.

Encrid ignored it.

If something couldn't be understood through thought, ignoring it was the best option.

But still.

He thought he heard Jaxon's voice before he fainted.

* * *

As Frog watched Encrid collapse, he reached out to catch him but stopped.

Someone else had already caught him from behind.

With auburn hair and calm eyes.

"You've gone too far with your jokes."

He spoke in a quiet tone.

Frog thought, turning his gaze aside.

There, a rather rugged-looking individual glared at him fiercely.

"What are you trying to do so early in the morning?"

Gray hair and gray eyes—probably from the Western frontier?

Behind him, there was also a man with a build as large as a bear.

"Haha, good morning, brothers and sisters. May I ask why you are treating my small and precious Platoon leader this way?"

What is this, these guys?

Frog suddenly found himself thinking that.

Behind the three, there was also a blond man with red eyes holding a sword.

He was clearly a Northerner, with distinctive features.

His hair was a mess, and there were traces of drool around his mouth.

'His stance holding the sword is quite impressive.'

Frog liked what he saw.

He had come here at Marcus's request. Marcus wanted him to assess someone's potential.

He wanted to know if this person had the qualities to become a Knight.

Frog had stopped by on his way back after the battle at the front.

Frog's eyes were different from those of humans or even Fairies.

He could discern a kind of talent that couldn't be fulfilled through mere training.

Because of his unique insight and experience, people called him the 'Able Decider', a talent identifier.

The Frog present now was the talent identifier.

While it wasn't always apparent at a glance, sometimes seeing was enough.

Especially if the person was a gem shining alone, even in the mud.

These individuals were like that.

In Frog's eyes, they were people with a one-in-ten-thousand talent, selected from among a thousand such talents.

"Who are these people?"

"MAdmen Platoon members."

Marcus answered from behind. It seemed he had heard a rough explanation.

Hadn't he called them all crazy?

It was almost surprising that they only followed their Platoon leader.

'It's a shame.'

For now, there was no opportunity to take them under his wing.

Moreover, with the hostility they were showing, they weren't the kind of people to be accepted lightly.

Just because someone has talent doesn't mean they are destined to become a 'Knight'.

It's not always necessary to take them in.

What is a Knight?

It's a world where all conditions must be met, and only such people are gathered to be called Knights.

"Quite a collection of interesting individuals."

Asia spoke from behind. She wasn't particularly belligerent. She had just done the test Marcus had requested.

Asia showed her open palms as she spoke, indicating she had no intention of fighting.

It would have been quite surprising to Encrid if he knew.

After the first strike, she had sheathed her sword and hadn't drawn it again.

Everything had been achieved through aura and pressure.

She had knocked him unconscious through sheer presence and pressure.

It was something that only someone at a Knight-in-training level could even think of attempting.

In reality, it wasn't very efficient.

It would have been easier to just knock him out with a single blow.

There was no need to spread such a fierce aura and go to such lengths.

It consumed a significant amount of mental energy as well.

Asia had only done it because Marcus asked her to.

It was a test for those with promising potential, nothing more.

There was no need for any threatening atmosphere.

Most importantly, Marcus's words captured everyone's attention.

"What do you think? Can he become a Knight?"

"If there's potential, he can become a Squire. That means he'll soon be assigned under a Knight."

A gift from Marcus.

Indeed, it wasn't of low value.

What was Encrid's dream?

What did he desire, what did he want the most?

A gift must be valuable for it to be meaningful.

Marcus thought he was putting what he learned from politics to good use.

He had prepared what the person wanted most.

The question was posed.

Asia spoke first.

"No."

Then Frog followed.

"Not even close."

What is a Knight?

Gather a thousand talented individuals.

Then select a small number from that group.

Only those who enter their world are called Knights.

"This one is difficult. What about that side? Any interest?"

Frog asked, looking directly at one individual.

The large, round eyes resembling a Frog's focused on Ragna.

Ragna blinked his sleepy eyes and spoke.

"Not interested."

If he left his Platoon leader, he would just be a lazy person.

Knowing this about himself, he naturally refused.

'Well, this is a shame.'

Frog clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Looking at them, a female Frog would have taken an interest in them.

Moreover, they had exceptional skills, so he thought it would be enjoyable if they joined the Knighthood.

And they refused?

Even the proposal from the Red Cape Knights?

They couldn't take everyone, but they could have accepted at least one.

"Interesting friends. I've done as you asked. Don't forget that, Battalion Commander Marcus."

"Ah, of course."

Asia and Marcus spoke behind him.

Asia patted Frog on the back.

"What are you doing? Let's go."

Both had a lot of work to do.

They needed to return to the capital to report the victory and convey the terms of the Aspen agreement.

And there were countless other tasks awaiting them.

"I'll stay for a few more days."

"Huh?"

Asia tilted her head, her ponytail swaying from side to side.

What was he talking about?

"You go ahead."

Frog said. Asia started to say something but then closed her mouth.

It wouldn't be a problem if she went alone.

Her affiliation spoke for itself.

She was a member of the Red Cape Knights.

There was no need for Frog to explain further.

Besides, Frogs were known to be hedonists who couldn't control their desires and interests.

So leaving him be, was the best option.

She figured he must have taken an interest in that red-haired soldier.

"Alright, then."

With those words, Asia turned and left.

Coincidentally, Vengeance, who had taken on the night watch, witnessed everything.

He had come out to the morning training session, still bothered by the embarrassing scene at the banquet, intending to speak with Encrid, and ended up seeing it all.

No one paid him much attention.

It wasn't considered significant that Encrid's path to Knighthood was deemed impossible.

There were many people like that in the world.

"I'll impose on you for a few days."

Frog said to Marcus.

Marcus nodded.

Leaving the unconscious Encrid behind, the morning meeting ended.

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