CHAPTER 52

"Let's give it a try."

The soldier who spoke stepped forward. His appearance was unremarkable. He was slightly shorter than Encrid but had a solid build.

The blue blade of the shortsword in his lowered hand reflected the light.

The Border Guard was a small elite force, known for their ruthless efficiency. 

Though it was a mere two hundred strong, the squad leader held the same rank as a battalion commander.

According to Naurillia's organization, they were part of the kingdom's direct forces.

This meant that the Border Guard had its own chain of command, separate from the infantry units stationed there.

The Border Guard soldier looked at Encrid with plain eyes.

It wasn't a provocative look. Rather, it was an arrogant gaze, as if he was looking down on him.

This stirred Encrid's competitive spirit. He felt this was a challenge he could take on.

Encrid was delighted.

'I can fight.'

Unlike the past when he would immediately crumble due to lack of skill or be overwhelmed by sheer talent before he could even start, now he is different.

He was momentarily enjoying the joy of this change.

Thinking Encrid was hesitating, the surroundings began to buzz.

"Spell Breaker."

"The Troublesome Squad Leader."

"Let's give it a try."

"What's so special about an elite?"

Despite only having three short duels, everyone was cheering for Encrid.

It was a strange experience.

Never in his life had he experienced this before, so it was a first for him.

"Let's go!"

"Come on!"

"Show them!"

"The flower of the battlefield!"

"Infantry!"

Now, they were even shouting the infantry's motto. It was amusing because his opponent was also an infantry soldier.

Nonetheless, the supportive sentiment was clearly conveyed.

The desire to fight.

The thirst that could not be satisfied with just mid-level soldiers.

The discipline of the infantry gathered behind him.

In an instant, a tingling sensation spread from his toes to his entire body.

Watching the situation unfold from the outside, Vengeance could understand the support for Encrid.

'It makes sense.'

Even Vengeance himself had shouted to Encrid, "Show them!"

A soldier who swung his sword even during sleeping hours, the lowest-ranking soldier.

The Squad Leader who managed a Troublesome Squad.

His rank was insignificant.

His skills were poor despite his efforts.

That was the evaluation until now. Everyone probably thought the same.

But now, how is it?

Encrid, the Troublesome Squad Leader, showed a completely different side.

By demonstrating his exceptional skills, he proved himself.

Breaking spells and changing the course of the battlefield, saving comrades' lives in the process, became a reality.

It was something they knew but doubted.

That doubt became reality, and now everyone knew. They knew who the top contributor of the previous battlefield was.

The battalion commander acknowledged his achievements with a bag of Krona and words of praise.

As with any army, this one had a culture of taking credit from above.

Especially, the current battalion commander had a rather bad reputation.

Rumors spread widely that he saw his soldiers merely as expendables.

Many soldiers had subtly noticed Encrid's skills.

Including a few, himself.

Among them was Bell.

The soldier Encrid had protected from the Hawk's Eyes' arrow with his shield.

'I knew it!'

He had recognized him ever since he saved him.

The Troublesome Squad Leader was someone who could do anything.

'Absolutely.'

That wasn't all.

The hearts of all those who had unknowingly formed a bond with him united.

Encrid now represented the common soldiers of the Border Guard.

Receiving their cheers, Encrid kicked the tip of his sword with his foot and took his stance.

Simultaneously, he suppressed the tingling excitement and regulated his breathing.

"You're going for it?"

"There's no reason to avoid it."

Seeing Encrid step forward indifferently, the Border Guard soldier, Torres, thought to himself.

'Look at that?'

The Slaughterer of the Frontier.

There was a reason his unit had earned that nickname, yet his opponent did not avoid the fight. Instead, he seemed even more eager to engage, a faint smile playing on his lips.

It was interesting. Exciting. And at the same time, infuriating. Torres wanted to show the difference between an ordinary soldier and a special forces operative.

Whoosh.

Torres lunged first. His speed was frightening.

Encrid waited and then thrust his sword to the center.

It was a good move.

The opponent would have to dodge either left, right, up, or down.

The moment they dodged, a heavy strike would follow.

But Torres didn't dodge.

Instead, he met Encrid's incoming sword with his own.

As the blades met, Encrid tried to press down with force, but his opponent had a trick up his sleeve.

Clang!

As the blades clashed, Torres angled his sword upward, twisting their meeting point to a diagonal.

The downward force was deflected. It was the basic technique of deflection.

Sparks flew where the blades met.

When his pressing force was deflected, Encrid didn't hesitate. He pulled his right foot from behind and kicked forward.

Wham!

Just before his toe reached its target, the opponent blocked Encrid's shin with his palm.

The distance closed. It was now inside the reach of their swords. Torres dropped his shortsword and closed in further on Encrid.

Crossing his arms, Torres grabbed Encrid's collar, aiming to choke him.

Encrid didn't care if his opponent was choking him. He drew his sword straight up between his legs.

It was a calculated move, aiming for the opponent's back.

Even if he was being choked, he wouldn't pass out immediately, and in that time, he could leave a deep mark on the elite soldier's back.

Torres twisted his body. Instead of grabbing the collar, he pushed Encrid's chest with both hands.

Encrid resisted the pushing force. Without retreating, he changed the direction of his sword and swung it horizontally.

From the moment Torres let go of his shortsword, his defeat was almost certain.

One had a weapon, and the other didn't.

Which side had the advantage?

But Encrid had another surprising experience.

His opponent suddenly disappeared.

'Disappeared?'

His focus shattered. The opponent had vanished before his eyes. No sound, either.

Instinct took over Encrid's movements.

An instinct honed from countless near-deaths, a survival instinct earned through countless struggles each day to see the next.

He grabbed his sword with only his right hand and jerked his chin back. This opened his chest wide.

At that moment, a flash of light shot up from under his chin, right in front of him.

Swish!

The flash grazed his cheek. In that brief moment, Encrid regained his focus.

Miss, and he would die. Instinct still clearly warned him.

The flash that shot up suddenly fell.

Encrid didn't miss it. He caught the flash with his left palm and raised his knee.

Smack—Thud!

A burning pain seared through his palm.

He could see Torres' eyes trembling, now right in front of him.

Blood trickled from Encrid's left palm, where it had caught the dagger's blade.

It was the aftermath of Torres, who had discarded his shortsword, pulling out a dagger and delivering a deadly slash.

A drop of blood fell to the ground.

As more blood dripped down, Torres exhaled and made a gesture as if to withdraw his sword.

Encrid let go of the blade. Pain surged through his left hand—a burning, intense pain.

He also felt a stinging pain and blood flowing from his cheek.

His cheek had been cut earlier.

Had he not dodged, his jaw would have been split open. He was lucky.

If it hadn't been for his instinctive movements.

'That was close.'

Encrid thought.

"You're lucky, huh?"

Then, Rem's voice was heard.

Rem was suddenly right behind Torres, with an axe slung over his shoulder.

He was within striking distance if he decided to swing.

Beside Rem, Ragna was seen placing his left hand on his sword and taking a half-step forward with his left foot.

It was the stance he used when demonstrating his sword technique.

"That's enough," Ragna muttered.

If these two had Torres's back, there was also someone standing beside Torres.

The red-haired squad member, Jaxon.

He didn't have a weapon in his hand. Yet, he looked more dangerous than Rem and Ragna.

Instincts flared from the recent duel told Encrid so.

And it didn't end with just these three.

Encrid's gaze fell downward. Between himself and his opponent, a blade was blocking the space.

A leaf-shaped sword, a distinctive weapon of the Fairy Tribe, Naidil.

"That's enough. I'm the 4th Company Commander. Any more, and it's considered friendly fire."

It was the Fairy Company Commander. Her sword had somehow slipped between the two of them.

"Why so hostile? It was just a duel. After a couple of strikes, there would be multiple holes in our bodies."

Torres retrieved his dagger. Rubbing his stomach where Encrid had struck him, he raised both hands.

Only then did the people who had been holding their breath watching the duel exhale.

"That was an amazing fight."

"Seriously, how is he a low-ranking soldier?"

There was no need for an official evaluator.

"At least upper-rank!"

Even these onlookers could recognize it. Especially considering who the opponent was.

"I'm Torres, a Squad Leader in the Border Guard."

He tapped his insignia and extended his hand. Encrid sheathed his sword and extended his uninjured right hand to shake it.

"Encrid, 4th Squad Leader of the 4th Platoon in the 4th Company."

Since the other spoke formally, Encrid also followed military courtesy.

"The Troublesome Squad Leader, I've heard of you."

Even within the city, those who needed to know about Encrid knew him.

Torres flashed a friendly smile. He didn't look like someone who had just fought a life-and-death battle.

"You fight really well. Let's do this again sometime."

Torres spoke and turned away.

As he walked through the crowd of spectators, the soldiers parted for him.

The Slaughterer of the Frontier, the renowned name of this unit, was well-respected even among their own ranks.

A squad leader from such a unit had recognized Encrid.

Only the soldier who had destroyed the spell and saved the battalion in the previous battle remained.

"Why does he have to be so handsome, too?"

Someone remarked, seeing Encrid brush his sweaty bangs aside.

Everyone in the training grounds had their eyes on Encrid.

It wasn't intentional, but this became a turning point in changing everyone's perception of him.

Oddly enough, after this event, no one spoke ill of Encrid anymore.

"What? That squad leader? Isn't he just a sly bastard who relies on his squad?"

On the contrary, any soldier who hadn't witnessed the duel and spoke poorly of Encrid was rebuked.

"Are you out of your mind? He saved your life in the last battle, and you dare say that?"

"Huh?"

The soldier who had been on leave was bewildered by his comrade's reaction.

"Don't you know the Spell Breaker? Do you think that spell just broke by itself? You idiot!"

Just before his leave, wasn't he also cursing the Troublesome Squad Leader with them?

The change in his comrades was too drastic.

But he couldn't say anything because it wasn't just one person who had changed. The soldier who had returned from leave was swept up by the new atmosphere.

It seemed to make sense to him, too.

'They said he destroyed the spell.'

He had even received an award for it. He started thinking that maybe the Troublesome Squad Leader had indeed done something amazing.

Those who had previously claimed it was thanks to his squad disappeared.

At the forefront of this change was Bell.

"I almost died from an arrow, but he appeared and blocked it."

Vengeance had also played a part.

"There was a fire and, well, despite me not being friendly to him before, he saved me. I heard he collapsed after carrying me out of the flames. And yes, it was Squad Leader Encrid who broke the spell. I saw him charging at the front with my own eyes!"

Andrew also joined in.

"I thought from the beginning that he was no ordinary person. It wasn't me but Encrid who predicted the enemy's movements and led the scouting."

They even started adding 'sir' after his name.

Mac, Andrew's mentor, also chimed in.

"Throughout the scouting mission, he threw himself into the most dangerous positions, the most perilous tasks. His swordsmanship? It's beyond my place to comment."

Mac was considered one of the top soldiers even among the regular troops.

The atmosphere had completely changed.

However, this didn't mean daily routines were altered. While there were many talks about how the Troublesome Squad Leader was surprisingly skilled.

"An upper-ranking soldier?"

To the battalion commander, the promotion of a single soldier to an upper rank wasn't a big deal.

To him, the Troublesome Squad Leader was just a somewhat annoying presence. So he ignored it.

Encrid also didn't get carried away by the changing atmosphere.

He focused on tending to his wounds and doing his best on guard duty.

Two days after the promotion evaluation, Encrid was on guard duty at the southern gate of the Border Guard with Rem.

"Was this all intentional? You're quite sly, Squad Leader."

Rem remarked.

"What was it?"

"Nowadays, the kids can't stop talking about you, the Squad Leader, and you act like you don't notice."

Encrid had ears and eyes. Besides, he had Krais around, who loved to gossip.

He knew everything there was to know.

At first, he felt proud.

Even if it was a desperate struggle to survive, it was true that he broke the spell.

But pride was one thing.

Encrid soon reverted to his usual self.

Training and drilling.

"Aren't you bored?"

"No. Want to spar after duty?"

"Sure."

Rem smiled faintly. He liked the Squad Leader's consistency.

As they were heading back to the barracks after their shift, someone blocked their path.

It was an unfamiliar face.

"Can we talk for a moment?"

Before Rem could raise an eyebrow and question who the guy was,

"Sure."

Encrid recognized the person. It was clear that pretending to know Rem would not be beneficial in this situation.

"Go ahead."

Encrid sent Rem away.

"You don't need to stay with me?"

"Just get lost."

Encrid said, horrified at Rem's attempt to act like a caretaker.

"Man, even when I look after you, you get all worked up."

"Don't look after me."

"I'll say it again, if you abandon me, I'll sulk. Just like a teenage girl, I'll pout like crazy!"

Rem continued to speak jokingly until the end.

What a troublesome guy.

Encrid pushed Rem's back lightly, indicating he understood. Rem complied and went inside.

The man who had been watching this exchange shook his head slightly.

"Discipline is a mess."

"There's a reason they call us the Troublesome Squad."

They were right in front of the barracks. The man began to walk along the low wall of the military base, and Encrid walked alongside him.

"You know who I am, right?"

"You're the commander of the 1st Company, aren't you?"

The man nodded.

1st Battalion, 1st Company.

He was the commander of the Border Guard's renowned Turtle Heavy Infantry.