Training.
It was still the same—nobles, merchants, or city officials kept visiting—but Encrid no longer cared.
And that was fine.
Krais was handling things well in the middle.
When he was told to use his wits, he really did.
"Have I come all this way just to not meet even one soldier from this city?"
Even when a crafty noble came calling.
"No, you cannot."
Krais responded like a puppet.
Occasionally, there were those who tried to make a show of force.
"Wanna fight?"
There was Frog Maelrun, who had become Krais's guard.
Few dared to challenge Frog's threat.
It wasn't that Encrid and his surroundings were strange, this was normal.
Not that Krais was forcing things or driving people away with power either.
"We are preparing for an important battle."
He used an appropriate excuse.
"It is something being handled directly by the Royal Palace."
He threw in the backdrop of the palace.
This was enough to deter the petty nobles, and as for merchants, they had no reason to personally get involved.
"If you have anything to say, go to the Rockfreed Merchant Company. They have an exclusive contract with the Lord."
It was easy to pass them off.
Leona Rockfreed was indeed capable.
She easily handled and dealt with any mid-sized or smaller merchant groups.
"Was the name Rockfreed ever taken lightly?"
Simply putting the name of the company forward solved half the problems.
It didn't matter if a large merchant group under some noble's banner showed up.
What they wanted was to secure a trade route through Encrid and generate profit.
Leona promised them just that.
"The trade routes will expand. We can't handle it all with just our merchant group."
Naturally, the merchants who tried to curry favor with Encrid turned their attention to Leona.
She carefully selected the ones she deemed worthwhile.
Identifying and extracting the value of goods was her specialty.
Having witnessed her performance, Krais was more than satisfied with her selection.
'To think something that could have become so complicated with the Captain's presence was resolved this easily.'
If not for Encrid, Krais would probably still be negotiating various trivial matters with Leona.
It would be a lie to say that Encrid had nothing to do with the reason for leaving all those trivial tasks behind and taking on this duty.
Indeed, Encrid was a precious figure.
He was destined to be the star and ace of the salon.
Even though Krais handled matters so well, it didn't mean that Encrid had a lot of free time.
No, he was now busy doing what he truly desired.
"Come at me!"
He was so engrossed in sparring that there was no room for idleness.
"Be careful not to die."
Encrid also occasionally trained Rem's wit as he participated in the sparring.
The sparring was intense.
At a glance, it looked like reckless madness, as if they were putting their lives on the line, but it was beneficial for both Encrid and Rem.
Naturally, Dunbachel and Teresa joined in, and Audin assisted as well.
Only Ragna was absent.
Sometimes, he swung his sword into the air or fell into a meditative state that resembled dozing off.
Everyone except Ragna was inwardly astonished by Encrid.
It was hard not to be.
'When did this happen?'
Dunbachel felt the growing gap between them even more.
Teresa saw an insurmountable wall that could not be overcome, even with her mixed Giant strength and tricks.
Of course, neither of them gave up upon seeing the wall or gap.
There was someone before their eyes who had crawled up from the bottom.
In front of such a person, giving up was not an option.
Not mentally, nor physically.
"Give up? Tired? Oh, is our beast tired? Sure, that can happen. Then how about just dying? If it's hard, you should die."
If Dunbachel even showed the slightest hint of giving up, Rem would step in.
"Sister, the sacred texts say that sometimes, another shock can make one forget their original pain."
Audin also wouldn't hesitate to administer a different kind of shock, a physical one, to Teresa.
Of course, neither of them ever said such things aloud.
'I, too…'
Teresa could only make a resolution.
Dunbachel was no different.
Both women were accustomed to looking upwards, moving forward, and advancing.
Their mindset had significantly changed from before.
Both had heard stories of what kind of person Encrid was and how he had come this far.
From what Rem and the surrounding soldiers had told them, Encrid's beginnings were humble.
Truly humble.
"At one time, he was beneath me. I was even better looking."
The source of the banter was none other than Vengeance, but even when listening to other soldiers, there was nothing new.
A low-ranking mercenary who barely scraped by.
That was who Encrid used to be.
But now, he had become someone entirely different.
He was the hero of the city, the hero of the battlefield, and the one who had turned most of the kids in the Border Guard into wooden sword-wielding trainees.
Perhaps it was true what the Sacred Texts said: 'Though the beginning may be humble, the end will be great.'
Such thoughts crossed Teresa's mind.
As for Dunbachel...
'I won't fall behind.'
She gritted her teeth and struggled fiercely.
Unknowingly, she had begun to progress in a way similar to Encrid's own desperate fight.
Of course, Encrid didn't care in the slightest how the beastkin or the half-blood Giant viewed him.
In addition to training and sparring, he spent his time visiting the blacksmith.
No, he had to spend his time that way.
He wasn't in a rush, but he couldn't let time slip by easily either.
Hadn't he seen the Knight's sword?
Though it was only once, the mere act of crossing swords with a Knight had broadened Encrid's world, and the stars along his path shone brighter.
The dream that had come to him as a grim reaper had turned into starlight, drifting away.
The remnants of that light illuminated his path.
It was only natural that his motivation surged even higher.
For someone else, the relentless and grueling training might have seemed like a continuous torment, but for Encrid, it brought an unprecedented sense of joy and exhilaration.
"What is this?"
The self-proclaimed best blacksmith of the Border Guard inspected the sword gifted by an enemy Knight multiple times.
The silver blade, the polished finish, the grip wrapped in the hide of a magic beast, and the round pommel.
"It's no ordinary craftsmanship."
When Encrid showed him the Gladius and Ember as well, the blacksmith was almost beside himself.
His eyes sparkled with interest.
"Even the method of forging is different. This isn't a human weapon."
With his keen eye, the blacksmith recognized the value of Ember and the Gladius.
"Do you plan on using all three swords?"
They had known each other for a long time, so the blacksmith spoke casually.
He was more focused on his craft than on Encrid's position as a Company Commander.
Though blacksmiths formed guilds to protect their interests, there was no such guild in the Border Guard.
Most were either in the military or something similar unless they made farming tools.
This blacksmith had come here to challenge himself for the sake of his skills, rather than seeking a stable life under the protection of a guild.
Encrid respected him.
He thought of this man as someone who was also chasing a dream, something akin to his own.
"It's just work. Why bother attaching any grand meaning to it?"
Of course, if asked directly, the blacksmith would probably brush it off as nonsense and say something like this.
But his pride was undoubtedly high.
As Encrid watched the blacksmith, he reflected on his own ambitions.
Perhaps his motivation had been surging too much lately.
The blacksmith, still unable to take his eyes off the three swords, asked:
"What do you want me to do with them?"
"They've been used roughly, so I'd appreciate it if you could do some maintenance. Also, I'd like you to make fifty throwing knives that are thin but well-balanced, along with some iron plates to reinforce my greaves, and all my gauntlets are completely worn out, so I'll need to replace all my armor."
Good equipment for a mercenary was like having an extra life.
Even now, as a Knight candidate wielding the shards of Will, the same principle applied.
'If I'd had a cheap longsword in my hand when I received the Knight's sword?'
It would've been strangely irritating and frustrating.
More importantly, a well-crafted weapon suited to one's hand brings joy to any swordsman.
It's also part of their skill.
In that sense, the Knight who had come earlier without his favored weapon was arrogant.
It was overconfidence.
Thanks to that, he managed to escape, but should he learn from that arrogance?
Or should he avoid becoming like that after seeing the failure born from such arrogance?
Encrid chose the latter.
He invested Krona in his equipment and weapons.
"The payment?"
"Charge it to the castle."
"Very well."
The Lord would take care of the cost.
The blacksmith sharpened the three swords, polished them with a whetstone, and inspected them thoroughly.
There were no issues.
While Encrid had learned how to care for his weapons during his mercenary days, there was a distinct difference in the touch of a skilled craftsman.
But of course, he couldn't afford to neglect his training just to learn the craft.
"Oh, and do you have any maces and axes? I'd like to check out some polearms and blunt weapons too."
Amidst everything, Encrid ordered a few more weapons.
In fact, it wasn't just a few, it was more like a variety of weapons.
At that, the blacksmith looked at Encrid.
He had been focused on inspecting the swords and equipment, but now, he finally met his eyes, as if asking what he planned to do with them.
"Yes, I'll be the one using them."
Since he needed them, he ordered them, and the blacksmith simply nodded.
He understood well enough.
How could the rumors of Encrid's reputation on the battlefield not have reached the ears of the blacksmith?
Even if Encrid's requests became more bizarre, the blacksmith would still follow through without a word.
After being momentarily entranced by the three swords, the blacksmith thought to himself:
'Could I ever make a better sword than this?'
Someday, he would try, and when that day came, he would show the sword to the man standing before him.
He was determined to do so.
If the man was pleased with the sword, then they would discuss Krona.
"I'll send over a few weapons along with the equipment later."
"Alright."
After that, Encrid became fully immersed in training once again.
"Tense your muscles and apply strength. By doing this, you can develop muscles as strong as steel."
It was early morning training.
Encrid didn't tilt his head at Audin's words, but he did question him.
"A body that won't get hurt even if it's struck by a sword?"
"Yes, brother. You've understood it well."
It didn't make sense.
But he didn't say so aloud.
"It's possible."
Audin spoke up before Encrid could even ask how.
"You already know the method. Asking and answering isn't a bad thing, but sometimes, it's better to realize things on your own, isn't it?"
His rhetorical question contained the answer.
Encrid nodded.
What followed made the previous training sessions seem like child's play.
At the end of it, Audin picked up a hammer, heavily padded with cloth.
"What are you going to do with that?"
Dunbachel asked, her voice tinged with unease.
"It's for training, sister. If you'd like, get in line."
Dunbachel didn't get in line.
She felt that this wasn't for her.
Even if she would have to do it someday, now wasn't the time.
Though she wanted to absorb everything Encrid had to offer, this could wait for later.
But Encrid silently followed Audin's instructions.
And as a result.
Thud!
It was simple.
Tense your muscles and take the hit.
That was all there was to it.
Audin swung the hammer, padded with cloth, at Encrid's side.
It wasn't a particularly hard hit, but for an ordinary person, it would have been enough to break ribs and shake their internal organs.
"Hoho, very good!"
Audin struck with just the right amount of force.
With just a glance, he could gauge the durability of Encrid's body.
And Encrid took the hit.
"Isn't that just torture?"
Krais, who happened to be passing by, remarked as he witnessed the scene.
No matter how busy he was, it was a sight he couldn't tear his eyes away from.
"This is training that will strengthen both body and soul. If you'd like, get in line, brother."
"If you did that to me, it'd be murder, Audin."
Krais spoke with utmost seriousness before running off.
He fled so quickly his feet seemed to disappear.
Yes, run.
Encrid watched Krais fade into the distance and took a deep breath.
"Inhale."
"Tighten your core, the center of your body. The moment you waver, something will give. Now."
Audin's words echoed as the cloth-wrapped hammer struck Encrid's side again.
Thud.
The impact shot through his entire body.
A sharp sensation jolted his mind.
'Does he enjoy this?'
Encrid wondered to himself as he felt the pain.
Could Audin be enjoying hitting him?
His lips seemed to curl up higher than usual.
Audin already had a subtle smile on his face, but now it seemed even more pronounced.
From the outside, the smile looked genuinely compassionate.
But appearances can be deceiving.
'The devil comes in the guise of an angel.'
Encrid subconsciously repeated the phrase from the Sacred Texts that he had heard countless times.
"I'm looking forward to the day we can remove the cloth, brother."
Even though hitting with the cloth-covered hammer already seemed extreme, Audin spoke of what was to come.
Encrid smiled faintly.
"So am I."
If this was truly pointless, it would be meaningless, but it wasn't.
'Will.'
Willpower stirred within him.
Something derived from the Will of Rejection settled into his body, manifesting a form of resistance.
Was it rejecting the impact?
No.
It was different.
It was enduring it.
Among the techniques used by Knights, there were a few standardized skills.
Intimidation was one of them.
Many Knight candidates specialized in it for that reason.
It was considered a foundational skill.
Naturally, there were other standardized techniques as well.
One of them was 'Endure'.
Known as the power to endure, it was originally a technique of the paladins but had since spread to the entire Knightly order.
In terms of its utility…
'The instinctive reaction that occurs the moment you're struck.'
It was like donning iron armor over your body to ignore that response.
When you mastered this and could cover your entire body with it, it became the foundation of a Knight's skills.
At that point, your body would not be cut by blades.
'Ah.'
Now he understood why the brown-haired Knight had been so shocked when Ragna's sword cut him.
And Encrid realized something else.
'Will.'
You can't simply train your muscles and expect them to withstand a blade.
But what if you enveloped your body in an iron-like Will, as if armoring it?
Another milestone had come into view.
Was it because he had witnessed such brutal training that he was now so motivated?
It was hard to say.
Even Encrid's sparring with Rem had taken on a newfound intensity.
"This isn't like before, where you were holding back. You've improved. Truly."
Rem gripped his two axes, and after sixteen exchanges, Encrid managed to leave a cut on his cheek.
So Encrid said:
"Oh, did that hurt? Maybe I should've gone a little easier on you."
"Hmm, let's do that. Let's die today."
"I'll cremate you and scatter your ashes in the river."
The shortened exchange was no less provocative.
What would he cremate and scatter?
Ashes, of course.
It was essentially a way of saying, 'You're the one who's going to die.'
But why did he make it sound so dignified?
Rem felt a bit of urgency due to Ragna's transformation.
He realized he needed to change too.
And so, his training time increased.
He began swinging his axes through the air.
His overflowing motivation drove his body.
Despite the provocation, it didn't bother him.
Rem's energy shifted.
Even as Encrid watched this, he finished his thought.
"You're good with a sling, aren't you?"
Hearing this suggestion to use a new weapon, Rem became so immersed in the moment that he forgot about his surroundings and drew out his weapon.