Playing around with ghouls now?
"The departure?"
Encrid asked about the date.
"There's no rush."
It'll take at least half a month, wouldn't it?
Krais thought.
The Gray Ghoul had been a monster lingering there for a long time.
Leaving it alone for another month or two wouldn't cause any major problems.
"Understood."
"How many troops do you think we should bring?"
Krais estimated at least two companies.
It was that kind of scale.
Encrid thought for a moment before replying.
"One Independent Company."
"...An Independent Company?"
Currently, there's only one Independent Company within the Border Guard.
The Madmen Platoon.
Is this guy seriously out of his mind?
This wasn't a joke, he was dead serious.
The low level of risk meant they could prepare for it accordingly.
Now that the threat from Aspen was gone, it was doable.
Previously, the constant danger from the Aspen forces meant they couldn't freely allocate troops.
One reason was that Encrid and other non-standard combat personnel had increased in numbers, but more clearly, they now had the capacity to do so.
Krais could only express all his confusion and feelings in a single word.
"Huh?"
Is there anything to be surprised about?
Encrid had dealt with colonies of knolls and centaurs before.
If there's no need for troops to defend a fortress or protect a village, then— Dealing with a monster colony is surprisingly easy.
That was the answer obtained through accumulated experience.
'Just strike the head, and it's over.'
It's a simple principle.
And it was true.
Even the smartest scholars agreed that the best way to solve the Gray Ghoul's territory was to eliminate the leader.
So what was needed?
At least the strength of a Knightly order.
It would be even better if they had Knights.
That's the best method.
But for now, there wasn't any severe damage,it was just an inconvenient area.
The palace's stance was to handle it when there was some spare capacity.
So there would be no Knightly order sent.
Though the palace could ignore the problem, Krais couldn't.
The situation had slightly changed.
Detouring the trade route was a loss.
A massive loss.
It was a staggering blow.
For the Border Guard, this was an issue that had to be resolved.
For the future, the trade route needed to be maintained, and Krais had already come up with several ideas for that.
At least, that's what Krais thought.
'Krona is leaking.'
It's common knowledge that the longer transportation takes, the more silver coins slip away.
So, they had to resolve it.
Encrid's status would rise even higher because of this.
Especially since it aligned with the Royal Court's requests.
In short, this was something that had to be successfully and steadily dealt with.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Why?"
"Because that's all we need."
"Did you get hit in the head during training or something?"
"By the way, why are you still speaking informally?"
"I'm too shocked to care. I'm shocked."
When will this guy ever act normal?
Encrid smacked Krais on the head for his rude gaze.
"Ow!"
"I could have split your head open."
That statement was no lie.
Krais endured the pain.
Only the Madmen Platoon would be going.
'Ah, well, it'll work, right?'
Encrid was going himself.
It was the Commander's decision.
Krais could roughly understand the reasoning behind it.
If they increased the scale and brought a larger unit, there would be casualties.
Some would be injured, and some would die.
That was obvious.
Was that the only reason?
Not quite.
There was a subtle excitement visible in Encrid's eyes.
It was because he was itching for a fight.
Krais had a strange sense of certainty.
Encrid asked.
"The central order came through?"
"It was a close call, but yes. It did."
The Royal Court had given a convenient excuse, and the request actually came through.
There was a letter too.
[Good luck.]
That was all—just three words.
It was from the former Lord, Marcus.
"He must be busy."
Encrid didn't bother with a reply.
That was the end of it.
Each person checked their equipment, gathered supplies, and Krais did whatever he could to help with the preparations.
It took only two days to get ready for departure.
If they had decided to send a full company, it would have taken at least ten days, but everything was kept simple.
Krais wondered if this was the right approach, but strangely, he didn't feel any ominous premonitions.
Besides, not the entire company was going.
"Do we really have to go?"
As they were preparing for the march, Ragna asked with droopy eyes.
He seemed to be turning into an old dog.
"If you're still tired after sleeping so much, just die."
Rem blessed him.
"If you want to die, challenge me anytime. You can even ambush me while I sleep. Though it won't work."
Ragna politely declined the blessing.
"Do you really need someone like that?"
Encrid thought for a moment.
As long as the tactic of using a small elite force was effective, that was all that mattered.
The most important thing for Ragna to do during the battle would be not to get lost.
"Take a rest."
Encrid left Ragna alone.
What if the Gray Ghoul was powerful enough to require Knights?
'That would be fun too.'
Encrid was always thirsty for new challenges.
This mission was like rain falling on parched land.
He didn't worry about danger or what might happen afterward.
That was Krais's concern.
He gathered information, analyzed it, and evaluated the value of the Gray Ghoul's forest, now ruined.
He concluded that the leader of the colony hiding inside wasn't as threatening as they thought.
'A ghoul that developed intelligence while leading a colony.'
It was a creature that defied the saying, 'Talking about a ghoul's brain is nonsense.'
A ghoul that could think.
One that lived hidden in the forest?
What was the reason?
Was there an abundance of food?
Had its monstrous violence been curbed?
'Ridiculous.'
It developed intelligence, so it knew it would lose if it fought recklessly.
That's why it chose to hold a strategic position and endure.
Krais concluded that this was the true nature of the Gray Ghoul.
'Well, if things go south, Encrid will find a way out.'
He had previously seen Encrid navigate traps purely by instinct.
It was only natural for Krais to trust him.
And so, two days later.
On the day of departure, Sinar joined them.
"Aren't you busy?"
"I am a Fairy."
What she meant was that she couldn't stand idly by while monsters defiled the forest.
Fairies love the forest.
Plants may not express emotions, but they are full of vitality.
The vitality of the forest filled the body of the Fairy with a certain power.
It's said that if a Fairy bathes in the forest, even mortal wounds can heal.
Of course, that's assuming the forest is healthy and lush.
"I swear on the name of the Fairies, I will not forgive them."
Encrid nodded at Sinar's rather dry determination.
Though it didn't seem like she was acting purely to protect the peace of the forest, she was more than capable of being part of the elite force.
"Alright then."
After a day's travel by carriage, they set up camp, laying stones, putting a pot on the fire, and preparing their sleeping arrangements.
Up until this point, a squad had accompanied them to maintain the camp, keep the fire going, and stand guard through the night.
On their journey, they encountered three ghouls.
"I'll take care of this."
A soldier from Green Pearl led a squad to face the ghouls.
It was spring, and the number of ghouls had increased, to the point that they could be seen even on the roads.
There were rumors that the road had become even more treacherous for merchants traveling through.
"Hyah!"
The soldiers' battle cries echoed.
Without taking a scratch, they killed the three ghouls.
The first two had their heads cut off, and the third had its legs severed before being struck in the head with a stone thrown from a distance.
The third ghoul was more agile than the other two.
Not all monsters are the same.
There is a variation between individuals.
The squad's tactics, which took this into account, were impressive.
Two of the more skilled soldiers used spears to stall the nimble ghoul.
The spear and shield combination proved effective.
Encrid evaluated the squad's performance as decent.
'If they master the basics.'
The basics he had in mind began with running beside the River of Death.
In reality, they would be running through the plains of Green Pearl, but the effect was the same: when running, the River of Death would come into view.
It wouldn't be good news for them.
After sleeping for a night, they traveled for several more days, detouring to approach the Gray Ghoul's territory.
Including the squad, everyone marched well.
"Then, we'll be heading back."
Encrid nodded at the Commander, who saluted before leading the squad back.
After sending the troops off, Encrid surveyed the area.
The forest exuded a sinister aura, and they set up camp in the clearing just before it.
"We'll head out in the morning."
Fighting monsters at night is a foolish move.
"Agreed."
Rem responded.
No matter how confident he was in his skills, was it really worth taking unnecessary risks?
Just for the sake of camping for one night?
Encrid wasn't that reckless.
And so, the next day, as soon as the sun rose, Encrid, Rem, Audin, Dunbachel, Teresa, and Sinar entered the Ghoul's territory.
* * *
A low mist obscured their vision, and the gray hue of the trees further limited their range of sight.
Beyond that, a sour and musty odor, carried by the fog, filled the air with a damp atmosphere.
"Just breathing here feels like it'll make you sick."
Rem said, stepping on a crackling gray leaf.
He was right.
The air they inhaled flowed down their windpipes and into their lungs.
Along the way, their heightened senses, honed through rigorous training, detected something impure in the air.
Staying here too long would accumulate poison in their bodies.
'So this is the work of an intelligent ghoul.'
There must have been a reason the ghoul chose this place as its base.
If not, it might have transformed the environment after making it its base.
Naturally, they had already come prepared with this knowledge.
They weren't lacking in information.
However, the poisonous air was denser than expected.
Someone weak would likely develop a lung disease within two days.
Of course, the absurdly healthy Encrid and the rest of the members wouldn't catch lung disease even if they camped here for a month.
These were people whose strength and stamina far surpassed that of ordinary humans.
"Graaaah!"
After inhaling the foul air a few times, ghouls emerged.
Encrid, relying on his sixth sense honed from sound alone, detected six of them.
They came charging fiercely, kicking up dirt between the trees.
Since Encrid was at the front, he naturally stepped forward.
Ping.
With his left thumb, he slid the lock that held the sheath and sword together.
Then, grabbing the sword with his right hand, he sharpened his senses further.
The ghouls had flat nostrils, skin close to a dark gray, and well-developed leg muscles with long arms.
The claws at the ends of those arms curved forward, and letting them dig in would cost significant chunks of flesh.
Black eyes, devoid of pupils, traced dark lines through the gray forest.
He saw everything, heard the sounds of their approach, and calculated their speed within his realm of intuition.
There was no need for a fast sword, a flowing sword, or even a heavy sword.
Encrid trusted that the silver weapon in his hand would more than do its job.
Moreover, since they had come to capture the leader of the Gray Ghouls, he intended to conserve his strength.
Optimal movement and minimal steps—the key to achieving that was accelerating his thoughts.
The quickness of his mind, the acceleration of thought, further advanced Encrid's Correct Sword Technique.
No, it didn't stop at advancement.
Rem's beast-like instincts had accurately identified what Encrid was lacking, and sparring with him had helped Encrid develop those areas.
Encrid also knew well what his weaknesses were.
"Recognizing your shortcomings is how you improve."
That was advice from a mercenary he'd met in the city.
The mercenary wasn't a sword instructor, but he had shared various pieces of practical combat advice, and it had been helpful.
Encrid had always taken the wisdom of battles and life that he had gathered piece by piece, tested and experimented with them in his own body, and turned them into experience.
He had always done it that way.
This time was no different.
Whether he was experiencing a Knight's sword or sparring with Rem and the others, it was all the same.
Encrid focused on filling the gaps in his abilities.
It was time to show the results.
Three ghouls on the left, two on the right, and one leaped into the air.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of ghouls snapping thin branches ahead reached his ears, and just as their claws and gray bodies filled his vision, Encrid moved.
As always, it began with his feet.
Using his left foot as a pivot, he drew his sword with his right hand.
The first target was the one attacking from above.
He connected point to point.
Then smoothly, he linked all those points into a line.
Thwack!
Slash, rip, thud, thwack!
He split the ghoul coming from above in half with a vertical strike, then reinforced his left hand while his right hand pushed the sword to the left.
As he pulled his right hand back, Encrid swung his sword leftward.
The two ghouls' heads that were caught on the extended blade were split diagonally.
The first one was sliced from its right eye down to its skull, and the second one had the top of its head completely blown off.
Black blood and brains splattered into the air.
In the midst of this, Encrid shifted his pivot to his right foot, twisted his body slightly, and drew his Gladius with his right hand. He thrust it twice to his right, then twisted his wrist to strike the remaining ghoul's head with the flat of the blade.
It seemed like a series of complex movements, but everything was executed within a single breath.
As if rehearsed, each move was seamlessly connected, honed through countless repetitions of training.
'All those sparring sessions really paid off.'
The most important way to refine the Correct Sword Technique is through experience.
And experience was something Encrid didn't lack.
On top of that, he had added sparring and effort.
That was why.
Here, in this moment, Encrid displayed his fourth sword technique.
The first was the Snake Sword.
The second was the Lightning Thrust.
The third was the Crushing Sword.
And this was the fourth.
The recent battle made the ghouls seem almost foolish.
It looked as if these stupid creatures were willingly running into his blade.
But that was only possible because he had forced their movements.
From the timing of his steps, to the angle of his body, to the positioning of his hands—everything made the ghouls rush at him from a single direction.
Encrid named this the 'Trapping Sword'.
A Correct Sword Technique that restricted the opponent's movements.
Normally, swordsmanship should be slightly adapted to fit one's own body, but Encrid had gone further than that.
He was continuously creating new techniques.
What Encrid did naturally was, in fact, the most ideal path.
It was the path toward becoming a true Knight and mastering proper swordsmanship.
Rem watched Encrid and knew he had contributed quite a bit to his growth.
Moreover, he knew just how much their current work would help him, so he offered a brief word of congratulations.
"Playing around with ghouls now, huh?"
Encrid nodded in response to Rem's blessing.
"Let's keep going."
This was just the beginning of a new technique.
No matter what Rem said, Encrid's desire to swing his sword a little more, to train a little harder, came first.
"Save some for me."
Dunbachel grumbled.
But over the next six ghoul attacks, no one else in the group had a chance to lift their weapons.