"Do people actually drink stuff like this?"
Marcus said, holding the teacup in front of him. It tasted awful. If it even smelled like herbs, it would have been a relief.
"If that's how you feel, why didn't you just go to the Lord's office?"
The Lord, Graham, responded to Marcus' complaint.
"The path here was closer, and I heard the sound of fighting, so I stopped by. Are you upset about that?"
"Not at all."
Marcus went to see Encrid first? What of it?
Graham was indifferent. Lately, he was completely engrossed in the thrill of wielding a sword.
Just because he was the Lord, did that mean he should be shown more respect?
He wasn't even a noble.
He didn't care.
More than that, if time allowed, he too wanted to cross swords with Encrid.
It seemed like Encrid had just come from a fight—would it be okay to ask for a match now?
Encrid would probably accept a duel anytime, but not right now. Not with Marcus sitting here too.
The only ones seated in the dining hall were the Lord, Marcus, Encrid, and Krais.
The other soldiers didn't look interested in getting involved in such a bothersome conversation.
"It looks like you came here to have some fun, so make sure you enjoy yourself before leaving."
That was all Rem said before turning away.
While Marcus was complaining about the tea, Encrid kept his eye on the two bodyguards standing behind Marcus.
In particular, he focused on the one standing on the left.
The man was tall with long arms and had a whip coiled around his waist.
There was a sharp weight attached to the end of the whip. If struck, it wouldn't just hurt—it could do real damage.
How would he react if Encrid tried to close the distance between them?
He was curious. A whip was a long-range weapon. The further away you were, the more advantageous it became.
It was a weapon designed to keep its distance and strike without getting hit, so in the hands of a skilled user, it could be quite dangerous.
He wanted to face this man. After all, it wasn't every day you got to fight someone using such a unique weapon.
"You, you didn't even glance at our Kin, did you?"
Marcus suddenly said to Encrid, and Encrid didn't understand the statement.
He didn't even know who Kin was.
"Remember that beauty who came from our family not long ago?"
"Ah."
It hadn't been that long, so of course, he remembered. He just hadn't given it much thought.
"Kin was fuming because you didn't even ask her name."
Marcus took a sip of the tea, then set his cup down. He pushed it away, having no intention of drinking more.
Encrid acknowledged Marcus' words.
He was right. He hadn't asked her name. She waited for two days, but as soon as she arrived, he told her to leave.
"Is that so?"
"You're not even interested, are you?"
"Do I need to be?"
"There's no need."
Marcus chuckled quietly. Did he come here because he had too much time on his hands? Probably not.
Krais, sitting beside him, quietly observed Marcus' mood.
Meanwhile, he tried to gauge Marcus' intentions.
His sharp mind worked rapidly, alternating between questions and answers.
Why come all the way here at this moment?
Was it to stop the city's expansion?
No, that couldn't be it.
'No, he probably used that as an excuse to get out of the Capital.'
Since he was the former Lord, he might have come to make a reasonable argument, giving himself a legitimate reason to leave.
It was a sound excuse and a reason for an outing.
But more importantly, why was Marcus, the Lord of the Border Guard, summoned by the Capital in the first place?
It was because they suspected the growing military might be planning a rebellion, and they summoned him to the Capital as a precaution.
Yet, even after Marcus left, the city grew larger. The forces continued to increase, becoming even more powerful.
It wasn't unreasonable to view it as the formation of a threatening military faction.
"See, it's not my fault! I'm just here to give a friendly reminder, that's all!"
On the surface, he probably spoke elegantly, but the actual content was likely far from pleasant.
It wouldn't have been difficult to maneuver himself out of the situation with a bit of overstatement.
So, did he come here to deliver a warning?
That doesn't seem to be the case. This was Krais' gut feeling.
What was the real reason he came here at this time? There must be a reason he left the Capital.
What does he want?
What is he hoping for?
What is it about the Border Guard?
Krais' gaze naturally shifted to the side.
He saw Encrid's profile. A dangerous, dangerous, Mad Company Commander with black hair and blue eyes.
From the royal perspective, he was an unpredictable and unexpected blade.
'Ah.'
Krais finally understood part of the situation.
'The Captain is here.'
Encrid's presence was like a meteor falling from the sky.
A red-hot meteor that, with its mere existence, would capture attention. More eyes would be drawn to it, not fewer. Among them, some were friendly, while others were hostile.
Marcus leaned toward being friendly, but trusting a politician was about the dumbest thing you could do.
Krais knew this from the books he had read, his experiences, and his instincts.
Likewise, Marcus wouldn't trust Encrid so easily either.
'So, it's about confirmation.'
What did that mean?
While Encrid, Marcus, and the Lord exchanged trivial remarks, Krais kept thinking.
He formed hypotheses, comparing them with the events that had unfolded.
What he already knew and what he had guessed to confirm.
What he hadn't known before but could now easily grasp.
And what was still unknown, shrouded in darkness, left untouched.
These thoughts organized themselves in his mind, stacking up to form a conclusion.
Only after reviewing everything he knew did Krais finally speak.
The Captain needed to know this to respond properly.
If left unchecked, they might get dragged into something. Though the Captain was the Captain, maybe he wouldn't be easily dragged into anything.
But seeing danger, he couldn't just let it go.
Why was he reminded of the Captain's back, blocking his path earlier? It was unclear.
In any case, what needed to be addressed must be addressed. Failing to do so at the right moment would put you at a disadvantage.
Krais knew this. So, he opened his mouth and spoke up.
"Did you come here to confirm something?"
At his sudden question, Graham turned to him first.
The Lord had been resting and sleeping well outside of training. He pushed all his duties onto his deputy, so recently, Krais had been handling almost everything. The deputy was merely assisting.
With the Lord's consent, Krais had even hired a few people for administrative tasks. And the help from the Rockfreed Trading Company had been significant.
No one was better with numbers than them.
Thanks to his rest, the Lord's eyes were clear as they turned to Krais.
"What are you trying to say?"
The Lord asked. There was a reason Marcus had made him the Lord. Graham knew exactly when to step in.
Marcus just silently watched.
"Why leave someone pretending to be the King alone, and why leave the defense of the territory so weak?"
Krais raised his voice slightly.
At that, the Lord frowned. That statement crossed a line.
It could easily be seen as discussing treason.
That was dangerous. The growing military force was already drawing attention and pressure from various places.
Marcus had been the main reason they'd held out so far.
He had blocked things from the center, keeping everything in check.
But what was this now?
Krais placed his hands on the table, clasped them, leaned forward slightly, and spoke.
"If we raise an army here, the central forces won't send troops. No, they can't send them."
Marcus watched Krais. Before the Lord could say anything, Marcus spoke first.
"Why do you think that?"
"Didn't I already say it?"
"Leaving someone pretending to be king alone? Leaving the defense of the territory weak?"
Despite the rise of monsters and beasts, and even hearing whispers of Low-Class Demon Realms, they were doing nothing.
If the issue had been resolved by a Mad Company Commander who wasn't even a Knight, then surely the Knightly orders could have dealt with it too.
He had previously seen the Squire Asia and Frog Luagarne.
If they were sent, surely they could handle the Low-Class Demon Realm, right? But they didn't.
No, they couldn't.
Sending one Squire was one thing, but sending part of the Knightly order? That they couldn't do. The reason?
'They don't have the capacity.'
That was Krais' conclusion.
"Something's going on in the Capital. Something more dangerous and threatening than dealing with a border King or killing monsters and beasts."
This guy… Marcus's eyes scanned Krais, taking him in.
Had he always been this sharp?
To be honest, Marcus was impressed.
Since arriving at the Border Guard, he noticed that the scale of the city had changed.
Particularly striking was the fact that every outpost had increased its forces by a squad each.
Was this really just a measure to deal with monsters and beasts?
No, there were additional benefits.
First, it gained the trust of the merchants passing through.
If the outposts were stabilized, even small traveling merchants might use those routes.
If more outposts were built, that is.
And it seemed likely more would be built.
Hadn't Marcus already seen it?
The bottleneck effect of people flocking to this place.
The trust of the merchants would allow the city's lifeblood, gold coins, to flow rapidly.
The more the copper, silver, and gold coins circulated, the larger and wealthier the city would grow.
So, of course—
'It's no wonder the neighboring Lords are acting up.'
The people of a territory are its strength.
But now, the farmers were fleeing, moving to neighboring lands.
The Border Guard had more than enough capacity to take in such people.
Didn't they have the Green Pearl?
They hadn't been able to cultivate it simply because they lacked manpower, food, shelter, and living space. There was no other reason.
All of this could be resolved with the wealth from Krona.
'They'll earn gold through trade.'
And they'll gather people through rumors.
It was an extraordinary plan.
But the outposts didn't serve just one purpose.
The second effect was also clear.
'An excuse.'
The expansion of military forces would catch the eye of the Capital.
At that point, they would need an excuse.
Due to the monsters and beasts, they needed more troops. But look, doesn't this also secure safer trade routes?
We're not gathering troops to fight.
The outposts allowed them to say this. They weren't consolidating forces, but spreading them out, which proved their point.
Would the person behind all of this stop here?
No, if it were Marcus, he wouldn't stop.
He'd expand the trade routes even further, connecting the outposts to the surrounding territories.
Not every territory could be connected, of course—that was impossible.
'But they could establish a few more frontier towns.'
He could envision a network of trade hubs spreading out from the Border Guard like a spider's web, backed by the vast farmlands of the Green Pearl and a military force that couldn't be ignored.
A territory larger, more fertile, and more powerful than the lands of Count Molsen, the so-called King of the Frontier.
Was that the vision?
'Of course.'
If not, why would anyone go to such lengths?
Marcus had wondered whose idea this was, but it seemed it had come from the big-eyed man sitting in front of him.
He only understood it now because he saw the results. If he'd been asked to think of it himself, he would never have come up with such a plan.
Marcus placed his elbows on the table, clasped his hands together, and rested his chin on them.
"You said something is going on in the Capital. What do you think that might be?"
"That, I don't know."
Krais shrugged his shoulders, leaning back.
Refusing to speak carelessly about something he didn't know?
Even though he clearly had a guess?
This guy was seriously interesting.
"Your tone is disrespectful to your Lord."
One of Marcus's bodyguards spoke up when Krais shrugged so casually, leaning back. Krais didn't even look at the bodyguard.
Instead,
"Seems like the roles are reversed here."
Encrid spoke, thinking to himself.
Usually, it'd be a subordinate speaking up on behalf of their Commander in situations like this.
Well, it wasn't his concern either way.
Encrid continued speaking.
"Don't interfere. Your head might get lopped off."
Without even glancing in the bodyguard's direction, Encrid's words made the veins on the back of the man's hand bulge.
He placed his hand on his sword hilt, raising his aura as if he were ready to attack at any moment.
A Squire? No, but he certainly had the air of someone who had survived dangerous situations.
Encrid knew that this guy underestimated his abilities.
No matter how many rumors circulated, there would always be those who didn't believe them.
Hadn't he already seen it countless times?
On days when Frog Maelrun rested or avoided certain opponents, there were always some who stepped forward.
They were usually soldiers who were clearly more skilled than average, at the level of a Squire—those 'Squire-level' individuals.
They were often mercenaries or bodyguards for wealthy merchants or nobles.
Just like the guy in front of him.
"If you draw, you'll get hit. Even if you just run your mouth, you'll get hit."
Encrid warned him once more.
When Marcus didn't stop the situation, simply watching with interest, the bodyguard made up his mind.
He decided to teach this insolent guy a lesson.
He wouldn't use the blade, just the flat of the sword.
Click.
He released the latch on the scabbard. His target wasn't Encrid but Krais, planning to slap him across the face.
"Stop it."
Graham spoke with concern, but it was no use.
The bodyguard drew his sword. Just as he was about to point it forward with a swish, Encrid pushed his chair back and stood up.
The chair screeched as it slid, then suddenly flipped backward.
In the moment the chair toppled, Encrid's body disappeared.
That's how it seemed to the bodyguard.
It was the 'Moment of Will'.
Encrid had closed the distance to right in front of the bodyguard's face.
"What!"
Startled, the man pulled back his sword. Encrid lightly pressed the man's hand holding the sword, then jabbed his opposite elbow forward.
Thud.
His elbow struck the spot between the man's lower abdomen and heart.
"Gah!"
He'd hit the passage of air. A vital spot Audin had taught him.
The bodyguard made a choking sound, gasping for breath as he collapsed to the floor.
The other bodyguard didn't rush in. He seemed more grounded than the one who had fallen.
He stood behind Marcus, just watching intently.
Encrid adjusted his stance after dealing with the fallen guard.
Now he could finally add his own words.
Krais had asked if Marcus had come to confirm something, and Marcus hadn't answered.
What kind of confirmation was this?
Krais had judged it too dangerous to voice his final thought, but Encrid wasn't like that.
Frankly, he didn't care.
"Is it a civil war?"
That's what he asked.
What was the purpose of this confirmation?
It was about choosing sides.
My side or yours.
And the reason for choosing sides could only be one thing.
A fight. A war.
If it were a war against an external enemy, there'd be no need for this.
Which meant it had to be a civil war.
"You catch on quickly."
Marcus said. Encrid glanced at the fallen bodyguard, wondering if he would attack again, but he just stood up cautiously, taking a step back and rubbing his stomach. His eyes were fierce, but he wasn't a fool. He had clearly felt the difference in skill.
"As expected from the man who dismissed Kin."
Marcus added, though Encrid couldn't see what that had to do with anything.