"Keep doing what you're doing."
The Marquis spoke as he sat down, with two bodyguards standing like statues behind him.
The tense atmosphere only lasted a moment. The two bodyguards neither smiled nor showed any signs of displeasure.
They were indifferent, as if simply doing what they had to.
Ragna thought their posture was quite good.
It wasn't too rigid, nor did it exude arrogance. They likely knew how to exert just the right amount of force when necessary.
Ragna saw that in them.
While Ragna observed their posture, Rem read the atmosphere.
The tension wasn't because they were unpleasant, but because they were in a dangerous place.
That's how it appeared.
Thus, Rem figured there was no need to fight the bodyguards. The next focus was the Marquis. He looked like an old man with nothing to do.
'Isn't there anything to keep him busy?'
He didn't speak it aloud.
Since they had come to see Encrid, it wasn't his place to step forward.
Rem couldn't help but find it amusing that he didn't have to step in.
'Is this how it's supposed to be?'
Did it feel awkward all of a sudden? No, not really. It just seemed so natural that his mind found it strange.
Respect Encrid because he's their leader?
Rem realized that he was now following Encrid without even noticing.
But it didn't bother him.
It happened so naturally before he even became aware of it.
Esther sensed the aura of magic from the others but concluded that there was no actual wizard present.
'Artifact.'
The wizard's desire and curiosity started to rise, but she quickly suppressed it.
If she acted on her own, it would cause trouble for Encrid.
Hmph.
Right beside her, Encrid forcefully thrust his axe-spear into the ground.
He continued his training, paying no heed to the Marquis's words.
"Balancing your body is fine, but it's no good if the force of your strikes is lacking, is it?"
Rem stepped back and offered advice. The axe hanging at his waist swayed, tapping against his thigh. One of the bodyguards glanced at him, but since they were merely exchanging looks, it wasn't enough to escalate into a standoff.
Rem's attention was entirely on Encrid.
"Well?"
"Your foot."
He indicated for him to shift more weight onto his left foot.
Wouldn't that make him lean forward too much?
'What happened to your Heart of Great Strength?'
Though it wasn't said aloud, that would be Rem's response if Encrid were to question him.
In just that brief conversation, Encrid had a small realization.
'If you have strength beyond your limits, you can also attack using that power.'
Strength beyond limits, immense power.
To think that only he could use such power would be arrogant. He had to assume that his opponent could also do the same.
What Rem was teaching was a technique called 'Giant Slayer'.
Despite its name, it was actually a technique for dealing with weapons wielded by those with giant-level strength.
It was Rem's original technique and training method.
One that he had recently developed.
He was turning his unique experiences into techniques.
Hadn't Encrid already shown him firsthand?
The Trapping Sword technique was a joy to watch.
Rem did the same.
He laid down his experience as a foundation and concretized what he gained from it.
Then he systematized the 'results' he had solidified into steps and sequences so that they would become second nature.
Experimenting through Encrid was sufficient. Rem also learned while teaching and refined his methods.
Encrid knew what Rem was doing.
He could feel once again that this stubborn friend of his was a genius. But that didn't change anything. It was just an observation.
Since learning and mastering new things was fun, whether this guy was a genius or not didn't matter.
So, as always, he learned with sincerity and dedication, training and repeating.
Rem simply enjoyed watching him do so.
"Stronger."
"Do as I said."
Rem spoke, and Encrid moved his body according to his words.
To withstand a Giant's attack, you must understand what they are capable of.
Strength beyond normal limits is called great strength.
What can one with such power do?
The Marquis was simply amazed at the seriousness of the person training before him.
Jaxon watched the Marquis quietly.
No killing intent, no aura, no presence. He just observed.
Jaxon figured that the leader of the Black Blade Bandits was likely one of the nobles.
'But surely not someone of the Marquis of Octo's rank.'
If he were of that level, the leader of the Black Blade Bandits would have already made a move, wouldn't he?
Aside from Count Molsen, this was the most powerful figure in and around the Royal Court.
This was already known because they had investigated the power struggles within the court.
'It's not him.'
The Marquis had the kind of grace that only comes from a man born and raised as a noble.
He could not be the leader of the Black Blade Bandits.
The head of the Black Blade had come to the court as the leader of a group of thieves, it was unlikely he'd been able to discard all his past habits.
As Jaxon observed the Marquis, one of the bodyguards looked at him.
Despite giving off no detectable presence, he noticed Jaxon's gaze?
The bodyguard must have his own means. Not the same as Jaxon's, but something. After all, a man of his caliber would need someone skilled enough to avoid assassination attempts.
Everyone maintaining a position in the Capital was facing the threat of assassination in one way or another.
'Is it Willpower?'
He hadn't learned any sensory techniques, nor did he emit the same aura, yet he caught Jaxon's gaze. It had to be Willpower.
There were ways Jaxon could conceal himself even more, but it was unnecessary at the moment.
Jaxon withdrew his gaze.
Though the tension hadn't escalated to a confrontation, a subtle sense of unease hung in the air as the Marquis spoke.
"Won't you at least offer me a cup of tea, Baron Gardner?"
"What? Oh, yes, of course."
Andrew, sweating nervously, quickly ordered the tea and refreshments to be prepared.
There were only a handful of servants in the mansion.
One maid approached, trembling as she recognized the Marquis of Octo.
To the young maid, the great noble before her was not like Andrew.
Andrew could also harm her if he were to become displeased, but he was her master, whom she saw every day.
She had grown accustomed to Andrew and knew he wasn't that kind of person.
But the man sitting before her now was a great noble.
Literally, with just a gesture or a single word, he could destroy her life and that of her family.
The fact that his rank was higher than Andrew's meant her master could not protect her from him.
Though she didn't fully understand this, her instincts filled her with fear.
The maid, trembling uncontrollably, eventually spilled the tea. The tea, which should have been poured into the cup, dripped over the side.
The flowing tea ran across the table and dripped onto the Marquis's lap.
The Marquis stood up calmly and moved to the chair beside him.
The maid, unable to say a word, turned pale and began to tremble violently before finally kneeling.
"F-Forgive me…"
Encrid had just finished his training.
"Your hands weren't steady."
The Marquis said. Mac brought a handkerchief to help the trembling maid, but the bodyguard was quicker.
The bodyguard immediately took a clean handkerchief from his coat and wiped the Marquis's knee.
Encrid's gaze shifted to the Marquis. The Marquis, without paying any mind to being watched, spoke.
"Baron Gardner."
"Yes."
"You should pay more attention to the maid's training."
"...Yes."
Mac cleared the table in the meantime, while the maid continued to tremble. Andrew sent her inside.
The maid walked back into the mansion on shaky legs, managing to keep her balance and not collapse.
After Andrew personally poured the tea, the Marquis nodded in acknowledgment.
He neither displayed kindness nor reprimanded harshly.
The Marquis took a sip from his cup, and Kin Visar sat silently beside him.
"May I also have a cup?"
Kin asked.
"Would you mind?"
The Marquis of Octo chimed in. There was no reason to refuse.
"Of course."
Andrew nodded. In the meantime, Encrid walked over and sat down across from the table.
The small disturbance was over.
Encrid neither showed excessive politeness nor was he rude. He simply sat down, maintaining a neutral demeanor. The Marquis observed this while lifting his teacup to his lips.
The steam from the tea wafted up as he took a sip.
"What do you think would have happened if I had consoled the maid earlier?"
The Marquis asked, still holding his cup, a smile on his lips, though his eyes did not share the sentiment.
Encrid found it difficult to discern what kind of person the Marquis was.
He had met many people, but this man was not easy to figure out.
If Krang was like a blazing sun, the Marquis was like a flowing river.
You could never tell where the current would go or how it would change.
"There would have been two outcomes: either she would feel relieved or anxious."
Encrid casually wiped the sweat from his arm and placed his hand on the table.
"Oh? Why would she feel anxious?"
"She might think you consoled her outwardly but would harm her later."
"Are you saying that maid sees the world in such a negative light?"
"Or, if she told someone about the incident later, they might say, 'You spilled the tea, but instead of being angry, he comforted you? Be careful with him.' Something like that."
Encrid, imagining the maid's older sister saying those words, mimicked the conversation in a poor imitation, but the meaning was clear.
There are plenty of old nobles who pretend to be kind in public while secretly exploiting their maids.
So, it's better to show a bit of displeasure than to pretend to be overly comforting.
Once this incident passes, the maid will actually feel relieved.
She'll think she's paid the price for her mistake.
The Marquis hadn't gotten angry but had scolded her lightly for being unsteady.
And that was that.
"You're quite thoughtful."
"I often hear that I'm not very noble-like."
"...Is that so."
Kin Visar almost spat out her tea at the Marquis's comment. Instead, she gripped her teacup tightly.
A man known as a noble among nobles saying such things? It was almost a play on words.
Can someone who flies into a rage over a maid's mistake really be called noble?
"Why have you come here?"
"Why do you ask?"
For Kin Visar, hearing such a direct question from the Marquis made her heart race. Her gaze naturally shifted to Encrid.
"I want to know what kind of person you are. Can you answer?"
How would he respond?
Kin knew how Encrid had ended up here.
She could also roughly guess why.
He could say he was here to support someone's rightful path to the throne, or he could say he came because he had been hired for a job.
If he said he was just here to lend a hand because it looked interesting, Kin would nod in agreement.
'He might actually say that.'
Knowing Encrid, it wouldn't be surprising.
But would the Marquis be pleased with that answer?
Probably not.
The Marquis's gaze held neither expectation nor amusement. It was neutral, yet the weight of it could still be felt.
Encrid opened his mouth.
"I am here for a world where no child has to appear on the battlefield."
At that unexpected answer, everyone, including Kin, fell silent.
Encrid continued, reciting his words with the calm cadence of poetry.
It was a quiet, unshaken declaration, a pledge, a statement of will.
"I am here to reduce the monsters and beasts. I came to protect those who know how to care for their own. I came to punish those who oppress others with their power. I am here because I want to protect the dreams of those who still have them, and to shield the weak."
Empty words. Hollow words. Words spoken off the cuff.
No, they had meaning. Words filled with conviction, sincerity. Spoken not from the lips, but from the heart.
For a moment, everyone—Kin, the Marquis, the bodyguards, even Rem, Dunbachel, and Andrew—felt as if they had been swept into the whirlwind that was Encrid.
Words, in and of themselves, hold no power.
Anyone can speak.
But words also carry power.
Because these words carried intent, they carried conviction.
When no one else spoke, the Marquis set down his teacup with a quiet clink and spoke.
"Did you say your dream is to be a Knight?"
It wasn't as though Encrid's dream had spread far and wide, so it seemed the Marquis had sharp ears.
Encrid nodded.
"Yes."
"I'll support that."
"Yes."
The Marquis stood up. Why had he come here?
Surely, it wasn't just to confirm that Encrid's dream was to become a Knight. Yet, he was standing up now?
Kin was confused, but as a woman who had charmed men for years, she maintained her composure.
The Marquis, having stood, ended the conversation shorter than expected and turned to leave.
As he began to walk away with brisk steps, he stopped before taking five steps and turned back.
"Oh, but isn't it odd for someone who claims to protect the weak and dreams of being a Knight to just stand by while people die in the Capital? There are incidents every night, you know. Or do you only act when you've been given a commission?"
The Marquis's tone and movements were awkward.
As if it had just occurred to him, but in truth, it was a calculated statement. He intentionally made it obvious.
You're saying you don't act on your so-called Knightly convictions or your ideals unless someone like Krona hires you or pays you?
Encrid could almost hear the subtext of the Marquis's words loud and clear.
It was an unfair accusation.
The matters in the Capital fell under the jurisdiction of the city guard.
Encrid was part of the Border Guard Reserve Unit, so if he intervened, it would actually put him in a position to be reprimanded.
Should he entertain this unreasonable challenge?
Encrid looked into the Marquis's eyes.
A faint smile appeared in those eyes.
'Ah.'
It was a provocation. Absolutely a provocation. Encrid could feel it clearly.
Can you do it? You don't have to.
You know it's not something you're required to do.
But does it align with your Knightly code?
So what's your dream again? A Knight? Kniiiiight?
Or are you just avoiding this because you think you can't handle it?
The Marquis's unspoken words swept through Encrid's mind in an instant. Though the Marquis hadn't actually said a single word, Encrid heard them all.
He was a noble draped in dignity, so he wouldn't actually say such things aloud, but Encrid felt as if he'd heard it all. He had no choice but to take the bait.
This was about proving himself.
To put sincerity behind his words, actions had to follow.
If it's all talk, no one will follow. No one will stand behind him.
"I'll start looking into it tonight and resolve it."
"Much appreciated."
Their eyes met, and the Marquis smiled. The corners of his eyes softened. Encrid returned the smile.