Chapter 917 - Uninvited Guest
"Honor Knight Oara."
It was the first thing Krang said when he gathered everyone for his victory speech.
"Forget lining up, just sit and listen."
And this was what he told some of the commanders he called before the speech began.
"You truly intend to dispose of the King's dignity this cheaply now, don't you?"
Perhaps natural for the Guard Captain to ask this.
"Sold all that off when I decided to become King."
"This is not a joke. Whether nobles or the Council of Ten, they will rise up in protest. What King gives a victory speech with soldiers sitting freely?"
Even Andrew thought this wasn't right, but Krang's stubbornness was on Enkrid's level.
Since the Madmen Knights Commander's close friend is also a mad King.
"I am the King. This is an order. So do as I say."
There probably weren't even three people on the entire continent who could break that stubbornness.
One of them was right here together, but he had no interest in whatever Krang said.
"You just want to brag that we won thanks to you drawing out a knight battle with a few words and about stepping up to the front yourself, right?"
He was spouting words like this.
Of course, not sincere.
Words likely to be spoken because he is the King's close friend and a madman.
"That's not a bad idea either."
Krang answered, met eyes with his close friend, and both giggled simultaneously.
It was like the laughter of twelve-year-old brats.
The Guard Captain didn't even want to know why the Mad King and Knight Commander were laughing.
In the first place, their vessels were too big and wide for him to measure and beyond the scope of understanding.
Stepping out for the speech like that, he met eyes with the soldiers sitting and chatting.
Of course, making eye contact with all of them made no sense, but outwardly it looked that way.
The King's gaze and each soldier's gaze met, and gazes likely to be shown only by those sharing the same thing exchanged.
It was a morning with light seeping through the clouds.
Sunlight reflected, making the King's blond hair shine even more.
Some soldiers chatting amongst themselves looked at him.
"Honor the Knight of Oara."
As he spoke once more and fluttered his cape, the audience became quiet as a mouse.
He didn't shout that loudly, nor did he stimulate their sixth sense with aura as he had no such talent.
He simply silenced everyone and gathered everyone's gaze with words, actions, and gaze.
The improvised podium was shabby, and soldiers were just sitting carelessly for a King's speech, but that didn't touch the King's dignity.
He was a person who proved and expressed his value as is.
'A King's vessel.'
A moment where Cypress, watching, admired naturally.
Enkrid appreciated the appearance of his close friend he had seen many times.
If coercion was learned from watching monsters, the spirit Krang showed now must be inherent to humans.
He pulled everyone watching to a moment in the past with just words, eyes, and attitude.
There was a large obelisk erected with the names of dead soldiers rising behind Krang.
It fascinated Enkrid every time he saw it.
It remind him of something standing alone in the wilderness even when seen for the first time.
"Sometime ago, I showed a military salute honoring the names of a dead knight. Today, I thank you all for not making me start by saying 'Honor the Knight Cypress'."
Some Kings must cut the necks of those who don't listen for dignity.
Some Kings must stand many armed men behind their backs for authority.
Another King must build up military power to prove himself.
And the King of Naurillia and Enkrid's close friend was a person proving dignity by telling everyone looking at him like this, sitting freely forgetting about lining up.
"Thank you for fighting. Thank you for protecting."
Krang spoke and showed a military salute just like when honoring Oara.
His speech wasn't long and was plain, but that was enough to set fire to the soldiers' hearts.
Soldiers drunk on elation shouted.
"For the Kingdom!"
"For Your Majesty!"
"Oh-oh!"
When commanders and a few soldiers shouted and the entire army echoed the words of those who led the chant, the ground seemed to shake as they opened their mouths.
If the retreated Southern Army saw this, they would have been disheartened by the spirit alone.
"Great Cypress!"
"Who among the Madmen Knights wants to fight me?"
Someone even spat such words.
"Crimson Cloak Knights!"
"Madmen Knights!"
There were many shouting the names of knight orders too.
With this and that cheer as background, Krang finished speaking.
"We will erase the Demonic Realm."
At those words, the army responded even louder.
Right now, even if the remaining five of the Six Devils excluding the dead one appeared, it seemed they would fight risking their lives immediately.
This was the morning's affair.
Enkrid acknowledged that the speech Krang used to rouse the soldiers had also lit a fire in his own heart.
'It was to the level of not being able to sleep.'
So he was out for a night walk.
While intending to walk and organize thoughts from the past few days, he found Ragna, who was looking at the sky with a blank gaze in front of him.
"Can't sleep?"
Ragna looked at his Captain and nodded.
"Yes."
"Walk?"
"I will guide."
"No, don't take the lead."
It couldn't be that even Ragna couldn't sleep, drunk on elation.
"That density."
Not even walking a few steps, Ragna spoke first.
He was captivated by the method of handling Will Enkrid mentioned.
Somehow he looked excited too.
"Stacking Will densely in the body. Though the body would become a mess if stacked carelessly."
"If done properly, using Point Explosion consecutively would be fine."
Enkrid didn't notice, but it was an important story for Ragna.
Line Explosion or Point Explosion were half-techniques.
Since one caused recoil to the body the more it was used cannot be called a proper art.
Wasn't it not taught even in Yohan because of that.
Also because of that, his father Tempest Yohan's body was ruined messily.
'It was because Will's density was too high.'
Natural talent found, grasped, and reconstructed the core Enkrid pinpointed. Implementing what was thought in the head with the body wasn't that difficult for him. Ragna was excited, ruminating on that and so couldn't sleep. If he tells this to his father, the load on his body from Point Explosion will be decrease by adjusting Will to lower density. Even if his body doesn't return to its prime it will surely help.
'Opportunity for his father to train again arises.'
Opportunity to escape from the ruined dying state he is in.
Even if the power of a single blow becomes weaker than before, it will be better later.
Also, it will be a key to open an unexpected door for his mother.
'To endure even using Line Explosion consecutively.'
Matching Will's density to the body's training level.
Of course, the ways to handle Will fitting one's body in such detailed parts must be found by oneself, so he will have to strive in training from now on, but anyway, the path exists.
No, the path opened.
'Should he say it's amazing?'
Enkrid learns anything at any moment.
A thought occurring anew.
Would it have been so if it were him?
'If father was here?'
If father or mother came here and hung out with the knight named Cypress for just a month, could they have realised?
Fifty-fifty.
The possibility exists, but cannot say 'definitely'.
This is strictly an event happening because of the traits the human named Enkrid possesses.
Ragna saw it that way.
'Humans like the Captain are rare.'
Ragna knows that too.
"Still cold."
As Enkrid spoke, the cloak fastened itself.
A mystery possessed by the Fairy Cloak.
"Is it?"
"Stop taking the lead."
The two didn't share any great conversation.
Just walking where feet led happened to be the side where the Demonic Realm's air was thick.
Just when they were thinking of returning, encountered an unidentified figure.
"It's you."
Blond hair caught the eye first.
Even if moonlight shone, it was a dark night, so hair color catching the eye first wasn't a common case.
'Dull blond.'
First thought upon seeing.
Along with awkward incongruity here.
As he kept repeating the days, sometimes faces come to mind but names are forgotten, and looking at appearance only, sometimes he cannot recall where he's seen someone immediately.
The same happened this time.
'Where did I see him?'
Appearance is familiar.
But eyes weren't.
'Dead eyes.'
Or could say ashen color where sparks died out after facing countless deaths.
Eyes seen for the first time?
No.
Eyes encountered a few times.
"Does a few people dying matter? Winning is enough."
Saw many such eyes among mercenaries too.
"This is easy?"
Eyes of a guy who killed a target for no reason.
A guy who would say killing people is convenient if possible.
'No, deeper than that.'
If the eyes of guys seen before were shallow streams, this side is a lake.
Wide, deep, and depth hard to gauge.
Eyes like settled or hardened dust.
Eyes containing despair forgetting hope.
He didn't know the opponent's name and was seeing the face for the first time.
Not a Southerner.
Enkrid thought he'd seen him somewhere, but it felt like a gap in his memory.
"Who?"
Ragna asked.
Hand already on Sunrise's grip, and calm settled eyes ready to draw and swing the sword anytime.
Pressure arose naturally, but the swordsman in front just looked at Enkrid quietly.
Did they say Fairies are emotionless.
'More than that.'
This side had an expression where emotion was glimpsed even less than that.
A black shadow glimpsed briefly inside the ashen pupil.
Besides that, nothing was felt from the eyes.
If one insisted, maybe a slight curiosity.
"Why did you fight on that side?"
The swordsman asked.
"What?"
"I am asking just because I don't understand."
And tone being infinitely polite was just fascinating.
Enkrid reflexively examined the opponent's attire or sword.
Is there a peculiarity?
Wore a breastplate made of metal and hung just one longsword.
Ordinary armament without patterns.
Strange thing.
Enkrid didn't have this feeling even when facing Beelrog.
'No opening.'
Is this a wall?
To the extent such thought occurred naturally.
The swordsman looked ahead quietly then put his hand on the sword grip.
"Do not draw. There is no need to die 'now' in vain."
Eyes directed at Enkrid, but words directed at Ragna.
Ragna sweated cold sweat down his neck.
Injuries were roughly healed.
Although not in perfect condition, not a messily ruined body either.
Anne's medicine was excellent.
Ragna raised concentration.
He abandoned the conversation with the opponent.
Provocation?
No spare energy.
He concentrated on what he does best.
Grasping the sword, drawing, and swinging.
Sunrise condensed heat inside the scabbard.
Ready to spew the harbored heat at once just by drawing.
"Magic sword? Must be a relic. Excellent sword."
The swordsman showed leisure.
Enkrid was also in the same situation as Ragna.
Aiming only for a gap with his hand on Dawn.
"How far did you train Will?"
The swordsman asked again.
Enkrid suppressed instinct a few times and said.
"What will you do if you know?"
He wanted to say that, but his mouth opened naturally as if facing a Dragonkin's Word Spirit for the first time.
"Density and change."
"Not bad."
He tilted his head, grasped the sword, and drew.
Discussing how natural that movement was was useless.
Just that both Ragna and Enkrid couldn't find an opening to rush in while the opponent grasped and drew the sword was enough.
"I left Beelrog alone because there was no need to kill it."
Hearing the opponent's words, Enkrid's thought connected naturally and drew a conclusion.
'He fought and won against Beelrog?'
Listening to words, it must be so.
Didn't sound like bluff.
"How did you kill Beelrog?"
The swordsman asked.
Before Enkrid answered, Ragna drew his sword.
If there is no opening, make one.
If this isn't a path, walk until the destination appears.
Such was the will contained in Ragna's sword strike.
Entering the world of silence where sound disappeared, the moment the swung sword left an afterimage like the wing of a red-feathered bird, the opponent also swung his sword.
Enkrid also saw a momentary gap and thrust his sword.
'One Point Thrust.'
The fastest move among sword strikes he possessed.
In a space where heavy pressure crushed shoulders, the swordsman struck away Sunrise and struck Dawn Enkrid extended.
Struck away both blades in a single trajectory.
Kwagwang!
Noise came after all movements ended.
At the end of the clash, Enkrid and Ragna bounced left and right.
Even Rem would have widened his eyes if he saw this.
Because at this point, someone who wasn't a demon proved his superiority with just one sword exchange, dealing with both Enkrid and Ragna.
***
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