The power of a Knight often exceeded what one might ordinarily expect.
For example, take the Knight of Aspen they had encountered before.
Encrid was lost in thought, holding his sword.
'What if I had seen that Knight's sword back then? What if I had predicted his attack?'
Could he have blocked it even if he predicted it?
Just as important as moving one's body was the time spent in meditation.
He sank into thought, forming an image in his mind.
The Knight of Aspen came to mind, and the trajectory of the sword he had swung was vividly drawn.
'It wasn't extraordinary swordsmanship.'
It was just a swing. But it was so strong and fast that it was almost impossible to think of blocking it.
So, is that what a Knight's strike is?
Something that is visible but impossible to block due to the sheer speed and power?
Would one be astonished if they witnessed a true Knight in battle?
It was a trivial thought.
* * *
What is a Knight?
A Knight is someone who has shattered the limits of human potential.
The King of the East wasn't a Knight, but he was a person with similar strength.
He displayed his power without reservation.
It wasn't even everything he had, but anyone watching from nearby would be astonished.
A troll swung a stone axe wrapped in tree trunks.
It was too slow. The moment the troll's shoulder moved, the King had already thrust his spear.
Thunk!
The spearhead not only pierced but also shattered the troll's skull. The force behind the thrust was immense.
The King's spear burst through one troll's skull and moved to the next.
With the sound of flesh tearing, every troll's skull that came into contact with the spear's shaft or blade was shattered.
The way to kill a troll was to burn its entire body or sever its head.
Severing the head meant breaking the connection between the body and the head.
Smashing the skull had a similar effect.
Anu's spear proved that.
Stabbing, slashing, striking, and smashing.
At first, he moved as if to loosen up, but within the span of a few breaths, his spear grew faster.
Even so, it precisely targeted only the trolls' skulls.
It was like a swift swallow snatching up fish.
A swallow naturally gifted at hunting.
There were no mistakes, and nothing was missed.
It was a skill displayed for Rem to witness.
Anu killed approximately twenty trolls, one by one, with a single strike each.
Black blood splattered on his clothes, but for the level of slaughter, there was hardly any trace left.
Rem, who had just split open the heads of three trolls, stood there, staring blankly at him.
The King, Anu, withdrew his spear, glanced at Rem, and tilted his head unconsciously.
'Isn't this the part where you're supposed to be impressed?'
Normally, yes. When people saw his spear techniques, they typically began with surprise and ended with admiration.
But Rem's eyes held a deeply irreverent look. He seemed filled with dissatisfaction.
"You're having fun doing it all by yourself, huh?"
His tone matched his expression.
The King blinked once.
"It seems so, my Lord."
Asaluhi, who had been watching, approached and whispered. He took the spear, cleaned the blade and shaft thoroughly, and wrapped it carefully in cloth again.
The adjutant roughly guessed the King's intent. He must have intended to impress the other by showcasing his outstanding skills.
He had even gone so far as to use his second weapon on mere trolls for that reason.
Rem was about to grumble but decided not to.
If someone wants to show off, it's best to just let them be.
"I'm not quite warmed up yet, so I'll keep going for a bit. Let's go our separate ways."
Rem said and walked off alone, with an air of indifference, as if it didn't matter whether this was the Pen-Hanil Mountains or not.
For Rem, this was the natural reaction.
It didn't matter if the other party was left flabbergasted.
If he could find his lost sorcery from the West, he could do what the King of the East had just shown.
There was nothing to be envious of.
Those who were like Knights used Will, and while his way of using it was a bit different, to Rem, it was all the same.
"Let me ask you one thing."
The King turned to Rem and asked.
"Ask away."
"Why are you here? Why do you stick around with that guy? What do you want, staying in this city?"
Rem answered as if it required no thought.
"It's fun."
What had been his reason for storming out of the West in the first place?
It was to find enjoyment.
Right now, Rem's enjoyment was watching Encrid crawl his way up from the bottom.
In hindsight, it wasn't a particularly grand reason.
It was simply that he was staying because he found it fun at the moment.
It also meant that he would leave whenever something more enjoyable came along.
The King nodded upon hearing the answer.
"Understood."
His demeanor was straightforward.
Rem headed deeper into the mountains.
When the King returned from the hunt with only his adjutant, a big-eyed, snide individual greeted him.
"Did you bury Rem out there? If so, gold coins might not be enough to cover it. You might need at least some gold bars."
"He said he was going to have some more fun on his own."
The King cut him off and strode inside.
His eyes fell upon Audin.
"Your name is Audin, right? Why are you staying here?"
"My Lord Father instructed me to do so."
"Lord? Father?"
There was no need for a long conversation.
Asaluhi leaned in and whispered cautiously to the King so the others wouldn't hear.
"Is he a fanatic?"
The King thought so too. No matter what question was asked, the answer always came back to following the teachings of the God or divine providence.
The King nodded and looked away.
His gaze landed on Ragna, who was fast asleep. Nearby, a half-blood Giant was passing in front of the tent.
"And why are you staying here?"
The King asked.
"I owe a life debt."
Teresa replied in her distinctively metallic, yet oddly pleasing voice.
Her attitude was dead serious.
A life debt—something that couldn't be repaid by anyone else.
"My desire is to explore the unknown. Look at him—what a fascinating human. On top of that, he's handsome. A sight for sore eyes. But you, you're not."
That was the response from Frog Luagarne.
The King of the East took pride in his appearance, but knowing Frog's discerning taste, he simply responded.
"Have you injured your eyes? Look at my face again, carefully. Are you having vision problems, Frog?"
"Do they not have mirrors in the East?"
Of course, Luagarne retorted without missing a beat.
Next was Dunbachel.
"If I back out now, I'll probably spend the rest of my life on the run."
Her comment about becoming his daughter was half a joke, half serious.
There were many things the King could offer her if she came to the East, but she had rejected all his proposals.
"You know I'm not fully human, right?"
The King asked.
"I think everyone here knows that, except maybe that idiot over there."
Dunbachel was referring to Squire Lawford.
The King, having gotten into the flow of things, began asking everyone he saw.
"I came here to find myself. Given that, how could I dare go anywhere else?"
Lawford said, his eye swollen from some unseen blow.
"I'm a Shepherd of the Wilderness. I'm just here on some business, nothing more."
Pel kept his true intentions hidden.
But the King of the East saw an unquenchable desire for victory in Pel's eyes.
The shepherd's gaze was fixed not on Ragna or Rem, but on Encrid.
This was unusual, but not entirely incomprehensible.
Encrid had a certain aura that made people naturally want to challenge him.
The King understood this.
He also noticed that Sinar, the Fairy, often came by.
So he asked her.
"We're betrothed."
The Fairy replied.
"It's a joke."
Encrid's voice quickly followed.
Encrid once again remarked that Fairy jokes were difficult to understand.
the King didn't bother probing Sinar's true feelings. He could tell that whatever the reason, she wasn't about to leave with him.
the King stayed for several days, during which he also met Jaxon.
"I can roughly guess where you're from. Your skill level could easily be considered master-class."
How many people have the eyes to see through what he had concealed at a glance?
Even so, Jaxon wasn't surprised.
When you stayed around Encrid, all sorts of things happened.
Wasn't he himself currently doing something beyond imagination?
As his partner had said,
"I never thought you would change this much."
It was a straightforward attitude.
Rem headed deeper into the mountains.
When the King returned from the hunt with only his adjutant, he was greeted by a big-eyed, sarcastic fellow.
"Did you bury Rem out there? If so, gold coins might not be enough to cover it. You might need at least some gold bars…"
"He said he was going to have some more fun on his own."
the King cut him off and strode inside.
His eyes fell upon Audin.
"Your name is Audin, right? Why are you staying here?"
"My lord father instructed me to do so."
"Lord? Father?"
There was no need for a long conversation.
Asaluhi leaned in and whispered cautiously to the King so the others wouldn't hear.
"Isn't he a fanatic?"
the King thought so too. No matter what question was asked, the answer always came back to following the teachings of the god or divine providence.
the King nodded and looked away.
His gaze landed on Ragna, who was fast asleep. Nearby, a half-giant was passing in front of the tent.
"And why are you staying here?" the King asked.
"I owe a life debt."
Teresa replied in her distinctively metallic, yet oddly pleasing voice.
Her attitude was dead serious.
A life debt—something that couldn't be repaid by anyone else.
"My desire is to explore the unknown. Look at him—what a fascinating human. On top of that, he's handsome. A sight for sore eyes. But you, you're not."
That was the response from Frog Luagarne.
the King of the East took pride in his appearance, but knowing Frog's discerning taste, he simply responded.
"Have you injured your eyes? Look at my face again, carefully. Are you having vision problems, Frog?"
"Do they not have mirrors in the East?"
Of course, Luagarne retorted without missing a beat.
Next was Dunbachel.
"If I back out now, I'll probably spend the rest of my life on the run."
Her comment about becoming his daughter was half a joke, half serious.
There were many things the King could offer her if she came to the East, but she had rejected all his proposals.
"You know I'm not fully human, right?" the King asked.
"I think everyone here knows that, except maybe that idiot over there."
Dunbachel was referring to Squire Lawford.
the King, having gotten into the flow of things, began asking everyone he saw.
"I came here to find myself. Given that, how could I dare go anywhere else?" said Lawford, his eye swollen from some unseen blow.
"I'm a shepherd of the wilderness. I'm just here on some business, nothing more."
Pel kept his true intentions hidden.
But the King of the East saw an unquenchable desire for victory in Pel's eyes.
The shepherd's gaze was fixed not on Ragna or Rem, but on Encrid.
This was unusual, but not entirely incomprehensible.
Encrid had a certain aura that made people naturally want to challenge him.
the King understood this.
He also noticed that Sinar, the Fairy, often came by.
So he asked her.
"We promised to be engaged."
The Fairy replied.
"It's a joke."
Encrid's voice quickly followed.
Encrid once again remarked that Fairy jokes were difficult to understand.
The King didn't bother probing Sinar's true feelings. He could tell that whatever the reason, she wasn't about to leave with him.
The King stayed for several days, during which he also met Jaxon.
"I can roughly guess where you're from. Your skill level could easily be considered master-class."
How many people have the eyes to see through what he had concealed at a glance?
Even so, Jaxon wasn't surprised.
When you stayed around Encrid, all sorts of things happened.
Wasn't he himself currently doing something beyond imagination?
As his partner had said,
"I never thought you would change this much."
It was a remark that suddenly made him introspective.
'Have I changed?'
He didn't know. But one thing was certain.
Jaxon had found the place where he belonged, and he liked it.
So when the King asked,
"Why are you here?"
His answer was incredibly simple.
"Because this is where I belong."
The King asked no more.
After questioning everyone, the answers were all different.
They each stayed for their own reasons, but those reasons all led back to one person.
One morning, Ragna, who had been asleep for more than three days, finally woke up and came out.
The King turned his gaze to him.
Ragna walked out with his usual stride, but the King could tell that he had crossed some kind of threshold.
That didn't mean he had suddenly become a Knight.
No one could become a Knight in an instant. Knights weren't made that way.
It required relentless effort layered on top of heaven-sent talent.
There was a shift in his aura that only the King could recognize.
'No, I'm not the only one who noticed.'
Indeed, even though Rem had seen his skill, he hadn't been particularly surprised.
Rem had noticed first.
The guy who didn't react much to his skill was now clenching his teeth, his face full of discontent.
Audin was similar.
Despite being subtly overwhelmed by the King's aura, he had remained steady. But now, seeing Ragna awaken, he fell into deep contemplation and immediately began praying silently, hands clasped and head bowed.
The King's gaze then shifted to Encrid.
'He's observant.'
He noticed it too.
Suddenly, the King found Encrid to be a particularly intriguing individual.
No matter how many times he was knocked down, he would rise again, like an unkillable skeletal soldier.
The King also realized that Ragna was in a state of eagerness, desperate to test out his newly acquired strength.
Seeing all this, the King spoke.
"If you follow me, you'll be able to use that power to your heart's content."
The King cut straight to the point, his words as sharp as a spear piercing straight to the heart.
Words that could sway anyone.
Especially someone who had just broken through a barrier, such words would stir their heart without fail.
The King, arms crossed, looked at Ragna.
An aura of natural authority and majesty emanated from him.
It was the kind of atmosphere only a King, who possessed the strength of a Knight, could exude.
"There aren't many places where you'll be able to freely use your power. Come with me to a place where you can unleash your desires and aspirations. This country won't be able to contain you."
It was an invitation to a broader world, beyond the confines of a Knightly order.
Encrid, who was practicing with his sword nearby, was also watching the changed Ragna.
Rem was there too, as were Audin, Teresa, and Dunbachel.
Lawford and Pel were absent due to their duties.
Despite staying here for various reasons, they never neglected their duties—this was Encrid's intent.
Regardless, everyone except the two who were absent focused their attention on Ragna.
Ragna squinted at the morning sunlight with a drowsy expression and spoke.
"That sounds like a hassle."
Ragna's words were relatively polite, but the content was anything but.
"...A hassle?"
The King, forgetting his dignity, asked again.
Many had shown resistance to him before.
But this was the first time someone had dismissed him as a hassle.
"Just thinking about the journey to the East sounds like too much trouble."
Ragna reiterated his stance. Even if he was skilled at navigating, it would take more than half a year.
Normally, it was a journey that could be completed in about fifteen days on a fast horse without rest.
The King let out a hollow laugh.
Adjutant Asaluhi watched the King's reaction, wondering if he was angry.
Fortunately, the King neither erupted in anger nor seemed to be suppressing his rage.
"A hassle, huh."
He merely muttered to himself.
Ragna found it bothersome to explain himself any further.
He had gained some insight, and as he worked through it, his senses felt out of sync.
It seemed like it would take several days of intense training to realign his senses.
More than anything, Ragna had no intention of following the King of the East.
Although saying it was a hassle wasn't entirely untrue.
'If I had to serve under someone, it would have to be the person who led me this far.'
Look at that madman over there, eyes burning as he watched.
If it weren't for that person, Jaxon wouldn't have found any motivation.
Even now, everything felt like a hassle, but when he looked into those eyes, he felt a surge of determination.
He felt like staying up for three nights straight, swinging his sword to realign his senses, and then crashing his blade against that famed Aker sword.
The King, seeing Ragna like that, turned away.
"Let's head back."
The adjutant spoke, and the King nodded, but he didn't seem inclined to leave just yet.
It was after spending another day like that.
A light rain had fallen last night and in the morning, but now the sun was breaking through the clouds.
The sunlight was soft, and the air was cool.
It was not like any typical summer day.
The afternoon after a rainy day was neither humid nor hot. It was cool and clear—a day like that.
On such a day, the King found himself tied up with Encrid until the evening.
"Can we go again?"
"Yes, we can."
It was another sparring match, as if neither of them ever grew tired of it.
The King won by striking his opponent near the solar plexus with his elbow.
He struck quite hard, but Encrid's body was solid. He had endured well.
After the match, the King's gaze turned to the sky.
The sun was already setting, and the world was being painted in twilight.
The orange glow of the sunset filled the clouds and reached down to the earth.
Amidst the fading light, the King spoke.
"What do you think is in the East? Gold? Silver? Iron? Treasure? I don't know. No one knows what's there. That's what makes my heart race."
It was in the corner of the twilight-lit training ground.
The King spoke of his dreams, and Encrid listened.
Encrid felt chills run through his body more than once.
As he listened to the King's words, he had visions of exploring unknown lands and ancient ruins, unsure of what might emerge.
He spoke like a crane with a burning soul.
"Conquering new lands, that is my fight. That is my struggle. What do you think?"
The King, surrounded by fervor, asked.
Anyone could have been swept up in that passion.
It was a speech that made one want to agree with him, respect his vision, and trust and follow him.
A speech directed solely at a single listener.
The King of the East poured out his passion.
Encrid responded.
"Do you know the song of the Knight of old?"
Just as the King had spoken of his dream, Encrid now spoke of his own.
A dream born from a simple, often-heard song—faded, torn, but stitched together and held onto.
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