Chapter 926 - It Was Still Winter
"Why the sudden change?"
Aurelia was quite flustered, but she didn't refuse Enkrid's order.
"Shut your mouth and focus."
Well, when he put it like that, she didn't exactly have room for other thoughts.
Enkrid's reasoning was simple: he had loosened up her muscles, so now it was time to work on her head.
'With that good brain of hers.'
She only walks a single path.
To Enkrid, Aurelia was like a steed galloping down a straight road.
She had excellent stamina and knew how to run.
But a horse cannot fly.
If an obstacle suddenly appeared, she had no options other than jumping over it.
'Sometimes, you break through with force.'
Other times, you predict, and in other cases, you detour.
Don't confine your thoughts; diversify them.
Expand the concept of fighting within your mind.
There was nothing better than experience to achieve all this.
'Innate senses, athletic ability, and reaction speed to boot.'
When discussing talent, she lacked nothing.
Therefore, what she needed now was clear. Experience engraved into the body, not the head.
"Today, it's me. Tomorrow, Rem. Then Ragna, then Audin. You won't die."
Aurelia had grown up in a Knight Order.
Sparring and fighting were daily life for her.
Furthermore, she had reached her current level by training right in front of the Demonic Realm.
However, there hadn't been madmen like these back there.
The phrase 'You won't die' stuck in her mind like a fishbone.
***
The next day, the madman named Rem approached her with a wide grin.
"I don't have a hobby of bullying the weak, but I guess it can't be helped. Well, since Sir Cypress asked for it."
Seeing the barbarian's eyes full of anticipation, Aurelia got goosebumps all over her body.
Her instincts screamed warnings: Get away from here right now. Do not engage that bastard.
She suppressed the urge with difficulty and raised her sword.
Just that action made her arms tremble.
"What? Trembling with excitement?"
The madman from the West beat her to a pulp while picking only the most annoying things to say.
The following day, Ragna cut her throat with an illusion.
It was a feat accomplished solely through intimidation.
Aurelia praised herself for not wetting her pants.
After that, the bear beastkin she met tried to twist her joints to the breaking point and pull them out.
"They are all crazy bastards."
She spat out those words quickly, and the crazy bastard named Krais nodded as if he understood, only to get his ear pulled by his dark-skinned lover.
'Madmen Knights.'
The name resonated deep in her heart anew.
Still, she didn't run away.
It wasn't just her; the two soldiers she met during the running training were the same.
Even though they called it hell and whatnot, they remained.
When she ran into them in the cafeteria one day, she asked them:
"Why join the army?"
The question was abrupt and her tone stiff, but it was softer than before, and her meaning got across.
Aurelia revealed pure curiosity.
Why do they endure this training?
For gold coins?
Or honor?
Or perhaps to learn how to use strength rationally?
Do they plan to learn here and make a big score elsewhere?
"My entire family moved here."
One soldier said.
"The person who saved me when I was young retired here, and after that, he took care of me like a father. Well, I didn't want to become anything other than a soldier anyway."
Then the other soldier spoke up.
Their answers were different, yet the same.
As they spoke, their eyes shone.
These were the eyes of people fighting for the city called Border Guard.
Eyes of those protecting something behind their backs.
"Though I really hate the hell training."
At the added remark, Aurelia snorted.
"What you are doing isn't hell training. Real hell is inside the Knight Order", she said as if giving advice.
The two soldiers muttered at those words that they had no intention of becoming knights.
Yet, seeing them focus on training more than anyone else, they were people who might one day stand as members of the Knight Order.
Aurelia liked this place.
The atmosphere, the spirit, the air.
Everything was truly good.
Seeing people who lived a day like a year sweating buckets every day, yet laughing, chatting, and mingling with the city folk—it seemed to tap at her heart.
'In the South, too.'
In that moment, her dream was decided.
'Spring to the South, too.'
Let's bring the season where the wind carrying mana blows.
Let's bring a warm breeze to the place where her Knight Order resides.
It was a vow that she would do so.
Hope and dreams were the pillars supporting Aurelia's present.
***
"Die. Die."
The guy called a crazy axe murderer and Rem bastard had knocked her down and was trying to chop at the spot where her head used to be.
Even while listening to his words, she discussed the spring breeze internally.
Aurelia was becoming flexible and solid.
Developing a bit of a foul mouth in the process was just a minor side effect.
"You die. You crazy barbarian bastard."
At the reflexively shouted words, coins exchanged hands between the guys named Fel and Ropord.
"See, didn't last a week, did she?"
"Damn it, no backbone. Acted all tight-lipped but couldn't last a week before flapping her gums?"
It looked like they had made a bet on her, and the bastard named Ropord seemed to have won.
'Spring Revenge... no, Spring Breeze.'
Aurelia steadied herself countless times.
Otherwise, it was an environment hard to endure.
'The world is wide.'
Enkrid didn't limit the path to becoming a knight to just one.
'The paths everyone takes are different.'
But the destination is similar.
After Enkrid knocked down everyone, including Rem and Ragna, a while ago, everyone had been training with fire in their eyes, but not a single one asked him for the path.
'Because they instinctively know there isn't just one path.'
Not that they were completely without worries, though.
Rem will walk Rem's path, and Ragna will walk Ragna's path.
The reason Jaxen smelled of sweat for three whole days was similar.
"Barbarian, bet about half your life and come at me."
It was a sight unseen from the Jaxen of before.
To think he would seek out Rem first and propose a spar.
"Why? Want to get hit?"
Rem welcomed him as usual.
Their spars took on a unique form.
Once, they clashed head-on in the training ground, and Jaxen lost every time.
After fighting three or four times at a level where an ordinary soldier would ask if they were trying their best to kill each other, Rem made a counter-proposal.
"Bastard, let's change the battlefield."
After that, the two entered the Pen-Hanil Mountains at night.
Enkrid found that sight impressive.
'Helping each other?'
If he said it out loud, both would deny it even if they died, but looking deeply, they were helping each other.
Jaxen was stealing and learning from Rem's sense of balance, and Rem, in turn, experienced Jaxen's exquisite skills.
The reason for changing the battlefield was likely fairness.
When the battlefield changes, the way of fighting changes too.
Rem was also familiar with mountains, but fighting with only a sword in the training ground was like fighting with limbs cut off for Jaxen.
"Bring something other than a sword too. I won't die from your tricks."
Rem growled.
He didn't stop here, drunk on the feeling of victory.
Such a mindset revealed itself naturally.
And what about Ragna and Audin?
Those two clashed ceaselessly as well.
One day fighting only with hands and feet, another day Audin held two short iron clubs in his hands.
Then they swapped opponents.
Jaxen fought Audin, and Ragna clashed with Rem.
Sometimes they called Temarress and included him in the fight.
Shinar hadn't come out since entering the Fairy City, and seeing that, Fel, Ropord, and even Theresa got fired up, heating each other up more than before.
Enkrid watched it all and fell into quiet thought.
'Fall down and get up.'
If you can't do it alone, reach out to others.
That is what humans are.
They cannot live alone.
Watching them, Enkrid repeated the same thing.
Meaning a continuation of brutal training.
"Hmm, Master. This has a nice ring to it. Master Enkrid."
Ropord said, looking at Enkrid.
As someone leading the Madmen Knights and becoming an example to everyone, it was a quite fitting title.
Enkrid was indifferent, and no one objected to the title.
Ropord looked at Enkrid and said:
"My sword's name is 'Rampart'."
Rampart.
It was the Inscribed Weapon Ropord chose.
Aetri laid the foundation, his disciple completed it, and the Dwarf craftsman helped by staying up for several nights.
Even while the Inscribed Weapon was being made, Ropord focused on training holding a practice sword.
It was a sword close to an iron club, twice as heavy and thick as a normal sword with a wide blade.
Just as Fel gained enlightenment alone, Ropord, who changed his weapon, improved his skills just as much.
'Will is a formless, invisible power; ultimately, it is influenced by intent.'
That was the conclusion Enkrid reached watching the two.
There was still much to see and learn from them.
'I learn a lot while teaching.'
Luagarne still stayed by Enkrid's side, volunteering to summarize and write down what he said.
"You plan to establish the path to becoming a knight, right?"
The frog was quick-witted.
"Thanks to you, it will be faster."
Enkrid accepted her help obediently.
Everyone changes.
Naturally, some fell into worry in the meantime.
Dunbakel rested well even while everyone was actively realizing something, but Theresa was not so lucky.
She couldn't easily escape her worries.
While Fel shook off his worries using simple thinking as his specialty, and Ropord struggled to make his Inscribed Weapon.
"Brother Audin, divinity does not change. Is that correct?"
Rem, Ragna, and Shinar all fought Enkrid, realized something, and set their training methods.
Furthermore, even Fel, Ropord, and Dunbakel changed direction watching Enkrid.
Everyone around didn't hide what they were doing, so it wasn't hard to know if looked a little closely.
Theresa looked at all of them, realized she had lost her way, and asked the person who led her here. A person who didn't even worry when everyone set their direction and moved forward.
Was she a person who responded to sparring calls from Ragna and others, but didn't move toward something herself.
Or perhaps she was already complete and couldn't go further.
'Or maybe it's because I am unqualified.'
She swallowed the self-deprecating question.
As if speaking it would make it reality.
Dare she handle divinity?
Words that didn't come out from inside Theresa.
She was a member of an evil cult and a mixed-blood giant.
The past doesn't change.
She would probably wander searching for answers asking about qualifications for life.
Theresa felt something like a limit, and that question branched out in a different direction and came out.
Divinity does not change.
Then isn't it opposite to the variability of Will?
"That is so."
Audin answered.
"Then what should I do?"
Theresa revealed her desire instead of a painful question.
In Audin's view, that question was reasonable.
The competitiveness hidden within Theresa didn't look so bad either.
Fel, Ropord, Dunbakel, and Theresa secretly considered each other rivals.
It wouldn't feel good to lag behind alone while the rest surged ahead.
"First, start with humming."
"Pardon?"
"Chant ceaselessly for a whole month. Do so every moment your eyes are open. Even when eating, make time to do so."
Audin didn't prefer the method of giving the answer first, and Theresa was used to that.
"You will have to find the next path yourself."
Words spoken with a smile as usual.
Theresa followed those words, and Audin thought the time had come for him to leave this place for a while.
It was less than a month since returning from the Southern Front.
"Captain Brother, I will go to Legion with the Giant Sister."
Enkrid, as always, didn't ask for the reason.
Instead, Krais asked.
"What business do you have there?"
Though he said he was leaving suddenly, no one thought he would leave the Madmen Knights and return to the Holy Knights.
"What? Going to pray to God in fear of becoming the youngest again?"
Rem only teased.
"Prayer alone changes nothing. Brother."
Audin spoke as usual and answered Krais's question.
"My armor and hammer are there."
"...Is there armor that fits that body?"
Even Ropord asked in surprise.
"Not for combat."
With that, Audin and Theresa left the Border Guard for a while.
"I will also go to the Yohan family for a bit."
Intent to pass on what he realized this time.
Ragna tried to leave without even telling Enkrid, and Krais barely stopped him and attached Ropord to his side.
"I look forward to it as there seems to be much to learn."
Ropord accepted readily, and the two left soon after.
With Shinar, Audin, Theresa, and even Ragna leaving, the training ground was a bit deserted, but nothing changed.
Letters still flew in from noble ladies, and letters came frequently from the Eastern King, Krang, and Pope Noah as well.
Enkrid sometimes wrote replies, and sometimes went down to the city to look around here and there.
It wasn't done with any special meaning.
Then Vengeance invited him to dinner.
"I don't know if I can invite you."
"I'm the one getting a free meal."
It wasn't done with particular significance.
Enkrid sat at Vengeance's table and saw the child.
Sparkling eyes, flailing hands, and the appearance of constantly expressing will saying ebu-ebu with a mouth that couldn't even speak yet.
"The kid is a bit active."
Vengeance said, and Enkrid smiled looking at the child.
If someone asked later why he held the sword, he would unhesitatingly say today.
The stew was warm, the child laughed a lot, Vengeance treated him with friendliness, and his wife recalled the past, teasing her husband.
The fact that she once had feelings for Enkrid had now become material for jokes.
It was a moment where the whole body relaxed beyond just affection.
Fleeting stories were exchanged against the backdrop of a crackling fireplace.
Enkrid ate his fill, got up, and left.
Outside the door, the biting wind made him forget the warmth of the fireplace instantly.
Outside was still winter.
A ruthless biting wind was blowing.
"I waited. Enki."
Facing that biting wind, a black-haired Witch called him.
***
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