Capítulo 219: Chapter 364 - The Marquis' Gift
Chapter 364 - The Marquis' Gift
The man had more white hair than black, and his beard was short. His body was moderately toned, but it was clear that he was past his prime. There was a slight accumulation of fat here and there, indicating he wasn't someone who intentionally kept himself in perfect shape.
Dignity emanated from him, even without any effort. It was as if he were embodying the very essence of what it meant to be nobility.
Through Enkrid's eyes and senses, the man seemed to give off just that impression.
So when he thought about the words the Marquis had spoken, it made him reflect.
'The Marquis himself...'
Enkrid calmly acknowledged that he had fallen into the provocation.
But nothing would change because of that, so it didn't matter.
More importantly, it was something he had been willing to handle from the beginning.
Now, it seemed almost fortunate that the Marquis had given him exactly the right words.
Still, there was no immediate need to act. As the sweat gradually cooled, a sharp breeze brushed against him.
Enkrid set down the axe spear he had been holding. One by one, he put away his other weapons into the armory, ensuring no dew would form on them.
For now, nothing else mattered. He was hungry. He had trained and dealt with the Marquis. It was time for lunch.
"Shall we eat?"
As he closed the armory door, Enkrid spoke.
Kin looked up at the sound. She wondered if the invitation was meant for her.
But no one else suggested it. No one seemed inclined to offer her any help.
'Do these people not have eyes?'
A sense of self-doubt about her appearance crept in. She had no desire to stay longer in this place.
"I'll be leaving," Kin said, walking out. There were five guards waiting outside, all standing at attention, appearing quite capable.
Enkrid glanced at them.
"They're dragging a whole bunch with them."
Indeed, lately, rumors had spread about the state of disorder in the capital, so it was to be expected that they would have such a large entourage.
The guards the Marquis brought with him had been particularly few in comparison.
After Kin left, Enkrid stepped inside the mansion and spoke.
"Did you not care?"
Andrew was right beside him.
He had seen Andrew glance at Kin a few times as Kin left, so he asked.
"I'm busy saving the family. It's not the time for distractions," Andrew replied.
Enkrid nodded in agreement. There was no right or wrong in that choice. Life was about making choices, and that was just how it was.
Enkrid respected Andrew's decision.
"You're truly unique, Captain."
Andrew said, and Enkrid had heard this phrase often enough that he let it pass by without much thought.
It was a better expression than "You should go see the temple for treatment."
"Oh, I was just about to say, I'm hungry."
Dunbakel approached from behind as she spoke. Enkrid, without hesitation, told her that there would be no meal unless she washed up first.
Of course, he had cleaned himself as well.
After a short while, everyone gathered at the table, and soon enough, the dishes were laid out.
The maid who had made a mistake with the Marquis had regained her composure and was busily serving food and drinks.
The table was soon filled with hearty dishes.
Today's menu included carrots, broccoli, potatoes, beef stew, all cooked with wine—one of Naurilia's traditional dishes.
Monsters and beasts had caused humans to gather in fortresses, which naturally led to the development of food culture. The techniques for constructing castles had advanced significantly due to similar reasons.
Anyway, inside the fortress, the culinary culture had developed in diverse ways, which made sense since they were in Naurilia's capital, Nauril.
Even the chef hired by Andrew was considered top-tier in provincial cities.
Slurp.
Enkrid tasted the stew broth first.
The rich umami embraced his tongue and slid down his throat. The taste reminded him of the hunger he had momentarily forgotten after cleaning up.
He picked up his fork and added some of the neatly cut beef, carrots, and potatoes to his plate, avoiding the bay leaves and pushing them aside before stabbing the meat and bringing it to his mouth.
With one bite, the tender beef easily shredded in his mouth, providing a soft and fluffy texture.
It was delicate and fluffy, breaking apart and blending with the savory flavor, harmonizing with the richness of the beef, and flowing down his throat like a waterfall.
The carrots were tender, and the broccoli seemed to have transformed with the seasoning.
It was a satisfying meal. His hands became faster as he ate.
The others were similar in that respect.
Esther, too, had taken her place at the table, having transformed back into human form.
"Every time I see it, it's amazing," Andrew said, looking at Esther.
The five trainees and Mac ate separately, so aside from Andrew, everyone at the table was Enkrid's group.
Esther checked where Andrew's gaze was directed and asked.
"Is this your first time seeing a mage?"
Esther asked the question in a manner unlike her usual self, as she had shown kindness by providing good food.
It was hard to view it as goodwill, but it truly was.
"This is the first time I've seen such a beautiful mage."
Esther showed no particular reaction to the remark.
Andrew hadn't said it with much intent either. He merely found it natural that Enkrid's gaze wasn't swayed by Kin Baisar. Meanwhile, Esther cut into a piece of broccoli with a knife and popped it into her mouth. Her beauty was almost fraudulent.
Her long, flowing hair, blue eyes, and mysterious aura enveloped her, making her seem like an untouchable being.
Yet everyone treated her casually.
When Rem asked a question, Esther nodded.
"Does it taste better when you eat as a panther or as a human?"
Dunbakel chimed in, "Why don't you transform and find out yourself?"
Esther replied with an expressionless face, "Why don't you try?"
It wasn't anger—it was just her usual demeanor.
Andrew, having observed this for a few days, had begun to adapt to it.
'That panther is actually a witch.'
But even more astonishing than that was Enkrid. Compared to his time as a subordinate, Enkrid had transformed into an entirely different person.
'Is he really going to become a knight?'
The thought crossed Andrew's mind naturally.
While he got lost in idle thoughts, he decided to focus on his meal.
Looking at how the others ate, it seemed they wouldn't leave him a piece of meat if he didn't hurry.
Even with ample food prepared, it was like this. They consumed three times what an ordinary person would.
It felt as if they had entirely forgotten about the marquis's task.
Andrew found that surprising too.
Nobody asked what was going on or questioned it. Following and trusting were two different things.
Watching Enkrid, Andrew came to understand, albeit subconsciously, what a subordinate should give their leader. That realization was an unexpected blessing.
After everyone had eaten their fill and Andrew had sorted his thoughts, Dunbakel spoke, her face smeared with sauce.
"What do you think it is? And no, it's not a beastkin."
Despite her skipping context, everyone understood her.
What could be prowling the capital streets at night and abducting people?
Whether they killed it or captured it, they first needed to identify the culprit.
Rem agreed as well.
The first step was to deduce the prey's nature.
'A beast running wild at night?'
Even with the capital's poor law enforcement, the idea of a magical creature rampaging in the city didn't make sense.
Which meant it was something that hid during the day and only acted at night—perhaps every few days. Even with that, its identity remained unclear.
Ragna nodded lightly, indicating that he shared the same thoughts.
What struck Enkrid as remarkable was that nobody questioned why they had to deal with it.
Even Dunbakel, who immediately asked about its nature, didn't seem to have any complaints.
It was curious how everyone followed without objections or complaints.
In truth, they were simply bored. Bullying trainees and sightseeing in the capital could only entertain them for so long.
Rem, for one, was sharpening her axe blade, signaling her readiness to fight.
The tension in the capital's air was stimulating. It bore a similarity to the atmosphere of a battlefield.
Enkrid chewed the food in his mouth, swallowed, and finally spoke.
"A thunder-wielding mage, a cave, alchemical test subjects."
The words came out as a list.
Enkrid's memory was exceptional. He had been gathering information about incidents in the capital.
Andrew had also compiled details for him.
The cries of a beast, taking victims every few days.
An existence unnoticeable during the day.
When Enkrid pieced all the information together, something began to take shape in his mind.
Then he spoke again.
"And the Black Blade."
Jaxen was present. It was in this very place that the pieces Enkrid described seemed to converge.
The Black Blade had overturned a facility producing illicit potions, where Enkrid and the group found clear evidence of human experimentation.
An alchemist named Raban—such was the name of the lunatic behind it.
They had also seen the remains of humans, half-turned into ghouls, sprawled in the aftermath.
Enkrid organized and recalled the details, piecing them together once more.
What kind of creature rampages at night and hides during the day?
What was it connected to?
And how did this align with the current situation?
The Black Blade's leader was in the capital.
He had lost the blade known as Lykanos, and those he considered enemies had approached his domain. No, they hadn't just approached—they had acted.
"Does Jaxen not know he's being hunted?"
Of course, he knew. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to keep his identity hidden or orchestrate such schemes.
"Is that right?"
Jaxen furrowed his brow as he asked. Enkrid nodded and continued, explaining for those who followed him without question.
The evidence pointed to a magical creature, but the fact that it hid during the day suggested intelligence. Otherwise, someone would need to capture it and release it periodically—a virtually impossible scenario.
The capital's guards weren't entirely incompetent. There was no way someone could orchestrate such a thing without being caught.
Enkrid recalled the guard captain he had seen upon entering the capital. The feathered hat had left an impression.
Whatever his skills, the man didn't seem like someone easily trifled with.
If they had failed to catch the culprit, it was because their adversary's strength and movements were that elusive.
Enkrid placed his elbow on the table and raised his index finger, speaking again.
"It's a conclusion—human undergoing monsterification."
What kind of thought process leads to such a solution?
Even Esther could only understand it after hearing the explanation.
When Enkrid contemplates swordsmanship, he scrutinizes every detail from beginning to end. His remarkable memory serves to reinforce this meticulous approach.
Adding to this is his creative and flexible way of thinking. Creativity and adaptability aren't traits one simply inherits; they must be honed through relentless practice and repetition.
To Enkrid, swordsmanship and martial arts have always been akin to a cliff where the path ends abruptly. To climb that cliff, he must constantly deliberate and devise ways forward; otherwise, there is no progress.
Thus, his capacity for expansive thinking emerged. With everything deemed possible, he evaluates the potential for anything to happen.
When this analytical ability is combined with information, answers begin to form.
"It only appeared when the moon was up."
Here, Jaxen chimed in.
Jaxen paid attention to every peculiar event occurring in the capital. It was a matter of survival—one never knew where a clue might arise.
Still, this development had caught even Jaxen off guard. To be honest, he had almost forgotten. The world was full of deranged alchemists conducting inhumane experiments.
But when piecing the evidence together, it made too much sense to ignore.
If the creature in question is indeed a human undergoing monsterification, what kind of monster might it be?
A being that emerges only on moonlit nights, unable to suppress its instincts in the dark.
"A Lykanos," Jaxen thought.
If Jaxen had deduced this, he knew his commander likely had as well. Yet, there was no need to state the obvious. He remained silent.
"Now, there's only one thing we need," Enkrid added.
Rem, who had been listening quietly, nodded.
"The authority to act."
"Exactly. Investigating the crime scenes in broad daylight will make the local authorities ecstatic. They'll probably love telling us to back off."
"And smashing them isn't an option," Rem replied.
Enkrid nodded in agreement.
Rem wasn't a fool. While his antics often appeared reckless, they were sometimes carefully calculated.
Still mischief, though, Enkrid thought to himself before speaking again.
If the marquis hadn't been bluffing, surely some sort of support would come their way.
When it came to resolving this matter, where would the authority lie? Who could grant it?
Having the permission of a noble would make things significantly easier, especially one capable of shielding them from the police captain's interference.
Enkrid had foreseen this and formulated his response accordingly.
If Marcus or Krais had been present, they would likely have burst out clapping.
"You should go into politics!" Marcus would have exclaimed in advance.
"Use that wit to steal hearts! Women's hearts are fickle, and accounting for every possibility is a rare talent!" Krais might have added.
Their perspectives often diverged greatly, yet they weren't here, so there was no one around to express admiration.
Rem wanted to swing his axe at something.
Ragna felt much the same.
Dunbakel was no different.
Even Esther, who had no intention of casting a spell, found her interest piqued.
A human fused with a monster?
That sounded like a chimera, something Esther had no inclination to experiment with. Such notions disgusted her and had no place in her magical worldview.
For magicians, intuition is paramount. If something feels repulsive, it clashes with their very essence. Pursuing such avenues can corrode their mastery of magic, eventually leading to its loss.
Esther had made a similar mistake once, and thus she distanced herself from the matter.
"I'm resting. This cushion suits me well."
"Suit yourself," Enkrid replied. Esther's absence wouldn't make much difference.
Enkrid raised his second finger.
"Second conclusion: with no moon tonight, all we need to do is sleep well."
Andrew, who had been observing silently, found his jaw hanging open at some point.
Eventually, he snapped his mouth shut and asked, "Why are you so smart?"
"Wasn't there plenty of time to think?"
The implication was clear: anyone could deduce this with enough time.
"That makes it sound like the police chief and guards in the capital are all morons," Andrew muttered in disbelief.
No one refuted him. It was essentially true.
Enkrid, however, wasn't just clever—he was exceptional. Yet his comrades took it in stride, showing little reaction.
"Why isn't anyone surprised?" Andrew murmured, but he too soon fell silent.
This was just who Enkrid was, and this was the nature of their unit.
That night, they all slept soundly. As always, Enkrid woke at dawn to practice his Isolation technique, soon joined by Andrew.
It seemed like the start of a perfectly ordinary day.
As they trained in the morning, a voice echoed from outside.
"So it really was you?"
A visitor had arrived—or rather, a gift from the marquis' organization.
It was a practical step toward giving them the authority they needed.
A knight-trainee named Aishia had been sent, and of course, she recognized Enkrid immediately.
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