Chapitre 207: Chapter 352 - Peaceful Feeling
Chapter 352 - Peaceful Feeling
Krang found the experience to be something new.
'Is this what it feels like to be under the protection of a knight?'
He felt a sense of peace that he had never experienced before while wandering the continent.
Despite the countless assassination attempts he had faced up until now, this feeling of calm still lingered.
The merchants disguised as attackers were quickly thwarted before they could even begin, but that wasn't the end of it.
Later, they entered the city of Midpool.
"Thank you, thank you!"
The son of the landowner was overjoyed, tears flowing as he spoke.
Despite the pain from his injured ankle, which had been caught in a trap, he acted as if he might kiss the ground in gratitude.
Of course, he didn't actually bury his face in the filthy dirt, but his joy was evident.
Having come so close to death and followed them in a state of tension, his reaction was understandable.
"If he had been an assassin, none of this would have happened," one of Krang's guards remarked as they watched.
"I agree," Krang whispered, nodding.
If they had harmed or ignored the landowner's son, the assassination guild would have framed them for murder.
So, the landowner's son was not related to the assassins.
However, no one let their guard down.
That was the essence of what Krang's guard had said.
Throughout the journey, the landowner's son had been at the center of the group.
Even if he had ulterior motives, he was in a position where they couldn't just ignore him.
At the same time, Krang kept his distance from him, while Enkrid treated his wounds and even searched through his belongings.
Though Enkrid's touch was meticulous, the son, overwhelmed by pain, didn't fully notice it.
After all, with his ankle nearly severed, it was unlikely he could concentrate on anything else.
Anyone would find it hard to maintain composure when suffering such injuries.
Even if someone with strong willpower could endure, it was unnatural for someone who had never experienced such pain to stay calm.
Krang's group watched him closely and finally entered Midpool.
The city's walls, constructed from various colors of stone, were a notable feature of Midpool.
Cities in Naurilia generally took inspiration from the capital's walls, as they prided themselves on such things.
The capital's walls boasted impressive grandeur, especially with the monsters and beasts roaming the continent. A few thieves couldn't simply roam freely.
Thus, there were no small villages or towns, as humans had to build large cities to survive. Humanity had developed in this way.
In the process, construction techniques had advanced significantly, and traces of these advancements were clearly visible in Midpool.
Even now, workers were stacking stones to raise new sections of the walls.
"Thank you so much!"
As a city built on the surrounding farmlands, the lord was typically the landowner.
The lord of this area, known as the Marquis of Oqtovo, was one of the wealthiest landowners in the kingdom.
A brief exchange took place as the landowner attempted to show gratitude and extend an invitation.
Then Enkrid spoke up.
"What if these people are trying to trap your son and create a farce?"
With those words, the landowner stepped back.
A person of his status would hardly be naïve.
By the way Enkrid phrased it, the landowner seemed to have understood that they were not people to receive favors from.
He may have unconsciously agreed with Enkrid's words.
"I will repay this debt in the future," the landowner said, leaving.
He would pursue those responsible for targeting his son, even if he needed to enlist the Marquis' help.
Enkrid had no concern for that.
The group then made their way to an inn, where they were served food laced with poison.
"Poison," Jaxen immediately recognized it, and once again, an assassination attempt was thwarted.
Shortly after, someone in the alley behind a different restaurant threw a poisoned dagger.
Enkrid caught it with gloved hands and threw it back at an even faster speed.
"Snap!"
A final gasp of breath came from the alley as the assassin's plan was foiled.
"Why does he throw a dagger he can't even avoid?" Rem muttered, visibly annoyed by the constant attacks.
Whenever the area cleared, they'd make another attempt.
Rem had inserted his modular spear into place, resting it on his shoulder as he leaned casually.
While it looked laid-back, it was far from it in practice.
An assassination attempt using poisoned darts had been made at Rem, but he simply twisted his waist and deflected them with the end of his spear.
The rats in hiding kept attacking, throwing and hiding again.
Rem found it bothersome to chase after them.
It was understandable.
The assassins kept pestering them, throwing poisoned daggers whenever they thought they could get away with it. This time, bolts and darts were mixed in with the daggers.
The assassins didn't just target Krang, but they aimed at everyone, though it was futile.
There was no point to it.
The ones attacking were mostly just beggar groups, not skilled assassins.
The absence of small villages meant people had to cluster in large cities to survive, a problem common to all major cities.
And some of these beggar groups kept attacking.
Of course, it was futile.
Thud, thack, thwack.
Ragna stepped forward and sent the vagabond flying with his fists and kicks.
"A monster!"
One of the vagabonds shouted as he fled, but none of the group chased after him.
"They were probably hired by Krona, offering a few coins. The poison was likely administered in a similar fashion."
Jaxen mentioned that it was the innkeeper's maid who had poisoned them, but Enkrid didn't press her for answers. Jaxen had advised that there was no need for such an interrogation.
"This is a common trick. They pretend it's a harmless drug and claim it's something else before they sprinkle it."
Krang listened carefully to Jaxen's words. It was a method he had never heard of before. He had once nearly died from a potent poison, and at that time, he had no idea when or how he had been poisoned.
There was no one he suspected. Could this be the reason? It seemed likely.
"If they claim to be the fiancé or family member of one of our party members and say they're secretly following us, everyone nods in agreement. Since we're not fooled, they deceive others—those who wouldn't be suspecting them. They likely told them that they were concerned about travel fatigue and asked for some good medicine, but that it had to be done secretly. If we knew they were after us, they couldn't reveal it. This is how it was done."
It was a silly trick, but it worked well.
What if the maid or the innkeeper secretly stole the powder?
Would the assassination guild care about something like that?
Rather than using a poison that would take effect immediately, they would likely use a poison that caused convulsions a day later.
It was fortunate, though, that the innkeeper and the maid had a conscience.
They didn't steal the powder; they used it all in the food they served.
The maid who had served the food had been glancing at their group subtly, and this was the reason why.
Of course, the faces of Enkrid and the others would have drawn attention as well.
Inside the inn, they didn't wear hoods to hide their faces, as doing so would have drawn more attention. Instead, they boldly revealed their faces.
Naturally, this attracted gazes from around them.
They also acted as though they didn't care about being followed, which ruffled the pride of a few would-be assassins.
The result of this was:
"Above."
Jaxen's warning came just as they were heading to a different restaurant after leaving the inn, where they had struggled to eat. An assassin dropped from above.
By the time the thrown dagger landed, they were ready for an ambush.
Rem, Enkrid, and Ragna moved at the same time.
The three weapons split the air above them.
The fairy assassin who had dropped from above was torn into six pieces.
Blood rained down, splattering onto the floor.
Intestines, flesh, severed arms, and legs fell to the cobblestones of the alley.
If this had happened in the middle of a main street, the guards would have rushed to the scene immediately.
"Ugh."
The dying assassin's last words.
His pale skin, which reflected the moonlight, was now stuck in the filthy ground.
Several more attempts to ambush followed, but...
"Before they could even start, they all fell."
It was as the guards had said.
Krang saw it the same way.
It wasn't just that; there was something more.
"Wait a moment."
When Jaxen stepped away for a moment, the attacks significantly reduced.
During this time, Enkrid had found a restaurant.
"They say the roasted chicken here is the best."
"Huh?"
Krang tilted his head. Was this the time to be looking for good food?
"Don't like chicken?"
Enkrid asked again.
That wasn't the issue.
It had been a long time since he had tasted proper food.
He had been so plagued by poisoned meals that he had eaten not for flavor but purely to survive.
Krang thought about this as they entered the restaurant.
"Be careful."
The guards said, though they didn't stop their master. To them, it seemed like it was safe enough to eat anything.
And so they did.
Krang loosened his belt and ate with abandon.
The restaurant only served roasted chicken, but their cooking method was exceptional.
They impaled a whole chicken on a long skewer and roasted it over a wood fire. The chicken was rotated slowly in front of the flames for at least half a day, a cooking process that took a long time.
"This recipe has been passed down since my grandfather's time. I take great pride in it," the chef, who was also the restaurant owner, said with pride.
And it was well-deserved. The roasted chicken melted in the mouth.
A thin layer of seasoning with salt, pepper, and other spices was applied, and it blended perfectly with the crispy skin, making it better than the meals of most lords.
When Krang pierced the meat with his fork and cut it, the tender, juicy flesh came off easily.
He ate it continually.
"Have you been starving for days? You're eating well," the owner remarked, offering him a juice made from a fruit he had developed.
It was also exquisite. The sweet and sour taste complemented the oily aftertaste of the chicken.
In cities with dense populations, cooking tends to develop the most.
A city is, by nature, a hub for surrounding logistics, so there's an abundance of ingredients.
Cities like Midfoll, where agriculture is advanced, are also ideal for raising livestock.
This city's walls are constantly being expanded, and the land area continues to grow for this very reason.
Although there are facilities outside the walls with soldiers posted to guard them, livestock can't be raised there.
Not every soldier can be a fighter who fights beasts and monsters like a shepherd on the frontier.
Naturally, cattle, horses, chickens, and sheep are raised inside the walls.
In areas near the vagabonds, some even live with a few animals.
Livestock is especially useful for maintaining body heat in the winter.
For these reasons, chickens are a common and smoothly supplied food in the city.
They are raised in large numbers.
If the upper management of the city is competent in operating the city, raising livestock with the remaining grains is only natural.
That's why restaurants like this exist.
"We should capture that chef."
Rem left the highest praise, and the chef, who had been bringing out dishes like roasted potatoes, froze in surprise.
"What? This restaurant is funded by the lord. Don't try anything foolish."
In this city, the highest authority was the lord.
Enkrid calmed him down, assuring that it was just a joke.
By this time, Jaxen had returned and was already tearing into a chicken leg.
"Hey, you damn stray cat, are you going to creep around like that?"
"You're just slow."
The two of them were always bickering.
Outside, a wild horse, despite being a horse, was tearing into a chicken.
"That's not a beast, is it?"
The freckled boy, a waiter at the restaurant, asked, looking terrified.
"It won't bite," Enkrid reassured him, though the boy kept his distance from the wild horse with its mismatched eyes.
The horse, munching on the bones and gnawing on the chicken, made a sickening crunching sound. Who would want to go near that?
"Let's have a drink," Rem suggested.
"Drink and take it with us," Enkrid agreed.
They scattered to different tables, looking like a group with not even a speck of discipline, but appearances were deceiving. None of them were letting their guard down.
Krang, watching and listening to everything, felt at peace. Their calm demeanor made it so.
And so, he tore into the chicken and had a drink made from cherries. The wine had a unique flavor. If he hadn't been with them, he might have suspected it had poison in it.
There was no poison.
"How many bottles can I buy?" Enkrid asked the owner after they had eaten their fill. With their stomachs full, they returned to the inn.
"Get some good rest," they exchanged brief goodbyes before washing up. After brushing their teeth with a thin brush, cleaning away bits of meat stuck between their teeth, they rinsed their mouths with cheap salty water.
The bed, made of cotton rather than straw, made Krang feel the wealth of the city. To be able to sleep on a bed that wasn't rough or hard, how could that not feel precious?
"It's unbelievable," the guard commented, and Krang agreed.
They had spent the night, but curiously, no assassins appeared.
'It was because of that red-haired guy's disappearance,' Krang's insight made the situation clear.
Since the man named Jaxen had disappeared, the attacks ceased.
What had he done? It piqued Krang's curiosity, but he didn't ask. It was obvious, and he knew it wasn't something worth inquiring about.
The group left the city, and the assassins' attempts to strike continued, but it was no longer a surprise.
"This is off-limits!" A man claiming to be a former champion from the arena confronted them.
"I'll handle it," Dunbakel, the beastkin, stepped forward and shattered the man's face with a knee strike.
She struck the opponent's spear with her scimitar and rushed forward, using her left foot to kick the ground and her right knee to lift him into the air. It was excellent martial arts.
The champion's face collapsed as he fell to the ground.
"Where's that arena? Do you just gather chicks to fight there?"
The beastkin scoffed and gave the group a cold glare. The mob scattered and fled.
The stormy weather had been a lie, and now the sky was clear.
The group rode their horses, moving at a steady pace. They understood the importance of managing their horses' stamina for long journeys.
Then suddenly, an arrow flew toward them.
The arrow was aimed precisely at Krang, but naturally, Enkrid intercepted it.
With a quick snap, the arrow shivered in his grasp, and Krang, standing in front of him, wasn't particularly shaken. He had stopped it, so it was fine.
Enkrid gripped the arrow and gazed into the distance. "This feels real."
It was the end of a poorly executed ruse. Their last resort was long-range sniping.
Despite their mediocre skills, the archer appeared to be a skilled marksman.
Though Krang hadn't seen it, Enkrid had caught sight of the archer riding away, bow in hand.
Could they catch him if they pursued on horseback? Probably not.
So, the only option left was to continue knocking down the arrows that came their way.
The assassin had disappeared, but a mounted archer had appeared in his place.
The new threat was more complicated, but still not a true danger.
That was Krang's conclusion.
No matter how many arrows flew his way, he wouldn't die—especially with Enkrid guarding him.
This was why he felt at peace.
So the archer, riding in the distance, wasn't a threat.
And then—
Hee-heeing.
The wild horse, whinnying, approached Enkrid.
"Are we going to catch him?"
Enkrid asked, and it seemed like the archer wouldn't be long for this world.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
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