Chapter 114 - Crawling Forward
The soldier guiding Enkrid to his quarters rubbed his eyes.
He felt as though he had seen sothing wrong.
"Did I really see that?"
No, it couldn't be.
His eyes must be playing tricks on him.
The mont the platoon leader appeared, a soldier nad Ragna abruptly stood up from his seat.
'Why is he jumping to his feet?'
Ragna was notorious for rarely getting up, even in dire situations.
Among the "Madn Squad," he was often called the "Lazy Madman."
And now, this guy—who never stood unless absolutely necessary—had shot to his feet in one swift motion?
It was a sight that would have made anyone familiar with him, especially those who had observed him recently, slap their thighs in disbelief and leap to their feet in astonishnt.
"What's wrong with him?"
This was the kind of guy who shocked people just by standing up.
That guy.
Even when told repeatedly to get up, move, or prepare for an enemy attack, he wouldn't listen, no matter how much they yelled at him.
"You're late," Ragna muttered curtly as he grabbed his sword.
"I need to check if I've regressed during this ti..."
As if standing up wasn't startling enough, he suddenly proposed a sparring session.
And he was the one initiating it?
While harsh words occasionally flew within the squad, Ragna rarely even acknowledged them.
Yet here he was, suggesting a duel.
With his sword in hand, he radiated an eagerness to move, his stance screaming his desire to swing his blade right then and there.
"Are you out of your mind?"
Rem stepped in to block him.
"You know the first sparring match is always mine, don't you? Isn't that right?"
What's with this guy now?
Rem, known simply as a "Madman," was notorious within the squad.
He was the most unhinged of them all—the kind of maniac who swung his axe without reason and erupted into fits of rage at the slightest provocation.
Yet now, the Madman was smiling.
It wasn't a mocking smile or a murderous grin.
It was pure, genuine laughter.
When combined with his barbaric appearance, the smile even made him seem almost innocent.
"Are you hurt?"
And now, he was expressing concern for soone else.
Who would've thought this axe-wielding lunatic, known for splitting skulls, could care about soone's wellbeing?
The soldier accompanying them was one of the battalion commander's aides, tasked with observing Enkrid.
He had been assigned to gather information about this peculiar squad leader while guiding him around.
But the scene unfolding before his eyes felt utterly surreal.
"Doesn't seem broken," muttered another soldier.
Oh, now he's joining in?
This guy... He can talk?
There had been a ti when he mingled with other squad mbers, but recently, he had devolved into nothing but a silent, glaring lunatic.
People had even speculated that he had bitten off his own tongue sowhere along the way.
His na was Jaxen, wasn't it?
People called him the "Clear-Eyed Madman."
His gaze was so unsettling that it could make a person's skin crawl, yet it was strangely captivating.
"Did you apply any ointnt?"
Hearing the Clear-Eyed Madman speak was a rare event.
But now, he even stepped forward to examine the squad leader's wrist.
'This has to be a dream,' thought the aide.
What the hell happened to these guys?
The final mber of this quartet of chaos was the "Holy Madman."
Among the squad, his reputation had already spread far and wide.
He was easily the most noticeable of the group, with a build reminiscent of a massive boulder.
Despite his intimidating size, he wore a gentle smile.
Unlike the others, he was unfailingly kind.
Of course, that didn't an he always followed orders.
Whenever he prayed, a faint halo seed to glow around him, lending him an air of sanctity.
He looked like soone who could crush an entire enemy unit with a single blow, yet he refused to fight, claiming he couldn't act without divine calling.
To the aide, this guy was the real lunatic.
A true priest receives divine favor and demonstrates it with holy powers.
But this guy?
He had no holy powers to speak of.
What was this "divine will" he kept ntioning?
He used it as an excuse to shirk duties, day after day.
If he was going to act like this, why had he even joined the military?
The Holy Madman spoke with his usual serene smile.
"Brother, it seems you've been neglecting your training. Injuries like this happen when you're lazy. You should train more. Train."
Whether or not he truly believed in the divine, the Holy Madman had no qualms about criticizing others with a friendly deanor.
"A noble killing madman giggling away... A Clear-Eyed Madman staring concerned at a wrist... The Lazy Madman suddenly looking energetic... And now the Holy Madman scolding people?"
The aide felt overwheld by the absurdity of it all.
The only person who could possibly make sense of this ss was the man they all called their leader.
The aide turned his gaze to Enkrid.
Unbothered by the chaos, Enkrid simply examined his surroundings and said, "It's not broken."
After a brief glance around, he added, "What the hell have you all been doing while I was gone? Why is the squad not the 'Troublemaker Squad' anymore but the 'Madman Squad'?"
It had only been eight days since he'd last seen them.
How had things escalated to this point in such a short ti?
Enkrid's question was entirely valid.
Rem, as usual, responded without hesitation.
"It's because we didn't have a squad leader. This is all your fault. Everything is your fault."
The Madman's answer was as nonsensical as ever.
"So, about that sparring match?"
The Lazy Madman picked up on the conversation.
"Underestimating minor injuries will only cause bigger problems when it matters. Take off the bandages first. Madman Squad? Who's calling us that? I've never heard of it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Squad Leader" chid in the Clear-Eyed Madman.
The Holy Madman, ever consistent, added his own unique flavor.
"Brother Squad Leader, are you playing favorites? Did you neglect us for divine reasons? We need more discipline!"
The aide had expected Enkrid to reprimand them harshly.
After all, they were a squad in disarray, and the bruised and teary-eyed Andrew was undeniable proof of internal discord.
"What happened to his eye?" Enkrid asked, pointing at Andrew.
"Oh, that? It was just so sparring. To help him improve," answered the Madman with an axe.
"Hmm, well, that's fair," Enkrid agreed.
'Fair? His eye was swollen shut, and his face was practically unrecognizable!'
"Still, I'm staying here. I'm not leaving from under you," Andrew declared boldly.
Rem smirked. "That's why I like you. Wait a mont. I've got a match to settle with our squad leader."
Rem's grin only widened as he chuckled in apparent happiness.
anwhile, the aide could only watch in disbelief as the chaos continued to unfold.
The aide, tasked with observing Enkrid by the battalion commander, knew he'd have to report everything he saw—even this madness.
The Clear-Eyed Madman began unwrapping bandages.
Sowhere nearby, a black panther with bright blue eyes yawned lazily.
"Nyaaah."
And as Enkrid turned his gaze to the aide, the rest of the squad followed suit, their stares piercing and expectant.
"Not leaving?"
Enkrid asked.
It didn't sound like he was suggesting he linger here together.
"Oh, yes, I'm going. Please rest well."
The aide turned and walked away.
After he left, Rem tilted his head and asked, "Why'd he tag along? He's been rolling his eyes at us for days now."
"Rolling his eyes?"
"Kept staring at . Thought he was asking to get killed, so I was planning to decorate his head with an axe tomorrow."
"You lunatic, that'd be murder, not assaulting a superior."
"Is that so?"
He wasn't asking because he didn't know.
Especially with that sly grin, it was clear he knew exactly what he was saying.
"Leave him be. Don't go stirring trouble with a superior. Especially since that guy's under the direct command of the battalion leader."
"If it cos to that, I'll just retire."
Of course, for Rem, retirent would likely an a dramatic escape from the army with his two axes.
While Enkrid and Rem exchanged words, Jaxen knelt on one knee, pulling out his balm and rubbing it on his wrist.
A cool, soothing sensation spread over his wrist—cold, refreshing, and tingling in an oddly satisfying way.
It didn't seem like an ordinary dicine.
Perhaps it had been a while since he last felt this way.
Still, Enkrid got to the point.
"Let's try to align ourselves with what those above us are saying."
He had overheard why he was urgently summoned.
***
The battlefield was teetering on the brink of chaos, morale was dropping, and disturbances had broken out within the unit.
The nickna "Madn Platoon" wasn't just for show—it embodied their reputation for causing havoc.
Executing the lot of them to tighten military discipline would be a waste of their skill.
But tolerating them and attempting to manage the chaos seed equally daunting.
'The company commander must've shielded them.'
The fairy company commander often took care of the unit and its mbers in subtle ways.
Even bringing Enkrid's platoon here was likely for similar reasons.
The decision to reorganize them into an independent platoon under the company commander's direct control wasn't an easy one.
Enkrid understood how it might look to others if his platoon refused to act simply because their leader wasn't around.
That's why they were brought here.
Despite any worries about how it would play out, this much was clear to Enkrid.
Of course, Krais had explained everything along the way.
However, there was still one glaring issue they seed to overlook.
'They don't actually listen to .'
Even when breaking up fights, words didn't work—he had to physically intervene.
If he told them to go out and fight, they'd likely ignore him.
That was the case now, too.
None of them were paying the slightest attention to what Enkrid was saying.
They let his words go in one ear and out the other.
They had no intention of aligning with anything coming from above.
'What can I do?'
This was the Madn Platoon—a rowdy, unpredictable bunch.
Jaxen, after reapplying his bandages, spoke with his gaze lowered.
"Don't overdo it, but it's your burden to bear in the end."
He probably knew there was no point in saying this. Jaxen took a step back.
"Yeah. My burden to bear."
After these words, Krais, who had been standing silently in the back, finally spoke up.
"Am I invisible to you all?"
"Huh? You're here?"
"Yeah, I saw you."
"Welco, brother."
The three of them—excluding Jaxen—responded one after another.
Jaxen rely gave a slight nod in greeting.
After all, Krais had been involved with them in various ways.
Mostly in exchanging information, arranging contacts, or selling dicines.
Krais knew better than to expect anything from them, so he was satisfied with the current state of things.
Afterward, it was ti for sparring.
When they rushed out in front of the barracks, Enri finally acknowledged them.
"Honestly, it's terrifying to even approach you guys. In so ways, Sir Andrew is comndable for stepping in so boldly."
Enri's face was unscathed.
It seed like he was adept at keeping himself out of trouble.
'On the flip side, it just shows he's only capable of so much.'
While Enri hadn't clashed with anyone in the unit, he hadn't built any close relationships with them either.
Enkrid didn't judge people recklessly.
But he trusted his platoon's judgnt.
If none of them kept Enri close, it ant they didn't expect him to contribute much to the group.
Even so, Enkrid didn't tell him to pack up and leave or make so dismissive comnt about retiring.
Who was he to say such things?
He himself had told them all to give up and quit—and yet here he was, still holding a sword.
Yes, he hadn't given up.
Not once had he backed down.
Even if he had to crawl, he had kept moving forward.
That was the essence of Enkrid.
Crawling, taking one small step at a ti, he had made progress.
Even now, despite his injured wrist from fighting the Frog, he could show them sothing.
He could demonstrate the results of his persistence and the strength he had built.
And he believed he could do it again now—just enough to avoid overstraining his wrist.
It didn't seem like an impossible task.
"I'm first."
Rem stepped forward, grinning as he swung his axe. No signal to start, no warning.
Enkrid t him head-on with his sword.
Rem's arm whipped like a lash, and his axe blade seed to bend unnaturally, stretching as if alive.
In response, Enkrid's sword curved too.
As both weapons were swung at high speed, their afterimages blurred together, and the axe blade clashed against the sword.
Clang!
One strike, one exchange.
That alone made Rem's lips curl upward.
"Well, would you look at that?"
Rem muttered, his grin growing wider.
The clash of steel against steel rang out, echoing in the night and causing a commotion.
"What's going on?"
"Is it the Madn Platoon again?"
"What now?"
As word spread that it was a sparring match involving the Madn Platoon, soldiers gathered to watch.
This ti, it wasn't just the usual infighting—there was a new face in the mix, making it a spectacle worth seeing.
So even recognized the newcor.
Vengeance, for one.
Others who had fought alongside him in previous battles.
Or the squad leader who had stitched up Enkrid's elbow guards.
Even those from the frontier defense force or those who had faced him in promotion matches were present.
Clang! Clang!
The sounds of steel eting steel, sparks flying, and reverberations filled the air.
Everyone watched the sparring match between Rem and Enkrid in silence, utterly captivated.
"What... what is this?"
Soone muttered, echoing the collective thought of the onlookers.
Enkrid.
That Enkrid.
Even though he had recently been promoted to a high ranking soldier, he was still considered far inferior to most of them.
A frequent subject of ridicule, often called a "foolish squad leader."
Now, he was...
Clang-clang-clang!
Moving so fast that his strikes were almost invisible, swinging, deflecting, and thrusting his sword as it t Rem's axe.
Rem, who had earned admiration from so of his comrades for his ferocity and achievents in cutting down enemy ranks, was evenly matched with Enkrid.
At least, that's how it appeared to their eyes.
And it didn't end there.
"Let's continue this later. Plenty of others are waiting."
In the middle of the sparring match, Rem stepped back.
Then Ragna stepped forward.
After Ragna, it was Audin's turn.
One by one, they took their turns sparring with Enkrid, and he held his ground against each of them.
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