Chapter 503 - Shall We Head to the Training Ground?
"Are you really that good at fighting? Follow to the training ground."
Nurat had once been the deputy to the commander of the Green Pearl.
'What was that commander's na again?'
Enkrid tried to recall but couldn't rember. All that ca to mind was that the man was good at composing poems and singing songs. So things inevitably faded from mory over the repetitive cycles of his days. No matter how strong his mory, perfection was unattainable.
Still, Nurat stood out in his recollections—a dark-skinned woman with a broad heart, springy muscles, and Krais' lover. These overlapping mories had built a clear impression over ti.
It dawned on Enkrid anew that even the talent-assessing gaze of Frogs wasn't infallible. No matter how discerning their eye, it couldn't always be correct. Yet, as he watched Nurat's posture and gait, it was clear she had reached a certain level. Unless she'd picked up so exaggerated rcenary swordsmanship, like the boasting swagger of Valen-style, Nurat seed to have surpassed a barrier.
"You've improved," Enkrid remarked nonchalantly.
"? Well, I have been training hard. Do I look a bit better now?"
Krais flexed his biceps as he spoke, but Enkrid didn't even glance in his direction. Instead, his attention remained on Nurat, who planted her left foot with precision, pressing the sole firmly against the ground. More than that, she was evenly distributing her weight, ready to react in any direction.
Such a stance allowed for quick responses, whether left or right. Even Rem muttered a small "Oh" of admiration, and Luagarne rolled her large eyes in wonder.
Even Luagarne, with her sharp intuition, recognized Nurat's exceptional talent. Her body was naturally different from the start—elastic muscles and a physique that would rival any beastkin. On top of that, hard work and relentless training had built a peak structure, brick by brick.
Enkrid stood up and dusted off his pants. The overcast sky hung low, and it was one of those days when rain ca and went.
"Nurat is my lover, you know," Krais interjected, noticing Enkrid's gaze fixed on Nurat.
Ignoring the nonsense, Enkrid spoke again.
"Not bad."
Though his words could easily have been misunderstood, Nurat didn't take it that way. Krais, knowing better, had only been teasing after seeing Nurat again for the first ti in a while.
Nurat gave a slight bow, a simple military salute.
Both Rem and Luagarne understood the situation. They weren't just impressed by Nurat's sudden improvent but had an inkling of what had driven her to grow. In the end, it was likely the influence of a certain monster whose presence inspired everyone around him.
Enkrid himself might not realize it, but his existence was a powerful motivator. His dedication to training had elevated not just Nurat but the skill level of the entire unit.
So people simply had that effect. Their actions and words made others question if they were doing enough with their own lives, stirring a drive to push themselves further. Enkrid, through his attitude and life choices, naturally spurred others to find their motivation.
'Co to think of it, I've worked pretty hard myself.'
Rem thought this to himself.
His recent intense training and discipline, though partly fueled by a desire to smack so sense into his subordinates, were ultimately inspired by watching Enkrid toil day after day.
This effect wasn't unique to Rem. It was a ripple effect.
The very reason knight orders were established was similar—to provide a role model, a beacon for others to follow. Of course, knights often beca symbols of despair or disillusionnt due to their overwhelming talent. Few among them, however, were as utterly obsessed with swordsmanship as Enkrid.
"Anyway, welco back," Krais said with a smile.
"Let's grab breakfast," Enkrid replied. He was hungry after all that activity.
As they wrapped up training and dispersed, they made their way to the dining area attached to the barracks. The spacious dining hall had a private room where staff bustled to serve als.
The centerpiece was a well-roasted whole pig barbecue, sliced into pieces and drizzled with li juice.
Rem and Jaxen squabbled with their forks over the al, prompting Enkrid to sit between them. Watching their antics was nothing new. While Enkrid and Luagarne remained unfazed, Shinar showed no interest from the start. However, the escort unit that had followed Krais was visibly on edge, seated stiffly at the adjacent table.
"Who are they?"
Enkrid finally asked, noticing their tense deanor. One of the escort soldiers imdiately stood up from his seat.
"Sir! My na is Illan Bates from the Luabang region!"
It wasn't a na or style Enkrid had heard often. Illan Bates had fair skin that seed to have tanned from exposure to the sun. Standing straight, he looked at Enkrid with shining eyes and added, "I respect you greatly, sir."
Half of the escort unit seed to consist of people like Illan, drawn to Enkrid's reputation. The other half appeared to be rcenaries there just to do their job, but even they showed respect.
"Where do you find people like this?" Rem asked.
Krais, chewing a piece of barbecue, answered casually, "You keep getting challenged, and this happens."
"What kind of challenges?"
Though Rem appeared straightforward, his sharp mind was always at work. Considering the city's size and the king's favor, there wasn't anyone who would dare provoke Krais. This was soone who even had the city's criminal guilds under his control. Had he lost that power sohow?
"It's nothing serious. Just so nearby nobles upset about how much the king favors Border Guard lands."
Governance required maintaining harmony among people, soothing their grievances instead of suppressing them with brute force.
Even with Krang's efforts to stabilize the kingdom post-civil war, so rebellious nobles continued to erge.
Enkrid understood the situation well. "Just one more fool picking a fight."
As Enkrid chewed his food, pondering the politics, the juicy at distracted him montarily. anwhile, Krais, ever the strategist, had grand plans of his own.
"City growth cos with its challenges," Krais remarked, drawing lines on the tablecloth to illustrate a new network of roads connecting Border Guard to the capital and beyond.
'Ending it as just a city of pleasures would be a waste,' Krais thought. With grand salons established across cities, connected by safe routes, the dream was to build a network of convenience, trade, and leisure.
The na? "Krais' Happy Bathhouse."
A bold vision for a prosperous future
Adopting a defensive posture would still be seen as an offensive act by Aspen. In truth, Aspen was careful not to provide any excuses for conflict. They were gradually extending their borders, keeping the walls at moderate heights while avoiding unnecessary provocation.
Listening to all the stories shared, it was clear that Krais had endured significant hardships. Yet, Krais himself didn't see it as suffering. He ntioned that he had a full purse now and had enjoyed the experience. Although having an escort was sowhat inconvenient, he admitted it was necessary due to the frequent troublemakers he encountered while moving from city to city.
"As long as I move in a group like this, most people don't dare to start anything. So, there's that."
For the most part, Nurat handled minor confrontations. However, Krais found dragging out unnecessary battles a waste of ti, so he opted to travel with a large entourage instead. Amid these challenges, including frequent conflicts and troubleso issues, he had even established a new military division.
In every sense of the word, Krais was a genius. What he created was a cavalry unit called the Recon Interception Squad.
Training cavalry was no easy feat. The re process of raising warhorses was extrely arduous. A horse capable of charging onto a battlefield wasn't simply born to run; it required careful nurturing to overco fear and develop resilience. Krais managed to start horse training by recruiting skilled horse breeders, but what about the cavalry itself?
Cavalry soldiers needed to handle their mounts as extensions of their own bodies. Assembling a proper cavalry unit within a short ti fra was an impossible task—it wasn't sothing achievable in just a few months.
Did Krais give up? Of course not. Instead, he thought outside the box.
He began by selecting individuals who were skilled riders from all the divisions and brought them together. After rigorous training to enhance their combat capabilities, so dropped out along the way, while others, who seed more suited for banditry, were dismissed. The remaining group was small. As a result, they were not a traditional cavalry unit but rather specialized for interception.
This unit, now led by Nurat, was known as the Green Pearl Cavalry Recon Squad. The na was an alias, according to Krais. Hearing this, Enkrid was reminded of Enri, a friend he'd t in the west who had transitioned from hunter to rchant. There were resources that Enri might bring with him. Though the journey's original purpose was to use the safe trade routes established by the Border Guard, so items could potentially be purchased here.
"Wasn't there an obsidian spear among the items from the west?"
Obsidian spears weren't common tools on the continent. The brittle nature of obsidian made it effective as a throwing spearhead but too fragile for lee combat. However, the Border Guard's cavalry relied on bows and throwing spears as their primary weapons.
This cavalry wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, but facing them would undoubtedly be troubleso. Riding across the battlefield, striking here and there, would be imnsely irritating.
"That would be annoying."
Even so, the Recon Interception Squad held sufficient value just as they were.
"Let's call them the Black Spear Cavalry."
"Pardon?"
"The na."
"Hmm, because the spear shafts are blackened?"
Krais guessed at the intent behind the na, looking for its significance.
Nas carried power.
A well-chosen na could inspire fear or boost morale before a battle even began.
Aspen's Grey Dogs had earned their nickna, "Relentless Lovers," because of their deadly reputation—they would stop at nothing to kill their targets.
The Black Spear Cavalry wasn't a bad na.
As Krais muttered over it, Enkrid ntioned a few items expected to arrive from the west.
"That sounds promising."
Thus began the cavalry unit ard with obsidian-tipped throwing spears.
It was a combination of resources from the west, horses born on the Green Pearl Plains, Krais' ingenuity, and soldiers who had endured grueling training.
Despite all this, the unit remained rely a Recon Interception Squad.
"What about the other reconnaissance units?"
"Finn leads them. She's aiming to turn all her soldiers into Rangers," Krais replied.
The specialization of troops was part of Krais' extensive reorganization plan for the military, which Enkrid had approved.
Equipnt was standardized, and units were divided into swordsn, spearn, archers, shield bearers, cavalry, and mounted archers.
Even in his absence, everything was proceeding smoothly.
As they left the dining hall after their conversation, a wild horse with mismatched eye colors snorted and attempted to charge at Enkrid. Placing his palm on the horse's head, Enkrid absorbed the force with ease. It was clearly a playful act—a gesture akin to greeting an old friend.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Enkrid greeted the beast, a friend who also carried the blood of monsters. Grasping its mane and shaking it, the horse whinnied excitedly. The city felt too small and confining for the creature, so it often road outside. It had encountered soone that accompanied its friend and had brought them back to this place.
As Enkrid patted its mane, he noticed a shadow blocking the sunlight. Behind him stood a man carrying a black sword over his shoulder.
He had blond hair, red eyes, and wore a thin leather outfit speckled with blood.
He hadn't even donned armor.
"When did you arrive?"
The man greeted him casually, as if they'd seen each other just yesterday.
Enkrid smirked and replied,
"It's been a while."
"Must've co while I was out for a quick walk," the man muttered.
Judging by the blood on his clothes, he hadn't just wandered aimlessly; he'd been in a fight sowhere.
He looked disheveled, as if he hadn't eaten or bathed for days, but that was typical for him.
"Let's fight, you barbarian northern swordsman who can't even find his way around," Enkrid teased.
"Why are you calling that? Save it for savages," Ragna replied, stiffening montarily before responding.
The provocation, though playful, unsettled him slightly.
"Are you really that skilled in fighting? Follow to the training grounds."
Ignoring his reaction, Enkrid finished with a smirk.
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