'I should tell everyone they've worked hard.'
When he got up, his head spun.
It was because he had been lying down for too long.
He could have staggered, but he quickly regained his balance.
His senses, trained through today's repetitive routine, adjusted to the subtle differences and helped him adapt.
'Not bad.'
He felt the sea anew.
Standing straight, he looked to the side and saw Ragna eating porridge with one hand, bandages wrapped around his shoulder and torso.
After swallowing what was in his mouth, Ragna's gaze swept over Encrid's whole body.
Sinar's gaze was the same.
They both had the same thought.
They hadn't noticed while he was lying down, but now that he was up, something seemed different.
It was only natural.
Through countless repetitions of today's events, Encrid had learned more than just how to dodge.
But there was no need to ask or question it right away.
Ragna was simply looking forward to sparring.
His uncharacteristic enthusiasm was still intact.
"Is it good?"
Encrid asked.
Ragna nodded.
No one had fed him, but some soldier named Helma, along with a friend, had made the porridge.
It tasted different from the usual meals.
This time, they said they had added eel meat.
Encrid started to loosen up his body.
Two days had passed.
Ragna also stood up.
Wasn't this a perfect chance to be lazy?
The Madmen Platoon members were hard to read, so there was no point in trying to figure out what was going on in their heads.
"How are you holding up?"
"It was just a minor sprain from the start."
A minor sprain, yet he had been in bed for three days—if it had been a break, he'd be dead by now.
That was only logical.
Encrid didn't voice his thoughts.
That's just how those people were.
Whether it was Rem, Ragna, Jaxon, or Audin, would any of them be different?
There was no point in bringing it up, as they wouldn't change.
Instead of talking, Encrid moved his body.
He performed movements from the Isolation Technique that helped with recovery.
He focused on his muscles, stretched his arms, and slowly raised his body's temperature.
By stimulating the uninjured areas, he made his blood circulate faster.
Despite the winter cold, a subtle steam started rising from Encrid's body.
"Got a cold? Move to warm your body. Broken bones? Move to warm your body. Open wounds? Move to warm your body."
That was Audin's method for dealing with injuries.
Even Rem, listening nearby, found it absurd and scoffed, but technically, it wasn't wrong.
At least, once you've built your body through the Isolation Technique, such things are somewhat possible.
The Isolation Technique increases your base stamina.
A body trained this way can circulate blood quickly through the whole body, even without much movement.
Since blood circulation helps heal wounds, the technique enhances that effect.
Along with the strengthening of muscles and endurance, recovery speed increases, something Encrid had already experienced firsthand.
Still, this was quite fast.
It was enough to make someone call his recovery monstrous.
Of course, Esther, sleeping with her head pressed against her front paw, played a part in it too.
Sleeping close to Encrid had stimulated his regenerative abilities.
That was just a small trick that didn't even count as a spell.
These various factors were why he had recovered, so it was no wonder Sinar was surprised when she saw it.
"You've got a truly fascinating body."
Sinar said, sitting to the side and giving her thoughts.
She was sitting on a chair inside the tent, her arms wrapped around a raised knee.
Encrid nodded nonchalantly.
With his body warmed up, he was wearing only a short-sleeved shirt, and Sinar's eyes roamed over the visible parts of his body.
"I suppose I do."
Eat, sleep, wake up, and recover.
Reflect on the battle while being the focus of everyone's attention.
This was Encrid's routine.
It didn't feel awkward being gathered together like this.
The medical tent was quite large, able to accommodate about twenty men.
In the middle was a large brazier, and right beneath it, Esther was curled up and sleeping.
Ragna sat next to her, and Encrid was moving his body near the brazier.
Sinar was near the entrance of the tent, and further inside, Dunbachel was dozing off.
Dunbachel had quite a few minor injuries, but none were serious.
From what Encrid had heard later, the moment Dunbachel realized she had fallen into a trap, she immediately sprinted ahead, running all the way to the front like a madman.
Once a tool of the Black Blade Bandits, the beastwoman had somehow become one of their comrades.
Encrid occasionally wondered why that was.
Why did these people gather around him?
A soldier with large eyes, nicknamed Big Eyes, Krais, was sitting on a chair about two steps away from the brazier.
"It was my mistake."
He spoke abruptly.
Encrid, in the middle of his movements, paused and asked,
"What was?"
"I failed to predict the situation, which made it dangerous."
It was a clipped statement, but Encrid understood well enough.
Big Eyes was always straining to read the enemy's intentions.
"Expecting something like that is strange."
Encrid was sincere.
Their opponent had acted like a lunatic.
At those words, Krais turned his eyes toward Encrid.
There was a deep emotion in those eyes—a mix of doubt and distrust.
"Even though it almost got me killed?"
Krais looked into Encrid's eyes.
How could there be no trace of resentment?
Why are those eyes always so straightforward?
Krais was puzzled.
How could a human be like this?
"I'm alive. Not a ghost or anything."
He wasn't dead, and that was enough.
"You really are something else, Commander."
For a moment, Krais felt a sense of gloom, but he quickly buried it.
Yeah, what's the point of questioning it?
It's not like he didn't already know his Commander was like this.
'What's with him?'
Look, even now, Encrid seemed to be asking that question with his eyes.
Despite nearly dying, there was no resentment.
Even though the whole ordeal happened because he had charged into the enemy's territory at Krais's request, he didn't hold anyone accountable.
And Ragna, sitting beside him, was just as indifferent.
Even though Encrid was questioning him with his eyes, he simply looked back with a blank expression, as if asking, "What are you even asking?"
"Ah, never mind. Forget it."
Krais shook off the remnants of his emotions.
There was no point in dwelling on it.
That man wouldn't care anyway, and if Krais did, it would only harm himself.
He didn't get caught up in Krona's tricks, but he hated taking unnecessary losses, so it was best to let it go.
Through a rational thought process, Krais steadied his mind.
What next?
Time to reflect, as he had learned from his Commander.
He had listened to how Encrid had escaped danger, heard all about Ragna's actions, and reviewed the movements of the enemy troops.
Krais realized that he had been thoroughly outplayed.
Who did he think he was, some grand strategist who could foresee everything?
But because of this, his Commander had nearly died.
The same Commander who had once saved his life, and yet he had almost killed him in return.
Even setting aside Encrid's almost childlike innocence, the thought sent chills down his spine.
'Predicting the battlefield.'
It comes with that level of risk.
This incident had taught him a harsh lesson.
He also learned that anything can happen on the battlefield.
The enemy's tactics made his skin crawl the more he thought about them.
The more he reflected, the more insane it all seemed.
'Sending out a group of Junior-Knights, knowing it would raise our guard, only to use regular soldiers to target a single elite?'
That's madness.
Sacrificing a thousand soldiers to take down one person?
And not even a Knight?
No, it was possible.
He should have anticipated it.
Krais realized it was his responsibility to foresee such things.
But he hadn't.
Why?
Because he lacked experience.
But he couldn't just chalk it up to inexperience.
This could happen again.
So, what should he do?
He needed to broaden his thinking.
He couldn't limit himself to what was imaginable.
He needed to consider the most bizarre things the enemy might do.
'Except for a Dragon flying overhead!'
That wasn't a realistic possibility, that was just irrational paranoia.
Though Encrid hadn't intended it, Krais reflected deeply.
Seeing his Commander remain so steadfast even with his life on the line left a strong impression on him.
'Never again.'
He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
After sorting out his thoughts, he said,
"You should open a salon or something."
It was a pointless comment.
No matter what he said, Encrid wouldn't even bother to listen.
"If you do, I'd probably visit."
Encrid replied.
"Yeah, right, like you'd actually come. You'd probably be off swinging your sword instead."
Wow, how could he make such a promise he wouldn't keep?
Well, it was because he knew there was no way he could open a salon anytime soon.
But if he ever did, Encrid would probably drop by for a bit.
After all, he always kept his word. That's just how he was as a leader.
But then again, who knows? He might end up training with his sword even inside the salon.
'That would be the worst. The absolute worst.'
Krais deliberately stopped himself from letting his imagination run wild.
As Encrid bent over to touch his toes, he watched Krais's ever-changing expressions with amusement.
It was fun to observe.
Krais shook his head, having finally finished his little mental journey.
Regret is regret, but once you've learned the lesson, it's time to move on.
It was a lesson he had learned since childhood.
So that's what Krais did.
Even without any consolation, he brushed it off.
What's the point of dwelling on mistakes?
'Did I even contribute anything?'
The truth was, he had done a lot.
Without Krais, Encrid might have fallen into Avnair's trap multiple times over.
Esther had also played her part by killing Galaf, the wizard who could have blocked Encrid's escape route.
Ragna's presence had been crucial too.
What was the original role of the Junior-Knight he killed?
Sinar and Dunbachel had also played significant roles.
Without them, one side might have been overwhelmed in the first battle.
The enemy forces attacking from the rear could have posed a real threat to the Border Guard, not just a feint.
That could have disrupted the supply lines and blocked their retreat.
The whole battle could have gone horribly wrong.
These people in front of him had safeguarded the battlefield.
Encrid genuinely believed that.
If there were words to be spoken that should neither be hidden nor held back, it was these.
Encrid stopped his movements. He knew how to speak with sincerity and honesty, so that's what he did.
He straightened up, lowered his hands, and looked around to gather everyone's attention. Then he spoke.
"I need to say, you all worked hard."
Ragna, who had been eating, paused. Krais blinked in surprise, and Dunbachel lifted his sleepy head.
From near the tent entrance, Sinar stared at Encrid and spoke up.
"You say that so easily without even a hint of a blush. No wonder they call you the Enchanted One."
He said this as he lowered his raised knee and clasped his hands in front of his chest.
"That's not what I meant."
Encrid protested against the Fairy-like jest.
"Weren't you the one who worked the hardest, Commander?"
Krais blinked, speaking in a tone of disbelief.
Esther, half-asleep, briefly looked at Encrid and then tapped the ground with her front paw, as if to say,
"Don't mention it."
Ragna stared intently at Encrid, saying, 'I fought for myself', before resuming his meal. Dunbachel nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I worked hard too."
They were an amusing mix of Fairies, humans, beastmen, and wizards. Encrid genuinely thought so.
"Where's Jaxon?"
Krais asked.
"He said he had to go somewhere."
Encrid replied.
"Where to?"
"I don't know."
"You just let him go without knowing?"
"And why not?"
"Well, it's not like they're the kind of people you can really keep tabs on anyway."
From the very beginning, back when they were part of the Madmen Platoon, Encrid's attitude had always been consistent: handle your own business.
He wouldn't go out of his way to interfere with what they were doing.
Ragna didn't care at all.
Whether that sly stray cat was around or not made no difference to him.
He remained seated, lost in thought, reflecting on what he had gained.
The flames of his determination had not yet dimmed.
Sinar continued observing Encrid, while Dunbachel brought her scimitar to the whetstone.
Scrape, scrape!
After sprinkling some water from her water bottle, she pressed the blade against the stone. She was sharpening her scimitar, the practiced hands of a former mercenary well-versed in weapon maintenance.
Krais, sitting there, marveled at how such a peculiar group of people had come together.
Everyone was engaged in their own activities.
As Encrid resumed his exercises to warm up, a sudden sound broke the quiet.
Rip!
The tent fabric tore.
Sinar reacted first.
Ting!
Without any warning, she drew her knives, already on her feet.
Esther opened her eyes.
Ragna gripped his spoon as if it were a sword.
"Ah, yeah, that's him—black hair, blue eyes, a pretty decent face."
A voice accompanied the cold wind that blew in through the tear in the tent.
The fire in the brazier flared up, casting dancing shadows around the room.
It was just after dusk, and the time of twilight had passed.
Blue moonlight from outside mingled with the red glow from the brazier, creating an eerie mix of colors.
Standing at the point where the two lights met was someone.
"My apologies."
And then he spoke.
[T/L: Please support me AND read further chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans.]
[T/L: Subscribe for a membership on my Buy Me a Coffee page and receive 15 extra chapters upon joining, along with daily updates of one chapter: buymeacoffee.com/revengerscans ]
[Additional Info: If anyone is facing the issue of payment on Ko-Fi, please contact me on revengerscans1@gmail.com]