Every soldier in the southern army who still had breath in them returned to Rihinstetten. On the way back, the High Pontiff's son, newly become king, spoke.
"We lost. The loser has no words."
One adjutant answered those words.
"There are still hardliners left in the homeland."
The hardliners were the ones who followed the High Pontiff's will. Idiots who believed ruling the world was the reason the country called Rihinstetten existed.
"Why. Do you think I'm so weak that I'll be swayed by them?"
"Not at all."
The High Pontiff prepared many arrangements, and one of them was for the son who would inherit everything after death.
Now Rihinstetten would fight not to covet other lands, but to protect those who stayed inside the border.
Even if the High Pontiff's son looked weak on the outside, if there had been only weakness, he would not have made it this far. And he had kept more than half the army that had gone out under the treaty.
'Levee Treaty.'
That was the treaty's official name. That is how it would be recorded in the history books, and that is how it was proclaimed across the entire continent.
'Rihinstetten becomes the levee.'
The treaty's highest condition was to stop the Demon-lands from crossing the continent.
"The Red Cloak Order of Knights will help."
Cradianat Randios Nauril. Those were the words spoken. The king of the continent was a different kind of vessel.
The two countries promised to build fortress cities on what had been the front line and help each other, and discussed the knights' use of force.
For Rihinstetten, there was no way not to keep the promise. Since Naurillia held the advantage, the choice was Crang's.
And Crang discussed coexistence instead of using the power held to oppress Rihinstetten.
"I will express my gratitude again and again."
Right before parting, the southern king bowed. Crang laughed, saying it was nothing.
"I think it would be good if we build ties with you as well."
Crang's complexion was not very good, as if there had been deep worry for several days. The southern king thought it was because of himself.
Of course, that was a misunderstanding.
Crang's complexion was dark because of a friend who had nearly died and come back.
Anyway, the war between Naurillia and Rihinstetten ended after decades.
It was only natural that the name of the knight order that had ended the battlefield, even if it was not to the point of a full knightly armistice, spread far and wide.
If the Red Cloak Order of Knights held it, the madman finished it. Those words spread across the continent.
"Do you know the name of the one who ended the war with Rihinstetten?"
"Madman Enkrid!"
Several minstrels made songs and sang them. Garrett, who arrived a little late and did not meet the group, but who had once served as Greenpearl's battalion commander, joined in and learned and sang a few songs as well.
"I want to go around boasting that all of this was obvious, that I predicted this."
Pope Noah, at the center of the holy city Legion and someone's close friend, spoke with a smile. The sunlight spilling in through the window was unusually warm today. A plant leaf that had lifted its head over the pot set on the window frame soaked in the sunlight.
One close aide answered from behind the pope, looking out the window.
"You prayed and wished for it again and again."
At that, the ragged saint laughed and answered as well.
"It was very earnest."
After Noah rose to the pope's seat, the wandering saint set aside what had been done for a while and became the pope's advisor.
Because the ragged saint had been in Legion, news of Audin's achievements had reached him as well. It felt like a true son.
'You liked helping people more than fighting.'
On the outside, Audin looked specialized in beating people up, but the inside was the opposite.
'That said, you don't hate fighting either.'
The priorities were just exact. And it meant meeting a captain with a similar disposition.
'So that is why you follow.'
The ragged saint, Audin's adoptive father, looked at the blue sky outside the window.
'So, are you satisfied now?'
While asking his son that inside, Noah looked at the same sky.
'What you wished for has been accomplished.'
The knight who dreamed of ending all wars truly ended the war. It was hard to guess what that heart would feel like.
'Are you happy?'
Only asking that inside.
When the chance came, a letter should be sent, asking to stop by this side. There was a desire to hear the story of those achievements directly.
Similarly, the king of Aspen, who received the news, discussed in a serious tone ways to become an eternal patriot.
And the council responsible for the trade city considered whether to swear loyalty to the king of Naurillia outright.
There were places that were relatively quiet, but most focused on the king of Naurillia and Enkrid's steps from now on.
And Crang did not force anyone to swear loyalty, only returned to the capital and held a memorial for the dead.
Enkrid was the same. Returning to Border Guard, there was time no different from before.
If there was anything unusual, it was that even after the war ended, the return of the Mad Order of Knights took over a full month. Recovery was needed before moving.
Very few people knew about the incident where a hole was put through Enkrid's stomach.
"I thought you hid a honey pot in the south, but you were late because there was a hole in your stomach?"
Kraiss, face drained white, acted like it was nothing.
"Worried?"
"Worried, my ass. If the Captain dies, I'll throw everything away and run off and fulfill my own long-cherished wish."
Even if Enkrid died, Kraiss would not have run away. For that, Kraiss also carried too much.
Knowing that, Nurat, his guard and lover, would be staying at his side.
"You almost died?"
Esther welcomed him too. While Enkrid changed clothes in the quarters, Esther opened the door and came in and said it. The witch walked up with soft steps and ran a hand over the scar on Enkrid's stomach.
"It's a deep wound."
"But I lived."
Enkrid only answered like that. Esther did not say much.
Anyway, back. Border Guard, now a place right to call home.
"Feels good to be alive?"
After roughly throwing clothes on and coming out, Rem asked the question he had been holding the whole way, snickering.
"Very."
Enkrid was honest.
"It's close to a mystery."
Temares repeated what had been said on the way as well.
The Dragonkin could have left as is, but stayed at the side in silence. And when Enkrid had just come back to life, he even cut the palm with a nail without hesitation and fed blood.
"My blood is precious blood that every human covets. Drink it."
At the forceful act, Enkrid swallowed a few drops of blood. Temares's words were not a lie.
That blood pulled up his body's vigor in an instant. Even Will reacted and surged. It was the moment of enduring five days. Temares's blood was like medicine, though it was added that it did not produce that effect every time.
"It didn't help no matter how many times I fed it."
Temares muttered.
No one reacted despite seeing it because Temares had shown the same act many times.
"Maybe the goddess of fortune fell for your mad nature."
Luagarne joked with joy.
"You seduced even a goddess?"
Shinar played along.
There was no one who was not happy that he lived.
Especially Ragna. Staying together while the Captain almost died made it more so.
If Enkrid had died, Ragna would have entered the Demon-lands without hesitation.
And would have pointed the sword at every existence living in the Demon-lands.
Rem used the head and strategy, but Ragna did not.
He was not someone who would listen if attempted to stop.
"You need to rest for at least a week. I'll make medicine for you, so drink it in the evening and sleep."
Anne said after looking at Enkrid's state. Dark under the eyes, rough skin. A look of vigor worn down like never before. Naturally, after seeing Ragna's wound, Anne gave medicine made to him as well.
"It wasn't an ambush."
Seeing the wound, Jaxon grasped how Enkrid got hit. Lost in a head-on fight. And the opponent's thrust cleanly pierced even Balrog's hide.
'How?'
A refined thrust.
Perfect control, whether it was Will or killing intent, concentrating force into a single point and stabbing. Jaxon's gaze sank hard. Jaxon repeated thoughts the moment the wound was seen. Even the thrust itself was a different level of skill.
'Can I do it?'
Jaxon measured inside whether the same-power thrust could be done. If prepared with intent, possible. If there was a relic comparable to an engraved weapon, and on top of that, a weapon specialized in thrusting, and time to hone killing intent.
'Then, doing it in one go while fighting?'
That was difficult. Jaxon's brow tightened. If someone asked whether it could be done while dealing with both that directionless bastard and the Captain at once, Jaxon would shut up.
Because there was no way to say it could never be done, silence was chosen.
Enkrid read what was in Jaxon's heart.
Because the entire order, including Rem, Ragna, and Audin, had already gone through a similar process.
The funny thing was that everyone went quiet. It was because no one wanted to say it could never be done even if they died.
"If I meet him next time, I'll cut him."
Ragna said like this.
"If I just throw rocks from far away, what's he gonna do? Huh?"
Rem bragged, and everyone put forward their own specialty.
"Even if we don't know the name or the face, that brother who has already taken a seat in the heavens, if we stick close, there won't be a chance to swing a sword."
Audin even said this.
Enkrid did not say much. After coming back from the brink of death, there was struggling not to die again, and after barely catching a breath, there was no room to look around because there was only contemplating what was realized while repeating today.
Now he was alive, and being in the city bring only joy.
"You're back? Congratulations on the victory."
It was especially nice to see Vengeance, the watch captain who had become a father of a child.
Because it would be that such people were the reason the fight had value.
"Yeah. We won."
The hero who ended the war followed the healer's words faithfully.
Devoting to recovery, after the fight ended, more precisely, after waking on the fifth day, Enkrid recalled one by one what happened. It was a continuous chain of things hard to ignore.
***
"Should I send praise? I never thought you'd kill the parasitic horse. Was hiding the Dragonkin there intentional?"
It was when the hole in the stomach had just been patched. After barely getting past the fifth day.
After lying sick three more days without even dreaming, then getting up and barely getting porridge into the mouth, and only then did the vigor start to recover.
At the words a soldier came up and threw out, Enkrid looked at the soldier.
Looking closer, his eyes were entirely black. It looked like he was bewitched, or possessed by an evil spirit.
"Start with introducing yourself."
Enkrid said while putting soup into his mouth.
"Nice to meet you. I am the king of all monsters."
The soldier said. From the creaking mouth and limbs, the true nature of what was inside was obvious. And there was even that introduction.
One of the lords of the demon lands.
Without showing even a little displeasure at Enkrid's words, the lord continued.
"Fight with me. I'm not telling you to enter under me. I will give an equal position at my side."
At this point, there was no way not to ask.
"So what do I get?"
What was being offered.
Enkrid put the spoon into the mouth and pulled it out, letting the arm hang. The king of monsters, through the soldier's eyes sent with a piece of consciousness split off, looked at the spoon held in the hanging hand.
Instead of the broken Dawn, using a spoon as a weapon. No matter how you looked at it, it was a great insult.
With his body in ruins, still holding a spoon, taking a stance ready to fight. Would it make even Balrog, called a demon of struggle, cry?
The king of monsters, separate from thought, answered without pausing.
"Information, life, and everything else you desire."
There was no beating around the bush. There was no need. Say what is desired, and if refused, that was that.
"Information?"
Enkrid asked back.
"There are six lords who rule the Demon lands in total. You killed one of them. I will tell you in advance what the rest are doing."
It was saying to volunteer as a spy. Enkrid, as if not hearing the words, counted numbers.
"Five remain."
The king of monsters did not panic and took the words.
"Right, kill the remaining four together. Wasn't that what you wanted? After that, the two of us can fight."
The proposal was like honey. Pleasant to hear, appropriate, and a method that seemed advantageous to this side.
"It's not telling you to come to the Demon lands and do something. We will pick the fight from this side, so lend a hand."
"Anyway, you pick and choose and do the sinister things alone."
Behind the soldier, black soot formed, and a new voice cut in. To Enkrid, the tone felt oddly cautious.
If wanted, there was plenty of power to make the surroundings ring out, but it felt like whispering so only Enkrid could hear.
Following the king of monsters, it was a message from the ghost king. A piece of the ghost king's consciousness that approached as soot delivered the will.
"Rather than that, join hands with me. I'm better than that stinking birdhead."
The king of monsters mocked. With no expression change, delivering will by tone alone, it was a different ability for sure.
"Arrogance, saying out loud that you're better."
Without particularly showing emotion, the relationship between those two did not look good. Enkrid observed his body's condition. Clearly, it was severe injury. Right now, it was a state where even beating Pel would be hard.
But did that mean words that had to be said could not be said. If he had been the kind of person, he would not have come this far.
"Wait."
Enkrid spoke to the two Demon-lands lords. Will was in the words. Thick will no different from dragon speech a Dragonkin breathes out.
Or it should be called words close to a vow.
Resolve as thick as Cypress's vow.
"Wait there. I'll kill every last one of you."
There was no compromise. No discussion. Enkrid had decided, and his will did not waver.
"...A bastard who understands words even less than me."
"More troublesome than pure white, this one is."
"With distrust, you'll play very well."
Starting with the king of monsters, the bastards who tossed a line each scattered like smoke and vanished.
As Enkrid watched the soldier slump over with a thud, behind him, everyone including Rem and Ragna stepped up.
"Yeah, we'll kill them all. My needle will be with you at your side too."
Shinar added her will to Enkrid's words.
"If you go without me, I'll be hurt, yeah?"
Rem added a line too.
The demons coming was one of the things that happened after breaking past the wall called today. And there were other things that could not be ignored.
"Take Aurelia too."
Cypress's abrupt words were one of them.