Chapter 154 - This Guy Is the Craziest
It happened the moment they entered the barracks.
"The squad leader definitely isn't normal."
Hearing those words from Rem's mouth, Enkrid felt something strange.
Why did this guy always say things like that to him without considering his own state of mind?
"And you think you're in a position to say that?"
He said it jokingly, but even with the reprimand, Rem just grinned.
What was he so pleased about this time?
That smile was extremely irritating.
But what was he supposed to do about it?
Complain that his grin was annoying?
That it was getting on his nerves?
It would all just sound like meaningless grumbling.
Enkrid simply shrugged.
"So, have you finished your training, brother?"
Audin, well, looked like he was glowing.
He approached like a bear radiating light.
In other words, he seemed to be in a very good mood.
But why was he coming with his back to the lamp's glow?
That gentle smile of his was the same one he had when he increased the weight during isolation training.
"Uh, yeah. I have."
Technically, he had added the afternoon training on top of the already insufficient morning session.
Even so, his legs weren't shaking.
Now that he thought about it...
'When did it start?'
Even after finishing all his training, he no longer felt like he was going to die.
It was bearable.
Unless he recklessly pushed through using Heart of the Beast.
As he stood there, lost in thought—
"I have things to do."
Jaxen brushed past him and disappeared.
That guy seemed to spend more time outside wandering around than in the barracks ever since returning to the unit.
Though today, he seemed to be heading out a little later than usual.
"Grr."
Esther had claimed Enkrid's bed and was waving a front paw at him.
It looked like a gesture telling him to come over.
"Yeah, I'm here."
Would anyone seeing him now think he was a lunatic talking to a panther?
Well, who cared?
'Struggling desperately to become a knight probably looks crazier anyway.'
He hadn't given up on his dream.
Just because he held firm in his beliefs and was stubborn beyond reason didn't mean he shut his eyes and ears to the world.
Not completely, at least.
Enkrid had a rough idea of how people, especially those meeting him for the first time, perceived him.
'Probably like a half-crazed guy.'
He looked normal on the outside, but his actions were incomprehensible—a madman of sorts.
At least, he wasn't as bad as Rem.
It wasn't much comfort, but surely, he wasn't as insane as that.
He wasn't swinging an axe at his superior's head, after all.
That had to be a hundred times worse.
As if sensing something, Rem spoke.
"Why do you have that weird look in your eyes?"
Rem had an annoyingly sharp intuition.
"It's nothing."
Enkrid averted his gaze from those gray eyes and suggested they get something to eat.
It was time to eat and drink.
Resting when one should rest was important.
"I suppose so. I'll go ahead and secure seats at the mess hall."
Krais moved first.
Meanwhile, Enkrid quickly washed himself in the barracks' bathhouse.
No one dawdled; they all headed to the mess hall.
Enkrid also finished freshening up, picked up Esther, and went out.
It wasn't a special meal, but the mess hall at Border Guard wasn't bad.
Though, picky eaters might disagree.
"Is there no bread?"
Ragna asked.
"You look like you'd eat dirt need be, yet you're always so picky."
The group sat around a table, taking up a central spot in the mess hall.
People were casting glances their way.
It wasn't unusual for the so-called madmen to draw attention, but—
This time, there was a Frog among them.
Gurgle.
It seemed like the Frog was watching as Rem scolded Ragna.
Its large, bulging eyes, reminiscent of a toad's, were fixed on the two.
"I don't want to speak to a lowly barbarian tonight."
"Huh? You want me to feed you directly? Too lazy to chew and digest on your own? Should I just shove the food straight into your gut?"
Rem made a chopping motion across his stomach as he spoke.
These guys were consistent, at least.
"The lamb is pretty good. Nicely seasoned."
Enkrid interjected at just the right moment, right before Rem and Ragna could start a conversation with their axe and sword.
"...Tsk."
"Is that so?"
The two broke their staring contest.
Lately, Enkrid had noticed they were listening to him more.
It was a bit surprising every time.
In fact, he had been feeling something odd for a while.
'Why me?'
Why did fights end when he stepped in?
Why was he able to act as the squad leader here?
All he had done was treat them honestly and straightforwardly.
He spoke his mind, asked when he was curious, and was blunt yet respectful.
That was it.
'No, rather than listening to me, maybe they've just gotten closer?'
It was something only he seemed to notice, but lately, their fights didn't feel like real fights.
They stopped at merely testing each other's skills.
Even before, they spoke harshly but respected each other's boundaries.
But now, it was as if they had erased those boundaries entirely, yet still didn't actually fight.
'Like predators bonding on the plains.'
As Enkrid was musing to himself—
Gulp.
Beside him, the Frog was munching on some salad and spoke.
"Fresh vegetables... This city must be quite prosperous."
"Trade comes before farming here, so we actually get fresh produce more often."
Krais responded.
The Frog nodded and then added—
"There were empty spots in the barracks. I'll stay for a few days."
"...?"
Other than salad, there wasn't much a Frog could eat.
Since they only consumed insects and plants.
Yet no one reacted to what she just said.
Enkrid for one, wasn't sure what he was hearing.
Starting with Enkrid, doubts were already forming.
This guy was a Frog.
A noble being coming from the main unit.
And yet, where did she say she would stay?
Everyone cast curious glances.
It was the Frog who spoke, not even sparing them a glance as she ate.
Enkrid asked,
"Where do you plan to stay?"
The Frog answered,
"Next to you will do."
No matter how others treated him, Enkrid at least maintained basic courtesy.
Wasn't he the captain?
To a stranger, he might seem half-insane, but those who knew him well understood—
He was probably the only sane person in this mad squad.
That was why formal speech naturally came out.
Enkrid assumed the frog-man before him would be leaving soon.
The Frog wasn't originally part of this unit, after all.
If she had stayed just to say he couldn't become Enkrid's knight, she was wasting an unnecessary amount of time.
A whole day had passed already—she should have left by now.
The junior knight who had accompanied her was already gone, yet she remained alone.
Wasn't that odd?
Of course, everyone had their suspicions.
That Ragna—the Frog's interest lay with him.
That was why no one asked about his whereabouts.
Rem and the other squad members weren't even interested from the start.
If he wanted to stay, well, whatever.
"Really?"
Enkrid, having no need to hide his thoughts, asked bluntly.
A strange silence settled over the mess hall.
Only the sounds of conversation from other tables filled the space—talks of gambling, battles, and women.
Enkrid let the noise wash over him and focused on the Frog.
The Frog shrugged and said nothing more.
Enkrid observed him for a moment before setting his doubts aside.
Or rather, he let them be.
It was just a feeling, but the Frog didn't seem hostile toward him.
More importantly, she was a Frog.
If anything, having her around would be beneficial, not a hindrance.
It was odd that she insisted on staying in their quarters, but there was no real reason to stop her.
"I want to stay in the quarters too."
Finn raised her hand as she spoke, her mouth smeared with lamb sauce.
She wasn't the type to eat gracefully.
She was a Ranger—someone who lived with the moon as her companion and the night sky as her blanket.
Expecting proper table manners from her would be laughable.
Especially in the barracks, where no one bothered with etiquette when filling their stomachs.
Only the Frog showed some refinement.
Enkrid didn't know for sure, but if he had to guess, perhaps nobles ate like that.
She carefully moved the greens to her plate, finely chopped them, and placed them in her mouth.
Of course, her eating style remained uniquely Frog-like—flicking out her tongue to snatch her food.
"Do as you like."
Enkrid permitted it.
They hadn't officially joined the squad, but simply staying in the quarters wouldn't be an issue.
'Should I report this?'
Probably.
If they wanted to stay, then they could stay.
Enkrid mused on the matter while chewing.
The lamb sauce was quite good.
A subtle herbal aroma, the right amount of fat, and a balance of spiciness and sweetness filled his mouth.
The seasoning was excellent.
Compared to usual, the meal was surprisingly pleasant.
"Brother, today's lamb is excellent."
Audin chuckled.
"Does that suits your taste, you directionally challenged bastard?"
"Mind your own business and keep eating. Ah, that thing next to you is called a fork—if you don't know how to use it, just leave it."
Rem and Ragna bickered, but there was no real hostility.
Considering that, this was… rather peaceful.
When he first entered the quarters, the atmosphere had felt suffocating.
"They're all insane. Every single one of them."
Finn muttered.
She was an experienced Ranger.
She had met all kinds of people through various experiences—
But never had she encountered a group as peculiar as this madmen squad.
Their skills, their personalities—none of them fit the definition of normal.
Finn kept chewing her meat.
The lamb, marinated to perfection, was exquisite today.
"By the way, what about Andrew and Mac?"
Krais asked as he chewed his lamb.
He sure noticed quickly.
Enkrid recalled his spar with Andrew the previous night and answered,
"They're discharging."
"Huh?"
Andrew was originally the heir of House Gardener.
He had a duty to restore his family.
Just before leaving, he had said—
"I've learned how to never give up by watching you. I will do the same. One day, I will see you again under the name of Gardener."
His tone had been confident.
His eyes, filled with ambition.
His stance, overflowing with certainty.
Enkrid had let him go.
That night, Andrew and Mac had left the unit.
Reporting it had been Enkrid's job.
The Fairy Company Commander had readily accepted it.
"If you're sad about losing numbers, I'll fill in the gaps, Independent Platoon Leader."
At those words, Enkrid had shaken his head.
An independent platoon sounded nice in name—
But if they took in just anyone, they wouldn't last.
Only someone of Andrew's caliber could even hope to survive here.
'I heard all the previous squad leaders died, too.'
Rather than increasing numbers recklessly, maintaining their current state was better if it worked.
"We're fine as we are."
When he declined politely, the Fairy Company Commander had joked,
"Then should I join you myself?"
To which Enkrid had flatly refused and quickly left.
Shoving away memories of last night, he continued,
"They're not coming back. We'll keep the current structure for now."
"Ah, got it."
Krais, seemingly aware of the situation, let it go without further questioning.
"What? One of my toys left without even telling me?"
At those words, Rem shot up from his seat.
"Hm?"
"I'll go ahead."
With that, Rem dashed out.
"I'm sleepy, so I'm off."
Ragna stood up as soon as he finished eating.
"It is time for prayer."
Audin also left.
Having finished off the remaining food, Enkrid rinsed his mouth with the cheap tea in the mess hall and stepped outside.
Instead of heading toward the barracks, he made his way toward the training ground.
Behind him, the Frog spoke up.
"Where are you going?"
Enkrid answered indifferently.
"I still have training left."
It was now time for the evening drills.
For the first time, the Frog stopped in her tracks upon hearing that.
"You're training again?"
It was the first time since meeting Enkrid that the Frog sounded even remotely surprised.
"Of course."
Enkrid remained indifferent.
Whether Frog stayed or left, whether something happened or not, whether everyone said he could never become a knight—it didn't matter.
There was work to do.
So, he would do it.
Postponing today's work until tomorrow?
Enkrid wasn't capable of that.
If anything, he was the kind of madman who would pull in tomorrow's tasks and finish them today.
'This guy is the craziest of them all.'
Frog thought to herself.
A unit of madmen?
It seemed this man was the craziest of them all.
Enkrid believed himself to be the most sane among them.
But that was merely his own perception.
The eyes of others saw things very, very differently.