Chapter 157 - A Treasure Beside the Request
"Monsters? You said being a knight was your dream, right? Then we have to go. That's only natural. Isn't cutting down monsters what knights do?"
Krais believed that slaying monsters was the essence of being a knight.
But to those who heard him, it sounded quite different.
Wasn't that belittling knights?
Reducing a one-man army, capable of turning the tide of battle, to nothing more than a monster hunter?
"Besides, it's a village built by commoners. Shouldn't we save them? My sense of justice is boiling over."
His tone should have been filled with concern, yet it brimmed with greed instead.
It was as if his eyes had turned into gold coins.
Everyone shared similar thoughts as they looked at Krais.
He, however, paid no mind to their gazes.
His focus was solely on Enkrid.
The decision-maker was what mattered, not the opinions of others.
"What is it?"
Enkrid, arms crossed, asked.
"This big-eyed brat... always trying to drag us somewhere," Rem muttered, half-reclining on his bed, watching idly.
Sharp as ever.
Krais thought as he turned his secret weapon—his big, sparkling eyes—toward his commander.
See?
My eyes are big, aren't they?
Look at my eyes.
Now, you want to take on this mission.
His gaze was so clear and innocent that it almost seemed hypnotic. Enkrid pursed his lips before speaking.
"Want me to spit in your face?"
'Where'd he get those damn eyes from?'
Krais read the message in Enkrid's stare.
'Ah, this isn't working. It's not getting through.'
Then, what's next?
Krais pondered, but quickly abandoned the thought.
He was sharp-witted, quick-thinking, and perceptive.
He credited his keen instincts to the hardships of his childhood.
Those struggles had taught him well.
'This kind of trick won't work on the commander.'
He knew it instinctively.
This wouldn't do.
So what was left?
A frontal assault.
Always direct and straightforward.
The captain had always treated him and the others that way, so he should do the same.
His situational awareness was outstanding.
Krais adjusted his approach with astonishing speed.
Like a meteor falling from the sky—swift and decisive.
"About a hundred years ago, there was a merchant named Dolph, one of the most renowned traders on the continent."
He started his story from the past.
Hooking the audience came first.
Call it the eccentric hobby of a wealthy man.
Or perhaps an obsession.
One of Dolph's pastimes was hiding portions of his fortune and creating treasure maps.
It was a tale found in the annals of history.
"But did this story end as just a legend? Of course not. If that were the case, why would I bring it up?"
Krais's tone gained weight in key moments.
He had the persuasion of a skilled storyteller.
His words carried passion.
Dolph was once the owner of a famous trading company.
But just before his death, he siphoned off all his wealth and hid it away.
Naturally, those meant to inherit his fortune lost their minds.
His six wives practically breathed fire.
"Why the hell would you do that?!"
Dolph never answered.
He simply endured their accusations in silence.
All he said was—
"If you want my wealth, find the maps."
That was the last recorded statement in the old texts.
A historian once asked Dolph before his death—
"Why create treasure maps?"
Dolph's answer was legendary.
"Because it's fun."
Over twenty maps, filled with cryptic codes.
The first person to uncover one found treasure.
Dolph's coachman.
That man became rich and later formed a trading company—only to run it into the ground.
The second person to decode a map was Dolph's first wife.
She was greedy.
She even kept the discovery from her own son, venturing alone to claim her husband's hidden wealth—only to fall into a trap and die.
That's right.
The coachman was bait.
He was Dolph's final contingency.
Contrary to the legend, Dolph had no intention of passing his fortune to anyone.
The very idea of his family receiving anything disgusted him.
"The truth is, he was barren. A bee that couldn't make honey."
By now, everyone was listening intently.
Krais's storytelling could put most bards to shame.
Yes, Dolph was incapable of fathering children.
Yet he had six wives and over twenty supposed offspring.
It didn't add up.
So, he plotted his revenge.
And he hid all his wealth across the continent.
Some of the maps had already been uncovered.
By a man named Kirgon, the continent's greatest treasure hunter.
Kirgon had already proven it.
"The treasure is real."
It was a hidden chapter of history.
Krais was well-versed in such matters.
Why wouldn't he be?
It was related to Krona.
Rumors had long circulated that anyone who found and deciphered these maps would uncover true riches.
Kirgon had verified that truth.
And now, well—
Could luck really be this generous?
It was as if the goddess of fortune had kissed him on the cheek while she slept.
Back in the previous battle, while scouring the enemy's stronghold, Krais had picked up a few items.
One of them, retrieved from beneath a tree—
"Hmm."
A map.
Reeking as if it had been stored between someone's thighs.
The stench alone made him want to throw it away, but Krais instinctively knew it was no ordinary item.
Treasure maps were common.
Fakes were even more common.
The Gilpin Guild had someone who specialized in identifying such things.
A so-called appraiser.
Or, in street terms—a fence.
After all, knowing how to recognize treasure was key to selling it.
"This one looks real."
That was all it took.
The map was over a century old.
The language had changed so much that even the appraiser couldn't read it.
Krais himself had no knowledge of ancient scripts.
He struggled to decode it until, unexpectedly, help came from a Frog.
Lagarne had once said—
"I'm a scholar."
A Frog?
Though skeptical, Krais didn't show it.
Instead, he simply asked Lagarne to decipher a few characters.
Using that, he pieced together the solution.
It was Dolph's sixth map.
"There's treasure. A massive one."
Krais stood in the middle of their quarters, passionately delivering his speech.
His face flushed from lack of oxygen, having talked nonstop.
"The traps are probably too old to function properly. This is basically like picking up a gemstone lying in the street. Someone just covered it in dirt—you just dust it off and take it!"
The story was fascinating.
But Enkrid remained unmoved by Krais's excitement.
He gave no clear answer about going to the location on the treasure map.
He simply said—
"We'll take the request."
Krais was thrilled.
"But stopping by that place is undecided as of now."
Krais instantly looked crushed.
His eyes widened in disbelief, as if thinking, 'How could you?!'
Beside him, Rem snickered.
Enkrid had no idea, but the moment Krais realized the map was real, he started scheming to snatch the treasure up.
Going alone to search for treasure?
That was no different from telling the monsters to feast on his flesh and blood like bread and wine.
Then what about going with the guild members?
That would just turn the whole expedition into a banquet where both he and his guildmates served as the main course.
He needed a group with exceptional skill—one that wouldn't flinch at the threats of monsters, beasts, or bandits.
But hiring mercenaries?
That would require at least a squad-sized force.
The costs would outweigh the gains.
So, his first target was Rem.
"How about taking on a request?"
"I only take assassination jobs. Three targets max: a scheming stray cat, a lazy glutton, and a lump obsessed with God."
Rem wouldn't even entertain the idea.
Would Ragna or Jaxen be any different?
He didn't even bother trying with Audin.
That guy barely stepped onto battlefields as it was—treasure hunting was out of the question.
"If Big Eyes swore to dedicate everything as an offering to God."
That was the kind of nonsense Audin would spout.
Asking the squad leader?
That was tough.
The guy had been swinging his sword like a lunatic for the past three months.
Getting close enough to even talk was a challenge.
"I'd even take your help."
Asking Esther was a mistake.
"Kyaaa!"
Esther radiated pure displeasure.
Any closer, and she'd claw him again.
Ever since the day Krais had tried to sneak a touch to figure out Esther's gender, the panther had loathed him.
No, outright despised him.
For a mystical beast, it was fascinating how clearly she expressed emotions.
Just when he was about to give up halfway—
He liked Krona, sure, but not enough to risk his life.
That was Krais's philosophy.
His dream was to run a salon, living the rest of his life without worrying about money.
A comfortable spot in the heart of a safe city, enjoying the nightlife at his leisure.
Of course, running a salon wasn't without its risks, but that was just the right amount of thrill to keep life exciting.
Anyway, he had half given up on the idea.
But then—what if the squad leader was going?
What was Enkrid's current skill level?
"He's out of my league."
That was the official statement from the frontier defense commander.
"If you gave me five sharpshooters and two mages, I might stand a chance."
That was the verdict from Torres, another platoon leader.
If it took five sharpshooters and two mages just to challenge Enkrid, then even without him, the rest of them should be more than enough.
"This is getting interesting."
Even Rem acknowledged him.
"I want in."
That was the fairy company commander's signature phrase.
What did all this mean?
It meant that even a swarm of ghouls wouldn't be able to touch the hem of their leader's clothes.
Honestly, wasn't their platoon leader a real genius?
There was no doubt—he had seen him fight a Frog with his own eyes.
So—
"Ah, come on. Let's go. Let's just go."
Krais pestered him.
Enkrid ignored him.
"I'll go too."
In the meantime, the Frog had joined in.
"Good, good!"
Krais was thrilled.
"Should I come along too?"
Finn raised her hand.
She was a ranger—a highly skilled one at that.
She wasn't quite at the level of a walking map-maker, the kind of pathfinder who could chart untraveled terrain.
But she could navigate well and fight even better.
"Excelllleent!"
Krais chimed in again.
Enkrid smirked as he watched.
There was no need to stop them.
If the battalion commander had personally assigned the request to him, that meant—
'A dangerous mission.'
That was precisely why his heart raced, why he had accepted it.
But danger should be minimized, so the more people, the better.
A monster colony, a frontier village's protection, temporary command authority—plus the Frog was already part of the team.
Wouldn't it be good to bring Rem or another squad member along?
"Wanna come?"
Enkrid asked without much thought.
No—honestly, he had some expectation that Rem might agree.
"Ah, don't you see I'm busy?"
Rem, already wrapped up in a blanket on his bed, dismissed him lazily.
Busy?
The guy was busy lazing around.
Then how about Ragna?
"Not interested."
Not interested?
Did he want to slack off?
Was he feeling short on laziness lately?
Ragna was just as glued to his bed.
He didn't even turn his head when he answered.
"The Lord has not given me a sign."
Audin refused too.
Jaxen was nowhere to be seen.
He was reportedly on duty, with no time to drop by his quarters.
In the end, no one else was coming.
Enkrid didn't mind.
If the threat were truly massive, they would have sent a full unit.
They wouldn't have singled him out.
The mission was to confirm the presence of a monster colony near the frontier village—and eliminate them if possible.
The orders even granted him command over the village's defense forces.
'If the village has a militia, that should be enough.'
The numbers shouldn't be lacking too much.
That meant he just had to prepare thoroughly before setting out.
This world was not kind to travelers—heading out without thorough preparation was reckless.
Ordinarily, even a group of four setting off would be questionable.
But they had a ranger and a Frog.
And by Naurilia's military standards, he was an elite-grade swordsman.
Even in a world crawling with bandits and monsters, this was more than enough.
So, it didn't matter if none of the other squad members wanted to join.
"We leave in fifteen days."
Enkrid announced.
Krais hesitated, still trying to read his expression before speaking up.
"Really not taking me?"
"We'll see."
Enkrid always meant what he said.
He didn't know how things would play out, so he had to assess the situation on the way.
But for Krais, this was his golden chance.
The treasure cave he had discovered was right near their destination—a mere day's journey from the frontier village.
"Good. Good!"
Krais knew pestering further wouldn't help.
And so, the group began preparing.
Travel in this world was never easy.
The bare minimum requirement for a traveling merchant was combat ability.
Even traders moving between cities traveled in groups of at least ten for protection.
This was why mercenaries and Naurilia's soldier-for-hire system were so popular.
Yet here they were, setting out with just four people.
There was no concern, but that didn't mean they could afford to be careless in their preparations.
Enkrid decided to head into town for the first time in a while.
There were a few things he needed to pick up at the market.