"Let's kill them all!"
The one shouting like a crying tiger was the captain of the first company.
Marcus had heard that a comrade who had been with him since they enlisted together died during the Martai Resistance.
The battalion commander ordered an extreme defensive formation.
Their forces consisted of six infantry companies.
Originally, it was one battalion, but they received two additional companies as reinforcements from a battalion stationed at Green Pearl Plains.
Even that was a considerable strain.
If all the troops were withdrawn from Green Pearl, they didn't know what the forces from Aspen would do.
"If they come through the south gate, we can hold the line, but we can't avoid a battle on the plains."
The second company commander said.
"How many cavalry do they have?"
"Fifty cavalry."
Fifty cavalry didn't sound like a small number to Enkrid.
Warhorses were creatures that consumed gold both during their raising and upkeep.
They needed iron armor, and the cavalrymen also had to be specially trained.
With all the resources poured into them, cavalry on the plains were a formidable force.
Just a lance charge with fifty cavalry could easily crush hundreds of infantry.
The total strength of all six companies was about 1,200 men.
'Fifty cavalry is a big variable.'
Enkrid judged this way.
Still, Marcus was calm.
"They managed to raise that many troops through the backdoor."
He was more impressed than anything else.
"We also know they have a sizable number of archers."
That was another concerning piece of news.
Enkrid interpreted it as a sign that the enemy was well-prepared.
"Urgent report!"
The final touch came from a scout bursting into the room.
The scout, bleeding from his left arm, rushed into the conference room.
He had ventured deep into enemy territory and barely survived.
Grimacing through the pain, he reported.
"Soldiers with covered insignia have joined the enemy forces."
Martai's forces hadn't originally been small either.
An infantry battalion, a cavalry unit, and an archer unit, all equipped with full company strength.
Compared to the Border Guard, their overall quality was a little lower, but the numerical difference was clear.
Even so, in the past, the Border Guard had repeatedly defeated Martai's forces and achieved victory.
"This is not good."
The one who spoke now was the leader of the elite unit, the Border Guard .
Their combat strength was indeed extraordinary.
However, Enkrid couldn't help but wonder if they could win this time.
News that seemed to shake their resolve kept pouring in even before the battle began.
"Independent company commander."
It was Marcus who broke the silence.
Enkrid realized a moment too late that Marcus was referring to him.
"...What?"
"Do you know about the authority of an independent company commander?"
Was there such a thing?
Marcus continued.
"If the company commander desires, they can requisition soldiers from other companies, whether it be by squad or platoon."
'Is this normal?'
On the outside, Enkrid remained calm, but inwardly, he questioned Marcus's mental state.
What he meant was that an independent company could act like a higher-level unit from another company.
Literally.
"Hey, give me your platoon. I'll use them, and if you're lucky, some might survive."
How would anyone accept such an order?
Moreover, who would follow a command like that?
Enkrid's gaze fell on the other company commanders.
None of them had particularly gentle personalities. These were people who wore command badges while living on the frontlines, facing death.
Such positions weren't for those who could sit comfortably with an easy attitude.
Thus, even though Marcus was the battalion commander, such opinions were... unacceptable.
"I could give you even more than that"
It was the fairy company commander who spoke first. Perhaps the fairy could allow it.
"If the Border Guard is needed, we're willing."
Then, the Border Guard Force commander also stepped in.
"Well, you could think of it as owing a debt if you're uncomfortable otherwise"
"The first company is one body, but even if we are divided, we will still play our part."
The first company commander said. Why? Wasn't that person considered a candidate for the next battalion commander?
While the Border Guard Force commander was the one with real power, this person also had significant influence.
"Well, are we going to the crazy company's side? I could go in with the whole company."
Was the second company commander always this indecisive? Enkrid thought about it for a moment and concluded that he wasn't.
He was the same person who would foam at the mouth every time people tried to take men from his unit, earning the nickname 'Foaming Palto.'
After the original third company commander, Rayon, died, the new third company commander and the incoming supporting commander didn't react any differently.
"Hmm, I can trust the independent company."
Even the Green Pearl reinforcement company commander, whom Enkrid had never met before, nodded and looked at him with eyes filled with faith, hope, and trust.
"Since when have I had such authority?"
Enkrid asked. He wasn't one to show his emotions, and his tone was calm. The company commander nodded enthusiastically and replied in a voice full of cheer.
"Of course, it's from now on!"
'Has this guy been cursed or something?'
Or maybe he ate something bad. It was getting pretty hot at that time.
Enkrid hid his expression again. Although he wasn't skilled in acting, he was a master at hiding his emotions.
"I'm not particularly imaginative."
Marcus continued speaking. When Enkrid stared at him, wondering what he was talking about, Marcus locked eyes with him and continued.
"If you were allowed to act however you wanted, outside of strategy and tactics, how far could you go? Could you suppress the enemy's cavalry? Or take down every enemy that comes in?"
There was a growing heat in Marcus's voice. However, Enkrid, having seen him act earlier, could tell that this time, there was no acting in his words. It felt genuine.
The sincerity that came through in his voice reminded him of Krais' speeches. Krais had a way of commanding attention with his speeches, his gestures, voice, and demeanor creating an almost hypnotic power.
Marcus, however, had something else—intensity.
A passion, something a person possesses regardless of age.
The voice of someone swept up in that intensity reached Enkrid.
"On a small scale, you've done reconnaissance; on a larger scale, you've struck the enemy's bases; and most importantly, you've brought victory to our side through your actions on the battlefield. And that's not all!"
Bang!
Marcus slammed his palm on the table, causing the pins to fall over again.
But no one in the room took their eyes off Marcus.
Everyone watched his mouth, heard his words, and were swept up in the atmosphere he exuded.
"Alone, you survived among a thousand beasts and proved yourself, solidifying your position as the commander of an uncontrollable force. Above all, we are in awe of the commander's outstanding skills and abilities. So I ask, what can you do if you're granted unlimited authority on this battlefield?"
What does Marcus believe?
Why does the battalion commander not feel threatened?
Why do people say nothing when he accepts the beast-woman?
Why are these commanders so calm when they're told he can take troops from other units at will?
Why do they look at Enkrid with eyes full of belief, hope, and trust?
'Merits.'
A knight is a being made through skill and achievement.
Enkrid felt like he was finally being acknowledged for everything he had done.
Pride? It couldn't be described by such a word.
It felt like a long-forgotten dream had suddenly become part of reality.
At the same time, Enkrid realized that he had found what he needed to do.
Since he was asked a question, he should answer, right?
Krais speeches had ended after he displayed his own authority and absorbed those around him, but Marcus wanted Enkrid to give an answer.
'An elite small force.'
In the current continent, the battlefield's outcome is often determined by whether knights or knight-level forces are present.
When a knight enters the battlefield, if no matching knight appears on the other side, a massacre occurs.
Though battles are usually fought with confrontation, sometimes the battlefield is manipulated strategically to create a fight between knights and armies.
Sometimes, armies even use knights as bait, sacrificing their forces to eliminate them.
'The enemy doesn't know me.'
Even the Madmen company isn't well known. Marcus set it up that way.
An elite few, a force with unexpected power that the enemy could never predict.
Five people with strength equivalent to at least a knight's squire if not stronger.
Looking at how things had changed, Enkrid spoke.
"I don't know. Let's try everything we can."
In truth, it was also the first time for Enkrid to have such authority, and it was the first time Marcus had come up with such an absurd strategy.
He was creating an independent company of fewer than ten people instead of a full knight order, then giving them command over the battlefield.
It sounded as if Marcus was placing the fate of the battlefield entirely on Enkrid.
Enkrid thought his answer was lacking, but Marcus seemed satisfied, smiling at him.
"Then."
If he's given authority, he'll use it. His heart raced, and it moved Enkrid. It was time to head out.
Wooo!
As if on cue, the sound of a horn and distant drums reached his ears.
The enemy was approaching.
"All units, assemble!"
Shouting as he left the meeting room, Marcus began moving, and Enkrid followed, almost running.
The battlefield was ahead, and his core personnel, the key forces of his company, were ready to fight. But, as always, getting them into position was a struggle.
That had always been the case, even when they were a troublemaking squad.
As Enkrid made his way toward the barracks, he saw members of his company already preparing.
"We're going out, huh? Marcus must have decided to lend a hand to the commander and wants us to wipe out their cavalry?"
Krais, wearing a crooked leather helmet, said.
'He predicted it.'
Enkrid had suspected as much.
"No."
"What? Then? Do you want us to take the enemy commander's head? That's a bit much."
"No."
"Uh? Didn't he order something?"
"He asked."
As Enkrid naturally joined the front, Krais spoke with him, and Rem jumped in.
"That big-eyed kid said we're going to fight, and now we really are?"
That's right. But had Rem always been this quick to join the fight?
Every time he stepped forward, he would mutter that he had to smash the heads of his fellow commanders first.
Well, now he was the commander whose head would be smashed.
In fact, there was nothing surprising about Rem. He had always been someone who readily took action in battle.
What surprised him, however, came after.
"I heard that Martai and the troops without insignia are here," said Ragna.
This was someone who had been indifferent to matters around him, yet now he was providing information about the enemy forces.
Enkrid couldn't help but look up at the sky, wondering if it had torn apart.
The sky was clear.
There were hardly any clouds.
"Right."
He answered as he lowered his head, and Audin, smiling behind him, said, "Brother, let's go. The ones we're sending to the Lord are waiting for us outside."
Though it wasn't something one would expect to hear from a priest, those who served the war god were often like that.
Jaxen nodded silently.
These guys weren't the type to move just because he called.
Then why did they move?
Enkrid realized once again that his relationship with them had changed in a strange way.
He had been the scapegoat squad leader.
The squad leader that was a bit of a spectacle.
The squad leader that didn't cause trouble.
And now, he was a squad leader who knew a bit more.
A squad leader who had improved by teaching.
And now, he was someone who had grown even more.
'If I lead them...'
He was becoming an individual who was recognized as a leader and commander.
His heart was racing. It felt like when he was craving a dream.
"So, what did they ask?" Krais asked again.
"They asked to do what I could ," Enkrid replied.
"...Tch, those shameless bastards."
Krais figured out the story behind the words quickly.
They wanted him to show what he could do with his full potential.
"So, you said you'd do everything you could?" Krais asked.
"Yeah," Enkrid smiled faintly.
"Are you serious about this?" Krais asked.
Enkrid wasn't sure. Was it time to be confident? Was it arrogance, or something else?
Was the boiling feeling inside him just a desire to fight?
Or was it because he realized that standing with them in battle meant he had moved to a different position, that he had achieved something?
He didn't know.
He didn't want to know either.
Right now, he just wanted to swing his sword. He wanted to show the enemy what he was capable of, to make his presence known.
The desire and thirst for action surged within him.
Enkrid, walking steadily, glanced back at Dunbakel, who had fallen behind, and asked, "Why are your eyes like that?"
"It's fine. I can do my part too," she said, with blue bruises around her eyes. The golden pupils and the blue bruises seemed to shine.
It was clearly a work of someone else's craft.
Wasn't that Rem's specialty?
"Stop hitting the kids," Enkrid said.
"It was just a simple sparring demonstration. She said she wanted to see what I could do," Rem replied.
Well, they'd get stronger by taking hits.
Enkrid didn't think much of it. If they were going to run away or plot something behind the scenes after taking a beating, they wouldn't have said things like they wanted to be under him in the first place.
Bang!
The bell rang from the bell tower.
It was likely a signal that the enemy was in sight.
Through the open city gates, Enkrid saw some of the people working outside in the fields returning.
They were civilians from the agricultural district.
No matter how many enemies there were, they would attack the walls first.
Siege weapons would be necessary.
"Get a few sets of clothes from the people coming in. Get ones that fit us. Right now," Enkrid ordered.
"…That's quite a plan," Krais said, not needing further explanation.
Enkrid was glad he didn't have to explain much. Krais responded quickly and moved his feet, while Enkrid headed toward the city gates, instead of the area where the commanding officers gathered.
Soon, Krais returned with the clothes.
"Audin won't fit in this," Krais said.
Enkrid nodded, acknowledging that point.
"I don't need anything but a rag," Audin said, waving his hand and then pulling a cloth from a nearby street vendor's tent to fashion a cloak for himself.
It suited him quite well.
"So, what do you plan to do?" Rem asked.
Enkrid briefly considered whether he should explain in detail. But then he decided there was no need for that.
"Just follow me and see."
And so, Enkrid and the Madmen Squad stepped out of the city gates.