Chapter 645: Chapter 645 - How to Fight Monsters

Chapter 645 - How to Fight Monsters

At those words, Bran wrinkled his bark-covered face.

That was his way of smiling.

"Haha."

Ermen and a few other fairies laughed as well.

Some even shed tears.

Enkrid was once again reminded that this was a city of fairies.

Though he hadn’t realized it at first, some fairies seemed to understand the joke Shinar had just made.

It appeared to carry a rather sentimental touch.

"Fairy humor never makes sense to me, no matter how much I hear it."

Enkrid said, meeting Shinar’s gaze.

"You don’t need to understand. I’ll always be by your side to whisper it to you."

Shinar stood up and approached, answering as he came closer—close enough that Enkrid could feel her breath.

"You’re too close, Shinar."

As Enkrid responded, a few of the observing fairies whispered among themselves.

"Indeed."

"Is that how it is?"

"Heartbreaker."

What were they even saying?

Enkrid spent another two days recovering before finally rising from his bed.

Rest was just as important as training—there was no need to state the obvious.

Since rehabilitation was necessary, he started by working his finger muscles, gradually loosening up his body.

For three days, he trained with his bare body, moving from small to large muscle groups.

On the fourth day, he resumed his usual morning training.

And Enkrid’s training methods were enough to astonish both fairies and humans alike.

"Already?"

"Shouldn’t you still be resting?"

"The Demon Slayer is back on his feet?"

"Does he have troll blood in him or something?"

He heard all sorts of comments.

One of them was borderline provocative, but the fairy who said it meant no malice—only concern.

They spoke as though they were ready to lay down their life for him if necessary.

It was simply the result of never having experienced any society outside of fairy society.

Fairies were always lingering around Enkrid.

Many even carried fruits or other gifts in their hands.

More striking than "Your mother is a troll" were the rumors spreading through the city.

"So the ’heartbreaker’ title is true."

It was mostly comments like this.

He had no idea why such rumors were spreading in a fairy city.

"Huh? Why do we call you that? Well... probably because you charm many women only to ignore them."

"When did I ever?"

In his search for answers, he eventually brought Zero along for questioning, only to hear something even more baffling.

"Lord Shinar said so. Every time she visits the city. Constantly. Without fail."

A sigh nearly escaped him, but he decided not to press the matter.

There were more pressing concerns.

Right now, Zero was looking at him with eager anticipation.

"We had a sparring match scheduled, didn’t we?"

"I thought you had forgotten. But are you sure you’re in good condition?"

Fel and Luagarne were watching from behind.

Enkrid wanted to properly assess Zero’s skills, so he didn’t want him to let his guard down.

One couldn’t truly gauge an opponent’s ability without exchanging blows.

Some things could only be understood in real combat.

Enkrid took a moment to choose his words before speaking.

His intent was to stoke Zero’s fighting spirit.

It was more encouragement than provocation.

"Ah, even if I tied one arm and lost both legs, I could still handle you.

Sparring with you is easier than breathing for me."

Would this count as sincerity in fairy terms?

That fairy who had asked if his mother was a troll had been a useful reference.

Enkrid mimicked their tone.

And as expected, it worked.

Zero, despite being a fairy, had an innate drive for competition.

Not all fairies were the same.

Just as there were Frogs who crafted jewelry, there were fairies like her as well.

Zero gave a slow nod.

Slower than usual.

"My sword is a bit large for my age."

His tone was indifferent, but Enkrid’s sharp senses caught a glimpse of her emotions.

’He’s mad.’

Zero stomped his foot a few times on the ground before assuming his stance.

"I request a sparring match with the Demon Slayer."

Enkrid figured a little more provocation would help with training his composure.

He rather liked Zero.

So, with only the kindest of intentions, Enkrid spoke.

"Ah, should we go without swords and just use hands?

Using only my fingers might make it tricky, though."

"...Human, I’ll kill you."

Zero momentarily lost his composure.

A fairy who couldn’t control their emotions was easy to defeat.

As Zero lay sprawled on the ground, Enkrid spoke.

"Aren’t fairies supposed to be good at maintaining their composure?"

"I’m a little weak in that area."

"For now, instead of trying to erase your weaknesses, focus on honing your strengths."

It was simple advice, but Zero’s eyes gleamed as he nodded.

Advice from a skilled warrior was always worth listening to.

If one wanted to disregard it, they had to prove themselves through ability.

The next day, things played out much the same.

Zero challenged him again.

"You can handle ghouls, right?"

Once again, Enkrid aimed for his composure.

"Ah, or maybe... is one of your parents a snail? Do snail fairies even exist?

You’re so slow, I’m about to start yawning."

"Kraaah! Human, I’ll kill you!"

After a few more rounds of sparring, Shinar finally approached him and asked,

"Are you trying to create a fairy berserker?"

"It’s composure training."

"You sure it’s not just bullying?"

"Not at all. By the way, what’s this ’heartbreaker’ nonsense?"

Shinar paused for a moment before answering.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

With those words, she lifted her chin, keeping a neutral expression.

For a moment, Enkrid was speechless.

And then, she repeated the same lines she’d been throwing at him every time they met.

"Stop spreading strange rumors."

"Alright. I won’t."

Shinar was honest.

Since the rumors were already out, she simply meant she wouldn’t spread any more.

Every time she visited the fairy city, Shinar spoke about him.

That he was a divisional commander with a devilish charm that captivated women.

That he constantly received letters from noble ladies but never entertained any of them.

That he only spent time with women when it benefited him.

The third claim stemmed from how he only sought her out for sparring matches and left on long journeys without even saying goodbye.

A benefit—since he only sought her out when he needed a training partner, it was technically true.

So, what did one call a man who stirred the hearts of women but never returned their affections?

"They call you the ’heartbreaker’ now."

Bran was a good listener.

Occasionally, he joined Shinar in criticizing Enkrid.

Now, with Enkrid back in the fairy city, Bran approached him with a cigarette between his lips.

"Keeping yourself busy, I see. Heartbreaker."

"Fairies don’t lie, but you sure have a knack for twisting the truth."

"That’s right. We believe distortion is preferable to lies. And if we can avoid conflict, we do."

"So you’re saying fairies love peace?"

Bran glanced at the water Enkrid was drinking.

The bottle bore the emblem of a family that collected morning dew—an enchanted liquid.

Drinking it purified the blood and strengthened the bones.

It was one of the fairies’ most treasured resources.

And Enkrid had more than five bottles of it.

’I remember when I made all sorts of excuses just to get a single sip.’

Fairies didn’t lie, but they distorted the truth.

A conversation with the head of the dew-collecting family flashed through Bran’s mind.

"That dew took fifteen days to collect."

"I know. That’s why I’m only asking for one sip."

"Fifteen days of effort... a rare treasure."

"That’s exactly why I only need one sip."

"Fifteen days of dedication and..."

Closing off one’s ears and distorting the truth were not so different.

The head of the household, who seemed more obstinate than resolute—bordering on foolish—was the owner of the dew.

And among the fairies, he was known to be the stingiest of them all.

"Does the water taste good?"

"Ah, it’s nice."

"This is a gift."

But there was no reason to criticize that stingy fairy.

If he could, Bran would have given up his very heart.

Instead, he gathered and brought the sap of Woodguard.

"What is this?"

"Sap. A material you could never obtain through alchemy. It holds a value incomparable to that kind of water."

There was no lie in his words, but there was distortion.

Both dew and sap were precious.

However, while one was limited to alchemy, the other could be consumed by anyone, meaning their uses were entirely different.

So, saying their values were incomparable was technically true.

How could things with different purposes even be compared?

"I won’t ask why everyone is so eager to shower me with gifts, but it’s too much."

Enkrid said as he accepted the sap.

That attitude was something Brann liked.

He didn’t just leave the gift lying around but carefully set it aside.

Setting aside such behavior, was there anything they wouldn’t do for the man who had saved their kin by slaying the demon?

Not just Bran, but all the fairies were favorable toward him.

"It’s not too much."

Bran shook his head at Enkrid’s words.

"Fine, let’s say it isn’t."

There were always some people who felt oddly comfortable to be around, and for Enkrid, Bran was one of them.

Bran stood beside him like an unmoving tree, simply observing him.

In truth, since he was a fairy made of wood, it wasn’t that he was like a tree—he had actually become one.

One of Woodguard’s specialties was a technique called Treeform.

The knight’s technique, Assimilation, had originated from the fairies, so blending into their environment was second nature to them.

Later, Dryads also came by a few times and gifted him leaves.

These were no ordinary leaves but treasures among the fairies—Dryad’s Leaves.

Enkrid carefully wrapped them in a cloth.

This was already his fourth one.

Watching this, Bran thought to himself:

They’d probably dig up the whole field and give him all their seedlings too.

It was a thought of despair for their household economy.

Then Ermen approached.

Like the others, he too brought a gift in both hands.

"No matter what I say, I don’t think I can fully express my feelings. So, I can only hope you will accept this."

Deep within the city of their kin stood the Millennium Tree.

It was a tree that had ensured the forest’s energy remained intact for over ten thousand years.

Commonly called the World Tree, it was that very tree.

Ermen had brought its fruit.

To offer that, every member of the council would need to agree, and even the queen’s approval would be required.

Bran thought to himself—who could possibly refuse?

"Eat it when the weather warms up. It will keep your body warm and protect you, but it still needs time to mature. And, Shinar must remain in the city. I trust you understand?"

"Yes, I already heard."

It was something he had been told not long after waking up.

Sparring with him until eternal rest—those words were a promise to offer their life if asked.

It meant she had chosen to stay and protect the city.

Enkrid respected that decision.

Then Ermen knelt before him in silence.

His posture was solemn, quiet, and composed.

He placed both knees on the ground.

This was a gesture seen among both humans and fairies—one performed not just to make a request, but in moments of true desperation.

"Ermen?"

Bran, who had been watching, took a step forward with a crunching sound and called out to him.

But Ermen, without turning back, spoke.

"I have a request, Demon Slayer of Border Guard."

"You can just say it plainly."

Enkrid scratched his head as he replied, stopping the ember he had been tending to.

Ermen had come while he was sorting out and organizing the thoughts filling his mind.

"Teach us how to fight monsters."

Enkrid blinked once, his insight scanning through the past, present, and future of fairy society.

Peace.

Prioritizing stability, the fairies had lived in an isolated society, distancing themselves from demonic lands, demons, and wars.

They believed that was how they could protect their kin.

Then, a demonic land had appeared within their own city.

Crisis.

The demon had been more than just a threat—it had nearly consumed their entire kin.

A collective, rather than just a society, had almost collapsed.

Fairies were no fools.

If they learned anything from that...

It was that for the sake of stability and peace, one must fight when necessary. Their stance had to change.

Yet, it couldn’t be said that this entire tragedy had happened because the fairies had stubbornly refused to change.

They were already changing—but too slowly.

Ermen’s words now spoke of a radical shift in direction.

Enkrid was reminded of something Shinar had said just a few days ago.

"I can’t leave the city. You know that, right?"

"This is the fortieth time you’ve said that."

"I could say it as many times as my age."

"Over four hundred times?"

"A slip of the tongue. See you next time."

Shinar had frequently visited him and said things like that.

Admitting a mistake—those words had lingered in his ears for a long time.

It wasn’t something he ever expected to hear from her.

Was she that desperate for something?

Had she been so focused on saying something else that she let that slip?

"I can’t leave the city. That’s unavoidable."

That was the key point.

Ah, these fairies...

Fairies, incapable of lying, instead distorted the truth.

As part of the guardian family, she had to protect the city and their kin.

"To fight monsters, do we start with basic training? If we have to teach everything step by step, we’d need to stay here for months."

Fel asked from behind him.

But Luagarne, who was quicker to catch on, responded first.

"That’s not what this is about."

And Enkrid’s mind worked even faster than Luagarne’s.

"This city is losing its energy, isn’t it?"

It was the aftermath of the demon’s presence.

The land’s energy was weakening.

Shinar, along with many other fairies, had mentioned it.

Now that I think about it, they were probably all sent by Shinar to tell me that.

"You’re aware of that, aren’t you?"

Ermen was considering migration.

Whether monsters blocked their path or humans interfered, they would fight their way through.

The fairies were preparing to step out into the continent.

They would march forward like wanderers in the wilderness, overcoming hardships and trials.

Like scattering seeds onto barren land to create a field of flowers.

But if they had a foundation, they wouldn’t have to struggle so much.

Rather than running through the wilderness on foot, wouldn’t it be better to ride a carriage and enjoy the view?

Instead of waiting for a single flower seed to bloom, wouldn’t it be easier and faster to fertilize the soil and plant saplings?

"Let’s start with the migration."

Enkrid said.

That was the beginning of learning how to fight monsters.

The first lesson: Stay close to those who are good at fighting.

***

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