CHAPTER 649: CHAPTER 649 - HOW TO BREAK LIMITS

Chapter 649 - How to Break Limits

The Aetri in his illusion spoke.

"Are you serious?"

A short but weighty question.

And one that the real Aetri would never have asked.

’Even if I use a different sword for a moment.’

On the surface, he might let it slide, but afterward, he’d diligently hone his skills to craft something even greater than this.

So, just as Enkrid was experiencing a new sword technique, this moment would serve as a stimulus for Aetri as well.

That was the thought that crossed his mind.

"This sword’s name is Penna. In the continental tongue, it would mean something like ’feather’ or ’leaf.’"

As he spoke, Lefratio’s gaze shifted toward Enkrid’s waist.

More precisely, toward Spark.

"You won’t be able to use that anymore, so hand it over."

Was this just a convenient coincidence, or had he already prepared for this moment?

It seemed more like the latter.

Enkrid hadn’t just broken his true silver sword—he had completely shattered it.

Spark had also cracked in the middle.

When he awakened and wielded the Wavebreaking sword technique, he hadn’t noticed, but afterward, he realized that he no longer had an intact weapon.

The orange glow of the demon’s attacks had been that intense.

They had struck like flashes of light, descending like bolts of lightning.

While crossing between high-speed thought and split-second decision-making to manifest the sword that could block waves, Enkrid had not only worn out his true silver sword but also frequently used Spark as a makeshift shield.

That was why the weapons in his hands had been reduced to ruins.

’And I lost Fortune when I left the labyrinth.’

Fortune, the dagger Aetri had given him, had burned away as it saved Shinar’s life.

The blade had turned pitch black and crumbled into ashes, scattered by the wind.

He hadn’t seen it himself—he had collapsed immediately after blocking the blow.

Only now did he fully grasp just how great a fortune that blade had been.

Without hesitation, Enkrid untied Spark and handed it over.

Lefratio took it and set it neatly to the side.

Later, Enkrid would learn that Spark had once also been a weapon touched by Lefratio’s hands.

"What do you think?"

Lefratio’s tone was devoid of emotion, yet Enkrid sensed a hint of expectation within it.

Penna—feather.

The name suited it perfectly.

The grip fit snugly in his hand, the blade curved gently, and it was sharpened on only one side.

Lefratio plucked a single strand of his hair and placed it on the blade.

With a faint srrrk—the hair was silently severed.

"In terms of sharpness alone, this is prinke—the finest of the weapons I have made."

Switching from the fairy tongue to the continental language, Lefrathio declared this.

Indeed, it was the sharpest blade Enkrid had ever seen.

"It requires no maintenance. The blade’s sharpness is preserved by its inherent energy.

The metal composing the blade—Moonlight Silver—is forged from true silver imbued with moonlight and honed with pure energy."

True silver infused with moonlight—this was not just top-tier material.

It was something beyond rare, bordering on legendary.

"This is too good. Wouldn’t this be considered a treasure even within a major city?"

Enkrid spoke his honest thoughts.

The blade wasn’t even two handspans long, so it was hard to consider it a primary weapon, but its versatility in battle was undeniable.

"It is a treasure. That’s why I am giving it to you."

Lefratio spoke as if stating the obvious.

And that was not the end of it.

The fairy folk, whom he had assumed were busy preparing for their migration, had, in fact, been preparing gifts for their idol.

"You gave him Penna

? You swore you’d die with that sword in your hands."

As Lefratio handed over the sword, a dryad entered the area, her presence filled with warmth.

She moved lightly, barely brushing the ground with her steps, as if she weighed nothing at all.

Watching her, Enkrid was reminded of leaves fluttering in the wind.

It was the same dryad he had seen in the clearing before.

She smiled brightly, her green gemstone-like eyes shining—not just her irises, but her entire gaze radiated a brilliant green, an otherworldly beauty distinct from Shinar’s.

"I didn’t die, so I don’t need to die with it."

Lefratio replied as she approached.

He had expected to perish, swallowed by demons and the labyrinth, but he had survived.

Contrary to the dryad’s words, Lefratio showed no sign of regret.

Rather, he seemed pleased that Enkrid had accepted the sword.

"We have something for you as well."

The dryad added.

Shinar had once told him that among the fairy folk, dryads had a stronger concept of ’we’ rather than ’I.’

Fairies that scattered dust like the fae were similar, while the woodguard and other fairies leaned more toward individualism.

That was simply how fairy society functioned—not something he needed to understand in depth.

"Come with me."

The dryad took Enkrid’s hand and pulled him along.

Luagarne, following behind, puffed up her cheeks with amusement.

"Your demonic charm is shining again."

"Forget charming women—you’re becoming a rumored bride kidnapper now."

At Fel’s remark, Enkrid turned to look at him.

The shepherd met his gaze squarely.

With his heightened insight, Enkrid gauged the truth behind Fel’s words.

He noticed Fel’s eyes darting slightly to the side.

A few overlapping clues in his mind formed a connection.

The rumor about him being a ’bride kidnapper’—it was Fel who had been spreading it.

"Stop spreading weird rumors."

Enkrid stated firmly, his voice carrying conviction.

Perhaps even a touch of Will.

"...How did you know?"

Fel didn’t even bother denying it.

Not that he had any particular reason for spreading the rumor.

Shepherds, by nature, enjoyed deceiving and toying with people through tales and fabrications.

There was a reason why the fable of the shepherd boy who cried wolf existed.

Until now, he had simply lacked the opportunity and the audience to indulge in such behavior.

It wasn’t intentional malice—just amusement at how easily the fairies fell for it.

"You’re too easy to read."

Enkrid, watching Fel, found himself formulating a new idea—something separate from his recent knightly revelations.

He wasn’t ready to put it into words just yet, but a thread of thought had formed.

"Even if you read my intentions, if you can’t stop me, it doesn’t matter."

Fel said provocatively.

"Prove it in a duel."

Enkrid replied before following the dryad.

They crossed several small paths before arriving at a stream.

A brook flowing through the city—an unusual sight.

Beyond the stream lay a lush area, its leaves abundant.

Despite it being winter, the air was warm, and butterflies and bees flitted about.

"This is something to wear under your armor."

The dryad gestured, and two smaller dryads—each a head shorter than her—brought forward a large leaf.

As they unfolded it, their gift was revealed.

Dryads wove thread from special trees.

The thread was then soaked in woodguard sap for days, then dried under the moonlight.

Repeating this process over years created a single spool of thread—what people called fairy thread.

And what they had brought was a garment made from that very thread.

Specifically, an underlayer—a vest-like inner armor.

’Krais would lose his mind if he saw this.’

This was something no amount of gold coins could easily buy.

Moving in haste would only lead to trouble.

What kind of plan could quell all this resistance?

He thought he might know the answer.

’Is this Shinar’s scheme?’

Or perhaps it was Ermen’s.

Enkrid had received countless gifts and had become an idol to the fairies.

Some even sculpted his statue from stone, and children carried small versions as talismans.

It was a trend, albeit a temporary one, but for the fairy clan, this was only natural.

’They need someone to rely on, but not just anyone.’

They needed a trustworthy figure, someone they could lean on without hesitation.

By turning that person into an idol, they could suppress any dissatisfaction that might arise within their ranks.

It was a way to preemptively quell resistance.

Humans kindle fire and use it.

Frogs merely watch as the flames rise.

Giants battle against fire, while dwarves temper metal within it.

Beastkin avoid fire, and dragonkin disregard it entirely.

And fairies?

’They douse the flames with water before they can even ignite.’

It was a proverb about how different races responded to crises.

Fairies were always prepared.

That was how they had survived by avoiding the demonic realm for so long—not by relying solely on their innate energy, but by mastering the art of survival.

This time was no different.

Though Enkrid had designated their relocation site, even if he hadn’t, the fairy clan would have sought his approval regardless.

It was an intricate and well-crafted lure.

The fairies never spoke falsehoods.

Instead, they chose silence, withholding both lies and truths.

Perhaps it was because of his recent musings, but he felt as if this revelation aligned with something he had grasped himself.

Not that he had any immediate epiphanies.

And besides, it wasn’t something to criticize but rather to commend.

Enkrid believed he now understood what Ermen desired.

His goal wasn’t the prosperity of his people, but their survival.

In that sense, he was a true fairy.

Returning with various gifts, Enkrid found Ermen waiting outside his quarters.

"The preparations for the relocation are almost complete. Will you come with us?"

"I think it’s best if I go first and you follow after. If people see trees walking, they might mistake them for monsters and panic."

Ermen had previously explained the process of relocating a fairy city.

Enkrid understood it well.

It was vastly different from human migrations, where carts carried pots and household goods.

"Ah, humans might get scared."

Enkrid almost replied that some wouldn’t just be scared—they’d immediately attack—but he held his tongue.

It wasn’t an important point.

Instead, he looked at Ermen’s composed demeanor and asked directly:

"Who came up with the idea to idolize me?"

Despite the abruptness of the question, Ermen responded without a hint of surprise.

"I thought of it, and Shinar pushed for it enthusiastically."

Enkrid realized Ermen was more cunning than he appeared.

Likewise, Ermen understood that this man wasn’t just skilled with a sword.

That knowledge reassured him.

After all, it was better for their people to rely on someone like Enkrid rather than some wild axe-wielding maniac or some crazy praying bear.

According to Shinar, such people existed in Border Guard.

There were even those who, after getting lost, ended up cutting down enemy knights.

A mindset incomprehensible to fairies.

Then again, even humans found the actions of such deranged knights baffling.

But coexistence didn’t require understanding—only acceptance.

Ermen, as a fairy, had merely come to terms with that.

The relocation would take months, but a few would leave first to minimize risks.

’It’s safer to move in stages rather than all at once.’

There might be monsters along the way, but given what he had seen of the fairies’ combat abilities, they wouldn’t pose a serious threat.

’What will really surprise people is the sight of their migration.’

Regardless, before the relocation fully began, Enkrid departed from the city.

***

"Fiancé, why are you leaving without even trying to make a child?"

Shinar’s farewell was certainly striking.

"Does saying that amuse you?"

Enkrid asked in return.

Shinar, ever affectionate toward her savior, nodded with boundless warmth.

"Very much."

As he prepared to leave, the entire fairy clan set aside their tasks to see him off.

Some handed him letters, while others gifted him carefully prepared fruits.

"How dare you flirt with my fiancé?"

Shinar scolded in a flat, expressionless tone.

Naturally, she wasn’t truly angry.

The gathered fairies didn’t even twitch their ears in response.

"The final victor is the one who claims him in the end, Kiraheis."

One fairy boldly issued a challenge, though it was, of course, a fairy-style joke.

Enkrid listened for a moment before giving up on understanding.

"See you later."

Shinar would join the next migration, so for now, they parted ways.

Aside from Luagarne and Fel, Zero accompanied them as their guide.

His skills had improved remarkably in a short time.

Particularly, his ability to channel emotions into battle surpassed that of any other fairy.

Rather than losing focus during moments of emotional turmoil, he harnessed those emotions as a weapon.

A feat easier said than done—only a rare talent could embody it.

Of course, Enkrid had played a role in his growth.

As they walked, Enkrid shared his insights with Luagarne.

At a glance, it might have seemed like idle conversation during a long journey, but that wasn’t the case.

"I see."

Luagarne nodded before speaking again.

"You have a request."

This frog had sharp intuition.

"Yes. Frogs with talent-assessing eyes must have established a structured system for it, right? Am I correct?"

Frogs could see limits.

By recognizing limits, they could define an endpoint.

And if they could define the end, they could discern the beginning.

With both the start and the finish identified, they could segment everything in between.

It made sense. The frogs’ talent-assessment method had to follow a structured system.

"Teach it to me."

Enkrid requested.

Setting up a knight’s system wasn’t the end.

Luagarne looked anew at the man before her.

His hunger for knowledge—it was one of the forces driving him forward.

If he had been a frog, he would have hurled himself into fire without hesitation, so long as there was something to learn.

’If he were a frog...’

As long as that was the case, he would die.

He would have lived without restraint, throwing himself into every challenge.

Come to think of it, he wasn’t all that different now.

"Alright."

Luagarne readily agreed.

There was nothing to hide, nothing to withhold.

This man’s presence had shattered one of her own preconceptions.

’Limits can be broken.’

She was proving that with her own body.

And as she listened to the system Enkrid had devised, another thought arose.

’The way to break limits...’

That was the path Enkrid was walking.

***

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