Chapter 506 – 506 – Greetings

Chapter 506 – Greetings

Traveling from Martai to the East was not as arduous as Dunbakel had expected.

While it was inevitable to encounter magical beasts, their numbers were noticeably fewer than before.

This wasn’t surprising. Guard posts had been erected from Border Guard all the way to Martai, with soldiers rotating shifts to both kill magical creatures and defend the posts. Interestingly, there was no rise in banditry, a common phenomenon elsewhere on the continent when magical creatures retreated. As travel increased due to the safer routes, bandits typically filled the void. However, this region was different.

“If you’re caught stealing, you lose a hand. If you’re caught robbing, you lose your head.”

The Border Guard commander, now the lord of Martai, ruled with the same harsh measures as before. This ensured that criminal guilds couldn’t gain a foothold in the region. Occasionally, Miellun, a Frog, would visit for entertainment, taking pleasure in brutally thrashing mercenaries and swordsmen causing trouble.

“If you think this is unfair, come to the Border Guard,” Miellun would say.

Miellun’s new hobby of venturing to Martai for a “stroll” stemmed from the increasing number of strong warriors in the Border Guard. It was even rumored that those who foolishly took up his challenge were forced into grueling training by the musclebound warrior. Dunbakel had heard similar stories along the way and nodded in agreement—they sounded credible.

As the Border Guard trained strong soldiers and invested heavily in arms, Martai followed suit.

“Shall we let the reputation of the Border Guard falter?”

Torres relentlessly drilled his troops. He refused to allow the famed Border Guard to lose its standing under his command. As part of their training, Torres assigned units to man the posts, and, as Krais envisioned, Martai began constructing its own outposts.