A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

Why Did Marcus Have to Obey the Summons from the Capital?

“The bastards from my own house should’ve backed me up, shielded me in a time like this. Instead, they threw me under the damn carriage, made me the scapegoat. Damn politicians.”

That was Marcus’s own remark.

For a moment, Enkrid wondered if Marcus was inadvertently insulting himself, but now wasn’t the time to point that out.

“The Border Guard’s expansion—raising warhorses, training archers—looks like a sign of rebellion to the capital. ‘Why are you gathering military strength in the North? And why is it a noble from a prominent central house leading it?’ That’s what they’re asking.”

“A prominent house?”

“My house.”

Enkrid didn’t bother asking which one.

The point was this:

Marcus had been planning to reorganize the North under the Border Guard’s structure.

But to the capital, it looked more like: What are you planning to do with all that power you’re amassing?

And when he answered, ‘I’m trying to govern the North properly,’

They responded with: ‘Doesn’t seem that way. Come up here and explain yourself. Weren’t you part of a family sworn to protect the capital? Come back. We’ll even give you an administrative post.’

“What if I refuse?”

‘Huh? So you really are plotting rebellion? You’re turning this down?’

“I told you, it’s not a rebellion.”

‘Then come to the capital. Talk it out. And stop harassing the neighboring territories. You’re just defending, right? Then they won’t touch you either.’

“If I leave, they’ll pounce the moment I’m gone. I’ll go after I’ve settled things here.”

‘See? You are rebelling. Traitor.’@@novelbin@@

“I said I’m not.”

‘Then come to the capital.’

Strip away the pleasantries, the titles, the filler, and that’s basically how the conversation went.

Marcus resisted, but it was useless.

He was forced to return to the capital.

“This isn’t over. There’s someone pulling the strings behind all this, and I’ll bet anything it’s those damned bandits.”

Marcus was a natural politician.

But why come all the way here to tell Enkrid this?

Before Enkrid could voice the question, Marcus spoke first.

He pushed off from the pillar he had been leaning against and stood upright.

Straight-backed, rigid, as if standing at attention.

For a moment, it felt like he was drawing in the very air around him.

Then, he steadied his breathing.

“Help Graham protect the territory.”