A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 252

Chapter 252: CHAPTER 250
“Thank you for accepting me.”

Encrid tilted his head in confusion.

Suddenly? Now, after all this time?

The idea of saving someone just because he could felt awkward.

He was a mercenary, part of one of the top groups of people who lived off thievery in the Kingdom.

And such a person risked his life to save a soldier?

So, did he not like that?

No, he actually liked it very much.

Even though Encrid dreamed of becoming a Knight, he didn’t expect everyone around him to act like the Knights in stories, with their behaviors, attitudes, and mindsets.

But why ignore those in need, those who are oppressed, if you can save them?

Is it because their hearts are empty?

Is it because they are used to abandoning and ignoring others?

Is it because it’s profitable?

There is no honor, no conviction, no loyalty, and no burning passion in such indifferent and pragmatic attitudes.

‘What can you become living like that?’

What value is there in such a life?

Encrid was a man who ran with a dream.

He didn’t like ignoring the weak and injustice.

Because there was something burning hot within his chest, he couldn’t just walk past without helping.

The fact that Rem beat up a noble’s son and smashed his superior’s head in was in the same vein, and Encrid didn’t dislike Rem for it.

“Well done.”

That’s why he said it.

The listeners were dumbfounded.

One person suddenly said thank you, and the other said well done.

It seemed everyone was just saying what they wanted.

Oddly enough, the conversation seemed to flow smoothly, which made it even more absurd.

Encrid didn’t know what kind of mindset Dunbachel had, but he liked the change he saw in her.

After all, it was an act to save a relatively weaker ally, and in doing so, she didn’t give up her own life.

They faced an unexpected enemy and simply tried their best.

In the midst of it, she also saved a comrade.

The change in mindset, from a thief to a Company member, was something he appreciated.

He didn’t care that she was thanking him now.

‘She’s a bit odd, too.’

From the start, it was a squad where only he was normal.

As long as the former thief was doing well now, he thought that was enough.

Encrid moved on.

Words like thank you didn’t matter much.

She survived, saved others, and her mindset changed.

That was enough.

Dunbachel also took Encrid’s praise in her own way.

She felt it meant she did well by saving a comrade and surviving.

Otherwise, why would he come looking for her?

Suddenly, she noticed Encrid more. His black hair, blue eyes, and the subtle kindness behind his indifferent demeanor.

He was the man who accepted her, the Commander with unbelievable skills.

She survived and saved a comrade.

It was all thanks to his will, and Dunbachel followed that.

Thus, she seemed to become part of Encrid’s unit.

Before, she stayed reluctantly, but now she truly felt like she belonged to this group.

“Hey, you look like you’re feeling some sort of emotion. The Commander was planning your funeral. He thought you were dead.”

Rem spoke.

“It’s true.”

“Really.”

Dunbachel didn’t care. Rem clicked his tongue and snorted in disbelief.

“Huh, the saying ‘the black dog does the work, and the white dog gets the love’ fits here.”

No one paid attention to Rem’s remark. Ragna was roughly sketching a map of the forest in his mind.

Of course, it was a useless task.

‘Wasn’t that supposed to be a shortcut?’

He thought it was the fast route, but he ended up in a random place.

Despite having a poor sense of direction, Ragna just thought he was unlucky.

Audin showed a gentle smile.

Dunbachel’s attitude of saving a comrade seemed like the start of a change.

He enjoyed watching those who break through their limits.

Teresa nodded at Dunbachel.

She had heard that her past was as complicated as her own.

She felt a sense of kinship with the beast woman.

Of course, she didn’t show it outwardly.

Jaxon was indifferent.

‘So, she’s become somewhat useful now?’

Initially, the beast woman only had a knack for fighting, and even that was clumsy.

She could have been kicked out, but the Commander chose to keep her.

Jaxon accepted it. He thought she would die quickly, but she survived stubbornly. That was his entire sentiment.

Encrid examined Dunbachel’s face, shoulders, chest, stomach, and thighs.

He even pressed on her wounds with his hands.

“Not here.”

Dunbachel spoke with a beast’s mindset.

Just because they had strong reproductive urges didn’t mean they had no shame.

There were many eyes watching. It was inconvenient to be half-naked and do something, but the place didn’t really matter. Standing would suffice.

“Foolish beast. He’s just checking if he should send you back like this.”

Sharp-witted Rem scolded her from the side. Dunbachel wasn’t embarrassed, just a bit regretful.

“Let’s go together. The wound hasn’t worsened.”

Dunbachel spoke first.

This forest had good herbs. It wasn’t called the Grateful Forest for nothing.

Dunbachel found a herb called ground pine or silkweed, which, when crushed or cut, exuded a white sap.

Applying it to the wound prevented inflammation.

It was something she learned while living as a mercenary.

She had already treated the wound.

The sap dried over the wound, leaving a white powder that flaked off.

“If you feel like dying, ask Rem to carry you.”

When Encrid said this, Dunbachel frowned, and Rem laughed.

“Try it. I’ll cut off your legs with an axe.”

Of course, that wouldn’t happen. It was just a joke.

Encrid started walking again.

“Really?”

Jaxon asked. He followed silently, but he questioned the necessity of going back to that place.

If they intended to return to the territory, Encrid wouldn’t have checked Dunbachel’s wound, so it wasn’t hard to guess Encrid’s destination.

“It bothers me.”

Encrid replied. There was no need to force anyone to follow. This matter was particularly a result of his own whims.

It would have ended if they returned to the territory.

‘Why?’

Encrid asked himself as well, but there was no answer.

It was a choice driven by emotion, not reason.

“You can go ahead.”

“No, I won’t.”

Jaxon didn’t argue any further, and seeing this, Rem commented that the sneaky stray cat looked hungry and should catch a few dead mice to eat, but Jaxon ignored him completely.

Dunbachel didn’t need any support.

She wasn’t as strong as a Giant, but beastfolk were also quite sturdy.

She didn’t even limp.

“I’m Teresa, the Wanderer.”

Hadn’t they even introduced themselves yet?

The newly reborn half-blood Giant suddenly announced her name, and Dunbachel glanced at the much taller woman before speaking.

“Don’t you know my name?”

“I do.”

“Then that’s enough.”

Both belonged to Encrid, and that was sufficient.

Teresa understood.

The group then returned to where the wild horses had been.

The wild horse was still there.

It snorted when it saw Encrid. It seemed happy. How long would it have waited if they hadn’t returned?

“Did you wait?”

Snort.

“So, what’s up?”

Snort.

“Hmm. You want us to follow?”

He said this after seeing the horse turn around and wag its tail.

Dunbachel, watching this intently, spoke cautiously.

“Are you talking to animals now?”

There was a moment of silence. To everyone, it looked that way.

“Does it look that way to you?”

Rem asked seriously, which was unlike him.

‘Is our Commander really never going to visit a temple?’

‘Should we send him to a small shrine in Martai?’

Jaxon frowned too.

‘Everything is fine, but why is he talking to animals? Communication and conversation are different things.’

“Haha, they say there is no difference in understanding all things in the world.”

Audin chuckled and mumbled something cryptic.

Dunbachel, having decided to trust and follow, chose to go along with it.

No, she even decided to try talking to horses herself later.

Hadn’t she decided to follow his path and do what he intended?

“Hm.”

Since he was the man who killed her and then brought her back to life, Teresa accepted everything indifferently.

He could talk to horses if he wanted. There was no need to point it out.

“Alright, let’s go that way?”

Encrid wasn’t the type to care about others’ opinions. He moved based on the horse’s gestures.

The group of humans followed the wild horse as it tapped the ground with its hooves.

Dozens of wild horses that were a bit further away followed.

Anyone seeing this from a distance would find it a peculiar sight.

As they walked, they came upon a slope. Although there are elevation changes on flat land, this path led quite downward.

It was a basin so cleverly hidden that it couldn’t be seen from the forest’s boundary.

What should this land be called?

It wasn’t a mountain but a deeply indented terrain. A plain basin?

It looked as if a Giant God had scooped out the earth with his hand.

And the terrain wasn’t the only strange thing.

Among his random thoughts, Encrid saw traces of artificial structures, not natural formations.

A gray stone wall. Half-collapsed, showing signs of age, and entangled with grapevines even as winter approached.

Black grapes could be seen on the vines.

“What is this?”

Rem muttered. He seemed amazed too.

A gentle warm breeze blew from inside the basin.

To be precise, it was a warm wind. Such warmth was rare to experience in the north during this season.

Encrid picked a few grapes and popped them into his mouth.

They were sour and sweet.

Perfectly good fruit. The wild horse ate a few as well, and the others followed suit, putting a few grapes in their mouths.

Dunbachel put a whole bunch into her mouth and chewed.

She was eating the seeds too, which suggested she was quite hungry.

It made sense. She had been hiding in the forest for three days.

She likely hadn’t prepared properly for camping.

“Eat.”

Teresa pulled out a piece of jerky from her clothes. Dunbachel ate a few more grapes before putting the jerky in her mouth as well.

She didn’t say thank you.

“This place seems suspicious.”

Encrid muttered to himself. Or was he talking to the wild horse?

Neigh.

The wild horse neighed lowly, lowering its head and showing hostility.

It wasn’t directed at the group. It was towards the front.

Sunlight shone into the basin, revealing a bluish glow inside the collapsed wall.

It wasn’t just a floating light.

Rattle.

Bones moved, making their characteristic noise.

“Skeletons?”

They were skeletal soldiers holding rusty swords and shields.

Undead.

“It looks like a collapsed tomb, brother.”

Audin, surveying the surroundings, spoke up.

“It seems the ground collapsed, rendering the graveyard ineffective.”

Jaxon added.

In the past, undead were sometimes used to guard tombs.

This seemed like one of those hidden cemeteries often mentioned in treasure hunter journals.

More blue glows appeared beyond the long gray wall on the right.

The number of those who defied death and reversed life was increasing.

Encrid casually counted them.

“One, two, three, four… seven?”

Not a small number, but not particularly threatening either.

Who were these people gathered here?

They were the ones who had just struck down the centaur colony head-on.

Rattle! Rattle!

The jaws of the blue-eyed skeletons clattered. The undead, especially lower-tier ones, couldn’t speak.

Only higher-tier undead could express their will and thoughts through telepathy.

Not that there was any need to converse with monsters.

There were skeletons wielding swords and shields, those with pointed bone spears, and even skeletal dogs on all fours.

Two skeletal dogs, and five skeletal soldiers.

Encrid calmly drew his sword.

Swish.

As Encrid drew his sword, a massive figure stepped forward first.

“Upon those who tread the path of perversion and regression, I bring down the mace.”

To priests and clerics who served the Gods, the undead were always targets to be punished.

Audin stepped forward, holding his palms together at his chest and then spreading his hands outward.

Boom.

A rusty sword aimed at Audin fell. Audin avoided it by stepping forward.

The sword sliced through the air.

A rusty spear thrust in from the side.

To an ordinary soldier, it would have been a dangerous moment, but not for Audin.

Audin grabbed the flying spear shaft.

At the same time, he swung his fist vertically like a hammer at the head of the skeleton wielding a sword.

Thud. Crack!

He split one skeleton’s head in two, then grabbed the bone spear and lifted its owner into the air before slamming it down.

Crash!

With a thunderous noise, the entire body of the skeleton was shattered.

“These creatures.”

Audin’s eyes shone. Encrid didn’t even need to step forward.

In an instant, the seven skeletons were swept away.

“There’s more inside.”

Jaxon, with his characteristic sensitivity, spoke up.

Encrid sensed it too.

It was a feeling similar to when he had encountered magical traps before.

A sense of foreboding mixed with an oddly irritating smell assaulted his nose.

Burnt smell?

And then, another skeleton appeared in front of the group. It held a polearm, and from the polearm to its entire body, it was engulfed in flames.

Woosh!

Even from over ten paces away, a hot wind blew. The searing heat was palpable. It warmed their skin. If they stayed any longer, sweat would start to pour.

“A burning skeleton?”

Rem muttered. It was exactly that.

The undead, unable to feel pain, were capable of such things. It was a monster with an unextinguished flame spell cast over its entire body.

Neigh!

The wild horse neighed upon seeing it. It was as if it was saying this was the reason they had come here.

And it was right.

The wild horse was the guardian of this land. It remembered the past. Specifically, it recalled the threat it had faced when the ground collapsed.

The wild horse had a duty to protect its herd.

Thus, it had to eliminate the threat.

Despite deciding to leave, the horse knew what it had to do, and it sought help from the humans for this purpose.