A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 271

Chapter 271: CHAPTER 269
Two young vigilantes guarding the front of the village exchanged glances before turning their gaze forward again.

One of the younger vigilantes, who was lazily holding a leather coif in his hand, casually placed it on his head and spoke. His demeanor was somewhat sloppy.

“Not wrong, but…”

Then, the other vigilante, whose eyes were sharper, stepped forward.

“It seems we should check inside, so please wait a moment.”

With that, one of them went inside, and during that time, Jaxon kept talking nonstop.

“Well, there aren’t any monsters around the village, and don’t you smell something good? It’s dinner time, and I’ve been chewing on jerky for four days straight! I’ll make sure to take care of you, so please be a little lenient.”

He was trying to soothe the remaining young vigilante. The youth had large, innocent-looking eyes. Seeing him slightly nod his head, he seemed tempted, but he still didn’t let them in easily.

“That can’t be… But if you wait here, someone from inside will probably come to talk…”

He had a habit of trailing off at the end of his sentences, which was a bit frustrating, but Jaxon didn’t mind.

“Understood!”

He simply nodded with a smile.

Encrid was continuously impressed.

‘How is this guy so good at this?’

It felt like Krais had just changed his face and come here. But do villages usually control entry this strictly?

Some villages might, especially if there are many dangers around or if they’re at war with another village. But this village didn’t seem like that.

“Try to understand… A wandering swordsman caused trouble before… and so did a Frog…”

The stammering vigilante offered an explanation. He seemed to be quite timid, looking around nervously even though no one had asked. Encrid had a pretty good idea who that Frog was.

Was it one of those who caused trouble while pretending to obediently follow orders?

Watching the hesitant young vigilante, a message came from inside.

The sharp-eyed friend who had gone in earlier came striding out and shouted.

“Come in!”

Permission was granted. Jaxon beamed with a smile at the words.

His acting was impressively skillful.

On second thought, it made sense.

‘He used to be the guy who scratched everyone’s back within the unit.’

But at some point, he began to cleanly distance himself from people around him.

And he did it in no time.

Afterward, rumors spread that he took all the Krona he earned to the brothel.

They said he often went to the market and wouldn’t return to the barracks, so the rumors grew.

But Encrid didn’t believe those rumors.

If Jaxon was truly infatuated with a prostitute, he’d bring her along.

But would he just quietly go back and forth?

Only those close to him knew the truth.

Those who didn’t know him might think he was just another common soldier who wasted his hard-earned Krona in the brothel.

Of course, Jaxon wasn’t that simple.

Sometimes he spent entire days in tea houses, and other times he sipped beer while hovering around gambling dens.

He appeared to be a drifter with no purpose, just passing the time.

At least that’s how it looked from the outside.

But was there a reason behind his actions? Was he doing something else?

Encrid had already figured it out but didn’t give it much thought.

‘He must have his reasons.’

Such acting, the way he changes his expression, and even how he mimics Krais in an instant, were all part of his repertoire.

The silent steps, the unnoticed movements, the way he wielded a sword without any hint of intent—these were all part of Jaxon.

Encrid reminded himself of what he already knew. There was still no reason to push him away. No reason to question him.

Encrid was the Commander and person in charge of the Independent Company, and Jaxon was under his command.

As long as Jaxon did his job well, that was all that mattered.

In that sense, Jaxon was an excellent company member and could even be considered a good teacher.

Even if Jaxon ever turned his sword against him, Encrid would ask twice.

He might even be willing to take the hit once.

That’s how much he had received from him.

But more than his interest in Jaxon right now, Encrid was focused on…

“Oh, he’s got some skill.”

Sinar, who was standing next to him, was simply amazed, constantly exclaiming in awe.

It was curious how this Fairy hadn’t managed to find this village that blatantly reeked of drugs.

As they stepped inside, the young vigilante behind them issued a warning.

“Don’t cause any trouble. Just because you know how to use a sword doesn’t mean you can start a fight carelessly, or you’ll get hurt.”

Most villages maintain a group of mercenaries or a small force capable of handling weapons, provided there are no special problems.

This particular village showed signs of being well-maintained in several places.

The fence was tall, made in two layers, and showed clear signs of regular upkeep.

On the outer fence, thorny bushes had been grown and woven together, making it quite tall.

Any ordinary monsters or beasts wouldn’t even think of trying to break in.

As they had seen upon entering, the entrance was narrow, just wide enough for a single carriage to pass through.

To an outsider, this might seem like a typical village, but not to Encrid.

People who didn’t know Encrid might think he was just a ‘sword fanatic’ who knew nothing else, but Krais and a few others knew better.

“Our leader’s smart, he just doesn’t use his brain often.”

That was true.

Above all, Encrid had sharp instincts and intuition.

Along with his skills, he could sense uneasy atmospheres and pick up on subtle scents.

This was one of the reasons he had survived so long with such meager abilities.

And now, he had developed an eye for gauging the skills of others, along with honed senses.

Encrid glanced around.

This village didn’t seem to engage in farming. Its location was on a high plateau, climbing up a mountain ridge, yet there were no signs of slash-and-burn agriculture.

So, what do they live on?

There were a few mountain goats, but this was clearly a village with more than a few hundred households.

In this continent, to survive the threats of monsters and beasts, people had to live in groups.

It was common sense to build wide fences and cultivate fields within them.

Even if an orchard was created separately, it would need its own fence and a stationed guard force.

This was a must unless they planned to offer everything to monsters and beasts.

Even if a monster or beast colony formed, it would be useless, but still, gathering together was a necessity for survival.

The village population seemed to be at least three to four hundred.

More than half of them were young people.

‘No farmland.’

Few livestock.

And the proportion of middle-aged and elderly people was overwhelmingly high compared to the population.

On top of that, wasn’t the village chief supposed to be a young and beautiful woman?

Nothing about this place was normal.

And yet, there were no rumors about this village.

Wouldn’t a few merchants have mentioned it?

How does a village keep its activities hidden and prevent rumors from spreading?

Encrid pondered for a moment.

Meanwhile, Jaxon, who was channeling Krais, was chatting away enthusiastically.

“They’re selling goat’s milk! Imagine how good the cheese would taste if… Oh, they have cheese too!”

Cheese made from goat’s milk takes on a rich, brown hue.

If stored properly, it becomes sweet and heavy in flavor.

Jaxon emphasized this while pulling out several fine rolls of silk, which they had brought to play the part of merchants.

Encrid watched this and fell into thought again.

A method to prevent rumors.

‘You just bury everyone who comes.’

If someone can’t be dealt with by force, just give them something sufficient and send them on their way.

Could that be why this place hasn’t been discovered?

After all, this location is west of the Border Guard and not even a shortcut when crossing the mountains.

Some might say it’s safe from bandits or marauding groups because of that.

‘But is it really?’

The level of the vigilantes gathered here was exceptional.

Encrid stood idly, observing the passersby.

The most amusing sight was a woman wearing a wide skirt.

‘Hey, what are you hiding under that skirt?’

Her right leg was heavier than her left, and her stride was uneven.

Krais could probably wager that there was a sword hidden on her right thigh, long enough to pierce through a person’s torso.

“This is an interesting place.”

“Try this.”

No sooner had Encrid muttered those words than Jaxon suddenly popped something into his mouth.

Even though he was on guard, he only realized what had happened when it was already in his mouth.

Regardless of his heightened senses, Jaxon’s hands were still difficult to detect.

The brown cheese had found its way into his mouth.

After rolling it around a few times, instead of a dry taste, a refreshing sweetness lingered.

It was well-made cheese.

There seemed to be someone skilled at their craft here.

“It’s a fine village!”

Krais—or rather, Jaxon—gestured theatrically as he spoke, and the merchant selling the cheese responded with a smile.

“Is that so?”

The smiling merchant was missing a front tooth, so his words whistled as he spoke.

It was a simple, honest smile, but Encrid knew that this man was no pushover.

As he spoke, Encrid noticed the merchant’s hands moving, his palms were covered in thick calluses.

Those calluses could only come from handling weapons for a long time.

Pretending not to notice and turning his attention away, the Fairy beside him muttered.

“Enki, I feel like we’re on a honeymoon trip to celebrate our marriage.”

In the continent, such a trip was called a honeymoon.

Of course, there was no such atmosphere. The Fairy seemed to have a tongue that itched if she didn’t make jokes.

Encrid chose to understand with a generous heart.

The atmosphere on the surface seemed normal enough, but anyone in the know could sense it.

Given Sinar’s exceptional sensitivity, the Fairy was also aware.

Many eyes were watching them. Very discreetly.

Between alleyways, on rooftops, in the cracks of windows—there were people hiding everywhere.

“There’s a drink made from goat’s milk at the inn. You must try it. There’s only one inn, so you won’t get confused.”

“Thank you.”

Jaxon smiled broadly and handed over a few more coins. The merchant grinned again, his missing tooth leaving an impression.

After circling the village and heading toward the inn, Jaxon couldn’t stop exclaiming.

“It’s a small village, but the people are lively!”

Encrid interpreted this in his own way.

– The village is small, but there are a lot of people, and they’re all well-trained.

“Is this how houses are built here? The architectural style is unique.”

– The inn is positioned perfectly to be surrounded.

“Even the women exude a sense of vitality!”

– The women are well-trained too.

“The sun is setting already, isn’t it? If we want to be productive early tomorrow morning, we should get some rest! The people here don’t seem to sleep much at night either.”

– Moving around carelessly at night could get us caught, so it’s better to move at dawn.

Thanks to Jaxon’s continuous chatter, no one suspected anything he said.

“If Rem had come, things would have gotten really messy. These people are kind, so they probably don’t like rough types.”

– If we cause a commotion, things will get difficult. The people here will keep watching us.

Though it wasn’t a code, Encrid was the only one who understood the meaning behind Jaxon’s words.

The way he mixed his sentences and how he said them made it seem like a secret language.

After entering the inn, they requested a meal and some of the goat milk liquor, and then they settled into their room.

Two men entered one room together.

“Why are we dividing the rooms like this?”

Sinar showed her displeasure, but Finn grabbed her arm and pulled her into the adjacent room.

Jaxon stood by the window, which had a wooden frame. The creaking window hinges looked like they could use some oil.

He stood by the window for a moment, staring outside, before turning back around.

When he turned, the soul of Krais had left Jaxon’s body.

The possession was over.

Encrid could tell just by looking at his expression.

Krais had exited Jaxon’s body.

“Hmm.”

Encrid was once again impressed. At this level, Jaxon could easily be the lead in a play, the kind you might only see in the capital city.

If a playwright saw this, they would be desperate to cast him.

“What is it?”

Jaxon asked, noticing Encrid’s stare.

“Nothing.”

Encrid had nothing more to say. What could he say to someone who had done such a good job?

But Jaxon had something to say.

In fact, he had a lot to say.

He had noticed more than just one or two things.

Inwardly, he was almost impressed by the level of preparation these people had made.

Of course, Jaxon spoke with his usual nonchalance.

“They’re going to spike our food with a sleeping agent.”

Jaxon had anticipated their actions, and while Encrid found it hard to believe they’d drug them as soon as they arrived, he figured there was no harm in being cautious.

“Shouldn’t we warn the others in the next room?”

Jaxon shook his head lightly.

“The Fairy is with them, isn’t she?”

Their senses are sharp. Why would their taste buds be any different?

That’s why Fairy food is usually quite bland.

There’s no need for strong seasoning because they can taste and savor even the subtlest flavors.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t connoisseurs.

With their heightened sensitivity, they tend to appreciate good music and fine food.

“They’ll handle it themselves.”

Jaxon said this as he examined the bed and took out a small bottle from his pocket to oil the hinges.

He was preparing to ensure the window wouldn’t creak later.

It was meticulous work.

Moving quietly isn’t just about physical stealth.

‘Preparation and foresight.’

One part of Encrid’s mind was always occupied with swordsmanship. He had given rooms in his mind to swords, Knights, and dreams.

Among those who occupied those rooms, some whispered.

‘Isn’t the Correct Sword Technique like that as well?’

They were right. While it wasn’t a full realization, he could briefly ponder the sword.

While Encrid was momentarily lost in thought, Jaxon finished all his preparations.

He oiled the hinges, inspected under the bed, and even tapped the ceiling carefully with his fingernails.

Then he spread a wide cloth over the bed and secured the corners with pins.

Encrid didn’t ask what he was doing.

Even if only for a short time, he was too busy immersing himself in his world, swinging his imaginary sword.

Jaxon was relieved that he didn’t ask.

It would have been tiresome to explain everything.

‘Are we actually a pretty good match?’

When working, it was sometimes crucial to assess how well you meshed with your partner.

Jaxon understood this well.

And then he thought further.

‘Who wouldn’t he get along with?’

Encrid got along seamlessly with Audin, with Rem, and even with Sinar.

That was the kind of person their Commander was.

So, while he might seem out of place in situations like this, he also seemed perfectly capable.

As Jaxon moved, his mind was sketching out the events to come.

It wasn’t just an intellectual exercise—it was the product of experience.