A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 303

Chapter 303: CHAPTER 301 Chapter 303: CHAPTER 301 Waaaaahhh!

As soon as they entered the Border Guard, cheers assaulted their ears.

Their entire bodies tingled with the vibrations.

Everyone came out and screamed, so of course it was overwhelming.

“My ears are going to burst.” Amidst the tired soldiers, people shouted in excitement as snow fell around them.

The Black Blade Bandits had threatened them, and the Cultists had gathered.

Officially, it was the Viscount Tarnin’s Army, but it was no different from dressing ghouls in human clothing.

It was an obvious trick.

Everyone who needed to know, knew.

Even the innkeeper was aware.

Though Aspen still remained, there were moments that could not be passed over.

When is the most precious moment in life?

It’s when you’ve overcome a threat.

When you’ve escaped danger.

When you truly feel alive.

That was how the people of the Border Guard were feeling right now.

They had all escaped the danger and overcome the threat.

Some had fled in the dead of night, unable to bear it.

Others had run away early, unable to endure.

On the other hand, those who stayed in the city remained.

They didn’t hold back their voices.

Their hearts were pounding as they shouted.

“You!

I’ll give you something I’ve kept for twenty years!” Vanessa, the innkeeper, shouted.

Vanessa, who had lost her first husband at the age of twenty-five and had not met any man since, had guarded her body carefully.

Whenever someone tried to make a move, she would swing a cast-iron pot.

“Who would want that!”  Next to her, a burly mercenary shouted.

His face, wrapped in bandages from his left eye to his chin, was stained red, presumably from an injury sustained in battle.

He didn’t seem to be in any pain, as he shouted and laughed heartily, even though his wound would surely tear open.

“She wasn’t talking to you!” “Get a grip, innkeeper!” Everyone laughed.

The mercenary continued to shout with a booming voice.

“They fought like demons!” “Fought like hell!” The rough voices of men responded to the mercenary’s lead, and in between, the screams of women, half cheers, half shrieks, joined the chorus.

They were all drunk with the joy of victory.

“Oh, have you all forgotten that Aspen is still out there?

Is this really the time for this?” Krais grumbled.

Seeing this, Rem patted the back of Krais’ head.

Smack!

His eagerness to comfort him made his hand land on the back of Krais’ head a bit too fast.

Krais rubbed the back of his head with his hand, turning his head slightly, and Rem chuckled as he spoke.

“You’ve got to enjoy it when you can, man.” “Are we going to enjoy ourselves even before we die?” “Look at you, you’re enjoying yourself now.

I was just about to split your head into six pieces with my axe.” “Enough.” Encrid intervened.

If he hadn’t, Krais would have gotten hit a few more times, even if his head wouldn’t have actually been split open.

“Oppressing the weak just because you’re strong is not a good habit.” Ragna added, after observing the situation.

By some coincidence, the group around Encrid had split into two.

On the left were the wounded, and on the right were those who were still intact.

So, on the left were Rem, Audin, and Teresa.

On the right were Ragna, Jaxon, and Dunbachel.

“Huh?

What was that?

Can’t hear a thing from a fool who keeps getting lost.” Rem cupped his hand behind his ear, and this time, Jaxon replied.

“Oppressing the weak, bad habit.

Don’t do it.” Jaxon added a gesture with his words, his hand moving side to side, as if explaining to a pet.

Whether people cheered or not, or called him the Immortal Rem or not, Rem pulled out his axe.

“Care to come closer and say that?” “No, wait, stop.

Hah, don’t…” Jaxon continued his gestures, crossing his hands.

This is going to explode if left alone.

Seeing this, Ragna added more words.

It was like pouring dozens of barrels of oil onto an already raging fire.

“Whether it’s a guy with a broken arm from a dog, or someone barely alive.” Ragna’s tone didn’t seem particularly provocative.

This was Ragna’s strength and weakness.

The strength was that he always spoke sincerely, and the weakness was that he didn’t bother to hide it.

Of course, at this moment, it was a weakness.

“Haha, brother, are you ready for eternal rest?” Audin didn’t snap back.

He simply moved quietly.

Ragna truly believed they were weaklings.

Encrid heard the entire conversation.

If left unchecked, there would probably be bloodshed before they even made it inside to receive their cheers.

Everyone was quietly building up their energy.

It had been a while.

Come to think of it, they had managed to get along fairly well so far.

In a way, this was quite a bit of progress.

At least they weren’t splitting into teams to fight this time.

Rem and Audin on one side, Ragna and Jaxon on the other.

Then again, looking at it this way, it seemed even more chaotic.

“Aren’t you going to stop them?” Even Krais, who usually had a good sense of things, was feeling uneasy as he subtly poked Encrid’s side.

Encrid was now something of an expert at calming them down.

A single word was enough.

“I think I’m faster now, Rem.” The heated atmosphere cooled slightly.

What did he just say?

Rem asked again.

“What did you just say?” “Check later.” The tense atmosphere dissolved.

Encrid’s eyes turned to the horse leading the way ahead.

The panther that had gone ahead was uninjured but looked tired.

The wild horse with odd-colored eyes was busy observing its surroundings, walking confidently without needing anyone to hold its reins.

Despite the crowd of people, it remained calm.

Though horses tend to be skittish, this one remained composed, perhaps thanks to its bloodline, having endured the blood of beasts.

It was confident.

Its attitude showed that it trusted its own abilities and knew it could escape if needed.

Having seen it charge into battle, it seemed trustworthy enough.

“This one’s a part of the unit too.”  Encrid silently acknowledged.

Leaving the cheers behind, they entered the city, and Rem faced Encrid.

“Dah-da-dah, dah-da-dah, time to check!

Let’s see who’s faster.” “Are you feeling okay?” Encrid asked with genuine concern, though not intending it as a provocation.

“Shi-it.” Rem responded, stretching his lips sideways in a display of mock irritation, expressing his displeasure through his face.

It was a masterful expression.

His face was bizarre.

But the conversation was calm and friendly.

“Let’s see.

It won’t be fun if I’m faster than you.” Ah, what an interesting guy.

Encrid got into position.

Everyone watched from in front of the barracks as he repeated the steps he had learned.

He still couldn’t do it all in one breath and was clumsy in channeling his will into it.

But once he managed to focus, he was faster than Laikanos.

It was similar to Will of Refusal.

The technique was unpolished, but once it was triggered, it was overwhelming.

Relax, contract, explode.

Repeating the same process as before, he thrust his sword forward.

The sword shot out in a straight line, folding space and cutting through the air.

Clang!

Rem tried to deflect the sword with his axe, but failed.

In the end, he had no choice but to block the sword with the flat of his axe.

The result was the sound of clashing metal.

“Nice block.”  Encrid said, impressed inwardly.

He hadn’t aimed to take Rem’s life, but the speed wasn’t something easy to block.

“…What have you been doing while I was gone?” Rem didn’t hide his surprise.

And it wasn’t just Rem.

“Hmph.” Ragna let out a short cough.

Jaxon, who had half-closed his eyes, suddenly opened them wide.

Audin, who had been smiling, froze in place.

He looked like a well-crafted statue.

Ragna, having seen this once before, was somewhat calm, but seeing it once didn’t mean he was used to it.

In fact, this just proved that killing Laikanos wasn’t a coincidence.

His surprise was no different from the others.

Two words crossed Ragna’s mind: ‘He’s fast.’ Even now, he was fast.

Speed is relative.

With that in mind, how many people could actually block that thrust?

Maybe three-the barbarian, the bear-worshipping priest, or the wildcat.

The beastkin or Teresa wouldn’t be able to.

Ah, well, Teresa could if she took up a shield seriously.

But the beastkin couldn’t.

Not because there was a vast difference in skill, but because of the difference in fighting styles.

Other weaknesses were apparent as well.

‘But there’s too much downtime after that single thrust.’ While the initial burst of speed was remarkable… “Let’s try sticking to the landing next time, huh?” Rem was right.

The attack hadn’t landed properly.

His arm was trembling, his stance slightly collapsing, and his balance was off.

Still, that didn’t take away from the impact of the strike.

‘A thrust focused purely on speed.’ In other words, Encrid’s thrust was at a level that a seasoned Knight might exhibit.

If he hadn’t realized fragments of the Will, such a skill beyond the limit wouldn’t have been possible.

‘The Will of Refusal and the Thrust.’ Two fragments of the Will.

It was curious, but not impossible.

Yet, this was the first time anyone had seen a human like this.

If he were a regular person, he wouldn’t have stayed by Encrid’s side until now.

“Let’s do it.” Encrid remained calm.

As the snow poured down around them, everyone retreated into their own worlds.

Everyone here was the same.

Watching Encrid brought an unstoppable flood of stimulation.

“Father…” Audin whispered in prayer, while Dunbachel’s eyes burned with excitement.

Teresa, forgetting her injuries, was itching for a fight.

And Krais, who had been observing it all, finally spoke up.

“Are you serious?

You’re going to spar in a moment like this?” “Then what, you want to clear the snow?” Rem shot back.

Krais sighed, steadied his breathing, and turned his eyes to Encrid.

“Commander, one last question.” “Ask.” “We gonna bite them?” When Dunbachel spouted nonsense from the side, Rem kicked her in the rear.

“Didn’t I beat you enough already?” “Why’s it always me?” “Why do you think?” Leaving those two behind, Krais continued.

“We’re going to fight, right?” That question carried a lot of weight.

They could run away now if they wanted.

Abandoning the Green Pearl would make defending the Border Guard a trivial task.

They had passed one major hurdle already, and the Martai forces could be mobilized.

Though they couldn’t easily withdraw because of the Cultists’ disturbances, by now, reinforcements should be on their way.

They’d probably arrive by tomorrow.

Even so, would they still step forward to fight?

“What if we leave it?” Encrid asked in return.

“Whew, I know you know the answer, but I’ll say it anyway.

If we leave it, it’ll be hard to protect this city.” That was Krais’ assessment.

Things were chaotic within Naurillia.

If they weren’t, the reinforcements should have arrived long ago.

At the very least, Count Molsen shouldn’t have been able to ignore them like this.

‘The central forces can’t reach this far.’ And then Battalion Commander Marcus withdrew.

There were no signs of this being good, no matter how you looked at it.

The conclusion was the same.

If they wanted to survive and protect what they had.

They had to strike first.

The advantage of the terrain and the timing was in their favor now, they had to act before it was too late.

“What do you think the Aspen lot are doing over there?”  Encrid asked after sheathing his sword and glancing at the snowstorm.

The snow had grown heavier.

If it kept up like this, the area would turn into a winter wonderland.

This wasn’t great news for the soldiers.

Battle fatigue aside, the snow had to be cleared before anything else.

If left unattended, the drains would freeze, and the accumulation of snow could collapse the roofs of the hastily built wooden structures.

The barracks were stone, so they were safe, but the fences would need more repairs if they broke, so clearing the snow was the right thing to do.

As Krais thought about the problems caused by the falling snow, he also pondered why Aspen was waiting and what they could possibly want.

His conclusion was anticlimactic.

“I don’t know.

If they wanted the Green Pearl, they should have attacked by now, but it seems like we need to watch them a little longer.” There were ominous predictions, but all of them seemed unlikely.

“We should move once the snow stops.” Krais finished speaking.

Encrid nodded.

What else was there to do now?

Rest.

They ate and slept.

But as the snow continued to fall until evening, grumbling spread among the soldiers.

“Can we just have a drink and enjoy ourselves?

Damn this snow!” Krais dismissed it as complaining by people who had too much time on their hands.

They were only able to rest because of the snow.

Meanwhile, those who wanted to drink and relax had already done so.

Instead of drinking, Encrid reflected on what they had gained.

He replayed the battle in his mind, going over everything that had happened.

Had he missed anything?

Was there something to learn?

When you go over things like that, there’s always something to be learned.

After spending a day thinking and resting, the next day, he slowly began to loosen up his body.

“Bala.” Sinar approached and tossed him some ointment made by Fairies.

He didn’t know the exact composition, but it was a good remedy.

After applying it, his minor wounds healed quickly.

It was especially effective for the burns on his back.

“Let me apply it for you.” The Fairy Company Commander personally spread the ointment on his back.

A sharp pain mixed with a cool sensation spread across his back.

Thanks to the Isolation Technique, his body’s natural healing ability had been activated, speeding up the recovery.

The Regeneration Ability-his body healed quickly, even when broken.

“Give me a few more.

There are many injured.” At Encrid’s request, Sinar glanced around and replied.

“They’ll heal if they just spit on it.” With that, the Fairy Company Commander left swiftly.

It seemed like Rem was more seriously injured than he was.

“This is discrimination, I tell you.

Why is the Captain getting all the special treatment?” “You’re not seriously asking that, are you?” Dunbachel spoke with utmost seriousness.

“I don’t know, I really don’t.

So let’s train.

Beastkin, Beastkin, let’s have some fun!” As Rem growled, Dunbachel swiftly darted out of the barracks.

Her agility was impressive.

With a quick kick off the ground, she leaped out the door like a white shadow.

Her skill had clearly improved.

It was obvious.

In front of the barracks, between the falling snowflakes, Dunbachel stuck her tongue out.

“What’s she saying?” Though her voice reached Rem, he didn’t chase after her.

His heated leather had become worn and patched, and he had turned it into a vest.

Wearing that vest, Rem thought.

It was snowing, and it was cold.

Should he go out and slit that beastkin’s throat or not?

Chasing after a beastkin sticking out her tongue would be easy.

And as for the wounds, they could fester for all he cared.

“Hold back, brother.” At Audin’s gentle persuasion, Rem snorted and lay down.

She’ll come back someday, and when she does, that’s when he’ll beat her.  The fact that she didn’t get hurt meant she still had the habit of dodging while fighting.  That meant it was time to reteach her how to fight.

It was the duty of the person in charge of training.

Rem vowed inwardly.

He would definitely give her a good beating.

With one of his arms broken, Audin checked the wound on Encrid’s shin.

“It’ll heal quickly.” Ironically, Audin’s own arm didn’t seem like it would heal quickly at all.

Even in this situation, Divine Power was not being used.

There must have been a reason, though Encrid didn’t ask.

Encrid gave a brief nod and went outside, planning to warm up his body.

There were a few mercenaries who had fought for the city, so he intended to meet them.  The snowfall had eased slightly.

A few soldiers recognized Encrid and stiffened, offering sharp salutes.

Given what he had shown on the battlefield, their behavior made sense.

For now, it was limited to the battlefield, but there, he had undoubtedly stood out.

As he walked around the camp, he noticed a woman standing at the entrance to the barracks, her nose red from the cold.

When Encrid approached, the woman looked up.

“Ah.” She seemed to recognize him.

She approached, knelt, and bowed her head.

“No matter how lowly I may be, I was taught never to ignore the kindness I’ve received.” The woman spoke, appearing to be over forty.

“Thank you for saving my son.” She wept as she thanked him.

Everyone had told her to give up, yet he had saved the boy.

Her child.

To her, Encrid was a God.

He was salvation.

He was grace.

He was everything.

That boy was someone she would trade her life for.

Encrid felt a strange sense of elation.

His heart trembled.

It was as if someone was whispering in his ear.

“You were not wrong.” It sounded like the voice of Gehr and Pete, who had died.

“I support your dream, mister.” The child’s voice overlapped as well.

He wanted to end the war on the continent.

Encrid wanted to become a Knight and bring about that end with his own hands.

He had wanted to become a Knight to prevent any more mothers from losing their children to war.

He helped the woman stand and sent her back calmly.

His fight, his dream, was only beginning.

In the journey ahead, he had merely reached the starting line.

No, he hadn’t even reached the starting point yet.

He would become a Knight.

That worn and tattered dream had now been mended with light and was standing right before his eyes.