A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 306

Chapter 306: CHAPTER 304
Ragna stood alone outside, reflecting on the past.

“A thousand times. Don’t even think about coming back in until you’re done.”

A thousand downward strikes—it didn’t seem hard.

However, Ragna was curious.

‘Why do I have to swing a sword?’

His arms hurt. His body ached. It wasn’t enjoyable. Was it ever enjoyable when he first picked up the sword?

He didn’t know at all, and he couldn’t even remember.

“Why? Are you asking why? If you were born into the House of Zaun, it’s simply what you’re supposed to do.”

They said it was natural. But could that be a reason?

The same tasks were repeated over and over.

Why?

“Uphold the honor of the House of Zaun.”

Why should I?

“Become a Knight.”

Why should I become a Knight?

“Kill.”

Why should I kill?

Since childhood, Ragna had been lost, unable to find his path.

For him, finding a path was the hardest thing.

Why was it so hard?

Because he didn’t know the right path. Because there was no known road for him to follow. Ragna had no destination.

And that’s why he was always curious.

How could a person like Encrid be like that?

Shouldn’t everyone at least once doubt the road they are walking?

Wonder if the path they’re on is the right one. Whether it’s a valid reason for living, or whether it’s a suitable purpose for their life.

Ragna had never seen any sign of confusion in Encrid’s eyes, never seen him lose his sense of direction.

No matter who it is, people sometimes falter, but not Encrid.

He was always certain. And so, Ragna wanted to ask him.

Why do you want to be a Knight?

* * *

Encrid looked at Ragna and scratched his chin out of habit.

The answer was obvious.

But whether it was the answer Ragna wanted—that, he wasn’t sure.

‘It’s actually easier to deal with that crazy Rem.’

Rem was flexible in his thinking. He might seem mad, but his mind was resilient—though it might bend, it would never break.

Audin was strong. His mental fortitude was unshakeable, like refined steel.

‘At first, he seemed fragile.’

Even now, he wavers sometimes, but it’s the kind of wavering that comes from a refined, ironclad core.

There was a reassuring strength that made Encrid certain Audin wouldn’t crumble.

Jaxon was indifferent. His coldness made him detached, rarely showing any passion for anything. But even in that coldness, there was sometimes a heat so intense that just looking at it might burn you.

That was how Encrid saw the inner nature of his fellow squad members.

So what about Ragna?

‘He cuts through anything, yet it’s a blade that could easily break.’

He was unstable and precarious. He was the man most deserving of the word ‘talented’. but also the man who wielded his talent in the most dangerous way.

Encrid didn’t mince his words.

He didn’t struggle to find the right ones either.

“Let your heart decide.”

He just thumped his chest as he spoke.

Ragna stopped at those words. He held his breath for a long time, as if he’d forgotten how to exhale.

Watching quietly, Encrid saw Ragna eventually let out a deep breath and speak.

“That’s the reason you want to be a Knight?”

As a child, it had been a dream. As an adult, it had been a burning goal. At one point, it had been a fleeting obsession. Now, it was the road he had walked and the one he would continue to walk.

A Knight of the end, bringing peace to the war, a hero from a bard’s song—that had been the dream.

If he had to put it into words, that would be the reason.

But if he delved deeper into himself, it was simply because his heart told him to do it.

Saving a child, protecting the weak, keeping his vows—it was all the same.

There couldn’t be just one reason why someone would want to become a Knight.

And so, that was the answer.

“Is my ‘why’ that important?”

Ragna responded to the question with another question, once again falling into deep thought.

Although his eyes were fixed on Encrid, his mind was elsewhere. Encrid noticed this instinctively.

Rem, Audin, Jaxon, and Ragna were all the same. They looked at him, seeking answers. They were searching for something. Even Esther was similar.

If he hadn’t been this perceptive, he wouldn’t have made it as a Squad Leader, let alone avoided becoming a meal for crows in some corner of the battlefield.

“I’ll head in first.”

A pleasant question deserves a pleasant answer, Encrid thought.

As he was about to head back in, a paranoid thought crossed his mind: if he left Krais alone, would he and Garrett hatch a plan to run away together? Just then, Ragna’s voice stopped him.

“When this fight is over, let’s have a duel.”

“As much as you want.”

“I’ll wager more than half of my life.”

That was his way of saying he wanted a serious fight.

“As much as you want.”

Encrid repeated, giving the same answer, before stepping back into the tent.

Left alone, Ragna quietly felt the explosion and eruption building within him.

It was like a volcano about to blow.

A boiling sensation rising from his lower abdomen surged up and struck his heart.

‘Why am I alive?’

When his question of why he swung his sword touched on the reason for his existence, Ragna lost his drive.

He became lazy. He became a lost sheep. Had he not met a shepherd, he would have lived that way forever.

“Let’s have that duel.”

Ragna spoke into the empty air. There was no answer. The person he was speaking to had already gone into the tent.

Ragna focused on the sound within himself.

It was the voice of his heart, a cry from his inner world.

‘Hey, you finally hearing me now?’

He heard it. The outcry he had ignored until now was clear and unmistakable.

At some point, facing most opponents had stopped being enjoyable.

‘It’s just killing.’

It wasn’t about testing himself with the sword anymore, it had become a routine of killing people according to a set path. It was labor, not a contest.

But that didn’t mean he felt any guilt about killing.

If one takes up a weapon, shouldn’t they always be prepared to die?

His opponent had picked up a sword, too, and thus had to be prepared for the consequences.

Ragna had long believed that he would die someday, wandering aimlessly and perishing in some unknown field. But life doesn’t always go the way you expect.

‘You idiot, do you get it now?’

Hearing this rebuke from within, Ragna laughed. A smile crept onto his face.

“Ah, yeah, I get it.”

He even spoke to himself out loud.

Through his inner self, Ragna faced his desires. He confirmed his yearning. He had found his path.

He wanted to fight an opponent who could make his heart race.

‘I want to fight someone who will push me to my limits.’

By then, Sinar, who had quietly left the tent earlier, had overheard the entire conversation from the side.

Fairy hearing was almost like magic, ignoring distance altogether.

From her perspective, Ragna’s question seemed odd, and Encrid’s answer was equally strange.

And now, Ragna muttering to himself appeared even more peculiar.

It was all so strange.

Yet, she couldn’t help but feel a certain joy as she listened to their conversation.

Just hearing it made her feel fresh and warm inside. Without realizing it, Sinar smiled—a smile she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

It was a smile she would never show anyone else if they were watching.

* * *

He examined the map and analyzed the terrain.

Krais mentally sorted through the dozens of possible scenarios that could unfold, focusing on the most probable one.

‘It’s still not enough.’

They lacked both the strength and information about the enemy.

‘How do we win? No, just holding them off will be a victory.’

As long as the palisade doesn’t fall, that’s good enough. So, the answer is defense. Not an attack, but defense.

‘No, wait, that’s not it.’

‘If we just defend, we’ll lose. Unless Aspen is a gathering of fools, which they aren’t.’

If they were the type to make foolish moves, they would’ve attacked from behind in the first place.

Krais’s thoughts followed a trail, one leading to another, until they got tangled.

“That’s why this won’t work. Well, defense is our best option.”

Battalion Commander Garrett said this. Nurat, his bodyguard, muttered something from behind.

Krais didn’t hear it.

He was mentally exhausted—this was already the umpteenth battle. It would be easy to run away.

‘Why do we even have to defend the city?’

Why can’t we just flee?

The most important thing in the world is your own life.

Second is Krona.

Third, maybe, is Encrid.

So really, it’s all because of the Commander.

“Ugh, I don’t care anymore.”

Krais threw in the towel. The strategy meeting had started out of nowhere.

They had been talking for three or four hours already, sweat dripping down their faces.

When he glanced back, Encrid had somehow returned. Though it looked like he had gone out, he was back and listening to the discussion.

“The best option is defense, holding out until winter passes, but do you think Aspen is just slowly creeping up without realizing that?”

Garrett asked.

“Yes, that’s exactly why I judged that their slow advance is the problem.”

Krais replied. It was a process of finding the answer by repeating the same words.

The first thing Krais and Garrett said when they met was this:

“What’s their speed?”

“Slow.”

“That’s not good.”

“Definitely not.”

That was the exchange.

Garrett said they were slow, and Krais said it was bad.

But why was it bad?

Even though the defensive advantages were clear, the fact that they were advancing so slowly meant they had something up their sleeves.

Encrid, who had been quietly observing, asked,

“What’s the worst-case scenario?”

“A dragon spewing fire right above our heads.”

Krais answered without missing a beat.

“A dragon? That’s absurd. That’s impossible.”

Nurat interjected.

Garrett didn’t stop him. Krais continued.

“There’s also the chance of Knight-level forces suddenly appearing.”

“We’ve done our best to track any Knight-level movements.”

Garrett responded.

“Judging by the speed of their advance, they’ll arrive in four or five days at most. In the meantime, we’ll have to organize scouting parties and hold our ground.”

Encrid also looked at the map.

He studied the terrain and quickly committed it to memory. He had always had a good memory, even as a child. Plus, with his experience as a Pathfinder, memorizing a few routes was no big deal.

“What do we need most right now?”

“Variables.”

An answer came immediately. If you don’t know what’s inside a box, just shake it. Krais thought the same, but what exactly was the ‘variable’ here?

Does it mean sacrificing troops just to see how the enemy reacts?

That would be plain foolishness, wouldn’t it?

So, what should they do? Strike their supply lines? That won’t work either. Their preparations were thorough, which was why they were advancing so slowly.

They were practically poking, prodding, and picking up every little thing, even the pebbles on the ground, as they marched.

There’s an old saying on the continent: when crossing a stone bridge, if hitting it doesn’t work, turn around. It means if something feels off, don’t do it, even if it takes longer.

Thoroughness is more important than speed.

That’s exactly what the enemy was doing.

So, the best option for now was to hold their ground, and the next was to shake things up.

“Sometimes, by gauging their response, you can discern their intent.”

Krais said.

“It’s a good method, but it’s not easy, is it?”

Garrett said from the other side, folding his arms. Nurat, standing beside him, added:

“They’re moving very slowly, showing no gaps at all. We’ve already sent a Ranger unit to hit their supply lines, but it was useless. Not a single one made it back alive.”

Encrid nodded. What could he do that would be any different?

“We should rest and prepare.”

That was the decision. Garrett nodded in agreement.

“Once this battle is over, could you tell me some stories?”

Garrett asked as he approached.

What kind of person is he? He wasn’t ordinary, that was for sure.

He was the one who set up the stronghold at Green Pearl and organized the army the moment Aspen appeared. His level of preparation was solid, almost flawless.

“What kind of stories?”

“Stories about your battles, the times you were in that crazy squad, the moment you became a Company Commander, and all the battles you’ve fought. Everything.”

Garrett’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He seemed eager, as though he was looking forward to it. Encrid scratched his chin.

There would be a lot to do after the battle ended.

But first, they had to survive.

Encrid also started thinking.

If Aspen was playing their hand like this, what could be done to give their Commander a real headache?

“Sure, later.”

He replied absentmindedly, his thoughts wandering. Garrett seemed satisfied with that and nodded.

Was it fortunate that Garrett wasn’t a traitor?

In Encrid’s mind, the easiest path for Garrett would have been defection. Wouldn’t it have been much easier if he had sided with Aspen and turned his blade on them?

Encrid didn’t hide his curiosity and asked directly.

“If fleeing and deserting would lead to being labeled a war criminal at best, why didn’t you defect? I’m sure Aspen offered.”

It was a sensitive question, but Garrett didn’t mind.

“Romance.”

“Sorry?”

“Romance is here.”

What could he mean by romance?

Garrett’s dream was to be a poet. He was quite skilled with rhythm and words.

For someone like him, everything that happened in the Border Guard was material. It was a story. It was romance. It was his dream.

Especially Encrid, who seemed like the main character of a play.

Garrett loved heroes. Even if Encrid did nothing, Garrett would still like him.

The more he learned about Encrid, the more absurd and miraculous his accomplishments seemed.

“Living like this and dying would be so much more fun.”

Garrett said, laughing. In a way, he was as mad as Encrid.

To him, it was as if getting inspiration for a romantic poem today meant it didn’t matter if he died tomorrow.

Encrid didn’t fully understand him, but he could sense that this man wouldn’t betray them.

If he had drawn the sword of betrayal, he wouldn’t be standing here at all.

“You’re kind of like the Commander.”

Krais said suddenly.

“How so?”

“You know, up here.”

Krais replied, tapping his own head with his index finger. The gesture was oddly irritating, so Encrid gave him a jab to the head with his elbow.

“Ow!”

Krais clutched his head and rolled on the ground. Nurat stepped in to help him up, asking if he was alright.

“I’m fine. Ah, you’re Nurat, right? How about we chat over a cup of tea?”

Even in a situation like this, Krais is still flirting with women. Yeah, that’s just who Krais is. At least he wasn’t panicking or wandering in confusion, so it was actually better.

Whether he had half given up or genuinely thought they had a chance, Encrid couldn’t tell.

Encrid stepped out of the tent, intending to take a look at the stronghold that Garrett had set up.

As he wandered around the camp, he noticed a group of soldiers gathered together.

They had a fire going and were grilling something, and the smell was absolutely mouthwatering.

As he got closer, he saw a large chunk of meat skewered on a long stick.

On one side, they were seasoning it, while on the other side, they were grilling it.

The teamwork in their process was impressive.

“Mind if I sit with you?”

Encrid said, sliding into the group.

“Who’s this? Haven’t seen you before.”

“Just joined today.”

Most of the soldiers didn’t recognize Encrid’s face.

This was a supply battalion, and everyone was busy with familiar tasks.

Garrett’s unit had always been like this. His specialty was logistics, not combat.

“Here, have one.”

A female soldier was among them, and she openly stared at Encrid’s face. It was natural for her to be friendly, after all, Encrid’s face often served as its own kind of weapon.

“Stop staring, or you’ll wear him out.”

A soldier teased her who was applying seasoning.

“Hey, it’s my eyes. Let me enjoy the view. I’ve been rotting away, looking at you guys every day.”

“Yeah, right.”

Their banter showed how close they were. Despite their teasing, their hands worked in perfect sync, a clear sign of good camaraderie. Encrid squeezed his way into the group.

Even though they had laid down thick blankets on the ground, the cold still seeped through.

Soon, he bit into the grilled meat.

He thought it was snake meat at first, but the moment he chewed, it melted in his mouth.

“What is this?”

He asked, and the soldier grilling the meat grinned as he replied.

“It’s good for men.”

Encrid judged that this crew was a step above Martai’s bread-baking battalion.

It tasted that good.

And another thing became clear—Garrett managed his unit exceptionally well.

‘He may not specialize in combat, but…’

The soldiers were at ease, showing signs of excellent management.

Encrid grabbed a few more pieces of meat and ate them.

“You sure can eat.”

The female soldier remarked. Encrid just nodded, too busy stuffing his face with more meat.