A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 330

Chapter 330: CHAPTER 328
The quickness of thought.

For three straight days, Encrid repeated reflection and review.

He had no choice but to do so.

It was a miracle his body hadn’t broken down completely from how much he had pushed himself.

Because of that, his physical training was reduced to the simplest of movements.

Just a few exercises to maintain flexibility and swinging his sword in the air to avoid losing his sense of it.

The rest of the time was spent on contemplation and review.

Not that it was particularly boring.

“Using your body now is like pouring water into a broken vessel, brother.”

Audin’s words meant that no matter what he did now, most of it would just leak away, leaving very little to be gained.

In the past, before the repetition of ‘today’, Encrid would have kept pushing himself, whether the vessel was broken or not.

But now he understood.

Rest is necessary when rest is due.

“You can only move forward by resting properly, brother.”

There was once a goat named ‘Nu’ in the old days.

Nu knew how to walk without rest.

After all, he had very strong legs.

Goat Nu kept walking without stopping.

He thought that surely the reason he had been given such strong legs was to move forward, always forward.

So Nu walked without ever taking a break.

Upon seeing this, the Lord said, ‘If you keep walking without looking at the direction, you will not know where you are’.”

Audin began his sermon.

It wasn’t unpleasant to listen to.

Beside them, Teresa knelt and listened along quietly.

The two seemed to fit together in a strange way.

For one thing, they were both of similar build, which is why people sometimes referred to them as the ‘giant siblings’.

Looking at them now, it seemed as if their atmosphere had become similar as well.

After Audin’s sermon and a bit of nagging, Teresa calmly started talking about what had happened.

Thinking back to their first meeting, it should have been awkward, but Encrid had a natural ability to smoothly guide relationships between people.

If conversation required skill, Encrid was quite the expert.

“Resting due to injury… well, we’re in the same boat.”

Encrid said.

“Yes, indeed.”

Teresa replied.

“You killed the Bishop, so aren’t they coming after you with everything they’ve got?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What’s your response plan?”

“I plan to do as much as I can.”

Surprisingly, Teresa wasn’t very knowledgeable about the news from the church.

So trying to get information through her was difficult.

However, even in such circumstances, Krais seemed to be guessing something based on the stories he’d heard.

“Lately, I’ve been learning to sing.”

Teresa said out of the blue.

Her voice had that characteristic huskiness.

It was rough, like the grain of wood, but Encrid, through his developed sense of hearing honed by his sensory arts, could pick out the good qualities in her voice.

‘A husky voice, yes.’

But it was an attractive voice.

Rough, but if you were to craft it into a table, it would be the kind that made for a fine piece of furniture.

Encrid himself had no talent for singing, but he had picked up quite a few songs during his travels.

Garrett, despite his rough appearance, had a surprisingly clear and gentle voice, and Encrid wondered if that might suit Teresa’s husky tone in an interesting way.

“What were you doing while your leader was rolling around?”

“Fighting.”

“I mean, where were you fighting? Are you doing that thing again where you answer like that on purpose? Ah, right, you like getting hit, don’t you?”

“I don’t like it.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go. Let’s spar. Or should I say, let’s fight?”

On one side, Rem relentlessly lashed out at Dunbachel, almost as if he had been waiting for it.

Meanwhile, Ragna was dozing off in a corner, still in the process of recovering his strength.

In the midst of this, talk about whether or not to hold a banquet was floating around, but Encrid focused on rest, apart from his basic training.

Rest for him involved reflection, review, and conversations with his company members.

He made sure to eat well.

“If they deliver eel, you must try it.”

He even went so far as to recommend it.

Seeing Ragna nod in agreement, Rem showed interest.

“That picky palate of yours approves? I’ve had eel before, you know.”

“The seasoning is different.”

Encrid replied.

Encrid sensed a strange tension in the barracks.

He had seen Ragna and Rem ignore each other with cold indifference countless times, like a cow and a chicken passing each other without a glance. There was a slight air of tension between them.

But this kind of thing wasn’t new, so Encrid simply ignored it.

“Here’s some ointment.”

Sinar occasionally dropped by and, once again, handed over some ointment.

“Did you raid a Fairy treasure trove or something?”

“How did you know?”

By now, Encrid was used to Sinar’s Fairy-like humor and responded smoothly.

“I guessed.”

“I heard you survived and made it back thanks to that guess of yours. Impressive.”

With those casual words, Sinar quickly disappeared.

In reality, that ointment was homemade. It had a faint herbal scent, stored in a small clay jar worn smooth by use. Although the jar was old, what was inside smelled fresh.

So it was clearly made by hand.

Even after Sinar left, life carried on as usual.

Whenever Encrid had spare time, he delved deep within himself, reflecting on and reviewing what he had learned.

Since he couldn’t move his body much, what else could he do?

He worked his mind intensely instead.

And this time, he had gained quite a bit.

‘Couldn’t intuition also be applied in battle?’

It seemed very possible.

In a broad sense, intuition could help one grasp the critical turning points of victory or defeat on the battlefield.

‘If I focus on the enemy I’m facing, I could use it in different ways as well.’

He had already proven this through his encounter with a Knight of the Aspen Royal Knights.

The boldness gained from the Heart of the Beast, the sharpness honed by his sensory arts, and his ability to concentrate—all these combined.

What was missing?

Reflection is clarity.

It is the power to cultivate the eyes that can clearly perceive one’s current state.

Having done this thousands of times, Encrid quickly realized what his shortcomings were.

More specifically, he knew how to identify what was currently needed and what he was focused on. The answer was obvious.

What he needed now was quickness of thought.

How to respond to the situation, the moment, the phenomenon.

He had to think rapidly, but always choose and act on the best option.

It wasn’t just about the realm of senses, he had to become accustomed to the very act of thinking itself.

‘Not intuition.’

It’s about condensing the thought process.

In reality, the three words ‘by intuition’ contain the intuition derived from experience.

The conclusion is quick thinking.

If you rely solely on intuition, you’ll fall victim to a deceptive sword.

How much advantage had he gained from using the Valen Mercenary Sword Technique?

Encrid didn’t think he was special.

He was always aware that he could fall for the same tricks at any time.

It was only natural.

Since childhood, after being called a genius and leaving his village, he had lived a life of countless beatings and hardships.

That’s also why the habit of repeating and training had stuck with him.

Once a thought was sparked, it wouldn’t stop but burn on.

While Encrid was deeply immersed in his thoughts, things were happening outside, but he didn’t care.

In fact, he didn’t even hear them.

“Who are they looking for?”

The faint voices outside were ignored.

Encrid delved deeper into himself, further into his own mind.

‘The Knight.’

The Knight’s sword crossed his mind repeatedly.

All he could do was read the sword’s trajectory.

He couldn’t even read the Knight’s breathing and had to observe countless deaths before he could finally react.

‘What is the difference?’

He knew the difference.

But what was the fundamental reason?

As he delved deeper, something became clear to him.

By surpassing the repeated ‘today’, Encrid gained a new perspective.

What was the quickness necessary to save the child?

What was needed to break through the wall called strategy?

They said the Knight’s sword was despair.

But it wasn’t despair—at least not truly.

With an expanded perspective and the experience of facing the Knight, something inside Encrid awakened.

To surpass the Knight’s sword, he changed his approach.

Instead of blocking, he struck first.

It was about overcoming the condition of ‘one move’ that the opponent had imposed.

‘Ah.’

A small realization flickered like a spark, fading and then igniting again.

The moment he became aware of it, Encrid urged himself toward change.

What had he gained from charging forward to save the child?

‘The Will of the Moment.’

It was the speed needed to exploit the brief moment when someone’s attention wavered.

That’s how Will had imbued itself.

It was the same even when he was trapped in the framework of strategy.

The shackles of foreboding, the Sense of Evasion, layering an attack intent on top of his senses—were these all different?

No, they weren’t.

They were the same.

They merged into his sensory arts, blending together.

He fused them, kneaded them into one.

That’s how he gained an unreasonable ‘intuition’.

Hadn’t Will played a part in it?

Yes, it had.

He could feel it.

It was possible because Will had overlaid his intent.

It was like realizing rejection to overcome Intimidation.

What about the Crushing Sword Technique he developed to withstand the Knight’s sword?

At this point, Encrid hesitated.

Should he take a big step forward?

It seemed possible.

But he wasn’t sure if it was the right path.

He thought he was simply sitting with his eyes closed, but then it seemed he had fallen asleep, as the ferryman appeared before him.

“Do as you’ve been doing.”

The ferryman’s face faded in and out, then disappeared.

Was it advice, or was it interference?

Even in moments like this, Encrid’s intuition kicked in.

It felt like advice.

Encrid decided to set a marker and continue walking forward.

Step by step, as he had been.

He thought that was the answer.

With that settled, he opened his eyes.

“Hey, how about fixing that habit of falling asleep at the drop of a hat?”

Rem’s voice came through.

Without realizing it, he had once again lost himself in the world of swords.

“How long has it been?”

“Two days.”

It was Krais who answered.

But the issue didn’t seem to be about that.

“You should probably go see the Lord quickly.”

“Why?”

“Someone’s been waiting for you since yesterday.”

Encrid quickly took stock of the situation.

He was inside the barracks, and Audin was nowhere to be seen.

Thanks to his heightened hearing, developed through his sensory arts, he could hear Audin talking with someone in the distance.

“I took care of it yesterday.”

Rem added, his tone a bit disgruntled.

Encrid understood the situation at once.

Once again, he had lost himself in the world of swords, likely drooling in the process, and his subordinates had stepped in to keep anyone from disturbing him.

If the Lord Graham of Castle knew about this, he probably would have let it slide too.

It had to be someone significant to pull him out like this.

“Who came?”

Encrid asked as he stood up.

“Count Molsen.”

It was Krais who answered.

“In person?”

“Yes.”

Hearing this, Encrid started moving.

Grand Duke of North, a monster with ambition and a noble to boot.

If he had come all the way here, it was certainly with some agenda in mind.

“He specifically asked to see you. Be careful.”

Krais warned.

A noble waiting for two days was no small matter.

While he could hold out a little longer if necessary, doing so would be foolish.

Encrid was obsessed with swords, but he wasn’t stupid.

He knew which path was the smoother one.

He was a bit hungry, but his mind was clear, and his body was in decent shape.

“Wait a moment.”

As Encrid quickened his pace, Krais followed behind.

If there was anything Krais wanted to say, he’d catch up on his own. Encrid headed straight for the front of the barracks.

There, he saw a woman in a thin fur coat, her long black hair standing out, standing with Audin.

It was Esther.

“Tired of living like a panther?”

He quipped.

That fur had been so soft and warm.

At Encrid’s words, Esther turned her head.

“I didn’t choose to become a beast.”

She was as prickly as ever.

That meant she was the same as usual.

In front of Audin stood a man with a fierce expression and a woman wearing scale armor.

The woman’s eyes were half-closed, and her gaze seemed to emit a strange light.

The man looked as solid as a rock, while the woman stood with perfect posture.

Behind the woman, a handful of soldiers could be seen standing in line.

“They’re asking you to listen to what they have to say before you leave.”

Krais spoke from behind, and the woman who noticed Encrid opened her mouth.

She looked him up and down before speaking.

“Are you the one called Encrid?”

“Yes, that’s me. And you are?”

“Sister, see? He’s finally come out after waiting.”

Audin interjected.

“This is the second day. Making the Count wait?”

The man with the rock-like face spoke, his jaw muscles tightening as he clenched his teeth.

He looked like he could chew through solid stone with those muscles.

Was his main weapon his teeth?

They were at the front of the barracks.

The guard on duty looked uncomfortable, but Audin remained calm, with his usual serene smile, adding more to the conversation.

“Haha, well, now that he’s out, that’s all that matters, brother.”

“Are you taking the Count’s name lightly on this land? Keep that up, and there’ll be trouble. You, the big guy.”

The man warned, his tone menacing.

Encrid stepped forward, standing between Audin and the man.

Audin wasn’t one to get angry easily, but he also wasn’t the type to let provocations slide. Knowing this, Encrid intervened.

Audin wouldn’t lose his temper and start a fight, but it was better to avoid unnecessary conflict.

He figured that as long as he showed up, it would be fine.

“My apologies for the delay. Let’s head over now.”

“It seems this matter should be handled first.”

The woman with the straight posture said, speaking for the first time.

She was holding a round helmet at her side, wearing a thick fur cloak, and her eyes were unusual—her pupils glowed white.

“A tribe that imbues their eyes with spells.”

Esther said from behind.

There’s a tribe like that?

Encrid glanced at the woman thoughtfully.

So what?

The fact that her eyes held spells didn’t seem to be the important part.

Of course, it seemed like that’s why Esther had stepped out to join him. She must have been concerned about the presence of a spellcaster.

Encrid’s guess was right.

Esther had come along, prepared to make the other party pay if they tried any amateur magic tricks.

She wasn’t about to let anyone cast some frivolous incantations.

Encrid scratched his chin with his right index finger, amazed at how all of this had been done to avoid disturbing him.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised anymore.’

By now, he could expect this kind of behavior from them.

He was right.

The woman with the spellbound eyes spoke again.

“We’ve come from Visar. Someone who has business with you is waiting.”

How many nobles could there be in the Kingdom of Naurillia?

Certainly not just one or two.

In the grand scheme of things, Encrid was, in simple terms, just a country bumpkin.

He had been to the Capital once, but the cost of living was too high, and there was little he could do there. That’s why he wandered around the frontier.

It wasn’t by accident that he went all the way to the coast to find a swordsmanship instructor.

Even so, Encrid knew of Centerpole, the Thumb Family, one of the five families that made up the kingdom.

It was the family Marcus belonged to.

The Marquis of Visar, also known by the name Centerpole or the Thumb Family, was a family with significant influence in the Capital.

If Marcus had returned, it wouldn’t have been handled like this.

It must have been someone else who had come.

With just a few words, Encrid grasped the situation.

Quick thinking was useful even in moments like this.

He condensed his thought process, decided on a course of action, and spoke.

“Let’s go together, then.”

Since their intentions were obvious, this approach seemed acceptable.

In fact, Encrid thought this might be the better course for him.

Hearing his words, Rock Jaw and Spell-Eyed Woman looked at each other.

It was clear neither of them wanted to wait any longer.

They had already been more than patient.

If it hadn’t been for rumors of Encrid possibly becoming a war hero or a Knight, they wouldn’t have waited at all.

Soon, they both nodded in agreement.