A Knight who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 128

Chapter 128: Watch Closely. This Is What You’ll Be Learning Next.

The ones at the vanguard of Naurillia’s forces were all paid soldiers. They were the kind who focused solely on training in exchange for receiving Krona.

As they had been trained, they acted—disciplined and sharp.

The vanguard, armed with shortbows, could quickly pivot to reconnaissance when needed, transforming into swift, light-armored archers in battle. Each one nocked an arrow and released.

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

Sssshhh!

Arrows sliced through the air, embedding themselves in a massive, shadowy figure that barely seemed human.

Tak-tak-tak!

Some soldiers celebrated having struck the target. A few tilted their heads, wondering why that tak-tak-tak sound continued.

And others among them wondered:

‘Why isn’t it stopping?’

They grew uneasy at how the shadow showed no sign of slowing.

Fwoosh.

The mist parted. Beyond the haze driven back by the massive figure’s bulk, its true form appeared. If it had been a bear, they might have accepted it as normal.

As the mist scattered, those further back could also see the enemy.

Naturally, Enkrid saw it too.

Even from his position near the middle of the unit, he could see it clearly. It was impossible not to; the creature’s towering, unnatural size completely disrupted any sense of perspective.

At first glance, it resembled a massive hedgehog. Its large body meant it was an easy target.

The archers’ skill was evident—dozens of arrows had already lodged in its body. Without counting them all, there had to be at least twenty arrows sticking out.

With all those arrows bristling from its body, it truly looked like an enormous hedgehog.

That was his first impression.

Hmph.

Then, the creature lurking beyond the mist swung something large clutched in its hand with a wide, sweeping arc, from back to front.

Whoooosh!

A gust of wind roared as it swung, scattering the mist even further.

Then, from behind it, whatever it held in its hand dropped forward with its arms, straight to the ground.

Crash!

The impact resounded like an explosion spell cast by a sorcerer. A sight of utter devastation followed, as if a catapulted boulder had just struck.

“Aaahh!”

“S-somebody help!”

A chorus of screams erupted.

The soldiers caught in the hammer’s range were crushed like tomatoes.

One soldier to the right had his leg shattered, even though he had barely managed to dodge.

Another on the left only felt the hammer’s wind pressure and reflexively raised his shield.

Crack. Snap.

The soldier heard his own body splitting apart. His oil-treated wooden buckler failed to even put up a semblance of resistance to the brutal force.

The shield shattered like a rotted branch, and the soldier was torn in half along his right side, killed instantly.

No, he wasn’t just torn—he was blown apart.

His body flew to the side from the hammer’s impact, as though it carried an explosive spell, his intestines spilling out in pink, scattering in the air.

Blood, organs, bones, flesh, and limbs—all of it flew through the air.

These parts had once belonged to someone, working tirelessly. There was no need to wonder whose they were. Anyone facing such an attack head-on would already be dead.

For today, they could only hope that Vengeance wouldn’t be at the front lines.

Hooo.

After the single strike, the creature paused, exhaling a long breath. Just the sound of its breathing was loud and clear.

This was what it meant to be an overwhelming presence.

The weapon in its hand? A giant hammer.

It was a being of immense size, with skin far tougher than human skin and muscles much thicker.

Just like the frog, It was one of the most dangerous species, but far more menacing—a Giant.

A creature with strength easily three or four times that of a human, and skin that was impervious to ordinary blades.

They were often called the “Red-Blooded Beasts.”

Looking at the scene caused by its hammer, the creature hummed in delight.

“Huh-huhng!”

Its voice echoed like a shout from the depths of a cavern—deep, low, and spreading wide. As the cavernous hum reverberated, the air among the allies turned cold and tense.

A Giant.

Where had something like that been hiding until now?

“Shit, get back!”

A soldier positioned a step behind managed to shout.

“Yoouu peeea-ssaaants.”

The Giant muttered gleefully. It sounded like a curse echoing from a deep cave.

“Aaargh!”

Just because they received pay to fight didn’t mean soldiers lacked fear or felt no terror.

Of course not.

The front lines began to crack.

As fear settled over them, a few soldiers started to step back. It was unacceptable to just watch them break, so one of the commanders yelled out.

“Hold the line!”

Schiiing!

A few frontline commanders drew their swords. The message was clear—retreat and you’ll be cut down.

“Damn it.”

What could they do?

The soldiers on the front line felt a strong urge to cry.

It was brutal.

To face off against something like that.

Looking at the Giant’s body, it appeared to be wearing armor made of wood. It was covered in a full suit of thin, wooden armor with arrows sticking out all over it.

The gaps around the joints were visible.

Yet not even a single arrow had scratched it there.

Hmph.

The Giant grinned, like a monstrous hedgehog.

The soldiers around him, caught between screams and panic, couldn’t retreat but also couldn’t advance.

The Giant took his time.

From his perspective, they were all just bugs.

Unless one of those humans they called “Knights” showed up.

To him, they were all bugs. Easy to crush, squash, and kill.

The Giant was enjoying himself.

A Giant?

Enkrid was dumbfounded.

Where had something like that popped out from?

He recalled what he knew about Giants, and the distinct characteristics of each race drifted into his mind.

The Frog species lived on dreams and desires.

Elves revered nature.

Dwarves were obsessed with metal.

The Beastfolk prioritized procreation above all else.

The Dragonkin walked their paths alone.

And Giants?

‘They are creatures intoxicated by carnage.’

They lived for killing and death, loving violence through their own bodies, intoxicated by it.

And yet, they couldn’t rule the continent.

Why was that?

Apart from their lack of intelligence, their instincts were far too dangerous to form an army.

Creatures addicted to blood and carnage. They weren’t called the Red-Blooded Beasts for nothing.

They were driven mad by battles of life and death. To hold any real power, political acuity was essential, but Giants could never achieve that.

And, among all those races, there was humanity.

‘Humans can become anything.’

It was why humans had risen above Frogs, Elves, Dwarves, Beastfolk, Dragonkin, and Giants to become the center of the world.

As the Giant quietly observed the surroundings…

The soldiers at the front were nearly frozen in fear, holding their positions without wetting themselves by sheer will alone.

Slice.

Enkrid heard an odd sound.

The wet slice of flesh being cut by a well-sharpened blade. It might have been intuition, a sixth sense, or just instinct.

He turned his head.

Jaxon, who was standing beside him, had already fixed his gaze in that direction.

“Ugh.”

“Enemy!”

There weren’t many of them. Enkrid narrowed his eyes.

It was the right flank.

They’d taken advantage of the mist to close in. The group appeared to be a force of around ten, all highly skilled.

They were coming in with just those few numbers? That meant they were confident in their abilities.

“If they used the Giant to draw our attention and are striking the right, then there’s likely something coming from the left too. Damn, I think we’ve fallen right into their trap.”

Kraiss spoke as he glanced from side to side. Though the mist prevented clear visibility, he tried to assess the situation.

Even after seeing the Giant, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he rolled his eyes as though calculating, then spoke.

“We have to hold them here.”

In reality, Kraiss had already worked through several scenarios and assumptions.

He understood the enemy’s aim.

He thought the terrain favored the enemy, but he also guessed at their commander’s intentions.

The mist didn’t only benefit the enemy.

If the enemy planned to cut off the rear through the river, what prevented the allies from doing the same?

That might explain why the Border Guard was absent from the battlefield. The enemy was in hiding, while the allies had the advantage of flexibility.

This side had more options. That was why the commander likely made his choice.

‘The main force is holding the line with the sheer numbers of our soldiers.’

With the numbers reduced from the previous battle, there was bound to be a difference in troop strength.

If this side had comparable training and morale, then who would hold the advantage?

No matter how fiercely the independent company, the Gray Hounds, might fight, they had limits.

At most, they had two to three hundred soldiers. Plus, Kraiss was aware of certain details.

For instance, that one of his platoon leaders had clashed with some of the Gray Hound’s forces at Cross Guard, killing several of them.

How many of them could be left, then?

Even if they were generously assigned a strength of four hundred, they probably only had around two hundred left by now.

The battalion commander would know that, too.

So, what strategy had the enemy chosen?

‘An all-out frontal assault.’

They’d thrown everything they had, charging out. Either they’d win outright, or suffer near-total annihilation.

And they had prepared a few tricks to secure that victory.

The Giant wasn’t the only one. Kraiss calculated all of this instantly, coming to a conclusion.

Not that he explained everything aloud. To survive in this moment, in the platoon leader’s tent, he needed only to choose the best option for survival.

“The Giant isn’t their only trick. If we can’t hold the front here, it’s all over.”

He offered this simple truth. He wasn’t the one who would have to confront it head-on.

The Border Guard had left their positions. The main force was holding on, but only to maintain their numbers.

It was a situation where, if mishandled, they could end up being wiped out.

So, what options did they have?

They weren’t out of choices. Kraiss looked over at the platoon leader he’d seen fighting with the Frog.

He glanced over at the soldiers that seemed to match their platoon leader well.

“Commander.”

Kraiss called to Enkrid and explained.

Enkrid nodded.

Even after listening to Kraiss, he couldn’t entirely follow the full scope of the situation.

Yesterday, he’d been busy with training, intent on sleeping soundly, but had been plagued by disturbing dreams.

However, there was something in Kraiss’s eyes that looked like a spark, like the look he’d seen in Ragna yesterday.

Or, like Rem when he got excited.

Like when Jaxon grew oddly friendly.

Or when Audin felt at peace.

“All right. Understood.”

With that, he responded.

Enkrid cast his gaze left and right.

The right side seemed to be under attack from what looked like a single squad-level force. Not just a few; probably at least five or more?

What about the left side?

“It appears to be an ally on the left.”

It was the Elf Company Commander, who had somehow drawn close. But wasn’t the commander supposed to hold the rear?

“I’ll handle the left.”

Why was she announcing this here?

The Elf Company Commander gave Enkrid a glance.

Their eyes met.

“What? Want a blessing kiss first?”

“No, thank you.”

Why did he think of Esther in that moment?

The young panther was probably hiding well in the back, wasn’t she?

Enkrid shook his head.

The Elf Company Commander cracked a joke, then returned to her usual, expressionless self. She looked ahead without smiling and moved left.

Some of her unit followed her.

Even though it wasn’t specifically for Enkrid, the Elf Company Commander selected some of the swiftest and most skilled soldiers from her company to form her personal guard.

They were essentially the Fourth Company’s elite soldiers.

And the company commander was the one to lead them.

“Good. Very good.”

Rem nodded his head.

Rem was in a good mood. In an exceptionally good mood, if one were to be honest.

The reason? Probably because of yesterday’s training match. For a while, he’d been filled with nothing but irritation.

There hadn’t been a decent fight.

Only those damned duels and pointless challenges. He didn’t even want to take part, and Enkrid wasn’t there.

And then, Enkrid returned with an injured wrist. The irritation that had been building up prickled near his heart.

Right when he was about to explode, his platoon leader came back. And soon, he was back in fighting shape. Then they had their exchange of blows with swords and axes.

How could he describe that moment?

It was simply…

‘Damn fun.’

The irritation evaporated all at once. All the things that had been gnawing at him vanished.

He felt light-hearted.

When was the last time he’d felt like this? Probably not since coming to this continent.

He’d felt it somewhere else, though, a long time ago. Rem thought back to a time that resembled this moment.

It was during his first deployment to a battlefield. Back then, it was really fun. He’d been so excited he’d run wild, tongue lolling from his mouth.

After brushing aside those thoughts, Rem grinned and said,

“Watch closely. This is what you’ll be learning next.”

He said this as he began to stroll forward.

Enjoying the sight of the nervous and fearful glances the soldiers cast from beneath their helmets, he walked toward the grinning Giant.

He walked in a straight line, brushing aside soldiers along the way. They staggered to the side, clearing a path.

“Out of my way, bastards.”

It was typical of Rem, but he was in an especially good mood. So much so that he was downright elated.

Enkrid simply watched. Rem had told him to watch, so he would.

“I’ll handle things over there.”

For some reason, Ragna seemed full of energy today as well. He was heading toward the disturbance on the right flank.

It was unlike him.

He, too, resembled Rem in this moment.

The exchange of blows he’d had with Enkrid had released his pent-up desires. He felt at ease, not wanting to loaf around but eager to wield his sword.

“It wouldn’t be wise to go alone.”

When Enkrid voiced his concern, Ragna paused to consider before saying:

“Then I’ll go after I finish this. It shouldn’t take too long.”

Whether or not the allies on the right were being cut down didn’t seem to matter much to him.

Although Enkrid thought the enemy on the right should be handled, they were clearly an agile, detached force.

Perhaps it would be better to draw them in to confront them here, as he mulled this over—

The allied commander made the first move.

“Fall back! Don’t just die fighting on the front lines like idiots! Group together and cover each other’s backs!”

The voice was familiar. It was Vengeance.

Nicely done.

The ones pressing in on the right would be drawn into the center, allowing them to counterattack in time.

It would also give them time to pull them deeper in so they couldn’t escape.

“All right, I’d better head out now.”

With those words, Audin stepped confidently toward one side, while Jaxon had already disappeared.

After sparring with Enkrid, the entire squad felt relieved.

Everyone’s steps were light. The exchange with Enkrid had brought them to this state.

For just a moment, while they waited for the right side to draw closer, Enkrid focused his attention on Rem.

Regardless of Rem’s approach, he saw the Giant lifting his hammer again.

A blow that radiated raw, overwhelming violence. The Giant’s power could be felt through the sheer force of the swing.

It made him dizzy.

How would he have handled that blow himself? However, Rem shattered Enkrid’s expectations with ease.

Rem was, after all, Rem.