A Knight who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: If You Grow Eyes in the Back of Your Head

If you were talented enough, you might even meet a prostitute here inside. I heard the prostitutes preferred entering the military base over city or rural villages.

First of all, they could receive more money than usual. Although it’s unofficial, this doesn’t happen within the confines of military law and regulations. The men who met them here, whether soldiers or commanders, avoided causing any commotion. No one would enjoy the hassle of being caught calling a woman. So, this place was full of wealthy clients.

‘Even so.’

Talented indeed. No matter how much you desire it, there are those who can and those who can’t.

‘Big eyes must have arranged it.’

“Well, hmm, I’m envious. You’re quite talented.”

“There’s no need to live with unmet desires, is there?”

He wasn’t wrong. If you can do it, living that way isn’t bad. Jaxon walked while buttoning his shirt. He didn’t even look back at the woman he left in the barracks, indicating their relationship was purely transactional. A red kiss mark could be seen through the gaps in his buttoned shirt. It looked like he had a very heated moment.

Jaxon’s reddish-brown hair slightly fluttered in the wind. His appearance was strangely attractive. He looked ordinary yet handsome. Yeah, it’s no wonder women would be drawn to him.

“What’s the matter?”

Jaxon asked, glancing at Enkrid. As usual, his demeanor was relaxed and unpretentious. Jaxon, a member of the Troublemaker Squad. Rem described him as a pervert who liked to exploit any weaknesses.

Enkrid briefly recalled Jaxon on the battlefield.

If Rem was like a rampaging beast, then this guy was—

‘Not particularly.’

Enkrid had never seen Jaxon fight properly. What he knew came from Rem’s words and the one time he saw Jaxon jab a spear into an enemy’s back. That was all.

However, he could infer Jaxon’s skill. Even Rem often sustained minor injuries, but this guy had no such wounds. His injuries were rare and minor.

“Are you not going to fight properly?”

Sometimes Rem would growl at him like this. At those times, Jaxon would openly mock Rem.

“I don’t enjoy seeing blood.”

“If you don’t enjoy seeing blood, just die or don’t stay here, you sneaky bastard.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Shall I split your head or your body?”

“Before that, I’ll put two thumb-sized holes in your heart.”

The conversation ended there. When Rem, bleeding from his arm, wielded his axe and stood up quietly, Enkrid intervened between them.

“If you two want to kill each other, wouldn’t it be easier if one of you joined the enemy?”

Even after that, the two would glare at each other as if they were going to kill, but they didn’t fight. Although mere words weren’t enough, they would calm down like magic when Enkrid stepped between them. He had broken up quite a few squad fights that way.

Rem called Jaxon a sneaky stray cat. Jaxon called Rem a mad barbarian.

Enkrid also saw Jaxon stab an enemy’s back with a spear he picked up from somewhere. Even after being stabbed, the enemy couldn’t locate Jaxon. While looking around, the enemy had his ankle kicked by the crouching Jaxon. The image of the enemy writhing on the ground with a spear in his back was vividly remembered.

Curious about how that was possible, he asked during a spare moment.

“It’s because the opponent’s attention was entirely focused on the front.”

There was no detailed explanation. Rem was the type to easily share what he knew but it couldn’t be expected from Jaxon.

Not that Enkrid gave up easily.

“Squad Leader?”

Jaxon stopped. They had arrived in front of Enkrid’s medical tent. Upon hearing the question of what the matter was, he fell into thought. There was no need to ponder the answer.

Enkrid hadn’t intended to become the squad leader of the 4th Company, 4th Platoon’s Troublemaker Squad.

Who could plan such a relationship?

So, no need to worry.

If you’re curious, ask.

If you need something, demand it.

That was how Enkrid dealt with his squad members.

“If a guy like you were to stab my back, how would I avoid it?”

Jaxon understood Enkrid’s words at once. How persistently he had pestered him to teach the methods of sneaking up behind. It was relentless. Every few days, the same question repeated. If he had whined, it would have been easier to deal with. Scaring him off would have been enough, but the squad leader didn’t do that. His eyes only showed the desire to know, to learn.

He wasn’t impressed by the passion but was certain of one thing. If left alone, he would ask the same thing every few days for as long as he stayed in this squad. If he knew this man for life, he would ask for life.

Jaxon didn’t lightly use the word ‘persistent’. He knew too well the limits of people. He knew the hollow nature of words like mental strength, conviction, and willpower.

Nevertheless.

To him, Enkrid was a persistent man.

His passion for swordsmanship and martial arts was hotter than anyone else’s. Was that passion what drove him like this?

“Why do you want to learn so badly?”

“Knowing it would slightly increase my chances of survival.”

What’s the point of staying alive longer if you spend all your money on training? Jaxon wanted to ask what he wanted to do with it, but he stopped.

What’s the use of knowing? After all, it wasn’t a lasting relationship.

After that, though not easily, Jaxon explained sincerely. Of course, the squad leader couldn’t master it.

Naturally.

It wasn’t something this ‘type’ could use, but today’s question was somewhat refreshing.

“Do you think your ribs were broken by a blind sword, no, a blind kick?”

For Jaxon, it was a natural question. It would be a huge misunderstanding if he thought he couldn’t sense the kick from the previous battle.

“No, that was because the opponent was a brute.”

“Then?”

A rare follow-up question.

“Curious?”

Enkrid rather asked back. He knew Jaxon’s usual attitude well. He wasn’t curious. He simply kept everyone at a distance, neither too close nor too far. No one thought of him as particularly intimate.

Except for the 4-4-4 Squad, no one particularly disliked him either.

A suitable distance. That was Jaxon’s usual demeanor.

So, it could be awkward to ask like this. And Enkrid knew that asking like this would get Jaxon to answer without further questions. Not that their relationship was intentionally built this way, but having spent time together, he knew their usual reactions and stances well.

“No. If there’s a guy who stabs from behind, just notice him first.”

As expected, the explanation was terrible. Rem claimed he was bad at explaining, but compared to Jaxon, he could be a renowned swordsmanship instructor.

Fortunately, Enkrid had met various teachers and experienced them. Among them, some were better at teaching than their skills. Others had decent skills but were terrible at teaching. Enkrid extracted value from all those experiences. Therefore, he knew plenty of ways to learn well.

“How do you notice first?”

Enkrid asked.

“Always be aware of your surroundings.”

“What if I get hit despite being aware?”

“Be more aware.”

“I can’t spend all day turning my head.”

“You can, squad leader.”

“No, I can’t.”

Sometimes, Jaxon made him seem like a strange person. Unlike Rem’s jokes, Jaxon was serious. Enkrid had learned from experience.

Sure enough, at Enkrid’s firm response, Jaxon looked around and moved slightly to one side. It was a place where various supplies were stacked next to the medical tent. He casually perched on top of it and leaned against the adjacent tent, speaking.

“It seems like a long conversation.”

“Today is a long day.”

At least until bedtime, he had plenty of time.

“You need to eat, right?”

“Will skipping a meal kill you? I’ll be your meal duty substitute for life. Well, at least as long as we’re in the same squad.”

Promises made that would vanish after today. Enkrid made many such promises.

“If that’s a joke, it’s not funny.”

Ironically, everyone in the 4-4-4 Squad hated kitchen duties and meal duties the most.

They preferred battle over that. Reason? They hated preparing food for other squad members and cleaning up after them. Though all were lunatics, there was much to learn. At least in the battlefield and combat, they were invaluable teachers to Enkrid.

If Jaxon couldn’t solve this?

Instead of worrying, focus.

If that didn’t work, he planned to approach Rem or another squad member later. A soldier who didn’t get minor injuries on the battlefield. Whether Jaxon was truly skilled was unknown. He had never seen it with his own eyes.

But the conclusion spoke of his excellence. Rem’s attitude validated Jaxon’s skills. There must be something to learn. Even if it wasn’t immediately useful, it would be someday. When learning the Heart of the Beast, was it useful from the start?

“I don’t have time for empty words.”

“You said we have all day earlier?”

“That’s a different story.”

“Alright. You’ll keep your promise, right?”

Enkrid nodded. He also sat down in front of Jaxon.

A few passing soldiers noticed them but didn’t engage. Amidst the passing soldiers and supply carts, the two sat facing each other. One sat on the pile, making his eye level higher but it wasn’t bothersome.

Jaxon felt a strange sensation. Enkrid plopped down and looked at him.

There were pebbles and rocks on the ground, making it uncomfortable. Moreover, the dust kicked up by passing carts didn’t seem to bother him.

He focused on Jaxon’s words without any doubt. Moved by that serious gaze, Jaxon began to speak.

“Humans have five senses.”

“You mean eyes, nose, ears, that stuff?”

“Yes. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.”

Why bring this up now? Enkrid showed no such sign. He just listened attentively. It was a good attitude. Enough to evoke unexpected words.

Originally, Jaxon intended to say that honing the five senses was enough but started explaining. It was from the heart, not the mind.

“If you can’t always turn your head, grow eyes on the back.”

Even from the heart, kind words were rare. Jaxon thought his words were nonsense. The explanation was wrong.

“I see.”

But Enkrid nodded.

‘This is interesting.’

Jaxon chose his words. He hadn’t expected to teach something like this, but it wasn’t impossible. He would teach part of what he had trained. From observation, he knew. The squad leader was ordinary. His senses were, too. Nothing innate.

But that was fine.

This training was effective for ordinary people too. With consistent practice for a few months, there would be good results. Usually, it was training done in caves. A better method would be, say, having assassins threatening his life multiple times, but that wasn’t realistic.

“You can’t always look around with your eyes, but you can with your ears.”

Still, the explanation was like monster urine.

“Ah, right. Sound doesn’t distinguish between front and back.”

The listening Enkrid quickly understood.

“Precisely, sound does distinguish front and back. Training your hearing will develop it. You can do it even while sitting down. Listen.”

Naturally, various sounds were heard. The sound of carts rolling, soldiers grumbling, patients moaning, the indifferent doctor’s voice urging them to endure, and the fluttering of the tent flag in the strong wind.

After a short silence, Jaxon spoke.

“It’s a west wind today, the doctor is in the third tent from here. That cart’s left wheel axle is loose. It might break in two days, or today, if unlucky.”

It was as he said. The cart wheel, which had been rolling smoothly, suddenly collapsed to one side with a creak.

“Damn it!”

The soldier driving the cart cursed in frustration.

“If you distinguish and identify sounds, you can always look around.”

Enkrid was amazed. Was this possible? Jaxon just showed it was.

“The method of growing eyes on the back and training hearing. Can you do it?”

This hearing training was more about the environment, not the method. Just distinguishing sounds. Of course, it wasn’t easy.

“It helps to keep listening to and distinguishing the same sounds repeatedly? And when that becomes familiar, try different ways?”

The squad leader understood well despite his martial skills being separate. Understanding quickly meant learning quickly. The squad leader quickly grasped Jaxon’s point.

“Yes, that’s right. One way to detect the steps or presence of an assassin moving silently is by distinguishing the sound of the surrounding air. If you know an assassin well, have him secretly aim for your throat. That would be the best training.”

The rest was half a joke. He even smiled slightly while speaking. Though a joke, it was a necessary explanation. Jaxon unconsciously said it, impressed by how easily his trash explanations w

ere understood. Thinking there would never be a connection with the squad leader.

And then—

“Really?”

The squad leader’s eyes shone even brighter.

A truly incomprehensible person.

That’s how Jaxon evaluated Enkrid.