A Knight who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Squad Leader Enkrid

There was a torch stand between the tents and the supply tent had oil. For several days, he had been repeating today, training his hearing. He could find everything around him with his eyes closed.

“Just a moment.”

It was really simple. Enkrid used sounds to locate the patrol guards and stealthily got oil from the supply tent. Then, he poured the oil roughly over the tent.

The rest was even easier. He just had to kick the torch stand over. Since no one was watching, he crawled in the shadows and pulled the torch stand, toppling it over.

The flame at the end of the torch stand met the oil with a whoosh, greeting it warmly.

“You’ve got some skills.”

The company commander said blandly.

Was that a compliment?

Enkrid thought so as he set fire to the tent. Of course, the fire started where he had poured the oil first. Enkrid made sure to get some soot on his face and inhale a bit of smoke. Reacting genuinely was much easier than faking it.

“Cough!”

Coughing, Enkrid carried the freckled soldier and exited through the tear in the tent where the company commander had entered. He collapsed in front of the medical tent.

That was enough.

“Fire!”

He had timed the fire to when the patrol guard would be coming.

No, he had to.

The night watch of the neighboring tent was an expert at sleeping while standing. He didn’t wake up at all. Enkrid thought the assassin had shot a poison dart at him too.

It didn’t require much preparation to get here. He had simply stolen oil from the supply tent and toppled the torch stand. However, Crang and the company commander, who watched, seemed quite impressed.

“Honestly, you’d make a great leader for a band of thieves.”

Crang’s words just before leaving lingered in his mind. Was that supposed to be a compliment?

Running his hand through his hair, his fingers caught on the tangled strands.

‘I should get a haircut.’

He lay down without even thinking about wiping the soot off his face. It wasn’t a big fire. It wouldn’t be a major incident. No one had died. He had already thought up an excuse about the night watch.

‘Ask me tomorrow. Tomorrow.’

Without exaggeration, he really wanted to just lie down and sleep like this. It had been a long night. A really long today. His headache had surpassed throbbing and left his head feeling numb. He didn’t want to think about anything.

“Survivors?”

“Over there. I think he passed out now.”

He knew they were talking about him, but he ignored it and closed his eyes. Fatigue washed over him.

Though he wasn’t the freckled night watch, Enkrid felt a one-sided closeness to him.

‘You don’t know this, but.’

Enkrid had talked to him. He knew where he was from. He knew about the girlfriend he left back home and why he joined the military. Today was something he had but not the other guy. That closeness came from that.

Besides, the fire and the attack weren’t his fault. So, he came up with a reasonable excuse.

He said the night watch had shouted as soon as the fire broke out and tried to rescue those inside, but inhaled smoke and fainted.

He was a fresh recruit who had just finished training. And there was no fire training during the drills. Everyone accepted the reason.

“Did I really do that?”

Though he asked bewilderedly, not remembering a thing.

“Must have lost your memory.”

The supply company commander just let it pass. Enkrid had wondered if anyone would suspect him, but no one did. It was too perfect a cover.

He thought someone might find it suspicious, but thankfully, no one did. The supply company commander was just relieved the supply tent hadn’t caught fire. That had been part of his plan, so the situation went as he intended.

A new bright morning.

Today didn’t repeat.

Enkrid woke up still feeling a headache but he was satisfied. After all, he had survived another ‘today.’

“You saved me?”

With his face and body washed and his soot-smelling clothes changed, holding a dagger to roughly trim his hair, Enkrid headed out. Vengeance sat on a supply box and asked.

“I couldn’t just watch you burn to death in front of me.”

Vengeance muttered at Enkrid’s words. After mumbling something, he asked.

“…Why?”

Enkrid wondered if such a thing needed a reason. With his head still pounding, he didn’t want to talk much.

“Because you’re my comrade.”

So, he spoke without much thought. Vengeance’s expression hardened at that.

“Tsk.”

Seeing his hardened face, Enkrid spoke.

“The flower of the battlefield is…”

“…The infantry.”

It was the infantry company’s greeting. With that, Enkrid turned around. He had just received orders to return.

“I’ve only been a jerk.”

Vengeance’s grumbling voice faintly reached his ears.

Sounds he wouldn’t normally hear were now audible.

‘Hearing training.’

Enkrid reflected on the abilities he had gained.

He also recalled how the elf company commander deflected his sword last night. He thought about dodging the assassin’s attacks too.

A natural question arose.

‘Am I still in the same place?’

It wasn’t serious. Just curiosity. How different were yesterday’s Enkrid and today’s Enkrid? Suddenly, he wanted to face Rem in a match.

‘First,’

Returning to the main camp and resting was a priority. His head still throbbed.

“The weather is nice.”

Without walking far, Enkrid noticed a long shadow stretching to his right. Looking up, he saw a clear blue canvas in the sky. Cumulus clouds were scattered across, with a refreshing breeze and warm sunlight. It was a very clear day.

Just walking made him feel his headache was easing.

Kraiss outwardly appeared calm, but internally he sighed deeply. Enkrid had been gone for a week.

‘How did we manage back then?’

In the face of the current situation, Kraiss mentally retreated. He recalled the days without Enkrid.

“So, I’m the squad leader here. So, you have to listen to me. So, gather in front of the tent now.”

The squad leader kept repeating ‘so.’ He had shown a coercive attitude. And he had died screaming on the first battlefield.

“Follow me!”

He seemed to have heard some strange rumor. Though the Troublemaker Squad was small in number, their skills were top-notch.

Did he really think they would quietly follow him?

He charged alone and got his head impaled by a spear. When his helmet flew back, Rem had kicked it away.

‘The next squad leader.’

“I heard you guys are good fighters. Wanna test your skills? Anyone wanna go against me?”

He was a noble’s son. Rumor had it he had committed some crime and was conscripted. Details unknown, he said he’d stay here for a few months before returning. The noble was full of confidence but lacked experience.

“Can we spar with the squad leader?”

Rem scratched his head and asked.

“Um, not you. Yeah, you. The one with the reddish-brown hair.”

He picked Jaxon as his opponent. Rem looked like a thug, so anyone could see he was a fighter. And calling out Kraiss was too much. So, he picked the relatively harmless-looking Jaxon.

Naturally, it was a big mistake.

“Me?”

“Yes, come on. Let’s spar. Haha, I’ve never lost before.”

“What if someone gets hurt during the spar?”

“Are you scared of that? Let’s just keep it off the record!”

The arrogant and cocky noble squad leader…

“Ahhh!”

Got his arm broken.

“I expected him to dodge.”

Though usually amicable, Jaxon could turn quite vicious after being provoked by Rem and the other squad members watching the match.

“You should have stepped forward with your left foot there.”

“Funny, just trip him and he’ll fall.”

“You’re losing your grip on the sword. Hold it tighter. Underestimating your opponent will get you hurt.”

“Tsk, this guy can’t even take down a prick properly. I’d have finished by now. Ah, boring.”

Those comments turned Jaxon fierce.

The company commander got furious over the broken arm.

“Are you assaulting a superior?”

“You are the one who said it’s off the record and insisted on the fight.”

“Right, right. A man’s word is his bond.”

“If a man changes his words, he loses his manhood.”

With each squad member chiming in, the company commander couldn’t say much. Facts were facts. The noble squad leader soon withdrew. At his family estate, he might have had plenty of mercenaries to lose to him for money, but this was a battlefield.

The company commander hadn’t intended to bring the noble to the battlefield anyway. She had just given him a nominal position.

‘The next squad leader was also…’

The same.

A hot-tempered squad leader had a quiet chat with Rem outside and applied for a transfer, calming down.

Others left for similar reasons. Those who stayed just tolerated each other.

“Phew.”

Kraiss turned his head at the sigh behind him.

“Finally.”

He muttered in relief, recognizing the face.

“What’s this?”

It was Enkrid. He pressed his temples with his index finger as he approached. Enkrid looked at the two facing each other in front of the Fourth-Fourth squad tent. It was the reality Kraiss had avoided.

“I said I’m the acting squad leader without a squad leader, so follow orders. Ragna Squad member?”

“Address me with ‘sir’ added to my last name, you barbarian.”

“Huh, has this picky eater dressed up in noble’s attire?”

“It’s offensive for a beast to call my name.”

“Oh, really? Maybe you need a rough lesson from this beast?”

Rem’s hand bulged with veins, ready to split Ragna’s head.

The squad member called Ragna faced him indifferently.

He stood calmly with his hands down.

That was Ragna’s ready stance.

Jaxon watched indifferently.

One remaining squad member prayed quietly, trying to intervene.

“Brother, fighting and violence are wrong.”

“Stay out, you religious nut.”

“Step back. There’s no mercy in swords.”

Rem and Ragna replied simultaneously.

‘The squad is a mess.’

Just a week and they were like this.

The headache that had disappeared while walking returned.

“Kraiss, any spare medicine?”

Jaxon spoke indifferently, fight or not. He greeted Enkrid with a nod and asked Kraiss.

“Not right now. Squad leader, you’re back. I was going to find you. There’s been some trouble.”

Kraiss shook his head at Jaxon and spoke to Enkrid.

“Hold on.”

First, he had to stop those two.

Left alone, there would be bloodshed.

It was the same the day he arrived.

Back then, it wasn’t Ragna but the praying squad member.

“Many things can’t be solved with fighting and violence.”

The one speaking like that wasn’t normal either.

“Hey!”

Enkrid ignored his throbbing headache and stepped between them.

The way to stop their fights was simple.

Words wouldn’t work.

You had to physically intervene.

Enkrid walked between them.

“…Really, they say ignorance is bliss, don’t they?”

Rem muttered. The veins in his hands twitched and then stopped.

“I can’t just cut him. The squad leader, um, forget it.”

Rem and Ragna stepped back. They didn’t forget to exchange pleasantries.

“Don’t die on the battlefield, I want to kill you myself.”

Ragna said.

“Huh? What? Want to die tomorrow? Can’t wait to taste my axe?”

Rem retorted.

“Enough.”

Enkrid shook his head in the middle. Why did they hate each other so much?

He didn’t know. They had been like this from the start. They were still glaring at each other.

Just arrived, and it was already a fight.

“Anyway, all sorts of things happened while you were gone.”

Kraiss spoke again from behind.

“Did they?”

It was obvious.

When in the medical tent, Ragna said the tent was a mess, and he was right. It was somewhat expected. It was fine. After experiencing so many hardships, their mess didn’t bother him.

They missed meal duty and ate individually. They fought with the neighboring squad and punched one guy’s jaw and ignored the squad leader’s summons.

‘Isn’t it too much of a mess without me?’

He thought, but it was fine. Kraiss kept babbling. Enkrid realized the chaos wasn’t limited to the Troublemaker Squad.

“A curse?”

Enkrid forgot his headache and asked.

“Yes, they say the whole camp is cursed.”

What nonsense is this?

It was so absurd it made him forget his headache.Chapter 20: Squad Leader Enkrid

There was a torch stand between the tents and the supply tent had oil. For several days, he had been repeating today, training his hearing. He could find everything around him with his eyes closed.

“Just a moment.”

It was really simple. Enkrid used sounds to locate the patrol guards and stealthily got oil from the supply tent. Then, he poured the oil roughly over the tent.

The rest was even easier. He just had to kick the torch stand over. Since no one was watching, he crawled in the shadows and pulled the torch stand, toppling it over.

The flame at the end of the torch stand met the oil with a whoosh, greeting it warmly.

“You’ve got some skills.”

The company commander said blandly.

Was that a compliment?

Enkrid thought so as he set fire to the tent. Of course, the fire started where he had poured the oil first. Enkrid made sure to get some soot on his face and inhale a bit of smoke. Reacting genuinely was much easier than faking it.

“Cough!”

Coughing, Enkrid carried the freckled soldier and exited through the tear in the tent where the company commander had entered. He collapsed in front of the medical tent.

That was enough.

“Fire!”

He had timed the fire to when the patrol guard would be coming.

No, he had to.

The night watch of the neighboring tent was an expert at sleeping while standing. He didn’t wake up at all. Enkrid thought the assassin had shot a poison dart at him too.

It didn’t require much preparation to get here. He had simply stolen oil from the supply tent and toppled the torch stand. However, Crang and the company commander, who watched, seemed quite impressed.

“Honestly, you’d make a great leader for a band of thieves.”

Crang’s words just before leaving lingered in his mind. Was that supposed to be a compliment?

Running his hand through his hair, his fingers caught on the tangled strands.

‘I should get a haircut.’

He lay down without even thinking about wiping the soot off his face. It wasn’t a big fire. It wouldn’t be a major incident. No one had died. He had already thought up an excuse about the night watch.

‘Ask me tomorrow. Tomorrow.’

Without exaggeration, he really wanted to just lie down and sleep like this. It had been a long night. A really long today. His headache had surpassed throbbing and left his head feeling numb. He didn’t want to think about anything.

“Survivors?”

“Over there. I think he passed out now.”

He knew they were talking about him, but he ignored it and closed his eyes. Fatigue washed over him.

Though he wasn’t the freckled night watch, Enkrid felt a one-sided closeness to him.

‘You don’t know this, but.’

Enkrid had talked to him. He knew where he was from. He knew about the girlfriend he left back home and why he joined the military. Today was something he had but not the other guy. That closeness came from that.

Besides, the fire and the attack weren’t his fault. So, he came up with a reasonable excuse.

He said the night watch had shouted as soon as the fire broke out and tried to rescue those inside, but inhaled smoke and fainted.

He was a fresh recruit who had just finished training. And there was no fire training during the drills. Everyone accepted the reason.

“Did I really do that?”

Though he asked bewilderedly, not remembering a thing.

“Must have lost your memory.”

The supply company commander just let it pass. Enkrid had wondered if anyone would suspect him, but no one did. It was too perfect a cover.

He thought someone might find it suspicious, but thankfully, no one did. The supply company commander was just relieved the supply tent hadn’t caught fire. That had been part of his plan, so the situation went as he intended.

A new bright morning.

Today didn’t repeat.

Enkrid woke up still feeling a headache but he was satisfied. After all, he had survived another ‘today.’

“You saved me?”

With his face and body washed and his soot-smelling clothes changed, holding a dagger to roughly trim his hair, Enkrid headed out. Vengeance sat on a supply box and asked.

“I couldn’t just watch you burn to death in front of me.”

Vengeance muttered at Enkrid’s words. After mumbling something, he asked.

“…Why?”

Enkrid wondered if such a thing needed a reason. With his head still pounding, he didn’t want to talk much.

“Because you’re my comrade.”

So, he spoke without much thought. Vengeance’s expression hardened at that.

“Tsk.”

Seeing his hardened face, Enkrid spoke.

“The flower of the battlefield is…”

“…The infantry.”

It was the infantry company’s greeting. With that, Enkrid turned around. He had just received orders to return.

“I’ve only been a jerk.”

Vengeance’s grumbling voice faintly reached his ears.

Sounds he wouldn’t normally hear were now audible.

‘Hearing training.’

Enkrid reflected on the abilities he had gained.

He also recalled how the elf company commander deflected his sword last night. He thought about dodging the assassin’s attacks too.

A natural question arose.

‘Am I still in the same place?’

It wasn’t serious. Just curiosity. How different were yesterday’s Enkrid and today’s Enkrid? Suddenly, he wanted to face Rem in a match.

‘First,’

Returning to the main camp and resting was a priority. His head still throbbed.

“The weather is nice.”

Without walking far, Enkrid noticed a long shadow stretching to his right. Looking up, he saw a clear blue canvas in the sky. Cumulus clouds were scattered across, with a refreshing breeze and warm sunlight. It was a very clear day.

Just walking made him feel his headache was easing.

Kraiss outwardly appeared calm, but internally he sighed deeply. Enkrid had been gone for a week.

‘How did we manage back then?’

In the face of the current situation, Kraiss mentally retreated. He recalled the days without Enkrid.

“So, I’m the squad leader here. So, you have to listen to me. So, gather in front of the tent now.”

The squad leader kept repeating ‘so.’ He had shown a coercive attitude. And he had died screaming on the first battlefield.

“Follow me!”

He seemed to have heard some strange rumor. Though the Troublemaker Squad was small in number, their skills were top-notch.

Did he really think they would quietly follow him?

He charged alone and got his head impaled by a spear. When his helmet flew back, Rem had kicked it away.

‘The next squad leader.’

“I heard you guys are good fighters. Wanna test your skills? Anyone wanna go against me?”

He was a noble’s son. Rumor had it he had committed some crime and was conscripted. Details unknown, he said he’d stay here for a few months before returning. The noble was full of confidence but lacked experience.

“Can we spar with the squad leader?”

Rem scratched his head and asked.

“Um, not you. Yeah, you. The one with the reddish-brown hair.”

He picked Jaxon as his opponent. Rem looked like a thug, so anyone could see he was a fighter. And calling out Kraiss was too much. So, he picked the relatively harmless-looking Jaxon.

Naturally, it was a big mistake.

“Me?”

“Yes, come on. Let’s spar. Haha, I’ve never lost before.”

“What if someone gets hurt during the spar?”

“Are you scared of that? Let’s just keep it off the record!”

The arrogant and cocky noble squad leader…

“Ahhh!”

Got his arm broken.

“I expected him to dodge.”

Though usually amicable, Jaxon could turn quite vicious after being provoked by Rem and the other squad members watching the match.

“You should have stepped forward with your left foot there.”

“Funny, just trip him and he’ll fall.”

“You’re losing your grip on the sword. Hold it tighter. Underestimating your opponent will get you hurt.”

“Tsk, this guy can’t even take down a prick properly. I’d have finished by now. Ah, boring.”

Those comments turned Jaxon fierce.

The company commander got furious over the broken arm.

“Are you assaulting a superior?”

“You are the one who said it’s off the record and insisted on the fight.”

“Right, right. A man’s word is his bond.”

“If a man changes his words, he loses his manhood.”

With each squad member chiming in, the company commander couldn’t say much. Facts were facts. The noble squad leader soon withdrew. At his family estate, he might have had plenty of mercenaries to lose to him for money, but this was a battlefield.

The company commander hadn’t intended to bring the noble to the battlefield anyway. She had just given him a nominal position.

‘The next squad leader was also…’

The same.

A hot-tempered squad leader had a quiet chat with Rem outside and applied for a transfer, calming down.

Others left for similar reasons. Those who stayed just tolerated each other.

“Phew.”

Kraiss turned his head at the sigh behind him.

“Finally.”

He muttered in relief, recognizing the face.

“What’s this?”

It was Enkrid. He pressed his temples with his index finger as he approached. Enkrid looked at the two facing each other in front of the Fourth-Fourth squad tent. It was the reality Kraiss had avoided.

“I said I’m the acting squad leader without a squad leader, so follow orders. Ragna Squad member?”

“Address me with ‘sir’ added to my last name, you barbarian.”

“Huh, has this picky eater dressed up in noble’s attire?”

“It’s offensive for a beast to call my name.”

“Oh, really? Maybe you need a rough lesson from this beast?”

Rem’s hand bulged with veins, ready to split Ragna’s head.

The squad member called Ragna faced him indifferently.

He stood calmly with his hands down.

That was Ragna’s ready stance.

Jaxon watched indifferently.

One remaining squad member prayed quietly, trying to intervene.

“Brother, fighting and violence are wrong.”

“Stay out, you religious nut.”

“Step back. There’s no mercy in swords.”

Rem and Ragna replied simultaneously.

‘The squad is a mess.’

Just a week and they were like this.

The headache that had disappeared while walking returned.

“Kraiss, any spare medicine?”

Jaxon spoke indifferently, fight or not. He greeted Enkrid with a nod and asked Kraiss.

“Not right now. Squad leader, you’re back. I was going to find you. There’s been some trouble.”

Kraiss shook his head at Jaxon and spoke to Enkrid.

“Hold on.”

First, he had to stop those two.

Left alone, there would be bloodshed.

It was the same the day he arrived.

Back then, it wasn’t Ragna but the praying squad member.

“Many things can’t be solved with fighting and violence.”

The one speaking like that wasn’t normal either.

“Hey!”

Enkrid ignored his throbbing headache and stepped between them.

The way to stop their fights was simple.

Words wouldn’t work.

You had to physically intervene.

Enkrid walked between them.

“…Really, they say ignorance is bliss, don’t they?”

Rem muttered. The veins in his hands twitched and then stopped.

“I can’t just cut him. The squad leader, um, forget it.”

Rem and Ragna stepped back. They didn’t forget to exchange pleasantries.

“Don’t die on the battlefield, I want to kill you myself.”

Ragna said.

“Huh? What? Want to die tomorrow? Can’t wait to taste my axe?”

Rem retorted.

“Enough.”

Enkrid shook his head in the middle. Why did they hate each other so much?

He didn’t know. They had been like this from the start. They were still glaring at each other.

Just arrived, and it was already a fight.

“Anyway, all sorts of things happened while you were gone.”

Kraiss spoke again from behind.

“Did they?”

It was obvious.

When in the medical tent, Ragna said the tent was a mess, and he was right. It was somewhat expected. It was fine. After experiencing so many hardships, their mess didn’t bother him.

They missed meal duty and ate individually. They fought with the neighboring squad and punched one guy’s jaw and ignored the squad leader’s summons.

‘Isn’t it too much of a mess without me?’

He thought, but it was fine. Kraiss kept babbling. Enkrid realized the chaos wasn’t limited to the Troublemaker Squad.

“A curse?”

Enkrid forgot his headache and asked.

“Yes, they say the whole camp is cursed.”

What nonsense is this?

It was so absurd it made him forget his headache.