A Knight who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Squire

After the battle, the elf company commander realized the sorcery’s medium had been the flag.

So, who had destroyed the flag?

Tracking back through the battlefield’s events, she found her answer.

‘The troublemaker squad leader.’

That was why she was here. The Battalion Commander hadn’t bothered to investigate who had destroyed the medium. He assumed the incompetent sorcerer had simply failed.

To be fair, many of the continent’s sorcerers were charlatans, making that assumption plausible. Besides, the Battalion Commander had bigger concerns. Someone far superior to his immediate superior had visited the unit.

“What do you mean?”

The question about whether it was him received an answer.

“Sorcery, flag, medium.”

In just three words, she conveyed everything she wanted to say. Enkrid, having no intention of denying what he had done unless directly asked, responded.

“Yes, I did it.”

“How?”

A short question came back.

“I threw a spear like this.”

“There were five decoys.”

There were a total of six flagpoles, only one of which was real.

“I guessed.”

“And you knew the flagpole was the medium?”

“I saw something during a recon mission, and I had some prior knowledge about sorcery.”

His answers were smooth. The elf’s sharp intuition told her he wasn’t lying. However, anyone could tell he wasn’t being entirely forthcoming. It felt like he was hiding something, even though he had done it. The elf company commander looked into Enkrid’s blue eyes and nodded.

“Understood.”

“Is that what you came to ask?”

“Yes, and to see your face.”

Then she paused, taking a moment before she spoke again.

“It seems we are destined.”

Leaving that cryptic remark, she turned and left. It was a statement open to much misunderstanding. Rem poked Enkrid in the side, startled by her words.

“What’s your secret?”

“What?”

“The secret to charming an elf. Tell me. I’m all ears.”

“Impressive.”

Ragna chimed in.

“It’s not like that.”

Enkrid’s good looks, which even Big Eyes admitted, sometimes attracted women in the city without any effort. Naturally, he wasn’t a virgin. He wasn’t naïve or oblivious enough to mistake signals between men and women.

So, the recent conversation was definitely not about that. There had been no such signals. Instead, he was left with an unsettling feeling. Moreover, she was his superior’s superior.

“When would you have had the time to meet her… Ah, I get it. Was it then? When you were in the medical tent? That’s the only time!”

“No, you crazy bastard.”

Rem continued babbling about the same topic for the next four hours. Ragna left to take a nap midway. Jaxon, who came in later, nodded meaninglessly, lifting Enkrid’s spirits a bit. When Big Eyes arrived later, he started talking but soon leaned in to whisper after hearing what Rem had said.

“Stop rolling around the battlefield. Let’s run a noblewoman’s salon together.”

“No, you crazy bastard.”

Big Eyes’ dream was to save up a bunch of Krona and open his own shop. A noblewoman’s salon, where delicate men entertain noblewomen, was his dream establishment.

He planned to sell drinks and snacks, expecting people to come for the clear purpose, even if he charged several times the price. He had made the same proposal to Rem once, nearly getting beaten up, and hadn’t brought it up again for a while.

“Don’t talk to me about it. I’ll split your head with an axe.”

Rem smiled wickedly from behind.

“I’m not doing it.”

Big Eyes muttered as if he were dying.

“You’re only pretending to be a barbarian now.”

Big Eyes grumbled quietly, lacking the courage to speak up. Actually, he was already brave. There was no way Rem hadn’t heard his muttering. As Rem began to glare, Big Eyes clapped his hands together.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot what I came here to say, distracted by the Squad Leader’s story.”

Almost forgot?

Rem was just about to retort when Big Eyes hastily spoke. Enkrid let himself be fooled, knowing any story other than the Commander’s supposed love interest was more valuable at this point.

“They’re coming.”

“Who?”

“No, they’re here.”

Big Eyes whispered. His expression was so serious that Enkrid leaned in.

“A knight’s squire.”

“…The Red Cloak Knights?”

Enkrid asked.

“Yes.”

Currently, Enkrid and his comrades served in a division called Cyprus. This was also the name of a knight within the Red Cloak Knights.

Typically, an army division would be named after a knight who belonged to the knightly order. Of course, not many were worthy of being called knights. Knights were rare talents even on the continent.

Thus, a kingdom’s knightly order didn’t consist only of knights. Those with the potential to become knights, squires, or apprentice knights who followed and learned from knights. When their apprenticeship ended and they were acknowledged by a knight, they would become proto-knights. Thus, they would serve in the knightly order.

Usually, squires didn’t participate in battles independently. For such a one to be here now meant…

‘He’s soon to be a proto-knight.’

What is a knight?

A troubadour once said:

“To consider knights as ordinary people is a grave mistake. Yes, that’s right. They are beings who surpass human limits. How else would they face beings like the Frogs?”

Knights are said to transcend human limitations.

So, what is a proto-knight?

They are those who are not yet knights but have the potential to become knights. Proto-knights are experts in combat and fighting. If knights overcome human limits, proto-knights reach the peak of human capability.

A squire about to become a proto-knight.

Enkrid wanted to see them. He was curious about their skills. The knights he aspired to be weren’t merely figures of honor. In this era, knights symbolized military might. A part of that symbol had come here.

“You look like you’re dying to see them.”

Rem said, looking at Enkrid.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“They say he’s already prepared to advance.”

Big Eyes mentioned.

“Did he come alone?”

Rem asked, crossing his arms. Big Eyes nodded.

“Yes, he said he’s enough on his own.”

From that, Enkrid understood why the army hadn’t retreated.

‘If Azpen had prepared sorcery.’

Then they had prepared military might as a trump card. Both Naurillia and Azpen. They added an element of surprise to the otherwise tedious annual skirmishes.

‘Do they intend to seize part of the plains with this?’

Had the sorcery worked properly, a proto-knight would have been useless. But now, the situation was different. The sorcery was thwarted, and the army had seized victory. Had the squire arrived a day or two earlier, they would have launched an immediate offensive.

‘They were a bit late.’

By now, the enemy had regrouped.

“Prepare to march! The entire army moves now!”

Enkrid stopped his train of thought at the shout from outside. It was the platoon leader’s voice.

Suddenly, the platoon leader stuck his head into the tent.

“Hey, did you hear? Of course, you did.”

The platoon leader asked and then answered himself.

“Everyone’s marching out. We’re pushing our front lines further into the Green Pearl Plains.”

“Is it okay to announce the plan so openly?”

Enkrid asked, looking at the platoon leader.

“There’s nothing to hide. We’re moving out immediately. Are you coming?”

“I’d like to watch.”

Enkrid stood, his injured body protesting. Ideally, he should stay out of the battlefield, but…

“I’ll stay by your side.”

Big Eyes raised his hand. He was always careful about his own safety. It would be safe for Enkrid to stay near him.

The platoon leader didn’t care for Enkrid like family. He was much older and could be overbearing at times. Moreover, as the leader of a troublesome squad, there were frequent clashes.

Still, seeing Enkrid dead would weigh on his conscience. He practiced tirelessly, never letting a moment pass idly, often drawing the ire of others. Seeing such a diligent person become a corpse wasn’t pleasant.

“Take care of yourself.”

The platoon leader said and left.

“If you want to watch, then watch.”

Rem nodded. Ragna began preparing for deployment. Jaxon strapped on his sword and grabbed a few throwing knives. Equipment he usually didn’t bother with.

“I’ll stay beside you.”

Jaxon said.

“Beside me?”

Rem joked. Jaxon shook his head.

“You smell so bad it’s hard to even share a tent with you.”

Rem was good at subtly provoking people, but Jaxon excelled at outright antagonizing them.

“Squad Leader, I think I want to split that guy’s head before the Azpens. What do you think?”

“Hold back. Let’s just watch. Aren’t you curious to see how well the squire fights?”

“He’ll probably fight extremely well.”

Rem replied, grabbing his axe. As Enkrid limped out to join the formation, Vengeance approached.

“Are you out of your mind?”

After the battle, Enkrid had thanked him, and Vengeance had grumbled but came to the tent. He said he had repaid his debt and was relieved, happily ranting alone. When Enkrid asked what debt he meant.

“Remember the fire in the medical tent?”

“There’s no way I’d forget that. How could I?”

He had forgotten. Repeating today so often had its drawbacks. Still, it wasn’t something he could entirely forget.

The fire, the assassin, and the blaze.

Enkrid had started the fire. Vengeance thought he had saved him from the fire, but he had actually saved him from the assassin.

‘Saving is saving.’

A debt was a debt. Since the other believed it that way, it was easier to accept. That’s why he had rushed over to save him in the battlefield. Looking at Vengeance glaring at him in the field, Enkrid spoke.

“Who wants to die?”

“Then why are you out here?”

“I want to watch.”

“What?”

“They say a squire is here.”

“Oh, hey, don’t get too ahead of yourself. I’m not saving you a second time.”

Vengeance said and returned to his formation.

“Why’s he acting all buddy-buddy? Wasn’t he always picking fights before?”

Rem asked from the side.

He had been. Vengeance had disliked Enkrid. When had that changed?

“Don’t call him ‘that guy.’ He’s a platoon leader. The more time I spend with him, the more I see he’s a decent person.”

“Don’t get too soft. If you cry about getting stabbed in the back later, it’ll be too late.”

“Mind your own business.”

The formation and movement were quickly completed. The ranks weren’t perfectly aligned, and the formation spread out in a wide arc as they began to march.

Someone stood alone at the front. A red cloak fluttered in the wind. The figure at the front, cloaked, walked calmly. From the outside, there was no hint of the squire’s or proto-knight’s prowess.

“Hmph, judging by his stride, he can fight.”

Rem commented, frowning with his arms crossed.

“It’s more than that. His stance is solid. Unless there’s someone like a Frog on the enemy side, it’ll be a boring fight.”

Ragna added. Jaxon also looked ahead. His eyes seemed to scan the figure in the red cloak. Big Eyes, next to Enkrid, brought up another point.

“It’s time to fall back now. We’ll get swept up if we don’t.”

Big Eyes was calculating when they should retreat. And at that moment, the red cloak flared. The cloak fluttered in the wind as its owner dashed forward.

Enkrid blinked, needing to confirm what he was seeing. Behind the running figure, an afterimage remained.

How fast must someone be to leave an afterimage?

“Seems he’s putting his will into his legs.”

Ragna muttered, watching. Enkrid didn’t fully understand but didn’t want to ask now.

It was time to focus.

Seeing the cloaked figure running, the enemy fired arrows. Apparently, they hadn’t deployed crossbowmen separately this time, as a cluster of arrows flew overhead. At least a hundred archers seemed to have fired their arrows. The squire didn’t swing his sword, instead he accelerated.

Bang!

The ground and dirt exploded like a fountain, and the cloaked figure had already closed in on the enemy.

He had outrun the arrow’s range just by running. It was clearly a move beyond human limits.