A Knight who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: How to Handle a Fool

A thin branch and a man. With a lowered arm, the branch barely touched the ground. It looked like a sword, sharper than and pointier than any blade.

There was no need to think or hesitate. Everything happened in an instant, and it ended just as quickly.

Enkrid saw visions of the battlefield. The moment his opponent moved, he instinctively swung his sword.

Whoosh.

The branch Enkrid held sliced heavily through the air. It only sliced through empty air. The tip of his opponent’s branch touched his throat.

Tap.

‘How?’

He replayed the scene he had just witnessed. He had seen it, so it was accurate to say he had seen it and still got hit.

“Since everyone’s offering a word after finishing, I might as well. It was timing,” the man said.

The opponent had used a swift sword technique. He had used it like a textbook of orthodox swordsmanship. Instead of moving first, he had taken advantage of Enkrid’s downward swing.

‘He didn’t just parry.’

Enkrid’s eyes traveled down to his opponent’s feet. He saw the soft half-circle pattern on the dirt floor traced by his opponent’s boots.

‘He twisted his body to hide his center line.’

It was a basic technique. You could even call it simple. He twisted his body to evade, then stabbed to finish.

‘If this had been a battlefield…’

He would have experienced something similar to the first strike. He thought he was at a completely different level from before.

Though he was far away and higher up compared to before, his opponent’s skill was still superior.

For an ordinary person, realizing their limits in such a way would lead to despair and frustration. Enkrid could make out that much of a difference, all from one swing of a stick.

“You’re not that young,” the man remarked. There was a question in his tone, so Enkrid replied.

“Thirty. One more time?”

“One more time, you say?”

Enkrid nodded.

“Hah.”

The man let out a hollow laugh at Enkrid’s nod. To him, this guy wasn’t normal. He had shown the gap between them.

He stepped up, colored by passion, but his limits were clear. He intended to break Enkrid’s spirit by showing that it was a waste of time.

Losing was painful for everyone. The more overwhelming the opponent, the more it hurt. What was it to lose? How did one facing defeat react?

Despair, frustration, and suffering.

Some refused to accept it and lashed out.

‘Is he lashing out?’

He didn’t seem that way.

“You seemed to have stolen the timing of the downward swing. How did you do it?”

Instead, he was asking to be taught more. There was no sign of embarrassment. He looked at him with silent eyes, blazing with a desire to know.

‘This guy’s insane.’

Despite thinking this, the man took his stance again. He could see the skill and limits of his opponent. Yet he still wanted to spar with him again.

Once again, they sparred, and Enkrid naturally lost. He lost four more times. Without getting tired, he challenged, and the swordsman on Polid’s side accepted every challenge.

“You’re not at his level yet.”

Jaxon offered consolation instead of advice, but Enkrid didn’t need consolation. He had lost so many times. He had been overshadowed by younger talents.

He had been outdone by mercenaries who picked up a sword later than him. He even lost to the village’s self-appointed lawman.

He had lost to bandits.

During his mercenary days, he had been beaten by an asshole who proved that personality and skill were not correlated. He had fled from beasts and monsters more times than he could count.

When a harpy’s claws pierced a comrade’s heart, he ran for his life. If he had hung his head in defeat every time, Enkrid wouldn’t have been able to be a squad leader here.

Nothing like this ever wounded him.

It was just that…

“It was fun.”

He was simply enjoying himself. Enkrid was honest.

“Sometimes I think you’re too strange, Squad Leader.”

Enkrid didn’t want to hear that from his squad members. Jaxon was the sanest of them, but he wasn’t exactly a normal soldier either.

He had perfectly ignored Polid when he spoke, which wasn’t normal. Even now, Jaxon was barely acknowledging Polid’s existence. Whenever he had the chance, Polid would sneak up.

“You soldier, I remember your face. I’m the next head of Rockfreed.”

Jaxon ignored him completely.

“Hey, hey, aren’t you going to answer? Why? Are you too scared to speak?”

He still ignored him.

“This bastard, I’ll make you cry tears of regret.”

Even then, he ignored him. You could call it consistency.BEventually, Polid ended up complaining to Enkrid.

“Hey, why does he keep ignoring me?”

He treated him like he didn’t exist, which must have been maddening. To Enkrid, it looked like Polid would burst into tears at the slightest touch.

Enkrid felt sorry for him and offered advice.

“Because you talk to him.”

It was wise advice for a foolish question. Isn’t ignoring someone often a response to being addressed?

You shouldn’t have spoken in the first place. Enkrid nodded inwardly at his own generosity. It was exceptionally kind advice. Polid trembled in response to that advice.

“You, you, you.”

Seeing him speechless, Enkrid breezed past with a refreshing air.

“Soldier, you’re cruel.”

The company commander said so beside him, but there was no way to be more considerate. Leona, overhearing this, once spat out her tea.

“Well, now I want to say I really like you.”

And left those words behind. Why was he being told this after being so considerate?

The repeated sparring ended after a full day had passed. It was time to wrap things up. The Frontier Slaughterers, the company commander, and the unnamed swordsman had given Enkrid much to gain.

The others, including Jaxon, were simply amazed by his passion. For Enkrid, it was an invaluable time.

‘Especially.’

His opponent had taught him what swift swordsmanship was, how to respond to it, and what someone could do by exploiting speed.

He didn’t immediately engrave anything into his mind like a lightning bolt.

‘It’s okay.’

It would be useful when he hit a wall.

After washing away the sweat, warming himself by the fireplace, and checking his gear, the morning of the second day dawned.

“Squad Leader.”

Kraiss opened the inn door. Behind him was the bald Gilpin, holding a friend with a half-broken face. He had been beaten up so badly it seemed impossible to recognize him.

“It’s him.”

The company commander recognized him immediately. The senses of an elf were indeed something else.

“Hic.”

Foolish Polid hiccupped. Enkrid wondered how anyone could consider this guy as the head of a trading company. He was curious about what was going on in the minds of those under him.

‘Were they going to make him a puppet?’

If not, then why else would a swordsman like that be with him? It didn’t seem like he had been caught with any weaknesses.

“Please, spare me.”

The captive drooled blood mixed with saliva. The droplets pooled on the floor. He must have been beaten thoroughly.

“This guy was a bit rough at first, but after a little conversation, he softened up.”

Kraiss said.

Of course, the conversation wasn’t with words. More likely fists or feet. And probably swords too.

There was a cut on his arm. Although it was crudely wrapped in an old linen bandage, the mark was evident.

“I’m the leader. Yes, I did it for the Krona.”

The man confessed without being asked.

“Hold on.”

All eyes were on the battered man’s mouth when Leona’s voice broke the silence.

“Could you remove the people for a moment? The officer in charge here is Unique Soldier Squad Leader Torres, right?”

“…Yes.”

There were many eyes on them. When Torres nodded, two Slaughterers hooked their arms under the man’s armpits.

They headed upstairs.

Soon, Leona, Polid, Torres, the talkative brown-haired man, and the swordsman who sparred with Enkrid went upstairs.

Enkrid and the company commander joined them.

“Could you two continue to escort me?”

With that, Jaxon remained below. More precisely, he seemed unwilling to part from the Carmen Collection stiletto before him. As they moved, Kraiss approached Enkrid, who was about to go upstairs, and slyly asked.

“What?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know, or are you checking?”

“Let’s say I’m asking because I want to receive something.”

This Krona-crazed wide-eyed fool. He did the job, so it was only natural to receive a reward. Not that he could give away the stiletto.

“You can have the expenses for this month.”

Kraiss had seen Jaxon’s smile falter slightly when the man was captured. Trying to take the Carmen Collection from Jaxon’s hands now would be impossible.

He had no intention of doing so.

Nor did he plan to cheat him out of his pay. Enkrid gave up his pouch to Kraiss and the guild.

“We agreed on it.”

What would Kraiss do if he knew the reward was the Carmen Collection? Would he let it go? There wasn’t much to think about. He would. He’d let it go.

Because Jaxon wanted it.

Kraiss knew his place within the squad. Enkrid wasn’t the only one who learned how to survive among them.

Jaxon, Rem, Ragna, Audin.

If it was something they wanted, Kraiss would step back. He wasn’t a fool to stick his hand into the mouth of a leashed hound to see if it bit.

“See you later.”

Enkrid pushed Kraiss’s forehead lightly and headed upstairs.

They gathered in one room. In the middle, the captured spy leader knelt. Torres stood beside him, hand on his sword hilt.VThree from Polid’s side, and Leona stood alone.

Enkrid stood beside Leona with the company commander, completing the scene. Once Enkrid joined, Leona spoke.

“I know there needs to be an interrogation, but may I ask a few questions first?”

The question was directed at Torres.

“Go ahead.”

Torres’s attitude had been the same since day one. He was always formal towards outsiders at Border Guard. Leona didn’t seem to mind.

Leona had been the assassination target. She deserved to ask a few questions first, even if it wasn’t an interrogation.

She was the source of all the problems. The succession issue in the trading company had sparked everything. The beaten man looked like a pudding. Leona knelt to meet the man’s eyes.

“Who ordered you?”

“I-I don’t know. All I know is I was told to target the lady at the inn using any resources available…”

The man spoke straight, though trembling. He seemed to realize he would be done if he didn’t speak properly.

“Do you recognize anyone in this room?”

The man looked around. After glancing at Enkrid and everyone else, he shook his head. They wouldn’t have been foolish enough to give orders directly.

Typically, they inserted several intermediaries when arranging such things. From here, it would be time for an interrogation.

Polid ordered Leona’s assassination. Once that was revealed, the issue of succession would be resolved. Enkrid anticipated this.

“Seems like a few fools greedy for my purse made a mess.”

Leona began speaking unexpectedly.

“…What?”

The captured spy leader tilted his head.

“It wasn’t me!”

Foolish Polid showcased his brilliance. He hadn’t even listened to what Leona said before speaking.

“Did I say anything?”

Leona countered.

“Well, no, that’s not…”

Polid’s pupils shook violently She slapped him without warning at their first meeting, and now this?

Enkrid thought he would be deeply flustered if he were in Polid’s shoes. Polid could only stammer, unable to finish a thought, making the dumbest sounds with his tongue.

Torres furrowed his brow. The people on Polid’s side were calmer. The situation was taking a strange turn. Everyone thought they were trying to pin the blame on Polid.

“Bold.”

The company commander whispered from behind. Only Enkrid could barely hear. Bold? What was?

Enkrid didn’t easily understand the situation. Curiosity made his mind race as he continued to think. There was a reason behind unusual actions. Though his squad members, including Rem, often did insane things for no reason.

Leona wasn’t Rem.

Enkrid reflected on the situation.

The Rockfreed trading company, Polid, Leona, the succession issue, the ambush within Border Guard, the Frontier Slaughterers, the captured man, Azpen’s spy.

He organized what he knew and looked back. When he realized something, Enkrid nodded internally. Immersed in sparring and training, he hadn’t thought of it.

He understood at that moment.