A Knight who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 91

Chapter 91: Special Platoon

Cynocephali.

They were creatures that fell somewhere between monsters and beasts. They were four-legged monsters with a face resembling that of an old man, or a beast with a face akin to a human.

In all honesty, however, did it even matter?

Monsters and beasts alike preyed on humans. They were simply targets to be exterminated. No one knew where monsters and beasts came from.

Since the time Enkrid was born, or perhaps since this world existed, the threat of monsters and beasts had always been there.

There were many types, including Ghouls, Harpies, and Skeletons. The distinction between monsters and beasts was simple. Beasts resembled animals, while monsters had distinct, individual characteristics.

Among them, Cynocephali were terrifying monsters that lost all fear when they formed a pack, standing somewhere between beasts and monsters.

“Advance.”

It was a horde of over fifty, growling as they scattered in all directions. The Heavy Infantry Commander gave the order as soon as they spotted the Cynocephali horde.

Heavy Infantry, the most expensive and resource-intensive unit to equip and train. Their heavy armor reduced their mobility, making them ill-suited for tasks like throwing javelins or becoming archers.

The weight of their armor restricted dynamic movement, so they couldn’t perform agile charges.

But with their full-body armor, square shields, and spears jutting out from between the shields, the Heavy Infantry platoon displayed overwhelming efficiency on the plains.

Even now, that held true. The Heavy Infantry’s march across the wasteland was slow, barely kicking up any dust. They advanced steadily, one step at a time.

There was nothing the Cynocephali horde could do. Their main attack method was with their claws. But those claws were useless here.

‘An overwhelming victory.’

Even the Harpies in the sky couldn’t harm the Heavy Infantry, let alone the Cynocephali horde.

Thunk!

Their claws merely bounced off the shields. Even if some managed to slip their claws between the shield gaps.

Clang.

They only scratched the metal armor beneath. And such instances were rare, fewer than one in ten. Most were simply blocked by the advancing shields of the Heavy Infantry.

“Kaak!”

A grating scream spread from the throat of a Cynocephalus as its front paw struck a square shield, only to have its side pierced by a spear thrust through the gap between the shields, impaling its body.

The impaled monster dangled from the spear until the soldier at the front line shoved it off with his shield, pulling the spear free.

The wounded monster rolled on the ground, its cries quickly becoming death throes. The Heavy Infantry then marched over it, crushing it underfoot.

Thud, thud.

Considering their weight, simply stepping on it was more than enough to ensure it was dead.

Blocking with shields and stabbing with spears. A simple yet highly effective strategy. They weren’t facing humans, after all. These were monsters. There was no other way.

While the Heavy Infantry decimated the Cynocephali horde, the Special Task Force made up of the Frontier Slaughterers held the left hill, launching long-range attacks.

They were an archery and crossbow unit. Five longbowmen and fifteen crossbowmen. They sealed off one side, pouring arrows and bolts down, forcing the Cynocephali into one direction.

That direction was blocked by the Heavy Infantry. Enkrid and Rem weren’t just standing by either. More Cynocephali kept emerging from somewhere, joining the horde of fifty.

“Looks like it’s our turn to handle these!” Rem said, unusually excited. Without waiting for a response, Enkrid took off. He was already charging ahead faster than Rem.

The excitement in his chest hadn’t subsided yet. This was the time to swing his sword and prove what had become ingrained in his body.

He was beginning to understand the value of this time. To fight for his life without the sense that he might die. When did he ever have such an experience?

It gave Enkrid a strange feeling.

Amidst a dozen or so Cynocephali, he didn’t feel like he was on the brink of death. There was no sense of impending doom.

Why was he so certain? Was it because Rem was with him? That didn’t seem to be it.

Thoughts could come later.

He ran. His speed and dynamism were invisible to the Heavy Infantry. With audacity and focus, he dashed, lowering his waist as he swung his sword.

A slash parallel to the ground.

Slice! Thud!

The first Cynocephalus’s snout was severed, and the same slash split another’s head. The second one’s eyes and forehead were torn and burst.

He had dealt with two monsters using a single sword stroke. Enkrid planted his left foot on the ground, using it as a pivot to spin his body to the side.

As he turned, he raised his sword vertically, then brought it down in a textbook example of a vertical slash.

Crack!

The Cynocephalus’s head split open. His heart pounded madly. He slashed, swung, and cut.

Facing another charging Cynocephalus, he punched its head with his fist, and as one tried to bite his shin, he drove his sword vertically into its skull.

He felt the sensation of the blade crushing the skull resonate through his hand. Before he had a chance to pull out the sword, an axe flashed beside him.

It was Rem. A powerful charge and a powerful strike. The monsters caught by that axe had their heads and bodies mercilessly severed.

Enkrid turned his gaze to the horde of monsters rushing at them. Once, this sight would have terrified him, but not anymore.

His heart beat boldly, allowing him to fight calmly.

His mind was as cold as ice. Even as he busied himself thinking of the most optimum movements to cut down the charging monsters, he also calculated where he should move to gain an advantage.

While his mind was cold, his heart burned hot. The exhilaration and the blazing sensation heightened his body and senses.

‘This is it.’

The techniques he had learned while facing the Sewer Mage were starting to come together. The things he had practiced with his squad members were being honed in real combat.

Watching from the side, Rem was reminded of building fortifications. He had once been disguised as a laborer and forced to help construct a wall.

The process of hauling heavy stones and stacking them one by one. A tedious, seemingly endless task. Ultimately, it required patience.

‘It’s amazing.’

Watching Enkrid’s growth, all Rem could think was how amazing it was. Having witnessed it up close more than anyone, it was a series of incomprehensible events.

A man who could barely stack one stone a day, was suddenly stacking dozens in a single day. How was such a thing possible?

He didn’t know. And he didn’t care to know. It only made him more interested.

‘This is fun. This is really fun.’

“Squawk!”

The last Cynocephalus had a bolt lodged in its head. Torres had arrived, having helped corral and kill the monsters.

Clicking his tongue, Torres remarked,

“What a shame. You should’ve joined our unit. Why are you still just a Squad Leader?”

The 1st Company’s Platoon Leader was wondering the same thing. With skills like these, why? Enkrid subtly stepped in front of Rem to block the gaze of several soldiers who had connections with Rem.

Rem had once beaten up a superior officer in the 1st Company. He had always had a bad relationship with them, especially since Rem had a tendency to provoke them further.

After preventing any further incidents, Enkrid finally spoke.

“There’s no one to take responsibility for my squad yet.”

Enkrid pointed out a practical issue. If he became a Platoon Leader, who would lead the 444th Squad?

“Well, in any case, good work.”

The overwhelming exhilaration was slowly starting to fade. Though Enkrid had answered, he hadn’t taken the question too seriously.

In his mind, there was only one thought.

‘I need to organize.’

The battle had shown him that he needed to tidy up his arsenal. He had been combining various techniques, creating synergies, and applying them to his swordsmanship.

Up until now, he had been using them as the situation required, but he now felt the need to establish a system. This experience was a first for him, so Enkrid felt a renewed sense of joy.

Finding what he needed on his own. That itself was a rare occurrence. His path had always been shrouded in darkness, with no clear way forward.

But now, what was this?

Signposts kept appearing on that once invisible path. It made him so happy he could hardly contain himself. That was why Enkrid unknowingly smiled.

Even Rem couldn’t guess what he was thinking. Naturally, neither could Torres nor the Heavy Infantry Platoon Leader. The battle was over. Celebrating the victory? This wasn’t that kind of fight.

Winning was expected. Killing was routine in this extermination. Yet, there was a soldier drenched in blood, grinning as if he couldn’t be happier.

The Heavy Infantry Platoon Leader, watching this, thought it was the kind of smile one might have when soaking in hot water in the middle of winter.

“…Is he, uh, all there?”

The 1st Company’s Platoon Leader sidled up to Torres, tapping his own head as he spoke, his eyes on Enkrid.

“Well, it’s hard to say he’s completely normal.”

Torres trailed off. He wasn’t referring to the current smile but rather to Enkrid’s everyday behavior.

No matter how crazy someone might be, no one else in the unit swung a sword as obsessively as that Troublemaker Squad Leader.

“What are you looking at?”

“…You bastard.”

While Enkrid was momentarily distracted, a quarrel broke out between Rem and the soldiers from the 1st Company.

Enkrid quickly turned back to try to calm Rem down, and Torres, along with the others, started to restore order to the scene.

Two missions, one of which was kept under wraps by the Company Commander, meant that no one knew they had killed the Sewer Mage.

But everyone knew about the monster extermination. From slaying a wolf beast to taking on Harpies with a sword, few were surprised by what Rem did.

Those who didn’t know him might be shocked at first, but Rem’s exceptional skills had long been the reason he was tolerated in the unit.

“That bastard Rem? He’s always been a good fighter.”

“If only his personality were better, he could’ve made it to Battalion Commander.”

When word spread through the unit, it was Enkrid who truly surprised the soldiers. He was a high-rank soldier, according to the military ranking system.

However, not all high-rank soldiers could pull off what he did.

Taking on Harpies with a sword? Why on earth would anyone do something so reckless? And yet, this reckless act had resulted in the death of three Harpies.

The rumors spread like wildfire.

“How the hell did he do that?”

“I always knew he had it in him.”

“Enkrid? That Troublemaker Squad Leader?”

“Didn’t they say he broke some sorcery before?”

“Huh, last time I saw him, I thought he was barely a high-rank soldier.”

It was natural that people would talk.

The way he had dealt with the Cynocephali horde was impressive, and it wasn’t just a handful of people who had witnessed it.

“So why is he still just a Squad Leader?”

The rumors and questions spread throughout the unit, eventually reaching the ears of the Battalion Commander.

The Battalion Commander couldn’t ignore it. As a result, the Elf Company Commander was summoned for questioning.

“Is it right to keep him as just a Squad Leader?”

“Well, his squad is quite special.”

“If we can’t afford to reward him with money, maybe we should raise his rank instead.”

The system of the Kingdom of Naurillia was clear. The better you performed, the more you were rewarded.

That was the essence of it.

They didn’t implement policies like the military ranking system or the mercenary system for no reason. The rewards came in the form of money or honor.

The Battalion Commander, looking out for his own interests, suggested promoting Enkrid instead of giving him a cash reward.

The Company Commander, well aware of the unique nature of the Troublemaker Squad, understood the implications. If Enkrid became a Platoon Leader, the squad would become uncontrollable.

A different approach would be needed.

“Very well.”

The Company Commander saluted and turned away, having thought of a clever solution that would satisfy both the Battalion Commander and maintain the current structure. And so, Enkrid found himself in a new position.

“My squad consists of only ten members.”

“That doesn’t matter. As of today, you hold a rank equivalent to that of a Platoon Leader. Any objections?”

“None.”

It was an order from a superior. Enkrid had no reason to argue. Especially when the superior was the Elf Company Commander. He’d rather avoid becoming the subject of her jokes.

“Dismissed.”

And so, he received the rank of Platoon Leader.

“Do we call you Platoon Leader now?”

“Oh, Platoon Leader, has your pay gone up?”

“So, what about us?”

“Congratulations, brother.”

“My sword’s edge is dull.”

Whether those were words of congratulations was uncertain. Though Ragna’s comment certainly didn’t sound like one.

In reality, nothing changed despite his promotion to Platoon Leader. Oh, except there were talks about finally filling the vacant positions in the squad.

A full squad was supposed to have ten members. Up until now, it had only been six, including Enkrid. The official title was now the Independent Platoon under the 4th Company.

They were no longer the 4th Squad. The offer to recruit more members was there, but—

‘Do I really need to?’

Even though they were called an Independent Platoon, they would hardly ever be sent on individual operations. The only real benefit to being a Platoon Leader was not having to perform regular duties.

“That’s a bit unfair, isn’t it?”

Rem expressed his dissatisfaction, but since their squad was staying intact, he let most things slide. The promotion to Platoon Leader and the spreading of rumors within the unit led to changes.

However, Enkrid’s daily routine remained unchanged.

“You want to learn more?”

It started with Audin. Aside from organizing what he had learned,

Enkrid didn’t want to waste any time. He believed in not stopping the process of learning and honing his skills whenever he had the opportunity.

That was the core of how Enkrid utilized his repetitive daily routine. So he sought out Audin, looking to learn the next steps after mastering the techniques he had already absorbed.

“Have you heard of Bed Combat?”

This sounded like nonsense, but–

“It’s a training method created by the Holy Knight Valaf.”

Audin explained. The Valaf-style martial arts. It wasn’t about striking or hitting but rather about grappling and joint locks.

An addition to his daily routine of being pinned down and twisted on the bed. Of course, learning something new from Audin wasn’t the only thing.

By now, the harsh winter cold was beginning to recede. Enkrid remained unchanged, however.

His days were so repetitive that if the Ferryman appeared in his dreams, he’d be asking, “What the hell are you doing with your life?”

And then the rumors began. There were talks of a full-scale war, not just local skirmishes. It was inevitable.

In the previous battlefield, the enemy had used sorcery while the allies had deployed Squires, altering the course of the battle. The battlefield would be even fiercer, with spring approaching.

As spring neared, Enkrid spent his days busier than ever, organizing what he had learned.