A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 443



Only Noblemtl

443. Then shall we go now?

Encred had experience facing blades coming from outside of his cognition.

Saxony has done it time and time again.

It was the same now.

It was beyond my understanding. It was so fast that I felt like I heard Aura’s words too late.

“ship.”

A single word reached my ears. And before that, the blade cut into my stomach.

A sense of concentration and avoidance was triggered.

Encred shifted his center of gravity by putting strength into his heels. He thought he had dodged by moving backwards as if pushing the floor with his soles. Then he saw Oara’s face.

A faint smile, the corners of her lips going up more than before.

“knee.”

Encred realized that the blade cutting through his stomach was an illusion.

It was like magic done by will.

No, I’ve experienced this too.

It was similar to the sword made from the spirit that Sinar had shown.

This time, it was all about momentum and suggestion.

It was the same time as Aura’s words.

The blade aimed at the knee was thrust vertically from above.

Instead of dodging, Encred swung his sword in a diagonal motion.

From below to above, a whip-like sword cut through the spot where Oara had been.

Oara dodged the blade that Encred swung, but did not change the trajectory of the sword in her hand.

It was a vertical stab. I avoided it by just turning my body and leaving my right hand still.

Bam.

The tip of the sword struck his knee.

There was no injury. There was only a mark on the collar.

“That’s it for today!”

Oara spoke as if shouting.

“Hoo, hoo.”

Encred let out the breath he had been holding.

Oara said, “Good,” and came closer, putting away her sword. She stared at Encred, smiled, and tapped him on the cheek.

“Do you feel like you’ve been fooled by a technique that’s too easy?”

Encred knew that his opponent had only shown two sword strikes.

One is a stabbing that feels like hitting the stomach.

It’s one that was written as a trick.

Two vertical stabs downwards towards the knees.

The match was decided in the second.

Encred felt many things, but he knew what was most important.

‘The experience is different.’

Oara was skilled.

He had not just recently ascended to the ranks of knights, but had already been here for several years. His experience was evident.

“How old are you?”

Encred responded with a question-and-answer format, Thousand Bricks. Adaptation was quick.

It was a question mixed with a joke.

At those words, Oara’s eyes hardened with a smile.

“I let you go because you’re handsome. Haven’t you ever learned that asking a lady’s age will kill you with a hole in your head?”

Encrid remained silent, and Oara passed by smiling.

“Oh, I’m hungry.”

As she walked away, staggering away, Luagarne approached her.

“If you got stabbed in the knee, you would have lost your mobility. You would have lost even if you didn’t go all the way.”

“know.”

“The two movements are simple, but they contain a simple principle.”

Luagarne spoke and waited for a moment. Encrid thought to himself and came up with an answer.

“If you are faster and stronger than your opponent, you cannot be stopped.”

Those who were called knights were such people.

If we think about it further, it could be that he was confident that he could subdue them with just simple movements.

Simplicity, not flashiness. Just because it’s simple doesn’t mean the blade’s lethality changes.

Just because you hit it gently doesn’t mean it will turn into a ball of cotton. It was a truth he had already realized.

That is, if you can win with efficient swordsmanship, then it would be right to do so.

“right.”

Luagarne nodded.

I wasn’t frustrated by losing, but I wasn’t satisfied either.

After a quick wash and filling his stomach, Encred went to find the bar owner.

“There are no bugs.”

In the middle of the meal, Luagarne started to complain about the food. It was understandable, since there didn’t seem to be any food that Frock would find comfortable to eat.

Encred nodded to the owner sitting at the bar and he approached him.

The tavern was quiet. It was because of Prohibition.

“Do you know where those guys are, whether they are cult members or pseudo-cult members?”

“Rather than that, go to Lord Oara and ask him to lift the prohibition on alcohol. I’m going to starve to death.”

Most of life is solved by contributions, but some things were not. Naturally, Crona came and went.

When merchants came and stayed, they received krona, and the same was true for alcohol and the red-light district.

The bar owner lamented his fate and Encred ordered a special dish.

“Please give me a plate of well-roasted grubs.”

“… … I have to figure out where to get that kind of thing… … I guess.”

Less noise.

As the bartender spoke, a pouch opened on the bar table, revealing its entrails. It was silver. The bartender was quick-witted.

“You can give it to me at lunch tomorrow.”

A dozen or so silver coins placed on the bar glittered. The bar owner took the crona and spoke as he knew.

It wasn’t particularly nutritious information.

Asia was also said to be roughly around here, but they said they were wandering around like nomads.

But why do they keep coming here like that? If you think about it, it’s simple.

It must be to gather pseudo-religious followers. Among them, a few deserters and a few people who have a hard time living in the Demon Realm.

That’s how I approach those who are weak-hearted and insert my thoughts into that gap.

When things got bigger, all you had to do was run away and live a comfortable life.

Well, it didn’t matter why those kids were here.

The important thing was that these were guys who had to be dealt with.

I didn’t earn much from wandering around the city all day.

“You’ll have to go and find it yourself.”

Of all the words I got, this was the most useful. It was from Milio.

He also watched the duel between Oara and Encrid.

“Let me have a round of sparring too.”

He was an enthusiastic friend. Encrid gave him a chance.

The weapon he used was a sturdy and heavy hammer, which was perfect for destroying enemies with one blow, but if the opponent dodged or blocked it, his next move was too slow.

“What if I hold it like this and bend it like this?”

“Ah, it hurts.”

Encred taught a few useful footwork and joint techniques between moves. It wasn’t even close to being a Balafian style of fighting.

This way, he could take advantage of his opponent’s carelessness by swinging his sword once and taking advantage of the opening created.

While that was going on, Rem woke up.

“I opened my eyes in the late afternoon,” said Rem.

“What kind of cult are those guys? They’re just a day away.”

It was an unexpected clue. Rem said he saw it when he went to get the whetstone.

“… … You saw it?”

“What are you doing all this time? I thought you were a group of thieves, but upon hearing about it, I realized you were a bunch of cult members.”

“Do you know where that is?”

“Do I look like that stupid knife-wielding guy? He can’t find his way or know his direction?”

Rem opened his eyes wide and expressed his displeasure. He looked as if he was going to pull out an axe.

Looking at that, Encred thought, is this something that needs to be put off?

It was something he had to do anyway.

Aren’t you here as reinforcements to catch deserters and deal with the colony?

‘A deserter who became a cult leader.’

Even if he became famous in this area, he would never be at the level of a bishop of a religious sect.

At best, would it be a squire-level force?

There was no shortage of elites, even himself, Rem, Dunbakel, and Luagarne.

Although he casts a strange spell, I intuitively don’t feel like it’s a threat.

It would be nothing more than a bothersome tactic.

This level of power is close to excessive suppression.

Encred now objectively knows my skills.

If it’s dangerous, shouldn’t you just step back for a moment?

It was more of a surprise mission than something to guard. If time passed like this, they would be hard to find and would be a headache.

That’s why that was said.

“Shall we go now?”

It was a question with an already determined answer.

It’s time for the sun to set. There’s a saying that the sun is on the side of humans, and darkness is on the side of demons.

It was a time that was advantageous for monsters that were bright at night and hated light.

It was now. The sun was beginning to set.

Of course, no one here cared about such things.

“Only four people are going?”

Dunbakel asked.

“Do you know anyone here?”

Encred asked back. He said he had no one to take. Should he send soldiers to go?

It was obvious that it wouldn’t help.

They went straight out of the city. The soldier guarding the gate tilted his head.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Isn’t that possible?”

The opponent was a demon slayer, a hero of the civil war. The soldier shook his head.

The soldier thought that Encred and his party were just going out for a walk.

The savage named Rem also went out for a short while yesterday and came back.

So I taught him the vocabulary to use when he came back.

“No. You just need to shout out in front of the gate, ‘The cloak is red after all.’”

Because you can’t just let anyone into the castle in the middle of the night.

It was something I had to tell the worker who came later.

The soldier did so. The next worker nodded, and when the shift was over, he passed the situation on to the person behind him as well.

“Are you a little late?”

“What could be wrong?”

For a regular soldier, the title of sergeant meant a high rank.

They weren’t the type of people who would cause trouble if they encountered a few monsters on the road.

There were also Prok and Suin.

The sun has risen.

I saw the morning shift workers returning with the dawn light at their backs.

It was Encred’s party.

“Open the door.”

Blood-stained armor caught my eye. Black blood mixed with red blood.

“Did you meet a monster?”

“Something similar.”

Encrid spoke and entered the castle.

* * *

As soon as they left the city gates, Encred thought that all he had to do was find it.

His judgment was that what was difficult to find was easy to deal with.

“What direction?”

“This way.”

Rem led them. The moon was hidden by clouds and the surroundings were dark, but the dim moonlight was enough for those gathered now.

“Would you like to learn how to chase people?”

“now?”

Encred asked back at Rem’s unexpected question. Asking back wasn’t a rejection.

Rem figured it would be easy to find the cult here.

There was a reason.

Rem’s eyes turned to Suin. Dunbakel’s eyes glowed golden even in the darkness.

I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but those eyes were a unique color.

That waterman’s sense of smell was also far superior to that of a normal waterman. Rem knew it.

As soon as Dunbakel felt Rem’s gaze, he raised his hand to the curve.

“Crazy Suin, smell it. It’s not a duel.”

“Is this the way?”

Encred asked in the middle.

“Why would we take the hard way when the easy way is the only way? We have Su-in, and he has a remarkable sense of smell, except for body odor.”

There was no mistake. Even Dunbakel agreed with those words.

He sniffed to one side and said:

“It smells from over there.”

The group moved and discovered a group of people. They appeared to be carrying something that looked like a mobile tent.

“Who are you?”

I just saw a guy picking his nose in front of me.

Instead of answering, Encred used his strength. He stepped forward and raised his sword.

The vertical blade created a red line from the opponent’s chin to his forehead.

Fooddeuk.

A corpse falls forward, blood spraying out.

“Are you crazy kids?”

The spiky blond guy next to me spoke in a surprised tone. His voice was trembling.

puck.

The blade of the curved sword flew into the bastard’s face.

I’m staring at it intently.

“Why? Put up with it?”

Dunbakel asked.

“no.”

Encred answered, stabbing and cutting everything he saw. He left the ones who ran away alone.

“The devil’s servant has arrived!”

He saw the cult leader. He looked like a thief who had learned how to rob somewhere. Encred looked at him with his senses.

He wasn’t a wizard.

But he did do something magical.

The man who had closed the distance stretched out his hand. An invisible blade flew from his hand.

Encrid has already suffered similar attacks from Sinar, and from Oara this afternoon.

Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The energy is still there.

Ting. I pulled out my gladius and twisted it to throw it away, and the leader’s hand twisted as if he was holding a sword.

It was amazing. It was like I was holding a transparent sword.

Encred didn’t hesitate and raised his sword and struck the man’s shoulder. It was a careless slash, as if he was splitting firewood.

Bam!

“Eww!”

The leader rolled backwards as his shoulder split open and blood gushed out. One of his bodies was very fast. Even though the knife was aimed at his head, not his shoulder, he still avoided it.

“Fuck, please save me. Please save me.”

It was a completely different look from when he shouted that the devil’s servant had come.

“They say the socialites are watching over you?”

“That’s a rumor I started.”

The man rolled his eyes as he spoke, and Rem, not knowing why she was talking to such a brat, threw her throwing axe at Encred while he was still talking.

Phew! Bam!

The flying axe becomes an ornament on his forehead, and his body lightly floats backward while he falls.

Encred saw something fall from the bastard’s hand.

As I got closer, I saw something faintly reflecting the light of the torch.

“It’s not something you can get just by having a few dozen gold coins. Do you know who Carmen is? It’s not for nothing that she’s called a master craftsman. If one of those swords were to appear on the black market, there would be fights to the death. In fact, a few years ago, there was an uproar among the Assassins’ Guild when the third piece of Carmen’s collection, Katar, came out.”

Saxon’s words came to mind. As he spoke, he told me what the Carmen Collection was and what the last dagger in it was called.

Invisible Blade.

It was an unexpected gift.

Encred packed his gifts and headed back to the city. On the way, he was attacked by several demons.

There were quite a few packs of wild dogs that seemed to have turned into demons, but I killed them all by cutting them down and stabbing them.

Before we knew it, dawn had broken. It was time to go to the city.

So I went back in, ate, washed, slept a bit, and then headed out toward the castle gate.

“How to find a colony? That’s easier. It’s obvious just by looking at the surrounding terrain.”

On the way out, Rem said. The stifling heat was still there. This area was more humid and warmer than other places.

We have already seen with our own eyes how troublesome it can be when a colony of harpies forms.

Encred and his party moved immediately.

As it turned out, I came in during the day, rested, and went out in the evening.

“Are you going out again?”

A soldier who happened to be on duty at the same time experienced something similar to yesterday.

I was grumbling alone because I had to stand up for work twice in a row when Encred and his group showed up.

“Is there a problem?”

“no.”

Encred and his party went out. Rem had a lot of experience hunting monsters. Dunbakel had a good sense of smell, and Luagarne had a lot of knowledge in many areas.

They were not people who lived and trained in a group.

These were the ones who had more experience rolling around in the wild.

These people gathered together, and Dunbakel’s sense of smell was so keen that it bordered on fraud.

With experience added to this, finding the harpy’s nest was no easy task.

“It smells bad.”

“It’s good for hiding, and it’s good for living together. You can tell just by looking at it that this is the place.”

Dunbakel and Rem spoke in turns. Encred looked at the high cliffs.

The terrain of the Demon Realm was as it should be.

Should we call this a cliff or a natural tower?

The circular rock was so large that Encred had to bend his head to look at it, just barely able to see the top.

I roughly estimated it with my eyes, and it seemed that even if there were ten Rems, they wouldn’t be able to reach the top. So, it was high.

Above them, a flock of harpies appeared one by one.

They cast spells, but they only cast minor spells like wind spells.

“I’ll start first.”

Rem spoke and pulled out his sling. It would be difficult with a javelin, but here was a savage who could sling rocks more fiercely than a javelin.

Today was brighter than yesterday.

Two moons took turns shining. A large moon and a small moon.

Under the two moons, hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo.

I started hearing a cracking sound.

The noise soon became a thunderous roar that tore through the air.

Wheeeeeeeeeeing!

Through the moonlight, Rem began to sling.

Soon a third moon rose over Rem’s head. It was a full moon made of slings.