Eternally Regressing Knight - Chapter 17: Eyes in the Back of the Head

If you were skilled, you could even meet with prostitutes inside the camp.

I’d heard that prostitutes preferred to come to the camp rather than stay in cities or rural villages.

They could earn more than usual here, and even though these encounters were somewhat clandestine, they didn’t happen within the bounds of military law and order.

Men, whether soldiers or officers, avoided causing a commotion here.

No one enjoyed getting caught for calling a woman and dealing with the hassle it entailed.

Thus, this place was full of generous fools.

“Even so.”

Skillful indeed.

No matter how much you wanted, some people could make it happen and some couldn’t.

“Big Eyes must have arranged this.”

“Hey, um, jealous? Quite skillful, aren’t you?”

“There’s no need to live in frustration, right?”

He wasn’t wrong.

If you can, it’s not bad to fulfill your desires.

Jaxson walked away buttoning his shirt.

His relationship with the woman in the barracks was clearly just transactional; he didn’t look back.

A red kiss mark was visible between the buttons of his shirt.

It seemed they had quite a heated time.

Jaxson’s reddish-brown hair fluttered lightly in the wind.

His appearance had a peculiar charm. He looked ordinary, yet handsome.

Sure, women would be attracted to him at this level.

“What’s going on?” Jaxson asked, glancing at Encrid.

As usual, he was laid-back and unassuming.

Squad member Jaxson.

Rem described him as a weirdo who liked to exploit gaps.

Encrid briefly recalled Jaxson in battle.

If Rem resembled a charging beast, then this one…

“Not really.”

Encrid had never seen Jaxson fight properly.

All he knew was from Rem’s words and seeing Jaxson once stab an enemy in the back with a spear.

That was all.

However, his skill could be inferred.

Even Rem, who often got minor injuries, rarely had any wounds. Jaxson’s injuries were infrequent and minor.

“Won’t you fight properly?” Rem would occasionally growl at Jaxson.

At those times, Jaxson would openly mock Rem.

“I’m not one to enjoy seeing blood.”

“If you don’t enjoy it, just die or get out of here, you sneaky bastard.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Should I split your head or your body?”

“Before that, I’ll put two thumb-sized holes in your heart.”

Their conversation would end there.

With blood dripping from his forearm, Rem would raise his axe while Jaxson quietly stood up.

Encrid would step between them.

“If you want to kill each other, one of you might as well go over to the enemy’s side. Why do it here?”

Even after that, they would glare at each other as if they wanted to kill, but they wouldn’t fight.

Words wouldn’t suffice, but if Encrid stepped between them, they’d eerily calm down.

There were many squad members who had to be restrained this way.

Rem called Jaxson a sneaky wildcat.

Jaxson called Rem a crazy barbarian.

Encrid had seen Jaxson stab an enemy in the back with a spear he found somewhere.

The enemy couldn’t find Jaxson’s position even after being stabbed.

While looking around, the enemy’s ankle was kicked by Jaxson crouched down.

The image of the enemy thrashing on the ground with a spear in his back was vivid in his memory.

Curious about how he did it, Encrid had asked during a spare moment.

“The enemy’s attention was entirely focused on the front.”

No detailed explanation.

While Rem was generous with his knowledge, the same couldn’t be expected from Jaxson.

However, Encrid didn’t give up easily.

“Squad leader?”

Jaxson had stopped. They were in front of the medical tent where Encrid stood.

Encrid, lost in thought after being asked what was going on, found the answer wasn’t something to ponder over.

He hadn’t aimed to become the squad leader of the troublemaking 4th platoon of the 4th company.

Who could plan to form such a relationship?

There was no need to hesitate.

If curious, ask.

If necessary, demand.

That was how Encrid treated his squad members.

“If someone like you were to stab me in the back, how could I avoid it?”

Jaxson instantly understood Encrid’s question.

How many times had Encrid begged him to teach him how to sneak up from behind?

Relentlessly so.

Every few days, the same question repeated.

Had he whined, Jaxson would have had an easier time dealing with him.

He could have just scared him off.

But the squad leader didn’t whine.

He only showed a desire to know and learn.

Jaxson wasn’t impressed by his passion, but one thing was clear.

Left alone, Encrid would probably keep asking every few days for his entire time in this squad.

If Jaxson knew him his whole life, he’d probably be asked forever.

Jaxson didn’t easily call someone persistent. He knew too well the limits of human endurance.

The fallacy of words like mental strength, belief, and will.

Even so…

To Jaxson, Encrid was a persistent human being.

His passion for swordsmanship and martial arts was fiercer than anyone else’s.

Was that passion driving him?

“Why do you want to learn so badly?”

“If I knew that, I’d have a higher chance of surviving.”

What was the point of trying to live longer when all the money he earned went to training?

Jaxson almost asked what Encrid wanted to do with his life.

But he held back.

What would it matter?

They were just passing acquaintances anyway.

Jaxson eventually explained it, albeit not easily.

But the squad leader couldn’t master it.

Naturally.

It wasn’t something his ‘type’ could use.

Today’s question was a bit more interesting.

“Do you think a blind blow, or rather a blind kick, was why your rib broke?”

A reasonable question from Jaxson.

If Encrid thought getting kicked by Froch in the previous battle was because he didn’t sense it, he was greatly mistaken.

“No, the opponent was just overwhelmingly strong.”

“Then?”

A rare follow-up question.

“Curious?”

Encrid asked in return.

He knew Jaxson’s usual demeanor.

He wasn’t one to be curious.

He just kept a moderate distance from everyone, neither too close nor too far.

No one considered Jaxson a close friend, but aside from the 444 Squad, no one particularly disliked him either.

A moderate distance.

That was Jaxson’s usual stance.

So this question might have seemed awkward.

And Encrid knew that asking like this would make Jaxson not ask further and give an answer.

It wasn’t intentional, but after spending time together, he knew their usual reactions and stances.

“No. If there’s someone trying to stab you from behind, you just need to notice it first.”

As expected, Jaxson’s explanation was the worst.

Rem claimed he couldn’t explain well, but compared to Jaxson, Rem could be a master swordsmanship instructor.

Fortunately, Encrid had met and learned from various teachers.

Some were better at teaching than their actual skill level suggested.

Some were skilled but terrible at teaching.

From all those teachers and moments, Encrid got his money’s worth.

So he had plenty of ways to learn well.

“How do you notice first?”

Encrid asked.

“Always keep an eye on your surroundings.”

“What if you still get hit despite looking?”

“Look more often.”

“You can’t keep turning your head all the time.”

“As a squad leader, you can.”

“No, I can’t.”

Jaxson sometimes made Encrid out to be a strange person.

Unlike Rem’s jokes, Jaxson was serious.

Encrid knew how to respond after a few experiences.

Firmly saying no.

Sure enough, Jaxson, perhaps changing his mind, looked around and moved slightly to the side.

It was a place where various supplies were piled up next to the medical tent.

He sat on the pile and leaned against the adjacent tent.

“It seems like this will take a while.”

“Today is a long day.”

At least until he went to bed, he had plenty of time.

“You need to eat, right?”

“Will I die from skipping a meal? I’ll take over your meal duty for the rest of your life. Well, as long as we’re in the same squad.”

A promise that would disappear after today.

Encrid often made such promises.

“If you’re joking, it’s not funny.”

Oddly enough, everyone in the 444 Squad hated kitchen duties the most.

They preferred combat.

The reason? They hated taking care of other squad members’ food and cleaning up after them.

They were uniformly crazy, but…

There was much to learn from them.

At least in the battlefield and combat, they were the best teachers for Encrid.

If Jaxson couldn’t solve this?

He’d focus instead of worrying and find Rem or another squad member in another day.

A soldier without scars in battle.

Jaxson might be incredibly skilled.

He hadn’t seen it himself.

But conclusions suggested Jaxson was remarkable.

Rem’s attitude validated Jaxson’s skill.

So there must be something to learn.

Even if it wasn’t useful now, it would be someday.

The Heart of the Beast wasn’t useful from the start either.

“I’m not idle enough to make empty promises.”

“Didn’t you say you had all day?”

“That’s a different matter.”

“Fine. You’ll keep your promise.”

Encrid nodded and sat down right in front of Jaxson.

A few passing soldiers saw them but didn’t say anything.

They sat facing each other amid passing soldiers and supply carts.

Jaxson was higher, sitting on the pile, but it didn’t matter much.

Jaxson felt strange.

Encrid sat down on the ground and looked at him.

There must be stones or pebbles making it uncomfortable, not to mention the dust from passing carts.

Yet, he was focused on Jaxson’s story, with a look that disregarded the environment.

Jaxson began to speak.

“People have five senses.”

“Eyes, nose, ears, those?”

“Yes. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch.”

Why bring this up now?

You might wonder.

Encrid didn’t show any such signs.

He just listened.

It was a good attitude, making Jaxson say something unexpected.

Originally, Jaxson would have just said to train the five senses.

He started explaining from the heart, not the head.

“If you can’t keep turning your head, grow eyes in the back.”

Words from the heart aren’t necessarily kind.

Jaxson thought his explanation was nonsense.

He had misspoken.

“I see.”

But Encrid nodded.

“Good grief.”

Jaxson chose his words.

He hadn’t planned to teach this, but there was no harm in it.

He knew from observation that Encrid was ordinary, including his senses.

He wasn’t naturally gifted.

That was fine.

This training was effective even for regular people. Consistent practice over a few months would yield good results.

Originally, it was done in a cave.

A better training would be facing an assassin trying to kill you multiple times, but that wasn’t realistic.

“You can’t always look around with your eyes, but you can with your ears.”

Still a poor explanation.

“Ah, right, sounds can come from any direction.”

Encrid quickly grasped the idea, showing his attentive listening.

“Precisely, sounds have direction too. Training your hearing can enhance it. You can do it even sitting down. Listen closely.”

Various sounds were heard.

Cart wheels, grumbling soldiers, groaning patients, indifferent doctors, and the wind flapping the tent’s flag.

After a short silence, Jaxson spoke.

“The wind is from the west, the doctor is in the third tent ahead, and the left cart wheel is loose. It might break in two days, or even today if unlucky.”

Indeed, the cart wheel gave way with a crunch.

“Damn it!” the soldier driving it cursed.

“By distinguishing and recognizing sounds, you can always keep an eye on your surroundings.”

Encrid was amazed.

Could this really work? Jaxson had shown it did.

“The method for eyes in the back, training your hearing. Can you do it?”

This training depended on the environment, not the difficulty.

Just distinguishing sounds.

Not easy, but…

“Repeatedly listening to the same sounds will help, right? Getting used to that, then trying different ways?”

Encrid, apart from his martial skills, was a good listener.

Good listening equated to quick understanding.

Encrid quickly grasped Jaxson’s words.

“Yes, exactly. Reading the footsteps of a silent assassin by the sound of the surrounding air is possible. If you know an assassin well, have them secretly target you for practice. It’s the best training.”

The latter half was half a joke.

He smiled slightly as he spoke.

A joke, but also an unnecessary remark.

Understanding his poor explanations, Jaxson spoke unconsciously.

Thinking it was a matter never to be brought up with the squad leader.

But…

“Really?”

Encrid’s eyes sparkled.

A truly inscrutable man.

That was Jaxson’s assessment of Encrid.