Eternally Regressing Knight - Chapter 19: Fire

Endure today.

Repetition of training and exercises.

That’s what Encrid did.

And in this repeated today, it was the first time he reached this point.

‘Am I going to die?’

That was his first thought upon seeing the company commander’s reaction. Encrid quickly corrected himself.

‘If she wanted to kill me, she would have done it earlier.’

When did Krang manage to slip away?

He hadn’t even noticed his presence.

‘Tsk.’

Despite the situation,

‘I’m still lacking.’

Encrid felt the inadequacy of his auditory training.

That was his nature.

Because of that, he missed the timing to answer.

The newly appointed company commander, the elf woman, was staring intently at him.

“Alive, huh?” she had said.

What should he respond with?

Encrid opened his mouth.

“…Should I have died?”

“Hmm, no, that’s not it.”

The company commander responded with only her lips moving.

She continued to look at Encrid for a while before turning around.

Then she retrieved the poisoned darts from the ground, checked the conditions of Benzence and the freckled guard she had brought with her.

‘Is she checking to see if any soldiers have died?’

She then brought a poisoned dart to her mouth and lightly touched her tongue to it.

‘She seems knowledgeable in herbalism too.’

He had seen mercenaries do such things occasionally.

Given that many elves were nature-friendly, it was entirely possible for them to be well-versed in poisons and medicines.

Encrid just watched, sitting down.

He wasn’t in the mood to stand up.

Of course, if someone aimed for his throat right now, he’d roll or dodge, but he was tired nonetheless.

It wasn’t as bad as the first time he repeated today.

This time, it felt like his mental strength was drained to the bottom.

He had avoided multiple attacks by relying solely on sound.

He hadn’t received a single scratch in the process.

Naturally, it wasn’t a coincidence.

How many times had he been attacked?

Sometimes he was caught off guard, but he had also narrowly avoided the first attack several times.

Repeated patterns lead to learning.

Even an assassin’s actions had patterns.

Encrid instinctively learned them.

‘Having experienced this once.’

Would it be a bit easier the second time?

No.

It was never easy.

If someone witnessed Encrid’s repeated today, if they went through it with him, they would never say such a thing.

But there was no one who could do that.

In the isolated today, he was always alone.

Encrid pressed his temples with his fingers while sitting down.

His head throbbed because the excitement hadn’t subsided.

It would turn into a headache soon enough.

He instinctively knew that.

Swoosh.

He sensed someone putting something to his neck, and Encrid reflexively twisted his body to the side, extending his palm.

There, he saw Krang pretending to chop his neck with his hand.

“Do you really have eyes in the back of your head?” Krang said, amazed.

“This isn’t the time for jokes, is it?”

How could this friend be so carefree?

Krang laughed and said in a lighthearted tone.

“Ah, sorry.”

Was the assassin really targeting this guy?

‘Then why kill me first?’

Was it really just bad luck?

Could it be that simple?

It couldn’t be.

They were probably targeting Krang.

It made no sense for an assassin to come after Benzence and himself.

‘If it were Benzence and me, it’d be easier to frame us for something and kill us.’

Why send an assassin to deal with two powerless soldiers?

There was no need.

Why send an assassin?

To get rid of someone quietly.

Finish the job without any noise or fuss.

After killing, burn the tent.

Who would care about the wounds on a corpse burned to death?

Even if not, there were many ways to dispose of a body.

Erase the blood and traces, and throw the body in a secluded place.

Then they’d think it was a desertion, not abduction or murder.

This was an isolated medical tent on the outskirts.

Not a place where officers stayed, but an interim medical tent for soldiers.

A place no one paid much attention to.

Of course, it wasn’t a place you could come to just because you wanted to.

“They were probably targeting me.”

The company commander was roughly organizing the situation inside and glanced outside the tent.

Krang, crouching beside him, casually spoke.

“Hmm, why?”

“You don’t seem very surprised.”

“I am. Plenty surprised.”

“You have a good poker face.”

Is this really the time for that?

Encrid held back a retort.

He knew from experience. Krang was a carefree type.

‘Though he does get serious when necessary.’

Even though it was a past today and Krang wouldn’t remember, Encrid vividly remembered Krang giving a speech as if absorbing everything around him.

“You’re not going to tell us who you are, are you?” the company commander said, having approached silently.

Krang nodded lightly and spoke again.

“Anyway, I’m sorry.”

Was that even an apology?

Krang stood up, looked around, and met the company commander’s eyes.

“I’m not in a position to give orders, so I’m asking as a favor.”

Krang used informal speech with both Benzence and the company commander.

Unless he was a high-ranking noble, this wouldn’t be possible.

Otherwise, it would be a matter of getting stabbed and having nothing to say about it.

He hadn’t just opened his mouth.

One step.

He took just one step forward.

It was the same as that time.

The same air settled as when they asked about his identity.

Krang quietly accepted the gazes.

There were two spectators and one actor.

But the actor was like a vortex.

A greedy one, sucking in everything around.

“Will you do me this favor? I’ll consider it a debt to be repaid.”

“Go ahead.”

The company commander responded with a bow.

Krang spoke with a gentle smile.

“I hope no one else dies today.”

Small but firm, calm yet like a storm.

If a voice had magic, it would sound like this.

It made you want to grant that wish.

How could someone make you feel this way?

Encrid felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

It was because he had experienced it once.

The vortex that sucked in everything around soon subsided.

Krang, having spoken, extended a hand to Encrid.

“Your legs gave out?”

“No, not that bad.”

Encrid took his hand with mixed feelings.

“…Did you change your mind?”

Seeing them, the company commander asked.

“Let’s just say I did.”

Krang answered.

Encrid couldn’t understand what they were talking about.

Nor did he want to ask.

‘They wouldn’t tell me anyway.’

The company commander let out a small sigh and addressed Encrid.

“Can you keep today’s events to yourself?”

“Yes, of course.”

Given the company commander’s tone, as if ready to put a hole in his neck if he said otherwise, what else could he say?

He had witnessed the new company commander’s skill earlier.

Just one move, but

‘Could she really parry like that?’

A move that pushed him off balance with a flick of her hand.

He wanted to see that repeatedly.

If so, he could just die and repeat today.

If he insisted on not keeping silent?

Wouldn’t they kill him?

No, they wouldn’t. There were many ways to silence him without killing.

It was pointless. Besides, he didn’t want to commit suicide on purpose.

“I’m asking you.”

More importantly, Krang said it like that.

Though it had only been a few days and a few conversations,

Encrid felt a considerable bond had formed with Krang.

Their relationship was strangely intimate, regardless of the time spent together.

“I’m good at keeping secrets.”

It wasn’t an empty promise.

He knew several secrets within the squad.

Some were important, some were not.

But he had never shared any of them elsewhere.

“Then let’s resolve this situation.”

The company commander said, looking at the torn tent and the two fallen soldiers.

“When you said no more deaths, did you include those two?”

Krang spoke, and the company commander nodded nonchalantly.

No one knew what had happened here yet.

But once they did?

Judging by the looks, revealing Krang’s identity would be difficult.

The company commander seemed to be contemplating.

“When the guard wakes up, will he know he was attacked?”

Encrid asked, dusting off his trousers.

“I don’t think so. Even if he does, he wouldn’t have seen anything.”

The company commander spoke with half certainty. Encrid agreed.

How many times had he been attacked without knowing anything?

That freckled guard likely fainted without knowing anything.

So then…

“Someone needs to carry one of them out.”

The company commander turned to him.

“I have a simple and convenient solution. I might get scolded, but you can cover for me, right?”

He explained his plan. Krang laughed, and the company commander nodded without a smile.

* * *

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

The guard drowsily standing watch in front of the barracks suddenly felt a sting on his cheek and woke up.

As he opened his eyes, he felt a warm heat nearby.

Half asleep, he turned his head and froze.

‘Fire?’

There was fire. Flames were rising in front of the tent, scattering sparks.

Clang.

The sound of his spear hitting the ground as he dropped it woke him up completely.

“F-fire! Fire! Fire!”

The guard shouted, his tongue tied in panic.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!”

He couldn’t even manage to shout “Fire” properly, just repeating the word over and over.

But his urgent tone caught the attention of those nearby.

“Fire!”

A nearby patrol guard shouted clearly, alerting everyone to the situation.

“There’s a fire at the medical tent!”

The quick-witted patrol guard’s voice rang out loudly.

“Get water!”

Finally, other soldiers began to peek out and assess the situation.

“Damn, anyone inside?”

“Are there people inside?”

“Yes, damn soldiers!”

The flames that started at the front of the tent quickly spread upward and over the entire tent.

Chaos ensued in the middle of the night.

Thick black soot and smoke rose into the sky.

Even the bravest soldier wouldn’t enter in this situation.

“Get water!”

The supply company commander shouted.

Those with quick feet brought buckets of water.

Splash!

Water was thrown onto the flames. Smoke rose briefly.

“Form a bucket brigade!”

The supply company commander ordered. His experience with moving supplies was evident.

A bucket brigade was formed, soldiers passing buckets of water down the line.

Splash!

One clumsy soldier dropped a bucket on the ground.

“Are you kidding? Pick it up!”

“Sorry, sir!”

Chaos reigned. The flames illuminated the soldiers’ faces.

The supply company commander stomped his feet.

The flames on the tent were secondary.

If the fire spread, it would be a disaster.

He was more concerned about the fire spreading than the people inside dying.

As the bucket brigade began to subdue the flames, the supply company commander breathed a sigh of relief.

‘But why did this fire suddenly start?’

Was it the season for fires?

The weather wasn’t particularly dry.

Fortunately, the fire didn’t spread.

It burned down one tent completely and stopped.

“There are people inside!”

A sharp-eyed soldier shouted.

“Bring them out, if they’re alive.”

The supply company commander said, not really meaning it.

He was more relieved that the fire hadn’t spread than concerned about the people surviving.

* * *

Encrid laid the freckled guard beside Platoon Leader Benzence, who had been moved outside by the company commander.

“Here!”

He shouted, and people came running.

“Are you alright?”

“A fire in the middle of the night?”

“What happened?”

Encrid, with soot on his face, coughed and replied.

“I don’t know, cough, really.”

Between coughs, he spoke.

The midnight fire was ultimately considered an accident.

* * *

Whooo.

An owl hooted from far away.

Probably from the forest.

The elf company commander listened to the sound, aligning it with the map in her head, and walked.

It was a gravelly creek not far from the base.

Upon reaching her destination, the company commander spoke.

“If it weren’t for that squad leader, it would have been dangerous.”

By examining the barracks, the company commander had figured out the assassin’s intent.

‘Eliminate the entrance guard and then the target.’

The entrance guard was Encrid.

Thanks to him, they survived.

If he hadn’t held out, they would have died.

Both he and the person he was guarding would have died.

“Is that so.”

Krang said, taking a deep breath in and out.

The company commander watched him and turned around.

“Then.”

A brief farewell.

The elf’s light steps made almost no noise.

Her current post was the 4th Company, 4th Battalion, Cypress Division.

It was time to return to the base.

Her figure disappeared into the darkness quickly.

Watching that, Krang recalled Encrid’s dream.

‘A knight, huh.’

“Seeing you, I think I’m starting to figure out how to live my own life.”

Krang had replied after hearing Encrid’s dream.

It wasn’t an empty remark.

Krang might deceive others, but he never lied to someone who approached him sincerely.

Krang had a secret about his birth.

But he didn’t like his birth or his secret.

So he had avoided it until now.

‘I’ll face it too.’

He had recognized Encrid’s skill at a glance.

Such a person dreamed of becoming a knight.

Most people passing by would say it was an impossible dream.

The rest would be busy laughing at him.

Still, he dreamed.

He wouldn’t give up.

Though it had only been a few days, seeing him quietly clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly, Krang had a feeling he wouldn’t change.

Such a person doesn’t change easily.

“A truly interesting friend.”

A strange intimacy remained. The clouds above Krang’s head cleared, and the moonlight began to shine again.

He walked.

A slightly different life awaited him now.