Eternally Regressing Knight - Chapter 54: The Turtle and the Frontier Slaughterer (3)
*What’s the goal? What’s the purpose? What do they strive for?*
*Screeeech.*
A hawk, soaring over the green plains, flew past above them. Its cry echoed through the air as it flew between the two.
It was a mild winter afternoon. Standing near the military barracks wall, Encrid responded to Torres’s proposal with a question.
Torres paused for a moment. After thinking it over, he finally spoke.
“The soldier ranking system might be stupid, but it does set one thing clear: what it means to be an elite soldier.”
His voice was low, quiet, and deep. It would have fit perfectly with a solemn hymn.
His usual thoughts were now organized to match the question. His words carried sincerity and conviction.
“An elite soldier is someone who has reached the limits of human capability. It means someone who trains so hard, they sleep only in scraps of time and swing their sword until their hands are calloused, even on the battlefield.”
Torres grabbed Encrid’s hand. Encrid let him hold it without resistance.
Torres flipped Encrid’s hand over and said, “Look.”
His hand was covered with hardened calluses, some of which had split open. It was a clear testament to the countless days and effort he had put into his training.
“Many soldiers work this hard, but few have the talent to match. Very few.”
Torres shook his head slightly as he spoke. He was right. Encrid knew this all too well—his own lack of talent had driven him to the ground repeatedly.
“The Frontier Defense Force is a unit filled with soldiers who combine effort and talent, soldiers who have reached the limits of human potential. If you want to improve your skills, join our unit. It will fill in your shortcomings.”
Encrid had asked about their goal, but Torres’s answer was about fixing deficiencies.
Encrid had found his answer.
Seeing the passion, desire, and belief in Torres’s eyes, Encrid responded.
“I’m sorry.”
It was a rejection.
It was perhaps the best opportunity he could have asked for.
A perfect path toward the dream he had once held onto, one he had never forgotten, no matter how tattered it had become.
But Encrid couldn’t take it.
The Frontier Defense Force might be a stepping stone to higher places, but the end of that path wouldn’t lead to the world he sought.
*Stopping at the limit isn’t enough.*
Simply reaching one’s limit wasn’t sufficient.
The Frontier Slaughterers, the most lethal unit stationed at the Border Guard, were formidable. But hadn’t Torres himself admitted it? The Frontier Defense Force was made up of soldiers who had reached the limits of human potential.
But Encrid’s dream was beyond that.
Of course, it was arrogant to think someone who hadn’t even reached his limit could somehow surpass it.
But he couldn’t set off on his journey expecting to stop halfway.
Encrid shook his head.
“You know what our unit is about, right?”
They turned ordinary soldiers into highly efficient killing machines in a short amount of time.
Yes, Encrid knew. They didn’t bother with any superficial training. They trained soldiers at a much higher level than normal infantry.
The problem, though, lay in their method.
In truth, there was only one underlying question in Encrid’s initial inquiry:
Had anyone from the Frontier Defense Force ever become a knight?
No.
They learned and mastered the most efficient, effective ways to kill.
They weren’t called the Frontier Slaughterers for nothing.
In terms of swordsmanship, it was all about unorthodox, cunning techniques—not a foundation of solid basics.
With shortcuts and tricks alone, one couldn’t become a knight.
Knowing this, Encrid couldn’t walk down that path.
“You’re an idiot.”
At least, that’s how others might see it.
Torres relaxed his gaze.
“I hear that a lot.”
“Ha, I never imagined I’d be rejected by a man. Can I ask why?”
*Should I tell him? Will he mock me?*
Whenever Encrid had spoken about his dream, all he’d received in response were scornful laughs.
No, there had been one exception.
*Krang was serious.*
But beyond that, Rem had just taken the opportunity to tease him, and the others had reacted similarly.
Several instructors had looked at him like he was completely insane.
“I want to aim higher than the Frontier Defense Force.”
Still, Encrid said it without hesitation. He had nothing to hide.
“Higher?”
“I want to wear the red cloak.”
It didn’t necessarily have to be the red cloak, but it was a fitting metaphor.
Naurilia had only one order of knights.
They were the King’s Guard, cloaked in red as blood, and a symbol of Naurilia’s strength.
They were also the only unit permitted to bear the royal insignia.
Their cloaks bore the emblem of three crossed swords, the symbol of the kingdom.
The three crossed swords and the mythical beast, the Sun Lion, with a flaming mane and a round head.
These two things symbolized Naurilia.
In other words, Encrid was saying he wanted to be a knight. Torres understood that clearly.
Which is why he was so taken aback.
“…That’s a bit much.”
Torres had seen Encrid’s skills. He was exceptional.
For someone who had only recently discovered his talent at thirty, he was indeed remarkable.
But that was it.
To be honest, even accepting him into the Frontier Defense Force would have been borderline.
The squad members he had seen earlier? Perhaps they could have made it.
*But those guys wouldn’t make it either.*
They were too problematic.
No matter how much trouble they caused, soldiers were still supposed to follow orders.
In that regard, they fell short.
A weapon that cuts its wielder isn’t a good weapon. It’s something to be discarded.
“You’re serious?”
“Of course.”
Encrid’s rejection was clear. Torres nodded. He didn’t want to crush Encrid’s dream.
Still, there was one thing he had to say.
“You’ll regret it.”
“Maybe.”
Encrid replied sincerely.
No decision was ever guaranteed to be right. Regret might indeed come.
Torres, the platoon leader of the Frontier Defense Force, didn’t bother with a formal salute. He simply spun around and left.
He didn’t seem upset. If anything, his shoulders looked lighter.
Encrid watched Torres walk off, then turned and began trudging back to the barracks.
As he walked, he recalled a conversation he had once had with Ragna.
“You’re talking about the knights of the Red Cloak? You’re curious how they move like that?”
Seeing a knight from the Red Cloak had been a shocking experience.
What did it mean to be a knight?
How could they move like that?
It would be a lie to say such questions hadn’t crossed his mind.
And to think the one he had seen was just a junior knight.
“It’s a bit early for you to know about that.”
Ragna had said, while Encrid waited quietly for him to continue. As expected, Ragna did.
“Knights don’t just rely on their physical strength. There’s something special within them. But understanding it right now won’t help you. Knowing too soon would only get in your way.”
“Just point me in the right direction. I just want to know if I’m on the wrong path.”
It might have been an unreasonable request, but as Encrid’s skills improved, he had become increasingly aware that none of his squad members were ordinary.
Among them, Ragna had taught him the basics of swordsmanship, and from that, Encrid had realized something.
If there was anyone in the squad who came closest to being a knight, it was Ragna.
“The fundamentals are simple, brute-force techniques. You’ll realize it when you fight: is it faster to improve by learning the mercenary-style swordsmanship you’ve picked up, or by mastering the basics?”
Why were shortcuts called shortcuts?
Why were unorthodox methods called unorthodox?
If it was just about fighting well, Valen-style mercenary swordsmanship was far superior to learning the basics of standard swordsmanship.
“To go further, you need the right path. You have to walk the straight and narrow. I think that answers your question.”
It was more than enough of an answer.
Swordsmanship grounded in fundamentals.
Using that to surpass every obstacle and walk the right path.
That was the task at hand.
Encrid had come to that conclusion.
*Snarl.*
As Encrid entered the barracks, the sound of a growling beast greeted him. The room was a mess.
Beds had been pushed to one side, a table was overturned, and Big Eyes, whose face was scratched, looked like he was about to cry.
“Oh, why did it have to be my face?”
“You’re quick.”
“Leopard meat might not taste great, but meat is still meat.”
Ragna and Rem each threw in a comment from behind Big Eyes.
It was a black panther. A young one with blue eyes, the same creature they had fought alongside earlier.
It had disappeared, and Encrid had assumed he would never see it again.
Somehow, it had found its way here.
The panther glared at Ragna and Rem, its fur standing on end, but when Encrid walked in, it spun around and darted into his arms.
Rem scratched his head with his thumb, the hand still holding his axe.
If Encrid had come any later, that axe might have taken the panther’s head.
“Is that your pet, Squad Leader?”
“Hmm, is that the case?”
Ragna, who had been so serious and heavy when talking about knights, had reverted to his usual lazy self.
He stowed his sword, scabbard and all, and collapsed onto the bed that had been shoved aside.
Seeing this, Rem also put his axe down.
“So, this belongs to the squad leader? That thing’s pretty ferocious.”
Big Eyes cautiously watched the panther as he asked.
“You got scratched?”
“I was just trying to pet it.”
Big Eyes gestured to his injury, and Rem laughed, saying, “He tried to check if it was male or female, and that’s what he got for it.”
*Hissss!*
The intelligent panther, as if it had understood the words, bared its fangs and hissed.
Big Eyes recoiled in shock, stepping on a discarded waterskin and slipping, falling to the floor with a thud.
Rem burst out laughing at the sight of Big Eyes landing on his backside.
“You okay? How’s your face?”
Encrid couldn’t help but chuckle as he asked.
Big Eyes always went on about how his face was Naurilia’s greatest blessing.
“I’m fine. I’ll just apply some holy ointment so it doesn’t scar.”
Holy ointment for a scratch like that?
Unless he had *krona* to throw away, that wasn’t happening.
“Oh, right.”
Encrid answered absentmindedly as he looked down at the panther nestled in his arms.
The panther that had been baring its fangs was now calmly resting its head on his chest.
It didn’t seem that light or small, but in his arms, it felt surprisingly light and small.
“Did you come to visit?”
Encrid asked. The panther blinked and let out a soft purring sound, rubbing its head against Encrid’s chest.
Its fur was softer than silk.
As Encrid stroked the panther’s head, Rem commented.
“Are you going to keep it? At least you won’t get bored.”
Rem, surprisingly, was kind toward animals. Ragna and Jaxson, on the other hand, had no interest.
The religious squad member, Audin, who had returned from his shift, also showed no interest.
Only Big Eyes—Krys—still had his attention focused on the panther.
“It’s a female.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think I’d just get my face scratched? Of course I checked.”
Big Eyes folded his arms smugly.
Did he? How impressive.
“Oh.”
Encrid responded as he tidied up the mess around them. Rem set the overturned table upright and perched on it, asking,
“Now that you’re an advanced soldier, it seems everyone wants a piece of you. How does it feel? The Frontier Defense Force doesn’t seem like a bad option.”
Encrid often wondered what went on in the mind of that sly man.
He could joke all day but suddenly hit you with a sharp observation like this.
“I’m not going.”
Encrid stated his conclusion.
He didn’t want to drag this out.
“Why not?”
That was Jaxson. He spoke briefly.
“Sir.”
He added a belated honorific.
“Just because.”
What was the point in explaining it in detail? Encrid wanted to leave it at that, but Rem pressed further.
“Are you serious? Even if the soldier ranking system is crap, advanced soldiers are on a whole different level. You turned down an offer from the Royal Army?”
“He has his reasons.”
Ragna chimed in, perhaps having guessed the situation from their earlier conversation, but this only made things worse.
“…That bastard is acting like he knows something. What’s going on?”
“Why?”
Jaxson asked again.
This time, the honorific didn’t follow.
His gaze was openly defiant.
“Lord, grant wisdom to these ignorant souls.”
Audin muttered a prayer from the side, adding fuel to the fire.
It was clear that this situation wouldn’t just blow over.
If left unchecked, it would turn into a pointless brawl. Encrid knew this all too well from his past experiences.
When tensions rose among his squad, the only solution was always through physical force.
“The Frontier Defense Force is where people stop after reaching the limit of human potential. That’s the goal of that unit.”
“And that’s a problem?”
There was no need to feel bad about that.
When Encrid had spoken with Ragna about becoming a knight, Ragna had added this at the end:
“If you’re born a genius, blessed with talent by the heavens, you don’t need to learn the basics and hammer them into your body. It’ll come naturally.”
Becoming a knight was a game for the gifted.
Among those naturally talented in martial arts, only a select few were chosen.
They sifted through the talented to find the geniuses.
Only such people could become knights.
So, should someone like Encrid not even dream of it?
Should he never hope?
Even if that dream had been ripped to shreds and left with no trace, as long as it hadn’t been abandoned, it still remained in his heart.
That’s why Encrid dared to dream.
“It is a problem. My goal is higher.”
Everyone stared at him in silence. Encrid spoke.
So calmly and matter-of-factly, as if he were simply mentioning that they would be having boiled lamb for breakfast tomorrow.
“I’m going to become a knight.”
Before, that statement had only brought mockery.
In fact, Encrid’s dream had always been a source of ridicule.
So, this reaction felt strange.
“We have to overcome a few more walls, but if that’s what you want, go for it.”
Rem was the first to speak.
Ragna’s eyes, for once, burned with intensity.
Jaxson responded with a simple, “Is that so?”
Big Eyes, slack-jawed, stared in awe.
Audin clasped his hands together in prayer.
“Even if your dreams and hopes seem futile and invisible, may your persistence be blessed with grace.”
There was no need to be moved by Audin’s prayer.
Even if they had laughed at him, nothing would have changed.
Encrid was the kind of person for whom his own dream mattered far more than others’ ridicule.
Advanced soldier.
It was a rank that commanded respect in the soldier ranking system.
But in truth, it was only the beginning.
Building his skills, making a name for himself as a knight—this was just the start.
*Snarl.*
The panther let out a small growl, nudging Encrid’s cheek with its nose.
It felt like encouragement.
“Smart one, isn’t it?”
Rem chuckled as he watched.
Even though he didn’t care, Encrid’s heart was racing.
It was the first time he had ever been encouraged instead of laughed at.
*There’s been a lot of firsts for me lately.*
No matter what anyone said, this was a joyful moment.
—
For two days, Encrid spent his time as usual in training.
On the third day, he was on patrol duty at the marketplace.
*Thud.*
That’s when he was stabbed in the stomach with a dagger. It was a mortal wound. It felt like a burning iron rod had pierced his belly and was shredding his insides.
“Damn it.”
Encrid spat out blood, grinning in disbelief.
It was an unexpected blow.
*Screeeam!*
In the middle of the marketplace, a passing waitress let out a scream. As Encrid bled out, he heard the scream fade into the distance as his vision darkened.