Eternally Regressing Knight - Chapter 79: How to Deal with Fools

One thin branch and one man.

A dangling arm, with a branch barely hovering above the ground.

It looked like a sword, sharper and more pointed than any blade.

After that, there was no time to think or hesitate.

Everything happened in an instant, and it was over just as quickly.

Encrid had glimpsed a vision of the battlefield.

The moment his opponent moved, Encrid’s instincts took over, and he swung his sword.

*Whoosh.*

The branch in Encrid’s hand cut through the air with a heavy swish.

But it only sliced through empty air.

Then, the tip of his opponent’s branch touched his neck.

*Tap.*

‘How?’

He replayed the scene in his mind. He had seen it. So, the only thing to say was that even though he had seen it, he still got hit.

“Seems like everyone says something after a sparring match, so I’ll do the same. It was about timing.”

The man spoke.

His opponent had used *quick sword* and applied it like a textbook counterattack.

He didn’t move first; instead, he used Encrid’s downward slash against him.

‘It wasn’t a parry.’

Encrid’s eyes dropped to his opponent’s feet.

The dirt beneath his opponent’s boots had drawn a smooth semicircle.

‘He twisted his body to hide his centerline.’

It was a basic technique. You could even call it a simple move.

He twisted his body, dodged, and finished with a stab.

‘If this were a real battlefield…’

It would’ve been a similar experience to that first thrust he had encountered in the past.

He had thought he was at a completely different level now, but…

It was a long climb to reach his opponent’s skill. His abilities were vastly superior.

The gap was clear with just one simple strike of a branch.

“You’re not exactly young.”

The man’s comment had a questioning tone, so Encrid answered.

“Thirty. One more round?”

“One more round?”

Encrid nodded.

“Heh.”

The man let out a hollow laugh at Encrid’s nod.

In his eyes, this guy wasn’t normal.

He had shown the difference in skill.

He had stepped up, driven by passion, but his limits were clear. He wanted to show Encrid that there was no point wasting time with such a gap in skill.

Losing hurts, especially when you’re up against an opponent with an overwhelming difference.

What does it mean to lose?

When someone faces defeat, how do they react?

They despair, feel hopeless, and suffer.

Some refuse to accept it and lash out in frustration.

‘Is this frustration?’

It didn’t seem that way.

“You disrupted the timing of my downward slash. How did you do that?”

Instead of feeling embarrassed, Encrid was asking for more instruction.

There wasn’t a hint of shame. He simply looked at the man with eyes full of silent fire, like when he had first approached him, willing to endure anything.

‘He’s insane.’

That thought crossed the man’s mind, but even so, he took his stance again.

Even though he could see Encrid’s limits and skill level.

Still, he found himself wanting to spar with him again.

And once again, Encrid lost.

He lost four more times.

He didn’t tire, continuing to challenge, and the swordsman from Polid’s side accepted every match.

“You’re not at the level to face him yet.”

Instead of offering advice, Jaxson gave some words of comfort, though Encrid didn’t particularly need it.

He had faced countless defeats.

He had been bested by those younger and more talented.

He had been outdone by mercenaries who had picked up a sword later in life.

He had even lost to a village watchman.

He had been defeated by bandits.

During his time as a mercenary, he had been beaten by bastards whose skill far outstripped their personality.

He had fled from monsters more times than he could count.

When a harpy’s talons pierced his comrade’s heart, all he could do was run.

If he had hung his head in defeat after every loss, Encrid wouldn’t be here today, leading a squad.

There was no room for being hurt over something like this.

Simply,

“That was fun.”

He enjoyed it. Encrid was honest about that.

“…Sometimes, you’re really strange, Squad Leader.”

The last thing Encrid wanted was to hear something like that from one of his own squad members.

Even Jaxson, who was the most level-headed of the lot, wasn’t exactly a normal soldier.

The fact that he completely ignored Polid’s attempts at conversation was proof of that.

Even now, Jaxson barely acknowledged Polid’s existence.

Whenever Polid tried to sidle up to him, saying things like,

“You there, soldier. I’ll remember your face. I’m the next leader of the Rockfreed merchant guild.”

Jaxson would completely ignore him.

“Hey, hey, aren’t you going to answer? What, are you too scared to speak?”

Still, Jaxson ignored him.

“You bastard, you’ll regret this later when you’re begging in tears.”

And yet, Jaxson paid him no mind.

It was impressively consistent.

Eventually, Polid even complained to Encrid.

“Why does he keep ignoring me?”

It was clear the guy was about to cry, driven mad by being treated like he didn’t exist.

Encrid, feeling a bit sorry for him, offered some advice.

“Because you keep talking to him.”

A wise answer to a foolish question.

Jaxson was ignoring him because he kept talking to him.

He never should have started in the first place.

Encrid nodded to himself, satisfied with his kindness. It was the friendliest advice he could give.

Polid, however, trembled with rage.

“You, you, you…”

He couldn’t even string his words together, and Encrid simply passed him by with a fresh, casual smile.

“Brutal, soldier.”

The elf company captain remarked from the side.

But it was impossible for Encrid to be any kinder.

Leona overheard and ended up spitting out the tea she was drinking.

“Haha, I just want to say once more how much I like you.”

She left it at that.

Why did his kindness lead to this kind of response?

* * *

After a full day of sparring, it was time to wrap things up.

The frontier guards, the elf company captain, and even the nameless swordsman had all contributed much to Encrid.

While everyone else, including Jaxson, was simply amazed at his passion, to Encrid, it had been an incredibly valuable experience.

‘Especially…’

The swordsman had shown him what *quick sword* really was, how to handle it, and what someone could do when they wielded speed.

He hadn’t internalized it yet, but…

‘That’s fine.’

When he hit another wall, the lessons would prove invaluable.

After washing off his sweat, warming up by the fireplace, and checking his gear, the next morning arrived.

“Squad Leader.”

Krys appeared at the inn’s door.

Behind him stood the bald Gilpin, holding a man whose face was half-smashed in.

He’d been beaten so badly it was hard to recognize him.

“That’s the one.”

The elf company captain immediately recognized him. The senses of the fairies were truly remarkable.

“Hic.”

Polid let out a hiccup, his stupidity now on full display.

Encrid wondered how anyone could consider making such a fool the head of a merchant guild. He was curious about the minds of those who served under him.

‘Maybe they just plan to use him as a puppet?’

If that’s the case, well…

If not, why else would such a skilled swordsman be working for him?

It didn’t seem like they were holding anything over him.

“P-Please spare me.”

The captive, bleeding from the mouth, begged. His blood and spit dripped onto the floor.

He had clearly taken a serious beating.

“At first, this guy was stubborn, but after some ‘conversation,’ his attitude softened.”

Krys remarked.

Obviously, the “conversation” wasn’t done with words.

More likely, it was fists or boots.

And judging by the cuts on his arm, a blade was involved as well.

His forearm was hastily bandaged with tattered linen, but the wound was still visible.

“I’m the leader. Yes, I did it. I was blinded by the promise of coin.”

The man confessed without even being asked.

“Hold on.”

All eyes were on the battered man, but Leona’s voice cut through the room, drawing everyone’s attention.

“I’d like to have the room cleared. Captain Torres, you’re the commander here, correct?”

“…I am.”

With many eyes on him, Torres nodded, and two frontier guards lifted the man under his armpits.

They escorted him upstairs.

Leona, Polid, Torres, the smooth-talking brown-haired man, the swordsman who had sparred with Encrid, and Encrid himself followed.

Jaxson remained downstairs, likely unwilling to leave the spot where the Carmen Collection stiletto rested.

As the group moved, Krys approached Encrid quietly and asked,

“What is it?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know or because you want confirmation?”

“I’m asking because I want what’s due.”

This money-obsessed big-eyed rogue.

Getting paid for the job was only fair.

But he couldn’t give up the stiletto.

“Take this month’s budget.”

Krys noticed Jaxson’s slight grin fade when he saw the man they had captured.

Taking the Carmen Collection from Jaxson now would be impossible, no matter the trick.

Not that Krys had any intention of trying.

And he wasn’t about to stiff anyone on their payment. Encrid had already given him the guild’s share.

“Is that a promise?”

What would Krys have done if the reward was part of the Carmen Collection?

Would he have let it go? Probably.

There wasn’t much to think about.

He would. Krys would let it go.

It was something Jaxson coveted.

Krys knew his place within the squad.

Encrid wasn’t the only one who had learned how to survive in their unit.

Whether it was Jaxson, Rem, Ragna, or Audin, whenever they wanted something, Krys knew when to step aside.

He wasn’t foolish enough to stick his hand in the jaws of a chained hunting dog to see if it would bite.

“See you later.”

Encrid tapped Krys’s forehead and headed upstairs.

In one of the rooms, the captured spy leader knelt in the center.

Torres stood beside him, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Three from Polid’s side and Leona stood alone.

When Encrid and the elf company captain took their places next to Leona, the situation felt complete. As soon as Encrid arrived, Leona spoke.

“I know we need to question him, but may I ask a few things first?”

She directed her question to Torres.

“Go ahead.”

Torres’s attitude had been the same from day one.

He was always rigid when dealing with outsiders to the Border Guard. Leona didn’t seem bothered by it.

She was, after all, the one who had been the target of the assassination. It was only right for her to ask a few questions before the interrogation.

After all, this whole problem had started with the issue of succession within the merchant guild.

The beaten man had been turned into a bloody mess.

Leona knelt down to look him in the eyes.

“Who sent you?”

“I-I don’t know. All I was told was to use whatever resources were available to target you at the inn.”

Despite trembling, the man spoke clearly, aware that his life depended on it.

“Is there anyone in this room you recognize?”

The man scanned the room, looking at Encrid and the others, then shook his head.

It would’ve been foolish for anyone directly involved to give orders.

When organizing such a plot, there were always layers of intermediaries.

Now was the time for interrogation.

Polid had targeted Leona.

Once that was revealed, the matter of succession would be settled.

At least, that’s what Encrid thought.

“Oh dear, it seems a few fools, tempted by my purse, decided to plot against me.”

Leona said something unexpected.

“…What?”

The leader of the captured spies tilted his head in confusion.

“I didn’t do anything!”

And the foolish Polid couldn’t resist showing off his brilliance.

He blurted this out without even properly listening to what Leona had said.

“Who said you did?”

Leona shot back.

“N-No, that’s not what I meant.”

Polid’s eyes were shaking violently.

For someone who had slapped Leona across the face when they first met, this change was laughable.

If Encrid had been in Polid’s shoes, he would have been equally flustered.

Polid could only stammer, his tongue producing the dumbest noises possible as he failed to find the right words.

Torres furrowed his brow.

Meanwhile, the others from Polid’s side remained calm.

The situation was taking an odd turn.

It was clear they intended to pin everything on Polid.

“Bold.”

The elf company captain whispered from behind, her voice just loud enough for only Encrid to hear.

Bold? What was?

Encrid didn’t understand the situation fully, so his mind started racing, trying to piece things together.

People always had reasons for doing strange things.

Well, except for his squad members like Rem, who often did crazy things for no reason.

But Leona wasn’t Rem.

Encrid reconsidered the situation.

Rockfreed merchant guild, Polid, Leona, the succession issue, the attack in the Border Guard’s territory, the frontier guards, the captured spy, and Azpen’s agents.

He sorted through what he knew, and finally, a realization dawned on him.

He had been so immersed in sparring and training that he hadn’t thought it through before.

But now, it all clicked into place.