Eternally Regressing Knight - Chapter 91: Special Platoon

Dog-headed monsters.

These creatures sat somewhere between demons and beasts.

A four-legged monster with a face resembling an old man.

Or a canine-like beast with a face that resembled a human’s.

But what did it matter?

Both demons and beasts preyed on humans.

They were enemies to be killed.

No one knew where these creatures came from.

From the time Encrid was born, or even before this world existed, the threat of such monsters had been present.

There were various types like ghouls, harpies, and skeletons.

The distinction between demons and beasts was simple.

If it resembled an animal, it was a beast; if it had unique characteristics, it was a demon.

Among them, the dog-headed monsters were creatures that, when gathered in packs, lost all sense of fear and stood between beasts and demons.

“Advance.”

There were over fifty of them in the pack. They scattered chaotically, letting out guttural growls.

The moment they were spotted, the heavy infantry commander spoke.

Heavy infantry was the most expensive type of soldier, both in terms of equipment and training.

Their heavy armor reduced their mobility, making them unfit for archery or spear-throwing.

Their armor restricted dynamic movements, preventing swift charges.

But with their full-body armor, rectangular shields, and long spears peeking out between, the heavy infantry was overwhelmingly effective in plain field battles.

This time was no different.

Their slow march across the wasteland barely kicked up any dust.

They advanced steadily, step by step, without pause.

Yet, the dog-headed monsters could do nothing.

Their main weapon was their claws.

But those claws were useless.

‘A decisive victory.’

Even harpies, which attacked from the sky, were no match for the heavy infantry. Dog-headed monsters didn’t stand a chance.

Thunk!

The claws struck, but only met the shield.

Even when some managed to push their claws between the gaps in the shields.

Clang.

The steel armor bore only a scratch.

Moreover, only one in ten dog-headed monsters could even try such a move.

Most were stopped by the advancing shields and spears.

“Kaah!”

A shrill cry echoed from one of the monsters.

One lunged at the rectangular shield but was skewered by a spear thrust through the gap, piercing its side.

As the monster dangled from the spear, the soldier in the front row pushed it off with his shield, freeing the blade.

The creature rolled on the ground with a hole in its side.

Its screeches became death rattles as it was crushed under the weight of the advancing soldiers.

Thud, thud.

Given the heavy soldiers’ weight, merely stepping on the monsters was a sufficient final blow.

They blocked with their shields and struck with their spears.

A simple yet effective strategy.

The opponent wasn’t human—it was a monster. It had no means to resist.

While the heavy infantry made short work of the dog-headed monsters,

The special task force stationed on the left hill, the border guard, launched ranged attacks.

This unit included archers and crossbowmen.

Five archers and fifteen crossbowmen.

They pinned down one side, raining arrows and bolts that drove the monsters into the path of the heavy infantry.

Encrid and Rem were not idle observers.

More monsters kept emerging from behind the fifty-strong pack.

“It seems like we should handle those!” Rem said, unusually excited. Encrid responded not with words but by breaking into a run, moving faster than Rem.

The thrill in his chest had yet to subside.

It was time to prove what he had drilled into himself by repeatedly swinging his sword.

A time when he cherished every moment.

To fight with his life on the line, yet feel no fear of death.

When had he ever felt this before?

It was a peculiar sensation for Encrid.

Amidst a mere dozen or so dog-headed monsters, death seemed unlikely. There was no threat of a life-or-death crisis.

Why was he so certain?

Was it because Rem was with him?

That didn’t seem right.

Thoughts could wait.

He ran. Unlike the heavy infantry, he moved with unseen speed and agility.

With boldness and focus.

Mid-sprint, he lowered his waist and swung his sword.

The blade sliced through the air parallel to the ground.

Slice! Thunk!

The jaw of the first monster was severed, and as the sword followed through, it cleaved into the head of another.

The second monster’s eyes and forehead split open.

Two down in one motion.

Encrid used his left foot to halt his momentum, pivoting on it and pulling his right foot back as he turned his body sideways.

As he rotated, he raised the sword vertically and brought it down.

A textbook vertical slash of the sword.

Crunch!

The head of the next monster caught in the swing split apart.

His heart pounded madly. He slashed and swung.

He punched the oncoming monster in the head and, while another aimed to bite his shin, he drove the tip of his sword vertically into its skull.

He felt the skull break beneath his grip.

Before he could pull out the blade, an axe swung beside him, carving through the air.

It was Rem.

A powerful charge followed by a decisive strike.

Any monster caught by that axe lost either its torso or head.

Encrid glanced at the charging horde of monsters.

Once, such a sight would have terrified him, but no longer.

His heart beat with confidence, allowing him to fight calmly.

His mind was cool and clear. Even while considering how best to cut down the incoming monsters, he calculated where he should move to gain the advantage.

Though his mind was calm, his heart burned fiercely.

A surge of exhilaration.

A rising sense that elevated his body and awareness.

‘I can do this.’

The lessons he learned from battling the sewer mage were becoming second nature. The training with his squadmates was paying off in real combat.

Watching Encrid, Rem was reminded of building a fortress wall.

He had once disguised himself as a laborer and worked in wall construction.

Carrying heavy stones and stacking them one by one in a laborious, seemingly endless task.

A process that demanded patience.

‘It’s strange.’

Watching Encrid’s growth, all Rem could think was how odd it was.

It was a series of incomprehensible events he witnessed up close more than anyone.

A man who once struggled to stack even one stone.

Now suddenly piling dozens. How was it possible?

He didn’t know. And he wasn’t interested in finding out.

It only piqued his curiosity further.

‘This is fun. Really fun.’

“Grah!”

A bolt embedded itself in the head of the last monster.

Before they knew it, they had cornered and killed the entire group, with Torres approaching them.

Torres clicked his tongue and said,

“It’s a shame. You should’ve joined our unit. Why are you still just a squad leader?”

The lieutenant of the 1st Company was just as curious.

With skills like that, why?

Rem’s comrades from the 1st Company glared at him, but Encrid subtly stepped in front of him to block their gaze.

Rem had once punched a superior officer from the 1st Company and always had a contentious relationship with them. He tended to provoke them.

After preventing an incident, Encrid finally spoke.

“There’s no one to take responsibility for my squad yet.”

Encrid pointed out a realistic issue.

If he were promoted to lieutenant, who would lead the 444th squad?

“In any case, well done.”

The euphoria that had surged within him now slowly began to fade.

Though Encrid answered, he neither listened nor responded seriously.

One thought occupied his mind.

‘I need to organize.’

The battle made it clear. He needed to tidy up his accumulated skills at least once.

He had linked various techniques, creating synergistic effects.

He had applied them to his swordsmanship.

Until now, he had adapted to situations as they arose, but now he felt the need for structure.

And as this realization dawned on him, a new excitement took hold.

The discovery of something he needed.

It was a rare occurrence in his life.

Before, the path ahead was always dark, with no direction visible.

But now? Markers kept appearing on what had once been an unseen road.

He was so happy he couldn’t contain it.

That was why Encrid, without realizing it, smiled.

Even Rem couldn’t guess what was going on in his mind.

Naturally, neither could Torres nor the heavy infantry lieutenant.

The fight was over. Rejoicing over victory? This wasn’t that kind of battle.

Victory was expected, and killing was routine in these hunts.

But here was one soldier, blood-soaked and wild, suddenly smiling in sheer joy.

The heavy infantry lieutenant watched, thinking it was the kind of smile one might have while soaking in hot water on a freezing winter day.

“…Is he a bit… off?”

The lieutenant of the 1st Company whispered to Torres, gesturing toward his head while glancing at Encrid.

“Well, calling him normal would be a stretch.”

Torres’s voice trailed off.

He wasn’t referring to Encrid’s current smile but rather his usual life in the unit.

No madman, not even the most notorious ones, wielded a sword as obsessively as that troublemaking squad leader.

“What are you looking at?”

“…You son of a…”

While Encrid was briefly distracted, a spat broke out between Rem and the 1st Company members.

Encrid hurried over to restrain Rem, while Torres and others worked to calm the situation.

—

Two assignments were completed, but the one involving the mage’s death was covered up by the company commander, so no one knew about it.

However, everyone knew about the monster subjugation.

From slaying the wolf beast alongside Rem to fighting harpies with a sword.

Few were surprised by Rem’s achievements. Those unfamiliar with him might be startled at first, but his exceptional skills had always been why he was part of the unit.

“Rem? Well, he’s always been a strong fighter.”

“If he just had a better temperament, he’d probably be a battalion commander by now.”

When the news spread within the unit, what really caught the soldiers’ attention was Encrid.

He was a high-ranking soldier, but not all high-ranking soldiers could pull off such feats.

Fighting harpies with a sword?

Who would attempt something so reckless?

Yet, the story that he had actually killed harpies spread like wildfire.

And it wasn’t just one by chance—there were three.

The rumors spread rapidly.

“How did he do that?”

“I knew something like this would happen eventually.”

“Encrid? That troublemaking squad leader?”

“Didn’t they say he broke a curse not long ago?”

“Last time we faced him, he barely seemed like a high-ranking soldier.”

With so much talk circulating, it was only natural for the reports to reach the battalion commander.

The battalion commander couldn’t ignore it.

As a result, the elf company commander was summoned and questioned.

“Is it right for him to remain just a squad leader?”

“The squad itself is unique.”

“If we can’t afford a reward, promoting him would be the next best thing.”

The Kingdom of Naurilia’s system was straightforward: rewards were given based on merit.

That was the core principle.

The policy of ranking soldiers and the mercenary system followed this idea.

Recognition could come in the form of monetary reward or honorary rank.

The battalion commander, thinking of his own interests, proposed granting rank instead of monetary compensation.

The company commander, understanding the unique nature of Encrid’s squad, knew that promoting him would lead to a chaotic, uncontrollable unit.

But a different approach could work.

“Let’s proceed with that.”

After saluting, the company commander left, satisfied with a plan that would appease the battalion commander while maintaining current arrangements.

Thus, Encrid was informed.

“My unit only has ten members, sir.”

“That doesn’t matter. From today, you will hold the same rank as a platoon leader. Any objections?”

“No, sir.”

It was an order from a superior. Encrid had no reason to argue, especially not with the elf company commander. Becoming a target for her jokes would be far more unpleasant.

“Dismissed.”

And so, Encrid was promoted to a rank equivalent to that of a platoon leader.

“Do we have to call you platoon leader now?”

“Oh, platoon leader! Did your salary go up?”

“What about us?”

“Congratulations, sir!”

“My sword’s blade is dull, by the way.”

Whether these were meant as congratulatory words or not was unclear.

The last comment from Ragna certainly wasn’t.

In reality, not much changed with Encrid’s new status as a platoon leader.

However, there were talks of filling the vacancies in the squad.

A full squad was supposed to have ten members.

Until now, it was just the six of them, including Encrid.

Their new title was the Independent Platoon under the 4th Company.

No longer just the 4th Squad.

There was an option to recruit more platoon members.

‘Is it necessary?’

Despite the change in title, their missions would likely remain the same.

The only real benefit was that platoon leaders didn’t have to take part in standard duties.

“That’s a bit unfair,” Rem grumbled but quickly let it go when it became clear their squad would stay the same.

This was the only significant change after the news of Encrid’s promotion spread.

Despite his new title, Encrid’s routine didn’t change.

“You want to learn more, don’t you?”

It started with Audin. Organizing what he already knew was important, but wasting time was out of the question. He couldn’t stop learning and training during his spare time.

That was the essence of how Encrid used his repeating days.

So, he sought out Audin, looking for the next step after mastering his current skills.

“Have you heard of bed combat?”

Encrid thought this sounded absurd.

“It’s a training method devised by the Paladin Valaf.”

Audin explained.

Valaf’s fighting techniques.

They focused not on striking but on grappling and joint manipulation.

A new addition to daily life where he would be pinned and twisted during practice.

Of course, Audin wasn’t the only one teaching him new things.

The harsh chill of winter was gradually retreating.

Encrid continued his relentless training.

If a boatman appeared in his dreams, he’d probably ask, “What do you do for a living?”—such was the repetitiveness of his routine.

Rumors began to spread.

Not about skirmishes, but a full-scale war.

It was to be expected.

The enemy had used curses in the last battle, while their side had showcased a squire, altering the battlefield’s dynamics.

An even fiercer battle was coming as spring approached.

Before spring’s arrival, Encrid, consumed by training and refining his skills, remained as busy as ever.