Eternally Regressing Knight - Chapter 96: Those Who Have Something to See, and Those Who Don’t

Torres exploited any lapse in attention with surgical precision.

He could read the opponent’s breathing and condition as easily as he breathed himself.

When asked how he could do this, he replied,

“If you fight as many different types as possible, that’s all it takes. It’s the fastest way to become an elite soldier in a short time, and it’s also the philosophy of the Border Guard.”

It wasn’t really something you could call a philosophy, so the last part was half a joke.

Torres chuckled lightly as he said it.

Watching the rippling waves, Encrid thought to himself as he gazed at the river.

‘It’s different.’

Just as Rem’s and Ragna’s teachings differed.

The sparring and conversations with Torres were different too.

Even the company captain was different.

‘So many.’

There was something to learn from all of them. Nothing could be overlooked.

Torres’s Hidden Knife might seem like mere sleight of hand, but Encrid realized that, depending on how it was used, it could become a lethal move.

He had even picked up a bit about deceiving the opponent’s perception for that purpose.

It was Torres’s practical combat style.

“My old man was a gambler, and he wanted to make me the second-generation gambler.”

Should it be called the origin of the Hidden Knife technique?

To Encrid, it sounded like the result of extraordinary talent and relentless effort.

“Want me to teach you?”

It was just before the ferryman arrived.

“But isn’t it a secret technique?”

“I’ll teach it if you want.”

Why was he acting like this?

Encrid didn’t know. But he was accustomed to seizing an opportunity rather than pondering the motives behind a change in someone’s feelings.

He nodded.

“Good. Watch carefully. Hide it inside the sleeve like this.”

Then Torres explained how to hide the knife, how to draw it with just a flick of the palm, and other details.

“Wow, you’re really unskilled at this.”

Encrid’s fingers were so clumsy that Torres grumbled.

However, Encrid knew how to apply focused concentration when learning something, so he was better than before.

Certainly, he was several times better than before.

If this had been the old Encrid, before he learned focused concentration…

‘Would I have given up by now?’

Would he have ever seen Torres shaking his head in exasperation?

Spending time on something with no visible potential would be foolish.

“Get a custom knife made at the forge later. For now, practice with a thin stone or something similar.”

Saying that, Torres even picked up a thin stone for him.

“You’re truly dull.”

He added another jab.

Encrid ignored it completely; he already knew it too well.

Besides, he didn’t have the luxury of worrying about such remarks.

“But you are persistent, I’ll give you that.”

Ignoring Torres’s comments, Encrid tried several times, but, of course, it didn’t come easily.

The task was to concentrate on hiding the thin stone plate.

The trick was to let his hand dangle, tuck the stone inside, and then, while turning his palm from facing the sky to facing the ground, flick it out.

Naturally, it wasn’t easy.

“It would be nice if you had a practice scabbard.”

That was Torres mumbling.

Apparently, when practicing, there was a specialized scabbard that fixed a dagger inside the sleeve.

He said it’s good to use before one gets accustomed.

“It’s a technique adapted from something gamblers call palming.”

Watching Encrid practice the skill, Torres explained.

“Palming.”

It was a skill that required certain conditions.

The blade had to be shorter than the outstretched palm, and hiding it had to be perfectly timed, so he needed time to practice just holding it.

‘It’s difficult.’

It was several times harder than wielding a sword.

But at least it was easier than getting used to a shield.

They spent some time like that, and then, after a sweaty training session, they were resting when the ferryman arrived.

The ferryman had come along a path, a place where patrols regularly cleared out monsters.

Thanks to that, the ferryman was able to come alone.

“They say that after this year, a cabin will be built here. Then, ferrymen or fishermen might settle here. If possible, a small fishing village would be nice.”

The ferryman talked a lot. As Encrid replied appropriately, he listened to the creaking of the oar and looked out over the river.

The Pen-Hanil River.

The lifeline of the surrounding villages and, more broadly, of nearby countries, including Naurilia.

Far along the riverbank, he could see low-growing grass and a few trees. To one side, he glimpsed waterfalls falling between rocky cliffs and several small cabins built along the riverbank.

This side was gravelly, but looking beyond, he could see fields that would turn green when spring arrived.

“Careful now, the current is slow here, and the water is shallow, but that rock up ahead is dangerous.”

The ferryman muttered to himself as he adjusted the direction of the boat.

An ash-gray rock jutted out in the middle.

If they hit that, a small boat like this would likely be smashed to pieces.

The boat glided along the river, finally reaching the other side.

“I’ll be off now.”

The ferryman departed.

“Shall we wash up? We’ve got a bit of time before the meeting.”

Torres looked at the sun overhead and suggested.

“Good idea.”

They had sweated through training and were starting to smell unpleasant.

Who knew how long the operation would last, but there was no need to start it off uncomfortably.

Eating, sleeping, and washing when there was time to do so were basic manners for soldiers.

“Then.”

Torres shrugged off his clothes and waded into the river.

The rippling river was a shade between blue and green and looked crystal clear.

Soon, Encrid removed his armor piece by piece, stripped down, and entered the water.

As he stepped in, the chill prickled his entire body.

Torres looked at Encrid, eyes widening.

“Wha-…what’s up with you?”

What’s so surprising about this?

Torres’s gaze dropped to Encrid’s lower half, and then he abruptly closed his mouth.

Encrid looked down at his lower half as well.

There was, indeed, one thing worth being surprised about.

“Damn, you’re one lucky bastard.”

Torres’s voice sounded like it was almost trembling.

“You shouldn’t have been born just with that face.”

“Keep talking like that, and I might actually start feeling grateful to the parents I never knew.”

“You’re an orphan?”

“Yeah.”

Not that it was anything unusual here. Most soldiers were probably the same.

“Maybe having no parents is better than having ones who beat you for every lesson.”

“Perhaps.”

Encrid had never yearned for parental affection to begin with. He just wanted to wield a sword in that time.

In those days, when he had absolutely nothing.

The only things that had sustained him back then were his dream of becoming a knight and the sword itself.

For an orphaned kid, was the world a kind place?

Of course not.

It’s a wonder he hadn’t died.

The people of his village had been kind-hearted and honest, which is why he was still alive.

‘A knight.’

He had lived focusing solely on that goal. In the time others sought affection, he dreamed of knighthood.

He dreamed to forget hunger.

He swung a stick like it was a sword to forget his pain.

That’s why Encrid didn’t crave affection.

Instead, he longed for the sword.

That was the dream it allowed him to pursue. The beginning of his journey as a knight.

Fleeting memories of a few villagers who might have been called home crossed his mind.

Not like parents who had cherished him.

But they didn’t just leave him to die.

And yet, even people like that could be swept away by war.

‘War devours everything.’

So, if he could end that war, wouldn’t it be good?

And to play his part in that, what should he do?

‘The sword.’

Just swing it, over and over.

That was the only method Encrid knew.

That sword was his parents, his siblings.

It was his dream and his goal, his everything.

Bubbles surfaced above the water.

As Encrid lost himself in thought underwater, Torres tapped his shoulder.

“Puaah.”

Encrid emerged, exhaling.

“They’re here.”

Torres said, throwing a glance to the side.

Encrid followed his gaze and saw a soldier standing on one leg, with two others behind holding clubs even shorter than shortswords.

At a glance, they looked like bandits or brigands.

A club, battered leather armor.

Lightly armed. The absence of thick gambeson suggested a preference for mobility.

Instinctively, Encrid gauged their skill level.

It was knowledge he had learned through the isolation technique from Audin.

‘Good balance between both arms.’

Despite standing on one leg, both hands hung down evenly.

When did they take that stance?

‘Could throw something if needed.’

They seemed quite skilled with throwing weapons.

Proving the point, a throwing axe dangled from the soldier’s waist.

Judging by their training, they might have some other tricks too.

The two soldiers behind had daggers on their belts and held clubs, but otherwise didn’t stand out much.

‘Orange hair.’

Encrid’s gaze finally reached the leader’s face. Freckles, orange hair, and a small build.

It was a female soldier.

“Well, you’re pretty relaxed, huh? Enjoying a nice bath. Refreshing?”

The orange-haired soldier greeted them with a cocky tone.

Watching her, Encrid realized again that his instincts still had room for improvement.

‘I didn’t sense them approaching.’

Maybe that was natural. He hadn’t expected anyone to come this far.

And he’d been lost in thought while underwater.

Had he been too complacent?

No. He’d still taken basic precautions.

They were right by the riverbank, and their weapons were within reach.

The ones approaching likely knew how to conceal their presence well.

The orange-haired soldier standing at a slightly higher position spoke up.

“Aren’t you going to come out?”

Torres took the lead.

“Or do you want me to keep watching?”

And then added,

“Not much to see anyway.”

Harsh.

Thinking that, Encrid got out of the water. Streams of water trickled down his body.

Was Torres truly surprised by just that one thing?

No.

Audin’s training had transformed Encrid’s body into something entirely different.

With every today repeated, the cumulative results of his training were evident in his physique.

The muscles along his shoulders, arms, and abs flexed.

Solid abdominal muscles ran down to his thighs, with every fiber taut and defined, a sight even a soldier would notice.

Lastly, the bulge at the center caught the soldier’s eye.

“…Looks like there’s something worth seeing after all.”

Watching the scene, Torres muttered a complaint.

“Ahem, put on some clothes.”

The orange-haired soldier cleared her throat and said.

Leaving behind the sweat-soaked clothes, Torres and Encrid pulled fresh ones from their packs.

Their previously worn clothes had salt stains from drying.

It would be good to wash them later if there was time.

With that thought, Encrid fully geared up again.

“Scout platoon leader, Fin.”

The orange-haired soldier extended her fist.

Torres stepped forward first.

“Border Guard platoon leader, Torres.”

They bumped fists, and then the fist reached toward Encrid.

“Independent platoon, platoon leader Encrid.”

The elf company captain had altered Encrid’s affiliation oddly.

Since he couldn’t be officially given command of a platoon, they had created an independent platoon under the company’s command.

“Independent platoon? What’s that? Anyway, nice to meet you.”

Fin moved past Encrid’s fist and tapped him on the stomach.

“Nice abs.”

“I thought mine were good too…”

Torres muttered beside them. Given that it was loud enough for everyone to hear, it didn’t seem like he meant it as a private thought.

“Shall we talk as we go? If we head out now, we can reach the campsite before sunset.”

The two soldiers behind seemed to be Fin’s subordinates. They all saluted.

With that, the group of five began to move.

Along the way, Fin finally revealed the detailed mission objective.

“You didn’t come here without knowing where you were, did you?”

“I was told it’s a land of monsters and beasts.”

Encrid replied.

Thanks to his excellent memory, he recalled every word Enri had said.

Enri had mentioned that the upper part of the Pen-Hanil River was filled with monster dens.

A land avoided by anyone but the best pathfinders and hunters.

“We’re practically on Cross Guard’s doorstep.”

Fin continued in a stiff tone.

“The initial mission was to gather information through a cat. That’s how it’s always been until now.”

Cat was code for a spy.

It was a common term used on this continent.

Both nations had planted spies in each other’s cities.

Not only Naurilia, but Azpen as well.

Encrid himself had encountered and fought with some of these spies, so the existence of spies was nothing new.

“But the cat has missed four days past the scheduled date.”

Fin continued as they walked. So what happens now?

As Torres and Encrid listened intently, Fin continued.

“New orders came down, saying we need to go in and rescue them. The last report from our side’s cat indicated they had obtained critical information.”

Encrid felt a shiver as he sensed danger running through his entire body.

This was…

‘Dangerous.’

This was beyond just dangerous.

They would die. No doubt, he would die multiple times.

His instincts, honed from countless repeated todays, warned him.

Following Fin’s words meant infiltrating Cross Guard itself.

“Heh, shitty mission, huh? Damn, I know. But there’s a way, there’s always a way.”

Fin chuckled finally, a self-deprecating laugh.

Encrid had already realized it back when he’d been trapped in that wizard’s trap.

Could he escape today by running away?

The answer was ‘no.’

Whether he stayed up all night, slept, or ran all night to another place.

The result would be the same.

It would only add to his body’s fatigue.

He had realized that he couldn’t avoid it.

And if it couldn’t be avoided, the only thing left was to enjoy it.

Encrid smiled. It was a different kind of smile than Fin’s.

A smile of anticipation and joy, showing his exhilaration.

Seeing that, Fin raised an eyebrow and commented.

“They really sent a crazy bastard from the main force?”

Torres nodded, half in agreement.

Even he knew Encrid wasn’t exactly normal.

While Torres himself felt tense, Encrid…

Of course, Encrid was tense too.

But his attitude toward meeting a new tomorrow was simply different.

‘Crossing it.’

Overcoming a wall signified growth, so he smiled at the joy of it.

He would struggle fiercely, desperate not to remain trapped in today.

Not that it wasn’t chilling.

But he simply looked further ahead.

Walking along, Encrid’s shoulders tensed with a mixture of anticipation and tension.