A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

Encrid just needed to report his return.

So they stood in front of the quarters.

An unexpected figure appeared.

It was Gilpin.

His clothes were torn here and there, and his face was bruised blue.

One eye was half-swollen, seemingly in the process of healing, and he was limping.

It didn’t seem like his leg was broken.

“Let me take a look.”

A quick glance revealed that his ankle seemed to be sprained.

“I’m fine.” Gilpin said, though there was a subtle anxiety in his tone.

Encrid nodded.

“What happened?”

This was under Krais’s jurisdiction.

Obviously, something had happened with the Gilpin Guild for him to end up in this state.

“I’m here.”

“For what?”

“That frog bastard who was with the former guild master.”

Ah, Frog.

There was no need to search his memory.

Yes, they had said that Frog would come when spring arrived.

It seemed he had come now.

But wasn’t it a bit early?

“Start from the beginning.”

He wanted to hear the full story first.

If Krais had died or if there was an urgent matter, Gilpin wouldn’t be here talking but would have immediately insisted they go together.

* * *

Krais had already been eating and sleeping in the city for six days.

Spending about a week outside the camp was part of Krais’s routine.

Moreover,

‘Isn’t there a battle coming up?’

So much to prepare for.

Starting from the beginning of the year, from food to various errands.

Many people sought out Krais, not just soldiers but even officers.

Because of that, there were many who provided such conveniences.

It had been six days like that.

He wanted to wrap up all the tasks before the upcoming deployment.

Most importantly, since taking over the Gilpin Guild, counting Kronas had become more enjoyable.

With this, why would he want to return to the unit?

“Let’s see. How much will I make today?”

He would need a lot of Kronas to start a salon later.

So, it was best to earn as much as possible while he could.

Recently, he had received a decent commission from the items the Squad Leader brought and sold.

“I wonder if he’ll find something else like that.”

Well, there was talk of a wizard living hidden in the sewers.

Would such things happen frequently?

“It’s time for lunch. Let’s eat.”

Around noon, Krais called for Gilpin to settle lunch. For lunch, they had a dish made from ground whole wheat.

Somehow, they had managed to make thin noodles and topped them with olive oil and tomato sauce. It was reasonably good.

“So, did you seal off the basement of that shoemaker’s shop?”

Krais asked, clattering his fork.

“It’s all sealed up now.” Gilpin replied after swallowing the noodles he was chewing.

The idea was to play the role of night guards, if not full-fledged guardians.

Thus, the Gilpin Guild took action in areas beyond the reach of the reserve forces.

The sealing off of the shoemaker’s basement was one such task.

The reserve forces didn’t concern themselves with such matters.

They had taken all they could but left the tunnels.

Of course, the Squad Leader had already looted them before that.

Anyway, what was the role of the night watch?

It was to give the impression of protecting the city’s residents, aside from shaking down transient visitors.

The effectiveness? Needless to say, it was great.

Whether collecting tributes or arranging protection fees.

Especially when gathering information, it was as if the entire city’s populace became Krais’s ears.

‘If we push, we might even weed out all the spies from Aspen.’

It seemed possible if the Gilpin Guild absorbed the surrounding guilds.

But it still felt too early to make a move.

Krais paused eating, lost in thought, mulling over his plans.

‘Bind them through the Squad Leader.’

If the Squad Leader moved, it would give the squad members a reason to act.

Since each squad member’s desires were clear, enticing them wouldn’t be difficult.

‘And how many people are we managing?’

Even in the Border Guard, there was a slum. While some had given up on life and were languishing there,

others were struggling to survive.

‘Recruit some from the slums.’

Absorbing smaller members while breaking down other guilds.

Krais was confident in his ability to read people, if nothing else.

Perhaps it was because he had grown up learning the hard way.

During his begging days, he could tell at a glance who would give him something if he asked.

Of course, it took hundreds of beatings to develop that sense.

The moment he realized that approaching the wrong person could get him killed, his instincts naturally sharpened.

‘It seems doable.’

Should he call it the Back Alley Guild Integration Operation?

In a year, or maybe less than six months if the foundation was laid, he felt he could completely dominate the back alleys.

If the plan went smoothly.

However, there were always variables in any plan.

That was the variable.

Bang!

They say fortune and misfortune come unexpectedly.

It was the same for Krais.

Someone burst into the mansion’s drawing-room, breaking down the door.

It was a figure draped in a thick cloak.

Krais didn’t think about how they got here or ask who they were.

There were about a dozen guild members guarding the mansion.

Two of them, who were guarding the door, were lying on the floor.

‘Is there blood?’

There was no pool of blood on the floor, so they didn’t seem to be dead. At least, it looked that way.

Krais quickly assessed the situation and the sudden misfortune, recognizing and accepting it.

His keen mind was racing, and his eyes scanned the surroundings.

“Yes, come this way.”

This was his first statement after making his judgment.

“Do you know who I am? Your reaction is refreshing.”

The figure inside the cloak shrugged, causing the cloak to sway.

The voice was rough and raspy, as if the speaker had injured vocal cords.

“It didn’t seem relevant.”

“You’ve got a good sense.”

As the figure spoke, they removed the cloak.

Inside the smoothly flowing cloak.

The person was wearing armor reinforced with metal plates around the chest area.

Heart armor, heart armor.

“……Ah.”

It’s difficult for humans to recognize Frog’s appearance.

Even so, Gilpin recognized the figure.

The white scar on the neck revealed it was Frog, the harbinger of death that Gilpin often mentioned.

‘Isn’t it too early?’

Hadn’t they said he wouldn’t come until long after spring had arrived?

“Where’s the guy who was here before?”

“He got bored of this place and went up ahead.”

Krais responded casually to Frog’s words.

Gilpin was drenched in a cold sweat.

One wrong word, and he might be sent up as well.

The fear of death loomed. It was the threat of an overwhelming power disparity.

In this situation,

“Would you like some food?”

Krais asked nonchalantly.

Frog twisted his lips into a grin.

“You’re a funny guy.”

With that, Frog moved, and Gilpin tried to resist but was beaten.

It ended with three blows. If Frog had not held back and drawn his weapon, it would have been over in one strike.

Krais didn’t resist but still got hit.

“Humans only listen after they’ve been beaten. That’s my philosophy. Who’s the one who killed the former guild master?”

After the beating, Frog lifted Krais by the collar with one hand and asked.

Krais’s mind raced.

Who among the squad members could handle this monster?

Rem, Ragna, Audin, Jaxon.

Which name should he mention?

Who should he direct Frog to find?

The decision was made without hesitation, having already considered this when he saw Frog.

“I would have told you if you had just asked.”

“I don’t like that. I prefer to beat people up first and then listen.”

Crazy Frog bastard.

Despite what he thought inside, Krais responded with a smile, “I see.”

“The Border Guard Reserve Unit killed him. The name is Ragna.”

“And why are you sitting here?”

“I’m acting as the guild master.”

“Interesting, interesting. Hey, Baldie.”

Gilpin, who had been knocked out in an instant, didn’t even know how he was taken down.

He just knew his eye socket hurt terribly, and his thigh was numb, making it impossible to stand.

“Uh, yes, yes.”

“Bring Ragna here, and I’ll let this guy go.” Frog said, causing Gilpin to look at Krais.

“Go ahead. Bring our real guild master.”

Gilpin was quick on the uptake.

Frog wanted them to bring someone capable of killing him.

Frog wasn’t a fool.

Even if he couldn’t distinguish between lies and the truth, he could tell that this small, pretty human man was up to something.

Frog made up his mind.

‘Kill that guy.’

And chain this one.

Since the one who originally managed this place was dead, it was time for a new manager.

Contacting the homeland would take too much effort, so he decided it was better to manage things locally.

And if things went south? Escaping wouldn’t be difficult.

* * *

“How many days has it been since Krais was captured?”

Encrid scratched his nose and asked.

“Three days.”

“What about my squad members?”

“Conveniently, they’re all headed to the battlefield.”

“Even Rem?”

“I’m not sure. I only heard that he’s not here.”

“Have you confirmed Big Eyes is alive?”

“Just reported on it a moment ago.”

“Did they break all his limbs?”

“…What?”

“Never mind. If they left his limbs intact, that’s better.”

Encrid muttered to himself, nodded, and stood up.

Encrid and Gilpin had been squatting in a corner near the front of the unit, talking.

Gilpin looked up at the standing Encrid, puzzled.

Shouldn’t they be rushing to rescue Krais?

Encrid spoke again.

“First, I’ll go report my return.”

“Should I wait?”

“No, Frog is at the mansion, right?”

“Aren’t we going right now?”

Right now? It didn’t seem necessary.

If Frog had wanted to kill Krais, he would have done it already.

But the fact that he hadn’t even broken Krais’s limbs in three days meant

“He must be holding on.”

It was clear what Krais was aiming for.

He wanted to call for someone from his squad, which is why he mentioned the name Ragna.

He could have asked for Rem, Audin, or Jaxon, but he specifically chose Ragna, who was the hardest to summon due to being notoriously poor with directions and lazy.

It meant he was asking for anyone to come.

‘The problem is, I’m the only one left.’

It was unexpected for Encrid that all his squad members had headed to the battlefield without him.

Krais couldn’t have predicted this either.

The fact that the usually unruly squad members had listened to someone else and gone to the battlefield was surprising.

Whoever took them must have been quite impressive.

Managing them without bursting a blood vessel from the stress was a feat in itself.

“Go back and tell them to wait just one more day.”

Gilpin’s face twisted in frustration at those words.

“The guild master will die.”

It was a natural reaction for Gilpin.

He was content with his current life.

Being a night watchman rather than a full-fledged protector suited him just fine.

There were fewer troublesome matters, and it was peaceful. Yes, it was very peaceful.

Krais was keen on Kronas, but he was fair.

That’s why Gilpin wanted to maintain this peace.

The Gilpin who once thought about fleeing if the guild shattered before Frog’s arrival no longer existed.

He now had something to protect.

“We have to go.”

He repeated, but Encrid shook his head.

“Go and tell them to wait just one more day. Ragna will come.”

With that, Encrid turned away.

Gilpin still had no other options. He had to turn back.

He had to deliver the message.

If the situation wasn’t conveyed, Frog would tear the guild master apart. Frog seemed more than capable of doing that.

Gilpin took steps to restore the broken peace.

‘God, please.’

He sought a deity he didn’t even believe in.

Encrid headed inside the unit.

“It’s been a few days already. What’s going on? No one would tell me anything.”

The soldier guarding the entrance asked as Encrid walked in.

‘Loyalty exists.’

Encrid thought of Gilpin and understood his situation. If the reserve forces had taken control of the back alley guild, it could have been disastrous, possibly even resulting in execution.

So, he couldn’t have spoken up.

Despite that, he wanted to protect what he had, and that sentiment was clearly conveyed.

“A damn situation.” Encrid muttered as he headed inside the unit.

Krais wouldn’t be killed just because another day passed. That was evident from the situation.

‘It doesn’t seem like Frog is a fool.’

While Frog had a reputation for being straightforward and brute, like people, each Frog was different.

There were smart Frogs, ignorant Frogs, and even meticulous Frogs.

The same went for Fairies, Dragons, and Giants.

Of course, each species had its unique traits.

‘If there’s time.’

If there was no immediate need to go,Encrid clenched and unclenched his fist as he walked.

He wasn’t naive.

From this ‘today’, he had learned something.

‘I’ve improved.’

Otherwise, he would have been killed by a lycanthrope or an enemy commander long ago.

But he had even slain a wizard.

This was evidence that his skills had improved.

So, could he handle Frog?

Last time, when facing a tricky opponent, he was knocked out by a single kick to the side.

So, now?

‘It feels possible.’

It wasn’t baseless confidence. While Krais had called for him instead of a squad member.

‘Frog, Frog, Frog.’

Frog was a challenging opponent he’d like to face.

For that, he needed preparation.

Although he wasn’t severely injured, he was fatigued, having stayed up for two nights.

He had taken short naps on the way back and rested somewhat, but he wasn’t in perfect condition.

Therefore,

‘I need to report my return and rest first.’

Encrid did as he planned.

If letting Krais die wasn’t an option, he would have to face Frog.

It could be considered a troublesome task, but Encrid felt a strange excitement about the situation.

‘Strange. Very strange.’

Normally, would he have been scared? No, rather than being scared, he would have fought even knowing he might lose. He couldn’t stand by and watch his comrades die. Encrid had always lived that way.

However, if previously he had approached knowing he would lose,now he felt uncertain about the outcome, whether he would win or lose.

“The Company Commander?”

Upon entering the unit, he noticed many people were missing.

There were also reports that the Troublesome Squad had been led out by the Fairy Company Commander as the vanguard.

He wondered who had taken them.

Because of that, Encrid had to report his return to a Platoon leader from another company.

“You’re the only one left from the independent platoon, so will you be joining soon?”

It was someone he was familiar with.

“I’m exhausted, so I’ll join in two days.”

“Alright, but try to come quickly. There seem to be some issues at the front, and there might be a second deployment.”

The Platoon leader said, waving a dispatch and talking at length.

Encrid nodded and turned away.

He unpacked in the empty quarters, soaked in hot water, and then fell asleep under a warm blanket.

If he ended up facing Frog and died, repeating today,it was sleep to keep him in the best condition.

Encrid fell asleep quickly.

It was a deep, restful sleep without dreams.

Upon waking, Encrid wiped the sleep from his eyes, washed his face, and ate meat for breakfast.

“You’re eating well for breakfast.” the cook on duty remarked, shaking his head.

After chewing and swallowing the meat, he practiced the Isolation Technique.

It was a good exercise for digestion and warming up the body.

He then sharpened his longsword and counted his remaining whistling daggers. There were only two left.

He hadn’t been able to retrieve all the ones he had thrown.

‘Could that person make more for me?’

Thinking of the city’s blacksmith, Encrid held the blade up diagonally in front of his eyes to inspect it.

It was in good condition.

No cracks.

A few nicks, but nothing serious.

The blacksmith had mentioned that blades could get chipped when cutting through a wizard, but it seemed to have held up well.

Perhaps it varied from wizard to wizard.

With all preparations complete,

Nyaa!

“Where have you been?”

Esther appeared.

Encrid had thought she was gone, as she hadn’t been seen for a while.

“Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, Encrid stepped outside again.

“Hiss.”

Esther seemed annoyed, as if questioning where he was going without her.

“Want to come along? Just watch, though.”

At Encrid’s words, Esther jumped into his arms, settling in comfortably.

Feeling her warm body heat, Encrid set off.

His destination was the mansion where Krais was being held.

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