A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 530

Chapter 530: Chapter 525

“Indeed.”

Avnair immediately received the report about the enemy’s tricks.

He was currently positioned in the rear, quite far back, and had publicly placed a puppet Commander in charge.

If this were a true frontal battle, Varna Hurrier would have taken command, but the outcome of this fight would be determined not from the front but from the side.

‘Is this fight similar to the previous one?’

Back then, the outcome of the main battle had been pushed due to a smaller skirmish on the flank.

Avnair remembered every battle against Naurillia, recalling the past.

It was a fight that began similarly, yet differently.

Back then, the fight on the flank was secondary, but this time, the battle on the bypass would determine victory.

Avnair took a sip of tea, having just finished a hearty meal. One must eat well to think well.

Even now, while eating and resting, his mind whirled, piercing through the enemy’s intentions.

Granted, anyone could have noticed something like this.

For instance, even the puppet playing the Commander in his place up front would have seen through the enemy’s plan.

Thus, Avnair needed to see beyond the enemy’s apparent intentions.

So, what was the clear and unobstructed intention?

They were probing.

They wanted to see what was left in the main camp. They were asking if there was any deception involved, or if preparations for a frontal battle were being made.

‘Obsession.’

Avnair sensed an obsession in the enemy’s trick.

They weren’t just testing the waters, they were obsessively examining when the bridge was built, who built it, and how sturdy it was before stepping onto it.

‘They’re even confirming if we still have Knight-level forces.’

In the meantime, they would lower morale and prepare for a potential frontal battle, aiming for an upper hand.

Their intentions were obvious, but that didn’t make it easy to block them.

“Send out someone who has confidence in crushing the opponent. They don’t have to win, but they must not go down easily. Also, tell them that the opponent isn’t weak.”

Avnair quickly organized his thoughts and spoke.

What was the card the enemy had played? Let’s assume the worst.

‘A Junior-Knight?’

Most likely. Then they just needed to show a card of equal value.

Avnair didn’t know exactly who the opponent was.

To be honest, he didn’t expect them to send out a significant card.

After all, the real battle would take place in the Pen-Hanil mountains.

Avnair still believed this fight would end in victory for Aspen.

He wasn’t certain, but he had faith.

He had hidden the Knight forces, the key to winning the war. Three of the four were just at the entrance to Knighthood, but they were still Knights.

How would the enemy stop such forces?

Naurillia likely had hidden forces as well.

At most, they would have two Knights.

There was one who had killed two Junior-Knights and then left at the Aspen border.

Plus, one more unexpected figure.

That made two.

‘Fine, let’s assume they have three.’

But even then, nothing changed.

The wolf-man General was a symbol of strength equal to Cyprus from the Red Cape Knights.

Moreover, in terms of duels, there was a Knight who could guarantee victory.

Though Will had grown slightly weaker due to breaking his vow.

But that wouldn’t be an issue.

Even excluding those two, there were still two more.

And that was without counting General Frog.

Yet, General Frog was leading the troops in full force.

If they fought, they would win. If they engaged, they would win.

They even launched the first offensive in this battle.

This was to gain a slight psychological advantage, assuming the enemy also had Knights.

That slight edge could determine victory or defeat.

Haven’t all those who became Knights said the same thing?

“If the skills are similar, the one who wavers even slightly is at a disadvantage.”

That was the answer to the question, ‘What is the most important factor in a fight between Knights?’

The beast General had once said this, poking his own heart.

Avnair remembered how General Frog had puffed his cheeks in displeasure at the sight.

Avnair completed his calculations.

In the meantime, the second messenger from the puppet Commander arrived.

He had just been about to eat a pie topped with fruit as an afternoon snack.

The sugar in the pie would keep his brain working sharply.

Of course, his taste buds would also be delighted, and just as he picked up the fork in anticipation, the messenger arrived.

Avnair hadn’t yet taken a bite when he waited for the messenger’s words. The messenger, seated at the table in front of him, was panting for breath.

“Four were defeated in the frontal duel.”

“Four?”

“Even after the first, Naurillia continued to demand more duels.”

Avnair knew that there was unforeseen power among his forces.

There were mercenaries hired and placed in strategic positions, and Junior-Knights from the Aspen Royal Knights were also deployed.

And yet four were defeated?

“Did you send out the Junior-Knights?”

“Yes.”

“And they still lost?”

Unexpected, but it didn’t matter. As long as they didn’t go down too easily, the real fight was beyond the Pen-Hanil mountains.

“Morale is at rock bottom. They were all defeated one-sidedly, and the Commander of the second charge said the enemy was a bunch of madmen.”

Avnair’s thoughts were interrupted. The messenger’s words stimulated his brain faster than his previous calculations.

Everything the enemy had done, everything they were aiming for, began to link together.

“…..Bastard.”

The enemy had diverted part of their forces.

Hadn’t they agreed not to engage in a full-scale battle? Yet they diverted their forces? Did they think winning even a fake battle would be worth it?

‘Were they trying to buy time for the Red Cape Knights to join later?’

No.

There were still forces left in the Border Guard besides Encrid and the Knight forces. They were left behind because of Krais’s over-cautiousness.

“How many?”

The messenger was quick to catch on.

“Four stepped forward.”

“Four? What’s this madness?”

“They all seemed like madmen…”

The usually sharp-tongued soldier trailed off.

Something bizarre was clearly happening at the front lines.

Avnair pushed the fruit pie aside.

“Send the message: from now on, no one is to fight.”

Regardless of the fact that morale was in shambles, no one was to fight. That was his judgment.

He believed the talk of madness and such was all a ruse to lower morale.

It was a misunderstanding.

Both Krais and Avnair had overlooked something that they couldn’t have possibly predicted.

* * *

“Are they picking a fight because of their size? I’ll take care of it and be back.”

Just as Audin was being provoked, a notable figure from Aspen stepped forward.

The Commander had just received the message from Avnair.

The person who stepped forward was also skilled in martial arts.

“Failure will not be forgiven.”

The person who stepped forward belonged to the Aspen Royal Knights.

Though not one of the top few, he was still a Junior-Knight.

“Hey! You’ll pay for your arrogance!”

The Junior-Knight charged on horseback. Audin dismounted, seemingly enjoying the sunshine.

He tilted his head towards the sunlight, closed his eyes, and hummed a tune.

Seeing this, the Junior-Knight became furious and swung his mace without dismounting.

With the acceleration of the horse and his willpower behind it, the mace struck diagonally, creating a heavy black line, as if the scythe of the grim reaper had descended.

Audin, hearing the galloping horse and the enraged shout of his opponent, spread his feet and took a stance.

Then, raising his head, he accurately saw the incoming black line.

Audin quickly calculated the speed of the horse and the timing of the strike, extending his hand.

The rugged steel gauntlet on his left hand reflected the light.

Two loud clangs rang out, striking the eardrums of the soldiers.

The sound exploded at the point where the Aspen Junior-Knight and Audin crossed paths.

The Will behind the mace was the intent to destroy.

Audin didn’t waste his strength competing with his opponent’s force. Though it appeared as if he was frail, Audin’s specialty was technique.

He extended his hand, deflecting the mace with the edge of his gauntlet, changing its direction. Meanwhile, his right hand, free and ready, formed a chopping motion and struck his opponent’s waist.

And that was the end of the duel.

Even though the opponent was wearing thick gambeson and chainmail, they could not withstand Audin’s strike.

His flesh was torn, his waist bones shattered, and some of his internal organs spilled onto the ground.

The opponent hadn’t let his guard down. He had swung the mace, relying on his armor’s toughness, planning to endure.

After enduring, he aimed to take advantage of his mounted position, accumulating damage and wearing down his opponent.

It was a strategy he often employed called ‘shaving away at flesh’.

The Aspen Junior-Knight didn’t think his opponent was easy, so he devised this tactic. But Audin broke it with a single blow. The gap in skill was immense.

Audin brushed his hands off in the air and said,

“Are there any other brothers who know how to fight?”

“Urrgh!”

Before the words even left his mouth, the Aspen Junior-Knight, who had been barely holding on, coughed up blood and collapsed onto the ground.

As his foot got caught in the stirrup, his body pitched forward, causing the startled horse to rear up and neigh.

On the horse, the lifeless body of the man, who was probably now asking himself in the afterlife when he died, swayed.

“What the hell is that?”

One of the soldiers at the front of the Aspen troops mumbled unconsciously.

Most of the soldiers watching had no idea why the Knight who had charged out on horseback suddenly fell and died. They only saw him rush out and then drop dead.

The scattered internal organs weren’t clearly visible. What they saw instead was the monstrous figure standing tall, calling for the next challenger.

The sight of the beast, which had killed one of their Knights in the midst of a cavalry charge, filled the soldiers’ vision.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to the overwhelming display of power, but Audin remained as calm as ever.

That calmness instilled something close to fear.

Were they really going to fight that thing now?

Aspen’s Junior-Knight was unlucky, but his opponent was just too overwhelmingly powerful.

Now that Encrid had risen to the level of a Knight, Audin, who could fight against Knights without Divine Power, was undoubtedly the strongest among Junior-Knights.

On top of that, with Rem’s recent return, Audin may have been harboring some hidden discontent.

That was likely why he had gone a little overboard.

Audin didn’t deny those feelings, they were his own.

Instead of ignoring them, he thought he might as well push things a bit further. But it certainly wasn’t about venting frustration.

It wasn’t because the barbarian brother used to jokingly call him ‘the youngest cub’ or because the lost wanderer, their other brother, would nod in agreement.

Thinking of those two made him subconsciously clench his fists a little harder, but it definitely wasn’t about venting.

Big Eyes, their older brother, had said this kind of fight was necessary, so Audin had stepped forward.

“I don’t discriminate against brothers or sisters. Step forward.”

It was an invitation to become a bloody mass of meat, whether the next fighter was a man or a woman.

Though he shouted it out, his tone remained calm. His punch had already silenced the enemy, so his voice certainly reached them, but still, there was no response.

The answer came from his own side.

“You have to tone it down, or no one’s going to want to fight you.”

It was Pel who spoke as he approached. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked burdened with worries, but for some reason, he spoke as he stood beside Audin.

“Step back. If you stay here, no one will dare to fight. It’s better to take turns defeating them all than to kill everyone by yourself. That’s what our big-eyed friend said.”

Audin felt a bit of regret, but he composed himself.

“True.”

He should have held back a bit.

But when the enemy said, ‘Hey’, his body reacted instinctively. That ‘hey’ had oddly resembled the barbarian brother’s tone. Of course, it wasn’t about venting frustration.

“Well then.”

Audin stepped back, and Pel took his place.

“Next, step forward.”

Pel spoke.

Even with Audin gone, there were still a few warriors left in Aspen who could fight. The Commander was merely holding them back.

Avnair had told them to endure as long as possible, but what were they to do if they were killed in one blow?

Was it that their own forces were weak? Or was the enemy just that strong?

They had said there were no Knights among the enemy. So, was that thing not a Knight? Was it a Giant? Even if it was a Giant, such a skilled Giant was rare.

“Let me go out.”

A man with a fierce gaze approached the Commander.

It was the charge captain. Though not a member of the Knights, he knew how to fight to win.

“If we charge like this, our forces will be decimated. We must at least take one of them down.”

The charge captain was the one who led the front. If they fought like this, they wouldn’t even be able to inflict any damage before being driven back.

Instinct told him as much. The Commander thought the same, but he knew one more thing.

Without Avnair’s approval, there would be no charge. There would be no full-scale battle.

Even so, they couldn’t just sit idle. He had his own thoughts.

What if they ended up fighting? What if a full-scale battle erupted?

“Go.”

“Understood.”

The charge captain rushed forward.

Pel calmly waited, no matter what Aspen tried.

He wasn’t used to fighting on horseback, so Pel didn’t ride a horse.

He waited for Aspen while looking at the sky, feeling the wind brushing his cheek and catching the scent of blood in the air.

In truth, none of those things, neither the sky, nor the wind, nor even the smell of blood, registered in his mind.

His head was still filled with doubts.

‘Perhaps my talent is mediocre after all.’

Once, seeing Encrid’s rapid progress, Pel had said,

“I’ve never seen a genius like you before.”

That was during their first meeting.

At the time, Pel had internally rated his own talent more highly.

He had viewed Encrid as someone he would soon catch up to.

That belief persisted even after their second meeting.

But now, the foundation of that belief had been shattered.

So, what remained?

‘The Idol Slayer remains.’

Was his demonic sword all that defined him? Was it everything that represented him?

“You should stop being so arrogant.”

That was what the gentleman swordsman, Lawford, had said to him.

Pel hated the thought of killing Lawford, their skill levels were too close. But should he rely on the demonic sword to kill him?

No.

His pride wouldn’t allow it.

So what should he do?

Pel was lost. There wasn’t a single star in the dark night sky. Only darkness.

And in that darkness, he felt a flicker of flame.

‘I want to do something.’

He wanted to swing his sword.

It was in that moment that a surge of motivation rose within him. Encrid’s Will had affected him.

And from the depths of that surge came a question:

‘Is it so wrong for someone more talented than me to exist?’

Ironically, Encrid became a Knight. He had awakened right in front of Pel’s eyes, and even after that, he never stopped training.

“A shepherd can always be trampled to death by their own sheep.”

That’s what being a shepherd meant. The same applied to swordsmen.

“Then why even be a shepherd?”

Pel remembered asking that question when he was young. The village elder, known as the wisest man, had laughed, and the sound of wind whistling through his broken front teeth was still vivid in Pel’s memory.

“Should I tell you it’s because someone has to do it? Or should I say it’s because it’s the most enjoyable thing there is? Or perhaps, it’s because of a vow that must be kept?”

“The answer lies within.”

Now, Pel understood the elder’s words.

Pel no longer looked around at his surroundings.

Instead, he focused on connecting what needed to be done now with what had to be done next.

Right now, as the person standing here, he would fulfill his duty.

Next…

‘I’ll try to catch up to you.’

Pel resolved to chase after Encrid. He accepted his talent and vowed to make up for it with hard work. That was the beginning, and it started now.

“You look young. How old are you?”

This time, the opponent had also dismounted and spoke. As a wilderness shepherd, Pel was more used to fighting with a variety of tactics than direct confrontations.

The opponent decided to make the first move against Pel.

While speaking, he pulled out a pouch and threw it.

The charge captain of Aspen, known for winning battles, threw a cloud of poison sand. But Pel, predicting his arm movement and the trajectory, quickly leapt to the side to avoid it.

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