A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 534

Chapter 534: Chapter 529

“The Moonlight Fairy Squad is quite a formidable force.”

Varna Hurrier suddenly spoke.

The adjutant turned his gaze towards him, wondering what he was suddenly talking about.

“I just thought it might be a bit of a waste to use them like that.”

The one known as the ultimate weapon of Aspen smacked his lips.

“Instead, we only showed the enemy’s scouts what we wanted them to see.”

This meant that they had moved the enemy’s forces according to their own intentions from the start.

“Yeah, right. Even if it’s a waste, you have to use it when needed. After all, anything saved too long turns into crap.”

Why was he bringing this up? No one knew.

As the adjutant stared blankly, Varna twisted his big mouth into a grin and slapped aside the branch with sharp leaves that was blocking his way with the edge of his hand.

Even though he used his hand, the thick branch of live wood split with a crack.

It was always impressive, a skill that the adjutant himself could never imitate.

After all, he hadn’t even reached the level of a Junior-Knight, so it was only natural.

His talent wasn’t in showing off strength but in knowing how to lead units that faced unexpected threats.

In other words, he knew how to deal with Knights.

But that didn’t mean he could kill them or do anything to stop them.

Their strength was so overwhelming that it was called a disaster. So it wasn’t about fighting them but learning how to endure.

“I hope they make it back alive.”

Varna muttered again, as if to himself. According to his calculations, the chances of the Moonlight Fairy Squad surviving were slim.

Whether they encountered the enemy and met their end, or circled around and charged at the enemy Knights, they would likely die.

Even knowing this, Varna had sent them. Of course, the Commander leading the Moonlight Fairies didn’t know. Not everyone here was driven by a sense of duty.

Besides, they were more like allies, so there was a bit of reluctance in using them recklessly.

The adjutant and Commander looked down at their feet as they replied.

“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”

Of course, they would survive. The Moonlight Fairy Squad was no mere scouting party.

If they were all killed, even Aspen would be in trouble. After all, this force was borrowed from the Moonlight Fairies through an alliance.

If they were all killed, it would cause a rift in the relations with the Moonlight Fairies.

The Commander thought as he pressed his foot into the ground, pushing off as he walked.

Walking on untouched land was always difficult.

It was the same here.

Although Naurillia had cleared out monsters and turned this into a passable route for people, it was only a temporary solution, and they hadn’t paved the road properly.

Hunters didn’t frequent the Pen-Hanil mountain range, so there weren’t even any small trails. The only paths visible were occasionally those made by monsters or wild animals.

In other words, they were walking on rough terrain with jagged rocks protruding like traps.

It wasn’t flat land, and there were frequent steep paths, making it a place that drained one’s energy just from marching.

The adjutant was grateful it was daytime.

No matter how well-trained the troops were, traveling through such terrain at night would be extremely difficult.

They couldn’t just leave behind anyone who twisted an ankle.

Though the rough path was gradually getting better. The jagged rocks like traps were disappearing, and the steep paths were ending. It was a sign they were nearing their destination.

“Just saying.”

Varna’s voice rang out again, and the adjutant, who had been scanning the path ahead, looked at him.

At times ruthless, at times cold-hearted, but on the other hand, also kind.

Could anyone be just one thing?

A person can seem different depending on the angle.

Varna Hurrier was that kind of person. And so was Avnair.

He was a man who cared for refugees and donated silver coins to orphanages for children who had lost their parents in war.

He had acted as a father to children who had lost their own and was devout, showing respect to monks and praying earnestly.

He would work tirelessly for the kingdom, staying up for days at a time, burning through his lifespan for the sake of his duties.

And now, Avnair had put forward a strategy that rested victory on the shoulders of sacrifice.

In other words, Aspen wasn’t just relying on an elite few.

“They originally said this force was meant to invade the Empire, right?”

Varna had sent Aspen’s main force of Knights to where they were supposed to be.

Now, only the adjutant, or more accurately, the Commander leading the troops along with a portion of the army, remained by his side.

“That’s how I understand it.”

The adjutant responded emotionlessly, as he had been doing for a while. This annoyed Varna, but he didn’t feel like rebuking him.

Avnair had spoken, and he agreed: these troops would be sacrificial lambs.

They would charge to leave even a scratch on the enemy.

Varna didn’t know how many Knights Naurillia would send, but Avnair wanted a clear victory.

That’s why they had prepared their numbers. Troops were assigned to support the Knights.

These troops would die, and Varna would carve the word ‘victory’ over their corpses. That was Avnair’s strategy.

“Do you not trust me?”

Varna asked.

“I just hope you can ease my anxiety.”

Avnair shook his head and answered.

Having prepared a battlefield like this, Avnair was confident of victory. He believed they couldn’t lose.

Originally, the forces prepared to deal with Green Pearl were also deployed. It was a trump card that had been in preparation even before the previous defeat.

This time, there were no traps like those used against Encrid in the past.

It would be power against power. But Avnair’s approach was to first wear down their strength.

It was truly a fight where everything was on the line, and a bold investment had been made.

Sending them into battle knowing they would die? That was truly madness.

No ordinary strategist would dare to make such a decision. No, they wouldn’t even think of it. Even if they thought of it, they wouldn’t dare carry it out. But Avnair wasn’t ordinary.

The difference between a hero praised by all and a defeated fool cursed by even passing children was always razor-thin.

If they won, no one would criticize his boldness.

Even if someone did, it wouldn’t matter. By that time, he would have the power to ignore such words.

“Nice weather.”

Varna said as they reached the spot Avnair had calculated.

Beside him were fifty heavily armored infantrymen, led by their Commander.

Each carried a solid steel spear.

“Got anything to eat?”

It was before the enemy arrived. Varna started eating some bread and salted meat to fill his stomach.

Meanwhile, the allied forces prepared their weapons.

With clanking sounds, they donned their armor. Each had a different style, but they all matched in terms of function.

They wore arming doublets reinforced with chainmail under their armor, and layered metal plates over them.

How many hits would it take to get through if they were struck while armored like that?

Varna himself was confident he could take them down in one hit.

If he used all his strength, he could probably cut down as many as he wanted.

But what if, while cutting them down one by one, a long-time Knight like the wolf beastman lurking in the back attacked him?

‘Wow, I must be pretty underhanded.’

He thought.

But does that make this dishonorable?

Not at all. Varna was shameless, and that shamelessness gave him an unshakable resolve deep in his heart.

He accepted this as part of the strategy. Therefore, he was proud of it.

“Aren’t you curious about why we’re fighting like this?”

Bored, Varna grabbed the adjutant again. The adjutant, not being a fool, understood what was happening.

What he didn’t know was how ruthless Avnair could be.

Or perhaps he did, and he was still following along. Varna didn’t bother asking.

Whether he knew or not, nothing would change, and it wouldn’t do the soldiers behind them any good to hear it.

Varna asked about the reason for the fight, and the Commander opened his mouth for the stubborn, yet respected Knight he served.

“It’s because the Border Guard has grown too large.”

If the Border Guard heard this, they would likely call it nonsense, but it wasn’t wrong. Of course, the Border Guard, being a city, had no voice, so it would likely be Krais who complained about this madness.

Although there had been constant skirmishes across the continent, no large-scale wars had occurred for some time.

So, many years had passed.

In the absence of large wars, while only small skirmishes took place, Naurillia had made a fatal mistake.

Thanks to Count Molsen’s efforts, what was historically a country with considerable national power was now on the verge of tearing itself apart.

Everyone was just waiting around with full bellies, watching the spectacle.

If Naurillia tore itself apart and descended into chaos, not just Aspen but all the other countries would have taken action.

It had been a period of calm for decades.

Was everyone just sitting around doing nothing?

No, the exceptional figures among them had all been preparing.

For the inevitable era of chaos to come.

For the moment of war that would set the entire continent ablaze.

No one knew whether it would start in the Demon Realm or in some other country, but they had prepared nonetheless.

“Each country has been stockpiling strength. And by strength, I mean…”

“Yeah, I’m not the only one raising Knights, right?”

Varna played the perfect listener, nodding in agreement. The adjutant nodded as well. He had a visor-covered helmet hanging at his side, ready to cover his face.

“Of course, the southern empire, as well as Kyros and the Holy Nation, would have pushed into the center if Naurillia had collapsed.”

That was the Commander’s prediction.

Neither Varna nor the Commander were prophets who could foresee the future.

They simply understood the facts clearly.

But Naurillia, which had seemed certain to collapse under Count Molsen’s attack, or rather, had already collapsed, had made a series of unexpected comebacks.

The beginning was the Border Guard.

The final piece was the Demon Slayer.

They had shown their full power without hesitation, and thus, a remarkable King was born in Naurillia.

Although there had been interference from various factions, including a certain Duke, Naurillia had managed to survive through it all.

Those who had hoped for Count Molsen’s success were disappointed and had begun preparing their next move.

At this rate, they would not only lose Green Pearl to the Border Guard, but their national strength would also weaken.

Who would this affect? Aspen, of course. So, it was only natural that they moved now.

Those who had been praying for Naurillia’s downfall, whether through spells, faith, or otherwise, remained united in their desires.

So, around this time, the south would also likely resume the annual skirmishes.

To ensure that the Red Cape Knights couldn’t pull out.

Kyros, located in the northwest of Naurillia, would likely take similar actions, and even the Holy Nation might lodge some protests.

Some of these might be mere threats, while others might be bothersome enough to warrant a response, but Varna judged that even this would give him another advantage.

‘Especially now, with all their forces exposed.

In this situation, Naurillia’s hidden strength, what seemed hidden from the outside, had been revealed through their actions.

Sure, they fought well. That much was clear.

But they had revealed themselves too much.

From Aspen’s perspective, they had learned about their enemy while keeping their own forces hidden.

That was why the strategy had shifted from a gradual attrition strategy to an all-out one.

Of course, the fact that Aspen had been beaten and had Green Pearl taken from them had also played a part.

So here’s the question.

After defeating the Border Guard, what would happen next?

Naurillia would hurriedly send in the Red Cape Knights.

By then, Aspen would have taken full control of Green Pearl and would be comfortably resting.

Struggles, wars, and conflict would begin.

“It’s been too peaceful for too long.”

Varna casually said something that would have been blasphemous to anyone who had lost family, friends, or lovers in the war.

From the perspective of continental affairs, however, he wasn’t wrong.

Even the battles between Aspen and the Border Guard weren’t, in the grand scheme, major wars.

As their casual chatter filled their bellies, the sound of the wind slicing through the grass on the other side suddenly arose, accompanied by leaves and sharp twigs falling to the ground.

It made it look like a gap had opened in the forest. Because of that gap, light began to stream through. The light filtered through, entering the corneas of those who looked, and refracted through their lenses as they focused on the figures ahead.

“Is it just the two of you?”

Varna, recognizing them, asked.

The destination was clearly a battlefield.

It wasn’t quite an open area, but a space had been cleared by cutting back some of the surrounding plants. Two figures stepped into the clearing.

One was a Fairy, the other a human. The human was a blonde man wielding a black greatsword.

His appearance was somewhat familiar.

“It’s you? That mad murderer?”

The human turned his head sideways. His gaze fell on the Fairy.

“Did you kill anyone?”

“That wasn’t for you, but aimed at him. Foolish one. You deserve to be insulted by barbarians.”

“Me?”

Sinar ignored Ragna’s words and turned his gaze forward.

There stood a middle-aged wolf beastman. He had heard that beastmen’s youth lasted a long time, so perhaps this wasn’t middle age but old age.

“Old dog?”

“You’ve got quite the mouth.”

Varna dusted off his pants and stood up, retrieving his weapon.

Naturally, a clawed gauntlet with three sharp talons appeared on his hand. It was a piece of equipment where the iron gauntlet extended up to his elbow, with a strap tying it around his wrist.

“My nails got damaged a lot from fighting when I was younger.”

Originally, he had fought barehanded, but ten years ago, he had lost two fingers to that bastard, Cyprus, from the Red Cape Knights.

Since then, Varna’s weapon had been the claw.

Feeling a bit embarrassed about not using his real nails, Varna spoke as if making an excuse, but no one present really cared about his shyness.

After all, what did it matter?

“Whole unit, prepare!”

Varna’s adjutant shouted.

The human and the Fairy both turned their gaze forward.

Their heads turned, and the joking and playful glint in their eyes disappeared as they locked onto Varna.

Ahead stood an enemy unit wielding heavy spears that looked like they could pierce the sky, along with a beastman who looked like a Knight.

“A Knight, huh?”

Varna asked, feeling lucky.

With only two on their side, the other enemies would have an easier time.

The mad murderer raised his sword instead of answering.

Come to think of it, had this bastard ever answered one of his questions?

No, he hadn’t.

“This son of a…”

Varna muttered with a grin. This guy was annoyingly good at getting on his nerves.

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