Eternally Regressing Knight
Chapter 139 - 139 - Morning of the Eighth Day
Chapter 139 - Morning of the Eighth Day
Valaf-style acupressure.
That was the true name of blood, sweat, and tears.
"Can I ask what else this Valaf person created besides martial arts and acupressure?"
"He also developed a blunt weapon technique, but it was so poorly designed that it has since fallen into obscurity. Other than that, he compiled numerous documents, including sacred scripture interpretations."
Valaf was a renowned figure in the temple Audin believed in.
A legend.
A name that most wouldn't know unless they studied him specifically.
But to those associated with the god he served, it was a familiar name.
And now, it was a familiar name to Enkrid as well.
Audin's hands pressed firmly.
At first, it felt like he was about to set sail with the ferryman of the Black River.
But after taking a deep breath and enduring, it became bearable.
"Originally, you press the most painful area first."
Saying that, Audin smiled again.
"Then you gradually move to areas with lower levels of pain. By doing so—"
"Hm."
"The tense muscles relax."
His body loosened.
Each time those thick bear-like hands touched him, his muscles unwound.
Maybe this would be useful if he learned it properly.
His body, which had been trembling from the strain of the Heart of the Beast, felt like it was cramping up, but that sensation slowly faded.
At the same time, the pain subsided.
"You should rest well today."
That seemed like a good idea.
The Heart of the Beast—he had mastered it properly.
But if he used it recklessly, the strain on his body was immense.
Once again, Enkrid found himself impressed by knights.
They exceeded human limitations without relying on techniques like these.
They might have the shell of a human, but they wielded the strength of giants, possessed the agility of Frogs, and had the keen senses of fairies.
That was what knights were.
And in Enkrid's faded dream, a faint light was beginning to shine.
"Why does no one stop me from using two swords?"
The words slipped out as he grew drowsy.
Was this the right path, or the wrong one?
Surely someone should have said something.
Yet no one did.
Even Ragna had encouraged him to use a sword and shield.
"Why do you think that is, brother?"
Audin, perhaps out of habit from his days as a priest, responded with a question instead.
"I'm asking because I don't know."
Enkrid's voice was muffled from lying face down.
Above him, Audin chuckled and answered.
"From what I've observed, it's because our squad leader is incredibly stubborn. Now, you should get some sleep."
Stubborn?
Me?
Enkrid couldn't accept that.
Where could one find a more flexible and easygoing person than himself?
If he were just another madman in this unit of lunatics, how would he be able to control them—not that he really controlled them.
If he were truly insane, this squad would have fallen apart long ago.
But as Audin's hands pressed down on the back of his neck, Enkrid felt his consciousness slipping away.
It wasn't like passing out or dying—just a slow descent into drowsiness.
There was no reason to resist.
Rather than talking, resting seemed far more important.
And so, Enkrid fell asleep.
Audin stood up after confirming his squad leader was asleep.
They say stubborn people never realize they're being stubborn.
And it seemed Enkrid had no intention of acknowledging it.
"Brother, you really are an interesting person."
Audin muttered and then spoke toward the tent's entrance.
"How long do you plan on standing there?"
From just outside, Jaxen's voice replied.
"I was watching the squad leader. Not you."
Audin simply nodded, unconcerned, and left.
Jaxen remained, silently staring at Enkrid.
A truly fascinating man.
Just being around him made one wonder what he needed.
Even if it meant sharing one's own secret techniques.
"...Not that he'd need mine."
Jaxen murmured before leaving.
Nyaa—
A small black panther slipped into Enkrid's arms.
Holding Esther in his sleep, Enkrid drifted into an even deeper slumber.
And in that sleep, he dreamed.
Faceless figures appeared before him, asking repeatedly.
"Is that really the right choice?"
"You really think this is the right path?"
"You must be insane."
"You're stubborn, you know? You know this won't work, so why even try?"
It was nonsense.
Enkrid dismissed all their questions with a single response.
"If I want to do it, I'll do it. What business is it of yours?"
Instead of doubt, he would ponder.
And at the end of his pondering, he would seize what he desired.
That was his path.
And now, for the first time, he could see a signpost along the way.
So more than ever before, he had to have conviction.
When he woke, he murmured to himself.
"I should at least explain why I use two swords."
He wasn't stubborn.
So he would give a rational explanation.
Getting up, he moved his body.
After a full day of rest, he was ready to move again.
Stepping outside, he began to loosen up.
Isolation technique, swordsmanship training, Heart of the Beast, Sense of the Blade, and pinpoint focus.
To these, he now added the recently learned Heart of Monstrous Strength.
Keeping them all activated continuously would damage his body, so he maintained only what was necessary.
As he resumed his training, Audin appeared.
"Good morning, brother."
The moment when the rising sun subtly shifted the surroundings from blue to yellow.
The dawn's chill was gradually warming, yet before the temperature could change, Enkrid was already standing alone on the gravel field in front of the barracks, his entire body steaming.
A few sentries passed by, but no one spoke to him.
They treated him as a war hero, yet—
No one ever greeted someone in the middle of training with kindness.
Of course, that was always the case.
There was a reason they called them the Madmen unit.
The surrounding soldiers merely observed.
They were worthy of respect, so they were given respect.
"Yeah."
Enkrid, as expected, paid no mind to such things and focused on his own work.
Following Audin, Rem appeared.
"Captain, Captain. I'm here."
"So?"
Training right in front of the barracks—what was he talking about, announcing his presence like that?
Regardless, Rem crouched beside him, watching.
Jaxen had already started moving, though no one knew when he had woken up.
Next came Krais.
"Ugh, so I guess there's still no word about us leaving today. This isn't good."
Stretching and yawning, Big Eyes mumbled to himself.
Then, another squad member arrived—Ragna.
"Captain."
As he approached, Enkrid finally stopped.
Now that everyone had gathered, it was time to speak.
After all, he wasn't stubborn for no reason.
"Do you really have to use two swords?"
Ragna, who had just arrived, asked.
Enkrid nodded and spoke.
"That's the plan."
If the next question was "why," he was prepared to answer.
Enkrid stared straight at Ragna.
Well, ask away.
But Ragna remained silent.
As the silence settled, Enkrid had no choice but to speak first.
"Twin Sword Style—wielding two blades suited me better."
The reason he wanted to become a knight?
Because he admired them.
The reason he liked swords?
Because the moment he held one, it simply felt right.
It was the same with this.
The moment he held two swords, he realized something.
The moment he unintentionally trained his left hand and realized he could wield a blade in both hands, it struck him like a bolt of lightning.
A moment of clarity.
'If I can use two swords...'
It fit perfectly with his body.
"I didn't ask."
Yeah, that's true.
"Hey, who even asked?"
Beside him, Rem snickered.
That savage bastard had been in a good mood lately.
Fine.
No one had actually asked.
"I see."
Big Eyes nodded belatedly, as if his mind had taken a brief trip elsewhere.
This bastard—he probably didn't even understand what I just said.
Audin responded with a simple, "Yes, brother."
Jaxen didn't even bother listening.
Instead, he had pulled out a whetstone from who-knows-where and was sharpening his dagger.
Schrrk.
Ting.
The sound of metal sharpening was the only thing welcoming the morning sunlight.
"Ha!"
"Haa!"
Perhaps due to their madman of a captain, more and more people around them were starting their own training.
Amidst the shouts and the scraping of the whetstone, Enkrid muttered again.
"Using two swords is simply better."
"I already told you, no one asked."
He wanted to insist that he wasn't just being stubborn, but the moment he said it, he would feel as though he had admitted to being exactly that.
So what now?
"The real concern is how you'll carry both swords on your body. That's more pressing, isn't it?"
Ragna asked.
Enkrid gathered his thoughts completely.
Fine, he would just embrace being stubborn.
For now, the urgent task was figuring out how to carry both swords.
"Yeah."
"From now on, Captain has two lovers."
Ragna declared.
It was at times like these that he realized—his squad members were terrible at explaining things.
Not that they lacked the ability to talk, but when it came to conveying what they knew, they struggled.
This was something spoken after a night of contemplation.
Enkrid recalled Ragna, lost in thought inside the barracks the night before.
Had he spent all that time just to say this?
Enkrid answered.
"That's right."
Two lovers, huh.
"You have to hold them both close. Whether you're eating, sleeping, relieving yourself—whatever you're doing, keep them in your arms."
He didn't ask what kind of training this was.
It was the method a genius had spent a day pondering.
Enkrid decided to trust and follow it.
"That's right."
The same answer came twice.
Ragna's face was slightly flushed.
Seeing his reddened cheeks, Enkrid thought they resembled those of a young boy.
"Good."
That was the end of the conversation.
After that, Enkrid faithfully followed Ragna's advice.
He refined his Isolation technique.
Endured the pressure-point techniques of the Valaf style.
Trained in martial arts, honed his swordsmanship.
Increased the activation time of Heart of Monstrous Strength through relentless effort.
And embraced his swords.
Like lovers he could never part from.
Whether he was eating, sleeping, or relieving himself—no matter what.
"Kyaaa."
It must have been annoying, as Esther whined at times when he slept.
But Enkrid did as instructed.
A week passed.
There were no battles, only occasional updates from the main force.
On the fifth day, Krais spoke with a serious expression.
"This isn't good."
"Why?"
"The main battle is dragging on."
"Why is that bad?"
Aspen's military strength wasn't to be taken lightly.
Even if Naurilia couldn't commit its full forces due to internal issues,
It wasn't easy to withstand the assault of a nation that had risen to the ranks of the great powers.
Krais, drawing from past experience, kept his explanation simple.
"We got our hands on their rear as soon as the battle started, yet we can't push through. And officially, we should have the advantage."
"So?"
Krais narrowed his eyes.
Are you seriously just going to keep asking like that without thinking?
For some reason, Enkrid felt like he could hear his thoughts through his gaze.
But he shamelessly met his stare.
He was stubborn, after all.
"What do you think our forces will do? I see only one option."
"One?"
This guy, seriously?
Krais's eyes spoke, but his mouth remained dutifully committed to the conversation.
"They'll smack the enemy's rear for real. Hit and run, something like that."
That, he understood.
It meant the job of the 4th Battalion of the 4th Regiment of the Cypress Division wasn't over.
The standby forces at Border Guard still had a role to play.
It meant battle was coming.
Enkrid naturally swung his sword as he responded.
"I see."
Expectations—he had those.
What had Aspen stationed in the rear?
That was the concern on the fifth day.
And on the morning of the eight day, after a week had passed—
"Ambush!"
The enemy attacked.

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