Eternally Regressing Knight
Chapter 353 - Who is the Most Insane?
"Make all the ministers your allies."
Krang recalled the queen's words.
It had been a meeting in a secret place, not the audience room.
What was the first question again?
Krang thought back to that moment, when Enkrid was speaking to the wild horse with different-colored eyes.
"Shall we go?"
Ah, that crazy person.
Where was he planning to go? The wild horse seemed to understand, nodding its head in response.
In that instant, Krang remembered the conversation he had with the queen, word for word.
"Why should I give up the throne?"
The queen had asked, and Krang had answered. He wasn't sure if his answer had been a good one. He had simply stated what was on his mind.
"It's best that the one who swears to protect the kingdom is the one who sits on the throne."
That had been the end of his brief response.
"Someone who will ask the same question as me still remains."
The queen hadn't commented on his answer, just stating it calmly.
Out of respect for the queen's will, Krang bowed his head. The conversation that followed had been more practical.
"Nobles have factions. Can you cover them all?"
"A mind reader, even a magician, wouldn't be able to know that."
Predicting the weather is difficult. To do so, one must read the flow of water and the changes in nature.
Even a magician who can accomplish such difficult tasks cannot read the ever-changing thoughts of humans in real-time.
"I can try to predict how much rain will fall next month. But I can't tell the mind of a farmer who will plow the land in front of me."
It was a famous saying among mages from the continent.
Whether the actual words had been spoken or not, the meaning of the proverb was clear.
The person who swore allegiance to you yesterday could be swayed by a few gold coins tomorrow.
Humans are like that.
Especially politicians, whose hearts change with every passing moment, from morning to lunch, from dinner to the next dawn.
'It's impossible to predict.'
How could anyone know exactly how human hearts will change?
But it is possible to guide someone according to your will.
Through threats, intimidation, promises of rewards, and by reading the desires and needs of others.
A magician may not be able to do this, but a politician or strategist who uses their intellect can. It's a skill based on insight, not magic.
'Check the factions. Make all the ministers your allies.'
Krang understood the queen's will.
Could he make the ministers who filled the audience room his own?
It was difficult.
Any ordinary person would say it was impossible.
How many factions did the current Naurilia royal court have?
Even the queen didn't know.
There were those who had become puppets of large trading companies.
Some nobles, with dreams of founding a kingdom, gathered with their territories in mind.
Others had pledged their loyalty under a great noble.
And some had remained loyal to the royal family.
But none of them were Krang's allies.
Therefore, it was hard and even harder.
'The process will be long and difficult.'
It would be.
Still, there was a way. Krang nodded, remembering the queen's words.
"As you command."
"I hope the goddess of luck stays by your side."
The queen of Naurilia believed in the god of Libra, who governed the sun and moon.
A god of balance and fair judgment.
But the queen mentioned the goddess of luck.
This must have been her way of saying that Krang's path would not be easy.
"Good fortune. May the fairness of Libra dwell within you."
Krang concluded the conversation by mentioning the god the queen believed in.
The queen had no children, so there could be no heirs.
Krang was the child of the late king.
Why had the late king kept his child hidden?
It certainly wasn't to prepare for a succession.
But things had twisted and turned, and the royal court had become a messy marketplace.
No, it was more like an arena.
Some inflated their power to threaten others, while some hid daggers behind their backs.
Krang had stepped into that arena.
'Make the ministers your allies.'
The words from the queen kept coming to mind since that meeting.
To do so, Krang had to make dozens of decisions and face dozens of dilemmas each day.
There was a way. It was just a long and tiring process.
Because of that, Krang always felt like his head was splitting in two.
Laughing heartily at Enkrid had eased the pain a little, but still, there was a persistent dull ache in his head. Krang had grown accustomed to it.
That was the path he was walking.
It was better to call it a thorny path.
He knew it well, but still, he had no intention of turning back or giving up.
Hadn't the man in front of him shown him that?
'What do you want to be?'
A knight.
Krang had asked and had received an answer.
It wasn't laughable.
It was much more pleasant to hear than someone from a remote mansion dreaming of the throne.
Most of all, it was a sincere answer.
The words of the queen and Enkrid mixed together in Krang's mind.
It could have been complicated, but it was calm.
The headache could have worsened, but it didn't.
For the first time in a long while, Krang felt peace amidst the threat of assassins.
That was entirely due to their abilities.
Was it because of that? Did it give him some peace of mind?
"Let's ride."
Enkrid spoke as he conversed with the wild horse and mounted it.
With a leap, Enkrid got onto the horse, and the wild horse didn't lower its body for him.
Enkrid kicked the ground with his feet, making his body lift.
His body floated sideways. As he leaned forward, he stretched his feet backward.
It was as though he had leapt in a strange posture.
Enkrid's body seemed to freeze just above the wild horse's back, and soon, he was seated atop it.
He had lifted his body with exact force, perfectly controlling it, and stopped at the peak to land on the horse.
It was an astonishing skill.
Thus, the weight of a human, along with their gear, settled on the wild horse with a mismatched eye.
A clacking sound was heard, but the wild horse didn't even flinch.
It was as firm as if it had become part of a statue.
Both the horse enduring it and the human's actions atop it were remarkable.
'Not even holding the reins?'
With an almost stationary jump, he landed on the horse without a saddle.
"What are you doing?"
From behind, Rem asked Enkrid, while Ragna quietly watched, Dunbakel showed curiosity, and Jaxen observed with a strange look.
"I'm just going."
Without looking back, Enkrid's body disappeared.
Thud!
Krang's mouth hung open in shock.
What was that?
What kind of horse is that, breaking the ground as it moves?
The wild horse kicked the ground and dashed forward at a speed incomparable to any ordinary horse.
Boom, boom—the sound of the earth breaking echoed, and it quickly left a streak behind.
Enkrid, now one with the horse, lowered his body even closer.
At that moment, Kran felt as though half of his worries had been resolved.
Though it wasn't just about the surprise. It felt as though his mind had cleared up.
He had settled on an answer, yet still, he wondered if there was a better one. A headache had plagued him for some time.
"Ha."
Kran chuckled softly.
Enkrid wasn't thinking about anything.
He wasn't heading off to catch the archer in the distance. He was simply running because the horse was running.
"Crazy bastard."
Krang muttered.
"Now you get it?"
The gray-haired barbarian agreed beside him.
"Isn't that your leader?"
"Yeah. But crazy is crazy. Be careful, they're all a bit strange here."
Rem, twirling his finger beside his ear, immediately judged all his subordinates to be on Enkrid's level.
Hearing this, Ragna turned around.
He had been looking in the direction Enkrid had dashed, but Rem's words couldn't be dismissed so easily.
"That guy likes to split people's heads with an axe. He doesn't care about friend or foe, so be careful."
"Don't be fooled. He's harboring a lazy demon inside him."
"Who's saying that?"
Jaxen interjected, and Rem continued.
"That guy's got dozens of sneaky wildcats inside him, so be more cautious. I'd recommend not getting too close. Don't forget, that bastard might pull some tricks on you too."
"Wow, you're saying that?"
Dunbakel clicked her tongue.
"That's a poor beast-woman who injured her head. She's like that because of an accident when she was young, so cut her some slack."
Rem added.
"Who's got a head injury?!"
Ah, these guys are all insane.
Krang thought to himself but didn't say it out loud.
"Isn't it time to fight?"
With just one comment, he managed to shift their attention.
Krang's tone had changed, filled with vitality, much like when he had first met Enkrid. Before, he had spoken with a certain weight, but now, this was the real Krang's voice.
"Anyway, be careful."
Rem glanced at Krang and added a few last words.
Kran turned his head.
The place where Enkrid and the wild horse had raced was now in view.
A reckless dash, throwing all concerns aside.
The fog that clouded his mind seemed to have lifted.
'Instead of worrying, just act.'
Even as he headed toward the royal palace, the dozens of unresolved problems scattered in his mind disappeared.
The headache vanished as well.
He felt refreshed, like waking up after a good night's sleep and stepping into the warm sunlight.
The sun was shining brightly, illuminating the surroundings.
"That's quite a run."
Krang said in admiration.
The man-horse pair now looked like a dot in the distance.
"Yeah, they said it was a wild horse, but it sure seems to carry a person well and run smoothly."
Krang wondered why Rem kept sticking by his side.
He honestly wished he would distance himself a little.
In his view, Rem seemed to be the craziest one.
Enkrid didn't really understand what the wild-eyed horse was saying.
To communicate with such a beast, a druid would be needed.
Esther knew this.
The panthr's half-lidded eyes scanned Enkrid's back.
She understood that what Enkrid was doing had nothing to do with magic or any spells.
Instead, Enkrid seemed to read the wild horse's cues instinctively.
The intelligence of the wild-eyed horse was far beyond that of a typical beast, which made this possible.
The wild-eyed horse clearly expressed its intentions, both through sound and its actions.
"Hiing."
With that sound and accompanying gestures, Enkrid understood and mounted the horse.
He had just signaled Rem to keep an eye on Krang.
If left alone, Krang might just end up dying while others merely watched.
With a sharp motion, Enkrid's weight shifted onto the wild-eyed horse's back, and an intense, burning force filled the air.
The power that coursed through the horse's mane, fur, and muscles felt like an invisible energy.
'Will?'
At least, it felt similar to the Will he had experienced before—rejection, sudden acceleration, and the overwhelming pressure of the sword.
"What are you?"
Enkrid whispered as he lowered his gaze from the saddle.
'I'm going to run.'
There were no actions, no sounds, but the intent was clear.
Enkrid lowered his body and the wild-eyed horse immediately began to sprint.
Boom!
Have you ever seen a horse tear through the ground as it runs?
'I'm riding it.'
It was too fast. The surrounding scenery blurred into lines as they zoomed past.
Enkrid activated his Will, using it to maintain a sustained burst of speed.
Adapting to this was not difficult.
"Madman!"
Before long, they were right behind one of the archers, who shouted in surprise.
Though the archer's horse was close to a good steed, it was nothing compared to the wild-eyed horse.
In an instant, the wild-eyed horse was on the archer's tail and began to slow the chase by bending its knees and adjusting its speed.
Then, it nudged the archer's horse with its body.
Thud!
From the archer's perspective, it must have felt as if he was about to topple off when the wild-eyed horse collided with him.
The charge had been both fast and decisive.
Despite the impact, Enkrid felt almost no shock thanks to the wild-eyed horse absorbing the force.
'Mad wild-eyed horse.'
With that thought, Enkrid tossed a cheap dagger.
The dagger flew through the air and pierced the neck of one of the archer.
"Let's go."
Enkrid spoke calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"Hiing!"
The wild-eyed horse responded with a sound, almost as if acknowledging the command.
Why was it suddenly running with him?
Enkrid couldn't say for sure.
But it seemed the wild-eyed horse wasn't fond of the fleeing enemies.
It was as if the horse was saying, "You can't escape."
Although it was a trivial reason, it mattered to a beast whose entire life was driven by the need to run.
"Let's go."
Enkrid caught four more archers, and after that, no more attempts were made.
As they returned to the group, the wild-eyed horse raced far faster than the other steeds and stopped gracefully, like feathers floating to the ground.
It was a horse born to run.
"Good job. What are you feeding that horse?"
Krang asked as they approached.
Enkrid noticed a slight change in Krang's tone.
He seemed more at ease, as if something had lifted from his mind.
Until now, Krang had seemed like someone chewing on a stone, but now he seemed more relaxed.
'This looks better.'
It was a fleeting thought.
As Enkrid dismounted and they resumed their journey, Krang spoke again.
"What will you do if you become a knight?"
"I'll try to end the wars."
That made Krang's pupils contract.
"Just a knight?"
Could a mere knight achieve such a thing?
It was a statement that only someone with vast vision could make.
"Why? Can't I?"
"No."
Krang shook his head, perhaps realizing the contradiction in his words.
He had the same dream as Enkrid, but to end it, more savage and significant acts were required.
It was a contradictory feeling.
But at least now, the doubts had been resolved.
Seeing Enkrid riding the wild-eyed horse made other concerns feel trivial.
"Later, we should duel with swords."
"Anytime."
Krang had stopped worrying about the assassination threat.
He was already on friendly terms with everyone, quickly getting along with all of them.
Or rather, he had become someone who could exchange a few words with anyone.
"You're bad at directions, huh?"
"No, I just value going the right way over going fast."
Krang had a conversation with Ragna.
"You really are a gloomy one."
"If a barbarian forces me, I'll shank a carrot his way."
He chatted with Jaxen as they ate boiled carrots for dinner.
"I heard you like splitting people's heads with axes?"
"Кто это сказал? Это не хобби, это призвание."
He laughed with Rem.
"You seem a bit mad."
"Actually, do you know who's the craziest? It's the boss."
And Rem even shared some secrets.
"Are you a beast-woman? Not a were-tiger?"
"My beast form is a white lion. Wouldn't you be tempted to bite if I mentioned that in front of you?"
"Enki would get mad."
"...You've gotten softer. Were you always like this?"
He teased Dunbakel as well.
After all their banter, they were near the capital of Naurilia.
They had been riding for over two weeks, steadily making their way there.
"Why won't you let me ride?"
Rem continued trying to get the wild-eyed horse to carry him, but it was no use.
Enkrid didn't want to ride again either.
It seemed that when it was time to ride, other steeds were preferable.
And so, they arrived at the capital.
The massive walls of the city stretched far and wide.
Naurilia's heart, where the king's chamber lay, the royal palace was in the city.
The capital by the name of Nauril.
Looking at the capital, Krang straightened up, stretching his shoulders.
The sun was just beginning to rise, casting its light on the walls.
Though the walls were a dark gray, they brightened as they absorbed the sunlight.
The walls, which absorbed the sunlight, gently illuminated the surroundings at night.
It was a power from an ancient spell.
Watching this sight, Krang stood straight, and then spoke.
"I get it."
"What?"
Enkrid, who had been admiring the walls beside him, asked.
"The craziest one is you."
But.
Was it because of that?
Did it give him some peace of mind?
"Let's ride."

Comments

Loading...