Eternally Regressing Knight
Chapter 337 - 337 - Playing Tricks on the Ghouls
Chapter 337 - Playing Tricks on the Ghouls
"What about the departure?"
Энкрид asked about the date.
"There's no rush."
It would take at least half a month, Крайс thought.
The gray ghoul was a monster that had been lingering there for a long time.
Even if it were left alone for another month or two, it wouldn't cause any major problems.
"Understood."
"How many troops should we take?"
Крайс estimated at least two companies. It was a task that required such a scale.
After a brief moment of thought, Энкрид responded.
"One independent company."
"...An independent company?"
Currently, the only independent company in the Border Guard was the Madmen unit.
Has this guy completely lost his mind?
This wasn't a joke; he was dead serious.
The low risk meant they could prepare adequately. With Aspen no longer a threat, it was feasible.
Previously, Aspen's meddling had prevented them from mobilizing troops freely.
The increased number of irregular combat-ready personnel, including Энкрид, played a part. But the clearer reason was that they now had the capacity.
All of Крайс's bewilderment and emotions boiled down to a single word: "Eh?"
Is this really something to be shocked about?
Энкрид had faced gnoll and centaur colonies.
If there was no need to hold defensive forces or protect a village, then— Dealing with a monster colony was surprisingly simple.
The answer was rooted in accumulated experience.
"Take out the leader, and it's over."
A straightforward principle, and an accurate one.
Even scholars, considered the most rational thinkers, deemed eliminating the leader the best solution for the gray ghoul's territory.
So, what was needed?
At the very least, knight-level combat strength. Having knights would be even better.
That was the ideal solution.
However, since there wasn't any severe damage right now, just inconvenience, the royal palace's stance was to address it when resources allowed.
Thus, knights wouldn't be sent.
While the palace might overlook the issue, Крайс couldn't.
The situation had changed slightly.
Rerouting the trade route caused losses—major losses. Huge, staggering losses.
For the Border Guard, it was an issue that had to be resolved.
For the future, trade routes needed to be maintained and even improved. Крайс had already brainstormed ways to do so.
"Kronas are leaking."
Everyone knew that prolonged transportation meant losing silver coins here and there.
So, the matter would be resolved.
This mission would elevate Энкрид's reputation further, especially since the royal palace had issued an official request.
This was, therefore, a mission that had to succeed—handled both successfully and stably.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Why?"
"Because that's all it takes."
"Did you hit your head during training or something?"
"Why are you still using informal speech?"
"I'm just so shocked. Truly shocked."
Will this guy ever act normal?
Энкрид smacked the disrespectful Крайс on the head.
"That hurts."
"I could've split your skull open."
He probably wasn't lying.
Крайс endured the pain.
Only the Madmen unit would be sent.
"Ah, well, it'll work out, right?"
Энкрид himself was going, as the commander, himself, had decided.
Крайс could roughly understand the reasoning.
Expanding the scale and leading a larger force would result in casualties.
Injuries or deaths were inevitable.
That much was obvious.
But was that the only reason? Not entirely.
There was a subtle fervor in Энкрид's eyes—a quiet intensity. He was itching for a fight.
Крайс felt oddly certain of this.
Энкрид asked, "There was a request from the central government?"
"It was close, but yes, they sent one."
The palace's justification had been convenient, but the request turned out to be real.
A letter had come along with it. [Good fortune.]
Just two words. It was from the former lord, Маркус.
"Busy, I see."
Энкрид didn't bother sending a reply. That was the end of it.
Everyone checked their equipment, prepared their supplies, and that was all the preparation Крайс could help with amidst the commotion.
It took only two days to prepare for deployment.
If a full company had been sent, it would have taken at least ten days. But with fewer troops, things moved quickly.
Крайс questioned whether this was the right course of action, but strangely, he didn't feel a sense of foreboding.
Not even all the unit members were participating.
"Do we really have to go?" As preparations were underway, Рагна asked, his eyes drooping with exhaustion.
He was starting to resemble an old, worn-out dog.
"If you're tired no matter how much you sleep, just die already," Рем quipped, blessing him with sarcasm.
"If you want to die, come at me anytime. You can even ambush me in my sleep—not that it would help," Рагна replied, politely rejecting the offer.
"Do we really need someone like that?" Энкрид pondered briefly.
As long as the strategy of a small, elite strike team held, it would suffice.
For Рагна, the most important task during the mission was not to get lost.
"Get some rest." Энкрид left Рагна be.
What would happen if the gray ghoul's threat escalated enough to warrant summoning knights?
"Well, that'd be fun too," Энкрид thought.
He always craved new challenges, and this mission was like rain falling on parched land.
He wasn't worried about danger or what might come after.
Those concerns were left to Крайс.
Крайс gathered intelligence, analyzed it, and assessed the value of the gray ghoul's forest—the now-ruined woods.
He concluded that the leader of the colony hidden within wasn't as threatening as one might think.
"A ghoul with enough intelligence to lead a colony," he thought.
This was a creature that defied the saying, 'Ghouls don't have brains.'
A thinking ghoul, hiding in the forest? Why? Was it because food was abundant? Or because its innate violence had been suppressed?
"Ridiculous."
The reason was clear—it knew it could lose if it fought recklessly.
So it held its position on advantageous ground, waiting.
Крайс judged this to be the true nature of the gray ghoul.
"Well, if things go wrong, Энкрид will get us out of it," he thought, recalling how Энкрид had once escaped traps purely by instinct. Trusting him felt natural.
Two days later, the departure day arrived, and Шинар joined them.
"Not busy?"
"I'm a fairy," Шинар replied.
Her point was that she couldn't overlook monsters desecrating the forest.
Fairies loved the forest. Though plants didn't display emotions, the vitality of the woods brimmed with life.
This vitality nourished fairies in unique ways.
With a healthy and lush forest, even fatal wounds could heal simply by spending time in it.
"I won't forgive them, in the name of the fairies," she declared.
Her dry determination earned a nod from Энкрид.
It didn't seem entirely like she was stepping in just to protect the forest's peace, but as a member of the elite team, she wasn't lacking.
"Let's go."
After traveling a day by carriage, they set up camp, laid stones for cooking, set a pot on the fire, and prepared sleeping arrangements.
A squad escorting them handled camp maintenance, lit the fire, and stood watch through the night.
On their way, they encountered three ghouls.
"I'll handle this," said a soldier from Greenpearl who had joined them.
The squad engaged the ghouls in a coordinated attack.
As spring arrived, ghoul numbers had increased to the point they appeared even near roads. This made trading routes more perilous, as rumors had suggested.
"Hyah!"
The soldiers let out battle cries as they fought.
Without sustaining a single scratch, they left the three ghouls sprawled on the ground.
The first two were decapitated. The third, more agile, had its legs severed before a stone was
hurled at its head from a distance, crushing its skull.
The third ghoul was faster and more cunning than the others, proving that not all monsters were
equal.
The squad's tactics reflected this understanding. Two skilled soldiers distracted the agile ghoul
with spears while the others attacked.
The combination of short spears and shields proved effective.
Энкрид evaluated their performance as solid.
"With more training on the basics..." he thought.
His version of "basics" began with sprinting beside the River of Death, which bordered the
Greenpearl plains. Running there offered a view of the ominous river—a sight that was anything
but comforting.
After resting for a night and traveling a few more days, they approached the gray ghoul's
Everyone, including the squad members, had managed the journey well.
"Well then, we'll take our leave," the escort squad leader said.
The squad leader saluted, and Энкрид nodded in acknowledgment before dismissing the troops.
He then surveyed his surroundings. The forest loomed ahead, filled with an ominous energy that seeped into the clearing where they had set up camp.
"We'll move out at dawn," Энкрид declared.
Fighting monsters at night was a fool's errand.
"Agreed," Рем replied. No matter how confident one was in their skills, taking unnecessary risks just for a single night's rest wasn't worth it.
Энкрид wasn't one to gamble recklessly.
At sunrise, he, Рем, Аудин, Дунбакелььь, Тереза, and Шинар entered the Gray Ghoul's domain.
A faint mist veiled the ground, obscuring their vision, while gray-hued trees narrowed their field of sight even further.
of sight even further. Sour and musty smells mixed with the mist, filling the air with an
Sour and musty smells mixed with the mist, filling the air with an oppressive dampness.
"Just breathing here feels like it'll make you sick," Рем muttered, his boots crunching against the gray leaves.
He wasn't wrong. Each breath carried a faint sense of poison, detectable to their finely tuned senses.
senses. Prolonged exposure would surely accumulate toxicity in one's body.
'A ghoul that uses its brain, huh?' Энкрид thought.
There was a reason the creature had made this place its stronghold. If it hadn't found it this way, it likely altered the environment itself. Of course, they had prepared for this beforehand.
However, the air's toxicity was heavier than expected.
For weaker individuals, two days here would lead to respiratory illness. But Энкрид and his company were far from ordinary.
company were far from ordinary. Their robust health, honed through rigorous training, ensured
Their robust health, honed through rigorous training, ensured they could endure weeks in such conditions without succumbing.
"Grrrooaahhh!"
The foul air heralded the arrival of ghouls. Энкрид's instincts informed him there were six.
Энкрид's instincts informed him there were six. They charged through the trees, their bodies
They charged through the trees, their bodies tearing through the undergrowth with heavy footfalls.
Standing at the front, Энкрид naturally took the lead. Ting.
With a flick of his thumb, he loosened the clasp on his sword sheath. Grasping the hilt, he opened his senses further.
The ghouls came into view—flat nostrils, dark gray skin, muscular legs, and long arms ending in curved claws designed to rend flesh.
curved claws designed to rend flesh. Their black, pupil-less eyes left dark trails through the gray
Their black, pupil-less eyes left dark trails through the gray forest as they charged.
Энкрид calculated their speed and trajectory. There was no need for elaborate techniques—just precision. His silver blade would suffice.
precision. His silver blade would suffice. Besides, their mission to confront the Gray Ghoul's
Besides, their mission to confront the Gray Ghoul's king meant conserving energy.
His movements were calculated to maximize efficiency and minimize effort.
The first came from above. Thunk! The ghoul leaped, crashing through branches as it descended.
Энкрид moved.
Pivoting on his left foot, he unsheathed his sword with his right hand. The first ghoul was split
vertically, a clean strike from head to chest. As its black blood sprayed, Энкрид adjusted his
As its black blood sprayed, Энкрид adjusted his stance.
With a fluid motion, he redirected his blade to the left, slicing through the heads of two more ghouls. One had its skull cleaved diagonally, the other lost its crown entirely.
By the time the remaining three ghouls closed in, Энкрид had switched to his gladius. A quick thrust dispatched two, while the final one fell to a precise strike to the head.
The entire sequence occurred in a single breath.
It was a masterclass in refined combat—every move deliberate, each strike calculated to control the ghouls' actions.
the ghouls' actions. He forced them into predictable patterns, limiting their options and sealing
He forced them into predictable patterns, limiting their options and sealing their fates.
'Sparring with Рем has paid off,' Энкрид thought.
The technique he employed was one he had recently developed—a style he called the "Capturing Blade."
Blade." It restricted an opponent's movement through precise footwork, body angles, and sword
It restricted an opponent's movement through precise footwork, body angles, and sword placement.
"Are you just playing tricks with ghouls now?" Рем quipped, his tone half-teasing.
Энкрид nodded, unfazed. "Let's keep going."
Though this new technique was still budding, he intended to hone it further through repeated practice.
"Save some for me," Дунбакелььь grumbled.
But in the six subsequent ghoul encounters, none of the others had a chance to raise their weapons—Энкрид handled them all.
Enkrid asked about the date.
It would take at least half a month, Krais thought.
Krais estimated at least two companies. It was a task that required such a scale.
After a brief moment of thought, Enkrid responded.

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