Eternally Regressing Knight
Chapter 656: Chapter 656 - This Isn’t Just a Joke
"Was it called the Heart of the Beast? Teach me."
There was someone who asked to learn.
Rem thought that the person would die within a month at the most.
When the next battle was just fifteen days away, Rem thought that person would die in fifteen days.
Ragna had no interest in it.
As long as they didn’t bother him, that was enough.
The troublemaking squad, too, had no plan other than to leave when the time came, not knowing exactly when that would be.
It was only after meeting Enkrid that the lost swordsman, who hadn’t figured out what he wanted to do or what his purpose was, began to walk.
Before that, he had been a wagon without wheels—a child whose growth had stalled.
Like a statue frozen in place.
Only after he started walking did Ragna find his will.
That beginning was with that squad leader.
To Audin, Enkrid was like a messenger sent by the gods, but that thought had now changed.
’He’s not a messenger, just a human living his life.’
There are people like that in the world.
Just realizing this had caused a great internal shift in Audin.
’What’s important is one’s mindset.’
It was now okay if the answers to his prayers to the gods didn’t come right away.
’Why do I fight?’
It didn’t have to be noble.
It didn’t have to be holy.
The reason didn’t need to be lofty or respected by others.
Only those who could trust themselves would remain unshaken.
Even if shaken, it wasn’t a sin. If wrong, correct it; if late, start moving now.
Even if he couldn’t hear what the gods were saying, their will had already permeated him.
All of this had begun with that crazy squad leader.
"Does memorizing it help you feel better?"
When Teresa first asked him, Audin answered.
"Not really."
"Then why read it?"
"It’s fun."
"Fun?"
"Yes, it’s fun to read. Sister, please speak your mind."
Teresa shared her concerns.
"Do you think the world is trying to crush you? Do you think the giant’s blood mixed in your body will eventually devour your reason, turning you into a monster drunk on instinct? And if you must die, do you want to die by Enkrid’s sword?"
These were Teresa’s words.
And while they were spoken to Teresa, they were also words directed at Audin himself.
He had sealed his divinity and wandered the battlefield.
What did he want?
Life or death?
Then he saw Enkrid, a man who seemed to dance on the edge of death, walking the fine line between life and death.
"What is it that moves you, Brother?"
"Huh?"
"Why do you fight?"
"I want to be a knight."
A simple, unadorned dream, neither hidden nor embellished.
That was when Audin realized what he wanted to do.
’Lord, did you guide me?’
As they each pondered, Jaxen suddenly dropped down from the roof.
"Looks like there’s no other way but to kill him. Though, right now, I can’t kill him."
As the Master of the Guild, Geor’s Poison Master, and the owner of the Morning Dew, those who knew Jaxen’s identity would understand how unexpected his words were.
He himself had just said that he couldn’t kill Enkrid for now.
If his subordinates or lovers had heard this, it would have been time to tell him to stop joking.
Everyone had been pushed back and defeated.
Whether they admitted it or not, all had accepted it in their hearts.
Though they all hated losing, ironically, none of the three showed any signs of displeasure.
Jaxen was no different.
The path had not been drawn with blood, steel, or poison, but with life, dreams, and survival.
The man who should have died long ago had become a knight and was now swinging his sword to slay demons.
He killed demons and heretics, and within that, he had come to a realization that had led him to this point.
"So, how do you feel?"
Jaxen asked again.
It wasn’t just the four of them; Ropord and Teresa were present as well.
The six of them, including the leopard who had taken a proud stance next to Jaxen on the roof, all watched him.
Enkrid made a soft sound as he sheathed his sword and raised one hand above his head.
They all waited for his answer.
Becoming a knight was surprising, but now, he had advanced further than even his own subordinates.
They all wanted to know how he felt about having come this far.
All eyes were on him, with a sense of warm expectation now replacing their competitive spirit.
With a casual scratch of his head, Enkrid looked around, his eyebrows twitching.
"This isn’t just a joke, right?"
No one could speak for a moment.
What did he just say?
If this was a provocation, it was as sharp as a blade.
Rem’s veins popped as he glared, and Ragna clicked his tongue in disapproval.
Audin quietly began a prayer, asking, "Lord, do we send one of them?"
Jaxen, without a moment’s hesitation, had already grabbed his Silent Dagger.
Rem asked.
"...Should we just kill him?"
"We don’t need all four of us. Two will do."
Ragna answered.
After Enkrid left, things had gotten very tense between them, and it was even said that one of them might die if this continued.
Their subordinates had already drawn blood in the past.
While competition could lead to improvement, every light cast a shadow.
Excessive rivalry could easily turn into an accident if not controlled by higher-ups.
Especially with the young soldiers who were full of fire.
Ragna’s troops weren’t calm either, so conflict was inevitable.
Krais had to step in and make adjustments to prevent their two squads from clashing, a serious issue.
Yet now, the leaders of these two squads were united in purpose.
"Let’s just make a distraction up front, and the cat can strike from behind."
Rem said.
"That sounds good. You take the left, I’ll take the right."
Ragna responded.
"Take any side. Just make sure to attract attention."
"Got it."
Rem and Ragna’s movements clicked perfectly.
Krais, who had been nervously watching them during their practice, would feel both happy and sad seeing the two of them now.
If this was the way things were going to be, why didn’t they just get along all this time?
Why did they spend so long at odds, nearly killing each other?
After their near-fatal duel, the air between them had grown even more tense, to the point that no one could intervene.
The madmen knights order, back when Enkrid was absent, had been eerily calm.
Everyone continued training their subordinates and staying active, but the energy from before wasn’t quite the same.
To be precise, the intensity of the energy had changed.
Problems were rife, but Krais, knowing the root of it all, had only managed to keep things under control, preventing any major accidents.
Everything would be fine once Enkrid returned.
"We’ll talk about this later. It feels too awkward right now."
Enkrid spoke honestly after observing his subordinates’ reactions. It still hadn’t sunk in. He thought Rem, Ragna, and Audin had all stopped intervening, but that wasn’t entirely wrong.
"Going any further would be a fight to the death. And while I can’t claim I’d win right now, at least not for sure."
Luagarne, who had been watching, read Enkrid’s mindset and spoke up.
If it came down to skill and determining a winner, they’d have to actually fight to find out, but even just reading the atmosphere, it was clear: Rem, Ragna, Audin, and Jaxen.
None of them could guarantee a victory.
"There’s a gap between perception and reality. Let’s refine this and talk again later."
Normally, Enkrid would have visited Aetri, but he needed to sort his thoughts before discussing his own experience.
With that, Enkrid unpacked quickly and began swinging his sword.
In some ways, it was typical of him, but in others, it seemed almost naive—rolling with his senses despite the disconnect.
Yet, it wasn’t unpleasant to watch.
"Hey, you lost little idiot. Let me show you the way. Come train with me."
Rem’s eyes narrowed.
Seeing the captain’s crazy side got him excited too.
That mad dog who never gave up.
"I was about to say something similar. Follow me through the mountains."
Ragna looked equally fired up.
He wanted another go at Enkrid right away, but that meant not holding back like he did with Rem.
Without seeing blood, he wouldn’t stop.
That was the conclusion he’d come to—he couldn’t beat Enkrid at this stage with just a sparring match.
’Why am I so excited?’
Ragna was intoxicated with a joy he’d never felt before.
He wanted to swing his sword madly and throw himself into training.
Audin adjusted his attire while watching the two of them.
He too would pack his things and join in.
He decided to put off his own subordinates’ training for a while.
"Sister Theresa."
At Audin’s call, Theresa, who had been watching with mixed emotions—surprise, joy, and more—responded.
"Can I be of help?"
"Yes, you can."
Audin decided to make Teresa his training partner.
She was unaware, but to Audin, Teresa’s potential was far beyond surprising—it was extraordinary.
Teresa had briefly felt a shift in her emotions when she heard about the Apostle’s death, but she quickly calmed herself.
She was no longer the social Teresa, but the warrior Teresa, the madmen knights order’s Teresa.
That had become the anchor in her heart, keeping her grounded.
While the others enjoyed watching Enkrid grow, none of them were pleased about being surpassed.
Did being surpassed mean the end of the line?
"Nothing happens if you think it’s too late and do nothing."
This was something Enkrid often said.
And true to his words, they felt determined to keep moving forward.
"I’ll introduce you to someone later, so let me know when you’re settled."
Audin spoke.
Enkrid, who had been refining his senses, nodded in response.
"Got it."
He had returned, but life was still unchanged.
Shortly after, Krais arrived, and Enkrid passed on a message while asking a question.
"A social squad, you say? If there was such a thing, we would’ve heard about it already. Oh, there are plenty of people trying to infiltrate, pretending to be from the social faction. I even heard recently that Captain Vengeance nearly died. It’s hard to catch every one of them."
The social squad of the Resurrection Apostles wasn’t real, at least not in the way Krais had imagined.
Even if one tried to infiltrate, Enkrid wouldn’t worry.
It seemed like the talk had been a provocation, after all.
"So what exactly is coming?"
Krais asked again.
"Fairies."
"And what should we be cautious about?"
"Don’t be surprised and attack when you see walking trees."
"...Is there time for an explanation?"
"It should be visible within two days, at the latest."
As if to confirm, Zero approached and added more details. Krais, having heard everything, nodded before asking again.
"So, these big trees are walking? Be careful?"
"Not be careful—don’t be surprised."
Enkrid corrected him, and Krais decided not to be surprised for now.
’Let’s save the shock for when we actually see it.’
Delaying emotion often helps see reality more clearly.
It was natural for Krais to deal with anxiety and hesitation by focusing on understanding the situation and preparing for it. Emotional regulation was one of his strengths.
’The city of the fairies.’
The fairy spring, filled with hot water, was known for its refreshing feel when one entered.
There was little to eat except fruits and leaves, but when settling in initially, nuts and fruits were abundant.
’And now the entire fairy city is relocating.’
The trees were walking to relocate.
Could this really be happening?
No, let’s hold off on the shock.
Now wasn’t the time to be surprised. I’ll save that for later.
It was truly a shocking thought, and Krais refocused to organize his thoughts.
’The trees that walk and shoot arrows can replace even strong city walls. In their forest, instead of monsters, fairies live, and it’s full of life. You could say the forest is full of fairy energy. There are skilled artisans among them, and the fruits they cherish can boost one’s vitality.’
"There are those who specialize in alchemy; they are called Druyors, and there are also Woodguards who smoke , so don’t be too surprised. Yes, the fairy city is coming. It’s coming in its entirety."
’So, what’s the gain?’
What is the benefit of accepting them as neighbors?
What potential problems might arise?
It wasn’t so much problems that were being calculated first, but rather the gains.
First of all, it would be like having a natural fortress to the south.
A forest inhabited by fairies, rather than monsters, serves as a barrier, blocking out both monsters and beasts.
’Trade.’
If they engage in bartering with them, there were things to be gained.
Enkrid hadn’t said it with that in mind, but Krais had certainly heard what he needed.
’They have skilled artisans, and if they use fire, they will need metals.
Since this is a migrating forest, there might not be any ore inside.
Metal would be a very valuable trade commodity for them.’
Grain obtained from farming would also be a favorable trade item.
Aside from fruits and leaves, the crops grown would be precious.
This was something Krais had figured out from observing Shinar earlier.
What could be given was clear, but what could be gained?
’Anne.’
She was a healer and an alchemist.
She had said that the materials from the fairy forest were treasures for alchemists.
"Ask any healer. If they can get fairy spring water, it will be more than a treasure—it’s something people would kill for to obtain."
For some reason, Anne always took naps when the madman Enkrid came around.
Krais didn’t know why, but her behavior was strange.
Maybe it was because being here helped her fatigue ease?
Krais had joked that it was because she might be in love with Enkrid, so he had told her about the Golden Flower and the Black Flower, but she just snorted in response.
"It’s not like I’ll take him for myself only."
People’s preferences are different, so it wasn’t worth arguing about.
’Not only fairy spring water, but from an alchemy perspective, this city is almost a treasure trove.’
As soon as the calculations started, reality hit Krais.
’A gold mine.’
Not just any gold mine, but one that didn’t even require consideration of profitability.
The quantity of the gold wasn’t known, but there was no need to hire workers to mine it.
’Instead, we can trade with them, and they’ll give us what they need in return for providing what we need for the miners.’
This was a gold mine facilitated by trade.
It wasn’t literally gold pouring out, but its value was just as great.
"A windfall," Krais muttered.
And that’s the conclusion.

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