Eternally Regressing Knight
Chapter 657: Chapter 657 - Seeing the Truth
While Enkrid was adjusting his senses, Krais carried out the task he had been assigned.
He had scouted the location where the Fairy City would be established.
It was to the south of Border Guard, a little further south of the barren lands, where a stream from the river reached.
The final destination was a place nestled against a small mountain range—an ideal spot for a forest to take root.
However, in reality, it was difficult to ensure "safety" with a mere safe road.
Nearby, there was a stone mountain that resembled a tower, which harpies had used as a nest.
Beneath the mountain range, a small forest often served as a hiding place for several monsters and magical beasts.
’A barrier to block the monsters and magical beasts coming from the south.’
That location was perfect for the task.
If the fairies were capable of eliminating monsters on their own, it wouldn’t be a bad deal for them either.
With this thought in mind, Krais personally headed for the southern outpost.
He was accompanied by a fairy named Zero, who acted as his guide, and as his escort, his lover Nurat joined them.
Nurat, armed with a sword, walked right beside Krais, her arms noticeably thicker than before.
She had long since adopted Audin’s physical training methods.
"A tree is walking?"
Nurat asked.
"To be precise, it’s called a migration spell—an ancient tradition of the Woodguard clan."
The response came from Zero, walking on Krais’s other side.
Unlike most fairies, who exuded a cold and aloof presence, Zero was quite expressive with his emotions.
Not all fairies were the same.
There were individual differences, of course, but watching Enkrid beat up Zero to get a feel for him, Krais had a rough idea why Zero was the way he was.
This fairy had learned how to express emotions by force.
When Enkrid beat him, he didn’t just use a sword—he shredded, stabbed, and cut with words as well.
"This is all you can, right? This is your best effort? Hmm, a mosquito would be more of a threat. At least your sword swings are good for swatting bugs."
After hearing Enkrid’s relentless taunts firsthand, it was clear that even a patient fairy would have learned to express anger.
And after anger, naturally, came the ability to express other emotions.
When the three of them arrived at the outpost on the safe road, the stationed soldier approached and saluted.
At first, there were some who looked down on Krais, calling him a member of the "Madmen Knight Order" who couldn’t even fight.
But such people had become rare.
Part of the reason was that soldiers had learned that mocking him could result in more than just a few punches.
More importantly, Krais himself frequently admitted that he lacked a talent for fighting.
If the man himself acknowledged it, who could argue?
Of course, there were still fools who acted out, but Krais was smart.
After a few weeks of having Rem’s assault squad act as his personal guard, all unnecessary remarks ceased.
Who would dare speak out when the madmen guarding him were known for drawing their axes the moment they heard someone cursing Krais from afar?
"What was that? You want to disappear after joining our unit?"
Rumors even spread that some soldiers who joined Rem’s assault squad simply "vanished."
It was just a rumor, but with training as intense as theirs, death wasn’t exactly unheard of.
The higher the training intensity, the greater the risk of injury or death—it was an obvious reality.
Of course, Rem had never actually let a single one of his subordinates die.
From that point on, open insults disappeared.
People still muttered behind his back, but Krais didn’t care.
With all the worries about monster zones, magical beasts, and war, who had time to stress over a bit of badmouthing?
Krais had more pressing matters to focus on—like learning about fairy society.
As they walked, Zero continued explaining fairy culture.
He also spoke freely about himself, mentioning that his goal was to eradicate all demons on the continent.
He was a fairy who shared his thoughts openly.
Krais also listened to Nurat and Zero discuss various topics, including the escort unit and the latest training updates of Enkrid’s personal guard.
That’s when he saw it.
Boom.
"...A monster."
The outpost soldier who had accompanied them muttered.
Despite being told multiple times that a walking tree was coming, witnessing it firsthand was another matter.
The soldiers guarding the outpost instinctively reached for their bows.
One of them even notched an arrow.
But would shooting it even make a difference?
Their expressions showed doubt.
Boom.
Root-like feet stomped onto the ground as the massive tree approached.
Against the backdrop of the sunlight, a colossal tree was walking towards them.
On its branches, round figures hovered.
Looking closer, it was fairies standing atop the tree, observing the group.
Zero raised his open palm in greeting.
Krais forced himself to speak calmly.
"Do not shoot."
When Enkrid had explained it, he hadn’t been surprised.
Now, he could let himself be astonished.
"It really is a tree. A walking tree. The tree is walking."
Krais repeated.
"Yeah. Even though I heard about it, it’s still shocking."
Nurat agreed.
It was a good thing they arrived during the day.
If they had come at night, it would have looked like a massive monster attack.
The gigantic tree thudded forward, distorting their sense of distance.
It was slow, yet fast—because of its sheer size, it shattered the normal perception of movement.
None of them had ever seen anything like this before.
It was larger than a giant—a tree so enormous they had to tilt their heads all the way up just to take it in.
"They’re guests, not monsters."
Krais reassured the soldiers once more.
Still, one of the men muttered behind him.
"I need to pee."
"You too? Me too."
"If that thing steps on me, I’ll turn into tomato paste."
"Ugh. Why’d you have to say that? Damn it, now I feel sick."
Three soldiers whispered among themselves.
It seemed like they were speaking their minds freely, but it was clear that they weren’t actually terrified.
If they were truly scared, they wouldn’t have been able to joke at all.
Since the tree had been identified as a guest, their comments were just a way to release tension.
But that didn’t mean they weren’t nervous.
Kaak, kaak.
Suddenly, a few man-faced hounds leapt out from the side.
This area occasionally had monster sightings.
Among the territories controlled by the Madmen Knight Order, the southern region had the highest concentration of monsters.
Except for the Pen-Hanil mountain range, it was the roughest outpost to be stationed at.
The monsters, oblivious to the walking tree’s true size, charged straight for its legs.
The eleven man-faced hounds howled and sprinted—only to abruptly tumble across the ground.
At the same time, long sticks rained down and impaled them.
The first defining trait of a man-faced hound was its powerful bite.
The second was its ability to run incredibly fast.
For them to suddenly trip and fall mid-charge?
It didn’t make sense.
But of course, it was the fairies’ doing.
From atop the tree, a group of fairies had loosed arrows with flawless precision.
Using hand signals, they swiftly shifted positions.
And then—
Boom.
The walking tree stepped forward.
The corpses of the fallen monsters were trampled underfoot, leaving only a sticky black smear in their place.
The tree giants approached, some towering even higher than the outpost.
Krais, allowing himself to be thoroughly astonished, spoke.
"Welcome to Border Guard."
"Thank you for the warm welcome. But the air here isn’t particularly pleasant. Just because I’m a fairy doesn’t mean I know nothing. I’ve worked as a mercenary through the information guild, and I first started that job in a city to the southeast of here, down the waterway..."
The fairy who stepped forward rambled on, but Krais listened without discomfort, understanding every word.
He even responded at the right moments after hearing everything.
He wasn’t familiar with tree giants, but he was more than proficient at this kind of conversation.
"Are you telling me not to try any tricks? I have no such intention. Yes, this place sees frequent monster appearances. Occasionally, armed bandit groups show up to the south as well. But I don’t see that being a problem, do you? If you settle here, our leader will appreciate it. Even if he doesn’t, your presence will undoubtedly be beneficial. If necessary, we will allocate troops to support you. So it would be better if you cleared the area and settled here. Specifically, I believe the best place for you to stay would be at the base of the mountains slightly west of here."
Fairies do not lie, but they distort the truth.
’However, they do not distort when it comes to Enkrid, whom they revere as an idol.’
Even so, there was still room for caution.
The one who took the lead was likely a fairy familiar with continental culture.
This was a preventative measure—ensuring they wouldn’t be swindled by humans.
As with any initial meeting between two groups without mutual trust, this one followed the same pattern.
That said, Krais had never intended to deceive them from the beginning.
To a swindler, one must speak the language of swindlers.
But to those who wield truth as their weapon, truth should be met with truth.
Krais had no intention of allowing any discord in this "transaction" from the start.
He would simply approach everything with sincerity.
And that was enough.
The fairy, pleased, smiled—though the shift in emotion was too subtle for Krais to notice.
"Your words sound good, but as Emily taught me, it’s important to verify. Emily was my first lover, a woman who worked the reception desk at the information guild."
Krais effortlessly navigated through the unnecessary chatter and led the fairies in with a welcoming attitude.
There were still administrative tasks and other necessities to be handled, but nothing too bothersome.
Shortly after, the tree giants began their migration.
The sight of enormous masses moving startled many, but no soldiers attacked them.
Some southern nobles had sent repeated requests for reinforcements, claiming a large monster was attacking them, so a few patrols had been sent out as a precaution.
Of course, no battles occurred.
"One more time."
It was Rem who stepped forward and spoke—not Enkrid.
Something about the situation had shifted.
Rem had taken to requesting duels once every day or two.
Enkrid had no reason to refuse, but that didn’t mean he simply nodded along.
"Hmm. Are you sure?"
"What do you mean, am I sure?"
"I don’t enjoy tormenting the weak."
"Hah. Who are you calling weak, you lunatic?"
Rem pretended to fall for the provocation but fought with a steady composure.
He displayed intense passion and executed aggressive attacks, yet there were no careless swings.
That was the genius of Rem.
After making several adjustments to his senses, Enkrid reassessed his standing.
If categorized within an established system, he at the level of upper-ranked knights, while Rem was at the middle rank.
However, the system he adhered to was more akin to a training framework rather than a strict measure of combat ability.
’How ridiculous.’
His boundless Will granted him overwhelming efficiency in duels.
Thanks to that, he could match those who had entered the realm of the upper ranks.
’And also thanks to the wave-blocking blade I wield at full force.’
By employing split-consciousness, he managed to balance power and endurance, allowing him to engage in prolonged, high-speed combat.
That had become Enkrid’s specialty.
He could sustain extended battles while making every moment count.
Each strike carried a lethal intensity.
While Rievart and Jamal focused on stalling for time, Enkrid’s approach was different.
From an outsider’s perspective, it might seem like he was merely dragging things out, but he often pressed forward aggressively.
Naturally, Rem wasn’t the only one coming after him.
"Come at me, you crazy knight commander. I’ll fix that thick skull of yours."
Ragna also taunted him before charging in.
Enkrid accepted the challenge.
"Well, if you lack talent, you should at least make up for it with effort."
Enkrid thoroughly enjoyed himself.
Yet, at the same time, he could feel the moments of enjoyment gradually shrinking and disappearing.
The regular soldiers and all combat-ready personnel burned with determination, watching Enkrid and the so-called "Madmen Knights."
And in turn, Rem and the others watched Enkrid with the same fervor.
However, they had never once been overtaken.
Yet now, they had been caught.
They had truly fallen behind Enkrid.
Anyone who didn’t savor this moment wasn’t human.
"I will win, no matter what!"
"For the Lord!"
"I’ll cut them all down!"
This was why Rem, Audin, Ragna, and Jaxen had suddenly thrown themselves into training like madmen.
"Are you planning to kill every knight in the world now?"
Jaxen’s lover asked him one day.
"There’s someone I have to catch up to."
"Have to?"
His lover knew him well.
He never used words like "must" or "have to" lightly.
"Why?"
So she pressed further.
Jaxen hadn’t put much thought into it before, but now that he did, the answer was clear.
"It’s an eyesore."
"Huh?"
"Seeing him act superior—it’s an eyesore."
On the surface, that’s what he said.
But inwardly, his thoughts were slightly different.
’I stayed to be of help. I refuse to become a burden.’
Thus, he trained.
And soon enough, it bore fruit.
It was fourteen days after Enkrid returned to Border Guard.
Audin, who had been waiting for someone, found that person temporarily away.
As time passed, Enkrid carried on with his usual training.
He had neither met Aetri nor had any separate discussions with Esther.
He had planned to meet Aetri after assessing his condition, but when he handed over the weapons and items he had collected so far, Aetri suggested meeting at a later time.
As for Esther, she had decided to live in her panther form for the time being.
Shinar hadn’t shown up either, so aside from a brief meeting with Lord Graham, there wasn’t much else for him to do besides training.
To be honest, he was thoroughly enjoying beating his subordinates, but still...
"This isn’t enough. There’s no thrill. You guys can’t push me anymore."
Enkrid would often mutter such words.
No one remained unresponsive to them.
"You even ran into cultists on the way. Did you sell your soul to the Demon God or something?"
Rem plucked a leaf from his hair as she spoke.
A warm breeze was blowing.
Winter was nearly over, and the goddess called spring was approaching.
It was the time when thoughts of Shinar, who spoke of spring winds, would naturally arise.
"I hear the whining of the weak."
Enkrid had grown noticeably better at mocking them.
With his sword hanging loosely, he spoke as if reciting poetry, making Rem’s expression change.
It was a scene that had become increasingly common over the past few days.
"You’re dead today. Ptooey."
Rem spat on the ground and adjusted his grip on the axe.
The atmosphere thickened as if they were ready to stake half their lives on this fight.
He bent his knees halfway, lowering his stance, ready to charge forward at any moment.
Enkrid, seeing Rem’s movements through his keen insight, raised his penna and prepared to strike diagonally.
He expected today to be no different from the past.
Unless Rem wielded his axe properly and used every bit of sorcery, the result wouldn’t change.
At that moment, Rem’s figure seemed to shrink.
He hadn’t actually gotten smaller—he had just widened the distance in an instant, making it seem that way.
’He’s retreating?’
Rem leaped back at an extraordinary speed.
Even while moving diagonally or backward, he was just as fast as if he were sprinting forward.
His feet struck the ground without hesitation, leaving afterimages as he kicked off.
And then—
Fwung, fwung, fwooooong!
A spinning disc appeared above Rem’s head.
It spun lazily a few times before accelerating rapidly, bound to a leather pouch.
A sling.
"No joke."
Wheeeeng!
Between the deafening hum of the spinning sling, Rem infused his will into his words.
"If you don’t block this, you’re dead."
Whoosh.
The sling released its projectile.
Boom! The air split apart with a deafening crack.
Between the sounds, Enkrid’s insight revealed a brutal truth—if this hit his head, it would explode.
Even in his accelerated perception, the projectile remained a mere dot—
A single point in time and space that moved faster than anything else.
For a fleeting moment, he realized—this was far more dangerous than when he had once caught a flying dagger in the past.
Enkrid threw his body backward.
The projectile grazed his forehead, cutting a few strands of hair.
They were sucked into the air current created by the shot and scattered away.
He had to roll to the side immediately.
Boom!
A fountain of dirt erupted where he had been standing just moments ago.
Rem’s follow-up shot had struck the ground.
And he wasn’t stopping at one shot.
Wheeeeng!
Somehow, Rem had now spun up two discs.
The left one was nearly vertical to the ground, while the right one was almost horizontal.
Two spinning circles flaunted their deadly presence, mere handspans apart.
"Die, you lunatic."
Rem shouted with joy, and Enkrid saw the sincerity in his words.

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