Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 1

Prologue

There was a flash of light.

Encred didn’t know what was happening.

I just felt pain as if a heated skewer had been stabbed in my neck.

I just realized that leather-padded armor was of no use.

I lost consciousness as the red, hot liquid circulating inside my body poured out.

Open your eyes again.

It’s the beginning of the day.

It’s not a dream.

Because it has already happened several times.

I don’t even know why this happened.

It just happened.

Ta-ang.

The sound that announces morning.

The watchman bangs the pot with a ladle.

Same morning for the third time.

Only then did Encred realize it.

‘also?’

Every day, if you die, the same day will repeat itself.

1. My dream was to be a knight.

The teacher who taught Encred how to use a sword had a pretty good personality and was someone who didn’t say anything unpleasant.

“you.”

The teacher leaned forward, holding his sheathed sword vertically on the floor, and called out to Encred.

“Go back to the village. If you don’t want to farm, act as a village vigilante. “Then we will at least catch the vigilante leader.”

I might have felt a little better if I had heard the teacher say that he ate some of this kalbab at that time.

But it didn’t happen.

A word I heard when I was young was the problem.

“Enki, you are a genius.”

I fought with a neighborhood kid three or four years older than me with a wooden sword, and won easily.

This was when I was 11 years old and heard for the first time that I was a genius.

I didn’t know at the time.

That kid was incredibly bad at sword fighting.

At the age of fifteen, Encred fought a village adult with a wooden sword and won.

After that, I became more confident in my skills.

In the small village where he was born, there was no one who knew how to properly use a sword.

The only one who was there was a third-rate mercenary.

He was a wanderer who came to the village after losing a leg.

He taught swordsmanship to the village children.

Meanwhile, Encred was there too.

“You are a genius.”

I heard the same thing for the second time at the age of fifteen.

If the words were once spoken by a local adult who knew nothing, this time, they were the words of a mercenary who gave up his knighthood and lost his leg for the Lady.

‘I am a genius.’

That’s what I thought.

I had a dream.

I decided to become a knight.

A knight who assists the monarch who will unify the continent engulfed in phone calls.

A knight who puts an end to the war.

Around this time, a bard’s song spread widely throughout the continent.

Wide enough to reach even the small town of Encred.

The content was simple, but the melody captivated my ears, and the final lyrics shook my heart.

The knight who ends this war!

A knight who will turn the war into twilight!

We love him in The Twilight Knight!

I will call you the Knight of the Apocalypse!

The Knight of the End! The knight who will end the war!

The knight who will end the war.

The bard’s song ignited the hearts of boys and girls.

‘I am.’

Encred was the same.

At age 18, Encred left the village because he thought there was no one he could beat.

No parents, no siblings.

Although he had a few friends, there were only a few people who cared for Encred, who had been into the sword since he was young.

In that gap, the boy grew up and left.

That’s how I started my career as a mercenary.

The skills weren’t bad. In particular, the attitude of trying hard was not bad.

But two months were enough for him to realize that he was not a genius.

I was broken by a nameless, so-called third-rate mercenary.

“It wasn’t ripe enough.”

I heard this.

I thought it was enough to have a good teacher.

I saved money. He did everything in his power to die. Risking half his life, he fought a band of bandits.

With the money I earned, I went to a tutoring center.

There were a couple of swordsmanship schools in big cities.

I learned the sword.

It wasn’t bad luck.

Because the teacher was honest and conscientious.

He told Encred to put down the sword.

“no. “It won’t happen.”

Encred did not give up.

“I’m really passionate. “I’m passionate.”

Everyone who saw Encred said in unison:

It had to be that way.

Because my efforts were not betrayed.

My palms burst and my arm muscles tremble.

Repeated countless times.

It was okay where people gathered together.

Encred was an exceptional hard worker.

I saved up money and wandered around from one training center to another until I was over 20.

By the time he was over 25, his experience and skills had accumulated, and he had made a name for himself as a mercenary.

Even so, in a small city, I had to ask a few times before the only response was, ‘Oh, that friend, please use the knife.’

Up until this point, there was a glimmer of hope.

Hope that it will be better than now.

So the spring of twenty-seven.

Encred realized that his talents were insignificant.

This was the result of a dispute that occurred in passing.

After five hits, the sword he was holding flew away and a hole was created in his stomach. Encred covered his hole in his stomach with his palm and asked.

“How old are you?”

“twelve.”

There are twelve. My prayers are not full.

This was truly genius.

“Sorry, it was my first real fight.”

The kid said. He is a child from a serf background, neither a noble nor a commoner.

It’s only been half a year since I picked up the sword.

“I was overworked. “I’ll add it to the medical expenses.”

The boy’s teacher threw a bag of money.

It wasn’t a fatal injury.

There were no internal injuries, and the stab wound wasn’t that deep.

Still, I packed my pockets.

From the age of 11 until now, I have swung the sword until my palm exploded for 16 years.

However, I lost to a 12-year-old boy who had only learned for 6 months.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t depressed.

However, I did not live with dark feelings.

There is no reason to live in such a dark and dreary way.

‘It’s not like my limbs fell off.’

Encred knew he wasn’t a genius, but that didn’t mean he should give up.

So I resumed my life as a swordsman.

I lived as a mercenary for about ten years.

Even if he couldn’t become an outstanding knight or swordsman, he could become a skilled soldier.

Encred gave up his mercenary job and received military training. This was the best he could choose.

Now we can’t just farm and make a living, right?

A third-rate swordsman with a former mercenary background was an appropriate description.

“Does the military seem like a joke? Do you think everyone will accept it?”

Someone laughed.

“Cheer up.”

Someone tapped my shoulder.

Sometimes I was recognized, and sometimes I was left behind.

So thirty.

Kingdom of Naurilia, Cyprus Division.

4th Regiment, 4th Battalion, 4th Company, 4th Platoon.

The so-called Sasa Platoon was where Encred was located.

Encred’s position was to be the Ten Seal, just below the platoon commander.

Bang, bang, bang.

The watchdog struck a piece of iron and woke up the entire barracks.

“… … “My dream is so turbulent.”

Encred, who woke up to the sound, muttered.

“What did you dream about?”

The subordinate sitting next to me got up from his field bed made of layers of cotton cloth, shoved his feet into his boots, and said,

Although he had a grumpy attitude, he was a friend whose skills were better than mine.

“My life.”

“Ominously, bitter. Ah, bugs.”

There must have been bugs in the boots, so the subordinate took off the shoes, shook them off, and put them back on.

Afterwards, when he saw the bug that had fallen on the floor, he spat on it and rubbed it with his foot.

A trace of thick bodily fluids mixed with saliva was left on the floor.

Encred saw that too and got up and got dressed.

It includes a breastplate with a throwing knife inserted into the heart, vambraces that protect the arms, and shin guards.

Inside the body, it wears an inner armor made of layers of thick fabric.

Over it, armor made of leather is worn.

The armor was made of several layers of leather, but it could not be said to be very strong leather.

It is something that can be cut with a well-forged blade.

The vambraces made of oiled wood were at least a little better than the others.

“I heard that the previous Ten Seals had a dream like this before they fell.”

Encred muttered, recalling the memory of hearing such a rumor.

“Shall we sell some today?”

My subordinate laughed and hit me on the back of the head.

“I won’t die. “That sounds unlucky.”

I got up, poured water into the pot and threw in a few pieces of beef jerky. After that, add a few more edible vegetables and boil.

It was breakfast.

“Do you have any plans for combat today?”

When the subordinate sitting next to me asked, I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

He is the lowest general of the ten.

Above the four tens, there is one platoon commander.

The platoon leader probably doesn’t know either.

Encred’s swordsmanship skills are mediocre and he is not a nobleman, so he remains the leader of the Ten Seals and squad leader, but the savory food he makes on the battlefield can swallow up even a decent company commander.

Because they know that, even the subordinates of the Ten Commandments respect Encred.

“So, in your dreams when you were young, what did you want to be as a captain?”

A subordinate approached me and asked.

“article.”

“… … Are you going to hit me if I laugh?”

“I won’t hit you.”

“Phew.”

“Are you laughing at me like that? “This bastard is missing.”

He said and kicked his butt.

The subordinate who was hit pretended to be in pain and said.

“No, he’s still a knight.”

What is an article?

He is the one who changes the battlefield.

It is a monster that fights against a thousand alone.

He is a hero who kills hundreds of enemies alone.

Moreover, the unit they currently belong to, that is, the division, is also named after a knight.

The Cyprus Division is called the Army of Lord Cyprus.

A knight like that is a dream.

“It’s good that my dreams are so bright.”

“Dreams are naturally wild, child.”

As he spoke, Encred took care of the dishes without paying attention.

Today, I was on duty to wash the dishes.

I don’t know about the other ten, but Encred’s squad shared all the chores equally.

Even if you call it a seal, it only involves receiving and delivering orders.

So, in most cases, it is the person who is best at using a spear or sword.

In that respect, Encred was a bit special.

His weapons are weaker than those of other squad members.

However, it was possible to unite those who had almost been kicked out of other squads.

Other units refer to Encred’s unit as the Sasasa Squad.

It’s the troublemaker squad of the Sasa Platoon.

Encred was the squad leader of such a squad.

“I will help you.”

“Then shut your mouth and follow me.”

“Let’s do that.”

The subordinate chuckled.

How did this guy end up here?

Although he was a unique guy, Encred wasn’t particularly curious about his subordinate’s personal history.

So I didn’t ask.

The squad members liked Encred’s attitude.

I don’t question the past, and I don’t care about the present either.

However, there is no special request.

In this regard, he thought that perhaps all of the squad members were following him.

As I was washing the dishes with a clatter, my subordinate splashed in the water from the stream and asked:

“Why did you want to become a knight?”

It’s like they’re following me and splashing around in the water after offering to help me.

Would you laugh if I answered that I was addicted to the bard’s song?

Encred answered after thinking for a moment.

“I wanted to be good at using a sword, and I thought it would be good to become a knight since I was already doing it.”

“You have boyish emotions.”

The subordinate chuckled again.

“I told you to shut your mouth.”

“Is that why you danced with your sword like that every morning and evening?”

“Because hard work never betrays.”

My palms were full of calluses from swinging the sword countless times.

“So now?”

Do you want to become a knight?

Is it possible? I know better than anyone else that it is impossible.

However, I don’t give up.

Just endure quietly and move on.

Encred was not unaware of reality either.

However, the dream was silent in reality, and Encrid, who was silent, became a mere soldier living by swords and rice.

“Let’s go once you’re done cleaning.”

“Let’s do that.”

It was a trivial conversation.

I got up and went back to the barracks.

Will there be a battle with a kingdom that is currently engaged in a local war?

Or maybe they will attack a recently formed group of bandits targeting supplies.

I don’t know what to do.

‘The air is thick.’

The atmosphere on the battlefield is always like that.

But today I felt that way even more.

The waiting time was long.

I don’t think there’s anything special to do. I was thinking about swinging a sword, but then I took a nap.

There were days when I didn’t want to do anything.

‘It’s not as hard to do as it used to be.’

Continuous efforts were made.

The result is this.

A leader of ten at the level of a third-rate mercenary.

Only when the sun had passed two spans from the top of the sky to the west did the platoon leader shout.

“All members of the Judges Company gathered.”

It was a skirmish.

The company members gathered together and took up one axis of the army.

The same was true for Encred’s Ten Ligaments.

A cold tension enveloped my body.

Encred grabbed the necklace amulet he had earned while working as a mercenary and stuffed it into his clothes.

‘Did you say this would save your life?’

It may be bullshit, but originally, soldiers going into battle were prone to superstitions.

However, if Encred himself was told that he believed in this talisman, the answer would be no.

I just saw the eyes of the old woman who gave it to me at that time, and the earnest tone of her words moved my heart.

‘Because you have to make the most of it.’

After fighting for my life, the only reward I received was this amulet.

Half of the time I killed him because of luck, but if I got it wrong, I would have been the one to die.

Even though it was a tough fight against monsters.

Because it was a small slash-and-burn village, there was no money to give.

When I happened to see Encred passing by on the street, I just held on to my pants and asked him to take care of the monster.

‘That’s funny.’

Risking your life for sympathy is crazy.

But Encred didn’t regret it.

Because that’s what a knight is.

Even if dreams are silenced and eaten and torn apart by reality, traces remain.

I wanted to become a knight.

I wanted to become a war hero.

But now I’m just a soldier.

Wow!

There was a shout.

At the same time, Encred also screamed, blood rising in his neck.

A wave of troops is coming from the front.

The setting sun creates a long sunset.

Both armies rushed forward, breaking the glow of the sunset.

Encred also ran towards him.

“Let’s fight while protecting our lives!”

The subordinate with the always smiling face shouted and ran out first.

Soon, the spears and swords of enemies and allies began to cut into each other’s blood and flesh.

Today’s battle was hand-to-hand combat.