A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

‘What the hell just happened?’

Of course, none of the people present were blind, so they all saw and understood what Encrid had done.

‘Avoid, then dive in for a strike.’

It was a series of movements that anyone could easily perform.

However, it was different. Even if anyone could do it, doing it so effortlessly was an entirely different story.

If this man named Encrid had used a unique sword technique or trickery to achieve such results, they would have admired his remarkable ingenuity, but they wouldn’t have been as astonished as they were now.

“Hmm?”

The half-blood Giant’s eyebrow twitched. The same was true for Swift Blade beside him. Swift Blade suddenly clenched his sword grip tightly.

It was a reflexive action.

‘If he did that to me now, could I block it?’

He could block it. He had seen it beforehand.

‘Then, what if I hadn’t seen it start?’

It wasn’t yet the season to feel cold, but it felt like a chilly wind was blowing.

Swift Blade let go of his sword and unnecessarily rubbed his arm.

A shiver ran down his spine along with the cold sensation.

‘What the hell is that guy?’

It had only been a few days.

Swift Blade wasn’t the only one surprised.

Everyone, including Rem, who could be called allies, was also astonished.

However, none of the Company members showed their surprise outwardly or expressed it.

In fact, they were somewhat used to it by now.

Of course, they didn’t understand it. They just didn’t show their surprise because this had happened a few times before.

‘What did he do?’

Rem stroked his chin, thinking similarly to Audin.

‘Even if the Isolation Technique changes one’s constitution…’

Can someone gain such talent like that?

Audin knew his own judgment and eyes. He knew how to see through a body using the Isolation Technique.

Unlike Frog, who was known as a talent appraiser, he also knew how to see talent.

From what he saw, Encrid wasn’t someone who had stepped into the realm of talent.

He wasn’t a genius. Not at all, it was hard to even call him a prodigy.

‘Just with persistence.’

That dogged determination that didn’t know how to give up.

Not retreating from any trial given by God.

Thus, being in that place now.

Audin saw the will of God.

God spoke. His father conveyed his will.

Will you give up? Why? Because it didn’t go as you wished? So your faith ended there.

So, the flower of your faith withered there.

So, your spring has passed.

So, your season has ended.

“No, Father.”

Audin muttered.

Ragna, right next to Audin, didn’t turn his gaze despite hearing him mutter.

No, he didn’t hear it at all.

He was too busy watching Encrid.

‘Again?’

He changed.

Amazing. That was it. He had changed, he was surprised, and now he recognized it.

Seeing the improved Encrid had become a familiar sight.

How did he improve? How could he change like that?

He gave up on finding the reason. Knowing it wouldn’t change anything, and he couldn’t find out.

The answer would be obvious if he asked.

“By working hard.”

Sometimes, with a hint of a joke.

“I guess I was a genius after all.”

“Did he really just say that?”

So there was no need to ask. Just accept reality.

Everyone was surprised, but the most astonished was Edin Molsen, who had taken the hit.

The next most surprised was Encrid himself.

“Again!”

Edin Molsen stood up abruptly.

He was excessively fine compared to the hit he took.

Inadvertently, Encrid had held back his strength when he struck.

To be precise, when he extended his hand for the final blow, it seemed like Count’s son might cough up blood if he hit him with full force.

So he held back, which allowed Edin Molsen to get up again and start talking.

Encrid blinked three times.

He was processing what had just happened.

‘Ah.’

A brief realization followed. Like sparks from a flint, ideas flickered in his mind and then vanished.

‘Pel.’

Why did he struggle so hard to win the first time he saw the Shepherd of the Wilderness?

‘Because he’s a genius.’

A genius younger than himself. When he first set foot on the continent, Pel gave off a similar feeling to the kid who had knocked Encrid down.

In other words, Pel was a genius.

That genius matched his skills to Encrid’s growth.

Though he couldn’t draw his sword in today’s repeated bouts, Pel was no pushover once he had a sword in hand.

His habits changed frequently, and he corrected his flaws on the spot.

Even though Encrid was trapped in ‘today’s’ repetition, his opponent also changed.

Thus, he couldn’t feel his own progress.

Because his opponent’s talent was so outstanding.

‘It’s thanks to Pel.’

Encrid was so focused on Pel’s sword that he didn’t see it clearly.

No, he knew his opponent was exceptional, but he didn’t realize he was adapting to match that exceptional talent.

After understanding everything, Encrid spoke.

“Alright.”

Encrid nodded at Edin Molsen’s proposal.

He also wanted to move his body again and feel it out. It was something he needed to recognize and understand properly.

“…You.”

The Rapier Swordsman seemed so surprised he couldn’t continue. He trembled with his mouth open and eyes wide. Encrid responded to Edin Molsen instead of answering.

“Don’t rely on the Goddess of luck!”

Edin said fiercely. He was implying that the previous match had been a matter of luck.

Once again, Edin swung his sword.

Whoosh.

Encrid dodged ‘in advance’. When fighting Pel, he had to predict movements by watching footwork, shoulders, hands, arms, and waist.

Otherwise, he would be wounded instantly, and the spar would end there.

What he gained from that.

He fully utilized the Gate of Sixth Sense. His senses flared, reading Edin’s sword attack.

It was the reward for countless sparring sessions and overcoming the river of death.

After dodging Edin’s sword, Encrid pressed down on Edin’s wrist, hooked his left foot around Edin’s heel, and pushed his chest with his palm.

Edin tried to resist and twist his body, but despite initiating the attack, he lost his position, balance, and timing.

Edin was lifted into the air.

Immediately after, he fell with a thud and gasped.

He looked like a fish out of water.

Thinking back, when they first met, whether he mistook him for a coachman or a guard, he had knocked him down with the same technique.

Valaf-Style Martial Arts, Center Collapse Technique.

“Are you alright?”

Encrid asked. Edin’s face turned red. It was their second spar. Both times, the result was similar.

Moreover, the second time was with a technique he had experienced before.

He couldn’t claim it was the work of the Goddess of luck.

Edin wasn’t that shameless.

He got up from the ground.

“I lost.”

Edin opened his mouth and turned his body. Then, he paused and looked back to ask.

“Did you really forget my name?”

Encrid stared at his face for a moment.

He should remember, he had a pretty good memory.

But he couldn’t recall.

What would happen if he really said he didn’t know here?

Before Edin Molsen’s face could contort.

“Brother, it was a provocation. What’s the point of asking?”

A clear voice called him back.

It was obvious from the look that they were siblings, with mixed blood.

At his brother’s words, Edin clicked his tongue and turned his head away.

He seemed both frustrated and somewhat relieved, in a peculiar way.

The brother stared at Encrid expressionlessly. It was hard to read any emotion from his eyes.

Encrid turned his head.

There were others remaining.

Swift Blade, the half-blood Giant, Count Molsen’s guards, and the Rapier Swordsman.

“Who’s first?”

At his question,

“Me.”

The answer came almost immediately. The half-blood Giant stepped forward. A warrior who banged her shield with her hand.

“Let’s fight.”

Until about four hundred days ago, Encrid had been obsessed with sparring with them.

He fought. He didn’t back down. Some things had changed in the meantime.

Not something Encrid intended, but things that changed naturally.

The half-blood Giant’s fighting spirit was ignited.

She knew well that her mood and state were different from usual.

‘I don’t know what he did.’

This man before her had a knack for making her want to fight. He also had a knack for making her think about handling swords and shields morning and night.

Most of all.

“I will break you.”

He had an exceptional talent for stirring up her competitiveness and desire to win.

Had she ever had an opponent she absolutely wanted to beat?

No, this was the first time.

That’s why. The corners of the half-blood Giant’s mouth twisted up. It was a smile. A laugh.

Seeing that, Encrid was inwardly dumbfounded.

‘She hardly ever showed any expression before.’

That he remembered clearly. Even if he had forgotten Edin Molsen’s name, he clearly remembered the half-blood Giant’s face, her specialty, and her skills.

As Encrid extended his sword forward, the half-blood Giant flicked Encrid’s sword with her own.

Ping.

It was a greeting.

Soon, the shield covered his view.

A gray wall, the half-blood Giant’s specialty, and a technique he had faced multiple times.

Back then, he had to step around and counterattack, but now there was no need for that.

With the shield in front, Encrid charged straight ahead.

He didn’t move sideways, nor did he step nimbly.

It was a straightforward rush.

Encrid got close to the shield, switched the sword to his left hand, laid the sword horizontally, and placed the blade’s surface on the top edge of the shield while positioning his right foot on the bottom edge of the shield.

Naturally, his body pressed sideways against the shield, and his right hand was placed around the middle bottom of the shield.

The incoming force was tremendous, but because of it, the half-blood Giant couldn’t see all of Encrid’s movements closely attached to the shield.

No matter how skilled you are, if you can’t see it, you can’t defend against it.

Encrid used a modified version of the Valaf-Style Martial Arts technique called ‘Lifting Over’ on the charging shield.

“Well done, brother!”

Audin shouted unconsciously.

Encrid ignored that shout and accomplished what he intended.

With the momentum reversed, he lifted from below to above.

If Encrid’s strength had been lacking, he would have been crushed instantly, but he had the Heart of Great Strength.

During the repeated days, his heart had grown stronger and more robust, making his blood pump fiercely.

His right foot and right hand pushed away, while his left hand and torso absorbed the impact and lifted over.

Encrid silently inhaled, filling his abdominal pressure to the brim, and then lifted her up.

It was a sight that shocked both the half-blood Giant being thrown and those watching.

The half-blood Giant had never experienced being lifted into the air by someone else’s strength.

In shock, she flew through the air.

It was a sight that seemed to defy some fundamental law.

The half-blood Giant instinctively aimed her shield downward as she fell.

Thud!

Using her shield to break her fall, she avoided major injury.

However, this delayed her next move.

As intended, Encrid’s sword was already at the Giantess’s throat. The blade stopped just short of her skin.

The half-blood Giant realized she had lost.

“…Did you throw me?”

She asked in surprise.

“Why? Is it your first time? There’s a first time for everything.”

Encrid replied nonchalantly.

His audacious tongue often moved ahead of his thoughts.

“I see.”

The half-blood Giant acknowledged her defeat. Of course, Encrid didn’t think she needed to leave just because she lost.

Moreover, a bit of luck had played a part this time.

His opponent hadn’t fully gauged his abilities.

Having changed so suddenly, she wasn’t prepared. She wasn’t an opponent to be easily defeated. Encrid knew this fact better than anyone.

Because of this, he could say what he did.

“Let’s try again tomorrow.”

At Encrid’s words, the half-blood Giant stared at him.

Her large brown eyes, which had never shown any emotion, now seemed to hold something.

“You’re a really interesting guy.”

The half-blood Giant said. Then she continued, “Sure, let’s try again” and stood up.

She seemed quite bold and cheerful.

“You really threw well.”

From behind, Rem expressed his admiration in his own way.

“Can you fight me as well?”

It seemed that the half-blood Giant wasn’t the only one Encrid had influenced.

There was a guard who had been quietly burning with passion.

Encrid rotated his arms.

“Just now.”

Hadn’t the Heart of Great Strength surged more powerfully?

Rem’s admiration wasn’t without reason. He must have noticed it.

The heart had pumped more dynamically.

This too was a result of the repeated days.

“Alright.”

Encrid nodded. He was starting to enjoy it.

It was a process of recognizing and utilizing his changes through sparring.

How could it not be fun?

Sparring with the guard was different from with the half-blood Giant.

The guard was cautious from the start, and his sword was focused on thorough defense.

Encrid started slowly, then gradually accelerated his sword swings.

The Rapier Swordsman watching understood that Encrid was gauging what he could do.

Naturally, a question arose.

‘What the hell is this guy?’

How could a person change so much in just a few days?

This guy hadn’t suddenly learned some extraordinary technique.

Rather, all his skills had simply become more…

‘Proficient.’

It looked as if he had risked his life countless times to test his skills. Because of such experiences, he had confidence in his techniques. It also showed a stubbornness that had tirelessly swung his sword to find the right path.

Not in a bad way. Those who have wandered countless times in the wrong path do not hesitate when they find the right one.

The traces of such experiences could be seen in the way he swung his sword and in his steps.

‘How?’

Encrid’s body now bore the weight of accumulated time. Although the method was not understood, it was clear.

The Rapier Swordsman’s eyes caught this.

It was truly incomprehensible.

Their sparring lasted quite a while, but ultimately, the guard was defeated.

He was at a disadvantage from the start, and focusing on defense led to this outcome.

No, he couldn’t win while hiding his true skills. The Count’s guard had been concealing his abilities.

Of course, that wasn’t Encrid’s concern.

Finally, the Rapier Swordsman stepped forward.

He faced Encrid, standing at the opposite end of the sparring ground, ready to overwhelm and subdue him with his presence.

“Just because your skills have improved doesn’t mean anything will change.”

Have you trained your abilities?

Does that change anything?

‘Will’ is the privilege of the naturally gifted.

If wanting, working hard, and having enough time were enough,

‘Anyone could do it.’

Then there wouldn’t be so few Knights in the world.

If effort alone were enough, the number of Knights would be double what it is now.

So he was confident.

His opponent could not overcome his Intimidation.

“Stand down.”

As he spoke, the Rapier Swordsman summoned his will.

Soon, an intangible blade arose.

Encrid responded by deflecting every visible intangible blade. That’s how he used to do it.

But now, it was different.

Ching.

Encrid sheathed his sword.

There was no need to swing his sword. He realized this the moment he faced the Intimidation.

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