Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 555

555

In a land where polytheism, the belief in and worship of multiple gods, was tolerated, being a heretic meant being abandoned by all gods.

In short, it was like a society centered on religion where people didn’t even treat them like little children.

Therefore, if you were branded a heretic, you had no place to live.

Moreover, since life is centered around living in a city, where would you go if you were labeled a heretic?

You either had to become a bandit or run away to another land, like an oasis town in the west or a frontier in the east.

Of course, the journey will not be easy, so it will be something that requires risking one’s life.

One scholar who faced this situation said that the witch hunts and the persecution of heretics that spread like wildfire at one time were the causes of the creation of the thieves, but since he too was branded a heretic and burned to death, it was right to turn a blind eye to the truth even though he knew it.

Being a heretic originally meant believing in concepts and worshipping idols that were contrary to the faith that formed the backbone of the continent.

That is, since the heretics were those who were rejected by all gods and were religiously defined enemies, they were heretics in the true sense of the word.

In fact, other than them, heresy is something that can be hung on the nose and becomes an earring if hung on the ear.

This was a fact known to everyone living on this earth, unless they were either fanatics or extremely naive.

Originally, heresy should not be common outside of social activities, but how can things in the world be completely correct and honest?

It wasn’t for nothing that people talked about witch hunts.

How many people on the continent have the courage to kill those who are truly called witches?

Wizards were several times more dangerous in their own land, so to kill a witch like that in their haven, even if someone had the courage to do so, they would die, so there would be no one left with that kind of courage.

And why do they kill witches who just sit still?

I’m going to spend my life studying magic in my haven.

Of course, there were witches who weren’t like that.

Even though there were witches among the cult who still lived by taking children’s hearts, the sect did not punish them.

Whatever the reason, it all works out.

If you look at the reality of the witch hunt that the religious community talks about, it is nauseating.

Of course, things like this don’t happen easily now.

But it wasn’t like it didn’t happen at all.

The world is absurd, and that absurdity has always been harsher on the weak.

All of these absurdities are what made Audin a heretic.

‘Has my father forsaken me?’

Audin had doubts countless times and was even ready to abandon his faith.

Yet God never once took away from Audin the proof of his love.

The blessing of the god of war, divinity, was still firmly established within Audin.

It was the same when he was expelled from the church and until now. In fact, if he was truly a heretic and had been abandoned by God, it would have been right for him to lose his divinity immediately.

But that wasn’t the case. The divinity remained.

That’s why, even though it was a religious sect, there was no way to eliminate the divinity that existed, so they had no choice but to end it with a ban.

This is just what was implied in the words, “Audin’s heresy.”

“You are a heretic.”

The church judged Audyn like that.

why?

It is because of the truth that I vaguely knew before but turned away from, and now I clearly recognize it but do not want to see it.

The stigma of heresy was sometimes determined for the benefit of the religious sect or for political standing, separate from the teachings of God.

He himself was one of those symbols.

A person who was born with talent but did not fulfill his duties as an inquisitor and ended up on the opposite side of the church.

Speaking to Encrid, Audin lowered his gaze and looked at the hand holding the reins. He had a vision of blood dripping from that hand onto the floor.

It is the hand that has committed wrongs and errors since the past, and has done wrong things by arresting, imprisoning, and beating innocent people.

‘Please do not forgive my sins.’

Audín recited inwardly the first verse of his daily dawn prayer, a prayer that had not changed since he had abandoned his position as an inquisitor.

At Audin’s words, Encred raised his head, which had been bowed at an angle.

Encred rode his horse the whole way, absorbed in his thoughts. So he didn’t say much. Encred’s gaze, which seemed to be looking into the distant sky, caught a light, and he looked around, taking in that light. That’s how the two of them, Encred and Audin’s eyes met. Rem also looked at Audin from the side.

He had eyes that made you wonder what that bear cub was talking about.

Encred held the reins with his back straight, but his trapezius muscles were relaxed and he appeared to be in a relaxed posture.

Being able to stand in that position on a horse means you have considerable riding skills.

The horse was running at a light trot, the autumn breeze was moderately cool, and the sun was a little warm.

It was a place where the ground was filled with yellow grass that could be trampled by hooves.

What was the name of this land?

Encred said, pushing aside such random thoughts.

“Is that what you want? Then I’ll give it to you.”

At first glance, it seemed like a very thoughtless remark.

Someone said something like the secret of life and this is the reaction.

“Swearing? I’ll do that for you. Now, Bear, what kind of swearing should I do?”

Rem chimed in from the side, saying, “That’s right.” Should I say that it was fortunate that the word “youngest” didn’t come up?

Audin was speechless for a moment.

As he spoke, he anticipated Encrid’s reaction.

Because there has been time spent so far.

Okay, that’s fine. So what?

I knew that kind of talk would come out. It’s a reaction of knowing the rumor but not caring.

But what came back was a little different.

Cursing? Cursing at me? Why do you say that?

“Wasn’t that because you wanted to get cursed at?”

As Encrid opened his mouth again, Audin realized a small truth.

It was a lightning-quick realization from a brief conversation.

‘Did you want to get cursed at?’

As a captain, you would have guessed why the rumor spread and why you stayed with the Border Guard.

But why did he confess that he was a heretic?

Did someone want to blame me for my sins and punish me?

God had not punished him, so he had not yet been punished. Audin, who had a noble and perfect faith, truly thought so.

He said he hasn’t received any punishment yet.

“Self-harm is not a good hobby.”

Encred continued speaking seemingly indifferently.

“What do you mean, self-harm? Let’s just curse at him. You want to be cursed at, right? You little bear who’s about to get your eyes pricked while eating honey hidden in a tree.”

Rem had been trying out a novel swear word recently, but this attempt was dismal.

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, it seems that way to me too.”

Audyn did not react, as he could not hear the barbarian’s nonsense.

The captain was right. What he was doing was self-harm.

The temple said, “Do not misuse the body given to you by the Father.”

Is it true that the teachings only refer to the flesh?

The mind? The soul? The heart?

Although Audin never neglected to train his body, he could not neglect his mind.

I always whipped myself. Was it a deliberate act of self-denial? An act of spiritual growth?

No it wasn’t.

Audin tore, crushed, and beat his heart and soul countless times over, reliving his past sins, without any reason whatsoever.

If you ask me why, I would say I had to.

Although I cannot be forgiven for my past sins, I must confess and tell the Lord my Father about my wrongdoings.

It was like a silent cry for punishment. Yes, that’s what happened.

“iced coffee.”

Audyn opened his mouth and let out a gasp. His deep voice carried through the air and into the surrounding area.

Our Father has given us another teaching.

Self-harm is contrary to the teachings of the temple, and is therefore a wrong path.

Therefore, you shouldn’t do that.

‘There will never be a time in my life when I can liberate the divine.’

At least for himself, he would not do that. Even when death came, Audyn would do that.

It could not be said to have the meaning of atonement, because Audyn did not dare to ask for forgiveness.

Divinity stirred within the body sealed in gold.

He tried to radiate light with enlightenment, but Audin calmed his mind and held it back.

If the ban were lifted, the divinity that had been accumulated through enlightenment until now would explode, but that did not happen.

Audin vowed once again.

‘It is not a power that can be used for me.’

An eagle flew overhead with the sound of horse hooves.

Beep beep.

Encred thought it sounded like the Whistle Dagger, and Rem said, hearing the same sound.

“If that’s a confession, then I’m a Westerner.”

“Yes, I am a continental person.”

Encred took the words.

Audyn smiled as usual. He knew that he had been accused of being a heretic and was expelled, and that he was not a real heretic, so it was a crude consideration intended to tell him not to complain anymore.

If that comes out of the mouth of that savage brother, doesn’t that tell me that he’s spent a lot of time with them?

Gyaaaah!

Following the cries of eagles, the cries of demons were also heard.

The resonances were different. One was clear and awe-inspiring, while the other was unstable and close to an unpleasant dissonance.

In the distance I could see a few harpies fluttering their wings. They weren’t far away, but they weren’t close either.

It was difficult for demons to run wild near the capital or the border guards, but in areas where it was still difficult to establish a safe route, demons and monsters were seen more frequently than before.

When demons or beasts are driven out and gathered in one place, a colony is created there. Those gathered together gather together and form a group.

There were only a few harpies, but they could be a nuisance if left alone. Moreover, they could be dealt with with just a little effort, so there was no reason to ignore them.

“I will go.”

Rem said and Encred nodded.

If it were a normal traveler or a merchant, it would have been quite a threat, but not to Rem.

As the Western savage kicked his horse’s belly and rode out, the sound of his hooves hitting the ground and the dust rose.

The weather was dry as it hadn’t rained for several days, so dust clouded my vision.

Audin, who had been staring at the dust particles for a while, opened his mouth.

“I was an inquisitor.”

If the subject of the rumor said that he was the one who committed self-harm, then this was a true confession.

“okay.”

And Encred’s reaction was the same as before. Audin told Encred about his past. It wasn’t a long story.

Audin summarized my life in a few simple and clear lines.

An orphan, a priest who regarded him as a father, questions raised while judging heretics, and a life of turning one’s back on the religious order.

It was a plain story, excluding the reason for coming to the Border Guard or other enlightenment gained along the way.

Encrid thought that Audyn had no talent as a storyteller.

“uh.”

I didn’t sympathize or anything like that. I just thought it was like that.

Actually, Encrid has nothing to say.

What should I do by dwelling on the past, or should I tell him to live right from now on? Or should I tell him not to make the same mistake again? Who on earth said that?

As an inquisitor, Audin led some to the cult’s prison.

As he revealed the fact, he thought to himself.

Were they really sinners?

I don’t think so now.

Then why were they captured?

As we talked, I felt like my mind was starting to sort itself out.

It was a strange thing. Instead of sympathizing, Encred listened properly. He listened properly, without any sloppiness, with an attentive attitude.

As I look at it and talk about it, I feel a little better.

“I don’t think it’s your fault that the church is rotten.”

Encrid spoke only of facts, neither sympathy nor consolation, but Audin could not answer that he thought the same thing.

Whether or not the church has problems, it doesn’t mean that one’s sins will go away.

This was similar to how Encred approached life.

Everyone says it’s impossible, but I decided to become a knight, so I’m just going to live that way.

Audin also said that he would follow my heart.

Everyone has a different perspective and different values ​​in life.

Encred had no intention of changing or blaming his opponent’s thoughts.

If I force my way onto someone else, is it really the right way for them?

It was something I didn’t know. So it wasn’t something to be forced.

Don’t we all live by our own will?

Of course, Audin was not a person with thin ears who would be swayed by a few words from others.

If he was that kind of person, he wouldn’t have been able to have this level of skill in the first place.

Principle, will, determination.

If there had been no such thing, it would have been difficult to overcome the wall or move forward.

Encrid once again spoke with Audin and resolved a part of his swordsmanship that had been bothering him for some time.

‘The podium.’

Let’s be strong and steadfast.

Aren’t you feeling a little anxious because you caught a glimpse of talent?

Didn’t you get intoxicated by your own skills after seeing the boatman do it?

Recently, there were many blockages in the sword technique that added anti-elasticity called the Wavebreaker Sword, and Encred instinctively tried to find a way around it since he had learned various sword techniques.

I think I was determined to figure it out before I got to the Border Guard, but that wasn’t it.

I realized that going in a hurry isn’t necessarily the right way.

‘There is nothing wrong with the method.’

It just wasn’t the right way to do things, at least for me at the moment.

Because for some people, a roundabout way might be appropriate.

Each life is their own way.

The wave-breaking swordsmanship could also be done in the wave-breaking swordsmanship’s own way.

Reflections on technology have always been something I do.

We returned in the autumn sunshine, but this time there was not a single drop of rain, so there was no need to seek out a cave to rest.

He stopped by Zaltenbuk on the way and had a light fight with a mercenary who wanted to test his skills at a bar. Someone recognized Encred, so the market and nobles there would come by day and night.

“You won’t cut off my neck, will you?”

Among them, there were some who were frightened and spoke of Rem.

Remdo tried hard at the banquet, but the rumors still remained.

A madman who, after losing both his parents to nobles when he was young, splits the heads of any nobles with an axe.

“fu*k, why did my parents die for the nobles? I’m a westerner and there’s no such thing as nobles in the West.”

Although Rem felt wronged, he did not beat up the nobleman in front of him because he felt wronged.

There were no thieves, but I couldn’t just pass by when I saw a group of demons or evil spirits, so I would stop by and stretch whenever I saw something like that.

“I will send it to the Lord!”

Encrid also learned some martial arts from watching Audin fight several times.

It wasn’t a bad study. You have a great teacher and practical experience at your side.

Rem nagged me in between, but that was just routine.

“Now that you’re a journalist, shouldn’t you understand everything I say once? It’s frustrating.”

If we look at it as a duel, it was difficult to easily discuss the winner, but Rem had to say what she had to say.

That wasn’t a wrong statement.

After going through various things, he returned to the Border Guard, and Encred continued his daily life as usual.

These were days of training and sparring.

As Krang said, it was time to eat well, live well, and save up strength.

And Encred officially announced the launch of the Knights Templar in the Border Guard.

“The Mad Knights, what’s the name?”

Christ shook his head, but it had already become an official name.

This event spread across the continent faster and further than they thought.

The creation of a new knightly order? It was something I couldn’t even remember when I’d heard of.

Rumors also spread about the core force that formed the Border Guard with him.

It was a rumor that was made possible through the efforts of Rem and Audin.