Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 804

804. Port of call

Whoosh.

A soldier who recognized Krang saluted. He lowered his sword, gripped it with his left hand, and bowed his head.

“majesty.”

Some of the soldiers who recognized him saluted him and bowed their heads in respect to the master of the palace. Only a few of them simply stared blankly at him.

“Do what you were doing.”

Krang spoke in a concise tone, seemingly unconcerned with the royal prestige.
Some nobles had urged him to change his words and actions, but Krang dismissed them, insisting he would use his sincerity as a weapon to draw closer to the army and the people.
Even Krang, when necessary, displayed his authority and spoke in the name of the royal family.

‘I’ve seen many things that exude an even greater aura than that.’

Encred had seen it firsthand.
It was the same when they first met, after the civil war, later in the city of Oara, and again after he became a knight.
Krang knew how to instantly command attention when necessary. What could be called that ability? It was innate. It was only
natural that one who sat on the throne should be careful with their words and actions and possess dignity in their demeanor, but that didn’t apply to Krang.
Common sense doesn’t apply to someone who strays from the norm.
He was someone who demonstrated the leadership of a ruler with his charm, dignity, and aura.
Even now, this was a moment where I could glimpse a glimpse of that side of him.

“This is the royal training ground, a place for those who strive to protect the royal family. Therefore, completing what you were doing will prove your loyalty. Is that right?”

He added his final words, smiling faintly.
The soldiers bowed their heads, their eyes sparkling. They were clearly the eyes of someone who had fallen in love with someone.
They were soldiers brimming with loyalty and devotion. If necessary, they would risk their lives to carry out the king’s orders.
Matthew and the trident-wielding female warrior nodded behind the king. They were old acquaintances.
They were also the ones who had bravely fought to save Krang, trapped together in a room during the civil war.
Even though today’s repetition made it difficult for Encred to remember anyone, it made no sense to forget them.
Though he was no longer present, he hadn’t forgotten the name of Learvan, whom he had briefly glimpsed before dinner. He
was the hero of the nation during the civil war, the same Learvan who had once called Encred his shining hero.
He had now become a force of considerable power within the Royal Guard. Encred had even promised to test his skills later.

“These damn bastards.”

Marcus was also behind the king. Asia usually accompanied the king or Marcus as bodyguards, but she seemed to be temporarily absent.
But that was fine. It wasn’t a place that required a large escort.
This was the royal training grounds. Those gathered here, to Encred and his party, were merely soldiers, but in reality, their ranks were at least Royal Guard. They were a core force among the security forces stationed outside the castle or the royal garrison.
To put it simply, they were at least platoon leader or higher.
Marcus scanned the training grounds with his eyes.

‘From day to night.’

They were often said to be obsessed with training, but they were hardly compared to the truly insane.
They didn’t rest, but they weren’t forcing themselves either. Anyone could tell they were doing it with excitement and determination.
The palace soldiers were swept up in the atmosphere.
Word spread, and every soldier with access to the royal training grounds swarmed in.

“I lost.”

There was a friend like that. He was slightly smaller than Audin and looked like he was a couple of years older than Encred, but he was actually a man not even thirty. He was one of the private soldiers under the Marquis of Octo, who was confident in his own skills
. To be precise, he was one of the talented warriors the Marquis had sponsored.
He had come to see me, only to be struck in the jaw by Fel’s palm and then lose consciousness, only to wake up.
Encred, upon seeing this, had pointed out his shortcomings.

“Get more practical experience. Meet a variety of opponents and engage in everything from mudslinging to duels for honor.”

Talent is outstanding. However, it’s only talent. It will take time to break, to awaken, to roll, to ponder, and to agonize. Of course, if you can’t endure that time, it will end there.
That’s the limit of those who possess only talent.

“Shall we go inside and talk? But I can’t drink this while I’m drenched in sweat. Go wash up and come back, Enki.”

Krang spoke and headed to a small reception room set up next to the training grounds.
Several soldiers blinked at his words. They knew their relationship was special, but it seemed unexpected that the king would come for a drink and wait for his partner to wash and prepare.

“I guess so.”

The knight named Encred calmly accepted it and moved on. The training, which lasted until the night illuminated by two moons, was over.

* * *

Krang really waited for the group to wash up and come back.

“Sorry, there isn’t much.”

And the founding wine he’d brought was only enough for five glasses. Even the most skilled of them couldn’t bring sealed founding wine, so he’d brought what he’d been drinking before.
Encred put the wine the king had personally poured into his mouth and swallowed it. The amber liquid, reflecting moonlight, filled his mouth.
At first, it had the scent of burnt wood, and though the aroma lingered quite strongly, it wasn’t unpleasant.
It was rich yet subtle. Subtle yet rich.
It was a wine full of contradictions. As he gulped down the liquid, a tingling sensation accompanied the sensation of fire caressing his esophagus.
It was hot, but didn’t feel like it would burn him. After swallowing, a completely different flavor lingered in his mouth than when he’d first drank it. It felt like fresh fruit had been crushed whole and then inhaled.
Even here, that concentrated flavor wasn’t unpleasant. It was rich yet smooth.

“It doesn’t taste normal.”

Encred was amazed.

“It is called the founding of the nation.”

Krang showed a soft smile as if he was satisfied.

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

Rem’s mouth watered at the mention of a small amount. He took a sip, his eyes gleaming with a piercing gleam. To a stranger, it might have seemed like he was desperate to kill someone, but to someone who knew, it was clear he was intoxicated by the taste of alcohol.

“Roford, you seem to be doing well. Your face has brightened.”

When Krang casually greeted him, Lawford nodded. It was strange that he knew my name, but considering his current affiliation, it wasn’t anything special.
However, it was strange that he called me by my name so readily and showed such friendliness.
Even though he’d never even met the king privately, his friendly demeanor felt incredibly natural.

“I heard your wife and child are doing well in the West, Rem.”
“Well, you seem to have better hearing than I do.”

Rem nodded, smacking his lips repeatedly.

“I thought you were asking if I would return, saying that there was no paladin like you in the Legion?”
“I said that where my heart is, there is the Lord, and where my will is, there is the temple.”

Krang also spoke to Audin. Later, at the drinking table, he laughed off Ragnar’s mutterings while holding his sword.
He pretended to only know Saxon by sight. He asked Fel how shepherding life was, and Fel replied that he was no longer a shepherd but a member of the Knights Templar.
Rem interjected, asking when he’d started, but everyone else agreed.

“What about Miss Shinar Kirhais?”

Sinar had been sleeping for two days, needing rest due to health and stamina issues.
He said he needed to enter the Fountain of Life in the Fairy City, so I told him to go first, but he refused.

“Just because you said you were resting.”
“What a shame. Just looking at that face would be a joy.”

He says things like that even though he doesn’t actually love her and doesn’t intend to.
It’s like a Krang-style joke.

“If my wife hears this, she’ll come into bed with a knife in her hand.”

Encred responded with the same joke. Half of it was trivial.
He hadn’t mentioned anything about the unsettling atmosphere in the capital, but Marcus interjected.

“I didn’t say anything because you said you wanted to hear it yourself.”

When Encred asked with his eyes what was going on.

“that.”

Marcus spoke again, emphasizing the point. Encred noticed and spoke.

“Oh, I saved that villager.”
“Not that.”

Only after Marcus intervened again did Encred bring up the past. It began with the story of the destruction of the Thornwood Fortress.

“It was disgusting to watch.”
“You must have seen it before?”
“I only heard about it, but it wasn’t hard to guess what they were doing.”

Then, when the story of Balrog’s Labyrinth was brought up, Marcus’s eyes lit up with a strange heat.
How surprising would that be?

“……What did you catch, sir?”

First, Matthew asked with his eyes wide open, and the trident-wielding escort slapped him in the face once.

match.

“Should I hit you?”

The sound was so brisk that Rem was almost speechless. Marcus’s expectations were directed at Krang.
His king was looking down at the reception table.
“What? Are you so surprised you’re speechless?”
Then, Krang’s eyes sparkled like never before. His eyes were so bright that they dimmed the dull skin and dark circles under his eyes, caused by days of lack of sleep and proper eating.
No matter how you looked at it, it looked more like excitement than surprise.

“You’re killing me.”

And then it happened. There was a time when Krang wandered the back alleys, living a life of wandering. A habit from back then just popped out.

“Oh, really?”

Encred also admitted it. It wasn’t because he didn’t know what Marcus was pressuring him to say earlier.
He’d roughly predicted Krang’s reaction, so he was teasing him.
Krang wouldn’t be surprised by this. They’re different in terms of their scale, their distribution, and their perspectives on the world.

“You’re not satisfied with just Balrog, are you?”

That’s why Krang asks. It was a night where only two moons illuminated the world. The night sky wasn’t simply pitch black, as there wasn’t a single cloud. It was also filled with stars, shining brightly, overpowering the moonlight.
Encred answered, each star watching.

“Because there won’t be just one devil.”

It is an expression of the will to kill anyone who appears.

“yes.”

Krang nodded, still smiling.
I will become a knight. I will erase the demonic realm. I will protect those who stand behind me.
This is the path I am taking to achieve a dream that sounds absurd. Balrog was merely a stopover along the way.
Krang knew this.

“Why aren’t you surprised?”

Marcus’s expectations were shattered.

“I was surprised.”

Krang poured the remaining two glasses. Encrid downed them in one gulp.

“Just a sip for me too.”

Rem tried to reach out, but with his injured body, it was too much.
Saxon shook his head and clicked his tongue at the sight. Rem snapped at the sound of a tsk tsk, and the two argued, Audin intervened.
Krang saw this and laughed, saying they were still the same. He laughed out loud, and Encred calmly told Krang that they weren’t the type to change easily.
Meanwhile, Encred noticed a pattern on Krang’s arm that he had never seen before. It was a tattoo. It was a difficult design to guess from the shape or writing.

“What is that?”
“I admit it.”

A short answer came back.
This was something only someone with a fairly keen eye would have noticed.
Encred, whose senses had been activated to the point of cutting a spell, was able to sense it.

‘Something.’

I saw something like an illusion swirling around my friend. Just looking at it made my eyes burn, a constant sensation of heat.

“That’s good. Don’t worry about it.”

“Krang spoke, slapping his arm,” Encred nodded. The two didn’t discuss the undercurrent or anything else. It wasn’t until it was time to get up that Krang spoke.

“Do me a favor later.”
“Anytime.”
“Okay, see you soon.”

There was no purpose. Today was a celebration of a friend’s accomplishments over a drink. Why would he bring the founding wine?
Krang hadn’t changed at all. He was a man of unpredictable demeanor, skill, and potential.
If we were to judge by pure force, he might not be able to stop a single arrow, but his abilities would shine elsewhere.

“If you give me that bottle of alcohol, I’ll grant you ten of those favors.”

Rem interjected from the side. Krang chuckled at those words.

“I like expensive cars.”

Marcus added something from beside him. He was clearly about to get up, but the banter continued for a while. Just talking and chatting like this was a pleasant experience.
The next day, Encred received a summons from the Marquis of Baisar. They had just finished training and had lunch.
It was an afternoon with light rain falling.
In the training grounds, despite the rain, they could see people rolling around, intent on their training. Encred left the castle and headed toward the Marquis’s mansion.

“You’re here.”

The one who greeted him was Kin Baisar. Her complexion was unusually dull, and she didn’t look in the best of health.
She was a woman in the Border Guard, always smiling and absorbed in her work.

“The Marquis?”
“He is waiting.”

Behind Kin, an old, white-haired butler bowed his head and spoke.
Encred headed inside. He encountered a door engraved with an antique pattern and a dying old man on a bed.
The Marquis of Bysar had gray debris clogging his eyes, impairing his vision and leaving him with only a few teeth.
His speech was slurred, but he was still able to understand him without difficulty.

“Is it Sir Encred?”

The old man asked.
Encred answered and approached the bedside.

“you’re right.”