Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 811

811. Mutual aid

The salon owner’s hands froze. His tongue, ready to flatter, stopped. The escort swallowed hard. The servant’s legs trembled.
The atmosphere shifted, and those around them distanced themselves from them.
Sejak? Southern? Who? Who spoke? The devilish knight? The civil war terminator? The demon slayer?
Words carry different weight depending on who speaks them, and Encred was currently one of the most influential figures in Naurilia.
The salon owner, his face clouded with resentment, asked again.

“……yes?”

Encred judged his opponent to be anything but a sly one. No matter how skilled his acting, he couldn’t hide every reaction that would pop up unknowingly. Especially when his opponent was an ordinary person who hadn’t properly trained.

“If you say something wrong, your head will break.”

Next to him, Rem terrified him.
“Noble Slayer,” “Noble Head Collector.” Two nicknames flashed through the man’s mind. He unconsciously gripped the handle of his sword stick.
Despite the many nobles he had cultivated friendships with, none of them offered a word.
He knew he was the only one he could trust in a crisis.
The owner remained silent, choosing his words carefully.
The owner of the Calderan Ruins Salon was a former merchant who had purchased the title of quasi-viscount, but he was a seasoned veteran who knew well not to use that title to sway a knight.

“I recommend not pulling it out because you might die if you pull it out.”

From beside him, Prok reassured him. So, while Luagarne intended to appease him, to the listener it sounded like a death threat.
Prok’s gruff voice was terrifying in itself, and his characteristically shiny skin reflected the light. Prok was a combat breed. So it was right to be afraid. In that sense, no one was as terrifying as Rem.
The salon owner’s mind was in turmoil.

‘Is this the end?’

Did I fall out of favor with the royal family? Is that why you’re acting like this? Even so, you sent a knight to tell me this? Doesn’t that make sense?
The owner, whose hands were trembling, then his chin trembled.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah, no.”
“That, that, that, it looks like that.”

Rem echoed his tone. Half out of teasing, the other half out of a resentment that stemmed from the knowledge that the man’s behavior wasn’t entirely right.
This man had come this far through illegal activities, according to the information the kingdom had provided. However, he was currently leading a military family, many of whom were from poor families.
It was said he intended to raise children with exceptional intelligence and talent and place them under his command, but it was a good thing.
Meanwhile, he reportedly kept an eye on the kingdom’s mood and donated to the religious order.
He even contributed a considerable amount of funds to the establishment of a national educational institution.
According to Kreis.

“If he’s paid this much krona, he should be left alone. Even if it’s illegal, it’s only selling eastern relics for a premium, and his past involvement with the wrong people is all that matters.”

The man didn’t know, but now he believed he’d come back from the dead, so he knew, even if it was just a coincidence.
The salon owner barely managed to survive.
One of the reasons he survived was because he had put all his effort into running the salon. Kreis appreciated that.

“Live well.”

Rem spoke, and the owner nodded. Silence fell upon the salon.

“They are scary people.”

A woman wearing a tight-fitting dress with baggy arms and thighs muttered.

“fizzle!”

The pot-bellied nobleman next to me quickly raised his index finger to his mouth. He desperately wanted to avoid the disaster of a group of messengers turning their backs on him due to unnecessary words.

“I think we ruined the mood.”

Encred’s gaze swept over the potbelly and the lady, then dropped and spoke, then stood up.

“I’ll watch.”

Rem picked up the bottle, added a few more words to the salon owner, and turned around. Encred, who had come out, asked Sinar.

“Are you still following me?”
“I can’t miss the chance to spend time with you late at night.”

Why are they talking so confidently? It wasn’t just the two of them, and Luagarne and Rem were with them, either.
Encred assumed that was the case and moved on. The night sky was clear. The temperature was just right, making the walk comfortable.
The chirping of night insects could be heard here and there.
Since they had decided to visit two more salons today, if they didn’t plan on staying up all night, they’d better pace a little more briskly.
Where was the salon after the Calderan Ruins? Was it called Heaven’s Square?
Some devout priests and the sect within Nauril repeatedly protested the name change, but they held out.

‘It is human nature to pursue pleasure.’

The salon called Heaven’s Square is said to have claimed to be a believer in God, along with these words. And that wasn’t a lie.
It was a salon founded by one of the sects that had spread throughout the South.
Their deity was the goddess of pleasure and enjoyment.
“Enjoyment” here had two meanings: one meant “enjoyment,” and the other was the name given to the actual perfume they sold.
The valuable oils they used instead of perfume were said to be worth the price of potions from any sect.
Being a salon founded by a sect from the South, it was hard not to be suspicious.
Encred paused, raising his hand in front of his face, fingers spread, thumb and index finger touching.
Then, he caught a thin needle aimed at his eye or somewhere on his face.
Naturally, all these movements were so swift that a normal person wouldn’t even notice. The assassination attempt followed. In other words, it was a series of futile acts.

“This is ridiculous, you guys.”

Even though he couldn’t use his sorcery like before, Rem was still Rem. He kicked the head of the man who was targeting his back
with his hind leg. He twisted his waist around his right foot and delivered a powerful kick. It looked like it, but it was enough to shatter a skull.
His opponent, no doubt a man of his caliber, momentarily thrust his forehead forward, trying to hold on. Of course, it was futile.

Bang.

With a single kick, the man aiming for Rem’s back snapped his neck and fell to the ground. It was a fatal blow. A broken neck can’t save someone.
Rem twirled the bottle in her hand and chuckled.

“What? You think I look easy just because I don’t have a weapon?”

The raid attempt was brief. No, to be precise, they were killed in a single blow as soon as they attacked.

“I can’t fight yet, fiancé.”

Although Shinar feigned weakness, no one was specifically targeting her.
They primarily targeted Encred, and he lost most of his body during the attack. He even took the time to be careful not to damage his clothes.
He was entering the salon, so he should have been dressed neatly.
What’s more, his task today was to attract everyone’s attention.
And that wasn’t an accident, just a mere presence.
There were six assassins, and Luagarne captured one. It wasn’t difficult. He charged with a dagger, so he blocked it with his palm and broke his nose with his forehead.

“Ugh.”

The groaning creature collapsed on the floor and swallowed the medicine hidden in his mouth. Soon, blood began to flow from the corner of his mouth.
Luagarne watched the entire process intently, her large eyes rolling around. Then, she sniffed the creature’s blood and spoke.

“It seems like you took some pretty expensive medicine.”

This means those behind the assassination plot have considerable power.
It also means they’re not some flimsy information guild or assassination guild.
The raid attempt was clumsy. They weren’t even close to targeting knights.
Searching their bodies yielded handkerchiefs, each bearing a pattern of several vertical lines and a single horizontal line.

“Is this some kind of trace of the half-king?”

This scheme was a good way to keep the two sides from repeating each other. It was a trick to create a fictitious group and make the king and nobles distrust each other. They knew it, but they were bound to fall for it.

‘The royal family grew in power.’

This power resulted in the strengthening of royal authority.
Consequently, the nobles realized that the royal family’s power could strike them at any moment.
Meanwhile, several noble families that had close ties to the royal family grew in prominence.

‘From the Duke of Okto, who is nearby.’

From the Marquis of Bysar to Marcus to Andrew,
the nobles could always reject the royal family. They felt threatened even when the royal family did nothing. The slightest trigger could cause the tower to crumble.
Everything from the foundation onward was so flimsy.
Kreis argued that all these problems could be prevented by having the nobles fight among themselves.

‘Then what about me?’

I’ll call everyone in and question them. I’ll tackle this head-on.

‘But is that the answer?’

Is this the most ideal answer? No. It’s what my intuition tells me. But does that mean I should just crush everything?

‘That sounds like the worst.’

Encred reflected for a moment. A moment ago, he had been thinking too much like Rem.

“Your eyes are unpleasant?”

Rem said as we met eyes while walking.

“no.”

Encred didn’t think much further. He knew he couldn’t do anything about it, so he did what he had to do. He went to the second salon and released Rem.

“alcohol!”

It’s a riot of a group that is in the spotlight.

“The smell of rotten potatoes is strong.”

Sinar found and burned the poison secretly spreading inside the salon.

“The fireworks are so pretty.”

The fairy, who once feared demons and fire, is now obsessed with playing with fire.

“What kind of chaos is this!”

The bishop and salon owner, a deaconess of the goddess of pleasure and enjoyment, emerged. His half-undone trouser strings seemed to testify to what he had been up to just moments before.
Of the three salons, it was the smallest, but perhaps the most exciting?

“That’s not a salon. It’s a red-light district. Get out of here.”

Christ had said so firmly.
Even if he only struck the one holding the shield, the shield might get slightly dented in the process.

“Stop the corruption of the salon. Sir.”

Before leaving, Rem slapped the back of his head at the last words Christ spoke in a serious tone.

“Oh, it hurts. Rem. Those hands are meant to split monsters. You shouldn’t hit people with them.”
“That bastard’s mouth is quite the trick. I’ll show you how to really do that.”

Christ runs away and looks for someone to save him.

“Captain, Commander, Lord.”

It’s a scene we often see.
Encred tries to dissuade him and grants Chrys’s wish.
This is how the expedition was formed to prevent the corruption of Shalon.

“What the heck!”
“If you have any complaints, come to the Border Guard. I did this all by myself.”

Encred emptied the salon and came out, burning the medicine he had hidden inside.

“I will definitely bring this matter to the royal family!”

The salon owner swore, seemingly under the influence of drugs. At those words, Rem, who had been turning away, approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The hand that gently lifted his body immediately stopped his struggles.

“really?”

Rem asked.
Had he woken up from the drug in the meantime? The excitement had cooled as quickly as it had risen. Or perhaps Rem’s coldness had instantly cooled his fever.

“Well, on second thought, I don’t think that’s right.”
“Right?”

Rem’s teeth reflected the moonlight.

“next.”

Encred stopped by the third salon. They continued to attract attention and move.
After the night’s commotion, Encred spent two more days there before meeting Kreis again.
Kreis was taking off her dress and removing her makeup. She
was also in the process of transforming from the innocent woman she’d met at the salon the first day into Kreis, a member of the Mad Knights.

“Was it fun?”

Rem asked with a giggle.

“It was a lot of fun. This is a bigger deal than I thought.”

The Southern guilds were spread out like a sprawling network, but in reality, they were a coalition of several guilds.
Some had been tricked into joining, but even they knew their actions were against the royal family’s interests.

“His Majesty will move immediately.”

And that was the end of the mad knights’ work.
They were knights, after all. A force so called calamity. There was nothing left to do. Even now, they were merely attempting to flaunt their friendship with the royal family, acting at Chrys’s request.
Encred’s gaze turned to Chrys. Wangnuni wasn’t one to take risks. So he asked.

“You dare to step forward yourself?”
“Oh, of course I asked Saxon to watch over you the whole time. I recently acquired a valuable item and gifted it to him.”

For some reason, I didn’t see Saxon the whole time.
Encrid ate well and rested well for three days. And just as he was about to leave, Krang sent several men to apprehend him. Marcus also tried to dissuade him.

“Father is working today or tomorrow.”

It was around the time when those within the Royal Guard, operating in secret, were destroying the Southern Sejak organization.
However, Sejak’s operation was considered a success.

“If the royal family’s power grows like this, what will become of us?”

Some of the nobles were openly expressing their anxiety. Meanwhile, the Marquis of Baisar had passed away.
The death of someone inevitably created a power vacuum. Rumors were rife that the Marquis had not yet appointed a legitimate successor.
Three days had passed since Encred had stormed the salon in the middle of the night.
A state funeral was held. Kin Baisar, dressed in a jet-black, unadorned dress, stood guard.
Marcus stepped forward as heir and head of
the family. The mood among some nobles was icy. The destruction of the Southern Sejong organization had cost several of their businesses, and they were likely wary of the royal family’s power.

“I don’t think that discontent will be easily put to rest.”

Christ said. The funeral was underway.
The Duke of Octo approached Encred.

“How have you been, sir?”

The Duke asked. Encred nodded at the tired-looking Duke.

“His Majesty has asked me to grant you a favor.”

It was the Duke’s message. Encred was about to ask what the request was, but Krang was faster.

“Now that we’re all here, I have something to say.”

He opened his mouth, capturing everyone’s attention. Everyone in the grand hall turned to him.
Encred remembered what Marcus had said. He’d said the Marquis had a huge smile on his face just before he died.
That smile wasn’t the look of someone worried about the future.
He’d also said he’d spoken privately with Krang just before his death.