Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 813

813. Guest and Courage

‘scary.’

The moment Dunbakel saw himself advancing into the unknown, he felt like he was going to pee. That was how fearful he was.

‘What if I go east and die?’

I remember my childhood. The moment I was ostracized from Suin society and forced to leave.
I was scared then, too. My stomach churns.

‘It’s different from back then.’

Back then, it wasn’t a choice, but now it’s my choice. That’s the biggest difference. Dunbakel didn’t forget that.
He went that way. He headed east. He left the comfortable home he’d felt for the first time in his life. He learned a lot there. Truly a lot.
Anu, the king of the east, was ambitious. He accepted anyone with ability, and he led his people according to a single rule.

“Don’t stab your colleagues in the back.”

He was a former mercenary, so he was undoubtedly a truly magnanimous man. He was also a charming individual.
Some of his followers would gladly risk their lives to protect him. That’s how it seemed to Dunbakel.

‘Those who pursue their dreams shine.’

Encrid and Anu are alike. They are the ones who, becoming a single star, surpass even the light of two moons and light up the night sky.
Perhaps the saying that people become stars after death originated because of people like them.

“Are you scared?”

That’s what I heard as soon as I got there. There were a lot of nice guys there.

“who?”

Dunbakel cast a
spell of ignorance, but no one was fooled. Among Anu’s followers were over ten so-called knights.
If they entered the continent at this rate, it would create a force on par with a tectonic shift.
But they had no such intentions. They risked their lives solely for exploration and adventure.
Shepherds in the wilderness tend their sheep and protect their land, while the Black Leather Guild risked everything for hunting.

“Hey, being scared isn’t a weakness.”

One of them approached. Judging by her level of combat prowess, she was hardly a knight.
Anu had assigned Dunbakel a woman from the Black Leather Guild. She was a warrior with curly red hair and a quick smile. In a simple face-to-face fight, many would have defeated her. However, no one enjoyed fighting her. So, Dunbakel, too, found her a strange type, a new one for him.

‘Neither a knight nor a squire.’

It may not be enough to just enlighten Will, but in actual combat, it is quite effective.

‘It’s conditional, though.’

That’s why it’s amazing.
It’s because the way they train their weapons and think are completely different.

‘Not everything is as clear as drawing a line.’

That’s the way the world is.
Outcast from the beastmen’s society for possessing the golden demon eye, Dunbakel even sharpened his blade of vengeance against them.
But was that really what he wanted?
Living life right meant deciding how to live. Dunbakel hadn’t yet decided on a way. He hadn’t clearly chosen a goal, a dream, or anything.
Before, he hadn’t had the opportunity to choose, and afterward, his thoughts hadn’t expanded to that extent.
So what about now? Now that he was in the East, it would be a good idea to organize these thoughts one by one.

“Fear is not something to be conquered, but rather something to be embraced.”

Dunbakel learned a lot from her. It was as if I had learned here what I should have learned in the place where I was born and raised.

“Is it usable now?”

Anu, the king of the East and mercenary king, repeatedly forced Dunbakel into perilous battlefields. He forced
him to fight large beasts and enter dens teeming with hundreds of serpentine beasts.
Through all this, he gained a few truths.

‘No one has ever tasted death, so why is it the greatest fear and dread?’

Anu’s voice was heard. It was something I had heard countless times.

“It’s your inherent instinct that makes you do that. Handling it properly is your first task. Arming yourself with force comes next, you stinking water creature.”

Anu’s words were all based on fact, even the nickname “stinky waterman.”
Dunbakel acknowledged it. Knowing yourself, observing with insight, is the only way to move forward.

‘scary.’

They say fear isn’t something to be overcome, but something to be dealt with.
She did just that. Instead of trying to overcome it, she acknowledged it, sorted out her thoughts, achieved what she wanted, and now she’s back here.

‘The scimitar broke as soon as I got there.’

Frankly, it wasn’t even a concern. In the East, artifacts were often crushed or broken.
After his duel with Rem, Dunbakel also faced Encred. The beastman returned with significantly improved skills and unique attack methods.
Encred couldn’t help but be intrigued.

“Let’s have a game together.”

It was only natural that Encred would rush in like this. The way he spoke, his tongue wetting his lips, betrayed his anticipation. He was desperate to fight right away.
Dunbakel nodded obediently. And then he said:

“Oh, I let my guard down.”

Encred reacted to those words. All fighting begins before you even lift your sword. That’s how he was taught.

“Did you also learn how to make your facial skin as thick as Rem’s?”

Dunbakel chuckled at the slight provocation.

“Isn’t that something you can learn?”

And this is the moment when we enter the sparring phase.

“You’re finished and gone.”

Rem spoke from behind, a smile dripping with life. It was directed at Dunbakel, and it was likely a reference to facial skin. It must have been quite a bit of pressure, but Dunbakel paid no attention.
Encred gazed at the beast with golden eyes, thinking.

‘Overcoming fear is courage.’

This is something I heard while I was moving around in a mercenary band.
Just because you lack skill doesn’t mean you don’t understand the principles. The leader of that mercenary band was someone who understood the principles.

“Courage isn’t about forgetting fear, it’s about moving forward despite the fear.”

What was the conclusion back then?
Oh, he said to train like a madman so I could fight normally even when scared.
Since I’d always done that, I didn’t really pay attention. However, I ended up putting his words into practice after awakening the heart of the beast.

‘It’s not easy.’

Knowing and doing are two different things.
Encrid, through his insight, grasped some of Dunbakel’s condition.

‘So that I can fight as usual even when I’m scared and afraid.’

She hadn’t forgotten her fear. Instead, she trained herself to fight with it.
Anu must have thrown Dunbakel into countless battles for this very reason. He had her experience fighting battles where failure meant death.
The impression of the mercenary king, Anu, was strong. He wasn’t someone easily forgotten, and his words were clearly etched in Encred’s mind.
It seemed she heard his voice.

“Stupid Suin, try to survive.”

He must have driven Dunbakel that way. And now, the result of his survival is this.
As Encred exerted her power, crushing the water spirit, her golden eyes bulged. A smile. Her courage was revealed in the form of a guest. Well, even if her actions weren’t, words could be.

“It’s light, Captain.”

Despite the pressure pressing down on her entire body, her words were tinged with arrogance.
Contrary to her words, her body responded honestly. Her hair stood on end, then immediately transformed into a humanoid form.
White fur rose in clumps across her body, transforming her appearance. Her eyes grew deeper, and fur covered every inch of her skin. Hairs poked out from between her gauntlets and greaves. Her dark brown armor swelled and expanded.

‘The body size also increases.’

It was a change unlike anything seen before. Dunbakel bared his fangs, as if he had become a ferocious beast.

Krrrr-

It’s a low, low-pitched cry, beyond the range of normal human hearing, that evokes the innate fear of humanity. Her cry is imbued with a sense of intimidation. While the method of implementation may differ, the conclusion achieved is similar.

‘A path reached by walking, running, and crawling, away from the usual path.’

Just because something isn’t common doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Dunbakel simply forged his own path.

“You were so quiet when you were with me, but this is really true.”

Rem’s angry voice could be heard from behind. “Why didn’t you use personification when you fought me?”
It was understandable that he would be dissatisfied.
With Rem’s voice as his last, Encred forgot his surroundings and drew his Dawn Forge.
His concentration burned like a flame, filling his entire being with will.
Instead of a weapon, Dunbakel clenched his fists. After this duel, he could gift me a scimitar. And Eitri’s forged one, at that.
And so the duel began. It didn’t last long. Encred identified Dunbakel’s singularity and responded.

‘Killing the embers.’

The foundation of this fighting technique lies in understanding the starting point of every attack. It’s enough to block a Balrog attack. Even though Dunbakel’s skills had improved, and even though she displayed absurd athleticism due to her transformation, she was not immune to the beastman’s attacks.
However, several times, Dunbakel’s fists and feet overstepped the boundaries created by Encred’s sword. That was inevitable.
Dunbakel’s fighting style was quite unique.
After enduring eighteen attacks and counterattacking with her nineteenth strike, she struck Dunbakel in the head with her sword. She spoke, sprawled out on the ground.

“Isn’t this foul play?”

Her chest rose and fell with her breathing.

“What is a foul?”

Rem, who was watching, chuckled, and Encred opened his mouth indifferently.

“again?”

Dunbakel’s fighting style was different than before. It had changed significantly. That’s why it was so stimulating.

“Hmm. Good.”

Dunbakel blew the clot of blood clinging to her nose as if blowing it, then stood up again. Her body, transformed into a water flower, had become as hard as a giant’s.

‘Iron armor achieved at the unconscious level.’

It was different from the Seonggwanggap, but the effect was similar.
In the water world, it was as if all the hair on his body had been infused with life, transforming him into steel.
Encred raised his sword again, and Dunbakel charged again.
After a fierce sparring session,

“Aren’t you having a banquet? I want to eat some well-cooked lamb.”

Dunbakel proposed a banquet to celebrate my return.

“Isn’t there some kind of precious alcohol in the East? If you have it, show me some.”

Rem quickly accepted the words and said, “You came empty-handed, that’s it.”

“Where’s that? It’s hard to even get proper food. You have to go to the central campsite to get some field food. Otherwise, you’ll just have to eat the meat of a beast. Why do you think I’m selling artifacts from the east?”

The last added remark meant that the Eastern Expedition was structured around selling artifacts to purchase necessities for daily life.
In other words, it was said that it was difficult to sustain one’s livelihood in the East through hunting and gathering alone.
Though I hadn’t been there, that description alone gave me an idea of ​​how harsh it was.
Rem didn’t react angrily, merely blinking a couple of times. It was the kind of expression you’d expect only when someone is genuinely surprised.

“you.”

As Rem opened his mouth to address Dunbakel, Christ, who had arrived right beside him, nodded with admiration. However, Saxon had actually made the final decision.

“Are you even thinking now?”

It goes all the way to Audin.

“The grace of the Lord has been with you, sister.”

Only then did Dunbakel realize he was being teased. He looked around, then fixed his gaze on Encred.
Encred, unwilling to be outdone, added a word.

“Is cultivating wisdom also a form of training?”
“This is fucking crazy. I used to be this smart.”

Instead of overcoming fear, he learned to manage it, and so he was able to think without panic.
Even if he’d known about this structure, everyone would have been genuinely teasing him.
In any case, the banquet was held.

“Would you like some well-cooked lamb? We’ll also serve veal tenderloin and a whole chicken deep-fried in oil, a dish developed by our chef!”

Christ shouted. It was an untimely banquet. The moon was bright, and the sky was ablaze with stars.
Shinar was nowhere to be seen, but Esther had already approached and sat down next to Encred.

“If my legs hurt, should I hug them too?”

And he even makes an inappropriate joke.

“I guess you came after seeing Sinar.”
“Just passing by.”

Esther’s movements are elusive. She’s been in and out of the Fairy City and wandering the Fen-Hanil Mountains.
Lately, she’s been spending most of her time training the magical troops under her command.

“Kill what? Balrog?”

Dunbakel was so shocked that he threw out the food in his mouth after hearing about what the Mad Knights had done recently, or what had happened before.

“Huh.”

A piece of lamb flowed down her mouth, only to be sucked back in by the suction. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

“Are you going to wash up now?”

Rem asked, clicking his tongue.

“Is that what you said as soon as you got here?”

It wasn’t something I said immediately after arriving, but it might have sounded that way to Dunbakel. That’s just the way nagging is.

“Tell me how you’ve been.”

This was the question Christ had been asking.
Dunbakel had been planning on telling a fascinating tale of the monsters he’d encountered in the East. I mean, giants, like giants.
But after hearing the story of the wall-slicing and the Balrog-slaying, he felt his own story lost its appeal.
He wasn’t particularly good at telling stories, and he knew it.

“Well, we fought.”

Encred was secretly looking forward to it because he liked stories, but he said something because the words that came out seemed too short.

“Who taught you how to talk?”
“Oh, well, we just kept fighting and fighting. There are so many more monsters in the East than here.”

Still, that was all Dunbakel had to say. He then added a bit about those who had stayed in the East.

“There’s someone who came from a shepherd background?”

Pel intervened. What interested him was the presence of a shepherd who was said to be on the Eastern Expedition.

“We don’t see each other often. I mostly hang out with people from the Black Leather Guild.”

The Wilderness Shepherds, the Black Leather Guild, and the Glacier Rangers. These three groups are, in a way, legendary.
They’ve stayed in the same area under the same name for at least a hundred years.
Luagarne, too, was a curious and inquisitive Frock.

“Is the Eastern Expeditionary Force just continuing on its journey?”
“Well, they did fight amongst themselves along the way, and there was a lot going on.”

Lawford also intervened and asked.

“You said there were a lot of strange monsters?”

Dunbakel answered calmly.

“There’s something that looks like a giant. It’s so big, even the smallest blades won’t fit. There’s a guy called the Armed Fighter, armed with artifacts from the East, and he caught it. How did he catch it?…”

The chatter was so lively that the night felt short. Dunbakel, who had thought he’d come back to the wrong place, quickly joined them.

“The Mad Knights? So, does that mean I, the only one in the squad, am the vice-captain?”

In the middle of the conversation, I almost got beaten to death after spitting out nonsense after drinking a few glasses of alcohol.

“Just kidding. Just kidding. Take your hands off the axe. No, when did you come and get the sword? And what’s that sword? It looks more precious than some relic.”

Ragnar put the half-pulled sunrise back in.
Dunbakel, too, seemed excited, becoming more talkative than before, before he left. In any case, Suin returned, and everyone welcomed her.
It was a night when starlight patted her shoulder and enveloped her back.