Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 824

824. Salamander

Is it similar to an evil spirit?
An evil spirit is a general term for things that are impervious to iron and that, rather than physically attacking, seek to rip apart a person’s inner self or possess their body.

‘Just be careful not to breathe fire.’

Most of the unit members had similar thoughts. They spent their days fighting monsters in the mountains.
This was their daily routine. While their accumulated experience wasn’t enough to become a textbook, they had developed an intuitive eye for it.
Their attack patterns were usually similar.

“Hey, grit your teeth. If you stumble even once, you’ll be sent to Captain Rem’s mental training three times.”

One of the unit members muttered. That single word sent everyone into a frenzy.
His jaw muscles tightened, revealing teeth marks, and thick veins bulged across the backs of his hands.
Rem’s mental training involved being beaten to the brink of fainting.
Is it true that someone who knows how to fight under extreme circumstances is a real fighter? He was
talking about being on the verge of fainting, but anyone who’d experienced it even once would be astonished.
A bastard with overwhelmingly superior skills, with unparalleled discernment, wouldn’t let him faint at will. He
vividly remembered the words he’d used to say, as he slashed his neck with an axe whenever he was about to collapse.

“Just kill me? If I fall there, I’ll die.”

They knew better than anyone that Captain Rem’s son would do anything—that he’d kill anyone. If you ask how they knew, they’d say it.
They couldn’t believe it when they sliced ​​his neck open with an axe blade and raised him up. If they stayed still, his neck would be severed and he’d die.

“I’ll get you up, how kind of you to treat me? Huh?”

This is it.
How could they not be motivated?
Not a single member of this unit had not undergone mental armament training. That was the minimum requirement to become Rem’s personal guard.
As they gritted their teeth and rallied, a fiery creature struck a tree with its foreleg.

bang!

The tree split open, splinters flying. The tree shook, too big for a grown man to hold, with shards of wood sticking to the ground with a thud.

“……This is a bit fatal.”

The commander said. A body that can pass through iron should be consistent. A single kick can tilt a thick log to the side?
With a little more precision, the tree would have snapped. In terms of sheer strength, it was a monster no less powerful than a giant.
But would they simply take it?
Rem was a harsh leader, but if they held out, they would gain something worthwhile. Something
beyond combat prowess, a tangible reward. For example, magical weapons.
Dwarves were magicians who manipulated metal, and they could forge the prototypes of magical weapons.
One of those skilled dwarves was serving in the Border Guard.
Furthermore, there was a witch within this unit, and a magical unit raised by that witch.
They were skilled at carving spells into the dwarf-forged iron.
That’s why all twenty of them possessed so-called spell weapons, magical weapons.
Technically, they required the presence of an enchanter to create them, but Esther was a genius.
She knew all things magical, regardless of the field.
However, simply swinging them doesn’t produce the same effects as creating wind or raining down fire. The weapons they wielded were simple: capable of slashing and striking amorphous evil spirits.
They all wielded axes tinged with blue light. The handles varied in length, but the light emanating from the blades was similar.

“Wouldn’t that be enough?”

Rem said upon seeing that. Of course, it was enough.
The flame monster could only breathe fire as long as its forearm. However, its power was exceptional when it swung its forelimbs.

‘Better than a bear.’

A ferocious wild bear or bear-like creature would be a real threat.
Without a weapon to cut its body, it’s the worst enemy, but the opposite is easy.
Two men seized the attention of the others, while three circled behind them. The rest formed a loose circle and
began hunting the beast. As soon as he struck the hand of the one charging at him with his axe, a bang erupted in flames.
The axe-wielding member leaped back immediately, dodging the flames.

“Hey, if you lose all your hair, your already ugly face will become twice as scary.”
“What are you talking about?”

Jokes were exchanged. They weren’t the type to fight while cowering in fear.
The soldier whose face was almost twice as scary had long, pockmarked skin, and the second friend who spoke had a clean, clear scalp. Several of the surrounding soldiers chuckled at his words, as he thrust his hairless head into the air.
The hunt didn’t last long. The fiery demon was quickly defeated.
Six axe swings and its body was torn apart, disintegrating into dust.

“Is this your first time seeing something like this?”
“Oh, even though the mountain range is a treasure trove of monsters and evil spirits, this is a bit excessive.”

The Pen-Hanil Mountains, a place where monsters and beasts constantly emerge, were nicknamed the “Treasure Trove of Monsters.”
They immediately set out to report.
And there were others within the mountains. To be precise, they were the Border Guard, a standing force carrying out a commission received through Nurat, Krys’s lover.
The mercenary soldier system remained a lucrative means of earning Crona, and Krys encouraged it.
They faced a similar opponent. This time, it was a long-necked monster made of fireballs.

“A person with a magic weapon?”

If Vengeance was the captain of the security force, Finn was the leader of the patrols patrolling the mountains. She
had once served on reconnaissance missions alongside Encred, and through constant training, she now proudly held the position of ranger leader.
In response to her question, four soldiers, each with a hand-length arrow attached to their wrists, stepped forward. This one had its arrowhead imbued with a
single-use spell. This was Anne’s handiwork. The arrowheads, dipped in potion, were specifically designed to exorcise demonic creatures.

“Shoot.”

Pervert.

The body made of flames explodes, sending sparks flying in all directions.

‘It’s quite something.’

Finn couldn’t even think of a similar monster. She maintained her distance, subduing the creatures with ranged attacks.
The last one to hold out was stabbed in the head with five throwing daggers, then succumbed to exhaustion, leaving only scorch marks on the surrounding grass and ground.

“There’s a forest fire. Put it out.”

Following Finn’s words, several of the unit members kicked the embers and sprayed water on them. Simultaneously, they extinguished any remaining flames before they could spread.
Mountain rangers are used to this kind of work, so their response was skillful. After the situation was resolved, Finn spoke.

“I can’t go in any further.”
“I can’t ask you to go in any further either.”

The escort subject and client both shook their heads. The escort subject, looking exhausted, asked.

“Didn’t you say the number of monsters in the mountains has decreased recently?”
“That’s true.”
“That’s true?”
“I guess not anymore.”

Finn couldn’t know.
The escort was a man of considerable insight. He knew the creatures they were dealing with were no ordinary troublemakers.
His name was Garret Guy, a former captain of the Greenpearl Reserves who aspired to become a bard.
He’d recently felt the limits of his creative talents, and he’d taken this risk, hoping to find some inspiration.

“You’re going into a mountain range full of monsters just to compose a song?”

Someone who doesn’t know might say this, but who knows the anguish of an artist?
For the sake of writing a good song, they’d even sell a little of their soul.
Of course, Garrett trusted the standing Border Guard here. He wasn’t risking his life.
He was simply seeking a moderate amount of inspiration at a moderate risk.
In any case, Garrett was a wanderer, a storyteller, a man steeped in storytelling.

“A fire-breathing monster.”

Garrett muttered, lost in thought. There once was a monster that burned the continent.
A disaster brought about by the Demonic Cult, the worst natural disaster ever unleashed by humans.
Garrett muttered to himself again.

“Salamander?”

It was the name of a lizard monster made of flame. It was over ten times the size of a human, and most magical weapons were impervious to it.
So, all he could do was hold out until it exhausted itself and disappeared. Garrett had only heard stories. Well, he’d read some of them, but they were all either oral or historical.
Those demonic cult figures were a headache even back then.
A bard was also a storyteller, so digging into things and investigating was Garrett’s hobby and specialty.
He judged he’d seen traces of it in the now-dead creature.
Could it be, could it be, that
he could just wallow in such thoughts and ignore them?
Complacency was never a good thing for a soldier. And Garrett, though a bard, was a good soldier.
He knew how to choose inconvenience over complacency, and he was wise enough to choose a few insults.

“……Can you go further inside?”

Garrett asked. Finn debated whether he should break the leg of the former battalion commander and mad artist.
It would hurt, then he’d realize, “Oh, I was wrong.”

“It’s not about inspiration or anything, it’s just that it feels a bit ominous.”

Garrett was serious. Instead of kicking his ankle, Finn instructed two soldiers.

“Go back to the unit and report the situation.”

If you judge it’s dangerous, securing an escape route shouldn’t be too difficult.
Finn has been roaming the mountains like it was his home. Of course, if you truly consider it your home and lie down, you’ll be reborn as monster excrement.

‘You can go in a little further.’

Finn knew her limitations. She never dreamed of becoming a knight.
So what could she do? She found the answer to this question in the mountains. She used her special talents to memorize the terrain and learn everything she needed.
The former saint, Seiki, was a Highlander who lived and ate in the mountains, and Finn followed her, experiencing the life of a mountain man.
That’s who she is today, the Pen-Hanil Ranger. Her decision to delve further now reflects a decision based on the time and experience she’s accumulated.

“What is your intention?”

His words were cut short. It was foolish to venture into a place where danger was imminent. But if he had to go anyway, there had to be a good reason.
Garrett, judging Finn as a skilled ranger, responded without hesitation, even if his words were cut short.

“I wish it was just a coincidence, but do you know where that salamander last disappeared to?”

Before Green Pearl became known as Green Pearl, a great fire raged across the land, burning everything. New grass grew on the scorched earth, and that was Green Pearl.
This is what history books say. Before it became known as Green Pearl, this land was known as Ash Field, a place covered in gray ash.

“There are several hypotheses about its appearance, but everyone agrees on where it disappeared. Some scholars even speculate that it’s simply sleeping, like a hibernating bear.”

The place all scholars name, the peak of the Pen-Hanil Mountains. Inside, a basin filled with black and gray ash-hardened rock. The
only creatures known to inhabit it are the Drakes, known as the Aryong.
A brief explanation followed, and Finn nodded.

“all right.”

“Perhaps, no way, no way, that couldn’t be true,” Finn thought, and she needed to confirm. Finn recognized this and took off.
She’d entered just as the sun was rising, and it had been mid-morning since she’d defeated the flame monster.
Less than three hours later, Finn turned back.
She spotted a mark where someone had dug into the ground with a thick blade.
The problem was that it was so deep that it was impossible to see, and its length, even at a rough estimate, was as long as a large tree had been felled.
The smell of charcoal was strong. More importantly, she noticed that the surrounding temperature had risen sharply.

“It’s a mark that even a monster of this level wouldn’t be able to imitate.”

Garrett was more serious than ever.
The number of people killed by the Salamanders back then is unpredictable. No, it can’t be estimated.
Nearby cities were burned to the ground.
And…

“colon.”

A man with good eyesight and sensitivity calls her and points to one side.

‘There’s more.’

These monsters were made entirely of flame. Far in the distance, three of them stood with their heads erect, emitting a blazing heat. They were larger than Audin, roughly the size of a bear.
Because of the distance, they hadn’t detected me.

“I’m back.”

Finn avoided combat, returned to his unit, and reported the situation, which was relayed directly to Encred.
And Encred’s blue eyes sparkled.

“Captain Garrett?”
“I think it’s more accurate to just call him Garrett now, Sir Encred.”
“What do you think came out?”
“Nothing is certain. It’s a salamander.”

A more concise explanation was relayed to Finn. Encred spoke with sparkling eyes.

“Just stay here and tell me you’re leaving first.”
“……Hmm? What? Me?”

Garrett was embarrassed.

“To all who come.”

Encred roughly wiped away the sweat that was flowing down his face, put on his gear, and then left.

“Where are you going?”

I was so flustered that my old way of speaking came out. But I didn’t have anything to ask.

“walk.”

What kind of walk is this? Seeing him go out fully armed, it looked like he was charging at the salamanders.

“Captain, I heard that fire monsters are coming out from all over the place.”

Finn followed him, saying, “I heard about it on the way here.
They met Rem’s assault force, and they came down to a safe road outpost near the mountain range.”

“Go find Christ and tell him.”

Encred wasn’t particularly interested. There were two reasons.
One was that he had the luxury of time.
He was the one who trained them. He knew they could handle such monsters.
Two, he knew what Krys had done in his anxiety.
Currently, among the Border Guard standing forces, few special units or commanders were without magical weapons.
At the very least, they carried scrolls. That meant
they were immune to a volley of flames.