Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 867

867. Give and take provocations

“So you want to fall from the air and die with your head smashed in?”

Rem said.

“Haha, brother, if you want to see the God of War, do you really need to take the difficult path? There are plenty of easy paths.”

Audin took those words.

“Well, even for you, that is.”

Even Krang’s pupils shook.

“He’s going to come down someday, so why bother?”

Ragnar spoke with a yawn. He was interested in what Encred was doing, but not very involved. That’s just the way he was.

“If he was the kind of guy who would listen to me when I tell him to stop, I wouldn’t have fallen for him.”

“Luagarine,” she said. It was a cheer from Frock, who puffed out his cheeks with a groan. No matter what anyone said, Encred took her words as encouragement.

“Are we riding together?”

Sinar wanted to join Encrid’s feat.

“You’re serious. You’re serious. Your intentions are intact.”

Temares was simply amazed.
Historical records suggest that Yongin was a cold-blooded species, reserved for emotion, with a chill in his blood. But in reality, this was far from the case. He was
quick to read others’ minds, seemingly tactless, and seemed quite interested in humans, often expressing admiration. Of course, all of this was limited to Encred.

“He smells good.”

Dunbakel paid no attention to what Encred had to say. She approached One-Eyed and sniffed him. One-Eyed stood there, seemingly unfazed.
Was Encred his only comrade? No. They also considered One-Eyed a member of the Order. Therefore, One-Eyed would consider them comrades as well.

“You have nice wings, kid.”

That’s why I’m responding to Dunbakel’s words with a “Hing-“.

“I will pray that the Lord will take care of you.”

Teresa left a prayer.

“You say things that would make anyone crazy without a second thought.”

Pell muttered and moved on.

“Rem was taken away by a bird before and came back alive, so it should be okay.”

Lawford showed faith.

“Captain. If you think I’m okay after seeing me, that’s a bit different. I came down by summoning the spirit of an eagle. You don’t know how to do that.”

“That’s true, since I’ve never learned sorcery.” Rem said that and met Encred’s gaze.

“Sigh, you don’t look like you’d listen to what others say.”

This was also true.
Encred wasn’t disappointed that they didn’t recognize his ingenuity. Rather, he found it amusing.

“You never know what you can do until you try.”

Encred spits out a maxim. Everyone stares blankly at him. There’s no condemnation or criticism in their gaze.
Despite their words, what they see is trust. What they subtly reveal is trust.
Naturally, Encred had calculated it, and because he was determined, he agreed to do it. But to some, what I said might sound like nonsense.
Thanks to today’s repetition, on a day that felt like ages ago, many people shook their heads at his recklessness.
Now, after all those days, Encred smiles.

“When you die, have a grand funeral.”

A fairy followed the joke that crossed the line.

“If you die, I will die too, so we must go together.”

Yong-in adds with sparkling eyes.

“I am also sincere.”

In the meantime, the ferryman’s welcome speaks.

“Since I’ll just repeat it when I die anyway, I’ll show my true colors.”

Was this a revelation of some inner turmoil? Or was the ferryman, in a fit of rage, revealing his true intentions?
Whatever the case, the ferryman’s words were wrong. If I had lived with repetition in mind, I wouldn’t have been able to dream of tomorrow. I wouldn’t have been able to advance even a single step. I would have remained stuck in whatever today the ferryman desired. Therefore, I turned a deaf ear to the words of welcome.

“Well, if you want to do it, then do it.”

Ragnar’s words, filled with boredom. He leaned against a suitable wall, fiddling with his sunrise grip.
Separate from his expression, he seemed to sense a thirst fueled by the desire to fight.
Having been so close together, he could now glimpse their psychology through their attitudes, not just their expressions.

“If you won’t listen to me, I should at least cheer you on. When I die, I’ll chase down every single one of those guys floating in the sky and bust their heads open.”

Rem added with a chuckle.

* * *

“What is your name?”

Simlak asked.
Even with the quawk, quawk of the griffon’s wings, a knight would easily hear what he was saying. Knowing that, he spoke.
Encred was trying to get a handle on things with the one-eyed man, but he listened anyway, so he raised his head.

“Encred of the Border Guard.”

Simlak knew the name. In fact, it would be strange if anyone on the continent who wielded a sword didn’t know it.

“maniac?”

A man who has built a reputation as great as Cyprus in a short period of time, and is known by the nickname “Madman.”

“So you’re that guy who’s always trying to seduce any woman, fairies or not? A devilish debaucher, aren’t you? You can’t tell right from wrong when it comes to women?”

Rumors are distorted.
In particular, Lichenstein in the south and Naurilia in the center were constantly engaged in small-scale skirmishes, wary of each other. Could the reputation of an opponent who was not even in a ceasefire but was actively fighting, sound so good?
Malice was enough to distort the truth. However, Encred, having experienced similar incidents several times, had an untimely misunderstanding.

“Is that a rumor spread by a fairy? I doubt it, but it couldn’t have come from a wizard, could it?”

The Golden Witch and the Black Flower.
Even within the Border Guard, jealousy ran rampant toward Encred, who had captured the two beauties.
Some thoughtless nobles, seeing Esther and Sinar wandering the streets, fell in love and spread rumors about Encred.
I’d seen Esther and Sinar repeatedly swaying the public with their rumours, and I knew Saxon was secretly helping them out for fun.

“What are you talking about? Is that even a female horse?”

Simlak blurted out the words that came to mind, satisfied with his provocation. This would shake up his enemy’s psychology. Isn’t this the kind of accusation that women even desire beasts? It was a sharp provocation, asking if she were a retard who felt desire for even animals and was swayed by desire.
Now, show me your wavering eyes.
Simlak looked directly into Encred’s eyes with anticipation. His specialty was sensing the turbulent momentum of his opponents.

‘No shaking?’

There wasn’t even a slight trembling, let alone a shaking. Encred patted the lop-eyed man’s head and opened his mouth.

“Woah, no. I know you’re a man. If you react to everything I say, you’re a loser. Get over it. Use those emotions when you fight.”

Shimlaq narrowed his eyes. “You’re just trying to brush it off?” You’re not bad at keeping your composure.
It’s a trick of pretending to converse with a horse while simultaneously comforting him.
It’s funny, but knights rarely keep their mouths shut and just swing their swords in a fight. Making personal attacks to gain even a slight advantage is a sensible tactic. He spoke again.

“You’re talking to a horse? Are you trying to imitate the legendary dragon?”

This time, too, it was truly an appropriate provocation. If anyone asks what tolerance is, dismiss them as ignorant and ignorant. If they do know, scold them as someone who pretends to know and is full of flimsy pretenses.
The plan is perfect. Everyone has a way of making plausible plans. Until they get hit.
Encred spoke.

“I don’t necessarily want to follow Yong-in.”

He was sincere. Few people would want to live like Temares.
He struggled to socialize, often getting cussed out. Of course, Temares, a mercenary, always remained calm despite the cussing. His vertically slit eyes rarely held any emotion.
Occasionally, they would sparkle in admiration, but normally, they were no different from the eyes of a frozen fish.
Lifeless and lacking resolve. He was the opposite of Encred.

“It’s not like that after all.”

Encred repeatedly denied the accusations and looked at his opponent carefully. It was his first time meeting them. Provocation isn’t easy when you don’t know each other. In such cases, it’s better to keep it simple. You have to base your statements on what you see.
The opponent wore a helmet. It had wings sticking out from the sides of his ears. It covered his head, but the ears were hollow. It seemed to be a device designed to mitigate the dulling of senses caused by wearing a helmet.
Any knight would have experienced the dulling of senses caused by covering their ears with a helmet, so it seemed to have been designed with that in mind.
Was it a knight-specific piece? Judging by the finish and shape, it didn’t look like a mass-produced item. It was common for knights to have custom-made equipment.

“Did you wear that on your head because you wanted to become a fairy?”

The helmet’s pointed wings evoke pointed ears. It’s a mild provocation. If it doesn’t work, I’ll let it slide, but it’s a subject worth exploring.

“……what?”

Encred continued, observing his opponent’s reaction.

“With that face, it’s impossible. I know this because I frequently visit the Fairy City. It’s absolutely impossible. It can’t be done. Give up on the fairies. Instead, aim for the Prok. That’s about it.”

Rem and the rest of the Mad Knights say Encred’s tone of voice is strangely unsettling.
The reason? His tone is so flat and his voice so heavy that, if you listen without thinking, it almost sounds like the truth.
Even knowing it’s a provocation and absurd, it still makes your otherwise peaceful mind shiver. That was the true nature of Encred’s provocation.

“This helmet is the pride of the Amethyst Knights.”

“Simlac,” he said. He tried to appear calm, but his eyebrows twitched slightly.
He could see them, barely reaching the sky, even with two long spears outstretched. Besides, he had a habit of unconsciously detecting the slightest shifts in a fairy’s expression.
Compared to Shinar, it was remarkably easy to read the expression of the person sitting atop the griffon.

“Yeah, it’s because I’m desperately trying to become a fairy.”
“When did I ever say that?”
“Being a fairy is difficult. No matter how much you beg, it’s impossible. With that face, it’s impossible.”
“I never wanted to be a fairy.”
“If you want to fix your face, I can introduce you to a skilled witch, but even if it’s magic that pursues mystery… hmm.”

Simlak’s appearance wasn’t outstanding. But it wasn’t something that would make you frown upon seeing him.
With a little makeup, he could be tolerated. In some ways, he was ordinary, in others, he was clumsy. Strictly speaking, he was considered respectable within the Knights Templar.

“I have never coveted the appearance of a fairy.”

Simlak spoke again. “No, that’s not true. It’s true. But it’s a natural human instinct to seek beauty. Fairies are beautiful. Simlak wasn’t outside that category.
He found it difficult to read his opponent. Why would he suddenly spout such nonsense? Arriving on a winged horse?

“leaving out.”

He continued, his words endless. He was simply speaking while staring intently at my face. Even with
his hair blown back by the wind, his face still shone. It was a natural beauty. I deeply disliked the eyes, nose, and mouth of the person who was commenting on my appearance.
Why am I angry? Is there any need to argue?

“I’ll chop it up for you.”

There was no subject, but the meaning was conveyed.

“My face? No. That won’t do.”

Encred’s theatrical tone once again upset his opponent. A blue vein appeared in the center of Simlak’s forehead.

“Hey, you’re so hot-headed.”

Encred opened his mouth again. If Rem saw him, she’d exclaim, “That bastard is indeed the mad captain.”
As he spoke, it was Odd-Eye who moved first.
Flapping his wings, Odd-Eye lowered his head forward and latched onto the griffon. Encred braced his thighs, fixed his stance, and swung Dawn. It was a blade that slashed upwards from below. If he misjudged it, he intended to split the griffon’s beak vertically.
Separate from his words, he read his enemy’s moves in his accelerated thoughts. The enemy was no different.
Even as his anger surged, Simlak opened his cold, cool eyes. He instantly composed himself. Could he really be considered a formidable opponent?
The point where their insights intersected—bang! A deafening crackle erupted as metal met metal. Simlak unleashed a long spear.
A shockwave radiated from the point where the blade and spear met. A strong wind blew, ripping Encred’s hair out and scattering it, and his dark green cloak shrank and drifted away.

Parallax!

“Are you just showing off with a cloak on?”
“Because a cloak suits my face.”

Whatever he said, his face ended it. Simlak caught his breath. If you fight with words, you lose. If you give in to provocation, you lose the advantage and start over. So he kept his mouth shut.
Instead, Simlak held his spear in one hand and his sword in the other.
He wielded multiple weapons: sword, spear, and axe. Simlak’s nickname was the Mutable Knight.
He handled any weapon with a certain level of skill and demonstrated excellent combat prowess in any environment. In terms of adaptability, he excelled above all others. That’s why he was called the Mutable Knight, the one who adapts to any form or condition.
That’s why he rode atop a griffon. Even if an enemy were targeting him from above, no one would fight better than him, having already adapted.
More time might have been an option, but if today was his first aerial encounter, Simlak had the upper hand.
He knew it, the captain emphasized it, and the three below him knew it too.
In conclusion, Simlak’s belief was correct. Unless his opponent was a lunatic, that would have been the case.
The winged horseman swung his sword just twice before opening the gap.
Simlak recognized his opponent’s advantage. He recognized the difference in mounts.

‘Moves more freely than a gryphon.’

To be precise, they were faster. The winged horse circled the surroundings with fewer flaps of its wings.
The griffon was different. While more adept at moving in all directions, it lacked the ability to rapidly accelerate and increase speed.
Instead, its constantly fluttering wings served as a mere obstacle to enemy approaches.

‘Horses are vulnerable to my spear’s blade, but the griffon’s wings are armor that can stop my sword.’

He possessed a knight’s insight and exceptional adaptability. While Simlak was assessing each other’s strengths and weaknesses, Encred flew over the creature’s head.

“What the hell is this crazy kid doing?”

Simlak’s mouth fell open.
It was the kind of skill that everyone had called insane after hearing Encred’s thoughts. The stray eye flew over the griffon’s head, and Encred leaped. He landed on Simlak’s head, seemingly crashing down.
Simlak must have been surprised to see this. There was no time to command a griffon to perform evasive maneuvers. It wasn’t a particularly obedient creature. It was different from the warhorses that were like limbs.
Simlak made a split-second decision and thrust his spear upward.
What he overlooked was the significant difference between the force exerted on the blade when thrusting while seated, with the lower body sparring, and the weight exerted on the sword when the horse threw it overhead, bearing its own weight.