A Knight Who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 398



Only Krnovel

398. Hit and stab

The adjutant with the spear finally hesitated and returned. The opponent did not chase him. It seemed as if he was only attacking those who dared to attack him.

He simply silently wiped the blood off his sword and returned to his original spot.

The horse I was riding on let out a howl next to me.

It was a horse of extraordinary size and gaze.

The adjutant watched all of this, then stepped back hesitantly and returned to his original position.

Looking at such an adjutant, Lebart brought down his sword along with his horse.

“I should have fought till the end and died.”

Ppopgwak!

The skull split in half. Lebart pulled out the sword he had been swinging.

A long line of blood flowed along the drawn sword.

“You stupid, good-for-nothing bastard.”

A clear voice from the side cursed the dead man.

The fairy warrior Banat. She had short blond hair like a man, and her speech was cold and emotionless. It was her unique way of speaking. It was cold and sarcastic speech that left no room for emotion.

“The author was the weakest of us. I will do it.”

Banat stepped forward, but Lebart shook his head and said.

“I’m going.”

Are you trying to gain momentum by sending a guy like that? Then I will defeat him.

Learbart was the highest ranking lord and second in command in this place, aside from Count Molsen.

That means you don’t need permission from others.

Banat nodded with the same expression. He was a fairy who couldn’t read emotions from facial expressions alone.

Malten couldn’t speak from the beginning, and Benukt acted as if it didn’t matter.

“Let me fight.”

The blood of a giant flows through Benukt, and he makes no effort to control his urge to kill.

“Once we kill that guy, we all charge at once.”

That will be the case. Lebart opened his mouth and moved his horse. He grabbed the reins and made the horse gallop at an alarm.

He got down from the place where the two bodies were. After taking a quick look at the dead Jalban, Lebart got off his horse and gathered his weapons.

He adjusted his sword belt and took a short sword with him, and behind his waist was a thick-bladed machete with a single edge. It was a magical weapon. He also attached a plain-looking kite shield to his left arm.

A shield that is slightly smaller in size and is attached to a gauntlet rather than a handle.

However, because it was heavy, it seemed like a weapon that only those with considerable confidence in their strength could use.

There was a creaking sound whenever Learbart moved. It was because he was wearing plate armor over Gambison.

So I prepared my weapons and stepped forward.

Until then, the other person just stared blankly at him.

Learbart asked, thinking that he did not like the look in her eyes.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Encred.”

“It’s Learbart.”

It was the first time Encred had heard of the name. The Count’s five weapons were famous within the territory, but they were not active outside.

The name was not known.

It would be fair to say that Encred was several times more famous than these.

“I think I won.”

After this thought process, Encred opened his mouth.

“… …We haven’t even started?”

“I said that because I felt like my name was more well-known.”

What the heck, this kid?

Of course, it wasn’t because Encred was a real madman.

It’s a simple provocation that breaks the opponent’s mind. I did it because I felt it was necessary.

The way he walks, the way he prepares his weapons, even the way he comes out and talks. Aren’t they all actions that make him look like a capable person who can’t be ignored?

“They said it was a mad company.”

“Aren’t you jealous?”

Learbart was speechless for a moment.

Are you jealous?

To be honest, is there anyone who wouldn’t like to build a reputation and become widely known in the first place?

Even if you don’t burn with resonance.

And Lebart was a greedy man. But he was also very experienced.

He realized that he had been fooled by his opponent’s trickery.

“You’re a piece of shit to chew on.”

“I’m sick of it.”

Are you saying that it’s tough and hard to chew?

Lebart himself was good at talking, so he quickly figured out what the other person was thinking. That made him even angrier.

“Okay, I’ll kill you.”

Learbart strode forward and swung his sword diagonally. Encred saw an opening in his opponent’s sword, which was neither fast nor mysterious. He moved because he saw it. Encred put strength into his first strike.

Will of the moment, stabbed the spark.

The awl turned into a ray of light and aimed for the arm of the opponent who was holding the sword.

Lebart stopped swinging his sword and pulled back his left arm, which had a kite shield attached to it.

earth!

The spark was blocked. The shield was not penetrated. This happened because the material was not ordinary and the skill of the person using it was not ordinary. It was a case of collecting the spark that had been stabbed.

hook.

Lebart’s sword flew. It was a simple stab. It was neither a momentary acceleration nor a sword that cut off the pulse.

Instead, he was calm and precise. If he had just stayed, it would have brushed the back of his neck, so Encred avoided it by bending his body backwards.

After that, he prepared to swing his sword downwards, but his opponent pulled back the sword he had stabbed and adjusted his stance. He took a stance again, covering his front with his shield.

Even if I had just rushed in, wouldn’t the opponent have had the advantage?

Of course, I thought of several numbers to prepare for that, but how can you not jump in after seeing this?

Encred rose from his prone position and looked at his opponent’s helmet.

Leibart’s eyes were visible through the visor of his helmet.

‘deception?’

Are you taking it easy?

No, the other person was sincere.

Even if you bring ten people who were featured in the article, the paths they all walked are different.

That is why the path of a knight is difficult and arduous.

Just because you follow the path of someone who has gone before doesn’t mean you will get the same results.

It was the same for the cadets.

Everyone had their own different path.

Among them, Lebart’s path was more solid and sturdy than that of the others.

He wore thick plate mail and carried a shield.

He stabbed and cut, but he never attempted to attack unless it was the perfect opportunity.

There is no adventure.

He was a great man who would turn around and not cross a stone bridge built on steel pillars.

On that solid rock, I perfected my swordsmanship by using the weapon called my tongue.

Encrid became silent after the first provocation.

The opponent’s defense was solid.

It was not pierced by sparks or cut by silver, and the whistle dagger thrown at the gap was blocked by the helmet.

It wasn’t just that I was wearing armor, I was skilled at using my body’s protective gear.

That was great.

And Lebart continued to speak.

“Isn’t being a knight your dream?”

Encred retrieved the spark and held the silver in both hands.

It is a crushing sword. It presses down and suppresses with pressure. Lebart took the sword by holding up his shield.

earth-

It was a sound of impact that was somewhat weak compared to the noise of a collision.

Silver’s blade struck Lebart’s shield. Encred used his sword to crush the blow with force. The opponent changed the angle of his shield. The sword flowed sideways along the angle created by the shield.

He blocks and retreats. He withstands the oppressive sword without being crushed. His posture and skill were as solid as his armor.

“So, are you satisfied with the path you’ve walked so far?”

In the middle of the battle, Lebart’s words were heard, but Encred only moved for the next attack.

If you can’t suppress it, it’s a sword that captures it. It was the beginning of a battle of wits. If there was a problem, no matter how unique the moves were, the opponent would hit it with armor and shield.

A soft glow emanated from both the shield and the armor, and of course, they were not ordinary objects.

It was a magical weapon enchanted with a spell.

‘If it’s cut, will it split?’

If you can’t win even in a water fight, you should put strength into your strike again. What if you put your will into cutting and slashing anything?

It’s an imitation. Even if you can’t put your will into it, you can strike with your mighty heart instead.

Encrid thought and acted at the same time.

It is a devastating attack based on Ragna’s techniques.

Add a spinning slash with a heavy sword. Put strength into the feet that are pressing down on the ground, and twist your waist to transmit strength to the sword.

As he was trying to gather all his strength and swing his sword, Lebart, despite being wearing armor, quickly rushed at him and attempted to slam him into the body.

If you keep going like this until the end, you might end up hitting the arm with the ricasso part.

Encred had to step back. For a moment, his posture was disturbed, but Lebart did not rush in. He grabbed his shield and took a stance.

He lowered his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and kept his eyes fixed on his opponent, his sword ready to stab or cut at any moment.

It was a headache.

“What if the path you chose is wrong?”

Lebart said.

Encred looked at him like that and thought.

Although his original skills are no less than his own, he focuses on defense. What does the current situation say?

It seemed like he knew his opponent’s tactics.

“The path to becoming a knight is rough. It is a thorny path itself. It is like jumping off a cliff while holding a bush in your arms. Even so, it is an ideal world that cannot be reached if you make a mistake even once. The path of jumping off a cliff while holding a bush must be right every time.”

Lebart’s breathing was steady even as he wiped his mouth.

We fight with the long-term in mind.

Use your armor and shield to block your opponent’s attacks. Talk to them while you’re at it. Don’t let your breathing get out of control.

It is a tactic that has only a sense of stability that does not live up to its nickname of a weapon.

But it was still threatening.

Lebart’s shield and armor looked like an unbreakable wall of steel.

That may have been the intention.

Above all, you shake the other person’s mind by continuously talking. You find the other person’s weakness and squeeze, stab, and even cut them. With words or a knife.

“Every time you take the wrong path, your talent is lost and you lose the strength to move forward. So you can’t become a knight with talent alone. So, how far do you think you can go with that great talent and luck?”

In particular, there was a lot of talking.

At first, it was the basis of his skill to quickly understand and accept provocation. This person was also a person who used his tongue as a weapon.

“A knight? It is a wish that is fading away. It is a grape drawn in a picture. It is a star that can be seen but cannot be touched. Can you have a star in the sky just by wishing for it? You have stepped into a vain dream. Fairy tales do not happen in reality.”

Use your words as spears and swords.

Instead of answering, Encred repeated his previous attack once more.

Stab with sparks. The shield cannot be penetrated because the opponent reacts to the instantaneous acceleration.

He was a man who could even stop a crushing sword. He was a man who could even withstand a falling rock.

The same goes for the sword that captures. The opponent did not waver. He did not respond to the water fight and stopped midway. He pushed his shield in and forcibly blocked the path of the sword. Then he opened his mouth.

“If you walk barefoot on a path of thorns, it will fester, burst, and rot, and you will lose your feet. Why don’t you just avoid that path? Why do you do that?”

Learbart was persistent. He kept talking even though there was no answer. Encrid responded to his persistence.

“It’s fucking noisy.”

In fact, I was able to answer because I wasn’t swayed by what the other person said.

“Noisy? Look at yourself. If these words sound painful, it means that deep down inside you have already admitted it.”

“I will slap you, very wise man.”

Encred took two steps back, spoke, and straightened his posture.

Step your left foot forward and your right foot back. This is the most basic of basics. Raise the tip of your sword upward as if you were going to pierce the sky.

“What if the path you have chosen is wrong? Haven’t I told you this before? What will you do if you lose your talent and lose your way?”

The way he pretended to care was excellent.

“You can do it again.”

Learbart blinked.

Didn’t I say all along that that wouldn’t work?

Similar words were exchanged a few more times.

It’s a thorny path, you’re losing your talent, it’s already wrong to dream of becoming a knight.

“You can do it again.”

It is often said that a fight that focuses on both offense and defense is a fight between spears and shields.

If it had been their swords until now, it was their tongues now.

The positions have just changed.

In the sword, the attack was Encred, and the defense was Lebart.

On horseback, Learbart attacked, and Encred blocked. Encred steadily and calmly repeated similar answers.

“I told you not to do it again.”

“What are you doing again?”

“Getting lost is a normal part of life.”

“No need for shortcuts.”

“If you do it again, it’s over.”

There is something here that is stronger than Learbart’s armor and shield.

It is an expression of the will to reject something that arises spontaneously.

Naturally, Encred’s ‘again’ did not refer to a repetition of today.

Even if that’s not the case, I’ll move forward.

Even when that wasn’t there, I lived today, tomorrow, and every day like that.

When you swung your sword until your palm burst, were you sure that this was the right way, that this was correct?

I had no such confidence.

Just repeat every day and walk and walk.

There was a dream that dawned and left a trace.

If there had been three more todays, I would have surpassed even the knight who cut off Mac.

Today, which I repeated throughout Asia, was also a door leading to a new world.

A month passed after that.

Encred swung his sword from a stance that pierced the ceiling.

To capture and crush.

Mix the Sword of Grasping with the Sword of Crushing. This is a trick performed with the sword held in the right hand.

The sword technique is difficult to use. The opponent is betting everything on his skills of holding on and blocking rather than attacking.

So I knock. With everything I’ve got.

Since the left hand is accustomed to speed, it hits with a momentary acceleration using only the left arm.

It was a feat of separating thoughts and doing them simultaneously.

Putting a strain on the muscles of your right arm and lowering it.

Bang!

It ignites a spark before the lingering sound of the iron has even faded.

earth!

The sparks that struck the shoulder armor failed to achieve their purpose. The silver blocked by the shield also failed to break or split.

It’s okay.

Because you can do it again.

Encred repeated. Using long-term tactics means you have confidence in your stamina.

It was the same for him too.

Stop breathing. Invite the other person into a world of apnea, and repeat.

Hit and stab, hit and stab, hit and stab.

Lebart was blocking and holding on, blocking and holding on continuously.

Before they knew it, their sword fight had become a battle of tenacity.

Of course, the conversation was cut off.

In the middle of the battlefield, only the sound of a crash could be heard.

The horns and drums stopped, and the sound of the trumpets was the only sound that could be heard on the battlefield.