Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 156 - Learning, Practicing, Teaching, and Understand

Chapter 156 - Learning, Practicing, Teaching, and Understanding

A bird chirped.

The wind blew.

The sumr sky, basking in the radiant sun, quickly gave rise to the heat.

Enkrid felt the heat boiling both inside and out.

For the past three months, rumors had spread—on the surface, peace remained, yet behind the scenes, another war was brewing.

In the end, Aspen stepped back.

No war.

No battles.

So, what did those left in the barracks do?

Training and rest—that was all.

Many took on rcenary commissions through the military's soldier-for-hire system.

But Enkrid never found himself lacking in Krona.

His two swords remained intact.

Krais diligently handed over the Krona he earned through the guild.

So, most of Enkrid's ti was spent training.

And yet, progress was slow—at least, to the eyes of others.

The word "stagnation" was frequently spoken.

Stagnation ant stopping.

Most believed Enkrid was at a standstill.

But he thought otherwise.

Why wouldn't he?

'Will.'

Until now, what had Enkrid's dream been?

A specter he could never grasp.

A darkness he could never see.

It was an unreachable sky because he could neither grasp it nor see it.

But now, he saw the steps leading to that sky.

He heard them, and they took shape.

They were what people called milestones.

For Enkrid, 'Will' was exactly that—a staircase, a milestone.

The sa went for breaking past his limits.

Stagnation?

No.

He was nothing like his past self.

How could that be stagnation?

Even if others saw him as unmoving,

Enkrid could see his own growth.

How had he co this far?

It was thanks to everything he had ingrained into his body.

The Heart of the Beast, the Sense of the Blade, the Focused Point, the Isolation Technique.

"If there is a foundation for swordsmanship,"

could there also be a foundation for creating talent?

He didn't know.

But wasn't that exactly what was happening within his own body?

Through the Focused Point, at tis with the Heart of the Beast, and other tis by sharpening his senses—he constantly revisited and refined his experiences.

For three months, that had been Enkrid's sole focus.

And in that ti, soldiers had co seeking him.

He realized firsthand what it ant to improve through teaching.

"Let's have a match."

The 1st Company and the Frontier Defendersa.

These two units were considered elite among Boder Guard's standing forces.

At first, even regular soldiers ca to challenge him.

But now, only those from these units sought him out.

Sparring was always welco.

"Good."

Enkrid greeted them calmly.

Soon, two n faced each other, sweat pouring as they tested their skills.

Enkrid won every ti.

The difference now was that he no longer needed to rely on grappling techniques.

He put aside the Valen-style rcenary swordplay and focused on fundantals.

That was enough.

When sparring with Rem and the other squad mbers, he used everything he had.

But with these n, he didn't need to.

Through teaching and learning—

'They overreach.'

So soldiers stood out.

Those who attempted to learn too much at once, disrupting their own fundantals.

"Isn't this more efficient?"

They often responded this way when he pointed out their flaws.

He had thought the sa way before.

Efficiency and rational combat techniques.

Even now, he used them extensively.

But that was a combat strategy, not a training thod.

He had once tried to absorb as much as possible in a single day.

Had it ever worked?

Even now, he couldn't fully grasp the Sense of Evasion.

The Heart of the Beast still required preparation ti.

The Focused Point only activated when his life was on the line.

After countless hours of contemplation, he had finally co to a realization.

'Do what I can, step by step.'

And so, he advanced.

And advanced again.

With that mindset, he endlessly repeated his training.

Sotis, a boatman appeared in his dreams, asking, "What kind of man are you?"

But for three months, all he had done was train.

As always.

One week was lived like today.

One month was lived like today.

Through this repetition, he gained a new realization.

'Rhythm.'

A necessary elent when swinging a sword.

For geniuses like Ragna, such things ca naturally.

But for Enkrid, every step was carefully chewed over and climbed.

When he realized sothing in the morning, his entire day felt light and joyous.

When he realized sothing in the evening, he went to sleep with excitent.

Kyaa—

Esther followed him everywhere as if cheering him on.

She clung to him at night and now even during the day.

"You sure are popular with beasts."

Even the Frog comnted on it.

Esther responded by flashing her claws at her, but the two never actually fought.

Every other day, the fairy company commander ca by.

"Would autumn be a good ti? For the engagent ceremony?"

She would joke.

Or,

"How about a duel?"

She would spar with him before leaving.

The fairies' swords were sharp and light.

Even from them, there was much to learn.

Teaching while learning.

Learning through duels.

"Alright, block this."

Rem's axe swings were still brutal and rough, but sothing had changed.

Sotis, a faint smile played on his lips.

"Whoa!"

At tis, Enkrid even surprised him.

An upward strike from below, followed by an off-beat thrust with the left-hand sword.

The timing of slashes and thrusts beca subtly different, creating a discordant rhythm.

His right and left hands moved in separate tempos.

The Valen-style rcenary sword technique—Crossing Blades.

A phantom swordplay often called dishonorable, yet this was one of its rare, truly refined techniques.

It made it seem like the right and left swords moved independently.

"That was pretty decent."

Rem acknowledged him.

Recognition—it brought joy.

"You neglect martial arts, and the gods will be displeased."

As if practicing Valaf-style martial arts would invoke divine wrath.

Nonsense.

But Enkrid simply trained with Audin without protest.

Valaf-style martial arts combined striking and grappling techniques.

Hadn't he used grappling in the middle of a Balen-style rcenary brawl to kill Mitch Hurrier?

He learned and absorbed.

The joy of learning.

He was acknowledged, learned, and in turn, taught others.

And so, he grew.

The thrill of growth drove him forward.

How could wielding his sword not be enjoyable?

'One step at a ti, even if crawling.'

A return to his original mindset.

The determination he started with.

For Enkrid, this was simple.

For others, it was astonishing.

Especially for Froq, who watched him closely.

Of course, Enkrid was more focused on observing his own growth than worrying about others' gazes.

He even trained his dynamic vision and sensory awareness in between everything else, leading a busier life than anyone.

Of the soldiers who had once followed his training, only a few remained committed.

Was it due to the relaxed discipline after the battle ended?

Or was that simply human nature?

As more soldiers indulged in leisure, fewer dedicated themselves to training.

But there were still those who remained.

So stood out.

Among them, the best sparring partners were the Border Guards.

Sotis, he sought them out directly for matches.

"You're always welco."

The guard captain always welcod him.

He sparred with him and others.

But an old acquaintance, Torres, shook his head.

"I'm not fighting you anymore."

"Why?"

"Look, there's no point in a fight I know I'll lose."

This was the talk of those discussing elite soldiers.

So reignited their competitive spirit, but Enkrid went one step further.

Three months.

Ti was always an arrow that had already been shot.

For Enkrid, it was a single day.

It was today.

It was a process of moving toward tomorrow.

"The rhythm isn't just one. You already knew that, didn't you?"

Perhaps they thought watching alone wouldn't be enough to understand.

Or maybe they were simply getting bored of staying here.

Even the Frog, Luagarne, began to teach Enkrid.

"I was just about to say that."

Ragna murmured as he watched, though it was precisely the words needed at that mont.

Rhythm.

Tempo.

That's right.

It doesn't have to be just one.

Hadn't he already learned that through Valen-style rcenary swordsmanship?

Clashing blades utilized off-beat timing for double attacks.

There were extended, drawn-out rhythms.

There were short and firm beats.

There were tempos sustained with core strength, enduring through the motion.

And so, he continued learning.

"If you shift the beat from the standard rhythm, then in a single step—no, right there, move your left foot half a step forward. Then you'll be able to execute a mid-sword spinning slash."

Luagarne was quite proactive.

Why was this Frog staying by his side?

Why was she eating and sleeping at the barracks, lingering here?

Why was she teaching him?

Enkrid pushed aside all these questions.

No, he decided to forget them.

When soone teaches, he learns.

Always craving knowledge, Enkrid followed through.

"Then, what if I step my right foot back here?"

"That would make it difficult to recover your sword. Instead, do it like this."

Ragna also stepped in.

Sohow, things had turned out like this, and everyone seed more engaged than before.

"No, you can do it this way too."

Rem joined in.

It was a step where balance was maintained on the toes while twisting the body.

A sword wielded according to various situations, feet adjusting accordingly, eyes reacting in sync.

"Broaden your senses. You've already learned this."

Jaxen's advice slipped in.

That's right.

He had already learned.

Hadn't he expanded his senses while fighting?

Instead of only looking ahead, he had learned to see everything.

To spread his awareness outward from himself.

"Squad leader, every movent has a center. It's the sa for both martial arts and swordsmanship. Establish a centerline and connect it to your opponent. That's the key."

Audin added his teachings.

Everyone was more passionate than before.

For Enkrid, it was pure exhilaration.

"There is an advantage, I see."

That was the Frog's conclusion after watching everything unfold.

"What advantage?"

Rem, standing beside him, asked.

They were still in the training yard.

The sun was still blazing hot.

Sweat was still pouring, and the air was thick with exertion.

"He doesn't let go of what he learns."

Rem nodded.

It was true.

Enkrid was not naturally talented.

He was slow to grasp things, slow to learn.

People called him a late-blooming genius.

'Well, I don't know about that.'

But one thing was certain.

He never forgot what he learned.

He constantly pondered over it, endlessly seeking ways to learn.

How could he apply what he learned?

How should he execute it?

In what way should it be used?

He constantly questioned, and it showed.

That was a strength in itself.

Rem thought so.

anwhile, the Frog finally realized what he had been doing all this ti.

'Was it his face that captivated ?'

Or was it his nature?

Teaching soone without visible talent, paving a path for them with such passion—

Wasn't it terribly inefficient?

Well, not that she minded.

Frogs like her were beings driven by desire and instinct.

Luagarne knew he was no exception.

Of course, there was sothing beyond re desire.

More precisely, to avoid being ruled entirely by instinct, she had forged a pact.

A promise, a vow—sothing a Frog must uphold.

'I'll have to return eventually.'

Even as she thought that, Luagarne continued to teach Enkrid.

Considering he had been learning and training for three months straight, progress was slow.

At least, from Luagarne's perspective.

Between the Frog's gaze and the squad's teachings, Enkrid revisited the rhythm and ingrained techniques into his body once more.

Mastery—so close that he felt like he was touching the limits.

Of course, in reality, he was nowhere near them, but he didn't even have a grasp of what "reaching the limits" truly ant.

Then—

"You're being summoned."

The Fairy Company Commander had co looking for him.

"Yes."

Dripping with sweat, Enkrid followed behind her.

Even the Fairy Commander's forehead was damp with sweat.

That's how hot it was.

The humidity was oppressive.

It felt like it would rain soon.

It would probably rain within a day or two.

He knew from experience.

"You're here?"

The place he was summoned to—the Battalion Commander's office.

"A request has co in. What do you think?"

The rcenary soldier system allowed soldiers to accept requests at will, but sotis, orders ca from above.

Though rare, if the mission was beyond the capabilities of regular soldiers, squad or company-level forces were deployed.

According to Krais, recently, monsters and beasts had been running rampant within the kingdom.

It was common for such things to happen as sumr approached, but this year seed particularly severe.

'The heat of sumr fuels the proliferation of monsters and beasts.'

A well-known saying across the continent.

This case was no different.

"There's a frontier village nearby. I'll grant you temporary command there. I'd like you to handle the situation."

The Battalion Commander explained.

Since the battlefield of spring had ended early, this sumr was unusually spent in the city rather than in battle.

All this ti, Enkrid had remained in the training yard and barracks.

He hadn't even gone to the market once.

He had been too engrossed in the joy of wielding his sword and moving forward.

"If you don't want to go, you can refuse. If you need ti to think, you can take it."

The Battalion Commander looked fatigued.

Was it from dealing with too much work?

Or was it a lack of sleep?

Probably the forr, considering the pile of docunts surrounding him.

"Yes."

Enkrid saluted and turned to leave.

As he stepped outside, the Fairy Company Commander gave him a peculiar look.

"Why are you looking at like that?"

If he asked, she'd probably say sothing ridiculous again.

"I'm just thinking I really picked the right man."

Of course, it was a typical Fairy-style joke.

"Is that so?"

Ending the trivial conversation, he returned to the barracks.

Inside, he found Krais, who had been especially busy lately.

As he skimd through the command docunt and explained the situation—

"We're going! We have to! It's an order!"

Krais's eyes sparkled as he spoke.

That ant—this involved Krona.

That was what Krais's reaction signified.

The docunt listed the village's location and the approximate size of the colony.

The issue was a rampaging beast horde.

Seeing the location, Krais's eyes widened.