Eternally Regressing Knight

Chapter 330 – This Guy’s a Lunatic
This guy’s a lunatic.
Kin, for a fleeting moment, caught a glimpse of the madness hidden beneath Enkrid’s exterior.
Setting aside his appearance and skills, his character was deeply flawed.
In that brief moment, she grasped Enkrid’s essence.
Kin, accustomed to managing the Baisar family’s external affairs, had honed a keen eye for
reading people.
And now, that insight shone brightly.
What a madman!
What would happen if the count invoked the crime of insulting a noble on the spot?
Or worse, decided to march his forces out of sheer offense after returning home?
Even at the central court, the count was considered a troublesome figure.
Rumor had it that he had several people of near-knightly skill under his command.
The exact extent of his forces remained unknown.
It was even perplexing why such a man had been biding his time quietly until now.
Kin couldn’t even swallow her saliva as she fixed her gaze on the count’s lips.
Meanwhile, Enkrid remained utterly composed.
Well, look at him talk.
People killed by monsters?
Victims of beasts?
Those left behind?
And yet, this man, who supposedly worried about such things, sent no reinforcements and turned
a blind eye?
No, wasn’t this the same person who had ignored even his own family?
Was Edin Molsan truly his son? Some child picked up off the street, perhaps?
If not, why did his name remain unspoken?
Edin Molsan had even told him to be careful about his father at the Green Pearl outpost.
That was exceptionally strange.
He used sparring with me as an excuse to stay here, but now he’s bailed without a word.
At some point, Edin had stopped sparring and started withdrawing little by little. Now, he had
outright abandoned any pretense and fled.
Krais had shared his observations:
“He’s probably terrified. At least, he gives off that impression. But honestly, the scarier part is a
man who’d cast out his own son.”
Enkrid trusted his own instincts more in moments like this.
His instincts told him that sitting before him was a chimera with wings, one that had swallowed
dozens of snakes whole.
This appearance was a facade.
Though the mask gleamed, Enkrid could see its true nature, and it was repulsive.
“Not buying it, are you?”
The count’s demeanor shifted quickly.
He didn’t lash out in anger.
Instead, he responded like a merchant accustomed to bargaining in the streets, and the
atmosphere softened for a moment.
“No, I’m not buying it.”
“They say you fought gallantly, saving a child in the process. If not for your intervention, allied
losses would’ve been far greater. Later, you even risked your life to charge through the
battlefield. Is that not true?”
While not entirely incorrect, there were plenty of points that could be clarified.
But Enkrid saw no need to elaborate.
What was there to discuss at length?
“Yes, that’s what they say.”
“You speak as though it happened to someone else.”
“I’m still recovering from battle fatigue and haven’t had the time to reflect.”
Of course, that was a lie.
He’d left two nobles waiting—one of whom was a family head—for two days while lost in his
own thoughts.
And now, he was feigning battle fatigue?
“Did you see my guards?”
“I did.”
“What do you think would happen if you faced them?”
Enkrid paused for a moment.
Honestly, just seeing them made him want to engage.
However, not now.
It wasn’t the right time.
If he fought them now, he might accidentally kill them.
Unless they were significantly weaker than him or outright superior in skill, he couldn’t
guarantee their safety.
His ability to restrain his power wasn’t reliable at the moment.
“I don’t know.”
“Playing it safe, aren’t you?”
“Would it amuse you if I claimed I’d win?”
“That would be entertaining.”
Behind the count stood his guards.
It was obvious they were listening to the exchange.
The count’s words were intentionally provocative, meant for their ears.
The guards didn’t bother concealing their energy.
Their gaze on Enkrid seemed to say, Try it, and we’ll crush you in an instant.
Enkrid ignored them completely.
Under normal circumstances, he might have taken them on just for the thrill of it. Avoidance
wasn’t his style.
But now he was avoiding them?
Anyone who knew Enkrid might have wondered if he had a fever.
“Then I’ll just have to be a boring person.”
“Very well. Once I leave, things might get bothersome for you. Will you be alright?”
“I’ll manage.”
The count’s lips curled further into a smile as he observed Enkrid silently.
“Unnecessary worries, I suppose. Hahaha!”
The count laughed heartily and rose from his seat.
His guards, sensing their master’s movement, subdued their aura.
They stepped aside to allow him to pass.
To Enkrid, they seemed no different from loyal hounds.
Did they get their snacks on time?
Were they taken on walks regularly?
Who knew.
“My offer stands. If you decide it’s not too late, you’ll always be welcome.”
The count spoke as he turned.
“Understood.”
“And do take care of my son and daughter, will you? It seems they’re eager to leave my
embrace.”
The count was meticulous.
If he truly intended to bring Edin Molsan back, there was little doubt he could.
He even spoke openly of the daughter disguised as a man whom Edin had brought along.
Of course, Enkrid already knew.
Anyone observant enough would have noticed.
Every single member of his unit would be aware.
“Safe travels. I won’t be far.”
He’d kept them waiting for two days, only to now claim he wasn’t going far.
At the count’s request, the castle lord, Graham, stepped out to see him off.
“Your Excellency.”
The Count made a sarcastic remark.
“How about a public execution for that insolent fool, huh?”
Graham, drenched in cold sweat, quickly replied,
“If you execute Commander Enkrid, I’ll be stoned to death by the townsfolk.”
It was a comment about how the city viewed him as a hero.
The Count chuckled again at this, his laughter booming.
“It’s just a joke,” he said.
But was it truly just a joke?
Enkrid watched the Count leave, his gaze fixed on the closing door.
A few soldiers, stationed at the entrance, stood as if they saw nothing and heard nothing.
Involving themselves in this would be a sure way to lose their lives.
“Are you out of your mind?”
Only then did Kin speak up, having been watching the exchange in silence.
“I’m often told so,” Enkrid answered nonchalantly.
“Seriously, though…”
Kin, though quick-witted, seemed almost stunned. Perhaps it was the shock that made her
struggle to keep up.
Enkrid, his attention caught by the refreshments left on the table, picked up a cookie and started
munching on it.
He had been starving for two days.
As he chewed, he spoke,
“Did they decide to give Border Guard to the Count’s territory?”
“That’s impossible,” Kin replied firmly.
She had been placed here as a countermeasure, to keep Enkrid and the Lord in check.
She was, in a sense, an extension of Marquis Baisar’s warnings.
“If the Count has to be removed, no matter how it’s said, he won’t care about whether it’s polite
or harsh,” Kin continued.
She understood this all too well.
The Count was like a loaded crossbow—dangerous and unpredictable.
If he got upset, the tip of that bolt could very well head toward the palace.
However, it was not easy to eliminate him, as his power was formidable, and the central
authority itself was fragmented.
The entire country could fall apart before anyone could react.
Kin refocused her thoughts on Enkrid.
He was a madman, but she couldn’t deny that there was a gap between knowledge and action.
Just knowing something didn’t mean you could execute it.
This man was far from normal, and Kin’s evaluation of him hadn’t changed.
“He’s got guts,” she muttered.
Enkrid, however, pressed on with his request,
“Will you stay to help with the troublesome matters?”
Kin shook her head.
“The Count’s left, so I can’t stay here. Staying would only cause more problems.”
If rumors spread that Marquis Baisar had an eye on this place, it could jeopardize the position in
the central power.
Marcus hadn’t simply been playing tough; his political standing had to be considered.
He couldn’t risk being labeled a traitor, even if the means by which Enkrid defeated him were
clever.
It was said that the mastermind behind it was as clever as Krais—highly strategic.
“Well then,” Kin said, standing up.
“Should I leave now?”
She found herself bewildered at the thought that Enkrid was so nonchalant about her departure.
Had he really not noticed how much effort she’d put into being here for two days?
More importantly, with her looks, wasn’t she used to attracting attention wherever she went?
In the capital, her name alone, “Kin Baisar,” was enough to make people recognize her.
Countless young men had cried and struggled after she left the city, and yet Enkrid barely
acknowledged her.
“A little issue to resolve?”
Enkrid remarked, casually.
Kin frowned, but ignored him and prepared to leave.
Her guards, having stood by all this time, whispered as she rose.
“He’s a strange one.”
The comment was from a trusted guard who had been with her for a long time, like a sister.
“He’s insane,” Kin muttered.
As she left the room, the guards and those in attendance gave Enkrid wary glances, having
witnessed the scene.
There were nobles, merchants who’d bought titles with gold, and even some hereditary
aristocrats.
A few noble ladies had come to gawk at Enkrid’s face, though they didn’t have any real power
behind them.
Some might have been here to curry favor with him.
But it was clear that these were nothing more than opportunists, gathered here to latch onto
whatever luck Enkrid might bring.
“Political vultures.”
Kin decided not to worry about it anymore.
After all, Count Molsan had been manipulated by words, and she wasn’t the type to worry about
people like that.
She glanced back a few times as she walked away.
Then, an unpleasant thought crossed her mind, and she muttered a curse.
“Damn.”
Her guard looked at her, but Kin didn’t care.
“What’s wrong?” the guard asked.
“He didn’t even ask for my name,” Kin grumbled, feeling annoyed.
She had been treated as though her beauty and status meant nothing.
But strangely enough, she didn’t mind it all that much.
“It’s the first time this has happened,” she mused to herself.
A man who was entirely different from the others.
And with that, Kin resolved to meet him again, someday.
Her guard still had concerns, but Kin’s obsessive tendencies would lead her back to Enkrid
eventually.
Many were eager to approach Enkrid, whether they were nobles or merchants.
“I can’t handle this alone,” Graham said, raising his hands in surrender.
Enkrid, already aware of the situation, started listening to the people.
“If you come to my lands, you’ll have the chance to meet my daughter…”
At first, he had been talked to about buying someone’s daughter, an utterly foolish suggestion.
Enkrid brought Esther along.
“Is it alright to stay in human form?”
“That’s fine.”
Esther’s appearance was captivating enough to turn heads, even if she simply walked by. If Kin
had seen her, she would have nodded in agreement.
The reason Enkrid wasn’t showing any interest in her own appearance was becoming clearer
now.
“Uh, um.”
The nobleman, who had been eager to speak, soon found his words caught in his throat.
Instead, he hesitated.
“Uh, what is the lady’s name?”
A nobleman tried his luck with Esther, and Enkrid quickly intervened before things escalated.
He was about to act immediately when Esther asked if she could kill him first.
Afterward, Enkrid accompanied Shinar, knowing full well that creating a pile of noble corpses
wasn’t a sustainable path.
Shinar was unlikely to kill on the spot, but she too had her flaws.
“She’s my fiancée.”
A strange rumor began to spread, the talk of a mad commander being engaged to both a fairy and
a witch.
Enkrid allowed the rumors to continue.
At the very least, this way, he wouldn’t have to worry about no daughter or anything like that.
“Why didn’t you take me?”
“I still have time.”
Dunbakel and Teresa, who had been lingering, made some idle chatter.
Both were beautiful in their own right, but if he took Teresa along, some of the nobility might
misunderstand, thinking he had brought her as an excuse to get close.
Dunbakel, on the other hand, could be quicker than Esther if it came down to it.
It was better that the strange rumors spread.
When the merchant came and mentioned gold coins, it was obvious that Enkrid was already
thinking of leaving the conversation.
“If you join my merchant guild, you could come into wealth you never imagined.”
“How much?”
“…Huh?”
“So, how much?”
Krais was unbothered.
“Don’t even speak unless you’re talking about a hundred gold coins or more. And no one-time
offers, please. I work on contracts, monthly terms, with shares.”
He wasn’t in the business of selling shares to just anyone.
“Ridiculous!”
“The exit’s over there.”
“You little—!”
“Any complaints?”
The merchant grumbled, but when the standing soldiers moved, the merchant quickly silenced
himself.
Even without the Madmen’s unit present, the standing army was still intimidating.
These were the men who survived battles with Aspen, and a slip of the tongue could very well be
deadly.
The merchant walked away, quietly cursing under his breath but retreating with a measured pace.
Others tried to assert their authority, but Enkrid preferred to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
“Join my ranks, and I’ll elevate your honor. I could recommend you to a knight order.”
But Enkrid wasn’t interested in using force; he was patient and strategic.
“Sharp as a blade, but it has no eyes.”
He had to handle the noble with a sharp gesture, cutting through the pretentiousness.
The noble’s attempt to rise and shout was quickly silenced.
“No mosquitoes here.”
What mosquito would dare appear in the middle of winter?
The nobleman didn’t dare to continue.
Such was the danger of angering someone like Enkrid, whose very gaze could make one feel as
though their life could be snuffed out in an instant.
“Is this really okay?”
The lord voiced his concern.
“That man has a tremendous force, and if this turns into a territorial dispute—”
“Oh, We’ll just have to fight him, won’t we?”
Krais continued, his tone almost light-hearted.
The Border Guards were the strongest military force in the region, but they were lacking in gold.
And that was why, right now, the Cronada region was crucial.
The city’s expansion had to continue, and if they could just subdue Cronada, they would come
out on top and claim war reparations as well.
Enkrid had kept pushing forward, meeting challenge after challenge.
With Shinar and Esther by his side, they could overcome anything.
After about two weeks, Enkrid felt that his body had fully healed.
His senses were sharper again.
“Ah.”
He took a deep breath, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
What would have happened if he had fought the Count’s guards earlier?
He wasn’t sure, but it was likely he would have either killed them or severely injured them.
In the past two weeks, he’d spent his time refining his skills, honing his body, and learning
self-control.
Now, he felt ready to wield his sword with full mastery.
Today, however, no one from the nobility or merchants came to bother him.
Enkrid returned to the barracks.
He hadn’t been back for a while, busy with various duties.
The familiar atmosphere of the barracks greeted him—an air of silence mixed with tension.
The feeling was palpable; something could easily trigger an eruption.
There was a dangerous undertone in the air, but Enkrid was used to it.
It reminded him of when he first arrived at the troublemaker unit’s barracks.