WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

A KNIGHT WHO ETERNALLY REGRESSES

Chapter 201: What Are You Relying On (1)

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"Uh, I want to stay under you."

On a breezy summer evening, in front of the quarters, the white-haired Beastkin said that.

"Under?"

At his question, Dunbakel chose her words carefully.

At this point, whatever happened to her was fine.

"Slave is fine, servant is fine. If you let me stay under you, I'll do anything."

If Frog had been blinded by personal ambition and desire, this Beastkin had gone wild over two words: breeding.

So what she had just said could easily be misunderstood.

"The continent is wide."

He meant, in a roundabout way, that if Dunbakel left, he would not stop her.

"If you let me stay under you."

Dunbakel dropped to her knees. He could see greasy, unkempt hair and the crown of her head. A nasty smell drifted up from her.

Watching that, Enkrid's first thought was that he wanted to wash up and rest.

Then what should he do with her?

It was not a hard decision.

If she came in planning to stab him in the back...

Would that even work?

Before that, Jaxon would probably tear her throat out.

That was the feeling. A strong one.

In reality, even if it was not Jaxon, Rem or anyone else would beat Dunbakel to death the moment she showed any suspicious sign.

Luckily, no such malice showed. Sparing her had been a whim, to some degree.

There had been no deeper meaning in it. So then.

If there was no malice.

A squad had ten men, Enkrid thought.

A platoon usually had forty to fifty, and a company was responsible for one hundred to two hundred.

But his own troops were.

Rem, Ragna, Jaxon, Audin, Finn.

Six including himself.

That was absurdly short-handed.

Short-handed enough to make him wonder whether Marcus still had a conscience.

If they were going to make him a Company Commander, they should fill the ranks too.

Of course, only a few would survive. Would that bastard Rem leave newcomers alone?

For no reason, he thought of Andrew. Since that guy, the only new arrival had been Finn.

Conclusion, the Company lacked people, and Dunbakel was stronger than an ordinary soldier.

Looking at her attitude now, she was even obedient.

Obedient Beastkin were rare.

Among all those tangled thoughts, one point stood out clearly.

Lack of manpower.

He could get the Battalion Commander's permission later. If it was denied, he could kick her out then.

"Fine."

"I swear to Krimhalt. If I swear while cast out, will that faith..." "Huh?"

"Come in. There's a spare bed. Wash first."

To Dunbakel, it looked like a bold decision. She did not see him hesitate at all.

Was he planning to accept me from the start?

That thought even crossed her mind. No, that was not it. There had been several moments when she could have died. No, moments when he could have killed her.

Even then, he had let her go.

That meant he was a man who kept his word.

"Joining the unit structure needs the commander's approval, so if he refuses, I can't do anything."

Done.

From Enkrid's tone, Dunbakel felt there was no way she would be refused.

If she were a commander and had someone like this under her, she would nod even if he dragged ten servants around.

Who would reject that?

"Don't even think about night service or anything like that. I have zero interest. You're coming in as a soldier. If you want to stay under me, pick up steel and fight. If you die fighting, that's that."

Enkrid said only that, opened the barracks door, and went in.

Dunbakel stood there blankly, hesitating.

She had wanted this, but stepping forward took courage.

She had longed for this, but accepting that it had really happened took even more.

Could she really step inside?

Someone like me?

She had expected rejection, of course. That was why she froze. As she did, the closed door flew open.

"Not coming?"

Beyond the open door she saw blue eyes and black hair. Hard thing to say about a man, but that face was beautiful.

Moonlight spilling from his firm blue gaze struck his cheek and shattered there.

In front of an utterly unromantic military barracks, Dunbakel felt tears rise.

Why?

Who knew.

All she knew was that no one had ever welcomed her before.

He was the first person to tell her to come in, with no ulterior motive.

"I'm coming."

Her voice shook.

Dunbakel stepped inside.

They said life gave chances, and chances needed a trigger.

She thought meeting that man was exactly that.

Even if others cast her out.

She would endure.

Even if everyone ostracized and cursed her.

She would bear it.

"I'm really curious."

As she entered, she saw an orange-haired woman speaking rapidly to Enkrid.

"You actually like that alluring nickname, right? That's why you bring women back every time you go out?"

Kyaak!

Right beside her, a panther even hissed.

Dunbakel flinched at the sound, and Rem spoke from the side.

"It's fine, this panther usually doesn't bite. Ah, it only bites that Big Eyes bastard. So if you don't mess with it, you're fine."

Why is there a panther in the barracks? Dunbakel wondered, then gave up trying to understand.

And the mood was less hostile than she expected.

"Cut the nonsense and take her to wash. She stinks."

After saying that, Enkrid quickly started sorting his things.

He seemed to be going to wash too, since he picked out thin linen clothes. While he did, the orange-haired woman walked up.

"No change of clothes, right? Think they'll give some if I ask this late at night? Should I drop the commander's name?"

"You think that would work?"

"You think it wouldn't!"

Finn said brightly and stepped in. It was late evening, and the moonlight promised a bright night.

Walking out with Dunbakel, Finn asked:

"Name?"

"Dunbakel."

"I'm Finn."

Finn held out a hand for a handshake. Borrowing ancient words, a handshake was proof that neither side held a weapon and neither intended harm.

In this age, it could also mean, let's be good friends.

The moment Dunbakel grabbed her hand, Finn smiled and said,

"So how long has it been since you washed?"

"Mm, half a year?"

Beastkin did not enjoy bathing.

"Let's walk a little farther apart."

Led by Finn, she entered the bathhouse and soaked in the tub without complaint.

She watched the water turn black, and from outside Finn said she would leave clothes there.

Dunbakel scrubbed herself hard with soap.

Enkrid clearly disliked bad smells.

After washing and changing, she returned to the quarters. The way back was not hard.

Maybe because she had bathed after so long, her body felt light.

"...You looked like that?"

As soon as she entered, Enkrid asked.

"Why? Did something change?"

Dunbakel lowered her gaze for no reason. Her shirt swelled over her full chest, and the pants were loose and wide.

Did she look different because of the clothes?

"Forget it. Your place is over there. Sleep. And wear underwear."

Do I really have to? What a hassle, Dunbakel thought, but she nodded.

Enkrid waved one hand vaguely and pointed to one side. That was her spot.

That was how Dunbakel became a member of the Independent Company. No one brought up that this Beastkin had been an enemy, or that she had belonged to the Black Blades.

No, even when it came up, they did not suspect her or push her away.

Why?

She did not know that herself.

* * *

The air inside the unit was freezing, but Enkrid stayed the same.

He woke and trained, then after Isolation Technique, he watched Finn get beaten for a while.

"So Ael Karaz-style Grappling is only this much, sister-nim."

Audin, mouth of hell, was the same as always today. A thick vein bulged on Finn's forehead.

After sweating from morning onward, Enkrid gulped down water, then spread butter and orange marmalade on soft bread.

"Where did this come from?"

He asked after taking one bite. The marmalade tasted incredible.

Sweet and refreshing.

Kraiss chewed beside him, swallowed, and spoke.

"A shop opened across from the seasoned jerky place. Twenty-six-year-old woman, dull brown hair, lots of freckles. Name's Juri, no boyfriend, ideal type is somewhere between Commander Enkrid and Ragna, and she really hates my type."

Enkrid looked at him, wondering why he was giving that much detail.

"I know all major figures in the city. That's what the Gielpin Guild does."

Is that really what they do? And does someone who makes good marmalade count as a major figure?

"It does. You tasted it, so you know."

True.

As he ate, Kraiss started chattering again.

"Similar things will keep happening."

"Similar?"

"People around us won't leave Border Guard alone."

Enkrid stopped halfway to standing and looked at Kraiss. Those big eyes brushed past Dunbakel for a second.

Dunbakel sat blankly, staring at empty air.

He should give her something to do too.

He turned back to Kraiss, who continued.

"By blocking Azpen, the kingdom expanded its territory. Thanks to that, the military city Border Guard can become both a city with a standing army and the central trade city in northern Naurillia. That's already happening."

Recently merchants had been visiting more often, and new goods kept arriving. The city population had grown too.

"Juri said marmalade has to be made in big batches. But if it doesn't all sell, storage gets hard. Luckily traffic increased, so jam started selling naturally."

That was why she had opened the marmalade shop.

Where does commercial viability come from? Population and traffic volume.

This was now common sense Enkrid had learned because Kraiss talked whenever he got bored.

"Then how would nearby powers see Border Guard?"

"Like well-roasted barbecue, or a ripe tomato."

If they held a knife and were ready to eat.

All they had to do was slide the blade in.

That was Border Guard's position. A place that looked like perfectly browned barbecue, tempting enough to make someone thrust in a blade even if it was a little tough.

How would the hungry see it? They would want to strip meat off right away.

If the Pioneer Village Enkrid had saved grew and widened trade routes, things might improve.

Right now, though.

The center of northern trade.

According to Kraiss, that was Border Guard's position.

"That's why packs of wolves around us never run out."

"Since when did you expect this?"

"Well, I felt uneasy from when we pushed Azpen back."

From back then, huh... then Marcus too?

He had come back acting slick, talking about loving the city and all that.

The Battalion Commander knew the city was in danger.

If so, he should know how to get out of it too.

It was almost time for the meeting.

"I'm going."

"Let's protect seasoned jerky and marmalade, Commander."

Kraiss said from behind. It did not sound crazy.

Those two foods had become pretty precious to Enkrid too.

The Battalion Commander's office had already turned into a meeting room.

A large map lay across the big table, covered with pieces like chessmen.

"Have we identified enemy numbers?"

"We are sending the Reconnaissance Team every hour. Based on what we currently see, we estimate at least two infantry battalions."

"That's a lot."

Marcus said with a wry smile. He did not look afraid.

He definitely seemed to have something to rely on.

Still, was now the right time to bring this up?

All Company Commanders were gathered.

Enkrid quietly stood beside Marcus.

"Something to say?"

"My Company has fewer than ten members."

So what?

His eyes said exactly that. A Battalion Commander with no conscience.

Shouldn't a Company Commander at least get a filled Company?

"Can I add one person? The Beastkin we captured before."

Former affiliation: Black Blade Bandits.

Right after cutting down a bandit suspected as a spy, he was now saying he would spare one and put her under his command.

Come to think of it, he also had to report about the noble bandit whose head he had chopped clean off.

"Do it."

That was it?

Was that really the end?

"Tell the quartermaster about structure details and all that."

That was truly all.

Marcus turned away as if there was nothing else to discuss.

Enkrid glanced around, wondering if other Company Commanders would object. No one cared. No, only the Elf Company Commander silently shaped words with her lips.

"Seduced another woman again?"

Elf-style joke. He ignored it.

He watched the meeting a bit longer. Enemy formation, where they would fight, numbers, key enemy organization.

"Martai may use cavalry, but we have no cavalry."

If they counted every horse in Border Guard's stables, maybe around fifty.

A few were prepared for urgent messengers.

But a cavalry corps was another matter.

Except for a handful, they were all packhorses.

There was a saying: an untrained unit is a blade pointed at your own chest.

So there might be battlefields where they had to face mounted troops without cavalry of their own.

"Frontier Defense Captain has just returned."

In the middle of the military meeting, the Frontier Defense Captain returned.

Everything that followed was expected.

They had raided the Black Blades Main Branch.

One unexpected detail was mixed in, though.

The captain suddenly said,

"Good work. I heard part of the Black Blade Bandits attacked Bansento Baronet in advance. Because the Baronet fled suddenly, the escort target was lost. Losing the escort target cannot be counted as merit, but after that, you stood firm, slaughtered part of the Black Blades raiding force, and came back alive. Well done."

His tone was theatrical. Marcus slammed the desk with a bang.

Several pins marking friend and foe rattled down and fell. Pins rolled across the map.

"They dared kill a noble! Those Black Blade bastards!"

Marcus put on excellent acting.

"So we retaliated immediately. If I had not followed just in case, who knows what would have happened."

The Frontier Defense Captain was a little awkward at this part.

Enkrid watched it without smiling.

At the end.

"Some escaped while attempting to flee. Please discipline me."

"Ah, that's fine. We caught him."

After the play, Marcus moved into the real story and pointed to the side. More precisely, to Enkrid.

"He happened to run into one on the way and caught him."

That had happened. A gift package had arrived. Some idiot from the fleeing Black Blades Main Branch.

"Really?"

The Frontier Defense Captain's eyes showed warmth that had not been there before.

He had said losing the escort target was not merit, but one look at the Battalion Commander and Frontier Defense Captain made it obvious.

Clear merit.

And recognized as such by an influential Battalion Commander and the man who currently held real power in Border Guard.

Several nobles turned pale.

Sharp people.

"Let's all observe a moment of silence for Bansento Baronet."

The Battalion Commander said it. He wanted that Bansento bastard to die as a noble, not as a spy for bandits. In the end, he mourned him as a member of the kingdom.

That was better for everyone.

So handle yourselves.

That moment of silence was basically him saying that to the nobles left behind.

The quick-witted noble group would understand the message.

"All right, now let's return to the meeting."

Soaked in fatigue, dust piled on his pauldrons, the Frontier Defense Captain took his place among those surrounding the table.

Then the meeting resumed in earnest.

Marcus's operation plan was full of holes.

Enkrid had thought Marcus had some reliable card to play, but he saw none, only weak points everywhere.

What exactly was he relying on?

The question rose again.

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