WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

A KNIGHT WHO ETERNALLY REGRESSES

Chapter 26: Escape Route

‘I should have dodged there.’

Enkrid reflected once more on the previous today that existed only for him.

‘No, dodging wasn’t the issue. I focused too much on landing a single blow.’

Dodge what needs dodging, strike what needs striking. He had heard repeatedly that split-second judgment was crucial. From countless swordsmanship teachers, and from Rem too.

“What good is it to have the Heart of the Beast if you make the wrong choice? You’ll end up dead.”

It felt like Rem was right next to him, laughing mockingly. If that bastard Rem knew, that’s exactly what he would have said. 

Enkrid replayed the moment over and over.

‘Today, I’ll take a slightly different route.’

He changed his path every day. It was the privilege of one who repeated today.

“We’ll capture the enemy recons beyond this grass field. How about it?”

As always, the recon squad leader was leading everyone to doom. Enkrid had no intention of stopping him. No, Enkrid knew changing the recon route was pointless. Even if he chose a different route, it was the same. 

‘It means there are enemy troops ambushed all over this area.’

Enemy soldiers were packed around the tall grass field. If he wanted to survive, the answer was to return to base as soon as he opened his eyes.

‘That’s not possible, though.’

If he did that, it would be disobeying orders. Disobeying orders could lead to summary execution.

So, should he desert and leave the other nine behind?

Was surviving like that the right thing to do?

‘Is that why I learned the sword?’

Knight, general, hero.

Even now, he swung his sword dreaming of such things, but was it right to abandon them, knowing they’d be slaughtered?

Was that the best choice?

‘No.’

Everyone has something they can’t compromise on. Enkrid knew he wasn’t a saint or a good person.

But this was something he couldn’t compromise on.

Some would call it conviction. Others would call it stubbornness.

Enkrid didn't care what the others said.

‘It’s what I decided.’

If he had lived by others' standards, he would have given up everything long ago and taken a lazy position in a village militia. He discarded the option of desertion. His goal was to find a way out of today.

Fight again. Bleed and kill the enemy. This time, he used his sword as a shield and it broke.

He got hit in the head by a spear shaft. The world spun. Naturally, death followed. He wasn’t sure if it was the spear piercing his chest or the blow to his head that killed him.

The cycle repeated again.

He died over and over. By repeatedly experiencing life-threatening combat, he absorbed what he had learned from training. He recalled what he already knew. During all that time, Enkrid kept only two things in mind.

How could he fight better?

And how could he escape this today?

Moving towards tomorrow. Enkrid knew that relentless effort was required for that moment. Since he had survived two todays like that.

But this time, it was a bit different.

‘No escape route in sight.’

No matter where he went, the place was full of enemies. Why would they station such a large force in a damp, sticky land filled with grasshoppers, crickets, and tall grass?

‘Damn bastards.’

They were all well-trained soldiers. They weren't mercenaries who fought for money, nor were they conscripts dragged out reluctantly.

They were all paid soldiers. Some even considered this group elite. In a large-scale battlefield, elite would mean something else, but in a battle like this, professional soldiers were elite. If soldiers who trained and fought for their livelihood weren’t elite, then who could be called elite?

‘What a headache.’

In an ambush, he could kill three or four but more than that was impossible. Especially fleeing while fighting soldiers armed with crossbows.

‘An overwhelming force.’

Could he achieve it by repeating today endlessly?

Gaining such overwhelming strength?

No, he knew better. From the first repeated today, when he tried to surpass the stabbing soldier to reach tomorrow, what had that been for?

‘Learning in stagnant time has its limits.’

Enkrid knew himself well. To improve and feel the joy of growth, he needed a good teacher and opportunities. Not that he wasted repeated todays.

Training his hearing, swordsmanship, and reviewing battles. He repeated them over and over. Growth was slow, but it was happening.

“I’m confident in archery, but in the heat of battle, my hands shake.”

Enri said beside him. He had heard it several times. Though he claimed to have a small liver, he was quite good with the bow.

“Can you hit an apple placed on someone’s head from a hundred paces?”

He joked to clear his mind.

“A hundred paces is too far, but within thirty paces, I can try. If you place an apple on the recon squad leader’s head, I’ll give it a shot.”

“Too bad we don’t have an apple.”

“Indeed, it is.”

Enri knew how to enjoy a joke.

“But I’m serious within thirty paces. Not sure about the apple on the head, but I can hit a head.”

Enri added, with a rather serious face.

“If you shoot each enemy in the head with an arrow, you could take out about ten.”

Enkrid said, glancing at Enri’s quiver. The flat leather quiver strapped to his waist held about ten arrows. It was secured with leather straps tied around his thigh and waist, holding the ten arrows together. Later, he could loosen the strap and draw them easily.

As a former plains hunter, Enri seemed adept at handling both bow and arrows.

“Hey, what’s with the giggling? We’re on a recon mission. Seriously, tsk.”

The recon squad leader glared and clicked his tongue from the front.

Of course, Enkrid didn’t care. That brat had interrupted several times in the repeated todays.

‘It would be nice to start by taking a few down with arrows.’

The rough-looking soldier walking behind the squad leader signaled to Enkrid. It seemed to mean not to respond and just stay quiet. It was the same as before. There was no need to argue, as there was no need to get into a confrontation.

‘It would make ambushing easier.’

In Enkrid’s mind, a virtual battle unfolded. The information collected through repeated todays made the virtual battle quite plausible. In the end, he would die. Most likely, he would die. Even if there was a clear skill difference, the numbers were overwhelming. 

If their equipment was at least advantageous.

‘It’s not.’

What would Rem have done?

He would have charged in with two axes, swinging fiercely. With Rem’s skills, even if he couldn’t kill all hundred, he could kill enough and escape. He was that fast and skilled.

‘It’s funny that such a guy is just a soldier.’

Rem didn’t seem particularly dissatisfied, though. In this troublesome squad, it felt like he was the only one with ambitions. Thinking about a squad member who wasn’t here was pointless.

Enkrid corrected his thoughts. A small snake slithered through the short grass. The grass underfoot was gradually getting taller. It was a sign they were approaching the tall grass field.

‘I’m not Rem.’

He drew another virtual battle in his mind. Suddenly, a thought struck him.

‘How skilled is the squad leader?’

Until now, he had been too preoccupied to notice properly. He just thought he wasn’t bad. The recon squad leader, the rough-looking soldier, and Enri. And the rest of the recon squad.

As his thoughts connected, he reached a conclusion.

“I don’t need to protect them.”

“...What?”

Enri, next to him, asked at the muttered words.

“Nothing.”

He had been foolish. Until now, Enkrid had tried to break through alone. He had fought to protect everyone by himself, reacting passively when encountering the enemy. Thus, he thought he had tried every possible method, but there was one left.

A way to completely change the game.

Crack, crack.

Enkrid cracked his neck to both sides. There was still some time before they reached the grass field. Enkrid walked forward briskly and grabbed the rough-looking soldier’s shoulder, pulling him back.

“Hm?”

The soldier instinctively tensed his body.

“What is it?”

“You were glaring at me earlier, weren’t you?”

He knew. It wasn’t a glare, but a look asking for understanding. But with a face like a weapon, even just looking could seem like glaring.

“No, hey, that’s not...”

“Why’s your tongue so long?”

Whoosh!

Enkrid swung his fist. The rough-looking soldier leaned back to avoid it.

“...What’s wrong with you? Are you crazy?”

The recon squad leader asked in bewilderment from the front.

“Fight me.”

Ignoring him, Enkrid kicked at the soldier’s ankle. The rough-looking soldier dodged that too, frowning.

“I thought you had some sense.”

“If I have sense, it’s because I can read your unpleasant glare.”

Rem had acknowledged it. He might be the best on the continent at verbally scratching someone’s insides.

“Fight me, you bastard who wouldn’t even look back at a passing cow.”

Indeed, that was the case. With just a few words, the seasoned soldier’s face turned red.

“Fine, let’s have it. You...”

Enkrid fought him. Instead of drawing swords, he used his fists as swords and his feet as clubs. It was roughly even.

No, honestly, he was slightly losing.

‘He fights well.’

By kingdom standards, he was at least at the upper end of intermediate, maybe moving to advanced.

“You said you were a low-ranking soldier?”

The rough-looking soldier, who looked like he’d fail to mate repeatedly, spat blood from his split lip and asked.

“Yeah, low-ranking.”

“If you get promoted, they give you money and stuff, so why do you stay like that?”

Enkrid knew. He wasn’t at the level of a low-ranking soldier. He hadn’t been a low-ranking soldier since he set foot in the army. He just didn’t feel the need to advance. He knew his skills and limits clearly. There was no need to attach a higher rank to himself.

Of course, it was different now. If given the chance, he would get promoted.

But it wasn’t his top priority. The standards that separated third-rate from second-rate, or first-rate mercenaries. The standards that divided the ranks of soldiers here.

What did it matter?

“You fight well.”

Enkrid honestly admired him. Yes, he was better than expected. He fought better than anticipated. He was likely the type to fight better in real combat if given the right opportunity.

“What are you doing?”

The recon squad leader’s face alternated between red and pale as he watched the fight. He glared and opened his mouth. He seemed ready to pounce on Enkrid at any moment.

Enkrid spoke first.

“It was a spar. Good for warming up.”

The recon squad leader stopped, ready to say something. However, at Enkrid’s confident response that was beyond shameless, he was at a loss for words.

“It’s fine. There was no ill intent.”

The rough-looking soldier dissuaded the squad leader.

Enkrid shrugged.

“Watch your mouth, troublemaker squad leader. You’ll cause trouble with that tongue someday.”

“That’s my problem.”

Enkrid replied and returned to his place. Enri, who had stuck close, looked at the swelling near his cheekbone and spoke.

“Aren’t you a low-ranking soldier?”

“Yes, I am.”

Was that so surprising?

A few recon squad members also glanced at Enkrid.

“You fought too well.”

“I trained hard.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Hadn’t he been making relentless efforts through the repeated today?

Despite the commotion, the recon squad leader insisted on entering the tall grass field. There must be a pot of gold hidden inside, or maybe his lover.

Hiss! Crunch.

Hearing the same sound, he knew the enemy was approaching again. It was the start of another new today.

“Enemy.”

Enkrid said with his split lip, nudging Enri.

“Over there, shoot.”

He wanted to see Enri’s archery skills. Enri didn’t respond immediately.

“Yes?”

It seemed he was frozen at the mention of the enemy. Even after that, Enkrid didn’t see him shoot properly. As Enri said, he might indeed have a small liver, as he fumbled hurriedly when the battle started. Still, seeing him shoot a few rapid shots, his form seemed decent.

‘I can’t do this as a squad member.’

Those moving with him needed to respond to commands, but he hadn’t established such relationships. Enkrid contemplated his position.

‘For now, I’ll put this aside.’

He ended up repeating similar actions. Fighting desperately and dying. Enkrid repeated several more todays. During that time, he could gauge the squad leader’s skill.

It wasn’t bad. He had clearly learned proper swordsmanship.

“I’ll take on any challenge.”

After a few repeated days of goading and playing along, the squad leader seemed to enjoy it. Enkrid got familiar with the squad leader’s habits and patterns through a few matches.

‘He lacks real combat experience.’

That’s why the rough-looking soldier stuck to him like a nanny.

Then, what was their relationship?

He casually asked.

“He’s the son of someone I respected a long time ago.”

The rough-looking soldier replied curtly. This guy was overflowing with loyalty. Everything he did here was for that brat. He was indeed a nanny.

“Noble?”

“Don’t you know fallen nobles aren’t treated as nobles?”

The recon squad leader was a fallen noble.

“I see.”

After that, the conversation was trivial, and Enkrid looked up at the sun overhead. 

The midday sun. The wind was pleasantly cool. It was neither hot nor cold.

All the recon squad members were lightly armored. To move swiftly, it was natural. Light equipment and light armor. That was basic. Enkrid assessed the equipment, skills, and possessions of the allies. He had to be aware of everything else too. Enkrid put all he knew about the current situation into his mind.

Weather, wind, location, situation, allies, and enemies. If he could make all these things move actively, an escape route would appear.

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