WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

A KNIGHT WHO ETERNALLY REGRESSES

Chapter 282: Pain That Kills Me Only Makes Me Stronger.

= = =

"All personnel have assembled."

Everyone had gathered except the soldiers out on patrol duty.

Enkrid stood on the platform set up at one side of the drill ground.

With a calm expression, he looked over the assembled troops.

'Will this even work?'

He had doubts. Half of him wondered if this was pointless.

A speech, out of nowhere.

It had been Kraiss's request.

Near the end of the strategy meeting, Kraiss asked,

"What does a group on the brink, a force facing danger, need most right now?"

Then he answered it himself.

"It's simple. Our territory needs a center."

As he spoke, he swept his arm out. The gesture looked theatrical, like an actor on stage, but it also fit.

It was the kind of motion that pulled every eye in the room.

As Kraiss explained, Enkrid's gaze shifted to one side, to the head seat in the meeting room.

At the far end of the angled table sat a man worn down by fatigue, shadows under his eyes, a burdened commander.

"Battalion Commander-nim?"

One of the squad leaders muttered it, sounding unsure even as he spoke.

"Hmm, my apologies to Battalion Commander Graham, but right now no one has made a name around here like the Madman Company Commander. On top of that, some people are staying in this territory just because of Captain Enkrid. I do not believe you said all of them would definitely fight on our side."

Kraiss did not drag it out or embarrass anyone. He moved straight to the point, careful not to damage Graham's dignity.

And Kraiss was right.

As Marcus intended, they poured out gold and took most of the mercenaries into the army, but not all.

A few still had one foot in and one foot out.

They could watch for now, then run if things turned bad, or even join the enemy.

How many swords-for-hire lived like bats, hanging whichever way suited them?

"And we also have a morale problem on our side."

Kraiss said that while raising his right index finger beside his face.

The rumors the Cultists and the Black Blade had deliberately spread:

Azpen would invade at any moment. Marcus was effectively plotting rebellion and would lose his head. The Cultists would drive magic beasts in tonight if they wanted.

The security force had picked up clubs to crush the rumors spreading through the territory.

Would that work?

'No.'

Enkrid thought it was a real problem too.

You could not beat words out of people.

You could not block speech with your hands either.

Then how were they supposed to stop it?

Kraiss curled his finger into a fist, chopped it downward, and continued.

"You stop rumors with actions that stand out even more."

So they needed a center.

Call it by that old, embarrassing name from history, legend, and myth, and it became this: a hero.

After the last battle, especially to those who had fought beside him, Enkrid could look exactly like that.

The man who had once staggered along beside them was now an Independent Company Commander, a symbol of military force.

It looked like a scene from a hero epic.

A few soldiers who knew music had even composed songs.

Not good enough to listen to, though.

"Ah, true."

Vengeance blurted it out without thinking, then quickly looked away and checked the Battalion Commander's reaction.

Not something he should have said in front of him.

But Graham agreed too.

Honestly, he had thought more than once, What if that bastard just became Battalion Commander?

Did he have no ambition?

No, that was not it.

'In a damned situation like this.'

Was this not exactly when they needed that kind of lunatic?

More than anything, he trusted Enkrid. If it was him, Graham could hand over both the battalion and even responsibility for the territory.

No grand reason. He just found himself wanting that crazy bastard to do well.

If someone asked whether that was enough to give up his seat, the answer got murky, but the Madman Company Commander was not a man who failed his duties.

From the standpoint of territory management alone, it might not even be a bad choice.

Pointless thoughts.

"Proceed."

The fatigue on Graham's face eased a little.

The topic itself gave him relief.

Also, in ordinary times, nobles would have filled the room with noise, but none were here.

That made things easier too.

"Will this be all right?"

Paltor tried to stop it once, but only verbally.

He also thought they had to do something immediately.

Whether it worked or not, they had to move.

So Enkrid stood on the platform.

"Just say we should fight hard. That is enough."

Right before Enkrid went up, Kraiss said that, and Enkrid nodded.

"What we need now is to block infiltrating spies as much as we can and show outsiders that we're still solid. For that, we need to show the soldiers something they can trust and follow. Battalion Commander-nim, please get some rest first. Then stand behind us during the speech with a face like you have no worries and clap. After that, handle the rest as you see fit."

It was like a stage play. A calculated move to raise morale and break enemy intent.

Enkrid decided to play his part.

That was how he ended up on the platform.

Among the murmuring soldiers, he saw veterans. Some faces he knew, some he did not.

No snow had fallen, but the sky was still dark.

Then, for a brief moment, the clouds split and sunlight poured through, and Enkrid opened his mouth.

"Think we're going to lose?"

No one answered. They just stared at him blankly.

Too many soldiers had gathered. Even a loud voice would not reach everyone clearly.

Esther, in human form behind him, gestured with her hand.

It was a spell that spread his voice wide.

Enkrid thought of Crang.

The impression Crang had left, brief as it was, ran deep.

Not just listening well, but seizing everything around him.

Thump.

His heart pounded, and something hot boiled deep in his lower belly.

"I do not think I'll lose."

One short, simple line spread across the field.

It held nothing but certainty.

How could he be like that?

The question they had about Enkrid touched the same thought they always had.

How could he do training that brutal every single day?

How could anyone be like that?

"We will not lose. Protect Border Guard."

After his third line, one soldier shouted.

"How do you endure it? How do you train like that?"

It was one of the newer recruits who used to shudder through training after being rolled around endlessly.

He had spent his life stealing and doing petty crime, then entered Gielpin's guild, and later saw Enkrid fighting in the territory.

After that, he enlisted.

He had decided to become part of the army.

Enkrid knew he was not suited to be a great speaker.

So he just spoke honestly. That was why the question pleased him. It drew out his true thoughts before he realized it.

"Pain that kills me only makes me stronger."

Who cared about the exact implied meaning?

Silence fell. Many soldiers mulled over his words.

Sunlight broke through the clouds, and it looked as if rays were pouring down from the dim sky.

The soldiers standing in that light felt a faint warmth.

That silence lasted for a short while.

He began to wonder if he should say something else.

Then one soldier suddenly shouted,

"Me too, pain!"

What was that supposed to mean?

Enkrid looked down quietly. Whatever he felt inside, his face stayed calm, and from that expressionless face the soldiers drew a strange sense of relief and confidence.

"I'll endure pain too!"

Another soldier shouted.

"I can do it too!"

Another shout.

"Pain that kills me!"

"Makes me stronger!"

A bizarre chant was born.

Still, fortunately, things went exactly as Kraiss predicted.

The soldiers' morale began to visibly boil over.

Watching from the side, Rem blinked and asked,

"Shouldn't it be, 'Pain that cannot kill me makes me stronger'? I feel like I've heard it that way somewhere."

He was right. Enkrid had said it wrong.

The line came out because he knew death itself made him stronger.

"As long as we got the result we wanted, that's enough."

Paltor muttered.

The soldiers roaring with cheers and wild cries were not the same men as yesterday.

Rumors and scheming had pushed them close to desertion, but Enkrid's speech filled them with burning drive.

Pain only made them stronger.

Pain bad enough to kill only made them stronger.

In truth, pain severe enough to die from made him stronger, but that was not the point.

The soldiers were swept up by it.

The grinding training they had gone through also played a part.

Had they not already seen how much they themselves had changed?

Some of them knew Enkrid personally, and some knew his Madman Company.

Even those who did not know their deeds had at least heard of them.

Those words came from that kind of man.

As the screams and cheers briefly dipped, Enkrid noticed something like a sinister current among the soldiers.

"You can't block every spy. You can only cut out as many as possible."

Kraiss's words surfaced in his mind.

Even Enkrid could not identify every spy hidden among the troops.

But maybe he could exert overwhelming influence on them.

It was a flash of wit.

Amid the cheering, Enkrid's voice rang out high and straight.

"My name is Enkrid! Madman Company Commander! From this moment, I'm going to take the enemy commander's head! Tonight, right tonight! Look forward to it!"

A move fitting a madman.

Rem whispered from behind him again.

"We're going tonight?"

Waaaaah! The soldiers' roar shook the platform. Jaxon felt the vibration under his feet. Hearing Rem's question, he thought, judged, and reached a conclusion.

He had read that tainted air among their own ranks too.

"No, we're not going. You stupid barbarian."

Jaxon understood his commander's intent at once.

Rem ignored him and said,

"Let's leave this bastard behind. He's useless, huh?"

No matter what they chattered behind him, Enkrid ignored it and drew his sword.

Chiririririrring!

A faint blue light split through the sunlight and surged upward.

"All units, to your positions!"

Waaaaaaaaaaaah!

The cheers grew louder.

"Pain!"

"Give us pain!"

"Ohhh, pain!"

The chant grew louder too.

Graham wondered whether this was really right, but in terms of results, morale had risen quickly.

Beyond expectations.

Kraiss sometimes thought Enkrid had no idea what position he held.

Thinking about it, that was only natural.

Inside Border Guard, the Enkrid they saw was twice as mad and twice as monstrous as the one outsiders saw.

And what happened when those people heard that this mad monster was on their side and would lead from the front?

They would go wild.

Morale would rise.

Everything was moving exactly as expected.

Graham did not care about Kraiss's inner thoughts.

But he knew this much: now was the moment.

Morale was up, and men were shouting slogans in a fever.

Right now they needed passion more than cool-headedness.

As for cool-headed judgment, the veteran soldiers at the front would handle that themselves.

Graham shouted,

"All units, attention!"

No sooner had they lined up on the drill ground than formations started moving out one after another.

The day-and-night operation had begun.

* * *

Gielpin glanced at Frog's face and stayed on full alert.

If things went wrong, the one who got beaten to death would be him.

"It's fine. The deal is done. He's in the guild now."

For whatever reason, Kraiss, the real guild leader, accepted Frog as a guild member.

It felt wrong.

Hadn't Frog come to the guild manor twice and trashed the place?

Still, it was an order. Gielpin was dutiful. Had listening to Kraiss ever brought him harm so far? Never.

He was told to dig a dog hole, so he dug one.

He was told to take in Frog, so he took him in.

He followed Kraiss's words faithfully.

"This way."

In contrast, Frog Maelrun showed no caution at all.

"I'm hungry."

"Here."

Fresh out of prison, Maelrun looked at a bald-headed human and drank bug stew.

He chewed the larvae, crunch crunch, and felt happy all over again.

He ate fruit and human food too, but nothing beat bug stew.

The nutrition was excellent, and so was the taste.

After three days of eating and lazing around, Gielpin carefully said to Maelrun,

"Could you keep an eye on people coming and going?"

"Uh, sure."

Maelrun stood up right away.

He liked the terms Kraiss offered quite a lot.

Most of all, he liked that there was no forced covenant.

'That bastard Fromshel made me bind a covenant first.'

Fromshel had known Frog's weaknesses and pressed right on them.

Kraiss was the opposite.

"Eat what you want and do what you want. Just do it inside this territory."

"Why would I?"

"What is it you want to do? I'll make sure you can do it as much as you want."

Maelrun did not answer quickly.

Frogs were a race pulled by desire. Kraiss was clever, and even sharper at reading people.

He caught Maelrun's wariness.

"Why should I tell you that?"

"You can leave after telling me, can't you? Is it hard to say? If you tell me, I'll open your cell first."

Kraiss stepped back first, and Maelrun finally spoke.

"Fulfillment. The moment of victory. That's my desire."

Kraiss was smart. He understood the core instantly. Maelrun spoke of victory and fulfillment, but not of battle itself.

Lots of people wanted results more than effort.

No reason Frog had to be different.

"Then you'd like plenty of easy targets."

"Sparring doesn't satisfy me."

He stuck out his long tongue and said it with clear disgust.

He meant he enjoyed the exact moment of winning in raw, real combat.

"Ah, nice. Border Guard gets a lot of those. If someone seems about to cause too much trouble, just tell us. We have people who handle that separately."

For example, Rem, or Rem, or someone like Rem.

A man who enjoyed lunatics charging at him.

The rest with proper martial arts or sword skills would be Enkrid's side of things.

Plenty of swordsmen, mercenaries, and merchants still came to town.

About half were drawn by Enkrid's fame.

'He'll make a decent filter too.'

If Frog beat the hell out of most of those people, that was exactly what would happen.

"You want me to wander the territory however I want?"

"It'd be even better if you found guys who look like they're hiding skill and beat them, right?"

What was raw combat? The opponent mattered.

So he needed people who would properly come at him.

And the satisfaction from crushing those people.

Just imagining it sent a thrill through Maelrun.

His skin reacted, slick oil seeping out.

"Without a covenant?"

"Without one."

Kraiss smiled. Why would a covenant matter?

Frogs only had covenants to control desire.

So if desire and craving came first, they stayed even without a covenant. Maelrun was naive.

That was how he became guild-affiliated and started running all over the territory.

Gielpin sensed a movement in the back alleys that rejected their side.

A few new faces appeared, claiming they would create a new guild.

Among them, he spotted the swordsman they were putting forward.

A man with two thick scars across his face.

He carried a heavy mace. If that thing hit you, "that stings" would not cover it.

At a glance, Scarface was no ordinary fighter.

Still, squire-level skill was not exactly common either, so he was only so-so.

At best, maybe around former Frontier Guard level.

He was no match for Frog.

"Oh, yeah? You're going to come at me?"

Maelrun grinned. The opponent looked just right. If he played with him and won, it should be fun.

"Why is Frog here?"

The other man rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"Does that matter?"

Maelrun answered and raised his Loop Sword.

The man panicked at Frog's unexpected appearance. There was no need to say how that fight ended.

* * *

"Failed?"

The Wolf Bishop leading the Cultists paused mid-chew and spoke.

A chunk of half-eaten meat flew onto the table.

"Yes. We lost contact with the group that went to seize the back alleys."

"Send in more."

The bishop found the situation boring, but also thought he could not move first.

'Are they planning to do nothing but watch each other?'

Should not the one who started this pull his blade first?

More than that, they had intel that an assassination unit would target commanders tonight.

Was he supposed to sit still and take it?

"How dare they target us?"

It would be fun to cut every intruder's head off, stick them on poles, and charge in with them.

The Wolf Bishop cackled.

And that night, no attackers came.

Instead, the next morning, the Border Guard standing army marched out beyond the wall.

Their direction was toward the Black Blade camp.

= = =

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried