WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

A KNIGHT WHO ETERNALLY REGRESSES

Chapter 33: Target

The company commander, upon hearing the platoon leader's report, had a perplexed look in her emerald-green eyes.

"With just ten men?"

What happened with the other squads during the reconnaissance mission was all standard. The only noteworthy event was encountering an Azpen infantry reconnaissance unit in the plains, and instead of fighting, they parted ways at a distance.

It was natural for Azpen to deploy recon squads, so encountering them in the plains wasn't unusual. In fact, it was odd that they only encountered them once.

But what Enkrid's unit did was different.

The enemy had set up an ambush in the tall grass. The enemy was up to something. It was understandable to gather such information.

But infiltrating the enemy camp and setting it on fire with just ten soldiers?

'What kind of guys are they?'

Enkrid was at the center of all this just like with the previous assassin incident.

Wasn't Enkrid the squad leader wherever things went awry?

Should it just be seen as bad luck?

But to call it just bad luck, he was incredibly resilient. Not only did he survive, but he also managed to make significant contributions. Despite his mediocre skills, the outcomes of every incident was beyond expectations. Even during the assassin incident, it was thanks to that squad leader that the target was protected. What he did this time was even more remarkable. Infiltrating the enemy camp and gathering intelligence alone was worth a hundred rewards.

"Yes, that's what they said."

The platoon leader replied. 

Out of the ten who infiltrated the enemy camp, only five returned, but they achieved unbelievable results. They weren't some elite unit trained by the Cyprus Brigade, but ten reconnaissance soldiers led by a low-ranking soldier.

The company commander found this intriguing.

'Enkrid, Enkrid.'

What kind of guy was he?

His skills were mediocre, yet how could he accomplish such feats? 

It wasn't something to dwell on deeply.

'Luck.'

She simply thought it was luck.

If it wasn't luck, what else could it be?

Unless he memorized the enemy's positions as if he had entered the enemy commander's mind, it was even more implausible. A more plausible theory was that he was a spy trained by the Azpe, but that made no sense either.

What kind of idiot would train and send such a spy?

A mere squad leader with mediocre skills?

"Shall I summon the squad leader to confirm the facts?"

"If he's dumb enough to lie about this, he would have died long ago."

The company commander sat back and thought.

Let's assume Enkrid is just lucky. What is Azpen trying to do?

First, she needed to report this to the battalion commander. That was the protocol. She finished her thoughts and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

Who picked this idiot as a platoon leader? 

The company commander pushed the fool aside and spoke.

"I'm going to the battalion commander's tent."

Reporting this was the top priority.

Rem was bored. There were no minor skirmishes, and nothing to do. Both armies were busy staring each other down from their respective positions. There were rumors within the unit that this war might end like this.

"Well, it makes sense. Winter is coming, and this plain battle won't end quickly, right? So they'll likely postpone it until next year."

Kraiss, with his keen hearing, spoke.

It wasn't his opinion but a conclusion drawn from circulating rumors. Rem didn't care what Kraiss said about such matters. Whether this battlefield repeated every year or Azpen and Naurillia were once on good terms.

What did it matter?

'So damn boring.'

He spent his time sharpening his axe blade and juggling it, but it didn't change the fact that he had nothing to do. Rem was bored out of his mind. Everyone else seemed to have something to do.

"Are you crazy? Asking that price for cigars? Do you have an arrowhead stuck in your head?"

Big Eyes was busy selling things. After battles, there would be a lull in profits, so he had to make a lot now. He was working hard.

"What? Arrowhead?"

Sometimes there were people who glared at Big Eyes' small stature. Rem took it as a minor hobby to intimidate such people. Just licking the freshly sharpened axe blade while staring at them did the trick.

In fact, he didn't sharpen the axe blade too finely. If it was sharp enough to cut a finger upon touch, the blade would easily break. Unless it had magic or a craftsman's touch, this was the correct way to handle it. So licking the axe blade didn't cut his tongue.

"Well, I did get hit on the helmet by an arrow in the last battle."

The guy quickly backed off.

"Cigars are hard to come by. So, how many do you need?"

Kraiss soon raised his voice. He looked every bit the merchant. The sly alley cat Jaxon preferred wandering outside to staying in the tent. The religious zealot was busy praying, banging his head on the ground with a gloomy face.

He kept muttering, 'God, give me answers.'

Watching him made one reluctant to get close. Just his actions screamed 'crazy fanatic.'

Why does he always act like that?

Finally, Ragna spent his time sleeping all day without a care.

How could he not be bored, repeating that all day?

Was it fun?

'It's so boring without the squad leader.'

Rem thought inwardly, grumbling.

Was the squad leader dead?

Recon missions were dangerous. Even though the squad leader had improved a lot, by Rem's standards, his skills were still embarrassing.

If he had died?

That would be quite a shame.

'Damn, did I get attached?'

From what he had seen, it was a pity to let him die. But it was laughable to follow him around and protect him.

What was he anyway?

Nothing. Just someone he met by chance and liked.

'Someone I liked?'

Now that he thought about it, such people were rare. How many such people had he met in his life?

He hoped he would come back alive but he wasn't anxious. He wasn't someone who would fall to a bunch of amateurs. 

In the end, unable to stand the unchanging boredom, Rem decided he couldn't stay idle any longer. Whether the squad leader was dead or alive, he needed to solve this boredom.

"Do I want to kill you?"

Rem chose a simple solution. He kicked Ragna, who was lying idly. Ragna looked up at Rem, as if questioning what he was doing.

"Do you want to die?"

Ragna was serious.

"I'm bored. Let's have a fight."

There was no need for more words. Jaxon, who had just entered the tent, ignored them and walked by. The religious zealot was busy banging his head on the ground with a gloomy face as usual. Kraiss was absent. They agreed and stepped outside.

Clang.

Lightly clashing axe and sword to signal the start of the fight. They began to swing their weapons at each other.

Whoosh!

Rem's arm swung, and the axe struck fiercely. Ragna dodged the axe blade, twisting his body to thrust his sword. The sharp thrust, far more refined than what Enkrid had shown, targeted Rem's abdomen. Rem powered off his toes and leaped back.

Thunk.

A footprint was left where his foot had been. Anyone with a keen eye would have been amazed at the level of their exchange. Enkrid arrived just as their fight was reaching its peak.

"Kill him!"

A thrilled soldier shouted. A crowd had gathered to watch the two. Why was the Troublemaker Squad called the Troublemaker Squad?

It was because they were a collection of individuals with various issues.

Why did the unit keep such troublemakers?

It was, of course, due to their skills. With such skill on display, it was naturally a spectacle.

Bang!

As the sword and axe clashed, a cloud of dust rose around them.

Whizz!

Despite this, their eyes never left each other.

Ska-gak.

The axe blade seemed to fall from above, scraping the ground. Small stones flew as the axe blade scraped them. Ragna dodged the axe scraping the ground and brought his sword down from above.

Whoosh.

Even with eyes open, the sword's trajectory was invisible. The sword, which had been above, suddenly dropped to cut Rem's neck.

Bang!

Once again, the axe and sword clashed. Sparks flew from their weapons.

"Crazy."

The 4th Company's 2nd Squad Leader muttered.

It was clear that their level was several times higher than his. Several skilled soldiers stuck out their tongues. There were even some on the verge of reaching a higher level. They all felt the difference in skill. Of course, some tried to gauge the skill of the two.

'I can do that too.'

'If it were me, I'd have ended it already.'

These thoughts came from the misconception that what they were seeing was all there was. Enkrid stood still, eyes wide open. He didn't hear anything around him. At this moment, his eyes were solely focused on the movements of the two.

In his mind, he was concentrating on dealing with the axe and sword. Sweat dripped from the tip of Enkrid's nose. Just observing and concentrating made him sweat profusely. Sometimes, just watching could improve one's skills.

Although unintended, Enkrid realized what he needed to do at this moment.

'This method won't work.'

Everyone had their own suitable method. The same applied to learning swordsmanship and training the body. Enkrid had something others didn't.

The curse of repeating today.

The wall that endlessly appeared, as the ferryman without eyes had said. So, instead of ordinary training or practice, he had to choose a new method suited for it.

Watching the axe and sword of the two, an idea emerged in Enkrid's mind. Excitement and realization came quickly, but they cooled just as fast. Watching their spar, Enkrid had to admit he had never drawn out their full skills. 

Neither Rem nor Ragna had shown this while sparring with him. It wasn't about strength or speed; their expressions revealed it.

Rem was smiling. He looked so excited. Ragna's expression was also lively. It was a face not easily seen.

How many times had he repeated today?

How many times had he faced death?

Despite that, he couldn't seriously compete with either of them at this moment. That was his position.

But he wasn't discouraged.

If he was going to give up at this point, he wouldn't have started in the first place. Instead, he found it interesting. He had a new goal.

'That expression.'

While watching the two, he vowed to make them wear that expression even when facing him. Enkrid was satisfied with that. He saw a new path and had the time to walk it. It was, without a doubt, truly enjoyable.

Tiririring.

As the axe and sword grazed each other, they produced a strange sound. Simultaneously, Rem and Ragna distanced themselves. Both were sweating heavily. Sweat trickled down Ragna's forehead.

Hoo- 

Rem exhaled and grinned.

"For a guy who sleeps all the time, you're pretty good."

Ragna sneered at that.

"And where do you get off evaluating me, barbarian who only bullies the weak?"

Despite the sharp words, they both sheathed their weapons. They knew each other's condition well. Going further would mean fighting to the death. They both still had energy left, but now was not the time. It was a spar with some reserves.

While fighting, they noticed a familiar face among the spectators. It was their squad leader. It proved they were observant enough to spot familiar faces even while fighting.

"Here to watch? If you want to keep watching, play with me."

Rem's sudden comment scattered the spectators. Left among the dispersing crowd was only the shabby-looking Enkrid.

"You're back?"

Rem welcomed Enkrid. Ragna acknowledged him with a nod. The fight was over.

And Enkrid had returned safely.

Soon, Jaxon, running his hand through his disheveled red hair, came out, and Kraiss ran over when he saw the squad leader.

"Welcome back."

"Squad leader!"

"God has watched over you."

The religious squad member also acknowledged him.

In total, there were six of them—a squad that was originally meant to be ten men strong. Enkrid, now reunited with his squad, officially announced his return.

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