WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: Ryuu

Editor: Abstract

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

A KNIGHT WHO ETERNALLY REGRESSES

Chapter 61: The Elf's Joke

Enkrid gathered the dead bodies in one place and waited for the patrol soldiers.

“This is a job, too.”

He muttered to himself as he sorted through the corpses of the half-elf assassins. While groping to move the assassins, his fingers sensed something strange. It was near the chest area. As his fingers followed the sensation, it extended to the side.

When he opened the chest, he found a sheathed dagger attached to the body. Inside, he found four remaining Whistling Daggers. They weren't common items.

‘I almost forgot.’

They were excellent weapons. He had just learned how to throw them, after all. Having them would be useful. He had experienced the power of the Whistling Daggers firsthand.

He took the sheath and, in the process, searched the pockets of the other corpses, finding some Krona as well. Aside from the Whistling Daggers, there was a leather pouch with some unknown powder inside. It gave off a peculiar smell, suggesting it was something that shouldn't be touched carelessly.

If it was a poison that could infect through mere contact, he wouldn't have an antidote on hand. Above all, he disliked using poison, making it a burdensome item in many ways. Enkrid left the poison pouch alone.

It was only natural that the patrol soldiers who found Enkrid later were utterly shocked.

The troublemaker’s squad leader, who had disappeared during his shift, suddenly appeared with five corpses.

“What is this!”

At first, they were so surprised they pointed their spears at him.

“Spies.”

Enkrid briefly explained. It was enough.

“One of them is a familiar face. He claimed to be a peddler's errand boy who arrived four days ago.”

One of the patrol soldiers pointed at the dead man with a crossbow. A peddler is a merchant who travels around carrying a manageable load. It was an appropriate disguise.

“Didn't you check his identification badge?”

“We did, it was very sophisticated.”

A meticulously forged identification badge. Could such things be made frequently?

Unlikely.

Later, one of the soldiers who searched the pockets of the half-elf with the tip of his spear grimaced at the sight of the split head. While Enkrid stood by, the commander of the fourth company, the elf company commander, appeared.

After examining the assassin's body, she spoke.

“He carried poison. He is indeed an assassin.”

She concluded after checking not only the poison but also his physique. Enkrid explained the presence of the assassins without resistance. That was the end of it. Though the patrol soldiers eyed him suspiciously during the entire wait, the misunderstanding was short-lived.

“You took down five? One of them seemed quite skilled.”

“These three are Jack, Bon, and Rot.”

One of the patrol soldiers spoke up, recognizing them. Jack was known for his spear skills, Bon was nimble, and Rot was highly skilled, according to general soldiers. The three of them, a half-elf assassin, and the soldier with the crossbow. Enkrid had dealt with them all without significant injury.

He just had a few scratches.

“...Alone?”

The patrol soldier asked, forgetting the company commander's presence. That’s how shocked he was.

“It just happened that way.”

Enkrid replied, looking at the company commander. The elf company commander said nothing, her expression unchanged. She looked at Enkrid with her unchanging jewel-like green eyes.

“Understood. Return.”

“Yes.”

He saluted and turned to leave. As Enkrid walked away, the elf company commander spoke.

“You left your post, so you will have to make up for it later.”

Such strict words. To consider leaving the post in this situation.

The three patrol soldiers glanced at each other. Enkrid quietly nodded.

“Yes, understood.”

She was his superior. Arguing would be pointless. There are those in the unit who strictly adhere to military law and regulations though the elf company commander didn’t seem to be that type.

But if she said it, a subordinate had to obey. Arguing wouldn't benefit him.

“Alright then.”

Enkrid finally walked away from the scene.

Two days later, two border defense soldiers came to find Enkrid again. Inspecting the scene within the city was the job of the border defense, so they moved for an on-site investigation. Enkrid cooperated sincerely with everything.

“They attacked suddenly.”

“Did you leave your post knowing something?”

“No. They seemed odd, but I just wanted some fresh air.”

“So leaving your post led to discovering the spies? These two seem to have been killed with a single blow?”

“They tried to kill me immediately.”

“And you subdued them without getting injured?”

Their questions were sharper than expected, but Enkrid remained calm. Since he was the only survivor who had seen them, it was natural.

“Yes, I was lucky.”

“Two strokes of luck and you could break down a wall. There must have been a significant skill gap.”

One of them joked, sounding disappointed. They weren’t actually suspicious of Enkrid. It was absurd to suspect the victim of an ambush. Moreover, the border defense had already thoroughly investigated Enkrid when they tried to recruit him into their unit.

“Good work.”

“I heard you got promoted. Congratulations.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Both were of higher rank than him. The ranks of the border defense were originally like that.

“Aren’t you really not considering joining us? Your skills are too good to waste.”

As they were about to leave after the investigation, the short-haired soldier asked.

“No.”

The firm answer silenced him.

“Oh, I see.”

Enkrid returned to his quarters.

As he opened the door, something suddenly fell from above his head on the right. Enkrid instinctively dodged to the side. He ducked low and rolled. Thanks to his quick reaction, only some of his hair was cut.

He barely avoided the attack, wondering what it was.

“Oh, passed the ambush test!”

Rem was smiling slyly. It was Rem’s thrown axe.

“Rem, you crazy bastard.”

It was an act that deserved a curse. Enkrid’s cut hair floated down in the air.

A bit slower and he would have gotten a nasty gash on his neck. A bleeding gash would leave a scar.

“Don't worry. I aimed just to cut a bit of your hair.”

“Forget it.”

The world had many lunatics, but a few particularly crazy ones were in his squad. Enkrid had realized this early on, so he wasn’t even angry.

“With assassins coming after us, we should learn how to deal with ambushes, right?”

“Good excuse.”

Enkrid shook his head.

“Looks like it’s time to cut your hair, isn’t it?”

Rem said, smirking. It was indeed time to trim his hair. His bangs had started to obscure his vision. When he fought the half-elf, he was in a state of heightened concentration and too busy with his tactics to notice.

But now it was becoming a nuisance in everyday life.

“Can you handle it?”

Enkrid asked. Rem didn’t step forward. Instead, Kraiss approached from behind.

“Yes.”

Kraiss was quite skillful with his hands. Others were great with weapons like swords and axes, but when it came to cutting hair, they made a mess.

“I’ll shorten the bangs and trim the rest.”

Kraiss’s tools were a short dagger, scissors, and a horn comb.

“Ten Krona.”

“That’s expensive.”

“I’ve improved. If you don’t like it, go to the city barbershop.”

He didn’t like that. The city barbershop was expensive and worse than Rem with their hands. There was no need to spend twice as much Krona.

Instead, the city barbershop was known for treating wounds, becoming a place for injured soldiers rather than for haircuts.

“Okay, let’s start.”

Snip snip.

The sound of hair being cut reached his ears. He was sitting on a chair placed right in front of the barracks entrance. White snowflakes began to fall from above. Next to him, Rem grumbled.

“Like the devil’s dandruff.”

Clearing the snow would be a headache, keeping them busy in the training ground and the drainage. It was an equal task for everyone. Neither Rem nor Ragna could avoid this labor. If the snow wasn’t cleared, it would cause many problems.

“I hate it.”

Ragna said, having come out with a blanket around his shoulders.

“It is cold.”

Jaxon agreed.

“No matter how much you warm your body, this cold is tough, brother.”

Audin also came out.

Why were they all watching?

Usually, snow made it less cold, but today, the temperature had dropped. Sitting outside made his lips turn blue.

“Ah, my hands are shaking. If I make a mistake, I might cut your ear.”

Kraiss said as he cut the hair.

“I can hear you.”

“That means I’m focused.”

Kraiss warmed his hands with a moderately heated stone and concentrated on cutting hair. Enkrid watched the falling snow, thinking about the spies.

‘How did they get in?’

The one disguised as a peddler forged an identification badge. The half-elf sneaked in secretly. The Border Guard was a city that was difficult to infiltrate. Forging an identification badge was a serious crime. Neither was an easy task.

More than anything, Jack, Bon, and Rot’s switch to spies was odd.

‘Where were they from?’

He seemed to remember something.

“You know the three who died this time?”

Enkrid asked. Kraiss nodded, realizing he was behind Enkrid and couldn’t be seen.

“Yes, I do.”

“Do you know where they were from?”

“Jack was caught pickpocketing and served, and Bon was for insulting a noble.”

“Quite the friend.”

Rem commented at the mention of the noble insult.

“Well said.”

Enkrid laughed at Rem. Rem pretended not to hear, and Kraiss continued.

“Rot used to be a guard for some trading company.”

“Which company?”

“It was a company that went under a while ago, can’t recall the name.”

All three had joined around the same time. Within a year. Kraiss knew a lot, befitting his information dealer status.

‘If someone deliberately planted them.’

Forging identification badges, being familiar with the city's gaps, and having a history with crime. Could there be many such groups? Within the Border Guard, a few obvious ones would come to mind.

The biggest one would be…

‘The Thieves’ Guild.’

Though called a guild, it was a gathering of those involved in various crimes. Didn't they undergo a complete overhaul about a year ago?

He remembered hearing about it somewhere. When he asked Kraiss, he said he had heard such rumors but couldn’t dig deeper. Enkrid's eyes turned to Jaxon.

“Do you know anything about the Thieves’ Guild?”

It was a sudden question. Jaxon quietly looked at Enkrid.

“Why ask me?”

“Just a hunch.”

Enkrid knew how to use his head. Even if there was no clear intention, he could guess Jaxon’s background. A thief or an assassin-related profession.

Or something similar.

So he had to ask. Jaxon remained silent for a moment. Rem was about to say something, but Enkrid stopped him with a look. Ragna stared with his usual half-asleep eyes. Audin quietly clasped his hands, as if waiting for an answer.

Snip snip.

Kraiss broke the silence, cutting the last bit of hair.

“I’d like to know too. You think the assassination attempt on the squad leader started there?”

Kraiss had keen intuition. It made sense to suspect, given the circumstances. Anyone with a brain would.

Kraiss was quick-witted and had experience in the underworld, so he knew a lot. Thus, Kraiss thought Enkrid’s suspicion was valid.

Soon, Jaxon spoke.

Enkrid expected him to ask for something in return, but he didn't.

“It was completely overhauled about a year ago. I don't know anything after that. All connections were cut off.”

It was worth looking into.

Enkrid thought.

“It’s done.”

Kraiss said, and as he finished cutting, the snow began to fall heavily.

“Ah, I really hate this.”

“So do I.”

“Agreed.”

“Brother, it is a trial from God.”

“It’s really annoying.”

Rem, Ragna, Jaxon, Audin, and Kraiss each commented on the falling snow. Enkrid, watching them, spoke.

“I’m thinking of organizing a mission under the squad leader’s authority. Instead of clearing snow, let’s head out immediately.”

At that, the five perked up. Their eyes gleamed like hungry wolves looking at Enkrid. It seemed they would do anything to avoid clearing snow.

“First, I need permission from the company commander.”

Enkrid said, brushing the hair off his face.

“Go on, then.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“It's this way.”

They all urged him to go quickly. Enkrid thought it was best to move while the idea was fresh. Entering the barracks and being pestered by those intense stares wouldn’t be pleasant. Enkrid washed off the hair stuck to his face with the melting snow and headed straight for the company commander's tent.

“You got a haircut. Why are you here? Another ambush?”

Was the ambush comment a joke?

The company commander's words made Enkrid ponder.

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then?”

“I suspect the Thieves’ Guild. I want to confirm.”

The elf company commander had a private tent. She stood with her hands behind her back, looking out at the falling snow through the window.

“Meaning?”

“I want to carry out a mission at my discretion.”

“Hmm.”

The elf company commander looked out the window for a moment before asking.

“Not because you don’t want to clear snow?”

“That’s not it.”

Half of it was true, but the other half was also true. There was nothing to feel guilty about.

“Fine.”

The elf company commander granted permission.

“Be careful. The city's criminal guild is well-connected at the top.”

She raised her right index finger, pointing to the ceiling. The military city had battalion commanders instead of a mayor, but it wasn’t just them. Several nobles were dispatched from the nation for administrative tasks. They were the core power figures in the Border Guard.

“If you make enemies there, it won’t end well.”

Politics from an elf’s mouth sounded awkward, but Enkrid took the advice.

“Yes.”

“When you leave, avoid the torch stands. This is my room. It’d be troublesome if it caught fire.”

The commander's tent had short torch stands, making the air warm.

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Even as he answered, Enkrid thought he couldn’t get used to the elf's jokes.

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