A Knight Who Eternally Regresses-Chapter 256: On Dealing with Fools (1)

“The Lord who spreads glory and shines light upon this land spoke thus.”

The man with a shaved head said.

As soon as he finished, Enkrid tilted his head.

“I am a servant of glory.”

So, he was one of those who used the words of the holy scriptures as a form of greeting—a priest.

“What brings you here?” Enkrid asked.

“I’ve come to bestow blessings.”

The priest smiled faintly.

‘What blessings, suddenly?’

Enkrid thought for a moment.

‘These kinds of blessings are usually given before a battle, aren’t they?’

Nevertheless, the priest continued his speech without any concern.

“By the touch of glory that protects this land, a hero has been bestowed upon this territory. Hehehe.”

Like the unusually developed sense of smell that Crona had.

It was a sixth sense, a new sense that allowed the dwarf to understand the nature of those around her.

No, was it more that she could sense that the person before her didn’t intend to hide anything?

The man, who had been speaking of scriptures and blessings, eventually declared that it was his prayers that had kept the territory safe for the past three days and nights, without sleep.

Rem, adjusting his fur, looked up.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

What the hell was he talking about?

It was clear from his expression.

“Don’t,” Enkrid said, cutting off Rem before he could act. Ragna, who had been ignoring everything, paused mid-step as he made his way to the lodging.

The shift in his posture was subtle, but it was a sign that he was alert.

Enkrid raised his hand to show Ragna his palm. It was a signal to stop.

Rem might have shown small signs before causing trouble, but Ragna, if provoked, would immediately throw a punch.

Of course, the most dangerous one was Jaxon.

He could strike before anyone even noticed.

“Don’t do anything,” Enkrid said again. He could feel anger and frustration in the air, but it was different for him.

However, he knew that he was the only one who remained level-headed. It wouldn’t be good to kill or even beat a priest in the middle of the territory, especially in the heart of the barracks.

Although... maybe just a little hit would be fine?

“This is troublesome,” Kraiss said with a cold tone. His words made it sound like he was more concerned about how to hide the body than about the priest’s blasphemous actions.

It wasn’t because of Crona.

Even though Kraiss didn’t like to fight head-on, he was still a soldier who had seen combat.

That was the reason.

If someone’s prayers had won them the battle, if the sole reason for victory was a prayer, then what did that make the ones who bled to win?

Enkrid came to a conclusion. This fool was just that—a fool.

The first rule when dealing with a fool was not to strike, but to ignore them. It was better to avoid the filth altogether.

So, ignoring him was the answer.

But usually, a larger figure would step in and make things worse in such situations.

As the figure moved, the afternoon sun cast a long shadow, covering the priest’s bulging belly.

“Are you asking for a victory donation because of your prayers?”

The honorific "brother" was omitted.

Enkrid knew Audin. He was deeply immersed in religion and the sacred, but he also understood that such things were meant to be kept secret.

He also knew that Audin wasn’t someone who would simply strike anyone.

Especially not a priest, no matter how corrupted, or how much gold they were after, or even if they were trampling on women. He still avoided striking priests as a profession.

So, everyone just stared blankly.

“Yes, that’s right. If you donate for the temple, the territory, and the people of the land, I will spread the word far and wide.”

Enkrid understood the meaning.

It was a simple bribe. A few gold coins and he would sing praises about them.

But were these people even the type to crave praise?

Ignoring him was still the answer.

“If the glory you speak of is so great, what about the funerals for the fallen?”

Audin suddenly asked.

Enkrid briefly hesitated, wondering whether he should stop Audin.

“Well, we’ll get to that eventually,” the priest replied casually. His tone suggested he didn’t consider the fallen soldiers to be of much importance.

It was a world teeming with monsters and beasts.

Everyone had their necks exposed to the threat of war.

Who knew when another outbreak of demonic beasts would trigger the Holy War once again?

In the history of the Holy Wars, human and beast alliances had resulted in half the people dying, rivers running with blood, and mountains formed from the bodies of the fallen.

It had been a horrific world of war.

What about now?

Now, it was no different. The continent was still embroiled in conflict.

So, the question arose:

If the blade of danger and threats is ever at our throats, does that mean life becomes cheap, disposable, and without value?

Some would agree.

A warlord leading a nation might see his soldiers as just numbers.

A general might feel the same.

But should a priest be the same?

“You brought many fine goods, yes? Hehe, if you donate with good intentions, blessings will stay with you.”

This priest had no holiness left. The word “blessing” sounded like a robbery in his mouth.

Audin stared at the priest.

It was a common sight. There were so many fools in the world, and it seemed that there were particularly many here in this territory.

The petty criminals who had been under the influence of drugs and hypnosis.

The fools who belonged to the Black Blades.

And now, a fool disguised as a priest.

‘Just another common occurrence.’

Audin knew this wasn’t special. He had seen it many times before.

Even though there were no true clergy in the Border Guard, wandering priests occasionally showed up.

He had seen them robbing with donations under the guise of blessings.

Everyone had ignored it.

For a long time, the fallen priests who turned a blind eye to all the issues were the ones who had brought down the walls of the system, shattering its limits.

And recently, he had witnessed beasts who defied their fate.

Among them was a man named Enkrid.

The words that defied fate were now before him.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind.

This was the conclusion of all the thoughts he had had when looking at Enkrid.

Audin recognized his own change.

‘Didn’t my father, or the gods, want me to watch the wrong things?’

No, his father, the gods, and his master had never asked him to do that.

And so, Audin acted, moved by the wrong he had seen.

Now that his master within him had given him direction, he could act.

This priest was a fool. Enkrid knew it. And now, it was time to ignore and turn away.

Whoosh.

As the air shifted and something triggered Enkrid’s senses, he reacted immediately. He feared that Rem might not hold back and throw his axe, causing chaos.

He reached out, trying to block with his body. But it wasn’t him who moved. It was someone else. That person slipped under Enkrid’s arm like a snake and slapped the priest.

Thwack!

There was no grunt. No dying breath.

It was Audin.

He had swung his palm, and the priest’s cheek collided with it.

Enkrid turned his body.

He felt Audin’s motion clearly in his senses and asked:

“What’s that?”

“A snake’s step.”

To anyone listening, it would certainly sound like the conversation of madmen.

Enkrid satisfied his curiosity, then turned his attention back to what Audin had just done.

“Do you think he’s dead?”

“Probably close.”

Rem answered the question.

Ragna observed the situation quietly, then whispered to Audin:

“Troublemaker.”

Jaxon then spoke with a flat expression.

“Really?”

Shouldn’t it have been dealt with silently?

Finally, Rem looked at the priest, who was sprawled on the floor, twitching—well, not exactly dead, but clearly incapacitated.

“Man, people should just learn to endure a bit.”

Rem muttered.

Was he the one to be saying that?

Enkrid thought to himself and signaled to Kraiss, who approached to check the priest’s breath.

“Luckily, no, maybe not lucky. He’s breathing easily.”

His cheek was already turning bright red, but he was alive. It was fortunate his eyeballs hadn’t popped out or ruptured.

Now, the only problem left was what to do with this situation.

Enkrid, as the squad leader, was familiar with these kinds of accidents.

Though... this was the first time he had ever hit a priest.

There were no priests in the Border Guard.

It wasn’t for any special reason, just a matter of coincidence.

The first commander had avoided religion, and the ones who followed his lead had done the same. Recently, the commander before Marcus had disliked greedy pigs who wanted to take over the territory.

He didn’t like corrupted priests.

Whether they had a strong sense of sacrifice or not, priests took donations, so he had a natural aversion to them.

Even the current commander, Marcus, while believing in the gods and donating to the temple, wouldn’t let priests set foot in his territory.

He was willing to cut off anything that didn’t benefit the land.

It was strange that every priest who visited here only seemed interested in Crona.

If they sent someone to the temple, a priest would soon appear, but for now, the Border Guard had no priests.

But had they never encountered such idiots?

No, that wasn’t true.

It was curious why Audin had struck the priest.

When Enkrid looked at Audin with that intent in mind, Audin placed his hands in front of his chest, as if in prayer, and spoke.

“I have no regrets. It is merely what my lord commanded, and I am but a servant who follows His word.”

So, he wanted to hit him, then.

Enkrid understood perfectly.

“Let’s just kill him and bury him.”

Rem said. It didn’t make sense. There were already many eyes watching the commotion in front of their lodging.

Instead of answering a pointless question, Enkrid again scrutinized the priest.

He certainly wasn’t dead.

As Enkrid crouched down to examine him, one of the soldiers watching the scene spoke up.

“...Why do I feel so relieved?”

“Yeah.”

“What a pig of a fool.”

Some thoughtless soldiers chuckled, while the more thoughtful ones called for their commanding officer.

When the officer arrived, he quickly reported to the higher-ups, and soon, Zimmer appeared.

“I’ll take the blame for it.”

“Hmm?”

Enkrid looked at him, asking for clarification, and Zimmer, his eyes glinting, spoke.

“I think it’ll be easier to handle if I take the responsibility instead of you.”

“Thanks, though.”

“You are the heroes who protect the territory; could I not take on such a small task for you?”

Zimmer spoke confidently, puffing his chest out.

What happens if a priest gets beaten?

The situation would immediately be reported to the higher-ups, and the temple would use the opportunity to claim that their god had been disrespected, or perhaps to exert some influence over the territory.

If they knew that the Border Guard and Martai had been turning into a “trade territory,” the temple might have its own reasons to set foot here and claim a portion of the profits.

But what about Zimmer, who had beaten the priest?

He would suffer a fine or punishment as a result.

If things escalated, it could turn into a much bigger issue.

If they pushed for it, they could even end up in jail.

Beating a priest in a territory was serious business.

But Zimmer, in this case, was probably in a better position than Audin.

The external factor of someone from outside the territory beating the priest was different from a member of the territory doing so.

Zimmer had influence within the territory, after all.

Enkrid scratched his forehead.

He glanced at Audin, who had hidden his divinity.

What bothered him most was this:

‘Can I really associate that bear with the priesthood?’

It didn’t seem like a good idea.

He hid his divinity, yet stayed in a territory without priests.

Even worse, he was in the military.

He was a fugitive, and Enkrid could sense it without asking. It was an obvious issue.

Whether he had followed a heretical belief or committed some crime at the temple—perhaps both.

“All here will be witnesses,” Zimmer said confidently.

He was an Easterner and the commander of the territory’s forces.

It wasn’t hard for him to exert influence over the split ranks of soldiers.

The Border Guard soldiers were already on Enkrid’s side, so there was no need to persuade them.

“Let’s do that,” Kraiss said, poking Enkrid in the side.

Enkrid decided to accept their goodwill.

“Thanks.”

Zimmer nodded, his usual boisterous self, even when stepping up right after a loss.

“That’s settled, then.”

He had the fallen priest carried inside by one of the soldiers.

The next day, the priest, with no memory of what had happened, was shouting loudly.

Zimmer exchanged a few words with him.

Enkrid was sweating from his morning training when he happened to see the scene.

“How dare you lay a hand on the servant of the Lord? You think this will just be forgotten? Glory is watching us! Huh? The temple will hear about this, and I’ll make sure it’s dealt with!”

This was outside the barracks, near some thick bushes.

Fortunately, it seemed Audin’s strike was still unknown, and from what Enkrid heard, Zimmer was even more boisterous than Enkrid had thought.

“We won because of prayers? Hey, you damn pig.”

The priest’s words faltered. His previously smooth condemnation now stumbled.

“What? What did you just say?”

His tone had a subtle quiver, which could only be described as “fear.”

“Damn, have you gained weight in your ears? How about I cut half of that ear off?”

Zimmer unsheathed his dagger while speaking. It was a bright morning, and the blade reflected the sunlight beautifully.

“Or maybe I’ll cut your tongue out for speaking nonsense?”

Zimmer gestured with the tip of his dagger near the priest’s mouth.

There was a certain intensity in his posture. The kind of vibe that made it feel like he might actually follow through.

The priest hesitated but tried one last act of defiance.

“If the temple hears about this...”

“If the temple hears, you’ll end up as a ghoul’s lunch during morning prayers, or maybe you’ll become one of the proud soldiers charging into battle at the Centaur Colony, only to die gloriously. Ah, that would work. You could be badly wounded while fighting, and the others would just think you died from not getting treated. After all, as a priest, you should be able to heal yourself, right?”

Not all priests had the power to channel the divine, but it was clear Zimmer was making a point.

The priest was speechless.

It was a truly boisterous scene.

Enkrid watched, deeply impressed.

Though, really, the threats could’ve come from them just as well.

But no, not here. The threats from the people of the territory were different from those from outsiders.

Zimmer was something else entirely.

He was quite a character, this Easterner, Zimmer.

Later, as they returned to their lodging, Kraiss, wiping his eyes, said:

“Come to think of it, they’re quite the friendly ones.”

“Who?” Enkrid asked.

Before the sweat dried on his body, he was heading back out to train his sword.

Enkrid moved as usual.

Behind him, Kraiss spoke again.

“The Black Blades.”

“...What’s friendly about them?”

“Heh, it’s cold now, but could you steal some fur from Rem?”

“If you’re wearing that fur, you’ll have an axe blade stuck in your neck, you know?”

“Even if the leader tells me not to?”

“Definitely.”

“Ah, I should’ve bought one myself.”

Though he said that, Kraiss would never buy the fur. He was too stingy when it came to Crona.

“Let’s go. You’re going to swing your sword, right?”

Kraiss said, heading outside. The sun was warm, but the air was cold. It was winter, the temperature dropping.

Enkrid grabbed his sword and stepped outside.

They had to stay here until the dwarf finished their work, so Enkrid figured he would just keep training.

And Kraiss, walking beside him, spoke his mind.

Why were the Black Blades so friendly?

Enkrid, as he heard it, thought that, since coming to Martai, he had been meeting more fools and such groups.

Especially now, when the Black Blades were actively drawing their swords.

And there was also the priest who had been struck by Audin.

So, how should they deal with these types?

The answer was simple.

“Just beat them all.”

That was the correct answer, but the path forward now depended on how Kraiss would handle it. Since Enkrid had given the order, Kraiss would follow through.