A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

"Hey, are you deaf? You with the reddish-brown hair."

Jaxon ignored him again. Watching this, Enkrid felt fortunate to have brought Jaxon along. What if it had been Rem?

"Are you talking to me?"

It would be lucky if there wasn’t an axe flying with those words. Jaxon merely ignored him, and for that, Enkrid was grateful. However, the person being ignored was undoubtedly displeased.

"You bastard, I'm Polid Rockfreed!"

So what?

Jaxon conveyed with his eyes. Fortunately, before things could escalate, Leona came downstairs. She came down with her nanny, beaming a wide smile.

"You're late," she said.

"Late? Who the hell is that guy you brought as a guard?"

"You sent them, didn’t you?"

‘Hmm?’

Leona walked over lightly and blocked Polid's words with a question. Polid tilted his head, confused. Leona’s hand cut through the air.

Slap!

'Wow.'

Enkrid was impressed internally.

Leona had slapped him across the face without warning. It was a crisp swing and a satisfying hit. The blow was so strong that Polid couldn’t speak for a while.

With his head turned, he looked at Leona with just his eyes.

"You did it, didn’t you, you crazy bastard?"

Leona's clear and sweet voice echoed.

Enkrid felt he needed to correct what he had told Kraiss. That woman was prickly— to others, anyway.

Cha-cha-cha-chang!

Several people drew their swords and weapons. The atmosphere turned tense after just one slap. Enkrid didn't draw his weapon but stood behind Leona.

Jaxon stood beside him, and the elf company commander quietly held her ground.

"You crazy bitch, do you have a death wish?"

Polid finally said, clutching his slapped cheek.

"If anyone's dying, it's you. Do you know where you are, throwing money around and using soldiers recklessly? Did you think you wouldn't get caught?"

Enkrid wondered what was going on and found it entertaining to watch things unfold. The inn at the Border Guard also served as a meeting place for trading companies.

There were no official residences within the troops. As a result, the inn business flourished. That's why they had gathered here.

The innkeeper, who had been watching over the hall, widened his eyes.

It was a sudden slap and confrontation with weapons. Even someone like him, who had seen all sorts of things, looked perplexed. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The innkeeper rolled his eyes a few times, then made a decision and turned his feet toward the kitchen. He gave up. He was a wise man. He couldn’t stop them or intervene anyway.

Luckily, any damages incurred here would be compensated under the name of the Rockfreed Trading Company which meant he could afford to be relaxed. As he entered the kitchen, he glanced at Enkrid with a sideways look.

'It won't get out of hand, right? It'll be okay, right?'

Enkrid was on familiar terms with Allen, the innkeeper. He nodded slightly so others wouldn’t notice.

Leona wasn’t a fool. Therefore, she wouldn’t create a situation where swords would be drawn here. Despite the tense atmosphere, that was all the disturbance there would be.

"You're so stupid that the previous head didn’t entrust the company to you," Leona spoke.

She seemed unconcerned about resistance or force from her opponent. She exuded the belief that no matter what happened, they wouldn’t dare touch her.

Enkrid felt a strange sensation.

It was all due to Leona's attitude.

'Bold.'

What should one call this?

She had the knack for cutting off any chance for her opponent to resist or speak.

"Tell me where we are, right now."

Polid gritted his teeth and shouted, then involuntarily opened his mouth.

"B-Border Guard."

"Yes, you idiot, this is the Border Guard. You think you can recklessly hire a guild that swindles vagabonds here? Even knowing I’m being escorted by the Border Guard’s standing army?"

"...I didn’t, I mean, I didn’t do anything like that. I didn’t realize the Border Guard was involved until later..."

He was overwhelmed by her presence. Polid couldn't even manage to spout nonsense without his hands shaking.

Srrrk, clack!

Hearing Polid's nonsense, the man behind him drew his sword a finger-length and then sheathed it again. The sound snapped Polid back to reality, and he changed his tune.

"It wasn't me. Who dares accuse me?"

The situation became clearer.

'He must have prepared an alibi before coming here.'

Yet, he nearly spilled everything under pressure.

"Tch."

Leona clicked her tongue, pulled out a chair, and sat down. She crossed her legs, still wearing her leather pants, and took out a cigarette.

"Light."

The nanny lit it for her with a candle.

"Sit down. Aren’t we discussing the succession?"

The woman who caused weapons to be drawn spoke. Smoke rose from her mouth. Polid yanked a chair roughly and sat down.

Who would be at a disadvantage if swords were drawn here? Who did he think those two squads guarding outside were dispatched for?

The two began to converse.

It was a time to discuss what each had prepared for the succession. In other words, it was a conversation Enkrid couldn't understand.

"You can’t even decipher the trade routes, yet you want to take over the company? Have you memorized all the company codes? Have you?"

"Th-Those things can be done by a butler! I'm the legitimate heir. What does some woman who wandered in from outside know..."

"The fact that I am recognized as the rightful successor by the previous head? Do you plan to break that? Are you saying you’ll take over because you inherited the blood of the previous head? Even though you can’t acknowledge what the previous head announced. You want to take the company without any ability just because you have the bloodline? I’m sure others will accept that."

Enkrid half-listened. From the beginning, the discussion and atmosphere seemed to be Leona's victory.

'So they attempted an assassination as a last-ditch effort?'

There happened to be a group at the Border Guard willing to accept such jobs. Was this clever or foolish?

The two talked for quite a while.

To Enkrid, it seemed Leona had come just to ridicule her opponent.

"Are you truly the son of the previous head? You don’t look like him at all. I find that suspicious."

"You little— what? What are you saying? Does that mean my mother accepted another man's seed?"

Polid was so angry that he stammered.

Bang!

He slammed the table in anger, but

"Well, I didn’t mean it like that."

Leona exhaled smoke and dominated the situation. Was this woman always like this? Wasn't she supposed to be demure and quiet?

Enkrid didn’t know. He had only seen her for two days, and they hadn’t exchanged even fifty words. Everyone had two sides and nobody was simple.

"You bitch!"

"Watch your mouth, ugly bastard."

"You wench!"

He had swallowed the insult about his mother, but being called ugly made him reach for the shortsword at his waist.

Enkrid subtly grasped his sword hilt.

This was a place guarded by the Border Guard. He couldn’t just stand by and watch them draw swords and fight.

One of the reasons the value of the city of Border Guard was elevated was because both trading companies and nobles could have discussions here with words rather than swords.

Of course, behind the scenes, they used swords and assassins. But to draw a sword while facing your opponent here?

It was a call for death.

Jaxon stood on his right, and the company commander stood a step back as if watching.

Enkrid placed his hand on the hilt, keeping Polid's guard within sword range.

'Left on the first step.'

He would draw his sword and cut downward from above.

There was no time to take proper posture, so it had to be done simultaneously with drawing the sword. The swordsman guarding Polid responded too.

With a flick, he extended his arm longer. What kind of sword technique would he use?

For a moment, Enkrid hoped the opponent would attack. Logically, that would never happen, but he still hoped.

'What kind of sword is it?'

How fast is it?

Faster than Rem's axe? Even faster than the half-breed elf's Whistling Dagger?

He wanted to experience it. He wanted to face it. He wanted to confront it. It was a competitive spirit. He wanted to experience it purely to gauge his skills. The heat surged through him, warming his body.

If they attacked, he would strike. A strange tension formed between the two. Amidst it, Polid began sweating coldly.

Can he draw his sword here? If he didn’t, would he seem scared? All sorts of thoughts filled his head.

Leona despised that kind of person. Either draw your sword or move on with words. If you couldn’t do either, you shouldn’t have started.

Again, if not for the previous head’s last wishes, he was someone she would never have seen. As the strange standoff continued, the inn grew silent.

That was when it happened.

Thud.

The sound of the inn's door opening was heard. The thick wooden door swung wide and hit the wall.

Thanks to the person who had pushed the door open vigorously, Enkrid’s view expanded. His opponent relaxed. Both took half a step back by mutual agreement.

'This was...'

He almost drew his sword, as if consumed by the thought of the fight, not caring about the situation.

Enkrid sighed internally and turned his head. He saw a familiar face. It was Torres of the Frontier Slaughterers. Five more men in similar attire followed him.

They wore brown leather armor with checkered patterns over tunics, with dark brown coats and shoulder patches embroidered with an eagle emblem.

"We are the Frontier Slaughterers, the King's direct army. We’ve come to capture the mastermind who instigated the Azpen spy unit to create a disturbance."

"Eek."

Polid let out a foolish moan. Then his guard moved next to him, grabbing his shoulder.

Enkrid was curious about the relationship between the two. It didn’t seem like a mere employer-employee relationship.

"Did you bring in Azpen's dogs into the succession fight?"

Polid's face turned pale at Torres' words.

Leona remained indifferent.

'Who called the Frontier Slaughterers?'

Enkrid wondered as he watched the situation.

"We will arrest everyone."

The ones who responded to Torres' words were neither Polid nor Leona.

"Are you saying you’ll detain people without evidence? This one is the heir to the Rockfreed Trading Company. You wouldn’t have taken a bribe from the opposition, would you?"

It was someone behind Polid. A man with plain brown hair and a simple appearance stepped forward. He referred to bribes.

Torres frowned at his words, then smiled and replied.

"...There's a damn joker."

He openly expressed his displeasure. But it was also true. Why did the major trading companies hold meetings at the Border Guard and discuss succession issues?

It was because the Border Guard’s standing army always remained neutral. If trouble arose within the Border Guard, it was a given that the standing army would intervene.

However, they promised to maintain neutrality in all matters.

To detain someone without evidence here would easily lead to misunderstandings, meaning they couldn’t take anyone without evidence.

'Was that the plan?'

The opponent was also thinking strategically. Torres knew this and couldn’t simply cut down the joker. A brief silence, filled with tension followed. It was Leona who broke the silence.

"Bribe? Of course not."

First, she denied the joker’s words.

"Naturally, someone from the trading company could have involved Azpen’s spies."

Then she added,

"Hmm?"

Polid, shocked again, opened his mouth wide but quickly closed it, conscious of the stares around him. Seeing that, Enkrid almost sighed. This was like admitting guilt.

"We don't know yet. That's why I called them— the Frontier Slaughterers."

Who called? Even Enkrid was surprised.

Leona continued.

"I want both heirs detained until this matter is clarified. Then we’ll find evidence."

Leona looked around the room. Her ability to shift the flow of conversation with a few words stood out.

"I heard there’s a mastermind who escaped. Let's capture him and make him confess."

Checkmate.

In chess terms, it was checkmate. There was no escape. Could the captured man withstand torture?

Although it was said that the captured ones were taken to the army, none of them knew who the mastermind was.

They all said the leader knew everything. That leader was likely the one who escaped.

"That sounds good, Lady Leona, but what if he never shows up?"

The man with plain brown hair turned his gaze to Leona and asked.

"Then it wouldn’t be the Frontier Slaughterers' concern."

Leona replied.

"After that, it would be a matter for the trading companies to discuss. To decide the heir, it would be right to return to the city and ask the key figures of the trading company about qualifications."

The man with brown hair smiled and concluded. He hit the nail on the head.

'Once we leave the city.'

Could Leona deal with Polid's guards?

It didn’t seem likely.

"I'm a merchant. I don’t give orders without compensation. To the first person who finds and brings that man, I’ll give this."

Leona placed a dagger on the table as she spoke.

A long, thin blade, covered with a black leather sheath, it was a stiletto-style dagger.

"The Carmen Collection?"

Someone recognized it.

Enkrid saw Jaxon take a step forward beside him. A normally indifferent friend was moving because of a single dagger? Of course, it was a weapon worth that much.

'Unexpected.'

Carmen was a famous assassin known for using weapons he crafted himself. His weapon-making skills surpassed his assassination skills.

The weapons he made were called the Carmen Collection. The weapon she produced now was one of those.

It was a masterwork dagger that even after stabbing someone and pulling it out, it wouldn’t leave a drop of blood.

"Why are you giving that away?"

"Because it's mine. It was given to me by the previous head."

Polid protested, but Leona ignored him and confirmed her decision.

"I'm offering it. Bring him in."

This effectively placed a bounty on his head. Enkrid thought the situation was taking an interesting turn.

'I’ve already told them to bring him in.'

Even as he thought this, he was once again impressed by Leona's skill.

'She called the Frontier Slaughterers to buy time and put a bounty on him to get what she wants.'

She created a situation that was advantageous to everyone except for Polid.

Anyway, capturing him would earn them tens of thousands of Krona. It was enough to make everyone eager.

"I’ll bring him in."

Unexpectedly, there was someone who showed willingness.

"I’ll take care of it myself."

It was Jaxon. He wasn’t just speaking; he seemed genuinely determined. Enkrid nodded at Jaxon. It was the first time Jaxon had stepped up so actively.

'He must really want it.'

That was what he thought.

It wouldn’t be difficult. Who was responsible for the nights and back alleys of this city, the Border Guard? No, It was the Gielpin Guild, and the guild's leader, Kraiss, was currently a member of Enkrid’s squad.

Moreover, he had already been told to catch him since he was concerned.

It was already halfway in hand.