A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

"Even if you're busy, you still have to do your duties."

Enkrid wondered whether seeing him off was truly a necessary task, but since the other party had already put it that way, he couldn’t simply tell them to go back.

More than anything else—

‘Still, it’s nice to see them.’

Of course, Crang wasn’t alone. No matter how regularly he cleared out monsters and beasts around the kingdom, danger was always present.

Matthew and Squire Rophod were there, along with the bodyguard wielding a trident whom Enkrid had met before.

In addition, there were five more warriors selected from the Royal Guard.

They nodded slightly upon seeing Enkrid.

It was a gesture of respect toward the hero who had saved the country. Enkrid returned the greeting with a slight movement of his neck.

It was a small group for a guard detail, but this was likely not all of them.

It would be standard procedure to have at least one unit stationed nearby in case things went south.

‘Marcus would do something like that.’

While thinking this, Matthew approached and asked,

"You're leaving now?"

From the first time they met until now—

Matthew’s thoughts had changed significantly.

At first, he had viewed Enkrid as an insufferably arrogant man, but now, if someone were to ask, “Who saved this country?” he would unhesitatingly name the man standing before ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) him.

‘My lord, forgive me.’

It wasn’t Crang who had led them to victory in the civil war—it was Enkrid, the Demon Slayer.

Crang himself would probably nod and acknowledge that.

"Yeah. What, are you disappointed?"

Enkrid tightened his grip on his sword’s hilt. Matthew had been about to ask if it wouldn’t be better for him to stay, if there wasn’t still much he could do for his lord.

But then, suddenly, Enkrid acted as if he was about to attack.

"Come at me. If you’re sad to see me go, you shouldn’t be."

‘Ah, this crazy bastard.’

Enkrid genuinely thought Matthew had come because he was reluctant to part. Bell, who was standing behind them, shook his head.

‘A lunatic obsessed with the sword. A dueling maniac. There isn’t a single normal thing about him.’

Well, that was precisely why it was worth following him. After all, normality was the opposite of uniqueness.

Bell didn’t want his own path to become an ordinary one. That was why he was here.

"I’m still not fully healed," Matthew said.

The injury he had sustained before had been close to a grievous wound.

Enkrid and his group were the abnormal ones.

They had fought their way through wraiths. Any normal person would have been bedridden for at least a month.

‘And yet they’re already up and sparring after just a few days?’

That was unnatural. Matthew, in contrast, was normal.

"I wish to follow you, sir. I have come here to humbly ask for your permission."

It was Squire Rophod. His manner was extremely formal.

Enkrid knew that he was a squire of the Crimson Mantle Order.