A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

Just as Rem had made his decision, others, too, experienced a shift in their resolve.

There was no avoiding it.

"Ha!"

From morning to night.

Whether it rained or snowed, whether the weather was sticky and unbearable—

Watching that lunatic swing his sword endlessly made one reflect on many things.

If Rem had solidified his resolve for a specific reason,

Ragna, on the other hand, reaffirmed his own talent.

He had taken a step back to observe himself.

What is it that I have?

First and foremost, he had an uncanny knack for finding shortcuts. It was an exceptional ability.

And it wasn’t something that required others to acknowledge it.

Not that I’d ever make a career out of guiding people.

Ragna had actually tried being a guide before, but every single client who hired him ended up terrified.

He was a terrifyingly good fighter, but a mad guide who couldn’t tell north from south.

Some even suspected that he deliberately led people into monster-infested areas.

At one point, the mere mention of his name made the Guide Guild break out in cold sweats.

So that talent could be set aside.

Next?

The sword. Swordsmanship.

Innate talent never truly disappeared, and there were things one could recognize even without being told.

Just like his knack for guiding, he had some level of talent with the sword.

Then what am I lacking?

Knowing what he was good at wasn’t enough.

While he had no shortcomings as a guide, his swordsmanship was different.

If there were no deficiencies or roadblocks, he would already be at the level of a knight.

But he wasn’t. He had hit a wall. He could feel his flow of swordplay breaking apart.

That meant he was lacking something.

To others, it seemed like Ragna had been slacking off lately, but in reality, he had been engaged in deep introspection.

And after much self-reflection, he reached a conclusion.

The fundamentals.

Every action—swinging, cutting, stabbing—

He had to go back and walk the path he had taken, in reverse.

Even if he was a terrible guide, even he could retrace his own footsteps.

As he did, a voice from within him asked—

"Why do you want to be a knight?"

In the past, that question might have stopped him in his tracks.

But now—

"Because only as a knight can I see what comes next."

Ragna now awaited what came next.

And the closest step ahead was clear—

The knight from Azpen.

He would defeat him.

Just as Rem had strengthened his resolve, so had Ragna.

Jaxon, on the other hand, experienced no change in his mindset.

His mind had already been made up.

Instead, his body was constantly in motion. He had no time to rest.

If he failed to persuade his guild members, there would be no shortage of people eager to poison Enkrid’s meals.