[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses":3,"chapter-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-282":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","A Knight Who Eternally Regresses",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},428061,689,"Chapter 280","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-282",282,"\u003Cp>Why Did Marcus Have to Obey the Summons from the Capital?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bastards from my own house should’ve backed me up, shielded me in a time like this. Instead, they threw me under the damn carriage, made me the scapegoat. Damn politicians.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Marcus’s own remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Enkrid wondered if Marcus was inadvertently insulting himself, but now wasn’t the time to point that out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Border Guard’s expansion—raising warhorses, training archers—looks like a sign of rebellion to the capital. ‘Why are you gathering military strength in the North? And why is it a noble from a prominent central house leading it?’ That’s what they’re asking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A prominent house?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My house.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid didn’t bother asking which one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The point was this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus had been planning to reorganize the North under the Border Guard’s structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to the capital, it looked more like: What are you planning to do with all that power you’re amassing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when he answered, ‘I’m trying to govern the North properly,’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They responded with: ‘Doesn’t seem that way. Come up here and explain yourself. Weren’t you part of a family sworn to protect the capital? Come back. We’ll even give you an administrative post.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if I refuse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Huh? So you really are plotting rebellion? You’re turning this down?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you, it’s not a rebellion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then come to the capital. Talk it out. And stop harassing the neighboring territories. You’re just defending, right? Then they won’t touch you either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I leave, they’ll pounce the moment I’m gone. I’ll go after I’ve settled things here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘See? You are rebelling. Traitor.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said I’m not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then come to the capital.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strip away the pleasantries, the titles, the filler, and that’s basically how the conversation went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus resisted, but it was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was forced to return to the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t over. There’s someone pulling the strings behind all this, and I’ll bet anything it’s those damned bandits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus was a natural politician.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why come all the way here to tell Enkrid this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Enkrid could voice the question, Marcus spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed off from the pillar he had been leaning against and stood upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Straight-backed, rigid, as if standing at attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, it felt like he was drawing in the very air around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he steadied his breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Help Graham protect the territory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t an order. It sounded like a request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Enkrid answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus exhaled, his expression oddly deflated, then muttered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I wasted my time worrying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pardon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his way here, he had been mulling over a few things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would Enkrid really stay?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would it be better to abandon this place and drag him to the capital instead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or would he just leave to follow his own path?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn those bureaucratic bastards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus wanted to curse the rotten nobles and officials all over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that he didn’t do that regularly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today, he wanted to put a hole in each of their foreheads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hire an infamous assassin whose name was etched in history books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Red Dot—a killer so precise he left a crimson mark right before delivering the fatal shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was it Scarlet Point? Whatever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, he wanted to cut the rot out and burn it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine. I’ll go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wasn’t going to sit there quietly and play nice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d hunt down every bastard manipulated by the Black Blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to do that, this place had to remain intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy had set their sights on the Border Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what was Marcus supposed to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What I always do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leave the fighting to those who are best at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And focus on what he was best at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, he decided he needed to write a few more letters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to prepare for every possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, naturally, his thoughts drifted to the biggest wildcard—Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will he stay?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever the politician, he had come half out of doubt, half to persuade him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the answer had come too easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid had simply accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation, no overblown sense of duty—just a simple confirmation that he would stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was just the kind of man he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus didn’t know what fire burned inside Enkrid’s chest, but it was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It smoldered beneath the surface, never fully revealing itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Enkrid had truly wanted to be a knight, he would’ve gone to the capital ages ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would’ve fought tooth and nail to join an order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, despite having Will, he remained here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of knight do you want to be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next time they met, Marcus wanted to ask him that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, he felt… steadier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tight knot in his chest loosened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he couldn’t fully explain why, even though he didn’t know exactly what would happen next—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I won’t go down that easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Graham, the First Company Commander, could train himself to the brink of death and command with every ounce of skill he had, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, he didn’t inspire as much confidence as a single word from Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it just a difference in skill?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No. Marcus knew, instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid had become a terrifying swordsman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was walking the path of a knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even awakened Will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at his office, Graham was already waiting for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Apologies. We won’t have time for a proper appointment ceremony, and honestly, I have no idea what that bastard in charge of the Green Pearl garrison is thinking. If he’s turned against us, things will get tricky.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. I won’t lose to some bandit scum.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Graham was a skilled soldier, a solid man—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why didn’t those words reassure him as much as Enkrid’s simple ‘Yes’?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus shook his head slightly and patted Graham’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was turning into a complete mess, and yet he had to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a frustrating feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it only strengthened his resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would see this through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And every single bastard responsible—he would cut their throats himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Cult has surfaced in the south of Martai!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the talk of every merchant and traveler passing through the region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A so-called bishop of the Cult had appeared in the south, leading a horde of beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumors were spreading that a man known as the Wolf Bishop—a high-ranking figure within the Cult—had mobilized an army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, of course, it wasn’t just a rumor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Winter is upon us, and for those who shiver and starve in the cold, I shall personally proclaim this land a holy sanctuary.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bishop’s declaration had been written down and scattered far and wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Border Guard caught wind of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, shit. That’s a goddamn mess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of the soldiers clicked their tongues after reading it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because what it meant was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cult had declared Martai and the entire Border Guard region as their holy land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, if you stand in our way, we will kill you all. So leave quietly and get out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a serious problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Marcus gone, the First Company Commander—now both the acting lord and the battalion commander—broke into a cold sweat as this crisis surged toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why the hell is the Cult suddenly showing up now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was dire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army’s limitations were clear, yet now they were being attacked from two different sides—by the Black Blades and the Cult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has Marcus fled in fear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Tarnin escalated his provocations, pushing his forces forward under the pretense of a border skirmish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scent of war was in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need to send a request for reinforcements to Count Molsen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Graham wasted no time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A high-ranking noble from one of the most powerful families in the region happened to be present in the territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely he wouldn’t ignore this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Graham even subtly reminded him, Your two sons are here, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reply came swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Cult is spreading in my lands too, and with winter here, the monsters are running rampant. Handle it yourself.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Company Commander slammed his fist into the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was made of solid brick, so it didn’t break, but the pain shot through his knuckles like fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that it mattered right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goddamn it! We’re next, you idiot! Your land is next!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Molsen’s territory wouldn’t be spared from this madness either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones pushing Viscount Tarnin forward, the ones pulling strings from behind, were the Black Blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, at this point, they weren’t even bothering to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several well-known swordsmen directly affiliated with the Black Blades had openly shown their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t just stirring up trouble—they were making a move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the Cultists pushing up from Martai and the bandits attacking from Tarnin’s side seemed to have an unspoken agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither group was encroaching on the other’s territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was coordinated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if it looked coordinated, then it probably was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would they be satisfied with just taking over the Border Guard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would they stop there, pat their bellies, and call it a day?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d only get worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Graham sent crows and pigeons flying toward the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No reply came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, another message arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Battalion Commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hadn’t Marcus told him he was sorry for leaving this burden behind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been no formal appointment ceremony, but Graham had intended to solidify his role as battalion commander through this crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus’s last words came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If things get too bad, don’t hesitate to run.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this that moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news that had just arrived threatened to crush him completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes darkened with despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Azpen has made a move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a man who had once been a reserve battalion commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had stationed troops in the Green Pearl Plains, where he was training warhorses, opening new farmland, and settling villages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first priority was fortification—building barracks, setting up palisades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning what was once a simple village into a proper estate, then pushing it further into a true part of Naurillia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, a messenger from the Green Pearl had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azpen had mobilized his army and crossed the border, breaking the treaty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an invasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azpen had lost once, but there was no way he would sit quietly, sucking his thumb, forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a problem that could only be solved with support from the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way the Border Guard could handle it alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reinforcements would come—Azpen’s actions guaranteed that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We have to survive until then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Graham was officially appointed battalion commander, he wanted to run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Blades’ schemes had become a blade tearing through the Border Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had driven Marcus out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had called in the Cult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, they had moved Azpen into play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky was dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy clouds choked out the sun, leaving even the daytime dull and gray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same darkness loomed over the land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you going to do now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Black Blades officer chuckled to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He poured a drink down his throat, savoring the satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You thought you could mess with us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had used every connection, spent every coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was the result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viscount Tarnin and the Black Blades’ army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cult’s army in the south of Martai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, beyond the Green Pearl Plains where the Border Guard stood, Azpen’s forces were making their move from the east.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So? What will you do now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The relentless flood of bad news had begun to cut off the merchants traveling to the territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They say war is about to break out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard the Cult is invading.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, no, that's not it. Word is the battalion stationed in Green Pearl has turned its back. They're saying, Why appoint someone else as the leader of the Border Guard instead of us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard the central government has its eyes on this place and plans to abandon it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And it's not just them—Count Molsen has turned his back, too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When will the Border Guard fall?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid let the rumors drift past him without much concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there were those who couldn’t afford to ignore them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Graham, now both the commander and newly appointed battalion leader, felt like he was suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if someone had pressed a blade to his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he gathered the troops to stop Viscount Tarnin, he left his rear vulnerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sent a messenger to the Green Pearl battalion, hoping for reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reply that came back only made things worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The enemy forces are overwhelming. If you don’t want to see your soldiers wiped out, you need to send reinforcements.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reinforcements?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hell was he talking about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Graham barely had enough hands to defend this place as it was—if he could, he’d conjure an entire army out of thin air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His unkempt beard and bloodshot eyes were a testament to his crumbling patience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fuck you, Marcus.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, Graham cursed the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was there to celebrate about being battalion leader and lord, when this was the damn situation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Graham was teetering on the edge of a full-blown panic attack, someone in Enkrid’s company was starting to do the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Captain, Captain, isn’t it time we ran?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was he talking about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You swore loyalty to the queen or something? No, right? I mean, it’s the Cult, the Black Blades, and Azpen—how the hell are we supposed to stop all of them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid turned to look at King Eyeball, observing him for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His legs trembled, his fingers hovered near his mouth as if to bite his nails—only to spit instead. He blinked repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, he was blinking furiously, eyes darting as he looked at Enkrid. His pupils trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t in his right mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid didn’t claim to know every detail about his subordinates’ pasts or understand them completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there were things he’d come to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like how Rem despised the cold. Or that Ragna was a lazy bastard with no sense of direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Jaxon kept a lot of secrets and sometimes showed an eerie side, but it was unclear what triggered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then there was Crace and his habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That big-eyed bastard had clearly been through a rough life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then again, who here hadn’t?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who had lived a peaceful life wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This unit wasn’t called a band of troublemakers for nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crace was one of those troublemakers, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the worst.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crace muttered, listing out all the worst-case scenarios that could unfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if we somehow hold the Black Blades at the walls, what about the Cultists coming up from the south? That so-called Wolf Bishop is a big deal—I did some digging.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was pale, drained of any humor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That bastard leads hundreds of wolf-beasts. There’s a bounty on his head. Do you know what that means? It means Molsen, the kingdom, they’ve all abandoned this place. Whatever deal they made, they got something in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Think about it. Azpen is blatantly lining up his troops, and yet the kingdom hasn’t sent a single reinforcement. Not even a handful of knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you get what that means? This is political. Maybe they struck a deal to abandon Green Pearl in exchange for something. Or maybe they made a deal with the Cult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the Black Blades, at the very least...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too much talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid let half of it go in one ear and out the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His men were watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment, he understood something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would follow his lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he said, We’re abandoning this place, they would all leave without question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem, Ragna, Audin, Jaxon, Dunbakel, Teresa, and finally, Crace, drowning in his own anxieties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the leopard that had quietly slipped in would be no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight of them, plus himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A force that should’ve been insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But right now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their previous victories had been won because Marcus had hidden their true strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Crace’s analysis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Enkrid agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what would happen if they left now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else? The whole place would go to hell.\u003C\u002Fp>",2713,"2026-05-30T08:27:55.568Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","1723c37e3bbfdbf1c7f833a50e53729782d15d02f3480a4ab15ae8536f8fa79f","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-471","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-281",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]