[{"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-613":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},428320,689,"Chapter 610: Well, of Course","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-613",613,"\u003Cp>Enkrid, after weighing the circumstances—his own current strength, the knight order’s combat capabilities, and everything in between—didn’t consider their situation to be a crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know every single individual gathered out front, but even with only a rough idea, his judgment remained the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard a Holy Knight joined them. That’s not going to stop us, is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kraiss had said that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What remained unpredictable were the forces reportedly arriving from the Holy Nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They're in chaos, torn by internal factions. Cultist uprisings are breaking out everywhere, monsters are flooding out of the Demon Realm—it’s a total disaster. So we can’t predict how they’ll react.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what he’d said. Enkrid merely nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if all of them turned against him, he wasn’t going to change his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid had always been that kind of man. Everyone knew it. If he hadn’t been such a madman to begin with, he wouldn’t have made it this far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Enkrid made it clear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah lives. The monastery survives. No one inside dies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the assignment he gave himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we’re friends now, shouldn’t I be trying harder to stop you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah asked, earnest as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, I was never one to listen to others,\" Enkrid replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah’s face twisted into one of silent protest, but he had no rebuttal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So just watch from now on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words naturally carried Will. Enkrid had spoken his resolve. Noah, at a loss for words, looked up at the hero who had called him a friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That hero rose from his seat, his back to the light spilling in from the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Assemble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid spoke as he exited the room—though the others were already gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One among them, a warrior of the Cult-Slaying Priests, stepped forward. No one tried to stop him. They’d all been through enough harassment on the road here to be done with interference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nameless crusader had a hardened look on his face. He spoke urgently, laced with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you even know who’s out there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t. Enkrid shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d heard bits and pieces, but he hadn’t looked into it in detail. Not really.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell are they thinking, coming here like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader was baffled, but he still had to say something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people weren’t just called madmen—they were mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to make them understand the danger. Had to get them to think about their own safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it wasn’t right for people who had come this far, for the right reasons, to die meaningless deaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are two Holy Knights—born of the Scales and of Plenty. Both have proven their power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader’s voice was as serious and steady as it could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they’ll understand how dangerous this is, he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid blinked at him in silence, his expression unreadable. His eyes seemed to ask, So what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader couldn’t quite interpret the look, but one thing was clear—Enkrid had no intention of backing down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not just knights—these two are elite among Holy Knights.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He repeated it, asking, Did you come here knowing that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So they say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid replied, glancing idly at the crusader’s chest and uniform before speaking to his own order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was disinterested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We already heard. That’s what they’re saying,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem replied. He’d already listened to the crusader’s repeated warnings all the way here—danger this, Holy Knights that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rem’s tone was more annoyed than indifferent. Same as when they’d left the Border Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why annoyed? Not because of the crusader’s nagging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one reason:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why the hell is this happening in the cold?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danger? What’s that—something you eat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face and body all seemed to scream that sentiment. The crusader’s warnings were useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing beside him, Ragna paused as if contemplating something, then asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do I get both of them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy Knights? If they were saturated with holy power, they’d be fun opponents. Hadn’t that pompous bear Audin said he’d train him? Then this would be the perfect warm-up before the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ bear came back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he cut down those two, it wouldn’t be hard to beat up the bear again when he returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fine training match, Ragna thought. Though no one could read his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I shall show you the spring wind that casts off winter’s chill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shinar muttered something incomprehensible—though she’d actually said it a few times on the way here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was talking about showing Enkrid her fairy swordsmanship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid had half-dismissed it as a joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just because it sounded like whimsical pixie nonsense didn’t mean Shinar lacked skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had the power to back her words—to carve down that army with her \"spring wind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fairies didn’t concern themselves with human emotions, so they naturally didn’t show fear. Not even for appearance’s sake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader took a long breath, composing himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like talking to a wall. No one seemed to care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rophod, Pell, and Teresa just nodded—Ah, so there are Holy Knights out there? Got it. That kind of reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were even wondering if they’d get a chance to fight them. Maybe they couldn’t win, but it’d be worth trying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lua Gharne and Jaxon weren’t much different. Jaxon was already thinking, Should I go kill one first?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lua Gharne wondered what kind of fight Enkrid would show against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even unspoken, it was all written across their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had been stained by madness—that’s what made them the Mad Knight Order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you even hear what I said?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader snapped, unable to contain himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d seen their exploits. Heard the names—the Mad Knight Order, the Ironwall Knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their fame was recent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whereas the two Holy Knights outside had stood their ground for over twenty years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was known as the Guardian of the Nest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other had inherited the title of one of the Apostles of Plenty—Azratik the Bone-Breaking Serpent. A walking disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of close-quarters combat, he was arguably the most dangerous man on the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... any followers of the God of War out there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid asked calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now? You’re asking that now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader paused, then answered, hoping to pull the conversation back on track.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There aren’t many. Maybe a few out there, but anyone ranked at knight or quasi-knight level would be on the frontlines right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After losing Audin, the God of War’s sect had largely withdrawn from the church’s internal affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d lost the most promising heir to lead the next generation. Nothing had been the same since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the war-god faithful had retreated from politics. Lost power, lost voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d become a reclusive order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current high priest was just focused on internal discipline, doing what he could with what remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was no need to go into all that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Enkrid wasn’t really interested in the details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Holy war?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A battle to stop monsters from spilling out of the Demon Realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader’s face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A real crusade, if you ask me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He meant that those on the frontlines were fighting a true holy war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in a world like this, some still did their part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not, the continent would’ve fallen long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Enkrid intended to do his part too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Az... what was it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Azratik. Azratik!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the crusader shouted, flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not all knights were equal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered to himself,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, I agree.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gray-haired barbarian beside him nodded casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell are these people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik, the Holy Knight, was no joke. A twenty-year veteran. If his grip caught you, a broken bone would be the best outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet none of them seemed the least bit concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re really going to fight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did we look like we were here for a picnic?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid answered flatly, leading the way toward the monastery gate. It was the only reply needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Enkrid in the lead, he had no choice but to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they passed through the monastery’s uneven roads, they passed dried vines curling around old columns, a worn statue of the Goddess of Plenty, and small hut-like residences. Everyone in the monastery had come out to watch them walk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their gazes were full of hope, fear, and doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More fear than hope, truthfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid said nothing and continued walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader wrestled with himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it right to give these people false hope? Or better to show them the cold truth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Noah had agonized over whether to lie just to reassure the children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then one child asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mister, did you come to protect us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged priestess placed a gentle hand on the child’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could blame the question. Everyone here wanted to ask it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stabilizing the monastery, Noah had taken in children orphaned from nearby towns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s just share what little food we have and sleep a little more tightly. That’s all it takes, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That had been his thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was the right choice... that was hard to say now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that choice had led to more than ten children’s corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crusader couldn’t sit back knowing that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power. Authority. Do the innocent really have to die for that? Lord, give me an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Father didn’t reply. So he’d come to find his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scripture said: Ask and you shall receive. But only asking inside your heart led nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when that child asked that question, half-drenched in fear and hope—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid placed a hand on the child’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, of course.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did it give them hope?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe. The fear lightened slightly. But the shadow didn’t vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally. Words alone don’t erase that kind of dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they reached the monastery gate, they found that the enemy had reorganized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone sat in a tall chair in the center, others clustered around—clearly core members of the Gray God’s cult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Enkrid walked, the crusader at his side kept pace, continuing his anxious warnings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those two Holy Knights aren’t all. They’ve got priests and divine mages. One of them, Noma, can fire over twenty Gray Divine Bursts at once. Each one hits like a giant’s fist. Even for a knight order, charging straight in is suicide. We should—form a strategy or—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Annoying, maybe—but Enkrid didn’t mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He caught sight of the dented breastplate on the crusader’s chest. The dark circles on his face. Clearly, the man hadn’t slept in days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Word was, he’d nearly died on a food raid just a few days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked with a subtle limp, probably from an injury sustained then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was hiding the pain, trying to walk normally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid had also seen the flicker in his eyes when the child asked that question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, the crusader still straightened his back and told the child not to worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must know how much influence he has over others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah had told Enkrid which order he belonged to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cult-Slaying Priests. A group whose only mission was to annihilate cults.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, here he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah had asked, and the answer was simple:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just couldn’t stand by and watch the innocent die. That’s all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid liked this man too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed something was wrong and came here ready to die for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would his death change anything? Probably not. He knew that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And still, he chose to face it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was conviction. That was why Enkrid respected him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nameless, huh? So you’ve got no name?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid asked, eyes still on the distant figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. I haven’t received a name yet, brother. But that’s not important right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word brother warmed Enkrid’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"True.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Enkrid spoke, dust kicked up along the monastery wall. A hazy shape formed—like a gray dragonfly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gray Burst Spell!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their allied crusader shouted in alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a spell that exploded on contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An exclusive technique of those awakened to the Gray Divine Radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>",1974,"2026-05-30T08:28:31.475Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","410e05316f75f58b6294e63cdf95444cca6508bb42fe6c9d5a897d6f054652d4","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-614","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-612",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]