[{"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-617":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},428324,689,"Chapter 614: Profit and Pleasure","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-617",617,"\u003Cp>He slashed, and slashed again, and kept slashing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna's blade cut, cleaved, and crushed enemy soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to build an iron wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One more refined, at least, than what Enkrid had shown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked—yes, it worked—but was this truly refinement? Depending on how you looked at it, one might say this was even more brutish, ignoring the cost in Will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna's swordplay wasn't insanely fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant every soldier broken and mangled by his blade could be seen—vividly—by everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it didn’t just “come into view.” It was as if someone was jamming the image into their eyes with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get down. Or die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna moved as he spoke. A warning thrown mid-swing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a death sentence aimed at enemy soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a joke!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One paladin, confident that even a knight couldn’t kill him in a single blow, was slain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another, said to be the best shield-bearer in the unit, also died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A passing swing even took out a junior knight by accident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrifying. That thought flashed in a soldier’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t about not wanting to die, or missing his mother. It was the sheer instinctive rejection of death that kicked in first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure fear gripped the soldier’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that way, Ragna drew a wall of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When fear becomes a wall that blocks the path ahead—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when no one can step forward. That was Ragna’s iron wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What the hell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Myl stood speechless, dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who recognized the power, Will, or intent behind Ragna’s strikes couldn’t help but shout at the sheer audacity of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent, brother! Allow me to show you mine as well!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Ragna displayed was the sword he had polished over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin, seeing that, couldn’t help but get fired up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragna had responded to the idea of proving himself when Audin returned—through the blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, are we still talking about \"education\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Ragna didn’t mean it that way, that’s how it sounded to Audin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A returning member stepped forward and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Audin of the Mad Knights.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tattered clothes mattered not. No one noticed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just stepping forward engraved his presence into everyone around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This lowly servant feels shame. Father, why have you sent them down the path of corruption? I now send them to your side. Please guide these lost lambs back to where they belong, and bless their heads with your hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin stepped forward toward Azratik.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t far apart to begin with, so two steps closed the distance quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik saw him approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just a growing figure—his presence swelled with each step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For twenty years, Overdeer had been his only rival. But now, others were rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man before him was likely one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much was clear from the pressure he exuded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he remained quietly within the Church, Azratik would never have met him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If one side of the scale is to be raised, something of equal weight must be placed on the other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Audin approach, Azratik muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If what he longed for was the passion he’d forgotten, then what must he place on the other side of the scale?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever he wished for, he was told to offer something of equal value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Be it honor, or even life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the doctrine of the God of the Scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though abandoning the Church might be crossing a line... perhaps that line could be crossed if one was desperate enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was this all just self-justification?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Enkrid heard these thoughts, he would’ve nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And probably would’ve told him to stop making excuses and face reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you excited, old brother with a rotten mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin asked as he stepped up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone came from the way Azratik’s expression reminded him of a child the day before a field trip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik answered plainly, feeling that old forgotten passion ignite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this the path he’d chosen—to fight monsters like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the opposite scale, he’d placed his fame and his life. Maybe even his faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he’d gain in return was a thrilling duel with everything on the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As am I.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to send this poor sinner to the side of the War God to be judged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And smiling for such a man proved his compassion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the outside, Azratik’s body seemed half the size of Audin’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the pressure he emitted was no less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik waved his thick, long fingers gently up and down as he stepped closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those fingers were the reason he’d earned the nickname \"Serpent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were close enough now to reach out and touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin and Azratik pressed the backs of their right hands together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an old habit from their days as martial combatants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the backs of their hands dropped, and their limbs lashed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it was light—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwap, smack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the sound of limbs meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They deflected and absorbed each other’s strikes with no damage done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik used Sacred Infiltration, but Audin pushed back with the holy energy boiling within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such techniques were folded into the simple movements of their limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those in the area capable of sensing Will could recognize the lethal tension in their exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had feinted a sweeping ankle kick with his left leg, then tried to trip Audin by entwining their feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Audin didn’t block—he sidestepped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made Azratik cry out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He judged that, in terms of technique, there was no difference between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Or perhaps...I’m the one falling behind?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was thrilling, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was being outdone in skill, what was left?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hwoom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik began to emit light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the murky gray hue seen before, but a brilliant white flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was divine power accumulated over decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t surge endlessly like someone with an unquenchable Will, but it was enough to defy easy estimation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin shouted back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Azratik had read his moves, he had read Azratik’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Azratik could trip him, he’d feinted a chop to the shoulder, then turned his fingers into a claw to grab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik, in turn, grabbed his hand to block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had tested each other's strength briefly, and Audin realized:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t overpower this man with just a short burst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now light shone from Audin as well—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His light was more of a yellow-tinged flare compared to Azratik’s white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their auras collided, blending in a way that made it hard to say who held the advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wouldn't be decided quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid watched all of this unfold, recalling the conversation he’d had just before the battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A drifting thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If there's no guarantee of victory...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid looked down at the hand that had figuratively grabbed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hand made of words—but not something he could ignore or brush off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It belonged to someone who had called him a friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Noah, who had approached him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was genuinely worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if he truly wanted to be friends, Enkrid couldn’t just ignore that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in truth, Enkrid didn’t find it that important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he understood Noah’s sincerity, he wouldn’t follow his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I may not have an eye for great tactics, but I know this can’t be solved with one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah said again, in a tone that was neither fast nor slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the nameless paladin had said something similar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winning a fight with elite few would be nice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if they managed to hold out, if the army advanced, the monastery couldn’t be saved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the paladin ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) held back their elite fighters, the army would break through—and people would die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And didn’t they say the enemies standing at the front were more than capable of doing that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that had been blocked—first by Rophod and Pell, then by Teresa, then finally Ragna’s blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Noah couldn’t have known that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was before any of it happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I could lose. I could die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid acknowledged Noah’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said it because he understood what Noah meant, beyond tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lack of a guarantee of victory meant death or defeat was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could be dancing on the edge of a cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why do all this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a man who originally only wanted to save the children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah’s eyes were pure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind of light you couldn’t find in priests corrupted by the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid pondered the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was because he’d show resolve, knowing he’d just come back anyway if he died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no—it wasn’t that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid forgets his curse in moments of crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the thing that most impressed the Ferryman about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A madman walking solely toward tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If a traveling merchant can die from a lightning strike while walking, why does he still take the road? Same thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid answered casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Noah, it sounded like a koan—a line from scripture used to seek truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike a koan, the meaning was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You can’t start a journey if you fear tomorrow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you fear losing, you can’t draw your sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you’re afraid of dying, you wouldn’t dream of knighthood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if you fear the dreams that come after, you might as well turn back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it’s far too arduous to reach them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if I run away here? What happens when something similar comes up later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid asked, still in a calm tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind that made everyone believe he never would run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you turn back once, you can turn back again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you justify it once, you’ll justify it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One mistake doesn’t define everything—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ignoring the chance to make it right? That’s what he couldn’t stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An uncertain tomorrow lay before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he had strength he didn’t have before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that made him happy. Truly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were thoughts sparked by Rophod’s stand, Ragna’s blade, and Audin stepping forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely—by the man now standing in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Didn’t they say there were only two paladins?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the man with the guisarme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His iron boots clinked as he moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t that the man was approaching—Enkrid was the one who had stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man removed his helmet and set it aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A visored iron helm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing it in a knight duel could limit vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t why he removed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You prefer not to wear helmets? I suppose we should match. Our armor looks similar enough, doesn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was trying to balance the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To fight on equal terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Enkrid, something about it felt off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tone, attitude, atmosphere—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hit a sixth sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said he wanted fairness, but he gave off the vibe of someone who’d do anything to win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man whose outside didn’t match his inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In that case, shouldn’t you change weapons first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid spoke. Half-joking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouldn’t their weapons match if they wanted balance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thing in the man’s hand looked a lot like an engraved weapon—he wasn’t imagining it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Changing weapons would be too much. An engraved weapon is like a part of me. I can’t throw myself away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man refused instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even worth considering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked about the same age as Enkrid—so, quite young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid’s youthful appearance had always given him an edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he was twenty, it wasn’t so obvious. But past thirty, he often looked ten years younger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Age aside, this man clearly wasn’t easy prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Talent had nothing to do with virtue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That, Enkrid had known long before he became a knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I ask something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was odd—sounded more like an old man’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No, maybe it just had that sneering undertone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t like they were about to argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did you step up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah. This question again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t like Noah’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a question about why he risked his life in an uncertain fight—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was pure curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no benefit in this, is there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Church of the Scales teaches: for anything you place on one side of the balance, something of equal weight must be placed on the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if this man fought here, risking his life—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then surely, something valuable had to be on the opposite scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gold? Honor? Something else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guisarme-wielder was simply curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a second reason he hadn’t told Noah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t for profit—but that didn’t mean there was none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond saving lives, beyond protecting Noah’s monastery—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was the reward of this fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A minor one, but real nonetheless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chance to gain experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since becoming a knight, Enkrid had learned the best way to improve was to fight opponents as strong—or stronger—than himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even slicing through living flames had taught him something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So yes, there was profit. But it wasn’t the main reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah would’ve thought he was truly mad if he heard it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because calculating things wasn’t really Enkrid’s style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seemed fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if to say—What does that mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fun? What could possibly be fun about this? Worth dying for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the difference in the lives they’d led.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid felt joy in growth, in striving for tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That joy made him swing his sword even when death loomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least—for Enkrid—it did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the appearance of a strong opponent was a joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So yes—he stepped in for Noah, to protect and to save—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But also because it intrigued him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he smiled even when an unexpected foe stepped forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...So that’s why you’re smiling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid nodded again.\u003C\u002Fp>",2267,"2026-05-30T08:28:31.475Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","245eb82d8be071c8145ff220b7005956c9fd77f129f5b2470b3ba7e357e64d62","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-618","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-616",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]