[{"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-619":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},428326,689,"Chapter 616: Abbot Noah","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-619",619,"\u003Cp>At Overdeer’s words, Noah suddenly rushed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! This is all my responsibility! You mustn’t blame them! I was the one who asked for help. They acted without knowing anything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a cry that burst out without consideration for logic or order—driven by desperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah had no fear; despite the shift in momentum, even a single arrow could have ended his life. Enkrid instinctively twisted his body to block any possible incoming shot, thinking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Can I really say they acted without knowing anything, when I was leading from the front?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah had pointed at him, claiming ignorance, but no one here would believe that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah limped forward, perhaps having twisted his ankle at some point, arms spread wide, positioning himself between Overdeer, the head of the Purge Priests, and Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid glanced at the two—still gripping their swords, but not raising them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would he lose if he fought both at once? He wasn’t sure. If it were just him, maybe. But he wasn’t alone here, so he didn’t think they were outmatched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a spring breeze I haven’t yet shown. Don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve still got energy to spare after watching from the sidelines.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those words came from behind Enkrid—first Shinar, then Lua Gharne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever “spring breeze” meant, it likely signaled the fairy’s own readiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if there was someone among us who worshipped demons, that is my crime alone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah shouted, veins bulging on his neck. His cry rang across the gathering—not that it was likely to persuade anyone, but his voice carried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many people in this continent listen to the powerless?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what if that voice wasn't alone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone stepped forward. And stood beside Noah. Then another. And another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were monks—members of the monastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some couldn’t wield divine power. Some were martial monks who had changed after the Seiki incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man with a shaved crown exposing his round scalp stood next to Noah. His legs trembled. Clearly, he was terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a group of about ten stood behind Noah. They were those who had helped him run the monastery. One even held back a younger monk trying to step forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged woman who stopped that young monk looked over the remaining children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If my death could save them, would that not be an honor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then let her become a martyr.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the world called them demon-worshippers, if it saved the children, she would endure it. She stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could this be just one person’s crime? If there is guilt, it belongs to all of us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not the children. Not those others. This is what we did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Abbot Noah, why must you stand alone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They spoke. And their words gave weight to his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way to empower words is to have others stand with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does a king need to truly be a king?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needs those who will recognize him as one—and stand by his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, by Noah’s side, stood people who gave strength to his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you doing this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah didn’t seem touched. He looked more surprised. He let out a breath, and only then did the urgency in his face relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, his tone was completely calm—unlike his earlier rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice, attitude, and demeanor had a quality different from Crang’s, but it drew attention just as surely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t wield divine power. The Lord did not grant it to me. So I cannot stop you with strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All I can do is pray. The responsibility is mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People listened. His gentle, yet piercing tone naturally compelled attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The hero from the Border Guard, and those young ones—this isn’t something that should reach them. Don’t you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They say divinity is light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But lacking that light does not make one any less of a priest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah was a priest. And he was someone who knew how to protect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if these were the last words he ever spoke, if there was no reason to avoid it, he would not run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was someone who could shield others with the faith he had forged within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people had done nothing. They were no demon-worshippers. Enkrid knew that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if Overdeer or that high priest tried to label them so, Enkrid already knew what he would do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming an enemy of the Holy Nation? He would endure it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming a target of the Purge Priests, those zealots and warriors? He would endure that too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the whole continent pointed fingers at him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would endure that as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He enjoyed praise and cheers, but he didn’t live for it—would never throw himself away for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the pride and conviction of a man who lived only for the today that hopes for tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the cold air settled, the unnamed paladin who had joined earlier stepped forward. He sensed he had to help de-escalate the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you come here because you believe the monastery worships demons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To worship demons was to be part of a heretical cult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t that what the name “Sanctified Demon Church” implied?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Purge Priests existed to exterminate such cults. Perhaps they came to do just that here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or did you come to punish me, a runaway?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paladin was giving them a reason—perhaps offering himself in place of a needless bloodshed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who led the Purge Priests was a knight. A man of power from the Holy Nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face, scarred and severe, betrayed little emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a long-endured patience, common among those who had suffered much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer, who had shouted “fool” earlier, chewed over Noah’s speech and stepped forward. A prophet knows when opportunity knocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was one of those moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chance to choose where he would stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s why you came, then I already know where I must stand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer moved to Enkrid’s side and turned his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had made his allegiance clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The fool I was talking about was that Apostle of Abundance over there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At those words, Audin gave a slight smile. He had just finished beating Azratik into a half-crippled state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azratik had lost an arm and an ankle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even divine power could regrow a severed limb—not unless you were Frokk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the arm was gone. The ankle, crushed by divine force, would leave him limping for life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hadn’t been done on purpose. Azratik simply wasn’t someone you could afford to go easy on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scarred High Priest said nothing as he stared at Enkrid. He didn’t even acknowledge the paladin under his command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue eyes, imbued with divine light, met dull brown ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, the high priest spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one here is so thoughtless as to label this monastery as the devil’s puppet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was respectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are right, brother. I realize it now, though too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Purge Priests were a unique group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They obeyed the pope, but the High Priest could declare war if necessary. But only for the sake of purging heresy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were formed for this purpose alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People who had lost family to cults. Lovers. Everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Avengers and martyrs—willing to die for a cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their battles were always brutal, harsh, and merciless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, this terrifying man bowed his head easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I had seen this monastery burning, I would have regretted it for life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words were for his brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Weren’t you here to punish me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I came to thank you, brother. For walking the right path.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unnamed paladin stared in silence at his leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, too, had come to save the monastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then... may I return once this is over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re willing to be accepted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t come with permission. That much was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d forced his way here. And the High Priest, instead of punishing him, offered understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A remarkable man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid watched him, and the High Priest turned to Enkrid in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must thank you as well, Enkrid of the Border Guard. If not for you, I would have been too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you moved in spite of being late, then I say it wasn’t late at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s how I see it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let us clean up the filth we spilled. Will you allow us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By all means.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid withdrew his sword and stepped aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade Aitri had given him remained perfectly intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His choice was the will of the entire Mad Platoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What now? Are we just spectators?” Rem approached, and Ragna—who had earlier turned away in fear—returned with slow steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you see my wall?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the first thing Ragna said to Enkrid, ignoring everyone else’s stares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mhm. It was messy,” Rem replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wasn’t talking to you, lucky savage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you calling lucky, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their argument wasn’t serious, so Enkrid didn’t stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jaxon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had more important things to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaxon had quietly moved behind Enkrid, positioning himself where Overdeer had once stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had intended to slit the throat of whichever seemed more threatening—but Overdeer looked easier to take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone here was used to sensing “Will,” and they all realized what Jaxon had been planning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What shocked them more was that no one had noticed his presence until Enkrid called him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suppose I’ll have to show my spring breeze another time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shinar spoke again, and Rophod, Pell, and Teresa all returned—dripping blood, mostly not their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two from under Rophod. Mission accomplished,” Rophod said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably just two strays from Pell’s side,” Pell shot back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My sister, who is nobler than you lot, is still with me,” Teresa added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of them seemed seriously injured if they were bantering like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Esther, by now, had returned to her leopard form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do I feel like I’m the only one left out of the conversation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer mused aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Audin chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sharp as ever, brother. Get to work, won’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes. That’s what I came for.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer had once thought—if he couldn’t bring Enkrid to his side, he’d simply stand by him. And that hadn’t changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without Enkrid, this monastery might have held. That became clear now. It surprised him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer was a calculating man. He had considered sacrificing the monastery if necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I almost made a terrible mistake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already seen Enkrid’s worth—no surprise there. But now his gaze sparkled as he looked at someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A priest who couldn’t wield divine power, standing unsteadily, sighing in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was Noah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer had investigated the monastery thoroughly after the Seiki incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Down to the personal pasts of everyone here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That suited his nickname: the Prophet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Investigate. Analyze. Predict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, those standing beside Noah were not the kind to show courage. They should have backed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they didn’t. They stepped up. They tried to protect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the foreign Iron Wall Knight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noah, was it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Sir Overdeer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Let’s talk after this is done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re trying to threaten him, I’ll be nearby.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid interjected from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do I look like someone who would make threats?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Weren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of person do you think I am? Tsk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer chuckled and turned away. It was time to ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) do what needed doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rot had to be cut from the apple tree he had so carefully tended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t remove it all—but at least it would be a start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From here on, time will be our ally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Myl, watching the turn of events, realized he had lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it. Overdeer, was this your setup? Did you orchestrate all this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer was a master of manipulation. Myl knew this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, Overdeer was innocent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had come to clean up the mess that Myl had caused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid’s intervention was unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iron Wall Knights were hard to predict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He won’t be reasoned with. If he resists, send him to God. Kneel. Bow your head to the ground. Accept divine judgment. It’s the last mercy you’ll be given.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer wasn’t gentle with enemies. Neither were the Purge Priests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they resist, kill them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short command—but all the more terrifying for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially with the High Priest leading from the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Overdeer was the Prophet, the High Priest was the Berserker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A nickname fitting the man—a warrior lost in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His priests were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should the Sanctified Demon Church really be destroyed? What is divine power for? Should this continent remain divided—or become one? Why doesn’t the Empire act?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Myl’s last words were a torrent of questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The origin of his gray power was corruption—linked to the Demon King of the Demon Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not proof of demonic intervention, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid didn’t bother chasing that thread. That was their problem now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for Overdeer and the High Priest, protecting the monastery might have failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah acted like a man ready to die if it meant saving others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, Enkrid simply watched the end of this chaotic affair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Myl was not allowed to cast his fanatical spell. The priests Overdeer brought put a stop to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, the rebels kneeled. Those who didn’t were slain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t even a battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun began to set. And with it, darkness came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But tonight’s darkness felt more like a velvet robe—warm and protective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah knelt in prayer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Overdeer even noticed, Enkrid had already understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noah was never meant to be confined to just a monastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d sensed it from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, it was plain to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overdeer would not let him remain as he was.\u003C\u002Fp>",2268,"2026-05-30T08:28:31.475Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","bd34117108ac6145190f89e53a2e8c8753114e8cec2aad6dd349b49c5eadba6b","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-620","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-618",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]