[{"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-822":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},428579,689,"Chapter 818","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-822",822,"\u003Cp>A Knight Who Eternally Regresses\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was an eloquent speaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew how to unfold a story in an interesting way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid listened to his tale with considerable amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was to the point that he wanted to toss him a few copper coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a storyteller needs a patron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this man had not come here in the capacity of a storyteller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The core of the story he told was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Demon Realm, each demon had established its own power base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of revealing their true names, they had been given such nicknames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason for the nicknames was partly to display their prestige, but it was also said that they were titles called out with reverence by those who knew them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Burning Crow, The Promiser of Plenty, The Heat-Bearing Companion, The Pure White Destroyer, The Mistrustful Loner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were five of the six demons who ruled the Demon Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the Father of the Dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merchant's fluid eloquence seeped into everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He is also the one called The Door that Ends Life. His name is the most widely spread on the continent, is it not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been a group that had tried to gather magicians and form a collective called the Tower of Wisdom, but had failed, earning them the name 'Womb of Demons'.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through them, twelve shards of Beelrog had emerged onto the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an incident that had scarred the continent as much as when the heretical group called the Demon Realm Holy Land Cult had summoned an otherwordly, fire-breathing monster called a Salamander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All six of those demons now had an interest in a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelrog had been a hooligan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heretic who, despite being a demon, pursued a different path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Beelrog was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the hands of a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the reason the demons of the Demon Realm had taken an interest in the identity of the one who had started the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais had come up with several worst-case scenarios as soon as Beelrog had died, and this was one of the better ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais opened his mouth toward the merchant, whose eyes were squashed by his fleshy cheeks and cheekbones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So the reason you came here is to make a good proposal to the Captain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merchant immediately nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, that is correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His nod was so brisk it was almost cheerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais narrowed his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless that merchant was half-mad, he would not have spouted such words so carelessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Why?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If imagination had become reality, now was the time to grasp its substance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to deduce the opponent's intention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to know the reason why a being called a demon would act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Even if they are beings beyond human perception.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, there must be a reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais recalled the very first reason they had come here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Beelrog's death was a shocking event even for the demons residing in the Demon Realm.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon of strife, the battle maniac who collects souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the words used to describe Beelrog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A weirdo who would even split a part of his own power to divide souls, scattering fragments of his ego and wandering to collect them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the implication that emanated from the merchant's words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'And that Beelrog died.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news, which had not spread widely on the continent because Enkrid hadn't spoken of it, had spread far and wide within the Demon Realm through some means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'A shocking event.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was their reaction normal?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Even if the one who lit the flame is highly skilled, is there a reason to employ him?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought it over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story he had heard from the merchant, the content he had deduced, the realm his imagination had reached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a process of piecing together the circumstances by combining everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of this was done in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'They are at war.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demons in the Demon Realm were not on good terms just because they were neighbors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'They establish their own territories and exclude one another.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if they were fighting, just as Naurillia and Aspen fought?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the midst of that, what if a skilled individual who could affect the battlefield emerged from a small city they had paid no mind to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What if the Captain had been on Aspen's side, not Naurillia's?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outcome of the war might have been different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A war between demons would probably not be so different from one on the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What decides the tide of battle is a small number of elites, the extraordinary ones who are beyond the standard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts were organized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this reason, they had come to propose recruitment to Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would accept the one who had killed Beelrog as one of their own, whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'They might want not just the Captain, but the entire knight order.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he was lost in thought for a moment, the merchant spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A human's life is finite. If you follow my master's will, eternal life will be granted. There is a saying that it is better to roll in a field of filth than to be in heaven. Eternal life, I believe it is an attractive proposal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He discusses the reward before the task, the duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, one might scoff, but it is human to be swayed if the price is unimaginably great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merchant had said it, knowing that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magician, seeing it was his turn to step up, was about to open his mouth, but before he could, the man named Krais opened his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere that had been heated by the merchant's story instantly cooled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais had thrown cold water on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eternal life, in exchange for being put at the forefront of a war in the Demon Realm, a fight among demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the merchant had not realized that Krais knew that much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Eternal life is not 'all'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merchant said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment he was speechless, and the words came out like a complaint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What held the most important value to him was worthless to the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was, in a way, unpleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais' attitude did not change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crossed his arms and shook his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant he was not pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you wish, there are of course many things to give besides eternal life. If you need, I can give you enough gold coins to fill a room, but…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merchant's confidence faded, and his words trailed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the opponent could be tempted by mere Krona, there would have been no need for him to come himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the reason for believing in beings called demons?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because they bestowed things that could not be obtained normally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such as eternal life or a beautiful appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the value of Krona was not great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, for the merchant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could one buy time with overflowing Krona?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, he said it was without value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he desired was to return to his youth and live forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ooh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The big-eyed man's brow smoothed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His ears perked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is that reaction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merchant, though flustered, said what he had to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words that came out now were an instinct born from having lived his entire life as a tradesman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is one room? If you need, I can build you a house of gold ingots.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't really mean he would build a house with gold ingots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant he could give that much Krona.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no one who could not understand such words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais' arms unfolded and his eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ooh-ho.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais's cheeks flushed as if he were drunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this price, wouldn't it be alright to participate in a local war as a mercenary just once?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much the Border Guard had grown into a trade city and earned gold, there were also many places to spend it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military expenses used to maintain the army alone were staggering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the house of gold ingots that portly man had spoken of would remain as pure profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'One mercenary job for a house of gold ingots.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even demons are demons of a certain kind, so wouldn't a deal be possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lover and guard, Nurat, poked Krais in the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Commander Garet she had previously served was also a strange one, but her lover, this man, was even worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One look was enough to tell he had the eyes of someone considering striking a deal with a demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais let out a dry cough and glanced at Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a face that showed no interest whatsoever in Krona.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais found that deeply regrettable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'We could just pretend to fall for it, take everything we can, and then send them off.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn't it enough to just pretend to go along?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it would be even better to act as a mercenary, not fight to the best of our ability, and appropriately sow discord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the beings called demons would not be easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one were to act rashly, guessing with human perception, they might be severely punished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krais knew that too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just lost in a daydream for a moment out of regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Krais' mind, the house of gold ingots crumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why can you do, you know he is not a person who would move for such a thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abnaier, who had seen through Krais' inner thoughts, whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It will not be a bad proposal for you. If not eternal life, what do you desire? Land? Is what you desire this continent? If so, I will give you this entire continent. I can give you the authority of omnipotence, with which you can do whatever you wish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the man with the greatsword spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a grand proposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire continent meant he could make him the king of them all, the pinnacle of all intelligent beings, including the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid still showed no great interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they said they would make him king, would he become king?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were these words born from the arrogance of the demons in the Demon Realm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was the military power of the demons at a level where they could disregard the continent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Both.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's how Enkrid saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What use is eternal life or land?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the magician stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that what the other two were proposing was meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beings called demons refer to themselves as demigods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant they were beings in the process of becoming gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What one truly desires is the truth.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to reach that truth, what one desires is to become a god, an omniscient and omnipotent being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will show you the path to becoming a demigod.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magician said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There would be no better proposal than this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This much military power, the magnanimity to subdue Beelrog—what all of this was saying was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'That man is moving upward.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The further he goes, the thirstier he will become.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the midst of that, what if someone showed him a shortcut?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have come by the order of the ruler with goat horns, who is called The Burning Crow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A resonance was added to the magician's voice, adding a solemn feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a petty trick, but if used appropriately, it could become words that shake a person's heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid turned his head and asked the man with the greatsword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One is The Burning Crow, and that one said he was from the Believer in Gold. And you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Heat-Bearing Companion is with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid nodded and asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is the reason I should let you live?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The implication contained in the simple words was singular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...A refusal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magician was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouldn't he at least contemplate it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what about Esther?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That child was a magician, so she would have different thoughts, but right now, Esther was just repeating her own thoughts over and over, so she didn't even meet his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did not know Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did not know what Enkrid wanted, and they did not know his dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wants to be a knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wants to become the sword and shield that protects what is behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, he intends to end the war and erase the Demon Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The indomitability that does not wear down even while repeating the day—that was the human before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did not know that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid heard the Ferryman laughing from somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eternal life? A demigod? Ah, this is when one uses the expression, 'an abundant harvest of bullshit'. It's a western expression.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can I kill them now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dunbakel, unable to hold back, asked, and the magician said, as if shouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am not the main body. What was sent here is a part of a clone. Killing me is meaningless. Therefore, you will regret this for the rest of your life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magician spoke and was about to use a spell, but stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beastkin, who had approached at some point, smiled and kicked his chin with her heel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She placed her hands on the ground and her body spun in a truly natural series of movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>POW!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The head above the neck exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black blood sprayed into the air and then turned into small bugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something she had done as soon as Enkrid had gestured his permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I will make you regret this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magician's voice still remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This too was a petty trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Esther waved her hand indifferently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many things she had spread on this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were many formulas to prevent other magicians from playing tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them was activated and cut off the magician's mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bracelet Esther was wearing crumbled and scattered like dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'His skill is the same as ever.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Esther's judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You, Child of the Stars. Have you forgotten that there are many who will find your existence and tear you apart?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a threat, but this too was a flimsy trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the magician's body scattered and disappeared like dust, the man with the greatsword also lifted his sword, but there was no way it would be meaningful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fel and Ropord, who had returned at some point, stood to his left and right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See, I told you he was strange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who said otherwise?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fel first, and then Ropord, threw a word each and cut off both arms of the man with the greatsword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One from bottom to top, the other from top to bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two lines were drawn similarly but differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the skills of the two also had an extraordinary side to them, the man with the greatsword could not respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Enkrid and the others were dealing with Beelrog, these two had also fought monsters and the souls it had collected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, they too had risked their lives, won, and endured to reach this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only natural that their skills were different from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warrior with both arms severed vomited blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood shot up like a flame and drew two eyes and a mouth in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its size was that of a human torso.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—You, this, are you serious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid's insightful eyes glimpsed the opponent's presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was different from the petty trick the magician had used earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a pressure that only a demon-level being could show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It changed the air, making it heavy, as if it would burn everything in the area with a single breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Be it people or buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its prestige was truly lofty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As befitting the name of a demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Enkrid answered cheerfully and brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Right. See you again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon scattered and disappeared like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merchant looked around, his eyes trembling, and then his gaze changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered words that no one could understand, and then black soot began to rise from his body.\u003C\u002Fp>",2662,"2026-05-30T08:28:35.159Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","2aade328113d324fe42240c03f56a12dc35308f8c514214261e1d07f517e20c9","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-823","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-821",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]