343 - A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

Chapter 343: Delight "Am I falling behind?" Si-nar felt a sense of urgency akin to a crisis. Enkried's rapid growth had prompted such feelings in her. Does victory or defeat truly matter? Not really. The real issue at hand was if she faltered like this, she wouldn't be able to offer the man before her an adequately exhilarating experience. "Live by the sword." What makes for the best gift to one striving to become a knight? What excites the author's heart the most? Surely, it isn't unrivaled beauty. That much was clear. The charm of the opposite sex wasn't enough to sway the author's heart. Then what could it be? "The sword." It must be something related to combat, skill, or ability. Naturally, Si-nar had a hidden ace as well. She just hadn't expected to use it here. Elves thrived by consuming the essence of the forest and, upon reaching a certain level of refinement, could cultivate a tree of essence within themselves. This usually took hundreds of years, a slow accumulation considered the baseline for the elven race. However, Si-nar was different from the average elf. She had a talent for directly absorbing and cultivating essence. She could keep it within her body and use it at critical moments. Her hidden play, her secret trump card. Si-nar decided to play her trump card. Solely because she wanted to see Enkried's astonished face and watch him revel in excitement. And that was all the justification she needed. "Ah, how fun this is." This was Si-nar's first time experiencing such thrill. Her heart raced, euphoria surged. From the moment she sensed his emotions shifting, what was she feeling? It was joy. It was amusement. It sent shivers across Si-nar's skin. "Are you having fun?" She asked inwardly. Enkried's entire being responded. Watching this was an unparalleled delight. Control your emotions. That was what she had been told from the moment she became aware of her surroundings. The trait inherent to elves, to perceive others' emotions without any filter, left them susceptible to being easily swayed by their own intense emotions. It was the drawback of sensitivity. Acknowledging the problem, dealing with it was only natural. And so the elves did. They turned to mental training for resolution. They learned to govern and control their own minds. To maintain composure no matter the circumstance. In a way, it was akin to the heart of a beast. Thus, they controlled their hearts, their bodies, and ultimately mastered their emotions. Si-nar went through this process, which is why she was able to stand where she was now. Just as Froque’s condition for leaving its nest was a restraining of the heart, elves required control over their mind and body. Trading blows and sweating it out, she saw Enkried's face as sweat dripped to the ground. His black hair and blue eyes curved gently. It seemed as if light were pouring from his crescent-shaped eyes. It was just past noon. The sunlight of a full spring day beat down upon him, casting a shadow that stretched boldly and shaded the left side of his face. As she watched, the scene melded into the landscape, emitting a peculiar aura. The elf perceived all of it with her heightened senses, saw, heard, and felt it. Elves are born with an ethereal beauty. Their perfectly symmetrical eyes and brows, the nose cutting through the center of their face, often ensnared onlookers into a lovesick daze. The phrase 'beauty beyond human' didn’t emerge for no reason. Elves were beings with beauty surpassing humans. Though there were occasional exceptions among them, most elves possessed the expected beauty of their kind. Having been born an elf, Si-nar had always been surrounded by such beings. "Judging by appearance alone, it's hard to tell." The vibrant presence of the man captivated the surroundings. She had felt it repeatedly, but Si-nar's attitude now was different than before. It wasn't a resolution or determination. It was a natural flow. She decided to wield her sword driven by emotion. And so Si-nar did. Acting, not through control, but in accordance with her feelings. * * * It was either intuition or a sixth sense. A foreboding sensation brushed past the nape of Enkried's neck. He felt a chill, as if every hair on his body stood on end. It was like the Grim Reaper whispered ominously in his ear. Everything he saw, heard, and felt melded together, overlapping into the domain of intuition. A vision opened up, as though he were watching himself from above. Enkried saw another blade aimed at his back. The moment he discerned it, he moved. He pivoted on his right foot, drawing his gladius with his left hand. Twisting his wrist as he drew it, he deflected the attack with the blade's flat side. Thunk. It wasn't heavy, but there was a palpable thrust against him. In an instant, Si-nar vanished from his sight. Once again, the hairs on his body tingled as if standing on end. With accelerated thought, Enkried instinctively knew what he needed to do. Or rather, he felt it. It was time to call upon an answer akin to instinct, so he did. He hurled his gladius towards the source of menace. Whir. Seizing the moment as the sword flew straight, he drew a shoulder blade. Tingling! There was no time to catch his breath; he carved a broad trajectory with it. Intended for piercing, the shoulder blade wasn't meant for slicing, but this attack was bound to be an unexpected blow. And indeed, it was. Though Si-nar wasn't caught off guard, even she admitted Enkried's strike was a surge of creativity. She parried it deftly. Tzzzzt! The shoulder blade met Si-nar's weapons and sparks flew. Enkried also let go of the shoulder blade. He then gripped a silver longsword with both hands. Hoof. After taking a brief moment to steady his breath. He maximized his senses and focused intently. For reasons unknown, there was now Si-nar's blade in front and behind him. Both were tangible weapons with physical presence. A trick from Will? It didn't seem that way, nor did it feel that way. Enkried swung his sword downward, aiming at the Si-nar in front of him. Though it seemed Si-nar was ready to meet the attack with her blade raised, her entire form suddenly blurred like a mirage. Then, her swords stabbed forth from both sides. Rapid movement? No, they were all tangible, solid entities. A spell? Some magic-infused mechanism? There was no time to ponder. The moment Enkried's sword descended, he leapt forward and rolled. A double strike carved into the ground where he had just been. Si-nar ceased her swordplay. Instead, she stood there, silently steadying her breath, her gaze fixed on Enkried, who hadn't yet relaxed his stance. "What was that?" Enkried asked from a crouched position, one knee down after his roll. The reflection of sunlight danced off the blade in his hand. Enkried, still poised for battle, looked menacing enough, but the elfin sight and perception were anything but ordinary. "Are you proposing to me?" What was that supposed to mean? Enkried soon realized he was indeed kneeling on one knee. "I'm saying I can still fight." "Is that so?" The elf replied without a hint of laughter. By now, the number of onlookers had increased. From visitors eager to test their sword against Enkried, to Rem, Audin, and Ragna. Naturally, even Doonbakel and Teresa couldn't help but be drawn in. What had captured the attention of these mad soldiers? It was the divine skill Si-nar had demonstrated. Her technique and finesse were remarkable. Even Ragna thought it wasn't ordinary. "Didn’t know elves could fight like that?” Unintentionally, he'd associated with many elven swordsmen during his wanderings. The most memorable was an elf adept at dual swords, targeting only vital spots with precision. Yet Si-nar, at this moment, was several times more threatening than any elf he had encountered before. Appearing in front yet the blade seemed to emerge from behind Enkried. How was that possible? Was it precision and delicacy? No, those were merely features of elven swordsmanship. Though the sword had swung through the air, an attack appeared to come from behind Enkried. Rem squinted his eyes. What exactly did the elf do? Audin, meanwhile, watched with a relaxed smile. "Magic?" Doonbakel muttered to himself. "No." Teresa responded. She had faced many a magician before. Her instincts told her it wasn't magic. Despite hearing their comments, Si-nar merely let them drift by as she watched Enkried. An unbidden, soft smile appeared on her face. It was the first time Enkried saw such a smile from an elf. Accompanying that faint smile, she spoke. "Are you enjoying this?" A simple question. Feeling the sun, dust, and gentle air, Enkried nodded. Asking about enjoyment was only natural. It was a technique he'd never confronted before. He didn’t understand it yet. The thought of uncovering and understanding its principles electrified his body. The fine hairs on his skin remained erect. Enkried stood up. "Very much so." "Then sparring with me must be the most fun." An unexpected statement. Even Enkried found it hard to reply immediately. The most fun? In the midst of their exchange. Once the elf finished speaking, everyone paused to think. After a brief yet sufficient moment passed. A heavy thump was heard from behind the elf. Thump. The sound naturally drew everyone's attention. It came from behind Enkried, where Audin was in a striking pose. "Captain Brother, have you gotten the hang of close-quarter detonations? Once you get the knack, you might find it's uniquely entertaining. There is no greater pleasure than learning and mastering new things in life." Huh? Enkried's mind briefly halted. What on earth was he on about? Audin wasn't finished. Next to him, Ragna swung his sword. Swish, swish. "A swift and heavy blade." The sword infused with will. Such a sword couldn't be taught; it had to be felt. In his past self's shoes, he wouldn't know, but as he strives toward knighthood now, he knew better. Mere imitation wouldn't suffice if one wanted to become a knight. It had to become one's own. He was walking in that direction and knew it all the more. "Can you say there’s nothing to gain from sparring alone?" Ragna stated, as if reading his mind. He stopped his swings and his eyes gleamed with determination. As solid and steadfast as a firm blade. Was this really the time to build such momentum? As Enkried pondered, the third person stepped up. "Boss, this is something I hastily learned watching a crazy old man once. It might be useful to know." He could see Rem wrapping a rope around an axe. What were these guys doing? Were they trying to emphasize that fighting with them was fun too? "Did fighting the wanderer Teresa bore you?" Teresa questioned, and Doonbakel rolled his shoulders, ready to pounce at any moment. Their nonverbal protest prompted Enkried to chuckle unwittingly. Was there any need to say more? Although Si-nar’s spar had sent thrills through him, did it diminish his eagerness to face these companions in battle? As they say, if a hundred people gather, there are a hundred different colors. Enkried was thrilled with just the act of learning or experiencing anything. Thus, there was nothing unpleasant about their reaction. Enkried laughed. It was at that moment. "What is this, must I line up to chat with Captain Enki?" There were many who came to watch the spar. From mercenaries skilled with swords to soldiers. Among them were Belle and Venzens. They turned their heads toward the voice's source. An all-too-familiar voice. "Have you been well?" His well-groomed beard and hair showed the touch of experts. The clothes he wore differed from those of the Border Guard. With a short cane, he stepped forward among the soldiers. It was Marcus Baisar, the former lord. Holding his staff, he seemed like a leisurely visitor from next door, but the guards behind him exuded an intimidating aura. He had a layer of dust on his shoulders. It was clear he came straight here without even freshening up after his journey. Enkried saluted as Marcus greeted. "Aren’t you going to offer me some tea? Do you usually leave guests waiting outside?" Marcus mentioned after seeing this, while Enkried wondered if it wasn’t customary for a lord to be the one offering tea. Yet, he couldn’t very well ignore him either. From his appearance, it seemed he came to Enkried immediately upon arriving in the city, without even stopping to see the lord. "Are you really not going to offer tea?" Marcus persisted with his request, prompting Enkried to nod. It was time to conclude the spar. No one felt particularly disappointed. Enkried also needed time to contemplate what Si-nar had demonstrated. 'A strike that is tangible and perceptible, yet physically impossible.' How could that be possible? What was its principle? He needed to ponder and reflect on it further. "Way to ruin the mood," Rem summed up the situation with a single remark. Si-nar, returning to her impassive demeanor, added, "A nuisance, just a nuisance." Judging by her expression alone, it was hard to tell if she truly meant it. Still, she too withdrew without resistance. Enkried noted that Marcus seemed to have interjected at quite a convenient moment. "Let's go," he said. Knowing there wouldn't be any tea in the barracks, Enkried led the way to the dining hall.