Eternally Regressing Knight-Chapter 538 - The Unseen Defeat

Chapter 538 - The Unseen Defeat

The world was filled with more idiots than expected.

While Barnas had pushed Ragna into a half-dead state with great effort, Cowin had fled for his life in order to save his own skin.

"Wow, you really are something."

The barbarian's voice could be heard from behind, but Cowin ignored it and ran.

He didn't look back even once.

If he turned around now, it felt like the gray monster would chase after him with an axe in hand.

It was like an ostrich burying its head in the ground or a pheasant hiding its head in the brush when it senses danger.

But unlike the ostrich or a pheasant, Cowin had legs honed to the peak with the use of Will.

Of course, the ostrich wasn't just being dumb, as it had keen hearing, and the pheasant wasn't hiding its head aimlessly but using its sharp sight to avoid danger.

But still, it would look dumb from the outside, much like Cowin did now.

Cowin squeezed every ounce of strength he had and ran like mad.

He didn't even notice the saliva dripping down his chin.

He activated his legs with the use of Will and pushed them to their limits.

He didn't care if he reached his limit or not—he used up everything.

There was no time to even sweat.

His stomach twisted with cramps, and he felt the urge to urinate.

But luck was on Cowin's side.

What were the chances of encountering an ally who was in the same predicament as himself while fleeing for his life?

It wasn't exactly a coincidence; it was more of a certainty.

Cowin instinctively retraced his steps and came across a subordinate who had been with Barnas but would now turn to seek refuge with another knight.

***

Among them, two knights had gone to a specific place.

'If I go to General Frog, it's a dead-end.'

He wouldn't be forgiven for abandoning his subordinates and coming back.

So the choice was clear.

There was only one path left.

Leaving the Pen-Hanil mountain range alone wasn't an option.

Thus, the encounter between Cowin and the commander couldn't be dismissed as a mere coincidence.

'This is all for preparing for the future.'

The commander tricked himself into thinking that.

He needed somewhere to psychologically lean on, so he rationalized his actions.

He gave himself a vague reason for abandoning his whole unit—he needed to let his people know the enemy's strength.

So this wasn't running away; it was a strategic retreat for further advancement.

Of course, it wasn't.

With a little thought, it became clear.

Barnas was the last hope left in Aspen.

Could a country without its knights maintain its position against foreign enemies?

No.

Aspen had staked everything on this fight.

Of course, if Barnas was the only one who died, it might have been another issue.

But the fact that the most trusted knight in Aspen had been defeated couldn't be changed.

It would be wise to assume that the situation on the other fronts was also grim.

Unless your own life was on the line.

Unless you hadn't seen the most trusted knight die right before your eyes.

Had the commander remained calm, he might have faced the situation more rationally.

The commander might have even called out for his country and charged in, if he'd had the right mind.

But that wasn't the case.

What mattered now was the choice he had made.

Time had passed, and there was no turning back.

Only reality remained.

And it was in this moment that Cowin appeared before the commander.

"Cowin."

It was strange that Cowin was here, and his expression clearly showed that something had gone wrong.

"Why are you here?"

The commander asked.

Cowin appeared to be in a state of panic, but he too was a knight.

He still had an unbroken will within him.

Of course, Cowin had become a knight in his own unique way, and his Will wasn't anything extraordinary.

He'd awakened his Will thanks to his innate insight since childhood.

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But even so, there had been no lack of effort along the way.

Everything Cowin had built up was for those he loved.

Arrogance and false fame didn't matter—everything was important because of the people he cared for.

Therefore, he could not die.

"What about Barnas?"

Cowin asked in turn.

The commander bit his lip, his expression filled with pain, as if even speaking the words was difficult.

"He fell in battle."

Cowin blinked twice.

Who died?

To Cowin, Barnas had been another monster.

He had learned from him, so he knew.

The waves created by his Will couldn't be blocked—if it was your first time facing them, it would be normal to be unable to block them.

"Fell in battle?"

Cowin asked again, bewildered, unable to hide his shock.

His emotions were too clear to conceal.

"Yes."

The commander grit his teeth as he spoke, clearly frustrated.

It almost seemed like he was practicing that very expression of frustration.

To Cowin, this all seemed like a ridiculous play.

"What do you mean he fell in battle?"

He asked, dazed.

"A monster was on the other side."

The commander answered with blank eyes.

"So, you ran away too?"

Fleeing recognizes fleeing.

With a dazed expression, Cowin nodded.

Fleeing?

Yes, he had fled.

"Damn! And you still call yourself a knight? What did you learn from Sir Barnas?"

If it had been any other time, the commander wouldn't have spoken so harshly to a knight.

He, too, was in a state of confusion.

After all, he instinctively knew he had made a mistake, and he needed someone to blame.

And who better to blame than a knight and a deserter?

It was as if someone had appeared to take all the responsibility for him.

"You need to explain why you've survived on your own. You're also responsible for the defeat."

Had the commander been a bit more rational, he wouldn't have said such things in this situation.

At the very least, this would have been something to say later, in a military tribunal.

Why?

Because even though they were both deserters, one of them had the overwhelming power.

Cowin's bleary eyes focused.

Was it right to go back now?

Was he to live with the stigma of being a deserter?

There was no need to shine his eyes with the burning determination of someone with nothing left.

"For now, return to what you saw... Kkh."

Cowin raised his sword and lightly thrust it forward.

Despite being battered, both physically and mentally, his sword moved well.

If his opponent hadn't been a knight, his sword would still have been impressive.

"Why?"

The commander realized how foolish he was as he asked, but knowing that didn't change anything.

Thunk, thunk.

After two thrusts, the one struck tried to grab the blade.

But it was a futile gesture.

After making three holes in his body, Cowin made sure his opponent was dead and spoke.

"It's not really a defeat yet."

No, even if it was a defeat, it shouldn't have happened like this.

"Blame for the defeat falls on me?"

That's nonsense.

Cowin's feet, which had been fleeing instinctively, now moved with a clear purpose.

He pictured the map of the Pen-Hanil Mountains in his mind as he moved.

His destination was the main army.

It wasn't the rear, nor was it the place where the two armies were facing off.

He cut straight through the mountains, and though he was delayed by a bear monster midway, whether by luck or misfortune, he managed to find his way and arrived at the main force.

Covered in black monster and beast blood as though he had taken a bath in it, Cowin entered the main camp, where two soldiers on guard raised their spears.

"What's this? Where did you come from?"

"Who's this guy?"

Taking a deep breath, Cowin opened his mouth.

"I am Cowin Ekkins of the Royal Knights. Immediately, guide me to the commander's tent."

"...Eh?"

At the soldier's confused response, Cowin's hand twitched.

He wanted to cut his throat right then, but he held himself back.

"Should I show some kind of emblem?"

Cowin drew his sword.

The knight's sword was a symbol of who he was.

He presented his engraved weapon and even showed the gloves bearing the knight order's insignia.

The soldier, wiping the blood off the steel gloves on the ground, finally saw the insignia.

"Ah."

"Please follow me."

The soldiers, who had been watching with little interest due to the morale being crushed by those who had challenged the duel only to be decisively defeated, turned their eyes to Cowin.

Of course, there weren't many looking.

Everyone was focused on the front, wary of an enemy attempt to exploit the situation.

Because of this, Cowin quietly entered the commander's tent.

The general, who had been stationed there by Abnaier's orders, stood up when he saw Cowin.

"Sir Cowin?"

They were familiar with each other.

Coeyn's gaze shifted to the general and the two adjutants beside him.

Abnaier had mentioned these two adjutants before: one was hardworking but not particularly bright, while the other was clever but overly self-interested.

'Another way of saying that is they have ambition.'

The tent was quite large, but only three others were present besides Cowin.

There was no immediate need for a strategy meeting since they weren't about to fight, and they had only lost in the duel.

These men had been waiting for news of an allied victory.

"What's going on..."

The commander faltered when he saw Cowin's disheveled state.

Had they lost?

Was the flank battle a defeat?

He couldn't find the words as many thoughts crossed his mind.

Cowin, eyeing the more ambitious one with narrow eyes, spoke.

"From now on..."

Swish, swish.

Before he could finish his sentence, Cowin swung his sword, drawing blood from the general and the earnest adjutant's necks.

The black blood on the blade made the color of the cuts appear dark red.

The heads rolled off with a sickening thud.

"You're the supreme commander now."

"Ah."

The adjutant trembled, his lips quivering in fear.

Despite his ambition, he wasn't particularly formidable.

He was clever, but his capacity was small.

"Will you follow my orders?"

If he didn't, he would die.

There was no need to read the situation; it was obvious.

The adjutant, though clever, understood the gravity of the situation immediately.

"Yes, I understand."

"Good. Now, send the whole army to advance."

The adjutant swallowed nervously.

"Don't stop until we win. We will capture the enemy city."

Normally, one would say this sort of thing while claiming to be at the forefront, but Cowin had no such intention.

Instead, he gave the adjutant the words he needed right now.

"I'll watch from behind."

If he didn't obey, he would die.

Cowin, the knight, stood behind him with his sword raised.

The adjutant knew that even if he gave orders, they wouldn't be carried out without Cowin's approval.

What would happen then?

The cold red blade would plunge into his heart.

'What should I do?'

The decision came after much thought.

A letter from Abnaier lay next to the dead general.

Even now, the battlefield was under orders from higher-ups.

But if there were commands more authoritative than Abnaier's?

"Please, give me a dagger. Something that symbolizes the command of Sir Cowin."

"Take it."

Cowin handed him the dagger, a gift given to members of the order, with jewels embedded in the hilt.

This would suffice.

The adjutant went out and called the commanders together.

In an urgent attempt, they met outside the tent, claiming they had no time to wait inside.

After all, two bodies awaited them there.

"Urgent orders came from the main army. The general has returned. We will advance before nightfall."

At least there were some capable commanders among them who raised their eyebrows.

"Where to?"

"That way?"

"Won't this put us at a disadvantage?"

"Are we going for a chaotic fight?"

The adjutant lacked the charisma to sway them.

Instead, there was the sword given by the knight.

"Sir Cowin of the Royal Knights has commanded. The order has won. We will capture the enemy city."

It was too late to turn back now.

You can't unscramble an egg after it's been broken.

'I don't know either.'

If they advanced, there would be casualties on both sides.

They would kill, and they would die.

Could they break through like this?

'I don't think so.'

It was clear just from looking at the duelists and the assembled enemy forces.

"The knights won? Does that mean there was another battle at the flank?"

"I don't know. That's all I heard."

Since it was a lie, there was no point in elaborating; it would only reveal a weakness.

"So, the knights are attacking from behind the enemy?"

"I noticed some of their forces weren't visible."

The perceptive commanders understood.

With the knight's sword lending authority, the others followed suit. Aspen prepared to advance.

While that was happening, Cowin washed up in a nearby lake, pondering his next move.

'I'll use the full-scale battle as bait.'

Caring about who dies was beyond his concern.

'But I will take the lord's head.'

Even now, his mind wasn't focused on facing the knights; it was on finding a vulnerable target.

His eyes were set on Lord Graham of Border Guard.

There was no logical reasoning behind it.

***

Aspen's forces began to move, and watching this, Krais couldn't help but feel disbelief.

"Why are they doing this?"

The morale had been shattered, and the outcome of the flank battle was still uncertain.

Yet, they were now starting a full-scale battle?

What strategic movement were they planning?

The enemy didn't even send a flanking unit to disrupt their formation.

Even if cavalry were sent, it wouldn't change much.

Border Guard's defenses were already impenetrable.

So this move made no sense at all.

"We must fight, brother."

From the enemy's momentum, it was clear whether it was genuine or not.

Audin spoke.

Krais understood.

The line he had drawn was now crossed, and enemy forces surged forward without hesitation.

"Uwaaaa!"

Aspen's shock troops screamed.

It didn't feel like a battle cry.

It was more like a desperate flailing.

However, to stop them, countless lives would be lost.

The enemy commander's intentions were unclear, but this was the worst possible choice.

Krais had a feeling, but now it was certain.

There were, indeed, many fools in the world.

He had seen enough of them.

'What if one of the higher-ups made a rash decision and just went ahead with it?'

This was the kind of stupidity that could lead to a pointless battle.

"Crazy bastards."

Krais knew the war would descend into chaos.

It would be a slaughter.

To stop it?

There was no way at the moment.

Fighting back was the only choice.

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Many thanks to azuring for proofreading the Chapter