Eternally Regressing Knight-Chapter 568 - How much did they offer?

Oddly enough, the image of Anne in her younger days came to him.

It was hard to associate someone being chased and on the run with the other strong companions he knew, like Esther, Shinar, or Teresa, who all left powerful impressions.

Anne, on the other hand, fit the description of someone who might be pursued.

This was merely a product of his imagination.

But consider it—such a child exists, even if not with red hair, running with their hair bouncing, evading their pursuers?

And yet, it was a clear fact that this child had escaped the grasp of some of the most skilled trackers on the continent.

If that isn't a mystery, then what is?

"Could she be a magician?"

That didn't seem likely either.

After all, she was called a saintess.

So, the conclusion was this:

The child possessed such extraordinary talent that she managed to create the current situation.

The likelihood of this theory being wrong wasn't high.

Because otherwise, it simply wouldn't make sense.

"She's alone."

Enkrid reflected on the three main ways a fugitive might evade capture based on his own understanding and experience.

"If someone has allies scattered across the continent who can hide them, it's possible."

Someone who could rely on organizations or acquaintances in any city wouldn't be easily caught.

Next would be having exceptional disguises.

"But the people from the Holy Kingdom wouldn't overlook such tricks."

So, were the first two options viable?

That seemed unlikely.

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The pursuers weren't ghouls playing chess and losing every time—they were certainly capable of critical thought.

What does that entail?

Tracking the target's family, friends, lovers, and acquaintances is fundamental.

And disguises?

Would merely obscuring one's appearance with mud and paint make them someone else?

Sure, let's assume extraordinary talent allows someone to conceal themselves flawlessly.

But could they live their entire life in hiding?

Eventually, there would come a moment when they'd need to prove their identity.

Or if there were flaws in the backstory they created alongside their disguise?

What if someone became suspicious?

Could they hide in some remote mountain village where no monsters or wild beasts roamed?

But where would such a village be found?

Even if one existed, the smaller the community, the harder it would be to maintain secrecy.

In tightly-knit villages, where a couple's argument is known to everyone the next day, hiding wouldn't be easy.

Thus, people often resort to living in cities, which are surprisingly strict about verifying identities.

Even if they managed to create a fake identification badge...

"There's no such thing as an eternal secret."

Living a life of perpetual suspicion is hardly living at all.

Moreover, seasoned bounty hunters in cities rarely neglect to investigate strangers of unknown origin.

That's why information guilds and bounty hunter guilds exist in the first place.

In Border Guard, the standing army patrols during the day, verifying people, while guilds like Gilpin Guild handle such tasks at night.

Each city still has individuals who engage in these activities.

Even now, other guilds are beginning to establish themselves in Border Guard.

So, fugitives often hide in city slums.

Pursuers, upon losing a trail, usually start searching the slums first.

It's not for nothing that bounty hunters glare at vagrants the moment they arrive in a city.

And what about staying in an inn to eat and sleep?

Doing so would be no different than praying to be caught.

Hiding perfectly in a city was nearly impossible.

Avoiding human eyes is one of the hardest things in the world.

Of course, some people manage to disappear without a trace.

But such individuals are exceedingly rare.

Honestly, Enkrid believed most of them likely ended up meeting their end quietly in the slums, unnoticed by anyone.

The sound of jingling coins alone would attract at least ten thieves on any given night.

That leaves the third option, which was both practical and the most logical alternative:

"Minimize contact with cities, resolve rest and sleep entirely outside walled areas."

One would avoid people, instead dealing with monsters and beasts while traveling.

Rather than merchant routes, they'd take animal trails, mountains, forests, or open fields.

But even here, problems arise.

No matter how skilled a fighter, humans need to sleep and eat.

How would they find food?

What about rest?

Thus, sheer martial skill alone wouldn't suffice to make a good fugitive.

A knight with recognized strength among the knight orders might manage to an extent.

But even for someone of that caliber, escaping the reach of the Holy Kingdom would be a daunting task.

So, what would it take?

Becoming an exceptional ranger or a skilled hunter.

If one were to choose the profession most likely to survive after being dropped anywhere on the continent, rangers or hunters would top the list.

They knew how to live atop trees and prepare beast meat for consumption—though taste wasn't a priority.

Enkrid's thoughts reached this conclusion.

"A born hunter? Does such a thing even exist?"

He asked aloud while walking.

His steps weren't hurried.

Tracking those being pursued often required waiting for the fruit to ripen, so to speak.

The pleasant autumn sunlight and the scenery he passed by left no impression as he focused intently on his thoughts.

As he climbed a gentle slope, Shinar shielded her eyes from the sun and spoke.

"No such thing could exist."

Coming from Shinar, who had directly trained ranger units, her words carried weight.

Enkrid agreed with her assessment.

Hunters must learn the terrain and understand the habits of beasts.

Without training, experience, and practice, hunting is impossible.

Which makes this all the more mysterious.

This enigma would unravel upon meeting the target.

If questioned, answers would surely come.

For now, it was enough to continue the pursuit.

Enkrid had a strategy in mind.

After all, he'd turned down Deutch Pullman's last proposal for a reason.

Seeing the severed head of a dog-faced creature sprawled in front of the boulder, it bore marks that seemed like it had been relentlessly burned with a branding iron.

"This is the work of the Holy Crusade Division,"

Audin said, halting to inspect the monster corpses.

He knelt on one knee and examined one of the lifeless bodies.

"A nasty piece of work, someone with a cruel streak,"

Shinar added.

Killing was one thing, but this was done with cruelty, as though tormenting them was the goal.

It wasn't hatred for monsters or beasts driving this; it was someone with a sadistic hobby.

Enkrid nodded in agreement and gave Shinar a pointed look.

"I see my help is required. Very well, I shall rise to the challenge for the sake of my betrothed's difficulties,"

Shinar remarked with her usual impassive expression and began examining the traces of battle as directed.

Her expertise in such matters far exceeded Enkrid's own.

Still, Enkrid wasn't idle.

He scanned the footprints and broken branches, following the trail.

Among those being pursued, several seemed to move exceptionally quickly, as evident from how they smashed through paths blocked by living tree branches.

"Impressive skill," he thought, observing the cleanly severed branches.

The cuts showed precision, done in a single stroke, not through clumsy hacking.

However, he felt it fell slightly short of the skill level he would expect from the Holy Crusade Division.

The cut ends were somewhat uneven.

Shinar, who had been sniffing the ground and inspecting it closely, suddenly raised her head.

Enkrid immediately asked, "Which direction?"

"This way. We're not far," Shinar replied promptly.

At her answer, Enkrid and Shinar moved quickly, with Audin following behind.

From here, even if Deutsch Pulman himself were to join them, differences in mobility and stamina would soon become apparent.

It was only natural that they hadn't brought soldiers unfamiliar with the terrain.

If they intended to cover this area within half a day, they needed to maintain this pace.

Enkrid advanced, cutting through a few branches with the shortsword given to him by Aetri.

The weapon felt like an extension of his arm—its grip fitting perfectly into his hand, its blade as if it were a part of him.

Although Aetri had lent it temporarily, it was clearly a custom weapon made for one person alone.

"A blade like this is a joy to wield," Enkrid thought, listening closely.

In the distance, he heard what sounded like human voices.

Shinar's earlier claim that they were close was being validated.

The sound was faint and unclear, but they were approaching rapidly.

"Let's pick up the pace," Enkrid said, kicking off the ground.

His movements were fluid, lightly leaping forward while avoiding sharp stones and uneven terrain.

Although his steps didn't disturb the earth, his body surged forward like a shadow, leaving afterimages in his wake.

Viewed from above, his form might resemble a long, sinuous snake.

The path had been cleared somewhat by the group ahead, making it easier for them to follow.

Behind him, Audin, despite his large build, moved adeptly, his bulk only slightly hindered by low-hanging branches.

Shinar, unsurprisingly, excelled the most.

She darted through the forest like a fish in water, occasionally leaping along tilted trees with the ease and grace that could only come from a fairy.

Though none of them were pushing themselves to their limits, they moved faster than squirrels.

In moments, the three of them reached the source of the sound.

Ahead, two men and a woman were clearing a path.

This was the first pursuit party they had encountered.

Hearing the approach, all three turned their heads, alert at the sudden presence of Enkrid's group.

Suspicion was evident in their expressions as they regarded the newcomers warily.

Enkrid, observing their reaction, decided to satisfy his curiosity.

"How much are they paying you?" he asked.

How much could the Holy Kingdom be offering to attract this many self-proclaimed tracking experts in such a short time?

It wasn't an important question, but a trivial curiosity that had lingered as they traveled.

After all, he couldn't help but wonder about the spending habits of the notoriously frugal clergy.

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