Eternally Regressing Knight-Chapter 547 - Fallen Clemen

Chapter 547 - Fallen Clemen

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In distant lands, such as Naurillia, there were nobles who didn't believe in Enkrid's legendary reputation. Or rather, they thought his feats were exaggerated, sprinkled with a bit of bluster.

When minstrels sang about the "Ballad of the Impregnable Wall" or the "Song of the Knight Who Stood Against a Thousand" it all seemed implausible.

Stories of him drawing a line in the dirt with a burning sword and raising a wall of fire seemed too fantastical to be true.

Though some minstrels had tried to detail Enkrid's exploits more accurately, exaggerated tales were the ones that spread the fastest. Such stories needed a touch of the extraordinary to capture people's imagination.

In an era where public executions were considered entertainment, these tales served as welcome diversions. Some distant listeners believed only half of the tales or even less. The gullible believed he truly wielded a flaming sword.

But within the ranks of the Border Guard, Enkrid's reputation soared to unthinkable heights.

These were soldiers who had fought by his side and their families spread his name far and wide. To them, it was as if they had witnessed the birth of a legend.

While slaying a thousand foes alone would be monstrous, standing against them to bring peace without shedding a single drop of blood was something else entirely.

Those who had been present during his feats could not stop chanting his name.

"I'm going to become a knight like the "The Unyielding Knight" someday!"

The streets were filled with children shouting such aspirations. Given this atmosphere, how did the soldiers view Enkrid? Fighting alongside him was an honor in itself.

So when the hero declared his intention to join their training, the soldiers were both tense and exhilarated. A knight—a renowned knight at that joining in the soldiers' routine drills? And not just any knight but The Unyielding Knight, the general of a Border Guard territory?

To top it off, he was accompanied by the infamous "Madmen Unit." Even those who had trained with Enkrid in the past momentarily forgot his history.

And no one, not even those who ground their teeth at Audin's name, expected Enkrid to push them with such relentless determination.

Reputations often cast a haze over people's perceptions and this was no exception. But what no one could have anticipated was how it all began—with Clemen, a soldier who had joined the army only after Enkrid had departed for the west.

Despite there being no large-scale battles, she had twisted her ankle in excitement. She didn't feel embarrassed about it, though. At the time her focus was entirely on Enkrid—his back, the wall he formed and the halted enemy. Everything else was a blur.

Until the day, that very hero approached her and said:

"I heard you were the soldier who fell alone."

Clemen's heart raced as she snapped to attention.

"Ah, yes, sir! Infantry Corps, Clemen reporting!"

"Oh, is this the one? The soldier who scraped her knee in a battle that ended with no casualties?"

"I heard it was a twisted ankle." said Rem, chiming in.

Audin joined in, his tone almost amused, "So you injured yourself by falling? Sister, is there something wrong with your ankle?"

Jaxen, following close behind added with a smirk, "Is that even possible?"

Then Fel piped up, "I can't take her side on this one. Twisting your ankle alone during combat? Really?"

Clemen's head swirled as Ropord, looking incredulous remarked, "I'm afraid I can't defend this, either."

It was as if her world tilted. Was she being ridiculed for falling alone? No one had ever said anything before now.

Enkrid took it in stride and spoke decisively:

"She lacks endurance. From today on, we'll begin mountain running drills."

The expressions of the surrounding soldiers, especially the veterans, shifted dramatically.

They remembered. Enkrid had always been a training fanatic not just for himself but for everyone around him.

From that day forward, the standard running course which would have taken them across the training grounds or the fields near the city, was replaced with a path through the Pen-Hanil mountain range.

Although they didn't march through the heart of the mountains, the idea of running into a forest teeming with magical beasts and monsters seemed reckless.

Recently, rumors had spread that the monsters in the mountains had formed colonies to defend themselves against the relentless Border Guard forces.

"Not running yet? Are all of you suffering from ankle issues like Clemen?" Enkrid's sharp words sent the soldiers sprinting.

It marked the beginning of a gruelling run, without rest breaks across rugged terrain.

"Don't stop. Stopping means death." Enkrid barked as magical beasts and monsters occasionally emerged from the underbrush, only to be swiftly dealt with by the knights.

Audin, a former drill instructor showcased his destructive power that discouraged any attempts to escape the gruelling training.

Some soldiers found it educational to watch knights fight up close, but their fascination was fleeting. After running from dawn to dusk, they wondered if this was even sane.

Clemen in particular, was mentally exhausted.

"Do you all want to fall like Clemen?" Enkrid's voice thundered.

"Or perhaps you'd like me to separate your ankles temporarily, Brothers?" Audin's booming voice echoed behind him.

Every time they thought they could catch a breath, another shout would come:

"Don't get injured from lack of endurance! Clemen, keep running!"

Ropord, the former drill instructor chimed in without missing a beat:

"Do you know why Clemen fell? It's because she lacks talent!"

And finally, Fel, the most irritating of all declared,

"She doesn't even have the talent to stand properly. If you lack talent, then work harder. Effort, people. Effort."

Clemen held back her frustration and persevered. She understood that this wasn't about singling her out but using her as a catalyst to push the entire unit harder.

Though she was humiliated in front of her comrades, many officers treated her well in private.

Ropord in particular, made sure to look after her, understanding that the training's purpose wasn't just to punish but to elevate the entire unit.

Enkrid's vision extended beyond individual improvement; it was about bolstering the army's overall strength. As Krais once explained,

"The quickest way to strengthen an army is through specialization. Separating units by their skills takes effort, but it pays off when you create balanced, cohesive groups."

This gruelling regimen wasn't just about physical endurance; it was about refining their abilities, forging unity and preparing them for the challenges ahead.

Fel felt awkward during group training. He was a shepherd, not a soldier. That's why he declined to join any direct unit and Enkrid never insisted.

Why force someone to do something they didn't want to?

This perspective hadn't changed since the time Enkrid first became the madman unit commander, nor had it changed now.

Perhaps this was why people naturally admired Enkrid. Didn't Rem, Ragna, Jaxen, and Audin know how incompetent Enkrid had been when he first struggled to get by? Had Enkrid really changed since then?

Of course, there were some changes but the fundamentals had stayed the same. Even now, when he had become a knight and his skills had more or less reached their level after the war with Aspen, this fact remained true.

Jaxen, overwhelmed with managing those under his command, opted out. Shinar, whose original role was to lead the reconnaissance team turned them into her direct unit.

But the most peculiar case wasn't present here: Esther already had her own direct unit.

She had selected and trained soldiers with talent in magic, and Krais had even gone so far as to name them the Magic Infantry Unit. For some reason, Esther taught them diligently and now their numbers had grown to nearly twenty.

"Run."

As Enkrid gave this command, he scanned a few individuals. They clenched their teeth, unwilling to even show signs of exhaustion.

He didn't care about skills or talent—he only judged their attitude. Everyone had their own standards after all.

One day, two days, three, four days passed. Some members of the Border Guard's standing army gave up on continuing. It couldn't be helped.

"This is madness."

Why endure such grueling training?

Surprisingly, none of the people handpicked by the madman unit members for their direct units quit. Maybe they had a good eye for people. Though in the case of those picked by Rem, it was likely that they couldn't quit even if they wanted to.

"From today, you're the Axe Unit. Everyone, use axes." Rem had started with this declaration.

"Why are we using axes? Damn it, I've used a spear my whole life."

"Talking back when you can't even fight properly?"

Rem was forceful but led by example. Axes were short-range weapons, shorter than swords and far shorter than spears. But within the range Rem favored, their destructive power was exceptional.

The people Rem recruited were all temperamental, the kind who charged headlong regardless of what weapon they held. If they were going to use spears but charge recklessly like that, what was the point of wielding spears at all?

Rem wasn't the type to explain patiently. Instead, he beat them senseless.

"Just do as you're told."

Anyone who tried to run? There was no way Rem would let that slide.

"Run, and I'll kill you."

When he said this and even showed killing intent, everyone kept their mouths shut. There was no one to complain to about the oppressive training.

In truth, most of them secretly agreed with Rem's methods. When they held axes and followed orders, their skills noticeably improved.

"Hey, want to learn some curses too?"

Rem even got a bit ambitious, thinking it might be good to teach them a few spells. But this led to a problem: not everyone could learn like Enkrid. It wasn't common to find people willing to keep at something with blind determination.

"All you have to do is this. Why can't you get it?"

On top of that, Rem wasn't particularly skilled at teaching.

Krais, observing the overall situation wished for more competent talent.

"Ropord's good at this."

Compared to others, Ropord was ideal. Though, from an outsider's perspective even he seemed to push his troops too hard.

Some soldiers grumbled, questioning why they needed such rigorous training when there was no immediate battle.

But Krais, as if anticipating this, drove them into the Pen-Hanil Mountains.

"Why not use the perfect training ground right behind us?"

There was no reason not to. Although they were busy negotiating the treaty with Aspen, Krais understood better than anyone that nothing would go smoothly without proper preparation.

This was especially true for building up the military. Even if the soldiers were equipped with the finest gear, it would mean nothing if their mental fortitude or leg strength faltered, leaving them to collapse like Clemen.

Drills and basic training were one thing, but in actual combat the outcome would hinge on the unit's training and the soldiers' capabilities.

By this point, Clemen had become something of a household term.

"Fall behind, and you'll be the next Clemen!"

This kind of remark became common. And Clemen, clenching her teeth, kept training until she was selected for Enkrid's personal guard.

"Ugh, once I get promoted, I'm going to beat them all to a pulp."

Clemen had developed grit and determination. A month flew by. In truth, it had been spent solely on training.

After the war ended, there had been a brief festival-like period, but that was fleeting.

"Well, I'll leave them to you while I'm gone."

Before departing, Enkrid entrusted his personal guard to Fel.

Fel had acted like his deputy throughout the training, so this felt natural. It was finally time to head to the palace.

"Safe travels."

Enkrid, Rem and Audin set off together with Graham and Krais seeing them off.

Ragna couldn't join due to injuries and Jaxen shook his head, unwilling to come along. Shinar seemed engrossed in training her unit, while Esther's intentions remained a mystery.

Thus, the three of them began their journey to the palace. The atmosphere on this trip was vastly different from their last journey to the capital.

This was thanks to the safe roads established by Krang and Krais in the meantime.

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Many thanks to azuring for proofreading the Chapter