Eternally Regressing Knight-Chapter 567 - Alone

Deutsch blinked and replied, somewhat perplexed.

"...You're asking me?"

"Yeah."

Why was he asking this?

"I do not know."

Despite his confusion, Deutsch answered faithfully.

"Is there anyone who can do that sort of thing beside the Saintess?"

"...I doubt it."

Common sense dictated that no one knew the potion-making methods created by the church.

It was clear that it wasn't part of alchemy.

Not everyone with divine power could become a saint or a saintess, either.

This was a conclusion Enkrid reached by thinking from the perspective of an abductor, drawing on knowledge of the past he'd heard from Audin.

Was the abductor dreaming of making potions by kidnapping a saint?

If that were the case, it would be better to study and research alchemy.

If not, perhaps the person was suffering from a terminal illness and wanted a cure?

Even then, it didn't make sense.

'I'd never do that.'

If he had the ability to abduct a saint and was terminally ill, what would he do?

It would be far more difficult to overcome the multiple layers of defense around the temple to abduct a saint.

In that case, it would be far easier to rob a few noble estates.

That would be quicker, simpler, and more effective.

With the money from such a heist, he could immediately make a donation large enough to secure a cure.

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It was a much easier, faster, and simpler method than kidnapping a saint.

"Then why would they do it?"

There was no gain.

It wasn't a murder—it was an abduction.

Abduction was a clear act with a purpose, meaning they intended to gain something.

But right now, there was no visible gain.

Was a rival church abducting the saint out of jealousy?

To bring her back to their church? If they were caught, it would result in a war like the Holy Sword War.

The Holy Sword War was discussed even in history books—it started when a sacred sword was discovered in an ancient ruin, and the church that found it claimed it was a relic of their god, causing a war.

It was said that over ten thousand people died in that war.

Though the exact figures were unclear due to the passage of time, the number of deaths was significant.

The churches reconciled afterward, merging all the factions to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.

Although each church had its own god, they became united as brothers and sisters.

Initially, this unity might have been superficial, but with time, it had become genuine.

"It wasn't abduction."

Audin knew more about the church than Enkrid.

Having witnessed it both from the inside and outside, he reached the conclusion quickly.

"Probably."

Enkrid also came to the same conclusion without any surprise.

"I don't understand what you're saying..."

Deutsch, unable to comprehend the situation, hesitated as he looked at Enkrid.

Enkrid, instead of explaining further, decided to ask only what was necessary.

"Did the people from the temple just leave?"

A question borne from experience.

If you're chasing someone, and they keep evading capture, what should you do?

'If it were me, I'd just expand the search.'

It's hard to do something alone, but with two people, it becomes doable.

With ten, it becomes much easier.

Therefore, the solution is simple—just increase the number of people following the orders.

But where would one find people who would follow orders without asking questions?

In this world, there are always people willing to fight for a few gold coins.

It was rare for the Holy Kingdom to spend gold on such things, but it wasn't impossible.

"Huh? Oh, yes. They asked to strengthen the city's security."

"And?"

"Uh, they also asked if there was an information guild in the city."

It seemed like one of the pursuers from the Holy Kingdom had a reasonably sharp mind, thinking to increase the number of people, just as Enkrid had.

Enkrid raised his head.

"Where and who?"

Deutsch, quick to catch on, seemed to sense something was amiss.

He had a feeling that he was getting caught up in something troublesome.

Enkrid, sensing his concern, spoke before Deutsch could say anything.

"There won't be any harm."

Deutsch looked slightly pale but shook his head.

"Even if there's harm, I'll bear it."

There was no intention to retreat.

His resolve was clear.

Having witnessed a man heroically defend the city from the gnoll attack, Deutsch had been inspired to improve himself and strengthen his resolve. Since then, he had lived for the city, remembering the heroic deeds he had witnessed.

Deutsch had been a mercenary for many years, and a mercenary with quick reflexes tends to survive longer, but a mercenary with loyalty lives even longer.

"If there's something you need, I'll see to it."

Deutsch's words were not something Enkrid was inclined to refuse.

"Information, people's movements... Does the information guild only deal with information?"

The answer came.

Deutsche replied.

"It's a brotherhood. A group formed by a few criminals."

"I want to know everything they've heard from those who left the temple and everything they've been doing."

"Everything?"

"Just tell me the location, and I'll take care of it."

"No."

Deutsch shook his head, and Enkrid realized he couldn't sway the man's determination.

When someone offers help with sincerity, how could one refuse it?

Even in terms of efficiency, it would be far better to rely on a local like Deutsch, who was both the mayor and someone who had shared in the city's founding.

"It'll be done in half a day. If you haven't eaten, please do so."

Deutsche bowed toward Enkrid, then left.

Enkrid, watching him leave, requested the meal.

"Yes, yes."

The maid, nervous, answered twice before bringing out various dishes.

Meanwhile, Enkrid drank the now-cold tea in one go to quench his thirst and looked at Audin.

Audin's eyes didn't sparkle, and he seemed indifferent, but Enkrid wasn't fooled.

He was pretending to be calm.

Though his heart wasn't wildly unsettled, he was likely on edge.

"We'll rescue her."

Audin said.

"Of course."

Shinar added.

If it were an abduction, the child's will wouldn't have been involved.

But if it's a defection?

That's different.

What should one do when seeing a child suffering from persecution and abuse?

What if that child's sacrifice, the abuse they endure, is for the peace of the continent?

I don't know.

I don't care.

Honestly, I think the idea that the peace of the continent depends on a single child is nonsense. Therefore, I will save the child.

If all of this is a misunderstanding, a mere mistake, and the child was actually kidnapped, then that's fine too.

By saving the child, I'd be owed a debt by the Holy Kingdom.

But if it's really a defection, then if that's the case... It wouldn't matter if they were from the Holy Kingdom or anyone else.

***

Roge was the leader of the largest brotherhood in Felheim.

He had a brother who had been with him since childhood, and after settling in the frontier city, he had built an organization.

Bang!

The headquarters of Roge's brotherhood, located on the outskirts of the city, had just had its door smashed open.

"Damn, what's going on?"

Roge clenched his jaw and grabbed the handle of a dagger.

The face of the person at the door, silhouetted by the light behind them, appeared dark.

The midday sun shone from behind them.

Roge narrowed his eyes.

The figure's build seemed familiar.

He could see a long weapon in the person's right hand.

It was a spear with a blade at the tip.

'Glaive?'

The person in the shadow spoke.

"Subdue them. If they resist, kill them all."

At those words, soldiers poured in.

They were clearly the Felheim direct guards.

The patrols and core forces of the city.

These were not people a small criminal guild could face.

"Wh-what?"

The brotherhood members were confused.

Should they fight?

They all just gripped their daggers, but none of them drew them, hesitating.

"Jake?"

One of the brotherhood members recognized the soldier and called out, but the soldier ignored him.

"Stay still. Drop your weapons."

Jake, the soldier, spoke.

The spear in his hand seemed to promise no jokes or playful remarks.

The spear slid through the air and stopped right before the stomach of a familiar brotherhood member.

Jake's eyes were cold, and his tone was harsh.

"Drop your weapons."

Roge had always thought they were like the cleaner birds for the city, scratching at its itchy spots.

He had never met Deutsch Pulman directly, but he had thought that they were considered partners, responsible for the day and night of the same city. Deutsch Pulman had never commented on those words, and up until now, everything had seemed fine.

It was a relationship built on mutual respect, or so he had thought.

But now, what was going on?

"You should have come in person."

Deutsch Pulman spoke, his scarred face looking more vicious than ever before.

The frontier city was a place where dangers were always present, and naturally, rough individuals gathered.

Even after Enkrid had razed the gnoll colony, there had still been many incidents in the city. Deutsch Pulman had started as the captain of the guards and eventually became the mayor, solving countless problems in a manner that reflected his competence.

One of those was ignoring the petty provocations from those who dared challenge him.

If the problem wasn't significant, he'd let it slide.

That attitude made enemies underestimate him, and when the time came to act, the targets were reduced to mere blinking fools.

It was a tactic any general would use, but those who didn't understand it always suffered.

And it was happening right now.

"Hey, what's your name again? Roge? Luge? Should I just cut off one of your ears and talk after?"

Deutsch Pulman moved forward, as gracefully as ever in solving the matter.

His grace always came with overwhelming force.

If he didn't act, he'd give a subtle warning.

But when he did, it was decisive.

If he didn't, those who killed people and dumped them in alleys would continue flooding into the city.

He wouldn't tolerate that.

Though there were other reasons for Felheim's good order, it was widely acknowledged that Deutsch Pulman's glaive played a part in maintaining it.

"Speak up now. There's nothing good coming from bloodshed."

Roge felt humiliated by Deutsch's words and immediately drew his dagger.

Sleek.

The blade reflected the light.

Roge clenched his teeth.

Then, he gently placed the dagger on the ground.

The tip of the blade pointed towards himself, laid down in an obedient, respectful manner.

"Yes, my lord."

What's the harm in feeling a bit of shame?

What matters is surviving.

He muttered.

There was really no secret to it.

An Inquisitor from the Holy City had given the request, and according to it, the task was to find a girl traveling alone among the strangers entering the city.

It wasn't a difficult task, and the reward was generous.

He had even placed the request with bounty hunters who specialized in tracking people.

"Alone?"

In the middle of the story, Deutsch Pulman asked again.

"No, continue,"

He urged, signaling for him to proceed.

Roge answered with a "Nay" and then recounted everything in detail.

Deutsch, being a sharp man, quickly pieced things together.

From the flow of the story, he understood why Enkrid was here.

There had been a previous message from the Kingdom.

But if an Inquisitor or a Paladin from the Holy City had requested it, why had they gone to the trouble of involving Krona, using the parasitic brotherhoods in the city?

Could that order, a group that had rumors of secretly selling black salt, really be behind this?

'There's something off about this.'

The fact that the girl was alone also raised a red flag.

Deutsch Pulman, having learned the information from Enkrid, began dispatching forces while he gathered intelligence on the whereabouts of the Paladins and other priests.

"They've already left the city."

A subordinate quickly approached with the update. Deutsch Pulman, walking, inquired,

"Which direction?"

"East."

Having learned all he could from Enkrid, Deutsch Pulman shared his findings and suspicions.

Enkrid, repeating the same question, asked again,

"Alone?"

"Yes, alone."

Enkrid nodded, deep in thought.

It wasn't a kidnapping, but a defection, just as he had predicted.

And Audin had also overheard.

"Did you say alone, Brother Mayor? Are you certain?"

"Yes."

Though there was no concrete proof, the circumstantial evidence was strong.

Enkrid decided to modify the mission.

Instead of helping the Paladins recover the saint, the priority would now be on rescuing the fleeing child.

Yet, one question still remained.

'How has she not been caught yet?'

During his time as a bounty hunter, Enkrid had memorized the names of the top hunters, three of whom were considered the best in the field.

Two of them had died, and the third had retired, but interestingly, all three had come from the order.

When Enkrid asked how this could be, the mentor who had trained him explained it like this.

"The order is the best at chasing people down. That's for sure."

When asked why, the mentor smiled and replied,

"Why? Because they've done it a lot."

Hunting wasn't about talent but experience.

Those labeled heretics often fled, and the more they chased such people, the better they got at it.

Now, the girl, once a victim of abduction, had become a specialist in evading such trackers.

It was a mystery more fascinating than any spell could weave.

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