Eternally Regressing Knight-Chapter 490 - Picnic

Chapter 490 - Picnic

Rem's explanations had improved, though they still left much to be desired. Ayul and Juol, however, were astonished.

"Where did you pick up this knack for talking? I hope you haven't been using it to charm other women."

"Did you attend some speech academy on the continent or what?"

Enkrid felt a mix of understanding and resistance toward their amazement.

Rem, in his view, was far from an eloquent speaker.

If he had ever tried being a bard, Rem would have likely caused widespread frustration instead of inspiration.

"The Path of Grime is... well, Grime was a person. This is the path he walked. And this path is basically his life story. Got it so far?"

Of course, if the listener was exceptional, Rem's clumsy delivery wasn't a problem.

Enkrid was, as always, an attentive audience.

He listened with focus and responded appropriately, prompting Rem to speak with more enthusiasm.

Enkrid's knack for distilling convoluted narratives into their core essence allowed him to grasp the tale.

The Path of Grime referred to a historical figure from the western lands, a legendary hero named Grime who had traversed the land, akin to a pilgrimage.

Unlike religious pilgrimages, Grime's journey could be dubbed a hunting path, for he chose locations inhabited by creatures that needed to be slain.

Wherever Grime went, he sought and destroyed monsters, magical beasts, and all manner of abominations.

Grime's journey was an epic tale that balanced between myth and reality.

He set a monstrous, man-eating tree ablaze with sorcery, discovered the weakness of a many-tentacled beast lurking in a lake, and even killed a bandit using an enchanted cloak of invisibility.

Some of these tales seemed implausible, colored with the embellishments of oral storytelling.

At one point, the western regions had adapted Grime's story into a rite of passage.

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Young men and women would replicate sections of his path to mark their coming of age.

"We'll be walking the real Path of Grime," Rem declared.

Unlike the ceremonial rite of passage, which had been watered down for safety, Rem proposed walking the actual route Grime had taken—specifically his final journey.

This wasn't about honoring the hero but more about exploration and practical reasons.

"It's the perfect time; a lot of interesting sights are gathered along this route."

Rem's intent was straightforward, with a hint of mischief.

Enkrid noticed the hefty backpacks slung over Rem's and the others' shoulders.

"You could've told me to pack," Enkrid remarked.

"Why bother? We've got everything ready. It's just a picnic," Ayul responded casually.

A picnic, of all things, to retrace the path of a hero who had slain monstrous beings?

The westerners nearby blinked in confusion.

Though absurd, the term fit when applied to Rem's group.

After all, they weren't embarking on some perilous quest filled with legendary beasts.

And so, their journey began.

"Let's go."

"Yeah, let's."

Enkrid needed little persuasion.

With a quick pack of a few belongings, including gifted items and spare clothes, he joined the others.

"A month? That sounds nice," said a beastwoman who had been grumbling about the sparse bathing opportunities.

Now, the excuse to forego regular washing lifted her spirits.

Their group included Enkrid, Rem, Dunbakel, Luagarne, Ayul, and Juol—six in total.

Before departure, Geonnara bid them farewell with characteristic humor.

"I'd love to join, but someone needs to recover, deal with the fortune-tellers, and handle the remaining cannibals. Don't miss me too much."

"Terribly disappointing," Enkrid replied in a deadpan tone. Geonnara smirked, amused.

Enkrid asked about the chief shaman, who was still bedridden.

Rem explained, "He's recovering and preparing. A month isn't much time—it's fast, even. By the way, he wanted me to thank you."

"It was nothing," Enkrid responded, his usual dismissiveness intact.

Rem glanced at him, once again struck by how extraordinary Enkrid was—an ordinary man in appearance, yet extraordinary in resolve and ability.

"Let's get moving." Rem slung an arm over Enkrid's shoulder.

"Doesn't this bother you?"

"Getting taller, eh?"

Though Enkrid had always been the taller of the two, Rem's effort to sling his arm over his taller friend's shoulder was amusing.

"How about a sparring session later?" Rem asked.

"Sounds good."

As they moved, Juol explained that their tribe planned to live nomadically for the year. After recent losses, abandoning smaller groups to fend for themselves would have been equivalent to a death sentence.

Instead, the larger tribe would take responsibility for their survival.

Before leaving, Enkrid had arranged for letters to be delivered via merchants passing through the region. These letters, addressed to a king and the Border Guard, carried a simple request: send surplus bread if available.

Though mundane, Enkrid trusted the recipients—Krang and Krais, sharp-minded individuals—to interpret and act wisely.

The journey promised cool breezes, untraveled paths, and quiet companionship.

Walking alongside Ayul, Enkrid inquired casually, "Rem said you won't be be coming along."

"I know," she replied.

"Aren't you?"

"Why would I?"

Her nonchalant reply mirrored Rem's.

"You're staying behind?" Enkrid asked, surprised.

"Of course," Ayul answered, leaning on her staff. "I'm with child."

Her statement left Enkrid momentarily speechless.

After a pause, he asked, "What?"

Ayul explained that those attuned to spiritual energies, like shamans, could detect the presence of new life within themselves early on.

Rem had already achieved another milestone.

In the western lands, pregnancy didn't equate to frailty.

Ayul planned to continue her duties and only take additional rest when absolutely necessary.

"I'll work for the tribe, protect them, and raise my child. I love this land and have no desire to leave it," she declared, her hand resting protectively over her abdomen.

Ayul's determination shone in her serene expression, radiating strength and beauty.

Though Enkrid admired her resolve, it wasn't as a man admiring a woman but rather an appreciation for a radiant soul.

"Is it fine if Rem won't be here?"

"It's a bit disappointing, but it's okay. He's not leaving forever. He'll do as he pleases anyway. I don't need some guy who just hangs around and whines, with nothing but his shell left."

That seemed true.

Any regular man wouldn't have arms as thick as Ayul's biceps.

If we were talking about health, she was a beauty with a body so fit it could put even Teresa or Dunbakel to shame.

Her mind was sharp and understanding as well.

It wasn't surprising that Rem had fallen for her.

As Ayul continued speaking, Rem, who had been listening intently, interrupted with a question.

"That's how it turned out. But why do you think I'll stay here?"

Enkrid thought that when it came to matters like this, Rem's instincts were as dull as Dunbakel's.

"Well, your wife, the West, and the reasons to stay are all plenty, aren't they?"

Enkrid gently tried to console him, but Ayul had heard everything.

"You crazy fool, is leaving really the right thing to do?"

She sent him off with a somewhat affectionate curse mixed in.

The journey began with a bit of noise.

It wasn't unpleasant, though.

Juol, seeing this, laughed and gestured to the Belopter. The six companions were accompanied by six belopters.

Enkrid's mount was one with red scales shaped like flames on its back, overall a brownish color.

Watching it, Enkrid couldn't help but think of Weird-eyes.

Riding him, he often felt a strange satisfaction.

Would there ever be a time to charge with him again?

With such thoughts, Enkrid rode the belopter. There wasn't anything particularly difficult about the journey.

"Help me."

In the middle of the trip, a monster, the Copycat, appeared.

"I'll take care of it."

Juol stepped up and drove it off with a few rocks.

"Killing it here will attract others with the blood scent."

The reason for driving it off instead of killing it was clear.

It meant they had a skilled hunter in their group.

"It's a Ratman group. I'll go take care of it."

When an unavoidable group of monsters came, anyone, whether Rem or someone else, would step up and swiftly deal with them.

He'd rush in, splitting the skulls with an axe, and with a swift kick, crush the skulls of another monster right behind.

Watching it made the monsters look almost pitiful.

"We'll move toward the waters today."

Though mostly wasteland, here and there, small lakes and sparse grasslands appeared.

The western journey was mostly land that wasn't quite prairie or wasteland.

The belopters ate grass, drank water from the lakes, and even enjoyed dried fish.

They were generally good eaters, but they especially loved fish.

Grrr...

When fed, they affectionately nuzzled their heads against their caretaker, making it hard not to feel a bond.

Their scales were cool, though not cold enough to surprise.

The night came, and they set up a campfire.

Dunbakel, using her beastkin hunting instincts, returned with a rabbit and a mole.

"Well done."

Juol, impressed, took on the task of cooking.

Hunting in the West wasn't easy, but Dunbakel had managed it effortlessly.

As Juol started preparing the food, Ayul took a step back.

"I know she's my wife, but remember, if she starts cooking, stop her."

Rem spoke in a subdued tone, and Ayul, perhaps uncertain of her own cooking skills, refrained from stepping forward.

Juol was a better cook than Rem, anyway.

Finding a waterside, Juol cleaned the rabbit and mole, removing blood and innards, and simmered them into a stew.

The scent of the bubbling stew whetted their appetites.

Taste?

It was savory and mild.

Especially with the added salt and herbs, it was delicious.

"I'm not the best in the West, but I'm confident in cooking."

It turned out Juol had been in charge of cooking during their tribe's communal living.

But he was also good at fighting and hunting, which is why he often took on various tasks.

Juol had said that he enjoyed watching others eat what he cooked, rather than just making food for himself.

"Then why'd you come along this time?"

"I couldn't miss the chance to cook for the hero who saved the tribe."

That was the answer.

It was a cheerful one, and after dinner, Juol took the lead in washing the dishes.

"Everyone's a benefactor. I don't want to burden anyone with chores."

The journey was said to take about a month.

Until then, it seemed Juol intended to take on all the chores.

After a hearty meal, they stood with swords in hand. Rem stood opposite Enkrid.

Whoosh.

The wind blew. The crumbled sandstone turned into dust and irritated their eyes.

Both Enkrid and Rem squinted instinctively, protecting their eyes from the dust.

"Let's have a match."

"Is it okay to lose in front of your wife?"

Rem chuckled.

He certainly knew how to speak.

"I've got something prepared to make it more fun."

They were in the West.

Rem was from the West.

Though his weapon and magic had to be sought in the holy land, there were shortcuts.

During his time fighting the immortal lunatic on the continent, he had learned something new.

"Ayul."

After practicing for a few days, he was prepared.

Ayul had initially hesitated but, after trying it, realized there were no issues or side effects, and even thought about studying it further.

In the meantime, Rem had taught the tribe people how to use the Heart of the Beast.

It was an improved version, perhaps?

Watching Enkrid use it, Rem mixed his own understanding into it.

Now, most of the West could use this technique.

But for now, it was time to receive Ayul's magic into his body.

"Bear's strength."

With those words, something formless entered Rem.

Enkrid could see something flickering above Rem's shoulder.

What was that?

It reminded him of when Ayul fought, and something had appeared above her body as well.

Rem's gray eyes shimmered with a strange light.

Enkrid tightened his grip on Aker.

Then, the axe came flying toward him.

It was a strike on the level of a knight's blow.

In that instant, Enkrid tilted Aker to the side, making it parallel to the ground. The axe blade fell, both weapons meeting.

Clang!

A deafening noise erupted.

The impact sent Enkrid's body flying back.

He allowed the force to push him back, his feet leaving long marks on the ground.

Rem, in his axe-wielding stance, twisted his lips into a smile.

"How's that?"

What could be said?

Enkrid smiled too.