Chapter 243: The Knight Hated Dysfuctional Family (6)

[──!!]

Stop-!

“…Cough. It looks like mother has done something again.”

Iliad stopped moving his brush because of the roar that seemed like the howl of a beast. But when he realized who was in the direction of the roar, he just laughed cheerfully. The place where that sound came from should be where his mother and the knight were.

“Seems like mother is telling Sir Lee Han some story from the past.”

“Another victim appeared. The former Prime Minister and His Excellency The Marquis screamed like that too.”

“That’s right. Well, talking to my mother often makes people like that, hahaha!”

Iliad couldn’t help but guess what happened there. She probably talked about the past again, and Sir Lee Han must be going crazy listening to it.

“…Mother is a strange person. She is a bit different from others, so it is natural for them to act like that.”

Thud-!

Iliad put the brush down and picked up the teacup Elza gave him.

“Rather than strange, it’s more like her way of thinking is a bit bizarre, Milord.”

“…It’s not my mother’s fault. She grew up in a strange environment since she was young.”

“That….”

“Mmother is just, a pitiful person…”

“…”

Iliad knew more about his mother than anyone else. It wasn’t just because she was his biological mother, but because he had dug every detail about her to make fairy tales based on her. That’s why he knew that Felicia had a ‘twisted disposition’ that was no different from the criminals.

Parents were indifferent to her, the adults around her were also busy criticizing and despising her, and in the end, she had to live a life of neglect… In the midst of all that, the only friend and guide she had was the sword. So it was inevitable that his mother’s way of thinking was different from others.

“‘A Female Knight who does not know the love of her parents, does not know how to love others, and does not know how to be loved by others’ That was definitely a line from Volume 2.”

“…Elza, have you read my book too?”

“I have all the copies, Milord. In fact, I think there’s no one in the family who does not have one?”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“It’s not, Milord. On the contrary, because of that book, the unusual and cruel actions of Lady Felicia in the past are being defended. That’s why she became someone who did something great.”

“Ahem…!”

…Yes, that was a secret that was not known to the world. One of the reasons why Iliad drew a fairy tale based on his mother was not simply because he wanted to draw a fairy tale based on a true story, but because he wanted to protect his mother.

There were many dishonorable things in my mother’s past that were not worthy of praise.

His mother lived a life of neglect, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that her life, where only the sword was her life, was filled with blood. The people were not calling her ‘Battlefield Demon’ for nothing.

Even though it was during wartime, it was a cruel nickname given to her because she committed acts that deserved to be criticized. So Iliad knew that it was only natural for his mother to be criticized because of these past actions, but he still wanted to tell the world that even though his mother was certainly cruel, it was simply a misfortune that happened because she was not taught the obvious things like ‘kindness’, ‘love’, and ‘goodwill’ by the ‘bad adults’. It was definitely not because his mother had no honor or nobility that she did such things…

“Some people hate my fairy tales so much because of this kind of embellishment. They say that these days, kids are not really liking it. I think I’ll get stoned in the future.”

“Just say the word and I’ll get rid of them all, Milord.”

“…I can’t say anything in front of you, really.”

Iliad was willing to accept the criticism. Honestly, he didn’t expect that the story would be this popular when he published the fairy tale. So Iliad didn’t get excited or sad whether the fairy tale was praised or criticized. He just quietly worked on the next project and published a new work.

“More than that, it seems like mother really likes Sire Lee Han. It hasn’t even been a month since they met, but she takes care of him like that. She even tells him stories from the old days. Hmm, is it because he’s similar to her?”

“Similar? Does that mean that knight resembled Lady Felicia, Milord?”

“Mother and Sir Lee Han have quite a few similarities. The most notable ones are the fact that they are both strict to themselves and… Their lack of talent.”

“??”

Elza just tilted her head when he heard Iliad’s explanation, but he didn’t bother to explain. It was probably something that only someone with the ability to see through others’ talents like him could notice.

I felt it from day one, but he really resembles mother a lot.

Iliad knew it after watching him swing his sword and saw his posture a few times.

Ah, this person’s talent is nothing more than ordinary.

Someone with ordinary talent. There were many people like that among Offen’s disciples. However, one thing about him was different from those disciples.

It is none other than…

He is someone who never gives up, just like mother.

He could tell just by looking at his physical training.

HIs current state must be the result of training that cuts through his bones and tore his flesh. It must be the result of his obsession, the result of him pouring countless effort into one thing.

He was a respectable seeker just like his mother.

Also, judging from his attitude towards battle…

He might have experienced a harsh organizational environment in the past, maybe an assassination squad or a mercenary group? Maybe both. He must have also experienced fierce battlefields. His combat ability and reactions were just like those who had returned from war. Hmm, is he also a former soldier?

Even though Iliad only watched Lee Han and his mother’s sparring, he succeeded in guessing the hidden history of the man. It’s not difficult. After all, someone’s calluses and posture always told their story.

…The problem was, there were just extremely few people who could do it.

He’s a person with outstanding creativity and imagination despite his natural talent. Just looking at his technique, I can see traces of him struggling to use his strong body to the limit.

He had a tragic quality that was comparable to his mother, but if there’s one thing he had better than his mother, it’s his fresh ideas and his unhesitating desire to take on new paths.

It’s normal for people to not have that kind of desire to take on new challenges, so he’s a special case.

Just thinking about what he heard from Arno, many of the techniques he used were techniques that he created while risking his life. That was the way of a madman who had no regrets about life.

So before he came to visit, Iliad thought he was just a huge weirdo, but he was surprisingly normal, so he was a little surprised. Because of that, Iliad became curious.

What is the reason he can risk his life like that?

He’s not a madman, so how can he do that?

It’s a boldness that only someone who has lived their life twice can do. Was he living his second life now?

Ha!

“Seems like I have an occupational disease too. My imagination is running too wild.”

“Milord?”

“Elza, bring me some more tea. My throat is suddenly dry.”

“Understood.”

“Thank you.”

Iliad decided to take a short break to stop himself from imagining things too much. Seemed like he had been tired lately from working on a new work that would end his long hiatus.

If that’s not the case…

…Was it because I suddenly thought of the past?

While he was thinking so, Sir Lee Han’s furious voice could still be heard from the outside, nagging at his mother.

It was a little hard to hear, but Iliad was sure that he was scolding her.

He is doing what my mother’s comrades and friends did in the past.

But even when he heard him scolding his mother,

There’s no way my mother would change.

Iliad sighed. That’s just how she was.

He thought he should stop him now, saying it was a waste of time, but when Iliad thought about his mother getting scolded…

It’s a little refreshing.

Should I call it second hand satisfaction?

He was so satisfied to see him nagging at her on his behalf.

“Huh, I’m quite an unfilial son.”

Iliad didn’t hate his mother, but he couldn’t deny that he felt a bit ‘disappointed’ towards her, so he was a little satisfied with his mother getting scolded.

“…Ah, it’s over.”

That’s why he felt a little sad when Sir Lee Han’s loud nagging from outside ended and his presence faded away.

“Seems like… I am also a loser.”

At some point, Iliad’s consciousness became so blurred that even the thought of taking a break seemed meaningless. Iliad closed his eyes, unable to resist the drowsiness encroaching on his consciousness.

He did it without any resistance.

Bang-!

“Goddamnit! I feel like talking with a rock!”

Lee Han took out his anger on a large rock as he said that. Every time, the rock split apart into pieces that were insignificant in size. And before long, Lee Han finally calmed down and took a deep breath after crushing the rock into sand.

“Damn…”

Honestly, it wasn’t something he should have gotten so angry about. After all, it was someone else’s business, and there was nothing more impertinent than meddling in someone else’s family affairs.

However, the reason he was angry was none other than this.

“Why is she making such a big deal out of something that could have been solved with ‘one word’…”

He was so frustrated because he was certain that the tragedy that had happened in the past was a trivial matter that could have been resolved ‘easily’. Just a little conversation, or ‘One Word’ from the Sword Duke, such a tragedy would not have happened.

But that monster didn’t know that.

…But that doesn’t mean I can just blame the monster.

“The problem is that the monster lady is also a victim…”

She was a victim of domestic abuse, and she was a person who didn’t have common values with normal people. However, because she became an Aura User thanks to that different personality, it’s funny and sad at the same time that he couldn’t even criticize her.

The reason why Lee Han was even more angry at the monster was probably,

“Tsk, why are we so similar, dammit.”

Because his life and hers are so similar. Her life was just like his life. There were also some similarities with his life after he was reincarnated.

For Lee Han, it was both shocking and heartbreaking that there was someone who lived a life so similar to his. He was well aware just how lonely and difficult that kind of life was.

Moreover…

I’m afraid that I will be like her in the future.

Because their life was so similar, Lee Han was afraid that if he ever had a child, he might end up like her. He knew that he was overacting, but he couldn’t help but be anxious because of the similarity between him and her.

No, let’s try to think the opposite.

Instead, he should be thankful that he had such a negative example. Wouldn’t it give him a firm determination that he shouldn’t end up like that?

Lee Han tried to gradually control his emotions by perceiving the situation in a positive way.

At the same time,

Buzz-!

“What are you doing? Are you comforting me?”

Buzz-! Buzz-!

“…Even bees are feeling sorry for me.”

Lee Han felt like the bees he had become close with in the past few days were patting his shoulder, so he couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“Haa, thank you.”

Still, Lee Han nodded, knowing that these bees had no bad intentions. They were good guys.

At first, they showed hostility to him, but after getting to know him a little, they acted cute like puppies. Moreover, since they were plumper and fluffier compared to most bees, they were cute too.

“…Did you like the potion that much?”

Lee Han tilted his head, wondering if they liked the potion he gave them.

While he was patting the bees like that,

“I-Instructor! Please save me!”

“?”

“Wh, why are there Tiger Bees here?”

“…What are you doing here?”

Lee Han tilted his head as he faced the gray-haired guy that he had not seen in a long time. The guy was surrounded and threatened by the bees, so it was natural for him to be scared and raise both hands in a surrender pose.

“Why are you reacting like that? They are just bees.”

“How can Tiger Bees just be a bee! If they put their mind to it, they can even beat an ogre! They are the world’s strongest bee!”

“These cute guys?”

Lee Han blinked and met eyes with the largest bees around.

Buzz?

The bee tilted its body as if imitating him. But now Lee Han saw it, the patterns in their body looked like tiger stripes, unlike normal bees.

But that appearance,

“They are cute, though?”

“That’s because it thinks of someone stronger than it as its master!”

“…That’s what it was?”

Now it makes sense.

“So that’s why you gave me honey every day?”

Lee Han scratched his cheek at the fact that it had not become his friend, but a serf who offered honey to him. He felt like he had subdued it because of it.

However, that feeling of guilt was meaningless.

Buzz-!

The bees simply rubbed its body to his cheeks.