Ch.112EP.28 – I Am Sinner Rihan (5)

A battle had occurred, but surprisingly, there was no interest in it.

The soldiers only stood guard outside the tunnel, not approaching inside, showing no concern whether the prisoners fought or died.

As for the prisoners, many had collapsed from exhaustion, so it didn’t become much of a topic. Above all, the battle didn’t even last two minutes.

However, no one present underestimated the opponent or took the confrontation lightly just because it hadn’t lasted more than two minutes.

“Skilled technique. Though suspicious, he’s clearly a knight from a prestigious family with solid abilities.”

“I agree with your assessment, senior. He was chillingly skilled. …The fact that you subdued him so easily is what’s truly unbelievable.”

“…You’re like a monster.”

Roy Vant’s skills were ‘real.’

At the very least, he was twice as strong as the half-baked knights that filled the Order of the Silver Lion.

None of them believed they could subdue him so easily.

However.

“S-Sir Roy! W-what are you doing…! What kind of barbaric behavior is this toward such a weak Sir Roy! Even though Britannia has fallen, how could a Britannian knight commit such a cowardly act…! Don’t you know shame?!”

“…How on earth did you become a general?”

Just like that, the former general not only failed to recognize the skill of the person beside him but didn’t even see their exchange of attacks.

They gave him a cold glance, which seemed to infuriate Mustang de Varga even more as he tried to shout louder.

“You…”

SMACK!

“Ugh…?!”

THUD.

“You’re too noisy.”

With a light strike to the back of his head, Mustang passed out, and finally, the surroundings became quiet.

It was Yord Decker’s appropriate treatment, and Jake Farman shook his head.

“Are you starting to take after him too?”

“Haha, this method just seemed the quickest.”

“…Sigh, you’re picking up the wrong habits.”

“No, he’s growing up well, what’s the problem?”

“…Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Not at all, hehe.”

“…I-I see.”

Ihan Turtle, who had somehow approached them, appeared completely unharmed.

It was as if he hadn’t fought at all but had just returned from a short walk.

Could it be that even an opponent of that caliber couldn’t leave a scratch on him?

‘I suspected it, but this guy’s skills have grown incomparably since half a year ago.’

Jake had guessed it when he saw him easily subdue 135 Silver Lion knights, but his strength was truly on a different level now.

Half a year ago, he was certainly like a troll, but now…

‘Even an ogre would have to yield.’

Jake clicked his tongue, thinking that besides Lord Baltar Grace, there was no one in the Order of the Silver Lion who could match that ferocious man.

* * *

Fortunately, Roy Vant wasn’t dead.

As expected of a knight who could hold his own, his physical abilities were considerable.

Though there were concerns about partial memory loss due to his cracked skull and severe concussion, that wasn’t a major issue.

What mattered was that he was ‘alive.’

THUD!

After dragging him to a dark place with almost no human presence, Ihan put Roy Vant down and took out a medicine bottle from his pocket.

HISS.

As he poured the contents, Roy Vant’s wounds began to heal.

“A potion? That’s like giving medicine after causing the illness…”

“We need to keep him alive to get information.”

“…So he really was on the brink of death.”

Well, it wouldn’t have been strange if his head had burst open, so it was more surprising that he wasn’t at death’s door.

“Senior, is this guy really part of the Blood Crusaders?”

“Even if he’s not, he’s definitely suspicious.”

“That’s true…”

He was certainly suspicious.

His combat techniques weren’t sealed despite entering the tunnel. And he was trying to approach them secretly.

Also…

“I suspect he’s the one who sent this incompetent general to us.”

And he was trying to gauge their reactions.

It’s unlikely that Mustang approached them of his own will.

Perhaps Roy Vant was encouraging him from behind, trying to create a pretext for conversation with them?

“He probably thought he could use us somehow since we said we were Britannian knights.”

Recently, most prisoners confined to the tunnel were from Britannia.

From soldiers to knights, most people with considerable military power were gathered in the tunnel. He probably thought he could quickly establish connections with them.

“I wonder if such connections even matter in the tunnel.”

“I wonder about that too.”

“Why overthink it? Humans always consider blood ties, regional connections, and school ties wherever they go. He’s probably just doing the same; don’t make it complicated.”

“…That’s true.”

“But I wonder if such things matter even in a place like this.”

“Look at that guy still going on about status despite being imprisoned.”

“Ah.”

“…Why are you looking at me when you say that?”

“Do you really need to ask?”

“……”

Ignoring Aren Pendragon’s increasingly sour expression, Ihan silently continued his task.

He was checking if Roy Vant had hidden anything in his clothes before he woke up.

‘Guys like him always hide something.’

Sure enough.

“What’s this?”

Somehow, unlike the prison uniforms they wore, Roy Vant had an inner pocket, and inside were about five suspicious items.

A torn piece of paper, three suspicious-smelling drugs, and an inverted cross.

Just looking at them, one could tell these weren’t positive items, especially the inverted cross.

“This can only be the work of a heretic who mocks God.”

It gave the devout believers an unpleasant feeling.

The three men except Ihan made the sign of the cross with their hands and recited verses from the Bible.

As if to prove their faith.

“Hmm…”

Ihan left the devout believers alone and simply examined the inverted cross.

He didn’t particularly discuss disrespect toward God.

He merely observed it because it gave him a certain ‘sense of incongruity.’

Then suddenly.

CRACK.

“That’s not candy…”

“Even candy doesn’t break that easily, senior.”

“What a crazy monster…!”

He easily broke the inverted cross in half.

It was like breaking a cookie in half, and Ihan looked inside the inverted cross.

“This… is a magic stone?”

“What?”

“More precisely, it seems to be mixed with magic stone?”

“It really is!”

Tiny sparkling particles at the broken part.

The energy emanating from them, which mesmerized the eyes, was clearly magic stone from magical beasts.

However.

“Using magic stone just to make an inverted cross like this? It’s not like they have money to burn…”

Magic stone is a rare stone found in only one out of twenty magical beasts.

It’s like gallstones in humans, meaning it’s a rare item that’s quite difficult to obtain.

It’s also an ingredient that magicians and alchemists go crazy for, so it’s extremely expensive. Using such an expensive material to make an inverted cross?

No one, no matter how wealthy, would waste money like this.

“…So he’s crazy.”

“Hmm.”

“Or maybe these guys are so rich that they consider magic stones trivial. …So which is it?”

“Ihan?”

At his sudden remark, everyone was puzzled for a moment.

They soon realized that he was addressing the collapsed Roy Vant and narrowed their eyes sharply.

“……”

However, despite their rising aura, Roy Vant remained motionless and quiet.

He appeared to be unconscious.

Then.

WHOOSH!

Without hesitation, Ihan raised his leg and aimed precisely at Roy Vant’s head.

CRASH!

A terrifying stomp.

The ground was dented, and it had enough force to shatter a human skull like a watermelon.

But fortunately.

“…No different from a murderer. How can a knight be so cruel in his actions…”

The man had barely avoided Ihan’s foot and was now gasping for breath in a corner.

If his reaction had been even slightly slower, he would have certainly died.

He had almost bid farewell to the world for pretending to be unconscious.

Ihan sneered at the man’s criticism.

What was this guy saying when he was the one who pretended first?

“I’ve found that guys as devious as you need to be dealt with sincerely. How about it? Want me to force you to play dead some more? I can’t guarantee you’ll wake up though.”

“……”

“Speak, don’t just glare.”

“…Kugh.”

FLARE!

Roy Vant flinched when he met Ihan’s intense gaze.

His aura was like a blazing fire, and when that heat enveloped him, Roy Vant felt a warmth he had never experienced before.

It was as if his body was being roasted.

Roy Vant acknowledged it.

The opponent was indeed a strong warrior he couldn’t possibly face.

At the very least.

‘He’s a champion. One who represents a kingdom…’

Knights whose fame resonates throughout the kingdom, beyond being the strongest in a region.

He must be one of the few knights of such caliber even in Britannia.

DRIP.

Roy Vant sweated profusely and rolled his eyes around.

He was constantly thinking of how to safely navigate this situation, and so…

“…I’ll give you about half the information I know. In return, guarantee my survival and safety. And if you help me escape too, I’ll give you all the information without omission. By the way, the information I know is quite excellent.”

“……”

“You guys must be Pendragon knights, right? Britannians with such fair skin are definitely Pendragons. Ah, except for you.”

“……”

“Anyway, this information would be invaluable for the Pendragons too. After all, I know information that could shake the kingdom’s economy. So unconditionally…”

“-This bastard doesn’t know his place?”

THWACK.

CRACK!

“AAAAARGH!”

Ihan crushed his collarbone completely.

As if he couldn’t bear to hear any more of that nonsense.

“UUUUGH!”

“Shut up.”

The outrageously large hand, twice the size of an average man’s, next covered Roy Vant’s face completely, and then.

CRUNCH!

“!!!”

He applied pressure that seemed to crush his entire face.

But since his mouth was also covered, Roy Vant couldn’t even scream properly, and this pain continued for 3 minutes.

3 minutes. Some might say it’s an infinitely short time, but.

“Huk! Huuuk! Kuhak! Kuhuuuk…!”

Roy Vant’s face had aged as if it had been hit directly by the passage of time.

A suddenly haggard face.

He had experienced extreme fear in pain that made 3 minutes feel like 3 years.

“Do you think you, no, your group, has the right to negotiate?”

Ihan’s low voice contained the ferocity of a beast’s growl.

Anger.

He was feeling intense anger.

This was probably the first time he had been this angry since capturing the spellcaster.

At this moment, Ihan was certain that this guy was part of the Blood Crusaders or whatever they were, and uncontrollable anger erupted.

Was he this angry because the royal capital had been attacked?

No, he’s not that diligent or righteous a knight.

The reason he was so intensely angry was.

“Did you think you could threaten ‘my people’ and get away with it?”

His people.

That could refer to his disciples at the academy, or the owner of his regular bakery.

Or it could be the butcher who gives him meat at a cheap price with good service.

The people who share his daily life.

But these guys dared to try to ruin his ‘daily life.’

If he doesn’t get angry about this, what should he be angry about?

And they dare to negotiate?

…It’s like pouring oil on an already hot fire.

POOF! POOF!

Ihan lightly hit Roy Vant’s body three times with his fist.

Not striking, just tapping lightly.

It might have seemed like a joke, but Ihan’s face was colder than ever, and he clearly wasn’t in a joking mood.

CRACK!!

“!!!?”

Suddenly, a grotesque sound resonated from Roy Vant’s body.

The internal resonance was loud enough to be heard externally, indicating the level of pain.

Roy Vant couldn’t even pass out from the overwhelming pain and just drooled, but Ihan didn’t stop the ‘torture.’

“This is probably the first time you’ve experienced this technique. I’ve flowed my power, my strength, into your muscles and bones.”

The day before, when teaching [Meridian] to his disciples at Vulcan, he directly injected power into their bodies to transfer the technique.

It was a high-level art that only Ihan, with his understanding of the body including muscles and bones, could perform. If someone other than Ihan had taught it, nine out of ten would have become disabled.

And this means.

“It will hurt a lot. Considerably…”

It also meant that by flowing his power in, he could artificially cripple the opponent.

-Dividing muscles and misaligning bones.

It was a terrible torture method that Ihan had created independently.

Don’t worry, you’re experiencing the pain of becoming disabled, not actually becoming disabled.

However.

“Who knows, the longer the pain lasts, the more likely you might become an idiot.”

“!!…?!…!”

“Tell me when you’re ready to open your mouth, and I’ll stop then.”

“…!!!!”

“Still planning to endure? Fine, try your best.”

“!!?!!!”

“Stubborn bastard, let’s see who wins.”

Roy Vant was clearly desperate to spill all information immediately, but he still couldn’t open his mouth.

─Because Ihan was still covering his mouth with his palm.

But even after seeing Roy Vant’s pained, desperate, and urgent gaze.

“-Stubborn bastard, why won’t you open your mouth?”

He just repeated the same words.