Ch.144EP.36 – The Knight Hates Love Triangles (3)

“Hmm…”

The blonde girl nodded off, her body tilting to one side.

Her eyes were half-closed with drowsiness, looking as if she would fall asleep at any moment.

It could have been food coma from the abundant meal, or perhaps she was naturally prone to napping, but looking at the girl’s dreamy eyes, neither of those explanations seemed quite right.

Thud.

Just before the girl collapsed sideways, waiting maids caught her with careful hands and carried her away.

“Mmnya…”

[Arina, I’m so embarrassed for you…]

The girl was sleeping soundly, drooling, while the ghost girl covered her face with both hands, looking like she wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

After the girl’s exit, Ihan blinked at the pitiful sleeping beauty who was even drooling.

He wondered why she suddenly seemed to have narcolepsy.

And soon.

“…What did you do?”

He became suspicious of what he had eaten.

The Duke, as if there was no need to hide it:

“I merely gave her some medicine. There’s no need to worry. It’s like an herb that actually revitalizes the body after a good sleep.”

“…Um, doesn’t the part about ‘giving medicine’ sound a bit wrong?”

“It couldn’t be helped. I didn’t want her to hear our conversation.”

“Just curious, did I also consume that herb?”

“You actually had an excessive amount. I didn’t expect you to eat an entire cake, yet you’re still fine.”

“…So that’s why you didn’t touch it yourself.”

For reference, Ihan had devoured about 10 servings of dessert.

Though diabetes might be a concern, since taking the elixir, Ihan’s organs including his heart and liver had become abnormally robust.

No matter how much sugar he consumed, diabetes wouldn’t be an issue, and with such detoxification abilities, herbs or even poison would be no different from ordinary vegetables to him.

…Though obesity might still be possible.

“Don’t misunderstand. I had no intention of harming you. Rather, it’s beneficial for a knight with such powerful vitality.”

“Is it expensive?”

“It’s nothing special. Just one of the ten herbs of immortality that the Sultan enjoys.”

“…That’s a roundabout way of saying it’s something money can’t buy.”

“Is that how it sounded?”

He was already aware of receiving exceptional treatment, but this made it even more burdensome.

However, now he would set aside that burden.

Because:

‘I’m the one in charge here!’

Ihan decided to act confidently.

The other party wanted something from him and was treating him well to get it.

So there was no need to feel intimidated.

…At least that’s how it should be.

“I plan to discuss things with you that I couldn’t bear to tell my foster daughter. That’s why I deliberately put her to sleep, so please keep this confidential.”

“…I’d rather not hear it if that’s the case.”

“No, you must listen. Only then will you hand over that Inquisitor woman.”

“……”

Hmm…

‘Am I actually the subordinate here?’

Ihan broke into a sweat, feeling that he might not be in charge after all.

* * *

“-You must already know that my wife is ‘deceased.'”

“……”

“If you know that, our conversation will be easier.”

“Ahem….”

The conversation started at an intense level from the beginning.

What is this? Is he trying to give me indigestion on top of what I just ate?

With his good digestion, it was fortunate, otherwise the topic would have upset his stomach. Ihan didn’t want to hear more, but Blake continued:

“Then do you also know this? That there are many suspicious aspects to my wife’s death.”

“…I don’t really…”

“Then you should know now. My wife was a fairy. Not just any fairy, but one who had humanized from a nature fairy.”

“Is that… impressive?”

“It’s quite rare.”

Though Ihan didn’t know this, nature fairies were similar to elemental spirits and comparable to land deities.

As such, nature fairies were once worshipped as gods, and even in the current era where religions flourish, some regions still revere them as deities.

Especially since fairies were deeply involved in the founding of Pendragon, the authority fairies held in the southern continent was considerable.

Therefore, Duke Blake who had married such a fairy was undoubtedly remarkable, and the death of such a fairy could be called nothing less than a great historical tragedy.

“Fairies have always been easy targets. The mysteries of fairies remain largely undiscovered, and there are still plenty of kings and powerful figures who want to uncover those mysteries for immortality or other secrets. Some magician even targeted my wife with the purpose of researching fairies.”

“…What happened to that spell-caster, I mean, magician?”

“He’s living in the Duke’s torture chamber. His life force is quite tenacious.”

“……”

“To continue, there were many suspicious aspects to my wife’s death.”

“…I heard she died in an accident?”

“Yes, but think about it. Does it make sense for the mistress of a Duke’s household to die in an ‘accident’?”

“……”

“How many people were guarding her? The personnel I personally selected to escort her were the elite of the elite. And yet…”

“……”

…Ihan could somehow predict what would come next.

‘And yet she died, which suggests murder is suspected.’

It seems there’s a backstory different from what’s publicly known.

Sure enough:

“As you may have already guessed, my wife was harmed by some suspicious individuals. They neutralized all the Duke’s guards and… killed her.”

BANG!

“……”

In an instant, his anger seemed to explode.

BOOM!

A materialized aura.

This was a high-level state where only knights who had reached a certain level could manifest killing intent or fighting spirit as a tangible force.

Depending on how one used this aura, it had better versatility than sword resonance and unmatched destructive power.

But now, the aura the Duke was emitting…

‘Just releasing his aura is breaking marble?’

Ha…

It was on a completely different level from what other knights could achieve.

If what others emitted was mere gunpowder, what this man released was nitroglycerin.

Just being touched by his aura caused a stinging sensation and even burns.

It was laughably powerful.

‘I had my suspicions but…’

This person was unbelievably strong.

The title of the kingdom’s greatest swordsman was no empty honor, and Ihan suddenly thought he might even be a match for an Aura user.

And this powerful figure, still not releasing his aura:

“I don’t know how many were involved in her death. But it was possible to identify those who killed her.”

– By mobilizing all of Galahad’s power!

The implication was chilling.

It meant that a group with power stronger than the royal family had been mobilized to uncover information.

“And finally, I was able to narrow down those who killed her.”

Thud.

“……”

“It was a group claiming to follow [Angel].”

“…Hmm.”

What the Duke produced was a cross covered in blood.

Not just any cross, but an ominous inverted cross, and Ihan was already familiar with the existence of inverted crosses.

“As a knight who collapsed the tunnel, you must surely know about these fanatics?”

“…Just how much do you know?”

“It might be faster to ask what I don’t know.”

“……”

The Blood Crusaders.

The group suspected of summoning the Demon King the previous day, occupying the tunnel, and believed to be connected to the Black Moon assassination organization that had kidnapped him as a child.

Now learning that this group had even harmed the Duke’s wife, Ihan closed his eyes tightly.

‘…So this is really a romance fantasy after all.’

It was like one of the promises of romance fantasy.

That there’s an organization targeting and assassinating the beloved wife of a duke, grand duke, or emperor.

And most of those organizations…

‘Often have church forces or royal elders as the masterminds.’

It followed the established cliché, and Ihan could only wonder if that cliché was also at work in this world.

…And if…

‘If it follows the cliché pattern, perhaps…’

Just as he was anticipating one of the frustrating clichés of romance fantasy, also known as a [sweet potato] moment, to come out of the Duke’s mouth:

“Do you know what Irene Windler, my foster daughter, and Judia Pierre, the Inquisitor from the temple, have in common?”

“…What is it?”

“Nothing other than the ‘trace of fairy’ that can be felt from them.”

“……”

…Suspicion of his own daughter.

One of the worst romance clichés had emerged, and Ihan felt his stomach tighten despite having fully digested his meal.

But whether Ihan wanted clarity or not, the Duke continued to present his case.

“Irene Windler shows ‘nature affinity,’ and Judia Pierre emanates ‘divine love.’ Both are characteristics possessed by fairies.”

“…Are you referring to magic and divine power?”

“You’re perceptive.”

“But… does that make sense?”

Nature affinity probably meant having dual attributes, and divine love seemed to refer to divine power…

By any measure, it couldn’t be anything but delusion or excessive interpretation.

While Irene Windler’s talent is special, it’s a talent that appears occasionally. As for divine power, it’s a strength anyone can possess simply by believing in a god.

So Ihan thought the Duke’s imagination was running wild, but the Duke:

“But it’s rare for ‘peers’ with such talent in an era, especially ‘women,’ to appear.”

“……”

He expressed endless suspicion.

“Is that all? Irene Windler reportedly had a sudden personality change when she was a teenager at the orphanage. Originally arrogant, she suddenly became docile and started taking good care of the other orphans.”

“…Perhaps she just matured late.”

“That could be. Then what about this? Judia Pierre was just an ordinary vagrant, but Cardinal Raphael took pity on her and brought her into the temple, after which she showed remarkable talent and quickly became an Inquisitor. Yet despite these achievements, she concealed her age and gender… Does this seem like mere coincidence to you?”

“Hmm…”

“It’s as if she’s desperately trying to hide something.”

“……”

…The Duke’s suspicion seemed somewhat reasonable.

Peer-aged women appearing suddenly after his wife’s death.

Both aged 19, the same number of years since his wife died.

Additionally, extraordinary talents that seemed to be fairy abilities and outstanding beauty!

It would be foolish not to be suspicious.

“That’s why I want her. Judia Pierre. She was extremely suspicious, and investigation revealed her connection to this fanatic group. All that remains is to question her directly. Of course, if she answers well, I don’t intend to treat her harshly. So I want you to hand her over.”

“……”

“It’s not a bad proposal. I’ll compensate you adequately, if you wish…”

“-Now I see it’s not just your eyes that have gone mad.”

“…?”

…In an instant, the entire surroundings seemed to freeze.

It felt as if the air itself had stopped.

[[………]]

Have you ever experienced having over a hundred intense gazes focused on you?

If not, you’re fortunate.

…It’s enough to leave trauma.

But Ihan:

“Ah, I meant to just think that, but it came out of my mouth…”

He continued, either awkwardly or brazenly.

And since the situation was already ruined:

“Look, mister. Drink some cold water and come to your senses. At your age, don’t do strange things.”

“……”

“I was wondering what you were talking about.”

“…Huh?”

He decided to be even more direct.

To show this frustrating old man what a fact-check really means.