Ch.157EP.38 – The Knight Does Not Forgive the Bully (6)

Ironically, Ihan had exchanged blows with that spear-wielding knight but had never properly introduced himself.

Well, from their first meeting they’d been fighting to kill each other, so when would they have had time for introductions?

That’s why…

“Lac de Duron, is that you?”

Only when a Tristan knight who arrived late to the battle called the spearman by that name did Ihan finally learn the proper name of the knight he had fought.

Lac. That must be the spearman’s name.

Though Ihan had finally learned the spearman’s name properly, neither he nor they had time to exchange introductions and build rapport.

He didn’t want to anyway.

Thud.

“Lord Ihan?”

“Where are you going…?”

As he turned to leave, the Galahad and Tristan knights blinked in confusion.

They wondered where he was going when all the enemies had been defeated.

To this question…

“Where else? I’m going to finish off whoever summoned these so-called Assassins.”

He answered confidently as if asking why they would question something so obvious, and the two knights who initially didn’t understand his meaning finally realized with horror.

…They understood he meant to confront the Sultan!

“Lord Ihan, that’s not…”

“Please calm down. Though we have suspicions, we have no concrete evidence. Confronting the Sultan recklessly would cause diplomatic issues.”

It was sensible advice.

No matter how obsessed with women the Sultan seemed, he was still a Sultan.

He would have been thorough in handling matters and likely left no trace of hiring the Assassins.

“But he seems definitely guilty.”

“…We think so too, but if the Sultan denies it completely, that’s the end of it.”

“Hmm.”

“Attacking the Sultan now would only satisfy your personal feelings.”

So attacking the Sultan based on mere suspicion would be nothing more than venting his frustration.

However…

“We just need to leave no evidence, right? Give me an hour or two, and I can make him say anything. So don’t worry.”

Ihan had no intention of letting the man off.

Only suspicion without evidence?

Don’t worry, he was confident he could extract that evidence from the man’s own mouth.

Well, it wouldn’t be bad to test how long the bastard could endure having his limbs broken.

But then…

Clank.

“What now?”

“Don’t act rashly.”

“…”

Someone was blocking his path.

The spearman had stepped in front of him, and Ihan narrowed his eyes in warning at the spearman blocking his way.

“I’ve never let anyone who meddled in my affairs go.”

Yes, to a knight who values principles, his actions would look like the tantrum of a foolish man.

But…

‘People with criminal minds always cause trouble. I need to strike now.’

How terrifying are those with criminal minds?

Especially those with power are even more despicable.

…They’re convinced they’ll never be punished.

Ihan absolutely couldn’t stand by and watch.

‘I won’t wait until he causes another incident!’

The common novel-style solution would be “wait until you find evidence, and if the criminal is handsome and rich, you can let him off” – a miraculous logic, but Ihan’s dictionary contained no such “novel-style logic.”

If someone committed a crime and did wrong, they deserved appropriate punishment!

“Move aside, spearman.”

“Such an insolent rogue…!”

The spearman glared and exclaimed in outrage.

“You fool! How can you call yourself a knight when you—!”

“I have no interest in discussing knighthood with you.”

Was he trying to stop him by bringing up chivalry?

These rigid knights are problematic for this very reason.

Not everything can be solved with chivalry—

“—Follow the order! I’m first!”

“??”

At this unexpected declaration, Ihan blinked in confusion.

Wondering if he’d misheard.

But proving he hadn’t, the spearman shouted again.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said follow the order! He dared ruin the lady’s first party! Even a lifetime of torture would be insufficient!”

“…I shouldn’t ask, but are you allowed to do that?”

“If someone dares touch Galahad, even the Emperor himself should die!”

“…This guy is crazier than I thought?”

Ihan sensed it.

This man might be even more extreme than himself, certainly no gentleman.

Perhaps…

‘Could we… possibly become friends?’

Ihan felt an inexplicable kinship with this crazy spearman.

…Disgustingly so.

*

*

*

“—We’ve lost contact with the Crows.”

“…Ah, I see. As expected, one shouldn’t rely on Crows. Useless creatures.”

Inside the moving carriage.

Sultan Salah wore a bloody sneer.

As if he should never have expected anything from the Crow faction.

“Sultan…”

But the guard captain who reported knew.

How much effort Salah had put into this matter, and the massive assets and losses he had accepted.

‘Even if Salah is the wealthiest among the Sultans, hiring Assassins in bulk will make his finances stagger for a while.’

‘And they’re famous for not giving refunds even when they fail…’

But conversely, this meant the Assassins maintained such audacity because they had a high success rate.

‘The name “Assassin” isn’t called the “Nightmare of the West” for nothing.’

Yet they failed…

“So even in decline, a Pendragon is still a Pendragon…”

It meant the Pendragon had stopped them.

And it also meant they had captured the Assassins without any commotion.

‘How many in the Sultanates could capture Assassins without any disturbance?’

The first that came to mind were Sultan Maham’s warriors, who were said to be unmatched in military might, but even they had suffered considerable damage when fighting Assassins in the past.

Of course, considering environmental factors and being in a foreign country, it was inevitable that they would be at a disadvantage against the Pendragon.

“…No, all of that is just excuses. The result is that the Assassins failed, and they were simply incompetent. Isn’t that right, Salman?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“Then we’ll prepare for the second attempt.”

“S-Sultan, but if we do that, we might be discovered…”

Having failed to mobilize the Assassins, he would prepare the next move.

At the Sultan’s declaration, Salman was horrified.

Even if they left no traces, the Pendragon side would already be suspicious of the Sultan.

And if they tried something again in this situation, it would be difficult to hide, and the royal family might officially dispatch investigators.

Of course, they couldn’t punish a Sultan, who was the king of a country.

But…

‘If treated as unwelcome guests, we’d have no choice but to leave.’

And if expelled…

‘Would the Sultan return safely?’

Shudder!

[Tragic accident, the Sultan’s ship suddenly sank…]

[Sultanate engulfed in flames, power struggle begins due to Sultan Salah’s absence!]

[Mysterious accident?! Was the Sultan assassinated by another Sultan?]

Drip…

Salman was drenched in cold sweat as if caught in a downpour.

He kept seeing terrifying headlines that would occupy the front pages of future newspapers.

It was a horrifying future.

But Salah, making his subordinate’s concerns seem foolish, was full of confidence.

He had not given up yet and seemed determined to achieve his goal.

“The sails are already unfurled. How can one stop a ship that has already set sail?”

“Sultan…”

“If we drop anchor now, only sinking awaits us. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“…”

“Salman, trust me. I have never been defeated!”

Sultan Salah. Once just one of the previous Sultan’s numerous children, but after fierce power struggles, he became a monarch with the great title of Sultan in his twenties.

There were crises, but with his loyal subordinates, luck, and outstanding abilities, he was where he was now.

So despite the failure, he neither despaired nor feared.

He had absolute confidence that he could achieve his goal.

“If successful, the reward will be far more valuable than the risks taken.”

In investments, as long as you gain more than you lost, it’s a success regardless of how much you lost.

You just have to win it back, win it back!

If only he could get his hands on “Mystery,” that brilliant power.

If he could just do that…

“I can gain more than what I’ve lost.”

In the Sultan’s dictionary, there was only forward progress.

‘…Ah, come to think of it, there’s one more thing to gain.’

Salah recalled the woman he met today, more mysterious and beautiful than Mystery itself, like a jewel.

Galahad’s adopted daughter and a magician possessing the most valuable Mystery.

But her dazzling beauty was more enchanting than her reputation, and Salah wanted to possess that girl by any means.

‘Irene, Irene Windler.’

Taking Mystery from that beautiful jewel would have to be postponed.

That jewel seemed like something he should embrace.

‘I will have everything, and everything will be under my hand…!’

Clench! Salah tightened his fist.

He was the Sultan, the embodiment of power who could obtain anything he desired.

For him, there was no such thing as giving up…

CRACK!

“—?”

…In that moment, Salah’s mind went blank.

Unable to process what had just happened, he called out to his subordinate who was collapsing.

“…Salman?”

Guard Captain Salman.

Equivalent to a Knight Commander in Pendragon terms, his skills were arguably the best in the Sultanate, evident from the fact that he guarded the Sultan himself.

Yet such a Salman…

SPLAT!

“Ughk! S-Sultan, r-run away! R-run…”

“SALMAN!!”

The guard’s arm was severed.

By something that suddenly pierced through the carriage window.

“…A pebble?”

And Salah saw.

The thing that had severed his proud guard captain’s arm was neither a throwing knife nor an arrow, but a simple pebble.

But that pebble…

CRASH!!

“!!!?”

It indiscriminately pounded the carriage, showing a ferocity that rendered countless protective magic spells useless.

Ten layers of protective magic that even an ogre couldn’t penetrate were crumbling like a sand castle.

In real-time!

“A-ambush! Protect the Sultan!”

“Protect the Sul—, GAHK!”

CRACK!

The hundred warriors guarding the Sultan were in complete disarray.

Unable to block even a single flying pebble, the number of those dying or becoming disabled increased, and Salah had to bow his head to the floor, trembling.

“W-what is this—”

THWACK!

“…?”

Drip…!

Salah realized too late.

The small pebble had grazed his ear, and…

Thud…

Like his guard’s severed arm, his ear had also been cleanly cut off.

“AAAAARGH!”

He writhed in pain.

* * *

“…This is quite difficult.”

“If it’s difficult, say so. I’ll do it.”

“Wait. A bet is a bet. The loser stays out.”

“…”

“Who told you to lose?”

The knight who had won a simple game of rock-paper-scissors before coming here laughed triumphantly and kicked another pebble.

It was like sniping with a pebble from about 2km away, but the knight’s extraordinary skill made this impossible feat of stone-throwing possible.

The Tristan knight watching this spectacle asked, amazed at yet another unusual skill.

“What kind of technique is that?”

Yesterday he walked on air, and today he’s demonstrating sniping skills more impressive than an archer’s.

To this question…

“It’s not really a technique, I just played some For*nite back in the day, that’s all.”

“For…what??”

“It’s a thing.”

Since ancient times, Koreans have been masters of sniping, enjoying long-range weapons like stone-throwing and archery as a nation of ADCs.

Though it was from a past life, the experience of once belonging to the ADC tribe hadn’t gone anywhere.

“I’ll say it again, Lord Ihan. Everything else is fine, but please…”

“I know, I just need to not kill him, right? And leave no traces. So like this.”

WHOOSH!

—He would just torment him a little.

Well…

“Though the victim might prefer death.”

“…”

“Oh, and let’s leave those Assassin corpses we brought here. It’ll be more fun that way, don’t you think?”

“…Hah.”

The two knights thought.

If possible, they should never meet this man as an enemy.

He was nothing short of vicious and relentless…

“Hmph, quite wise for a rogue.”

“Right?”

“But amateur. Not just corpses, it would be better to engrave another Sultan’s flag emblem.”

“…Not a bad idea.”

…And perhaps the Sultan’s greatest misfortune was that there wasn’t just one villain.

Two knights who were dead serious about tormenting the tanned scoundrel.