Ch.162EP.39 – Two Men Go All the Way (5)

…Lac de Duron could tell that this guy, despite his appearance, was truly meticulous.

And for good reason.

“What’s important isn’t the flowing river or the salmon. You need to focus on the numbers and Morse code written behind it. And interpreting the metaphorical expression of the salmon is the key.”

“…I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“Ignorant fool. Is being good with swords and spears all it takes to be a knight? A knight should read some books.”

“!?”

Anger welled up from somewhere near his chest.

If someone else had spoken to him like that, he might have let it slide, but being called ignorant by this rogue made uncontrollable rage surge within him.

However, the disadvantage was currently on his side, so he gritted his teeth and tried his best to listen to what the man had to say.

Still, feeling frustrated and annoyed was just that—frustrating and annoying.

‘So it was a cipher that would be difficult to interpret without military encryption knowledge and literary perspective.’

Who would have thought that someone who looked worse than an ogre or troll would know how to use such ciphers…

“There’s a reason why one shouldn’t judge people by their appearance.”

“Keep picking fights and I might just leave.”

“That’s unfortunate. I prepared ‘paella’ for dinner.”

“……”

“So, are you leaving?”

“…Not bad? Someone who looks as unpleasant as you actually knows how to negotiate?”

“…That’s not something I want to hear from you.”

Neither of them was willing to back down.

But then.

“By the way, I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you go through the trouble of decoding it yourself when you could have just asked me to do it for you?”

“……”

“Do you have some kind of hobby of making things difficult for yourself?”

“…W-would you have taught me if I had asked?”

Lac was so flustered that he stumbled over his words for the first time.

But regardless, the other person shrugged his shoulders.

“Weren’t our goals similar anyway?”

It was a statement showing willingness to cooperate, and Lac blinked and asked.

“…Did you follow me because I offered food?”

“What kind of madman would follow someone just because they offered food? I followed you because I was willing to cooperate.”

“……”

“What an absurd fellow…”

“Ahem-!”

As the other continued to call him absurd, Lac cleared his throat loudly.

He was feeling embarrassed.

* * *

Honestly, he had intended to cooperate from the beginning if approached by any faction, whether Galahad or Tristan.

‘He’s more capable than I expected.’

Not only was he thorough with cleanup, but his other skills were also excellent.

People like this could certainly be helpful.

Of course, it might be more comfortable to handle things alone, but Ihan knew that dealing with the Sultan and the Magic Tower by himself would be ‘tricky.’

So instead…

Slurp.

“Cooperating with others is only natural.”

“That’s an extremely cold-blooded judgment.”

“Right? But why doesn’t your brother understand that?”

“It can’t be helped. The Vice-Captain is ignorant—I mean, he has a somewhat simple side…”

“Shut up, Luna.”

“Don’t call me by my name in official settings. Address me as Lady Brigitte, Vice-Captain.”

“……”

Ihan quietly sipped his warm tea while listening to the siblings’ affectionate conversation.

Though his expression was calm, he was also checking his condition in real-time.

‘They called it medicinal hot springs? It’s as effective as Vulcan’s hot springs.’

After soaking in the hot springs filled with precious medicinal herbs and potions, not only was his fatigue gone, but injuries he hadn’t even been aware of had healed, and toxins and waste products had been flushed from his body, leaving him feeling incredibly refreshed.

Additionally, after filling his stomach, his physical condition was at its peak, and he felt he could move his body immediately without any issues.

‘As expected, well-funded facilities are amazing.’

They say money can’t solve everything, but there’s a paradox in that most things can indeed be solved with money, and now he understood why.

As he was contemplating this.

“—Why not seek cooperation from the royal family?”

“Huh?”

“I understand seeking others’ cooperation when matters are complicated. But I don’t understand why you’re limiting yourself to Galahad or Tristan instead of Pendragon.”

“……”

It was a question from the spear-wielder, and Ihan was simply dumbfounded by it.

As if the answer was too obvious.

“…Are you seriously asking because you don’t know?”

“?”

“Would you trust the white cats if you were me? I’d rather work alone than team up with them.”

Why would someone who should know better ask such an obvious question?

It’s like pouring oil on a burning house.

“Hmm… Isn’t the Order of the Silver Lion the knight order you belong to?”

“That’s why I know well. Those guys would never be helpful. Well, my friend and junior might be somewhat helpful, but they’re busy taking care of that immature prince right now.”

“…What kind of place is the Order of the Silver Lion?”

“A place beyond your imagination.”

“……”

“Don’t look at me so pitifully, you bastard.”

“…If you ever need a meal, feel free to visit our house.”

“Don’t sympathize with me!”

Ihan felt a surge of anger.

He reconfirmed the fact that his workplace, throughout both his past and present life, was consistently terrible.

…He had an unfortunate fate.

* * *

“Galahad’s objective remains unchanged. Find the fanatics, root them out, and burn them. That is the order given to us by His Majesty.”

Galahad wasn’t pursuing illegal mages out of personal grudges like Ihan; they were simply hunting down the fanatic group.

The Blood Crusaders.

Those cowardly and filthy beings.

“If your investigation is correct, then Greg Bin is indeed a mage belonging to the fanatic group, right?”

“Hmm, with about 80% probability, I’d say.”

“…The remaining 20% is concerning, but that’s reason enough to capture that mage.”

“Capturing just that spellcaster won’t end things, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“……”

Ihan hesitated at this point.

He was debating whether to speak or not, and as he paused…

“Sir?”

“…Hmm.”

With the knight Luna’s prompting, it seemed unwise to keep hiding it, so Ihan scratched his head and said.

“…As you probably know from reading my notebook, the Magic Tower and spellcasters still maintain contact. Especially recently, Greg Bin and the Magic Tower have been in frequent contact because Greg Bin’s experiments have made some progress, and the Magic Tower is also preparing something based on those experimental data.”

“Preparations?”

“They say they’re planning to get their hands on one of Pendragon’s most prized [Mysteries], but it’s not really a plan—it’s just theft and robbery.”

Whether it’s the Sultan or the Magic Tower, the thoughts of cowards are similar.

“And?”

“Well, among their targets…”

—There’s also Galahad’s magic sword.

…Just as Ihan was revealing the information he had been hiding, the spear-wielder…

WHOOSH—!

“…What a vicious bastard, is he really the Star of Slaughter?”

In an instant, a terrifying killing intent enveloped the surroundings.

CRACK!

It was doubtful whether such ‘aura’ could be the total amount of killing intent possessed by a single individual, and the killing intent writhed like a living creature, wreaking havoc on the surroundings.

CRACK!

The chair he was sitting on, the surrounding desk, and even the teacups were all completely shattered. The female knight had already fled to safety, but Ihan alone remained seated calmly in the face of this red wave of killing intent.

“S-Sir, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, but that guy is dangerous. If he doesn’t control his energy, he could kill ten people with just his aura.”

“…Lac’s malevolent star is like a sword without a sheath.”

“It’s a wonder he became a knight.”

Ihan was convinced that this was an innate killing intent. He marveled at the fact that someone with such formidable killing intent could lead a normal life.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

To give an example, it was like someone carrying poison that could kill just by breathing, and he had been controlling that poison all this time.

He couldn’t help but be impressed.

“It’s thanks to His Majesty.”

“The Duke?”

“Yes, the fact that we siblings are alive like this, and the reason Lac can live a normal life, is all thanks to His Majesty. Without him, Lac would have died long ago. In that sense, targeting His Majesty is like touching Lac’s reverse scale. It’s like targeting someone who saved his life… someone who is like a parent to him.”

“…I see.”

Certainly, one would be angry to learn that someone was targeting a benefactor who had saved their life.

However, that guy…

‘Just his anger alone could kill many.’

Crumble…

He saw the desk crumbling like sand, unable to withstand his killing intent, and at some point, even the teacups had completely shattered into powder.

He wondered if such a feat was possible with killing intent alone, and Ihan clicked his tongue.

‘No wonder his fists were so hot.’

He’s much smaller in build compared to himself.

Yet, in their first clash, he didn’t yield at all.

A lightweight not giving way to a heavyweight…

It would be an unbelievable story to tell elsewhere, but if he constantly wrapped himself in such powerful killing intent, it was a different story.

It was like always wearing armor named killing intent all over his body.

‘What [Gyeong] technique is to me, that killing intent must be to him.’

If the [Gyeong] technique is like a passive skill for Ihan, then killing intent might be the same for the spear-wielder.

Strength wrapped in killing intent.

What could be called [Salgyeong (殺勁)].

It was a power that wouldn’t be strange to name as such.

‘The world is truly interesting.’

If the Champion of the North he met yesterday was born like Hercules or Xiang Yu, this guy was a ‘flame’ and a ‘sword’ in human form.

Ready to burn, destroy, and cut through everything at any time.

For Ihan, it was like discovering another talent that surpassed all knights besides Maximus, and rather than feeling jealousy or inferiority, he felt a surge of interest.

‘I’d like to experience it properly…’

He wanted to examine the spear-wielder’s killing intent more closely.

If he delved into it seriously, he felt he could use some interesting techniques.

…But that could wait for another day.

For now—

“Stop being angry and let’s get to work. We seem to have a lot to do.”

“…What are you planning to do?”

“What else? We need to crush them all.”

“??”

“You guys seem to be thinking of just tracking down traces of the fanatics, but I’m different.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, I…”

—I’m going all the way…

In Ihan’s low murmur, there was an unconscious lion’s roar.

A lion’s roar filled with his determination, fighting spirit, and vigor.

“……”

“……”

And for a moment, the two siblings felt a slight chill.

It was a vigor so intense that it momentarily erased the killing intent emitted by ‘Galahad’s Malevolent Wolf,’ known for his malevolent star.

Seeing this, Luna Brigitte experienced a slight optical illusion.

‘An armored mountain beast?’

She blinked as she momentarily saw a monster reminiscent of a large magical beast called a mountain beast.

If one side was a wolf burning with powerful killing intent as its fuel, the other was a monster harboring a powerful vigor reminiscent of a large magical beast…

‘These humans, no, these monsters teaming up is really…’

She felt somewhat sorry for those who would be targeted by them.

They might be lucky to have even bone fragments left.