Ch.191EP.44 – The Knight Hate Romance Fantasy Events (3)

“…I’m saying this just in case, instructor. If you’re thinking of meddling with the temple, please abandon that idea.”

“…?”

“Drop that ‘have you learned mind reading too?’ expression. I can simply predict it because I’ve come to read your behavioral patterns to some extent.”

“…Not bad?”

“Whether it’s ‘not bad’ or whatever, absolutely do not think about touching the temple. You should catch the real culprit and end it there. Meddling with the temple will only give you a headache.”

As if it was already confirmed that he would raid the temple, Roen even made a desperate expression that seemed to say ‘exercise patience.’

“I too feel strong ‘regret,’ ‘displeasure,’ ‘anger,’ ‘hatred,’ ‘contempt,’ ‘disgust,’ and ‘nausea’ toward the temple, but even so, attacking the temple is something that shouldn’t be done.”

“…No, that, well… I think you hate the temple more than I do?”

As they say, fake madness cannot even present its business card before true madness, and the intense hatred Roen displayed seemed similar to the emotions he himself felt toward mages.

Just as mages were terrible monsters that needed to be eradicated from the world to him, perhaps the temple was the same for that guy.

However, if there was a difference between them, it would be…

‘He tries to suppress his emotions and act rationally.’

Like now.

“As you know, instructor, the temple’s status in the southern continent is enormous. More precisely, it’s the authority of the Light of Radiance that is great, but the temple priests are well-known as chosen representatives of the Light of Radiance, so the authority they possess is not to be taken lightly. Because of this characteristic, there are quite a lot of people among the citizens who believe and follow whatever the priests say.”

“That’s all common knowledge, isn’t it? Who in the south doesn’t know that?”

Ihan shrugged his shoulders, wondering why he was explaining such well-known facts so elaborately.

It’s too obvious…

“—Yet you, who claim to know this, are planning to attack the temple?”

“……”

“Instructor, attacking the temple is a different level of incident from attacking a magic tower. The reason you’ve remained unscathed after raiding other organizations until now is because you have legitimate justification, power, and some mysterious ‘backing,’ isn’t that right?”

“Y-yes?”

“Since you admit it, it’s much easier to talk. Then, knowing it’s presumptuous, I dare to advise you. Instructor, even if the king is your backing, you cannot attack the temple. An attack on the temple would literally turn ‘all citizens’ against you.”

“……”

“That’s the danger of the power of faith that the temple—no, that [religion] possesses.”

“…Hmm.”

…Ihan was surprised by two facts.

One was that this cold and insolent guy was sincerely concerned about him and expressing his opinion, and the other was.

‘This bastard, has he already tried to do what I’m planning to do?’

He didn’t have the talent to grasp someone’s thoughts just by looking at their eyes, but still, there’s such a thing as intuition, isn’t there?

Ihan carefully speculated that the guy had done many things, either in the past or in the ‘future,’ and that all those efforts might have come to nothing…

It couldn’t be anything but a pitiful gaze with countless feelings of emptiness and despair flashing through.

‘…Didn’t this guy say he fought tremendously with the temple in the future?’

Mortal enemies?

He cautiously guesses that they formed an even more terrible relationship of hatred than that.

…And he’s speaking to him because he’s already experienced many things.

—About how attacking the temple causes the worst possible outcome.

“…Of course, someone like you could easily destroy the temple alone, but you cannot destroy the faith and hatred of the people. No matter how well you take care of the people, they will worship and long for <God>, and eventually they will create second and third temples with their own hands…”

“……”

“Therefore, openly attacking the temple is not an option. It’s nothing but a meaningless act, and you’ll only become an object of hatred.”

“……”

“Also…”

…The advice, admonition, or whatever it was, continued.

While some might get tired of continuous advice and feel a bit stressed, Ihan had a completely different impression as he listened to the lament.

Rather than irritation, he felt sympathy.

‘He has a lot of grudges.’

Setting aside the fact that he just learned this guy was so talkative, it seems he has a lot of pent-up feelings.

The young man already shows signs of developing an ulcer.

I wonder how much he’s been suffering inside.

‘It feels worse than when I was in the military…’

Ihan cautiously speculated that the stress he might have experienced in his previous life could be insignificant compared to this guy’s.

‘…Poor guy.’

For the first time, Ihan thought this guy was quite pitiful, and he just silently listened to his advice.

“…Instructor, why are you looking at me like that?”

However, from the perspective of the person receiving that gaze, he had to feel uncomfortable.

People often don’t know how they appear to others, and the pitiful person (Roen) didn’t realize that he looked like a drenched stray dog.

* * *

……Ihan accepted his disciple’s advice.

Although he sometimes acts according to his feelings, Ihan wasn’t a fool who entrusts everything to emotions.

Besides, with a thoughtful disciple giving him advice, he couldn’t ignore the counsel.

…Of course, if he felt a line was seriously crossed, then he would resort to ‘killing you and escaping myself.’

‘It seems the time to seriously consider where to emigrate is approaching.’

It would be best not to clash with the temple, but people need to keep the worst-case scenario in mind.

…Honestly, he hesitates.

If it had been half a year ago, he could have left without any regrets, but unfortunately…

‘What is this thing called attachment.’

During this time, Ihan had acquired too many precious things.

His people.

The acquaintances, friends, and disciples with whom Ihan shared friendships.

As long as they existed, Ihan could no longer easily leave the kingdom, nor could he casually talk about escaping like before.

Therefore, directly attacking the temple was an extreme measure and the worst direction for the current Ihan, making him think deeply.

And to this choice of Ihan’s.

“You’ve made a good decision! I also think that meddling with the temple isn’t right.”

The gray-haired Taechang expressed his joy.

“You’re also against attacking the temple?”

“Yes, it might not matter to you, instructor, since you don’t believe in religion, but it’s different for others. Especially in a difficult world, people have no choice but to rely on gods. In that sense, the power of religion in this world is bound to be absolute. And to mess with such a place… whew, the people would stone you.”

“…You talk as if you’ve actually seen it?”

“…I haven’t seen it in person. I saw it ‘through the screen’… Roen getting stoned…”

“……”

“…Should I tell you more details?”

“No…”

That seems like enough.

On his way home.

Taechang, who had emerged from behind a tree as if waiting for him, and Ihan wasn’t surprised to see him suddenly appear.

He had already become accustomed to it, as there were too many people around him who would suddenly pop up like assassins.

However, as he listened to the advice, he tilted his head upon noticing a strangely concerning ‘red mark.’

Could that be…

“By the way, what happened to your neck?”

“Huh?”

“It looks like you’ve been bitten?”

“Ah, this? Umm, well, I hid from Lady Karin that I was going to the Empire. It’s been a month already, but she seems a bit angry, so whenever she sees me, she bites places like my neck and shoulders. It doesn’t hurt, but this is…”

“……”

“Sigh, did I do something really wrong?”

“…You’re worse than a fool.”

“Pardon?”

“Forget it, just don’t say anything, you deceiver.”

“??”

Although he opened his eyes wide as if he truly didn’t understand why Ihan was angry, such an innocent expression only felt more detestable.

‘His deception is outstanding.’

In a way, isn’t that also a talent?

The talent of pretending to be oblivious.

Ihan wanted to beat him up more than the temple, but knowing that would only make himself look bad, he had to suffer internally.

* * *

“…B-but, instructor, aren’t you going to ask Judia Pierre directly? About why she met with someone from the temple and what they talked about. I-I think you could find out anything…”

Derrick cautiously asked.

Although Ihan had suddenly gotten angry at him, he didn’t seem genuinely angry, so Derrick could ask, and fortunately.

“Like that bastard would talk. He’s a crazy bastard. Whether you torture him, beat him up, or even threaten him, he’ll just endure it or try to commit suicide. He has no attachment to life.”

“……”

He answered, but hearing the content made Derrick’s expression naturally harden.

“No, it’s not that he has no attachment to life, but rather he doesn’t value his life? He lives with the mindset that if he lives, he lives, and if he dies, he dies… Despicable and unpleasant bastard.”

“……”

His expression was filled with deep displeasure.

A look that showed utter disgust for the way the priest Pierre lived.

“That’s why those who use God’s name as a shield are disgusting. They think they’ll be forgiven for anything they do.”

“…It’s similar to modern terrorist organizations, then.”

“They’re just crazy bastards.”

“Umm!”

He had heard about Priest Pierre’s circumstances.

Having two personalities, [Judia] the succubus personality and [Pierre] the inquisitor personality.

The shocking part was that the reason the Pierre personality was created was because Judia, who was suffering as an experimental subject, created this personality ‘to pass on her pain and suffering and fall asleep.’

Therefore, Pierre’s personality hates Judia, and to affirm himself as a human being, he shows an even more fanatical obsession with the temple.

…Although pitiable beyond words, there’s too much blood on his hands to simply call him endlessly pitiful.

‘The succubus personality is definitely a villainess.’

And quite a malicious type of human at that.

She might be the one who most deserves the title of villainous lady.

“S-so how will you handle it?”

“Handle it? Like a reasonable person, I’ll resolve it through ‘dialogue.'”

“……”

“Hey, what does that silence mean?”

“…Nothing, nothing at all.”

Derrick couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Resolving it through dialogue…

‘Isn’t that impossible for the instructor?’

Of course, the instructor isn’t such a violent person.

Judging by his appearance and usual behavior, one might misunderstand him as violent, but he’s actually quite kind and reasonable.

The problem, however, is…

“—Lady Irene, won’t you serve the Light of Radiance? Although you are the adopted daughter of the sinful Galahad and have learned the wicked art of magic, if you serve the Light, even those sins will surely be wash—”

“—You crazy bastard.”

—CRACK!!

…The problem is that the people around him make him resort to violence.

‘Did all his ribs break? …Seeing that his stomach didn’t burst, he must have controlled his strength.’

The instructor’s perfect hectopascal kick blazed forth, and an ominous sound rang from the opponent’s side, but Derrick nodded, knowing that he had exercised tremendous restraint.

Not killing him—truly, he’s a person with remarkable patience.