Ch.199EP.45 – The Knight Get Autumn Blues (5)

“Aren’t you cold…?”

Creating the pond was a relatively recent development.

While digging the underground tunnel, they accidentally broke through bedrock and discovered abundant groundwater that formed a pond, clean enough to use as drinking water.

Thanks to this, Ihan no longer needed to buy water, but being from bedrock, the water was insanely cold.

Cold as ice? No, it was beyond that—when he put fruit in the water, it actually froze.

As expected of the mystical land of Pendragon.

Even the groundwater refuses to be ordinary.

It was a natural source of drinking water that doubled as a freezer, and because of that…

“I never expected anyone would actually get in it.”

“Hehe, I am a water and wind magician after all, right? I created a barrier of warm air and just endured it underwater. See? That fluffy thing?”

“…You’re quite skilled.”

“Any magician could do it, I think?”

“I doubt it…”

As far as he could remember, none of the spellcasters whose necks had met his blade had demonstrated such a talent.

There was once a spellcaster who proclaimed, “I am the true master of water!” but even he couldn’t fight underwater.

‘Either that guy was all talk, or this girl’s talent is insane.’

Ihan clicked his tongue.

Truly…

‘So this is what wasting talent looks like.’

He found it both absurd and pitiful that a girl with such exceptional talent was using it for voyeurism.

‘What could she possibly want with photos of someone like me…?’

Though he had given her permission, he still couldn’t understand her psychology.

* * *

The voyeur—or rather, the girl who had obtained legal permission to take photos—was, despite appearances, the precious daughter of the most powerful family in the kingdom, or rather, the southern continent.

Irene Windler.

In society’s eyes, she was a prodigy who would undoubtedly become a Grand Magician by her mid-twenties. Even as an adopted daughter, from the perspective of a ducal family without blood relatives, she could certainly aim to be the successor of Galahad.

Someone who could have or do anything in the kingdom if she so desired.

However, this girl…

“Instructor, would you believe me if I told you that ‘the Duke’s biological daughter’ might appear in this entrance exam?”

“…?”

Though it wasn’t a joke, she was spouting nonsense he couldn’t comprehend.

“When you said you came for counseling, did you mean counseling for mental issues?”

What should he do? He didn’t know any psychiatrists…

Ihan seriously considered whether holy power could fix mental problems.

“I’m not crazy, Instructor!”

But Irene Windler maintained a clear gaze, as if to prove she wasn’t insane.

“I suppose if I were you, I might think this sounds like nonsense too. But Instructor, I swear I’ve never told a lie, and I’m only stating facts.”

“…Hmm.”

“I swear on my ma—”

“Stop, you fledgling!”

“Eep!”

Ihan instantly covered Irene’s mouth.

Swearing on <Mana>—

For magicians, this was an absolute oath, equivalent to swearing on the River Styx in Greek mythology—an absolute promise.

And any magician who broke such an oath would have their internal mana go berserk, tearing their body to shreds.

Young people really are reckless, showing no fear.

“You don’t need to do that for me to believe you, just don’t do anything crazy. I don’t want to use violence against women.”

“Y-yes…”

Irene, her face slightly flushed, obediently complied.

Were his hands that warm?

“Hehe, your hands are so big. I want to take them…”

“……”

Swish…

How should he interpret that statement?

Did she want to cut off his hands and take them?

…Ihan hid his hands behind his back, thinking that this girl’s affection was quite different from normal people’s.

…Honestly, it was a bit scary.

* * *

“You might know this, Instructor, but the Duke once had a wife. …She’s passed away now.”

He’d already heard this story.

“Sadly, there’s a story that his wife left behind a child when she died. And I happen to know… quite by accident… that this child is still alive!”

That’s you.

“And there’s a possibility that the Duke’s daughter, who was thought to be dead, might appear!”

…It’s you, I’m telling you.

“Sigh.”

Ihan let out a deep sigh.

Is this how a righteous outlaw feels, unable to call their father “father”?

…He felt sorry for his disciple, whose pupils trembled with tension as if revealing an enormous secret, but there was probably no one in the kingdom who understood the father-daughter relationship better than Ihan.

He hadn’t deliberately investigated, but somehow he knew that Blake the Duke and Irene Windler were father and daughter.

Because their ‘energy wavelength’ and the ‘distinctive scent’ that came from sharing the same bloodline were [identical].

However, this was something he knew through his senses alone; there was no logical way to prove it.

‘Even if I told them they were father and daughter and begged them to have a tearful reunion, they wouldn’t believe me.’

After all, there was no DNA testing in this world.

It would be nice if there were magical methods to determine bloodlines, but unfortunately, as far as he knew, such magic hadn’t been developed yet.

…Unofficially, that is.

‘The royal family seems to have some means, though.’

Earlier this year, the Princess had asked him to monitor two people, saying:

Irene Windler might be the Duke’s ‘biological child’…

But was that merely a prediction? At least the Princess he knew wasn’t someone who would speak based on predictions alone.

That nine-tailed sister of his must have had some degree of certainty to ask him to monitor them.

For example—

‘She might have already invented something like a blood test kit.’

She was someone who had succeeded in creating mythical medicines like ambrosia.

He wouldn’t be surprised if she could instantly create technology to identify biological children.

The problem, however—

‘Even if she knows, she’s not the type to freely share that information.’

He was certain.

She would never help that father and daughter as long as they remained political opponents who threatened her position.

‘How frustrating…’

It was a matter Ihan couldn’t casually interfere with.

He had connections with all three parties, and at least ‘for now,’ he was closer to the Princess.

So…

“…That’s surprising and serious news.”

“It’s surprising, right, Instructor!”

Ihan had to play along and pretend to be serious, reacting as if hearing this for the first time.

…He felt bad about it, but what could he do?

‘I’m not getting involved in power struggles.’

That would only make his life more difficult.

“Sigh, you might think everything I’m saying is a lie, and you might not understand how an orphaned magician like me would know such truths.”

“No, I understand.”

“Yes, I thought you would. But as you hear this story… Wait, what did you say?”

“I said I believe you.”

“……”

“So stop making excuses and get to the point, Irene Windler. What are you trying to tell me?”

“……”

He would definitely provide counseling.

Even if he couldn’t interfere with their blood relationship, he could certainly listen to her concerns.

“Instructor…”

“…Ahem.”

…Seeing Irene Windler’s moved expression made him feel somewhat guilty.

Irene Windler was overjoyed!

To think he would believe such an unbelievable story!

‘As expected, our instructor is the best, hehe.’

[My silly Arin…]

‘Shut up, no matter what you say, Instructor is the best!’

[Well, I won’t deny that.]

The ghost nodded.

Even the ghost girl hadn’t been sure if he would believe everything Arin said.

Or perhaps…

[Maybe he already expected it?]

‘Huh? What did you say?’

[…Nothing, never mind.]

‘??’

[Don’t focus on me, focus on the instructor. He’ll think you’re strange.]

‘Ah, right!’

The girl quickly refocused on her beloved instructor and chattered away.

Like she was pouring out all the sorrow she had been hiding.

But conversely, the ghost girl, who shared Irene’s fate, looked meaningfully between the two.

And then…

[Arin, do you still see this world as a romance fantasy comic?]

She felt sad that the girl still viewed this world as merely virtual.

The girl who still wished to return to her ‘original world.’

…She could only feel sorry for the girl who was still stuck being ‘high school senior [Lee Arin]’ rather than Irene Windler.

[Do you miss that place so much?]

There was an inexplicable sadness in the ghost girl’s voice as she turned her gaze toward the knight whom Arin had feelings for.

[Please protect Arin, Instructor.]

In place of herself, who could do nothing.

…Well.

“I don’t know what will happen to me if the Duke’s real daughter appears, so… Instructor, c-could you possibly… take me in?”

…There’s no fool quite like this fool.

[Sigh.]

The ghost girl sighed and shook her head.

Both the Duke and the girl…

[Why don’t they just talk to each other?]

Is this what most father-daughter relationships are like?

The ghost girl felt frustrated.

* * *

‘What a frustrating relationship.’

Ihan shook his head after listening to Irene Windler’s concerns.

‘Neither of them communicates properly.’

The Duke partly believes Irene is his biological daughter but suspects she might be a ploy by fanatics, while Irene is ‘certain’ she isn’t the Duke’s daughter.

As if the real daughter is someone else.

‘A biological daughter appearing among the applicants, huh. This is completely…’

Isn’t this one of the standard tropes in romance fantasy?

A cliché he’d seen countless times during his sergeant days—the girl thought to be the biological daughter turns out not to be, and a poor girl living elsewhere turns out to be the lost daughter, that kind of classic story.

‘It’s totally classic…’

However, in Irene and Duke Blake’s case, while it was classic, there was a slight [variation] that was important.

And in cases with such variations…

‘The story tends to drag on forever…’

As a ‘reader’ familiar with such variations, Ihan couldn’t help but feel disgruntled knowing that it would take a considerable amount of time for the truth to be revealed.

And as a reader who hated frustration…

‘—An unavoidable fatal accident during the exam would make for a decent story, wouldn’t it?’

He decided to completely overturn everything.