Ch.207EP.47 – Knights’ Night March (1)/Title Revised

“-Dad, I’m going to work.”

“Dad, are you leaving already?”

“Hey, you said you’d play with us today.”

“Tch…”

The children, at an age where they desperately wanted to play, complained quietly, and the man who had earned the title of “Dad” scratched his cheek awkwardly.

He felt sorry for the children.

He hadn’t been able to pay much attention to them these past few days because he’d been so busy.

Just then.

“Kids, Dad’s not going out to play, he’s going to work! Are you going to keep complaining?”

The timely reinforcement stepped in, and the children’s complaints were suppressed.

“Honey…”

“You need to be firm with them too. Ahem! You should listen to your father! …like that.”

“I just feel bad for the kids…”

“Come on, you can play with them next time. Oh, by the way, be careful out there. The streets are dangerous these days. I saw in the newspaper that the royal family and the Grand Temple are fighting again.”

“…Alright, alright.”

“One answer is enough! Now, hurry up and get to work!”

“…Got it.”

The man set off for work with a bitter smile as he listened to his wife’s nagging mixed with encouragement.

For his reliable support system—his lovely angel and the three baby angels God had sent them.

An ordinary man called by various names: father, husband, head of household.

Yes, this ordinary man, the head of an average household that could be found anywhere, stepped out into the world today, walking with purpose.

Surely today would be another exhausting and difficult day at work, but the man could endure it.

After all, he was…

…a father.

*

*

*

“-I heard you scratched that girl? He was impressed. Said you really scratched her good.”

“Excuse me?”

“Heize Roche, I heard you met with her.”

“Oh, that?”

Haha….

Derrick laughed awkwardly.

Looking back now, what he and the other two had done seemed rather excessive.

– Hmm….

– Something’s strange?”

– This is odd.”

– …What’s wrong with these lunatics….

They—that is, Derrick along with Princess Irene and Young Lord Roen—had gone to meet Heize, who was well-known in society as either a spy for the Grand Temple or a heretic, though they hadn’t planned it together.

Unlike the day before, she had become incredibly haggard, growling and baring her teeth in the dark room.

Like a beast.

Despite having endured all manner of torture and interrogation from Inquisitor Pierre, she still maintained her ferocity, showing her teeth with a savage intensity no less than that of a vicious fiend. It seemed like even a strong man might have backed away in fear.

However, they…

– Was she always like this?

– …She definitely wasn’t this kind of person before?

– Where did things go wrong?

…They didn’t care at all whether she was a beast or had rabies.

– How dare you! Do you know who I am!!

Her fierce demeanor had no effect on them whatsoever.

Instead, they just tilted their heads as if appraising a rare animal in a cage. If they had anything in common, it was that they were all examining Heize Roche as if measuring or observing her.

Finally, when their observation was somewhat complete.

– Sigh….

They all showed signs of disappointment at the same time.

Like they had expected to see a panda but found someone wearing a panda costume instead—that kind of disappointed look.

Eventually.

– …This isn’t her?

– Aaaaargh!!

Whether from stress or anger, Heize Roche’s eyes became bloodshot, and she screamed with her eyes rolling back.

They had accomplished what even the Inquisitor’s severe torture and interrogation couldn’t, but the three of them just tilted their heads, completely indifferent to her screaming like she was in agony.

…That had happened exactly half a day ago.

“-Your information is quick.”

“Red was impressed.”

“Ahem…”

He cleared his throat as if embarrassed, and Ihan shrugged.

He hadn’t meant anything by it, but it seemed to have pricked Taechang’s conscience.

Ihan snickered and quickly changed the subject.

“But why did you come alone? Weren’t you with those guys? Where are they?”

“…Oh, those two? They’re both busy. Young Lord Roen went to the Lionel mansion, and Princess Irene was practically dragged to the Galahad mansion against her will. Since she almost got hurt directly, the Duke seems to be taking special care of her.”

“……You’re still using honorifics? I thought you all became friends?”

They were comrades who had fought together at the magic tower, so why was their relationship still so formal?

“W-well, I can’t help it… I may have formed a cooperative relationship with Young Lord Roen, but we’re not really close, and things are still awkward with Princess Irene.”

“No sense of camaraderie?”

“It never developed.”

“…That’s something to brag about.”

“A-anyway, Heize Roche’s identity has been confirmed. Her real name is Susan, a woman who was driven out of some mountain village eight years ago.”

“Changing the subject…”

Ihan thought about teasing Taechang more for his quick subject change but decided to go along with the interesting story.

“Driven out of her hometown?”

“Yes, she was the daughter of a mountain village chief, but she was known for her terrible behavior. The villagers suffered a lot because of her. Later, when the chief died of old age, the villagers banded together and drove her out of the village.”

The power of the confession serum made by the Inquisitor was certainly impressive.

The incident had happened not long ago, but they had already completed a background check.

“Not long after being driven out, she harbored resentment against the villagers who had expelled her, set fire to the village, and ran away. She was soon caught by soldiers for arson, but while being taken to the dungeon, she disappeared…”

“Was she kidnapped by the Radical Faction?”

“That’s right.”

The rest of the story was typical.

Besides Susan, countless others had been kidnapped. They were injected with what appeared to be the Duke’s genes and demon genes from an unknown source. Susan was one of the women who survived the side effects, and after surviving…

“She seems to have undergone some kind of brainwashing. The content of the brainwashing was ‘I am a special person, and someday I will become a princess and saint of this country.'”

“…So that’s how she went from Susan to Heize Roche?”

“The identity forgery was truly spectacular. If it weren’t for you, Instructor, we wouldn’t have known she was a spy created by the Grand Temple. If she had entered the academy and things had proceeded according to the Grand Temple’s plan, who knows how much damage she would have done to the kingdom…”

It was chilling just to imagine.

Taechang muttered as if exaggerating, and Ihan scolded him for the overstatement.

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“It’s neither exaggeration nor flattery—just facts. You prevented a fracture in House Pendragon. Though it seems you’ve gotten caught up in troublesome matters because of it…”

“……”

“…Do you dislike it that much?”

“How could I not? Now I’m about to become a clown.”

Tsk!

Ihan clicked his tongue sharply.

A day earlier, after hearing about the indulgence from Old Man Raphael, Ihan felt like he had been duped.

He felt a strong aversion as soon as he heard that the Grand Temple would promote him.

After all.

“I was living quietly until now…”

Why do famous people often say it?

That they want to live a life with plenty of money but no attention…

Similarly, Ihan had no desire to become famous like some attention-seeker.

He was an introvert, he’d say.

Thus, as his quiet life seemed about to end because of the Grand Temple, he couldn’t help but feel displeased, and as for the person who had set this up…

“I’d like to see the face of whoever did this…”

He could only grind his teeth.

“…Do you think there’s an ‘individual’ behind this, Instructor? Not an organization?”

“Those incompetent fools who can only sell out their god couldn’t be this clever.”

“……”

“There must be someone—a brain giving orders to those incompetent fools.”

He speculated that it must be someone very clever and persistent.

“Maybe someone like Jeong Do-jeon or Han Myeong-hoe?”

“…What’s the difference?”

“One is an ideologist and revolutionary trying to overturn the country, while the other is an ambitious person who wouldn’t hesitate to bite even the king for his own power.”

“…You seem to hold them in high regard.”

“I have to. I can’t read this guy’s next move.”

“……”

“I can’t even guess. He’s too unpredictable.”

It must be someone accustomed to improvising schemes rather than spending a long time plotting.

Therefore, they overturn the situation before Ihan or others can even act.

So.

“Should I improvise and overturn things too?”

“How?”

“It’s simple, nothing complicated…”

* * *

“-I’m just asking in case, but you’re not thinking something like ‘Let’s destroy all those Grand Temple bastards on the day I receive the indulgence and then emigrate,’ are you?”

“……”

Blink, blink.

“…This is driving me crazy.”

Facing those innocent—no, beast-like eyes that seemed to ask “Why not?”, Damian Pollet, Ihan’s assistant, felt his blood pressure rising.

Just as expected from this man.

“…Sigh, Instructor, an indulgence isn’t simply something that lets you commit sins and be forgiven. It’s a kind of symbol. If you actually use it, you’ll receive divine punishment, seriously.”

“Really?”

“The indulgence is a [Holy Relic], made from the remains or possessions of those who were called saints. So receiving such an indulgence is merely an honor, and there are virtually no cases of people actually using them.”

“But they’re made to be used, right?”

“Even so, you can’t! It’s a holy relic, a holy relic!! Just possessing one has the effect of repelling most curses, spells, and magic. It’s even called a ‘spare life’—do you really want to use it?”

“Yes.”

“…Couldn’t you think a bit before answering?”

“…Yes, I thought about it, and I think I can use it.”

“You thought for 5 seconds, 5 seconds!!”

As usual, Ihan toyed with Damian Pollet, who went berserk like a berserker, and Ihan easily subdued him when he charged with a hammer.

It took one minute longer than usual to subdue him, proving that Damian’s skills had definitely improved.

“D-damn it…!”

From his perspective, no matter how much his skills had improved, it was frustrating that he couldn’t land a single hit.

Panting and breathing heavily, Damian, still sprawled on the floor, suddenly said:

“…Instructor, I know you pretty well. No, it would be more accurate to say I was forced to get to know you well.”

“?”

“I know that you have little sense of belonging to House Pendragon. Recently, it seems you’ve become somewhat attached because of my fellow trainees, but you’re still the kind of person who could abandon everything and disappear like the wind at any moment.”

“You’re quite perceptive, aren’t you?”

“Damn it, it’s perception I was forced to develop to survive under you!”

“Hmm.”

“Whew! Anyway, what I want to say is this: You might think you can leave this country whenever you want, but my colleagues and others need you. Please use that thick head of yours to think things through before making decisions, damn it!”

“…Are you giving advice or expressing frustration?”

“Please excuse me for saying this—I hate myself for it, damn it all!”

“……”

Indeed, this guy isn’t in his right mind either…

Ihan shook his head and clicked his tongue as he turned around and walked into the house.

…However.

“…The kid has grown a lot.”

…There was a smile on his face.

A sense of pride in the growth of the young man.

‘I don’t want to leave either, you idiot.’

Unlike before, he had developed “attachments.”

But even though he didn’t want to leave, the world kept pushing him.

So…

Creeeeak.

…Shouldn’t he also make a somewhat bold move?

Swish.

Ihan pulled out a black mask from a corner of his drawer.

I promised myself I would never take it out again…

“Just this once, just this once.”

Ihan put his hands together in reverent prayer, still holding the black mask.

Since he never prayed to God, instead:

“Spirit of Spring, please allow me this one act of ‘righteous theft.'”

Praying to the Spring Spirit with whom he had some connection, Ihan put on the mask.

After all, isn’t this the time to use the skills he had learned?