Ch.20EP.7 – Irene Windler Is the Next-Door Neighbor (1)

Tap tap.

“…This is quite nice.”

A yard of modest but adequate size.

Lush grass and insects.

A wooden cabin covered with moss and overgrown with vines.

It actually looked like it might be haunted, but that was something to be grateful for.

After all, he’d found such affordable housing in the Academy district, known for having the most expensive land prices.

Although.

‘There are rumors of ghosts, several murder cases, and it’s supposedly a criminal hideout, but well, that shouldn’t matter.’

Despite the ominous rumors surrounding the cabin, Ihan didn’t particularly care.

If ghosts appeared, he could beat them up.

If murderers came, he could beat them up too.

And criminals? Beat them up as well.

That would take care of everything, wouldn’t it?

So this house was nothing short of precious to Ihan.

Above all else.

“There’s a cliff behind the mountain… Is this heaven?”

He could go cliff climbing!

That fact filled his heart with excitement, making Ihan immensely satisfied.

It was nothing short of a successful “move.”

* * *

Suddenly, but he had moved his nest after three years.

It couldn’t be helped.

Taking a job as an instructor meant he would be commuting to the Royal Academy rather than the Order of Knights.

With a commute of 25km from his original residence, moving became essential.

…He could run it as exercise if he wanted to, but.

Why bother?

‘Moving is just better.’

Of course, besides moving, there were trains and carriages.

As mentioned before, this medieval fantasy world had many abnormally developed means of transportation despite never having experienced an industrial revolution.

However, transportation in this world was extremely expensive.

Wouldn’t a commoner go bankrupt after just a month of taking the train?

So moving was actually more economical.

Of course, it was both annoying and wasteful to spend the one-week course adjustment period, which was like a holiday for instructors, looking for a house, but finding a place so perfectly to his liking made all the effort worthwhile.

Thud.

“Phew, is that everything?”

“Sir Knight, where should I put this?”

“Just leave it anywhere. I’ll organize it later.”

“Okay!”

Since he only had her move items that wouldn’t break, she did a good job without making mistakes.

Though she was quite clumsy and could trip at any moment, fortunately Leira was quite strong and healthy.

‘…Could a wardrobe really be carried that easily?’

Her impressive feat of carrying alone what should require two people.

Come to think of it, God is quite fair.

He gave her a pretty appearance and good health, but drastically lowered her intelligence.

“…She’d be popular at construction sites.”

Especially with the foremen.

There’s no premium labor like hers.

Of course, there’s a risk of getting swindled, so he shouldn’t take her there.

CRACK!

“Wow, Sir Knight! You’re so strong? The tree is coming right out!”

“I’m not uprooting it, just breaking it.”

“But why are you breaking a perfectly good tree?”

“This tree is already dead, so if we leave it, it’ll attract bugs.”

“I see! But can you really break trees with your bare hands?”

“Anyone can do it with enough training.”

“Wow! Could I do it too?”

“If you follow me for half a year, no, maybe a year, who knows what might happen…”

Given her natural physical aptitude, if he trained her for about a year, couldn’t she become as skilled as the lesser knights?

‘She’d be perfect as a martial artist.’

Just as he was feeling the creeping ambition of a boxing coach who had discovered a talent capable of dominating women’s world boxing, despite her lack of intelligence—

“—Stop talking nonsense. Please have a normal conversation for once.”

Someone interrupted their deranged dialogue.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“Yes, I’m here, you lunatic.”

“…Why the hostility as soon as you arrive?”

“You provoke it.”

“??”

“…Forget it, I don’t know why I’m even talking to a half-troll.”

“Who are you calling a half-troll!”

…This guy has surprisingly good intuition.

Jake Farman.

Ihan’s only friend was shaking his head with a sigh.

* * *

Unfortunately, the warm housewarming culture of celebrating a friend’s move doesn’t exist in the Pendragon Kingdom.

Instead, when people move, they visit a church affiliated with the temple to request a blessing and make a donation—would you believe it?

And the number of people who “go bankrupt” making these donations in the capital is an indescribable horror.

That’s why Ihan became an atheist in this life, just as he was in his previous one.

He didn’t want to go bankrupt.

“That’s too extreme an example. The offering to the temple is just a gesture of goodwill. It’s a prayer to be able to go to Avalon when you leave this world someday.”

“Enough, don’t proselytize all the way out here.”

“…Unbeliever.”

Jake recited a passage from the scripture while holding a cross symbolizing the <Light of Radiance>, the kingdom’s only religion.

“Almighty Light of Radiance, seven great angels who follow the radiant light, please forgive this blasphemous sinner and bestow your blessings, amen.”

“Is this ‘blasphemous sinner’ referring to me by any chance?”

“Who else?”

“…Well, thanks a lot.”

Half sarcastic, but half sincere.

How many people would recite scripture for a friend who just moved?

He’s a grateful friend.

“If you’re really grateful, buy this cross.”

“You scammer…?”

“I’d like to just give it to you, but they say misfortune follows if you give things away thoughtlessly.”

“……”

Forget gratitude, what nonsense.

He’s like those scammers who wait at subway stations to sell talismans to gullible people.

Though grumbling, Ihan eventually flicked over two silver coins.

Not because he was gullible, but because taking a silver-plated cross to church would allow him to receive holy power healing at a discount in the future.

In terms of items, it was worth at least a rare grade.

“Since it’s from a mid-level priest, you should get up to a 30% discount.”

“Whatever. Just give me what you brought.”

“So impatient.”

Jake handed over the letter he had brought, while grumbling about not even being offered a cup of tea.

Information commissioned from the Information Guild.

Ihan could have purchased it directly, but he used a consignment transaction just in case.

“There’s not much information about the Grand Duke since it’s all tightly guarded. Same goes for the Duke. What’s written is only what others already know.”

“That’s enough.”

He wasn’t looking for detailed information.

He just wanted to see if there might be something useful among what was commonly known.

“…Just as I expected.”

Fortunately, the money didn’t seem wasted.

Neither more nor less, just information worth the price.

After reading it, Ihan without hesitation—

Whoosh.

“…A gold coin becomes kindling.”

“Shut up.”

Using the letter as kindling, Ihan crossed his arms indifferently.

“Quite a bunch of lunatics.”

“That’s blasphemous.”

“Blasphemous my ass.”

Every single one of them seems like a psychopath.

* * *

Duke Galahad.

An extremely dangerous man who developed a mania after losing his wife, becoming obsessed with torturing and killing criminals.

He inherited the magic sword passed down through the Galahad family and is said to have the highest compatibility rate with the sword among all the dukes in history.

Conclusion: A dangerous, murderous psychopath.

Next, Grand Duke Lionel.

Due to his family’s bloodline characteristics, he has many wives.

He forms a Pride like a lion pride.

Like Galahad’s magic sword, he inherited a “mystery” passed down through his family, and due to the side effects of this mystery, he touches women regardless of status, even maids.

Despite this, he doesn’t take responsibility for the children born from the women he touches.

Conclusion: A rapist who can’t control his lower half and an irresponsible child neglecter.

“However, they are all exceptionally handsome, so they remain popular among noble women… Ha! So if you have a handsome face, murder and rape are all forgiven?”

“Ahem.”

“Well, I guess with that much power, anything is possible.”

Romance specialty.

If you’re handsome and rich, any crime gets acquitted.

…But wasn’t his previous life somewhat similar?

“This damn lookism.”

“I think Sir Knight is handsome too!”

“…Thank you, Miss Maid. You’re pretty too.”

“Hehe, I hear that a lot.”

“W-what about me, Miss Maid?”

“…Huh? Who are you?”

“……”

Jake wore a genuinely hurt expression, while Leira blinked in confusion, genuinely unaware of Jake’s presence.

Not realizing that was even more hurtful.

But Ihan paid no attention to the relationship between the two and fell into contemplation.

The reason he sought information about the Duke and Grand Duke was simple.

They say to cut off a horse’s neck first if you want to kill a general.

Ihan was a dutiful adult who listened to the words of ancient sages, and he was trying to learn about the people around Roen and Irene before approaching them.

But the investigation results were more serious than expected.

Of course, if this world were truly a romance fantasy, it wouldn’t be incomprehensible.

After all, the protagonists in romance fantasy worlds are all broken in some way.

‘Their children probably aren’t normal either.’

Parents are mirrors to their children.

This saying would apply here too, and Ihan began to understand why Isis had made a “request” to him.

‘Even I would be bothered if the children of such people were in my front yard.’

Inadvertently, Ihan came to understand Isis’s feelings.

* * *

“Let me know if you need help later. And… if possible, stay away from those in power. I’m not saying this as a knight or nobleman, but as a friend who’s worried about you.”

Well, well.

Whether he’d just seen a play or was trying to impress Leira, Jake made this grand statement before turning to leave.

Unfortunately, however.

“Sir Knight, that person seems a bit strange. Do you think he might be unwell?”

“…No, it’s not like that.”

Jake only received treatment as a sick person from Leira.

Still.

“He is strange, but he seems like a good person. I could see he was worried about you!”

“He’s a decent guy.”

Despite appearances, Jake is from a fairly historic family, though fallen.

Wasn’t there some unjust story behind his family’s downfall?

Yet despite that, he never forgot his loyalty to the royal family and followed in his family’s footsteps by joining the Order of Knights.

He’s nothing like the delinquent student Ihan was, but rather a model student.

And yet such a person advises him to stay away from those in power—the royal family.

In a way, he’s suppressing his own loyalty to look out for Ihan.

He prioritized friendship over loyalty.

…It’s strange.

In his previous life, he was bullied for being an orphan, and those he thought were friends only stabbed him in the back.

But in this life, he’s met someone who genuinely cares for him.

“I must have lived decently in this life.”

“Whaaaat?”

“It’s nothing. Anyway, Miss Maid, shouldn’t you be heading back to the palace soon? It’s getting late.”

Anyone else would notice Ihan trying to change the subject, but Leira lacked such perception.

She was the kind of good-natured person who took everything at face value.

…Though it was concerning that she might fall for a loan scam with that innocent smile.

And with that childlike, bright smile of hers:

“I’m not going back.”

“…?”

“I’m going to live with you from now on, Sir Knight. The princess told me to take good care of you, hehe.”

“…Ahem, don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate?”

Does she not understand what it means for a man and woman to live under the same roof?

But she wasn’t that naive.

“The princess said you’re safe! What did she say again? Ah! She said ‘he can’t function as a man, so there’s nothing to worry about!'”

“……”

“But what does ‘function as a man’ mean?”

“…You don’t need to know.”

How cruel, scratching at his pride like this!

‘Damn that woman, just wait until I see her next.’

As Ihan was grinding his teeth and promising retribution—

Knock knock.

“Oh my, we have a visitor.”

“Please step back for a moment.”

An unfamiliar scent.

The subtle fragrance of cornel.

With his uncanny ability to remember people’s unique scents, Ihan sensed the unfamiliarity and gently opened the door.

Though empty-handed, with the confidence that he could rip out a spine with his bare hands…

“Ah, hello. I, um, just moved in next door and I’m giving out hardened polenta… Oh my? Aren’t you Instructor Ihan?”

“……”

“What a strange co-in-ci-dence to meet you like this!”

“Hmm…”

One thing was certain.

‘She’s a terrible actor.’

Ihan looked at her.

Irene Windler.

She, surveillance target #2, was suspiciously loitering in the yard for anyone to see.