Ch.212EP.47 – Knights’ Night March (6)

Clearly, [Mystery] seems to be a symbol of faith in this world.

As soon as I presented uncertain evidence like spells and prophecies, even the skeptical knights of Galahad accepted and followed along.

It was something difficult to understand with my own sensibilities….

It was a sudden formation of a team, and normally I should have expressed reluctance, but I had no choice but to acknowledge it before even 10 minutes had passed since the team was formed.

‘These guys are amazing?’

…I hate to admit it, but if this were a group project and they were my teammates, there wouldn’t be better manpower than them…

They’re like those once-in-a-century diligent group members—that’s how exceptional they were.

“According to Lionel’s investigations over the past hundreds of years, the ‘Divine Repository’ that stores holy relics is clearly an extra-dimensional storage created by grand sacred magic performed by tens of thousands of priests.”

“Impressive that you figured that out.”

“Well, Lionel has many ancient books. Our scholars worked hard to discover this.”

“Similar to how we found out. So, where is it located, and is there a key to enter?”

“We’ve discovered the location, but we don’t know about the key. In that sense, it’s fortunate. Even without a key, we have your ‘Third Eye,’ Hyungrang.”

“…You know damn well too much.”

“Hehe, this was also taught by the shaman.”

“When I return to my family, I’ll raise the security level against Lionel by two more levels.”

“Oh my, how frightening.”

I don’t need to do anything.

They’re just handling everything themselves, beating their own drums and playing their own gongs.

‘Wow, is this how a newbie feels following high-level users?’

Whether it was avoiding angry priests and nuns, finding the way, or searching for holy relics, Ihan didn’t need to lift a finger.

Indeed, they may have rough personalities, but they’re truly capable people.

…They occasionally cause frustration or have fiery tempers, which is problematic.

If it weren’t for their personalities, they’d be incredible talents, but those personalities dilute all their strengths.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“You seemed to be giving me a strange look…”

“Come on, they’re my eyes, can’t I use them as I please?”

“Hmm.”

“……”

…He’s quite perceptive.

Perhaps because he possesses a mystical skill close to the “Third Eye,” his intuition is uncanny.

‘I can’t even curse in my thoughts.’

Scary guy.

“You’re thinking strange thoughts again. If you have time for distractions, help us search.”

“Search?”

“You just heard it—the Divine Repository containing the holy relic is an extra-dimensional storage. It exists within the Grand Temple yet doesn’t exist. And we need to find it.”

“Doesn’t that gentleman know where it is?”

“He knows roughly, but only the general vicinity. Basically, he just guesses it’s somewhere around this hill where we’re currently located.”

“That’s too vague….”

The Grand Temple was a natural fortress carved from a mountain.

Because of this, besides the temple buildings, there were forests, hills, cliffs, and more.

To give an example, it’s like a temple built on top of a mountain.

The temple itself occupies less than 40% of the area, with the rest being an environment where plants and animals reside.

So when Maximus pointed vaguely to a hill, it was naturally frustrating.

As if to say, when would we ever finish searching such a vast area?

“We’ll have to search for quite a while.”

“I apologize. I thought we’d find it quickly once we located the hill, but it’s much larger than expected, haha.”

“…Is that supposed to be an excuse?”

Maximus and Lac started arguing again.

Since they met, I’ve been thinking they don’t seem to get along well.

Especially Maximus, who strangely shows more aggression—perhaps Lionel and Galahad have always been at odds?

“Whether they get along isn’t my concern…. It’s an anomalous place, hmm, I think I found it?”

“??”

“…What?”

They were momentarily confused by Ihan’s nonchalant response.

How could he already find the entrance in this vast field?

But Ihan said:

“There, that tree. That seems to be the entrance.”

“……?”

Hearing his confident answer, they tilted their heads in confusion, and Ihan just shrugged.

“Check it out if you want.”

“……”

Not long after, Lac moved toward the young sapling Ihan had pointed to with the agility of a flying squirrel, and in less than a minute—

“…You? How on earth did you know?”

He really discovered the “entrance.”

Lac asked with an expression of disbelief, and Ihan countered:

“Do you know what echolocation is?”

“??”

“If you don’t know, forget it.”

Rather than explaining and tiring his mouth, Ihan advised to just move on.

What’s important is:

“Finding it is what matters, right?”

If the result is excellent, isn’t that all that matters, regardless of the process?

* * *

Galahad had been dedicated for ages to embodying mysteries as techniques like martial arts or swordsmanship, and these embodied mystical techniques were named “Mystical Arts.”

Having the talent to master just one of these Mystical Arts was enough to be called a genius, and in Galahad’s history, no one had mastered more than two Mystical Arts.

That’s how difficult they were.

But in the current era, there was a knight who not only mastered over seven of these incredibly difficult Mystical Arts but also created his own unique Mystical Art called the “Third Eye,” and that person was…

“Oh, your eyes really turn red?”

“That must be convenient at night.”

“…Shut up, you rascals.”

Lac de Duron.

The current champion of Galahad.

The Third Eye was a complex art completed by investing five out of the seven Mystical Arts he had mastered.

An eye that sees through an opponent’s strength, the flow and gaps in space, and even breaks through magic.

Well, since the Third Eye itself is a Mystical Art that only Lac has successfully mastered, there are likely many more undiscovered powers beyond what’s been mentioned.

And while it was already impressive that Lac had mastered such powers, he had gone a step further and properly learned how to utilize the eye.

Clink.

“Ancient sacred magic is mixed in. But fortunately, it won’t be difficult to break through this level.”

“What’s that?”

“An artifact created by my family’s magicians and shamans working together. It’s a useful tool for breaking through mysteries.”

“…It looks just like a thief’s lockpicking tool.”

“Ahem.”

“Ah, sorry.”

“…Keep your mouth shut. Don’t unnecessarily break my concentration.”

What could be cheaply called a lock picker, or more impressively, a lockpick or lock-breaking technique, moves quickly.

A fantastic display of skills that only a technician with specialized knowledge of magic and sacred law could perform.

It was a mystical sight that could be called a [Dispel-Show].

‘He’s quite skilled.’

However, to the eyes of an outsider who knows nothing, it was just a confusing sight.

It seemed impressive, but it was hard to tell exactly what he was doing.

But one thing was clear: without Lac, even if he had found the entrance, it would have been impossible to enter.

‘Is this why adventure parties have rogues?’

They must be an essential job class for infiltrating such special places.

While watching the proceedings unfold like a mesmerizing fire—

“Hmm, ominous.”

“…Suddenly?”

“Ah, I apologize, my friend. I have a habit of voicing my thoughts aloud.”

“Please stop calling me ‘friend,’ for God’s sake.”

“Haha, a friend is a friend.”

“…Damn it.”

Ihan turned his attention to Maximus, who had suddenly made an ominous remark.

What did he find ominous?

“Hmm, aren’t things going too smoothly?”

“……”

“Ah, you quickly agree.”

“…It’s unpleasant that our thoughts align, but thinking about it, things going well isn’t necessarily good.”

His fingertips tingled.

A different kind of pain from an injury.

A phantom pain that comes from experience.

‘Has anything in my life ever gone smoothly?’

They say even a stone bridge should be tapped before crossing, but that’s just a saying. No one actually taps while crossing.

Because stone bridges don’t suddenly collapse while walking.

But Ihan’s life had been like that.

A perilous life where stone bridges suddenly collapsed while walking.

He always had to tap the bridges he crossed, and even after crossing stone bridges, his life was always waiting for crises.

Perhaps that’s why?

As things went smoothly, as Maximus said, Ihan felt uncomfortable.

‘There’s no way things I do can go safely.’

With firm belief.

With the conviction that he couldn’t possibly have such good fortune, Ihan tightly secured the two swords, three daggers, and buckler-type shield he had looted from the half-demons.

As if they were his lifeline.

“What nonsense.”

Lac, who was working, gave a reproachful look as if telling him to stop talking nonsense, but Ihan was serious.

“You should prepare too. Once we go in, there will definitely be trouble.”

“……”

“Come on, trust me!”

“Hehe, brother, if there’s an option not to enter, why do you want to go in?”

“…I told you not to call me ‘friend,’ and now it’s ‘brother’?”

Maximus’s sudden question.

He seemed genuinely curious why Ihan kept wanting to enter despite knowing it was dangerous, and although the term “brother” bothered him, Ihan gave a proper answer.

“Even if we avoid it now, sooner or later we’ll have to face something that comes out, anyway. So avoiding it is pointless.”

“……”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hehe, brother, it’s truly a shame you weren’t born as a northerner! Not running away for immediate comfort, but choosing to fight! Yes! That’s what a warrior should do!! A choice more northern than anyone else’s…!”

“……”

Why is it that despite clearly receiving praise, it doesn’t feel good at all?

‘Being told I’m like a northerner by this gentleman feels like being insulted….’

It was an uncomfortable moment, and Ihan was about to say something more, but—

Whoosh!

…In the face of the sudden burst of light, conversation became meaningless.

“Let’s go in quickly, I can maintain it for 5 seconds.”

“…Use your turn signal next time.”

Ihan complained but immediately launched his body forward.

Without any hesitation…

And then—

*

*

*

“—Ihan, are you really going to re-enlist?”

…Regret came quickly.

“……”

“Man, think about it again. There’s nothing good about re-enlisting, I’m telling you!”

“…Sergeant Dokgo?”

“Sergeant? Kid, even if you’re close to discharge, calling me by my first name in the military is a bit much.”

“I-Is it really you, Dokgo? Dokgo Gupae?”

“…Didn’t I tell you not to use my full name!”

“…Wow, it really is you.”

Ihan blinked and looked around.

Instead of a bed, there was just yellow flooring where soldiers had to huddle together to sleep, rusty and deteriorating lockers.

Then water containers and worn-out supplies that had been used since the Korean War.

And…

‘This guy actually had hair back then….’

Looking at his former superior, Dokgo Gupae—who sounds like he should wield the Dokgo Sword but can barely boil ramen let alone handle a knife—Ihan blinked blankly.

He had prepared for a crisis, but…

‘Don’t tell me I have to relive my non-commissioned officer days?’

Shudder…

The knight who wouldn’t be afraid even in front of hundreds or thousands of monsters trembled with dread.

He’d rather spend two years as a regular soldier than go through a remake of being a non-commissioned officer…