Ch.227EP.50 – The Knight Ruminates on Defeat (6)

I was scratched twice.

Once for being called weak.

Second for the deception that strength is all that matters.

Provocation and deception.

It would be stranger not to get heated, but since the opponent is an Aura user, I can’t really argue.

‘Being powerless is the sin…’

I only stated the facts.

…But the next moment, I forget about being scratched and am momentarily dumbfounded by what follows.

– Do you want to become a superhuman?

If someone else had said something like that, I would have treated them as a scammer, but my opponent happens to be the real deal.

An actual superhuman.

In the kingdom, no, across the vast continent, there might be only five true superhumans at most, and no one would ignore words from one of them.

So.

“……”

…Ihan contemplated deeply.

‘Hmm? This fellow is interesting.’

Baltar was inwardly impressed.

If he made the same proposal to a thousand knights, probably all thousand would respond with:

– I want to become one!

…with intense enthusiasm.

Yet, this guy was contemplating.

Others might criticize him for being too full of himself or not knowing his place, but Baltar knew better. No one was as constantly hungry as this fellow, and no one understood himself better. Baltar could easily guess why he was hesitating.

Sure enough.

“…You’re not asking if I can become one, but if I want to? This isn’t wordplay…”

“Heh heh, right, you need to understand the context of words.”

Indeed, this guy isn’t as simple as he looks.

He knows how to use his brain.

* * *

“You’re not toying with me…”

Baltar had asked if he wanted to become a superhuman.

But that wasn’t saying ‘you can become a superhuman.’ It was more like ‘want to try?’

In other words, wordplay.

“It’s not wordplay. I saw the potential in you today to become a superhuman, and I wanted to teach you ‘the method.'”

“……”

“You have potential. Really. If it’s you, statistically…”

Swish.

“-You’d have a 1% chance of survival.”

Baltar said this while wiggling his index finger, and Ihan felt:

Shudder!

A chill ran down his spine.

The sensation of falling into an abyss he shouldn’t dare approach!

Ihan unconsciously took a step back.

Baltar continued speaking with a grinning face, not caring about Ihan’s pale expression.

“Just half a year ago, your chance of challenging an Aura user and surviving was 0%. Not even a 0.01% possibility. But now it’s different. You’ve learned to handle ‘mental energy,’ which means you’ve met one of the minimum requirements for becoming an Aura user.”

“……”

“1% might seem like a faint possibility to others, but the fact that you now have a 1% chance means you have the potential to become a superhuman. Isn’t that amazing, haha!”

“…I never knew 1% could be so impressive.”

“Of course!”

“……”

He hadn’t meant it as admiration, but Baltar nodded vigorously, claiming it was indeed impressive, leaving Ihan speechless.

And he unconsciously realized something.

‘There’s a reason why there are so few superhumans.’

Though he didn’t yet know how to reach that level, Ihan sensed from Baltar’s words:

……That it was a realm one could only reach by risking one’s life.

That’s why their numbers were so extremely few.

‘…This guy, if I had said I’d take the challenge, he would have definitely bet my life on it, wouldn’t he?’

They say a word can pay a thousand nyang of debt, and it seemed he had just saved his life.

Phew….

‘People really should think before they speak.’

Ihan breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that for once he hadn’t spoken without thinking first.

…Drip

As if blessing Ihan who had narrowly escaped death, the rain gradually stopped and sunlight emerged.

Most of the fire had been extinguished, and there were signs of people cautiously approaching.

Right now, they kept their distance because Baltar and he were there.

They were being treated as completely dangerous individuals, but…

‘We are dangerous.’

Even he wouldn’t want to approach a place where monsters who could flip walls and ground were present.

An understandable feeling.

So.

“I’ll go first. People will be uncomfortable if I stay.”

“You’re quite considerate.”

“It’s not consideration, it’s being perceptive. You should be perceptive too, old man.”

“…Still as rude as ever.”

Baltar and Ihan continued their bickering until the end, and as Ihan was about to leave without hesitation, grumbling:

“-Hmm, are you really not going to try? If you break through that 1% probability, you could become an Aura user.”

Pause.

“…I thought we were done with that conversation?”

“You ended it on your own. Remember that my offer is still valid.”

“……”

Ihan knew that this time, he wasn’t teasing or trying to manipulate him.

Baltar genuinely wanted him to ‘take the challenge.’

“To gain any power, there’s always a price. And for becoming a superhuman, the chip you need to bet for strength isn’t effort, but 1 life coin. Quite a cheap price, isn’t it?”

“Ha! What a crazy equivalent exchange.”

…Honestly, he was somewhat tempted.

To gain power.

To never feel defeated again.

To become stronger.

Numerous temptations touched him, drawing out his desire.

Urging him to cross the ‘line.’

Asking if he hadn’t always been ready for this resolve?

However.

“…No, at least not now.”

“Hmm?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something today. I was going to hold back because it’s a bit pathetic, but…”

“What is it?”

Baltar told him to ask anything, even if it was pathetic.

As if promising not to criticize.

So.

“You, I mean, Baltar Grace, you’re strong. But I’ve been wondering why you don’t step up during the kingdom’s crises.”

“……”

…For the first time, Baltar seemed at a loss for words, but Ihan continued despite seeing this.

“See, it was a pathetic question, right? Just whining about why you don’t help.”

“…No, it’s a reasonable question.”

Baltar denied this.

It was a perfectly valid question, he said.

“Hmm, why do you think I don’t help?”

“Is that a counter-question?”

“Just answer it.”

“…Well, there are several possibilities.”

Ihan offered a few theories.

“From your perspective, this level of crisis might not even feel like a crisis for the kingdom. Whether it’s strategy, military tactics, or schemes, a superhuman who can overwhelm any means with sheer power might find the kingdom’s current situation trivial. But the Baltar I know, despite appearing to work casually, isn’t irresponsible. …Yet I haven’t seen you step up much.”

The only time he had really intervened was when he killed the Demon King.

At the moment when the kingdom was truly about to disappear.

“But there’s something I can’t understand. The war with Britain.”

If Baltar had wanted to, the Southern Unification Front from three years ago wouldn’t have lasted for years.

If he had directly intervened, the war would have ended long ago. Yet he didn’t step up.

A knight who was supposedly Britain’s long-standing rival.

This was a choice unlike him.

“Saying you’re old and leaving it to your juniors is an absurd excuse. You said it yourself: you reached Aura user status at forty-five. That’s still your prime. It was also when the great former king was still alive. Yet you withdrew from Britain after only killing the great general Hannibal. Is this really a coincidence?”

It was a stream of deductions without pause.

Voicing things he had found strange, gradually approaching the truth.

Perhaps only possible for Ihan, who had directly experienced Baltar as a person and felt the strength of an Aura user.

And the person who could tell him whether these deductions were right or wrong was right in front of him.

“…Really, despite your appearance, you’re quick-witted, aren’t you?”

Baltar could only express his surprise.

…A surprise tinged with a hint of bitterness.

*

*

*

Step, step.

“……”

Unlike when he went to the royal palace, Ihan walked with leisurely steps.

Normally, he would have been running as a warm-up rather than walking so leisurely, but he wasn’t in the mood for that now.

…Or rather, his mind was a bit complicated.

‘I feel like I know too much about things I didn’t need to know.’

Still, he had achieved what he wanted.

His frustration had been largely relieved, and he had learned what he wanted to know.

Additionally.

– Go find that place. It won’t lead you to the path of becoming a superhuman, but you’ll gain something from it.

He had received an unexpected reward.

Click….

An unremarkable dagger.

A dagger so rusty that it seemed like it might crumble like sand if drawn carelessly, but Ihan carefully treasured the rusty dagger.

It seemed like he had received a growth event ticket, or as Taechang would put it, a ticket for a second job advancement.

It was certainly something to be happy about, but.

“Sigh…”

Rather than joy, he felt some hesitation.

Hesitation about whether the path he was taking was right.

‘No, is this a pointless worry?’

It was like…

Worrying about what happens after winning the lottery without even buying a ticket.

Pathetically.

“I really am a fool.”

“Is that so? I don’t think Sir Knight is a fool.”

“A person who worries about things that haven’t even happened yet is definitely a fool, you know.”

“Hmm, is that worry for yourself? Or is it concern for others?”

“Well, I can do whatever I want, so it doesn’t matter, but there are many people involved, you know? …Huh?”

Ihan looked beside him.

In the spot where there had been nothing just a moment ago, the pretty maid with well-suited braided hair, Leira Winter, was looking at him with a bright smile.

“…Miss Maid?”

“Yeees!”

“W-when did you get there?”

“I’ve been here since you sighed! I even spoke to you, hehe.”

“Y-yes, you did…”

He was perplexed.

It was mysterious how she had naturally approached his side without him noticing her presence, and even had a conversation with him.

But regardless of his confusion:

“Hehe, I really like such a kind knight like you!”

“……”

“You could live selfishly, but you keep trying to live humanely. Someone who knows how to care for others is a wonderful person, that’s what my parents said too.”

“…I-is that so.”

“Yes, so Sir Knight. Even if you live like a fool, even if you live foolishly, I’ll be on your side. Because I like even those clumsy aspects of you!”

“……”

“Hmm? Why is your face so red? Are you sick?”

“…It’s because of you.”

“Huh?”

…It would be rare to find a woman who could declare her affection so openly with such an innocent face.

A cheerfulness that made his worries seem utterly useless.

“Hehe.”

The fragrant scent of soap carried by the wind reached him, and she approached with small steps to hold his hand.

As if refusing to give him any chance for negative thoughts.

“……”

Ihan wanted to pour out countless words.

Why she was here, and whether she had heard his conversation with Baltar.

He wouldn’t be surprised if she had heard, unlike others.

So he wanted to hear her thoughts, but…

“…Have you eaten?”

“No!”

What came out of his mouth had nothing to do with his concerns.

“Then let’s eat out for a change. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“Hmm, roast pork?”

“…That’s nicely specific.”

Being with her now provided more comfort than anything else.

Squeeze.

Ihan carefully squeezed her hand in return.

This was enough.

Instead, he made a small resolve.

That no matter what happened, he would never let go of this warm hand…

Such a small but significant determination.

Whoosh.

The wind blows.

A cool but not cold wind, just refreshing.

…It was autumn.