Ch.230EP.51 – The Knight Make House Calls (3)

I felt a sense of discomfort after seeing the cross-section of the bronze statue.

‘…There’s no trace of melting?’

Bronze is also a metal.

For processing, it needs to go through a melting process at high temperatures.

However, this one showed no signs of having been melted.

Instead, what I could see was…

‘Was it carved?’

It only showed traces as if it had been carved with a chisel.

‘No, it wasn’t done with a chisel?’

What was it made with?

‘…A thin blade?’

The cross-section left on the bronze statue, and the fine blade marks remaining on that cross-section.

They were clearly marks left by a thin blade like a rapier.

How could I be so sure?

‘As a mercenary, I’ve seen quite a few people with flesh cut off like that, haven’t I?’

I’ve seen people with flesh sliced by rapiers, and I’ve experienced it myself.

Of course, the one who attacked me ended up dead by my hand.

Anyway, Ihan had the experience and knowledge, and it wasn’t difficult to deduce that this was the result of carving with a rapier.

However, as soon as he was certain…

‘What a monster?’

It was only natural to be amazed.

‘I might be able to make a bronze statue somehow by compressing metal with my grip strength, or by shaping it.’

Or perhaps it would be possible to carve it using sword energy.

…But this would merely be forcing it with strength; it wouldn’t be possible to create something so natural.

‘That cross-section was definitely not carved with sword energy. It was simply cut.’

Like cutting tofu or clay.

An impossible technique, or rather, a realm of swordsmanship beyond comprehension?

“……”

Click.

Ihan touched his sword, trying to gauge.

Whether his sword could block the strike of someone who possessed such pure skill without using sword energy.

‘…Impossible.’

Yes, impossible.

If someone with such sword skill attacked him, the answer wouldn’t be to block but to evade.

…However.

‘Hmm, I think I could take a hit without dying…’

─Ihan really wanted to experience that sword technique firsthand.

*

*

*

The Ophen family mansion, past the village.

Unlike typical noble mansions that used entire forests far from the city center for their estates and gardens, the Ophen family mansion was located in the city center, and its size was remarkably small.

No, rather than small, it seemed more practical and frugal.

Moreover, it was filled with facilities that resembled large dojos or training grounds rather than mansions, showing how the Ophen family differentiated itself from other noble families….

“Are you here? Kunta welcomes guests!”

“?”

“If you need anything, tell me, Kunta will bring it and guide you!”

“…K-Kunta? W-what are you doing here?”

“Social life! Kunta earns pocket money at Arno’s mansion!”

“???”

Seeing a barbarian even working as a servant in such a mansion created a scene that was not just differentiated but downright incongruous.

“Aren’t you receiving monthly allowance as a foreign student? I know you get quite a lot…”

Ihan placed his hand on Arno’s shoulder, wondering if this might be some noble family’s wrongdoing, tricking a foreign student into working.

“Confess and find the light, little wolf. I don’t want to handcuff my disciple.”

“Haa, is that my new nickname? …I understand your misunderstanding, but it’s truly a misunderstanding. Kunta really asked me to introduce him to a job.”

“Why?”

“He said he spent all his allowance.”

“Huh?”

“He used it all to buy books and food to send back to his homeland. He said he wanted to contribute to his homeland.”

“Oh….”

Ihan glanced at Kunta with slight admiration.

The black panther still had an innocent expression.

‘So he sent books, huh? This guy just acts like a fool, but when no one’s watching, he’s the type to read self-improvement books.’

Indeed, a representative foreign student of the barbarians.

He seems to have sent what would be most helpful to his tribe.

“That’s admirable, but you should keep some money for yourself.”

“Kunta is reflecting on that. But Arno, no, Young Master gives a lot of money! So it’s okay.”

“…Little wolf.”

“I never told him to call me that. He’s just imitating what the other servants do. So please don’t look at me like that…”

He was about to bring down the educator’s hammer, but seeing the little wolf’s intense reaction, it seemed genuine.

“Master, aren’t you teasing him too much?”

“His reactions are amusing.”

The only one who knew he was teasing the boy whispered that he was being mischievous, and Ihan simply continued to tease him, saying the boy’s reactions were funny.

During this time.

“Young Master, you’ve arrived.”

A maid walked out from behind Kunta, and Arno greeted her.

“It’s been a while, Miss Elza. I’m glad to see you’re in good health.”

“I’m always healthy. I’ll be healthy until your child sees his grandchild, hoho.”

“…Hmm.”

A woman who had just passed fifty?

Though her face looked younger, her hair was full of gray, perhaps from hardships in her youth, but that didn’t make her appear weak.

Rather, she had very strong eyes and carried herself with matching presence.

Swordswoman.

Yes, this maid in black uniform was clearly a former swordswoman.

“Instructor, let me introduce you. This is Miss Elza. She was my tutor when I was young and also taught me etiquette. Currently, she serves as the head maid of the mansion, but in her youth, she was a famous female swordswoman.”

“Young Master is gilding my face.”

It’s not gilding; she must have truly been famous.

Just by looking at her, it was clear she was quite skilled.

‘If you put a sword in her hand, she’d be stronger than our kids?’

‘R-really?’

‘With the dark-skinned one… a close draw?’

‘Wow, with such skill, why didn’t she become a knight?’

‘Everyone has their circumstances.’

Ihan remembered that there were many skilled female mercenaries.

Thinking about it now, they had skills that would have qualified them to become knights.

Yet they didn’t become knights.

Because they disliked the life of a knight, which offered honor and title but restricted freedom.

‘She must be the same.’

‘N-now that I hear it, that makes sense.’

Just as his speculation about why her name wasn’t on the knight roster ended, Elza asked with a gentle expression, as if she had been waiting.

“Are you finished with your conversation? Then I’ll escort you into the mansion now.”

“…You personally? As head maid, you must be busy.”

“This is not just anyone, but ‘his’ guest. Of course I should escort you personally.”

“…Ah.”

Ihan drew his dagger.

Had he jokingly mentioned it to the little wolf?

A free pass, he’d called it.

‘It really was a free pass….’

* * *

“Instructor, over there is a large sparring ground. Everyone fights with real swords!”

“Real swords?”

“Yes. Everyone bleeds but keeps smiling.”

“Hmm….”

“…Kunta, please don’t introduce someone else’s household so strangely.”

“Only spoke, truth?”

“……”

Kunta probably meant that they didn’t spare any effort in realistic sparring.

After all, swordsmanship doesn’t improve just by swinging and practicing mindlessly.

“Hmm, should I make our kids fight with real swords too?”

“M-Master?”

“I’m joking.”

“I-I don’t think you’re joking.”

While conversing with his disciples as if playing a word game, Ihan continued to observe his surroundings.

The trainees swinging swords, and even the servants including the maids.

‘Everyone is quite skilled…’

They were all remarkably skilled.

Though they weren’t knights, each one had definite ability, and Ihan suddenly recalled information that the Ophen family had no knights or private soldiers.

Most prestigious families would naturally have at least a knightly order, but they didn’t, which had seemed strange…

‘…Perhaps they don’t need to create a knightly order.’

If they wanted to, they could instantly form a knightly order just by gathering the servants, trainees, and disciples.

Additionally, almost all the people in dojos around the Ophen family territory were loyal to this family, so…

The moment they decided to gather them all, they would amass a force not just of private soldiers, but of division-level troops.

‘This family might actually be on par with the great families?’

Literally a family that simply concealed its power.

While he was inwardly expressing admiration…

Squeak.

The sound of wheels was heard.

“Have guests arrived?”

“……”

“Haha, I apologize. I should greet guests, but look at my condition.”

“…Not at all. I should be grateful you didn’t chase away someone who came so rudely unannounced.”

“Haha, that’s kind of you.”

Somewhat resembling the little wolf…

No, to be precise, it was Arno who resembled this man, and if Arno were to age ten more years, he might grow to look like this handsome man who welcomed Ihan.

…While seated in a wheelchair.

“Father, I greet you.”

“Arno, it’s been a while. I’ve always been sorry not to see your face.”

“…When you say that, I feel like an unfilial son. You’re always busy and never show your face either.”

“Haha! That’s true too!”

With his delicate face and wheelchair, the man might have appeared somewhat weak, but proving that appearances aren’t everything, he showed a hearty laugh.

Not deliberately displaying a hearty demeanor, but as if it were his natural disposition, Arno introduced the man with an embarrassed expression.

“Instructor, this is my father.”

“I am Iliad. Though I’m a cripple who can’t use his legs, I lead the Ophen family.”

“Ah, Father…”

“Haha, it’s a joke to make you laugh, to make you laugh.”

“……”

…Where should I laugh?

‘If I laugh here, I’m definitely going to hell?’

Ihan couldn’t judge what kind of person this man was since they’d met less than a minute ago, but one thing was clear.

‘This gentleman shouldn’t make jokes.’

If he went along with that joke, he’d be socially buried.