Ch.246EP.55 – The Knight Do Not Speak Falsehoods (2)

“????”

…What is this?

‘Is this a dream?’

Gardin is ninety-five years old this year.

Though overshadowed by Felinshia, he was actually the eldest among the kingdom’s knights, and excluding the Pendragon royal family with their dragon bloodline who lived unnaturally long lives, few people had lived as long as he had.

And living a long life meant, in a way, having abundant experience.

Yet even he…

‘I, I’ve never seen anything like this before…’

Could only stand there with his mouth hanging open stupidly.

‘Is it possible for a person to fly through the sky and charge from midair…?’

That’s how unbelievable the current situation was.

A human, or rather a creature whose humanity was questionable, flew through the sky and descended, turning the surroundings into a wasteland…

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes and had only heard about it in writing, he would have raised his voice saying to stop such ridiculous jokes.

But unfortunately…

CRASH!

Having witnessed such a preposterous scene firsthand, he had no choice but to believe it, and Gardin was forced to gather his wits.

“E-enemy descending from the air! S-strike that person down!”

Though unsure if his order was appropriate, Gardin made the most level-headed judgment he could in the current situation, and the swordsmen moved in perfect unison.

Yes, whether the enemy came from the air or not, responding to an intruder was the natural course of action…

“Was it you? Who threatened our kids.”

PUNG!

In an instant, as a swordsman was about to draw his sword, there was a sound like a balloon popping, and the swordsman’s body spun seven times in midair before crashing to the ground.

THUD!

Shhhhh…

Having landed face-first on the ground, blood poured from his face, but the man couldn’t even make a pain-filled groan before apparently losing consciousness.

He didn’t show even the slightest tremor.

It was a single strike, and nothing short of brutal, merciless violence.

The group approaching him hesitated and broke into cold sweats, and the bizarre phenomenon of dozens of people being overwhelmed by one individual’s aura unfolded in real time.

And this scene,

“H-he really got there before us…?”

“Timid one, is this thing defective? Why is it so slow?”

“The flight artifact is actually very fast. It covered a distance that would take five hours by train in just one hour.”

“Then why is it slower than the instructor?”

“That’s… because the instructor is abnormal,”

The two boys who arrived late, disembarking from a paper airplane-like flight artifact, scratched their noses as they looked at the already half-destroyed mansion.

The one who had leapt through the air (?) ahead of them had already begun the rescue operation.

‘…That technique the instructor uses is more like sky flight than air walking, that’s for sure.’

Derrick could only laugh hollowly as he recalled the man who had kicked off through the air, flying like a human missile.

* * *

PUNG!!

The sound like popping balloons rang out repeatedly, and with each sound, the swordsmen began to fall helplessly.

Resistance or counterattack?

CRACK!

…What’s that?

“The, the sword?!”

A swordsman who had snuck up behind Ihan and swung his sword smiled, but despite his confident strike, the sword had shattered.

It was a moment of cognitive dissonance, and for a moment, the swordsmen wondered if they were dreaming.

And for good reason—although they had rebelled and become half-demons, they were by no means amateurs as swordsmen, and could pride themselves on their considerable skill.

Yet their swordplay was not only blocked, but their swords were broken.

Even when they dishonorably struck from behind!

What is this…?!

“Did you think I left my back exposed for no reason?”

“!!?”

“Good attempt.”

WHOOSH!

CRACK!

Ihan’s large palm enveloped the opponent’s face and slammed him to the ground, and from the impact, a sound like breaking glass emanated from the body.

It was a sound that chilled the hearts of those being attacked, and it was no illusion that it sounded like the footsteps of death, bringing cold sweat and foreboding.

“You know what? Even back muscles can be an excellent weapon.”

-??

Everyone wore bewildered expressions at the death-like figure’s sudden nonsense, but he simply continued saying what he wanted to say.

“It’s nothing special, just using back muscles as both a means of defense and attack. Well, it’s easy once you get the hang of it.”

-?????

…What nonsense is he spouting?

The swordsmen’s expressions said exactly that, but he didn’t seem to expect them to understand his words from the beginning, as he gave a bitter smile.

“Being a pioneer is tough.”

THWACK!

Ihan picked up the half-broken sword from the hand of the man he had slammed down.

What could he do with an already broken sword…

WOONG!

“This sword can still fight, you know?”

“The sword’s resonance…”

A natural resonance of the sword began, and the swordsmen’s faces stiffened.

They had never heard of creating a sword resonance with a broken sword.

But the next moment, they had to be even more shocked!

WHOOSH!

They had to experience the extraordinary sight of flower petals blooming from the sword, and thus the swordsmen…

“Isn’t there a certain charm to seeing plum blossoms in winter?”

—Had to crumble before the approaching plum blossoms.

* * *

Rustle…

“……”

A “monster” approaches, brushing iron powder that scatters like sand from his palm.

“…This is absurd.”

Gardin looked up at the sky.

The sky that had never been on his side throughout his life.

“How utterly indifferent. Why doesn’t the Light smile upon me, I ask.”

He had worked his entire life, dedicated everything.

Eventually even abandoned the path of humanity, yet why-

“Why is someone like you standing in my way?!”

Gardin, overcome with injustice, spewed out his rage-filled resentment.

The formidable aura of a swordsman who had wielded a sword for over ninety years emanated, and as the fierce blade-like wind scattered,

“The sky was never on humanity’s side to begin with. What could be more unfair than the world?”

“…Do you know the principles of the heavens?”

“I may not know the principles, but I do know how difficult life can be. You should know too, old man, having lived even longer than me.”

“……”

“Well, if you’ve gone senile and forgotten, that can’t be helped.”

“…Such an ill-mannered fellow.”

“Strange, why do all adults call me ill-mannered? I try to be respectful.”

“……”

At the monster’s shrugging gesture, Gardin stopped his anger and gave him a calm gaze.

He suspected that even those anger-inducing statements might be a form of military tactics.

‘He’s not just a beast. He knows how to use his head.’

And a beast that knows how to use its head is dangerous in itself.

Gardin decided to regard the figure before him as an intelligent predator rather than a human.

With that decision…!

“—It would be better not to move.”

…Hesitation.

“You’ve already lost. So don’t be ugly about it and give up.”

“W-who says I’ve lost!”

“No, you have. You don’t even know your own condition.”

“What…”

“Look at your hand.”

“……”

Gardin, who was about to raise his voice saying what nonsense, looked at his hand.

Tremble!

His hand was shaking as if he had developed a tremor…

“See, you’re already scared. So you’ve already lost.”

“!?”

“Old man, it’s been a long time since you’ve been in actual combat, right? Your skills seem decent, but you probably haven’t been in the field for quite some time. So you’re a bit rusty.”

“T-this is…”

“Even the finest sword is of little use if it’s just hung on a wall. So don’t be too disappointed in yourself. You just… yes, you’d be better suited to wielding a pen than a sword.”

“……”

…It was the ultimate insult.

He had once been known as one of the kingdom’s hundred great swordsmen, yet now he was being told that a pen suited him better than a sword.

And yet…

“……”

He ultimately could not draw his sword.

* * *

“Master!”

Levi ran to Ihan without hesitation, and Ihan couldn’t help but smile.

“Good to see you’re healthy.”

There were no visible injuries.

Though they had rebelled, it seems these people still had some sense left.

“Yes, even these idiots should know to fear that woman.”

“By chance, is the woman you’re referring to my grandmother?”

“Of course.”

“…As a grandson, that’s an awkward comment to respond to.”

“Never mind that, are you injured anywhere?”

“I’m fine, so please stop the destruction now.”

“Send the compensation claim to the academy. Not to me.”

“…I’ll just make Gardin personally pay for it. I don’t want to see the headmaster collapse clutching the back of his neck.”

Arno glanced at Gardin, who was kneeling in defeat.

He was already an old man, but he had always looked much younger than his actual age. Now he looked ten years older.

The fact that he had to acknowledge defeat without even fighting seemed to have been quite a shock.

“He was a remarkable figure as a swordsman.”

“He was a swordsman? With all that ink smell, I thought he was some kind of politician.”

“…That’s killing a man twice, instructor.”

Though Arno desperately wanted to cut the man’s throat, he wasn’t cold-hearted enough to behead someone whose spirit was already broken.

“I should leave him to my father and grandmother.”

“You’re quite soft-hearted.”

“…Wouldn’t it be better not to kill him if you want to get information, instructor?”

“Do I look like someone who cares about such things?”

“……”

“I just didn’t kill him because it’s your family matter. As proof, see? No one’s dead.”

“Y-you were holding back?”

“If I hadn’t, your mansion would have been gone long ago.”

“……”

“I went easy because it’s my disciple’s home.”

“Th-thank you?”

Even as he expressed gratitude, he wondered if it was appropriate.

If this was him holding back, then if he had been serious-

‘…My goal is truly distant and difficult.’

Arno couldn’t help but smile bitterly, realizing how far away the back he was trying to catch up to really was.

“How boring.”

While lightly scolding his disciple for unnecessary thoughts, Ihan was pleased to see that the boy’s eyes were still alive.

Unlike that rusted swordsman, he felt that this boy would rise again no matter how desperate the situation.

He was a promising one.

Therefore…

“What kind of lowlife are you to torment our kids with bright futures─”

CRASH-!

The Hundred Step Divine Fist blazed from Ihan’s fist.

…Directed at the impudent lowlife who had invited him.