Ch.285EP.62 – What is a Knight’s Cause to Fight? (8)

The once grim and dreary military camp suddenly became bustling with activity.

No, it went beyond mere bustle—it overflowed with vitality and energy. The hardened men, typically worn down by society, had transformed into emotional beings with moist eyes like sensitive poets.

The knights, soldiers, and servants with teary eyes all shared one thing in common: each clutched a letter, reading it dozens of times or preciously holding it against their chest.

Some were sniffling and sobbing, but no one mocked them for it.

The reason? Their own eyes were red too.

They were all on the verge of breaking into tears at the slightest provocation.

And the person responsible for this wave of emotion nodded as if he had anticipated this reaction.

‘It’s universal—letters from family or lovers are the best thing for deployed soldiers.’

Just try being cut off from the outside world for a month in a training camp, and the letters you receive will leave a lasting impression on your heart.

But this wasn’t just a month—it was five years of isolation?

It wouldn’t be strange to go mad under such circumstances.

You’d miss the family, women, friends, and even the people you’d cut ties with that you left behind.

Ihan had experienced this often during his overseas deployments in his previous life.

‘Worth the effort of bringing them over.’

An artifact backpack with expansion magic.

Stolen from a wizard slave—no, professor—it could store items up to 700kg in capacity.

The downside was that the weight of the contents pressed on the body, and it was single-use.

After emptying its contents…

Poof.

“It really turns to dust.”

When he stole it, the wizard had ranted, “Do you know how much it cost to make this, you fool!! It’s valuable military supplies!! If it breaks, I’ll be dragged to court, damn it!” …but that wasn’t Ihan’s concern.

‘I used it for a good cause, didn’t I? That’s what matters.’

The wizard might be arrested or punished, but that wasn’t Ihan’s problem.

Rather, he had done something good for the deployed soldiers, so the wizard should be proud to be dragged to court.

It would be an honor for a wizard to be punished for such a noble cause.

Since he was doing a good deed.

Tap tap.

“Huh? What is it?”

“Is there nothing for me?”

“?”

“Ah, of course my family all stays in Bidong, but I have connections outside too!”

“You?”

“Yes!”

Felix wore an expression full of expectation that there would naturally be a letter for him too, and Ihan pondered for a moment before saying:

“What was your name again?”

“Felix de Modred!”

“…Hmm, doesn’t seem like there’s anything.”

“That can’t be! Is there nothing from my lover Suzanne?! She must have written a letter!”

“…Suzanne? From the bakery?”

“You know her!”

“Of course, she’s a patriot who’s had six children.”

“???”

“Her husband is handsome too. They seem like a perfect match. The bread there is delicious. Oh, I heard that before she got married, some madman kept threatening her with ‘Bear my child!’ Was that madman you?”

“It wasn’t a threat, it was a confession!!”

“……”

“She shed tears as a sign of affirmation!!”

“Wasn’t that a sign of fear rather than affirmation?”

“!!?”

“…What era are you living in by yourself?”

Why was he acting like a barbarian from the Stone Age?

‘No, even Stone Age people wouldn’t be this bad.’

Even barbarians who lived their whole lives in jungles are better socialized, so why is someone who lived in a city his whole life like this?

“…Are all Modred bloodline members like this?”

“That’s a misconception.”

“Only he is like that.”

“Please don’t consider Felix as the average for Modred. It’s just that he alone is abnormal.”

“It’s true we have a bit of madness due to our spirit eyes, but not to that extent.”

“……”

…They have good hearing too.

Ihan quietly marveled as he exchanged casual greetings with the soldiers and faced the young men approaching him.

‘Not bad.’

The oldest seemed to be in his mid-twenties, and some were still teenagers, yet they were remarkably well-trained.

They might be slightly inferior to the three prodigies from the Swordsmanship Department, but that wasn’t insignificant.

Rather, it was impressive that at their age they possessed abilities comparable to those three who could defeat most knights.

“They look normal, so is only that guy a mutant?”

“That’s the biggest mystery of our family. How someone like him was born into our bloodline, sigh.”

“…He’s not your son, is he?”

“He’s my second son’s child. My second son was physically weak but intelligent, but his son is the opposite—too robust physically but mentally strange… The world is truly bizarre, bizarre indeed, haha.”

“……”

Ganok showed a hint of sadness when mentioning his second son, and Ihan tactfully refrained from asking why the second son wasn’t present.

Instead.

“So, are you here to scold me?”

“…Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Not you, elder. I mean you. Don’t suddenly come to my side like that. I’ve let it slide because I don’t sense hostility, but I don’t know what I might do if I get agitated.”

He decided to have a productive conversation, and brightened when the “person in charge” finally appeared.

…With a slight warning.

“-Just as father said, you truly are an interesting person.”

Suddenly, the surroundings rippled like a heat haze, and a person appeared.

He was a handsome—no, pretty—young man who appeared to be in his early twenties.

Calling a man “pretty” might seem odd, but facing him directly, one couldn’t help but make such an assessment.

He had approached without making any sound, smell, or presence—a skill even more advanced than Orthos’s.

Yet Ihan had been able to detect him.

“How did you find me? The ghosts were concealing my presence.”

“You were bothersome.”

“Hmm?”

“I felt something like a slight sense of incongruity. It’s hard to explain but… well, anyway, I could tell.”

“……”

Just as a weather bureau predicts the weather by analyzing humidity, wind strength, and temperature rise, Ihan’s sense of smell, hearing, and touch were incredibly sensitive to his surroundings.

Even more informative than weather bureau technology.

So at the very least.

“If you want to hide from me, you need to pay attention to many things like body odor, temperature, heartbeat, and breathing. You should have at least concealed your breathing.”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“…Are you human?”

“…?”

Ihan looked at him with a disgruntled expression, his species being questioned at their first meeting.

* * *

Kain Arnold de Modred, the Margrave.

The current—no, thanks to Ihan, the former—Margrave of Modred appeared incredibly young despite being in his mid-forties.

He was said to be among the top three most capable individuals in Modred history and even held the title of “King of the Borderlands.”

Though his official rank was only Count, he was the master of a massive force that could justify a higher position.

Yet such a man.

“Thank you, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen smiles on their faces.”

He was bowing his head to a wanderer who hadn’t even properly revealed his identity or status.

With utmost respect.

It wouldn’t have been strange if he had reprimanded Ihan for arbitrarily delivering outside news to the knights, soldiers, and servants, but he was expressing genuine gratitude, showing that he possessed the qualities of a wise ruler rather than a tyrant.

Perhaps because of this?

“…Shouldn’t a nobleman be more arrogant and look at wanderers like me with contempt? Why aren’t you acting like a nobleman… Are you really a high noble?”

“……”

Ihan gave him a suspicious and wary look.

He wondered if this man was truly the great nobleman called the King of the Borderlands.

“…I can see you have a negative image of nobility.”

Margrave Kain wore a slightly disappointed expression.

Somehow, the evaluation seemed harsh from their first meeting.

But this wasn’t something to be disappointed about…

“Ah, but there is something noble-like about you. You’re a parent in name only who abandoned a three-year-old child for five years.”

“…I am indeed guilty.”

Margrave Kain looked up at the empty sky with a sorrowful lament.

His expression genuinely conveyed that he wanted to die, aware of his sin.

“…That’s disappointing.”

Ihan had planned to beat him regardless of his noble status if he had been shameless about abandoning his child.

But Kain already looked like he might go insane without Ihan having to beat him.

His expression showed signs of depression—the face of someone who might commit suicide if left alone.

“Hehe, stop tormenting our family head. You already know something about the ‘curse,’ don’t you?”

“I do. But knowing is different from accepting. Still, that kid is my friend, and as a friend, I need to be angry on his behalf.”

“…You seem quite close to our granddaughter.”

“Didn’t you already know that?”

“Spirits aren’t omnipotent. They can only provide fragments of information. If they could know everything, this country would have been called Modred long ago instead of Pendragon.”

“Isn’t that treason?”

“Didn’t you know? The first Modred’s dying wish was ‘revolution’ and ‘rebellion.’ He instructed us to normalize the kingdom through revolution and rebellion if the Pendragon royal family proved incompetent.”

“……”

“Haha, don’t look at me like that. It’s just a dying wish. We’re not obligated to follow it.”

“…Your eyes suggest otherwise.”

The look in the former family head’s eyes resembled that of a revolutionary Ihan had only seen in photographs.

As if he had resolved to overthrow the country at the first opportunity.

‘Are they on bad terms with the royal family?’

Ihan decided not to get involved even if there was some trouble between the royal family and the Modred family.

Rather, his interest was in…

…BOOM!

“Something seems to be coming.”

“Hmm?”

“Pardon?”

While they were trying to interpret Ihan’s muttering…

“—Proud guardians of Modred!!! Prepare for battle-!!”

As if he had never been depressed, Margrave Kain issued a commanding order full of charisma, and as soon as his order fell…

[The wave is coming!!]

[Boil oil and water!]

[Woo! Wooo!]

BOOM BOOM!

The ground shook as over 600 troops stomped their feet.

Watching them enter battle formation with practiced ease, Ihan wore an expression of admiration, and unlike the others who were in a hurry, he asked Ganok, who was calmly maintaining his sword:

“Just how many times have you fought?”

“…Well, I remember fighting exactly 1,276 battles, but I stopped counting after that, so I’m not sure.”

“……”

“But the wave cycle has shortened. We fought just two days ago. Sigh, what hardship in my old age.”

Though Ganok spoke grumblingly, his face, having finished maintaining his sword, radiated the spirit of a veteran warrior ready for a comeback.

A spirit that even momentarily overwhelmed Ihan.

Then,

“Would you like to observe?”

“……”

At the suggestion that sounded like an invitation to a field trip, Ihan found himself nodding without realizing it.

*

*

*

RUMBLE!

[[KAAAAA-!]]

30,000 [evil spirits] surged forward like a tidal wave.

…Like a swarm of termites.