Ch.346EP.72 – The Knight Wore a Suit (6)

…You’ve likely seen flower petals scattered in the wind.

The sight of abundant blossoms cascading on the breeze can sometimes seem so surreal that it brings a mysterious charm that colors even the dreariest mood.

The magic of flowers.

It’s no exaggeration to say they have a knack for captivating people.

In that sense.

Swoosh-.

…This must certainly be a very attractive flower.

‘Is this a flower that blooms in rivers?’

A flower that blooms in the eastern and western outskirts.

“Lotus….”

Hundreds of incredibly beautiful lotus flowers bloom fully.

More beautiful and fresh than lotuses that once bloomed abundantly in a river.

A certain knight who found charm in their resilience and vitality—blooming proudly even under the hot summer sun—unconsciously reached out to touch the petals.

Sure enough.

Boom!

“Strong and beautiful.”

The Brass Knight couldn’t help but smile, captivated by the strength emanating from the flower bud itself.

Truly…

“—What a terrible flower.”

Farhan frowned while looking at his dead subordinate with a smile on his lips.

Drip….

He too was severely wounded, bleeding from various places as if he had charged through a thorny thicket with his bare body.

It certainly wasn’t a power he couldn’t withstand, but strangely, it was threatening to him.

No, to be precise.

“An attack that’s the antithesis to half-demons, or rather, demons. Is this also mental energy? …As far as I know, no one possesses more than one type of mental energy.”

He kept muttering to himself.

One might think he had lost his mind from being wounded and losing countless subordinates.

But his eyes remained cold, showing no sign of bewilderment.

So his muttering was more like analyzing the enemy’s power.

Based on his subordinates’ sacrifices and his own experience, he was calculating how to deal with this troublesome enemy.

“Is anyone there?”

“I’m here, Lord Farhan.”

“How many casualties?”

“About 30% are incapacitated.”

“That’s still an acceptable level.”

“…Lord Farhan, I know it’s presumptuous, but given the situation…”

“I understand. I’m not a fool, so don’t worry.”

“……”

“More importantly, the information was completely wrong. They said he was someone who defeated the Demon King and demons through coincidence and luck, but that’s completely false information. I can’t even trust the intelligence from Torn Wings anymore.”

“…I agree.”

The Brass Knights glared fiercely at the knight who was not just threatening but overwhelming them.

Although it was only 30%, considering that those 30% had enough power to overthrow an entire military faction, it was an unbelievable achievement.

Yet he remained so impassive…

Truly.

“I’m not sure if it’s boldness or courage. But he’s certainly an extraordinary person mentally as well.”

The Brass Knights collectively assessed him as a remarkable person despite being their enemy, and they raised their fighting spirit.

* * *

Contrary to what the Brass Knights thought.

‘W-what is this?’

The person in question was neither impassive nor bold.

If anything, he was more bewildered than ever.

‘How did I actually do this?’

He had only intended to obscure their vision with the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, but suddenly lotus flowers bloomed and swept through the area, leaving him dumbfounded.

It was like throwing a stone to divert a wolf’s attention, only for that stone to suddenly transform into a grenade.

But if asked whether he had used excessive power…

‘That’s not it either.’

Ihan’s condition was good.

After using the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, he felt almost no exhaustion; rather, he felt refreshed.

Ihan could feel what knights called “fighting spirit”—a dynamic wave of life energy—flowing through him like a waterfall.

A dynamic flow.

Ihan didn’t know why the Plum Blossom Sword Technique had suddenly transformed into the Lotus Sword, but he guessed that the powerful flow coursing through his body might be the source of his overwhelming power against them.

“…Well, I can figure that out later.”

Slash.

“What will you do? Fight to the end? If so, I won’t hold back either.”

In military strategy, it’s proper to subdue an enemy when momentum is on your side, but instead of taking the initiative, Ihan pointed his sword and asked a kind question.

“…You’re not rushing in right away.”

“The momentum may have shifted to me, but that doesn’t mean you’re easy opponents.”

“……”

“It doesn’t seem like magic, more like something mystical…”

Just like the pillars of fire earlier, the scent of dangerous traps was spreading everywhere.

They were traps he could break through if needed, but Ihan didn’t make the foolish choice of stepping into them, instead choosing to accumulate his strength.

Hum-.

A quiet yet powerful flow, like waves, emanated from his body, and the narrow-eyed knight…

“It’s Farhan. Not ‘narrow-eyed.'”

“…Did I say that out loud?”

“I could hear you quite clearly. I’d appreciate if you called me by my name from now on.”

“I’m not particularly interested in learning the name of someone who’s about to die today.”

“That’s disappointing. I’d like to see you for a long time.”

The swordsman who revealed his name slowly approached Ihan.

While the other Brass Knights stopped moving to watch them, he confidently walked up to the tip of Ihan’s sword, and Ihan prepared to thrust at any moment.

And the next moment.

“By any chance, would you consider joining the Brass Knights? I’d give up my position for you right now.”

“…What are you saying?”

Whoosh!

Ihan swung his sword at the opponent who had uttered such nonsense, and Farhan immediately drew his sword in response.

Clang!!

Sparks flew as their swords collided more than ten times in an instant, but they didn’t even blink as they clashed.

“Your regeneration is impressive.”

“That’s the advantage of being half-demon.”

Kwang!!

Farhan’s tendons, which had been severed by Ihan, had recovered as if nothing had happened, and his sharp swordsmanship grew increasingly fierce.

Clang! Clang!

Clang-!!

At some point, Ihan and Farhan’s movements became so fast that even decent knights could barely follow them with their eyes.

It wasn’t just speed but a series of versatile movements, intense enough to open the eyes of swordsmen seeking growth.

Ihan’s skills were worthy of a certified sword saint, and such a skilled person…

“There seems to be one misunderstanding—we half-demons don’t enjoy human flesh. We don’t eat innocent people. We only consume the flesh of heinous criminals as medicine. Just as nobles eat bear gallbladders or tiger hearts for health.”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“Also, the culture of eating human flesh can be found in various parts of the continent if you look. So you shouldn’t consider us inherently evil. Well, has your misunderstanding about us cleared up a bit?”

“……”

Crack!

“Oh dear, it seems not at all.”

But even such a skilled person’s sword was pushed back by Ihan.

It wasn’t simply being overpowered.

It was about how to use strength.

Although Ihan’s technique and movement might seem terribly inferior compared to Farhan’s finesse, the way Ihan handled power was superior to Farhan’s, or anyone else’s in the kingdom.

Strength isn’t just about grip; it exists in the feet, hands, legs, back, sides, and everywhere else.

Because he could freely control the strength of these various parts, he could hold his own against opponents wielding high-level sword techniques.

If anything, he was even overwhelming them.

“Can’t you just take a hit? You seem quite sturdy anyway.”

“Why don’t you reveal your sword’s name before talking?”

“Oh, I’ve been found out.”

Kwang!

The two men conversing amid such intense and destructive clashes almost seemed peaceful.

But the killing intent from their blades was real, and those blades, concentrated with that intent…

Clang!

Stab!

They were stabbing each other.

“…How do you train your body to make the sound of striking iron?”

“Practice.”

“……”

“Just practice well.”

“…Hah. This is starting to annoy me. After all, I’m the only one who’s been hit.”

Realizing that even his sword with its revealed name wasn’t very effective, Farhan shook his head as if disappointed.

But Ihan…

Flinch-.

“You… are a dangerous one.”

“?”

He stopped his sword dance and took a step back.

It was a strange situation—Farhan was the one wounded, yet the uninjured person was being cautious.

It was a bewildering scene, but Farhan’s narrow eyes flashed with a fierce light for the first time, showing his surprise.

“…I’m shocked. Only our captain has ever figured out this technique…”

“……”

“How did you notice? There shouldn’t have been any sound, trace, or smell.”

“…Intuition.”

“?”

“…Just intuition. I feel like I shouldn’t approach you right now.”

“…Huh.”

Farhan let out a hollow laugh, but Ihan was serious.

For some reason, Ihan suddenly felt an intuition that he shouldn’t continue this sword fight.

Although he was still overwhelming his opponent, he felt as if something else was trying to devour him.

In other words…

“Is it your mental energy? Or is it… [Mystery]?”

“……”

“…Cunning bastard. You pretended to scout me while planning to stab me in the back.”

“…Haha.”

It was Ihan’s direct accusation, and Farhan laughed again.

Whether this was also a hollow laugh, its meaning was different.

No, from the beginning, Farhan hadn’t laughed out of disappointment.

‘…Survival instinct. An opponent with such instincts is truly frightening.’

So strong, yet not at all arrogant.

Rather, he was cautious and didn’t hesitate to retreat.

It was a trait not seen in knights with strong pride, and Farhan felt a sense of kinship with him.

‘He doesn’t discriminate between means and methods. He seeks victory over honor.’

Farhan finally understood the person called Ihan.

He had gained valuable, vivid information that couldn’t be obtained from dry written reports.

And…

“…Regrettably, let’s look forward to next time.”

“?”

“And my offer was no joke. I, no, we are sincere. I think it would be good if you joined us.”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“Ahaha. I suppose words alone won’t earn your trust? Then let me just say this: Our goal is not to overthrow the Pendragons. No, it’s certain we won’t be satisfied with just that.”

“…What?”

Ihan hesitated.

Despite looking for an opportunity to strike again, he paused upon hearing those words and found himself focusing on what the man was saying.

At this moment, it felt like something decisive was about to come from that annoying man’s mouth.

And proving this intuition correct…

“—We’re going to summon the <13th Angel> to this world. To eliminate the Light of Radiance, all [Mysteries] in this world!”

“……”

“I hope you’ll make a wise decision in the future. You are, after all, a ‘good person.'”

Thud.

Whoosh!

…The next moment, mines that had been scattered everywhere activated, and more than a thousand pillars of fire engulfed the streets and even the Brass Knights.

They had jumped into the pillars of fire as if committing suicide, and one might think they had died, but Ihan saw it.

“…They escaped, those bastards.”

Their bodies fading as soon as they entered the pillars of fire.

It happened in the blink of an eye, and Ihan scratched the back of his head as if dumbfounded.

But soon.

“Well, I’ve memorized their scent anyway.”

He could deal with them later.

Ihan shrugged and muttered casually to himself.

There’s nothing more foolish than dwelling on what’s already passed.

So what he needed to do now was…

“Why are those people still not running away?”

Rescue operations.

…That day, fierce pillars of fire spread through the central streets, burning everything black.

Completely, leaving nothing behind.

The damage was astronomical, and there were over a thousand injured, but.

[Although the noble district was completely burned down by the fire, there was a miracle: among the 24,891 residents, only 1,412 were injured, with zero fatalities. This miracle was attributed to the rescue efforts of ‘a certain knight’ in a black suit…]

No one died.