Ch.348EP.73 – Is Hitting the King a Crime? (2)

The disciples’ intense expressions of gratitude finally ended after an hour.

However, judging by their promise to send him an invitation later, it seemed this bothersome gratitude would continue for a while longer.

Though he wanted to refuse since it was both annoying and completely unnecessary, if he did that…

“The kids’ pride would be hurt, wouldn’t it?”

“Absolutely. You should just accept it. It might be troublesome for you as an instructor, but…”

“Hmm, but assistant. You look quite comfortable?”

“It’s a rare day off. I should get some rest, shouldn’t I?”

“……”

Ihan stared blankly at Damian, who was lying comfortably in the doghouse—no, the boarding house shaped like a doghouse that Ihan had made for him—gazing absently at the sky despite having visitors.

“…Why are you looking at me like that? Do you need something?”

“No, just thinking.”

“Your eyes look strange though?”

“You’re imagining things.”

…Though he had made Damian this way himself, Ihan thought the man had become quite shameless and tough.

Just a year ago, he had been a typical rich young master.

“…How did he end up so broken, really.”

“It’s because of you!”

“Oh, you heard that? I meant to say it to myself.”

“Damn! You think I wouldn’t know you did that on purpose!”

BANG!

The hammer knight Damian, his nerves grated, drew his mallet and lunged at him…

“Settle down.”

“Gack!?”

And was subdued in just 1.5 seconds.

After finishing this enjoyable pre-lunch warm-up with his assistant, Ihan still felt stiff since it ended too quickly. He casually turned his gaze and asked.

“How about it, would you two like to warm up with me?”

Shake, shake.

The two boys expressed their feelings with vigorous head shaking and bitter smiles.

“I’ll pass.”

“I’d rather avoid unnecessary injuries during wartime, instructor.”

“Such exaggeration.”

“…It’s not exaggeration.”

“Hmm.”

“Is that so…?”

Derrick and Roen firmly declined, and Ihan shrugged his shoulders as if to say he couldn’t help it if they didn’t want to, putting aside his disappointment.

“D-damn it all…”

Unlike the two boys who had lost their fighting spirit, the assistant rolling on the ground spat out resentful curses while burning with determination.

As if he would definitely land a hit on Ihan someday.

…Though whether that would be possible in this lifetime remained questionable.

* * *

Ihan served tea to the two boys without showing much surprise at their visit.

It wasn’t that he knew they would come in advance, but rather that he had sensed their presence nearby.

They had probably been waiting until the first group of visitors left.

“So many visitors today.”

“I’m sorry if we’re disturbing you…”

“It’s not a disturbance, I’m just wondering why you came. You’re not the type to kindly check on my well-being.”

“…I think you misunderstand us, instructor.”

“Ungrateful brats who never visit unless they need something, with nothing but smooth talk…”

“……”

“So, you two with tongues that would float even if you fell in water, what business do you have?”

“…Instructor, if you’re going to hit us with facts, at least give us time to recover from the damage.”

The two seemed to take a moment for self-reflection, but Ihan paid no attention to that and waved his hand as if telling them to hurry up and leave once their business was done.

Perhaps realizing they weren’t exactly welcome?

Therefore.

“We’ve successfully ‘eliminated’ all the traitors to the kingdom, including the Brass Knights hiding in the royal capital.”

They went straight to the point.

“Thanks to you drawing attention by capturing the Brass Knights, it wasn’t difficult to apprehend them. Of course, once Galahad stepped in, the traitors’ annihilation was inevitable, but your help certainly made it easier.”

“Others helped too, which made things much smoother. With Kunta, Arno de Ophen, and Garand, everything went much more efficiently.”

This explained why only Ihan and Levi went after the Brass Knights, and what the others had been doing elsewhere.

Despite dozens of noble families in the royal capital being completely wiped out thanks to Ihan’s rampage, there was no concern about this.

Even now, reporters were only covering what happened in the central streets, showing no interest in the disappeared noble families.

In other words.

“It was a successful aggro, so to speak.”

“I told you to use gaming terms moderately.”

“…Attention, I meant attention.”

Although they lost the Brass Knights due to the noble assembly’s chain of trolling, there were still meaningful results.

In reality, isn’t an incompetent ally or a traitorous turncoat more dangerous than the enemy?

With them driven out, at least the kingdom’s interior should be safe.

“So, now that we’ve eliminated all the traitorous turncoats…”

“We just need to somehow root out the incompetent allies… which is the problem.”

The previously mentioned traitorous turncoats referred to those who cooperated with Lohengrin and joined hands with the Blood Crusaders.

They had boldly dreamed of overthrowing the kingdom, but now they had become fertilizer in the ground, so that dream would remain just a dream.

However, they still had a task remaining.

The task of expelling the incompetent allies—those more dangerous than enemies who might endanger the kingdom again with their “creative” statements—and this was actually much more difficult than dealing with traitors.

“The noble assembly, they really…”

Though Derrick usually disliked speaking ill of others, the noble assembly was an exception.

One might refrain from cursing normal people, but how could anyone speak kindly of those who abnormally and creatively ruined the country?

In fact, it was remarkable that he wasn’t using stronger language.

“I’d like nothing more than to feed those vermin to pigs. Or perhaps throw them to bears or wild dogs that haven’t eaten for a week, to be chewed alive.”

“Stop it. What did the animals do wrong to deserve eating such rotten things? Poor creatures.”

“…That’s a fair point.”

Roen showed even more cruelty without hiding it, and Derrick flinched at such ferocity.

The two showed incompatible personalities, but their opinions aligned on this matter.

“The noble assembly needs to be reformed. It can’t continue like this.”

“They’re the primary contributors to the country’s decay.”

Yes, of course they understood that not all politicians can be competent.

But there are limits, and incompetent politicians are of no help when the kingdom is in crisis.

“If they would at least do nothing, that might help, but they keep doing strange things which makes it worse.”

“Sigh, it gives me a headache.”

They say if you stay still, you’ll at least get halfway there, but these people neither stay still nor do anything useful while risking their lives to draw attention in other ways.

And since the results are all bad, what else could this be but incompetence?

Therefore, cruel as it may sound, they are useless.

So reform is needed.

Political reform…!

“Hmm, I understand what you’re trying to say, but don’t make such statements here. I’m someone who wants nothing to do with politics.”

Ihan, who was already sick of politics due to his military experience.

“I’m sorry, I just got carried away out of frustration…”

“Sigh, this certainly isn’t something to discuss with the instructor. I apologize for my rudeness.”

“No, it’s understandable if you’re frustrated.”

How frustrated must they be to act like this?

However, if such complaints explode…

‘I just hope it doesn’t turn red.’

Ihan hoped he wouldn’t have to see his disciples growing mustaches.

Somehow, looking at their current state, they seemed quite capable of that, and if they turned to the dark side, they could overturn the country more decisively than those cult members.

“…I should have only shared the good news, not brought up unnecessary topics. Please forget about it.”

“What conversation did we have?”

“…I didn’t mean for you to forget everything.”

With a slight smile at his joking response, Roen finally showed a hint of a smile, but he still seemed to have something more to say as he hesitated before continuing…

“…Instructor, you may already know this, but there’s a final royal banquet scheduled for two days from now.”

“Huh? They’re still doing that?”

“Well, since no one died in this incident and there was only property damage, the royal banquets will continue as long as there’s no direct impact on the royal family itself.”

“…I’m speechless.”

Normally, when such a major incident occurs, most events would be canceled, but apparently the banquet cannot be stopped.

Whether it’s a performance to show that the royal family is not affected by such incidents, or because the crown prince’s birthday is that important…

‘Or maybe it’s both.’

As Ihan pressed his brow, thinking once again that politics was not for him, Roen’s words were not yet finished.

“But here’s the important point, instructor. You might be ‘invited’ to the banquet in two days.”

“…Me?”

“Yes.”

“…Why?”

Perhaps because the statement was so unexpected, he couldn’t understand anything for a moment, and Roen explained:

“You are the one who stopped the Brass Knights incident. And the royal family will use you to tell the nobles: ‘Sir Ihan Turtle is a proud and brave protector of the royal family, a member of the Order of the Silver Lion, and he prevented the incident in the central streets. What a magnificent achievement!'”

He provided a clear answer.

However…

“That, now.”

Hah…

“Despite doing nothing… they want to use me as a ‘clown,’ is that it?”

His answer made Ihan feel not refreshed but utterly frustrated.

“…Ahem.”

Roen and Derrick avoided his gaze without denying his words, while Ihan still wore a dumbfounded expression.

“……”

After about a minute of awkward silence where no one spoke, Ihan finally narrowed his eyes and asked:

“…Let me ask one thing.”

“?”

“…If I beat up the king, would that be a crime?”

“……”

“I hope it would be a crime. Then I could legally tear everything down, haha.”

“……”

“…Why aren’t you laughing? It’s a joke. You think I’d do something that stupid just because I’m angry?”

“…I suppose not.”

“Right?”

Ihan answered with a broad smile, while Roen and Derrick broke into cold sweats.

For a joke…

‘His eyes…’

‘Are too fierce.’

They knew.

Ihan, their master, was the type of person who would rather act foolish than endure.

Also…

‘The lady said you can tell by the pinky finger, right?’

Twitch-

…That his pinky finger twitches when he’s lying.