Ch.355EP.75 – The Cogwheel Declares (3)

…what kind of joke is this?

“My fate…”

Ihan grumbled continuously.

He felt dejected wondering how he ended up doing such clownish acts, thinking that doing something else would be more productive than playing the fool.

“Um, excuse me, Lord…”

“……”

“L-Lord Ihan Turtle. You n-need to prepare…”

“I know, so stop nagging, will you?”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“…Why do I find you so annoying to look at?”

“!?”

“I’m joking.”

Ihan looked at the attendant assisting him.

This was the same attendant who had fainted at his house two days ago.

From what he heard, the attendant had received dozens of lashes after soldiers testified that he had been disrespectful to Ihan after returning.

Ihan could have asked why they went that far, but such punishment was only natural.

The royal court was a place where a single mistake could cost one’s life, and even relatives could be punished under guilt by association.

Having been disrespectful to Ihan, who was invited by the royal family, could have been enough to warrant death. From the attendant’s perspective, surviving with just a few lashes was incredibly fortunate.

“I-I’m sorry about that time… I was temporarily insane…”

“It’s fine.”

“T-Then…!”

“Though spilled water can’t be gathered back up.”

“!!?”

“I said it’s fine. I don’t hold grudges.”

“Ah, I-I see.”

“But I’ll remember your face for a long time.”

“!!”

“Haha.”

Tap tap.

It was strangely amusing to see his face change color every time Ihan teased him.

Perhaps it was the fun of teasing?

‘Subject #1 was like this too.’

More precisely, Subject #1 during his golden days.

Though he’s been modified now, initially he was just as bad as this attendant, if not worse.

So Ihan just accepted this Subject #2 as he was.

‘I guess this is the average noble personality.’

The nobles he knew might be a bit unusual, but weren’t nobles generally a detestable bunch?

That’s why Ihan wasn’t particularly angry even when seeing this annoying face again.

“L-Lord Ihan, you need to enter now. It would be a great discourtesy to enter after His Majesty.”

“What a bother…”

“L-Lord Ihan, please…!”

“Do I have to comply just because you’re asking?”

“I-I’ll cut off my finger if…”

“I don’t particularly need that.”

“……”

“Fine. Don’t cry. I hate seeing a grown man cry.”

“Th-Thank you! Thank you!!”

The attendant was now practically sobbing with gratitude, and Ihan entered the royal banquet hall.

Well…

“—The kingdom’s strongest order of knights! The brave and honorable knights! The valiant hero of the Order of the Silver Lion, Lord Ihan Turtle, is entering!!”

Hesitation-.

…Hearing such an introduction made him pause in his steps.

‘Do these bastards have no conscience?’

Ihan stopped walking, finding it absurd that these white cats were being called brave and honorable. The attendant bowed his head again with a tearful expression.

* * *

Naturally, not everyone received such grand introductions at the banquet.

Only those with the status of high nobility or equivalent were given such treatment.

Occasionally, war heroes or respected generals would receive praise as a sign of respect, but in this situation…

“Is that the one…”

“The knight who prevented the disaster?”

“He looks strong. But I wonder if he’s really that impressive.”

“Hmm.”

It seemed like a scheme to humiliate him.

Most nobles were looking at him with suspicious eyes.

As if evaluating him, or trying to find any flaw they could.

It was an unpleasantly inappropriate attitude toward someone who had prevented a disaster, but…

“It’s the instructor!”

“Why are you here? I thought you’d never attend a place like this.”

“That’s what I was thinking too.”

On the other hand, there were those who welcomed him, so he didn’t pay much attention to the critics.

Instead of giving any attention to those who spoke ill of him, Ihan focused on the familiar faces and voices.

‘Not just our kids, but some familiar faces too.’

He could see people from Tristan, Galahad, Lionel, as well as representatives from Ophen and Modred.

There were also people from Lohengrin and Guinevere (the Dean), and he made eye contact with all of them, but especially…

“Lord Ihan.”

“It’s been a while.”

“…A simple eye greeting would have been enough, why come all the way over?”

“How could we not approach Lord Ihan properly?”

“That’s right.”

Representatives from Ophen and Modred approached him first to greet him.

The master swordsman of House Ophen and the White Ghost of Modred.

The fact that such renowned individuals approached a mere knight first made the nobles who had been criticizing him flinch.

In their “common sense,” it was unheard of for proud and arrogant high nobles to approach a mere knight first.

“The Sword Master often asks you to visit.”

“Lady Louise keeps asking when she can see Lord Santa again. Even today, she was pestering the head of the family about it, haha.”

They even seemed quite friendly with him.

He thought he heard the name “Sword Master,” but perhaps it was their imagination?

“…Ahem.”

Some of those who had been criticizing him suddenly bowed their heads and quietly retreated.

While they still found the knight distasteful, seeing high nobles respect him made them lose the courage to find fault.

Instead, they bowed their heads in submission.

However…

“Don’t worry about their treatment, Lord Ihan. Ophen will never forgive those who dare speak ill of our benefactor.”

“Though Modred may have less influence in the central region, we are not so weak that we cannot punish such people. We will handle it properly.”

The two houses seemed determined not to let anyone who insulted their benefactor go unpunished.

“Ah, no, I don’t mind at all…”

Despite the actual person not caring, the two houses were making a bigger deal out of it, and Ihan felt awkward but also realized:

‘So high nobles really are impressive?’

He newly recognized that these people, who he had only seen getting beaten up like neighborhood punching bags, were actually quite formidable.

At that moment.

Boom! Boooom! Booooom!

“…Still making a flashy entrance as always.”

With thunderous drum sounds, a military band appeared and began playing.

A spectacular array of various woodwind, brass, percussion, and string instruments, many of which Ihan had never seen or heard before.

Ihan asked, wondering:

“Is the entrance always this elaborate?”

“…It wasn’t this much originally.”

“But it changed like this after the late king passed away.”

“……”

Ihan was at a loss for words hearing such testimony, but regardless of his reaction…

“O great bloodline blessed by dragons!”

“Inheritor of the bravery, honor, and soul of the Knight King, ruler of this land!”

“Sovereign of the land where dragons, fairies, and mysteries slumber!”

[[Honorable and great King of Pendragon! May glory be with you!!]]

Boooooom!!

With various praises and introductions, “he” appeared.

Though he was merely the youngest brother of the previous king, he had luckily ascended to the throne and become the new king of Pendragon.

Despite recklessly waging a southern unification war that killed countless citizens and impoverished the royal family, he had somehow unified the south and earned the title of “Conqueror King.”

However, despite these achievements, he was emerging as the worst tyrant, and people mockingly called him the “Monarch of Greed and Incompetence.”

“Edmund Pendragon…”

Edmund Julian de Pendragon.

The name of the current 31st King of Pendragon.

However…

‘A tyrant?’

Ihan could only tilt his head in confusion as he looked at him.

* * *

“—Raise your heads.”

The nobles who had been bowing their heads at the king’s entrance raised them upon hearing his command, and some could get a clear look at the king’s face.

‘So this is what he looks like…’

‘…Hmm.’

‘……?’

Many young nobles, especially those making their debut, were seeing the king’s face for the first time.

In that sense, the impression of those seeing the king for the first time was none other than:

‘Ordinary?’

Though they knew it was disrespectful, they couldn’t help but think so.

…He really looked ordinary.

The silver-white hair and eyes symbolizing royal legitimacy were impressive, of course, but apart from that, there was nothing particularly special about him.

A face so common that you’d forget it immediately if you passed him on the street?

Of course, one shouldn’t judge people by their appearance.

A person’s abilities can’t be determined by looks alone.

But even so…

‘I don’t feel anything from him?’

People couldn’t sense any aura from him.

Yes, he lacked what one might call the “dignity of a king” or charisma.

Does this make any sense?

He was the conquering monarch who unified Pendragon and the south.

Yet it was puzzling that such a conqueror didn’t exude any dignity or even the basic aura that an ordinary soldier might possess.

And what made this puzzlement even greater was:

“Wow…”

“It’s Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

When they noticed the beautiful woman seated right next to the king, their confusion only grew.

Crown Princess Isis.

A beauty so stunning that merely looking at her was intoxicating.

But her eyes, filled with charisma no less powerful than her beauty, gave off a pressure that made one unable to defy her.

If one approached her, entranced by her beauty, their head would instantly be severed.

Gulp…

Swallow!

She was undeniably a woman who made people swallow dry saliva and feel tense just by looking at her, and people couldn’t help but compare the king and the crown princess.

‘Are they really father and daughter?’

Some even began to doubt whether Crown Princess Isis was truly Edmund’s biological daughter.

That’s how different they were in appearance and atmosphere.

At that moment.

“—You there, what’s your name?”

“?”

“Ah, not you, the one behind you.”

“…?”

Suddenly, the king pointed at someone, and the young noble who was pointed at was flustered under everyone’s gaze, but quickly bowed his head and spoke.

“I-I am Robert of House Solvenin, Your Majesty!”

“Ah, Solvenin, yes, I remember now. A merchant noble house with quite a history, correct?”

“I am honored that you remember, Your Majesty!!”

Robert Solvenin was confused by this situation, but still felt it might be some stroke of luck.

For nobles, attention often translated to prestige.

Though he didn’t know why the king had called him out, the attention itself could only be positive—.

Clatter.

“—Cut out his tongue.”

“…Pardon?”

“Did you not hear me? Your hearing is defective too, it seems. Cut off those useless ears as well.”

“……”

“Now you’ve become mute. Are you feeling wronged? If so, you shouldn’t have carelessly spoken such ‘words.’ Heh heh.”

“……”

“I said cut it out, didn’t I? Why aren’t you following orders?”

“……”

“Well now.”

—He’s not listening.

The king’s quiet murmur echoed softly as he looked around at the people as if seeking agreement, but no one dared to speak up.

…The situation itself was too difficult to comprehend.