Ch.361EP.76 – The Knight Leaves the Stage (2)

Named, [The Day of King Edmund’s Fall], or [The Tragedy of Pendragon’s Humiliation and Despair], it had been about half a month since the incident occurred.

The kingdom was…

“Execute King Edmund!”

[Execute him! Execute him!]

“Hand over the head of the traitor who betrayed the kingdom!”

[Hand over the traitor’s head!!!]

Far from calming down, the chaos was only growing more intense.

Overwhelmingly so.

At some point, the kingdom’s citizens had begun to protest.

Soldiers were dispatched several times to stop them, but whenever they appeared, the protesters would quickly disperse. Since the protesters wore black clothes and masks throughout the demonstrations, it was difficult to identify and capture specific individuals.

Moreover, other citizens knowingly or unknowingly helped the protesters, so the soldiers’ investigations made no progress.

In other words, what this series of disturbances indicated was…

“The citizens already know the truth. I suspect the Information Guild has spread the information everywhere. Only the old men in the council have been embarrassed. Despite all their pressure on the newspapers and their instigation and fabrication, it was all for nothing.”

“Yes…”

“Your reputation is also spreading. Some even call you the noble [White Knight] or [Power Saint] for boldly standing up against absolute power, hoho.”

“That’s so childish, really.”

“Childish or not, it’s popular.”

“…Don’t tell me that 2-head doll is merchandising me?”

“I invested in making them. They sell quite well, hoho.”

“…The bear does the tricks, but the trainer gets the applause…”

Ihan’s eyes twitched as he looked at the remarkably well-made doll that somehow made him angry.

The quality was considerable.

Whoever designed it, truly…

“By the way, Lady Tristan made it. She’s a talented child.”

“…So it was my child’s work.”

Anyway, as this showed, the noble council’s schemes had ended in futility.

The noble council must be dumbfounded.

They had intended to use all their capital, power, and information to sweep under the rug what King Edmund had done, yet all their schemes had ended in just half a month, not even a full month.

But this was inevitable.

“Those incompetent ones still live trapped in the past. The ignorance of commoners is something from over a hundred years ago.”

One of the Military God’s greatest achievements was none other than ‘education.’

He created schools so that even the lower classes could read and do basic calculations, offering education to everyone.

Additionally, he even established libraries that anyone could use, allowing those who sought knowledge to read books.

Thanks to these benefits, it would be no exaggeration to say that Pendragon’s illiteracy rate was worlds apart from a hundred years ago.

Even the fact that lower-class citizens could pass the difficult exams of the Royal Academy showed that the difference between nobles and commoners was not as great as in the past.

Well, it couldn’t be said that there were no fields still monopolized by the noble class, but what mattered now was that the citizens were not ignorant beings and could not be easily deceived as in the past.

Especially…

“Those who suffered the most from the recent consecutive incidents were none other than the powerless citizens.”

While the nobles had no problems, it was the commoners who suffered various property damages due to the Blood Crusaders’ activities.

Especially when merchants and nobles joined forces to raise prices murderously, they could only grab the backs of their necks in frustration.

Even in years of abundant harvests, there was the irony of people starving to death because the wealthy took everything…

“And then the temple, which they thought was on their side, stabbed them in the back, and now even the royal family has betrayed them… Honestly, they can only accept someone hitting the king at this point. What matters to them now is the desire for revenge to somehow repay the betrayal they felt.”

So this uprising wasn’t strange.

No, it was rather too late, and it would be correct to say that after enduring until now, the royal incident became the trigger.

“Hmm, that’s right.”

“Indeed.”

“But you know.”

“Hmm?”

“Do I really need to know all this? Especially…”

Crunch.

“While I’m eating.”

“……”

“I’d like to eat in peace, so could you please leave now?”

“…Hmm.”

Isis gave him a subtle look as he cut into his steak and devoured five lobsters inside the prison cell.

…For reference, yogurt ice cream was waiting as dessert.

* * *

“So, you come for your first visit after half a month, and why are you suddenly telling me about the state of the country?”

Only after thoroughly enjoying his dessert did Ihan begin conversing with her, and Isis clicked her tongue at this behavior.

“Insolent fellow.”

“Well, if you have nothing more to say, you can leave. It’s time for my bodyweight exercise.”

“……”

“I’ll do my thing, and you can say whatever you want to say.”

“…Haa.”

Ihan seriously began doing push-ups.

One might wonder how he could be so serious about what should be an easy exercise for him, but…

Crack!

Ihan was currently exercising while operating [Indestructible].

Since he was exercising while actively manifesting his mental energy, the strain was enormous, and even weight training with massive weights would pale in comparison.

After easily completing over a hundred push-ups, he kept adjusting the distance between his arms to change the stimulated areas, doing handstands, using only one arm or just his fingers in various positions—his movements looked like acrobatics.

“……”

Isis, who had become a spectator to the gymnastic-like exercises taking place in the tiny 1-pyeong prison cell, watched him intently.

After observing quietly for a while, she spoke again.

“Edmund has awakened.”

“Huff! Huff!”

“He’s not normal. They’re attempting treatment using holy magic, but he still can’t speak properly, and he has disabilities in his ears and eyes that make it difficult for him to even stand up. He frequently faints from dizziness just from standing.”

“That’s because I injected my power into him, huff!”

“Yes, because of that, he’s become unable to stand in any official capacity.”

“What a, sad, thing, yo!”

“…You don’t look sad at all.”

However, Ihan seemed completely uninterested in what Isis was saying.

Even though it concerned Edmund, who was essentially his mortal enemy.

Perhaps he had completely settled his past grudges through this incident?

“That’s not it.”

Drip, drip.

He spoke firmly, sweating profusely, but still not stopping his exercise.

“I’ll never forgive that man. I may not know much else, but I hold grudges for a very long time. I’ll keep tormenting him as long as he’s alive. In any way I can.”

“…I see.”

“But it’s a waste of time to give him attention. He’s just a minnow after all.”

Yes, it’s a waste of time to give attention to such a person.

It’s more rewarding and a better use of time to train like this, so why bother burning with resentment?

He could just go torment him occasionally whenever he remembered.

“…What an absurd statement.”

“Call it efficient. So, is that all you wanted to say?”

Huff.

Ihan roughly finished 3,000 push-ups and started doing squats.

Again, constantly changing his posture.

“If that’s all, why did you come?”

“Are you dismissing me?”

“Not dismissing you, but I don’t think you would waste time like this.”

“……”

Did you come just to say that?

You, of all people?

His response was filled with various questions, and Isis gave a bitter smile.

“Do you think I’m that heartless?”

“Yes, you are. I know you.”

A woman who doesn’t waste time on futile matters.

A person who raises countless subordinates to achieve her goals.

That was Princess Isis, and that was who Ihan knew her to be.

So, Ihan absolutely believed she had some purpose for coming here.

If he had to guess…

“Has your father noticed? That it was his own daughter who exposed all his crimes?”

“……”

“Or are you being threatened? That they’ll reveal your ‘weakness’?”

“…I haven’t been threatened yet. Fortunately, he knows too. If he spreads my weakness to the public, even the only shield protecting him will disappear.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m grateful for this. That you didn’t kill him. If you had, my weakness would have been revealed to the public in some way.”

“I see.”

Ihan took her expression of gratitude in stride.

Instead…

“…So, is that all?”

“……”

“I don’t think that petty, inferiority-complex-ridden man would end with just that.”

“……”

“As I thought.”

“…Sigh. Why are you so perceptive?”

“I hear that often.”

Ihan smiled wryly, but Isis didn’t smile.

No, she couldn’t.

The words she was about to utter were not words she wanted to say at all.

Nevertheless…

“Ihan, my sworn brother.”

“Tell me.”

“…The noble council, King Edmund, the Merchant Alliance, and numerous other organizations have decided on your punishment.”

“Oh?”

“You are…”

—to be banished from the kingdom.

…The princess’s expression as she uttered these words was utterly devastated.

As if it wasn’t her true intention.

But on the contrary…

“…I finally did it, damn it.”

The hopeful retiree shed tears of joy.