Ch.362EP.76 – The Knight Leaves the Stage (3)

It goes without saying that those with power never favor dangerous elements that threaten their authority.

Especially…

“What if that man is an Inquisitor!”

“He will divide the kingdom! We must not leave him be.”

“Do you know what he’s done to the kingdom’s economy?!”

Especially if they’re dangerous elements that could threaten them at any moment.

The noble council and merchant alliance strongly protested, pouring out their grievances against the knight.

Would you believe they looked like cowardly, trembling mongrels?

Well, it’s not incomprehensible.

“So, you’re saying you fear him.”

“!!!?”

“Understandable. A powerful individual who cannot be killed by a territory’s champion, renowned assassins, or even poison and schemes is truly like a disaster. I understand your fear.”

“………”

…They affirmed with their silence.

Yes, they were afraid.

So terribly afraid of that knight who desired neither their power, authority, honor… nor even the most expensive and brilliant treasures.

Therefore.

“…Yes, we are afraid.”

They readily admitted their feelings.

Where had their usual pride gone?

“Crown Princess. We know you’re protecting that knight. We know you’re plotting something. However, we won’t ask about those schemes… But we cannot tolerate his existence. No, we will not permit you to keep him by your side.”

“Do you dare give me orders?”

“Not orders, but a ‘plea’! From those who will be your subjects!”

“He is not my subordinate. We merely cooperate occasionally.”

“We know. Who could easily command such a powerful individual except a sovereign? But what matters is that Your Highness has a relationship with him.”

“……”

“Please understand our feelings too. We are merely ordinary humans.”

“…What pathetic creatures.”

“……”

They remained silent despite the insulting criticism.

They had something to protect.

The ‘power’ they had preserved for generations.

…And so.

“—They lack the courage to execute you or the guts to punish you.”

“Who would willingly accept execution?”

“Indeed, and that’s why they fear you more. You’re too powerful to be punished.”

“Hmm….”

Ihan shrugged at those words.

“But you know.”

“Do you have something else to ask?”

“Yes, one thing.”

“What is it?”

Isis half-opened her eyes.

With expectation… no, anxiety that he might be angry enough to target the noble council or merchant alliance next.

With such a serious expression, he said:

“Since when have I been close with you, sister? We’re not even that friendly.”

“……”

“Those people are seriously delusional.”

“…You bastard.”

…He made her curse.

* * *

After their playful conversation ended, Ihan was silent for a moment.

“……”

“……”

Isis also remained quiet as if waiting for him to finish his thoughts, and after about ten minutes of silence had passed.

“Do you remember when I first agreed to participate in this unfunny play?”

He brought up a seemingly unrelated topic.

“It was merely a fortnight ago, so I can’t help but remember.”

But Isis wasn’t flustered and nodded calmly.

Her eyes gleamed as if guessing the intention behind his words.

“That’s good then.”

A fortnight ago, right when Ihan had just regained consciousness after being defeated by Albert.

Isis, who had forcibly changed his clothes:

“Attend the banquet,”

She had commanded forcefully.

…Of course.

“I refused.”

“Indeed. You looked ready to hit me.”

“Hit you? Why would I bother? I could just never see your face again, so why hit you?”

“…That would be even crueler.”

To revisit the obvious, Ihan had never sworn loyalty to Isis.

Theirs was merely a relationship of cooperation or contract.

He doesn’t deny having some degree of friendship with her.

But does that mean there’s genuine friendship between them?

…That wasn’t the case either.

“Since when have I been your subordinate, sister?”

“Don’t be angry. You know why I’m doing this, don’t you?”

“I do. That’s why I’m even listening to you.”

If it had been someone else, say, if Duke Blake had pulled such a stunt, Ihan wouldn’t have tolerated it and would have lashed out.

Meaning he would have personally taught them to be prepared for bloodshed if they chose coercive means with the intention of using him.

In that sense, Isis had tried to cross a line that couldn’t be permitted even with their friendship.

She must have known this, and nodding calmly:

“I know. That you would be angry, that you would be displeased, and that I’ve crossed a line.”

“Then why did you do it, smart one?”

“Don’t be sarcastic. You should learn to listen to conversations sometimes.”

“Because I’m listening that I’m ending it at this level. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have treated you like a person long ago.”

“…Cruel fellow.”

Ihan extremely dislikes being used.

Of course, who would like being used, but he particularly despises it more intensely.

It can’t be helped.

Throughout his previous life, and even in his current one.

No, specifically, even after he regained his memories of his previous life, he lived a life where his existence was toyed with by others for some time.

So he never neglected his efforts and strived to become stronger.

So that no one could insult his life at will.

So that he could live life according to his own will.

“My father, King Edmund betrayed the Pendragons.”

That’s why Ihan cooperated with Isis.

She provided a valid reason and created a justification for him to participate in the play.

She showed him a reason that barely crossed the line, so to speak.

…But you know.

“I’ve been thinking about this since then…”

The doubt he had continuously held since hearing about King Edmund’s betrayal and deciding to cooperate with the play.

That was none other than:

“Did you really not know?”

“……”

“Did you really only learn about the king’s betrayal then and ask for my cooperation?”

“……”

“Weren’t you aware from the beginning?”

“……”

An unsettling feeling that couldn’t be dismissed.

It wasn’t based on any clear reasoning or evidence.

Rather, it was closer to intuition.

But Ihan had been helped by this intuition hundreds, no, tens of thousands of times, and because of that, he had never ignored such unsettling feelings.

“I might sound a bit direct, but don’t take this as a question. Just consider it me talking to myself.”

“…No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like talking to yourself, but more like questioning me.”

“If that’s how you feel, it’s because you have something to feel guilty about.”

“……”

“Anyway, I think you already knew about the king’s betrayal. Well, maybe you didn’t know about the 30-year cooperation, but I think you at least knew the king was up to something.”

“An interesting assumption.”

“Yes, right, it’s just an assumption. Just me talking to myself. So listen a bit more.”

Because his assumption wasn’t finished yet.

Thud.

Ihan lightly tapped the iron bars as if telling her to focus on his words.

In response, her cold, jewel-like eyes were looking straight at him.

Without any wavering.

“I’ve been thinking about the source of my uneasiness about you for the past fortnight. I tried to articulate what exactly made me feel uneasy. And surprisingly, I was able to narrow it down to two points.”

“Oh? With that thick head of yours? Must have been difficult.”

“Indeed.”

Snap.

“The first thing that made me uneasy was that things didn’t add up.”

“Didn’t add up?”

“Yes, you told me that this banquet had to be successful. That your son, Arthur, needed to be noticed, and that Arthur being noticed would positively impact the unification of the south, but…”

Crack!

“Contrary to your words, you caused an incident? You, of all people, who said such things to me.”

The iron bars screamed and distorted.

Their shape changed under his terrifying grip strength, and they began to collapse.

“The second doubt I had, unrelated to what I just mentioned, is that I realized I haven’t seen your son since last spring.”

“Why does that make you uneasy?”

“It does make me uneasy. You clearly said Arthur needed attention, yet strangely, you never brought Arthur to official events or any other occasions.”

Even during the war game before. Throughout numerous meetings.

Strangely, Ihan had never seen Arthur.

No, she never brought him.

That was…

“There must be a reason he shouldn’t be shown to me. Or more precisely, a reason why he shouldn’t be shown?”

Specifically to the mature Ihan.

In the past, she had evaluated.

That Ihan’s senses were special.

And now, a year later, Ihan’s senses had become even more special and remarkable.

To the extent that he knew about Irene Windler’s parentage before anyone else, even Duke Blake couldn’t be certain.

And if she had noticed the wonder of Ihan’s senses and deliberately avoided bringing her son before him, this planted a certain ‘hypothesis’ in his mind.

That was none other than:

“…Arthur Pendragon, that child.”

—Is he really your son?

…The possibility that she hid him because he might discover the child wasn’t her own.

And if this was correct.

“Yesterday, when the Brass Knights infiltrated, I saw the vice-captain of the Brass Knights, but not the captain. And if you met the captain of the Brass Knights, and he told you something similar to what I’m thinking now…”

“……”

“…Your actions would make sense. All the reasons for your sudden behavior.”

“……”

“And all the reasons for my uneasiness…”

Ihan muttered as if rambling.

Having broken free from the iron bars at some point.

It was like a beast being unleashed, yet she still showed no change in expression.

“Excellent.”

She merely smiled contentedly as if pleased.

Facing such a smile, Ihan let out a powerless chuckle.

“…You should have denied it instead.”