Ch.393EP.82 – Not a Knight-Errant. Not Even a Knight (2)

“…Is someone talking about me?”

Ihan brushed his ear as if to dust it off.

There was some dirt on it, and Ihan nodded while dusting off his hands.

“No wonder it’s itchy.”

Today was a day to learn the lesson that one shouldn’t blindly suspect others.

“Don’t you think so too?”

“……”

“Answer me.”

“I-I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, my lord…”

SMACK!!

“What good are you if you have no sense? All you know is how to talk back.”

Thud….

“What? What’s wrong with this guy?”

Ihan tilted his head in confusion. He had only lightly hit the back of the bandit’s head, but the man had fainted with foam at his mouth.

He had hit him very lightly.

“These bandits are quite weak.”

“……”

“Do you have something to say?”

“N-no! Absolutely not, sir!”

“When your comrade falls, you should show some discontent, you disloyal bastards!”

SMACK! SMACK!

The two bandits who had been responding like sycophants also passed out just like the one who had talked back.

This deepened the silence, making Ihan’s voice echo even more clearly.

“Now, if anyone has the courage to fight me out of anger for your comrades’ deaths, step forward. If you can land even one hit on me, I’ll definitely forgive you.”

A taunting sneer.

For proud, hot-blooded men, such provocation would surely scratch at their pride.

Moreover, they were bandits.

Men who ruled like kings of the mountains, robbing villages and slash-and-burn farmers.

Surely at least one of them would stand up in defiance.

“……”

“…Why is there no reaction?”

But contrary to his expectations, no one showed anger or discontent. They just kept their heads down, trembling.

He thought they lacked courage, but a merchant who had been captured by the bandits spoke up.

“…No fool would challenge you after seeing this, my lord.”

Crack, crunch!

Terrible sounds came from the bodies of the bandit leader and his lieutenants.

Their arms, legs, knees, and waists were all bent in directions they shouldn’t bend, and their muscles were twisted and flattened like meat pounded with a hammer—a horrific sight.

What was even more horrific was that the bandits were still alive.

It meant they had been tortured like this for over two hours without dying…

Dying would be better; no one would want to die in such a state.

Even the most ignorant and cruel bandits wouldn’t want to die after such terrible torture, so it was natural that no one stepped forward.

‘Wasn’t it called bone-crushing torture?’

The merchant stuck out his tongue.

Although he had been angry at being captured by bandits, seeing their condition made him feel a bit of human compassion.

However.

“Boss, it seems these bandits haven’t just kidnapped us. There are signs they’ve abducted children…”

Shing-

“Gasp!”

The information provided by his captured subordinate showed that even a hint of compassion was a luxury, and the merchant had already drawn his sword.

Seeing this, the merchant drew his sword.

“Don’t soil the knight’s hands with blood. These vermin are too disgusting to dirty his hands with. —We also need to settle our blood debt.”

“Yes!!”

Merchants.

They were meticulous about profit, and equally meticulous about repaying both favors and grudges.

…Though they tended to repay grudges twice over.

* * *

‘Trouble follows me wherever I go.’

Haah…!

After nodding to the merchant’s request to “let us repay our own blood debt” and coming down from the bandit camp, Ihan couldn’t help but sigh.

For the past month.

Somehow, Ihan had been getting entangled with strange people in every village and city he visited.

‘Why have demons become so common?’

Not only did he encounter demons everywhere he went, but he also frequently met magicians and witches trying to summon demons, forcing him into battle each time.

It wasn’t like he was deliberately looking for demons or spellcasters, but he kept getting involved with them, which was frustrating.

By now, the number of demons he had killed probably exceeded 100.

…Or was it even more?

‘I’ve lost count since a week ago.’

He couldn’t remember how many demons he had sent back to hell since the count passed three digits, and what was even more peculiar was that people were starting to recognize him in the villages he visited.

Perhaps his size and appearance made him easy to recognize?

Because of this….

– Y-you are…?! D-does this mean there are demons here too?!

Village chiefs would immediately suspect demons in their villages.

– I knew it! I thought that woman was strange! She really is a witch!

Some men would falsely accuse beautiful women who rejected them of being witches.

(For reference, the man was a stalker, and Ihan had neatly removed his legs and eyes.)

– Are you the famous Demon Slayer? Perhaps a former monk?

City nobles would misunderstand him as a monk and even express interest in recruiting him.

And Ihan was feeling increasingly tired of it all.

‘I’ve collected quite a few nicknames.’

Demon Slayer, Monk. Including “The Temple’s Weapon,” he had gained over ten nicknames in just a month, which was quite remarkable.

…But the most widespread nickname was…

“Thank you! Thank you, Sir Knight!”

“I’ve heard rumors. I honestly thought wandering knights only existed in chivalric literature, but they’re actually real!”

“…I’m not a wandering knight. Not even a knight.”

Strangely, while nobles thought of him as a demon hunter or monk, citizens thought differently.

They called him a knight, or sometimes a wandering knight.

Each time, he would say he wasn’t a knight, but they would insist on calling him one regardless….

‘Well, impersonating a knight is a crime…’

Even a former knight like himself knew that claiming to be a knight after renouncing knighthood was a crime.

So while Ihan appreciated their respect, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable whenever they called him a knight.

Sure enough.

“Now I see, you’re the famous wandering knight, Sir Rihan!”

“Wasn’t it Lahan?”

“I heard it was Ihan.”

“Only the last one got my name right.”

Thus, strange misunderstandings continued to spread, and Ihan now faced the merchants who had come down from the bandit camp.

Blood was dripping, and whose blood it was needed no explanation, but neither the merchant nor the other captives seemed affected by the sight of blood.

Are only wolves and hyenas called beasts?

Those who torment their own kind, derive pleasure from it, and break ethics as they please are also beasts.

So that blood belongs to beasts, not humans, and there’s no need to feel sorry for them.

People were relieved instead, showing joy that the nightmare was finally over.

“Thank you, Sir Knight…”

“You saved our lives.”

“We’ll spread the word. Your fame will spread throughout the south, no, the entire continent!!”

“No… That’s really not necessary.”

Ihan felt a sense of déjà vu as he said they didn’t need to go that far, though he didn’t mind their gratitude.

After all.

‘Somehow I seem to hear similar greetings wherever I go?’

Could unintentional good deeds still be considered good deeds…?

He smiled awkwardly.

* * *

In the tranquil night.

Ihan, the merchant, and the people were able to enjoy a hearty meal thanks to emptying the bandits’ storehouse.

Those guys had hoarded like greedy squirrels.

Well, thanks to that, they could have a plentiful meal, and Ihan was glad to enjoy a hearty meal after a long time.

“Sir Knight! Look at this! Salmon and ham! It’s so delicious!!”

“Enjoy your meal, Miss Maid.”

“Yes! You should eat a lot too, Sir Knight! Would you like more soup?”

“That would be nice.”

“I’ll give you plenty!”

“No, just a moderate amount, oh my, you’re making enough for over a hundred people…”

Before he could stop her, Leira was chopping mushrooms, sautéing onions, and making soup.

Her specialty dish: mushroom and onion soup.

It was delicious, but the problem was her generous portions.

‘This could feed 100 people.’

There weren’t even thirty people here, but it seemed she was determined to make everyone’s stomachs burst today.

“Haha, don’t worry. No matter how much soup there is, we can finish it all.”

“You’ll regret that. By the way, are you feeling better?”

“I’m fine thanks to you, my lord. To think you’re also skilled in healing arts, you’re truly versatile!”

“I can’t cure diseases. I can only heal simple injuries.”

Ihan was as confident in healing bones and muscles as he was in destroying them.

Thanks to this, the injured who had suffered at the hands of the bandits were recovering quickly.

“You’re not completely healed yet. You’ll need to rest for about four days for the bones to properly set. The same goes for the rest of you.”

“Even healing in just four days is a miracle. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay this debt…”

“It’s not a debt. I just happened to encounter bandits and saved you all. Don’t read too much into it.”

“You could have just defeated the bandits; there was no need to save us as well.”

“……”

“I am a merchant, my lord. I certainly repay my enemies, but I always repay kindness. That is the merchant’s code of honor.”

“…All the great merchants I know are scoundrels. In that sense, you’re not destined for great success.”

“Ahaha!”

Despite the harsh words, the merchant laughed.

Interpreting those words meant that he wasn’t a scoundrel like the bandits.

That alone was pleasing to hear.

“Just wait and see, my lord. In five years, no, in two years, I will become a great merchant caravan leader in my own way. Then I will be of service to you.”

“Never mind that, I’ll protect you until the next city. Just provide me with lodging until then.”

“…Hehe, understood. Oh, by the way, I heard you’re looking for a high priest?”

“When did you hear about that?”

It seemed he had overheard the conversation about their next destination during dinner with the maid.

Judging by his skill in always listening and gathering information, he didn’t seem to be an incompetent merchant.

“To be precise, I’m not looking for a high priest, but I need a priest’s wisdom.”

“So you’re looking for a high priest. I understand, as many high priests are comparable to sages. …But as you know, high priests have become scarce recently. Especially after that incident.”

“That’s right…”

Just when he needed to see a high priest, it had become difficult to find one.

With the temple corruption incident, even regular priests were in short supply, making it even harder to meet a high priest.

“No, it’s not difficult.”

“Huh?”

“If you needed powerful divine power, that would be different, but fortunately, if you need a priest’s knowledge, I know just the right person. Not a high priest, but a wise and knowledgeable priest.”

“……”

“I’m glad if that pleases you.”

“…I like you quite a bit.”

“Haha, thank you.”

Is this why people should do good deeds?

Ihan couldn’t hide his smile and extended his hand.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t asked your name. What is it?”

“It’s an honor.”

The merchant, feeling elated at Ihan’s acknowledgment, trembled slightly and bowed his head deeply as he extended his hand with utmost respect.

It was the moment of a handshake (contract) that signified their future journey together.

“Giovanni, Giovanni de Medici. Pleased to meet you, my lord.”

“…That name.”

“Yes?”

“Nothing. It’s a good name.”

“?”

“Don’t change your family name. It’s going to be a big hit.”

“???”