Ch.7EP.2 – I Am Knight Ihan

“Ah, it’s already this late.”

Just as he had compared the Order to the major leagues, when there are no baseball games (battles), the players (knights) are idle.

If there were wars, rebellions, or support for allied nations, it might be different, but otherwise, they didn’t really have much to do.

If they had any duty at all, it was to improve their skills to be prepared for any emergency.

For them, the act of coming to work was merely a formality, a performance to show loyalty to the king.

Which means…

“I’m heading out.”

“Already?”

“I have something to do.”

“…Ah, going to the construction site, I see.”

“Well, yeah. Unlike wealthy nobles with plenty of money and time, a commoner without money needs to work two jobs.”

“Haha…”

If there was one difference between the Order and the major leagues, perhaps it was that the salary was only slightly higher than that of ordinary soldiers?

From the beginning, those with strong martial abilities would become mercenaries if they wanted to earn more money, but knights were the type who joined for “honor” and “authority” instead of money.

Even their salary was merely for maintaining appearances, which was certainly insufficient from a commoner’s perspective.

However.

“You’re not really going to the construction site for money anyway.”

“You’re mistaken.”

As he turned and walked away, he waved his hand casually as a farewell.

“…A guy who could earn as much money as he wants.”

Jake muttered what he couldn’t say openly and shrugged his shoulders.

Just then.

“Where is Senior Ihan going?”

“Huh?”

Yord, the rookie knight who had just been defeated by Ihan, approached and greeted him.

“Lord Farman, I pay my respects. I apologize for speaking first.”

“Hmm.”

Perhaps because he was used to speaking casually with Ihan, such formality felt unfamiliar. Especially in the 3rd Order, where many came from humble families.

“…Would you mind speaking more comfortably? Such formality makes me feel awkward.”

“But…”

“It’s fine. And rather than ‘Lord,’ just call me ‘senior’ like you do with Ihan. I’d prefer that.”

“Ah, understood, Senior Jake.”

“Whew, that sounds much better.”

“……”

“Haha, I’ve been hanging around Ihan too much.”

Jake made an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse, and Yord awkwardly laughed along with it.

Even so, he still seemed concerned about Ihan, looking in the direction where he had disappeared, his hands seeming to itch.

Seeing this, Jake’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“Oh, your fighting spirit hasn’t died at all.”

“…I think it’s fine to be determined to surpass him someday, even if I can’t do it now. O-of course, I don’t mean to spar like just now. I was so completely helpless against him, I just wanted to have some conversation.”

“…This is unusual.”

It was rare. A noble’s son showing interest in Ihan.

Was today’s sparring that impressive?

‘Not bad.’

He had felt sorry that someone he personally considered a friend always seemed to have only enemies, so it was pleasing to see a junior who wanted to get closer to him.

Jake was generous with his kindness toward the junior who was eager to get closer to Ihan.

“Ihan went to work his side job. He calls it his second job.”

“S-side job? …Does he not have a sponsor?”

Yord tilted his head with an expression that suggested he’d heard something bizarre.

Even as a commoner, Ihan was a knight.

And not just any knight—he belonged to the Order of the Silver Lion, the royal family’s direct knights and the strongest in the kingdom.

Someone of his caliber would surely be a prime investment target for merchants, someone they’d want to establish connections with.

Even Yord, who came from a humble background without much wealth, had a sponsorship contract with a merchant.

The contract didn’t mean he would help them with force; it was more of a formality allowing them to use his name, which was apparently important to merchants.

In any case, there were plenty of people willing to sponsor members of the Order of the Silver Lion, so for such a knight to work a side job because he needed money…

…It was bizarre.

“Right, that would be normal.”

Jake didn’t hesitate to nod in understanding at Yord’s reaction.

And he was a good senior who satisfied his junior’s curiosity.

“That guy deliberately refuses sponsorships. Even though many merchants want to contract with him.”

“Is that even possible?”

“That’s how he is. What did he say again? ‘If I accept sponsorships, I’ll feel uncomfortable when I retire later’ —something like that?”

“……?”

“Haha, don’t try to understand. That’s not normal.”

In the honorable Order of the Silver Lion, there might be dishonorable discharges, but retirement was naturally unheard of.

Yet he hoped to retire someday, so he wouldn’t accept anything.

Anyway.

‘I can’t tell if he’s diligent or just strange.’

Despite knowing him for quite some time, Jake still couldn’t understand him.

* * *

Ihan picked up an axe.

Crack!

Cleaving through the air cleanly, it struck the wood precisely, immediately creating cracks in the log.

Even skilled workers would need to drive several large wedges with a hammer before splitting such a log, but Ihan felled it with just one logging axe.

“Wow, that’s our brother Rihan for you.”

“Clean work.”

“Still an enviable skill. How about it, instead of being a soldier, why not just switch over to our side?”

When working at this logging company, Ihan had “changed” his name to “Rihan,” and listed his main occupation as soldier rather than knight.

Knowing that calling himself a knight would only complicate things, Ihan had employed this little trick.

But despite the trick, he worked genuinely hard. He was considered an ace among the lumberjacks.

“I’m not quitting my main job. And stop chattering and just work. Why are you all so talkative?”

“You fool. When doing this kind of work, talking makes it less tiring.”

“That’s right, you’re still young so you don’t understand.”

“Have a drink with us!”

“…I’ll pass.”

One similarity across all labor sites was that many worked under the influence of alcohol.

Though he wondered what would happen if an accident occurred, Ihan didn’t push back too hard.

After all, if they got hurt, it was their responsibility, not his.

Ihan just silently did his work, having to hear comments about how a young man like him lived such a boring life.

However.

‘What’s boring about this?’

If there was one thing he wanted to deny, it was that although Ihan chopped wood as a side job, he found great charm in this work.

‘The muscles stretching tight, this feeling.’

Perhaps it was obvious.

Among many jobs, why had he specifically chosen to become a lumberjack?

Wasn’t it because he was looking for work that would both earn money and provide good training?

In that sense, logging was truly excellent work.

Slash!

Every time he split wood, muscles throughout his entire body were stimulated, starting from his back.

Not only the latissimus dorsi and erector spinae, but also the small muscles, as well as those in the arms and fingers—no muscle went unused.

Contemplating how the trembling muscles absorbed and redirected impact when exerting force made the time pass so enjoyably and interestingly that he lost track of it.

‘And this is a skill too.’

In particular, an axe wasn’t something you could use well just by applying brute force—it required high-level technique.

Just as someone trying to hammer a nail for the first time realizes it’s not easy,

one learns that axe work isn’t simple either, requiring fairly delicate and clean posture, technique, experience, and know-how.

So occasionally, he wondered what it would be like if he could use a sword like an axe.

‘Is this what they call wisdom from daily life?’

Through the work of dismantling trees, Ihan got good training and felt an indescribable sense of becoming a master craftsman, like those he’d seen on TV in his previous life.

‘My previous life and current life are so different.’

In his previous life, he wasn’t this passionate about anything, nor did he find such joy in physical activity.

‘How much one’s environment changes a person.’

In his previous life, Ihan had lost his parents early and grown up under his grandfather.

Being bullied by peers for having no parents, he became timid and quiet due to constant intimidation. After his grandfather passed away during his high school years, he immediately chose to become a soldier to survive on his own.

He became a non-commissioned officer, and his reason for joining the military was simple.

With no money or special abilities, his options were limited, and the military seemed like a reasonable choice for someone with only perseverance and effort to offer.

Of course, he came to regret it within a year after experiencing all kinds of hardships in military life, but what could he do?

He had to make a living.

Then he died after getting caught up in an incident during leave, though he imagined he might have died from overwork and stress even if that hadn’t happened.

In that sense, his current life, though initially miserable, was now somewhat fulfilling.

Although he was still part of the Order, he was diligent and lived without having to be concerned about others’ opinions.

Perhaps because of his previous life spent always worrying about what others thought, he had developed a somewhat twisted tendency.

‘Still, I was a soldier in my previous life and I’m a soldier now—what a strange life.’

As Ihan was comparing his past and present, about to let out a hollow laugh…

Sniff, sniff.

“Huh?”

In a place filled with the smell of sweat, he caught the scent of expensive gin perfume.

And unfortunately, Ihan remembered the owner of that perfume.

“…Here again.”

It seemed that an “annoying friend,” as unwelcome as the commander, had come to visit.