Chapter 107: The Knight Doesn’t Want to be Reinstated (6)

Arren had not admitted defeat yet.

I did not lose!

He had indeed fallen from the blow, but it was not only because his body was not in perfect condition, but also because it was a surprise attack. He never thought that he was weak or that his opponent was overwhelmingly strong. Then again, it was understandable for him to think so.

After all, he was the ‘White Lion’ that the Silver Lion was proud of.

Pendragon’s White Lion.

That name symbolized his status as a knight that represented the current era.

Hence why he denied his defeat, and convinced himself that if they were to fight for real, the result would be drastically different.

Although I cannot deny that my opponent is strong, if I had just drawn my sword, the result would be different!

Because he believed that he would be stronger when he drew his sword.

Arren was armed with such self-confidence. Which lasted until just a moment ago.

Because…

W-What in the world is…

The chaos unfolding before his eyes made his jaw drop.

“S-Sir Baker? Sir Lehman…”

Baker and Lehman.

While they weren’t overly skilled, they still had the strength of a knight.

But, even such people…

T-They’re being handled so easily?

The sight was ridiculous. If they had been attacked by surprise, Arren might be able to understand it, but their attacker had only shouted at them from afar like a wild beast, and the two knights instantly froze and fell down. It was as if an invisible energy had covered the two knights.

But that was just the beginning.

“S-Sir Delin, Sir Temern, Sir Tobaros…”

He called the names of the strong men that the First Order was proud of. Yet, they all fell down miserably with their eyes rolled back. Even though they had drawn their swords and rushed at him, they were all knocked out like a young baby who dared to try to mess around with an adult.

They weren’t someone he could easily subdue.

But, what was even more amazing than the fact that the attacker successfully subdued them was…

“Ha! Did he think he’s a real troll because we always call him a troll? How did that guy grow so much?”

“…It’s different from when we sparred back then. I trained myself really hard to catch up, but the gap is still widened to this extent…”

“It’s not that you’re lacking, it’s just that guy has grown abnormally… Still, I don’t know if ‘subduing over a hundred knights’ could be considered as growth… Moreover…”

—He subdued them without any injuries.

…Indeed. The monster easily defeated over a hundred Silver Lions.

How come such a monster—!

Even though he was sweating and panting, he had no sign of any wounds or injuries.

That fact made Arren’s face paler and paler, while that monster…

“Anyone else who’s going to attack me?”

“…”

“None left? Alright, I’m going to speak as the winner. Don’t you guys dare to bother me in the future. I hate playing politics, and I hate interacting with you guys. But, if you ignore my warning and still attack me, I won’t give you any mercy.”

Gave out such a calm warning.

The guy warned the First Order and the Second Order of the Silver Lions, the people who symbolized the power of the royalists and nobles.

However, no one dared ignore that warning.

After all, the power he showed just now was…

This is crazy! He’s not even an Aura user…!

…Powerful enough to remind them of the power of Aura Users.

The knights couldn’t hide their trembling pupils. But, there was one knight, who seemingly had a particularly strong pride, who opened his mouth, unable to hold back his anger.

“…Do you think you can get away after doing all this?!”

“You can threaten me as much as you want, but a weakling’s threat is meaningless. It’s worth less than even a dog’s barks.”

“!!?!”

“What? Are you angry? Then, improve your skills. For your information, with your current skills you won’t even be able to handle a single knight from the Red Eagle. You lot could only give them a good match if ten of you rushed at once at one of them.”

“Y-You…!!”

The moment they heard him say that they were inferior to the Red Eagle, the knights’ face instantly turned red. Even though they lost so miserably, they were still the Silver Lion. They were the best Knight Order in the capital!

It was a clear insult towards them, so it was only right that they got angry.

“I told you already, if you don’t like it, come at me. However, you should know that ‘I’m done with letting you off easy’.”

“…”

A soft warning rang out. But, that warning was enough for the knights to understand what ‘bone chilling’ meant.

The spirit he was exuding completely overwhelmed them.

…It was a complete defeat for the Silver Lion.

Currently, Lee Han was sitting inside the royal prison.

He wasn’t brought to the place by force, though. Instead, he came willingly because he saw the soldier trembling like a leaf because of the order from their superiors to detain him.

-C-Can… you, please, come with me?

…Since he felt bad for them, he just came along.

But, even when he came here willingly…

-If you don’t prepare me food and a bed, I’ll destroy this prison, so take care of it properly.

-U-Um…t-that’s…

-What? You want me to beat you up like I did with those knights?

-…D-Do you need anything else?

No one could mess with him. Although he was being locked up in an iron cage, he could wash himself with clean water. If he wanted anything, the soldiers would take care of all his needs, so he was extremely comfortable there.

He even thought it would be nice to stay there just for a day, but then…

“Ahahahaha! Look at this guy. I knew you would cause a big incident one day, and you delivered! Keuahahaha!”

“…Laugh quietly, you are hurting my ears.”

“Hahaha! How can I not laugh when it’s this funny? Keuahahahaha!”

“…I’m going crazy.”

He realized that it was naive of him to think that everything would be all quiet. Everytime this man laughed, Lee Han’s body shook. It felt like he stood right in front of a large speaker. Just his laughing reminded Lee Han of his Lion’s Roar.

Why do people call me a monster again? The real monster is right there…

He was a middle-aged man with a smaller body than Lee Han’s.

His hair had turned white, and his body looked so frail it could be compared to a dry branch.

However, he was not only fit but also full of strength. The sharp glint from his eyes was full of intense vitality and energy that was no less than that of a young knight. Even though he was over 70 years old this year, he was still a man in shape.

Baltar.

He was a living legend, a great hero, and a knight who held the title of the strongest and the best knight in Pendragon.

…So this guy is this strong, huh?

Lee Han felt a chill.

Perhaps it was because he had experienced a series of large incidents this year.

Though it was forced, he had grown considerably after surviving those incidents. It seemed that the experience he gained through training that pushed the limits of his body, miraculous elixirs, and life-threatening struggles had finally pushed him to the next level. Because of that, Lee Han was proud that he had become somewhat stronger.

Yet…

It’s not even close…

Gulp…!

Realizing the gap between him and Baltar, his sweat started pouring like rain. The more he had grown, the more he realized that the difference in strength between himself and Baltar was simply too large.

…It was dizzying.

I thought I caught up to him, but he’s more than a hundred laps ahead of me…

I can’t even see his back from where I am now…

“…People really need to be humble.”

“Are you only realizing that now?”

“Dammit…”

A feeling of dizziness that made him wonder if he could ever escape from the clutch of the man in front of him swept over him, but Lee Han still didn’t give up on his determination to fight back.

I will definitely catch up to him.

Even if the opponent was more than a hundred, or even a thousand laps ahead, he wouldn’t give up. To reduce the gap, he just had to run harder and faster. Because the moment he gave up, it would be the end.

Self-affirmation and extreme positive thinking. Lee Han showed extreme mental care to himself, like a pitcher who just lost a game, or a football coach who had to be confident even though he ruined the team.

Even though he lost now, he had the mindset that he would win later.

Looking at him who was like that…

“Hehe, why did you have such a variety of facial expressions? Hahaha.”

Baltar laughed, but his laugh this time held a different meaning than before—it was as if he was saying that he wouldn’t get tired of watching him. His laughter contained a sense of satisfaction that as if he was watching his disciple or child grow.

Baltar didn’t come to the Knight Order at this late hour to scold or tease Lee Han. He wasn’t that free.

“But you are free. You don’t even do your work, you just play around with your lovers.”

“Haha!”

“…Was I right?”

“Your mouth is full of shit. Do you want me to whip you?”

“…I’ll just shut up.”

Not wanting to pass out all day, Lee Han decided to just keep his mouth shut.

“Anyway. Hehe, the palace was in chaos because of you.”

An incident where 135 people were beaten by one person. Because of that, Baltar, the commander of the Third Order, was called in the middle of the night.

Some people were making a fuss and demanded that the one who caused the disturbance be punished.

“They should be ashamed. How poor the Knight Order is to lose to a single knight?”

However, Baltar never thought that Lee Han did anything wrong. Rather, he wanted others to feel ashamed and reflect on the fact that more than a hundred people were defeated by an individual.

“What a bunch of fools. If this happened during a war, do they think that they could judge who is right or wrong?”

“Heup.”

From his words, it was apparent that this case was more serious than Lee Han thought. So, he averted his gaze, feeling that he had caused trouble to an old man who had retired and was living a leisurely life. He realized that he had done something bad.

However…

It’s a little unfair…

Even though he knew it was already too late to say something like this, he never intended to go this far. His plan was just to give a light lesson to the instigators who had picked a fight with him and ended it there.

But…

-You! Are you framing us?!

-To think you’d accuse us of using His Highness the Prince…!

-Do you think we are that unprincipled? Huh?!

…They got angry at him.

Just like a bunch of thieves who were losing their footing and raised their voices to seem more intimidating.

And it went downhill from there.

When he knocked one down, another one came. Then he knocked that one, then more of them swarmed in. After he dealt with them, they started to shout.

-I-It’s an attack! W-We’re under attack!

They shamelessly accused him of being an invader as they shouted.

And then…

“Even the Second Order came and joined.”

“…I see. They truly know no shame.”

Not only did they lose their footing, they even asked for help from others. They were truly an embarrassment for the order.

But more than anything…

“So, they lost after using such a cowardly method, then came asking for my help. Forget about other Knight Orders, even mercenaries wouldn’t do something like that…”

They were actually so cowardly that they tried to seek help from a powerless(?) old man.

It was truly a sight to behold.

“Anyway, what do you think about them?”

“About what? The level of the Knight Order? Or the fact that even though they attacked me in groups and they still lost to me?

“Both.”

“…Hmm. They’re bad for sure. Most of them were barely above the ‘average’ level of knights. Some of them stopped growing because they didn’t even train, so I can see those guys would soon self-destruct.”

The external training that he emphasized to the cadets of the Swordsmanship Department when he became an instructor came to mind. In other words, because the knights only trained their internal energy and neglected their external energy, the Silver Lion was overflowing with people that were no different from glass.

Even though they were holding on now due to their youth, talent, and Combat Technique, once they got old and their bodies deteriorated, they would no longer have youth or talent. They would not be able to withstand the explosive power of the Combat Technique and would self-destruct.

…But the bigger problem here was…

“So, I recently had a fight with a certain knight order.”

“I heard about that. You destroyed the red chicks.”

“…How the fuck did you know? That was supposed to be a secret!”

“There’s a lot of ways to know. Anyway, what are you trying to say?”

“…Well, while skills are important for an individual knight, cooperation and trust between knights are also important.”

Although he won the duel with the Red Eagle, Lee Han was genuinely scared for life at that time. He realized how scary knights could be and realized the power of the prestigious knights. Hence why he could still feel his body aching whenever he thought about that day.

If they had been a little more cowardly…

Put aside things like honor and duels…

And if they had focused their energies on killing him…

What would have happened then?

The answer was easy.

“I would have died.”

That’s how strong that Knight Order, no, Tristan, was.

Compared to that, the Silver Lion…

“They all fought individually. On top of that, they were more wary of each other, making it easier for me to subdue them.”

Even though they were clearly in front of a common enemy, they didn’t solely focus on their enemy, but rather on their own allies. They were so afraid of being stabbed in the back.

In other words, the knights in the Silver Lion didn’t trust each other. They saw each other as enemies, not comrades, and this kind of Knight Order was…

“If I wanted to, I could have subdued them even faster. They were playing so much to the point that they couldn’t even focus on me… Honestly, that made me feel so angry that I beat them up even more.”

“Hehe.”

“Anyway, in my opinion, they are not a Knight Order. If they want to be called Knight Order, their coordination needs to be smoother. That’s why I couldn’t say that I fought the Knight Order, but rather, I defeated a bunch of weaklings who came throwing themselves at me one at a time.”

In fact, there were actually some people who tried to attack in groups during that fight, but they only got weaker instead of stronger. Regardless, the point of his words wasn’t that. What he was trying to say was that, in his eyes, the Silver Lion wasn’t a Knight Order. It was a sharp criticism towards the Knight Order who shared a long history with the kingdom.

It was a shameful evaluation that would make someone think that it would be better if the Knight Order and their leadership die with their noses in a bowl of water.

However, the unofficial ‘top’ of the order’s leadership was…

“Yes, yes, you’re right! Maybe it’s because you’ve started to teach some kids, your horizons have broadened! The previous you won’t even think about something like that.”

…Happy. And it wasn’t just Lee Han’s delusion.

Baltar was truly happy to hear his harsh criticism.

Seeing this, his whole body trembled.

“…Why are you so happy?”

“I’m happy because you finally understand what the Knight Order is. No matter how much I tried to teach you about chivalry and the Knight Order, it always went in one ear and out the other, but now you finally know something, haha!”

“…”

“Now you can finally be reinstated. I’ll give you my position as soon as you return to the Knight Order, haha!”

The Knight Order had suffered a historical humiliation, but so what?

It helped the young knight in front of him broaden his vision.

Seeing the knight’s growth was worth all that humiliation.

Hence why Baltar wished that the knight could finish his work as an instructor as soon as possible and be reinstated immediately.

Now that he had proven his skills, it would be the perfect chance for him to be reinstated and become the commander of the order.

Baltar held onto that expectation, but…

“Why should I? I don’t want to be reinstated.”

“…?”

…Unfortunately for him, that expectation was quickly betrayed.

Lee Han shrugged his shoulders arrogantly, proving that even though he had grown, his manners hadn’t become better at all.

“Of course I also don’t want to become the commander. Why would I do something so annoying?”

“…It’s an honorable position—”

“Give that to someone else, then. Many people want it, no?”

“…”

“What?”

“…And here I thought you finally had lost your arrogance?”

“What of it? Wanna try to fix it?”

“…Now I know why things didn’t feel right lately.”

Lee Han and Baltar’s eyes met. Neither of them looked away from each other. With their fierce demeanor, as if a natural course of action, they—-

Bang-!

─Clashed fiercely.

…That night, it was only after twenty iron cages were destroyed that the clash between the two men, no, monsters, stopped.

Based on the degree of the damage, no one could have guessed that the reason why those two monsters fought was merely a petty squabble between a knight who didn’t want to be reinstated, and a knight who just wanted to kill some time.