Chapter 73: After He Fell Asleep (1)

…It’s finally over.

Despite that fact, Lee Han didn’t feel relieved at all. Not only that, he also didn’t feel the joy of being able to survive that whole ordeal, or the joy of victory. Instead, he felt the exhaustion that one usually get after finally finishing that one difficult task that had been stumping them over for so long.

Considering that he had defeated a legendary monster, it was a rather desolate feeling, but then again, what could he do?

After all…

“I lost…”

If he had won with his own hands, at the very least he’d feel that he had accomplished something, but he had to rely on someone else’s hands to win. Even though he had done his best—no, he quite literally poured out everything that he had, and yet he still lost. He couldn’t even make up an excuse as to why he lost.

That was why he didn’t feel relief, but a lingering bitterness, as if he had just chewed a bunch of herbs at once.

Nevertheless…

“Whatever… As long as the kids are alive, it’s all good…”

He didn’t feel helpless, nor did he feel any kind of self-hatred. After all, thanks to his work, his disciples survived this ordeal. This was the only thing that he could be proud of about this incident.

-For Pendragon! For Lionel…!

-Waaaaaaah!

He could hear a victory roar echoing from far away, which meant those punks had succeeded in hunting all the gnolls in the Colosseum.

Even though he could hear a bunch of other people’s voices in that roar, he could distinguish his disciples’ voices from the others. This was enough as a proof that all of his disciples were safe.

“Rascals.”

It was only then did a satisfied smile appear on his face.

“Heh, I guess being a teacher suits you. Or maybe I just didn’t know you well enough to know that you’re quite the affectionate person.”

“…I’m enjoying my moment here. Leave me alone.”

“Arrogant as ever… Why can’t you learn to respect your elders, you punk?”

“I only respect elders who deserve my respect. You aren’t one of them.”

“…I should’ve just let you die back then.”

Baltar Grace let out a wry laugh while saying, “I can’t believe a punk like you exists”.

It wasn’t out of character for the young knight to say such nonsense even though he was lying on the ground like spinach boiled in water. Baltar believed that even if he was drowning in a river somewhere, he’d still try to float and say such insolent things while gurgling.

“Who told you to be late? We wouldn’t need to go through all this shit if you just came over when I told you to.”

However, it wasn’t like Lee Han was complaining for no reason.

-Help me out, old man.

The moment he found out that a strong monster would appear on the last day of the exam period, the first person he asked for help was none other than Baltar Grace himself.

But he…

“Your information was too uncertain. I can’t move based on that.”

“So you think that coming after the incident happened is the better thing to do? Ha! I want to see if you can still make that kind of excuse if you were facing all these people’s corpses instead.”

“…Ahem.”

As soon as Lee Han raised that point, Baltar averted his eyes immediately, as if saying that he really had nothing to say to that argument. After all, he was the one who chose to not trust Lee Han’s words back then.

“S-Still, I came running the moment I sensed the unrest. Can’t you let it slide?”

The distance between the Academy and the palace was approximately 30 km. Since he practically ran all the way here as quickly as he could, he really had put in some effort.

But…

“If we were unable to hold out, everyone here would have died.”

“Ahem, I have nothing to say.”

It was only because they—no, because Lee Han was able to hold the monster back that Baltar’s effort bore fruits.

Of course, Baltar himself acknowledged that. Everyone in the capital, including himself, owed Lee Han big time. After all, he was the only person who had made any kind of preparation to prevent this ‘catastrophe’ from happening.

“I don’t know about those packs of dogs, but if that giant were to run wild in the capital, it definitely would become a big problem.”

B…ubble-! B…bubble-!

Baltar looked at the Ghost King, who was cut into so many pieces like a puzzle. The monster was dead for sure, but its regeneration was still trying to piece its body back together, befitting its moniker as the ‘Immortal’.

“…If that guy had eaten something, it wouldn’t be easy even for me.”

“Luckily it was a dumbass.”

Lee Han didn’t deny Baltar’s words. If that monster had not been obsessed with him and had tried to eat something to recover some of its original power, things would develop in a completely different way.

Perhaps even Aura Users wouldn’t find it easy dealing with it.

“Still, it’s a shame. It would have been fun if I had fought it in its prime, hehe.”

“…You senile old fuck.”

Although, even if the Ghost King was in its full power, Lee Han could still see Baltar defeating it in the end.

Because, as far as he knew, Baltar Grace was…

If that troll is the Demon King, then that old man is the ‘God of Fighting.’

A big shot of this era that he couldn’t imagine losing against anyone.

Even if he were to perfect the Plum Blossom Sword that he showed today, Lee Han still doubted  that he could use it to attack him properly.

In other words…

“Fucking hell, I’m so sick of you.”

The ridge of the mountain he was trying to climb hadn’t entered his sight yet.

When reinforcements—which included the royal soldiers—arrived, the situation was quickly resolved.

What? Me?

I don’t need to do anything.

“Go and rest. I’ll take care of the rest.”

The gentleman was showing his consideration to Lee Han—something he rarely did—so, he just trusted him to take care of everything.

Although…

“Someone might try to do something with that thing. Get rid of it quickly.”

“I know, I know, stop nagging me.”

Baltar, who knew exactly what Lee Han wanted him to do, quickly burned the Ghost King’s body. It was clear what the nobles, mages, or other unscrupulous guys would try to do just to get the ownership of the corpse, and by extension, what they would do with the thing after they actually get it. It wasn’t a prediction, but something that would definitely happen.

No way I’m gonna let some punks pull out unsightly tricks after all the hard work this guy put into killing it.

Baltar also knew that Lee Han would go crazy and try to break the necks of all the punks who coveted the corpse, so he figured that it would be better to just listen to him.

Even though some people might say something about it later…

Let’s see if they actually dare to say something into my face.

Unless his lord came back from the dead, there was no one who could just order Baltar around.

Burn-!

He utilized his Aura as if it was fire, and burned the Ghost King’s corpse.

Aura, a mystical ability that could only be obtained by knights who had reached the realm of superhumans. It was a strange power that not even mages could understand the logic behind it, as well as the goal of all knights.

The moment that strange power reached the Ghost King’s corpse, it was thoroughly burned.

Normally, when someone burned a monster, the death energy of the monster would come out. If the monster was as big as the Ghost King, it wouldn’t be strange if the energy—in the form of smoke—covered the entire capital. However, Aura ‘erased’ all of that filthy energy.

This was because Aura was deemed as the purest power, and the most powerful purifying power in the world. All kinds of filthy energy, curse, and resentment would crumble before it.

You could clear all environmental problems with Aura.

If Aura Users existed in modern times, they’d definitely rack in a lot of money. After all, if they wanted to, they could just get rid of all the harmful things in the world without causing any negative impact on the ecosystem.

…What the fuck am I even thinking about?

Guess I really am exhausted, huh?

Realizing that he really wasn’t in a normal condition, Lee Han let out a bitter smile.

Then…

“…Alright, please take care of the rest.”

“Where are you going?”

“Rest.”

“Rude rascal. Are you planning to leave all the work to this old man?”

“That’s the least you can do. What? Are you saying that the guy who worked the hardest during all this should take care of the cleanup too?”

You came late and still looked all tidy, the hell are you complaining about? Are you expecting me to stay and babysit you?

“Hehe, well said.”

Even though it was a sarcastic remark, his tone was quite refreshing in Baltar’s ears.

In truth, he had no intention of stopping the young knight from leaving.

It was just…

“From now on, things are going to get busier for you. Thanks to this incident, your presence will become more known throughout the kingdom.”

“…”

“So far, you’ve managed to hide all your accomplishments, but you can’t do so with this one. You’ll probably receive a call from the royal palace in a few days.”

“…”

“Hey, stop making that face! This is the kind of honor that some people would devote their whole lives into!”

“Haaa, I don’t care. I’m going home.”

Lee Han dismissively waved his hand. As if telling him not to say anything else because he got a headache or something.

Knowing the young man’s disposition very well, Baltar just chuckled and said nothing more about the subject.

Instead…

“Brat. Take this thing with you.”

“What is it?”

“Take it to a trustworthy alchemist or mage or whoever. They’ll probably be able to make something decent with it.”

“…Hmm.”

He gave Lee Han a gift.

It was the only byproduct from the Ghost King’s corpse that he had burned with Aura: an object that looked like a jewel, but it gave off an unusually disgusting atmosphere.

“Is this…?”

“Yeah, it’s that thing’s heart. My Aura can’t burn it.”

It was none other than the monster’s heart. But of course, it wasn’t just a normal monster’s heart. A normal troll’s heart was worth the price of a castle, but what value did the Ghost King’s heart have? Measuring it was simply impossible.

In other words, it was a priceless treasure.

At that moment, Lee Han looked at Baltar with indescribable eyes. He wondered why he didn’t take the treasure himself and gave it to him instead.

“These sorts of things should be given to whoever worked the hardest. Those who have done nothing are not worthy of it. Just take it. No one’s gonna find out.”

“…I’ll take it as an apology for all the shit you put me through.”

“You bastard, try to speak nicely for once.”

“Do you want me to act cutely for you instead?”

“Please no.”

“You picky old man.”

Lee Han grabbed the Ghost King’s heart that was in his hand tightly. The contemplation on whether he deserved such a thing or not didn’t even cross his mind.

I’ll use it well.

Clench-!

Feeling helpless once was enough.

Even when he was beyond exhausted and felt he could collapse at any moment, his eyes shone brightly. After all, he now had a stepping stone to achieve his next goal.

“…He has no manners as always.”

Baltar grumbled as he watched the mannerless guy disappear without even saying a proper goodbye to him.

Still…

“Seeing him taking care of those kids, I can see that he has changed quite a bit.”

He never expected that the guy who was so used to being alone would go out of his way to carry the unconscious girl and boy like that.

However, he was satisfied. Not only because his personality had become better, but also…

“His back has broadened a little since the last time I saw him.”

His strength had also increased by leaps and bounds. That was for sure.

He had grown significantly since the time he was in the Knight Order. Back then, aside from the captains of the White Lion, there was no one who could stand up to him. But now, even the captains were also out of the question. No one among the White Lions could beat him.

Perhaps the only ones who could stand up to him in the Royal Knight Orders now were the members of the legendary knight order of Pendragon, the [White Dragon Knight Order], which was chosen by the king himself.

The (Former) commander of White Dragon Knight Order, Baltar Grace felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

“Haa… If only he’s just a little more sincere, I could just give him the job…”

He muttered such an ambiguous statement. No one knew what kind of job he wanted to entrust to him, except for himself. Nevertheless, he decided not to tie the young man down.

After all, he managed to grow so much after being left alone. Even back when he sparred with him every day, his growth wasn’t this terrifying.

Hence, he decided to let him go. After all, it was clear that he was someone who’d find his way in freedom.

“I’m looking forward to the next time I meet you.”

How much will he grow, I wonder?

The old man smiled, anticipating the young man’s growth.

Nevertheless…

“…But why didn’t he take care of this old man?”

For some reason, even though he took care of the others, the rude guy didn’t take care of the old mage. Seeing this, Baltar clicked his tongue.

That guy…

“Really don’t know how to respect his elders.”

Baltar chided Lee Han when he saw Odwal Bernard (28 years old), who had fainted from exhaustion, while mistaking him for someone older than him.

I’ll take my words back, his personality is just as bad as before.

Almost right after he left, Lee Han’s back became lighter.

In the status window guy’s case…

-Thank you for bringing him safely.

The Purple Doll girl he saw at the debate exam the day before came over and took him away in a hurry. Seeing her taking care of the boy with affectionate hands, made his stomach churn a little.

Even though the guy put his all in denying it, it was clear that these guys weren’t just friends.

As for Irene Windler…

-I will take care of her.

A woman who seemed to be a knight from the duke’s family appeared, and Lee Han entrusted Irene to her.

Even though he was a little suspicious about her…

Is she that bastard’s younger sister?

He could see a resemblance to that fucker Lake in her face. Because of that, he thought that she might be his younger sister, and was willing to entrust Irene with her.

Also, seeing at her blood-covered body, he could tell that she had killed dozens of gnolls by herself. That alone was enough reason for him to trust her.

-…Thank you for believing me. And… Thank you for taking care of the young lady.

-Don’t mention it. Just tell your brother that if I see his ugly mug again, I’m going to turn his face into a rag.

-I hope that I’ll be there to witness it.

…Surprisingly, she had a good personality.

In any case, somehow, he ended up with no one to carry. So, he wandered around, looking for a place to rest.

But at some point…

“…Ah.”

He found himself standing in front of his house.

I could literally just lay my body down anywhere, why the hell did I come home?

What am I, a migratory bird?

As he chided himself for having such foolish thoughts…

“Welcome back, Sir.”

“…”

“Hehe, thank you for your hard work.”

“Since when…?”

“Huh? Um, I’ve been here since the beginning?”

“…”

A woman greeted him warmly.

How long has she been waiting here?

Lee Han was momentarily dazed by the sight of Leila Winter, who seemed to have been waiting for him.

Thud-!

“Maid?”

“Yes?”

The moment he called out to her, Leila came close to him.

He was about to ask her, why did she come so close to him, but then he realized…

Ah, I’m falling down…

That it wasn’t her who had approached him, but it was him who had fallen forward in her direction. He tried to stand up again, but Leila…

“You can just rest without any worry. Just lean on me and make yourself comfortable!”

“…”

“Please, go to sleep. After all, sleep is the cure for every sickness!”

“…So you could say something so sophisticated huh, Maid?”

“Um? Sorry?”

“Haha…”

Since he couldn’t escape from her embrace, he ended up hugging her instead.

He found this position comfortable. After all, it wasn’t the stinky scent of perfume that wafted from her body and entered his nose, but the fragrant scent of soap, as well as the warm scent of sunlight that did.

Also…

Ah… It feels so comfortable…

Her touch, which felt so affectionate and motherly.

Lee Han quickly became unable to resist as he fell into a state of utter comfort.

Right now, he was completely defenseless.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

And Leila gently lent him her knees as a pillow and stroked his head, as if protecting him, as if telling him not to worry about anything.

Rustle-!

Then, a cool breeze gently swept across the yard under the sky where the dark clouds were  starting to scatter and the sunset glow was fading.

“You’ve worked hard.”

With that scene as the background, the maid simply gave him a warm hug while worrying if the knight would catch a cold.

And they stayed like that. For a long, long time.