Chapter 18

To sum up the results, the situation ended rather inconclusively.

If one were to start assigning blame, there would be no end to it. Following the knight’s code would mean either the vice-commander had to die or the guy who spoke so arrogantly would need to be punished. But it wasn’t like the Paulette family would let that happen.

On the other hand, even if Ihan had decided to go all out, there were limits to what he could do now that he had just been appointed as an instructor. Truly, it was a situation where neither side could move, and as such, the incident came to a close, unresolved.

But there was someone who found this unresolved state deeply displeasing.

And that person was—

“—Quite the spectacle you made.”

Irene put down her newspaper and took a sip of her now lukewarm drink.

A picture-perfect scene.

To anyone watching, it might seem like she was posing for a photoshoot, but this was just her everyday routine. Her everyday life might as well have been a photoshoot.

However, if anyone knew her well, they would notice the slight displeasure hidden beneath her poised exterior.

“…Don’t be too harsh. I’ve already been chewed out by the dean, too.”

Opposite her sat Ihan, who turned his head slightly, offering a half-hearted excuse as he took a sip of his drink. Today’s newspaper had him on the front page, and he was burning inside.

“Haha, Sir Ihan, you’ve really made a name for yourself!”

“Yes, it’s amazing!”

Unaware of Ihan’s frustrations, Albert and Rhea marveled over the newspaper photos, their eyes sparkling, while Ihan could only offer a bitter smile that kept growing longer. The world may have had a medieval setting, but oddly enough, there were many technologically advanced aspects.

Cameras were one of them.

‘When was this taken?’

These barbaric medieval reporters had no regard for privacy rights.

…It made him want to smash everything.

[Shocking incident at the Royal Academy: A case of violence?]

[Is the Paulette family opposing the royal family?]

[Could this be a message from the abandoned lion to the White Silver Lion—]

Rip!

“Look at these guys?”

About half the articles in the newspaper were insults toward Ihan, tearing him down. Some of the content wasn’t even fit to repeat. Afraid to provoke the count, they had likely agreed to degrade him instead.

…A bunch of jerks.

“Haha, it’s a shame Sir Ihan’s reputation wasn’t more well-known. If it had been, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I didn’t bother to control what they thought. They’re the ones who jumped to conclusions and refused to believe the facts, so what can I do?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Some might find it strange. After all, Ihan was a commoner by birth, but he was a veteran of the war and had earned a place in the knights despite his origins. Most importantly, Baltar Grace had personally selected him as a knight. That alone made Ihan an exceptional individual, someone not to be trifled with.

And yet, reporters—and not just them, but many others—continued to treat him as if he were insignificant. It was, to put it simply, a ridiculous situation.

But, unfortunately, people didn’t know about Ihan’s "achievements."

The reason?

“People refuse to believe in the existence of someone like Sir Ihan. In fact, most deny it outright.”

Astonishingly, this country didn’t believe in Ihan’s accomplishments.

To be more precise, they denied them.

That he was a war veteran?

They saw him as just another lucky soldier who had survived.

That he was personally selected by Baltar Grace?

The higher-ups in the royal family had deliberately suppressed that information.

The reason? Simple.

The elites did not want another Baltar to be born.

They had no desire for a superhuman they couldn’t control.

For that reason, even Ihan’s extraordinary combat prowess wasn’t widely known. Sure, some people might have drunkenly boasted or joked about Ihan’s strength, but surprisingly…

He’s beaten knights without knowing aura techniques? What nonsense is that?

Is he a fallen noble? Or maybe the descendant of a ruined kingdom? Nothing at all? He’s just a commoner? He must’ve used some underhanded means to become a knight.

A knight who’s taken down all the knights from prestigious families? Haha, that’s a good story for the bards.

No matter how much was said about Ihan, no one believed it.

Think about it—how could a man with no noble lineage and no knowledge of aura techniques be strong enough to fight aura users?

That was why so few people believed in Ihan’s stories.

As a result, rumors about Ihan were dismissed as nonsense, and his reputation remained buried.

If Ihan had been the type of knight who craved fame or desired a rise in status, the story might have been different. For example, he could have sought out renowned swordsmen and challenged them to public duels, proving himself in front of a crowd.

Just like how knights gained fame through jousts and sword-fighting tournaments.

But.

‘Why would I bother doing that?’

Ihan had no desire to be a spectacle, nor did he have any ambition for fame or power. His goal was simply to attain enough strength that no one could oppress him.

In other words, rather than chasing after fame, he focused on becoming the "real deal."

Of course, this was just his personal philosophy, and it wasn’t something he forced upon others.

…Still.

“What a ridiculous mindset.”

“…We call that romanticism.”

“Does romanticism put food on the table?”

“…Uh…”

It wasn’t something everyone could understand.

With a bitter smile, Ihan shrugged, while Isis furrowed her brow in disapproval.

He was fully aware that he had caused quite a stir.

The fact that he was slightly annoyed made it worse.

Still.

“If I hadn’t done that, they would’ve looked down on me. And if they looked down on me, it would’ve been harder to gauge the targets I need to monitor.”

“…”

“Besides, I admit I went a bit overboard. So could you stop being angry?”

Ihan tried his best to appease Isis. Normally, he wouldn’t bother, but this time, she was the one footing the bill.

…Not to mention, she had brought him some 2% pure Ambrosia.

Considering all that, Ihan figured it was worth trying to keep her happy, but it wasn’t easy.

‘Wait, why is she even mad? I’m the one getting all the hate, so what’s her deal?’

As Ihan pondered this, Isis sighed in frustration, lightly slapping her chest.

“Do you think I’m upset about that?”

“…What?”

Her voice suddenly turned cold, catching Ihan off guard.

“There are two reasons why I’m angry. One, because some mere second son of a count dared to insult my sworn brother. Two, because the dirty media are portraying my brother as some kind of brute without even bothering to check the facts! They are worse than a plague—!”

“…Hmm.”

Her words were highly aristocratic, which felt a bit uncomfortable for Ihan, who came from a commoner background. Still, since she was defending him, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

‘What’s gotten into her?’

“Hmph. Insulting one of my people is the same as insulting me. Allowing this to go unchecked is a humiliation to the royal family! How could I not be angry?”

“…Ah, that’s what it was?”

So, she wasn’t upset because Ihan was being insulted. She was upset because it reflected poorly on her.

…Of course.

Ihan figured as much and shook his head, deciding to clear things up.

“There are two things I need to correct. One, no one knows about the connection between you and me. Two, I’m not one of your people. So, there’s no need for you to be mad. You’re scaring me a bit.”

“…You arrogant man.”

“Where else will you find someone as humble as me?”

“…”

“Please stop glaring at me.”

If looks could kill, he would have been stabbed dozens of times by now.

That was how sharp and deadly her gaze was.

After a long moment of tense silence.

Suddenly, she asked—

“What would you like me to do about the count?”

“…What?”

“If you wish, I could have him killed. Or I could strip him of his title. Just say the word.”

“…What kind of nonsense is that?”

“This is no nonsense.”

Her eyes gleamed with an icy coldness.

“You are currently fulfilling a request of mine. It is unacceptable for there to be any disruptions so early on. I am deeply displeased, and I wish for this to be resolved swiftly.”

“…”

Her emotions were clear—she was angry, and she wanted her anger dealt with quickly.

Power, influence, and prestige.

All of this allowed her to say such things. If Ihan asked for help now, everything would be taken care of.

It was as if he had been granted the right to wield a demon sword.

And yet.

“Drink some water and calm down. You look like you’re about to flip out.”

“…I’m not in the mood for jokes.”

“I’m not joking either. So let me be serious. Just sit tight. Don’t stir up more trouble.”

“…Are you saying I’d be a disturbance?”

“Yes.”

“…You impudent man.”

Her stern words, however, seemed to dissipate some of her anger.

This audacious little brother of hers…!

“You said you’d leave everything up to me, didn’t you? Then it’s settled. If this situation causes me to fall out with the Paulette family, so be it. If they come after me again, I’ll fight them. And if I can’t handle it, I’ll run. Simple as that.”

“…You?”

“I’ll run around, erasing everything related to their family as I go.”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…You just declared, in front of the royal family, that you’d erase one of their supporters. How could I not be surprised?”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that family was loyal to the crown. Then again, most knight families are.”

Ihan recalled that the count he had met the previous day was quite an accomplished knight.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“…You didn’t even know that?”

“I wasn’t interested. Anyway, I’ve made my position clear. So just stay put.”

“…Hah.”

Whenever she spoke with Ihan, Isis always felt like she was the one getting talked down.

Maybe it was because she had taken him in as her sworn brother, or maybe she had a soft spot for him.

Whatever it was.

‘He’s amusing.’

In her otherwise dull life, he had become an unexpected source of excitement. Isis smirked slightly, finding his boldness appealing.

“—Very well. You’ve spoken so impudently that I suppose there’s no need for me to interfere anymore. I won’t get involved.”

But.

“If you truly consider someone an enemy, make sure to cut them down thoroughly. As my sworn brother, you should at least have that level of resolve.”

“We call that tyranny.”

“The path of a king is the path of tyranny.”

“…I’ve always thought you were the most dangerous person around.”

“Hoho, what a delightful compliment.”

Thwap.

She hit him with her fan again, and in an instant—

Swoosh.

“See you next time.”

Like snow melting in the sunlight, Isis vanished without a trace.

The only thing left to prove she had been there was the puddle of water on the floor.

“…She really is the ultimate villain.”

“I’ll clean it up!”

“…It would help if you just stayed still, maid.”

“Huh?”

“…Just clean it.”

“Okay!!”

Trying to reason with someone as simple-minded as her was exhausting.

How do I know that?

…I didn’t want to know. But spending time with this maid had taught me.

“…Doesn’t the old man disappear like that too?”

“Haha, how could an old man like me waste such magical energy?”

“It’s just that you don’t need magic, right?”

“Haha.”

…I thought so.

As Ihan watched the maid slip and fall while cleaning the puddle and the butler vanish into the shadows, he shook his head.

Even though it shouldn’t be him saying it, the more he looked around.

‘If I’m part of the underworld, these people are the real villains.’

The royal family seemed to be filled with more bizarre characters than himself, who had undergone all sorts of human experimentation.