Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.4 – Lee Han Has Been Demoted
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Most knights hailed from noble families.
Some became independent after being knighted, but naturally, it was better to receive support from the family.
Especially those noble brats—they'd been pampered and cared for from birth until adulthood.
In the most extreme cases, there were even ridiculous spoiled types who couldn't wash themselves or change their own clothes.
Of course, attending the academy where dormitory life was the norm, or getting used to knightly duties, gradually weeded out those tendencies.
But even if they improved bit by bit, could a lifetime of being babied be fixed overnight?
Even as knights, many still kept attendants trailing after them.
Nannies or butlers on standby at all times, rushing over the moment their charges felt the slightest discomfort...
How laughable that was.
Lee Han, in particular, couldn't wrap his head around it. He'd even clicked his tongue, wondering if they weren't embarrassed.
And yet...
"Whoa, Ri Han brought a maid with him? That's a first."
"Judging by her uniform, she looks like a royal maid. Did someone assign her to you?"
"What a stunning beauty. Care for some tea..."
"...Ri Han's right behind you."
"Gah!"
...that embarrassing situation had happened to him.
Even though he hadn't intended it at all.
"...Damn it."
Lee Han muttered a curse under his breath.
"So, who's this lovely lady?"
"Lovely? More like a bit dim-witted?"
"...She does look a little drowsy."
Jake slapped Lee Han's back playfully as he faced the first woman his friend had ever brought along, grinning mischievously.
Unlike the others, Lee Han stubbornly stayed single, without a girlfriend or wife. How pitiful he'd seemed.
Truth be told, Jake had wondered if there was something wrong with his body, or if maybe he preferred men over wom—
"I don't know what you're thinking, but it feels kinda gross."
"Ahem, I didn't say anything. Don't go putting words in my mouth."
"...Really?"
...This guy was uncanny.
If intuition had levels, he'd be an Aura User.
Jake glanced slyly, then sat on the grassy patch at the edge of the knight order's training grounds. He eyed the woman who looked ready to doze off with a languid expression.
Drool was even starting to form at the corner of her mouth—she was gearing up for a deep sleep.
"...She does look pretty exhausted."
"Sigh."
"So, what's the deal with her? You didn't hire her yourself."
"...Just know there are circumstances. It wasn't my choice. And I'll send her back soon."
"Hmm. Was it a direct royal commission?"
"......"
"I'll keep quiet then."
Only then did Jake nod in understanding.
The others seemed to get it too.
They must have guessed from the fact that she was a royal maid.
It happened occasionally.
The royals would point out a specific knight and issue a command.
It was the height of honor, and the commission had to be kept in absolute secrecy.
Even if others envied or felt jealous about being singled out by the royals, no one dared question the royal decision.
Respect and loyalty toward the royals—toward House Pendragon—transcended class.
"Do your best. I'll root for you."
"You don't even know what the commission is."
"Not the commission—the girl. She's a bit airheaded, but a beautiful one at that, haha!"
"......"
"Huh? Why's it suddenly getting chilly..."
Lee Han debated whether to punch the guy.
It wasn't like he was mocking anyone.
'I want a girlfriend too, you jerk!'
A pathetic secret he could never voice aloud.
Lee Han kept a straight face outwardly while inwardly wailing like a human dog.
Leira Winter.
That was the maid's name.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he didn't hate the airheaded maid herself—he resented that scheming old lady who'd orchestrated this. He should at least remember her name.
"Miss Maid, from now on, don't do this here. Just rest at home. Or go back to the palace."
"No, sir knight. I still have to do my job to the best of my ability. I'm getting paid for it, hehe."
"......"
She was just a bit slow, but a good kid at heart.
Twenty-two years old now.
Without any biases, she was a diligent, hardworking woman worthy of praise.
...The problem was that things kept breaking one by one whenever she worked.
'Did that old lady send her to wreck my place?'
He was pondering that mix of suspicion and certainty when—
"Cute kid. Too good for the likes of you."
"...Please make some noise when you walk. Sometimes you seem more like an ex-assassin than an old man."
"I did have an assassin friend back in the day. Killed him myself, though."
"......"
"Heh heh."
Crazy old geezer.
He tossed out brutal remarks so casually, yet they never sounded like bluster—that was the old man's flaw.
But even that flaw would draw flattery and admiration from others.
"What's got you here? No meeting today?"
"Why would an old relic like me go to those? The young ones can handle it."
"Still doing your own thing, huh."
His hair was white like an old man's, but it gleamed with a moist luster. His skin had an unbelievable elasticity for someone in his seventies.
His frame was small and unassuming, but his deep eyes and the subtle aura swirling around him made him anything but ordinary.
If this world weren't a medieval fantasy but a wuxia tale, he'd perfectly fit the moniker "Sword Immortal."
Baltar Grace.
He'd started as a gladiator, caught the eye of the king and become a knight, then earned renown in wars to become an Aura User—a legendary knight of renown.
'Flee if you encounter Baltar on the battlefield.' He had so many epic tales that there were even martial ballads about him—a rare, one-of-a-kind human.
He was a heavyweight knight even royals couldn't treat lightly, and an oddball who'd turned down the position of military supreme commander to lead the Third Knight Order.
...From Lee Han's perspective, he was a mountain to one day surpass.
"For real, why are you here? You never even visited the knight order before."
"Heh heh, heard you brought a woman. Got curious."
"...Must be nice and idle."
"You think I'd be running around working at my age?"
"...Can't argue with that."
No matter that he was an Aura User—even he was past retirement age.
He just maintained his physical prime through aura, looking young like this.
Damn.
"Makes me jealous all over again. Took another wife, huh?"
"Not a wife—a girlfriend. Don't go making me out to be a married man."
"You've got like ten kids. Time to settle down. It's unseemly."
"If the body's young, the heart stays young too. I'm still in my prime, heh heh."
"......The kingdom's in good hands."
Comically, this old man who looked like a stern monk was a total powerhouse in that department.
Clearly married, yet he claimed over ten girlfriends, and apparently ten kids too.
Rumor had it a great-grandchild was born recently.
Yet he refused to admit he was a married man.
No wedding ceremony, so it's invalid?
Strangely, he had a sense of honor, cherished the women who'd borne his children, and fulfilled his role as a devoted father. Despite the setup ripe for domestic strife, his household was oddly harmonious.
...In my eyes, this guy was the real protagonist—more than any romance fantasy heroine or regression story hero.
'So jealous.'
Some people go 30 years without properly holding a woman's hand?
What, counting past lives too? Total how many years?
...Shut up.
"You look troubled today."
"...Yeah, got some stuff going on. A chance to reclaim something I'd given up on, but the process might get messy."
"Heh heh, not like you to hesitate. Just charge straight ahead like always—that's your style."
"Easy for you to say."
"Heh heh."
He let out a hearty laugh, and only then did the squad members notice him, freezing in place.
When he deliberately concealed his presence, even spotting him was tough.
"S-Salute to the Commander!"
Sincere salutes rippled through one after another.
Some here might be seeing Baltar for the first time, while others only knew him by name.
For such a mythical figure, just catching a glimpse was a rarity.
And those watching him all shared one emotion: admiration.
Having laid eyes on a legend who'd been legendary before they were even born, their eyes sparkled—even Yord Decker, the newbie who'd clashed with Lee Han, burned with unprecedented fervor.
As the pinnacle of kingdom knighthood, it was a natural response for any true knight.
"Back to your duties, all of you. I'm just here on a quick errand."
But he paid no mind to the fervent gazes.
Even with his smiling face, he exuded an aura that kept people at bay.
Many yearned for his guidance, but he was the reason few could approach easily. Lee Han remarked,
"Hoarding your skills just turns them to shit. Not like you're teaching anything that special."
"Spare me—I hate the hassle."
Oddly, for an Aura User, Baltar was famous for taking no disciples.
Not even his own knighted children had received any instruction from him—that spoke volumes about his eccentric side.
At that moment—
—Come to the back yard later. I've got an appointment letter for you.
A voice tickled Lee Han's ear.
A voice meant only for him.
Not aura, but an application of Fighting Technique.
Even mastering Fighting Technique wouldn't make it easy to imitate.
It was that advanced.
And the one who'd just experienced such a high-level feat responded with awe,
"Impressive internal energy show, but let's just talk normally, gramps. A guy's voice whispering in my ear creeps me out."
"...Insolent brat. Gotta match your level."
"Gives me chills."
"...How about we let our swords do the talking first?"
"Heh heh, now that's good. Follow me to the roof, old man!"
"What roof? We're already here."
Shing.
Baltar accepted the cheeky challenge, and Lee Han was thrilled.