Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.39 – The Two Men See It Through to the End (5)
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...Lac de Durron was clearly a thorough bastard, despite his rough appearance.
That much was obvious.
"The key isn't the flowing river or the salmon. You need to focus on the numbers written behind it and the Morse code. And the core is interpreting the metaphorical meaning of the salmon."
"...I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You ignorant brute. You think you're a knight just because you swing a sword and spear well? A knight should read some books."
"!?"
A surge of anger boiled up from the pit of his stomach.
If it had been anyone else saying that, he might have let it slide, but hearing "ignorant brute" from a thug like this ignited an uncontrollable rage.
Yet he was the one at a disadvantage right now, so he gritted his teeth and listened as best he could.
But being pissed off was still being pissed off.
'A cipher that's hard to decipher without knowledge of military codes and literary interpretation.'
Who would have thought a guy who looked like even an ogre or troll would have to yield to him would use such a cipher...
"There's a reason you shouldn't judge people by their looks."
"Keep picking fights, and I might just leave."
"Too bad. I prepared 'paella' for dinner."
"......"
"So, you wanna go?"
"...Not bad? You look like a prick, but you know how to negotiate?"
"...That's not something I want to hear from you."
The two refused to yield even an inch.
But then.
"By the way. I've got a question."
"What is it?"
"No, you could've just asked me to decode it. Why bother decoding it yourself and collapsing?"
"......"
"You got a hobby for making things harder than they need to be?"
"...W-Would you have taught me if I asked?"
Lac stumbled over his words for the first time, clearly flustered.
But regardless, the other man just shrugged.
"Our goals were pretty much the same anyway, right?"
It was a remark showing willingness to cooperate, and Lac blinked as he asked.
"...Wasn't it because you offered food that I followed you?"
"Who the hell follows someone just because they offer food? I came because I was willing to cooperate."
"......"
"What an absurd guy..."
"Ahem!"
Lac let out a loud cough at the remark calling him absurd.
He felt embarrassed.
Honestly, whether it was Galahad or Tristan, Lee Han had always intended to cooperate if any faction approached him.
'More capable than I thought.'
Not only was the cleanup thorough, but his other skills were excellent too.
People like this would be plenty helpful.
Of course, handling things alone was more comfortable, but Lee Han knew that dealing with the Sultan and the Mage Tower single-handedly would be 'tricky'.
So why not...
Slurp.
"Cooperating with others is the natural choice."
"An utterly pragmatic judgment."
"Right? But why doesn't your brother get that?"
"No helping it. The vice commander is a bit simple-minded... I mean, unlearned."
"Quiet, Luna."
"Call me Knight Bridget in official settings, Vice Commander."
"......"
Lee Han quietly sipped his warm black tea, listening to the siblings' affectionate banter.
His expression was calm, but he was also checking his status in real time.
'Medicinal hot spring, was it? As good as Vulcan's springs.'
After soaking in a hot spring generously stocked with rare herbs and potions, not only had his fatigue melted away, but hidden injuries had healed, and toxins and waste had been flushed out. His body felt refreshingly perfect.
With a full stomach on top, his condition was at its peak. He could move without issue right away.
'Facilities with money are just on another level.'
Money can't solve everything, but the paradox that most things can be solved with money made sense now.
As he nodded in understanding.
"-Why not seek cooperation from the royals?"
"Huh?"
"I get seeking others' help because it's tricky. But why limit it to Galahad or Tristan, excluding Pendragon?"
"......"
It was a question from the spearman, and Lee Han was utterly baffled by it.
You're asking something so obvious.
"...Are you seriously asking because you don't know?"
"?"
"Would you trust those white cats? I'd rather go solo than team up with them."
He couldn't fathom why someone who should know better was asking something so obvious.
Talking like pouring oil on a fire.
"Hmm... Aren't the White Silver Lion Knights the order you belong to?"
"That's why I know. They won't be any help. My friend and junior might be useful, but they're busy babysitting the immature prince right now."
"......What exactly is the White Silver Lion Knights?"
"Beyond your imagination."
"......"
"Don't look at me like that with pity, you bastard."
"...If you want free meals, stop by the house anytime."
"I said no pity!"
Lee Han got a bit heated.
He had just reconfirmed that his workplace was a mess in both his past and present lives.
...He had rotten luck.
"Galahad's goal hasn't changed. Root out the fanatics and burn them to the ground. That's the order His Highness gave us."
Galahad wasn't personally grudge-holding against illegal mages like Lee Han; he was just pursuing the fanatic group.
The Blood Crusaders.
Those cowardly, filthy bastards.
"If your investigation is correct, Greg Bean is a mage affiliated with the fanatic group, right?"
"Hmm, about an 80% chance?"
"...The remaining 20% nags at me, but that's enough reason to grab that mage."
"Catching just that spellcaster won't end it."
"What do you mean?"
"......"
Lee Han paused here.
He was debating whether to say it or not, and as he hesitated...
"Sir?"
"...Hm."
With Knight Luna's prompt, hiding it didn't seem wise, so Lee Han scratched his head.
"...You've read my notebook to some extent, so you know, but the Mage Tower and spellcasters are still in contact. Especially lately, Greg Bean and the Mage Tower have been communicating frequently. The reason? His experiments are progressing well, and the tower is preparing something based on that data."
"Preparing?"
"They're planning to acquire one of Pendragon's renowned [Mysteries]. Planning, my ass—it's just extortion and theft."
The Sultan and the Mage Tower alike—cowards always thought alike.
"And?"
"Hmm, among their targets..."
─Galahad's demon sword was one of them.
...The moment Lee Han revealed the info he'd been holding back, the spearman...
Whoosh!
"......That murderous bastard—is he really born under a death star?"
Suddenly, a terrifying killing intent enveloped the surroundings.
Crack!
It was hard to believe such 'aura' could come from one person. The killing intent writhed like a living creature, wreaking havoc around him.
Crunch!
His chair, the nearby desk, even the teacups—all shattered. The maids had fled from him by now, but Lee Han sat calmly unfazed before the wave of crimson intent.
"S-Sir, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but that guy's dangerous. If he doesn't control his aura, he could kill a dozen people with it alone."
"...Lac's ferocity is like a sword without a sheath."
"Impressive he became a knight."
Lee Han was certain it was innate killing intent. He marveled that someone with such terrifying intent could live normally.
Carrying that much aura daily was a miracle in itself.
For example, like someone who could kill with breath alone due to poison, yet had controlled it all this time.
No wonder he was impressed.
"Thanks to His Highness's grace."
"The Duke?"
"Yes. The reason my brother and I are alive, and why Lac can live normally—it's all thanks to His Highness. Without him, Lac would've died long ago. So, targeting His Highness is like touching Lac's reverse scale. He's his life's benefactor... like a parent."
"...I see."
Anyone would get angry knowing someone was targeting their lifesaver.
But that guy...
'If he just gets angry, he'll take out a bunch.'
Crumble...
The desk crumbled like sand under his intent, and at some point, the teacup turned to complete powder.
Lee Han clicked his tongue, wondering if mere intent could do this.
'No wonder his punches pack a punch.'
He was much smaller than Lee Han.
Yet in their first clash, he hadn't been pushed back at all.
A lightweight holding his own against a heavyweight...
No one would believe it, but if he constantly wore killing intent like armor, it made sense.
It was as good as armor named killing intent covering his body.
'To me, my [Aura] technique is like a passive skill. Maybe his killing intent is the same for him.'
Power clad in killing intent.
Known as [Killing Aura].
It wouldn't be odd to name it that.
'The world is fun.'
The northern champion he'd met the day before was a natural-born Hercules or Xiang Yu type, but this guy was 'flame' and 'blade' in human form.
Ready to burn and destroy everything, to cleave all apart.
For Lee Han, it was like finding another talent surpassing all knights beyond Maximus, stirring curiosity over jealousy or inferiority.
'Want to clash properly once...'
He felt like probing that killing aura further.
Diving into it properly might yield interesting techniques.
...But that could wait.
For now—
"Stop being angry and let's get to work. We've got a lot to do."
"...What do you plan to do?"
"What else? Crush them all."
"??"
"You guys seem to just plan on tracking fanatic traces, but I'm different."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean..."
—I'll go all the way...
Lee Han's murmur carried an unconscious lion's roar.
His resolve, fighting spirit, and boldness infused in it.
"......"
"......"
Suddenly, the two siblings felt chills.
It was bold enough to instantly erase the killing intent even from the infamous 'Galahad's Ferocious Wolf'.
Luna Bridget's eyes blurred with an illusion.
'An ironclad mountain beast?'
For a moment, she saw a massive monster resembling a mountain beast.
She blinked.
One was a wolf burning with massive killing intent as fuel, the other a monster exuding massive boldness like a great beast...
'When humans—no, monsters like these team up...'
She pitied their targets for some reason.
I wonder if even bone fragments will remain.