Chapter 206
Chapter 206
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP. 46 - Everyone Has a Plan (3)
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"-Sometimes I think about it, but Instructor, you seem like a 'genius'."
"???"
Kwachik.
Lightly crushing the head of the bastard spewing nonsense about bloodlines and such, an out-of-left-field comment reached his ears.
'Genius...?'
Me?
It was the first compliment of that sort he'd ever heard in his life—or his previous one, for that matter.
Even his grandfather from his previous life, who had raised him, had said, "I've never seen a blockhead quite like you." And his middle school teacher had always lectured him, the one dragging down the class's grades, "Han-ah, you're never going to make it big with studies," teaching him harsh reality.
And yet, that same guy was calling him a genius?
"...You're messing with me, right?"
Lee Han picked up the mace the holy knights had dropped.
A kid mocking an adult seemed to need a loving switch.
"I'm not messing with you. I'm sincerely impressed."
However, the boy showed no sign of panic, only an expression claiming pure sincerity.
"I've been fighting the temple for a very 'long time.' But every time, I got caught in their schemes and had to taste defeat. Yet the instructor saw through their plots at a glance and is crushing them. And so easily..."
"?"
"In simple terms, you're doing things I can't do way too easily, so I think you're amazing."
"...No big deal."
"It's not a big deal at all."
First off, it was miraculous that he'd captured Hayes Rocher.
No, how did he even know she had succubus genes?
"She's emitting an aura similar to Pierre's, isn't she?"
"...Don't say it like anyone could tell. That's a skill only you have, Instructor."
"?"
"...This is what pisses me off."
Was this how others felt looking at him?
Roan, who had mastered Mirror Heal properly, felt his blood pressure rise a bit.
"Haha..."
Derrick scratched his cheek with an awkward laugh.
He somewhat understood Roan's feelings.
Derrick tried to lighten the awkward atmosphere by recounting what had happened before they arrived.
"Um... To give a report, thanks to you handling it 'quietly,' Instructor, the academy hasn't had much reaction. Also thanks to Lady Karin."
"Your girl's competent, so no need to mention it."
"Th-that's not what I...!"
"Whatever. My eyes hurt looking at you... Anyway, all the spies are caught?"
"...For now, we've caught everyone suspicious. The notable thing is how many tried to harm themselves immediately upon being exposed. They seemed thoroughly trained."
"Tsk, ruthless bastards."
"Yeah, really..."
Now that he noticed, both boys' sleeves and stomachs bore scorch marks and bloodstains, proving they'd been busy running around.
Not their blood, but their opponents'. Evidence of fierce battles and chases.
Lee Han clicked his tongue.
He was struck anew by how the temple seemed to be going insane as an organization.
They'd pulled every dirty trick to escape.
...However.
"Now that we've caught these guys, there's no way out for them."
"Right. And not just any holy knights—we've got the young lord of House Roengrin."
"Roengrin?"
"You didn't know? This guy's Erhin de Roengrin. He's the current captain of the Holy Knights."
"...This guy's the captain?"
Lee Han looked shocked that a holy knight could be this weak, and Derrick gave a wry smile.
...He apparently didn't realize he himself was abnormally strong.
"You might know this, but House Roengrin is called the house of holy knights. They're famous for obeying only the temple's orders. The holy knights themselves are solid evidence to pressure the temple, but Erhin makes it irrefutable. No escape."
Derrick thought capturing someone from House Roengrin was the decisive blow.
The temple couldn't deny it even if they tried.
Derrick was convinced...
"Eh, will things go that smoothly?"
"...Something bothering you?"
Derrick showed caution at Lee Han's meaningful response.
From experience, when the instructor reacted like this, there was usually something off.
And sure enough.
"Not trying to jinx it, but we can't take them down with this."
"Pardon?"
"...What's the reason for thinking that?"
The last rigid question came from Roan.
He wouldn't dismiss the instructor's confident words lightly.
To that, he replied calmly.
"See, I think the temple folks are crazy."
"Pardon?"
"Not nicely crazy, but disgustingly crazy. And from my experience, those filthy types never admit fault."
"...With such obvious evidence?"
"That's exactly the problem. It's like this."
Meaning they'd flip the board.
As a soldier with deployment experience in a year-long religious war zone from his previous life, he knew.
How ruthless and insane humans could get using religion as a shield.
So when so-called followers of god went rogue, it was...
'Insane acts beyond imagination, done casually.'
Lee Han shuddered for the first time in a while.
Not from fear.
It was simply...
'Rats are cuter by comparison...'
A physiological revulsion-induced tremor.
Kururung.
The sky thick with storm clouds.
The south was famous for no fall rain, but rarely, the sky was overcast with thunder-laden dark clouds raging.
Well, it wasn't a big deal.
Rare, but fall storm clouds weren't unusual.
"It's temple prayer day, why's the weather like this?"
"Hurry and grab seats. Don't wanna get rained on outside if we're late."
"I don't wanna go today..."
"Hey! Don't be irreverent!"
To note, Pendragon weekends weren't rest days for the people—just temple prayer days.
So rain or snow, they had to go.
Thus, temple-goers braving the rain with umbrellas or raincoats were common.
However.
"Huh? What's that?"
"Huh?"
"...Knight order?"
And not just any knight order.
Turquoise armor and shields/breastplates emblazoned with the stood out, turning commoners' faces paper-white.
"Th-the Turquoise Unicorn Knights!? G-Galahad's knights!!"
"!!!?"
Galahad.
Pendragon's sole ducal house, top nobility.
Affiliated with Pendragon, but with power to declare independence anytime.
Scale and influence rivaled small nations, elite-only force unmatched.
And now, Galahad's premier military arm, the Turquoise Unicorn Knights, was on the move.
Each exuding air-scorching presence.
Yet one dwarfed them, atop a black warhorse thrice a normal steed's size, shaking the heavens with aura.
And someone dared name him.
"D-Duke Blake...!!"
"!?!!!"
A noble dragonkin face commoners never saw.
Blake Duke wasn't just any dragonkin.
Excluding Pendragon's founding Knight King, history's greatest Pendragon great king.
"God of war..."
...Blood of the War God.
Thud!
Thud...
Some already knelt.
Middle-aged remembering the War God bowed in reverence instantly.
Those recalling his living days had no choice.
The era of the previous king's incompetence impoverishing Pendragon—poorest in south, continent—better to found new kingdom.
He purged inept royals/nobles, ascended throne himself, stabilized realm while repelling hundreds of invasions, even winning victories. The giant among giants who revived the kingdom was none other than the War God.
While alive, continental kings paid homage; foreigners still honor him.
...Even enemies respected him.
If foreigners felt that, what of the kingdom's people?
"You lot! What irreverence is this!"
"S-Sir?"
"Don't block His Grace's path, you fools!!"
Young men yielded to an old man's valor.
No, more loyalty than valor.
"What's going on?"
"Wh-where's Duke Blake headed?"
"That direction... could it be...?"
Some realized the knights' destination and paled in horror.
[Grand Temple].
The knights headed toward the light-worship headquarters, faces turning blue—but powerless.
"...How to stop Galahad..."
Unable to muster courage or reason, they could only watch.
Not just commoners eyed the rare ducal procession warily.
Even knights sworn to Blake Duke watched him closely.
'Is His Grace that furious?'
'Must be livid.'
'Who'd expect the temple to pull this crap.'
'They crossed the line hard.'
They were horrified, then enraged.
Daring to create a 'fake daughter'...
Using her to deceive His Grace and mock Galahad—every knight fumed at the temple.
They wanted to storm it, but Blake's calm held them back.
Now too.
"......"
The vanguard maintained silence, rigidly suppressing irrepressible rage.
How intense his fury?
"...I think you're off base."
But hearing whispers, Lark muttered, shaking his head.
Others thought him enraged, but...
'Not to me.'
Serving long, he knew.
When angry, he got more excited than Lark, venting fiercely.
Not this icy calm.
So this calm meant...
'Not anger, but...'
"...Lark, bad feeling?"
"!!"
"You know too? I'm not that mad."
"That's..."
"Ha, worth raising you. You read your lord's mind."
"H-honored, Your Grace."
"Enough. That amusing knight said, 'The temple doesn't go mad cleanly, but filthily,' right?"
"...Your Grace, mere thug's words."
"Eh, I think he's a brilliant strategist."
"??"
"He said it for a reason."
"......"
Pondering.
The duke mulled temple schemes; Lark felt uneasy.
His Grace overvaluing that thug stung with inexplicable defeat.
...However.
Clop, clop.
"......"
As they neared the temple, Lark sensed ominous vibes.
What was it?
'The air...?'
Unpleasant air.
Foul, no...
In thug terms.
'Filthy.'
Lark's face hardened as they approached; upon arriving...
"──."
"Isn't that Duke Blake? Perfect timing—we were about to send to your estate. Forgive us, Your Grace."
Whoosh!
...The unpleasant air's source revealed.
"Hearing of heretics daring to mock Your Grace and endanger the temple horrified us... Haah, we're swiftly 'purifying' it, but haven't grasped all traitors yet. No worries, Your Grace."
Trickle...
"The temple will root out traitors as always."
Roar...!
"...Crazy bastards."
Someone's mutter shattered silence, spreading.
No one denied it.
Rightly so.
"You... how many have you killed?"
"Pardon? Killed? -We merely purified traitors?"
"......"
Grand Temple garden.
Hundreds of headless heads on spits, headless torsos burning.
Among spiked heads—
"Haah, never thought Pope would do this. With retirement nearing, why...?"
The current pope's head dripped blood, frozen in agony.
...Duke, Lark, knights fell silent before the mad scene.
No, had to.
Unfathomable madness silenced questions.
"Truly, filthily mad."
"......"
...Lark no longer denied his lord's words.