Chapter 349
Chapter 349
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.73 – Is Punching the King a Crime? (2)
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The disciples' fervent expressions of gratitude only came to an end after an hour had passed.
However, even after the thanks wrapped up, their promises to send invitations suggested that this tiresome appreciation would drag on a bit longer.
It was annoying and utterly unnecessary—he desperately wanted to refuse—but if he did...
"The kids' pride would take a hit, right?"
"Absolutely. Better to just accept them. It might be a hassle from your perspective, Instructor."
"Hmm, but Assistant Instructor. You look awfully comfy."
"It's a rare day off. Gotta get some rest."
"......"
Lee Han stared blankly at Damian, who was lounging in the doghouse—no, the doghouse-shaped boarding house—he'd built, gazing vacantly at the sky even with guests present.
"...Why the stare? Got something for me to do?"
"Nah, just."
"Your eyes look weird."
"It's your imagination."
...He'd built it himself, but damn, Damian had turned shameless and tough as nails.
Just a year ago, he'd been the picture of a spoiled rich kid.
"...How the hell did he end up that broken, jeez."
"Your fault!"
"Oh, you heard? Meant to keep it in my head."
"Damn it! Who wouldn't know you did that on purpose!"
Bang!
Damian, the hammer knight with his nerves scraped raw, yanked out his sword and charged...
"Cut it out."
"Gack!?"
Subdued in a mere 1.5 seconds.
After a fun post-lunch workout using the assistant instructor, it ended too quick—his body still felt stiff—so Lee Han glanced over and asked.
"How about it? Wanna loosen up with me too?"
Whoosh whoosh.
The two boys shook their heads vigorously to show their feelings, giving wry smiles.
"I'll pass."
"I'd rather skip needless injuries in wartime, Instructor."
"Babies."
"...Not whining."
"Hmm."
"Yeah...?"
Derek and Roan declined fiercely, and Lee Han shrugged like there was nothing for it, shelving his disappointment.
"Damn, freaking...."
Unlike the two boys who'd lost their fight, the assistant instructor rolling on the ground spat resentful curses, his battle spirit reignited.
As if he'd land a solid hit someday for sure.
...Whether this lifetime would allow it was doubtful.
Lee Han served the two boys tea without much fuss over their visit.
Not because he'd expected them, but because he'd sensed their presence nearby.
They'd probably waited until the first wave of visitors left.
"Lots of guests today."
"Sorry if we're intruding..."
"Not intruding. Just curious why you'd show up. You're not the type to worry about my well-being."
"...Seems like you have some misconceptions about us, Instructor."
"Ungrateful types who only visit for business, all talk..."
"......"
"Yeah, the kind whose mouths would float even if they drowned. So, what's the business?"
"...Instructor, after hitting us with those facts, at least give us time to recover."
The pair took a moment for some self-reflection, but Lee Han ignored it, waving them off like get to the point and scram.
Had they realized they weren't welcome?
Which was why.
"We've successfully 'eliminated' the Brass Knights hiding in the capital, along with all the kingdom's traitors."
They cut straight to the chase.
"Thanks to you holding the Brass Knights' attention, capturing them was a breeze. Of course, with Duke Galahad stepping in, wiping out the traitors was inevitable—but it was even smoother because of you."
"The others helped a ton too. With Kunta, Arno, and Garand there, everything went way easier."
This explained why only Lee Han and Levi had gone after the Brass Knights, while the rest were off elsewhere.
Thanks to Lee Han's rampage, dozens of noble houses in the capital had been utterly wiped out, but no one cared.
The reporters were still fixated on the central plaza incident, ignoring the vanished families entirely.
In other words.
"A successful aggro pull."
"I told you to ease up on the game terms."
"...Attention, I mean, attention."
Though the Brass Knights slipped away due to the noble assembly's chain of troll moves, the results were still meaningful.
After all, aren't incompetent allies and traitorous scum more dangerous than enemies?
With them purged, the kingdom's internals were secure, at least.
"In short, we've wiped out the traitors, so now..."
"We just need to excise the incompetent allies... Yeah, easier said than done."
The traitors in question were those who'd collaborated with Roan Green and joined hands with the Blood Cross Army.
They'd boldly dreamed of overthrowing the kingdom, but now they were fertilizer underground—dreams staying dreams.
But a task remained.
The incompetent allies—more dangerous than foes, liable to spout creative nonsense endangering the kingdom again—had to be ousted. Trickier than dealing with traitors, honestly.
"The noble assembly, those guys..."
Even Derek, who hated trash-talking, made an exception for them.
He didn't curse normal folk, but how could you stay polite with these abnormal weirdos creatively tanking the country?
Not spewing double curses was already saintly.
"I'd love to feed those vermin to pigs wholesale. Or toss them to starved bears or wild dogs, let 'em get chomped alive."
"Easy there. What did the animals do to deserve eating that rot? Poor things."
"...Fair point."
Roan didn't hide his brutality, and Derek flinched at the savagery.
Hardly a good matchup, but they agreed here.
"The noble assembly needs reform. Can't go on like this."
"Public Enemy No. 1 for devouring the country."
Sure, politicians aren't all geniuses.
But there's a line, and in crisis, incompetence helps no one.
"They'd be useful if they did nothing, but they keep pulling weird stunts. That's the problem."
"Sigh, headache city."
They won't last half a day sitting still, but they don't—they risk it all for aggro in other ways.
Results always suck, so if that's not incompetence, what is?
Harsh, but they're useless.
Reform needed.
Political reform...!
"Mm, I get what you're saying, but don't spout that here. No one hates politics more than me."
Lee Han, soured on politics from army days.
"Sorry, frustration got the best of me."
"Sigh, yeah, not the talk for you, Instructor. My bad."
"Nah, frustration happens."
How pent-up do you have to be?
Still, if that frustration boiled over...
'Hope it doesn't go full red-pill mode.'
Lee Han just hoped his disciple wouldn't grow a mustache.
Current vibes screamed it was possible, and blackening would make them flip the country harder than any cult.
"...Should've stuck to good news, dragged in the nonsense. Please forget it."
"What conversation?"
"...Not all of it."
Roan finally cracked a smile at the cheeky reply, but he fidgeted like more was coming, then...
"...Instructor, not sure if you know, but the final royal banquet is in two days."
"Huh? Still doing that?"
"No deaths from this mess, just property damage. Unless the royals take a direct hit, banquets go on."
"......Words fail."
Normally, events halt after something this big, but apparently not banquets.
Was it royal flexing—we're unscathed—or the crown prince's birthday that vital...?
Or both.
Lee Han pinched his brow, reconfirming politics sucked, but Roan's spiel wasn't done.
"Key point here, Instructor. You might get 'invited' to the banquet in two days."
"...Me?"
"Yes."
"......Why?"
Too out-of-left-field; nothing clicked. Roan explained.
"You're the hero who stopped the Brass Knights incident. The royals will use you to tell the nobles: 'Sir Lee Han Turtle is a proud, valiant guardian of the royals, a White Silver Lion Knight, and he prevented the central plaza disaster. How impressive!'"
A crisp answer.
But...
"So, right now."
Ha...
"They did jack squat, but wanna trot me out as their 'clown'?"
Far from refreshing his chest, it choked him worse.
"......Ahem."
Roan and Derek averted eyes without denying, Lee Han still gawking blankly.
"......"
About a minute. Dead silence, no one daring to speak, until he furrowed his brow and asked.
"...One question."
"?"
"...Is beating the king a crime?"
"......"
"Be a crime? Then I could legally wreck it all, haha."
"......"
"...Why no laugh? It's a joke. Think I'd do something that dumb when pissed?"
"...Y-yeah, probably."
"Right?"
Lee Han grinned wide, but Roan and Derek sweated bullets.
Some joke...
'That look...'
'Way too murderous.'
They knew.
Their master Lee Han was the type to call stupidity better than patience.
And...
'The maid said pinky twitches give lies away.'
Twitch—.
...That he twitched his pinky when lying.