Chapter 389
Chapter 389
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.80 – The Knight Sets Out on the Journey Again (6)
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Thud! Boom!
Suddenly, a construction site sprang to life.
One might wonder what kind of construction could be happening at a site with no materials or workers, but the "god of construction sites" had descended upon this place.
Bang! Bang!
Gathering fallen or dead trees from all over the mountain...
Slash!
Trimming the lumber with a hand axe...
Crack!
Before he knew it, the monster materials he'd quietly stockpiled joined the pile, and all the basic necessities were assembled in a flash.
It happened in the blink of an eye—not just enough for a house, but enough to build a skyscraper. Yet he wasn't gathering all these materials to construct buildings and get rich in real estate.
"I'm gonna build your house with this."
[Bzzz?]
He was building a home for the honeybees—a beekeeping apiary.
"I'm leaving this mountain now. Suspicious bastards figured out where my house is."
[Bzzz!]
The bees buzzed in fury at his words, thumping their chests confidently as if to say they could handle any intruders.
The world's strongest honey made them reassuringly reliable, but Lee Han shook his head.
"I won't ask you to sacrifice that much. I've already received more than enough help from you."
He meant it.
These honeybees weren't just the size of puppies; their loyalty to their chosen master was downright dog-like.
That's why they'd abandoned their newly built nest to follow him all the way to Vulcan.
He was truly grateful for that, but it also made him feel guilty.
"Settle down here in Vulcan from now on."
[...Bzz.]
"I'm not abandoning you. It's just a temporary goodbye. We'll meet again someday."
[Bz... bzz.]
"And it's not like I'm just setting you free for nothing. You think I'm building you a house out of the goodness of my heart?"
[Bzz?]
Gratitude for their past help was part of it, but that alone wouldn't explain constructing something as massive as this apiary—no, this fortress of a home.
"Build up your forces. Massively. A bee's strength comes from numbers, after all. And if I ever need help down the line, lend me a hand then. You can do that, right?"
[...Bzzzz.]
Thump.
The queen bee smacked his chest as if to say it was a stupid question, her eyes somehow looking misty.
And so, Lee Han and the queen bee shared a moment of friendship, promising to reunite someday.
"...Ugh."
...What a pain in the ass.
Orthos watched the whole scene from behind and clicked his tongue.
Even to him, a canine beastkin, it was pure nonsense.
What, were they filming some teen drama?
Anyway.
"Haa..."
Everyone else was crazy except him. Totally.
Orthos let out a deep sigh.
Unlike some sighing canine beastkin, what Lee Han was doing had nothing to do with filming a teen drama.
'Better prepare ahead of time.'
Vulcan was, in a way, his fortress.
If it got breached, that was undeniably bad news. And if enemies invaded while he was away, he'd lose one of his safe havens.
But he couldn't hole up here forever, either.
'I need someone to guard it in my place.'
Vulcan's mountain guardians, ready to tear apart and hunt any fool who dared enter!
And their peak was even called Tiger's Summit.
Sure, they weren't as fierce as actual tigers—adorable, even—but five of them together could toy with an average knight.
The only issue was their small numbers. But if their hive grew to hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands... even a grand sorcerer or archmage couldn't breach them easily. With proper tactics, they could even devour the intruders.
In that sense, Lee Han was investing in the creatures who would protect this mountain—his vacation home.
'Ogre tendons, troll hide, wyvern leather. Frog venom, goblin crude poison and weapons—this should make for a sturdy apiary.'
No half-measures when building.
He'd use monster parts in earnest, and there were plenty of trees felled by Vulcan's wrath.
Materials aplenty. With care, it would be tougher and stronger than most fortresses—a true [Apiary].
Of course...
—It'd be an absurdly overpowered apiary for a beehive.
Might as well go all out!
Lee Han planned to prepare thoroughly before leaving.
Preparation brings peace of mind, as they say.
Tap tap!
"Should take about a week?"
No hammer or saw, but fists and hand chops would do.
'Pentagon shape, maybe?'
His creative juices were flowing.
Thud thud!
...In the future, it would be counted among the South's Top 10 Mysteries—a ruin humans couldn't approach, dubbed impregnable, guarded by invincible swarms of a million honeybees.
[Honey Pentarium] was born that way.
While building the apiary, Lee Han also prepared for departure.
Making jerky and dried rations, plus tools for camping.
Why go to such lengths when you could just buy food if needed?
...No money.
He hadn't even gotten severance when leaving the kingdom.
Not a single coin to his name.
Sure, he had valuables he could sell, but no time to carry or peddle them. He'd just entrusted them to reliable folks.
'Gotta hit up a guild in some decent city later.'
The Hao Sect leader wasn't the backstabbing type. He'd manage the funds well.
"That's right. Master Simon might be a bit shady, but he won't betray you, Sir Knight."
"...Miss Maid, didn't you say you can't read minds?"
"Yes, I still can't."
"......"
"Hehe."
"...Doesn't look that way to me..."
Lee Han stuck out his tongue but couldn't hide his apologetic gaze toward her.
And for good reason.
"Miss Maid, are you really coming with me? Not staying in the mountains?"
"Yup!"
"...It'll be tough."
"I'm tough."
"I know."
How could he not? Her stamina and durability might even surpass his.
Still, he worried.
Worried she'd suffer just for following him.
"Staying here would be more comfortable..."
"I don't wanna be alone."
"Well..."
"And traveling with you is enough for me. So don't feel sorry, Sir Knight!"
"......"
...How could he not feel sorry after that?
'Too much trust can weigh heavy on the shoulders.'
Kindness and affection with no strings attached.
If he had a weakness, this was it.
Because it felt so undeserved.
"...Haa, it'll be rough."
"That's okay."
"It'll really be tough, though..."
"Hehe."
A smile that shut down all persuasion.
Lee Han smiled wryly.
Unable to win.
Then...
"By the way, Miss Maid. Why do you keep calling me 'Sir Knight'?"
"?"
"I'm not a knight anymore."
A question he'd always wondered.
He'd already forsaken his knighthood.
Yet she still called him one.
Maybe it felt awkward using his name? But she shook her head.
"To me, you're Sir Knight."
"No title anymore."
"Titles or not, you're more knightly than anyone—respecting and protecting the weak."
"Dunno about that..."
To Lee Han, it was embarrassing flattery.
He saw himself as the least knightly of all.
"The weak in my book aren't just the powerless. Plenty of powerless people live wickedly. So my definition of weak is different—purely subjective."
In that sense, he couldn't relate to chivalry.
It held no appeal for him.
Should the weak always be protected? Are the weak always pitiable?
No.
"There are no weak in this world. Just circumstances and environments. And when those move me to empathy, I help. I don't respect someone just for being a child, woman, or elder. If our conversation earns my respect, I lend a hand."
"I see."
"That's it. So a guy like me has no right to call himself a knight."
Lee Han shrugged.
Sincerely.
But...
"—Then that's your chivalry, Sir Knight."
"Huh?"
She beamed.
"From what I know, there were no real knights in the South originally. Any who called themselves knights weren't worthy. Even bandits plundering others claimed the title. Abnormal times."
"......"
"But one man called himself a 'knight' and forged his own 'oath.'"
"......"
"That oath later became known as chivalry. Breaking it doesn't make you un-knightly. That founding knight even said: 'If you draw your sword not for pride or shame, but to help someone—that makes you a knight.'"
"......"
"So to me, you're Sir Knight. You've never drawn your sword to boast or defeat foes. You draw it to help."
"Well, that's just how it happened..."
"Hee hee hee."
Lee Han protested it wasn't intentional, but the maid only laughed harder.
As if he'd already testified to it himself.
"See? You're Sir Knight."
"......"
......Lee Han couldn't argue.
He had plenty to say, but somehow...
'Why can't I find the words...?'
For the first time...
—For the first time, being called a knight felt like a point of pride. He didn't want to deny it.
Embarrassingly so.