“-Dad, I’ll go to work.”
“Dad, are you leaving already?”
“Hey, you said you’d play with me today.”
“Tch….”
At an age when they should be playing, the children were throwing small tantrums, and the man who had come to be called ‘Dad’ scratched his cheek in embarrassment.
I feel sorry for the kids.
I’ve been so busy these past few days that I don’t think I’ve been able to pay much attention to the kids.
On the way.
“Yonsuk, isn’t your dad going to work instead of playing? Are you going to keep whining?”
Reinforcements were provided appropriately, and the children’s tantrum was suppressed.
“honey….”
“You should speak firmly too. Oh! You should listen to your father! … and say.”
“I’m sorry to the kids… .”
“Hey, you can play with me next time. Oh, right. The streets are unstable these days, so be careful. I saw in the newspaper that the royal family and the temple are fighting again.”
“…Okay, okay.”
“Just answer once! Okay, let’s hurry up and get to work!”
“…okay.”
The man smiled bitterly as he listened to his wife’s nagging mixed with encouragement as she headed to work.
For his beloved angel, his strong supporter, and the three little angel babies sent by God.
An ordinary man who is called by many names: father, husband, and head of the household.
Yes, the man who is the head of an ordinary household that you can see anywhere, stepped out into the world today with a brisk step.
Sure, today’s day at work will be tough and difficult, but men can still endure it.
That’s understandable, man.
… …Because he was my dad.
*
*
*
“-You said you scratched that girl? The guy was impressed. He said he scratched her properly.”
“Huh?”
“Hey, Roche, I heard you met him.”
“Oh, that?”
haha….
Derek laughed awkwardly.
Now that I think about it, it seems like both he and the other two did something really terrible.
– Hmm… .
– It’s strange.”
– That’s strange.”
– … What the heck are these crazy things… .
They, Princess Irene and Prince Roen, including Derek, coincidentally went to meet Hayes, who was well known to the world as a spy and apostate of the temple, even though it was not something they had promised to do.
She was much more worn-out than the day before, and she bared her teeth and growled in the dark room.
Like an animal.
Even though he had been subjected to all kinds of torture and interrogation by the heretic inquisitor Pierre, he still showed no signs of being discouraged, and bared his teeth with a ferocious aura that was no less than that of a murderer. I thought even a strong man would be frightened and take a step back.
However, they.
– Was this the kind of person he was?
– … Surely it’s not this kind of person?
– Where did it all start going wrong?
… he didn’t even care if she was a beast or had rabies.
– These guys, how dare they know who I am!!
Their ferocity had no effect on them whatsoever.
On the contrary, they were just tilting their heads as if they were evaluating a rare animal among us, and if there was one thing they had in common, it was that they were examining or assessing Hayes Roche.
Finally, after the observation is somewhat over.
– Haaah… .
They looked disappointed at the same time.
A look of disappointment, as if they were expecting a panda, but instead there was a person wearing a panda mask.
By all means.
– … It’s not him?
– Aaaahhhhhhhhhh!!
Hayes Roche screamed, his eyes turning bloodshot and his head rolling back, whether it was from stress or anger.
They were the ones who could accomplish what even the harsh torture and interrogation of the Inquisitors could not, but the three of them just tilted their heads regardless of whether she screamed or not.
…it happened exactly half a day ago.
“-You provide information quickly.”
“Red was amazed.”
“Ahem… .”
The guy was coughing as if he was embarrassed, and Lee Han shrugged his shoulders.
I didn’t mean to say anything, but it seems like it’s become a matter of conscience for Taechang.
Lee Han chuckled and quickly changed the subject.
“But why did those guys come alone? They were together, right?”
“… Oh, you two? Both of you are busy. Prince Roen went to Lionel’s mansion, and Princess Irene was almost forcibly taken to Galahad’s mansion. Since they almost got hurt directly, I think His Highness is taking good care of them.”
“… … Are you still using honorifics? Aren’t you two just getting close?”
We were comrades who fought together at the Magic Tower, so why is our relationship so different?
“Oh, there’s nothing I can do… I do have a cooperative relationship with Prince Roen, but we’re not that close, and I’m also awkward with Princess Irene.”
“Isn’t there such a thing as camaraderie?”
“It didn’t happen?”
“…I am proud.”
“He, he, the identity of Haze Roche has been revealed. Her real name is Susan, and she was driven out of a mountain village eight years ago.”
“Don’t change the subject….”
Lee Han wanted to tease Taechang a bit more as he abruptly changed the subject, but decided to move on to an interesting story and asked back.
“Kicked out of your hometown?”
“Yes, they say she was the daughter of the village chief in the mountains, and she was said to have been very evil. The villagers also said that she suffered considerable damage. Later, the village chief died of old age, and the villagers joined forces to drive her out of the village.”
The power of the confession made with the special recipe of the Inquisitor is certainly great.
It hasn’t been that long since the incident, but I see the background check has already been completed.
“It is said that shortly after being driven out, he set fire to the villagers who had driven him out, held a grudge against them, and ran away. Not long after, he was caught by soldiers on charges of arson, but later went missing while heading to a tunnel… .”
“Did the radicals kidnap him?”
“That’s what it is.”
After that, the story was typical.
In addition to the woman named Susan, there were countless others who were kidnapped, and the Duke’s and the Sleep Demon’s factors were injected into them from an unknown source, and Susan was one of the women who survived the side effects, and the Susan who survived.
“It is presumed that she received some kind of brainwashing. The content of the brainwashing was, ‘I am a special person, and one day I will become a princess and saint of this country.’”
“… So that’s how Susan became Hayes Roche?”
“The identity forgery was truly spectacular. If it weren’t for the instructor, she would have entered the academy without even knowing that she was a spy created by the temple, and if everything had gone according to the temple’s plan, how much of a mess she would have made of the kingdom… .”
It’s scary just to imagine.
Taechang muttered as if he was joking, and Lee Han criticized him, saying that he was exaggerating.
“The manager.”
“I’m not exaggerating or flattering, I’m just stating the facts. The instructor blocked the crack in the pendragon. Well, it seems like you got yourself into trouble because of that… .”
“… … .”
“…Do you hate it that much?”
“Wouldn’t you hate it? Now that I’ve come to look like a clown.”
Tch!
Lee Han clicked his tongue strongly.
The day before, after hearing the story about indulgences from Raphael, Lee Han had to feel cheated.
As soon as I heard that they were promoting him on a temple level, I felt a strong sense of rejection.
That makes sense.
“I was finally living quietly….”
Why don’t celebrities speak out more often?
I want to live a life where I have a lot of money but no attention is paid to me… .
In this way, Lee Han has no desire to become famous like a seed of interest.
He said he was an introvert.
As such, it is inevitable that I feel uncomfortable because my quiet life seems to be coming to an end due to the temple, and I blame the guy who set this up… .
“I want to see his face and see what kind of guy he is….”
All I could do was grind my teeth.
“… Do you think there was an ‘individual’ who committed this act? Not a group?”
“There’s no way those incompetent guys who can do nothing but sell out their gods could be this smart.”
“… … .”
“There must be, for sure. A brain that gives orders to those incompetent guys.”
I would guess that he is a very clever and persistent person.
“Maybe Jeong Do-jeon, or maybe someone like Han Myeong-hoe?”
“…What’s the difference?”
“One side is a thinker and revolutionary who wants to turn the country upside down, and the other side is an ambitious person who does not hesitate to bite the king for his own power.”
“… … It seems like you rate it very highly.”
“I can’t help but rate it highly. I can’t read this guy’s next move.”
“… … .”
“I can’t even read it with my senses. He’s too blunt.”
He would be someone who is used to coming up with impromptu strategies rather than devising them after much thought.
Honey, before Lee Han or anyone else can step forward, the table is turned upside down.
So.
“Should I try to turn it upside down on the spot?”
“How?”
“It’s easy, it’s not something else… … .”
* * *
“-I’m just asking in case, but you’re not thinking of something like, ‘The day I receive my indulgence, I’ll destroy all those temple bastards and emigrate!’ right?”
“… … .”
Knock knock knock.
“… … I’m going crazy.”
Damien Follett, Lee Han’s assistant, felt his blood pressure rise as he faced the innocent, even beastly, gaze that said, ‘How can that not be?’
That’s what this gentleman is like.
“… Haa, Instructor, an indulgence isn’t something you can simply commit a crime and be forgiven for. It’s more like a symbol. If you actually use it, you’ll be punished by heaven, really.”
“okay?”
“Indulgences are made from [relics], that is, the remains or relics of those who were called saints or saintesses. Therefore, receiving such indulgences is nothing more than a form of honor, and it is no exaggeration to say that there are virtually no cases of them actually being used.”
“It was made to be used, wasn’t it?”
“Even so, that won’t do! It’s a holy relic, a holy relic!! Just holding it has the effect of repelling most curses, spells, and magic. It also has the nickname of ‘extra life’. Do you really want to use that?”
“huh.”
“… Could you please think about it and then answer?”
“… … Yeah, I thought about it, and I think it might work.”
“You thought about it for 5 seconds, 5 seconds!!”
As usual, he teased Damien Follett, who went berserk like a berserker, and Lee Han easily subdued him by going berserk with a hammer.
It took a minute longer than usual to subdue him, proving that Damien’s skills had definitely improved.
“Rain, damn it…!”
From his perspective, he couldn’t hit anyone even once, so no matter how much his skills improved, it was just frustrating.
Damien was panting and groaning, but he was still sprawled on the floor when suddenly.
“… Instructor, I know you quite well. No, it would be more correct to say that I got to know you quite well by force.”
“?”
“I know. The instructor doesn’t have much of a sense of belonging to Pendragon. He seems to have grown attached to them recently thanks to the presence of our classmates, but even that is something that he would not be surprised to see disappear like the wind at any time.”
“You have a good eye for detail, don’t you?”
“You rotten little thing, you’re trying to survive under the instructor, so don’t you think you were raised by force?”
“Hmm.”
“Whew! Anyway, what I’m trying to say is this. I know you think you can leave this country whenever you want, but my classmates and others need you. Please think hard with that strong head and make a decision, you idiot!”
“…Are you giving advice or getting annoyed?”
“Please excuse me for saying this, I hate myself for it, damn it!”
“… … .”
As expected, this guy is not in his right mind… .
Lee Han shook his head and clicked his tongue, then turned around slightly and walked into the house.
… but.
“… Child, you’ve grown up so much.”
… a smile was playing on his lips.
It’s a special thing about a grown guy.
‘I have no intention of leaving either, you punk.’
Because unlike in the past, the word ‘Jeong’ has become attached.
But even though he doesn’t want to leave, the world keeps pushing him.
hani….
Creak.
… … Shouldn’t you also try something a little more daring?
Swish.
Lee Han took out a black mask from a corner of his dresser drawer.
I promised myself never to bring it up again… .
“Let’s do it just this once, just this once.”
Lee Han still held the black mask and prayed devoutly with both hands clasped together.
He doesn’t pray to God, so instead.
“Spring Fairy, please allow me to do some ‘righteous theft’ just this once.”
As the spring, with which he had a slight connection, prayed to the fairy, Lee Han put on a mask.
Shouldn’t we use the skills we’ve learned in times like this?
