‘…It’s over.’
I somehow didn’t feel any sense of relief.
There is no joy in living, not even the thrill of victory.
It feels like a difficult task that I had to force myself to do has finally been completed.
It may be a bleak feeling considering that you have defeated a legendary monster, but what can you do?
That makes sense.
“I lost….”
If I had won with my own hands, I would have felt a sense of accomplishment, but in the end, I had to rely on someone else’s help.
Even though I gave it my all, no, all my might, I lost.
So thoroughly that there are no excuses.
So what I felt in my mouth was not a refreshing feeling, but rather a bitter taste that lingers after chewing a lot of herbs.
…however.
“Well, I hope the kids live, that’s fine.”
I didn’t feel any sense of helplessness or self-loathing.
His disciples, the children lived.
I thought that this fact might be the only thing he could be proud of.
-For Pendragon! For Lionel…!
-Wow!
The shouts of victory can be heard from afar.
It would have been successful in annihilating the entire group of gnomes inside the Colosseum.
Amazingly, despite the roar of the crowd, the disciples’ voices are clearly distinguishable, and it is confirmed that everyone is safe.
“Children.”
Only then was he, Lee Han, able to smile in satisfaction.
“Haha, I guess being a teacher suits you. Or maybe I just didn’t know and you’re surprisingly affectionate.”
“… I’m enjoying the aftertaste, so just leave it alone.”
“You still have that arrogant mouth… If you just knew how to respect your elders, it would be perfect.”
“I am also respectful to respectable adults. I am just not an old man.”
“… … This guy, should I have just let him die?”
Baltar Grace stuck out his tongue and asked, “What kind of guy is this?”
It is not common for someone who is as limp as boiled spinach to move their mouths.
He must be the kind of person who would float even if he fell into a river.
“Who says it’s too late? I wish you would come when I tell you to.”
However, Lee Han-do was not just grumbling for no reason.
-Help me, sir.
When he learned that a strange monster had appeared, the first person he asked for help was none other than that gentleman.
But that gentleman-.
“You can’t move with uncertain information.”
“So that’s why you keep having accidents? I want to see if you’ll still make excuses like that even after you’ve tracked everyone down, ha!”
“… Ahem.”
At this point, Baltar avoided eye contact, as if he was at a loss for words.
It was definitely my own decision not to trust Lee Han.
“Well, didn’t you come running as soon as you sensed something unpleasant? So let’s just move on now.”
The distance from the academy to the palace is approximately 30km.
Of course, he must have put in some effort, since he came all that way in one breath.
But to put it the other way around.
“If me and those guys hadn’t held out, we would all have died.”
“Ahem, I have nothing to say.”
Because they, or rather, Lee Han, persevered, that effort was meaningful.
Baltar agreed, acknowledging that it was indeed true that everyone in the royal capital was indebted to Yi Han.
Because he prepared alone when no one else was moving and prevented a ‘catastrophe’.
“I don’t know about the pack of dogs, but if that guy had been running wild in the capital, it would have been a big problem for sure.”
Kku… water… kku… … water… !
Baltar looked at the demon king, who was completely disassembled like a puzzle.
Even though it is clear that he is dead, he tries to regenerate.
A horror that fits the nickname ‘immortal’ so well.
“… If that guy had eaten food, it wouldn’t have been easy even for me.”
“It was fortunate that I was stupid.”
Lee Han-do did not deny my achievements.
If that monster had not been interested in him and had eaten other food, the situation would have ended right then and there.
The moment you consume food, you will have regained some of your prime strength.
Perhaps even Aura users will find it easy-.
“Still, it’s a bit of a shame. It would have been fun if I had fought that guy in his prime. Hehe.”
“… … You seem like an old man with no sense of humor.”
It occurred to Lee Han that even if the Demon King had been in 100% health instead of 30% health, if he had fought Baltar, Baltar’s chances of winning would have been higher.
As far as I know, the knight Baltar Grace is just that.
‘If that troll is the Demon King, then that old man is the ‘God of Fighting.’
A giant of an era whose defeat is unimaginable.
Even if I complete the plum blossom sword that was shown today, I have doubts about whether I will be able to strike properly.
anyhow.
“I’m sick of it, I’m sick of it.”
The mountain he wanted to climb didn’t even seem to have its ridge visible yet.
* * *
After that, the situation was quickly resolved with the arrival of reinforcements, including royal soldiers.
me?
I just stayed still.
“Just relax, I’ll take care of the rest.”
Since that gentleman has shown rare consideration, I guess I can trust him and leave it to him.
but.
“There might be people who try to do something with it, so let’s get rid of it quickly.”
“I know, nagging.”
Baltar, who knew best what Yi Han wanted to get rid of, decided to simply burn the ghost king’s body.
Surely, some noble, some wizard, or some other guy will be plotting to gain ownership of that corpse.
This was not a prediction, but a certainty, and it was already clear what that ominous thing would do.
‘I worked hard to catch it, but I can’t stand seeing it act like a fool.’
If Lee Han sees that sight, he will go crazy and break the heads of all those who covet the corpse.
Baltar, who knew this, listened obediently.
Some people may say something later.
…who can say anything to him?
No one could give orders to Baltar unless his master returned alive.
Hurrah!
Aura burned the demon king’s body like fire.
Auror, the mystery of the knight that only superhumans can obtain.
It is the goal that all knights strive to reach, and the mystery of its power is something unknown that even magic cannot understand.
And the moment that unknown power touched the ghost king’s corpse, it burned.
Originally, burning a demon would release a death energy, and if something as big as the Demon King were to be burned, it wouldn’t be strange for smoke to cover the entire capital, but Aura ‘erased’ all the negative energy.
AKA the purest and most powerful purifying force in the world.
In front of Aura, he didn’t have the ability to withstand curses, resentment, and even such things.
‘If only there was aurora, there wouldn’t be any environmental problems.’
I think if there were Auror users in modern times, they would have made a lot of money.
If we put our minds to it, we could get rid of all those things without any negative impact on the ecosystem.
‘… … You seem tired.’
Random thoughts that suddenly come to mind.
Lee Han laughed bitterly and said to himself that his condition was definitely not normal.
And so.
“… The rest will be taken care of by you.”
“Where are you going?”
“I want to rest.”
“You little punk, do you plan on leaving all the work to this old man?”
“That’s the extent of it. Or should the one who worked hard be the one taking care of the aftermath?”
Why do you guys who are late come here now and why do you have to explain everything yourself?
“Haha, kid. You really speak beautifully.”
Although the content was sarcastic, the tone was refreshing.
As if there was no intention of stopping him from going.
And then,
“You’re going to be busy from now on. You guys have made your presence known too much with this incident.”
“… … .”
“You’ve managed to hide all your achievements so far, but this time it’s going to be difficult. You’ll probably receive a summons from the palace within a few days.”
“… … .”
“Don’t show your dislike so openly, it’s an honor that some people have been hoping for their whole lives.”
“Oh my! I don’t know everything right now, so I’m going out for now.”
Lee Han waved his hand.
It’s as if he’s telling me not to say anything more because my head already hurts.
Baltar, knowing his disposition, just chuckled and said nothing more.
instead.
“Hey, take this.”
“What is it?”
“Take it to a trustworthy alchemist or wizard, they might be able to give you something useful.”
“…hmm.”
I gave him a gift.
The only byproduct from the corpse of the Demon King that was burned to ashes.
An object that looks like a jewel, but is unusually ugly.
that.
“Could this be…?”
“It’s the heart. It survived without burning.”
It was the heart of a monster.
And it’s not just any other monster’s heart, it’s the heart of the Demon King.
Considering that even a troll’s heart was worth the price of a single castle, the Demon King’s heart was impossible to measure in value.
Priceless treasure
It may be a treasure whose value is impossible to measure.
Lee Han looked at Baltar with eyes that were difficult to describe.
I wondered why he didn’t take back this treasure and give it to him.
“You should give a reward to someone who has worked hard. There is no gift to give to a slacker who has done nothing. Just take it. It’s just between you and me anyway.”
“… I think it’s a bribe.”
“You punk, speak more nicely.”
“Are you being cute at all?”
“That’s not it.”
“It was like this and that.”
Lee Han tightly grabbed the heart of the Demon King in his hand.
I don’t have any pent-up worries about whether I deserve this.
‘I’ll use it to your advantage.’
Kwak.
Feeling helpless once is enough.
Even in situations where he felt so tired that he could collapse at any moment, his eyes shone brightly.
Confirming that a stepping stone has been created for the next step.
“… I don’t really have any feelings.”
I start grumbling as I watch the guy disappear without even a proper greeting.
Anyway, there is no such thing as recognition.
still.
“When I see how children are taken care of, they’ve really changed a lot, huh.”
Taking care of a fallen girl and a man is something that a guy who used to live alone would never have thought of.
Baltar felt newly satisfied.
However, what is satisfying is not only that his personality has become more rounded.
“Your back has gotten a bit wider than I expected.”
Hasn’t that power also changed beyond recognition?
That’s for sure.
He has grown significantly since he was in the Knights Templar.
Even without that, there was no one among the White Lions who could stand up to him except for the captains, but now they are out of the question.
Now, no one among the White Lions can beat that guy except him.
Perhaps the only one who can stand against him now is the legendary Knights of Pendragon, who were made up of only the strongest men chosen by the Lord of the King.
Unless you are a member of the
Baltar Grace, the former commander of the White Dragon Knights, felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
“If you were just a little more sincere, I could give it a try… .”
It was a meaningful statement that did not make clear what he was entrusting him with, but Baltar decided not to tie him down.
If left alone, it grows on its own.
Even when I sparred with him every day, it wasn’t to that extent.
Honey, leave it alone.
Because he will find his way in freedom.
“I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
The next time we meet. How far will he have grown?
The old man smiled, looking forward to the young man’s growth.
…but.
“But why don’t you take care of this old man?”
While he took care of all the other guys, he strangely neglected to take care of the old wizard. Baltar clicked his tongue as he watched this.
Anyway, that guy.
“You don’t know how to respect elders.”
Baltar rebuked the wizard Odwall Bernard (28 years old), who had fainted from exhaustion, mistaking him for someone older than him.
Still, he says his character is failing.
* * *
Lee Han’s back immediately felt lighter.
In Taechang’s case.
-Thank you for bringing me back safely.
The purple girl I had seen at the discussion the day before came over and took it away in a hurry.
The girl was taking care of the boy with loving hands, and suddenly she started to feel a little sick in her stomach.
That guy denied it so much, but it seems like they really are on good terms.
The same was true of Irene Windler.
-I will take care of it.
A person who appeared to be the Duke’s knight appeared, and Lee Han left Irene in his care.
It was worthy of award, but… .
‘Is that guy your younger brother?’
In his face, I see the face of that unlucky Lacran I met the day before.
I thought maybe she was my younger sister, and I thought she would be willing to take care of her.
Just looking at his body covered in blood, you can tell he must have killed dozens of them by himself.
That alone was reason enough to believe it.
-… Thank you for trusting me. And thank you for taking care of the young lady.
-Okay, tell your brother that next time I’ll make your face a rag.
-That’s welcome news.
… He seemed to have a pretty good personality.
So somehow, I ended up empty-handed and looking for a place to rest with my light body, and at some point.
“…ah.”
I could tell that I was standing in front of my house.
You could have just laid down anywhere, but why are you back home already?
It’s not a migratory bird.
A moment when you think to yourself, “I’m such an idiot.”
“Welcome, sir.”
“… … .”
“Hehehe, you’ve worked hard.”
“Since when… .”
“Yeah, I just kept waiting?”
“… … .”
There was a woman who welcomed him warmly.
How long have I been waiting for this?
He was momentarily stunned by the sight of Leara Winter, who seemed to have been waiting for him to arrive.
Toouk.
“Maid?”
“yes.”
The moment he called her, Leila came up to him.
A moment when you wonder why it’s coming so close to your nose.
‘Oh, I’m falling down.’
Realizing that it was not she who had approached him, but himself who was falling, Lee Han tried to stand up again.
But Rayla.
Thud.
“You can just relax and rest. Just lean back comfortably.”
“… … .”
“Go to sleep, sleep is the best medicine!”
“… For a maid, that is a very educated remark.”
“Huh?”
“haha….”
Lee Han couldn’t escape from her arms and ended up hugging her.
A very comfortable, fragrant soapy scent with not a hint of stimulating perfume and the scent of warm sunshine.
and.
‘Ah, it’s comfortable.’
A motherly, affectionate touch.
He quickly fell into a state of irresistible warmth.
So defenseless.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
But Layla affectionately lent him her lap as a pillow and stroked his head, as if protecting him from defenselessness.
As if there was no need to worry or fret at all.
Rustle.
A cool breeze swept across the yard affectionately under the sky with dark clouds and sunset.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
The maid simply hugged the knight warmly, worried that he might catch a cold.
Without fail.
