30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?!-Chapter 283: What Justifies a Knight’s Battle? (6)
...Looking back now, Ihan was already certain that a vampire was among the Guild members before coming to Wales.
‘The flow was too messy.’
He had tracked the traces of the vampire through the Guild and the twins, bringing down large and numerous organizations along the way.
While crushing these groups, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had become a 'cleaner.'
It was a guess, but that damned pervert was probably planning to use him to clean up the mess he had made, all the while manipulating him.
...It was frustrating, but despite realizing this, there were three main reasons Ihan still allowed himself to be used.
The first was fear that the bastard might escape. Though he hated it, if that pervert really intended to flee, Ihan wasn’t sure he could catch him.
The second reason was the possibility of innocent civilians, like fake Hao Munju, getting caught in the crossfire. They might have been brainwashed, so greater harm could occur. This was a situation where allowing himself to be used felt like the lesser evil.
But the final reason...
The most decisive one, in fact, was what ultimately drove Ihan to Wales.
‘What’s going on here?’
It was anxiety.
To be more specific, Ihan felt a creeping unease about what Mordred might be hiding. This anxiety was what had driven him all the way to the border lord’s domain in Wales.
‘What’s that bastard after, putting me through all this trouble?’
It was easy to guess why the vampire had lured him here. Most likely, once Ihan arrived in Wales, Simon would naturally follow, and the vampire planned to use Simon’s sharp mind to track down where Mordred’s secret base was.
...Right now, though, he was probably getting lynched by a blood eagle for his trouble.
However, despite the satisfaction Ihan might have felt from the fact that the vampire was getting his comeuppance, what really bothered him was what was hidden in Wales.
No, it was more accurate to say that it “irked” him.
He knew he shouldn’t be involved, but the feeling of ignoring this would surely lead to regret later on...
Some might call it an unreasonable feeling, but...
‘Ignoring this kind of nagging feeling in the past... I ended up paying the price.’
It was a lesson he had learned in his previous life...
‘Is this like the day I died?’
[You should never ignore the embers.]The final lesson from his past life, one he had not forgotten even after so much time had passed.
He had learned just how much regret ignoring such small annoyances could bring.
***
Garnok Douglas de Mordred.
Former Duke of Mordred’s border, and now the leader of the Shielded Ghosts, the White Ghost Shield Knight Order, who seemed to be the grandfather of a pink-haired little girl, opened his mouth.
“Have you heard that the direct descendants of Mordred have the ability to deal with ghosts?”
“I’ve heard they have unusual abilities.”
“That’s good; this will be an easy conversation then.”
[Ziiiiing.]
“...I never knew eyes could shine like that.”
“Oh? You can see this? Your senses are extraordinary. I suppose, with the right determination, a knight who has reached the level of ‘will’ can do anything, hehe.”
The old knight made an exclamation, but Ihan was still more fascinated by the glowing violet hue of the knight’s eyes than by his own.
“This is called ‘spiritual sight.’ It allows you to see ghosts and even converse with them. It also enables you to subdue them.”
“A troublesome ability, I take it.”
“...Sharp. Did you deduce that right away?”
The old knight admired Ihan’s quick understanding of the ability, realizing that Ihan wasn’t just impressed by the power, but also aware of the challenges it presented.
Most people, upon learning of such a power, would marvel and envy it, but this young knight immediately saw the complications that came with it.
“The trouble starts with being able to communicate with ghosts. Not all ghosts are friendly. Many would make annoying demands, like asking for their grudges to be fulfilled or to pass messages to their families. Some might even threaten you and disrupt your daily life. Before that, just the fact that you see all sorts of ominous things as a child would be troubling.”
“Hehe, if you were a fortune teller, I would have invested all my wealth in you. How do you know all this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Hohoho! Too obvious, huh...”
Most people who learned of spiritual sight only focused on the benefits, completely ignoring the drawbacks.
Ihan, however, showed a depth of insight and a rare ability to look beyond the surface, something that made the old knight admire him even more.
‘He’s not just strong, but sharp as well.’
A rare combination of strength and intelligence in a knight. Quite remarkable.
“Honestly, I wish I could trade places with you.”
“Master! I respect you! Even though you might not be as talented as I am, this respect is genuine!”
“...Talking to you just makes my head spin.”
“Are you hurt, Master!!?”
“...Just keep quiet.”
“Understood!!”
“......”
Garnok let out a sigh filled with frustration at his disciple, who was a world apart from Ihan in terms of composure.
Why did he have to take in someone like that as a disciple and endure all this hardship in his later years?
...A few hours ago, when Ihan first entered the secret base, monsters had been pouring out nonstop.
There were Hellhounds, plant-based creatures, and undead monsters in large numbers, with even high-level beasts like Ortos being dragged around.
But strangely, now...
[....]
It was eerily quiet. As if nothing existed around him.
However, Ihan could feel it.
The presence of monsters lurking, watching him from the shadows.
But the monsters didn't rush in. They merely kept their distance, holding their ground.
Monsters, unless they're as clever as Ortos, usually charge when they see a human. So why weren't they attacking?
The answer to this question came.
“It’s because the spirits I subdued are preventing the monsters from approaching. It’s a method that only works on weaker monsters, but it's quite useful. By the way, it’s also effective against humans. It can make them feel burdened or cause nightmares, forcing them into physical discomfort.”
Ihan heard this through the words of the old knight, Garnok.
“Versatile, huh?”
“Not exactly universal. It doesn’t work on knights as trained as you, or higher-level monsters. The stronger the mental fortitude and the more developed the ego, the less effective the spirits’ power will be.”
“...Is it alright to share such important information with me?”
It was typical for families with mystical powers to hide their abilities, so Ihan was surprised to hear this without any effort to conceal it.
But Garnok didn’t mind at all.
In fact, he seemed refreshingly open about it.
“Why keep such a trivial ability a secret? What would it even be useful for?”
“What if you plan to sell it?”
“I’d be grateful if you did. Then I’d feel like I’ve at least repaid you a little.”
“.......”
The old knight even took it a step further.
Ihan couldn’t tell if this was a joke or if he was being mocked, but then...
“But you’re not that kind of knight. You’re a hardworking person who earns money through honest work. Hmm, by the way, does the carpenter’s shop pay that well?”
“...I guess worrying about you is unnecessary. I’ve already spilled all my information.”
Ihan felt uneasy seeing the old knight somehow figure out all his information through spiritual sight or whatever it was, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘He has invisible sources of information.’
The ability to know everything about a person, from their identity to even the most trivial and secret details...!
‘This is one hell of an ability.’
If he were to become an enemy, it would certainly be uncomfortable to sleep at night.
“I apologize if this has made you uncomfortable. To explain, it’s not like I was trying to learn about you. I just overheard the spirits behind you talking, and naturally, I learned about it.”
“Ah, so you overheard the wandering spirits gossiping behind my back?”
“That’s the gist of it. Hmm, how about preparing to purify them now?”
“Purification, huh? That’s interesting...”
...But maybe I should take care of the guest first?
Thud!
As Ihan spoke those words, an ominous presence suddenly began to gather around them.
It seemed that the monsters had been hesitant to approach, but now...
‘The scent of blood is overwhelming, and it’s making them afraid.’
Thud, boom!
The thundering sound was even louder than when Felix first appeared, and a chilling aura swept through the surroundings like a cold morning frost.
Chatter!
...In fact, frost had appeared on the ground.
“We’re a bit late, but it looks like they’ve come out to meet us. Anyway, what’s there to worry about?”
“...Is that also Mordred’s ability?”
“Haha, more like a useful tool. It’s a useful mount, don’t you think?”
“It’s more than just useful...”
As Ihan saw the approaching knights, he began to understand why Mordred’s knight order was called the White Ghost Knights.
Clatter, clatter.
The source of the heavy sounds didn’t come from human footsteps.
It was the weight of the horses the knights were riding, which were at least double the size of regular warhorses.
These were no ordinary horses.
[Hee-heeing!]
They were skeleton-made...
‘Ghost horses, huh?’
‘The armor is all made of bones. Are those made from monster bones?’
It wasn’t just monster bones, though.
It seemed like the tendons and muscles of monsters were used as well, and this looked like...
‘An exoskeleton?’
It reminded Ihan of something like the cyberpunk games he used to play in his past life, with a suit of armor that looked like ‘cyberware.’
‘...What’s going on here? Why does everyone seem to be in a different genre?’
He had expected a night procession of hundred ghosts, but seeing them all suited in bio-engineered exoskeletons made Ihan feel disconnected from reality.
But...
[Hee-heeing...!]
“What a terrifying sight!”
“To think someone would carry such a powerful evil spirit...”
“Commander, what on earth did you bring with you...?”
“Don’t be afraid, Silvesta, my comrade. You’re a brave horse, aren’t you?”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
...A few hours ago, when Ihan first entered the secret base, monsters had been pouring out nonstop.
There were Hellhounds, plant-based creatures, and undead monsters in large numbers, with even high-level beasts like Ortos being dragged around.
But strangely, now...
[....]
It was eerily quiet. As if nothing existed around him.
However, Ihan could feel it.
The presence of monsters lurking, watching him from the shadows.
But the monsters didn't rush in. They merely kept their distance, holding their ground.
Monsters, unless they're as clever as Ortos, usually charge when they see a human. So why weren't they attacking?
The answer to this question came.
“It’s because the spirits I subdued are preventing the monsters from approaching. It’s a method that only works on weaker monsters, but it's quite useful. By the way, it’s also effective against humans. It can make them feel burdened or cause nightmares, forcing them into physical discomfort.”
Ihan heard this through the words of the old knight, Garnok.
“Versatile, huh?”
“Not exactly universal. It doesn’t work on knights as trained as you, or higher-level monsters. The stronger the mental fortitude and the more developed the ego, the less effective the spirits’ power will be.”
“...Is it alright to share such important information with me?”
It was typical for families with mystical powers to ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) hide their abilities, so Ihan was surprised to hear this without any effort to conceal it.
But Garnok didn’t mind at all.
In fact, he seemed refreshingly open about it.
“Why keep such a trivial ability a secret? What would it even be useful for?”
“What if you plan to sell it?”
“I’d be grateful if you did. Then I’d feel like I’ve at least repaid you a little.”
“.......”
The old knight even took it a step further.
Ihan couldn’t tell if this was a joke or if he was being mocked, but then...
“But you’re not that kind of knight. You’re a hardworking person who earns money through honest work. Hmm, by the way, does the carpenter’s shop pay that well?”
“...I guess worrying about you is unnecessary. I’ve already spilled all my information.”
Ihan felt uneasy seeing the old knight somehow figure out all his information through spiritual sight or whatever it was, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘He has invisible sources of information.’
The ability to know everything about a person, from their identity to even the most trivial and secret details...!
‘This is one hell of an ability.’
If he were to become an enemy, it would certainly be uncomfortable to sleep at night.
“I apologize if this has made you uncomfortable. To explain, it’s not like I was trying to learn about you. I just overheard the spirits behind you talking, and naturally, I learned about it.”
“Ah, so you overheard the wandering spirits gossiping behind my back?”
“That’s the gist of it. Hmm, how about preparing to purify them now?”
“Purification, huh? That’s interesting...”
...But maybe I should take care of the guest first?
Thud!
As Ihan spoke those words, an ominous presence suddenly began to gather around them.
It seemed that the monsters had been hesitant to approach, but now...
‘The scent of blood is overwhelming, and it’s making them afraid.’
Thud, boom!
The thundering sound was even louder than when Felix first appeared, and a chilling aura swept through the surroundings like a cold morning frost.
Chatter!
...In fact, frost had appeared on the ground.
“We’re a bit late, but it looks like they’ve come out to meet us. Anyway, what’s there to worry about?”
“...Is that also Mordred’s ability?”
“Haha, more like a useful tool. It’s a useful mount, don’t you think?”
“It’s more than just useful...”
As Ihan saw the approaching knights, he began to understand why Mordred’s knight order was called the White Ghost Knights.
Clatter, clatter.
The source of the heavy sounds didn’t come from human footsteps.
It was the weight of the horses the knights were riding, which were at least double the size of regular warhorses.
These were no ordinary horses.
[Hee-heeing!]
They were skeleton-made...
‘Ghost horses, huh?’
‘The armor is all made of bones. Are those made from monster bones?’
It wasn’t just monster bones, though.
It seemed like the tendons and muscles of monsters were used as well, and this looked like...
‘An exoskeleton?’
It reminded Ihan of something like the cyberpunk games he used to play in his past life, with a suit of armor that looked like ‘cyberware.’
‘...What’s going on here? Why does everyone seem to be in a different genre?’
He had expected a night procession of hundred ghosts, but seeing them all suited in bio-engineered exoskeletons made Ihan feel disconnected from reality.
But...
[Hee-heeing...!]
“What a terrifying sight!”
“To think someone would carry such a powerful evil spirit...”
“Commander, what on earth did you bring with you...?”
“Don’t be afraid, Silvesta, my comrade. You’re a brave horse, aren’t you?”
[Hee-heeing.]
...It should be the knights who are scared, yet the bio-cybernetic knights themselves seemed to be frightened, making Ihan feel increasingly uncomfortable.
‘Did I really eradicate that many spellcasters?’
Hmm...
‘It doesn’t seem like it was that many?’
Ihan scratched his head, unsure, as if he were unable to remember the number of loaves of bread he had eaten. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
[Hee-heeing.]
...It should be the knights who are scared, yet the bio-cybernetic knights themselves seemed to be frightened, making Ihan feel increasingly uncomfortable.
‘Did I really eradicate that many spellcasters?’
Hmm...
‘It doesn’t seem like it was that many?’
Ihan scratched his head, unsure, as if he were unable to remember the number of loaves of bread he had eaten.
