The one who blurted out those words was none other than Damien, the second son of Count Pollet, who was flustered as his voice resonated loudly, oblivious to the fact that he was muttering to himself.
Perhaps the eerie silence surrounding him amplified his voice even more.
However, what mattered now wasn’t the loudness of his voice.
The real issue was that he had hurled insulting words at others, and now everyone was aware of it.
‘Oh no, my academy life…’
He felt a pang in his stomach as he realized the damage to his reputation had begun from the very start.
Insulting a knight?
That didn’t bother him much.
After all, it was a knight who had fallen from grace.
That man wouldn’t dare retaliate even if he was cursed at.
He certainly didn’t intend to defy the Count…
“Is it you—?”
“…Huh?”
The knight on the podium engaged him with confidence, and Damien, caught off-guard and a beat late, retorted.
“‘Huh’ is informal, you disrespectful brat.”
In the next moment, Damien’s vision turned black.
He saw the lectern flying toward him.
Boom!
In an instant, chaos erupted.
* * *
……Suddenly, people were at a loss for words, stunned all at once.
What just flew by?
Wait, could that sturdy lectern really be thrown like a ball?
Although they had plenty to say, everyone held back their words and just watched the instructor standing on the podium.
“Oh dear, I was trying to throw my glove and ended up launching the lectern. It was a mishap.”
– …….
“Indeed. I couldn’t control my anger from the insult and tried to throw my glove, but this also went flying. Hmm, perhaps the lectern is made of a lightweight material?”
He blamed the lectern, as if begging for others to understand his true feelings, but the crowd wore expressions that were beyond description.
What is wrong with that madman?
As everyone shared the same thought, Damien was still dazed after being hit by the lectern, and the people of House Pollet sprang to action.
“Damien!”
“How dare you! Look at this barbarian!”
Those from House Pollet, seated in the guest area, glared as if they wanted to tear the instructor apart and directed their hostility towards Ihan.
In that moment, Ihan simply said,
“Knock it off.”
He sneered, which only added fuel to the already raging fire of anger.
“You fool!”
Whoosh!
The knight from House Pollet unsheathed his sword, and an overwhelming aura emanated from his body.
The wavering mirage looked like the heat waves rising from a fierce flame.
A solidified killing intent.
The skill of a warrior who had mastered the extremes of tactical techniques.
It was undoubtedly a level surpassing the sword resonance Yorde had demonstrated the previous day, showcasing just how remarkable the knight’s ability was.
Yet, the knight’s sword was aimed at the mad instructor, and before anyone could intervene, the knight’s blade lunged forward.
However.
Whoosh!
“Huh?!”
Before the knight’s blade could pierce the target, a hand axe that pierced through his focus flew up, momentarily halting the knight’s movement.
And the knight realized.
He absolutely must not hesitate.
Whoosh!
“Did you start this first?”
Fwoosh!
When did he move?
Like a bird diving swiftly, Ihan rushed in, burrowing into the knight’s embrace and seized the back of his neck, lifting the knight’s body high into the air.
In an instant, the knight’s body soared upwards like a puppet with its strings cut.
With a powerful sense of buoyancy, the knight couldn’t even counterattack.
Crack!
He slammed headfirst into the ground, his body crashing down.
“Guhhh!”
A horrific scream.
If his neck hadn’t been trained, it wouldn’t have been surprising if it snapped from the impact.
However, thanks to his training, it didn’t break, but he was on the verge of fainting from the shock hitting him as he was driven from the sky.
Even so.
Whoosh!
Ihan didn’t stop.
Still holding onto the knight’s nape, he lifted him up again and slammed him down once more.
“Guh!”
The knight, caught by the neck, swung his sword back in a flurry, driven by a survival instinct.
It was a desperate attempt to not go down easily, but—
Thud.
“…This is impossible.”
“I didn’t train my body to be weak.”
The knight tried to stab Ihan in the abdomen, but it wasn’t going through.
That was only natural.
He had no idea how tough and solid Ihan’s muscles and bones were.
His skin might get scraped, but his flesh wouldn’t be pierced.
Why would a body that had fought against an aura user for three years be anything other than intact?
So.
“That was quite decent.”
Whoosh!
Ihan praised the knight’s will and slammed him down for the last time.
Boom!
Once, twice, three times….
He slammed the knight’s nape against the wall and floor five times total.
As if testing whether the opponent would break first or he himself would tire out.
Any ordinary person would have been exhausted by now, but Ihan showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
On the contrary, it was as if he was releasing all the stress that had built up until now, displaying an overwhelming power as he readied himself for a final blow, starting to lift off the ground.
The momentum was different.
No matter how tough a knight’s body might be, this time it certainly wouldn’t hold up.
Even if his full-body strength was like iron, he could bend; he was confident of that.
Thus—!
“Stop—!!!”
Boom!!
* * *
“Cough…”
Thud…
…Thank goodness, the knight didn’t die.
It was because another knight stepped in to take the full brunt of Ihan’s last drop.
However, just because he blocked it didn’t mean he was unharmed.
“…Thanks for stopping.”
“You’re going to have to explain yourself. You’ll be held accountable for daring to interfere in a knight’s ‘duel.’”
“…You’re right.”
A middle-aged man nodded his head.
Whether by mistake or not, it was ultimately the Count Pollet who first tarnished the knight’s honor.
And it was a knight from House Pollet who drew his sword.
At this moment, the duel was practically established.
Where someone’s head must fall for it to end.
That was how knights’ duels went.
The victor willingly claims the life of the defeated.
This was the unwritten rule that knights had upheld for a long time.
Even though Ihan was often mistaken for a fake knight, it seemed in this moment, he had truly assumed the role of a real knight, rationalizing everything under the banner of honor.
Impractical as it seemed, it was amusing that it actually worked.
And all of this was made possible due to the overwhelming power Ihan displayed.
If he hadn’t been strong, this scene wouldn’t have held up.
“…I am Count Rodan, the head of House Pollet.”
“I am Ihan, a knight who has fallen from grace.”
“…First, I will apologize. My foolish son has insulted you and, by extension, the White Lion.”
“Shouldn’t you have said that before this bastard came at you, right?”
Ihan held the knight, who was swaying in his grip. His eyes were rolled back, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if he passed out any moment.
Count Rodan watched him with pity and said, “I know. I should have stopped it.”
“No, it’s not that you should have stopped it; you should have stopped it earlier. If I had been stabbed by that blade, I wouldn’t have stepped in. I only intervened because it looked like he was about to die.”
Crack.
An unsettling sound echoed from the knight’s neck, and if he survived, he would need some serious recovery time. However, as long as he was alive, there was hope.
“He’s our vice commander. Also, my disciple. He has a rough temperament, but it would be a waste of talent to crush him here. Please, let me take all the blame and offer my neck instead. I beg for leniency.”
Thud.
Rodan then dropped his sword and knelt down. The count was offering his life to save the young one.
It was a noble sight, and the students and esteemed guests in the hall, who had been bewildered and stunned by the sudden duel, were moved by the count’s noble sacrifice.
If they were knights and nobles who valued honor and nobility the most, they might have praised him and forgiven all wrongs upon seeing this.
“—No.”
– ….
To Ihan, honor and nobility held no value at all.
People were left speechless this time around.
* * *
“…Isn’t that guy completely insane?”
“No, what the…”
“Is that even human or an ogre?”
“Ugh…”
They were all wearing expressions of disgust. However, mixed in that disgust was also resentment at the count’s noble display, which didn’t spare a glance for such a vile act.
Most felt this way.
…However, the fact that most felt this way meant that—
“…That’s impressive.”
A few didn’t feel that way.
“My lord?”
“That knight is talented. One must thoroughly crush those who could become a future threat.”
“…?”
“He’s skilled in actual combat too. Did you see that, Jack? That knight completely stole his opponent’s rhythm when he threw that axe. You don’t just learn that. It requires countless battles and training to acquire such proficiency; that knight is intelligent.”
“Is that really the case? He only seems like a brute with strength.”
“You’re mistaken. Those who see will understand. In knightly duels, where a certain level has been achieved, the psychological battle becomes more crucial, and it’s about how to seize the opponent’s timing. Impressive.”
“……Wow.”
Jack was shocked. It wasn’t his craftsmanship he found surprising; it was that his young lord rarely praised anyone else like this.
After all, his lord was someone who often surprised the opponent rather than being astonished by others.
“You’ve found a treasure already, Jack.”
His lord, Loen Dmitri de Lionel, sparkled as if he had found a gem.
Moreover…
[What a jackpot…!]
“Irene?”
[Totally my type…!]
“Huh??”
“Hehehe!”
The ghostly woman, who preferred beast-like men over pretty ones and had somewhat different tastes from others, was drooling.
─Unknowingly, on the very first day, Ihan had caught the attention of his observer.
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