Chapter 7
“Ah, time has flown by so quickly.”
Just like how knights are compared to major league players, when there are no baseball games (battles), the players (knights) have nothing to do.
Unless there’s a war, a rebellion, or support for an ally, they wouldn’t bother doing anything.
If they do have something to do, it would be to hone their skills in preparation for any emergency situation.
So, for them, going to work is just a formality, merely a performance to demonstrate loyalty to the king.
What does that mean?
“I’m clocking out.”
“Already?”
“I’ve got things to take care of.”
“…Oh, heading to the construction site, right?”
“Exactly. Unlike those nobles swimming in money and time, commoners like me have to juggle jobs, don’t we?”
“Haha…”
If there’s one thing that differentiates knights from Major League players, it’s that their salary is slightly higher than regular soldiers, maybe?
If those strong in combat wanted to earn money, they’d become mercenaries for better pay, but knights are in it for ‘honor’ and ‘authority’ instead of cash.
Their salary barely covers the dignity maintenance expenses, which means it always feels a bit insufficient from a commoner’s viewpoint.
However,
“You’re not really going to the construction site just for the money, are you?”
“Wrong assumption.”
As he turned away, he casually waved goodbye.
“…You could earn money in countless ways.”
Jake shrugged, murmuring aloud the thoughts he couldn’t express directly.
At that moment,
“Where is Senior Lee Han going?”
“Hm?”
The newly recruited knight Yord, who had just been reprimanded by Lee Han, approached Jake.
“I apologize. I spoke out of turn before greeting properly.”
“Hmm.”
Since he was mostly dealing with Lee Han, he had gotten used to informal speech, though it was unusual around the many aristocrats in the 3rd Knight Order.
“…Just speak comfortably, alright? Being overly formal is cringey.”
“But…”
“It’s fine. And just call me ‘senior’ like you do with Lee Han; I’d prefer it that way.”
“Ah, understood, Senior Jake.”
“Phew, that’s much easier on the ears now.”
“…”
“Haha, you’re just too close with Lee Han, that’s all.”
Jake Parmen offered a half-hearted excuse, while Yord awkwardly laughed along with him.
Still, he seemed concerned about Lee Han, glancing toward the direction he’d vanished, his hand twitching nervously.
Seeing this, Jake raised an eyebrow.
“Ho, the competitive spirit hasn’t died down at all.”
“…Even if I can’t surpass him now, I’m determined to eventually. N-no, I don’t mean to challenge him to a duel like just now. I’ve already suffered enough humiliation, I just wanted to have a word.”
“…Well, I guess there are cases like this.”
It’s rare.
A person showing favoritism toward Lee Han.
Was today’s duel that impressive?
‘Not bad.’
Jake had always felt sorry for Lee Han, who seemed to have more enemies than friends.
So, having a junior eager to get close to him was indeed something to be welcomed.
Jake readily showed kindness to his junior aiming to bond with Lee Han.
“Lee Han went off to do a side job; he calls it a part-time gig.”
“…A side job? …Doesn’t he have any sponsors?”
Yord looked perplexed at this bizarre story.
Though he comes from humble beginnings, Lee Han is a knight.
Moreover, he’s part of the royal knight order and one of the strongest in the Kingdom’s Silver Lion Knights.
Such a person would certainly be a prime target for investment from merchants, clearly someone they’d like to get to know.
Even Yord, of modest birth, had a sponsorship deal with a merchant despite lacking significant assets.
It wasn’t as if those contracts would guarantee support through force, but it allowed them to use their name like a bargaining chip, which was deemed essential for a merchant.
Yet, it’s peculiar for someone from the ranks of the Silver Lions to be doing side jobs out of financial necessity.
“Indeed, that’s normal,” Jake nodded, exhibiting understanding toward Yord’s reaction without hesitation.
He was a good senior who addressed his junior’s curiosity.
“That guy purposely avoids sponsorship. Even though many merchants are hoping to make a deal with him.”
“Is that kind of thing common?”
“That guy’s unique in that regard. Something about feeling uneasy about accepting sponsorships for when it’s time to retire, or something like that.”
“…What?”
“Haha, don’t try to understand; that’s just the way it is.”
Within the honorable Silver Lion ranks, dishonorable discharges were common, but retirement? That was unheard of.
So, for someone to want to retire without accepting support seemed strange indeed.
Anyway, whether he was genuine or quirky, Han was someone Jake had known for quite some time, yet he still remained a bit of a mystery.
*
Lee Han gripped his axe.
Thwack!
With a crisp sound, he sliced through the air, landing a precise strike on the wood, causing a crack to appear in the log immediately.
Even adept individuals often needed several nails to hammer in before they could split a log neatly, yet Lee Han managed to fell it with just one single lumberjack’s axe.
“Wow, as expected of you, Ri Han.”
“Impressive work.”
“Still got those enviable skills, huh? How come you just stepped over here like it’s nothing?”
While working at this lumberyard, Lee Han went by the name ‘Ri Han’ and was officially listed as a soldier instead of a knight.
He had his reasons for choosing to call himself a knight—avoiding unnecessary trouble, of course.
However, no matter how clever his maneuvers were, he genuinely toiled hard, often regarded as the ace among the lumberjacks.
“He’s not quitting his main job. Just stop chatting and focus on work. Why are you so chatty?”
“Hey, when doing this kind of work, talking eases the strain!”
“Whatever, you’re young and clueless.”
“You too, sip on a drink or something!”
“…Not happening.”
In any labor site, if there’s a similar corner, it’s usual to work with a few drinks in the system.
While it can raise concern about potential accidents, Lee Han didn’t mind much.
After all, if they got hurt, it’s their fault, not his.
He carried on quietly with his work, enduring the remarks about young folks living boring lives.
However…
“What’s boring about this?”
If there’s one thing he wants to deny, it’s that Lee Han, while chopping wood for his side job, was discovering immense excitement in it.
‘Muscles are stretched taut; this is what I love.’
It seems quite natural, right?
Wasn’t the reason he ended up doing lumberjack work—one among many possible jobs—because he wanted something that would allow him to earn money while also being an excellent training opportunity?
From that perspective, logging is genuinely an ideal gig.
“Chop!”
Every swing of the axe stimulated muscles, starting from his back and engaging his entire body.
Not just the latissimus dorsi and erector spinae, but every little muscle—arms, fingers and beyond—were at work.
Pondering how the muscles absorbed and dissipated shock while exerting force made the whole experience so interesting and enjoyable that time flew by unnoticed.
“And this too is a skill set.”
Most importantly, wielding an axe wasn’t merely about brute strength; it demanded a high level of finesse.
Just as one understands the difficulty of nailing down something during the first attempt, swinging an axe is also no walk in the park—understanding requires meticulous technique, clean posture, expertise, and a wealth of knowledge.
Which sometimes leads to thoughts about how cool it would be to wield a sword like an axe.
‘Isn’t this what they call practical wisdom in daily life?’
Through his experience dismantling trees, Lee Han was not only gaining effective training but oddly felt like he was evolving into a master he once saw on TV during his past life—hard to put into words, honestly.
‘The me from my past life feels so far removed from who I am now.’
In his previous life, Lee Han lost his parents early and was raised by his grandfather.
Being an orphan led to a lot of bullying from peers, making him timid and reserved.
After his grandfather left him as well during high school, he decided to forge a path as a soldier to fend for himself.
He became a non-commissioned officer, the decision to become a soldier stemming from nothing exceptional.
With little money or talent, his choices were limited, and among the few options available to him, being a soldier seemed the most plausible with just determination and effort.
Though within the year he regretted the decision, seeing the unpleasantries of military life.
But what could he do?
A living had to be made.
Eventually, he got caught up in an incident during a break and met his end—but even without the incident, he might have perished from overwork and stress, who knows?
In that respect, his current life, while initially grimy, felt rewarding now.
Though still within the knight’s order, he was living faithfully without overly fretting about others’ opinions.
Maybe it’s because his past life was soaked in regret, always worried about what others thought, that he developed a slightly twisted mindset without even realizing it.
‘Yet, I’ve been a soldier in both lives. Talk about a bizarre existence.’
Just as Lee Han compared the past to the present, a wry grin threatened to bubble out of him.
Sniff, sniff.
“Hm?”
Amidst the scent of sweat and labor, he caught a whiff of an out-of-place fancy cologne.
And sadly, he remembered the owner of that fragrance all too well.
“…Oh no, not again.”
It seemed like the ‘pesky acquaintance’ he’d rather avoid had dropped by again, like a costume party joker.
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