Chapter: 8
If the troll’s blessing granted Lee Han remarkable resilience and impressive strength, then the gnoll’s blessing bestowed upon him senses beyond those of humans, such as ‘olfaction’ and ‘instinct.’
I won’t delve too much into instincts; let’s just move on—olfaction is exactly what it sounds like.
Not quite as sharp as a hunting dog’s sense of smell, but three times more sensitive than an average human’s, it granted him an almost mystical ability: the power to remember people solely by their scent.
Just like dogs with poor eyesight can happily recognize their owners years later purely by scent, Lee Han also unintentionally learned to recall people by their smell rather than their faces.
Once he got used to it, it turned out to be pretty convenient.
“I’m heading out first.”
“What about the fee?”
“Deposit it in the bank as usual. Oh, and if you forget it, you know what’ll happen, right?”
“I can’t speak for others, but I wouldn’t dare touch yours out of fear of the consequences. I’d even give you double. Just promise me you won’t get into any other trouble. That’s a deal!”
“Understood.”
Responding somewhat dismissively to the foreman’s words, Lee Han quickly scooped water from the well and splashed it on himself.
He wiped away sweat and dust, leaving himself relatively clean.
After changing into tidier clothes, he stepped outside.
“’The Master’ is waiting for you.”
“…Sigh.”
A seasoned-looking servant bowed politely, and seeing him made Lee Han sigh again.
It was a familiar face, but there was something about this gentleman that gave Lee Han the heebie-jeebies.
“Thank you for your hard work, sir.”
“Haha, hard work? What could that possibly be? Come now, let’s go.”
“Phew…”
Despite Albert the butler having many traits that made Lee Han uncomfortable, the most notable was that he held the noble title of viscount.
He wasn’t just any noble; he belonged to a prestigious family loyal to the royal family, and even those above him in rank wouldn’t dare treat him lightly.
Although Lee Han typically disregarded the whims of nobles, dealing with someone of his caliber was rather daunting.
Yet, this high-ranking gentleman treated everyone with equal respect, whether they were commoners or beggars, and even ran an orphanage. Talk about being a model citizen.
That was the second reason why Lee Han found it tough to deal with him.
If he openly picked a fight or sent a cold stare his way, Albert could just ignore him. But he was far too decent to resort to that.
And the last reason, the most significant one for not being able to treat this person carelessly, was…
“Oh ho, your physique has improved, I see. It’s nice to see you consistently developing, ho ho.”
“Ah, yes indeed.”
“With that kind of progress, I suspect one day you might even get a hit in on Valtaer. Keep up the good work.”
“…Haha.”
The reason for such apprehension lay in the fact that this gentleman was one of the few Aura users in the kingdom.
For context, Valtaer was the name of the captain of the Third Knights and the one who recruited Lee Han into the order.
‘This gentleman is rather eccentric as well.’
He was undoubtedly a person of character, but it was hard to fathom why someone with such supernatural skills would choose to be a butler.
Then again, considering Valtaer also wasn’t exactly the grand commander of the military but was stuck as the head of the Third Knights, it wasn’t all that strange.
Remembering the unique backgrounds of the other members too, it seemed that all Aura users were a bit quirky.
He couldn’t afford to express that on his face, though, knowing full well that bad expression management could lead to an unwanted beatdown.
He once had to face off against this gentleman.
“Tough as nails, that one.”
Usually a gentleman, but when he grasps a weapon…!
“You’re late.”
…Oh dear.
Before he could spiral into more thoughts, he somehow found himself standing next to a luxurious carriage in a quiet alley.
“Late? It wasn’t on purpose, you know!”
“Your words are as shiny as your excuses, Albert. You must have either been gossiping or rambling away to have kept me waiting.”
“Haha, you’re misunderstanding greatly. You’re too much of a handful, my lady.”
“Hmph! Not even a little bit funny!”
At first glance, her tone was arrogant and combative, but the underlying grace and dignity in her voice were nothing short of top-tier nobility.
Feeling the noble aura radiating off her, Lee Han turned to Albert with a look that blended slight distress and anxiety.
“Do I have to actually get into that carriage?”
“Please do.”
Instead of responding, Albert graciously opened the door for him and all but shoved him inside.
…What a harsh gentleman.
Inside the carriage, the luxurious interior was decked out with several maidservants, sparkling jewels, and magical items galore.
What he could see from the outside was merely the tip of the iceberg, for the interior was even more extravagant.
However, compared to the nobility emanating from the woman inside, even the shimmer of jewels paled in comparison.
Lee Han lowered his head in the spacious carriage that could comfortably fit five men.
“It’s been quite a while,” he said, trying to keep the mood light.
“Hmph, you heartless wretch. How can a so-called friend be this out of reach?”
“I’ve been busy living my life.”
“Nonsense. If you had just accepted my generous support, you’d have time to spare.”
“Haha.”
“Trying to laugh your way out of it again, are you?”
The lady used the word ‘friend’ when speaking to Lee Han.
At a glance, that term felt entirely out of place.
Just looking at the grace she exuded made it clear she belonged to the highest echelons of aristocracy, which made it hard to believe that someone like Lee Han, who showed no distinction, could be considered a friend.
Surprisingly, they were indeed on friendly terms.
…Though their statuses varied about as much as a firefly compared to the sun, and while gems sparkled, her grace outshone all.
“Remember, your life-saving act means you’ve gained the honor of being my little brother, so treat this honor with respect and kindness.”
“Even after all this time, you remains unchanged.”
Three years ago, when she visited the garrison to encourage soldiers following the war, Isis was attacked by an assassin.
Fortunately, there was a brave soldier who saved her—Lee Han. That moment marked the start of their ties.
…But don’t get carried away; there’s nothing romantic about it.
In fact, any romance would be quite troubling.
Because…
“Oh ho, you’ve become bolder compared to before.”
“Is your kid growing up well?”
“Want to see him?”
“Boo?”
“…”
“You really have no concerns about what could happen if you drop him, huh?”
She was a married woman—and one who had given birth.
“…”
Lee Han gaped.
He recognized that baby.
He had seen the newborn from afar not too long ago.
Even so, it felt incredibly disrespectful for him to speak up.
“Si… Sister, I really shouldn’t say this, but… are you out of your mind?”
He scolded her as though reprimanding a child, but Isis just laughed heartily, showcasing a charming smile filled with the confidence of a warrior.
“It’s normal. I trust my people that much; therefore, I carry him around like this.”
“…”
“If you think about it, it’s ideal.”
“Boo!”
“Hoho! Now, that’s a bold attitude. Of course, as my child, he should inherit such boldness.”
“Umm…”
Wasn’t there something a past friend once said? That all political figures were a bit off their rockers? Perhaps he had been right after all.
‘Yup.’
The only son of Princess Isis—the heir of the royal family—clearly wanted nothing more than to escape from this situation.
Of course, he found the additional realization that he couldn’t leave at all even more disheartening.
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