30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?!-Chapter 261: A Knight Never Forgets a Grudge (4)
At some point, while the twins were dozing off against Ihan as if he were a cushion, he recalled the ones he had annihilated with his own hands.
“Not even a cuckoo bird... You sure left your mark all over the place.”
The one Ihan was chasing was none other than Number Two.
These days, they went by the name of the 2nd Apostle or Hensel or whatever, but the Number Two that Ihan knew wasn’t anything as grand as an Apostle—just an irredeemable degenerate.
A lunatic who would chase after anyone they felt affection for, regardless of gender, desperately craving love and attacking them.
And now, when Ihan encountered them again, they weren’t even a man anymore—they had turned into a woman. If that depraved criminal had changed their form, it was undoubtedly for the sake of committing yet another disgusting act or crime.
However, Ihan didn’t particularly care about what kind of depravity that vampire was planning.
It was just...
‘If you throw the first punch, you better be ready to take a beating in return.’
To be perfectly clear, Ihan despised them.
Especially because, as a child, he had almost been a victim...!
And now, the one he already hated had picked a fight with him first? Had even landed a hit before running away?
That was no different from pointing a gun at someone and demanding a life-or-death battle.
Ihan wasn’t magnanimous enough to forgive someone who had already drawn their gun on him. And if forgiveness was supposed to be the virtue of a great man, then he had no interest in being one.
That was why he was wasting his precious winter break chasing them down.
“This bastard’s not even Hong Gil-dong or something...”
Not just flashing from east to west—this bastard’s traces were everywhere, like a virus.
Every single one of the ones Ihan had wiped out had ‘traces’ of them.
That was why he had never hesitated to eliminate them.
But.
“This isn’t going to work...”
He wanted to catch them before winter ended, but at this rate, it seemed hopeless.
A never-ending game of hide-and-seek.
“No, we can catch them.”
“Yeah, we can.”
“...Are you two done napping?”
“A-Ah, we weren’t asleep.”
“Y-Yeah...”
“Then wipe the drool off your mouth before you say that.”
“!!?”
Hearing his murmurs, the twins, who had apparently just woken up, spoke up with meaningful words.
Of course, no matter how meaningful they tried to sound, coming from these little brats, it was nothing but childish nonsense.
...And now his back was all wet.
“I just put this on today...”
With a small grumble, Ihan looked at the twins rubbing the sleep from their eyes.
They were still clearly drowsy, but now that they were awake, they were determined to stay that way.
“O-Our drool isn’t dirty.”
“...It’s clean.”
“You sure talk big.”
“!!”
“More importantly, what do you mean by ‘we can catch them’?”
If it had been just the idle chatter of ordinary children, he wouldn’t have paid it any mind.
But these two weren’t just ordinary children—they were members of a mystical race, and their words carried weight.
And, sure enough—
“There’s a rotting smell lingering around.”
“A bad smell, really bad! And the worst smell is still nearby!”
“......”
“That’s why we can catch them!”
“Catch them!”
“...?”
......He had no idea what they were talking about.
Ihan was too jaded by society to understand the language of pure-hearted children.
***
Swish!
A blade traced a black arc through the air, slicing clean through the heads of five goblins charging forward.
The way they were cut down so effortlessly might give the illusion that goblins were easy to handle.
But—
Squish!
“Graaagh!”
“S-Spare me!”
“You idiots! I told you not to rush in against goblins!!”
Mercenaries were getting stabbed by spears, dragged away, or outright slaughtered.
Even though these were former war mercenaries, they were still struggling against goblins, creatures considered one of the weakest monsters.
It might seem like the mercenaries were just weak, but that was a misunderstanding.
On the contrary—
“Never underestimate goblins. One mistake, and you’ll be wiped out!”
Among monster species, goblins were second only to gnolls in terms of teamwork and tactical intelligence.
And unlike lesser creatures, goblins had a basic grasp of spear and sword techniques.
One goblin alone might be nothing, but a goblin horde? Monster scholars had long evaluated them as being more terrifying than a pack of wolves.
As if to prove those scholars right, even seasoned mercenaries were being toyed with, and already, more than five of them had sustained serious injuries.
If—
Slash!
“This is endless!”
“Kunta is tired.”
“Don’t charge in alone!”
Without those three, this battle might have been even more grueling.
They weren’t quite at the level of one-versus-a-thousand, but each of them was holding their own against ten foes at a time. The three cadets swung their blades tirelessly, cutting down goblins by the dozens.
Yet, more impressive than those boys was...
“Everyone, fall back! There’s a trap ahead! Shield bearers, raise your shields! Those in the rear, throw the stones on the ground as high as you can! Higher!!”
Thwack!
Even as she pierced an approaching goblin’s forehead with pinpoint accuracy, the blue-haired girl commanded with a clear voice, displaying remarkable leadership.
She was the reason they could keep fighting against eight thousand goblins without suffering severe losses.
“Bear Girl is amazing!”
“I figured she’d be a big deal, but she’s already a giant.”
“She truly is remarkable.”
“Save the chatter for later! Sir Garland, join the mercenaries and take command! Arno and Kunta, continue breaking them apart individually! Lord Roen, focus on taking down or stalling the leader!”
At her resolute command, they obeyed without question.
A voice that was upright, righteous, and brimming with conviction had the power to move people’s hearts.
It was a kind of ‘strength’ that neither soldiers nor politicians—who ruthlessly sacrificed their troops for their objectives—could ever possess.
A strength born from an unyielding determination never to let anyone be sacrificed. A nobility that was uniquely hers.
It wasn’t Mystic Power, but it certainly felt like something just as extraordinary. Watching this scene unfold, the black-haired prince—the true leader of this expedition—momentarily forgot about the chaotic situation and reminisced about an old memory.
“...You will always be my admiration, Jeanne.”
The majesty and nobility of the future Mercenary Queen were dazzling to behold.
At some point, even the most stubborn mercenaries—who usually looked down on women—and the dwarves, infamous for their distrust of humans, had come to follow her.
Roen, meanwhile, was simply swinging his sword, cutting down goblins like any other soldier. He had lost his command, but he had no complaints.
Because he knew that her ability to lead was a hundred times greater than his own.
[KAAAA!!]
However, indulging in sentimentality in the middle of a battle was a fatal mistake.
A goblin had crept up on him, raising a rusted blade.
Squelch!
...But the goblin never knew that a shadow was watching over him.
Blood spurted from the goblin’s nape as it collapsed, a dagger extending from the shadow’s hand.
“Master, I understand you’re moved, but now is not the time. You should focus on the fight.”
“If I told you I let my guard down because I trusted you, would you believe me, Jack?”
“Oh, sure, I’ll believe that.”
“...You’re starting to sound like our instructor.”
“Well, did you not want me to be disrespectful? Also, didn’t you say this was supposed to be a light journey?! But we’ve already run into goblins four times!”
“I never lied.”
This journey was meant to escort the dwarves back to their homeland.
That much had been made clear from the start.
It was just that—
“To reach the dwarves’ homeland, we had to enter the mountain range ruled by goblins. Do you think I hired all these people for no reason?”
To cross the mountains, Roen had spent a fortune hiring a first-class mercenary group and several cadets from the swordsmanship academy.
At first, it seemed like an excessive number of people for a simple journey—but there was a reason.
Of course, bringing a proper knight order would have made for a safer trip, but...
‘They need to grow stronger.’
It was, in part, a calculated move by Roen—a not-so-subtle scheme to accelerate the growth of the academy’s “Hundred and Eight Arhats.”
He was raising warriors who could wield power beyond just Aura Techniques.
That was a crucial piece of Roen’s greater vision.
...Of course, for the cadets, who had taken this job thinking it would be easy money, it was nothing short of an outrage.
Still, Roen had no intention of recklessly putting them in danger.
Even he feared the instructor’s wrath and had no desire to make unnecessary enemies.
Which was why—
“Everyone, fall back.”
He had prepared a powerful insurance policy.
FWOOOOOOOOSH!
A violent gust of wind tore through the battlefield.
It was an overwhelming surge of magic—far beyond what one would expect from a girl with a fairy-like appearance.
A genius sorceress, one who had already surpassed the title of Archmage, had completed her spell.
“[Wind, rise.] [Blow fiercely.] [Pierce through everything.] [Stronger than a spear!]”
CRACKLE!
The moment her magic swept through the battlefield, goblins were tossed into the air like dry twigs, torn apart.
The wind was like a miniature typhoon—a disaster in itself.
Her magic carried a sharpness akin to blades hidden within the storm, as well as a crushing weight, like hammers pounding down from the sky.
Hundreds of goblins had likely perished in an instant.
“A magnificent sight.”
Irene Windler.
Roen’s insurance—hired for an exorbitant price—had proven herself more than worth the cost.
A satisfied smile spread across Roen’s face.
“Um, my lord... I’ve been wondering for a while now—what exactly did you offer her in return for her services? Galahad’s people are hardly short on money...”
“......”
“Oh, if it’s a /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ secret, you don’t have to tell me.”
“...I just gave her a gift.”
“A gift?”
“...That’s all you need to know.”
“???”
There were things in this world better left unknown.
“...Ahem.”
Jack didn’t see it, but for a brief moment, Roen’s face stiffened—cold sweat forming on his forehead.
“Hehehe, I think my magic is working even better today, thanks to the bracelet.”
Even as she crushed the goblins, Irene smiled brightly.
She felt better than ever.
But as the ghostly girl watching over her gazed at her, all she could feel was sheer horror.
[...Irene, does that... really make you happy?]
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“Hmm? Of course, I’m happy. I’m with a part of the person I love, aren’t I? Isn’t that enough to be happy?”
[......]
“Why?”
[Ah... No, never mind. I should just keep my mouth shut...]
“???”
The ghostly girl felt an unexplainable dread when looking at Irene but couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
The girl hadn’t committed any crime. She claimed to be happy. What more was there to say?
It was just—
[...A bracelet made of hair is just...]
The bracelet on Irene’s wrist.
It was made from strands of her instructor’s hair.
She treasured it like a sacred charm.
Just the thought of it sent shivers down the ghostly girl’s spine.
[They say ghosts are scary, but people are worse...]
“What have you been muttering about?”
[...That you’re terrifying.]
“???”
[Haaah...]
The ghostly girl sighed deeply, genuinely worried about her broken partner.
...And yet, Irene herself remained blissfully unaware of just how wrong she was.
