Chapter 115
After spending a few days in the Territory, we decided to follow the Lemegeton and return home.
I was starting to miss my Cave. I had been away for too long.
Surely, the surrounding Monsters must have increased significantly.
Unlike when we had departed separately from the Knight Order, we decided to return with them this time.
Last time, our starting points were different, so it didn't matter if we went our separate ways, but now it felt awkward to just leave alone.
Wouldn't it seem like I was explicitly showing that I found it awkward to go with them?
Of course, it was true that it was awkward, given they were the ones who tried to kill me... but thinking it internally and showing it externally are two different things.
Besides, Odelia had said she had something to discuss on the way, so I simply decided to follow along.
Still, perhaps because I was traveling with the Knight Order this time, no one tried to pick a fight like the Adventurers I'd seen before.
“······.”
...Instead, the gazes they cast were a bit burdensome.
Since we were traveling together, I ended up encountering the Knights quite frequently.
And each time, I could feel their furtive glances.
There didn't seem to be any hostility, but their gazes seemed to hold many thoughts.
I tried to make eye contact once, but it was no use.
Because they would naturally avert their gaze whenever I looked at them.
*Hmm...*
After enduring it for a while, my curiosity finally got the better of me, and I asked Odelia.
What on earth was the reason they were acting like that.
“It's the first time they've seen you fight. ...And me too. So they seem a bit fascinated. Knights revere strength, after all.”
In short, they became interested after seeing me duel Andras.
And Odelia told me not to worry, as there weren't any particularly resentful gazes.
That was certainly good news. To be honest, I thought there'd be talk because of my association with that Lemegeton lot.
Fortunately, given the circumstances, it seemed they just let it slide.
“And... to add a minor reason. There are very few men in the Knight Order. They just don't often get a chance to see them, so they're curious. Please understand.”
She added this afterthought later.
Hearing that, I paused to recall my memories.
*Now that she mentions it...*
I realized I had indeed rarely seen a 'man' among the Knight Commanders.
Excluding the 4th Knight Commander I fought, almost all of them—ninety-nine out of a hundred—were women.
Moreover, Knights often live together in groups.
They have many deployments, a lot of training, and many joint missions.
So, for them, there isn't much opportunity to meet men.
I think I understand why *that 4th Knight Commander* is so popular. With such limited supply, it's bound to be precious.
*Hmm...*
Hearing that, I found it certainly interesting. I didn't feel bad at all. No, rather, it felt good.
Couldn't I satisfy my perverse male ego?
Moreover, most of the Knight Order are people who know what courtesy is.
Unlike the boorish Adventurers who just push their way in, their courtesy meant there was little worry of things getting troublesome.
So, from then on, to satisfy my perverse self-esteem, I decided to associate with the Knight Order a bit.
“Um... if it's not too much trouble, would you be willing to spar with me? Oh, it's nothing much. I just want to learn a thing or two.”
“Oh, by all means.”
I sometimes played along with the Female Knight who bravely asked me to spar.
“······,”
“...Why, why are you staring like that?”
“Just because.”
I would even stare openly at the Knights for no reason at all.
“...! Lord Yor! Even if you've lived alone your whole life, you shouldn't expose your skin like that just anywhere!”
“No, why not? You guys just comfortably expose yours. I'm hot too!”
“A man and a woman are not the same!”
When the weather was really hot, I would even pull out my main items: short-sleeved shirts or tank tops.
Summer was nearing its end, but there were still many hot days.
I wanted to wear cool clothes too.
Of course, whenever I did that, the Knight Order members would make a huge fuss.
Perhaps because they were always surrounded by people of the same sex, they had little immunity to the opposite sex.
In short, most of them were quite naive.
Watching them, I smirked inwardly.
It was a sensation I hadn't felt in a long time. People were flustered by my every little action. This was a sense of superiority, omnipotence...
Yes... I could control people's emotions!
Of course, there were also those who looked upon this situation with displeasure.
Namely, my Companions.
“Um... Mr. Yor. Aren't you, well, being too defenseless?”
“No, just wear whatever's comfortable. I'll cover everything for you with Magic.”
Whenever I pulled such stunts, they would sometimes look at this place with displeased expressions.
Haneul even sometimes freaked out and cast *Illusion Magic* on me...
They seemed to feel a strange jealousy.
Watching them, I chuckled inwardly. It wasn't a bad feeling at all.
*Well, I suppose I have been a bit neglectful while traveling...*
With things popping up everywhere, from the Lemegeton to the Knight Order, I hadn't really had the luxury of making time.
Seeing that, I decided to restrain my actions a bit.
Of course, that didn't mean I stopped associating with the Knight Order entirely.
If nothing else, sparring with them was helpful to me.
*Clang- Clack-!
*As I quietly blocked the Knights' swords, I could feel something profound contained within their blades.
Their Attacks continued without interruption or obstruction. Even while they were delivering a Strike, their Defense was visibly firm and well-established.
Even an ordinary Knight often almost caught me off guard, nearly landing an Attack.
Even if my basic physique was superior, in terms of Technique, I still couldn't surpass the Knights.
"Your Attack is truly remarkable."
The Knight seemed to feel the same way.
Florence, a Knight I had often sparred with recently, spoke up.
"The direction of your Attack is obvious, and your stance is awkward... yet there's almost no wasted energy. How should I put it, it feels like you're purely throwing raw power, without any formality or Feints?"
"I know. My Attack is crude."
"No, no. It's a compliment. It's a highly practical movement. Didn't you even defeat a Demon with it?"
She said that while my Attack was certainly easy to predict, blocking it was another matter entirely.
It wasn't simply a matter of strength and speed. If you tried to block the Attack, you'd suddenly find yourself caught up in its pace. That's how you'd get cornered.
“I don't know if it's because your Sense is excellent, but... you know how to restrict your Opponent's movements. So even if your Attack is obvious, it's very annoying from the Opponent's perspective.”
Having said that much, Florence let out a sigh.
“That's why I feel it's a bit of a shame. Why don't you properly learn Martial Arts?”
“Hmm... would it help?”
“Well. Honestly, I can't guarantee it would help, as your body has already developed many habits... but there's no harm in trying. Originally, Martial Arts was created not just for training the mind and body, but also to exert power beyond one's physical limits.”
After hearing her words, I gave a small nod.
*Martial Arts, huh...*
It was a topic I had thought about a lot in the past, the idea that if I had more impressive techniques, I might be able to live a more comfortable life.
But as I grew older, my thoughts changed a bit, as the necessity of learning something gradually disappeared. After all, I had proven myself many times in my own way.
I found no reason to force something else into it.
And to be honest, I also didn't have the opportunity to learn.
Still, hearing her words... the idea seemed like it might be worth considering if the opportunity arose.
“Then I will continue my attack.”
As I was thinking that, Florence tried to continue the sparring.
The sword held by my opponent rushed towards me. Perhaps due to the difference in skill, there was no restraint in the knight's sword.
I tried to block the Knight's sword by holding my spear horizontally.
But then...
*Snap-*
“Eh.”
With an unpleasant sound, my spear snapped in two.
My spear, which had been with me since long ago... the one that had caught Sangun, dueled a Knight Commander, and struck down countless Demons.
Unable to endure the hard labor, it had chosen to commit suicide.
I thought it was about time to replace it, but I never imagined it would break so suddenly.
“Oh no!”
The Knight I was sparring with quickly reined in her sword.
But it seemed she couldn't stop her momentum, which was already charging towards me.
My opponent broke through the gap where my spear had been broken and gently fell into my arms.
I, too, couldn't help but fall to the ground from the inertia.
More than embarrassment, more than excitement, what came first was this.
*...Ouch.*
Nothing but pain. As expected of a Knight, my Opponent was wearing hard armor even during Sparring. Forget about the feel of skin; I had just been hit with a *Body Check* by an *Iron Mass*.
“H-huh! Lord Yor, are you alright?”
Florence sprang up in surprise. Her face was a bit red, as if she, unlike me, had felt something.
I scratched my head and replied. I stopped her from apologizing.
“Yes, well... I'm fine.”
Ah, it was the familiar *Lucky Sukebe*...
*
“Huh? Why the long face?”
“My spear broke...”
After losing my beloved weapon so meaninglessly, I headed to Odelia's Tent at her summons.
Unlike her usual sly demeanor, she was sitting with a rather serious expression this time.
She was conveying that the topic of conversation would be serious.
As I took an available seat, she opened the discussion.
“I plan to ask the Emperor to dispatch a large-scale force to find the Altar.”
I suddenly saw her skin above her clothes.
Faint burn marks remained, as if to show how fierce the battle had been.
I heard that if she went to the Temple, they would heal without scars, but at that moment, they looked a bit painful.
She continued.
“I'll also publicly recruit through the Guild, offering a large sum of money to anyone who finds and reports an Altar, and I plan to ask for cooperation from other countries as well.”
It seemed she had learned a lot from this *Extermination* battle against Andras.
This time, there was no Lemegeton intervention, yet two Demons appeared.
“I realized that preserving our Forces and only pursuing the Lemegeton aren't the best approach. We managed to defend well this time due to a good initial response, but... if a Demon descends again for no reason, it could be a disaster.”
So, she said, they would find and remove the Altars first.
It was the correct response. Honestly, we could say we were lucky this time.
However, what I was curious about was why she was telling me this.
because usually, there's something desired hidden behind such talks.
Fortunately, she continued without hesitation.
“I'll also ask for your cooperation... Honestly, in this battle, your contribution was the greatest. If you hadn't been there, not only Andras but Flauros would have appeared, and the damage would have been enormous.”
I was just about to say, *'Empty-handed?'*
Before I could, she placed a piece of metal on the table. It was the metal that had come from Andras, whom we had captured this time.
“This, after an Appraisal, seems to still be effective even if divided. It won't be all of it, but... I'll strongly advocate to ensure you get at least a portion of this. If there's anything else you want, tell me. I'll provide as much convenience as possible.”
She said, after taking a breath.
“So, please lend your strength next time too.”
“······.”
I remained silent for a moment. I was a bit surprised by her surprisingly humble attitude.
But that was only for a moment; I soon nodded.
It was a proposal with no downside for me.
*I'll get some holy water too, so it's fine, I guess.*
A few days later, I arrived at my home, the Cave.
I seemed to have become a little closer with the Knights.