"Oh, it's already this late," Ihan muttered.

Just as comparing knights to Major League players suggested, when there was no "game" (battle), knights had a lot of free time.
Unless there was a war, rebellion, or the need to support allied nations, they didn't really have work to do.
Their main responsibility was simply to train and hone their skills in preparation for emergencies—that was their duty.

Thus, even showing up for work was more of a performance, a demonstration of loyalty to the king rather than a necessity.

In other words...

"I'm off for the day."
"Already?"
"I’ve got things to do."
"Ah, heading to the construction site?"
"Yeah. Unlike the nobles who have plenty of money and time, us commoners need to work two jobs to get by."
"Haha..."

The only real difference between the knights and the Major League was perhaps that the knights’ pay was slightly higher than that of regular soldiers.
If those with strength wanted to make real money, they could have become mercenaries, but knights chose to pursue "honor" and "authority" instead.
The salary was just enough to maintain their dignity, but for a commoner, it was barely enough.

However...

"You don’t really need to go to the construction site for money, though."
"That’s a misunderstanding."

Ihan turned and walked off, waving his hand lazily as a form of farewell.

"...A guy who can make money whenever he wants," Jake muttered under his breath, shrugging.

At that moment...

"Senior Lihan, where are you headed?"
"Hmm?"

The new recruit, Yord, who had just been defeated by Ihan, approached him, greeting him politely.

"Sir Parman, apologies for speaking to you first."
"Hmm."

Ihan was so used to talking casually, especially after spending so much time with commoners, that he found formal greetings awkward.
Especially in the Third Division, where many knights came from minor families.

"...Just speak comfortably. All this formality feels strange."
"But..."
"It’s fine. And instead of calling me 'Sir,' you can just call me a senior, like you do with Ihan. That sounds better to me."
"Ah, understood, Senior Jake."
"Whew, much better."
"......"
"Haha, you must have spent too much time around Ihan."

Jake Parman chuckled and Yord gave an awkward smile, playing along.
But even as they talked, Yord couldn’t help glancing in the direction where Ihan had disappeared, his hand twitching as if eager to pursue him.
Seeing this, Jake’s eyes glinted with interest.

"Your competitive spirit hasn’t died down at all."
"...I may not be able to surpass him now, but I’ll make sure I do in the future. Not that I’m asking for another match right away—I’ve already been thoroughly beaten. I just wanted to have a conversation with him."
"...That’s a rare case."

It was uncommon for a noble-born knight to take a liking to Ihan.
Had today’s duel been that impressive?

'Not bad.'

Jake personally found it unfortunate that his friend had so many enemies, so seeing a junior knight taking an interest in Ihan was a welcome sight.
Jake had no reason to withhold his kindness from someone who wanted to get closer to his friend.

"Ihan went to his side job. He calls it his second job."
"Side job? Does he not have a sponsor?"

Yord tilted his head, clearly puzzled by what he had just heard.
Even though Ihan was a commoner, he was still a knight.
Not just any knight, but one from the White Lion Knights, the kingdom’s strongest and directly under the royal family.

For someone like that, wealthy merchants would be lining up to offer sponsorship deals.
Even Yord, despite his modest background, had secured a sponsorship from a merchant.
While it was mostly just a ceremonial arrangement—allowing the merchant to use his name—it was still something important for them.
It seemed strange that a knight of Ihan's status would have to take on a side job for money.

"...That is odd, indeed."

Jake nodded, understanding Yord's confusion, but he quickly explained.

"That guy refuses to take on sponsors. Even though plenty of merchants have offered."
"Is that even possible?"
"With him, it is. He said something like, 'If I take a sponsorship deal, it’ll feel awkward when I retire.'"
"...What?"
"Haha, don’t try to understand it. It’s normal not to."

In a prestigious order like the White Lion Knights, it wasn’t unheard of for knights to retire dishonorably, but retiring voluntarily was rare.
Yet here was Ihan, refusing all offers because he planned to retire someday without any strings attached.

'Whether he’s diligent or just plain strange, who knows.'

Even after all these years, Jake still couldn’t fully understand Ihan.

Ihan lifted an axe.

Crash!

With a clean swing that cut through the air, he brought it down precisely on the log, and a crack appeared instantly.
Even logs that required several heavy wedges and a hammer to split were nothing for Ihan with just a single swing of his logging axe.

"Wow, as expected of Lihan!"
"Nice and clean!"
"With skills like that, why didn’t you just become a lumberjack instead of a soldier?"

At the logging site, Ihan went by the name "Lihan," and he had listed his occupation as a soldier rather than a knight.
He knew that calling himself a knight would just complicate things, so he decided to be discreet.
Even though he was using a fake name, Ihan worked hard and was considered an ace among the lumberjacks.

"I’m not quitting my main job. Now stop chatting and get back to work. You guys talk too much."
"Hey, man. This is hard work—if we don’t talk, it’s even harder."
"Come on, you’re still young. You wouldn’t get it."
"At least have a drink with us!"
"...No thanks."

It was the same on any job site—people often worked while fueled by alcohol.
Though Ihan couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if an accident occurred, he didn’t try to control them.
If they got hurt, it was their own fault, not his responsibility.
Ihan just quietly did his work, often being called boring because he refused to drink or socialize much.

But…

‘What’s boring about this?’

If there was one thing Ihan wanted to deny, it was the claim that chopping wood was boring. In fact, he found a certain charm in it.

‘My muscles are really getting worked here.’

Maybe it was only natural.
After all, why did he take up logging as a side job in the first place?
It wasn’t just about earning money; it was because it was an excellent workout.

In that sense, logging was a fantastic job.

Crack!

Each time he split a log, he felt the tension spread from his back to every muscle in his body.
Not just his latissimus dorsi and spinal erectors, but even his smaller muscles, arms, fingers—none were left idle.
As his muscles tensed and absorbed the shock, he realized that the experience was both thrilling and fascinating. Time flew by without him noticing.

‘This is a skill in its own right.’

Swinging an axe wasn’t just about brute force. It required high-level technique.
Just like how hammering a nail seems easy until you actually try it, swinging an axe wasn’t simple. It required precision, form, technique, and experience.
Sometimes, he thought about how he could apply the same principles to his swordsmanship.

‘I guess this is what they mean by "wisdom in everyday life."’

Through the process of splitting logs, Ihan was not only getting good training but also felt like he was becoming a master at something, much like the experts he had once seen on TV in his previous life.
It gave him an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.

‘I'm so different from who I was in my past life.’

In his previous life, he had never been so passionate about anything, nor had he found joy in physical labor.

‘It’s amazing how much the environment can change a person.’

In his past life, Ihan had lost his parents early and was raised by his grandfather.
As a child without parents, he was often ostracized by his peers, leading him to become a shy and timid boy.
When his grandfather passed away during his high school years, Ihan had immediately turned to the military as a means to survive.
He chose the path of a non-commissioned officer, not out of any particular desire, but because it seemed like the only viable option for someone with no money or skills.
At least, it was something he could do if he had persistence and effort.

Of course, after seeing all kinds of dirty things in the military, he regretted it within a year, but what could he do?
He had to make a living.

During a leave of absence, he got involved in an incident that cost him his life.
Though even if he hadn’t, he figured he probably would have died from overwork or stress eventually.

Looking at it that way, his current life, though rough at first, was fulfilling now.
Even though he was still part of the knight order, he was content, living without worrying about what others thought of him.
Maybe it was because he had lived his past life constantly worrying about how others perceived him that he had become a bit twisted.

‘Still, I was a soldier in my past life and a soldier now. What a strange life.’

As Ihan reflected on the differences between his past and present life, a chuckle almost escaped his lips.

Sniff, sniff.

"Hmm?"

Among the sweaty odor of the worksite, Ihan caught a whiff of expensive perfume.
Unfortunately, Ihan recognized the owner of that scent.

"...She’s back again."

It seemed that Ihan’s "troublesome friend," someone he was as reluctant to meet as the captain, had come to find him once again.