Raq de Duron was proving to be far more meticulous than his rough appearance suggested.

That much was clear.

“The important part isn’t the flowing river or the salmon. Focus on the numbers and Morse code written afterward. And you need to interpret the metaphorical meaning of the salmon.”
“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Ignorant bastard. Just because you’re good with a sword and spear doesn’t make you a knight. Read a book once in a while.”
“!?”

Raq felt a surge of anger boil up from his chest.

If anyone else had said it, he might have let it slide.

But being called an ignorant bastard by this brute? It was infuriating.

Still, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and listen, given that he needed the information.

Even so, he couldn’t suppress his irritation.

‘So it’s encoded using military ciphers and literary references. Damn.’

Who would’ve thought this guy—who looked like an ogre or troll—would use such a sophisticated encryption method?

“I see now why you shouldn’t judge someone by their appearance.”
“Keep pushing my buttons, and I’ll leave.”
“That’s a shame. I was planning to serve paella for dinner.”
“……”
“Oh? You’re leaving?”
“…You’re better at negotiating than I expected for someone so irritating.”
“…And you’re the last person I want to hear that from.”

Neither was willing to back down.

But then—

“By the way, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Instead of struggling to decode this yourself, why didn’t you just ask me to do it?”
“……”
“Do you enjoy making things harder for yourself?”
“…You would’ve explained it if I asked?”

For the first time, Raq stumbled over his words.

Meanwhile, Ihan just shrugged.

“Our goals are basically the same, aren’t they?”

It was an offer of cooperation.

Raq blinked, then asked cautiously:

“…Didn’t you just follow me here because I offered you food?”
“What kind of lunatic follows someone just for food? I came because I was willing to cooperate.”
“……”
“Man, you’re something else….”
“Ahem!”

Embarrassed, Raq let out a loud cough.

*****

To be honest, Ihan had always been open to cooperating with Galahad, Tristan, or any other faction that approached him.

‘They’re more capable than I expected.’

Not only were they efficient, but their skills were impressive.

Such people could be valuable allies.

Of course, Ihan preferred working alone—it was simpler.

But he also understood that taking on both the Sultan and the Magic Tower single-handedly would be… “troublesome.”

So instead—

Slurp.

“Teaming up with others makes sense.”
“A very rational decision.”
“Right? But why doesn’t your brother get that?”
“It can’t be helped. The vice-captain is… well, let’s just say he’s a little simple-minded.”
“Shut up, Luna.”
“Don’t address me by name in formal settings. It’s Sir Brigitte, Vice-Captain.”
“……”

Ihan sipped his tea as he listened to the siblings’ banter.

On the surface, he seemed relaxed.

But internally, he was assessing his condition.

‘That medicinal hot spring was no joke.’

Soaking in a bath filled with rare herbs and potions had healed not only his fatigue but also his hidden injuries.

It even flushed out toxins and impurities, leaving his body in peak condition.

After topping it off with a good meal, Ihan felt ready to move immediately if necessary.

‘Money really does solve most problems.’

Sure, people said money couldn’t fix everything.

But experiences like this made Ihan understand why people questioned that saying.

Just as he was settling into that thought—

“Why didn’t you seek help from the royal family?”

“Huh?”

“I understand the need for allies, but why limit yourself to Galahad and Tristan? Why not Pendragon?”

“……”

Raq’s question left Ihan momentarily stunned.

Was he seriously asking this?

“…Do you really not know?”
“?”
“Would you trust those white cats? I’d rather go solo than team up with them.”

It seemed obvious, so why was this guy acting clueless?

Working with them would be like pouring oil on a fire.

“Hmm… Isn’t the White Lion Order the knightly order you belong to?”
“Exactly. That’s why I know how useless they are. Sure, my friend and junior might be helpful, but they’re too busy babysitting that bratty prince right now.”
“What kind of place is the White Lion Order?”
“It’s worse than you can imagine.”
“……”
“Quit looking at me like that, you bastard.”
“…If you need food, feel free to visit the safehouse anytime.”
“Stop pitying me!”

Ihan felt a pang of frustration.

Both in his past life and this one, his workplaces were disasters.

 

…What a cursed life.

*****

“Galahad’s purpose hasn’t changed. We will find those zealots, uproot them completely, and burn them to ash. That is the order His Grace has given us.”

Galahad wasn’t driven by personal grudges against rogue mages like Ihan was.

Their primary target was the Blood Cross Crusade—that despicable and vile organization.

“If your investigation is correct, then Greg Vinn must be one of their mages, right?”
“Hmm, I’d say there’s an 80% chance.”
“…The remaining 20% bothers me, but that’s enough reason to pursue him.”
“Catching that bastard won’t be the end of it, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“……”

Ihan fell silent for a moment.

He debated whether or not to say more, and as he hesitated—

“Sir?”

Luna’s prompting made him reconsider.

Keeping secrets didn’t seem like the smartest approach right now, so Ihan scratched his head and sighed.

“…You’ve already read parts of my notebook, so you probably know this much. The Magic Tower and those mages are still in contact. Lately, Greg Vinn and the Magic Tower have been communicating more frequently. Why? Because Greg’s experiments have made significant progress. The Tower’s been using his data to prepare something big.”
“Prepare?”
“They’re planning to get their hands on one of Pendragon’s rarest [Mystics]. And let’s be real, ‘planning’ is just a fancy word for stealing.”

Be it the Sultan or the Magic Tower, their methods were equally underhanded.

“But—”
“Hmm?”

“One of their targets includes…”

—Galahad’s Cursed Sword.

The moment Ihan revealed that piece of information—

Fwoooosh!

“…Shit. Is this guy really a Heavenly Killer?”

A wave of murderous intent erupted from Raq, engulfing the room.

Crack!

The sheer pressure made it hard to believe this level of bloodlust could come from a single person.

It writhed like a living creature, tearing through the surroundings.

Crash!

Chairs, tables, and even teacups shattered.

Luna quickly stepped back, but Ihan remained seated, utterly unfazed by the crimson aura washing over him.

“S-Sir, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, but that guy? He’s dangerous. If he doesn’t control that aura, he could kill ten people without lifting a finger.”
“…Raq’s aura is like an unsheathed blade.”
“It’s a miracle he even became a knight.”

Ihan now fully believed that Raq’s killing intent wasn’t just cultivated—it was innate.

To possess such a terrifying aura and still lead a normal life was nothing short of a miracle.

It was as if he carried a deadly poison that could kill with a breath but had somehow managed to suppress it all this time.

It was… impressive.

“We owe it to His Grace.”
“The Duke?”
“Yes. Both my brother and I are alive today thanks to him. And Raq can function in society because of His Grace’s help. Without him, Raq would have died long ago. That’s why targeting His Grace is like striking Raq’s most vulnerable spot. The Duke is his savior—his parent, even.”
“…Makes sense.”

Knowing that someone was plotting against his benefactor would understandably enrage Raq.

Still…

‘This guy could kill people just by losing his temper.’

Crumble…

Even the sturdy desk nearby collapsed under the pressure of Raq’s aura.

Teacups shattered into fine dust.

The fact that this was possible with aura alone left Ihan speechless.

‘No wonder his punches hit so hard.’

Raq might’ve been smaller than Ihan, but he hadn’t budged an inch during their first clash.

A light-weight fighter standing toe-to-toe with a heavyweight—it sounded ridiculous.

But if someone carried this kind of killing aura like armor, the story changed.

‘It’s like his aura is equivalent to my martial art techniques.’

For Ihan, [Qi Techniques] functioned like passive abilities.

For Raq, his killing aura seemed to serve the same purpose.

‘Killing Intent Qi.’

That’s what Ihan decided to call it.

‘What a fascinating world.’

The northern champion Ihan met earlier reminded him of Hercules or Xiang Yu.

But Raq?

He was fire and steel—ready to burn and cut through anything in his path.

To Ihan, this wasn’t a source of jealousy or inferiority.

It was exciting.

‘I want to test him properly….’

He was curious to study this Killing Intent Qi more closely.

There might even be new techniques to develop based on it.

But for now—

“Calm down and focus. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“…What exactly are you planning?”
“What else? We wipe them out.”
“??”
“You’re only thinking about tracking the zealots. I’m thinking bigger.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean….”

—I’m going to end this.

Ihan’s low murmur carried the weight of a lion’s roar—

A declaration brimming with determination, fighting spirit, and absolute resolve.

“……”
“……”

For a moment, the siblings shivered.

The terrifying ‘Beast of Galahad’ had just been overshadowed.

The killing aura vanished, smothered by Ihan’s unshakable presence.

Luna blinked in disbelief.

For just a moment, she saw an ironclad beast towering over Ihan—a monstrous king of the mountains.

If Raq was fire and steel, Ihan was an unstoppable force of nature.

‘What kind of monsters are these two…?’

Watching them, Luna couldn’t help but feel pity for their enemies.

Would there even be bones left when they were done?