* * *
Time passed without incident.
mid-August. It was the hottest day of the year and the sun was strong.
“Everyone suffered. Next class is Moreyni, give your body plenty of rest.”
Philip, who had just finished basic swordsmanship lessons, laughed as he watched the students panting and heading towards the well. In the face of this sweltering heat, nobles and commoners were all equal.
Philip handed the handkerchief to Instructor Diana, who was sweating.
“Wipe your sweat with this.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Diana wiped the sweat off her face and said with a much improved expression.
“This handkerchief. I don’t know what it’s made of, but it feels really good. And it smells good, too. I’ll wash it clean right away and return it.”
“You can just give it to me. It’s like magic, so it gets clean on its own.”
“oh my god… .”
As Philip said, the handkerchief was quickly restored to a dry and clean state, as if it had been wiped off.
This was something anyone could covet. It seemed like it would be much more useful than a few famous swords.
‘thanks. Owl.’
Giving thanks to the Owl Spirit, Philip looked at the approaching Altair Veloper Calaria from afar.
“What is the advanced swordsmanship professor doing here… ?”
Diana tilted her head and bowed her head.
Professor Altair was truly a mysterious being at the academy.
Even the head professor, Emile Panoy, did not treat her carelessly, and Professor Cumbell respected her as if he were a superior.
He might seem like a heavy person if he listened to it like this, but he could also see Ophelia, the instructor of the subject he was in charge of, fondling like a little sister.
At one time, unfounded rumors about her identity circulated among faculty members. Of course, it still does to some extent.
“Instructor Farrenhal. Instructor Oswald. All the instructors I like next to Instructor Ophelia are here.”
Like the eldest brother or sister in the family, Professor Altair looked at the younger instructors with a smile.
“hello. professor.”
Professor Altair raised his hand to greet Philip.
“I’m sorry to the instructors who just finished class, but I think the two instructors have to go somewhere for a while.”
“yes? Where are you talking about?”
“Do you know who the granddaughter of the Earl of Denbrough, who is the head of the Royal Knights, is?”
“Are you referring to Eileen Denbrough? Of course I know.”
“The child is currently undergoing training as a regular knight in the Royal Knights. Originally, the Knight Commander personally watches over the child, but it seems he’s been a bit busy lately. Would you like to see this for a second?”
Professor Altair handed out a letter to Philip. Philip opened it and began to read.
to Philip Oswald.
I’ve been busy with work lately and haven’t been able to take care of my granddaughter. you take care of me
The subordinates reported that the child was arrogant and self-indulgent, and behaved disrespectfully even to his superiors. Originally, I should have scolded him myself, but I don’t have the time to do so.
He is a child who doesn’t listen to others, so if necessary, he can be punished as much as he wants.
If you solve it well, I will repay you enough.
Since the letter was stamped with the seal of the Earl of Denbrough, the letter from the knight commander must have been correct. Philip read the royal knight commander’s intentions at once.
‘I can’t do it, so please fix your quirks.’
There was no aristocrat who did not know that the Earl of Denbrough, an Aura Master and the head of the Royal Knights, was beaten to death by his granddaughter. Aileen Denbrough, who has a cheeky and arrogant personality, played the role of a lovely granddaughter to her grandfather, the Countess.
“It seems that the instructor looked good to the knight commander. I told the head professor in advance, so I think we can start right away. Anyway, the name is to visit the Royal Knights, but I can’t send it alone, so can Instructor Farrenhal help Instructor Oswald?”
After Philip finished reading the letter, Professor Altair looked at Diana and asked.
From noble mtl dot com
“of course. professor. I would be happy if I could help Instructor Oswald.”
“Instructors look so pretty, but they’re too hard to wear. It would be nice to be a little girly.”
Professor Altair stared at Diana in pity, then moved on to another place. Diana must have felt sorry for her because she had spent her youth swinging a sword or carrying out missions.
“Then let’s change clothes and meet again.”
“I think you can come to my villa.”
Instructor Diana headed to the faculty dormitory to wash herself and change clothes.
* * *
Heading to the branch of the Royal Knights near the academy, Philip and Diana went through the process of being identified by a young knight in charge of the office.
“… Instructor Philip Oswald. And Instructor Diana Farrenhal. I have verified your identity. You said you came to check on Miss Eileen’s practice status?”
She spoke to the two of them, but her gaze was fixed on Philip.
“yes. That’s right.”
As Philip smiled softly, a blush appeared on the knight’s healthy cheeks.
“Kids these days are really envious. When I was an academy student, there was no one as handsome as the instructor.”
“Thank you for the compliment. kyung.”
The female knight, who was trying to flirt with something more, immediately grasped her subject and let out a small sigh as if regretting it. If she came from the family of Count Oswald and the Royal Knight Commander would entrust his granddaughter directly, she was not at the level of being careless even if she was a member of the Royal Knights.
“… Whoa. As I said beforehand, Lady Eileen is really picky. I am not good at listening to others. You don’t know how great the aftermath is.”
“Can you tell me that?”
When Philip, who was dumbfounded, asked, the female knight answered with a smile.
“Anyway, in an hour, everyone will be back here talking about Miss Eileen behind your back.”
“So where is Eileen Denbrough?”
“By now you should probably be on patrol with the gunner. Maybe you’ll come back in a little while? Sir Fischeck is having a hard time too. If you had told me to have the young lady as an assistant shooter, I might have given up on the Royal Knights and joined the Knights of a certain country estate.”
“thank you for telling me.”
After thanking the knight, Philip sat down and chatted with Diana to kill time. If I went out to find it anyway, there was a high probability that the traffic line would be twisted.
After waiting for about thirty minutes, there was a commotion outside the branch.
“… I’m really going to go crazy. Hey, Miss Denbrough. It’s not too late now, so you better solve this.”
“Be quiet and follow me, do you think you would dare to skip ahead even after eating in front of the Royal Knights?”
“I didn’t want to see blood, so I quietly followed you, but I can’t stand any more rudeness than this. This is a warning, not an invitation. miss. I’ve already endured it twice.”
Philip jumped up at the faintly audible voice and tone, as well as the catchy lines.
Philip knew that line.
‘… Maybe next time.’
“joy! What if you don’t tolerate the subject of criminals… .”
Perhaps before Eileen Denbrail could finish her words, Philip ran away like a gust of wind. Upon discovering Eileen Denbrough, Philip immediately covered her mouth with his hand and raised his hand to stop the royal knight from reacting to him.
“town! town!”
Eileen Denbrough frowned and tried to shake off Philip’s hand. But Philip’s hand didn’t budge, and Eileen immediately punched Philip’s side.
A fist hit Phillip’s aura-enhanced side, causing a repulsive force, and Eileen screamed in pain as her bones were shattered.
“Ugh!”
“young people. Who are you?”
The person being escorted to Eileen in handcuffs was a middle-aged man wearing a long coat and a hat. Seeing his trademark gray beard and black leather coat, Philip was able to quickly guess his true identity.
Philip looked at the middle-aged man and bowed his head.
‘No, how did you catch this person?’
Looking at Eileen with a surprised expression, Phillip truly admired what she had accomplished. This middle-aged man was one of the godfathers who dominated the underworld of Calaria, the capital.
It wasn’t Eileen, but Eileen’s grandfather, the Earl of Denbrough, was a big man who had to make a big decision to catch it, but if he was arrested, it was clear that this branch of the Knights Templar would be wiped out in an instant.
“I am an instructor from the Freevia Academy who came out to look after the apprentices. I just want to make things right before your patience runs out.”
Philip’s answer caught the middle-aged man’s eyes.
“Hey, do you know me?”
“If what I know is correct, aren’t you the owner of Baldteen?”
Boldteen was one of the capital’s taverns, a place where the tycoons from the underworld met. It was also the place where more than half of the assassination requests in the kingdom were accepted. The middle-aged man nodded.
“If you knew me, it would be quicker. Look, young man. I ate at a restaurant opened by a child I cared for since I was young. Don’t you see that even though I’m the godfather of all the bastards, I still have to pay for my food? He said he didn’t want to receive it, so I had no choice but to come out.”
The middle-aged man pointed his finger at Eileen, who had managed to shake off Phillip.
“I knew that lady was watching me from outside the window. I didn’t think that would be a problem. I didn’t know that I would wear these shackles as soon as I came out of a pleasant meal, and even less did I know that a lady the size of my granddaughter would insult me.”
“It was done because the child did not know it yet. If you forgive me, I will try to appease you and apologize.”
Despite being close to a criminal, Philip was polite. In fact, without that middle-aged man, mankind would have no choice but to suffer even more in the future.
It was because it was obvious that a better environment would be created for the demons to rampage if the underworld godfathers like the man did not keep an eye on the underworld to prevent it from becoming more corrupt.
‘Besides, that man doesn’t commit any particular sin.’
The middle-aged man’s nickname is ‘Laughing Jack’.
It wasn’t a bloody nickname like laughing when you kill, it was just a nickname given to someone who laughed a lot.
There were people in the world who would do no harm if they didn’t fight first, but who would be more dangerous than anyone else if they made them angry or quarreled with them first. As far as Phillip knew, that ‘Laughing Jack’ was of that sort.
He was famous for putting up with a couple of things, no matter how angry he was. Even the knights deserved to imitate the character of handing out the warning, ‘I have already endured twice’ before giving them the third and final chance.
However, there was no mercy for those who kicked even the last chance. It is unknown what happens to him because he was taken to the torture chamber of Baldwin, who is said to never come out alive, and never returned.
‘The best assassin group on the continent was Crescent, but this person has the most Assassin Masters.’
Master Assassin who has mastered assassination techniques to the limit.
As far as Phillip knew, there were only five Masters with Laughing Jack.
“… I know. young people. I’ve been following you here because I’m still a child. But if she apologizes, as you say, I’ll turn this into a pleasant experience.”
Before Philip could say anything, Aileen Denbrough glared at Philip first and opened her mouth.
“Stop being ridiculous! Who are you to dare to do this to me? Are you an academy instructor? Have I never seen anyone like you?”
“I will introduce myself a little later, so apologize to him first. Eileen Denbrough. He’s not the kind of person who’s just going to pay for a meal.”
“You’re not even there, so you know what you’re doing? Whoever that middle-aged man is is none of my business. It is true that you left without paying for the meal in front of me.”
Hearing this, Jack laughed.
“I can’t stand it any longer.”
He broke the steel handcuffs without much effort. There was a loud sound of metal being ripped off, and within seconds the smiling Jack was free.
Instructor Diana, who had followed up belatedly at the startling sight, was startled and covered her mouth with her hand. That was a skill that even the knights couldn’t do.
“I need to straighten my burlap hair. one… about ten years.”
He pointed his red eyes straight at Eileen and spoke almost in a whisper.