30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 119

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

“E-earthquake!”

“Evacuate! Everyone, evacuate!”

The soldiers, overwhelmed by the constant tremors shaking the underground tunnels, scrambled to give evacuation orders. The fear of the tunnels collapsing and burying them alive spurred them into action.

However—

“I told you to take the prisoners with you, didn’t I?”

“B-but, Your Highness...”

“It’s not Your Highness. Call me Sir Aren! I am on official duty right now!”

“Y-Yes, Sir Aren!”

“I will not tolerate disobedience. Take all the prisoners listed, and ensure they come with us.”

“Yes, sir!”

Under Aren Pendragon’s orders, the soldiers had no choice but to escort the prisoners out.

“L-light! It’s sunlight!”

“Move! Move faster! If we all die here, it’ll be your fault!”

“I’m s-sorry!”

The prisoners, who hadn’t seen sunlight or clouds in ages, didn’t have time to enjoy the sight. Desperation fueled their rush to escape. Yet, the joy of survival made even this natural disaster seem like a blessing.

Normally, even if the tunnels collapsed, prisoners serving life sentences wouldn’t be expected to escape. That was the unyielding rule.

But—

“As I’ve said before, only those listed on this ‘document’ are to be taken. If anyone not on the list is found among them, eliminate them immediately.”

“U-understood!”

The royal bloodline held the power to overturn all such principles.

With his gray hair, sullied by the tunnels’ grime, washed clean and his signature white hair—a symbol of Pendragon—shining in the light, Aren’s presence commanded obedience. His soldiers, though trembling with fear, carried out his orders without much complaint. They considered his commands fair and just.

“He really is of royal blood, ensuring that no one dies unjustly.”

“The ones on the list are hardly criminals. Most of them were just framed or scapegoated.”

“They call him the Noble White Lion, and it’s no empty title.”

Among the prisoners trapped in the tunnels, the few with minor offenses—those wronged by nobles or falsely accused—were the ones being saved. The soldiers couldn’t help but respect this display of nobility.

Yet for Aren, the recipient of such praise—

“Damn it...”

—it was nothing but humiliation.

He felt disgusted, as though stealing someone else’s reputation.

‘Even I am just following orders!’

The list he’d acquired by pressuring the Guild and the command to rescue prisoners wasn’t an act of mercy. It came with a dire warning:

“If even one of those listed is missing, it’ll be a hundred lashes per head. Don’t forget.”

It was pure coercion. Aren hated the absurdity of breaking the law as a royal, but he dared not voice his complaints for fear of retribution. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Yet—

“Th-thank you, Sir Knight! Thank you so much!”

“I-I was told I’d see my mother in a year if I endured, but I thought I’d die without ever seeing her again. Thank you, truly...”

“Thank you for sparing us...”

Damn it!

Hearing the gratitude of the prisoners—many of whom appeared innocent—Aren felt something stir in his chest. What was this feeling?

“Stop with the thanks and focus on escaping! You there, your leg seems injured—get on my back.”

“I-I might dirty your armor...”

“Don’t make me repeat myself!”

At some point, Aren realized his fear of monsters had given way to a sincere desire to help these people. That realization would only fully dawn on him much later.

“Say what you will, but his character isn’t completely heartless.”

“Indeed. In moments like this, the title ‘White Lion’ suits him perfectly.”

“He truly seems noble and brave, just like the White Lion of legend...”

Swish!

Elsewhere in the tunnels, Jake and Yord were cutting down any ‘dangerous criminals’ trying to escape alongside the legitimate prisoners. They dispatched their targets with cold efficiency.

Some of these criminals had clearly learned combat techniques, likely members of the Blood Cross Army attempting to defect.

“Loyalty means nothing to scum like them.”

“What can you expect from cultists—or rather, garbage like this?”

Whoosh!

Yord swiftly swung his blade at a charging prisoner. His horizontal slash, executed with the speed of the wind, left no room for hesitation.

Slice!

The clean cut ended the fight in an instant.

His swordsmanship was nothing short of extraordinary, living up to the title of the academy’s top new recruit of the year.

Not to be outdone, Jake, the senior knight, braced himself—

Thud!

Pow!

“Unlike that guy, I can’t deflect swords or arrows, but I’m still sturdy enough to handle this.”

Jake weathered attacks with his body, emerging unscathed.

Jake had been the first person to learn Force under Lee Han’s tutelage, even before it was taught to the cadets. Though treated as an experimental subject, Jake’s innate talent as a knight had made him an exceptional student.

Now, he had mastered Vajra’s Might, a feat previously thought exclusive to Lee Han.

And so—

“Don’t bother being born in your next life. The air you breathe is wasted on you.”

Cultists stood no chance against him.

Slash!

In a single clean movement, Jake’s Iaido sliced through the necks of all who dared attack him. It was as if he were harvesting crops with a scythe.

Jake looked utterly shaken. To suggest that he resembled that shameless knight in speech—what an outrageous insult!

‘It’s all because of that guy.’