30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 157

Ironically, Ihan had once exchanged punches with that spear-wielding knight, yet they had never formally introduced themselves.

Well, considering their first meeting involved trying to kill each other, there was hardly any time for pleasantries.

So—

“Lach de Duron, is it you?”

As the battle finally ended, Tristan’s knight addressed the spear-wielder with that name, and Ihan properly learned the name of the knight he had fought.

Lach. That must be the spear-wielder’s name.

Even though this was the first time Ihan had learned his name, neither he nor the others had any inclination to exchange formalities and build camaraderie.

And frankly, neither did he.

Step.

“Sir Ihan?”

“Where are you going...?”

When Ihan turned to leave, Galahad and Tristan’s knight blinked in confusion.

Now that the enemies had been defeated, where was he headed?

To this inquiry—

“Where else? I’m going to end the bastard who called in these so-called Assassins.”

He answered confidently, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and for a moment, the two knights failed to grasp his intent.

...Until they belatedly realized he meant to confront the Sultan!

“Sir Ihan, that’s...”

“Please reconsider. While there’s circumstantial evidence, we lack concrete proof. If you act rashly against the Sultan, it could create a diplomatic incident.”

It was sound advice.

No matter how crazed with lust the Sultan seemed, he was still a Sultan.

He was likely thorough enough to leave no traces of hiring the Assassins.

“But it’s obvious he’s the one behind this.”

“...We think so too, but if the Sultan continues to deny it, that’s the end of it.”

“Hmm.”

“Attacking the Sultan without evidence would be nothing more than personal vengeance.”

In the end, attacking the Sultan would be little more than an emotional outburst justified by mere suspicions.

However—

“Then I’ll just make sure there’s no evidence. Give me a couple of hours, and I can make him spill everything. So don’t worry.”

Ihan had no intention of letting the bastard off the hook.

Suspicion without proof?

Don’t worry. He was fully confident he could extract that proof from the Sultan’s mouth.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to see just how much that bastard could endure before breaking.

At that moment—

Clang.

“...What’s this?”

“Don’t act recklessly.”

“......”

Someone blocked his path.

The spear-wielder stood in front of him, and Ihan narrowed his eyes at the man who dared to obstruct him.

“I’ve never let someone off after trespassing in my territory.”

To a knight who valued honor and justice, Ihan’s actions must have seemed like nothing more than a fool’s tantrum.

But—

‘A criminal mindset always leads to more crimes. The time to act is now.’

Ihan knew how terrifying criminals could be, especially those in positions of power.

...They were the type of bastards who believed they’d never face consequences.

And Ihan couldn’t let that stand.

‘I’m not going to sit around waiting for him to commit his next crime!’

The usual romance-fantasy logic of “wait for proof” or “handsome, rich villains deserve a second chance” was nothing more than nonsense to him.

If someone committed a crime and did something bad, they deserved punishment—period!

“Step aside, Spear-Wielder.”

“You arrogant scoundrel...!”

The spear-wielder glared at him, eyes blazing with fury.

“You fool! How can you call yourself a knight and—!”

“I have no intention of debating chivalry with you.”

Was this guy seriously trying to stop him by bringing up chivalry?

This was exactly the problem with these rigid knights.

The world didn’t operate on chivalry alone...—

“—Wait your turn! I’m first!”

“??”

Ihan blinked, baffled by the sudden declaration.

Did he mishear?

But no—

The spear-wielder repeated himself, shouting again with conviction.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said wait your turn! That man dared to ruin the lady’s first party! A mere couple of hours wouldn’t be enough—he deserves eternal torment!”

“...I mean, who am I to judge, but are you sure about this?”

“If he so much as laid a finger on Galahad, even the Emperor himself should die!”

“...This guy’s crazier than I am.”

Ihan instantly realized—

This guy wasn’t some prim-and-proper knight.

If anything—

‘Could we... actually get along?’

For some reason, Ihan felt an odd sense of kinship with this lunatic spear-wielder.

...And it disgusted him.

**

**

**

“The connection with the Crows has been severed.”

“...Ha, is that so? I knew it. I should never have relied on those useless vermin.”

Inside the returning carriage, the Sultan sneered bitterly.

As if to say, he had never expected anything worthwhile from that flock of crows in the first place.

“Sultan...”

Yet the captain of the guards delivering the report understood.

He knew how much effort Salah had poured into this operation and the massive wealth he had risked and lost.

Even for Salah, the wealthiest of all Sultans, hiring the Assassins in bulk would leave his finances strained for a while.

‘Those bastards are infamous for not issuing refunds even when they fail....’

But on the flip side, the Assassins’ reputation for success was high enough to justify such arrogance.

‘They’re not called the Nightmare of the West for nothing.’

And yet, they had failed.

“So even in its decline, Pendragon still stands, is that it...?”

That Pendragon had stopped them.

And not only that—they had neutralized the Assassins without causing a stir.

‘How many Sultanates can even dream of capturing Assassins without a trace?’

Sultan Maham’s warriors, known for their unmatched martial prowess, came to mind, yet even they had suffered heavy losses when fighting the Assassins in the past.

Of course, considering the environmental disadvantages and the foreign terrain, it wasn’t surprising that Pendragon held the upper hand.

“...No, all of that is just an excuse. In the end, the Assassins failed, and that only proves their incompetence. Isn’t that right, Salman?”

“...Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then we simply prepare for the second attempt.”

“B-But Sultan, if we proceed now, we might be exposed...”

Hearing the Sultan’s declaration to prepare for another move, Salman panicked.

Even if no evidence had been left behind, Pendragon was already suspicious of the Sultan.

If another attempt were made under such circumstances, it would be nearly impossible to conceal it, and a formal investigation from the royal court would follow.

Granted, they wouldn’t dare punish a Sultan.

After all, he was the ruler of a nation.

But—

‘If we’re treated as unwelcome intruders, we could be expelled.’

And if they were expelled...

‘Would the Sultan even make it back alive?’

Shudder.

[“Tragic accident! The Sultan’s ship mysteriously sank...”]

[“Fire engulfs the Sultanate! Power struggle erupts after Sultan Salah’s disappearance!”]

[“Suspicious circumstances?! Was the Sultan assassinated by another Sultan?”]

Drip...

All he needed was to obtain the Mystique, that dazzling power.

A mage who wielded the most precious Mystique.

Taking her Mystique could wait.

To him, giving up did not exist—