30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 6

The gloomy mood Ihan had been feeling melted away before he knew it. Not only was he pleased to have faced a new opponent after so long, but the Sword Resonance Yord had displayed at the end was also rather impressive. Breaking an opponent like that left him feeling refreshed.

If anyone had been watching, they might have called him a dirty or insidious person...

‘Well, they’d be right.’

Ihan admitted it humbly.

He was more twisted than most people. And yes, he could be insidious.

However, he wasn’t the type to find joy in looking down on others or belittling them.

He simply found a bit of satisfaction in crushing those ‘annoying bastards’ who claimed with their whole being that they were stronger than him.

It was a somewhat rewarding moment.

‘I wasn’t always this kind of person.’

Ihan hadn’t originally been someone who enjoyed fighting, but after reincarnating into this medieval fantasy world and living here for 30 years, seeing all kinds of filth, his nature had inevitably changed.

Not to mention that he had been getting beaten up by the knight captain every day for the past three years!

It would be impossible for him not to have developed a [hunger] for victory.

“Did I go a bit too far?”

“N-no, not at all. I-I’m grateful you held back.”

“I did pull my punches. If I hadn’t, you'd be a corpse by now, haha.”

“...Ha ha.”

Ihan spoke in a joking tone as he patted Yord on the shoulder, but it sent chills down Yord's spine.

Though he had bounced across the ground like a skipping stone and crashed into a wall, Yord was fortunately only slightly bruised, without any serious injuries.

It was partly thanks to his mastery of the Aura Techniques, but as Ihan said, it was also because he had held back that Yord was still alive.

‘That was an incredible strike.’

Even now, Yord’s body trembled.

When he had launched his sword, using the Sword Resonance, he had at least hoped to land a hit, even if he couldn’t win.

But as if to prove him wrong, Ihan had blocked the attack again. The moment their swords clashed...

‘I don’t remember anything after that.’

Yes, he remembered their swords connecting, but beyond that, his memory was blank.

He had simply been sent flying, and his mind had short-circuited like a blown fuse.

All his body remembered was how incredibly heavy, strong, and fast that single strike had been.

‘That man could have sliced through me instead of just sending me flying.’

Senior Ihan. He still didn’t show any signs of exhaustion and looked completely at ease.

Acknowledging in his heart that his sword had been utterly shattered, Yord gave a bitter smile.

He had believed that no one but Aura Users could make him kneel...

‘The world is vast.’

The young genius swordsman tasted the bitterness of his first defeat, his expression tinged with sorrow.

After the duel between Ihan and Yord, people began to approach Yord, offering him words of admiration.

The sight of him using Sword Resonance had left a strong impression.

They wanted to know about his family, his swordsmanship school, and his master’s name, like seniors in the military grilling a new recruit.

...Not that it was a particularly good thing.

“Honestly, wherever you go, it’s the same military stuff.”

“Don’t look at it too negatively. To nobles, family, swordsmanship schools, and masters are important.”

“Yeah, I know. Us commoners with no family or school should just shut up, right?”

“...That’s not what I meant.”

“Just think of it as me being a twisted guy.”

“Good grief. You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you?”

Jake shook his head.

He knew that Ihan’s self-deprecating remarks and sarcastic tone were like bait, meant to provoke others into confronting him.

Of course, everyone knew it was a trick, so no one wanted to engage with him, opting instead to avoid him.

There were a few rookies who might have been tempted, but after watching the duel with Yord, there wasn’t a single person here brave enough to take him on.

“You’ve warmed up enough, haven’t you? You should stop here.”

“If anything, I haven’t warmed up enough. I’m still itching for more.”

“...Don’t look at me. I’m not going to fight you.”

Jake discreetly backed away, avoiding Ihan’s gaze, which was as intense as that of a fighting dog.

Refusing a duel from a fellow knight wasn’t proper etiquette, but one had to be careful.

Fighting a ‘mad beast’ like Ihan was simply out of the question.

‘...I wonder if this is what a barbarian warrior would be like.’

Barbarians were ancient tribes who lived in deserts and jungles, known for honing their skills and strength in real battles rather than learning from teachers.

It was a foolish method, but the warriors they produced were said to be stronger than any knight in the kingdom.

‘He really does seem like one.’

A strange guy who didn’t have a teacher and only trained in basic swordsmanship by fighting others to sharpen his skills and strength.

It was clearly a brutish method, but the fact that no one in the knight order could overpower him said a lot.

It was just like something a barbarian would do.

“Barbarian warrior Ihan, huh?”

“Is that an insult or a compliment?”

“Both.”