blueteamnovel Chapter 100
Chapter 100
"The Folt family—they've completely collapsed. Was that your doing, by any chance?"
"?"
"Hmm, I suppose not."
"I didn’t even say anything yet...."
"One look at your face is enough to know. That’s a refreshingly straightforward expression, befitting a true knight. Hahaha."
"...Hey, old man, that wasn’t a compliment, was it?"
"Hahaha."
The Folt family. To be precise, it was only Raynol Folt, his wife, and their one remaining daughter. They barely deserved to be called nobility, and as people, they were contemptible.@@@@
"I looked for them, but they seem to have vanished. Do you know anything about that?"
Over the past week, Ihan had been searching for the Folt family. More specifically, he was hunting Raynol Folt—the beast who could only masquerade as a person. But Raynol was nowhere to be found, and Ihan was growing increasingly frustrated. So when the marquis dropped this hint, Ihan’s curiosity was piqued.
The marquis shrugged nonchalantly under Ihan’s questioning gaze.
"Just a little curiosity led me to investigate. According to our inquiries, Raynol Folt only had one daughter—so why did it suddenly become two? And just five years ago, at that. Quite curious, wouldn’t you say? Not only did he gain a daughter out of nowhere, but he also tried to marry her into a marquisate. What audacity, as if he thought Tristan would be easy to fool."
"So? What are you going to do about it?"
"Do about it? I’m going to let him know exactly why Tristan has endured as a marquisate for centuries, that’s what."
Though his lips held a smile, his eyes did not.
They were the eyes of a predator—sharp, intense, and unwavering. If a civilian met those eyes, they’d likely tremble in fear.
However...
"You trying to start a staring contest with me?"
"......."
"If not, ease up. I’d rather not throw an axe at a guest."
"Just teasing you a bit, heh."
The marquis's eyes softened, as though he’d simply been playing a harmless prank on someone he found interesting.
"If I took a liking to someone once or twice, I’d end up killing them," Ihan scoffed, clicking his tongue. "These nobles, honestly."
It was like testing people was just a habit for them.
‘Is this what they call the butterfly effect?’
Ihan was genuinely surprised at how quickly the marquis had discovered details about the Folt family.
‘In the original story that Taechang and Derrick talked about, this wouldn’t have come to light so soon.’
According to what Derrick had shared of the original storyline, Ihan’s disciple was supposed to be married off and endure three years in the marquisate. In other words, the fraud against the Tristan family wasn’t exposed until after the marriage. But now, things were different.
Whether it was due to his conflict with the marquis or the marquis’s inherent competence, the deception had been uncovered in mere days. And it seemed...
"My girl has nothing to do with any of this. She was merely used. Don’t you dare touch her."
The marquis had likely discerned Revi’s true identity as well. Realizing this, Ihan’s expression hardened. His resolve was clear: if anyone so much as laid a hand on her, he would tear down more than just doors.
"I’m aware."
"?"
"A knight as honorable as you wouldn’t go out of his way to save a girl if she were some deceitful villain. So, of course, she was just being used."
"...And you trust that? Just like that?"
"It’s not ‘just like that.’ I trust you."
"I heard from my sources that she’s been learning the sword for less than three months. Yet, with only three months of training, she managed to defeat a stone troll and held her ground against a horde of monsters. Never thought I’d hear heroic tales from my men as if it were a legend, but... after verifying, it’s all true."
"......."
"...Her talent is real. And such potential shouldn’t be buried because of her ‘status’ and ‘background.’ If she could become the next Sir Felicia, I can’t just stand by."
An heir to the Sword Saint, a child who could one day be a legend. Raising her within Tristan would only add honor to their name, so the marquis, after weighing the pros and cons...
"—Your real reason?"
"......."
"Skip the fancy talk. Just tell me the truth."
"Hmm, I thought I’d hidden it well, but I guess not."
"Oh, you hid it well. I just happen to be good at spotting lies."
"A talent I’d love to have..."
The marquis observed Ihan like one would a rare animal, then, after a five-second silence, finally admitted,
"...Isn’t it pitiful?"
"......."
"I know how shallow sympathy can be and how it can degrade people. But if no one takes her in, she’ll be an orphan with nowhere to go. Knowing that, why shouldn’t someone lend a hand? Of course, you could take her in yourself, but I can offer her a wealthier life."
"......."
"Do you find that reason too shallow?"
"...No. In fact, I like it better than your first reason."
"Hm?"
"It’s only those who are well-off who view sympathy as an insult. For those truly desperate, even sympathy can be precious."
He remembered watching TV dramas where prideful characters rejected help out of self-respect. As someone who had grown up as an orphan, he’d always found it absurd.
Real humiliation isn’t about worrying over tomorrow. It’s when you can’t find food or water for today, when you shiver with a cold because you don’t even have a blanket, when you’re so broke you can’t afford medicine for a fever.
For those who understand true hardship, sympathy is not shameful—it’s a lifeline.
"When life is so miserable and disgusting that it makes you want to die, and someone tells you not to feel sympathy... that person isn’t really suffering. But my girl? She’s not in a position to care about pride or what sympathy means. If you offer her this, she’ll be grateful."
It was, in a word, salvation.
There was a quiet conviction in Ihan’s tone that no rallying cry could match. It was the conviction of someone who understood the deepest humiliation and loneliness.
"...Heh."
The marquis was genuinely impressed, though Ihan, oblivious to this, continued,
"I did consider taking her in myself, but a poor knight can only do so much. She’d benefit from a more comfortable life, so... go ahead, take her. Though convincing her will be up to you."
"......."
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...The more I look, the more tempted I am."
"?"
"I was already wavering, but... young man, would you perhaps consider—"
"—calling me Father?"
"......."
...It took all of Ihan’s willpower not to curse out loud.