Chapter 620
"I was surprised that he didn't collapse."
"..."
Although Jijel looked at him as if he was being ridiculous, Balpatan was quite serious.
It was rare for people who had one-on-one conversations with Jicklin to maintain their sanity.
Most would collapse, doze off, or have difficulty breathing...
After that, they would run away in fear just at the sight of Jicklin approaching from afar.
But surprisingly, that junior from the Wardanaz family was exchanging words with Jicklin.
"Could it be..."
"?"
"...Are they having a... 'conversation'?"
Although it was annoying to hear him talk about an ordinary conversation as if it were legendary swordsmanship, Jijel understood why Balpatan was acting like this. �
Jijel's older sister wasn't very good at conversation. To be more honest, she had a way of speaking that choked the other person.
So usually, when someone was seated in front of her, a deathly silence would linger...
"She does seem a bit excited."
"What? That's excited?"
Balpatan was surprised once again.
It was surprising enough that she was talkative, but to say that was excitement.
No matter how he looked at it, her expressionless face didn't seem that way. Moreover, she was wearing armor, so anyone who saw would think she was interrogating a captured mage.
"She could get excited?!"
"Is there a problem with my sister getting excited?"
"Ah, no... It's good if she's excited. It's nice if she's excited..."
When Jijel glared at him sharply, Balpatan lowered his face.
***
'I can do this.'
Yi-Han clapped his hands while listening to Jicklin's story about "The Steel Knight Order's flanking tactics and its analysis in the Water Drop Fortress siege 17 years ago."
"My goodness! I can't believe such a thing happened!"
"Hmm."
Jicklin nodded and closed her mouth.
Someone else might have been flustered, but Yi-Han had already figured out his opponent.
"So how did the Steel Knight Order flank the hill?"
"They did it very quickly."
"...I see! I understand they were fast. What kind of mount did they use? Also, which route on the hill..."
Jicklin was a suffocating opponent, but she wasn't the first nor the last suffocating opponent Yi-Han had dealt with.
And honestly, someone like Jicklin was relatively easy to deal with.
At least she had no malice. And she didn't attack while talking.
'She just lacks conversational skills.'
She knew nothing about small daily life stories, and even the battle or war stories she was interested in were thrown out stiffly without any embellishment, so it was natural for the conversation to break.
Yi-Han patiently enriched the other's conversation, recalling the crazy professors he had dealt with.
"They borrowed flame-claw leopards from a nearby ranch."
"Oh my. Didn't the knights who rode the flame-claw leopards complain?"
"Some knights got burns."
"Oh no. What happened to the knights who got burned?"
Snore snore snore-
Eandurde, who was next to Yi-Han, had fallen asleep a while ago. Jicklin didn't seem to mind much.
"May we come in for a moment?"
Jijel and Balpatan, who had been in shock outside, came to their senses and knocked on the door.
Jicklin was glad to see her sister. Although her face was expressionless, she opened the door herself and said, inviting them in.
"Jijel. I was talking with your close friend."
"...Yes... close... friend, right..."
As she entered, Jijel gave Yi-Han a look that said, 'What are you doing?'
Yi-Han replied with a look that said, 'I had no choice because of the skull principal.'
-We can't say we're not close, can we?-
Usually, the most annoying time is when the other person says something that can't be refuted. Jijel closed her eyes to control her emotions.
"Balpatan. I thought you went to make up for your training, why are you back?"
"Huh? Uh, that, well, I was guiding the way here..."
Jicklin stared at Balpatan with emotionless eyes.
At that sight, Balpatan felt his breath getting caught.
"...I'll go back to do it!"
'Conscientiously, Mr. Alcicle should eat about ten sardines in front of me.'
Yi-Han's dissatisfaction was natural, given how much he had suffered alone.
As Yi-Han was vowing to watch the sardine performance regardless of Alcicle's fullness when they returned, Jicklin opened her mouth.
"Wardanaz. I'd like to invite you to a hunt tomorrow."
"...Wa-wait!"
Before Yi-Han could answer, Jijel shouted in shock.
Apart from being uncomfortable with an outsider joining her sister's picnic, Jicklin's hunt was absolutely not something to be taken lightly.
They shouldn't think of it as a noble-style hunt where gamekeepers and beaters come out to drive all the game, and the hunter can sit comfortably.
Jicklin's hunt was literally close to training to experience and grow the limits of being a knight.
It was fine to drag the Moradi family knights to such a place because they could collapse from exhaustion, but wasn't Wardanaz an outsider?
If there was a problem or complaint...
"I-it seems dangerous..."
"Please state exactly what point you're talking about, Jijel."
"First of all, he's a mage. There will be physical issues."
"I heard Wardanaz is the top student in the swordsmanship lecture."
Jijel turned her head to look at Yi-Han.
Her gaze said, 'You told her that in such a short time?'
Yi-Han explained with his eyes, 'That senior Balpatan said it.'
'Useless bastard!'
Jijel regretted not pushing this relative over the cliff.
"Moradi. Hang in there. I want to just rest tomorrow too."
"You bas..."
Jijel gritted her teeth at the sight of Yi-Han whispering from behind.
"He may have swordsmanship skills, but you should consider his own wishes too. Wa-Wardanaz is a born mage who likes to research indoors, not challenge trials."
Jijel desperately made up reasons, as if she really didn't want to take Yi-Han along.
Jicklin nodded silently as if she understood.
And then she answered.
"Jijel. Earlier when we were talking, Wardanaz showed interest first."
"...Hey, are you really joking?!"
Jijel couldn't hold back and shouted at Yi-Han who was behind her.
What on earth did this guy say during the conversation earlier?!
***
"Ugh. I should have brought Mr. Alcicle..."
Yi-Han regretted his yesterday's self as he mounted the horse.
He desperately wanted to bring Alcicle along, but as expected, the mage from the Pengerin family was not such an easy opponent.
-You really had a hard time. Are you done talking with that knight?-
-Haha. It was enjoyable, Mr. Alcicle.-
-I'm sorry for leaving first. I wish I could do something for you.-
-Then I have a request, Mr. Alcicle. Tomorrow...-
-Don't tell me it's the knights going hunting? I absolutely won't go on knights' hunts. I'd rather be thrown off that cliff over there.-
-...-
As an imperial noble who had lived longer than Yi-Han, Alcicle knew well how annoying hunts could be.
At least noble hunts were somewhat comfortable, but knights' hunts were very uncomfortable.
They even make other invited people suffer to improve their own skills.
Rough terrain with no roads, no gamekeepers or beaters, no servants or porters following with luggage...
If everyone was equally uncomfortable, it would have been better. But in this situation, the most uncomfortable person was the mage.
The knights would subtly pressure them by looking with eyes that hoped they would use magic.
If that's the case, just bring all the servants and porters!
-They're bastards who bring mages along to torment them for their own pride, I won't go! Can't go!-
-...I understand. Instead, please eat all the sardines here.-
-...You're not angry, are you?-
Yi-Han, who had come to play but ended up working like at Einroguard, sighed and packed his luggage.
Jijel, who was watching from the side, said,
"That's why you should have spoken moderately to my sister. Do you know how excited Jicklin is because of you? She kept talking about where to go hunting, where else to go."
At those words, Yi-Han tried to imagine Jicklin being excited.
It was hard to imagine, like Professor Bagrak bursting into happy laughter.
"Hey. More importantly, that crazy question yesterday, don't tell me..."
"Miss Jicklin. I'll cast magic on your saddle!"
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