The man exuding arrogance donned silver armor, metal leg armor, and armored boots—all of which seemed to be flaunting his identity as a knight. Attached to his thick leather belt was a scabbard and an unsheathed blade of untold history.
Nevertheless, I couldn't help but frown at the dishonorable sight.
It had only taken two seconds for me to identify the female figure he was dragging by her own disheveled hair.
"I should be the one asking you. Who are you? What do you think you're doing to my sister?" I asked, my voice chillingly cold.
Yes, the original Lugh of the fallen noble family had a sister, who was three years younger than him.
"Oh, you've already forgotten about me? Did you hit your head or something?" The knight sneered.
I looked at my sister, whose hair was still being held on. Her agonizing expression was nothing but miserable.
Our gazes met, prompting me to speak,
"Because of an incident, I lost a portion of my memories. Other than that, would you let go of your hand? You are hurting her."
The knight tilted his head.
"What if I don't want to?" He looked around, seeing the familiar logo of the Golden Crown.
'What are these gold-hungry bastards doing with this good-for-nothing brat?' The knight in silver armor thought.
Because of their appearance, he refrained from acting recklessly.
'Then looking at this useless bastard… he really seems to have lost his memories… Well, am I this lucky? There's no need to persuade this stubborn bitch.'
Making up his mind, the knight continued to speak,
"The Eshu Family's mana cultivation manual. Give it to me, and I'll release your beloved sister. Well, you already promised it to me, and I just want you to live by your word."
It was then that the frail girl shouted,
"He's lying Lugh! This man's one of the many who betrayed-!"
Pak!
A punch then landed at the back of the fragile girl's head.
'Hahaha! These merchants and mercenary bastards wouldn't dare do anything… They wouldn't risk tarnishing their connection with the Count I serve!'
Witnessing everything, I remained in silence.
I could not care less about whatever malicious thoughts were running through this knight's skull.
Gazing at my unconscious sister, something stirred within me.
Then fleeting memories of the past during my military days flashed in the blink of an eye.
*
"P-Put the gun down, Lieutenant Kang Jiho!"
Being surrounded by several men with guns that were pointed at one man, Kang Jiho deeply pressed the muzzle of his gun at the temple of his superior—Captain of the Intelligence Division.
"I said discharge me right now! Or I'll put a bullet in this man's head!"
"W-We can't! We're in the middle of an important mission! You know the protocol!" Said another Lieutenant.
Kang Jiho looked at the terrified captain, who was trembling as though he was standing in front of a cliff between life and death.
Everyone was aware… that this individual, Kang Jiho, though he was one of the greatest assets in the intelligence field, was highly prone to being unstable.
What's scarier… was that despite being unstable, he could remain decisive amidst intense pressure.
"Release me! I need to see what happened to the orphanage! M-My sister! Everyone! I said DISCHARGE ME RIGHT NOW! Or I will blow his motherfucking brain!" Kang Jiho shouted, his grip tightened on his government-issued gun.
"After all this time, you know me well…"
Even at such a young age, Kang Jiho's questionable behavior was already established and embedded in everyone's mind that it's utterly disturbing. Even then, his contributions in the shadows were something that could not be ignored by the higher-ups.
If he could, then he undoubtedly would.
Everyone in this room was aware of such a fact, causing them to grit their teeth in frustration.
Of all times, in the middle of a significant mission that would elevate the country's economic stand, a massive incident caused the orphanage that had taken care of Kang Jiho to burn down to ashes.
It was a place that nurtured him after his parents' death.
It was the only place where he managed to have siblings by bond.
Such a place was the only reason he worked diligently.
But without it? What would become of him?
"One…"
Click…!
"Two…" Kang Jiho counted.
"Hieek! R-Release him! J-just let him go! I-I order you!" The Captain of Intelligence stuttered before wetting in shame under Kang Jiho's unwavering resolve.
*
'Three…'
After counting into three, something snapped in my being.
[Talent, Remember (Rare), has been activated!]
[Talent, Weapon Mastery (Growth) has resonated with the Talent, Remember (Rare)]
[You have temporarily regained your physical prowess through the memories embedded in your soul.]
Funnily enough, his current body in this world that involved fantastical elements was far weaker than he was on Earth.
[Your body begins to remember.]
It happened in almost an instant…
Swoosh!
My figure vanished, albeit crude by this world's standards, and cut through the arrogant knight's arm that was still holding my younger sister's hair as though it was a mere accessory for his proud self.
Spurt!
Every spectator, those who were hesitant to meddle in the affairs of another county, and those who just arrived with nothing but their feet as they waited for what was promised…
Every one of them was bewildered by what had just transpired.
Realizing too late, the knight screamed in agony.
However, I did not stop.
I lunged forward…
Bang!
And kicked him away from my still-unconscious sister.
Approaching him, I spoke with an inexplicable grudge in my voice, "You are no knight."
Having checked this person's status through [Eye That Witnesses Heaven and Hell]... the fact that he was demanding the mana cultivation technique of the Eshu Family was a testament to his grandeur demeanor of vanity.
"You bastard! Wh-what did you do?!"
'This motherfucker! Wh-what happened?! I didn't sense him at all!' Gritting his teeth, the knight thought.
"What should be done to the likes of you," I replied.
"Hah. Naïve brat. HAHAHA!" Hearing his boisterous laugh, I tilted my head.
The knight then continued, "Do you think you are allowed to kill me?! The Count won't sit idly if you lay a hand on me! Even if I am not a noble yet, I am here on an official mission to seize whatever's left of the Eshu Family! Every action and word of mine are of the Count's! A mighty noble of the Holy Empire!"
'Right… That's right! Be afraid of the Count's might! And after I recover, I will come back with a thousand men to have your head, and kill everyone here!'
"Is that so…?"
However, before the knight could process what had just transpired, his vision flipped towards oblivion.
Slash!
"Don't worry. In death, there's no such thing as nobility."