If the Troll's factor granted Ihan remarkable regenerative abilities and formidable arm strength, the Gnoll's factor granted him a 'sense of smell' and 'instincts' beyond that of a human.
There is much to explain regarding instincts, so I will skip over it; as for the sense of smell, it was exactly that.
Though not quite at the level of a hunting dog, a sense of smell three times more acute than an ordinary person's granted him a mystical power.
The ability to remember people by scent alone.
Just as dogs with poor eyesight remember their master's scent and joyfully recognize them even after years apart.
And unintentionally, Ihan too came to master a method of remembering people by their scent rather than their faces.
...Once he got used to it, it was actually quite convenient.
"...I'll head out first."
"What about your wages?"
"Deposit it in the bank as usual. Ah, you know what happens if you skim off the top, right?"
"I don't know about the other bastards, but with you, Ihan, I wouldn't dare skim your pay even out of fear of the consequences. I'd actually give you double. But don't go to another worksite. You have to promise me that!"
"I know."
Giving a half-hearted response to the construction foreman's words, Ihan simply drew water from the well and splashed it over himself.
It neatly washed away the sweat and dust, and wiping off the moisture with a towel left him looking at least somewhat presentable.
After changing into relatively clean clothes and stepping outside....
"'He' is waiting for you."
"...Haa."
A man who looked like a seasoned butler bowed politely as if to greet him, and seeing him, Ihan let out a sigh first.
It was a familiar face, and Ihan found this old man extremely disagreeable.
"You go through a lot of trouble, old man."
"Haha, what trouble is there to speak of? Come, let us go."
"Huu..."
There were many things Ihan found disagreeable about this man, the butler Albert, but three stood out in particular. The first was that this butler was a noble with the title of Baron.
Not just any noble, but a Baron from a prestigious family that had pledged loyalty to the royal family; a man who could not be treated lightly even by those of higher rank.
Although Ihan didn't care about bowing to nobles, dealing with a figure of such magnitude was genuinely uncomfortable.
Yet, despite being such a high-ranking individual, he treated everyone—from commoners to beggars—with equal respect and gentlemanly grace, even operating an orphanage. A truly exemplary man.
This was the second reason Ihan found it hard to deal with him.
If he openly picked a fight or threw cold glares, Ihan could just ignore him, but the man was so upright that it made that impossible.
And finally.
The biggest reason he couldn't treat this man carelessly.
"Oh ho, your muscle quality has improved further. It is quite pleasing to see your steady progress, hehe."
"Ah, yees."
"At that rate, I wonder if you might one day land a hit on Valtar. Keep it up."
"......Haha."
It was because this man was one of the three Aura Users in the kingdom, a rarity indeed.
For reference, Valtar was the commander of the 3rd Knight Order and the very person who had dragged Ihan into the knights.
'This guy is pretty crazy too.'
He was clearly a man of great character, but why someone hailed as a superhuman would work as a butler was beyond him.
...Well, if you think about it, seeing as how that old man Valtar stayed as the commander of the 3rd Knight Order—which was practically a sinecure instead of the military's supreme commander—he was just as weird.
Recalling the unusual career of the remaining one, he couldn't help but think that all Aura Users were eccentrics.
The reason he couldn't let this show on his face was that he knew a slip in his expression might accidentally get him hit.
He had fought this man once before, too.
'It was brutal.'
Normally, he was a born gentleman, but the moment he grabbed a weapon...!
"-You're late."
......Ah.
Before he could continue his thoughts, he found himself already standing near a luxurious carriage parked in a quiet alleyway.
"I am not late. It is not as if I was late on purpose."
"Such smooth talk, Albert. You were late anyway because you were either badmouthing me or chattering about nonsense."
"Hehe, you misunderstand greatly. You go too far, Princess."
"Hmph! That's not even funny."
At first glance, her tone was exceedingly arrogant and aggressive, but the undeniable elegance and aura emanating from her voice could be called the pinnacle of class.
Feeling the opponent's intensely noble aura, Ihan looked at Albert with a thoroughly reluctant expression.
As if asking, 'Do I really have to get in this carriage?'
"Please, get in."
Instead of answering, Albert politely opened the door and shoved him inside.
...What a ruthless old man.
Inside the carriage, attended by two maidservants, the splendor of various jewels and magical artifacts stood out.
The interior was magnificent, making what was seen from the outside seem like the tip of an iceberg.
However, compared to the noble elegance exuded by the veiled woman, even the brilliance of the jewels had no choice but to fade.
Ihan smiled bitterly and bowed his head inside the carriage, which was spacious enough for five grown men to lie down.
"It has been a while."
"Hmph, you heartless thing. How could someone who calls himself a friend be so devoid of news?"
"Life has been busy."
"Nonsense. If you had just accepted my patronage, you would have been overflowing with leisure."
"Haha."
"You are trying to smooth things over with a smile again."
The other party used the word 'friend' towards Ihan.
At first glance, it was a word that didn't fit at all.
Just seeing the nobility she exuded made it clear she was a top-tier noble, so calling someone like Ihan—who showed neither elegance nor anything extraordinary—her friend was hard to believe.
Surprisingly, however, Ihan and the woman were indeed friends.
...The only flaw was that the difference in their status was as vast as the brightness between a firefly and the sun.
"Wouldn't the Crown Princess have been busy as well? So we're even."
"Still that insolent tongue. I wish to cut it off right now."
"It's just a joke."
"It is no joke."
......I apologize."
"Hmph, still so quick to yield."
Smack.
The woman, shining as the first in the line of succession of the Pendragon Royal Family—Aisis Irein de Pendragon—struck her hand fan against her palm and scoffed arrogantly.
—Revealing a stunning beauty that made it hard to believe she was in her 40s.
* * *
Crown Princess—when they had met in the past, she was merely a Princess, but in just three years, she seized unapproachable power and became the Crown Princess, the veritable heir to the royal family.
There were those who made archaic remarks about whether a woman could become king, but those who made such remarks had likely either sunk to the bottom of that wide river to become fish food by now, or perhaps became fertilizer in the earth.
A truly terrifying woman.
Having seized a corner of power in her mere 20s and even demonstrating the capability to recruit Albert, an Aura User, she was already cloaked in the dignity of a next-generation monarch.
...Thinking about how becoming friends with such a terrifying woman was a mere coincidence, life truly felt ironic.
"Crown Princess Your Highness. Why have you graced us with your presence today-"
"Enough. Do not call me by such nauseating titles; call me as you usually do."
"No, but our positions are different now..."
"Do you intend to make me say it twice?"
"—Sister! Your sworn brother pays his respects!!"
"Ho ho, now that is somewhat to my liking."
Aisis smiled brightly as if pleased by his clownish display, creating the illusion of a flower bud blooming in an instant.
She was clearly in her 40s, yet her beauty still shone brilliantly.
Then again, he'd heard that the people of the Pendragon Royal Family maintained their youth until 100, so it wasn't strange.
Their average lifespan was 150, after all.
'Did they say they could live up to 200 if they just avoided stress and overwork?'
...Though that would likely be impossible for those in the royal family.
"Remember, Ihan. You are the benefactor who saved my life. Thus, in return, you have gained the honor of becoming my brother, and you must consider this a lifelong honor and mercy."
"...Sister, you truly never change."
Three years ago, right after the war ended, Aisis, who had visited the garrison to encourage the soldiers, was attacked by an assassin.
Fortunately, there was a brave soldier who saved her, and that soldier's name was Ihan. That was the beginning of the bond between Aisis and Ihan.
...Just because their bond began then, don't get any weird ideas.
There was absolutely no romance involved.
No, rather, if there were romance, that would be seriously problematic.
Because.
"Ho ho, but you have become much softer than in the past."
"Is the child growing well?"
"Would you like to see?"
"Uwu?"
"......"
"He absolutely refuses to let go of me."
Because she was a married woman, and one who had given birth, at that.
"......"
Ihan's jaw dropped.
He knew who that child was.
He had seen him from afar when he was a newborn.
Therefore, quite disrespectfully,
"...S-sister, I probably shouldn't be saying this, but... have you lost your mind?"
He ended up scolding her as if rebuking her, but Aisis only found his words delightful, her smile deepening as she displayed a magnificent laugh comparable to that of a burly man.
"I am perfectly sane. It is because I trust my people that I carry him around like this."
"...Now that I look at it, you are idealistic from time to time."
"Even I know that."
"Uwu!"
"Ho ho, yes. You laugh so boldly. Well, it is a boldness that must be present in my child."
"Umm..."
Was it his friend from his past life who said that people in politics were all missing a screw or two?
His friend's words were...
'Spot on.'
Crown Princess Aisis's only son and the royal family's direct descendant grinned so widely, and Ihan's stomach ached.
He only wanted to escape from this place right that instant.
...But the fact that he couldn't escape was even more disheartening.