Greg (1)

[Character Information: Greg]

[Character Story 1]

[Character Story 2]

‘There are only two stories.’

Ethan clicked on number 1 first.

“Greg was born as the child of an ordinary tenant farmer in Heikel.

An epidemic spread throughout the northwestern part of the republic where Greg lived.

Using the ongoing political chaos as an excuse, the republic government ignored it.

Even during the kingdom era when the country was staggering under three generations of tyranny, there was at least minimal support for disasters or epidemics.

People who had heard propaganda that life had clearly improved after the establishment of the republic died with doubts.

Greg was the sole survivor in his village.

People from neighboring villages pointed fingers at Greg, calling him ‘the creepy child who survived alone’.

There were many who didn’t openly express hatred, but they ignored him because they couldn’t afford to take in someone else’s child.

So Greg wandered without a destination.

He quenched his thirst with stream water and if lucky, could eat eggs by raiding birds’ nests in reed fields.

Greg, who was living a life like a wild animal, collapsed while picking and eating berries on a mountain.

The berries contained a small amount of poison and tasted strange, but the starving Greg didn’t notice as he hastily shoved them into his mouth.

Fortunately, an old man living in a nearby cabin discovered him.

When Greg opened his eyes, the old man silently held out a bowl of porridge.

Bow.

That was the first meeting between the old man and Greg.

The old man, betrayed by the republic he had established, recognized the emptiness in Greg’s eyes.

He proposed.

“Don’t you want to become strong?”

Greg nodded.

The current Greg knew very well that he was just a helpless child who couldn’t do anything.

“Then I’ll teach you everything I know.”

The old man was looking for a sword to punish the corrupt republic, so he accepted Greg as a disciple.

Luckily, Greg had sufficient qualities to be a swordsman.

He was able to grow quickly through the old man’s teachings.

Several years passed like that.

The old swordsman shouted for revenge every day, but when his final moment came, he felt emptiness and told Greg that he didn’t have to take revenge.

When asked how he should live then.

“As you wish.”

That was the master’s last words.

However, Greg, who had learned the nobility of republicanism from his master for years, resolved to uphold his master’s will.

Greg then lived alone in the cabin for a few more years.

He saved the family of a congressman who was attacked by bandits at the foot of the mountain.

At that time, he caught the congressman’s eye and received a recommendation letter to join the army.”

Story 1 contained content about Greg’s overall life.

His innate unfortunate fate was similar to other children, but.

The old man who took in Greg was the problem.

‘Was he an early member of the republic who wanted revenge?’

The old man died before the start of the main story.

His information could only be indirectly inferred through Greg’s dialogue.

Even that was only fragmentary information like ‘He taught me swordsmanship.’, ‘I learned a lot.’.

But thanks to this story, Ethan learned the old man’s purpose.

‘He took in Greg for revenge?’

He didn’t like that at all.

Then he checked the second story.

“Greg was a person whose very life was mysterious.

Even his origins were unknown, and he didn’t even have a surname that everyone had made fancy after the establishment of the republic.

He was sparing with words even in official business and didn’t have any private meetings at all.

His attire was always just a neatly pressed uniform.

No one had ever seen him in casual clothes.

From before he gained attention by leading the 2nd Republican Guard Division, which had only about a company-size force left, to victory in the capital defense battle during the remnant noble faction’s uprising when he was a soldier.

To being selected as an honored soldier by the republic’s parliament and becoming the youngest general.

And rising to the position of Grand Marshal of the Republic Army through the Great War.

His lifestyle habits, family relations, and even who taught him swordsmanship were all shrouded in mystery.

The frugal Grand Marshal lived alone in the official residence without even hiring a common housekeeper.

But after the Great War, to avoid responsibility for countless deaths, the parliament put Greg on trial.

Even in a situation that could turn the entire republican army against them, the corrupt parliament was brazen.

Greg’s subordinates were enraged, saying they would overthrow the parliament if he just gave the order, but.

Greg didn’t do that.

His subordinates had to close their mouths at his answer that if they didn’t follow even a bad law, how would they be different from the previous royal family or the current parliament.

That’s how Greg upheld his master’s will.

In his final moment, Greg calmly accepted the verdict and disappeared like dew on the execution ground.

The charge against him was the same as that given to countless others who passed away during the revolutionary period.

‘Enemy of the Republic’.

The hero who desperately tried to protect the republic.

Was betrayed by the republic and fell.

Two years later.

The corrupt republic finally collapsed.

• From “A Biography of Greg” by Rimid Valencio, Professor of History at the National Heikel Academy -“

The second story was about Greg who rose to the position of Grand Marshal after being active in the republican army.

Greg’s default fate <Grand Marshal of the Republic> doesn’t have a good ending.

Ethan knew that much, but.

‘This is a bit too much.’

There were many who were purged by having responsibility shifted to them after the Great War, but.

The outrageous behavior of praising him as Grand Marshal and then executing him like slaughtering livestock was very disgusting.

Moreover, there was still a problem remaining.

[‘Greg’s’ fate is currently overwhelmingly in favor of ‘Grand Marshal of the Republic’.]

The fact that his fate hadn’t changed even after Ethan brought Greg to Serdin.

Of course, apart from Hwarin, Hwaryon, and Ponya whose fates had definitely changed, the others were still competing among various fates, but.

It seems there wasn’t even room for other fates to squeeze in for Greg.

‘What could be the problem?’

[The World Tree’s root suggests one opinion.]

[It says the child named ‘Greg’ is hiding something, so that might be a clue.]

‘He’s hiding something?’

[‘Destruction’ laments the user’s disastrous lack of perception.]

[‘Maintenance’ consoles the user, saying it might be possible.]

‘What are these things saying together?’

Ignoring the roots that were buzzing noisily.

Ethan thought about how to change Greg’s fate.

‘Greg is obedient, right?’

Like a dry sponge absorbing water.

He had no hesitation in absorbing opinions from those around him.

And when taught, he accepted it straightforwardly.

That was something Ethan had confirmed when checking his posture or observing Yuria’s classes.

A pure child with almost no doubts who accepts things thinking ‘if they say so, it must be so’.

That was Greg.

‘Is that why he was greatly influenced by the old man and transformed into a fanatical republican?’

In fact, if one has the power to overthrow the country.

And there are countless subordinates supporting him.

It’s common to start a ‘revolution’ against the corrupt parliament.

Setting aside the desire for power, how many people would willingly die to those trying to kill them?

But Greg didn’t do that.

‘Is he an idiot?’

Ethan, who thought he would never do such a thing himself.

‘I can’t just stand by and watch my ward suffer like that.’

On his way home from work, he stopped by the market.

He bought an armful of snacks and toys and returned home to find Greg.

“…Ethan-nim, what is this?”

“It’s a present, a present.”

“Pardon?”

Various emotions showed on his usually expressionless face.

Bewilderment, surprise, joy, and so on.

Ethan grinned and hugged Greg.

“I don’t know what worries you might have, but if things are hard, you can come and talk to me anytime. Understand?”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Pat pat.

He lightly patted his back and.

Left the room.

‘For that, first, I need to get closer so we can talk openly.’

He waited for Greg to naturally open up over time, but.

Ethan worried it might be too late if he waited.

So this time, he decided to approach first.

Munch munch munch.

Greg put one of the candies Ethan gave him in his mouth and rolled it around vigorously.

His cheeks were so red that anyone could tell they were flushed.

‘Why did he suddenly do that?’

Ethan, who usually treated him normally.

Came to see only Greg when he returned today.

If Borka finds out that he alone received snacks as a gift, she’ll probably puff up her cheeks and complain.

‘At the end, he said to tell him if I have any worries.’

Only then did he recall what Levi often said.

That He knows everything.

That He would save you if you wished.

‘As expected, He quickly figured out my worries.’

Following the master’s ’cause’ and.

The peaceful daily life in Serdin.

Both were precious to Greg.

And at the last moment.

Recalling how Ethan had warmly hugged him.

His face turned bright red again.

• Knock knock.

  “Eep! Wh-Who is it?”

• Creak.

  “It’s me, you brat. Hmm? Why is your face so red? Did you catch a cold?”

  “Ah, no. It’s not that…”

  “How strange. To think you’d get sick too. Well, rest up today.”

  “…Yes.”

  After the master left.

  Greg, who had been staring blankly at the snacks he had hidden under the blanket.

  ‘It was warm.’

  He covered his face with both hands and bowed his head deeply.

The morning time at the mansion is peaceful.

Ethan woke up, finished his morning training, and washed up briefly.

Then, as usual, he walked to have breakfast, but.

“Have you come?”

“Hm? You woke up early.”

Greg, neatly dressed, was sitting in the seat immediately to the left of where Ethan usually sat.

Ethan didn’t know, but the seats next to him were always fiercely competed for.

The seat to his right was always Levi’s.

Greg smiling brightly and Ethan patting his head.

Except for the innocent Elyssia, the children now realized that something had changed.

‘Has a competitor increased?’

They realized that Greg, who had only been blunt before, had joined the struggle to gain Ethan’s attention.