Chapter 77: Trial (1)

The rattling of the carriage jolted me awake, slowly opening my eyes that had been tightly shut.

“Haaah~,” I yawned, looking out the window.

A familiar landscape greeted me, evoking a strange nostalgia.

Though I didn’t have any particularly grand memories here, thinking about the three years I’d spent in this place stirred up feelings different from thoughts of home.

I wasn’t the only one feeling nostalgic; Mother also seemed lost in old memories as she gazed out the window.

“Mom, feeling sentimental?” I asked.

“Not quite sentimental, but it does bring back some memories… I met that man here, after all.”

“That man…”

When it came to someone we’d met in this place, only one person came to mind. Especially if we were referring to a person as “that man.”

“So you met my nominal father here, huh.”

Though we weren’t blood-related, this academy was where Mother had met the man who was nominally my father.

Now recorded in ledgers under the name of “inheritance” rather than in our hearts, Dad wasn’t particularly ugly, but honestly, he didn’t have the kind of face that exuded charm as a man.

“I’ve only seen him in portraits, but Mom, I can’t believe you married that guy.”

“It was only for a moment anyway. And you’re one to talk. You married that pig too.”

“That pig…”

Even now, just thinking about it made my skin crawl. That pig… Always complaining about being tired and never wanting to go out.

It had been quite a struggle to drag him to the valley because of that. But the effort was worth it for the amusing sight that followed.

“Hehehe…!”

My frowning face at the memory of that pig instantly transformed into a refreshing smile as I recalled the scene from that day.

Though years had passed, I couldn’t stop laughing just remembering what happened.

That pig, I’d stomped on him as he kept thrashing around begging for his life, sending him under the water.

It may have been just my foot, but it was the first and last time my body touched him, so that pig must have been happy too.

“Hehehe…!”

“Are you laughing about that incident again? My daughter, that side of you is really…”

“Mom, you laughed along back then too. What’s the big deal?”

“At least I don’t laugh every time I think about it like you do. You should try having more constructive thoughts.”

“Constructive thoughts? You mean about the trial?”

I hadn’t given much thought to the trial since it was obvious we’d win anyway.

Though it was from hundreds of years ago, our ancestor’s artifact clearly belonged to our Pierre family, and above all, we had the upper hand in justification thanks to that man insulting our ancestor.

It seemed like a trial we could win even without a lawyer, but we’d spent a fortune hiring the kingdom’s best attorney just in case, so there was absolutely no chance of losing.

At first I’d been terrified when I heard some madman had taken down Lobo, but who knew he’d turn out to be such an idiot, kicking away his own good fortune?

If he’d just kept quiet, no one would have known who took it, and we’d have been left biting our fingernails.

“By the way Mom, is there anything you want to buy with the money from selling our ancestor’s artifact?”

“Well, actually there is this dress I’ve had my eye on…”

“Really? I’ve actually been wanting this necklace for a while…”

If there were other nobles in this carriage, they might have frowned at the talk of selling our glorious ancestor’s artifact.

But who could object to us, the descendants, selling what our ancestor left behind?

As we discussed where to sell the artifact on our way to the villa at the academy, a grating screech suddenly pierced the air, and our smoothly running carriage came to an abrupt stop.

“What’s happened?” Mother asked.

When the coachman explained that a horse with a green mane was blocking the road ahead, so we’d have to wait a moment, I thought, ‘A horse? Could some fool who can’t even ride properly have lost control of their mount?’

Thinking the academy’s standards must have fallen, I looked out the window to kill some time and…

“Kyaah!!” I screamed.

Some lunatic was clinging to the carriage, staring intently at Mother and me inside.

‘W-what the hell…?!’

With his bangs slightly disheveled, his face wasn’t bad-looking, but his bloodshot eyes, clouded with madness, ruined any appeal he might have had.

The man stared at me with eyes like he was looking at his parents’ murderer, then turned his gaze to Mother and broke into a chilling smile more befitting a demon than a human.

“Bakgigigigig…!!” he cackled.

Faced with this man clinging to our carriage like a spider and grinning like a demon, Mother and I were paralyzed.

A moment later, the man dropped from the window, mounted the horse blocking our path, and vanished.

After he cleared the way, our carriage started moving again, but no conversation passed between us until we reached the villa.

Even after arriving at the villa, we remained silent. All that lingered in our minds was the terrifying scene we’d just witnessed, too surreal to believe.

‘Something’s gone terribly wrong…!’

But before I could figure out what, time slipped away and suddenly that day arrived.

“Hey! Did you really take down Lobo?!” a blue-haired second-year student from the Magic Department asked me.

I definitely hadn’t told anyone, yet somehow rumors had spread that I’d defeated Lobo and was going to trial over the spoils.

Being nobles, it seemed many students had connections even in the Royal Legal Office.

Sighing at being asked this question for the umpteenth time by a student I didn’t even know, I nodded.

“Yeah, I took it down.”

“Woooow!!” the girl exclaimed, too excited to contain herself. She left after wishing me luck in the trial.

Since the rumors spread, I’d been receiving more and more such support from sword mages who revered Pierre.

Most were from the Magic Department, but a few Knight Department students with magical aptitude came to cheer me on as well.

It was truly astonishing how perceptions could change so dramatically. Just days ago I’d been an object of fear, but now I was respected for slaying a single wolf.

No, it wasn’t just that. Defeating Lobo was certainly an impressive feat worthy of admiration, but beyond that, it seemed everyone had harbored resentment towards the Pierre family.

Who wouldn’t be dissatisfied seeing the children of the hero they revered behaving like good-for-nothings?

I wondered how they’d react if I told them that story. Some might even challenge me to a duel to restore Pierre’s honor.

Of course, that wouldn’t happen since the entire lot of them – from dying old men to unborn babies – would end up slaughtered, so I wouldn’t be receiving any duel challenges from anyone but myself.

‘…I’ll kill them all.’

With that thought, I went to the stables as usual to wake Silence, then headed towards the walls.

There was one gate in each cardinal direction leading into the academy, but the northern gate was where nobles typically entered.

While waiting here wouldn’t guarantee meeting the Ponpon mother and daughter, it was better than sitting around doing nothing.

As I watched the stream of people returning through the gate without much expectation, something caught my eye.

‘That carriage…’

It was natural for nobles to flaunt their wealth with ostentatious carriages, but one snow-white carriage passing through the gate shone particularly brightly.

My gaze, drawn to this eye-catching carriage, naturally drifted to the family crest on the banner attached to it, and I froze.

A white rose with a pure white rapier piercing through it – the Pierre family crest Jessica had shown me after the trial date was set.

‘They’re here!!’

I immediately dismounted Silence and mentally commanded him to block the carriage’s path.

As Silence obstructed the road per my instructions, the carriage stopped, and I rushed over.

I hadn’t really planned what to do next, but I wanted to see what kind of face these whore’s descendants were making.

‘Even more vulgar than I imagined.’

From the whore-like dress with a plunging neckline to the heavy makeup, everything about them screamed tawdry.

Imagining these prostitute-looking wenches strutting around claiming to be the hero’s descendants made my blood boil with rage.

But even more than that, the thought that I could soon punish these b*tches as I saw fit filled me with a twisted joy that seemed to transform that anger into elation.

“Bakgigigigig…!!” I cackled.

Should I start by ripping off those thick-skinned faces? Or maybe skewer them from anus to mouth?

No, that would kill them too quickly. I needed to find a method that was prolonged and cruel, yet didn’t let them lose hope completely.

‘Hm? This is…’

As I pondered how to kill the Ponpon mother and daughter while staring at them, I sensed someone’s gaze on me.

It wasn’t filled with hostility, but the fact that I could feel multiple gazes unsettled me.

I returned to Silence and rode towards a secluded alley.

Sure enough, the owners of those gazes hurried after me.

Judging by how they kept pace with the horse, they seemed capable of basic energy manipulation at least.

When I dismounted Silence in a dead-end alley, several men stood behind me, breathing somewhat heavily.

Surprisingly, they made no attempt to hide their presence and stood there boldly, not looking like assassins at all.

“Who are you guys?” I asked, feeling a bit baffled by their brazen attitude.

The apparent leader, a blonde man, stepped forward and spoke.

“W-we are those who have been waiting for someone like you!”

“…?”

What the hell was this bastard talking about?