episode_0018

“Ugh. Damn. The disgusting taste still lingers.”

“That’s right. It’s our first time trying monster cuisine, and it seems like it’s food for commoners.”

“The taste of the Grand Lady is peculiar. By the way, Elden seems to be enjoying it.”

After their first meeting with the Grand Lady, they gathered in a secluded corner outside the main hall, suppressing their unease.

Kyle turned to Blund and Deron, speaking up.

“Did you see how she only smiled at Elden?”

“She just found it amusing. Didn’t she say ‘glad to see you again’ to him? We were completely ignored.”

As Kyle expressed his frustration, Blund joined in, setting the stage for a collective backlash.

Banding together against a common enemy was a typical tactic of villains.

“And that’s not all. They declared surrender but then acted like they were in charge behind our backs.”

“And what about that? They mocked us while we struggled to eat that garbage-like dish.”

“And what about that? They declared surrender but deliberately pretended to enjoy that disgusting dish to impress the Grand Lady. It’s all for show.”

“They underestimated us. They lured us into complacency with the surrender declaration, only to scheme behind our backs to win favor with the Grand Lady.”

Kyle and Blund, who expressed their humiliation towards Elden, turned to Deron, who remained silent.

The eyes of the soldiers, hoping for the boss’s command, were filled with determination.

Although it was a duel without ranks, the hierarchical relationships formed since the academy days naturally created an intricate organizational structure.

Of course.

It was a fragile relationship that could easily shatter with a single misstep.

With arms crossed, Deron, who had been lost in thought, finally spoke up.

“That idiot couldn’t have come up with such a cunning plan on his own. He must have a capable butler.”

“That’s right. Without Deron’s guidance, he wouldn’t have even dreamed of graduating at the top.”

“So, Deron must be even more upset. Even animals know how to repay a favor. There’s no gratitude from that golden boy.”

Cough, spit.

Blund, finishing his words, spat out a mouthful of phlegm on the ground.

Without an evaluation team, there was no restraint in their actions.

Yet, there was an unsettling feeling of discomfort and displeasure that lingered in their mouths.

It was a mix of the revolting food and the presence of Elden, a monster in his own right, and it felt like a fire that needed to be extinguished.

While pretending to support Deron, Blund was also in a very awkward state due to Elden’s solo sprint.

Approaching Deron, Blund leaned in and asked.

“We can’t just sit back and take this, can we?”

“Exactly. Master Deron, we need to educate those who don’t know their place and act recklessly.”

“….”

Deron remained silent.

Hasty actions could provoke anger.

And there was always a hidden reason behind something difficult to understand.

Elden’s declaration of surrender was incomprehensible, as was the Winterfell Grand Duchy’s decision to withhold approval.

Whether it was the Grand Duke or the Grand Lady who made the decision was unclear, but they had to confront it to uncover the truth.

“Hmm….”

Especially since Elden Raphellion had changed so drastically since declaring surrender, behaving as if he were a different person.

From his embarrassing self-reflection to discussing their past as if examining themselves.

In various ways, he was an irritating fellow to look at, so there was a need to meet him once, now that the shackles of the evaluation committee were gone.

Elden Raphellion.

Perhaps he noticed something and struck first.

Among the numerous applicants, it was strange that four royal academy classmates became the final candidates.

Moreover, the voice of the grand lady was strangely familiar, and the intention to recommend the strange dish was quite forced.

To find out whether Elden’s withdrawal was a sign of sensing something or a strategy to go ahead as a leader, one had to meet the guy.

Deron started walking, releasing his arms.

“We should meet him. Let’s go.”

In their eyes, Elden Raphellion, wandering alone in the closed space, was a great prey.

“Your highnesses have taken a precious step. What brings you here?”

As Deron entered the training ground, he approached Elden, who was wandering aimlessly.

When the board is laid out, the beast that was raging around settles down and relaxes.

It was tempting to retaliate immediately against the swaggering fist, but Deron restrained himself, mocking Elden.

“Training in reading… Elden, are you truly calm?”

Of course, his patience ran out in just two attempts.

It was all because of Elden, who smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m a withdrawer.”

**

A standoff of 3 against 1.

Of course, ‘standoff’ refers to a nerve-wracking battle between those with uneven conditions, but Elden was definitely not losing to the 3 in terms of momentum.

“Do you all have something to see in this withdrawer?”

Deron scoffed at Elden’s words and stepped forward himself.

“You. You keep talking about withdrawing, withdrawing. Can someone who eats that disgusting dish to please the grand lady and receive favor from her be called a withdrawer?”

Elden burst into a hollow laughter, looking puzzled.

“Haha, this is… If you make a delicious dish and boast about it, you’ll regret it. Master Deron.”

“Don’t joke around. Do you still think that the withdrawal declaration was a trick to make us lower our guard? Even the patience has its limits, so stop playing around.”

While Deron poured out his anger, Kyle and Blund stood behind, watching Elden, ready to crush the public enemy at any moment.

The center of attention, Elden, took a step closer to Deron.

Deron hesitated at the sudden move.

Elden stared straight into his eyes, putting strength in his gaze.

And that was the beginning of a pre-planned operation, a time for the momentary madness of Elden to return.

As mentioned earlier, a bad reputation has its uses.

“Look into these sincere eyes. Do they look like eyes that would scheme?”

“….!”

It was a clear mockery.

The fallen viscount’s reader had mocked the excited son of a marquis.

Deron felt his teeth chattering.

The one who didn’t know his place and dared to mock him, stirred up a provocation mixed with mockery, so he couldn’t help but feel the flames rising from within.

Moreover, Elden was just one of the young animals he had raised.

The wounds inflicted by the raised animal would not heal even if repaid with interest.

If the raised animal dared to bare its teeth, it should be punished accordingly.

Yet Deron tried not to lose his composure.

There might be a reason why a lowly worm was showing audacity.

“Don’t make me laugh. You found that disgusting dish delicious? Even passing animals wouldn’t look at it.”

“It seems my taste suits you.”

“Instead, why is the Grand Duke delaying the decision when you have declared surrender?”

“I do not know either. If you are so curious, why don’t you ask the Grand Duke directly?”

“Are you giving me orders now?”

“I was just suggesting an easy way to find the answer.”

The unyielding demeanor of a beast that does not back down.

As the confrontation escalated, Deron felt like he was being pushed into a corner, and he glanced back with gritted teeth.

Kyle and Blund.

Their sharp gazes were watching.

If he backed down, it would have been a blow to his dignity.

“Just one question. It’s best to answer carefully. Depending on your answer, your future could change.”

A sharp warning and a threat.

Elden willingly and calmly responded.

“What is your question?”

“Is there no hidden meaning behind your declaration of surrender? Were you truly aiming for retreat, and it wasn’t a deceptive strategy? Since there is no evaluation team, speak frankly.”

“I have told you many times. I am surrendering now because I finally understand my purpose…”

Deron cut off Elden’s words.

“No. Your answer is wrong. You still don’t understand your purpose.”

And then, with a renewed sense of anger, he continued speaking.

“You should have revealed all the truth to me now, apologized for deceiving us, and humbly bowed your head as you did before. That is your purpose.”

But to Elden, who had become a pitiful figure, there was no indirect threat that could even cause harm.

“I did not deceive anyone, and I did not apologize because there was no need to. Contrary to appearances, I do understand the extent of my purpose.”

Deron’s brow furrowed deeply.

The venomous words of a traitor.

As audacious as a monster’s feast.

His fists clenched involuntarily.

The humiliation suffered by a declining and helpless orphan of a fallen family was causing unbearable resentment.

Deron’s blue pupils glinted with determination.

“This is the final evaluation, so I have endured until now. If you try to humiliate me again, you better be prepared. There are no eyes to see or ears to hear here.”

“There are one, two, three, four pairs here, but…”

Despite Elden’s protests, his tirade did not end, and finally, Deron, so angry that his eyes were bloodshot, grabbed Elden by the collar.

From the trembling sigh, it seemed that Elden had achieved the climax he desired.

A rage that would lead to losing reason, clouding judgment.

A rage that urged immediate action rather than planning for the future.

A rage that demanded instinct over reason.

A rage that would turn the worst situation into the best.

As planned, it was manifested by Deron Kelid.

And.

Elden had chosen the empty training ground for that purpose.

He had lured them here to provoke them.

He had deliberately provoked them, and on the first night of possession, he had specifically asked the butler for something.

It was the same as the Mana Image Recorder that Deron Kelid had always carried with him in the northern territory of Wontefell.

Evil people always have a weak spot.

And he believed they would respond to provocation without hesitation.

A situation drastically different from the academy days.

Fortunately, Junwoo had the cunning to use it to his advantage.

“Hmm… It seems like you have completely forgotten your memories from the academy.”

Whoosh!

In an instant, Deron’s fist flew towards Elden’s face.

Thud!

Just before it hit his face, when Elden’s hand caught it and the meaningful words came out of his mouth, Deron finally realized why the beast had dared to be so bold.

Moreover, it was only then that Deron could realize that he had fallen for the trickery of the contemptible worm.

“Did you think I would just take it like before?”

Elden smirked slyly.

The smile on Elden’s face was truly sinister, fitting for someone with the infamous reputation of a battle maniac.