episode_0031

“Kuoo—!!”

Clang!

Clang clang!

A wild Big Boar swinging its fangs in frustration at the empty air due to the length of the iron chain.

“Damn it! Now’s the time!!”

“Let’s catch that bastard first!!”

When death was hot on their heels, those who had been pushing and pulling each other to escape suddenly showed a sense of cooperation as if to say, “When did this happen?”

They were adept at creating crises and skilled at killing better than anyone else, but when faced with imminent danger, they became more united than anyone else.

They were truly cunning and quick-witted individuals.

No matter how giant the monster was, once its feet were bound by the iron chain, it became vulnerable to long-range attacks.

Especially for close-range attack monsters like the Wild Big Boar, there was no escaping the dancing target board.

Moreover, for the noble young lords, archery was a basic skill, and these individuals had already proven their archery skills in the main rounds. Thus, the arrows from three bows began to pierce the vital points of the Wild Big Boar one by one.

“Kuoo–!!”

Clang clang!

The Wild Big Boar resisted more fiercely against the onslaught.

However, it was insufficient to break the thick iron chain, and it staggered heavily with an arrow lodged in one eye.

Certainly, if I had been the one targeted by those arrows, my survival would have been in doubt to a considerable extent.

The sight of a battle between a giant monster and its attackers.

Although it was a one-sided attack with the monster bound, witnessing the scene firsthand rather than imagining it as words on a novel page stirred something within me.

While observing and engaging in combat were different, it was enough to ignite the passion and longing of a man who had yearned for medieval fantasy adventures.

Indeed.

It seemed worth trying, worth facing death head-on.

Especially since the character Elden Raphellion was designed as a battle enthusiast, if I learned properly, I could hunt monsters of quite high rank.

And.

‘If I cook the monster I catch right away, it must be really delicious, right?’

Certainly.

Dad, I will become a strong adventurer.

With such frivolous thoughts in mind, I sat down and leaned against a pillar.

Chomp.

I took a big bite of the fruit.

And as the Wild Big Boar weakened gradually under the shower of arrows, I thought to myself.

‘…By the way, I never thought that the confession note I sealed last night was a real death threat.’

Of course, Elden Raphellion, the owner of the most outstanding physical prowess and unique physical abilities among the four regret characters, seemed unlikely to fall victim to a charging-type monster, especially one with a giant iron chain restricting its movement. But if luck had been against him, who knows what could have happened.

Even stumbling and falling over a rock could have resulted in serious injuries.

With a body the size of two elephants, just being crushed under a hoof would have been enough to make the gallbladder melt.

He hoped to teach what fear felt like, to remember the torment he had inflicted on a woman to the point of death in the past, and to maximize regret and repentance through the final confrontation, but he couldn’t help feeling that the method was excessive.

It was a stroke of luck that he withdrew before the final evaluation battle began.

It was a stroke of luck that there were no provisions for withdrawal in the rules of the Preliminary Duel, as Remyan Winterfell’s methods seemed somewhat excessive.

Of course, using the iron chains to reduce the monster’s combat power and ensure safety was a precaution, but for me, who was unwillingly possessed without even knowing English, it was a ruthless method that made me look no different from Remyang.

Using one’s position and pretext to achieve what one wants and seize it.

In the original work, the core of this revenge seemed to be leadership and enlightenment, but honestly, the intention seemed somewhat dubious.

Anyway.

“Another reason not to get involved with the female lead has emerged.”

Due to the actions of a character from the original work that I didn’t commit, today I may have been killed by the female lead.

It’s only natural to feel a sense of resentment.

I made a resolution to be even more thorough in my role as a non-participant.

Since the Honyakudaejeon is supposed to proceed quietly and safely on the surface, I can’t continue to provoke the non-participants who are going wild.

Kwoong!

At that moment, with a loud noise, I could see the Wild Big Boar falling down.

There were easily 50 arrows stuck all over its body.

It looked like a target for shooting arrows, with arrows sticking out all over.

“Haah! Haah!”

“Huk! Huk!”

The three regretful characters who either sat on the ground or knelt down, panting heavily.

Like the aftermath of an accident that only comes at night, the terrifying fear brought by the game of death finally arrived.

“Huk… I-Is this madness? A giant monster in the nobles’ hunting competition! Are they going to tear us apart and kill us?”

And then.

The moment the spirit of cooperation to overcome the crisis disappeared, another crack emerged to create another crisis.

For villains, a crisis is their very reason for existence.

Deran, who had just stood up from his seat, grabbed Blund’s collar as he vomited, “Shut up! Blund! How dare you push me and run away?!”

“What? Are you saying I did that just now?”

“What? Now you’re saying you’ll apologize? You, the brat who pretended to be a loyal subject, are now showing your true colors and even apologizing?”

“Oh, no! You misunderstand! There’s no way I would do that!”

Deran and Blund argued fiercely about the recent rush of death.

And, at that moment when Kyle, who had been out of sight for a while, secretly removed the emblem of the Grand Duke tied to the tail of the Wild Big Boar and started rushing forward.

The second game of death began.

“K-Kyle!? You arrogant brat! Why are you standing there—!!”

“Didn’t Elden say so! No matter what the reason, revenge is impossible! So, I must become the son-in-law of the Grand Duke no matter what—!!”

It was truly a chaotic chaos.

An organization typical of those who gather together for their own [benefit].

When the benefits are exhausted, when a greater benefit is within reach, without any agreement or compromise, the organization stabs each other in the back.

As if to prove that, without pushing anyone, the pursuit of one villain by another unfolded in the second game of the chase of death.

Truly a development befitting villains, I thought as I jumped down from the tree.

“Ugh.”

Now that the situation has ended, it seems like it’s time to leave.

If I walk slowly, I should be able to arrive at the venue when the situation is somewhat settled.

Eating fruit, I began to descend the mountain path.

And when I reached the starting point.

I could see Kyle, kneeling with a desolate face, picking up something scattered on the ground.

There was no sign of Remian and Gelwood, they must have already left.

The desolate festival grounds were filled with a chilly silence.

Whooosh—

A gust of cold wind blew.

Crunch.

Biting into a piece of fruit, I asked Blund and Deron from behind.

“What happened? The atmosphere doesn’t seem good.”

**

In the scorching afternoon sun.

Gurgle.

‘…….’

Rachel, who was waiting outside the carriage, stroked her empty stomach.

She had forgotten to bring some snacks.

It was not easy for the personal bodyguards of the noble family to have meals on time.

It was to accompany the employer who always had meals on time, quickly solve it with some snacks, and only have a proper meal after the employer returned to the mansion and exchanged with other guards.

So on days when the employer was out, Rachel always brought some snacks.

It had been a habit for years, and unless it was an urgent situation, she never forgot.

However, today she had forgotten.

Of course, skipping a meal was not a big deal, but today the hunger felt particularly strong.

Probably because she had been reminded to have meals regularly by her employer Elden.

Breakfast and dinner were not a problem.

She could handle it in the annex.

The problem was lunch with Ariel Youngae.

She had quickly finished her meal in the annex and planned to return, but Ariel insisted on having lunch together, repeating that “you never know what villains might do unexpectedly.”

Ariel even pulled a chair next to her and insisted, so for a few days, she had lunch with them on time.

It was quite amusing.

To forget a long-standing habit just because she had meals on time for a few days.

Gurgle.

There were a total of four carriages waiting at the entrance of the snow mountain.

They were all the final candidates’ carriages, and personal bodyguards were guarding the front of the carriages.

After lunchtime passed, one by one, they took out some snacks to appease their hunger.

Chewing on dried meat, fruit, and other appetizers.

Watching them, Rachel felt even hungrier as she looked up at the snow mountain.

In her eyes, Elden Gongja coming down the mountain path could be seen.

Pitter-patter.

Elden Gongja, coming down with a brisk step, soon arrived at the carriage.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Rachel politely bowed her head in greeting.

“No need for thanks, Rachel.”

“Yes.”

As she raised her head in response, something flew towards her.

Thud.

She caught it.

It was a red and shiny fruit.

“…?”

Rachel looked at Elden with a puzzled expression, and he casually replied as he chewed on the same fruit.

“You must be hungry, so eat it. It’s quite delicious.”

“Are you giving this to me?”

Watching Elden climb onto the carriage, Rachel asked.

“I noticed you didn’t bring any snacks. Can’t have the bodyguard starving. Who knows what might happen on the way to the fortress.”

“….”

Rachel looked at Elden with a bewildered expression.

What was going on?

Why was he acting like this?

Lately, she found herself doing things she wouldn’t normally do, and now she was even paying attention to the mere stomach growls of a commoner escort knight.

She was the type of person who wouldn’t eat wild fruits even if she was hungry, and even if she found a fruit that suited her taste, she was too busy trying to shove it down her throat.

She was someone who considered her own hunger more important than someone else’s stomach growls, and above all, she was someone who didn’t know how to take care of others.

There’s a saying that if you start doing things you’ve never done before, it’s time to die.

“Am I under a death sentence…?”

Rachel, who had cleared her mind of distractions, looked down at the fruit.

It was a familiar fruit to her, having fought many battles in the Northern Territory.

It was a [Rose Apple], grown only in the sunny areas of the Northern Mountains, known for its tangy sweetness and firm yet juicy flesh.

Crunch.

She bit into it after a long time.

Long wars always came with stomach growls, and the Rose Apple she had encountered back then was refreshing enough to wash away the deep fatigue, with its tangy and slightly sweet taste.

Naturally, it was a taste that couldn’t compare to eating it just before dawn, and Rachel chewed on the Rose Apple without much expectation.

But.

“How is it? Does it taste good?”

Strangely enough, it tasted exactly the same as when she had eaten it back then.

It tasted the same as when she had eaten it in the midst of severe hunger.

“…It’s delicious.”

Rachel, who had fought alone all her life after her father’s death, enduring only scorn and ridicule, and fought in solitude to overcome it, received her first taste of ‘kindness’ that she couldn’t yet understand.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and get on. Since the evaluation match ended early, we should go for the unfinished training. Master.”

“Oh. Yes.”

And so, the carriage carrying the two of them soon began to return to the Grand Palace.