Chapter 4: A Villain With a Reason
4: A Villain With a Reason
"So, you know about this place, brother?"
I knew about it, but I couldn't admit it. His blood-red eyes seemed to scrutinize me, and I felt pressured. If I admitted that I knew, Eloi would change his attitude. And that wouldn't fit the flow of the novel. I quickly changed my expression, pretending to be surprised, and shook my head.
"No, I don't know the details. But isn't this a guild for low-level mercenaries?"
The reason I was surprised was not because this was a secret guild run by the crown prince. I kept telling myself that.
"Yes, but it will be very helpful for you."
‘And for me too.’
Eloi, uncharacteristically, smiled gently and put his hand on my neck, stroking the back of my head with his thumb. I shuddered every time he touched me. My body stiffened involuntarily, and my lips trembled, but I tried to act as if nothing was wrong.
"Yes, brother, I'll do anything to help you."
He removed his hand from my neck and patted my head twice before standing up. I also stood up as he turned around, and I said, "I'll go now.”
Thump, thump, thump. My footsteps quickened.
"What a fucking bastard..."
I muttered under my breath as I looked at the paper Eloi had given me. I had wondered why he was telling me about this place now, but it turned out he wanted me to risk my life.
In the novel, Jaden was supposed to visit this place in a hurry four days before the festival, after Eloi told him about it. It wasn't described in detail, so I had assumed Eloi had told him in a hurry, which didn't quite fit his meticulous personality. But the actual situation was different. Eloi had told Jaden about it in advance, as was his nature, but Jaden had gone late.
I don't know if Jaden knew that the Aurum Guild was secretly run by the crown prince or not. He probably didn't know at first. The fact that the crown prince was behind it was kept strictly secret.
There were only vague rumors circulating, like 'I heard that...' Eloi used it against him.
So, Eloi had confirmed it through Jaden.
If the guild wasn't run by the crown prince, Ian would just die. But if it was, the crown prince would come to the place where Ian was called to, and he would try to save him. Either way, it was a win for Eloi. Either Ian dies, or he discovers the crown prince's secret.
The problem was Jaden. It was a matter of life and death for him. He probably realized the rumors late and agonized over it alone, which was why he left in a hurry and ended up going late.
In the end, Jaden decided to follow Eloi's orders and risk his life for him. Eloi didn't mourn Jaden's death but was glad to have obtained the information about the Aurum Guild being the crown prince's secret guild.
I could see Eloi's delighted expression in my mind, even though it wasn't described in the novel.
Now, I just had to follow his orders without question, but I didn't feel good about it. I hadn't realized that Eloi knew everything and had pushed Jaden to his death. For 9 years and 8 months, Jaden had been like a dog under Eloi's command, and Eloi was a ruthless bastard without any empathy. I had thought that spending so much time together would make him care, even a little, but I was wrong. Why would Jaden give his life for someone like Eloi?
"Argh!"
I kicked my bedroom door in anger, and the servants passing by gasped and quickly ran away.
I was tired and wanted to lie down, but I remembered that I hadn't completed my daily routine, so I slowly made my way to the training hall.
"I don't want to go..."
In the novel, Jaden never missed a day of tormenting the knights and servants.
*
"Hmm!"
Despite my entrance, no one in the training hall paid me any attention, which was expected. I coughed loudly to get their attention, and finally, a knight from the 2nd Division, 1st Squad, named Ein Epinephrine, approached me. He had a very energetic impression, just like his name. He was drenched in sweat from the intense morning training.
"Oh, I'm sorry, young master. I was so focused on training that I didn't notice you."
In other words, 'I don't want to deal with you, so please go away.' But I responded rudely.
"You call yourselves knights, but you don't even notice your master's arrival? Pathetic."
Ein's face twitched slightly, but he didn't lose his smile. It showed that he hadn't become the squad leader by chance.
"Haha, I'll try harder."
"You better. Go get a sword!"
Ein quickly ran to get a wooden sword, and the training knights all looked at me with the same expression, as if saying, 'Here we go again.' I considered scolding them but decided to let it go today since I wasn't in the mood.
"Here it is."
Ein returned quickly with a wooden sword used by apprentice knights. I looked at it disdainfully and slapped Ein's hand before taking the sword. I examined the sword carefully before throwing it on the floor.
Some knights looked at me in surprise, while others looked disgusted. Sorry, everyone. Today, I'll just throw the sword three times and leave.
"Are you joking? It has scratches now."
"Ah... I'll get another one."
Ein brought a new sword, which I also threw. And when he brought yet another new sword, I was about to throw it for the last time when—
"Are you serious? That's too much!"
A man with blue hair and a sharp tone approached, looking furious. He seemed new to the ducal knights, probably because of his blue hair and the sword in his hand.
"Lucas, watch your mouth!"
Ein, with a shocked expression, grabbed the blue-haired knight. But the knight wasn't intimidated; instead, he shouted, "No, you're treating the squad leader like a servant! It's too much, even for the ducal young master!"
"Stop it!"
"You come here every day and treat us like this! And you're not even a real Grace!"
The training hall fell silent, as if cold water had been poured over everyone. Ein's face turned pale, and the blue-haired knight, Lucas,who realized what he just said, covered his mouth and widened his eyes in surprise.
I trembled with anger and glared at Lucas before turning around and quickly running out of the training hall. I could hear Ein calling after me, but I didn't look back. I hoped that I had hurt his pride enough that he would run away without saying a word, like a man with low self-esteem.
I ran all the way back to my bedroom and slid onto the bed, sighing softly.
He was shocked by his own words. I wasn't angry or upset by what Lucas had said. It was true, and he had a right to be upset. What knight wouldn't be upset when an outsider mistreated their squad leader? It wasn't the first time I had heard such words, and I was just a passing stranger in this world.
Anyway, I could brush it off because I wasn't a part of this world. If this were my reality, I might have... probably given up everything.
Jaden was adopted into a ducal family after being lucky enough to be discovered to have a slight magical power in an orphanage. But his brother was violent and oppressive, his father was indifferent, and as a result, Jaden's position within the ducal family was not good.
Well, his despicable personality didn't help his image. He was naturally cunning, but if Jaden had been truly kind, he wouldn't have survived in this world. A villain with a reason, you could say. I chuckled. A villain with a reason... How funny, after spending years as Jaden, I was now taking his side.
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