'Wait a minute, wouldn't there be a real problem if I hit this motherfucker?'
Elia paused for a moment, about to finish off Terrence.
What if the original story changed?
'So, wouldn't I be able to use the knowledge of the original story that I have?'
This question crossed her mind for a moment, but it quickly faded away.
However, Terence is only a minor villain at first, his role being to highlight the presence of the male hero Axion.
Furthermore, there were countless subsequent events that demonstrated the existence of the massive Axion.
'So, even if you get rid of this scoundrel here, there won't be any problem at all.'
Elia felt more comfortable, and smiled widely at Terrence.
Well, now I'll hit you as much as I want!
•
Terrence felt confused when he saw Elia grinning at him.
Why is he smiling suddenly?
Is he crazy?
He shouted at her again in confusion:
“Hey!
Didn’t you hear me?
What kind of family is our family...”
“What a parrot, he never stops repeating the same words.”
Illya interrupted him with a mocking laugh.
“I know, your family.
The Richie Duchy, right?”
Terrence's face contorted at Elijah's indifferent response.
His family, the Richie Family, was influential in most areas of the empire, and most people would usually fear and bow their heads when hearing his family name.
But the boy in front of him was very confident, without any trace of fear.
‘This boy, is he a senior noble in the capital?’
Only the senior nobles of the capital, who possessed a higher status than his family, could belittle him so audaciously.
For example, the Vonberg family who recruited this unit.
According to rumors, there were, albeit rarely, members of families of higher status than him present here as well.
He hurriedly examined the name badge embroidered on the chest of Elijah's uniform.
[Erhan T.]
'What family is this?'
Could it be the Torres family, the major noble of the capital?
Cold sweat ran down his back.
If so, hasn't he committed major impropriety?
He examined Elijah from head to toe with lightning speed.
He had to quickly discover any information that might reveal this scoundrel's family.
For the record, he had perfectly memorized all the crests of families higher in status than his own.
But Elijah's dull gray uniform held no information at all.
'Fuck!'
As his eyes wandered desperately, they fell on the hilt of the sword Elia was holding.
At the end of the sword's hilt, the Trenggen family crest was engraved very small.
When he discovered this, he internally cheered.
Since it was an unheard-of slogan, it must have belonged to someone of a baseless lower nobility.
He had a smug and triumphant expression on his face.
“How dare you challenge the Richie family with the slogan of a family that has no value and no origin!
Are you crazy?”
Elia stared, tilting her head, seeing Terrence screaming with such force.
'Where the hell is my family crest?'
Only then did she notice that Terence's gaze was fixed on the hilt of the sword at her waist.
Is it possible that this bastard saw this tiny little logo engraved here, the size of an eyesore?
What amazing power of sight!
How wonderful it would have been if he could use this ability for something useful.
Illya apologized sincerely and clicked her tongue inwardly.
Terence was now making fun of her completely in a tone of contempt.
“What do you think?
Your identity has been exposed, so you have nothing to say, right?
You baseless bastard...”
"Again the original talk.
Don't you ever get tired of it?"
When Ilya interrupted him coldly, he raised his hand towards her threateningly.
“How dare this impudent person!
I’ll show you!”
It looked like he was going to hit her at any moment, but Illya didn't back down or shrink at all.
On the contrary, with a face of sincere pity, she approached him and whispered in a voice low enough for him only to hear:
“However, I understand you, Patrick.”
Shrink.
The hand he raised violently in the air trembled.
His face froze and turned pale instantly.
“You, you…what did you just say…”
“Well, what can be done?
Since you lived as the fatherless illegitimate son of the Duke, it is understandable that you would cling to that ‘origin’ to death so badly.”
Terence looked at her now with a shocked face.
“Isn't it, Patrick?”
When Ilya carelessly whispered and added, his face no longer held not only shock, but also fear.
correct.
Terrence Ritchie, this bastard's real name is Patrick.
He is the illegitimate son of the Duke of Richie, known for his lust, with a commoner woman.
When Terence, the Ritchie family's eldest son and only male heir, received his draft notice, the Duke secretly conscripted Patrick in his stead.
‘Unlike me, who suddenly enlisted instead of Erhan, the Duke made advance preparations very meticulously.’
Since the initial medical examination, he has sent Patrick in his place, and even mobilized wizards from the Magic Tower to change Patrick's appearance and voice to resemble Terrence.
Everyone who knew even a little about this matter was bribed with huge sums of money.
Thus, Patrick was able to safely enlist here in Terrence's place.
While Terence, and even Patrick, was stiff and trembling, his followers asked him curiously:
“Terrence, what is this bastard talking about now?”
“Why does this bastard keep calling you by a strange name?”
Then Patrick shouted sharply to his followers:
“Shut up, you idiots!”
He now looked at Elijah with trembling eyes.
'How the hell, this bastard…!'
He obviously just met him today, so how did he know his identity?
Moreover, from his words, it seemed like he knew about his life as well.
That horrific life he lived as the illegitimate son of the Duke!
His face was distorted.
He was separated from his mother at an early age and came to the ducal palace.
The Duke did not adopt him out of pity or sympathy.
Rather, he brought him because he thought that if he left his illegitimate son alone, he might grow up and do something that would harm the duke's family.
He lived almost as if he were confined in a rickety hut near the ducal palace.
Terence, the Duke's son, always came to him and tortured him.
Then, shortly before, Terrence's recruitment notice for the Anti-Demon Army arrived, and Duke Richie ordered Patrick to enlist in his precious son's place, saying that he could not send his son into the army.
With a death threat if he didn't do so.
After two months of careful preparation, he completely changed his appearance to become Terrence.
Unlike Elijah, who came willingly in her brother's place, he, who enlisted under duress, acted like Terence from the moment he arrived here, and behaved arrogantly for several days.
Every time he cruelly trampled on weaklings from families lower than his own, he felt as if the anger and tension from the abuse he had received in the Duke's Palace faded away.
Anyway, even if the real Terrence had come here, he would have acted the same way.
Because Terence in the Duke's palace was cruelly torturing him, and he was the weak one.
He justified it this way and decided to spend his time here seriously torturing others.
He thought this was the way to make up for his miserable and miserable life.
'Tch, calm down.'
Patrick took a deep breath and thought.
There is no evidence here that he is the duke's illegitimate son.
Because the Duke has meticulously removed all evidence, and he has come here completely disguised as Terence.
This redhead who had never heard of him must have accidentally picked up the story from somewhere and started ranting about it.
Convinced of this, he confidently shouted to Elijah:
“Stop this nonsense!
You madman!
Do you have proof that I am an illegitimate son?
If you do, show it!”
Elia smiled annoyingly and responded to him asking:
“What will you do if I show it?
Will you confess?”
As a result of her calm and provocative attitude, Patrick's face completely froze.
This bastard, is it possible that he has real evidence?
When he remembered the Duke's terrifying face that threatened to kill him if his identity was revealed, his entire body trembled with fear.
His head felt dizzy.
If so...
'I have to kill this bastard before he gets the evidence out.'
Since the recruitment ceremony had not yet taken place, even if he killed this bastard, he would be punished under imperial law, not military law.
Then, the Duke would definitely use his influence to somehow handle the matter.
With trembling hands, he pulled his sword from the belt of his silk robe.
His followers tried to stop him.
“Terrence, what's wrong all of a sudden?”
“N-Yes... whatever it is, this is crossing the line!”
“Shut up!”
With a shout, Patrick pointed the blade at Elijah's neck.
The hand holding the sword trembled violently and his eyes were bloodshot.
'His gaze has completely gone mad.'
Illya stared blankly at the blade that was trembling violently in front of her neck.
She knew this bastard would act like this when cornered.
Originally, this was exactly what she had hoped for.
“You, do you think the evidence will disappear if you kill me?”
He laughed, then replied:
“You know better!”
When she asked him while looking directly at him, he responded with an annoying laugh
“Well, your idea actually makes some sense.”
After admitting this, she let out a light sigh, then continued her speech with an expression of sincere pity:
“But Patrick, what can be done now?”
“…?”
“You have now clearly shown yourself the evidence of your being an illegitimate son.”
At that moment, Patrick's eyes trembled violently.