The day I decided to leave the family.

I had planned a simple farewell. Just a small gathering of the people who cared about me. A quiet affair in the early morning.

In other words, I intended to sneak out alone at 3 a.m., the time when Vendel estate was at its quietest.

For those who weren’t invited to my “farewell,” they might later say, *“The bastard ran away!”* filled with delayed regret.

I couldn’t care less. It’s not like we’d see each other again.

Or maybe... they’d organize a search party?

For a missing bastard?

That would be like calling pest control because a cockroach flew out the window.

Yes, my departure from the family would be quiet and bittersweet.

---

“Say that again.”

“I said I’m leaving the family.”

The plan changed.

Suddenly, I thought to myself—why?

Why do I have to sneak away as if I were fleeing?

It’s not like I committed any crime.

Everyone in Vendel openly expresses their discomfort about my existence. Given that, if I disappear on my own, isn’t that me being considerate?

If they had a shred of decency, they’d at least write me a heartfelt letter.

And more importantly—

I needed to settle something.

There was unfinished business I had to resolve with *him.*

“...”

The family head quickly lost interest and averted his gaze from me, turning back to his desk. It seemed the temporary pause in his work was more shocking to him than my declaration to leave.

“You’ve been influenced by Roera, haven’t you?”

“?”

My sister’s name was suddenly mentioned out of nowhere.

“It was possible for Roera. She was able to leave the family and stand tall without anyone’s help. She not only made a name for herself but elevated the family’s reputation as well.”

It took me a moment to understand what he was saying. It seemed the family head interpreted my declaration as a desire to leave the family and make a name for myself like Roera had.

“I understand what you’re trying to say.”

“If so, you may leave.”

I didn’t move. I stood my ground, staring directly at the back of his head.

It felt as if sparks flew as my gaze met his exposed scalp.

“If the marriage with Diltan is successful, I will consider improving your situation.”

His voice sounded less cold than usual at that moment.

“...”

I let out a small laugh without meaning to.

He’d consider improving my situation?

That was a rare offer from the family head.

Had this been before I regained my memories from my past life, I might have been overjoyed, like a child receiving a Christmas present.

“So, refrain from any further reckless behavior.”

It seemed the family head interpreted my laugh as something else, and with that, he unilaterally ended the conversation.

This is why people need to look each other in the eye when talking. The “communication” I had just shared with his scalp was beyond shallow.

I thought for a moment. How should I explain to him that the family’s bastard son was going through a rebellious phase?

“Ah.”

Perhaps because he mentioned Roera, her image suddenly came to mind.

There was a time when Roera, like me, asked the family head for permission to leave.

Roera wasn’t the type to back down with words. To dissuade her, the family head had made her a proposal.

—*If you can defeat one of our family’s apprentice knights in a duel, I’ll permit you to leave. But if you lose, you must approach your training in the Vendel way with a more serious attitude. What do you say?*

Without hesitation, Roera accepted. And in front of the entire family, she defeated the apprentice knight—using a sword technique she had developed on her own, not the Vendel style.

I still remember the complicated expression on the family head’s face that day. Ultimately, he was proud to see his daughter’s remarkable talent.

Now, I wondered.

What would the family head do if it were me, a bastard, standing in Roera’s place?

There was no guarantee I’d win against one of Vendel’s apprentice knights.

In fact, not only was there no guarantee, but the chances of me losing were far higher.

Apprentice knights were skilled individuals, on the verge of reaching the third level.

“Family Head.”

Still, I had something to rely on.

“Give me the same opportunity as Roera.”

“I thought I made myself clear—no more reckless behavior. You’ve disappointed me.”

“I’ll duel one of the apprentice knights, just like Roera.”

“...”

For the first time, the family head looked up and met my gaze.

---

Morning in Vendel Estate began early, even for the servants. And the apprentice knights started their day just as early, training at the drill grounds in front of the main building.

Usually, nothing was more important than their training, but today was an exception.

None of them were swinging swords. Instead, they all gathered at the edge of the drill grounds, waiting with anticipation.

“Lishir *‘Sir’* is going to duel Humphton? Is this even for real? I can’t believe it.”

“You’re not the only one. Who could believe this?”

“Humphton’s going to have a rough time…”

“Humphton? Humphton’s going to have a rough time? Are you serious? Any of the apprentice knights could easily take down Lishir *‘Sir.’*”

“Why are you guys even talking about this? It won’t even come down to the apprentice knights.”

“Exactly. We’re not talking about the apprentices here. Even the trainees could probably take care of it.”

“Come on, guys, Lishir *‘Sir’* is still a Vendel.”

“Alright then, if Lishir *‘Sir’* were to fight Malcolm, where would you place your bets?”

“Is that even a question? Of course, I’d—wait, but let’s be clear, I’m really good friends with Malcolm.”

“Ah, our buddy Malcolm. Who wouldn’t bet on him if it came down to a duel with Lishir *‘Sir’?* We’d all have to put our money on him, even knowing the outcome.”

*Heh heh heh.*

The duel between the bastard and an apprentice knight had quickly become the talk of the entire estate.

Everyone, even the normally busy servants, had come to witness this rare spectacle.

---

Most of the servants were rooting for Lishir.

They had grown fond of him lately, ever since his attitude had softened. The once prickly young master had become more approachable.

And none of them had the slightest understanding of swordsmanship.

---

“Hey, Yoen, what should I do about this? Any advice?”

“Why ask me?”

“Why not? You’ve been in a similar situation before.”

“Seriously? You’re comparing this to my duel with Roera? Roera is a trained swordswoman, not some unskilled bastard.”

A group of apprentice knights had gathered together, and their mood was starkly different from the rest of the crowd.

Most of them were skeptical about the duel.

“Just take it easy, alright? Don’t hurt him. Even if he’s a bastard, he’s still a Vendel.”

Their attitude towards Lishir was vastly different from that of the trainees.

It made sense. Most of them came from noble families, after all. Though their families weren’t as prestigious as the Vendels, their noble blood was still pure.

Compared to the bastard, they were clearly superior.

The apprentice knight scheduled to duel Lishir, Humphton, let out a heavy sigh and scratched his square head in frustration.

“Seriously, what’s going on? What possessed *Sir* Lishir to cause such a fuss?”

“Trying to impress Lady Diltan, maybe?”

“Hmm. Makes sense.”

“But if he wants to impress her, shouldn’t he be showing off his strength? What kind of fool shows off by getting beaten up in front of his fiancée?”

“Did the family head give you any special instructions? Maybe go easy on him?”

“Nope. He told me to go all out.”

“...What is he thinking?”

“Like father, like son.”

“You idiot. If you’d said that in front of the family head—”

---

“That’s him! He’s coming!”

“No way... Is this really happening? A duel between the bastard and an apprentice knight?”

The bastard had finally appeared on the drill grounds, and the entire place was abuzz with anticipation.

Shortly after, the heads of the Diltan and Vendel families also made their appearance, and the once noisy drill grounds fell silent, tension filling the air.

---

Family head Isodore had two options.

One: marry off his youngest daughter, Roera, to Diltan’s eldest son, Kallan.

Two: marry off the bastard, Lishir, to Diltan’s youngest daughter, Fien.

Isodore preferred the first option.

Sending the bastard off as a son-in-law would be an embarrassing debt to the family. Marrying off Roera, on the other hand, would put the burden on someone else’s shoulders, which was far more beneficial from the family’s perspective.

It made sense from a father’s point of view too.

He had high hopes that his troublesome daughter would finally mature after getting married.

---

*—We have carefully considered Vendel’s proposal.*

*—And?*

*—Unfortunately, we must decline.*

*—May I ask why?*

*—Our daughter has been quite adamant about this.*

*—Your daughter? Do you mean Lady Fien?*

*—Yes. For some reason, she’s completely sm

itten with Lord Lishir.*

*—Hmm...*

*—Apparently, she got lost during a visit to Vendel years ago, and Lord Lishir was very kind to her. She’s been holding onto those feelings ever since.*

---

This was why Vendel had tolerated Lishir’s presence for so long.

A girl’s fleeting emotions often burned hot over the smallest things and just as easily fizzled out. Once Fien saw Lishir lose in front of all these people, the scales would fall from her eyes.

---

“Father!”

Just before the duel began, Roera approached Isodore, her voice filled with accusation.

“Is this really happening? You, of all people, know better than anyone! Lishir can’t handle this! He wouldn’t stand a chance against an apprentice knight, let alone a trainee!”

“This was Lishir’s request.”

“I’m not talking about that!!! Word is spreading like wildfire! People are saying the bastard is copying the Vendel girl!!! You know what will happen if he loses, Father—”

“Roera.”

“...!”

It was a rare occurrence.

Isodore wasn’t addressing her as a kind father, but as a stern family head.

“This is a family matter.”

“...”

Her clenched fist trembled with anger, but she couldn’t say anything more.

As rebellious as she was, even Roera couldn’t deny the authority of the family head in a public setting like this.

“And, this is also for your sake.”

It took Roera a moment to understand what he meant, and then she lowered her head, defeated.

---

“Duelists, take your positions.”

Following the family head’s command, the two duelists took their places on the drill grounds, standing thirty paces apart.

“Ha...”

Standing opposite the bastard was the burly, short-haired man named Humphton.

He struggled to keep his dissatisfaction hidden from the family head.

‘What a waste of time...’

Humphton wasn’t the only one who found the duel bothersome.

Knights respected strength. They valued honor.

What could Humphton possibly gain from dueling a bastard like Lishir, who was just a beginner in swordsmanship?

In fact, he felt humiliated by the entire situation.

“Lord Lishir.”

“Yes, Humphton.”

The drill grounds were large. Their conversation was barely audible to anyone but each other.

“Is this true? That this duel was your idea?”

“It was.”

“You specifically requested to duel an apprentice knight?”

“I did.”

“Have you not considered that this is an insult to the Vendel apprentice knights?”

“Is it?”

“Think about the position you’re putting me in—an adult having to seriously engage with a child.”

“If my opponent is a child, I’m confident I won’t lose.”

“What in the...”

“Are both of you ready?”

The two nodded.

“Then begin.”

The duel commenced.

Humphton swung his sword in a few warm-up strokes, loosening his body.

*Crack!*

*Crack!*

The thick muscles in his arms produced a menacing sound.

He spoke in a low voice.

“I’ll let you go first.”

This wasn’t some noble gesture—it was simply that it would look better to defeat a charging opponent than to knock him down unprovoked.

“Then I’ll take you up on that. Oh, by the way, before we start, I’d like to clarify something. In a normal duel, all techniques, including Vendel-style swordsmanship, are permitted, correct? I just want to make sure I understand.”

“Do whatever you like, Lord Lishir. Show me all your *skills.*”

Humphton couldn’t help but smirk.

Hearing such words from a bastard with no discernible skills was laughable.

“That’s the answer I wanted.”

The bastard grasped his sword and started closing the distance.

Some of the apprentice knights and trainees had to turn away in embarrassment.

His footwork was terrible, and his approach was even worse. They nearly burst out laughing.

“...”

Humphton didn’t even need to look to know that his peers were stifling their laughter at the scene.

*Crunch.*

*Step.*

Though Humphton had offered to let Lishir make the first move, he ended up taking a step forward himself.

No stance, no proper footwork.

There was no need to use any real techniques against someone like this.

It was like an adult scolding a child.

---

Lishir’s eyes flashed as he adjusted his stance and gathered strength in his legs.

*Tatatatata—*

He charged toward Humphton, sword raised like a cavalryman.

A downward slash.

It was Lishir’s first strike.

“Damn it.”

Humphton couldn’t hold back his frustration.

The terrible stance was one thing, but taking such a large swing while there was still so much distance between them?

It was practically inviting Humphton to take his pick of vital spots.

Humphton would have gladly obliged, but that would leave the poor bastard severely injured.

There was no need to put effort into it. All he had to do was swing his sword with full strength. That alone would be enough to disarm the bastard and knock him down.

However, just as Humphton was about to swing his sword—

Lishir released his grip on the sword.

More accurately, he released his left hand from the hilt.

He had to free it to unleash what he had been holding onto.

*Thwack!*

A dull sound rang out as Humphton’s head snapped back violently.

“!?”

It took Humphton a moment to realize what had happened.

Lying on the ground, he saw the metal ball beside him—the one that had shot toward his forehead like a bullet.

Lishir’s sword was now pointed at Humphton’s throat.

“Magic!!!!!!”

Humphton roared, his voice filled with rage.

He had always thought of the bastard as a timid person.

Yet here he was, smirking like a sly fox.

“I made sure to clarify the rules before we started, didn’t I?”

“You... you coward!!!”

Knights and mages took great pride in their respective crafts.

Despite being a bastard, Humphton had shown Lishir some respect because he knew the effort Lishir put into being recognized by Vendel.

But to use magic in a duel?

This wasn’t just an insult to himself but a disgrace to the Vendel name.

“A *Vendel* should have at least some shred of honor!!!”

“Why do you think I’m a Vendel?”

“...?”

Lishir’s calm, tired response was unexpected.

Humphton’s burning anger was extinguished as quickly as it had ignited.

His bloodshot eyes blinked repeatedly.

“I’ve never once called myself a Vendel.”

“No—”

“And swordsmanship? How can you learn a craft properly when the teacher doesn’t even care?”

“...”

“You laughed at my stance too, didn’t you? It’s fine. I’m not mad. I sometimes laugh at myself when I’m practicing in front of a mirror.”

“...”

The apprentice knight could only blink dumbly.

The bastard wasn’t seeking sympathy or understanding for his miserable state.

He wasn’t demanding respect or approval.

He was simply smiling bitterly, as if the whole situation were nothing more than a sad joke.

Lishir extended his hand to Humphton, who grabbed it instinctively.

Then Lishir raised Humphton’s hand high in the air.

“Good luck was on my side today. And I did well too.”

He smiled with genuine cheerfulness, without a trace of shadow.

“...”

The entire crowd stared in disbelief, their faces mirroring Humphton’s stunned expression.

---

▷ Character 2: **Bastard** - Deactivated.  
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