Make Dark Fantasy Great Again-Chapter 13: Im Done Being a Bastard (1)

I planned a small farewell party for the day I left my family. Inviting only my loved ones, it would be a slightly early morning affair.

So basically, I was going to make a secret escape at 3 AM when Bendel was at its quietest.

Perhaps the uninvited might express belated regret, crying, “The bastard’s run away!”

But I don’t care. It’s not like we’ll see each other again anyway.

Or what? Are they going to form a pursuit team? For one bastard disappearing? Now that’d be like calling pest control for the neighborhood because a cockroach went out the window.

As such, the farewell between bastard and family was planned to be very shy and wistful.

“Say that again.”

“I said I’m leaving the family.”

The plan changed. A thought had occurred to me.

Why? Why should I leave in secret, as if running away? It’s not like I’ve committed any crime.

As it was, everyone in Bendel freely expressed their discomfort with my existence. If I were to disappear on my own, wouldn’t that essentially be me being considerate?

If they had any conscience, any affection at all, they should at least write me a heartfelt letter.

And above all... I wanted to make sure. There was still one thing I had to settle properly with this man.

“...”

The patriarch quickly lost interest again and took his eyes off me, turning his gaze to the desk and showing me his crown.

Apparently, the momentary interruption of his work was more shocking than the illegitimate child’s declaration of leaving home.

“Roera has made you conceited.”

“?”

Suddenly, he mentioned my sister out of nowhere.

“Leaving the embrace of family and standing tall without anyone’s help? Bringing honor not only to her own name but also the family’s? It was all possible because it was Roera.”

And I was wondering what he was going on about.

It seemed the family head interpreted my declaration of leaving as an intention to go out and gain fame like Roera did.

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

“Then you may withdraw.”

I fiercely locked eyes with the top of his head, refusing to back down.

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

The patriarch’s voice was less dry than normal.

“...”

A laugh escaped me. That he would even consider improving my treatment surprised me. It was rare coming from that man.

Before remembering my past life, I’d have probably reacted like an overjoyed kid receiving his Christmas gift.

“So refrain from any further rash actions.”

Even the patriarch seemed to interpret my little laugh as joy. He brought the conversation to an arbitrary close.

This is why eye contact is crucial in conversations. See how shallow the communication between the patriarch’s head and my eyes are?

I started pondering how I’d break the tough news to him, that his bastard son had hit puberty.

“Ah.”

The family head’s earlier reference to Roera likely influenced me, as I suddenly thought of Roera.

My sister also once sought the family head’s permission to leave home. She, however, wasn’t one to listen to others.

To deter Roera, the patriarch made a proposition.

-Defeat our family’s apprentice knight in a duel, and you’ll be free to go. Should you lose, though, you must take a more dedicated approach to Bendel style training. So, what will it be?

Roera readily accepted. And with the entire family watching, she defeated the apprentice knight. Moreover, she had utilized a sword technique she had learned on her own instead of the Bendel technique.

The patriarch’s complicated look as he regarded Roera that day is something I remember. I remember his satisfaction in ultimately confirming his daughter’s exceptional talent.

I’m curious. If Roera were replaced with a bastard in that scenario, how would he have reacted?

There’s no guarantee that an illegitimate child would win against a Bendel apprentice knight. To be exact, the probability of failure is so high that it’s not just a lack of guarantee.

The apprentice knights, after all, are skilled practitioners, at least near 3rd Rank.

“Patriarch.”

But I did have reason to be confident.

“Please give me a chance like Roera.”

“I made it clear to you—refrain from any more rash actions. You’re disappointing me.”

“That duel with the apprentice knight Roera had. I want to do it too.”

“...”

Only then did the patriarch raise his head and stare at me.

***The morning of the Bendel trainees begins as early as that of the manor’s servants. Here, at the training ground in front of the manor house.

Normally, nothing is more important than training for the trainees, but today is an exception.

No one was swinging swords. Everyone had taken their places in the corner of the training ground, eagerly waiting for someone to arrive.

“A duel between Sir Risir and Humton? Does this even make sense? I don’t know guys.”

“You’re not the only one. Who could make sense of this?”

“Mr. Humton will be a real challenge though...”

“A challenge, sure. But would it only be him? Dude, anyone would be a challenge for dear Sir Risir. You could bring any random apprentice knight and he’d serve an easy beating.”

“What are you guys going on about? Get over the apprentice stage.”

“Exactly. Why even look for an apprentice. Even us trainees could settle it.”

“Hey come on. Sir Risir is still a Bendel after all.”

“Then if you had to bet on a duel between Sir Risir and Malcolm, which side would you pick?”

“Ask me something worth answering, brother. Of course it’s... Hey, but you should know I’m real close with Malcolm.”

“Ah, our buddy Malcolm. Who could hate that guy? If Sir Risir were to duel with him, we’d all have to bet on Malcolm even though we know better, right?”

“Bahahah.”

A bastard’s dueling an apprentice knight!

The sensational news spread throughout the Bendel manor in an instant, and everyone moved to witness this rare spectacle. Even the servants, who should be as busy as the trainees at this hour.

“Hasn’t Sir Risir been a bit strange lately?”

“I didn’t really notice?”

“Don’t like Sir Risir much, not me. How should I put it...Isn’t he particularly prickly toward us?”

“You know, hearing stories of other noble houses, it seems to be a common thing among them.”

“Them?”

“You know. Bastards.”

“Ah...”

“Even the lower nobility look down on them, which is why they vent on their lessers.”

“Tsk. I see what you mean.”

“Really? That’s strange...He was kind to me...”

“Same, same. He treated me all casually! I’ve never seen a noble like that before, y’know?”

“Strictly speaking, he’s not really a noble, but yeah...”

“You guys just came in recently. You can say that because you don’t know well. You don’t know how volatile Sir Risir used to be.”

“Huh? He was different before?”

“... Well, I do admit he’s changed a bit lately.”

“Oh no... I can’t watch...”

“I hope Sir Risir wins.”

Most of the servants were rooting for Risir. They liked the young master who had mysteriously mellowed out lately. Not to mention, they were completely ignorant about the field of swordsmanship.

“Oi Yowen. What should I do about this? Gimme some advice.”

“Why ask me?”

“Why? Didn’t you go through something similar?”

“You gotta be kidding my ass. Hey. My opponent was Lady Roera, alright? Not some bastard who never learned to even grip a sword.”

A group of apprentice knights had taken their place. The atmosphere among them was distinct from the others excited about the rare spectacle.

Most of them were skeptical about the duel itself.

“Just take it easy, okay? Easy. Don’t be stupid and hurt him. Bastard or not, he’s still a Bendel.”

Their attitude towards Risir was quite different from that of the trainees; their noble lineage made it inevitable.

Even if their rank was lower than Bendel, at least their blood was pure. And as pure born nobility, their status was definitively higher than that of an illegitimate child.

Humton, the apprentice knight scheduled to duel with Risir, sighed deeply and scratched his angular head at the words of his peers.

He spoke with a clearly troubled face.

“By the way, what’s this all about? What in dickens got into our admirable Sir Risir to cause such a commotion?”

“Isn’t he trying to impress the Diltan miss?”

“Ah. That makes sense.”

“But, isn’t he supposed to look cool to impress his fiancée? What idiot would want to show his ass getting handed?”

“Did the patriarch not tell you anything? Like to go easy on him?”

“Right. Gotta give the useless decor some polish once in a while, don’t we?”

“Nope?”

“Huh?”

“I was told not to get sidetracked and just give it my all.”

“...Huh. I really don’t understand what he’s thinking.”

“Like father, like son I guess?”

“Lunatic. If you said that in front of the patriarch then—”

It was then.

“Oh, he’s here! He’s here!”

“Good heavens. Is it true? Is he really going to duel an apprentice knight?”

The illegitimate child appeared at the training ground, and the people began to stir in earnest.

Before long, the heads of the Diltan and Bendel families appeared.

The noisy training ground instantly fell silent, leaving only suffocating tension in the air.

***Originally, the Bendel patriarch Idore had two options.

To either betroth his youngest daughter Roera to Kalan, the eldest son of Diltan, or betroth his bastard son Risir to Fienne, the youngest of Diltan.

Idore’s heart leaned toward the first option. From the family’s perspective, it was more beneficial to send off their youngest daughter in marriage to indebt the Diltans than to send a bastard as a son-in-law and incur a debt.

It was the same from a father’s perspective. Idore had considerable expectations that he might finally see that unruly daughter of his grow up through marriage.

-I have considered your proposal in earnest, Lord Bendel.

-And?

-...However, I regret to say that I must decline.

-May I ask for what reason?

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-Our daughter stubbornly insists.

-You mean... Miss Fienne?

-Indeed. I’m not sure what the circumstances are, but it appears my daughter has fallen quite hard for young Risir.

-Well well...

-Apparently, she once got lost while visiting Hayeren a long time ago. I’m told young Risir treated her very kindly during that incident, which is when she began to fall in love.

...This was the reason behind Bendel’s tolerance of Risir’s misbehavior.

A teenage girl’s emotions could flare up for trivial reasons and cool down just as whimsically. Once she saw Risir being defeated in front of this crowd, the Diltan young lady’s rose-colored glasses would surely come off.

“Dad!”

Just before the duel was about to begin, Roera approached Idore and called out in an accusatory tone.

“Is this right!? You know too, Dad. No, you know better than anyone else! That Risir would struggle even against trainees, let alone apprentice knights!”

“It was Risir’s request.”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about!!! The rumors have already spread! They say the illegitimate child is imitating the Bendel young lady!!! You know what will happen to Risir’s reputation if he loses here and—”

“Roera.”

“...!”

Surprisingly, Idore reacted with the stern expression of a patriarch rather than a caring father.

“This is a family matter.”

“...”

Roera clenched her fists so hard they cricked, but she ultimately couldn’t say anything. For all her unruliness, even she couldn’t defy the patriarch’s authority in such a public setting.

“...And, this is also to grant your request.”

After pondering Idore’s words for a moment, Roera hung her head weakly.

***“Duelists, take your positions.”

Following the patriarch’s instructions, the two duelists stood facing each other on the training ground. They stood thirty paces apart.

“Hah...”

The bastard’s opponent, apprentice knight Humton, was a large man with short hair. He had to try hard not to let the family head see his displeasure.

What am I even doing...

He also frowned upon this duel, as knights revered strength and honor.

There was nothing Humton could gain from dueling Risir, who was both a bastard and a novice in swordsmanship. It was humiliating.

“Sir Risir.”

“Yes, Mr. Humton.”

The training ground was wide. They spoke at a volume that only they could hear.

“Is it true? That this duel was arranged at your request?”

“That’s how it turned out.”

“Is it also true that you specifically named an apprentice knight as your opponent?”

“That’s how it turned out.”

“Didn’t you think that in itself would be an insult to us Bendel apprentice knights?”

“Is that how it turns out?”

“Please consider the position of an adult who has to seriously face a child.”

“If my opponent were a child, I’m at least confident I wouldn’t lose.”

“What the...”

“Are you both ready?”

The two nodded.

“Then let the duel begin.”

Thus, it commenced. Warming up, Humton swung his sword back and forth. Pop, crack. A powerful noise emanated from his muscular arms.

His voice turned low.

“I’ll give you the first move.”

This wasn’t a final act of conscience or the like. He deemed it might be more impressive to subdue the bastard during his charge than to carry out a one-sided beating.

“Then gladly. Oh right. Before we start in earnest, may I clarify one thing? I’m certain that...in a general duel, all techniques and actions including the Bendel sword technique are allowed. Is my understanding correct?”

“Whatever it is, feel free to demonstrate your skills to your heart’s content, Sir Risir.”

Humton sneered without realizing it. Hearing such words from a bastard with no notable skills to boast of was nothing short of amusing.

“That’s good to hear.”

The bastard gripped his sword, taking a step forward and gradually closing the distance.

Some of the apprentice knights and trainees hastily looked away. Witnessing his utterly clumsy footwork, that utterly clumsy way of closing the distance...They almost burst out laughing.

“...”

Humton could tell without looking. His seniors, peers, and juniors alike were all holding back laughter while watching his duel. And that made him gnash his teeth.

Despite relinquishing the first move, Humton ended up stepping forward himself. But he didn’t assume a stance. Nor did he use any proper footwork. Using his techniques against such a weakling would be shameful in itself.

He looked like an adult about to teach a lesson to a child.

“...”

Risir’s eyes gleamed. He adjusted his stance, grounding himself more firmly.

Pit-pat-pit-pat. With his sword clenched tightly, Risir charged toward Humton like a cavalry.

His first blow was an overhead strike.

“Damn it.”

Humton swore under his breath, unable to contain his frustration.

Setting aside the terrible posture, how could he take such a big stance when there was still so much distance left? It was like jokingly telling him to take any vital point he wanted.

Humton gladly wanted to do so, but if he did, that poor bastard would end up crippled. So he still didn’t assume a stance. Just a simple, powerful right-handed sword strike would do.

That alone would disarm the bastard and cause a disgraceful fall.

Unlike his opponent, Humton gauged the distance with precision and got ready to attack. But just as he was about to make a move...

Risir lost his grip on the sword. Or to be exact, he shifted from a two-handed grip to just his right hand.

It was to release what he had been holding in his left.

Smack!

Something violently threw Humton’s face back with a dull thud.

“!?”

He took a moment to process what occurred. Upon hitting the ground, he noticed a metal ball lying nearby. The same ball that had shot like a bullet and landed on his forehead.

Then without warning, Risir had a sword to Humton’s neck.

“Magic!!!!!!!!”

Humton unleashed his anger on Risir.

“How dare you use such a cheap trick in a duel!!!”

Risir was a timid bastard, or at least that’s how Humton remembered him. Yet he retorted with a smug smile.

“Didn’t I clarify this before the duel began?”

“Y-you...Pathetic little!!!”

Knights and mages alike took intense pride in their identities. Humton’s minimal courtesy to Risir, even though he was illegitimate, was because he knew Risir was seeking Bendel’s approval.

But to unleash magic unexpectedly during a duel? This act not only made a mockery of Humton, it even brought disgrace to the Bendel name.

“How could you do such a thing as a man of Bendel—as a son of Bendel! Do you have no pride at all?!”

“Why am I a Bendel?”

“...?”

Humton was utterly thrown by Risir’s faint reply. It was almost comical how easily his burning fury was quelled.

The apprentice knight’s bloodshot eyes blinked repeatedly in confusion.

“Not once in my life have I ever used Bendel as part of my name.”

“But—”

“And swordsmanship? You’d have to teach me something for me to, well, I don’t know. Do something with it?”

“...”

“You laughed too when you saw my stance. Ah, it’s okay. I don’t mean to say anything about it. Sometimes I laugh too when I look in the mirror trying to correct my posture.”

“...”

Humton could only blink blankly.

The illegitimate child speaking of his miserable situation didn’t seek understanding or sympathy. He merely wore a slight smile, as if telling a ridiculous, pitiful joke. His behavior was utterly beyond Humton’s way of thinking.

The illegitimate child extended his hand to the apprentice knight, who took it as if entranced.

Wearing a broad, unshadowed smile, the illegitimate child pulled his opponent up.

“I was lucky. And I did well.”

“...”

The watching crowd shared Humton’s expression.

***

▷ Character 2: ‘Bastard’ has been deactivated.

Perks will be awarded.

***