A Truly Pitiful Life
I opened my eyes. Perhaps because I had been slapped so many times, my face felt numb and tingly. If only that were the worst of it. My entire body ached from the constant moving, fighting, and getting thrashed.
"Ugh." My joints creaked. If even Jin's S-rank body felt like this, what would it have been like for an ordinary person? I didn't even want to imagine it.
"...I suppose I should put on the uniform." I dressed myself in the uniform that had been tossed into a corner of the warehouse and looked into a dusty mirror nearby. It was a mercury-backed mirror. Perhaps because he was a male lead who could only be reached through the hidden ending—and a prince of a fallen kingdom to boot—his face was more than just passable. No, he was incredibly handsome. Now this was what I called narrative plausibility. ...Alright, enough admiring my own face.
"Let's go." To the training grounds.
The moment I stepped outside, the stares directed my way were anything but welcoming. They were filled with raw contempt and sheer annoyance.
"..." I silently stared into space, keeping my expression entirely blank. There's no point in picking a fight for no reason. But contrary to my wishes, the knights seemed to have other plans.
"Are you the slave who dragged himself in yesterday?"
"That is correct."
"Arrogant bastard. How dare a mere slave wear the uniform of the ducal house?"
"My master bestowed these clothes upon me."
"Your master? Ah, you mean that useless bitch?"
What the hell? Was it really okay for them to insult a lady of the ducal house like this? Now I understood what Franche meant yesterday. These bastards didn't deserve to be called knights.
"You really drew the short straw with your master. She spends money like water on useless luxuries, and she threw a massive fit because she wanted to get engaged to the young duke of the Persia family. She's nothing but a headache."
How kind of him to explain all this to a mere slave. I was deeply touched. The knight swept his gaze down and up my body.
"Tsk, look at this slave. You look sturdy enough, at least. What, are you some third-rate mercenary?" He scowled, muttering in disgust. Honestly, that hurt my feelings a little.
"Aren't you going to answer?"
"I am of the royal bloodline of Barenberg."
"...What?"
"The First Prince of Barenberg. I am Jin Barenberg."
Another knight sneered. "Ha! That kingdom that got wiped off the map because they dared to defy the Empire? Well, aren't we hosting a distinguished guest? To think I'd live to see the day I lay eyes on royalty from a fallen nation. I guess if you live long enough, you see everything."
It was the exact same reaction wherever I went. I wanted to snap back, but knowing that opening my mouth would only bring unnecessary trouble, I kept quiet.
"So, how did someone of such noble blood end up as a slave? If you had played your cards right, you could have carved out a decent life in the Empire."
I can't exactly tell them I ended up like this because I pissed off the Crown Prince.
"By order of His Highness the Crown Prince, I was captured and branded with a slave seal immediately."
"Oh? Branded with a slave seal right away, you say?"
Thwack! The knight suddenly kicked me square in the stomach. It didn't actually hurt, but it felt incredibly degrading.
"Wondering why I kicked you all of a sudden?"
"..."
"For someone who just admitted to being branded a slave, you've got a lot of nerve looking at me like that. How dare you look a noble of the Empire in the eye?"
Seriously, what did he want me to do?
"I heard the First Prince of Barenberg was a legendary warrior, but what a shame. Now that you've got that slave brand on you, you can't do a damn thing."
The knight tapped my shoulder mockingly with his scabbard. I was starting to get annoyed.
"Hey, get up." I stood up just as he ordered, but—Thwack! The moment I got to my feet, he drove his boot into my stomach again. I fell forward, my face hitting the dirt.
"I told you to get up. Why are you still on the ground?"
I stood up once more. The knight raised his foot to kick me again. Did he really think I was going to keep playing this pathetic little game with him?
Time to set things straight. It was time for a hierarchy adjustment. As the knight's foot flew toward my stomach once more, I caught his ankle, hoisted it high, and swept his other leg out from under him.
"You bastard...!" The knight crashed onto his backside, his face contorting in rage as he scrambled to his feet. He ground his teeth so hard they clicked. "A mere slave dares—!"
Crack! I threw a light jab, shattering his jaw. Thud. The knight collapsed like a wet rag, his face planting firmly into the dirt.
"Are you insane...?" The expressions on the other knights' faces were priceless. A truly magnificent sight.
"Are you upset that your fellow knight got knocked out by a slave? If you have a problem with it, come at me. I'll beat the living daylights out of all of you." I beckoned them forward with a casual flick of my wrist.
"You arrogant piece of trash!"
"Kill him!" The knights rushed me all at once. Cowardly bastards. How many of them were ganging up on a single opponent?
"So ganging up on someone is what you call chivalry? Truly impressive." I fell into a fighting stance. If I just let Jin's S-rank muscle memory take over and threw a few casual punches, they would drop like flies.
"Don't blame me if you end up severely injured." I threw myself into the fray, my fists flying without hesitation.
Scratch, scratch. Scratch, scratch. The Duke's office was filled with the white noise of a pen gliding across paper. Suddenly, the door rattled violently. Thud, thud!
"Your Grace! It's an emergency!"
"What is it?"
"The slave who arrived yesterday has caused trouble!"
"What do you mean? Come in and explain."
The door burst open. The head butler, gasping for breath, rushed inside.
"The slave who arrived yesterday has gotten into a massive brawl with the knights on the training grounds! The young masters are away, so there is no one who can stop them!"
The Duke's brow furrowed. The slave is fighting the knights? According to the reports he had received, that slave was none other than the First Prince of Barenberg. The Duke was well aware of the prince's overwhelming martial prowess; his reputation was famous even within the Empire. The knights on the training grounds wouldn't stand a chance.
The Duke quickly rose from his seat. "I shall go see for myself."
Most of the knights on the training grounds were now sprawling across the dirt. Naturally, it was because I had beaten them to a pulp. Arrogant bastards. They can't fight to save their lives, but they sure know how to run their mouths. As I stretched my limbs to loosen up, I spotted the head butler running toward me in a panic, with Duke Decartes walking calmly behind him.
Arriving at the scene, Duke Decartes clasped his hands behind his back and spoke. "What is the meaning of this?"
"It was merely a minor disagreement."
Duke Decartes's gaze turned ice-cold. "The knights of the Decartes family all hold semi-noble status. As a mere slave, what could you possibly have been thinking to commit such an act?"
I stood tall, my expression completely unbothered. "Those who lack even basic competence dared to insult my master. When they went so far as to attack me, I simply could not stand by and watch."
The Duke's brow twitched. "And so you resorted to this violence?"
"Yes. I apologize for the mess."
A suffocating silence fell over the training grounds. The air grew heavy, freezing the atmosphere. But it lasted only a moment. The Duke looked down at the knights groveling on the ground and spoke. "How does it feel to be beaten by a slave you so thoroughly despised?"
The knights could only let out pathetic groans, keeping their eyes glued to the ground, terrified of the Duke's reaction.
"To defeat all of my knights single-handedly... your skills are indeed exceptional. I heard you were the First Prince of Barenberg. Is that true?"
"It is."
"It seems your legendary strength was not exaggerated." The corner of the Duke's mouth twitched upward. This man was a strict meritocrat who favored the strong and capable above all else. Naturally, he would take a liking to me. Even in the original game, the Duke had never particularly disliked Jin Barenberg.
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Indeed. Let me make one thing clear: I have no intention of punishing you. The fault lies entirely with the knights who allowed themselves to be defeated by a slave."
The Duke turned his cold gaze back to the knights on the ground. "What are you doing still lying there? Have you no shame as knights of the Decartes household?"
At his harsh words, the knights scrambled to their feet. Clutching the areas where I had struck them, they barely managed to stand upright, grimacing in pain.
"The Decartes family operates on absolute meritocracy. Therefore, this slave will face no punishment. You understand that your defeat is your own failure, do you not? In the future, pick your battles more wisely. Furthermore, you will be punished for daring to insult Franche."
With those final words, the Duke turned and walked back toward the mansion, his hands still clasped behind his back. The head butler, wearing a deeply troubled expression, quickly followed after him.
Phew. Yes, this was exactly the Duke Decartes I knew. To think a slave could thrash the knights of the ducal house and walk away completely unscathed.
That was a relief. Honestly, I had been a bit worried that things might play out differently from the original game. After all, the world I was currently in wasn't one of the standard routes I had played, but the hidden route that only unlocked after clearing every single ending.
"Damn bastard..." The knights ground their teeth, but none of them dared to step forward. They had just been beaten to within an inch of their lives, after all. Their entire bodies were probably screaming in pain.
"Since there doesn't seem to be any training scheduled for today, I shall head to my master." I whistled as I strolled back toward the mansion. Wait, is it really okay for a slave to just wander into the main house like this? ...Whatever. I'm sure it'll work out.
Perhaps because it was still early morning, the servants inside the mansion were busily rushing about, cleaning. I approached the head butler, who was in the middle of directing them.
"Head Butler."
"Entering the mansion without permission... What is it?"
"I have come to see my master."
"...Very well. I have no authority to punish you anyway. Go on up."
I bowed politely and climbed the grand, split staircase in the center of the hall. Was it the second room on the left? It probably was. I had only been there once yesterday, after all. Standing before the door, I knocked.
"Master. It is Jin."
"Come in."
I opened the door to find Franche sitting on her bed, still in her nightgown. Standing at attention, I spoke.
"Good morning."
"Yes, good morning. But how did you manage to get inside the mansion?"
"I simply walked in."
"...Is that so?" After a brief, unreadable look, she got out of bed and sat in a chair. "It seems there was quite a commotion outside."
"It was nothing major. They dared to insult you, so I beat them to a—cough, I mean, I merely taught them a lesson."
"Did it bother you that much to hear them speak ill of me?"
"Yes."
A faint smile played on Franche's lips. "I like that. You are following my orders well."
Of course I am. That's the only way we both survive, and the only way I can eventually free myself from this slave brand. It's all for my own sake, really.
"Have you eaten yet?"
"...Not yet." A shadow fell over Franche's face. Why did the mood suddenly turn so grim just because I asked about food? Things were going so well a second ago. Just then, the door opened and a maid walked in. She spared me a brief glance before completely ignoring my presence.
"I have brought your breakfast."
She called it breakfast, but it was nothing of the sort. It was merely a single cup of bitter black tea. Franche didn't seem particularly bothered by it. Is this really all she eats...? As I stood there doubting my eyes, the maid clicked her tongue and muttered under her breath. She spoke so softly that normally, no one would have heard her.
"Tsk. Who does she think she is, acting all high and mighty?"
But she couldn't hide it from my S-rank senses. While Franche's back was turned, the maid spat directly into the tea. This was crossing the line. Unable to contain myself, I grabbed the maid by her hair.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"L-Let go of me! How dare a mere slave...!"
"You dare insult a lady of the ducal house and spit in her tea?"
"It's none of your business! A slave should act like a slave and—"
Crash! I threw her aside without mercy. Her face slammed hard against the wall, and blood began to drip rapidly from her nose.
"Ugh, hic... why would you suddenly..."
"Why? I think you know exactly what you did wrong."
I took a hardline stance. Although I held the lowest status in this mansion, I only needed to answer to one person: my master, Franche Decartes. In other words, as long as she didn't stop me, I could pick a fight with basically anyone. Of course, I still have to choose my opponents wisely. As I glared fiercely at the maid, Franche spoke in a quiet, subdued voice.
"...Stop. I am used to it."