The Brat's Provocation and the Hidden Piece

Winz and I came to a halt.

Mirinda had brought along some arrogant-looking brat. One glance at his face was enough to tell he was that bitch’s son, and he looked like absolute trash.

This guy’s one of the faces I know from the original owner’s memories.

After the recent incident, Mirinda was clearly trying to pressure me however she could. Did she really hate me that much?

Mirinda sneered, and her son Jerome grinned arrogantly.

“Mom, is this the bitch?”

“Yeah. You’ve seen her a few times, right?”

“She looks decent enough. Decent enough that I’d want her as my personal crotch slave! Heh!”

Even this little shit was a minor. Typical Korean juvenile law stuff, but whatever.

Thanks to noble arrogance and Mirinda’s upbringing, he was just another one of those bastards who didn’t see me as a person.

Jerome pointed at me.

“Hey, you know who I am?”

“Of course. Jerome Devilrenov. The monster second son of the Devilrenov family who awakened mana at a young age and reached the 3rd Circle in under a month.”

When I finished, Jerome yawned and ran a hand through his hair.

“See, Mom? Even this trash knows who I am. Ha, I didn’t realize being famous was such a pain.”

“What’s the point of praise from something worse than a beast?”

“Fair point. Kekeke.”

The mother and son laughed as if I didn’t even exist.

I shot back at them.

“You two are both full of shit.”

Mirinda’s face twisted in confusion for a moment before she scowled.

“What? Say that again, you mongrel bitch.”

“Oh please, Auntie. Or should I call you Grandma? Hey, Halcas.”

“W-what?!”

“Your ears already going deaf? Who do you think you are, Stone Cold Steve Austin? Why do you keep going ‘what, what’?”

Mirinda’s eyes shook violently as she stood there with her mouth flapping open like a goldfish.

Jerome clicked his tongue, arms still crossed.

“Wow, this one’s properly insane. Hey, if you’re too old and can’t even handle mana properly, you should just stay down. Got no noble awareness at all?”

“You don’t sound like a kid when you talk. Want me to rip your tongue out?”

“I have to sound like a kid? I can’t be mature?”

“It’s not maturity. You’re just vulgar because you take after your whore of a mother. Stop daydreaming, brat.”

Jerome lost his words for a second before forcing a laugh.

“Wow, you’re crazy. You really going all in? Acting like you’ve got nothing left to lose, just like some commoner.”

I smirked. My next target had already been decided.

Jerome.

Mirinda, that bitch who still used our family name even after marrying out, was like an outsider. Her pride and joy, her right-hand man Jerome, needed to be crushed.

Only then could I kill her influence over the family.

Winz leaned in close, looking worried.

“M-my lady…”

“It’s fine. Just trust me.”

I turned back to Jerome.

“What makes you so cocky?”

“Hah, what about you? How can a bitch who stains the family name just by existing act so confident? Got some rich guy backing you?”

He was arrogant, the type who’d tasted success young. With a mother like Mirinda, he probably ran wild without caring who he stepped on.

I planned to use that against him.

So I needed to provoke him more. Make him fall into the trap himself, make him drop his guard.

Jerome got even more excited.

“A runt so small she looks like she has a growth disorder, what the hell are you relying on?”

“Oh no, I’m so scared. What, gonna have your mommy spank my ass?”

“Y-you bitch… I’ll kill you…!”

Mirinda clenched her fists like she really wanted to murder me.

I wasn’t scared.

If she attacked me now, I had plenty of ways to twist the story. I could take the beating and play the tragic heroine, or counterattack and legally kill them.

This wasn’t Korea, after all. Self-defense standards were pretty loose here.

Jerome stopped Mirinda, then smiled slyly.

“Whatever. A fake noble acting cocky in front of real nobles. How are you gonna pay for this?”

“You even know the word ‘pay’? With that mongrel brain of yours?”

“Hah, mongrel? If you’re so confident, if you want to be treated like an adult, then prove it. Prove it with skill you clearly don’t have…”

“I could still do better than you.”

“Then let’s duel tomorrow at this time. How about it?”

I deliberately ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠put on a flustered expression. Inside, I was laughing.

He was saying exactly what I’d been waiting for.

“D-duel?”

“Oh please, don’t shake, you trash. I’m not gonna kill you. You said you’d do better than me, right? You’re not scared of a kid, are you?”

“…F-fine.”

“That’s more like it! See you tomorrow at this time in the family training grounds. Then I’ll smash you to pieces and keep you around as a toy for the dog I’m raising!”

Jerome provoked me with everything he had. It actually felt good.

He had just challenged me to a duel himself. That meant even if I struck first, he’d be considered the aggressor.

Plus, it was a legal way to cripple him.

In noble duels, the outcome depended on the relationship between the participants. Friendly matches between allies were one thing, but when hatred or shady motives were involved, deaths weren’t uncommon.

“Jerome, you’re not even considering the possibility you might lose?”

“Bullshit. Mom, let’s go.”

He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠turned to leave with Mirinda, then glanced back over his shoulder.

“Nobles are nobles because they’re stronger and more elegant than commoners. I’ll prove you’re trash who can never be that. Pay the price for messing with my mom, you dog-fucking bitch.”

“Don’t say stuff that makes you look strong. It just makes you seem weak.”

Once the trash duo left, Winz grabbed my arm in a panic, her face urgent.

“My lady, why did you do that? Even if Jerome looks like that, he’s the youngest 3rd Circle mage…!”

“This is my chance to prove myself. He’s the perfect first target.”

I simply returned to my room. Winz followed, and I made a request.

“Winz, get some preparations ready.”

“What… preparations?”

I recalled the original story for a moment.

Around this time, there was one guy causing trouble at the edge of the forest near the territory.

A low-ranking soldier of the Croz tribe, known as a battle race. True to their reputation, he was an absolute madman no one could easily touch.

Defeating him would net me a Hidden Piece.

The protagonist heard about this from a prophet and used it for early buildup.

But now it was mine.

I smiled innocently.

“I only heard rumors, but apparently there’s a Croz tribe member near our territory?”

“That famous battle race? No way! Where did you hear that when you never even leave the mansion?”

“Uh, um…? Ah, the servants were whispering about it. Hahaha.”

I panicked for a second.

Winz was sharper than I thought. Must be the elf blood.

In the end, Winz and I headed toward where the Croz was supposed to be.

As we reached the forest’s edge, Winz overtook me, looking worried.

“M-my lady. I’ll fight in your place.”

“Why?”

“It’s too dangerous. If you get seriously hurt…!”

“It’s fine. Move.”

“But my lady…! I, I…!”

I understood how she felt. Strangely, the way she only looked out for me felt almost endearing.

That just meant she was genuinely kind.

She wanted to protect me without asking for anything in return.

I approached her, hands behind my back, and smiled.

“You really don’t trust me that much?”

“T-that’s…”

“Then I’ll have to show my only ally. That I’ve become someone reliable, no matter when or where. Wait for me. I’ll prove it for sure.”

With that, I stepped into the forest. Winz’s voice followed from behind.

“I’ll wait, my lady. Please…”

It felt good. The feeling that someone would wait for me anytime was nice.

I had always been alone. Or at least, I’d felt alone.

But Winz’s existence was already easing that loneliness quite a bit.

In the original story, the place the protagonist met the Croz was near some abandoned house.

I wandered through the forest, relying on memory.

After stepping over a fallen log, the abandoned house finally came into view.

Creaaak. Thud!

Right on cue, someone stepped out. Visually loud as hell.

His eyes were blood-red, one of them bearing a reverse cross pupil. A muscular man with messy crimson hair.

He glared at me for a moment before a quest window appeared.

I focused on his solar plexus. A faint glow shimmered there.

His level was Runner Initial.

Looks like that, but he’s the lowest rank among the Croz — a fanatic. Perfect dummy.

This was the moment to prove my strength. Not to anyone else, but to myself.

“Kuh, y-you… who are you?”

“I’ve got a favor to ask.”

“F-favor?”

The guy mumbled clumsily as I walked toward him.

“Die for me. I need to get the Hidden Piece.”

“H-hah? This bitch… I’ll crush your limbs and fuck you senseless!”

Whoosh, tatatatat!

The Croz fanatic charged, foaming at the mouth.

I watched him and smiled.

“So you’re betting on this? Let’s go.”

I ran straight at him. He threw a punch in one swift motion.

I tilted my head just slightly to dodge.

Whoosh, paaaang!

The wind pressure was no joke. I whistled.

“Whoa, thought my eardrums would tear. Would’ve been dangerous if that hit.”

“I am the Croz tribe, you hear meeeee!”

The guy started throwing punches like a berserker in a storm.

I leapt back to create distance, planning to counter.

But he instantly circled behind me. That agile, cunning movement really screamed battle race.

As expected, his movements are on another level, but…

“It’s over!”

He had already gotten behind me and launched a front kick.

I spun around, using the rotation to parry.

Whoosh!

“Guh!”

His leg veered off in the wrong direction. In that opening, I wrapped a faint energy around my entire body and swung.

I detonated the energy wrapped around my body and launched him into the air.

While he floated helplessly, I leapt up and left him a cheerful remark.

“Bye now?”

I coated my limbs with energy. My breathing grew ragged, muscles trembling throughout my body.

The Croz floated in midair with a hollow expression — one that didn’t suit a battle-hardened warrior of his tribe.

How did I look to him right now?

The energy coiled around my limbs surged violently. Using that power, I unleashed a barrage on the Croz.

With fists, kicks, even headbutts if needed!

“Oraoraoraoraora!”

Pababababababak!

In an instant, the Croz was drenched in blood.

His face caved in, nose twisted, jaw misaligned and torn. His upper body turned into ground meat as he plummeted.

He fell with his neck snapped, dead.

I gained points by defeating him. The points ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you naturally earn by killing an enemy.

I could raise my stats again.

“Good durability or not, half the damage still went through unblocked. What can you do?”

Two items materialized before me — a thin white pair of gloves glowing brightly and a platinum-colored metal ring. I finally got them. The Hidden Pieces!

Items I needed and could use immediately.

This… tomorrow’s duel was going to be fun.