Transmigrated Into A Tragic Romance Fantasy – Chapter 30

The Taste of Kindness

“Kuooh—!!”

  Swoosh!

  Swoosh!

The Wild Big Boar, restrained by its chain, swung its tusks aimlessly into the air.

“Damn it! Now’s the time!!”

“Let’s take down this bastard first!!”

Those who had pushed and shoved each other in a desperate escape from death now cooperated as if it had always been their way when the immediate threat was neutralized.

They mesh well when creating a crisis but turn into a disorganized mess when faced with one. Indeed, they were cunning and shrewd.

Even the mightiest monster, when bound by chains, becomes vulnerable to ranged attacks.

Especially a quadrupedal short-range attack monster could do nothing but flail as an easy target.

Moreover, archery was a basic skill for the noble young lords, already proven in the preliminaries, and the arrows launched by three bowstrings began to hit the Wild Big Boar’s vital points one after another.

“Kuooh—!!”

  Swoosh!

The Wild Big Boar resisted fiercely, but it was futile against the thick chains, and one of its eyes was pierced by an arrow, causing it to stagger greatly.

If I had been their target, I would have struggled to assure my survival given the rapidity of their shots.

A scene of battling a giant monster.

Even if it was a one-sided attack on a restrained target, witnessing firsthand what I had only imagined in novels stirred something within me.

Watching and actually fighting are different, but it was enough to stir the adventurous spirit and longing of a man who had dreamed of medieval fantasy adventures.

Indeed.

It seemed worth challenging, worth risking death for.

Especially since the character Elden Rapellion was set as a combat enthusiast, if trained properly, he might be able to hunt fairly high-level monsters.

And.

‘Wouldn’t it taste amazing to cook and eat a monster right after catching it?’

Indeed.

Dad, I’m gonna be one heck of a tough adventurer.

With such frivolous thoughts, I sat down leaning against a pillar.

  Crunch.

I bit into a fruit.

And as I watched the Wild Big Boar gradually succumb to the barrage of arrows and collapse, I thought.

  ‘…By the way, who knew the love letter I sealed last night would turn out to be a death threat.’

Although Elden Rapellion, being the most physically gifted among the regretful quartet, wouldn’t likely be defeated by a straightforward charge from a monster, especially one constrained by heavy chains, if he had been unlucky, who knows what might have happened.

Tripping over a stone alone could have caused serious injury.

With a body as heavy as two elephants, being trampled could have melted ribs.

Understanding that he intended to teach them the terror they had inflicted and maximize their regret and repentance through a final confrontation, it still felt excessively harsh.

It was a blessing that he forfeited before the final evaluation began.

There was no clause for forfeiture in the rules of the engagement battle, and it seemed fortunate, considering how extreme Remiang Winterfell’s methods appeared.

Of course, using chains to halve the monster’s combat effectiveness was a safety measure, but for me, who had involuntarily possessed a vile character without warning, it felt no less cruel than Remiang and their methods.

Utilizing status and justification as a pretext to achieve and extort what one desires.

The original story claimed this revenge was about enlightenment and leadership, but honestly, those intentions were somewhat doubtful.

Anyway.

  ‘One more reason not to get involved with the female protagonist.’

Due to the karma of a character I hadn’t even played, I might have been killed by the protagonist today.

It’s natural to feel resentful.

I resolved to more diligently perform as someone who abstains from now on.

Since Remiang likely wants the engagement battle to proceed quietly and smoothly on the surface, they can’t keep bothering someone determined to abstain.

  Boom!

Then, with a loud crash, I saw the Wild Big Boar fall.

Its body was pierced by what looked to be at least fifty arrows.

It truly became a flailing target, collecting arrows.

“Ha! Ha!”

“Huff! Huff!”

Only then did the trio of regretful characters start to catch their breath, collapsing to the ground or kneeling down.

Just like the aftereffects of an accident that come at night, the disorienting terror provided by the game of death seemed to have just caught up with them.

“Huff… Are you insane? A giant monster at a noble’s hunting event! Were you trying to have us torn apart?”

And.

As the spirit

of cooperation to overcome the crisis faded, fractures began to form for another crisis to arise.

For villains, crises define their purpose.

Deron suddenly stood up and grabbed Blund, who had been vocally agitated, by the collar.

“Shut it, Blund! How dare you push me and run?!”

“What? When did I do that?”

“What? You’re going to deny it now? The sycophant who’s been sucking up is now showing his true colors and even denying it?”

“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding! There’s no way I would do that!”

Deron and Blund argued over the recent deadly chase.

And while they were momentarily distracted, Kyle, who had been out of sight, secretly grabbed the Grand Ducal family’s sigil tied to the tail of the Wild Big Boar and started a mad dash.

The second game of tag had begun.

“Kyle, you insolent fool! Aren’t you going to stop—!!”

“Didn’t we agree to present the sigil to Lord Deron! Kyle! Why don’t you hand it over already!!”

Deron and Blund frantically chased after Kyle, shouting.

Of course, the villain’s dash only got faster as he waited for such an opportunity.

“Elden said it himself! No matter the reason, retaliation is forbidden! So I must become the Grand Ducal family’s son-in-law at any cost—!!”

Truly a chaotic spectacle.

The typical end of an organization united only for individual gain.

Once the benefit is exhausted, at the moment a greater benefit appears, that organization without loyalty or solidarity will stab each other in the back.

As if to prove that, the second deadly game of tag unfolded, with villains chasing villains without anyone pushing them.

Reflecting on the villainous unfolding, I hopped down from the tree.

“Eh.”

With the situation concluded, it seemed about time to head down the mountain.

A leisurely walk should get me to the venue by the time everything was wrapped up.

Biting into the fruit, I started down the mountain path.

And when I reached the starting point.

I saw Kyle, kneeling with a forlorn face, picking something scattered on the ground.

Remiang and Gelwood were nowhere to be seen, likely already gone.

A desolate silence hung over the now-empty venue.

  Whoosh—

A chill wind blew once.

  Crunch.

Biting into the fruit, I asked from behind Blund and Deron’s backs.

“What happened? The atmosphere seems off.”

As the blazing sun crossed midday.

  Gurgle.

  ‘……’

Rachel, waiting outside in the carriage, patted her empty stomach.

She had forgotten to bring some snacks.

It wasn’t easy for personal bodyguards of the nobility to ensure timely meals.

They were always there to guard their employers who dined on time, quickly settling for snacks or waiting for their employer to return home before they could properly eat.

Thus, on days when her employer went out, Rachel always packed some snacks.

It had been a habit for years, and unless it was a critical situation, she never forgot.

But today, she had simply forgotten.

Skipping a meal was commonplace, so a little hunger wouldn’t affect a bodyguard’s duty, but today, the hunger felt unusually strong.

Probably because she had been ensuring meals recently at her employer Elden’s insistence that bodyguards perform better on a full stomach.

Breakfast and dinner were not an issue.

She could handle them alone in the annex.

The problem was lunch with Lady Ariel.

Dining with an employer in the Great Hall was against protocol for bodyguards, so she had intended to eat quickly in the annex, but Ariel insisted on having her by her side, pulling up a chair and patting the cushion, saying, ‘You can sit next to me!’

Thus, she ended up eating lunch on time with them for several days.

It was funny.

To think she’d forget a long-standing habit just because she had been eating on time for a few days.

Gurgle.

Four carriages were waiting at the entrance to the mountains, all belonging to the final candidates, with personal bodyguards standing in front.

As lunchtime passed, one by one, they started snacking on dried meat, fruits, and other nibbles.

Watching them made Rachel feel even hungrier as she looked up at the mountains.

Then, she saw Prince Elden descending the path.

Tap, tap.

With a brisk pace, Prince Elden soon reached the carriage.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Rachel bowed politely in greeting.

“Hard work? Rachel.”

“Yes.”

As she looked up at his call, something flew towards her.

Thump.

She caught it.

It was a fruit with a bright and shiny red color.

“…?”

Rachel looked at Elden curiously as he casually chewed on a similar fruit and passed by, commenting.

“You must be hungry, eat this. It’s quite tasty.”

“…Did you bring this especially for me?”

Rachel asked, watching Elden’s back as he climbed into the carriage.

“I noticed you didn’t bring your snack bag. A bodyguard can’t function well on an empty stomach. Who knows what might happen on the way to the Grand Ducal Castle.”

“…….”

Rachel watched Elden with a bewildered look.

What could it be?

Why would he do this?

Lately, he had been acting out of character, and now he was even caring about the hunger of a mere commoner bodyguard.

Normally, he wouldn’t pick wild fruits if he was hungry, and even if he found some to his taste, he would be too busy stuffing his own face.

He had always prioritized his own hunger over others and, more than anything, was a man who didn’t know how to look after others.

They say when you start doing things you’ve never done before, it’s because your time is up.

  ‘Did he receive a terminal diagnosis…?’

Brushing off these thoughts, Rachel looked down at the fruit in her hand.

It was a familiar fruit from the North Command, where she had fought countless battles.

It grew only in sunny areas of the northern mountains, known for its sweet and tangy juice and tender yet firm flesh—the [Rose Apple].

  Crunch.

She bit into the familiar fruit.

The long war always brought hunger, and the Rose Apples she encountered not only quenched her hunger but also washed away the deep fatigue with their refreshing and sweet taste.

Naturally, the taste was incomparable to when she was nearly starving, and Rachel chewed on the Rose Apple without much expectation.

  Then.

“How is it? Does it taste alright?”

Strangely, it tasted exactly like the ones she had eaten back then.

It had the same taste as when she was in dire hunger.

“…It’s delicious.”

This was the first ‘taste of kindness’ Rachel, who had fought alone all her life after her father’s death, enduring scorn and mockery, had ever received, though she didn’t yet realize it.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to get on? The evaluation ended early, so we should go train some more. Teacher.”

“Ah. Yes.”

With that, the carriage carrying the two began its journey back to the Grand Ducal Castle.