Chapter 172: Chapter 172:

“Because of you, because of you……!”

“S, stop! You’re not going to get away with this… Aargh!”

Cadel tried to make sense of the sudden turn of events. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, Van was a foot taller. At least a year or two had passed.

What the heck happened in the meantime?

Van couldn’t even breathe properly and repeatedly hit Robin’s face. Robin tried to avoid the attack somehow, but his strength was not enough.

Van, who had been pummeling Robin, began to choke him. His eyes glowed with killing intent as he watched Robin scratch at the back of his hand.

“Why did you do that? You were right, I’m a lowlife, I’ll never be involved with Nephilia. I never set foot in her house, so why did you do that?”

“This, this is…… Let go……!”

“If you want to bully me, beat me. If you don’t like me, kill me. Why did you touch my family?”

“I just, I thought it was the medicine you were taking…… Cough……!”

“My grandfather died because of your prank. Because of you…… I…….”

I lost my only family.

A muffled voice echoed in Cadel’s ears, and suddenly he understood what was happening. What Robin had done, and what Van had done.

“S, save me…. Save me, Van…!”

“Young Master Robin! You! Get off him right now!”

From a distance, a man who appeared to be Robin’s servant rushed toward him, and the grip on his throat loosened.

Van looked down coldly at Robin, who was lying on his back, and then, with a final blow, he punched him in the mouth. There was an eerie sound of teeth breaking, and Robin screamed in agony.

Van ran away before the servant could grab him. Tears streamed down his face as he ran, gritting his teeth.

From there, the passage of time accelerated and a series of short scenes unfolded.

In the first scene, Van’s cabin is on fire.

He stared blankly at the brightly burning cabin, immersed in darkness. There was no emotion in his empty eyes. Van stood frozen in place, despite the heat of the approaching fire.

Cadel stood next to him and watched the burning cabin. There was no way that Van would know, and there was no way that he would become less lonely than he was in the past.

Van only turned back when he heard people running toward him, being aware of the flames. Homeless for instance, he held nothing in his hands.

In the second scene, Van had grown up. He was younger than the current Van, but the harshness of his demeanor and angry expression were much worse.

Before him stood an elegantly dressed woman, standing in the stairwell, blocking Van’s path as he headed upstairs.

“I need to get some fresh air. Would you like to walk with me?”

“……Do you know me?”

“You’re a guest at this inn, and I remember seeing you coming and going.”

“I see.”

“It’s dark and I’m scared to be alone, let’s walk together.”

A flirtatious tone, a seductive smile. Any other man would have been tempted, but Van who stared back at her resolutely refused.

“I don’t want to.”

“……Pardon?”

“It’s not my cup of tea.”

“Wh, what is that……! That’s rude, who do you think I am?”

“A young lady of some noble family.”

“I’m a member of the Barony of Bestren, and you’re telling me that I would approach a man like you with impure intentions?”

“Aren’t you?”

“That’s offensive!”

Van took the insults hurled at him in stride, and only after the stairwell had been cleared did he make his way to his room in silence.

In the third scene, Van had alcohol trickled down his face. His sunken, eerie gaze was directed at the man who poured it on him. The man was unperturbed by Van’s murderous expression and continued to berate him.

“How dare you, a lowly mercenary, insult my sister, with your body reeking of monster blood!”

The man looked similar to the woman who had hit on Van in the previous scene. Cadel instinctively recognized him as the woman’s brother.

Van seemed to recognize this, too, and wiped his damp face with a sneer. The laughter that leaked out was sickening.

“How can the reaction be so consistent?”

“Are you laughing? I know your kind all too well. You think you can woo a noblewoman with your pretty face and rise through the ranks, but dream on. This will be your grave today.”

At the man’s call, brawlers rushed into the tavern. Van rolled his eyes as if to sum up their numbers, muttering in voices too low for Cadel’s ears.

“Will it end only when I die?”

In the fourth scene, Van got hit on the head with a rock.

“I’m going to use my maid however I want, so don’t interfere! Know your place and escort my carriage for as long as you’ve paid to! Don’t be so presumptuous.…….”

In the fifth scene, a boy with one leg amputated sat next to Van.

“How did you hurt your leg?”

“Ah, this……. I was playing with a young lady who came out to the village and I accidentally hurt her. The leg that was hit at that time was rotten, so I had to amputate it.”

“…….”

“I’m lucky I only lost one.”

In the sixth scene, Van was holding a loaf of bread that looked more like a rock than food.

“I mean, we are the ones who have to do the hard work and kill the monster. And they just give us a piece of bread and a place to sleep? While they have the feast all to themselves? Even livestocks wouldn’t be treated like this either.”

As he listened to his companions grumble, Van looked toward the barracks in the distance, which smelled delicious and was filled with warmth and light. It was a world away from the mercenaries huddled around a small campfire.

When the young servant who had been snooping in front of him was kicked out with a stern scolding, Van looked away and tore the bread with an expressionless face.

As he chewed on something he couldn’t tell was bread or stone, the barracks were filled with pleasant laughter.

After the torturous meal, Van pushed away from the table and stood up, earning a questioning glance from the man sitting next to him, who was denouncing his employer’s unfair treatment.

“Where are you going?”

“Go back.”

“What? Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving this place. I don’t need the commission fee.”

“Oi oi, Van! Hey! What are we going to do if you bail out?!”

The man cried out urgently and grabbed hold of Van, but Van’s demeanor was resolute. With a quick touch, he gathered up his greatsword and pack, and set off across the dark forest at a brisk pace.

He went on a path that he couldn’t even see, relying on his senses. In the shadowy midnight forest, only Van’s eyes were shining darkly.

“I’d rather die than make a living defending those guys.”

Van mumbled something under his breath. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not smiling at all.

“What a great life this is.”

It was like a curse on himself. His hatred of the nobility was stronger than his will to live. When he said he’d rather be dead, he wasn’t just saying it.

Every memory Van had, every indignity he’d ever suffered, was fueling the curse.

Cadel watched Van’s back as he walked away, wanting to follow him, but his free vision no longer moved.

This was Van’s past. That was why he hated nobles. Cadel clearly watched the process of that deep hatred blooming next to him, and that was why.

‘……What should I do?’

「You have completed the watching of Van Herdos’ Memories – Past Story (favorability over 70).」

「Fatigue recovery is reduced by 50%. Note physical fatigue.」

Cadel felt terrible for having driven Van back to the nobleman’s lair, for having so casually dismissed his pain.