The Villain's Ending is Only Death Chapter 46
The sky was clear. It was the perfect weather to go out after coaxing the overprotective male lead.
I arrived at the training ground, gently fanning myself with the fan Emily had given me, but I didn’t enter right away. I kept my distance and observed from afar.
Eckart, known as the Sword of the Empire, placed great importance on the knights' training time, so I couldn’t just barge in.
‘I don’t want to get a scolding like last time.’
Fortunately, my thoughts were correct. Training was in full swing at the training ground.
I hid behind a tree and peeked at the training ground.
Some were paired up for physical training, while others were dragging heavy metal blocks around the training ground.
I also saw a group practicing sword strikes on dummies with wooden swords.
Wooden swords were typically used by squire apprentices.
I looked around that area, searching for Eclis.
When I finally found him, my expression soured.
‘Why is he so pitifully alone in the corner...’
Unlike the other squire apprentices who were lined up in rows, he was training by himself in a distant spot.
I had suspected he was being isolated, but seeing it with my own eyes made me feel uneasy.
However, as I watched him train, those thoughts faded away.
Those who had just become full knights were practicing thrusting and striking the vital points of straw dummies.
However, Eclis was not just thrusting and striking; he was almost butchering the dummies.
With each swing of his wooden sword, the large straw dummy was sliced like a piece of wood.
Straw dust flew everywhere. It wasn’t cut by a sword’s edge but rather shattered by the sheer force of his strikes.
‘Oh, is this the mark of a Sword Master?’
Of course, not knowing much about swordsmanship, I was merely impressed.
It wasn’t until later that I realized how wrong this thought was.
The long pole inside the completely shredded straw dummy was exposed and met with Eclis’s blind swing.
With a loud snap, the wooden sword in his hand broke in two.
Eclis stood still, staring blankly at the broken pieces of wood.
“Damn it, how many times are you going to break them! Are you going to pay for the wooden swords, you brat!”
Thump-! Someone quickly approached and kicked Eclis in the stomach without mercy.
‘This guy is trying to shorten someone’s lifespan!’
I barely managed to hold back from rushing out.
I decided it was better to observe the situation first rather than act rashly.
True to his nature as the male lead, Eclis didn’t fall over. He just took a few steps back.
However, the guy who hit him seemed even more enraged by this.
“Hey, aren’t you going to prostrate yourself?”
“...I apologize. I will be more careful in the future...”
“Is this the first time you’ve broken them? Do you know how much the captain has to deal with every time we order new wooden swords! Enough, prostrate yourself.”
“Prostrate yourself, brat!”
“...I am currently training. I will accept punishment after the training is over.”
Eclis bowed his head in response.
From his words, it seemed the guy who started the trouble was a knight responsible for managing the training equipment.
Eclis’s response was reasonable.
It was common for training equipment to break, so they usually bought cheap items in bulk.
Therefore, it was very unfair to humiliate and punish someone for breaking a cheap wooden sword in front of everyone.
However, Eclis’s calm acceptance of punishment after training was a familiar sight.
Looking at his expressionless face, I just thought, ‘Damn, this is hopeless.’
“Hey, look at this. A slave has no business training! Hurry up and prostrate yourself!”
“Wow, you have some nerve, don’t you?”
As Eclis refused to listen, the guy became even more agitated and started slapping his cheek.
“You’ve got the wrong end of the stick, brat. The rope you’re holding onto is a rotten hemp rope.”
“When Miss Ibon returns, a fake like you will be kicked out. Do you think she’ll care about a mere slave? She can’t even take care of herself.”
“Do not insult my master.”
At that moment, Eclis, who had been staring at the ground, suddenly lifted his head and spoke.
The knight who was hitting him burst into a mocking laugh.
“Why? You can insult your absent king, but you can’t insult your absent master? What?”
“A knight should not insult a lady.”
“Yes, yes. I’ve heard your touching slave’s confession. Enough! Prostrate yourself, quickly.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn to the end! Hey! Hold him!”
The guy shouted to the other knights who had gathered around.
They seemed to be a gang, watching with interest. They quickly grabbed Eclis.
He didn’t resist. He just stared blankly into space.
I realized why Eclis was doing this.
‘To make everyone acknowledge my stay in the duchy.’
He was worried that if he resisted, the news of causing trouble would reach me.
He was afraid of being sent back to the slave market.
The guys holding Eclis roughly threw him to the ground. A few others brought a mat from somewhere.
“Hey! Step on him! Step...!”
Just as the guy who started the trouble was shouting excitedly, I moved.
The only weapon I had was the fan.
Approaching silently, I folded the fan and struck the guy’s head.
“Ah, damn! Who the hell...!”
My voice echoed softly in the noisy training ground.
The guy, who had been laughing maliciously a moment ago, opened his eyes wide in shock.
As he let out a final scream, all the knights holding Eclis froze.
A few others, who had just noticed me, gaped in surprise.
My gaze, which had been scanning the ridiculous scene, finally landed on Eclis, who was lying on the ground.
His lifeless gray eyes slowly widened in surprise at my appearance.
Seeing the rising goodwill, I felt relieved. I seemed to have arrived just in time.
Glancing at all the guys’ faces, I spoke with a cold expression.
“I see you’re having fun with my bodyguard.”
“Someone explain what’s going on.”
Naturally, no one stepped forward to answer.
The noisy training ground suddenly became quiet, as if doused with cold water.
Even those in other areas stopped their training and glanced over at me.
I pointed at the guy I had just hit with my fan.
“Yes. What division are you from? 1st Division?”
“3rd Division, 2nd Squad, M, Mark Albert.”
I chuckled at his answer.
‘I thought he was some high-ranking guy because he was acting so tough.’
In the capital, where there was no war, the 3rd and 4th Divisions were essentially just guards.
“Explain this situation.”
“From what I saw, you started it first.”
The guy turned pale when I mentioned that I had been watching.
His earlier taunting and mocking were nowhere to be seen.
From the tense expressions of the knights, I realized that the news about Lady Donna had spread throughout the mansion yesterday.
“What are you doing? Explain quickly.”
“Y, Yes, my lady! W, Well, the slave... no, Eclis, had an accident during training.”
Pressed by me, the guy started to explain.
“H, He broke a wooden sword... and the price of wooden swords has risen recently, and it’s not the first time he’s broken one...”
“I, I was reprimanding him. But then, the brat suddenly talked back to me, a senior...”
Hoping that my calm questioning meant I was convinced, the guy grinned and nodded hurriedly.
“By the way, what about this?”
“You insult your master when you’re alone, don’t you? If I, his master, were there, would you do that?”
The guy’s expression turned blank. I smiled brightly.
“Would it be okay if I killed you here for insulting a noble?”
My words sent a chilling silence over the scene.
The guy in front of me just gaped and stammered.
Unable to bear the tense atmosphere, one of the knights stepped forward.
Compared to the others, who were covered in dirt, he looked cleaner, suggesting he was a higher-ranking knight.
“P, Please calm down. I will fetch the captain, and we can decide the punishment then...”
Ignoring his words, I called out to Eclis.
His eyes, which had been staring up at me from the ground, suddenly changed.
I pointed at Mark with my fan.
At that moment, Eclis sprang to his feet.