Chapter 2

EP.2 The Youngest of the Jonathan Family

 

“Hahaha!! Baron! It’s been a long time indeed!”

“Lord Byun-kyung, I trust you’ve been well.”

“I’m always the same. You, too, always seem the same! Hahaha!!”

Lord Byun-kyung’s traits, boisterous and susceptible to flattery. And he loves dad jokes.

Parts only known to oneself from reading the original work are worthless.

Kyle never properly read the original work from the start.

He never imagined he’d be involved in this whirlwind of events, so it’s only natural.

‘If I had known, I would’ve baked some cookies.’

What’s done is done, there’s no use regretting it.

Above all, it’s crucial to quickly align with the flow of the original work.

It’s impossible to be pals with Babel and Secret until death as the Baron.

“Who’s the young man next to you?”

“He’s the youngest. Kyle. Say hello. He’s Lord Byun-kyung of the Empire.”

“Nice to meet you! I’m Kyle Jonathan, son of Baron Jonathan!”

“Haha! He’s quite the bright man! Pleasure to meet you!”

“It’s an honor to meet the great spear and shield of the Empire!!”

“Hahaha!! Oh please! The great spear, you say! I’m all rusty!”

Despite his words, there’s no hint of displeasure.

Remember, nothing else matters as long as you catch Lord Byun-kyung’s eye.

He’s not calculating and values camaraderie and reverence for the gods.

So, just hearing a request to grant a favor is enough.

Fortunately, I remember this part from the original work.

When Byun-kyung leaves the Baron, he’s attacked by an Ogre.

Not your average fantasy orc, more like King Kong’s nephew compared to an orc being a monkey.

Anyway, when the Ogre chews up Byun’s horse to the bone and sets his sights on him for dessert,

Wandering Swordsman Ian steps in and defeats the Ogre after a fierce battle.

Thanks to him, Lord Byun-kyung survived and sends him to the academy, confident he’ll become an excellent swordman.

Conveniently, Tisha, who was staying at the border, is also included in the arrangement.

‘Still, there’s one letter of recommendation left. It’s mine. Mine! Definitely mine!’

Academy recommendation letters aren’t handed out to just anyone; even posthumous authors find it hard to receive one.

Fortunately, one of the privileges the Empire granted to him due to his arduous efforts was an academy recommendation letter.

Unless it’s something as severe as being banished by the royal family, almost all recommendation letters are accepted.

There’s no need for anyone to use such a precious recommendation letter casually.

Moreover, if an accident were to happen, only the recommending family would suffer disgrace.

The law of equivalent exchange is already well in place there.

“Baron, my back has been bothering me lately.”

“There’s a good solution for that. Let me show you.”

Instead of having tea in the reception room, he suddenly lies down on the floor.

Then, he demonstrates some stretching exercises and encourages him to follow along.

What’s with suddenly lying down after drinking tea just a moment ago?

What’s even funnier is that even he just lies down without hesitation.

It seemed obvious to Kyle that Byun-kyung came to the Baron because he needed a trainer.

No matter how you look at it, that was clear to Kyle.

“Oh… Seems to be improving a bit.”

“Refrain from exercising until your back improves. It’s dangerous if your body’s balance is disrupted.”

Absolutely, absolutely. Core strength is crucial. In exercise or in daily chores.

“Lately, there’s been a sudden increase in monsters. It’s quite troublesome.”

“Even so, our people have been hunting many monsters.”

“Have there been any damages here?”

“Would there have been?”

Baron Jonathan chuckles and half-jokingly asks.

Upon hearing this, Byun also laughs and pats his shoulder.

“I’m lucky you’re not enemies of the Empire.”

He meant it sincerely.

If they had remained enemies of the Empire,

Lord Byun-kyung’s head would have been chopped off at least 20,000 times.

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“Keep a close watch around the perimeter, Kyle.”

“Don’t worry, Father.”

“Safe travels, Lord Byun.”

“Take care, Baron!”

Finally, the time had come for Byun to leave the Baron.

As requested by his father, Kyle was tasked with seeing Byun off.

With sparkling eyes, he surveyed his surroundings.

He didn’t know exactly when or where the Ogre would appear, but one thing was certain, it would show up, and it would target Byun.

‘There’s no need to defeat the Ogre. Just protect Byun!’

If he’s in the position to rescue Princess Byun from the King Kong Demon, that’s enough.

After that, it’s up to the wandering swordsman protagonist to appear.

‘Where are you, you damn King Kong brat.’

Unlike orcs, with their distinct stench and grunts,

Ogres possess considerable stealth despite their enormous size.

They can disguise their scent, move swiftly, and excel at ambushes.

No wonder Byun and his escorts were caught off guard as if they were asleep in their beds.

‘It’s here.’

Just after leaving the Baron’ territory and entering Lord Byun-kyung border,

an ominous energy wafted through the forest.

The unmistakable aura of a predator! It’s choosing its prey!

Kyle tensed up, waiting for the perfect moment to grab Byun by the back.

It’s crucial to get through this dramatic moment without a scratch.

– Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! –

“Now!”

Fortunately, Kyle’s trained body didn’t betray him.

Just as the Ogre’s claw was about to grab Byun’s head,

Kyle succeeded in grabbing his back first.

“Hey!”

Byun, still bewildered, stumbled backward, not fully comprehending the situation.

He started to shout, “What the hell are you doing?” but then quickly closed his mouth upon seeing the Ogre.

– Growwwwl! –

The Ogre roared in anger as its prey slipped away.

It attempted to grab Byun, but even that proved impossible.

“Calm down, Kyle. Dietary control is essential.”

Even the meat he can’t eat himself, the monster brat wants to eat.

What I can’t eat, you can’t eat either!

‘Now come out, wandering swordsman! It’s your turn!’

The Ogre’s attention must have been drawn. It would have rescued Byun and his horse.

The remaining task was for the wandering swordsman protagonist to appear and deal with the Ogre.

But the protagonist, with his gray hair fluttering, failed to show up.

‘Damn it?! Where did he go?! Why isn’t he coming?!’

Kyle’s plan could be considered flawless.

Rescue the endangered Byun for points.

And based on those points, obtain an academy recommendation letter.

It’s a typical cliché, but it usually works well, so it’s a cliché.

However, even Kyle didn’t anticipate one thing:

There was still time before the protagonist arrived.

“Aaargh!!”

The Ogre, furious at having its prey snatched away, began to rampage.

Standing over 3 meters tall with muscles honed for combat, it was formidable.

Even with the valiant soldiers of Lord Byun-kyung border,

it was not an easy task to subdue a monster that lives to devour people.

This could turn into a life-or-death situation.

Rescuing Byun was all for naught without the protagonist, and chaos ensued.

Moreover, facing that muscle-bound monster only fueled his adrenaline.

“Why do our family members always end up like this.”

Remembering his father, who had promised to reveal the secrets of the Baron’s mansion someday,

sitting with candles lit, Kyle couldn’t help but wonder why the candles were even lit.

“We are cursed with an inability to resist strength. Whether it’s human, non-human, or monster, it doesn’t matter. Jonathan’s strength is unrivaled! It flows through our veins with pride.”

His father had explained.

He wanted to ask what kind of curse that was.

Was it written on Kyle’s face that he had such doubts?

Baron Jonathan chuckled as he spoke.

“You’ll know naturally when the time comes. What kind of curse it is.”

And today, he found out.

It looks damn strong. He looks damn tough! So damn tough, I want to smash him to pieces!!

“Hurry up… Kyle, look here! Where are you going!”

He wasn’t losing his mind. Another personality wasn’t emerging.

He just suddenly wanted to take on that Ogre and have a go at it!!

Groan?

It wasn’t just Lord Byun-kyung who was surprised.

The rampaging Ogre, suddenly faced with a human charging at him, thought, ‘What the hell?’

With a physique perfect for biting down to the bone in one gulp, he thought it was only natural to eat whatever came his way.

So, the Ogre lost interest in the soldiers and turned his gaze to Kyle.

“Huh?”

“Kyle?!”

The knights and soldiers called out to Kyle, but it was in vain.

Kyle immediately grabbed the Ogre’s hand, and they engaged in a contest of strength.

Crash!-

Huh?!-

If the Ogre could speak, he might have said something like this:

‘What the hell is this crazy bastard?!’

Ughh?!-

The Ogre’s body was slowly pushed back.

The arm that held Kyle’s hand gradually opened wider.

The monster, which had been emitting a menacing aura, became even more startled and exerted more force.

“Huuu….”

This Ogre’s physical condition is relatively good.

For a monster, his body fat percentage is low, his muscle distribution is impressive, and his balance is good.

Of course, he probably didn’t undergo hellish training like himself.

Thinking about this, Kyle’s flames of anger soared even higher.

‘This bastard probably didn’t bother with dietary control!’

Whether it’s human or horse, he probably ate whatever the hell he wanted.

In contrast, he never once considered what might not be good for his body!

The second reason for going to the academy is none other than to eat to one’s heart’s content!!

Pork! Beef!! No more chicken breast!!

“Aaaargh!!”

Before the Ogre could even comprehend, his arms, capable of tearing apart other monsters, were snapped in half.

Wooduk!!-

Kyle, who had grabbed the Ogre’s neck as he screamed in agony,

slammed him forcefully into the ground.

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***

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‘The aura of a monster.’

Ian, the wandering swordsman with gray hair, swiftly dashed to the scene.

When he finally arrived, what he saw was

“Aaaargh!!”

A young man slamming the giant monster Ogre into the ground.

“…?”

For a moment, he pondered.

Which one was the monster, and which one was the human.