The Hidden Ending Strategy of a Veteran in a Dead Game

Chapter 17: Infamy

The day after dismantling Aiselon's underground organization, I woke up at my usual hour. However, my body was in shambles.

‘I’m dying here. Really.’

Being stingy, I had only used a potion on the piercing wound, and now I was paying the price.

“I should’ve just gulped down the whole thing.”

But then again, how could I?

Nohr had provided me with a subspace artifact filled with potions, but I couldn’t afford to use them recklessly.

I still hadn’t earned the family head’s recognition.

I wasn’t in a position to demand resources from the family, nor did I have the backing or influence to justify indulgence.

I had no choice but to conserve what little I had.

“I just need to get through the formal duel soon.”

Not much time remained.

Two months had flown by in the blink of an eye, and the duel was just four days away.

I wasn’t particularly worried.

“Practical experience is a great teacher.”

In a short span, I had elevated Burst Core to 2-Star.

I had even fought and defeated a 3-Star swordsman.

While it was common knowledge that mages outperformed swordsmen below 3-Star, I had more than enough confidence.

‘I’ve already acquired all the essential skills I need for now.’

At the very least, I no longer risked breaking my wrist every time I used Heavy Blow.

It would still take time to fully develop along the Mage-Fighter route, but I could get there step by step.

With the skills and constitution I’d accumulated so far, I believed I could handle a 3-Star mage.

That aside...

“I wonder if Aiselon is being cleaned up by now.”

After returning last night, I had tipped off the head butler about the situation.

The gang leaders were dealt with, but the remnants of the organization were still around.

I suggested that this was a good opportunity to wipe them out.

I also made sure to emphasize that it was I who had accomplished all of this and requested that the information be shared accordingly.

The butler had seemed quite surprised but said little.

Instead, he gave me a satisfied look, as if to say, “This is what a true direct descendant of the family should be doing.”

Even that usually stoic man had gone as far as to say:

“You’ve grown, Young Master.”

Who knew the original owner of this body had been such a pushover?

But I wasn’t.

If I didn’t grow stronger, I’d be as good as dead.

“Life is rough.”

Sigh.

Just as I heaved a deep sigh—

- Knock knock.

- “Young Master. It’s Selman, the head butler.”

I heard the butler’s voice from outside.

Him coming here in person, rather than sending someone, could only mean one thing:

He was here to reward me for what I’d accomplished yesterday!

“Still, they managed to deal with the remnants in just one day.”

Impressive speed.

But then again, the thugs in Aiselon were no match for true professionals.

The strongest ones had already been wiped out by me, leaving behind only a handful of 1-Star stragglers.

The knights weren’t even needed for this cleanup—ordinary soldiers could handle it easily.

‘If I weren’t injured, I could’ve finished them off myself.’

Not that I would.

The family needed to see my accomplishments for my reputation to grow.

The second young master of the Bayerle Family pacified Aiselon’s underworld!

He took action for the people’s well-being! Hurray!

“Ah, the thought alone is delightful.”

This would bolster my reputation not only within the family but also across Aiselon, solidifying my influence.

They call it noblesse oblige, don’t they?

A direct descendant of the family, caring for the territory’s people—what a magnificent image.

“And racking up plenty of morality points, of course.”

Heh heh. Wahahaha!

Flawless.

My ingenious planning was so impressive it scared me.

I hastily donned a simple yet neat training uniform.

Even with my clawed hands, which made dressing a hassle, I didn’t feel the least bit annoyed today.

“Hrm, hrm!”

After changing, I cracked my neck.

I tidied my hair in the mirror one last time.

‘Perfect. The image of someone diligently starting their training early in the morning.’

Putting on a serious expression, I opened the door.

“You’ve come early, Selman. Had you been a little later, I’d already be in the training—”

I stopped mid-sentence.

Selman stood there with a frosty expression, and the knights lined up behind him didn’t look any friendlier.

What was this atmosphere?

“Uh, good morning, everyone?”

Were they upset about having to work so early?

I tried to lighten the mood by waving, but there was no reaction.

If anything, the vein bulging on Selman’s neck made him look angrier.

“Congratulations, Young Master. You’ve earned yourself a remarkable nickname overnight.”

Why did he sound like he was grinding his teeth while congratulating me?

As I hesitated, unsure of what to say, Selman continued speaking, stepping forward with deliberate, almost stomping steps.

“The Blood-Drunk Brat. The Butcher Prince. The Little Demon of Bayerle. These are the titles the people of Aiselon have given you.”

It seemed there had been a misunderstanding.

The butler and knights arriving at my door so early,

And the sudden, ominous nicknames—

I couldn’t make sense of any of it.

“What?”

I found my answer when I visited the scene.

Even though soldiers had cleaned up earlier that morning, the ground was still soaked with blood.

It looked like a massacre had taken place.

The floor had been covered with dirt, but each step I took revealed fresh blood, staining my shoes.

“This is a misunderstanding.”

That was the first thing I said.

It wasn’t just a misunderstanding—it was defamation!

I hadn’t done anything like this.

How could I have?

“How would I even pull this off?!”

It was impossible.

Sure, I had taken down the gang leaders and a few of their key subordinates.

But I hadn’t touched the rank-and-file members.

I had barely escaped in critical condition—how could I have orchestrated something so brutal?

Granted, if I hadn’t been injured, it might have been possible. But there was no need to mention that.

“Hmm. Indeed, it’s too cruel to be your handiwork, Young Master.”

“Even with Instructor Nohr’s training, you still lack the necessary capabilities.”

“There are suspicious elements here, Selman.”

The knights seemed to agree that this was unlikely to be my doing.

It was an unfortunate coincidence, but it probably wasn’t my fault.

“That’s not the issue,” Selman interjected.

“Whether or not you were involved, the people of Aiselon believe you were. Rebuilding your reputation will be difficult.”

Selman didn’t deny the knights’ reasoning.

But public perception isn’t built solely on truth.

It rarely is.

[Kellen von Bayerle]

Alignment: Minor Evil (45:55 – Good: Evil)

Trait: Two-Faced Nobleman

Alignment shifted toward evil.

In a game, this would be impossible.

The system would separately track virtue and sin points.

Capturing evil-aligned characters would increase good alignment, while attacking good-aligned characters would raise evil alignment.

Generally, good deeds and bad deeds alike would be evaluated strictly by the player’s actions, with no influence from rumors or slander.

‘This is reality, where reputation matters.’

In this world, even if I performed a genuinely good deed, my reputation would worsen if false rumors spread about me.

‘I underestimated this.’

I admit it—I hadn’t anticipated this kind of side effect.

Though, even if I had known, I couldn’t have avoided it.

Someone else had committed a massacre, but it had been attributed to me.

Fine. If things had already come to this—

“Just let it be.”

“Excuse me?”

“Let it go. So what if rumors spread? If I say I didn’t do it, will people suddenly go, ‘Oh, I see. It was a misunderstanding’?”

I would lean into the infamy.

As long as I had the Two-Faced Nobleman trait, my alignment wouldn’t matter.

What about people badmouthing me?

“What are they going to do, insult the Bayerle Family openly? Do they even know what would happen if they tried?”

I had the Bayerle Family as my solid backing.

No matter how fearless someone was, they wouldn’t dare make an enemy of us.

Besides—

‘People are quick to throw stones at someone who’s been good all their life but makes one mistake. But let someone notorious for bad deeds show kindness, and they applaud.’

Sure, a good image has its perks.

But keeping it spotless is exhausting.

If I wanted to act freely, this path was better than pretending to be virtuous.

More importantly, I’d already chosen the betrayal ending.

‘Getting criticized is inevitable.’

Might as well get used to it early.

That said—

“We still need to find the cause of the rumors.”

“Whoever caused this chaos in Bayerle’s domain must face proper punishment.”

This matter needed to be addressed.

This wasn’t just a fight—it was a massacre.

If the family left such a significant incident in the territory unchecked, it would tarnish its honor.

“A search party has already been dispatched. They’ll be caught soon.”

The Bayerle Family wouldn’t tolerate such atrocities.

***

As rumors about the unexpected massacre spread, so did Kellen’s infamy.

Reactions varied.

Some insisted the second young master would never do such a thing.

Others advised waiting for the truth to be revealed, while some outright believed Kellen was responsible.

If it turned out to be baseless gossip, it wouldn’t matter.

“But the young master did capture Aiselon’s three major gang bosses, didn’t he?”

“He said so himself. That much can’t be denied.”

Since it was true that Kellen had taken down the gang leaders, it was impossible to dismiss the claims entirely.

What was the truth?

Why had the family head remained silent?

While these questions lingered, members of the Bayerle Family were forming their own judgments.

“The second? I see. You may leave.”

Zarhil, the eldest, dismissed the news without much concern.

He had too much work to do to be distracted by unsubstantiated rumors.

‘I must reach 5-Star before my coming-of-age ceremony.’

With only half a year left until the ceremony and the Grand Tournament, he aimed to advance to the next level.

For the revival of the family and to reclaim the title of Margrave that had been lost.

To Zarhil, the family’s ambition was synonymous with his own.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a trick. They’re just trying to shake me.”

Gaiden dismissed it as a lie.

While focused on his magical training, he kept his ears open.

Knowing one’s potential sparring opponents was a basic principle, so he used his followers to gather information.

“How could someone who just started learning martial techniques pull off something like that? Even if they were street thugs, there were 3-Star swordsmen there.”

It was a logical argument.

From a common-sense perspective, he was correct.

Even he, though through different means, had experienced the journey from 1-Star to 3-Star.

Raising one’s level took an absolute amount of time and effort.

Still, a part of him couldn’t help but feel a flicker of unease.

Eltz had a different reaction.

She believed that Kellen had, at least in part, been involved in the massacre.

“He must’ve been really stressed out. Killing people and all.”

In the family garden, Eltz sat in a sunny spot, petting a rabbit and a deer.

Tilting her head, she gazed at a bird perched on her fingertip.

The bird’s spirit, drawn from its body, rubbed against her hand.

“Isn’t he pushing himself too hard? Still, I like it.”

Plop.

The bird, which had briefly been restored to life, fell lifelessly again.

Eltz gently buried it in a hole she had prepared in advance.

A faint smile played on her lips.

“If he crumbles, he’ll come to me. My sweet, weak, adorable brother.”

The weak needed protection.

Under her hand.

At the same time, Duarc von Bayerle, the family head, rubbed his face in frustration.

The perpetrator of the Aiselon massacre stood before him.

And they were a familiar face.

“Cayena, don’t cause trouble in my domain. If Nohr invited you, why are you creating havoc outside?”

“It’s too stifling here. Didn’t the old man tell you I’d visit during the duel?”

“He did not.”

“Oh. Really? I must’ve forgotten. Haha! It happens! But this isn’t my fault. Your son didn’t finish the job properly. If he’d cleaned up the remnants, none of this would’ve happened. I even helped!”

“Sigh. No more incidents until the duel. I’ll address Kellen’s tarnished name by using this as a lesson.”

Cayena snorted but relented.

“You’re using me too cheaply.”

“Then refuse. I can just hand you over to the Empire. I’m sure they’d appreciate using you in negotiations with the neighboring kingdoms.”

“Fine, fine! I was curious about Kellen anyway. Trust me, this’ll be fun. Hahaha!”

“Good. Now get lost.”

Cayena, the Golden Lion of the East, withdrew under Duarc’s threat.

Though she referred to herself as such, the world knew her differently.

The wandering specter of a fallen kingdom.

The Mad Lion.

She had once saved Duarc’s life but had also caused chaos across numerous nations, amassing bounties along the way.

With everyone forming their own judgments, time marched on.

The day of the formal duel arrived.