4

"Kyaa!!"

The waitress ran away. Her scream caused many disturbances. The people inside the Tavern started to stand up. Some ran away and some stayed. However, all of them were frightened. 

"Hey, you f*cker! Why did you do that!?"

The dead man's friends became angry. They tried to fight Pablo but they stop themselves from doing anything that would cause another death. Based on Pablo's stature and elegant atmosphere, they could easily identify that he was an aristocrat. 

They would die if they hurt him. They were not sure what family Pablo's in. They couldn't make any rash decisions.

"What? Do you wanna die too?"

Pablo faced them and ready his stance. He lifted his sword, waiting for them to attack.

"… No, sir."

They were afraid of any possible things that would happen to them. They prioritize their lives.

"Good, now get out of here."

Pablo returned to his table and the goons left the Tavern. Now, except Pablo and the protagonist, Christopher was the only customer left inside the Tavern.

His feet stopped moving cause he knew that he should be the one who had die. However, the new version saved him from dying.

'No, I can find a solution even if the new version won't help… still I can't believe that someone died in front of me.'

Christopher's face was pale from the shock that he received. Realizing that he was the only one left, he ran and escaped. For now, he didn't care about anything. He needs time to absorb everything.

He stumbled in some alleyway and puke.

"Gah… kuck!!"

He released everything he ate. The development struck him. This was reality, this whole world was real. It's not made by a simple thought of a lowly author. This was the real deal, a real world. A world where humans die and live. 

"Gah…"

He passed out. The stress of realizing everything was too much for him. Now he needs to live in this world and do his role.

…………………

"Hey, old man! Where's the food?"

Pablo shouted. He's hungry and some thugs just made an incident. His patience was nearly gone out.

"Okay, okay! Tch, you shouldn't do that. I know you're a noble, but killing someone is still a crime."

"Shut up old man, I need my food."

".… Yes coming right up."

Fred delivers the food, he's grumbling something, but Pablo let it pass. The two eats like everything's normal. Well, for them, seeing blood was normal. They were natural born fighters. They hone themselves in bloodbaths, so for them seeing blood like this was normal.

"Hm? The food here is not bad. Perhaps I'll eat here while we're staying. What do you think?"

Pablo asked his friend.

"If you say so."

…………………

"Ugh…"

It's now morning and Christopher woke up seeing he was in an alleyway. He saw his clothes wet in an acidic liquid. He frowned a second before recovering. 

"… Oh, right. I met them last night and I vomited... Sigh, I hope mother is not angry. Well, what time is it?"

He searched his pocket, but he couldn't find his portable watch.

"Damn, someone stole my watch! Oh! My wallet too!"

The watch cost 70 golds while his wallet has 12 golds. Now, he lost it. Anyway, for a man like him, it's a small amount. 

He stood up and fixed his clothes. He combs his hair. He sighed and left. He wished that his parents were still sleeping. Despite being drunk and broke, he still returned to the mansion. He knew that he would face another nagging and punishment, but he still came. He got nothing to return to except this mansion. 

And alas, Christopher's guess it right.

"Christopher! Don't tell me you're drunk again!?"

Her mother, Veronica Mellwood, was in the front of the house. She's waiting for her son only to see that her expectation is right. Her son is drunk again.

"What about your promise!? You promised that you'll never drink again!"

"M-mother, I can explain…"

"No! Go to your room. I know I can't trust you… Christopher…"

Her mother cried and covered her face. Her only son, hurt her. 

"I'm sorry mom…"

He tried to touch her Mother but to no avail.

"No, please… honey, just go to your room…"

Christopher didn't want to hurt his mother anymore. That's why he followed her instruction and returned to his room.

When he closed the door. He knew that he made another mistake.

"I'm an asshole… again. I hurt my mother again…"

………………

*Knock knock*

He heard a knock on his door. Christopher looked at the door and heard his Mother's voice.

"Honey, this is your mother. Can we… can we talk?"

"Y-yes, Mother."

Veronica opened the door and saw her son crying. His handsome face with covered with tears. 

"Oh honey, I'm sorry for what I've said… it's just…"

"No, Mom. You are right. I'm a loser. I promise to you, to Father, that I'll never visit that Tavern. But I broke my promise.… I'm not my brother."

"Oh, honey! , y-you can't say that."

Veronica panicked. The topic about Christopher's brother, the late Vincent, was a restricted topic. 

"… If my brother is still alive… What will he do in this situation?"

"No son!"

Veronica hugged her child. She didn't want to hear anything that he'll say anymore. She hugged her son tightly and cried.

"No son, you don't need to talk. It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay. So please…"

"Mom… I can't become my brother. He's the best, he can do anything. His talent in the sword is equal to none… I-"

"Stop! Sob sob please stop!"

Vincent was Christopher's older brother. He was the Captain of the famous Silver Lion Knights, the sword of the Emperor. He was a hero admired by the whole Cransia. 

But the talented brother died protecting the Emperor from an assassination. The whole Empire respected his sacrifice and their family received a medal of honor. The people treated them as the family of the hero… but that's not the story inside the Mellwood's mansion. 

Her mother cried till her tears were gone. His Father tried to work hard so that he could distract himself from grieving, but you can see on his depressed expression that he's not. 

At that time Christopher was still young. When he realized that he was the only one who can protect his family, he stepped up and train. 

He worked hard, he lifted a sword twice his size and practice every day. But the expectations of everyone around him caused him to fall. 

He was not talented like his brother. He was mediocre. The expectations turned to mockery. When Christopher enrolled in the Academy his whole life turned to trash. 

He returned to his house broken and lost. Now, he was famous for being a drunkard.