Devourer's Legacy: I Regressed With The Primordial Crest-Chapter 36: Childish Provocations (2)

Life had never been easy for Renard.

After losing his sister and the Grim family to the great houses, he had been forced to travel the continent in secrecy, hiding his identity.

At that time, the nights seemed long and lonely, filled with the fear of being discovered. He had slept in alleyways, beneath bridges, in the cold embrace of forests where the only company was the howling wind.

During those years, he had been disrespected, mocked, provoked, beaten, and even worse. He had been chased out of villages, pelted with stones and curses, accused of crimes he never committed. More than once, he had woken up to find a knife at his throat, thieves looking to rob the helpless wanderer. He had learned quickly—people would step on you if you let them.

And there was little he could do about it. He was alone, powerless, a ghost in a world that had no place for him.

So he learned to endure. He let the insults roll off his back, let the bruises fade without complaint, let the pain become just another part of life. He told himself that one day, he would rise above all of it.

Even when he joined the demon army and rose to the rank of commander, many demons refused to respect him simply because he was human.

They sneered at him, spat at his feet, questioned his every order. Some challenged him outright, thinking him weak. Of course, he beat them down, over and over, until the ground was stained with their blood.

Even then, the whispers never stopped. 'A human doesn't belong here.' 'A dog pretending to be a wolf.' 'An outsider, through and through.'

Over time, Renard became nearly immune to insults and provocations.

So when compared to what he had experienced, Aedric's childish taunts felt almost amusing.

But everything had its limit, and Renard was slowly reaching his.

Even if he wasn't enraged, his patience was not infinite.

"Lyla," he called.

"Y-yes, young master?"

"You're my personal attendant, right?"

"Yes... Although I am undeserving of this role, I have temporarily been assigned as Master Renard's personal attendant."

"In that case, instead of standing there melting in the sunlight, go tend to the horses that brought me here."

"...Yes?"

Lyla had already intended to tend to the horses once Aedric and Adrienne lost interest and left. So while the order wasn't unreasonable, she couldn't understand why Renard was giving it now, in the middle of this confrontation.

Didn't he realize that one of the devilish twins was standing right in front of him?

Renard was blatantly disregarding Aedric's demands.

But at the same time, he wasn't retaliating either.

She had no idea what he was thinking.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aedric burst out as Lyla started to move.

"I'm just getting the horses tended to," Renard replied.

"I told you to do it yourself!"

"Why should I when there's someone to do it for me?"

"I was ordering you to tend to them!"

"And who are you to give me orders?"

"I... I am Aedric Grim."

"Okay, and I'm Renard Grim. Nice to meet you," Renard said, waving a hand with a bored expression.

Adrienne's hands shot up to cover a wide grin as she giggled at her brother's stunned reaction.

"And I'm Adrienne Grim," she added playfully, still giggling.

Aedric glanced briefly at his cheeky sister before taking a deep breath.

"You... there is no way I can get along with you."

"That's quite the disappointment," Renard said, his face still blank with disinterest.

Ignoring him, Aedric continued, "Because you keep ignoring my orders."

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"That's because I have no obligation to follow them."

"And furthermore... you have insulted me for the last time," Aedric declared.

"Wow," Renard said, his tone dripping with amusement.

Every word out of his mouth made Aedric's anger flare hotter, like a spark catching dry wood. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his nails pressing into his palms.

"A duel," Aedric declared, his voice tight with frustration.

Renard chuckled, shaking his head. "What brilliant logic. You get mad, and now we're dueling? You're really something."

"Hey, pal, a duel isn't something you should challenge so casually," Renard added, smirking.

"Who's your pal?" Aedric snapped.

Renard shrugged. "Fine. No friendship, then. Either way, stop saying things you'll regret and just leave. You're wasting my time."

Aedric lifted his chin, glaring. "You're scared, aren't you?"

Renard squinted at him. "Scared?"

"That's right. It's clear as day that you're afraid."

Renard let out a slow breath, eyeing Aedric with mild irritation. "And what if I'm not afraid, but I also don't want to fight? And I'm certainly not going to apologize."

Aedric sneered. "Do you even know what honor is?"

Renard's smirk faded slightly. "I do. But it's not a word you should throw around so easily."

Aedric scowled. "If you're scared, just admit it! Haven't your parents taught you what honor means?!"

Renard's eyes darkened, his posture stiffening.

Bringing up his parents was a mistake.

"Oh," he said softly, tilting his head. A dangerous silence stretched between them.

Aedric, unaware of the shift, pushed on. "This is your last chance. Beg for forgiveness, and then—"

"Throw it," Renard cut in.

He untied the sandbags strapped to his body, letting them drop with a heavy thud. His gaze bore into Aedric's.

"You wanted a duel? Then throw it already."

Aedric hesitated for only a second before tossing the handkerchief onto the ground.

Renard stepped forward. "I accept."

Aedric grabbed a wooden sword, confidence burning in his eyes. The moment Renard straightened, Aedric swung.

BAM!

The flat of Renard's blade slammed into Aedric's stomach, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs.

"Kuargh!" Aedric cried out, his body doubling over before he was sent rolling across the dirt.

Renard exhaled, his grip on his weapon firm but relaxed. He watched Aedric struggle to recover before speaking, his voice calm yet cold.

"That," he said, "is for speaking lightly of other's parents."

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