Chapter 50: Rebellion Plan

The slums were located opposite the Royal Palace of Alheim, with Yggdrasil standing between them. Sunlight barely reached this area, as the World Tree blocked it, making it dark even at noon.

In a dilapidated bar at the corner of the slums, an elf with an unusually muscular physique—rare for their race—was drinking alone, drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

“Damn it, why me…”

The murmuring man was none other than the former Military General, the one who had fought Halt during the first round of the tournament that determined Tina’s marriage partner.

After losing to Halt, he had been blamed for his defeat and consequently lost his job.

It wasn’t because he was weak—his opponent was simply far too powerful. In fact, this ex-general was the strongest person in Alheim, aside from the Elf King and his butler, Sarion.

The nobles had orchestrated the contest and even set the order of participants in a bid to eliminate Halt, who they considered a nuisance.

It had seemed like an easy deal for the former general: defeat a young human boy, then feign illness to withdraw before the aristocrat’s son had to fight. In exchange, he would be rewarded handsomely.

Unfortunately, he had lost.

This defeat set off a chain reaction. With their plan in ruins, the enraged nobles called for his dismissal.

The Elf King had tried to prevent it, but the ministers favored replacing the general, and the King had no choice but to comply.

Now, here he was—jobless and broke because he had been blinded by the promise of a large sum of money.

To make matters worse, the nobles refused to pay him a single coin, citing his failure as the reason.

He didn’t have a family, having devoted himself entirely to training and leading his troops. But he wasn’t purely a military man—most of his salary as a general had been spent on women and drinking. The army rented his house, so once he lost his position, he was promptly evicted.

Though he received a small retirement allowance, it had been drastically reduced due to the disgrace of his defeat, and now, here he was—drinking in the slums.

With a creak, the bar's flimsy door—on the verge of collapse—swung open.

“General, I finally found you!”

An elf with an eyepatch entered.

She was one of his former subordinates.

“So, it’s you. I’m no longer the General. Stop calling me that.”

“But…”

Suddenly, the former general realized something—this elf, the one wearing the eyepatch, was in love with him. He had saved her long ago from an attack by demons, and ever since then, she had trained relentlessly to repay him. Her dedication had even earned her the rank of Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces.

“You still have your job. Go back. You might even be the next general.”

“You are the only one I can follow! An army without you means nothing to me. I already beat up the nobles who mocked you earlier, and now I’ve been discharged!”

“You… what a foolish thing to do.”

Despite his words, the former general felt a surge of happiness. At the same time, he was ashamed of his current state.

No home, no money—just a man reduced to drinking his life away in the slums.

“Do you want revenge?”

“Wh-what are you talking about!?”

“It’s because of those aristocrats that you’re in this situation! It’s the Elf King’s fault! The nobles, the ministers—it’s this whole country that’s to blame!”

The eyepatch-wearing elf moved closer and removed her patch.

“Your eye!?”

The eye, which had been blinded long ago in a demon attack, was glowing red and fixated on the former general.

A wave of hatred surged within him.

I hate them.

I hate the human who shamed me.

I despise the Elf King for dismissing me.

I loathe the nobles who conspired against me.

I hate this country—every part of it.

Resentment and rage consumed his heart.

“Yes, I want revenge against this country. Will you help me?”

“Of course.”

“W-what are you saying!?”

The bar owner, who had overheard their conversation, attempted to flee. He barely made it a few steps before collapsing, a dagger lodged in his back. The former general’s subordinate had thrown it without hesitation. The ex-general didn’t even flinch at the sight of a citizen being killed.

“I want to take my revenge in the most grandiose way possible. Do you have a plan?”

“Leave it to me. We’ll bring complete destruction to everyone in this country.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

The former general and the eyepatch-wearing elf left the bar, where the owner now lay dead, and disappeared into the darkness of the slums.