Chapter 3

"Let, let go of me!"

Although it was better than being lifted by the back of the neck, being grabbed by the waist like a piece of luggage was not particularly pleasant either.

I wriggled my hands and feet with all my might and shouted.

"Let me go!"

"Where is Enoch Rubinstein?"

"Who's that…!"

Unable to think of anything else as I was being carried around, I was startled when I mulled over the name.

'Why is that name coming up now?'

Enoch Rubinstein (Protagonist)

1. The commander of the 'Doss Holy Knights,' the most powerful military force in the novel 'Rebellion of Doss.'

2. Ranked as 'Doss (Dos),' the highest tier among ability holders.

3. A Holy Knight, Swordmaster, and Duke.

4. Adoptive father of the other male protagonist, Cheshire Rubinstein.

5. The strongest character in the setting.

6. In his youth, after losing his young daughter due to the imperial royal family, he sharpened his blade for revenge.

Thus, he is a man who, after losing his daughter and deciding to seek revenge, eventually took in and raised the other protagonist, Cheshire, becoming one of the two main protagonists.

The title 'Rebellion of Doss' is also because he, a 'Doss' class, together with his adoptive son Cheshire, attacked the imperial royal family and ultimately secured victory.

'If they are looking for Enoch Rubinstein and his daughter, it seems the story is set before the original work begins, when his daughter is still alive.'

But what about me?

It has nothing to do with me.

"Hey, mister! Wait, wait! You've got a huge misunderstanding!"

"What?"

The commander raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

"W-well, first of all… the blood is rushing to my head… Could you please let me sit up straight…?"

"……"

After a moment of silence, the commander sat me on the horse so that we were facing each other.

Looking into the commander's unusual purple eyes, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

'Black hair and a beauty mark. I feel like I've seen a character who looks like this, but who was it?'

Oops. My nose is growing.

I shook my head and hurriedly asked.

"Are you talking about Duke Enoch Rubinstein, the Holy Knight and Swordmaster? The one with silver hair and blue eyes?"

"Yeah."

"I guess you must have mistaken me for someone with silver hair and blue eyes. My dad's name is James Brown, not Enoch or anything. My hair color and eyes are like my mom, who left home a long time ago."

"……"

The commander, who had been blinking slowly at me, snorted.

"You've done a good job raising your child."

"Huh?"

"Lilith!"

At that moment, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

I turned around to see my dad standing there with a stick.

"Dad!"

"What are you doing? If you don't want to die, put my daughter down right now."

……?

I was taken aback.

'Is Dad crazy? Does he not know who these people are?'

The Holy Knights, led by ability holders of the highest tier 'Doss (Dos),' were all high-ranking nobles.

In this world, only ability holders could have noble titles, and non-ability holders were not even treated as human beings.

Therefore, as a non-ability holder, my dad, who is at the bottom of the food chain, would be executed on the spot just for speaking to them informally.

And to make matters worse….

He's threatening them with just a stick, asking if they want to die?

'Oh my God. Dad is crazy.'

Chilled to the bone, I immediately bowed and groveled.

"Sir, my dad can't live without me. He must have lost his mind. If you could be lenient, I would be grateful for the rest of my life!"

I tried to use my cute appearance to my advantage, giving a coquettish smile and clinging to the commander's waist.

Then I pointed to my dad with my small hand.

"See, look! The man who just appeared is my dad! The symbol of ordinary men, with brown hair and brown eyes!"

"……"

The commander only looked at me with a blank expression.

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

I swallowed hard.

"Even if you look at me from any angle, I'm just an ordinary citizen. I'm a 27-year-old unmarried father living in a mountain village, struggling to make a living by cutting wood with my young daughter."

"……"

"…Sir? Hey? Ah!"

The commander tossed me to a subordinate and dismounted, approaching my dad.

"No, don't! Don't do that to my dad!"

I flailed my arms, still being held by the waist.

The commander glanced at the box of macarons that had fallen next to my dad and sneered.

"What a sight."

"Why are you here?"

Another informal address? Why is Dad acting like this?

One swipe of the commander's sword, and Dad's head would be gone.

Whether he knew how anxious I was or not, Dad pointed the stick at the commander with a terrifying expression he had never shown before.

"Give me my daughter."

"Enoch Rubinstein. By the Emperor's command, you are to immediately return to the knights and fulfill your duties."

"No, I told you, my dad is not Enoch or anything!"

I sobbed and shouted, and our eyes met from a distance.

Seeing me being held captive, Dad's jaw was trembling with anger.

"Seven years. Isn't it time to end this outing?"

"……"

"As you well know, according to Pavilion military law, deserters are subject to immediate execution. If you flee, you will be a wanted criminal until your status is confirmed, and you will be considered a first-class criminal."

No….

"However, the merciful Emperor highly values your contributions and abilities. Despite your clear violation of military law, he has not issued a warrant for your arrest, nor has he confiscated your title and property."

Hey….

Why is this commander, who has captured an extra from a mountain village, making incomprehensible statements?

"Having overlooked all your illegal actions so far, it is now time for you to return. Disobeying orders means death. I will repeat the Emperor's words."

The commander lowered his voice and glared at an innocent bystander.

"Enoch Rubinstein. As of today, you are to return to the knights and fulfill your duties."

"Ha."

Dad sneered. I felt a chill down my spine.

"The Emperor's mouth is as shiny as ever."

I slowly clamped my mouth shut.

Whose mouth?

Surely he's not talking about the mouth of the supreme predator, the Emperor, of this absolute monarchy?

'My dad must have gone crazy…'

With noble deception and royal insult, my dad has already gone too far.

"Isn't it time to be a bit more honest? You've just left the doghouse empty, waiting for the dog to return."

After the mouth comment, my mind went blank, and I could hardly hear Dad's words.

All I could think about was stopping his relentless chatter and escaping.

I bit the hand of the knight holding me as hard as I could.

"Ouch!"

The knight's arm went limp, and I rolled off the horse.

"Lilith!"

My buttocks, which had been badly bruised from the fall, were numb, but I couldn't focus on that now.

I sprinted towards my dad with my short legs—

"Ahh!"

—only to be caught.

Held by the back of the neck by the commander, I dangled and gasped.

Dad, with a pale face, shouted.

"Damn it! Let go of me!"

"Choke, just… Dad, be, be quiet."

Fortunately, the commander, who seemed to have some mercy for children, gently held me.

"Cough, cough. Sir."

I clasped my hands together and pleaded like a fly.

"Sir… I'm sorry."

"……"

"Really, I'm sorry. Please save my dad. My hair color is like this… Yes, I understand why you're mistaken. I'll go. I'll go and… Yes? I'll cooperate with the investigation. Then you'll know I'm not him. And…."

Suddenly, I felt a pang of sorrow and resentment towards the protagonist.

Why does Enoch Rubinstein have to look like me?

"Ugh… I actually know Enoch Rubinstein very well. I'll tell you everything. I'll help you find him. So, please, just look at my dad once, and I'll go with you…."

It felt like I was a traitor selling out the resistance to torture, but I had no choice.

The most important thing for me right now is not the protagonist's safety but my dad's life.

"Please, please…."

At that moment,

The commander flinched and drew his sword.

His gaze was not on me but on my dad.

I instinctively turned around.

'…Dad?'

A terrifying expression I had never seen before.

A blue aura was swirling above Dad's old stick, which he had pointed like a sword.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

'What is that?'

A strange current was flowing around Dad.

Despite no wind, his hair and collar began to flutter.

And in the next moment,

The brown hair and brown eyes that symbolized an extra in a mountain village…

Gradually changed.

"Wow."

Silver hair that shouted 'I'm the protagonist!' and sparkling blue eyes!

My tears dried up.

The moment I had been crying, trying to convince them they had the wrong person, was now embarrassing.

'Hey, hey? A 27-year-old unmarried father in a mountain village, raising a young daughter alone…'

…Mr. James? Is this right?