The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 188

Chapter 22: Conclusion: The Cramming Scion

In any society, marginalized groups are inevitable.

A byproduct of humanity’s darker side.

These individuals barely scraped by, earning enough to eat for the day, and even that was a struggle.

While nobles and wealthy merchants lived in their own world within the inner walls, and even commoners lived safely inside the outer walls, these outcasts were driven beyond the city limits, exposed to the threats of monsters and bandits.

One would think enduring such hardship would warrant better treatment, but all they received were looks of scorn and contempt, and occasionally, hypocrisy disguised as pity.

For those trapped in the abyss of despair, there were only two choices.

Endure the mockery of comments like, ‘At least we’re not living like that,’ or ‘See what happens when you laze around instead of working?’ or ‘If you don’t listen to your mother, those dirty people will take you away,’ while scraping the bottom, or leave, not knowing what dangers awaited.

About half remained. They couldn’t abandon their home, no matter how wretched. Their minds were consumed by inertia, like slaves bound by invisible leashes.

The other half left, determined to forge a new destiny, even if it meant death.

Though they gained freedom, the fate that awaited them was cruel.

As if gambling wasn’t for just anyone, the outside world was incredibly harsh.

Each time they encountered monsters, they sacrificed family and friends to escape, and bandits stripped them of everything, down to their underwear.

Every winter, half of them froze to death, and even those who survived had to amputate frostbitten limbs.

Despite the numerous misfortunes and adverse conditions, the group of those who left continued to grow.

Pioneers who sought to change their fate, even if it meant death, gathered and formed a massive group.

Once their numbers surpassed a certain threshold, things began to change.

The sheer number of them terrified the bandits, who turned tail and ran, and they began hunting monsters instead.

Having wandered so much, they learned to predict and prepare for upcoming weather, and with so many people, they received help from skilled individuals, making their lives a little more comfortable.

Around that time, the locals gave this wandering group a name.

‘Gypsies.’

The golden age of the Gypsies was quite glorious.

In every territory, young people declared they would become Gypsies instead of mercenaries.

Whether they were poor, dissatisfied with reality, or simply had a wandering spirit, people left their homes to join.

The Gypsy tribe, initially composed only of beggars and the poor, gradually filled with people from various classes, such as illegitimate children of noble families, naive merchants’ offspring, and mercenary captains who had lost their backing.

Perhaps that was why.

They eventually crossed a line they shouldn’t have.

“What? The Gypsies were attacked in the Esther territory? This is unacceptable! Let’s show them the power of our Gypsy tribe!”

“That’s right! That’s right! That’s right!”

“Uwooooo!!!”

The moment the Gypsies took up arms and became rioters, an army was instantly formed.

The Gypsy leader, intoxicated by the fact that so many people followed him, began to dream.

He gathered the Gypsies and incessantly talked about building their own kingdom.

The Gypsies of old, who had thrown off the shackles and constraints of the world to live freely, were gone.

Now, they were just another nation, dividing themselves into status and classes, and distributing food unequally, only lacking territory.

Upon hearing the news of the Gypsies’ armament, a national-level punitive force was organized and sent to suppress them.

Until then, the Gypsy leader had been arrogant.

He had an optimistic mindset, thinking that even if they had mounted knights, their numbers were far greater, so it would be fine.

The result of forgetting what it was like as a tadpole [forgetting one’s humble beginnings] was disastrous.

A devastating defeat that was hard to watch.

Followed by a brutal massacre.

That’s right.

The essence of the Gypsies was travelers seeking freedom, not an armed group conquering and ruling over land.

The dark age of the Gypsies was quite long.

The state controlled the poor to prevent them from becoming Gypsies.

The existing Gypsies became prey for nobles, mercenaries, or bandits.

They did not treat Gypsies as human beings. As if going to the forest to hunt when bored, they shot them with arrows whenever they were seen.

The Gypsy tribe barely managed to maintain its existence.

Only a small number remained, pursuing true freedom amidst oppression.

They wanted minimal defensive armament to protect themselves from oppression.

That was when the ruins of the Aslan Empire were discovered.

It was not surprising that the Gypsies, who had always wandered around the continent and had extensive connections, were the first to discover the ruins.

The artifacts successfully looted at the cost of human lives possessed powerful force.

The artifacts became the hope of the Gypsy tribe.

The number of people who specialized in handling artifacts increased, and they used this power to escape from crises several times.

As more and more people witnessed this miracle, the Gypsy tribe was soon recognized as a mysterious group in the minds of ordinary people.

Around this time, the Gypsy tribe’s leadership felt the need to change the perception of the Gypsy tribe.

They abandoned the old and outdated image of the existing Gypsy tribe and gave themselves a new name to transform themselves.

Those who seek truth and embark on a journey to find it.

‘Pilgrims.’

*

Pilgrims were fundamentally hostile to outsiders.

This was partly due to their long history of oppression, but also because vigilance was essential for the security of the artifacts.

Tom’s first impression of Henon was that he was the number one object of suspicion.

The rumors were rampant.

The foolish scion [descendant] of the Marquis family.

A dirty bastard with an unknown mother.

Incompetent and ill-tempered.

Tom, who remembered Gordon, who had fought alongside him during the final battle, wondered how such a cur could have come from such a valiant father.

There were many rumors, such as he had become a man through military service in the North, or that he had destroyed a castle with his silver tongue in the Albus territory war, but he considered them all exaggerations.

Especially in a situation where distrust of people had reached its peak due to Milo, a fellow Pilgrim who had killed a colleague and become the Greed of the Twilight Church, Henon was not at all on Tom’s list of considerations.

But why?

Was it just the intuition of a Pilgrim?

Was it loyalty to his colleague Gordon Lloyd?

Tom decided to test Henon for the first and last time.

A fancy restaurant in the center of Liang.

Henon was dining on the second floor, where only nobles and wealthy merchants were allowed, because of its great view.

He deliberately entered with dirty, muddy feet, then demanded credit from the employee and stubbornly insisted.

‘Henon, how will you react? Will you remain indifferent? Or will you show your displeasure?’

The employee, already known for his bad temper, declared that he would sell Tom as a slave and tried to drag him down.

Until then, Henon had shown no reaction.

‘Is that so?’

A Pilgrim is a thorough social underdog.

There is no need to extend a hand to those who are indifferent to the weak.

No matter what the rumors say, Henon cannot get close to me.

He was about to give up when it happened.

Thwack!!

A gold coin flew from somewhere and hit the employee’s face head-on.

Surprisingly, it was Henon who had thrown the gold coin.

He said this.

“The boy doesn’t seem to be eating properly. I want to feed him, so send him up here.”

Tom felt the high wall of prejudice and stereotypes shaking.

But it wasn’t enough yet.

It could be a momentary whim.

He had to watch a little longer.

He stayed openly by Henon’s side.

After a while, he had to admit it.

Henon Lloyd.

This guy is very different from the norm.

He doesn’t hesitate to clash with nobles to protect the lower class, and he doesn’t just save slaves, but also suggests a direction for them to live.

Without the slightest hesitation, he attacks the Merchant Guild Leader to grasp the shadow of Liang, and raids the slave market to cut out the rotten roots.

Finally, he virtually single-handedly captures the traitor Greed, who caused all this, and becomes a hero who handles the worst disgrace in the history of the Pilgrims and saves Liang.

At this point, Tom had no choice but to admit it.

Henon Lloyd, this guy is going to make it.

His heart to protect the weak alone was enough to qualify him as a Pilgrim.

He joined him to the Pilgrim group and provided various artifacts.

He wanted to help, but he also included a request to remember the Pilgrims in the future.

Tom’s investment was a great success.

Henon’s future actions were truly dazzling.

The great executives of the Twilight Church sank one after another.

The darkness that had fallen on each city disappeared every time he visited.

He was truly light itself.

With the Pope as the last, the Twilight Church was erased, and they were facing the final battle with the Demon King Baal.

Henon, who had become a hero, came to him, saying he needed a sword.

He wanted to help as much as he could, but Tom couldn’t help it because there were no materials.

As he was anxiously pacing around, Henon said.

“I have a suitable material for me.”

Tom was puzzled.

He had to face the Demon King.

Any metal would be insufficient.

What material was he talking about?

“Take a look at this.”

What he took out of his subspace pocket was the bone of a strange animal.

The white bone attracted the surrounding mana just by its existence and generated a subtle electromagnetic force.

He tapped it lightly, and the resilience returned.

It was extraordinary at a glance.

“What kind of animal bone is it?”

“Guess.”

The first thing that came to mind was an ogre.

The elastic, flexible, and intelligent forest predator was famous for its strong body.

However, Tom, who had actually seen ogre bones, shook his head.

No matter how hard the ogre bones were, they could not be compared to ‘this’ in front of him.

Wyvern, the prince of the sky, Draco, the cousin of the dragon, Lizardman King, Goblin Lord, and various other monsters flashed through his mind, but he didn’t feel it was any of those.

“I don’t know. Just by looking at it now, I would believe it was a dragon’s bone.”

“You guessed it right.”

Tom doubted his ears.

“Wait? Does that mean this is really a dragon bone?”

“That’s right.”

In the end, it was a burst of laughter.

“Ha, haha, hahahaha!!”

“Why are you laughing like that? It’s scary.”

“Hwahahahaha!!!!”

Even they, who had started as Gypsies and wandered around the continent for hundreds of years, had not found a dragon bone, let alone dragon dung.

But Henon took out the dragon bone as if he had brought out a honey jar hidden at home on market day.

In Tom’s eyes, Henon was already a human being who was on a different trajectory from ordinary people.

“Dragon bone… I never thought I would see a sacred object that has only been passed down as a legend in my life. Well, I’ve seen a real dragon, so it’s possible that there are dragon bones.”

“There are more dragon bones. There are also dragon scales. Is it possible to mass-produce them?”

“I’m not a blacksmith, but the highest quality materials take a lifetime to refine. I’ll be lucky if I can pull out one sword in the remaining six months.”

“I see. Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Henon greeted him with a slightly disappointed look.

Tom gave up trying to guess how far this man’s limits were.

Also, in the face of the approaching despair, could this man defeat the Demon King and save the continent?

A small but certain hope slowly raised its head.

*

After entrusting the sword to Tom, he returned to the Lloyd Territory.

How long has it been since his return?

From Galanach to the Holy Empire, from the Holy Empire to the Underwater City, from the Underwater City to the Calon Empire.

It was the first time he had returned to his hometown since he disguised himself as the adventurer Khan.

As familiar scenery came into view, his heart pounded with joy.

It had already been several years since he came to the Arnia continent.

His hometown in his heart was no longer Earth, but this Lloyd Territory.

He pressed his hood down deeply and entered, and the guards guarding the outer castle crossed their spears in an X shape to block him.

“Who are you! Take off your hood and identify yourself.”

He took off his hood.

Flowing black hair.

Green eyes scattering a subtle light.

Snow-white skin.

A tall stature above average.

If you don’t recognize who he is even after seeing this appearance in the territory, you are a spy.

Clang

The surprised gatekeeper dropped his spear.

“Uh… uh? Uh? Huh?”

“A person responsible for the defense of the city should not drop his weapon carelessly. Here it is.”

He picked up the spear and handed it to him.

Then the soldier who came to his senses shouted at the top of his lungs.

“We greet the Hero!!”

“We greet you!!”

Even the captain of the guard, who had rushed out after hearing the news, bowed 90 degrees to greet him.

Rumors spread to the people who were lined up to receive the inspection, and they approached him, buzzing.

“Hero… Of course, it’s an undeserved title, but I want to be called the Young Lord, at least in my hometown. Is that an unreasonable request?”

“No! Young Lord! Welcome!”

“Chung!!!”

He received the soldiers’ sharp greetings and entered the castle.

Inside the castle, all the servants and maids, regardless of gender or age, who had already heard the news, came out and welcomed him grandly.

At the very front, Sebastian, with deeper wrinkles, greeted him with a smile.

“It’s been a while, Young Master.”

“You’ve gotten a lot older in the meantime. I’m too late.”

“No. This old man is just grateful that you came back alive.”

“I want to see Zion and Campbell. Where are these guys?”

The two guys, who had nothing to do because he and Seven Stars went to deal with the Twilight Pope, returned to the Lloyd Territory.

“They are training. They have never left the training ground since arriving here.”

This is reality.

The crowds cheering for him outside are suffering from safety insensitivity [lack of awareness of danger].

They don’t know how big of a disaster the resurrection of the Demon King is, and they vaguely think that the hero will take care of it.

However, if you dig into the reality, the probability of fighting and winning against the Demon King is less than 1%.

Besides, the remaining period is only half a year.

Zion and Campbell, who know that, were training, even cutting down on their sleeping time.

“I’ll go to the training ground right away.”

He had to be with them.

He went to the training hall located behind the inner castle.

The swords of the two men and women, who were sweating profusely and facing each other with swords, had clear mana swords.

In particular, Zion’s mana sword sometimes sparked, which was quite similar to Aura Blade [a technique where mana is used to enhance a sword’s cutting power].

It is a phenomenon seen by swordsmen who have reached the top of the expert level, and if they gain enlightenment here and overcome the inner wall, Zion can also become a Sword Master.

Zion and Campbell, who found him, put down their weapons and ran over.

“Young Master! Have you arrived? You’ve really been through a lot.”

“Vice-Captain, I heard the story. You dealt with that powerful Twilight Pope. You’re still the Vice-Captain.”

The welcome reunion was soon over.

“You guys must have heard it too. There are 6 months left until the resurrection of the Demon King.”

“That’s right. Anyway, I was trying to do as much as I could before that to improve my skills.”

“First of all, we need to call a friend to train with us.”

He called Coco from the subspace.

Fortunately, this training hall was located in a fairly deep part of the inner castle, and Sebastian strictly prohibited access, so Coco’s large body was not seen by other people.

“Kyu!!”

When Coco came out, Zion hugged the dragon with a happy expression, and Campbell’s face turned pale.

“There’s only getting hit left.”

“Think of it as getting stronger as you get hit.”

Coco was also serious because Demon King Baal was related to his mother, Kyle.

In addition, dragons have been a race born with the mission of protecting the middle world since ancient times.

Several factors overlapped, and Coco’s training desire was at its maximum.

“Finally, I called the instructor who will comprehensively guide and watch over our training.”

Zion and Campbell had puzzled expressions.

“Instructor? Is there anyone left on the continent who can teach the Vice-Captain?”

“That’s right. Among the Seven Stars, Karina and Hans, the commander of the Knights, are the only ones who can compete with the Young Master with a sword.”

“Well, it’s not wrong… be careful.”

“Be careful? Be careful of what… uh?”

Campbell stopped talking and rolled his body without hesitation.

A wooden stick passed by where his head had been.

“Kekeke, you’re quite useful.”

The space that had been empty until just now rippled, and the Heavenly Demon Old Man revealed himself in the air.

Zion and Campbell were shocked by the fact that they hadn’t even felt the presence of a strange human approaching so close.

“Wh, who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am, I’ll make you hate me more than the Demon King.”

The Heavenly Demon’s figure became blurred.

The hellish cramming began.

Demon King Resurrection [D-172]