How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 97

Late at night.

The Lord’s Castle, once bustling with the Third Son’s return, now felt cold and desolate, as if nothing had happened.

“The Wind Knights have returned from their mission,” the butler reported.

Despite the report, the Count didn’t appear immediately. He was likely in his office, meticulously reviewing the materials I had provided.

Consequently, the Wind Knights were left waiting in formation before the Lord’s Castle, enduring the cold wind.

After hours of waiting, illuminated only by flickering torches, the knights collectively inhaled sharply upon hearing of the Count’s arrival.

The Count, formally dressed and with a sword at his waist, finally appeared before the waiting knights.

I observed the scene from the second-floor balcony.

“I will report,” Gilaine said, bowing at the Count’s nod. “The Wind Knights, led by Commander Gilaine Esteban, report that all members have successfully completed their assigned mission.”

The Count paused, slowly surveying the Wind Knights before taking a deep breath. “Sein Lindayer!”

The Count’s booming voice echoed through the dark Wind Nest. Some of the knights flinched, and Knight Velis, who had sought Leydin’s [a city known for its legal system] notarization, trembled like an aspen.

A chilling silence followed the Count’s roar.

Clunk!

The carriage door behind the knights opened.

My brother, the second son of the Lindayer family, Sein, emerged. His face, usually sporting a sly smile, was now rigid.

I was curious to see how he, who always relied on arrogance and wealth, would handle this predicament.

“F-Father…” That expectation was quickly dashed. Sein, using a forbidden term even in private, knelt before the assembled Wind Knights. “I-I know nothing about this.”

“…”

“Jonathan, Jonathan acted alone. It was my fault for entrusting him with authority, but…”

At his attempt to shift blame, I cursed inwardly. The Count’s lips twitched.

“Butler.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Confine Sein Lindayer to the Lord’s Castle.”

At the Count’s command, maids, led by the butler, rushed out to escort Sein into the castle.

Seeing Sein’s pitifully trembling hands, I felt a twinge of pity.

‘Pity, my ass.’ Considering Sein’s actions, this treatment was more than deserved.

Changing my mind, I looked back at the Count.

A man, dragged out by the Wind Knights, was forced to kneel before the Count. Even from a distance, I recognized Jonathan, Sein’s right-hand man.

“Confess your sins.”

The kneeling Jonathan raised his head and looked at the Count. “Using my authority as general manager of Sein Trading Company, I manufactured opium and developed a route to transport and sell it to Leydin, profiting through illegal means.”

I could feel the Count gritting his teeth at Jonathan’s confident confession. His hand twitched repeatedly, as if he wanted to turn Jonathan into a bloody pulp.

But the Count controlled himself. “Having admitted your sins, you will be imprisoned in the underground dungeon. A thorough investigation will uncover all involved.”

At the Count’s words, Jonathan was roughly dragged away by the Wind Knights.

Compared to Sein’s confinement, it was a harsh punishment.

With the fate of the two men decided, the Count sighed deeply and raised his head. “Commander.”

At the Count’s call, Gilaine stepped forward. “Yes, Count.”

“Dismiss the knights and select men to interrogate Jonathan.”

“Understood.”

As Gilaine stepped back, the Count looked at Baranka. “Vice-Commander.”

“Yes, Count.”

“Effective immediately, revoke all authority of Sein Trading Company and confiscate all assets. Suspend all operations until further notice and ensure any ongoing business is quickly concluded.”

“Understood.”

As Baranka stepped back, the Count looked at Velis, who was trembling. “Knight Velis.”

“Y-Yes, Count.”

Velis stumbled forward and knelt. “A thorough investigation will be conducted. Until the results are in, all positions and authority are revoked, and you will remain in self-reflection within the Knights.”

“A-Understood.”

With the matter settled, the Count turned his head. His gaze locked onto the second-floor balcony where I stood. I don’t know how he knew I was there, but he looked directly at me and said, “The Third Son will come to my office immediately.”

Being summoned by a ghost wouldn’t be this surprising.

* * *

“Are you satisfied?” the Count asked abruptly as I entered his office. He poured himself a glass of wine, though he wasn’t drunk.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking if you’re pleased to see your rival, Sein, fall from grace.”

“That’s not why I did it.”

“Then, was it an act of simple justice?”

“It started with a sense of justice, but I’m not so noble that I’d actively seek out and correct every wrong.”

In fact, if Baron Gorde hadn’t mistaken Ruth and me for Velis, we would have simply passed by.

The Count paused before speaking. “Jonathan and the others involved will be arrested and beheaded. The square will smell of blood for a while.”

“…What will happen to Sein Trading Company?”

At my question, the Count chuckled. “Why? Are you interested?”

“I’d be lying if I said no.”

Sein’s personality aside, Sein Trading Company had a dominant reputation in the North.

“You got rid of Sein, so you want to take his place? You’re quite the thief.”

“But you can’t simply dissolve it.”

“It has a good revenue stream, so it would be wasteful. But I don’t have time to manage it myself, and if I just put anyone in charge, it’ll collapse.”

The Count smiled faintly. “I was wondering if I should let the young lord manage it.”

The Count intended for me to earn the right to take over the trading company by defeating Dane. It was a clean way to avoid future gossip, a method I would have requested myself.

“Sit down,” the Count said.

I sat on the sofa in the corner of the office. The Count got up, took his glass, and sat opposite me.

I glanced at the Count’s face; he looked very tired.

The Lindayer Count looking tired was something I never thought I’d see. If someone had told me that, I would have called them a liar. But the Count looked like a weary middle-aged man.

“I sensed your changed aura.”

“…”

“I could feel your murderous intent towards Sein. If you’re skilled enough to exude such energy, you don’t need to worry about the knight exam. But you must learn to control it.”

I had forgotten that at a certain level, the intent to kill alone can release energy. And the Count was a monster who could sense even that subtle intent.

“Understood.”

“How far have you progressed?”

“Mana User, Upper Level.”

“Traveling has only made you a liar.”

“…Expert.”

At my answer, the Count leaned back into the sofa and laughed heartily. “It took me three years to reach Expert, and I was called the greatest talent since Vane Lindayer, the family’s founder. And you achieved it in half a year?”

“It wasn’t half a year.”

“Really? How long did it take?”

“A little over a year.”

“A year or half a year…” The Count scoffed and took another sip of wine. “Ruth is talented. If such a child stayed with you for a year, and you inherited the family’s talent, and you put in a bloody effort, I thought it might be possible to manipulate mana. But Expert?”

The Count laughed incredulously. “As a martial artist, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt jealousy.”

The Count admitted he was jealous of my progress, which was more than twice as fast as his own. But his eyes were filled with surprise and curiosity rather than envy.

“So, what kind of masters did you meet while traveling?”

“Masters?”

“It can’t be Ruth’s skill alone. You’re not going to tell me you figured it out on your own, are you?”

As expected, he’s sharp.

I hesitated. Should I deny it, or embellish the story? Judging by his persistence, I chose the latter.

Clack!

I took out a dagger from my pocket and placed it on the table—the one Lordain had given me.

“What’s that?”

“A gift from someone who was briefly my master.”

The Count picked up the dagger, examined it, and hummed. “It’s an elf’s.”

“Yes.”

“Did you go to the Great Forest?”

“Yes.”

“You snitched on Sein for breaking the law, but you broke the kingdom’s law yourself?”

“Well, let me correct that. I didn’t *go into* the Great Forest.”

“Then?”

“Um, let’s just say I met an elf who came to the continent for fun.”

The Count chuckled at my quick change of words. “It sounds absurd, but it’s not a bad start to a story.”

The Count quietly poured his wine while listening to my embellished tale of meeting Lordain.

“You helped solve what the elf was looking for?”

“A problem that hadn’t been solved for hundreds of years.”

“And in return, she taught you swordsmanship?”

“Yes.”

“And that elf was the strongest elf swordsman on the continent?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a more adventurous story than the adventure tales I heard in my childhood.”

After I finished the story with my farewell to Lordain, the Count, who had been listening with his eyes closed, wore a warm expression. “I enjoyed it.”

“Did you find it interesting?”

“It reminded me of when your mother was alive. You would come to me almost every day and tell me all sorts of absurd stories.”

The Count seemed to be saying he wouldn’t ask any more questions by turning the story to my childhood.

“Did I do that?”

“Yes.”

Clack!

The Count put down his glass and opened his eyes. “So, are you planning to focus on requests from the royal family from now on?”

“Yes?”

What? How did you know?

“You fool, what makes you think the Head of the Royal Court would suddenly hand over the position of investigator? Do you think Marquis Irphe is a fool who can’t see people?”

“…”

“The offer is obvious. He asked you to tell him alone if you found the culprit, right? He’s a shady character.”

“…That’s right.”

“Princess Bashrun would have rejected the offer for the sake of her family, so he chose you as the next best option. Well, you’re the kind of guy who would sell his family for gold and jewels, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean, sell my family?”

“Wasn’t that the case?” The Count chuckled and nodded. “Whatever the process, I agree that you need to find those guys. If they dared to point a sword at Lindayer, they must pay the price.”

“…”

“But first, there’s something you need to do.”

“What do you mean, something to do?”

“There’s something I entrusted to Dane. He seems to be having a hard time.”

“Are you talking about my eldest brother?”

“Originally, I was going to finish the job myself, but you gave me homework tonight, didn’t you?” The Count, referring to the Sein situation, nodded. “As a reward for giving me homework, I’ll give you homework too. I’ll move up the knight exam, so go help Dane as soon as you finish it.”

Sein has fallen from grace. The Count will probably never give him another chance.

That leaves Dane and me, so he’s going to start evaluating us.

“I drank too much. I need to rest.”

“Understood.”

I got up and was about to leave, but I stopped. Then, I turned around and looked at the Count, who had his back to me. His huge, dignified shoulders now seemed drooped.

The cause was clear: I had exhausted the powerful Count tonight.

And now was the time to take some responsibility.

“Count.”

The Count didn’t answer. I didn’t think he had fallen asleep, but I didn’t wait for a response.

“I’m sorry.”

Whatever the case, I broke both legs of the Count’s son, Sein, today, giving him a life from which he could never recover.

Sein will probably live a life worse than death now.

Yes.

I killed Sein Lindayer today.