How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 100

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Episode 100

As the formal knight selection test was about to begin, Gilaine, who had been standing some distance away, approached me.

“Young Lord.”

I straightened up at Gilaine’s approach.

“Commander, it’s been a while. Is this your first time back since returning to the territory?”

“Yes. I should have greeted you sooner; I apologize.”

“I should have been the one to visit you! There’s no need to apologize.”

“Then let’s consider it settled now that we’ve met. Did your business outside the territory go well?”

“So-so.”

After the pleasantries, Gilaine looked at me with a good-natured smile.

“I saw your performance in the trainee knight test earlier, Young Lord. It was unconventional, but I think it would have been good if you had engaged a bit more with the candidates who were so eager to prove themselves.”

“Do you think so?”

“Of course, you might be upset that the Count decided so suddenly without prior notice, but the Count’s support is something everyone wants, but not everyone gets, isn’t it? I just thought it was a shame.”

I shrugged at Gilaine’s words, which seemed to carry no ill will.

“I’m not one to just gobble up whatever’s handed to me. So, did the Count say anything else specifically?”

“Not particularly.”

Gilaine stroked his rough stubble before speaking again.

“He said he heard your answer loud and clear.”

It seemed my intention to refuse the stage set by Count Lindaier had been clearly understood.

“Is that so?”

“He added that he didn’t know you were the type to refuse a meal even when it’s served.”

“I did refuse it.”

“The Count probably took it as a sign of your self-assurance, Young Lord. Don’t take it too personally.”

“I understand.”

“The formal knight test will begin soon.”

Following Gilaine’s gaze, I saw people moving busily in the distance.

“How many formal knight candidates are there?”

“Excluding you, only one.”

Only one.

“That’s quite few.”

“It’s hard to find knights who are already established.”

Indeed, lords from all over try to recruit skilled knights, offering them gold and jewels.

Even if they don’t, many knights choose to remain loyal to the place that raised and supported them.

That’s why the Wind Knights focus on training and nurturing trainee knights every year.

“By the way, I heard from the Count that you’ve already reached the realm of handling mana?”

“Yes.”

Despite the surprising news, Gilaine’s expression didn’t change much. Well, someone like Gilaine would have already noticed my skills during the sparring with the previous trainee knight candidates.

“Congratulations. I’ve felt that you were extraordinary from the start, Young Lord.”

“Thank you.”

“So, how far do you plan to go in this test?”

“I’ll try as far as I can.”

Gilaine smiled at my words.

“I’m looking forward to it. Will I have a chance to experience your skills too?”

The formal knight test involves duels, starting from the lowest ranks of the Wind Knights and defeating them one by one.

It’s a kind of ranking battle where the number of knights you defeat determines your position after joining the Knights.

“With you, Commander? I think I need to worry about whether I can defeat Vice-Commander Barangka first.”

“Ah, I didn’t mean to disregard the Vice-Commander. It’s just that I had a vague expectation that you might rise to the challenge, Young Lord.”

“That’s an overestimation.”

“Perhaps we’ve all been underestimating you, Young Lord.”

Gilaine, after those pointed words, bowed slightly and left again.

Watching him go, I felt a slight competitive spirit that hadn’t been there before.

‘Gilaine Esteban, Expert High-Rank.’

The title given only to the most skilled knight of the Wind Knights, the Knight of the North Wind.

How big is the gap between Gilaine, who holds that title, and me?

Before, I wouldn’t have even dared to cross swords with him, so I had never imagined it. But now, maybe I could exchange a few blows?

‘Besides, the black-haired guy who attacked me back then was an Expert Top-Rank.’

Gilaine is the perfect benchmark to compare myself to that guy.

‘Good.’

Having made a decision, I watched Gilaine’s receding figure.

* * *

As soon as the announcement that the formal knight selection test had begun was made, all the gathered territory residents watched with bated breath.

Perhaps they were waiting for me, who had made such a strange impression earlier.

Amid the silence, I strode forward to the platform.

“State your affiliation and identity so that everyone can hear.”

At the words of the test executor, I slowly knelt on one knee.

“I, Cain Lindaier, the third son of the Lindaier County, greet Count Rain Lindaier, the shield of the kingdom and the rightful lord of the North.”

The Count nodded slowly at my greeting, and the executor continued.

“Cain Lindaier, who has followed the proper procedures and wishes to join the Wind Knights as a formal knight, are you ready to take the test?”

At the executor’s question, I raised my head, looked straight at the Count, and opened my mouth.

“Yes. However, there is one request I would like to make.”

“…A request, you say?”

Normally, I would have simply agreed and followed the procedure, but I decided to do things differently.

“Originally, I know that I should abandon arrogance and emulate pure passion, starting from the bottom ranks of the Wind Knights and asking for guidance.”

Pausing for a beat.

“However, considering that I have had considerable interaction with the knights of the Wind Knights, and considering the special nature of my status and position, I believe that rather, harsh lessons and reprimands are needed. Therefore, I request guidance that encompasses the spiritual pillar of the Wind Knights, starting from the top and reaching down to the roots.”

In other words, I wanted to start with the leader of the Knights, not the petty subordinates.

The repercussions of my words came more slowly than expected.

The Count’s eyebrows twitched, Vice-Commander Barangka’s eyes widened, and a smile appeared on Gilaine’s lips.

And finally, the territory residents, who understood the meaning of my words, abandoned their silence and shouted and applauded.

“Waaaaaah!”

“Praise the courage of the Third Young Lord!”

With the situation like this, it became difficult to insist on traditional customs. The gathered territory residents were unanimously cheering and hoping for the method I had suggested.

“Cain Lindaier. I grant your request.”

The Count, who stood up from his seat, looked down at me and opened his mouth.

“Harsh lessons and reprimands… Commander!”

“Yes.”

At the Count’s call, Gilaine, who had been standing beside him, stepped forward.

“Grant what he desires.”

“I shall obey the command.”

As Gilaine jumped down from the platform and stood in front of me, the cheers erupting from the surroundings doubled and echoed.

“Long live the Lord!”

“Blessings upon the Commander’s sword!”

Well, from the territory residents’ point of view, it would be a chance to see the prowess of the Commander, which is hard to see in a lifetime, right in front of their eyes.

“I didn’t expect you to accept my request in this way.”

Gilaine smiled in front of me.

“Since we’re taking the test anyway, we should do it properly.”

“Was the last time I saw your skills when we were subjugating the Blade Song Tribe?”

“I suppose so.”

“I remember you dealing with the Rangers back then, Young Lord.”

Gilaine slowly began to draw his sword.

“I’ll see how much you’ve grown since then.”

In response, I also drew my sword and nodded.

“I’ll have to live up to your expectations.”

“Now that it’s come to this, I want to enjoy it slowly. Let’s start lightly. I’ll concede ten moves.”

“……”

He’ll concede ten moves?

Isn’t this too much of a disregard?

‘He might get a bloody nose, Gilaine.’

Ten chances to attack without having to worry about defense. I understand the idea of showing that much of a gap, but this is too much.

I gritted my teeth and kicked off the ground, widening the distance between Gilaine and me.

Thus, only Gilaine and I stood apart in the vast training ground of the Knights.

‘Handling mana is allowed, right?’

As it is a formal knight’s entrance exam, it was assumed that I would have the ability to handle mana, so there were no restrictions on that.

However, imbuing mana into the sword is strictly prohibited. Aura [a refined form of mana] is a dangerous power that can take lives.

‘Then it’s doable.’

As I took a deep breath, I felt as if my mana heart was heating up, and soon an unprecedented power settled in every corner of my body.

‘He said ten moves, right?’

Gilaine’s face was still calm.

The desire to wipe away that calm expression filled my head.

“Hmph!”

With a simple shout, I kicked off the ground and jumped high, raising the sword I held in both hands high.

‘I’ll make you regret those words.’

The speed of the fall combined with the upright sword, causing it to plunge down like a white meteor shower.

Gilaine, who had been still until then, slightly stepped back and drew his sword.

Clang-!

With a rough metallic sound, I opened my eyes again and found myself flying through the air.

‘What?’

As I regained my senses, I was about to fall headfirst to the ground, so I quickly twisted my body and landed.

With my posture lowered, I raised my head and saw Gilaine shaping his mouth to say something to me.

‘One.’

Only then did I realize that Gilaine had deflected my attack, and I had been pushed back by the force of it.

“Ha.”

Honestly, I couldn’t even see it.

I had never experienced such a fast sword strike, not even from Lordain.

‘Lordain is closer to a berserker, though.’

Still, not seeing it is not seeing it.

I had a feeling. Even if I had a hundred chances, let alone ten, I wouldn’t be able to touch Gilaine’s clothes.

‘Even so.’

I’ll have to do what I can.

I kicked off the ground and rushed towards Gilaine. Then, as soon as I entered his range, I swung the sword four times up, down, left, and right.

However, the four attacks ended with four metallic sounds. It was already expected. Without giving up, I swung the sword and drew a zigzag line.

Clang! Clang!

Steel clashed, making an unpleasant sound.

Gilaine instantly reversed my sword path and countered it. It meant that he had read all my moves in that short amount of time.

In that way, I used up nine chances in an instant, and only one remained.

However, the previous attacks were the foundation for that last one, and having finished all the preparations, I muttered quietly.

“My sword is the wind.”

It was the first verse of the warrior’s song that draws out the power of Bain Lindaier.

Following that, the world became silent for a moment, and I felt something heavy settle in my soul.

「 My sword is the wind 」

The spirit of Bain Lindaier possessed my body.

Afterwards, my whole body moved reflexively. My muscles screamed at the intense movement. At the same time, my vision began to turn red. It seemed the blood vessels in my eyes had burst.

But all that was momentary, and soon the sword that my hand stretched out became a white flash and flew towards Gilaine.

A piercing streak of light, a flash of lightning.

“Cough?”

I heard Gilaine inhale sharply in surprise.

But the white flash had already left my hand.

Kwaaaang-!

A strong impact was transmitted along my fingertips. The dust that had not been able to keep up rose belatedly around me, blurring my vision.

“……”

I could feel the gathered audience, the Wind Knights, and even Count Lindaier watching this situation with bated breath.

“Keuh…”

But there was no triumphant change that they desired.

When the dust cleared, the only thing they would find was me kneeling on one knee and vomiting blood.