How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 111

The Sky Fortress was quiet, now that a significant number of people had departed to gather the materials I requested.

Roben had secluded himself in his quarters, determined to perfectly memorize the instructions I gave him to avoid any mistakes during the upcoming treatment.

Left with nothing to do, I headed alone to the inner castle’s basement. The guard, recognizing me, opened the door without hesitation.

Krrrk… Kr륵…

Alone in the basement, I moved towards the source of the rough breathing.

The Griffin looked the same as I remembered. Its head drooped powerlessly, and a groan escaped its beak.

I crouched down in front of it and took out the salted meat I had obtained from the dining hall.

“You really liked this, huh?”

The diary of Lord Coles Nide, which I had read all night, came to mind.

The relationship between Lord Coles Nide and the Griffin was a bit strange, starting with their first meeting.

Even if he had spent his entire life searching, how could such a rare Griffin appear right in front of the Lord as if by fate?

And how could a Griffin that doesn’t approach humans act as if it had been waiting?

That was the first meeting between the Lord and the Griffin.

It must have been an old memory from decades ago, as it was said to be shortly after his assignment.

However, the Lord recorded all those memories, and I read them all last night.

‘And it’s been five years since then.’

After receiving the meat, the Griffin reappeared to Coles Nide during his patrol five years later.

The Lord, not forgetting that memory, offered the meat he had always carried, and the Griffin accepted it before disappearing again.

The intervals between the Griffin’s visits gradually decreased, and eventually, when they met every few months, Coles Nide and the Griffin became close friends.

“Was the taste of salted meat that special?”

The taste of the meat, which was more salty than savory, might have been a delicacy for the Griffin. I placed the salted meat near the Griffin’s head, lost in thought.

Then, the Griffin faintly opened its eyes. It slowly but surely opened its beak towards the salted meat.

“Is it good?”

The Griffin only tore and swallowed the salted meat in response to my question. I didn’t expect an answer from the Griffin, so I just stared at it blankly.

“What are you looking at?”

Then, the Griffin, struggling to chew and swallow the salted meat, strained its neck to look somewhere.

Following its gaze, I realized it was facing the open cliff behind the castle.

Did it want to see the sky?

I got up and opened the huge door that connected to the outside.

Saaaah…

The wide panorama of the vast blue mountain range was revealed through the opened door without obstruction. At the same time, a cool breeze swept through the basement.

The Griffin, satisfied with the sight, closed its eyes again and went back to sleep. I sighed lightly at the sight.

“Just wait a little longer. I’ll heal you soon.”

For some reason, my heart felt strange, and I couldn’t leave the Griffin’s side for a long time.

* * *

As the sunset began, people began to return one by one.

In their hands were the materials I had requested, and I scratched the back of my head at the amount, which far exceeded what I had asked for.

“I don’t need this much.”

“It must be due to their earnest desire for the Griffin’s recovery,” said Sir Alphons, who was next to me.

I nodded in response.

After sorting and gathering the collected materials and moving them to the basement, I looked at Alphons and said,

“Then let’s get started.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’m planning to relieve Sir Roben. It would be burdensome if there were too many people, so could you leave?”

Alphons nodded at my request.

“I will have everyone dismissed and remain alone.”

Well, if it’s just Alphons.

Just as I was nodding, Sir Roben appeared in the basement.

With his gray hair and clean white clothes, he looked like a royal physician.

“Sir Kain, is everything ready?”

I quickly bowed and paid my respects to Roben, who spoke to me with a solemn expression. Otherwise, I felt like I would burst out laughing.

“Yes, everything is prepared.”

“…Then let’s begin.”

It was fortunate that I had my back to Alphons; otherwise, I would have aroused suspicion if he had seen my expression.

Roben, who knew him well, passed by me and whispered in my ear.

“Are you laughing now after causing all this trouble yourself?”

“How can I not laugh when it’s funny?”

“Quiet. Just start quickly.”

I composed myself and followed Roben with a serious face.

Thus, the surgery began in the basement, which was dimly lit by torches.

Glancing back, I saw Alphons looking at this place with a worried expression. However, the distance was quite far, so he probably couldn’t hear whispering.

“I told you the mixing method.”

“…”

“Did you forget?”

“Quiet. I was just a little nervous.”

Roben also knew that the elixir made with this mixing method was only half-finished because I had told him in advance.

Roben began to carefully handle the herbs with slow but deliberate movements. I assisted him from the side to prevent him from making any mistakes.

Even though it was a situation that was no different from a play, Roben did his best.

He repeatedly checked even the smallest procedures, fearing that he might make a mistake, and soon sweat began to form on his forehead.

“It’s ridiculous. I never thought I would ever treat a Griffin in my life.”

“And as a play to deceive everyone.”

“…Don’t joke around.”

“Yes, sir.”

Roben, having finished preparing all the necessary materials for making the elixir, wiped away his sweat.

“It’s absurd that the ingredients for the elixir were so ordinary.”

“Didn’t I tell you? That only a great mage like Kerwyn would be able to make a perfect elixir.”

“Ah, that’s right. Then, in the end, it’s useless to humans.”

“It would be useful if you wanted to commit suicide.”

“…”

I didn’t bother to add that if you drink this and then have a powerful wizard cast Cure Poison on you… That much information is something only I need to know.

In any case, the remaining process was simple: mix the collected materials well with troll blood.

If I had been preparing a normal potion, there would have been more to do. I would have had to neutralize the toxicity and improve the scent and taste so that there would be no aversion when drinking it.

But since it’s not for human consumption anyway, is there any need to do that?

Roben, having created the makeshift elixir, sighed deeply and picked up a dagger that had been thoroughly sterilized for surgery.

“I told you to remove all the necrotic parts.”

“Yes.”

“That would mean cutting off most of the shoulder muscles? It may never be able to fly again. And the bleeding will be very severe.”

“If you cut off both legs of a troll, will that troll become a cripple and die from excessive bleeding?”

“…”

Unable to refute my words, Roben clenched the dagger tightly and bit his lip.

“I’ll start.”

Skeok-.

The start was slow, but once Roben’s hands moved, there was no hesitation. Following Roben’s precise gestures, the blackened, dead wound began to fall off.

“You seem more familiar with it than I thought.”

“I’ve fought in dozens of battles, both big and small, during my active duty. There are always situations where you have to administer first aid on the battlefield.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ve killed many people, but I’ve also saved quite a few.”

“That’s quite a believable statement.”

It was at that moment when the treatment seemed to be progressing smoothly.

Kyak-!

Even if only the necrotic areas were being cut off, it was impossible not to feel anything. The Griffin, which had woken up at some point, raised its neck.

“Hold it firmly so it can’t move.”

“I know.”

“It would be even better if you could knock it out.”

“That’s my specialty.”

After gathering mana, I reached out and grabbed the Griffin’s neck without hesitation, tucking it under my arm.

And then, a devastating guillotine choke!

No matter how ferocious the Griffin was, it wouldn’t be able to withstand it, as it had suffered a serious injury and had been sick for a long time, and the opponent was a human who wielded mana.

As expected, the Griffin wiggled its body a few times before sticking out its tongue and fainting.

“D, did it die?”

At Roben’s question, who had paused for a moment, I pointed to the Griffin’s chest.

“It’s breathing.”

“Still, doing such a dangerous thing…”

“It doesn’t matter as long as it doesn’t die.”

Roben, belatedly recalling the elixir at my words, nodded awkwardly.

After that, it was simple. Roben, having cleanly cut out the affected area of the Griffin, which was not moving like a dead mouse, raised his hand and wiped away his sweat.

“If you only look at this, it looks like you’ve created a living corpse.”

As Roben said, the blood that had flowed from the wound had already soaked the floor, and white bones were exposed in the cut-out area.

If left as it is, it would be a shortcut to the afterlife with a triple threat of excessive bleeding, infection, and shock.

But we have the elixir.

Roben opened the cap of the elixir he had mixed earlier. A foul smell arose, but Roben didn’t care and began to pour the elixir little by little into the affected area.

‘Hmm.’

To be honest, I was scared for a moment.

What if my memory was distorted even a little and the mixing method was wrong, and the Griffin died?

I did my best, but the surgery failed…

Suddenly, I imagined a doctor with his head bowed and apologizing in a voice filled with grief in a medical drama.

‘Damn it, I don’t think I’ll be able to lift my head if that happens.’

Since I’ve already made a big noise about it.

“Hmm… um?”

But my worries were unfounded.

Roben, who had been groaning with worry, exclaimed without realizing it.

At the sight, I also let go of the Griffin’s neck and approached it.

“Oh!”

Soon, I couldn’t help but exclaim like Roben.

Blood foam began to form little by little on the Griffin’s wound, where even white bones were exposed. It was a scene similar to the typical appearance of a troll healing its wounds.

‘The result?’

How long had I waited since then?

The blood foam that had engulfed the entire affected area gradually subsided from the edges, and what was visible beneath it was a brand new, snow-white flesh.

“It’s done.”

I also nodded at Roben’s exclamation.

“It’s done.”

I quickly turned my head and looked at the Griffin’s head. Still with its tongue sticking out, I tapped the creature’s cheek.

“Hey, hey, hey. Wake up, you.”

The Griffin, who had opened its eyes groggily at the rough slap, nervously opened its beak at me.

Kyak-!

Oh, it’s full of energy.

“Sir Roben.”

“Here.”

Roben quickly handed me the remaining elixir in my outstretched hand, and I took it and shoved the bottle into the Griffin’s open beak.

Kyak, kyak, Kyak!

The Griffin’s cry was heard through the elixir bottle stuck in its throat, but I didn’t stop pouring.

“Drink quietly. That’s how you heal.”

Alphons, who had been standing far away, approached at the sight.

“S, Third Young Master? What on earth are you doing now… Oh!”

Of course, Alphons could only exclaim after seeing the Griffin’s wound heal in the blink of an eye.