How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 135

How to Live as the Third Son of a Wasted Novel – Chapter 136

The room fell silent.

Some nobles, seeing Rohen emitting a red aura, stepped back, and a young noble lady who had been cheering during the sparring covered her mouth in fear.

‘The knights…….’

The Red Knights stood rigidly at attention. Redran, too, seemed to have anticipated this, wearing an intrigued expression.

The conclusion was clear.

Redran was revealing something he had kept secret until today.

‘Ruth, though?’

He seemed fine on the outside, but inwardly, he must have been quite shaken.

Rohen now resembled the Unholy Knights he had encountered at the castle during the last territory war.

Back then, they, too, had continuously emitted red light from their eyes, displaying a powerful presence, just like Rohen now.

It was probably a similar power, related to the Blood Frenzy Herb.

But even if their origins were the same, there was something different between the Unholy Knights and Rohen.

The Unholy Knights seemed more refined, while Rohen looked like…

‘An evil spirit.’

The Unholy Knights, even when using that power, did not lose their knightly demeanor.

But Rohen was the complete opposite.

“Kheuheu…….”

He looked like a berserker stained with blood.

Hot breath escaped his mouth with every exhale, and the red light from his eyes intensified, surging around him.

Then, as if disregarding his own condition, Rohen kicked off the ground and charged at Ruth.

Thereafter, their hands met, and a flurry of attacks unfolded too fast to follow.

Rohen’s movements were definitely more than twice as fast as before. Ruth, too, could no longer afford to be relaxed and gritted his teeth.

Leaving their fight behind, I looked at Redran.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?”

“That’s right.”

“What ability did he use? I’ve never heard of a knight like that.”

Of course, I already knew about the power through the novel and the Unholy Knights, but it was normal for me not to know now, so I kept quiet.

“Of course, you haven’t. Because he’s a knight I created.”

“You created?”

“To be precise, Basarak did.”

“Basarak?”

“You know the saying that the power of noble families lies in gold and swords, right?”

Of course, I knew it. It was a saying passed down like a proverb in Midland.

As I nodded, Redran sipped his wine and grinned.

“The Basarak family had gold but no swords, so they couldn’t expand their power.”

“…….”

“To resolve that instability, the Basarak family tried in every way possible.”

“Trying means they tried to raise knights?”

“That’s right.”

“It wouldn’t have been an ordinary method.”

“If it were an ordinary method like other families, it would have been impossible. Frankly, Basarak isn’t an attractive family to gather talent.”

“It sounds like there’s a special method.”

“That’s right. A special method.”

“So, the knight Rohen was raised by that special method.”

“You guessed it. It’s the cornerstone for the Basarak family’s endless development in the future. And I, Redran Basarak, will be remembered as the first to lay that cornerstone.”

Koo-oong!

During our brief conversation, Rohen, struck by Ruth’s attack, was thrown against the wall.

Rohen, who had fallen to the ground, could no longer get up. Judging by the slight rise and fall of his chest, he hadn’t died but had fainted.

No matter what kind of ability he used, he couldn’t overcome the difference in basic skill.

But even for Ruth, it wasn’t a completely satisfying victory. Ruth’s face, which hadn’t wavered even when he first took up the sword, was now covered in sweat, and his breathing was much heavier.

Ruth showing such a 모습 [sight]. It was a rare sight.

“Then the reason for putting Knight Rohen forward in this sparring match is obvious.”

“Oh, you’re quick to notice.”

“You wanted to test him, right? Against the Wind Knights.”

“Why ask if you already know?”

“So, are you satisfied with the test results?”

“It would have been nice if he had won, but considering we’re just getting on track, this level of performance isn’t bad. From now on, he’ll only improve.”

“Only improve?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? Rohen hasn’t been in the Red Knights for very long.”

“…….”

A fledgling who had just become a formal knight showed that level of skill?

Redran gave a sly smile at my speechless expression.

“Anyway, this sparring match ended with the Wind Knights’ victory, right? Then I have to grant you one wish as promised. Of course, I can guess what you’ll ask for.”

That’s right. Now I have no choice but to ask about that ability.

So, I wondered.

Showing that ability to me, an outsider, and offering to reveal information about it. What was he thinking?

* * *

The banquet was over.

The chaotic guests hurriedly scattered, and the Red Knights took the battered Rohen away.

I promised Redran to meet later and returned to my quarters, immediately asking Ruth.

“How was it?”

“That guy? He didn’t seem to have learned swordsmanship deeply.”

“He hasn’t been a formal knight for very long, they say. So, he must have pushed forward recklessly without any finesse.”

“That’s right. But that’s what made him scarier.”

“He’s too strong for someone who can be raised so easily, is that it?”

“Yes. I agree with you.”

Scary. It wasn’t a word a strong person like Ruth would use.

But I seemed to understand what Ruth meant.

Because the opponent was a knight.

Knights aren’t beings that can be mass-produced like objects overnight. They are completed only when sufficient support and the individual’s bone-carving perseverance are met.

But if a knight raised in a short period like Rohen showed that level of power?

The story is definitely different.

There are definitely areas where quantity can cover quality, even if the quality is slightly lower.

“The energy he used, it must be similar to the guys we saw at Baron Trill’s castle back then.”

“Probably.”

“But he was a little different from them.”

“You thought so too?”

“He seems to lose his mind halfway when he fully unleashes his power. Should I say he fights with instinct rather than reason? So, I was initially taken aback. Psychological warfare is quite important in a fight between people, but there was none of that.”

“An incomplete power, then.”

“It would be an incomplete power in a one-on-one sparring match like today. But in other places…….”

Ruth paused, scratching the back of his neck.

“It would be quite difficult for ordinary soldiers. If a knight, already called a killing machine, rampages without flinching from most attacks…….”

“I think similarly. It’s like becoming a real war machine. To be able to get up and charge even after being injured like that.”

A moment of silence passed.

Because I had my own thoughts, and so did Ruth.

Ruth was the first to speak.

“Could Baron Basarak be related to the guys we met at that castle?”

“We don’t know yet. We’ll have to look into it carefully.”

“He’s a bit eccentric, but he didn’t seem like a malicious person.”

“How much have you seen of Redran?”

“That’s true.”

“Just sit and rest. Since we have to stay here for two weeks anyway, we’ll have plenty of time to find out.”

“Where are you going?”

“To meet Redran.”

“It’s late, why don’t you rest?”

“I can’t stand being curious. Just rest.”

“Yes. Be careful.”

* * *

Redran was back in his office. Not even tired, Redran, holding a newly opened bottle of wine, greeted me with a smile.

“More 술 [alcohol]? You’re a drunkard.”

“What does it matter? You and I both handle mana.”

Indeed, knights who handle mana have constitutions that are immune to most minor illnesses.

Even if they poured it in to the extent that ordinary people would suffer from all sorts of liver diseases, they would only feel a bit sluggish.

As I moved to sit on the sofa, Redran took a seat opposite me.

Then, maids who had opened the door and entered placed simple fruits and snacks before disappearing without a trace.

Pouring wine, Redran leaned back on the sofa and shrugged.

“So, what do you want to ask?”

“What ability did Knight Rohen use?”

“I expected it, but you’re too direct.”

“Don’t stall and explain quickly.”

“Alright. But that question is too broad, so it’s a bit difficult to explain. It’s still in the experimental stage, so I haven’t properly organized it. So, let’s just start from the beginning. That would be easier for you to understand.”

“From the beginning?”

“From the very first point when I planned the Red Knights’ transformation.”

From the first point?

“What should I name it to make it sound cool? I’ve never thought about this before. Wait a moment…….”

After a moment of silence, Redran snapped his fingers.

“How about the Berserker Project?”

“……Berserker Project?”

Berserker.

Redran, who had said a word meaning 광전사 [berserker], nodded.

“I like it for something I came up with on the spot. Anyway, yes. The person who first came up with this plan was Redcal Basarak, decades ago. My father.”

“Quite a long time ago.”

“That’s right. Outdated. When I look at the records from then now, they’re so old-fashioned.”

“Don’t stray and just get to the point.”

“Ah, alright. Alright.”

After that, Redran’s story was simple.

The Basarak family was a family with good circumstances. It was adjacent to the coast and had fertile land, so it was able to grow rapidly even though it was a newly established family.

But there was one thing that even the Basarak family couldn’t do with wealth.

That was the Knights.

Because its history was short and lacked legitimacy, it couldn’t fulfill the honor that knights desired, and the knights who came for money were mostly mercenaries.

In the end, they judged that they had no choice but to raise knights themselves to have good knights.

But it was extremely difficult to find talent in the Basarak territory, which was like a barren land for swordsmanship.

Redcal Basarak, who was experiencing difficulties in various ways, suddenly came up with a hypothesis one day.

‘Instead of raising knights only with standardized mana training, is there no way to make them stronger in other ways?’

The work that started from that trivial question led to all sorts of bizarre methods.

“Still, since we’re affiliated with the kingdom, we diligently looked for ways within the limits of the law.”

“So.”

“What else would there be? After numerous trials and errors, we found a way.”

“Found it? Redcal Basarak?”

“Yes. And to prove that theory, my father used his own body. He was a very delicate person. If it were me, I would have just picked any knight under my command and used them.”

“Using his own body means…….”

At my question, Redran reached out and grabbed the wine glass, laughing silently.

“Everyone says that I poisoned my father and took this position. Half of it is right, and half of it is wrong.”

“…….”

“It wasn’t poison. But it’s true that I killed my father. I stabbed him in the heart with a sword.”