How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 196

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Chapter 197

After the battle and the subsequent cleanup of the fortress, a few days passed.

My party and I returned to the central city of the Trot barony, accompanied by Talogan, whose forces had routed Baron Beox’s army.

Perhaps because of the messenger I’d sent ahead, the city was already thronged with people welcoming us at the entrance.

“Glory to the name of Flores!”

“The savior of the East has brought news of victory!”

Despite the cold winter, the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd heated the atmosphere, and Sella responded by waving repeatedly.

Watching her from behind, I left the procession upon reaching the main street and headed to our prearranged meeting place.

After entering a house overlooking the main street, I went straight to the second floor.

There, Ruth was leaning against the balcony, gazing down at the main street. I sighed, noticing he hadn’t sensed my presence, even though I wasn’t trying to hide it.

“Where’s your head at?”

“Oh! When did you get here?”

“A while ago.”

“You could have made a sound or something.”

“Really? Isn’t it your fault for being distracted by a woman?”

“W-Woman? I was just looking for the Young Master in the procession….”

“You were looking for Sella, weren’t you.”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“Tell that to someone who’ll believe it.”

I shook my head and sat on the table. Ruth approached hesitantly, his face flushed.

“Did you see everything?”

“How could I miss that lingering gaze?”

“…….”

“Anyway, what about the task I gave you?”

As I got straight to the point, Ruth, looking relieved, brought a messy pile of papers from one of the tables.

“I caught them.”

“I figured. Baron Beox came leading his troops with such enthusiasm. So, who is it?”

“Well, um, you see…”

“What? Why the lukewarm reaction?”

Taking the paper from Ruth’s hand because of his strange behavior, I ended up wearing a similar expression.

“……What? Is this all true?”

“Yes.”

I expected at most two or three people.

But what is this?

“Nearly half of the twelve allied lords have been won over by Redran? Is this really true?”

“At first, I thought I had misunderstood something.”

“But?”

“Once I caught one, a string of related guys kept popping up. It seems they were connected.”

“A connection…….”

“They were probably planning to switch sides as a group if the war didn’t seem winnable.”

“But five is too many to begin with. We can’t do anything if they betray us right now, can we?”

“However, only one of the five is completely in league with Redran. The other four….”

“Are they just playing both sides, like bats?”

“Yes, something like that.”

I understand. To anyone, this war seemed to have started in Redran’s favor.

But as time went on, the situation changed strangely. Sella, the savior, appeared, and along with the variable called Illia, rumors spread that Redran’s Red Knights had fallen.

Perhaps they are also beginning to see a chance of winning the war.

And with a clear chance of winning, the last bit of conscience that had been forcibly suppressed until now must have begun to surface.

After all, they were families who had sworn allegiance to Flores long ago.

‘Fickle bastards, like reeds.’

Originally, all five should have their heads cut off and displayed in the square. But there are too many of them. The troops those five command represent a significant portion of the allied forces.

If we punish them all in such a situation… it wouldn’t be surprising if internal strife broke out.

Tsk.

Clicking my tongue, I leaned back in my chair and picked up the paper with the ringleader’s personal details.

‘Baron Tripier.’

He occupies a fairly rich land in the northeast and has a significant voice among the twelve lords.

He has about four hundred trained standing troops. Considering that the Trot barony’s army, the mainstay of the allied forces, is just over 1,000, that’s a considerable number for a noble who isn’t even well-known.

‘He only has… two knights?’

Of course, their skills are probably only at the level of just entering the User realm [a common term for someone who has awakened their special abilities].

Well, there’s no way a skilled knight would be under a backwater noble in the eastern countryside in the first place.

Nodding, I shook the paper with Baron Tripier’s details, holding it between my fingers.

“So, you’ve secured evidence for all five of them?”

“That’s…….”

At my question, Ruth scratched the back of his head.

“To be honest, we can definitely catch Baron Tripier. But the other four are guys who suddenly popped up, so we’re not prepared enough yet.”

“How much more time do you need?”

“We need at least another month. And that’s the bare minimum.”

“No. I can’t wait.”

“……If we execute Baron Tripier right now, the remaining four will definitely cut off their tails [cover their tracks], and it will be even harder to catch them.”

“What about just making Baron Tripier confess everything?”

“Those bat-like guys wouldn’t have failed to prepare. If they insist on ignorance, claiming it’s slander, it’ll be hard to do anything else. They’re lords with their own manors and armies, after all. It could lead to internal strife.”

“That’s true. They’re not idiots; they wouldn’t admit it so easily.”

At Ruth’s words, I scratched my head with the paper.

If we don’t deal with Baron Tripier, we can’t move, but if we do deal with Baron Tripier, we can’t catch the remaining four?

Well, then there’s no choice.

After a moment of thought, I made a decision and nodded.

“Anyway, no matter what, this guy is a no-go [must be dealt with].”

“You mean…….”

“We kill Baron Tripier as soon as possible. There’s no alternative to that. You know that this war will be difficult for us if it becomes a long-term one, right?”

“…….”

At my words, Ruth nodded.

“I understand. Then what should we do with the remaining four?”

“I don’t know. What should we do? Should we just pretend we don’t know and take them along? What do you think would be best?”

“Even so, it would be hard to pretend we don’t know, wouldn’t it?”

“Right?”

Ruth’s thoughts were the same as mine.

What supports the allied forces, which did not originate from a single source, is the close cooperation of the lords who command each army.

In such a situation, not clearly addressing the presence of four impure elements is like carrying a time bomb.

‘We don’t have much time as it is.’

We should be moving quickly while Redran is reeling from the shock. It was clear that we didn’t have time to be idle, so the remaining conclusion was inevitable.

“Ruth.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Call Talogan here.”

“Here?”

“Yes. We need to create another stage. Wake me up when Talogan arrives. I’ll get some sleep until then.”

After finishing my words, I got up from the chair, threw myself on the sofa, and closed my eyes.

I can’t even remember when I last had a proper day off. I’m so tired.

‘I want to finish this quickly.’

I sighed with my eyes closed.

* * *

Baron Trot, who welcomed Sella and Talogan back, held a banquet and invited the lords to discuss future plans, calling it the first major victory since the formation of the allied forces.

The banquet was a great success. Everyone raised their glasses and praised the victory.

“Shouldn’t we start a full-scale counterattack now?”

“Of course! Now is the perfect time, with the allied forces’ morale higher than ever after defeating Baron Beox.”

The lords smiled and talked about the hopeful days ahead, and Sella was always at the center of those stories.

They had changed their attitude from treating Sella as a mere pretty mascot.

They gave meaning to the fact that the savior would be with them in future battles and recognized her as a comrade who could fight alongside them on the front lines.

At first glance, it was a good phenomenon: the fact that Sella was recognized as a trustworthy comrade.

‘Well, have they all gathered anyway?’

I lightly clicked my tongue to dismiss my thoughts and looked around the banquet hall, examining the faces of the attending lords.

The five lords Ruth had pointed out were sitting at the same table, enjoying the banquet.

Dog-like bastards.

I gave a bitter smile at their natural appearance.

The nobility of the families who had once gathered under the name of Flores had faded over the long years.

The five lords I see now were not the righteous pack of wolves who had sworn allegiance to Flores in the past. They were just savage stray dogs looking for an opportunity to covet meat.

And Sella should never remain a comrade of such stray dogs.

“Thank you all for gathering.”

As the atmosphere matured, Sella, who had come to the platform, began to speak, holding a glass in her hand.

“First of all, I would like to thank Lord Trot for providing this opportunity to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Carok Fortress.”

Baron Trot nodded lightly in response to Sella’s greeting.

“And I would also like to thank those who heard the news of the victory and came here to celebrate.”

In response to the gratitude towards the audience, many lords raised their glasses this time.

The words that followed Sella’s were extremely commonplace and unremarkable.

She praised Commander Mason’s courage, praised Talogan for defeating Baron Beox’s army, and wished that the allied forces would only achieve victory in future battles.

The atmosphere was smooth, with nothing strange. The lords nodded every time Sella finished speaking. The musicians continued to play, and the servants diligently carried wine and food.

“That’s all.”

As Sella’s words ended, the lords applauded and cheered as usual.

But Sella raised her hand again.

“Ah, there’s one thing I forgot.”

The lords smiled at Sella’s words.

“This seat is for Flores. So please, say anything.”

“We are always ready to listen to the savior’s words.”

At the lords’ joking words, Sella slowly nodded, as if giving a signal.

Then the music that had been echoing in the hall stopped. The servants who had been carrying wine and food left as if they had never been there in the first place.

And what filled the void was the knights of Lord Trot, led by Talogan, who opened the door and entered.

Illia, who had approached Sella, was standing next to her. The emblem of the Frost Mercenary Corps, which looked particularly ominous today, stood out.

“…….”

“…….”

At the changed atmosphere inside, the five lords, including Baron Tripier, quietly put down their glasses.

And Sella, who was looking down at them from the platform, began to speak.

“Now that I have praised those who have made achievements, it is time to punish those who have committed crimes.”

“Mistake?”

“What are you talking about…….”

What silenced the five lords, who expressed their doubts after hearing Sella’s words, was the sound of drawing swords.

“Baron Tripier.”

At the same time as Sella’s call, Illia, with a white sword blade in front, slowly began to approach Baron Tripier.

Baron Tripier, who saw Illia, began to turn pale, as if he had seen the Grim Reaper.

“W-What is this…….”

At Baron Tripier’s shout, Sella, who was standing upright on the platform, spoke in a low voice.

“You broke the oath you made to me.”

“O-Oath?”

“To swear to carry out the oath that you could not keep in the past, and then play around with Redran in such a sordid way.”

“……What are you talking about?”

“You know that best right now.”

As Illia approached right in front of him, Baron Tripier hurriedly got up to find his knight.

However, what came into Tripier’s eyes was the face of the escort knight, who was spitting blood after being pierced through the heart by Talogan.

“W-What is this…….”

The air in the banquet hall was cold.

Everyone in the banquet hall except the five lords was looking at them with hostile eyes.

Baron Tripier, who realized that all the facts had already been revealed, laughed in vain and glared at Sella.

“Did you know?”

“Yes.”

“You went to that fortress to catch me, even though you knew? You could have lost your life?”

“But I survived after all.”

“……To risk your life on something as uncertain as a gamble? I can’t understand.”

Baron Tripier’s suspicion was valid. Sella did not take an army with her when she went to inspect the fortress.

No matter how strong Illia was, he thought that he could not protect Sella from an army of 1,500, including knights.

But Sella survived.

However, the arrival of the reinforcements was really at a precarious timing, and if it had been a little later, Sella would have been in danger.

Perhaps Baron Tripier had the same thought. If it was a little later, Sella would have died for sure. He thought that the failure this time was just because he was unlucky.

However, no matter how many hundreds of times he goes back, the situation that Baron Tripier wants will not happen.

The reason is simple.

Because I was on that battlefield.

‘Hiding my identity has its inconveniences, but it also has its good points like this.’

Baron Tripier’s mistake was not knowing my existence.

That’s the only thing.

That’s why he didn’t think that the front-line inspection was a trap, and he just thought that the plan failed by a paper’s difference [a very small margin].

“Do you know why you were caught, Baron Tripier?”

At Sella’s question, Baron Tripier bit his lip.

“Because you thought I was a scarecrow who was locked up in a safe castle and only lent my name.”

Looking at Sella, who was signaling Illia as if giving a sentence, Baron Tripier bared his teeth.

“You were a cruel woman.”

Those were his last words.

Illia’s blade pierced Baron Tripier’s chest.

The red blood, scattered along the blade that pierced through his back, stained the tablecloth on the table.

Everyone in the banquet hall watched him and remained silent. He had already been sufficiently condemned by Baron Trot for what he had done.

As Sella confirmed Baron Tripier’s death and nodded, Baron Trot, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward.

“We have even caught the rat who was in contact with Basarak. There is no more delay. Now is the time to unleash the anger that we have been holding back.”

Baron Trot’s words echoed inside the banquet hall, where a bitter smell of blood lingered.

“That’s right!”

“Basarak has already tasted a great defeat! Now is the time to show our strength!”

The lords, who had seen blood in front of them, got up from their seats with enthusiastic eyes, and Baron Trot nodded at the sight.

“We will now advance towards the Red Castle. And the lord who will take the first vanguard in that glorious step will be appointed by Flores, our savior and the rightful lord of the East, from this seat.”

“I beg you, Flores! Please give me the opportunity to defeat Basarak before anyone else!”

“No! Entrust the vanguard to me! I’ll end everything that gets in the way!”

At Baron Trot’s words, the lords shouted at Sella, each claiming that they would take the vanguard.

However, Sella’s gaze was directed elsewhere, not at them.

Four lords sitting like dead mice near the body of Baron Tripier, who was pierced through the heart.

“Baron Denhol, Baron Kors, Baron Rice, Baron Woodman.”

Sella, who called their names one by one, slowly nodded.

“I will entrust the first vanguard of the advance towards the Red Castle to them.”

As they were singled out like that, their faces began to harden, as if they had received a death sentence.

And I, who was watching the scene from afar, crossed my arms and snorted.

‘If you want to survive, you’ll have to struggle quite a bit.’

Because I’m going to send you to a battlefield where you can never survive with a bat-like attitude.