How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 219

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Chapter 220

Chapter 53. The Forgotten Castle

Blau, whom I met again, looked surprised at my words.

“You’re saying you want to depart for the Forgotten Castle right away?”

“Yes. You mentioned there were beastmen near there before, right?”

“I did.”

“And I said if I helped you, you would ask them for cooperation on my behalf.”

Blau nodded at my words, which demanded reasonable compensation. Then, as if he had prepared it in advance, he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to me.

“Here, this is what I promised.”

I took the letter and confirmed that it stated he was asking for my cooperation in exchange for the past debt. I nodded.

“There was one more thing besides this.”

Blau nodded at my mention of the signals the Dark Elves who had been conscripted might have left behind.

“Yes. You certainly defeated those who threatened us…….”

Perhaps because he had relieved a burden that had been weighing on his mind for a long time, Blau’s face was much brighter.

But conversely, my mouth tasted bitter. Because the guys I had dealt with were just small fry.

Of course, I could have kept my mouth shut here, taken what I wanted, and left.

But the situation had changed. Now, I had to borrow even a cat’s paw [a person used by someone else to perform a task, often risky or unpleasant].

I nodded and looked at Blau.

“Blau.”

“Yes?”

“The guys I dealt with this time were just the bottom of the barrel.”

Blau’s expression stiffened at my words.

“You mean, just the bottom of the barrel…….”

“Maybe someone will come back to this forest to replace them after some time.”

“Oh no! Didn’t you promise to guarantee our safety?”

“I kept my promise. As a result, you are free now.”

“But eventually, other humans will come looking for us…….”

“Well, that’s a matter for the future. Anyway, it’s true that I’ve completed your request for now.”

Blau’s face was clouded with worry at my cutting words.

“Eventually, those guys will come back to this forest for revenge, and our fate won’t change.”

“Leaving this forest and settling somewhere else would be one way.”

“……We don’t know where a new forest might be, and there’s no guarantee they won’t come looking for us there.”

In the silent atmosphere, Blau began to shed tears. It was probably because he thought that, no matter what, they could not escape the cycle of evil with their own strength alone.

The groundwork was laid enough.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“So, I’m going to propose a new deal.”

Blau looked up at my words.

“A deal?”

“If your clan promises to help me with my future endeavors, I will also provide you with a new home.”

“A new home…….”

“Well, it will be from scratch. You’ll have to build everything. But I can promise you one thing for sure: you can live safely without having to be mindful of anyone else.”

“Is there such a place?”

“There is, so decide.”

Blau’s voice trembled at my words that there was a safe haven.

“A new home, we have no reason to refuse. But before that… we need to know what kind of work we will be helping with.”

“Did you have a choice?”

“We ended up like this because we only thought about what was right in front of us.”

Blau was referring to the past deal with the Neviros Order.

He probably meant that he wouldn’t repeat the same mistake. That’s a good mindset.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“Yes?”

“I’m chasing after a certain organization. Everything I do from now on will be a stepping stone to eliminate them.”

“That organization…….”

“You could say they are your enemies too.”

Flames flickered in Blau’s eyes.

But that was only for a moment. Soon, Blau drooped his eyes and pointed to his chest.

“But our clan is invariably bound by binding magic. This will be a shackle every time we encounter those guys.”

At Blau’s words, I took out the magic formula that the black magician had properly written and fluttered it.

“Well, it’s hard right now, but don’t worry, if I have time, I can find a way.”

I wanted to use Ahyun to release it right away, but according to him, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Creating a code is instant, but solving it requires a lot of time and effort.

“Anyway, what you need right now is a safe area to gather your clan, right? Or not?”

At my suggestion, Blau closed his mouth for a moment and pondered.

Whether to wander the north, where he doesn’t know what dangers lurk, or to trust me and entrust the fate of his clan.

Blau’s 고민 [gomin – Korean for ‘worry’ or ‘anguish’] didn’t last long.

“I understand. I will follow you from now on.”

Blau, who chose me, nodded with a determined look in his eyes.

“Good. The deal is done.”

“What should we do now?”

“I’m going to leave here right away and head to the Forgotten Castle.”

“What about us?”

“You’ll have a lot to prepare to move your base. I’ll leave two of my companions here, so you quickly finish your preparations and follow me to the Forgotten Castle.”

“Is there a reason why you have to go alone first?”

“Reconnaissance. There may be remnants left in that Forgotten Castle. Besides, contacting the beastmen you mentioned and getting information is also a top priority.”

Blau’s eyes trembled for a moment at the word remnants.

“You mean…….”

“If it’s worth fighting the remnants left there, we can wipe them out together as soon as you arrive.”

The binding magic isn’t a problem right now. I’ve already caught and killed the black magician in charge of that place. Even if there are more, it’s not difficult for me to snipe the magicians with my abilities.

“So, will you fight with me?”

“Fight together…….”

Was he impressed by the words to fight together? Blau, who had been pondering my words, nodded vigorously.

“This is an opportunity to throw off the tiresome shackles that have been oppressing us for a long time. I will not avoid it.”

I nodded at Blau’s answer.

“Good. Then see you later.”

* * *

After entrusting the aftermath to Ilia and Redran, I headed to the Forgotten Castle first for reconnaissance.

The Forgotten Castle was quite far from the Dark Elves’ forest. It would have taken at least a week to walk there leisurely.

But because time was short, I didn’t spare my strength and used mana lavishly to traverse it in one go.

Of course, the journey wasn’t smooth. Despite trying to avoid monsters as much as possible, I had to engage in a dozen or so battles, both big and small.

Although I was unharmed since I had nothing to protect, I was worried about the rearguard following behind.

‘But they should be fine. Ilia and Redran are with them, and the Dark Elves can manipulate mana too.’

The place I finally arrived at after such hardship was a desolate field where cold winds raged, even though it was late spring.

“It’s unbelievably barren.”

As I looked around the place I had arrived at, a grumble involuntarily escaped my lips.

Compared to this place, the Dark Elves’ forest or the area adjacent to the Blue Mountains could be called a land flowing with milk and honey.

I could understand why Blau didn’t want to leave the forest so much.

But what was funny was that even in this barren environment, there was a building standing tall in the distance.

It was an ancient castle.

A fortress surrounded the towering spire in a circle, and a sturdy-looking wall encircled the outside.

Of course, compared to a major city, it was toy-like in scale. But because the surroundings were desolate fields with nothing else, it created the illusion that it looked quite magnificent.

It was ridiculous.

No matter how small the scale, how could Kerwin build an ancient castle in such a desolate place all alone?

“Hey.”

At my call, Aphen trembled as if she had woken up from a nap.

[Woong?]

“Do you have any memories of that ancient castle?”

[No. I was with Dad back then.]

She was with the Great Emperor Bellangas? How long ago was that?

“Did he foresee the creation of the barrier and build the ancient castle hundreds of years in advance?”

[Are you stupid? Why would you build a castle to create a barrier?]

Hmm, it’s a bit ridiculous to build a castle to create a barrier. It’s too conspicuous from any direction.

Then it’s right to assume that the castle was built for a different purpose from the beginning…

“Then why did Kerwin build a castle in such a place?”

[Mom said… Dad wanted to live in a place where no one knew him after he retired. Maybe he built it for that purpose?]

Ah, like a resort? No. What kind of resort is in the north? It’s more accurate to think of it as a hideout prepared for the Great Emperor’s retirement.

Certainly, there wouldn’t be any annoying people in the north. And with those two monsters, there’s no need to worry about monsters.

Moreover, with Kerwin’s magic, he could make the inside of the ancient castle a better environment than any paradise on earth.

But that purpose was never realized. The Great Emperor dedicated his entire life to stabilizing the kingdom.

In the end, the useless castle was later used as a place to maintain the barrier.

“Well, even if that’s the case, how was that castle built? Kerwin wouldn’t have carried the stones himself. I can’t even imagine it.”

[Ugh, was the golem such a secret existence?]

Indeed, with Kerwin’s skills, controlling golems would be a piece of cake.

A castle built by golems… It’s amazing just to imagine it.

After finishing my short musings, I slowly looked around.

According to Blau, this area was the territory of the beastmen [humanoid races with animal features].

But there was no trace of them to be found anywhere I could see now. Only the bones of monsters that had died a long time ago were occasionally underfoot.

‘Well, a lot of time has passed, so they might have moved their territory elsewhere.’

Has the contact with the beastmen fallen through?

A sense of disappointment washed over me.

But I can’t back down. The cooperation of the beastmen was just a good option, and the original purpose was reconnaissance.

How long did I stand there waiting for the day to end? Slowly, dusk began to fall.

The swirling gale subsided for a moment. The sky began to shine purple as it was gradually soaked in the descending darkness.

There is no scenery like this. If I had seen this sight on Earth, I would have thought there was no paradise, but this is the north.

Yes, the north. A place where monsters are rampant, and those who think of humans as mere materials for objects are plotting conspiracies.

Feeling the rush of bitterness, I awakened Am-An. Then, like a silent shadow, I slowly headed towards the ancient castle.

As the castle walls drew closer, I stopped for a moment and asked Aphen.

“Do you feel anything?”

[Nothing?]

There seemed to be no magic traps that I was worried about.

If Aphen can’t feel it, it must be certain. Then, are they guarding it?

Feeling the rising tension, I awakened my senses.

But there was no sign of anyone. I was convinced. There was no one on the castle walls.

‘They probably don’t know I’m in the north yet. Then they must be inside.’

Preparing to awaken the Sentence at any time, I slowly approached the ancient castle.

The arched, high-rising entrance to the ancient castle was open. It felt like a gate to hell.

As expected, there was no one guarding the entrance. Just in case, I sharpened my senses once again, but still, I couldn’t feel anything.

‘This is strange.’

It’s not a good sign that I can’t feel anything like this.

Either my guess that this place is the Order’s base is wrong, or there’s a reason why they don’t need to stand guard.

If it’s the former, I’ll be disappointed, and if it’s the latter, it’s troublesome.

A reason why they don’t need to stand guard? What could that be?

It’s definitely strange. From the time I started seeing the ancient castle until now, I haven’t encountered a single monster, let alone a beastman.

Well, I’ll find out if I look around a little more.

Deciding that, I approached the castle wall while holding my breath. Perhaps because hundreds of years had passed, there were scratches and vines growing on the castle wall in places. It was in good condition for climbing.

Wetting my lips with my tongue, I gently drew my sword. Aphen, drawn silently, resonated softly.

Then, holding the sword, I began to climb the castle wall. A moment later, I climbed onto the castle wall, lowered my posture discreetly, and looked around.

The inside of the castle was eerily desolate. There was no living creature to be found. Just in case, I awakened my senses and observed for a long time, but I couldn’t feel any movement.

‘Did I really guess wrong? Is this not their base?’

In any case, there was no one guarding the outer wall.

Turning my head, I could see the inner castle surrounding the towering central spire in the distance. Rather than being for combat purposes, it was a figure that showed Kerwin’s taste.

The entrance to the inner castle was also open. And like the castle walls, there was no sign of anyone around.

Nevertheless, I took enough time.

Slowly and delicately, I put in as much effort as I could to feel even the movement of an ant.

And finally, I was convinced.

There was no one guarding the outside of the castle.

‘I can’t understand it.’

It’s late, after the sun has set.

But even so, it was a bit strange that there wasn’t even a minimum of security. It wasn’t like they were monitoring with magic either.

It was then.

Oink, oink…

A pig-like cry began to be heard in the distance. It was outside the castle.

Turning my head, I could see a group of orcs heading towards the castle in the distance.

There were about a dozen of them. Judging by their appearance, they were armed. Some of them were carrying dead wild dogs on their shoulders.

Orc hunters? Anyway, it didn’t seem like they were chasing me. Judging by their appearance, they were probably looking for a place to avoid the raging gale and darkness.

‘This is perfect.’

If they stir up this place instead, I’ll find out something.

Nodding my head, I watched the orcs slowly approaching the ancient castle.