How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 244

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Chapter 245

The returning crew members were not in good shape.

It wasn’t that they had any visible injuries. But each of them seemed to have lost their spirit, looking thoroughly frightened by something.

I could tell the situation without even hearing it. I immediately gestured to Lordain and Fleta.

“Let’s go.”

Upon hearing my words, Lordain quietly jumped and crossed over to the ship on the other side.

On the other hand, Fleta questioned the sudden decision.

“Yes? You’re saying let’s go out of the blue? Without even hearing the details?”

“Only the crew members returned. What that means is obvious without hearing it. We can hear the details on the way. Excuse me for a moment.”

“Yes? Wait, just a moment! What are you doing… Kyaa!”

Hugging Fleta’s waist, who was hesitating, I leaped across the gap.

Thud!

Landing on the ship on the other side, I looked at the surprised crew member.

“Steer the ship to the place where you last dropped off Sir Jescal and Peter.”

“N-Now, you mean?”

“Yes. Right now.”

At my firm tone, the crew members looked at the captain of the Golden Honor. The captain nodded.

“What are you doing! Don’t you listen to the chairman!”

“Ah, understood!”

Thus, the ship that had approached the Golden Honor turned its bow and began to move forward without a moment’s rest.

Afterward, on the ship that was moving quickly with the wind, I pieced together the situation.

The gist was simple.

When Jescal and Peter disembarked on the island for their search, a ship with the Siren Pirates’ insignia appeared in the distance.

They wouldn’t be approaching to make friends, and Jescal was probably at a crossroads of choices.

Ships of this era are not steamships. It naturally takes time for a ship that has folded its sails for landing to regain speed.

In that situation, Jescal seemed to have decided to send the ship first. It probably would have been too late to get back on board.

“It’s not an incomprehensible choice. No, rather, it’s excellent. If the enemy ship has long-range attack capabilities, they would be helpless.”

Fleta affirmed Jescal’s judgment.

“No matter how much of a knight he is, he doesn’t have wings. If the ship loses its ability to navigate, they will be isolated.”

“So Sir Jescal and Investigator Peter remained on that island?”

“Yes.”

Nodding, I looked at the crew member.

“How big is the island they landed on?”

“It was the largest island in the sea area we were investigating. It would take at least half a day to just go around the coast by ship….”

“Then it’s okay. Jescal and Peter can endure it.”

It seemed they were being chased similarly to me. The guys probably waited until Jescal landed and then ambushed them.

The difference is that, in my case, the guys couldn’t find the ship and chased me recklessly. Thanks to that, I was able to catch them off guard, defeat them, and even capture prisoners to escape.

But on the other hand, Jescal….

“That friend isn’t skilled enough to die from a stray knife. But if he gets a taste of it, he’ll call for reinforcements, and then he’ll be like a rat in a trap.”

Lordain said exactly what I was thinking. At that, I held out my hand to Fleta.

“Fleta, the map.”

“Here it is.”

Taking the map, I grabbed the crew member and pointed to the location of the Red Shark supply base.

“Hey, this is their supply base. How far is this place from the island where Sir Jescal is isolated?”

“Well, it depends on how you set the standard….”

“You saw their ship, didn’t you?”

Asked with impatience, the crew member bit his lip and began to calculate.

“It didn’t seem as fast as the ship we’re on now, but still, with that kind of sail… about a day, yes. It would take about a day.”

“How long did it take you to get from that island to the Golden Honor?”

“It took half a day.”

Hearing the crew member’s words, Fleta nodded.

“We’ll still be ahead of time.”

“It looks that way simply. But there’s no guarantee that their reinforcements will only come from the supply base.”

“That’s true. Reinforcements could come from nearby.”

I stroked my chin and pondered.

In any case, those two are people who can endure for several days. Jescal’s swordsmanship is recognized by everyone, and Peter, who was raised as an undercover investigator, also has excellent survival skills.

The problem is how they get out of there….

Not only that, Taylor and I didn’t leave any survivors. But the guys who encountered Jescal must have gone to the supply base to report the news.

Of course, they wouldn’t have figured out my identity. But it’s not pleasant to be noticed by pursuers anyway.

In the end, should I give up reconnaissance?

‘No.’

My head spun quickly.

Let’s say two or three Unholy Knights, similar to the guys I encountered, are chasing Jescal and Peter.

With that small number, it would be difficult to find Jescal by searching the island. Peter wouldn’t be stupid enough to hide in one place.

So, release pirates to find them?

The average pirate will cross the River Jordan [die] the moment they get caught by Jescal.

Then, it was obvious how the guys would come out. Wait for reinforcements to secure a reliable force and then search the island.

And those reinforcements would be composed of personnel staying at the supply base.

From there, a new method came to mind.

Nodding, I looked at the crew member.

“Change course.”

“Yes?”

I pointed to the supply base drawn on the map.

“Let’s head straight to the supply base.”

Fleta’s eyes widened at my words. But only for a moment, then she nodded.

“Are you going to kill two birds with one stone?”

“Yes. Even if we safely rescue Sir Jescal and Peter, the island with the supply base will be heavily guarded. Maybe additional troops will come from headquarters. Then investigation will be impossible, and even reconnaissance will be impossible. The only thing left is a head-on battle.”

“So, you’re saying we should target the weakened supply base while the guys are mobilizing their forces? But if we spend time there, the possibility of those two being in danger increases.”

“So, we’re going to divide the personnel. Only I will get off on the island with the supply base. And you and Lordain go to save the two.”

“You’re going to get off alone?”

“Yes.”

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“I’m not going to fight. Just reconnaissance. And for that kind of thing, it’s easier to be alone.”

Hearing my words, Lordain laughed softly.

“It’s inconvenient to carry a wizard around.”

“….”

Fleta, who gave Lordain a cold glare, looked back at me.

“If that’s the case, it would have been better to come with two ships from the beginning.”

“No. If there were two ships, it would have been a disadvantage in a situation where we had to move secretly. The command system is divided, and communication is slow. It’s better to move with one ship.”

“So, after rescuing Sir Jescal and Peter, Lordain and I will return to the Golden Honor? Then how do you get out after finishing the reconnaissance?”

“No. We’re not going back.”

Fleta’s eyes widened.

“Yes?”

“It’s too late to step back and come again. If we give them time, they’ll prepare. We have to do it now.”

“Then….”

“Think of it as a concept of divide and conquer. That’s why I’m sending Lordain. Rescue Sir Jescal and Peter, deal with the remnants, and then come to the island with the supply base. I’ll finish the reconnaissance and wait, so let’s make a plan again then.”

After finishing speaking, I looked at Lordain.

“Lordain, I’ll leave all the guys on that island to you.”

“You’re telling me to kill them all?”

“Yes. Is it possible?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

Lordain smirked as if to say, ‘Are you even asking?’

Seeing him, Fleta sighed softly and opened her mouth.

“Then is it decided?”

“Roughly.”

“Okay. Now only time is the problem.”

Fleta nodded and raised both hands. At the same time, her lips moved. Then she whispered a spell.

Shaaaaa….

Blue light gathered in Fleta’s hands. She waited until enough power was gathered and opened her mouth.

“Everyone hold on tight.”

At Fleta’s warning, the crew members were puzzled but began to look for something to grab around them.

Soon, as her hands stretched towards the sail, the gathered mana exploded in an instant.

Goooo!

An unusual current soon created a strong wind that could be called a small storm.

Flap!

The loosely spread sail received the wind and swelled as if it would tear in an instant. And the ship, receiving that power, began to cut through the waves with a different momentum than before.

* * *

The ship, which departed in the middle of the day, arrived at the island with the supply base only after the evening had passed.

Still, thanks to Fleta’s magic, we saved a lot of time. Furthermore, it was also a gain to discover ships heading somewhere far away while coming here.

“It seems they’re going to catch Sir Jescal and Investigator Peter.”

“Considering the distance, they must have left not long ago. That means we bought time well.”

Afterward, we approached the island with the supply base with all the lights turned off to infiltrate secretly.

But from there, the crew members showed difficulty.

“We can’t read the terrain properly because all the lights are turned off. It would be a big problem if we ran aground.”

I nodded at the crew member’s words.

“We can take a boat.”

Afterward, as I moved the boat we brought, Fleta approached and handed me a token.

“If you have this, I can track your location. The distance isn’t long. Only a few hundred meters. So, you shouldn’t be too far from the coast.”

“You have a lot of good things, like the ring? Don’t you have any other good things? Let’s release them generously.”

“…Are you talking about magical items as if they’re rolling around in a market?”

“Of course, they’re expensive. I know, I know.”

Afterward, I got on the boat that was floating in the sea and faced Lordain, who was looking down from the ship on the other side.

“Have a good trip. Don’t be too late.”

At the joke-mixed words, Lordain also let out a snort.

“Don’t cause accidents and wait quietly.”

“Yes.”

After a short farewell, the ship began to move away. Confirming that, I rowed and slowly approached the island.

Soon, the scenery of the island came into view in the eyes that pierced the darkness.

It was a huge island. The peak of the mountain in the center of the island seemed wide and gentle, as if there was a caldera [a large volcanic crater]. It was probably a volcanic island created by an underwater volcano erupting hundreds or thousands of years ago.

Diligent rowing brought me to the shore, and I dragged the boat across the coast to erase the traces.

“Hoo.”

Afterward, I hid the boat in a suitable place, straightened my back, and took a moment to catch my breath.

There’s no need to worry about the next order.

Of course, the priority would be to climb the mountain and grasp the surroundings from a high place.

Thus, the night climb began.

Even though it was a dark night, the island I saw was beautiful. Fruits and grains seemed to grow on their own even without human hands, and deer moving in groups in the distance and clean streams and ponds were visible everywhere.

‘Was it the Red Shark Pirates? I can see why they made this island their base.’

It was an island that could be called paradise on earth if there were no pirates.

Of course, it is now dominated by the vicious Neviros Order and used as a supply base.

That’s enough of the thoughts.

Erasing the 잡생각 [Korean word for 잡생각, meaning “雜 thoughts” or “unnecessary thoughts”], I pulled up mana and ran towards the summit.

How long had I been running like that? The moment I escaped the dense forest, the view opened up and the scenery of the island began to be seen below.

“Is that it.”

While looking around, I saw an area where the land was recessed, forming a round bay.

It was a place that would not be easily visible from the outside due to its topographical characteristics. In addition, it is also a good place for ships to dock.

Not only that, the sporadically lit torches and artificially constructed wooden facilities were crude but formed a harbor in their own way.

“Okay.”

I pressed down on the hood on my cloak.

Thus, I, who had become one with the darkness, began to walk slowly towards that place.