How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 259

Gorgon Castle, as befitted its strategic importance, was heavily fortified. A vast moat was the first thing that caught my eye. It was already filled with water, and animal carcasses floated on the surface.

They must have poisoned it. Those poor animals, unaware, came to quench their thirst and collapsed, becoming grim markers.

Even after crossing that vile moat, the first rampart greeted potential attackers. Since siege rams couldn’t be dragged across the moat, ladders would be necessary, but the galleries protruding grotesquely above the battlements seemed designed to crush even that hope.

I doubted if a ladder could even be placed securely. Even if it could, the chances of heavily armed soldiers successfully making a near-vertical climb seemed very low. The defending forces stationed in the galleries weren’t blind, after all.

And if they fell from the ladder due to all those obstacles? They’d be diving straight into the poisoned moat.

“But what good is all that?”

Even that cruelly strict security was useless against those with wings. The griffons and hippogriffs carrying me and the Aerial Knights flew through the dark night sky towards the center of Gorgon Castle.

Finding the lord’s residence was easy. No, I didn’t even try to find it. I simply looked for the tallest and most lavish building inside.

There was no need to send signals. Everyone steered their mounts towards that destination.

Kyaaak-!

It was when the magnificent lord’s mansion came right below us that the griffon twisted its neck and burst out a fierce cry.

As if responding, the hippogriffs following behind also let out cries.

“W-What’s that?”

“The sky! It’s the sky!”

The guards who belatedly discovered us began to bustle about. But that was too late.

“Hup.”

Leaping from the air, I landed by kicking the back of a guard running somewhere.

“Keuk!”

Knocked to the ground by the great impact, he groaned, half-dazed. I grabbed his collar, tapped his cheek with my hand, and asked.

“Where is your master?”

“U-Ugh…”

After slapping his cheeks a couple more times, the soldier finally came to his senses, looked straight at me, and his eyes widened.

“W-Who are you?”

“Who am I? I’m the Grim Reaper. So answer the question. Where is your master?”

As I brought the blade to his neck, the guard shook his head with a pale face.

“L-Lord is naturally in a safe place…”

No need to hear more. Where would be the safest place in Gorgon Castle? Now that it’s certain he’s here, there’s no need to doubt.

After snapping his neck to send him into eternal sleep, I got up and looked around. Already, the Aerial Knights and Ilia had subdued all the guards, and only silence flowed around us.

“Did they hear it?”

The leader of the Aerial Knights, Yulker, nodded at my question.

“Even if they didn’t hear the guard’s screams, the griffon’s cry definitely echoed throughout the area.”

“Couldn’t they just think it was a passing eagle?”

“Dozens of eagles suddenly appearing in a human residence and crying?”

“Right, there were hippogriffs too.”

I chuckled and quickly assessed the situation.

“Two teams will help me search the residence. The rest, Yulker, you take charge and protect the griffons and hippogriffs here.”

“Understood.”

The lord’s residence was located on the highest hill inside the castle, with a clear view of the surroundings. Glancing down, I could see torches moving busily.

Ten minutes at most?

I kicked off the ground and kicked down the ornately decorated main gate.

Bang!

A wide garden was visible through the opened space. As I silently gestured, the knights following behind began the search. Of course, Ilia was still sticking to my side like glue.

“Where could he be?”

It wasn’t a question I expected an answer to, but Ilia answered diligently.

“Wouldn’t he be sleeping?”

“Right. That’s the answer.”

After passing through the garden and arriving in front of the huge mansion, I nodded and pointed to the Aerial Knights following behind.

“The rest, surround the mansion. Don’t let a single rat in or out.”

“We obey your command.”

After confirming that the encirclement was formed, I kicked off the ground and leaped.

The mansion had a total of three floors. I grabbed the railing of the balcony on the top floor and entered. I broke the latch of the locked door with my hand and entered, revealing a study.

“You can’t be full on the first bite [idiom meaning you can’t expect to find everything immediately].”

As I opened the door of the study, a long corridor appeared. A maid was seen rushing up the stairs in a flurry due to the unexpected commotion, and I gestured to Ilia.

Like lightning, Ilia kicked the maid’s hamstring. Then, she grabbed the collar of the maid, whose body was falling in a semicircle. Afterwards, Ilia slammed the maid to the floor and leaned in close.

“Where is the lord?”

“Yes? …Yes?”

With an expression as if she had been struck by a thunderbolt in the middle of the night, the maid raised her hand and pointed to a door far away.

After that, it was easy. I ran down the corridor, every second precious. Ilia, who had stunned the maid, and the Aerial Knights followed me. Soon, I kicked down the door the maid had pointed to.

“What is this…”

In the center of the lavish room was a huge bed. On it, a middle-aged man, who had been naked until just now, was awkwardly standing while grabbing a gown, and a young woman covering her body with a blanket was trembling.

I approached with a smile.

“Name.”

“You rude bastard! Do you know who I am…”

He’s the type who doesn’t understand consequences until he’s hit [idiom meaning he doesn’t respect the law].

I reached out and slapped the man’s cheek.

“Keek!”

In the dark room, a pure white tooth flew in an arc and fell to the floor.

Thud, thud.

I looked at it and raised my other hand.

“Why don’t you protect what’s left?”

The middle-aged man seemed to have some sense. He immediately recognized the situation and nodded.

“I understand.”

“Name.”

“Rodel Gorgon.”

“Are you the lord?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, Ilia, who was searching the room without paying attention to the situation, called me.

“Lord.”

Turning my head, I saw Ilia pointing to a tightly locked drawer.

“I feel the energy of mana here. It seems to be sealed with magic.”

If it needs to be locked with magic, what could be inside?

I turned my head and looked at the lord. The necklace around his neck. Ironically, a key was attached to the end of it.

“Give it to me.”

“T-This is…”

“I’m not asking for permission. Give it to me.”

With an expression that he would rather die, the lord handed over the necklace. He’s a strange man. Giving it over while looking like he doesn’t want to.

“Ilia, subdue him.”

Upon hearing my words, Ilia kicked the lord without hesitation and began to tie his hands and feet with the bed sheet.

“What should I do with this woman?”

As I glared, the woman, still sitting on the bed and trembling, shouted in a cracking voice.

“I-I don’t know anything!”

“Not a noble?”

“No way! I’m just a farmer’s daughter.”

“Really?”

“Kyaak!”

As I grabbed her hand, the woman let out a small scream. But Ilia, standing next to her, raised her finger to her mouth, and the woman immediately covered her mouth with her remaining hand and began to sob.

Unlike her beautiful appearance, her hands were dark and calloused, rough to the touch.

You can hide your face from the sunlight, but your hands can’t lie [idiom meaning your true nature will be revealed]. At least, it was certain that she wasn’t of noble status.

If so, the situation is obvious. A pretty commoner warming a cold and lonely night, huh?

“Okay. If you answer my questions honestly, I won’t touch you. I promise on my honor.”

Did she recall that Ilia had called me Lord a moment ago? The woman widened her eyes and nodded repeatedly.

I feel like laughing.

How ridiculous is it for a noble who ambushes like this in the middle of the night to pledge his honor?

But what would a farmer’s daughter know about that? She probably just thinks, ‘Oh, a man who looks like a knight is pledging his honor, so it must be true.’

“Are all of the Gorgon family members residing in this castle?”

“Yes… all except the mistress and the young master.”

“Where are those two?”

“They’re abroad.”

“Where abroad?”

“The Capital [the kingdom’s capital city].”

“Studying abroad?”

The woman hesitated without answering the question about studying abroad. As the situation became clear, I shrugged.

“Using studying abroad as an excuse to run around like a delinquent?”

There was still no answer, but I could tell from her atmosphere that my guess was correct.

“So that mistress is also enjoying the pleasures of the Capital, having left this place under the pretext of taking care of her son?”

At my sly remark, the woman finally slightly raised the corners of her lips.

Oh? She’s even smiling. Well, anyway, these nobles never deviate from my expectations.

“Anyway, it’s certain that they’re not here.”

“…If the mistress was here, would I be able to be here?”

“I understand.”

Nodding, I whispered something meaningless, but loud enough for the lord to hear.

“Make sure to take the reward for the service you’ve provided so far. As much as your conscience allows.”

“…Yes?”

“Don’t worry about the aftermath. The Gorgon family members here will never see the sunlight again.”

It didn’t take long for her to understand my words. The woman quickly got up, not even ashamed of being naked, and frantically grabbed the valuables in the room and rushed out.

“She’s quick.”

Chuckling, I took the key I had taken from the lord and headed to the drawer.

In fact, it’s not impossible to break it with force. But to prevent that, locks are often secured with magical devices, which often self-destruct when physical force is applied.

As I inserted the key, the drawer began to open on its own with a click. And what was inside…

“A missive.”

Inside the drawer, not very expensive jewels or ornaments, but a missive rolled up in scroll form was stored.

“Bingo.”

If it’s a missive that’s treated like a sacred object, isn’t it obvious who the sender is?

I sat down on a chair, took out the missive, and looked at Ilia. Ilia had taken out a dagger and was ready to stab the lord’s neck as soon as I gave the word.

At that sight, I shook my head.

“Spare him.”

“Yes?”

“It seems like there might be some information to extract.”

Ilia didn’t question it further. She just nodded and was about to knock the lord unconscious.

“Kieueueheuk…”

A strange scream, like the sound of air leaking, began to come from the lord’s mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

At my question, Ilia quickly examined the lord’s complexion. But after confirming that his face was turning more and more bluish, she shook her head.

“It seems he had a drug hidden in his mouth. He’s dead.”

“He killed himself? A noble?”

Those arrogant bastards, who would surrender without hesitation because they always have a price, committed suicide?

At the ominous feeling that came to my mind, I turned my head and looked at the bundle of missives, reaching out my hand.

[Formation and Advance Outline of the Royal Allied Forces]

This is our story, so it’s not of much value to me. Of course, I could trace the accuracy of the information and the people involved to identify spies.

[Report on the Logistics Plan and Military Formation of the 4th Corps of the Royal Allied Forces]

This is the same.

[Request for Troop Operation, Dispatch, and Cooperation for the Brinn – Gorgon – Antioch Defense Line]

This is a bit different. Information about Antioch, where we will soon be laying siege, is always welcome. But that’s not enough reason to commit suicide, even at the cost of one’s life.

It was then that I was rummaging through the drawer, feeling an unknown anxiety rising from the back of my throat.

A very thin missive compared to the other things I saw. And what was written inside was so short that it was different from the thick ones before.

[Twilight Plan, proceeding normally.]

“…Twilight?”