How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 11

Living as the Third Son of a Trash Novel – Episode 11

* * *

“Young master.”

“Ugh?”

I woke up to a voice and saw Ruth’s worried face.

It was still dark outside. It didn’t seem like morning yet, so why did he wake me?

Drip, drip…

I soon realized the reason with the sound I heard.

“Rain?”

“Yes, and the wind is fierce.”

“That’s troublesome. Is it coming down hard?”

“Not a downpour, but…”

“I thought the weather would be good for a while?”

“I thought so too. But the weather in the North is so fickle.”

“Damn it.”

I got up, opened the shelter door, and went outside.

It wasn’t a torrential downpour, but it wasn’t a drizzle either.

It would be difficult to hike while getting rained on like this.

‘It’s not a day trip, either.’

If we lose body heat, it’s over.

Ruth is like a monster, so it doesn’t matter, but me and Leo…

I turned my head to look at Leo, who seemed to realize he was a burden, and he had a gloomy look on his face.

“What are you going to do?”

“Let’s recalculate the schedule.”

The Count gave us a month.

We spent ten days getting from the territory to the mountain range.

That leaves 20 days.

“How long do you think it will take to go to Manelop?”

“If it rains, the road will be slippery, and the speed will inevitably slow down. Even if we take the shortest route, it will take fifteen days.”

“If we consider the time to return.”

“The horses will be tired, and we will need to account for the accumulated fatigue, so we should allow a week.”

“What’s the probability of the rain stopping and the weather clearing up?”

“Spring rain in the North usually lasts for three days once it starts.”

At this rate, we will exceed the deadline.

“Your life is at stake, and my ankle is on the line.”

Ruth’s face hardened.

Of course, even if it’s the Count’s order, Ruth can’t just cut off my ankle and drag me along.

Even if he did, it would be foolish to think the Count would turn a blind eye. He would definitely find some excuse to punish me.

“Young master.”

“It’s okay. I know what you’re worried about.”

Let’s think.

If we were to push ahead with the hike, what would be the biggest concern right now?

‘Leo.’

If we add unfamiliar journeys to the bad weather, he will most likely get sick.

That would be the worst. Unless we abandon him, he will become a burden and slow us down.

Then the answer is clear.

We can’t give up. We will climb the mountain.

“I heard there are shelters along the way. What if we go the shortest distance without going through them?”

“Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m in the mood to joke? Shut up and answer my question.”

Ruth looked serious at my harsh attitude.

“I’ll draw a map.”

Ruth began to draw a simple route we should take.

The places marked with dots seemed to be shelters.

However, because they were scattered throughout the mountain range, it seemed obvious that visiting each one would waste time.

“Assuming we only visit the minimum number of shelters, the route will be like this. That would reduce it to ten days.”

“Are there any monsters in this area?”

“They are very rare. Monsters are aware that this is human territory. They occasionally appear in the highlands, though.”

“What about bandits or gangs?”

“It’s not a trade route, and it’s strictly a military area, so it’s unlikely. But I can’t say for sure.”

“Then we leave Leo behind.”

Ruth and Leo’s faces hardened.

“There’s no other choice, is there? If we force him to come with us and he gets sick, then we’ll really have to leave him behind.”

“…….”

“Your family’s future is at stake, Ruth. And this is just as important to me.”

Eventually, when Ruth gave a silent nod, I looked at Leo.

“Leo.”

“Yes, young master.”

“Can you stay here alone?”

“You don’t have to worry. I was originally a farmer’s son. When my parents went to the city, I used to take care of the house alone.”

“I’ll leave you a horse. If something happens, you can just go back to the territory.”

“How can I leave you behind, young master…”

If I had known this would happen, I would have brought a few more soldiers. Of course, the Count would never have allowed it.

Reaching out, I rummaged through my pocket and gave Leo my identity badge and the remaining gold coins.

“If you take this, you won’t be falsely accused.”

“But I’ll wait here.”

“That’s admirable.”

I smiled at Leo, who nodded as if he had made up his mind, and looked at Ruth.

“Ruth, we’re going to take the shortest route. Is that possible?”

“To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“So?”

“The young master’s stamina that I’ve seen and experienced so far is stronger than it looks. It’s not impossible.”

“Good. Let’s get ready to leave right away. We need to save as much time as possible.”

Ruth got up and began to distribute the food.

I unpacked Leo’s luggage and put the things we needed to take into my bag.

I wrapped the magic ingredients more carefully than my own body, in case they got wet in the rain.

After putting on my sword and armor, I looked out at the darkness that had not yet faded, tightening my cloak.

‘Night mountain march, huh.’

It’s not like I don’t have experience, so there’s no problem. Besides, the horse is a warhorse, so it will withstand the bad weather well.

Whoosh!

Ruth, who had already made a torch with oil, nodded.

“Let’s go.”

“Leo.”

Leo looked at me when I called him.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Please come back safely, young master.”

* * *

Clatter! Clatter!

Running along the gentle ridge at a speed of just a simple jog was more manageable than I thought.

Of course, it wasn’t so much that my horsemanship was excellent, but rather the well-trained warhorse was a big help.

It was dark because the night was deep, but Ruth, who was ahead, held a torch and illuminated the view, so there were no particular difficulties.

The problem was the rain.

Even the level of rain that wouldn’t be a concern in modern times with Gore-Tex [a type of waterproof, breathable fabric] was a problem here.

The cloak, soaked with moisture and drooping, tightened my shoulders. I wasn’t feeling the cold right away because I was running, but it would only be a matter of time.

“Young master!”

Ruth, who was ahead, signaled.

It meant to take a break.

Indeed, Ruth’s role as a pacemaker was a great help. If it hadn’t been for that, I would have given up on the hike long ago.

“Let’s take a break here.”

A rocky area that was half-cut off and had enough space to avoid the rain appeared.

Ruth got off the horse there and helped me down as I staggered.

“I’ll start a fire.”

“How? Everything is wet.”

“It’s possible.”

Ruth gathered wet branches around him, held them in his hand, and gave them a burst of power.

Whoosh…

A blue aura briefly swirled around Ruth’s body.

After a while, the moisture in the branches began to dry out.

“Amazing.”

“It consumes a lot of mana unnecessarily, but there’s nothing else to use it for.”

Whoosh!

Ruth quickly made a small bonfire and began to dry his clothes.

It was completely different from me, who was sprawled out.

He took my clothes and dried them for me, took out a dry cloth and started wiping the horse.

I was impressed by the way he brushed the mane, fed the horse the hay he had brought, and eventually massaged and loosened the muscles.

“Amazing.”

“Knowing how to take care of a horse is something a knight should learn, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Then I should learn too.”

“Oh, do you still think you can become a knight?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the joke Ruth suddenly threw.

Even though it was a difficult journey, the atmosphere became more relaxed, and my tense body became more relaxed.

I didn’t think much of it at first, but the more I saw Ruth, the more his abilities stood out.

He was truly a high-level talent optimized for the battlefield.

It’s a funny world to keep such a knight away just because of his birth.

“Dawn is breaking.”

I looked at Ruth’s gesture and saw the red sun in the distance.

“Hiking will be much easier when it gets light. I’m really glad it’s not snow.”

“Damn it, I have to run again.”

“Rest your eyes for a while.”

“No, if I fall asleep now, I don’t think I’ll ever wake up.”

Ruth nodded with a bitter smile.

“Still, you’re more amazing than I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“You seem to be very good at managing your stamina. You don’t waste it unnecessarily, and you use it when you need to.”

“If that’s a compliment, I’m grateful, but if you’re being sarcastic, I don’t like it.”

“Sarcastic? Not at all. If I hadn’t known you, young master, I would have thought you had a lot of experience.”

I could definitely feel my stamina improving as the days went by.

Of course, it was possible because of my experience of reaching a realm once and the influence of mana.

If I didn’t have the skills and know-how, I wouldn’t have had such rapid growth.

‘It’s worth sweating when I was young.’

Okay. Since I’m sweating anyway, should I sweat even harder?

After confirming that my clothes were dry after a dozen minutes, I called Ruth.

“Let’s go.”

“Are you sure you don’t need to rest more?”

“My body is all warmed up, and my clothes are stiff and dry, so why are we delaying?”

“All right.”

Ruth smiled and reached out his hand, and I smiled and pulled his hand to stand up.

* * *

No matter how hard it is, time eventually flows.

When the horse, not the person, got tired, I took a short nap in the meantime. Despite Ruth’s suggestion to stop and rest in between, my insistence was firm.

“Let’s reduce the distance first. We can rest well before we go down.”

“…I understand.”

Ruth followed my wishes without saying anything.

It was partly because I was so stubborn, but also because he confirmed that my condition was better than he thought.

Of course, I myself was convinced that it wasn’t just bravado.

‘If I can’t even do this, I can’t even say I’m from the mountain infantry division.’

Experience was a big factor.

I had marched often during my time as a cadet and during my service.

If you carry a full combat load and a rifle, the weight is close to 40kg [approximately 88 pounds]. When I think about the overnight march with my gear during my time in the unit, this is nothing.

‘It’s manageable. The luggage isn’t heavy, and I’m not walking on my own feet.’

There are subtle stages to hardship.

There is definitely a moment when you are in pain at first, but then you become more detached as you pass a certain level.

That was the moment for me now.

At this point, it was more of a mental fight than a physical one.

In that state of trance, I just looked at Ruth’s back and followed him.

Like that for 5 days.

The rain had stopped, and it was the moment when my stamina was exhausted to the point where I couldn’t bear it anymore.

“It’s the summit.”

I raised my head at Ruth’s words.

I saw a large peak in front of me.

When I turned my gaze, a wide-open view came into my eyes.

The fog and unmelted snow that were laid along the lower mountain range sparkled in the morning sun.

I was momentarily lost in the breathtaking scenery.

“What are you doing here… Young master?”

I shook my head, unable to answer Ruth’s questioning, and got off the horse and walked towards the peak.

‘Is that it?’

If there was anything artificial in this extreme nature where severe cold was raging, anyone would pick that.

The three coniferous trees that grew taller and thicker than anything else around them.

In front of the trees that drew a triangle with accurate intervals as if measured with a ruler, I tore the scroll containing the search magic.

Saaaaaa…

The sealed beeswax fell, revealing a small pentagram pattern that had been hidden.

Then, a blue light briefly swirled around the pattern.

Flash!

A burst of mana erupted.

“W-what is this…!”

Ruth, who was flustered, instinctively raised his hand to the scabbard.

But only for a moment, the hand that had been holding the scabbard slowly slipped down.

“That is…”

Ruth’s mouth dropped open.

Well, even I, who knew what was there, was surprised, so how much more surprised would Ruth be?

‘His taste is unique.’

A huge marble door suddenly appeared on the highest peak of the cloud-covered mountain range.

Knock! Knock!

I lightly knocked on the door.