How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 116

‘I thought things were unusual, but this is still quite shocking.’

Even if the three nobles who declared independence joined forces, the Duchy of Bashrun would only scoff at their power.

However, that didn’t mean things would go smoothly. They must have had something to believe in to take such action, and I guessed that something was the Rodkius family.

But I never imagined the result would be this severe.

“It wasn’t just a simple defeat?”

The Count nodded slowly at my question.

“If it were, I wouldn’t have emphasized annihilation. There wouldn’t have been any prisoners, including the Princess.”

The military standard for judging annihilation is whether continued combat is possible.

Even if only 20-30% of the troops are killed or injured, the unit is considered annihilated because it has lost its value as a combat group. War doesn’t just mean fighting.

The informant wouldn’t be unaware of this fact. Yet, the fact that he reported using such provocative words means that, except for the prisoners, not a single survivor remained.

“What are the subsequent measures?”

“Duke Bashrun immediately mobilized all troops, surrounding the castle where the prisoners are held. By now, they will have completely set up their military camp and be waiting only for the order to siege.”

“So, the three nobles are currently completely surrounded and holding hostages.”

“You could say that.”

“……It’s a difficult situation to understand.”

“What do you mean you can’t understand?”

The Count’s eyes gleamed.

Why is he suddenly interested? Does he want to hear my thoughts?

If so, should I share my thoughts to organize them?

“If the Princess is a staff member of the unit, wouldn’t they have been dispatched for combat, not just for rear support?”

“That’s right. The Princess is also a mage. There is no one as powerful as a mage in war.”

“For such a unit to be ambushed by three insignificant nobles and completely annihilated without any survivors… It’s an unimaginable outcome.”

“If you were to imagine it, what reasons could there be?”

“There’s no way to explain it other than the intervention of external forces.”

“And that force is?”

“It’s probably the Rodkius family. It’s common knowledge that the three nobles decided to side with them.”

The Count nodded with a faint smile at my answer.

“Perhaps so.”

“Are there any survivors?”

“If there were, wouldn’t the content of the report be different?”

True, if a survivor had testified about the battle, the report would have been different. ‘Rodkius’s soldiers colluded with the three nobles and attacked.’

“Couldn’t they have at least identified the bodies of those who ambushed them?”

“The reinforcements who arrived late said all they saw was ash left after everything was burned.”

“Not even leaving bodies behind, thorough.”

“It would be difficult to cause such an accident without that level of preparation.”

After listening to the Count, I pondered for a moment. And the conclusion I came to was simple.

“We won’t be able to find out.”

“Yes. We cannot find out.”

The Count agreed with my thoughts and affirmed.

We can’t reveal that Rodkius intervened. This was the biggest problem. If there was even a witness who survived the battle, we could try to weave something together, but that method is already gone.

‘There are prisoners, strictly speaking.’

Only a fool would willingly hand over prisoners who experienced everything in that battle.

“They probably didn’t capture the prisoners to get ransom.”

“They will probably demand that Bashrun accept all responsibility for this territorial dispute and promise to withdraw.”

“Can’t we use the testimony of the repatriated prisoners later?”

“Do you think they’re idiots? They wouldn’t leave them alone like that. They’ll use amnesia drugs or something.”

“Ah, that exists.”

Amnesia drug.

A cruel result of alchemy that erases a person’s memory. Of course, as effective as it is, the aftereffects are beyond description.

“Can they use that?”

“They can create a justification anytime. What if they claim the Princess learned internal secrets? The purpose of amnesia drugs is to subdue spies who are difficult to kill.”

“If they use that and return her, it will only provoke the Duke’s anger. If the Princess becomes an idiot due to side effects, it will probably escalate into an all-out war.”

“That’s right. So, they probably won’t use amnesia drugs on the Princess.”

“Not using it means…….”

Ah, is that what it means?

“……It means they will use the amnesia drug as an excuse to lead the peace negotiations very favorably.”

“What kind of conditions do you think will be presented?”

“They will probably impose all postwar settlements and huge reparations for the territorial dispute. Of course, that’s a given, and they will also demand a non-disclosure agreement from the Princess, along with a clause that they will not be held responsible for anything that happened in the territorial dispute.”

Since the Duchy of Bashrun holds such a high position, the weight of that oath is unimaginable.

In a continent that upholds the will of the Emperor, who created that oath, to break it?

Unless they want to turn the name of Bashrun into a group of street thugs, they wouldn’t do that.

“You have a good head on your shoulders.”

The Count nodded, agreeing with my thoughts.

“The next thing to consider is whether the Duke will accept those conditions.”

“Do you think he will accept them?”

“Most people who hear this story will probably think he will accept it. It’s famous how much the Duke cherishes the Princess.”

“Most people, meaning you have a different thought?”

“If my thoughts are correct, the Duke might abandon the Princess.”

“Abandon?”

“Yes. And then he might bring the three nobles to their knees, find evidence, and even consider waging a full-scale war with Rodkius, who orchestrated the scheme behind the scenes.”

The Count finally nodded in satisfaction at my answer.

“Explain in detail why you think so.”

“It’s simple. If the Duke accepts that unreasonable negotiation, think about what the Rodkius family will gain.”

“Do you have any guesses?”

“They need a map.”

At my words, the Count took the map hanging on the wall behind him and spread it on the table.

I reached out and pointed to a spot on the unfolded map.

“Bashrun in the west and Rodkius in the south face each other with a wide river and the Southern Mountain Range as buffer zones. But if they gain the territories of the three nobles who turned away this time…….”

Connecting the territories of the three nobles and Rodkius, the land route that had connected Bashrun and the Capital was immediately cut off.

Of course, the connection wasn’t completely gone.

However, the remaining land was unsuitable for people to travel, like swamps or mountain ranges.

“The isolation of the Duchy of Bashrun is complete.”

“Strictly speaking, it’s not isolation. We can go around using our family’s territory.”

“……Isn’t that practically the same as being cut off? The distance that would take a week now takes four or five times longer.”

“Whatever the case may be.”

The Count leaned forward slightly and clasped his hands together.

“What do you think will happen then?”

It’s obvious.

“They will demand exorbitant tariffs [taxes] in exchange for opening the land route to the Capital.”

“And then?”

“They will pressure the merchants suffering from those tariffs.”

“How?”

“Cut off the contract with Bashrun and move to us; we will give you tariff-free access—something like that.”

“If that happens.”

“Bashrun, who can’t stand by and watch, will release funds to protect the trade route as much as possible, but… it will be like pouring water on parched land. Eventually, the day will come when they have to bow down to Rodkius.”

“So, the result is.”

“The balance of power between Bashrun and Rodkius, who were the two strongest powers on the continent, will collapse, so the dominance of Rodkius will continue for the time being. Moreover, this incident is only a stepping stone for what will happen in the future, so countless schemes will begin afterward.”

I paused for a moment to organize my thoughts and nodded.

“In the end, this incident will be an opportunity for the Rodkius family, which is opposed to the royalists, to turn into a ferocious bear.”

The symbol of the Rodkius family is a black bear.

And everyone knows that the ambition of that black bear is directed towards the royal family.

“So, the Duke must be racking his brains and worrying.”

“You’re right. The Duke secretly sent me a report.”

“A secret report means…….”

The Count nodded and leaned back against the chair.

“What will the Lindayer family do if we wage an all-out war with Rodkius?”

To that heavy question, I opened my mouth without a moment’s hesitation.

“The alliance between Lindayer and Bashrun is for the sake of the royal family. It’s not for a war that arose from the personal affairs of two giant families. So, we have no room to intervene at all.”

“That’s also correct. Then I’ll ask again.”

The Count opened his mouth, tapping the territory of Rodkius with his finger.

“What do you think Lindayer should do to stop this ferocious black bear?”

It was an expected question.

I offered the answer I had been thinking about without hesitation.

“The Gray Falcon doesn’t need to do anything.”

* * *

After finishing the conversation with the Count, I returned to my room and leaned against the wall.

I had only talked for about an hour, but my head was filled with too much.

But there was no time to rest.

I rubbed my temples, which were throbbing with a headache, and sat down at my desk. Then I immediately picked up a quill pen and began to write two letters.

I was trying to concentrate, but countless thoughts still flooded my mind from time to time.

‘The collapsing royal family.’

And Bashrun and Lindayer, who inherited the destiny to protect it.

But the current royal family is too weak and rotten in many places.

Some true loyalists are barely holding on with all their might, but there are countless families who want reform, led by Rodkius.

And in this current situation, the path I have to take is clearly a difficult, thorny path.

‘We must prevent an all-out war at all costs.’

A tribal war will break out again in the near future, and they are cutting their flesh when they don’t have enough strength to unite.

I had to stop that.

‘The Count said he would wait and see, but.’

The Count had already made up his mind.

Asking me for my opinion was just to solidify his decision.

I didn’t hear it directly, but that was clearly the intention in the Count’s heart. To stop Rodkius’s advance and protect the royal family, even if it meant abandoning justification.

‘If we put up such a counter.’

The price that the two families, Bashrun and Lindayer, would have to pay would be too great.

Perhaps many nobles who dream of reform, who have been quietly sleeping, will side with Rodkius.

Then it’s no longer a matter of winning or losing. No matter who wins, the fruits of countless bloodshed will become scraps of paper under the upcoming tribal war.

Tak!

The two letters that I had scribbled down without hesitation while lost in thought were completed, and I put the quill pen back in its place and opened my mouth.

“Is anyone there?”

“Yes. Did you call?”

The door opened at my call, and the butler appeared. I expected a guard or a maid at best, but it was an unexpected person.

I let out a hollow laugh and looked at the butler with a friendly smile.

“Were you spying on my room this late at night?”

“How could I do that? I just thought you looked very troubled, Third Young Master, and wondered if there was anything I could do to help, so I was waiting for a moment.”

“Something to help with. I was going to ask you separately tomorrow, but it turned out like this.”

I nodded, finishing the work of sealing the two letters.

“I’m going to send two letters.”

“Yes. Where are you planning to send them?”

“One to the two knights of the Sky Fortress, Alphonse Riegl and Roben Wonders.”

It’s about how I will be appointed as the new lord and how to handle the hippogriffs, including the Sky Fortress, in the future.

“Yes. Where are you sending the other letter?”

“To Duke Bashrun.”

“Is that all you need help with?”

At the butler’s cautious question, I got up and opened the window.

A fierce cold wind rushed into the room.

I felt refreshed as if the head that had been burning hot was cooling down.

“One more thing, lastly.”

“What is it?”

“Butler, keep the Lord occupied as long as possible.”

“Keep him? How can I possibly…….”

“We’re not that formal, are we? Don’t make a fuss and just hold on a little longer.”

Turning around, grumbling, I saw the butler’s flustered face.

“At least three months. You have to hold on tight so that he doesn’t make a hasty decision within that time.”

“……Three months?”

“Even if you’re preparing for war, it will take longer than that anyway. I just mean delay it as much as possible.”

At my repeated requests, the butler finally nodded.

“In the end, you’ve made up your mind, Young Master.”

“Yeah.”

“If that’s what you want, Young Master, I will also try my best. I don’t like shedding innocent blood either.”

Innocent victims.

Yes. The butler was right.

From the beginning, I was planning to extinguish this spark completely, as if nothing had happened.