How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 129

“I’ve seen hell….”

To have seen hell, huh.

He wouldn’t express it as hell just because he was imprisoned for a long time.

It was clearly a statement implying that she had suffered humiliation as a human being, as a noble, or as a woman.

What happened in prison?

I didn’t want to have base thoughts, but I couldn’t help but have some harsh imaginations in one corner of my mind.

Fleta, whom I glanced at, was trembling, unlike her fiercely raised eyes. It must have been because she was reminded of what had happened there.

“I know it wasn’t the hell you created. But if you had anticipated what your actions would cause, couldn’t you have at least given me a heads-up? I don’t think I lacked that much faith.”

“……”

Fleta’s words were half right and half wrong.

The reason she was captured was not to extract information about me.

Strictly speaking, she was just a card to bring down Bashrun in the first place, and her connection with me was not that important from the start.

But it is also a fact that I caused the incident. The guys who found out that I knew their identity had sped up their plan to destroy the kingdom.

Therefore, it was fair to say that I caused this territory war, and Fleta suffered hardship because she failed to take sufficient action in the process.

It was a complicated tangle of intertwined causal relationships, but there was no need to go into details. Either way, the important thing was that I hid their existence.

Maybe if I had warned her in advance, Fleta would have prepared at least minimal safety measures. She is a smart woman.

Well, that doesn’t mean I’m going to fight over whose fault this is. What’s the point of doing that?

“First of all, let me apologize. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance.”

So I apologized neatly.

“I understand.”

Fleta also accepted the apology neatly and withdrew her fierce gaze.

Then she bowed politely to me.

“I owe you my life twice already. I’m sorry. I will never forget this debt.”

Once in the attack on the way to Capital [the kingdom’s main city].

And once in this territory war.

Fleta, recalling the two memories, sincerely thanked me.

“I just did what I had to do. Let’s forget about the past. We have a mountain of things to do in the future. Did you ask me to tell you the details?”

When I answered indifferently, Fleta nodded.

“Okay. There’s nothing more to hide now.”

While I paused, the cloth entrance of the tent fluttered open.

It was Ruth who then appeared.

Ruth, holding four or five bottles of wine in both hands and a string tied to a large piece of salted meat in her mouth, tilted her head, seeing the serious atmosphere inside.

“Eueup?”

Ilia bowed her head for a moment at the unsightly sight, and Fleta bit her lip.

The timing is not good.

I chuckled and beckoned to Ruth.

“If you think about it, it’s a story I should have told you a long time ago, but I kept putting it off and it’s gotten this late. It’s my fault.”

At my words that changed the atmosphere, Fleta cleared her throat and took a stance, and Ilia brought glasses for the number of people from a nearby cupboard.

“Anyway, now that it’s like this, let’s talk slowly. The night is long anyway.”

“Is there anything interesting to talk about?”

Ruth, who put the wine down on the table, took out a dagger and began to cut the meat thinly.

I picked up a piece of the cut meat, opened the wine cork, and shrugged.

“There is. An interesting story.”

“There’s nothing better than an interesting story for a snack.”

At Ruth’s endlessly positive appearance, I smiled, shared the glasses, and poured the wine.

* * *

I didn’t even drink half a bottle of the poured wine.

Everyone was listening to my story and was lost in thought without even touching the glass in front of them.

It was Ruth who spoke first.

Ruth kept lifting and putting down the glass with a dubious look, then carefully opened her mouth.

“You’re saying that there are guys who gave magic stones to the Blade Tribe orcs and taught them evil magic that gains power by sacrificing people, and those guys are the same guys who attacked the Young Master on the way to Capital.”

“That’s right.”

“The main body of those guys is the Neviros Order that went extinct a long time ago.”

“It’s just a guess so far.”

“You’re saying that the Order has been revived and is aiming to overthrow the kingdom again.”

“That’s right. And they joined hands with the Rodkius family to make the work easier.”

“It seems like a relationship that matches their interests. Rodkius is also a family that has a lot of dissatisfaction with the royal family, isn’t it?”

Certainly, compared to the families founded by those who swore allegiance to the Great Emperor, Rodkius had no such connection, so it was true that they had been treated coldly for a long time.

“So, is that why you were trying to force a war through this territory war?”

“They had to somehow break the momentum of Bashrun, who is a pro-royal faction. It would be good if Bashrun avoided the war and they could seize the territories of the three nobles, and they must have thought it was worth fighting.”

“The basis for thinking it was worth it is……”

“It must be because they could expect the support of the Unholy Knights, led by the black-haired man.”

“Will the royal family and other lords just sit back and watch that?”

“There is no clear evidence that Rodkius has joined hands with the Neviros Order. It means that there is no basis to sanction them if they act under the guise of mercenaries.”

“It’s a headache.”

Ruth finally caught the timing and gulped down the wine.

Then she snapped her fingers as if she had thought of something.

“So, is that why you sent me to the south at that time?”

“That’s right. To find out the connection between Rodkius and those guys, you have to figure out the Neviros Order first.”

Fleta, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth.

“What happened in the south?”

“There was information that their base was in the southern archipelago.”

“It’s a good area for rebellious guys to operate in. It’s a place where people suddenly disappear one day and no one thinks it’s strange.”

“Because human trafficking is so active in the neighborhood.”

“So, what information did you get?”

“It looks like there’s something, but it’s still vague. I think I’ll have to dig a little deeper to find out.”

Tok tok.

Fleta, who was tapping the table with her index finger at my words, opened her mouth again.

“At that time, you said that you received a revelation in the Great Forest that the entire continent would soon be swept up in war.”

I felt like I was lying again without knowing it, but I couldn’t help it. If I said I came from Earth, I might be treated like a crazy person.

“I did.”

“That doesn’t mean this territory war, does it?”

“That’s right. This territory war is just a harbinger.”

“A harbinger?”

I then continued calmly.

The war begins as monsters swarming in the abandoned land beyond the northern mountains come down.

After that, the lords with ambitions, including Rodkius, will take advantage of the gap to start an uprising, and the different races will also show rebellious movements because they have not forgotten the past.

The kingdom, which has been divided internally and externally, will eventually be divided into four or five parts, and the entire continent will fall into chaos.

It’s a simple but not simple explanation.

If I could stop everything just because I knew the future, I wouldn’t have to worry about it in the first place.

“So, you were desperately trying to prevent this conflict between Rodkius and Bashrun.”

“I can’t easily cut down the strength of the most reliable ally. Besides, Rodkius is a potential enemy right now, but you never know if that situation will change.”

“I understand.”

Fleta, who nodded, reached out and picked up the glass. As she did so, her loose sleeves flowed down, revealing her skinny forearms.

“Is it okay to drink?”

“I can’t be sane because my head hurts.”

That’s what she said, but Fleta sighed, only lightly touching her lips.

“How about revealing the truth to the Duke?”

“Let’s take a look at the situation slowly since we’ve relieved one concern for now. Duke Bashrun is not someone you can’t trust, but he’s not someone who will readily reach out his hand.”

“You’re saying that while I’m in front of you.”

“You’re not going to go and tell on me, are you?”

“……Anyway, I agree with the idea of taking a look at the situation slowly for now. After all, my father is a magician who walks the path of mana [a type of magic], and he tends to taboo anything other than what he has seen with his own eyes, so even if I tell him this story, it won’t be very persuasive.”

“You’re a magician too.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

I chuckled at Fleta’s appearance, euphemistically expressing that her father was old-fashioned.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s nothing. Anyway, Rodkius, whose mine has collapsed and suffered serious damage. For the time being, they will be holed up in the south and only focus on repairing the damage, so there is room for now.”

Fleta also agreed with my words.

“If we move rashly, we may give them an excuse to hide their tracks even more. It is right to explain all the circumstances to Count Lindayer and Duke Bashrun, who are the most reliable royalists, after revealing all the circumstances.”

“That’s right. In the current situation, linking Rodkius and the Neviros Order is just speculation. Rather, there is no need to instill a sense of crisis in them.”

“Still, shouldn’t there be some external support?”

“If it’s external support, there’s a place to expect.”

“Are you talking about the royal family?”

“That’s right.”

Fleta, who remembered that I had received a request from the royal family to reveal the identities of the attackers, nodded.

“Certainly, if you move as a member of the royal family, not Lindayer’s person, it will be difficult for other forces to interfere.”

“So, I’m going to go to Capital again.”

“Is there anyone you’re going to meet?”

“There is. I’m going to give an interim report, find out the royal family’s intentions, and get proper support.”

I nodded, recalling the head of the palace, Marquis Hallin Ikfe.

Anyway, this territory war must have been watched with great interest by the royal family.

In that situation, my move to mediate must have been clearly heard by the head of the palace.

My move to relieve the royal family’s worries, who are more reluctant to see Rodkius’ growth than anyone else, is more than enough to give them trust.

So, I wonder if I can get a lot of help.

I’m also going to stop by the Blue Wind Merchant Group. Now that the southern mine is in tatters, it’s the right time to make a lot of money.

“So, Fleta, what are you going to do in the future?”

“I’m going to build up my strength in Bashruno for the time being to prepare for the future.”

“Strength?”

“Because I now know that I have to take care of my own body. Even if I have the name of Bashrun, that name doesn’t solve everything. And how much of a frog in a well I was.”

Fleta’s eyes turned as sharp as a well-honed sword.

Has something changed with this incident?

If she had been a flower that had grown well in a greenhouse until now, she now had the atmosphere of a wildflower that would stand up again even if it was trampled on several times.

I nodded at that and turned my gaze to Ruth.

“Ruth, let’s go with me for the time being.”

“Okay. Is it Capital this time? I didn’t get to enjoy it properly because I was moving so busily before, so that’s good.”

“We’re not going to play.”

“Time is something you can make somehow.”

Words.

I chuckled and called Ilia this time.

“Ilia.”

“Yes.”

“You go to Bashruno with Fleta.”

Ilia’s eyes widened at my words.

“What does that……”

“It’s not like I’m getting rid of you because I’m annoyed. I have work to do in Bashruno instead of me.”

The right to use the Hreuden River is currently transferred to Bashrun.

I have no intention of giving it to the dog after I’ve worked so hard, so I have to borrow that right, and to do that, I have to get a clear approval in writing.

But if I go to Bashruno now and then go to Capital, it will take too much time.

“Then, where should I join you after I finish the work you ordered?”

“Well. I’ll send you a message later, so until then, get along with the Princess and take a good rest.”

Fleta, who heard her name, interrupted and asked me.

“Wasn’t the Third Young Master also heading to Bashruno?”

“I don’t think there’s any need to do that.”

“Many people have heard of the Third Young Master’s fame and are waiting to see him in person.”

“Well. I’m not doing this for a hero’s treatment, and this mediation was done for my personal reasons, so it’s right to end it quietly. It’s also annoying to create unnecessary scandals.”

The Duke’s thoughts are obvious.

He’s going to show me off at the victory celebration to show off the strong alliance with the Lindayer family, and at the same time, he’s trying to get me involved with the Princess again somehow.

He single-handedly participated in the war, risked his life, led the Knights, and rescued the Princess. Even I think it’s a story that’s worth falling for.

Of course, I have no interest in such a playhouse.

“A scandal, what is that…… Ah.”

On the other hand, Fleta, who belatedly understood what I meant, blushed as if she was ashamed of her father.

“I apologize on his behalf if you were offended.”

“It’s okay. It’s not like he had any bad intentions. It’s not an unpleasant story either.”

Fleta made a strange expression at the story that she wasn’t upset.

What are you imagining?

“Well, anyway.”

Holding the filled glass, I shrugged, looking back at Fleta, Ruth, and Ilia.

“Let’s stop talking about headaches and just get wet tonight [drink heavily]. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, so let’s catch up.”

At my words, those who had been tense finally relaxed and grabbed their glasses and held them out one by one.

Then, starting with Ruth’s exaggerated words, various stories slowly went back and forth, and a small banquet began in the narrow tent.