How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 151

How to Live as the Third Son of a Wasted Novel – 152

* * *

I opened my eyes to a familiar ceiling.

It was Kalandart’s log cabin. For a moment, I felt detached from reality. When I raised my hand, I saw the dagger I was holding.

“……”

The color of the blade had changed. When I first received it from Kalandart, it was dark and dull, but now it had a crimson glow.

‘I succeeded.’

I dropped my hand back onto the bed. Then, I closed my eyes and replayed the fight with Hashunar.

Every scene was still vivid.

A good amount of luck and timely improvisation shone through. It was something I couldn’t replicate even if I tried, so you could call it a stroke of luck.

Clunk-

As I was lost in thought, the outside door opened and Kalandart appeared.

‘The timing is good too.’

Kalandart, who came in, tilted his head at my carefree expression. Then, he noticed my unusual aura and his eyes widened.

“Y-you don’t mean you succeeded?”

“Yeah.”

“H-how?”

How? How could I explain the process in detail?

“I just cut him as you said.”

“C-cut him?”

“Yeah, with the dagger.”

“……I-I can’t believe it.”

What am I supposed to do if you don’t believe it? The proof is right here on the dagger.

Kalandart approached and carefully grabbed the dagger. He stroked the blade and then let out a small sigh.

“I-it’s real.”

“Then would it be fake?”

“T-to be honest, I can’t believe it.”

“It’s not like we have any trust between us, but aren’t you treating me like too much of an idiot?”

“T-that’s not it.”

“Whatever, man. More importantly, what about Ilia?”

“I-I dropped her off safely in the city.”

Hmm, I wonder what it feels like to fly in the sky on the back of a giant crow.

I put aside the sprouting curiosity for a moment and struggled to get up.

“Anyway, good. Now, tell me. How should I receive the reward for my labor?”

“Umm……”

What’s with that lukewarm reaction?

I sighed deeply at the sight of him scratching his head. Is he acting like this because of the story of Rahenna?

“I’ll keep my promise, so don’t worry.”

“T-that’s not it… I’m just a little worried about something.”

“Worried? What do you mean?”

“F-first of all, I can’t give you the sentence [a powerful magical inscription or phrase].”

“……”

I went through all that trouble, and you can’t give me the sentence? Oh yeah, you’re just begging for death right now.

I glared at him with eyes full of annoyance, and Kalandart waved his hands.

“W-wait, it’s not that I won’t give it to you. I-I can’t give it to you.”

“So what.”

“Y-you have to summon the owner.”

“Summon the owner?”

There’s only one owner of the sentence, isn’t there?

“You don’t mean Hashunar?”

“Umm.”

“How?”

“I-in my body.”

You’re summoning him into your body? Is it like possession?

Come to think of it, this guy was a necromancer [one who practices magic to communicate with the dead]. I forgot because he only showed his dim-witted side all day.

But wait a minute, summoning Hashunar here…….

“Is that what you meant by ‘worried’?”

“T-that’s right. I was worried that you might not get along with Hashunar.”

“……”

“D-don’t even think about fighting. It’s my body that will get hurt……”

Fight? Are you saying that after seeing my current condition? I’d be lucky if I didn’t get beaten up.

Damn it, I still remember making fun of his small size, and now I have to face him again.

“Do you really have to summon him?”

“I-it’s a necessary procedure.”

“At first, you just told me to cut him?”

“W-well, I didn’t think you’d pass……”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“D-don’t worry too much. He wouldn’t kill you, would he?”

Is that supposed to be comforting? It’s like passing an exam and then being told, ‘Surprise! There’s a surprise interview left!’ And that interviewer is the guy I stabbed!

Just as I was about to burst out laughing in disbelief, Kalandart began to slowly gather his energy.

“A-anyway, good luck. I-I’ll cheer you on.”

“You bastard……”

You’re trying to run away because you have nothing to say right now, aren’t you?

No, whatever, this is too fast! At least give me some time to think!

But it seemed too late to stop him.

The black energy that had risen up was already swirling around Kalandart’s body, and the figure that reappeared was…….

‘I’m screwed.’

That fierce gaze that looked like it would tear me apart, and that familiar, upright posture.

I didn’t even need to ask. It was the reappearance of Hashunar.

“……”

“……”

My eyes met with Hashunar’s as I sat on the bed. It’s awkward. It’s so awkward that I feel uncomfortable to death.

I was filled with anxiety that he would reach out and twist my neck at any moment. Honestly, in my current condition, I wouldn’t even be able to dream of resisting.

After staring at me for a long time, Kalandart, no, Hashunar, crossed his arms.

“Where did the spirit to mock me go? Why are you looking like you’re about to die?”

A low, sonorous, but resonant voice. It was exactly the same as what I heard in that world.

And he even knows that I provoked him, so there’s no room for doubt.

“That was unintentionally……”

“Name.”

Hashunar cut me off immediately.

“……”

“I asked for your name.”

That bizarre sense of pressure is still there. Even though the outer shell is still Kalandart.

It reminds me of the first time I met Lordain. It’s like being a mouse in front of a cat.

But I am confident. Who could stand tall when faced with such a monster in reality?

“Cain, Cain Lindayer.”

Hashunar’s eyebrows twitched at my answer.

“……Sir.”

You cheapskate. You’re using informal speech too.

“Cain, is it.”

Hashunar chuckled at my answer and strode over to sit on a chair next to the table.

Then, he crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand on the table. The black cloak that drooped down felt like his unique shadow, and I flinched without realizing it.

Damn it, how pathetic.

It can’t be helped. I’m facing the person who tore my heart out several times in reality, so it would be strange if I were okay.

……Anyway, let’s get a grip. Throw away unnecessary emotions. Just think of him as an interviewer.

“I have a few questions.”

Hashunar opened his mouth first.

“Yes.”

“Who sent you?”

Who sent me?

That would be Rahenna. I nodded and found the scroll Rahenna had written and handed it over.

Hashunar received it, read the contents, and slowly nodded.

“Rahenna……. A smart child. For such a child to trade with you, there must be something I don’t know.”

Oh, is this a sign that things are going smoothly?

“So let me ask. Why do you want my sentence?”

……It can’t be that easy.

More than that, why is the question so difficult? If this were a real interview, it would be like, ‘Why did you apply to our company?’ It’s so old-fashioned. It’s all to make a living, you bastard.

But like all job seekers in the world, I smiled on the outside even though I was boiling on the inside.

Smile. Smile.

“For world peace.”

“……World peace?”

“Yes.”

“You said world peace?”

“Yes. World peace.”

How many times are you going to ask? World peace, what could be a simpler and more reasonable answer than that.

“……”

“……”

Wait, does this house have air conditioning? It feels like the temperature has dropped several degrees?

“Are you trying to joke with me right now?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then?”

“It’s as I said. A war is about to break out, and your power is needed to effectively mediate that war.”

“War? What war are you talking about?”

Should I tell him?

I guess I will. He’s already dead anyway, right? What more could happen in hell if he spread rumors?

I nodded and began to tell the story of how monsters would soon pour down from the abandoned lands of the north and internal divisions would arise within the kingdom, plunging it into great chaos, a story that would be dismissed as fiction by others.

Of course, as expected, Hashunar’s expression after hearing the story was as if he was saying, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’

“……What’s the basis?”

“Kerwyn told me.”

Ah, it’s been a long time since I’ve said that name out loud. Kerwyn Achen, the benefactor of the druids. Rahenna was also crazy about her name.

“Kerwyn? You don’t mean the human I know, do you?”

“Probably. Archmage Kerwyn Achen. The hero who eradicated the tribal wars and the savior of the druids.”

I deliberately emphasized the word ‘savior’ and spoke clearly. Just in case his heart might become soft. Hmm, is this too shallow of a thought?

“Is that person still alive?”

“Of course. She’s alive and well.”

Of course, her lifespan is running out, and her death will be the trigger for the war.

Well, there’s no need to tell him everything now.

“Hard to believe. No matter how powerful she is, how can she still be alive in a human body?”

“Here’s the proof.”

I reached out and handed Achen, who was on the bedside table, to Hashunar.

“……”

His expression twisted grotesquely. What did Achen say? I wish she had cursed him out on my behalf.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like he had been cursed out, as Hashunar quietly groaned and handed Achen back to me.

“A saucy lady.”

Saucy? Saauuucy?

Has his brain broken down because he’s been dead for too long? What lady is this crazy colt talking about?

Wooong! Wooong! Wooong!

As if reading my mind, Achen began to vibrate. Regardless, I threw her back and focused on Hashunar again.

“Anyway, I have a duty to mediate the war according to Kerwyn’s will. That’s why I’m desperately trying to gain power.”

“I understand your position. So, what did Rahenna ask for in return for sending you here?”

“An area comparable in size to the Great Forest.”

“Area?”

“Yes. Of course, that area will belong solely to the druids. I plan to make it so that no one else can touch it.”

“Grand. Are you going to become a human king or something?”

“……I’ll probably have that much power when the war is over.”

“Overflowing confidence.”

“If I didn’t have that confidence, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”

“That’s also true.”

Good. Let’s seize the momentum and go for it in one shot.

I took a deep breath and looked straight at Hashunar as I opened my mouth.

“Then let me ask. Can you give me the sentence?”

Hashunar chuckled at my question.

“Since it’s for my clan, there’s no reason to refuse.”

Yes!

Mother! Your son has finally passed the interview!

I unknowingly bowed my head and expressed my gratitude at the thought of succeeding.

“Thank you! I will gratefully accept it!”

“What is there to thank? Rather, I should be the one thanking you.”

Hmm, it feels like there’s a hidden meaning in his words.

When I raised my head, Hashunar was giving a complex and subtle smile.

“……Thank you?”

“Oh dear, don’t you know what it means to inherit my sentence?”

“Is there something I need to know? Isn’t it just that the original owner allows it and passes it on…….”

“Tsk tsk.”

From Hashunar’s lightly clicking his tongue, I could feel that something was wrong.

“Is there another meaning to inheriting the sentence?”

“Of course.”

What could it be?

This creeping sense of unease.

“The inheritance of the sentence means the complete annihilation of my existence. Therefore, the successor who inherits the sentence has a duty to uphold and continue my will, which will disappear soon. You could call it a kind of respect.”

“……Annihilation, you said?”

At my question, Hashunar raised his finger and tapped Kalandart’s head.

“As you can see, I am in a state of being dead but not dead. You could say that I am just a soul bound to a necromancer. That’s because I haven’t inherited the sentence yet.”

“You mean you can’t die as you please if you don’t inherit it?”

“Similar. It’s that powerful of a force.”

“The reason why you haven’t found a successor is as I said before…….”

“It’s not the time for war now. There’s no reason to take on the arduous tests and uphold the will while inheriting the sentence in this situation.”

“……”

Hashunar’s words were simple.

If he could easily pass on the sentence to anyone, why would his soul have been bound to a necromancer until now?

He could just pass it on to anyone who passed the test and go to eternal rest.

But no one has inherited the sentence yet, and the reason is that there’s no reason to take on the risks in this era of peace, like now.

‘Then what is that will?’

Will (遺志) [Unfulfilled desire].

Something that the deceased could not achieve in their lifetime, something that could be seen as a kind of resentment (恨) [deep-seated bitterness].

What is it that other druids have avoided and shunned inheritance?

As if sensing my question that was revealed in my expression, Hashunar slowly opened his mouth.

“The reason you were able to cut me must have been because of that guy’s help.”

“Yes?”

“Lordain.”

“……”

“You heard about my abilities from that elf, didn’t you? That’s why you were able to cut me. You’re not going to say no, are you? Unless you think I’m an idiot.”

That’s true. Although I should say I stole a glance instead of hearing it directly.

“That’s true, but.”

“So let me say.”

Hashunar wore a cowardly smile.

“Do you want to inherit my sentence? Then, just as you cut me with Lordain’s will, cut Lordain with my will, the sentence. That is the last will I will leave in this world.”

I knew it. Damn it.