How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 16

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Episode 16

* * *

“Young Master!”

Ruth’s shout echoed across the night sky.

At that, I stopped running and turned around. Ruth was holding up a hand, signaling me to stop for a moment.

“What’s wrong?”

“Someone is approaching from a distance.”

Who could be coming?

I turned my gaze into the distance, but I couldn’t see anything. But if Ruth said so, it must be true.

‘Who could it be?’

Ruth, seeing me catching my breath, handed me a waterskin [a pouch made of animal skin used to carry water].

“Thanks.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Huh? Oh, what if the Count sent them?”

“That’s right.”

“We haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I know.”

“If they’re hostile, just respond in kind.”

Ruth’s expression hardened.

“If the opponent is the Knights, I might not be able to win.”

“Knowing the Lord’s personality, he probably didn’t order them to kill us. He’s the type who wants to conclude things himself.”

“That’s true.”

I barely had time to think about how chilly the night air was.

In the distance, I could see a group of figures on horseback slowly approaching.

I was wondering what to say when we met, lost in thought.

“Let there be light to illuminate the darkness! Light!”

Suddenly, a clear and bright voice rang out, and the surroundings became as bright as day.

The pupils of my eyes, which had adjusted to the darkness, contracted, and my vision blurred for a moment.

“What is it?”

Instinctively, Ruth and I drew our swords and searched for the source of the voice.

It wasn’t hard to find.

Since no one was visible on the ground, I turned my gaze to the sky. There, a figure in a dark blue robe was floating on a black horse.

“Nice to meet you. I am Fleta Basherun.”

“The Third Son of Lindaier County and my fiancé, Cain Lindaier.”

Even in the darkness, her flowing silver hair, which shone brightly, caught my eye.

I couldn’t see her features in detail.

But I can’t forget that tone of voice that suggests she has quite the personality.

“You recognize me.”

A Phantom Steed [a magical horse that appears spectral]?

Fleta controlled the black phantom horse and landed gently on the ground.

Only then did her features become clearly visible.

‘She’s unbelievably pretty.’

If she had been born in 21st-century Earth, she would have become a prominent icon of the era.

More than anything, the fact that a woman with such looks is my bride-to-be… I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted.

But remember. Her true nature.

“An escort?”

“Does it look that way?”

The swordsmen who arrived late formed a perimeter around me.

It was the Wind Knights.

For now, the assumption that the Count had sent people was correct. There’s no reason to deploy such high-level manpower as the Knights for a simple escort.

The Count must have misunderstood that I was fleeing.

‘Then why is Fleta here?’

The reason for that isn’t difficult either.

This marriage is a kind of political marriage for the alliance between the Lindaier County and the Basherun Duchy.

Besides, I’m a son-in-law. That means I’m in a thoroughly inferior position. Fleta must have thought it was an opportunity to firmly put me in my place.

Thinking that way makes me even more annoyed.

Objectively speaking, it’s just her barging into someone else’s family affairs to assert her dominance.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? It’s hard to believe the words of someone who was trying to escape.”

“Escape?”

“Then, isn’t that the case?”

“As you can see, I was heading to the Lord’s castle.”

“We can’t know that.”

Fleta smiled softly and shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m just following the Count’s orders.”

“Orders?”

“To escort the Third Son to the Lord’s castle.”

“The deadline should still be there.”

“Deadline?”

Ah, only the Count, the butler, and I know about the one-month deadline.

There’s no way the Count, who misunderstood that I had fled, would have explained it in detail to everyone.

“It’s a small misunderstanding, so it’s something that can be resolved by going and explaining it in person.”

“I’ll say it again, I said there were the Count’s orders.”

“I’ll say it again too. I’ll walk there myself and explain.”

When I said that while looking her straight in the eye, a strange light flashed in her eyes for a moment.

“Are you going to disobey the Count’s orders?”

“It’s not disobeying the orders, it’s that the orders were wrong in the first place. And it’s not something an outsider should interfere with.”

Outsider.

Fleta frowned slightly at my words, which drew a line even though we were about to get married.

“You’ll regret it.”

“That’s something we can’t know.”

There was a moment of silence at my stubborn attitude, and in the meantime, a man with a large build stepped forward.

“I am Beylne Barangka, the vice-captain of the Wind Knights.”

“And you are?”

The man, who held the second-highest rank in the Knights, had a huge two-handed sword slung over his shoulder, befitting his physique.

“The Lord is looking for you. Please come with us willingly.”

“I know. I’m going. But I’ll go there myself.”

“There were orders to bring you as quickly as possible.”

“The deadline is still there. Until then, no one can control me.”

Barangka scratched the back of his neck.

I heard from Ruth that Barangka is an extremely steadfast knight.

“I don’t know what kind of deadline you’re talking about. For now, the Lord’s orders are the top priority.”

It became clear. No one knows about the one-month period that the Count and I promised.

I don’t feel good. In this case, it looks like I’m the only one in the wrong.

“I’ll say it again. I’ll go there myself. Don’t even touch me. I won’t let it go easily.”

“Then I have no choice but to take you by force.”

“That won’t do, Vice-Captain.”

Ruth, who had been silent, stepped forward.

At that sight, Barangka’s expression, which had been maintaining composure until now, twisted fiercely.

“Ruth Meyer, I don’t want to carry out your punishment with my own hands. If your life is precious, step back.”

“I am the Young Master’s escort knight.”

“Does that mean the Young Master’s orders are above the Lord’s orders?”

“That’s not the case. However, I am currently the Young Master’s escort knight, so I must follow the Young Master’s will.”

“Does that mean you’re going to help the Third Son escape?”

“It’s not an escape.”

“You should know that it’s not your role or mine to determine that.”

“I was taught to believe and follow the truth, no matter what danger there is, if the truth is clear.”

“Ruth Meyer!”

“That’s what I learned in the Knights. You wouldn’t deny that, would you?”

Barangka closed his mouth for a moment as the situation turned strangely.

He was clearly thinking a lot.

Seeing that I and Ruth were acting so calmly, he must have thought that we believed in something.

If it was a matter of overlapping misunderstandings, he could face trouble if he used force.

Just when I was expecting the situation to improve.

“How interesting.”

Fleta, who had been quietly watching the situation, scoffed.

“A reckless fool who doesn’t even think about how his actions will affect the family, and an escort knight who recklessly ignores his lord’s orders.”

“…….”

“I’ve heard that the Wind Knights have very strict discipline. That’s why their prestige is so high. But now I think it was all empty fame.”

“What do you mean?”

Fleta, who spat out unexpected venom, shrugged her shoulders at my words.

“It’s exactly as I said.”

At Fleta’s words, Barangka’s face turned red.

It was like blowing wind into a dying flame.

Perhaps thinking that he had shown a disgraceful appearance as she said, Barangka opened his mouth again with a firm face.

“Young Master, for me, the Lord’s orders are the priority. So please entrust yourself to me willingly.”

If things continue like this, there are only two options.

Either be forcibly escorted by the Knights, or fight them.

But I can’t fight the Knights. There’s no way I can win in the first place.

But if I’m escorted, even if the false accusation is cleared soon, I’ll feel very dirty. Even though there’s a clearly promised deadline, I’m being treated like a criminal.

I quickly racked my brains.

To find a way to escape while preserving my reputation.

At the same time, to show the Count my will and get rid of the stigma of being a reckless fool.

The thought didn’t take long.

“Wait.”

Barangka stopped talking for a moment at my interruption.

“What did you just say?”

I turned my gaze to look at Fleta.

“What do you mean, what did I say?”

“Did you just call me a reckless fool?”

“Well, isn’t that not exactly wrong?”

It was a look as if she had grasped everything about me.

Of course, that’s a miscalculation. The Cain she knows is from the old days.

“Reckless fool.”

“Yes, reckless fool. The rumors are rampant all over the northern part of Wind Nest.”

The very moment she confidently declared that.

Slap!

The glove I threw struck her cheek.

“Then, as the price for tarnishing my honor, I challenge you to a duel. Fleta Basherun, draw your sword. If you don’t have a sword, use that venomous tongue of yours.”

The faces of the knights, including Barangka, were filled with astonishment. It was an expression asking what on earth I was doing.

Of course, I didn’t care at all.

Justification.

If there is justification, even evil deeds are packaged as acceptable.

On the other hand, if there is no justification, even good deeds become hypocrisy.

No matter what you do, nothing is as important as justification. And right now, I had the justification.

“What is the meaning of this!”

Fleta’s flushed face looked like a well-ripened persimmon. Regardless, I gestured to Ruth.

Just before the quick-witted Ruth stepped forward, he whispered in my ear.

“Phantom Steed is a magic that consumes a lot of mana.”

“…….”

“I believe in you. During the past month, the Young Master’s growth has been dazzling. To an extent that no one could have predicted.”

There wasn’t enough time for a detailed explanation.

But I had a sense of what it meant.

‘A short battle.’

Induce the carelessness of the opponent who thinks of me as trash.

It was a good tip.

Of course, apart from that, I also had something to believe in.

According to the settings in the novel, knights were absolutely advantageous in a battle between a magician and a knight. The reason is simple. It’s because they can sense the flow of mana.

Being able to predict when, where, and where the magic will fly is no different from seeing the opponent’s fist clearly.

And now I can see the mana.

Of course, I was nervous because it was my first practical experience.

But when I recalled the training I had with Ruth for a month, Fleta just looked like a flower in a greenhouse.

As Ruth approached Barangka, he opened his mouth in a serious tone.

“Vice-Captain, would you like to take charge of the duel?”

“Ruth, do you know what’s going on right now and are you so calm?”

“There is sufficient justification.”

“Damn it.”

There is sufficient justification.

Barangka also had nothing to say at those words, and he clicked his tongue.

“Third Young Master, are you serious?”

“Do I look foolish enough to quickly reverse what I said?”

“……I understand. Lady, will you postpone the duel until you can get a great warrior?”

Fleta, who was rubbing her cheek as if it was numb, opened her mouth with a fierce look.

“Great warrior? A well-honed sword is just a luxury to deal with that reckless fool.”

“Good.”

The situation was heading towards a catastrophe.

The knights who came with us drew a wide circle.

And Fleta and I stood in the middle of it.

Barangka and Ruth stood behind me and Fleta to prepare for a situation that would directly threaten their lives.

Even though it was a duel, Fleta and I were both precious people.

“All responsibility for this duel lies solely with yourself. Do you agree?”

When Fleta and I nodded, Barangka smiled bitterly.

“The end of the duel is when someone loses consciousness or declares surrender. However, please note that I will actively intervene if I judge that life is in danger.”

“Good.”

“I understand.”

Sreureung!

As Barangka’s words ended, I drew my sword, and Fleta took out a wand as big as her forearm.

The cold night air settled down, and the surroundings were filled with silence.

After a while.

Fleta and I moved simultaneously without saying anything.

Saaaa!

In an instant, mana, though faint, gathered into Fleta’s wand.

“Pierce through! Ice Spear!”

In an instant, a long and sharp ice spear was created, and then shot like a bullet.

‘It’s fast, but.’

There was no need to be particularly nervous just because it was magic.

It was easier than that. Thanks to the mana, I could clearly see the trajectory aiming for my shoulder.

Not only that.

I am engraved with the movements I learned while sparring with Ruth for a month and the know-how that was originally mine.

“How foolish. To try to block that.”

Fleta’s sneer was only for a moment.

Clang!

I felt a momentary tingling in my wrist, and the ice spear grazed past the side of the sword diagonally.

Success.

It’s fast, but compared to Ruth’s vicious swordsmanship, it’s obvious.

I was convinced.

I’m going to win this duel.

“…….”

“Uh, uh…….”

I could feel the reactions of the flustered crowd and Fleta.

Yes. Keep being surprised like that.

Tat!

I kicked off the ground and quickly narrowed the distance with Fleta.

“Shoot! Magic Missile!”

As Fleta’s urgent words ended, three white bolts were created.

Seeing the magic missiles that were shot, I was lost in thought.

‘I don’t think I can block them all.’

Let’s just get hit by one.

It didn’t look sharp, perhaps because it focused on stopping power.

I quickly scanned each trajectory.

After that, I dodged one, deflected one with my sword, and braced my shoulder for the last one.

Kwaang!

‘Wow…….’

It hurts. It really hurts like hell. No joke, it’s the most painful thing I’ve ever been hit by in my life.

Wouldn’t it be like this if you were kicked by a Taekwondo black belt without protective gear?

Unable to overcome the force, my feet slipped.

But I kicked off the ground again and pressed forward. Because it would be difficult if I gave them time to recover.

“Uh, uh…….”

Fleta, who had been relieved thinking that I would roll on the ground, was flustered.

Of course, regret is too late. The distance between her and me, which had already been narrowed, was less than 3m.

“B, block it! Shield!”

A semi-transparent circular shield momentarily blocked the front.

“Heup!”

I put strength into the sword that I raised high and struck down.

Kagagak!

The shield was split in half by my sword. To be honest, this is due to the item. If it was a normal longsword, it wouldn’t have been able to split even half of it.

“I, it can’t be.”

That was the same for Fleta.

Fleta, who didn’t know that the shield would be destroyed in one blow, groaned at my sudden appearance right in front of her.

Feeling delighted at that sight, I raised my hand and smiled lightly.

“It can be.”

Jjaaaak-!

“Aaaagh!”

Fleta, who was holding her red-hot cheek, rolled on the floor.

She got up and had a venomous face as if her pride had been hurt.

“You!”

“What.”

Jjaaaak-!

This time it’s the left cheek.

“Ah, it hurts!”

“I did it to hurt.”

Unless she was a high-level magician who could use Blink [a teleportation spell], giving up the distance meant she had lost.

After that, it was simple.

A magician who has given up the distance is worse than a common thug in the neighborhood.

Jjak! Jjaaaak!

“Y, Young Master.”

As Fleta was being helplessly beaten, Barangka tried to step forward.

Ruth stopped him.

“Vice-Captain, it doesn’t seem like her life is in danger.”

“B, but are you just going to leave it like that?”

“A duel is sacred. Unless it is something that has been agreed upon in advance, others cannot stop it. It could damage the honor of the parties involved.”

“That’s right, but…….”

Good job, Ruth.

I looked down at Fleta, thinking that I had raised a subordinate well.

“Ugh, ugh…….”

Fleta, with both cheeks swollen miserably.

She was kneeling on the floor as if she was half out of her mind.

“……Surrender.”

“What?”

“I surrender…….”

She then declared surrender and lowered her head.

“Hic, hic heueuk…….”

Tears flowed between her hands, which were holding her swollen cheeks.