How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 185

Living as the Third Son of a Wasted Novel – Chapter 186

Chapter 48. Frozen Evil Spirit

Piercing the dense fog, Ilia and I climbed an unnamed hill.

*Furr….*

Perhaps because we had stopped after running for so long, the warhorse’s snorts puffed out, as if it still wanted to run.

“Is this about right?”

“Yes.”

Nodding at Ilia’s question, I stroked the warhorse’s mane and surveyed our surroundings.

Since leaving the Trot barony, we had been running non-stop to meet the deadline. To maintain maximum security, we avoided even small villages and often slept in the open.

Having arrived in the southeast, I reached the place where I had promised to meet the troops Duke Irfe would send.

“It seems they haven’t arrived yet.”

“Let’s wait a little longer.”

Ilia nodded, scanned the surroundings, and pulled her muffler up to cover her mouth.

The winter dawn was chilly. A strong knight’s body was usually resistant to heat and cold, but as the sweat from the long run began to cool, a subtle chill crept in.

How long had we waited?

A group of figures emerged through the fog, where visibility was extremely limited.

Instinctively, Ilia and I placed our hands on our sword hilts. If there was no agreed-upon signal, we planned to cut their throats and escape immediately.

“The night in Capital is…”

A small but resonant voice came from the figures that had appeared.

The night in Capital… Suddenly, the burning night of that day flashed in my mind. I slowly opened my mouth.

“…does not cool down with anger.”

In response to the agreed-upon password, the figures slowly began to approach.

“We greet Count Cain.”

The dozen or so figures that finally appeared looked unruly at first glance.

They wore cloaks of various colors, and underneath, they wore old leather armor so stained that its original color was hard to discern.

And their appearances? With greasy hair and sparse beards that looked like they hadn’t been washed in days, anyone would mistake them for common mercenaries.

“Nice to meet you. Who’s the leader?”

At my question, a tall man stepped forward from among them. With a strikingly cold appearance, he bowed his head towards me.

“I am Velom, leading the detachment dispatched by Duke Irfe to support the Count.”

“Good. Velom, please introduce them.”

“The detachment consists entirely of secret investigators directly under the royal family, each of whom is the best veteran in their respective fields.”

Afterward, the figures lined up behind Velom began to introduce themselves one by one.

Vector, Gary, Long, Pike, Karun, and so on.

As they introduced themselves, I carefully examined their appearances.

They certainly looked different from knights who carried only a single sword.

There was a man with a scimitar curved like a crescent moon and claws reminiscent of a beast’s paw, a man with a blackjack and a dozen throwing daggers at his waist, and the most notable was a man carrying a great bow as tall as himself.

They were called investigators, but their actual appearance made even me wonder if they were truly mercenaries.

“Nice to meet you all. This is Ilia Frost, who will nominally lead us. Likewise, the name of the mercenary group will be the Frost Mercenary Group.”

At my introduction, the investigators, including Velom, bowed to Ilia.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Nice to work with you.”

After the brief greetings, I looked at Velom.

“Is there a place to rest nearby?”

“We have set up a base. We’ll need to forge some documents anyway, so let’s go there first.”

“Forgery?”

Velom tilted his head at my question.

“We need to make mercenary permits, don’t we? Besides, I think the Count needs some procedures as well.”

“Procedures…”

“Dyeing alone isn’t enough to completely change a person’s impression.”

At Velom’s words, I swept up my brown-dyed hair and nodded.

“It’s reassuring to meet experts. Let’s go.”

Following Velom’s guidance, we headed to a log cabin in a secluded valley.

The horns and hides of wild animals hanging on the walls were impressive, as if a hunter had lived there.

Judging from the furniture and supplies, it was clear that the house was not empty. When I asked where the original owner was, Velom shrugged.

“Wouldn’t it be one of two places?”

I clicked my tongue at Velom’s words, which implied either heaven or hell.

The investigators forged identification and mercenary permits, and some began to fuss over me, performing all sorts of bizarre procedures on my features.

I felt like an actor in a dressing room from TV. When the work was finished, Ilia brought me a mirror, and a cold-blooded mercenary was staring back at me.

“I look like I have no blood or tears.”

“This is the limit because your original features are too distinct.”

His dry tone made me feel like I was being complimented by a robot.

“Good. Velom, let’s have a serious discussion.”

“Understood.”

Duke Irfe had promised to send people, but he hadn’t decided exactly how to use them.

Therefore, it was essential to clarify my goals and coordinate to achieve them.

But there was nothing difficult. Velom was the best expert in the field I wanted to operate in, so he nodded without showing any reaction to my requests.

“Hmm, you want to build a reputation while leaving no witnesses.”

“Yes. Just in case there’s someone who recognizes my face.”

“I understand your concerns, Count. Let’s find a safe and effective method.”

Did he have some brilliant plan?

I tilted my head at Velom’s words.

* * *

A valley located in the Gorn barony in the southeast.

Among the detachment Velom brought, there was an investigator who was familiar with the eastern routes, and he assured us that if Redran’s supply officer was using this area, he would definitely use this valley as a route.

After settling near the valley and waiting for a few days, an investigator who had gone out for reconnaissance reported that a procession was approaching the entrance of the valley.

“They’ve appeared.”

“How many?”

“Five supply wagons loaded with military supplies, ten swordsmen, twenty spearmen, five archers, and one who appears to be a knight.”

Velom nodded at the report and looked at me.

“It’s quite a small scale for a supply train.”

“It’s better to scatter them in small groups than to gather them in one place, to minimize potential losses. There are probably many other supply trains going through other routes.”

“How skilled is Ilia?”

“A knight escorting a supply train is nothing to her.”

“Understood. Then, Ilia will take care of the knight, and we, including the Count, will take care of the rest.”

It was a reasonable choice. Redran already knew about Ilia’s existence, so he wouldn’t question the knight’s death.

It wasn’t a bad start as a declaration of war against Redran.

“Good. Let’s begin.”

As soon as my permission was given, Velom turned his head and pointed to two investigators.

“You two, go and bring the dummies. The rest of you, follow me in an assault formation.”

Dummies? What are dummies?

Leaving my question behind, the investigators who heard the order simply disappeared without answering.

They were ignoring even the basic elements of military protocol, such as reporting and repeating orders, as if they only needed to achieve their goal.

Of course, it was possible because they had received such harsh training that they could understand each other’s intentions with just a glance.

Moving to the relatively wide valley chosen as the battlefield, we soon faced the supply train approaching from the opposite side.

“Whoa, whoa.”

The knight, who was riding alone at the forefront, stopped his horse and looked at us with an expression as if he were looking at insects.

“What? Mercenaries? Tsk.”

After carefully examining the knight’s appearance, it didn’t seem like he was from the Red Knights. He was probably a low-ranking knight of some lord who followed Redran.

“This procession belongs to the Basarak family. So it would be better for you to get your dirty faces out of here.”

The soldiers escorting the wagon also became arrogant at the knight’s words, who subtly emitted mana.

“Do you know who we are…”

“Judging by your appearance, you seem to be guys who are running wild, taking advantage of the war?”

“You pathetic bastards. You can’t even think of earning money legitimately.”

Velom’s answer to such insulting words was very simple.

“Annihilate them.”

*Paaang!*

At Velom’s signal, a heavy sound echoed from above the valley.

*Kwaduk!*

The arrows that flew immediately pierced the heads of two spearmen who were giggling.

It was clear whose skill it was – probably the man with the big bow.

“There’s an archer! Form a defensive formation!”

At someone’s shout, the swordsmen with shields stepped forward, and the spearmen lined up right behind them. Then, the archers began to raise their bows from the inside to scan the valley.

Even though it was just a simple escort, I could feel how much effort Redran had put into this war from their well-trained appearance.

“Count, you must not use Aura.”

“I remember.”

Velom, after giving the advice, began to rush towards the enemy with the investigators.

“You little puppies…”

The knight, who frowned at the sight, drew his sword. Judging by the blue energy rising from the blade, he seemed to be an Aura user [a person who can use mana to enhance their physical abilities].

“Ilia.”

“Yes.”

Ilia, who shot out like a bullet at my call, drew a half-moon arc with her sword.

*Passeut!*

The knight’s eyes widened at the aura rising from the sword.

“A, a knight?”

As if realizing that the opponent was not an ordinary mercenary, the knight also began to do his best belatedly.

However, since the difference in skill was obvious from the beginning, and even the timing was taken away, the knight’s end was inevitable.

*Puwak!*

Ilia’s sword broke through the knight’s aura and passed through his neck.

The knight’s head soared into the air, scattering blood, and soon fell to the ground and rolled away.

“T, the captain is down!”

“It’s a knight! There’s a knight on the enemy’s side!”

The bewildered soldiers’ ranks began to collapse.

It was natural. The shields they believed in were nothing more than toys in front of a knight.

The soldiers, who had lost even the knight, who was a symbol of faith, began to run away with their backs turned, without exception.

“We must not let them live.”

When Velom saw this, he gestured grandly, and the investigator who had shot the arrow from above activated the traps he had set up in advance.

*Kurururu….*

Thick logs began to roll down the steep valley, and soon the valley was filled with obstacles that could not be easily crossed on foot.

“Keueok!”

“Eueooo! S, save me!”

After that, it was literally a massacre. Because the front line had collapsed, the numerical superiority they had was long gone.

Of course, there were a few who bravely counterattacked, but every time, an arrow that flew from above the valley pierced their heads.

“W, we can’t win! Run away!”

“Run away! Run away!”

Soon, the soldiers completely gave up the battle and even threw away their weapons, climbing over the logs, and the investigators also began to move in earnest.

Of course, I didn’t just stand there and watch. I joined the hunt with my sword in hand, without using Aura.

“G, get out of here!”

A soldier waved his spear with a terrified face when he saw me.

I lightly bent my back to avoid the spear, then cut off the soldier’s wrist and kicked his solar plexus with my foot.

I felt something crushing at the tip of my foot. I didn’t know, but his ribs must have been crushed to powder, and the heart protected by those ribs would not be safe either.

“Keoeok…”

I continued to hunt down the stragglers, leaving the collapsing soldier behind.

The battle that had begun in this way finally came to an end only after the last soldier spat out his death throes.

After wiping the blood from my sword, I looked around and surveyed the aftermath of the battle.

Then, a strange sight suddenly caught my eye. The investigator, who had received separate instructions from Velom before the attack, appeared leading a group of bound people.

“Velom, who are they?”

“Do you remember when I said I would look for another way?”

“I did.”

“They are bandits that some investigators found a few days ago by searching the nearby mountains like lice. I captured and bound them because I thought they could be useful.”

“…….”

Captured to use?

I was puzzled by Velom’s words, but soon, when I saw the bandits’ clothes, I narrowed my eyes.

“That outfit is…”

“It’s a mantle with the Frost Mercenary Group’s insignia.”

“Why?”

Velom began to explain in a nonchalant tone to my question.

“This escort is a regular army, but we are a mercenary group. If such a regular army and a mercenary group fought, and there were no corpses on our side, wouldn’t it be strange?”

“…….”

“Mercenaries are not the kind of people who take care of their comrades’ bodies, especially scavengers. So, this disguise is essential to reduce suspicion.”

Velom was right.

Redran would understand that the knight was dead. It was a well-known fact that the Frost Mercenary Group was hired by the Trot barony, and Ilia, the leader of the mercenary group, knew how to handle mana.

But his subordinates clearly had to be made up of ordinary mercenaries. So, as Velom said, there had to be casualties on our side to be reasonable.

“That’s right.”

“If there are such dummies, it’s more certain than leaving witnesses with risk factors.”

Certainly, an expert is an expert.

I was just going to throw away a few symbols of the Frost Mercenary Group and get out, but Velom was several levels above me when it came to this kind of operation.

In this way, the investigators began to wield their weapons at the bandits who had been dragged down the valley, leaving traces of battle on their bodies.

Watching that scene, I felt that one thing was certain, even if I didn’t know anything else.

These investigators don’t see people as people, but as water balloons filled with blood.

‘Duke Irfe, what the hell have you raised?’