How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 188

The sound of warhorses’ hooves pounding the earth reverberated across the plains.

Amidst the clamor, I, leading the charge, glanced back.

‘One, two, three… about thirty of them, just as reported.’

As the investigator had stated, approximately thirty dark figures were spread out, pursuing us relentlessly, determined to cut off any escape.

Among those dark figures, a fluttering banner caught my attention. It was too distant to discern clearly, but I could surmise that the banner was red.

‘Redran.’

What was the total strength of the Red Knights?

According to publicly available information, it should be around twenty.

However, I was uncertain how many additional Red Knights Redran had secretly trained.

‘Perhaps he only brought those ones.’

A well-trained knight is not only an excellent warrior but also an outstanding commander.

However, the knights that Redran had newly trained under the banner of the Berserker Project might be effective combatants, but they were ill-suited as commanders. After all, command ability is not something that can be cultivated quickly.

‘Besides, Redran’s army is currently besieging the Trot Barony, which means the front line has expanded significantly.’

The longer the front line, the more dispersed the troops become. And to control a dispersed army, numerous commanders are required.

From that perspective, it was reasonable to assume that the knights the Basarak family had possessed since ancient times were currently commanding the forces besieging the Trot Barony.

If that were the case, the conclusion was clear.

The ones chasing us now were Redran’s new knights, the Berserkers.

“Young Master! Enemies ahead!”

Ilia’s shout snapped me back to reality, and I focused on what lay ahead.

Whether it was a pre-planned maneuver or not, small groups of soldiers began to materialize in front of us.

Each wielding a glaive [a polearm weapon with a single-edged blade], effective against cavalry, they began to form a spear wall to impede our progress.

“Do we break through?”

“Of course not!”

I answered Belom’s question cheerfully, pulling the reins to change direction.

That took us further away from the Lord’s Castle of Trot Barony once more, but it was of no consequence. That wasn’t our intended destination in the first place.

‘But I have to give the appearance that I’m trying to reach it.’

After that, I repeatedly altered our course towards the Lord’s Castle whenever the opportunity presented itself, and each time, Redran’s strategically positioned army formed a defensive line.

How long had we been running, resembling rabbits being herded?

“It seems we can’t delay any longer.”

Belom offered his advice quietly, even amidst the frantic flight.

He was right. The encirclement was gradually tightening. If we changed direction one more time, we risked being surrounded in an instant.

“Then we have no choice.”

“Are we heading there?”

“Yes. We’re going to the mountains.”

The final destination, the Accursed Mountain, which had seemed so distant, gradually loomed larger and soon stood directly before us.

Near the mountain, as if reflecting Redran’s assumption that we wouldn’t possibly flee there, no army was stationed.

“Everyone, enter the mountain!”

The Trot Barony’s guards, who had originally been stationed to guard the mountain, had long since been withdrawn.

We passed through the unguarded wooden fence and began to plunge into the mountains along the slope.

How much further had we run after that? When we reached a terrain that was no longer visible from the outside, we stopped and began to catch our breath.

“Will they follow us immediately?”

“No. They were scattered in all directions, chasing us, so if Redran has any sense, he’ll reorganize first.”

This situation would have been entirely unexpected for Redran as well.

“Then we can breathe a sigh of relief.”

“Don’t relax too much.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than low, heavy horn sounds began to echo from all directions.

“What kind of signal is that?”

“What else could it be? It’s a signal to surround us before we can cross the mountain.”

“I see.”

I nodded and raised my hand to summon Belom.

“Redran is the type to strike when an opportunity presents itself. He’ll probably invade the mountain within the next day or two.”

“What mission should we undertake now?”

I shook my head at Belom’s question.

“From now on, we’re on our own. I thank you for your hard work.”

“We can assist you further if you require it.”

“I appreciate the thought.”

“Are you certain you’ll be alright?”

“Yes. Redran will likely surround this mountain completely. Before it’s too late, you should lead the detachment and escape.”

“…….”

At my words, Belom stepped forward and extended his hand.

“It was an honor to contribute to the Count’s endeavors.”

“I wouldn’t have made it this far without you either. I hope we can collaborate again in the future.”

“Anytime for the sake of a comrade.”

Belom’s face remained expressionless, but I could sense his emotions from the hand I held.

A comrade… Well, Belom and I held the same investigator position, regardless of rank, so it wasn’t inaccurate.

After shaking hands, Belom raised his arm and gestured to his subordinates.

“Mission complete. Quickly evacuate this location and return to headquarters.”

The investigators began to vanish as abruptly as they had appeared.

I watched their retreating figures, and when they had completely disappeared, I called out to Ilia.

“Ilia.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“As I stated at the outset, you are the key player in all of this.”

“I am aware of that. However, I am uncertain precisely what I need to do moving forward…”

“The protagonist’s task is straightforward. Advance to the front lines and defeat the enemy’s knights.”

Advance to the front lines alone and confront Redran’s knights.

It was a reckless order, but Ilia nodded without a trace of hesitation.

“I understand.”

“There’s nothing else to be concerned about. The stage is already set. All you need to know is that you no longer have to restrain yourself.”

You no longer have to restrain yourself.

Ilia’s eyes began to gleam at those words.

“Am I permitted to use it?”

“Yes. Use it.”

“I understand.”

It was around the time we concluded our conversation that countless crows that had gathered around us began to caw.

Caw-! Caw!

“It’s a flock of crows.”

At Ilia’s words, I also glanced up at the crows and nodded.

“Yes. It’s the crows.”

* * *

Red breastplate and red helmet.

In addition, the long sword at the waist and the long black cloak instilled a sense of intimidation in the observer; it was the Red Knights.

And in the midst of them, Redran, wearing a black breastplate distinct from the usual, scratched his chin with his index finger.

“Are you absolutely certain they escaped into this mountain?”

At the words of the soldier who had last confirmed their whereabouts, Redran licked his lips.

‘I can’t quite grasp it.’

When Redran initially received the report that the Frost Mercenary had fled into this mountain, he wondered if he had misheard. It defied logic.

The logical course of action would have been to seek a breakthrough and escape to the Lord’s Castle of Trot Barony.

‘Was it Ilia Frost, then?’

Kain Lindeyer’s escort knight.

A knight with no particular title or renown.

Yet Kain took that knight with him as if she were his own limb.

And now, that knight had suddenly formed a mercenary group and had been consistently harassing him from the rear since the war’s inception.

Like a thorn lodged in a callus, irritating.

‘No. I can’t even call it a thorn anymore.’

Initially, it wasn’t a significant issue, but after enduring dozens, hundreds of instances of damage over the past few months, it was now eliciting anger that surpassed mere stress.

‘But why did she suddenly retreat to this mountain, when she had been so elusive and adept at escaping?’

Was it truly because she thinks like a mercenary?

But Redran shook his head.

The Kain he knew was not the kind of person who would keep such a foolish person by his side simply because she possessed outstanding looks and swordsmanship skills.

Therefore, if that knight fled to the mountain, it was logical to assume that she had some sort of scheme in mind.

So what was that scheme?

Redran could readily formulate several hypotheses.

‘Is it a counterattack aimed at me and the Knights being gathered here?’

But if so, it was a futile trick. The Trot Barony was already completely surrounded by his forces.

If even the slightest suspicious movement was detected, a beacon would be lit immediately. If that occurred, the army would move according to pre-established tactics.

He had sufficiently deployed the existing Red Knights as commanders, so they could handle that much even without his direct involvement.

‘Or are they holding out until someone arrives to rescue them?’

This hypothesis was the most plausible. So who would come to rescue them, isolated in the mountains….

“If anyone comes, it would be that friend.”

Kain Lindeyer.

Redran smiled wryly at the thought of capturing him.

Even if he didn’t come, it was of little consequence. It was evident that Kain Lindeyer was the mastermind behind the Frost Mercenary.

And there was a clear basis for Redran’s conviction.

The key was the Blue Wind Merchant Guild.

The Blue Wind Merchant Guild belonged to Kain Lindeyer, and the guild was currently generating substantial profits from the military supply business, as if anticipating the war.

And the military supply business would generate even greater profits the longer the war persisted.

Thus, Kain Lindeyer had to manipulate the war to prolong it, and as a means of achieving that, he disrupted the rear with mercenaries and bolstered the morale of the Northeast Allied Forces by locating the heir to the Flores family.

“Your efforts are commendable, Kain Lindeyer.”

But that was the end of it now.

Kain would likely be taken aback. By the fact that his army was stronger than he anticipated, and that the eastern allies were weaker than he believed.

‘Ilia, was it? I’ll capture your precious knight. Then, I’ll negotiate a non-aggression pact and unearth evidence of your schemes and use that as leverage to manipulate you.’

Redran was contemplating attempting to conciliate her first.

But even if that woman refused, it was of no consequence. He had unwavering faith in the skills of his torturers.

No matter how formidable they were, they would be stripped bare and forced to divulge all the truth when entrusted to their care.

“Lord.”

A staff officer approached Redran, who was lost in thought.

“What is it?”

“I have obtained information about that mountain from a resident familiar with the geography of this area.”

“Really? Report.”

“As you can see, it is a solitary mountain, so if you surround the base, there is no escape.”

“I see.”

“The scale is quite extensive, but if you mobilize the army and gradually narrow the encirclement, you will be able to capture them within a few days.”

“Gradually narrow the encirclement….”

Redran frowned at the staff officer’s words and shook his head.

“There’s no need to waste valuable time and soldiers capturing mere mercenaries.”

“You mean there’s no need….”

“Reinforce the troops and completely surround the base of the mountain. Ensure that not even an ant can escape. Wait until then, and then I and the Red Knights will personally enter the mountain and capture them.”

“You personally?”

“I’d prefer to set fire to the mountain and burn them alive, but there’s a reason to capture them.”

“Is there a need for you to personally intervene? Just send the Knights….”

“Even though they are mercenaries, the leader is someone who knows how to manipulate mana [magical energy]. Besides, she has been skillfully evading us, mocking us. She’s not someone to be underestimated.”

“So there may be unforeseen dangers?”

“There are thirty knights who can wield mana. Moreover, the Red Knights possess more than just the power of mana. Do you believe we can’t capture a single bitch?”

At Redran’s words, the staff officer hastily bowed his head.

“That’s not what I meant. I apologize.”

He said that, but Redran’s concerns lay elsewhere. Of course, it wasn’t a matter of winning or losing the fight.

The Red Knights, that is, the newly trained Berserkers, had one inherent flaw.

If they unleash their abilities, they become reliable hunting dogs, but it is difficult to control the ferocity that is unleashed.

If that cunning cat employs tricks to draw out their true nature, his subordinates will undoubtedly be unable to withstand it and tear her to pieces.

Of course, it was unacceptable for that woman, who would be a valuable hostage, to emerge as a corpse, so he had to personally control them this time.

“In any case, I will command you directly, so keep that in mind.”

At Redran’s words, the staff officer bowed his head deeply.

“I have no doubt that you and the Red Knights will capture the enemies.”

“Good. Have the residents draw a rough map of the geography of that mountain immediately. They must be exhausted, so they must be settling near the water source. We need to thoroughly search that area.”

However, the staff officer who heard Redran’s order wore a sullen expression.

“I don’t believe that’s possible.”

“Impossible? Why?”

“That mountain is renowned among the local natives as a mountain haunted by evil spirits, so no one has ever ventured deep into it.”

“What? Evil spirits?”

“Yes. That’s why it’s named Accursed Mountain.”

“Accursed Mountain….”

Redran let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded at the staff officer’s words.

“They believe in such superstitions, so they live humbly all their lives. I can’t help it. Even if it takes a little longer, we have no choice but to search every inch of it ourselves.”

Redran nodded and raised his arm to gesture to the Red Knights.

“Fill your stomachs and rest. As soon as the mountain is completely surrounded, we will capture that vicious bitch.”

The notoriety of the Frost Mercenary was already considerable within Redran’s army, and as a result, the eyes of the Red Knights also began to gleam with anger.