How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 197

How to Live as the Third Son of a Wasted Masterpiece – Episode 198

The Red Knights had been defeated.

What started as a mere rumor quickly turned into a confirmed fact. The Red Knights were nowhere to be seen as the Allied forces advanced.

Perhaps because of this, the siege surrounding the Trot Barony was easily broken. The core belief that knights should be countered with knights had crumbled.

The Basarak army, realizing they were without their knights, saw their morale plummet. An army that loses morale cannot win battles.

Victory followed victory.

The four lords leading the vanguard fought with all their might to survive. They offered their hard-won victories to Cella, as if atoning for past mistakes.

It was a good sign. Those who needed to be held accountable were now bound by a significant debt.

“Who do we have here! If it isn’t Count Cain, the shadow of the Allied forces!”

Baron Trot greeted me with a broad smile as I entered the command tent of the military camp.

He seemed quite pleased with my actions so far, now openly showing his respect.

“Keep your voice down. Someone might hear us.”

“Who would be listening? It’s so noisy outside.”

Indeed, morale was soaring with the repeated victories.

The same was true now. Outside the tent, soldiers, drunk on the sweet taste of victory, were singing and making merry.

I shrugged at the commotion and sat down on a chair.

“The soldiers seem to have high morale.”

“Red Keep is just around the corner. There’s no stopping them. I never thought Basarak would collapse so easily.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Hmm? You feel the same way?”

“Even if the Red Knights were defeated, Redran still had an army. I thought he would put up a proper fight, but I didn’t expect him to collapse so helplessly.”

“Hmm, I agree. Maybe the rumors about something happening to Redran are true? I’ve interrogated the prisoners, but not a single one has seen Redran on the battlefield.”

“Were there no captured commanders?”

“There were a few. But they all said they hadn’t received any specific orders. They all testified that they fought based on their own judgment.”

No orders received…

Has he really given up?

In fact, Redran has been reclusive, never showing his face on the battlefield.

But I clearly saw him returning safe and sound from the Evil Spirit Mountain with my own eyes.

“The Allied commanders who fought against Basarak’s army on the battlefield all said the same thing. They said they were just rushing in without any proper tactics.”

“…….”

I pondered Baron Trot’s words.

Redran certainly wasn’t injured or ill.

But he was absent, even as his precious army suffered repeated defeats.

Is he plotting something?

But that seemed unlikely. Red Keep was right around the corner. Redran had already lost thousands of troops to get here.

No matter how brilliant the plan, it required manpower to execute. But Redran was neglecting his army as if he had given up on everything.

‘I don’t know what he’s up to.’

Red Keep is the last thing Redran has left after losing his knights and army. If we take that away, the picture will become clearer.

But is it really right for things to flow so smoothly like this?

Feeling uneasy, I looked at the tactical map spread out on the table.

“Is this the plan to recapture Red Keep?”

“Yes.”

In the center of the tactical map was the Red Keep, a vast fortress, and around it were military models representing the Allied forces.

I examined them for any flaws and spoke.

“How’s the situation in the southeast?”

“Basarak’s occupation forces are stationed there, but as Count Cain knows, Redran rushed north. The remaining resistance forces are gaining strength and operating in various places.”

“Is that so.”

“It’s a good thing. The news of the Allied victory in the northeast will have reached them, so it will be a great help if the resistance forces strike from below.”

I sighed softly at Baron Trot’s excited explanation.

“Baron Trot.”

“What is it?”

“You can proceed with the plan to advance and besiege Red Keep. But could you postpone the attack for a while?”

“Postpone it?”

Baron Trot’s eyebrows furrowed at my request.

“Yes. Please postpone it.”

“Is there a reason why I should?”

“There’s a saying, ‘Look before you leap.’ [Think carefully before acting.]”

“What does that mean?”

“It means it’s not too late to move after we’ve figured out what Redran is up to.”

“You’ll figure it out…….”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Baron Trot readily nodded at my words, which drew a line.

“I understand. Count Cain has done so much for the Allied forces, I can certainly grant you that request. But don’t take too long. You agree that we should strike while the iron is hot, don’t you?”

I nodded at Baron Trot’s words and stood up.

“It won’t take long.”

With those words, I pulled my hood back on and left the command tent.

* * *

As the sun set and twilight approached, I rode my warhorse for quite a while, stopping when I spotted a dimly visible fortress in the distance.

‘I’ve arrived.’

How long have I been riding? I frowned, feeling a throbbing pain in my buttocks, and took a moment to catch my breath.

It had been a while since I moved alone.

But I didn’t feel anxious or nervous. Rather, perhaps because I had been careful while disguising my identity, I felt relieved.

[What, did you forget about me?]

Never mind being alone.

I frowned at Aphen’s words echoing in my head.

“Be quiet.”

[Can’t I even speak? Ebebebe!]

“…….”

[By the way, why did you suddenly come here?]

“I have business to take care of.”

[Business? What business?]

“Do I have to report everything to you?”

[I’m bored!]

There are plenty of things to be bored about.

I suppressed the rising annoyance and sighed softly.

“I need to check on Redran’s condition.”

[Why him?]

“I have an uneasy feeling.”

[Judging from the situation, it seems like he’s just given up? If I lost all my knights, I’d lose all motivation too!]

Given up… I’d be relieved if that were the case.

But for some reason, I kept feeling uneasy. It was as if things wouldn’t go as everyone thought.

So I decided to check it out myself to get rid of that ominous feeling. That’s why I came to Red Keep alone.

Redran hasn’t even bothered to manage his army properly and has been reclusive. If he hasn’t soared into the sky or disappeared into the ground, he must be here.

“Shall we go?”

As I urged my warhorse again and started moving, Aphen spoke in a surprised voice.

[Are you just going to walk in?]

“Then?”

[Shouldn’t you wait until late at night and sneak in?]

“Why?”

[Who knows what Redran might do to you?]

“What can he do to me?”

[…….]

Aphen shut his mouth at my question.

He must have belatedly remembered that this war was a conflict between the lords of the East.

That’s right. On the surface, I have nothing to do with this war. I’m still affiliated with the Lindayer family, and Lindayer and Basarak have a non-aggression pact [an agreement between two or more parties not to attack each other].

Of course, Redran probably suspects that I’m behind this war. But that’s just speculation without any clear evidence.

In that situation, antagonizing me is the same as openly provoking Lindayer. That’s why I came alone like this.

Of course, Redran might be half out of his mind and try to oppress me. But I was confident that I could get out of any situation. If necessary, I could just use the power of the Glyph.

“Stop right there!”

As I approached the gate of the fortress, a figure moved above the ramparts and a warning echoed.

“The curfew has passed! Who’s loitering near the gate!”

At the soldier’s warning, I raised both hands as if to show that I had no intention of fighting.

“I am Cain Lindayer of the Lindayer family.”

“……The Lindayer family?”

The twilight was still present, so they should be able to recognize me from the ramparts. I wasn’t even disguised, and the gray hawk was clearly engraved on the identity badge I presented.

The top of the ramparts buzzed for a moment, and then the voice that had spoken to me first echoed again.

“I apologize, Count. There were orders not to allow any outsiders into the city after the designated time.”

“Outsiders?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Are you saying that even with Basarak’s invitation, I’m being treated coldly as an outsider?”

“Invitation, you say?”

“Yes. Redran’s invitation.”

Well, Redran certainly said I was welcome to visit again anytime when we last parted, so I guess it’s an invitation.

“P, please wait a moment.”

Anyway, they seemed troubled to hear the name of the lord they served.

But the hesitation wouldn’t last long.

The other party was a direct descendant of Lindayer, one of the most prestigious families, and even held the title of Count. Moreover, they must have been relieved that I came alone.

Soon, a small side gate next to the main gate opened and a voice echoed.

“We will allow you to enter on the condition that you follow our guidance.”

“I have no reason not to.”

I nodded and slowly urged my horse towards the side gate.

The city inside the fortress I stepped into was quiet and eerie.

Of course, it would be strange for a city at war to be lively, but it was so subdued that it was hard to believe it was the evening, the end of the day. It must be because of the repeated defeats.

As I entered through the side gate, a number of people with swords approached me.

Judging from the naturally flowing mana, they were clearly knights who wielded mana.

‘Even in the evening, the knights are armed and waiting.’

It meant they were ready to respond immediately to any attack. After all, Red Keep was the main base of Basarak, so the military discipline must be tight.

“Welcome to Red Keep, Count Cain. I am Knight Busek.”

“Nice to meet you, Knight Busek. It’s not a good time, but I have important business to attend to, so I apologize for the intrusion.”

“It’s alright. We’re here to quickly handle your business, Count, so don’t worry about it.”

So, you’re saying I should quickly finish my business and get out of here?

Well, I don’t intend to stay here long anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

I nodded and pointed with my chin at the Red Keep towering in the distance.

“I’m going there.”

“……To Red Keep, you say?”

“Yes.”

“If you’ve come to see the Lord, that’s not possible right now. If you tell us your business, we’ll deliver it for you.”

“Is that so? It’s not that late to be asleep yet. I was going to have dinner with him.”

“That’s not possible. If you really need to see him in person, it would be best to make an appointment and come back later.”

“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do.”

I nodded, having a rough idea of Redran’s condition from Busek’s firm refusal.

“It’s late, so I’ll just stay overnight at a local inn. That should be alright, right?”

“I understand. We’ll provide troops to escort you so you can stay comfortably.”

Escort, my foot. It’s for surveillance.

Well, it doesn’t matter. After all, the fact that I visited will eventually reach Redran’s ears. If that’s the case, I don’t need to bother persuading them.

I turned around and entered a nearby inn, and I was finishing my second glass of beer when it happened.

Thump-!

Knight Busek, sweating and looking at me, appeared as the door was roughly opened.

“Please come to the Lord’s Keep. We will escort you.”