How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 199

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Chapter 200

The orderly movements of the army were a sight to behold. The swords and spears in their hands were well-polished and gleamed sharply, and the determination in their eyes was resolute.

The meaning behind their advance was simple and clear: to seize the towering Red Castle before them. They had marched relentlessly toward that goal.

“It’s starting,” Cella said, standing next to me, her voice slightly trembling.

“Yes, it’s starting. And it’s also the end,” I replied, looking at the Red Castle standing proudly before us.

The defenses seemed well-prepared. Had Redran truly come to his senses? Well, we would soon find out.

Woooong!

A heavy horn sounded from the rear of the aligned army, signaling the imminent attack.

Heralds, including Baron Trot, stood before the armies they each led. Then, everyone turned their gaze to Cella, who stood at the center of the entire army.

“It’s time to issue the order to advance,” I said.

Cella nodded at my words. Then, riding her pure white horse, she slowly reached for her scabbard.

The sword in Cella’s hand was Afien.

This battle would be the last, and at the same time, more intense than any battle before it.

Therefore, even though Illia was guarding her, we had to prepare for the worst. I had Afien consume a lot of mana stones and instructed it to protect her with defensive magic if necessary.

There was no need to worry about Cella discovering Afien’s true nature. Even though extremely rare, magical swords were not entirely unheard of on the continent. As long as Afien kept quiet, she would probably just think it was an enchanted sword.

Of course, lending it to her wasn’t just for Cella’s safety.

‘Show them.’

It was the day the forgotten lord of the East returned to the Red Castle.

I couldn’t let such a historic day pass without fanfare. Many eyes were watching. Perhaps today’s events would spread far and wide through gossip for a long time.

Sreureung!

Slowly drawn by Cella’s hand, Afien was soon raised high.

Saaa….

At the same time, the red energy symbolizing Flores began to flow along the sword.

“Oh…”

“Flores, it’s the red energy of Flores!”

The soldiers watching began to show reverence towards Cella. Receiving all their attention, Cella opened her mouth.

“Today, we will reclaim it!”

Cella’s voice echoed through the heavy air of the battlefield.

“The Red Castle! And the honor we have lost!”

At her deeply resonating voice, the heralds, including Baron Trot, also raised their swords in response.

“For Flores!”

“For the East and our honor!”

At the heralds’ shouts, the soldiers also began to strike the ground with their spears and shields.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Everyone was deeply immersed in the heightened atmosphere. At this moment, they regarded themselves not as mere soldiers, but as heroes of history and destiny.

“All troops, advance!”

“Advance!”

“Advance!”

At Cella’s command, the heralds began to relay the order, repeating her words.

Thus, thousands of troops slowly began to move towards the Red Castle as if they were one body.

“Young Master.”

Having sent the army ahead like a wave and stepped back, I met Ruth, who was waiting for me.

“Ruth, what about the internal layout of the Red Castle?”

At my question, Ruth tapped his head with his finger.

“I have memorized it perfectly.”

“Good. Then, shall we go?”

“It’s been a while.”

“What is?”

“Moving with you, Young Master.”

“Don’t be so sentimental. Just remember our goal.”

“Of course, I remember. To keep Redran alive and well, right?”

“Yes.”

I nodded at Ruth’s answer and looked at the Red Castle.

To keep Redran alive.

The Allied forces, who did not know the details of the Eastern civil war, would surely try to kill Redran if they had the chance.

Moreover, there was a possibility that Redran, whose mental state was currently unstable, might jump directly into the battlefield, unable to contain his anger.

Ruth and I had to prevent that.

Redran had to taste defeat while still alive. And he had to hand over the Red Castle to Cella while still breathing.

Therefore, Ruth and I were in a situation where we had to protect the enemy we had to defeat.

“Then let’s go. Don’t forget to always be careful not to reveal your identity.”

“Understood.”

I drew the unfamiliar longsword, accustomed to Afien, and began to move, following the army that was pushing forward with Ruth.

* * *

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The heavy rocks fired from the catapults struck the walls and gates of the castle. Some of them penetrated inside, crushing soldiers who couldn’t avoid them.

Following this, sappers [military engineers] were deployed to install temporary bridges to cross the moat surrounding the fortress. Infantrymen with heavy tower shields also joined them to protect them.

And finally, siege towers carrying a small number of knights and soldiers slowly began to move towards the fortress to recapture it.

Some point fingers at the East, calling it a barbaric land. But that label was also evidence that the East had been tempered by war for a long time.

Just like now, when everything was proceeding like a well-organized play.

Of course, the Basarak army, which was trying to defend the fortress, also fought to the best of its ability. Certainly, there was nothing lacking in their courageous spirit.

However, this war was already half over the moment Redran had let go of everything.

Even if there were still a considerable number of troops left, they were in disarray because they were not properly managed, and many capable commanders had died in the previous battles.

Of course, Redran, who had come to his senses late, might have called in troops from the southeast.

But by the time they returned, the owner of the Red Castle would have changed to Flores.

“Break down the gate!”

“Break through! If we break through the gate, we win!”

Amidst the chaotic battlefield, centurions [Roman army officers] shouted, encouraging the soldiers.

At the same time, makeshift bridges were built, and sappers with battering rams passed over them and began to strike the fortress gate.

“It’s over if the gate is breached!”

“Stop them! Stop them!”

The Basarak army gritted their teeth at the sight. They poured boiling oil and shot fire arrows at the Allied forces attacking the gate.

“Kkyaaaaak!”

“H, hot!”

The soldiers on fire threw themselves into the moat where water was collected. However, whether poison had been released into the water in the moat, the soldiers who threw themselves in never came out.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Even in the face of the deaths of their comrades, the soldiers intoxicated by the scent of war continued to fill the empty spaces and strike the gate.

The sound of the battering ram echoed, shaking the hearts of the defenders. But conversely, the arrows they fired failed to break the will of the Allied forces.

Koo-oong!

The gate, which seemed impossible to open, eventually collapsed after countless lives were paid as the price.

The first to set foot through the opened gate were the Knights, who had been waiting quietly, looking for an opportunity.

“Knights, charge!”

“Crush the enemy! And clear the way for our allies to enter!”

The Knights, who had been riding at full speed from afar, passed through the gate and began to ravage the Basarak army waiting inside.

Some knights stepped forward to stop them, but Basarak, who had lost the Red Knights in the first place, did not have the power to bridge the gap.

The Allied soldiers, emboldened by the gap created by the Knights, began to rush in.

From above the walls, the Allied forces began to pour in like a flood, using the siege towers that had arrived late.

“R, retreat!”

“Abandon the outer walls! Defend from the inner castle!”

In the end, the only option left for them, whose balance of power had collapsed, was to abandon the outer fortress and fight in the inner castle where the Red Castle was located.

Thus, the Basarak army hurriedly began to retreat, and the Allied forces began to chase after those who were retreating.

Between them was the endless dense city center inside the fortress. It was the moment to announce urban warfare.

“There will be civilian casualties.”

Ruth, who had been watching the whole process, said with a bitter expression.

“It can’t be helped. Not everything can be perfect.”

“Still, the Basarak army seems to be fighting quite well. It doesn’t seem like Redran has completely lost his mind, as you said, Young Master.”

“You never know. He hasn’t shown himself yet.”

I continued to search for Redran, keeping a certain distance from the chaotic battlefield, but I couldn’t see him.

“Is he in the inner castle, the Red Castle?”

“Probably. He’ll think that’s his last stand.”

“Then we should go straight to the Red Castle.”

“We should.”

After a brief conversation, Ruth and I began to move quickly through the city center like shadows.

The Red Castle, which we arrived at in this way, was the same as I remembered it when I visited it to meet Redran before.

Only one thing was different: Redran’s figure standing on the gate leading to the Red Castle.

‘Redran.’

He was clearly visible even from a distance.

The haggard, alcohol-soaked appearance had disappeared. Redran’s appearance, cleanly shaved and with his hair tied up, was the same as I remembered seeing before.

Even though a predicted defeat was waiting, he was standing in front of me with dignity… What was he thinking inside now that the grand dream of seizing the East had collapsed?

“Look at the Red Castle. The defenses are solid, as if he expected to be driven to this point. It seems that Redran was planning to make his stand from the inner castle from the beginning.”

“I guess so. The outer fortress is expendable, but we can’t recklessly destroy the Red Castle.”

The fortress surrounding the outside can be destroyed as much as possible and rebuilt in the future.

However, the city and the Red Castle inside it have a long history and symbolism in themselves, and are assets that Flores must acquire intact.

Destroying such things would ultimately be the same as the Allied forces cutting off their own nose to spite their face. Redran must have been aiming for that.

Ruth also pursed his lips after realizing Redran’s intentions.

“Besides, it seems like there are wizards too.”

“It’s time for Redran to throw everything he has left into this fight.”

Wizards are extremely rare talents and are called strategic assets, and they are resources that are difficult to have unless they are from a family of considerable wealth.

Since their numbers are small and they have limited mana, they must have saved it until the end to protect the Red Castle, not the outer fortress that would be breached anyway.

“It seems that the Allied forces will suffer quite a bit of damage to recapture the Red Castle.”

“It’s not like we didn’t expect it, right?”

“That’s true, but wasn’t the plan to reuse the Eastern army later? At this rate, there will be too many casualties.”

“That’s true too.”

“…What are you going to do?”

“Well. Let’s watch Redran’s reaction first and then think about it.”

“Reaction?”

“Watch.”

I slowly watched the situation, leaving Ruth’s question unanswered.

As expected, the Allied forces surrounded only the Red Castle at once without touching the city center under thorough command.

But that was just the troops. For now, there were no ladders to climb the walls or battering rams to break the closed gates.

It would take a little more time for them to arrive, and the Allied forces focused on consolidating their ranks while surrounding the castle.

The lull that had been maintained for a while ended with a figure stepping forward in front of the Red Castle’s gate.

“It’s Illia? Could it be that you’re going to watch Redran’s reaction?”

I nodded at Ruth’s flustered words.

“Let’s see how this will turn out.”

Illia, who stepped forward, raised her head. Then, she looked straight at Redran, who was standing on the Red Castle, and opened her mouth.

“Open the gate and surrender, Baron Basarak. Then I will spare your life and the lives of the soldiers under your command.”

Redran also lowered his gaze and made eye contact with her at Illia’s voice, which rang out clearly.

‘Well, Redran.’

The promise was kept.

I gave you a chance to undo the curse as I said back then, so now it’s up to Redran.