How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 200

How to Live as the Third Son of a Wasted Noble 201

Ilia stood with a noble posture, and Redran, seeing her, bit his lip.

*What exactly is Redran seeing in Ilia right now?*

I couldn’t tell from afar, but judging by the tremor in Redran’s eyebrows, it was clear he had steeled himself.

“……Basarak does not surrender.”

“Basarak’s defeat is inevitable. Are you still going to continue this meaningless struggle?”

At Ilia’s question, Redran shouted, his eyes bloodshot.

“If that’s what it takes, then so be it! I would rather die standing here than kneel before you!”

At Redran’s resolute words, the soldiers guarding the Red Castle began to shout with resentment.

“Get lost! You lackeys of the traitor!”

“Flores must have good backing, huh? You spineless bastards!”

Their loyalty to Redran seemed stronger than I thought.

Well, most of the nobles who followed Redran had already realized that the tide had turned and either surrendered to the Allied Forces or fled far away.

The fact that they are still guarding Redran’s side means their loyalty to Basarak runs deep.

“……If you won’t surrender, I won’t stop you.”

Ilia, who had been urging them to surrender, was about to turn around.

“Stop right there!”

“…….”

Redran, who had called out to Ilia as she was about to retreat, threw himself from the castle walls.

Despite the considerable height, he landed easily by drawing on his mana, and slowly rose to face Ilia.

“Ilia Frost! It’s time to settle the score we couldn’t back then! I challenge you to a duel!”

Ilia narrowed her eyes at Redran’s shout.

“A duel?”

“After this battle, neither you nor I will be in perfect condition.”

Redran’s choice was a frontal assault.

Even if Ilia was truly a demon, she wouldn’t be able to reveal her true form here, where the Allied Forces were watching.

His plan must be to defeat Ilia, overcome his trauma, and boost morale by doing so.

“…….”

At Redran’s words, Ilia glanced at the Allied Forces camp.

Lord Celado and Baron Trot seemed to be signaling her to do as she pleased.

Some lords were even showing welcoming expressions. If they could win a short battle ahead of such an important battle, it would bring a tremendous boost in morale.

Of course, that was only possible because the Allied Forces firmly believed in Ilia’s skills.

“I understand. I accept.”

As Ilia agreed, a tremendous roar erupted from the two camps facing the Red Castle.

Both camps had absolute faith.

The Allied Forces in Ilia, who had built up mythical achievements, and Basarak in Redran, who would bring down the reputation of the Frozen Wraith.

*쿵! 쿵! 쿵!* [Sound of pounding]

The sound of soldiers pounding the ground with long weapons shook the earth, and against that background music, Redran and Ilia faced each other and drew their swords.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

Ruth, who was watching, quietly asked me.

“Why, do you think Ilia will lose?”

“Isn’t Redran a knight close to the Expert level? On the other hand, Ilia isn’t quite there yet. Besides, she can’t use her special powers in a situation like this, can she?”

“Well, is that so?”

At Ruth’s question, I chuckled.

“You’ll see if you watch quietly.”

* * *

“Ilia! Ilia! Ilia!”

“May the gods protect the Frozen Wraith!”

Ilia closed her eyes tightly at the echoing cheers of the Allied Forces.

*I need to concentrate, but it’s noisy.*

Ilia slightly twisted her lips and silently focused her mind with her eyes closed.

The recapture of the Red Castle is just around the corner. In this last battle, Redran came out on his own and challenged her to a short battle.

What if she defeats Redran here for all to see?

The morale of the Allied Forces will soar sky-high. On the other hand, Basarak’s army will be filled with despair.

A different kind of pressure washed over her, different from when she had cut down a knight in the siege of the fortress.

But Ilia brushed off that pressure and only thought about the reason why she had to win.

*It started back then.*

The bleak past of growing up as an orphan and wandering the dirty back alleys after running away from the orphanage, and the underworld organizations that trampled on that past and ruined her life.

They killed a child who was like her own sibling just because they didn’t like him.

Enraged by this, she took a knife and cut down their leader. When his subordinates rushed at her, she cut them down too. After cutting down thirteen like that, the city guards appeared and arrested her.

Even though she had punished the wicked, the world pointed fingers at her, calling her a criminal and a witch, and the dead gang members had become innocent citizens who had lost their lives in a surprise attack by a stranger.

Unable to understand the situation, she kept her mouth shut.

It was then.

A middle-aged man came to visit her in prison and spoke to her.

“Do you know why you’re here?”

There was no way she could know. Rather, shouldn’t she be thanked for cleaning up the scum that was polluting and corrupting the city?

But the middle-aged man said something completely different from what she expected.

“It’s because you don’t have power.”

No power?

She didn’t understand that either. If she didn’t have power, she wouldn’t have been able to kill them in the first place.

The middle-aged man, whose upright posture was impressive, looked down at her and smiled.

“I can’t give you that power. But I can make you realize what that power is. Would you like to come with me?”

At that time, she nodded silently. After all, she didn’t want to sit in a damp prison and die.

The name of the man she followed was Gilaine Esteban, and it was later that she learned that he was the leader of the Wind Knights under the great Lindayer family.

Afterwards, she entered the Wind Knights as a trainee knight and endured harsh training. During the day, she swung her sword until her hands were blistered, and at night, she learned the virtues that a knight should possess.

Only then could she vaguely realize what the power that the Knight Commander had spoken of was.

The power of authority.

Powerless force without authority was useless except for beating up thugs in back alleys.

And in order for her, a person of humble status, to gain that power, she had to grasp something called mana.

Having realized that, she did her best to become a knight. But she always stumbled at the threshold of success that seemed to be within reach.

The limited time she could stay as a trainee knight was running out. If she didn’t succeed as a knight, she would end up spending her life taking care of noble ladies.

She became impatient, and impatience soon turned into anxiety, tormenting herself. As time went on, she became tired of body and mind and wanted to give up everything.

Someone came to the Knights, saying that they needed a servant to accompany them to Capital. He was Cain Lindayer, the notorious Third Young Master.

“The Founding Day event held in Capital is a gathering of prestigious families. I am concerned that if I attend such an event as the Young Master’s attendant, my humble status may cause trouble.”

It was a refusal to avoid being rejected.

Her long life as a trainee knight had made her realize the reality, and she was aware that her status was not suitable for such a position.

“Who decided that? I’ll decide.”

But he scoffed with a disdainful look. Then, he forcibly made her his servant and headed to Capital.

And after that day, her fate was reversed.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

At Redran’s question, which broke her deep recollection, Ilia slowly opened her eyes.

“……Just thinking about the old days.”

Redran gritted his teeth at Ilia’s answer.

“You’re thinking about other things before a duel? You have plenty of time.”

“Was I being rude? If so, I apologize.”

Redran’s anger subsided a little at Ilia’s polite answer.

“……I have a few questions before we cross swords.”

“If it’s something I can answer.”

At Ilia’s words, Redran strongly gripped his scabbard and opened his mouth in a trembling voice.

“As far as I know, you once introduced yourself as Cain Lindayer’s escort knight. Am I right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then why did you change your identity to a mercenary and become a scavenger who throws away honor?”

“Because it was something I had to do.”

“It was something you had to do?”

“Yes. It was something I had to do.”

“Why is that something you had to do? Is there anything more precious to a knight than honor? Or else…….”

Redran paused for a moment, then glared fiercely and continued.

“Is it because you’re not human, so you don’t care about such honor in the first place?”

“……Not human?”

“Yes.”

Ilia pressed her lips tightly. Then, she thought about something for a while, and then she suddenly burst into laughter.

Redran frowned at the sight, then made an ambiguous expression. It was because he felt that her laughter did not contain any mockery.

Thus, Ilia’s light laughter began to echo in front of the Red Castle.

Everyone, including Baron Trot, who was watching, held their breath, as if they couldn’t believe that it was her, who had been given the nickname of Wraith because she didn’t show any emotion.

“No. No, Redran.”

“No?”

“Yes. I know what you’re thinking. But you’re wrong. I am clearly human with hot blood and soft skin.”

“But if that’s the case…….”

“You want to ask why I became a scavenger who throws honor into the gutter?”

“……”

“The answer is simple.”

Ilia nodded and smiled.

“No matter what I do, I will be a great knight to that person. And that’s all I need.”

“That’s all you need? People look up to you now because it’s a war, but when it’s all over, all you’ll have left is the history of being a scavenger. That means you won’t be respected anywhere in the future.”

“I don’t need other people’s respect. I told you before. I just did what I had to do. It wasn’t about throwing away my honor, it was about my responsibility as a knight.”

“What are you…….”

Redran looked at Ilia’s face and couldn’t finish his words. Then, he drew his sword and glared at Ilia, gritting his teeth.

“I’ll soon find out if you really thought that as a knight. Try using that power again in front of everyone.”

At Redran’s determined words, Ilia also slowly drew her sword.

“Yes. You’ll soon find out.”

Ilia suddenly recalled what Cain Lindayer had said casually last night.

“If you get the chance, give him a good scolding.”

“……What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“I’m a little angry that they’re calling my knight a demon. Give him a good beating so he doesn’t say that again.”

He said she was his knight.

Ilia couldn’t help but smile when she thought of that.

So she made up her mind. She will never borrow the power of Aslahina and the Demon Sword in this fight.

She will only use what she has been taught by him. So she will prove that she is his knight in front of everyone.

“I am a knight.”

As Ilia said briefly as if declaring, Redran rushed in, gritting his teeth.

Ilia’s sword tenaciously clung to Redran’s sword, which was rushing in fiercely.

Impatient, Redran approached to engage in close combat, and as if waiting for him, Ilia’s sword passed through Redran’s waist.

Thus, the outcome of the dazzling sword fight in which blue mana clashed was decided in an instant.

*Puh-shuk!* [Sound of a blade piercing flesh]

A stream of blood that gushed out stained the floor. After that, blood began to gush out like a fountain.

Redran, who was quietly looking at his cut waist, slowly knelt down.

Fortunately, Ilia had recovered the mana she had infused into the sword before delivering the final blow, so it ended with such a wound.

If she had used her full power, Redran’s body, split in two, would have been rolling on the floor by now.

“W-We won!”

A soldier of the Allied Forces, who had been watching him with bated breath, shouted. After that, a thunderous roar began to erupt.

“We won! Ilia Frost won!”

“Baron Basarak has been defeated!”

The excitement that had risen slightly soon turned into a huge frenzy and engulfed the audience.

On the other hand, the soldiers of Basarak, who were watching from the castle walls, all pressed their lips tightly and their expressions hardened.

“Bring the Lord!”

The gates of the Red Castle opened slightly.

After that, several knights who rushed out through the gap hurriedly supported Redran and dragged him inside.

Baron Trot, who had been quietly waiting for the process, pulled out his sword after confirming that the gates of the Red Castle were closed.

Just in time, equipment for the siege had arrived. Now that they had won the short battle, there was no reason to delay any longer.

“Recapture the Red Castle! All troops, charge-!”

“Waaaaa-!”

Thus, the Allied Forces became a wave and began to charge towards the Red Castle.