How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 215

Ilia nodded after hearing my story, but Redran looked uncomfortable.

Of course, Redran hadn’t yet grasped the heinous reality of the Neviros Order, so his reaction was understandable.

“Why should I fight my fellow humans to help these different races?”

“Go back if you don’t like it.”

“……Is that even a thing to say?”

“I’m saying I’ll do it because it’s necessary.”

“Then proceed without me.”

“Didn’t you come to the North to help me with my work?”

“Other things aside, it’s a different matter entirely for my sword to be used to help other races.”

He’s being awfully picky. It’ll be too annoying to argue every time something comes up in the future.

Tsk, I clicked my tongue and shrugged.

“If you ever get a chance to rebuild your life.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“You’ll need quite a bit of money, won’t you? It’ll be tough to start from scratch with nothing.”

“…….”

I grinned and held up a finger.

“Let’s just say you’re accepting my request if you don’t want to do it. If you help me with all my work here in the North without complaint, I’ll give you five hundred gold coins as payment.”

Five hundred gold coins.

It might not have been much when he was the lord of the Red Castle, but it’s definitely not a small amount for Redran now that he’s lost everything.

As expected, Redran’s eyes wavered.

“You think I’m a mercenary who’d be swayed by a few gold coins…….”

“Is it too little? Then let’s make it a thousand.”

“…….”

I shrugged at Redran, who quickly shut his mouth.

“Well, I’m not going to interfere if you’re not interested in money, but wouldn’t your subordinates in the Sky Fortress feel differently? They’re living that hard life without any pay.”

Redran eventually gritted his teeth when I mentioned the subordinates who had followed him all the way to the Sky Fortress despite his defeat.

“A thousand gold coins. Keep your promise.”

“Of course.”

Redran’s principles are worth a thousand gold coins.

Ilia, who had been watching our conversation, got straight to the point once the situation was settled.

“So, what are you planning to do?”

“They said they noticed and came looking because the Dark Elves were sending people out of the Bläuga Forest. How could that be possible?”

“Did they place watchers around the forest?”

“I don’t know. If they have the kind of talent who can be self-sufficient and carry out missions in this barren North, it would be a waste to use them as watchers.”

“Then is it magic?”

“If it were, we wouldn’t have failed to notice it when we entered the forest.”

Redran, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly spoke up.

“A traitor.”

At Redran’s words, I gestured with my chin.

“Explain in detail.”

“There’s no need to use magic or deploy key personnel to watch. It’s very simple to just plant an informant inside who’s been promised a reward.”

“Good point. So, how do we catch them? We don’t know anything about these Dark Elves.”

I prompted him with a sly tone, and Redran clicked his tongue as if displeased.

“What do you mean, how? There’s no need to stir up a hornet’s nest. If there really is an informant, they’re probably desperate.”

I nodded at Redran’s words.

“That’s right. If there’s an informant, it’s probably a patrol. They can easily contact them secretly while pretending to scout the forest.”

“But most of the patrols have been thoroughly beaten by you.”

“So, I told Bläuga to give up patrolling for the time being and focus on recovery.”

“Judging by the way you’re talking, you’ve already figured out a plan. Why are you even asking?”

I grinned at Redran’s grumbling.

“Well, anyway, the guy who’s desperate to deliver the news will move soon. We’ll take advantage of that gap to catch them.”

Ilia nodded at my words.

“You’re waiting for them to move on their own accord.”

“Yes. If there’s a traitor, they’ll definitely move.”

* * *

That day, my party and I left the Dark Elves’ hideout as if we had finished our business and were leaving.

Of course, I made a deal with Bläuga to keep the fact that I had decided to help them a secret. It was necessary to catch the informant inside.

After getting a reasonable distance away from the Dark Elves’ base, we immediately began to monitor the forest.

Several days later, late at night, my shift came around, and after relieving Ilia, I found Redran leaning against a distant tree trunk, looking at the Dark Elves’ village.

“What, is it the changing of the guard?”

“Yeah.”

I answered and tossed him the jerky I had brought. Redran caught it easily and shrugged.

“I was hungry, so that works out.”

Redran began to chew on the jerky he had received. I took out a leather pouch filled with water, briefly quenched my thirst, and handed it to Redran.

“See anything?”

“Nothing. If they’re going to move, they should move quickly. It’s annoying.”

I glanced back. Ilia was probably asleep. After confirming that we were the only ones around, I looked at Redran.

“So.”

“What?”

“Have you found a way to get stronger?”

A way to get stronger. That was the reason Redran had given me when I asked him why he was tormenting Ilia in the Sky Fortress.

At my question, Redran opened his mouth in a dry tone.

“It’s only been a few days since I came to the North.”

“Is that so? Well, this is the first time we’re actually working together with the same goal.”

“Yeah. Before the war, you deliberately avoided me.”

“Did I?”

“During the Founding Day and when you came to the Red Castle.”

Come to think of it, Redran kept trying to win me over. Each time, I would change the subject or avoid the situation.

But listening to him, it feels like I was the one in the wrong?

“Who saved you from running around the capital naked? Are you picking a fight with your benefactor right now?”

When I mentioned the bet I made for the opening match of the tournament when I first attended the Founding Day, Redran chuckled softly.

“Ah, that’s right. Damn, I never dreamed you’d actually win.”

“Be grateful you know it.”

The conversation ended there, and silence returned. The Dark Elf village was still quiet.

After a long silence, Redran spoke first.

“That woman, Ilia.”

“Ilia? Why?”

“I know she has great talent. She’s also putting in the effort, and she seems smart.”

“Why all the sudden praise?”

“But that alone doesn’t explain it. I want a proper explanation now. What ability did that woman use on that mountain?”

The mountain……. He must be talking about the Accursed Mountain where Redran and the Red Knights were defeated.

Redran had finally admitted that Ilia, whom he had believed to be a demon, was human. But even so, the deep-seated questions remained unresolved.

Hmm, what should I answer? Should I tell him the truth? Well, I can’t hide it forever. Besides, Redran is the one who directly faced that power.

“The power of the past.”

“What?”

“Ilia obtained the power of Aslahina, a knight who was Kerwin Achen’s confidant and friend.”

“Aslahina?”

Redran’s brow furrowed.

He must be retracing his memories. I understand. Unless you’re a scholar well-versed in history, you wouldn’t know all the heroes of the past.

“I think I’ve heard of her. Wasn’t she the strongest female knight in history? But that woman has that power?”

“Yes.”

“You’re telling me to believe that?”

“Why did you ask if you weren’t going to believe it?”

“…….”

Redran groaned for a moment before speaking again.

“It’s hard to believe, but let’s put that aside for now. Then why did you come to the North? Don’t tell me you’re looking for a power like the one that made that woman strong?”

Seriously. Why does he keep asking if he can’t believe it?

“No. The reason I’m here is to save the continent.”

“Save the continent?”

“Yes.”

“From what?”

“From the evil order and evil knights who want to destroy the kingdom and control humanity.”

“What did you eat wrong?”

“See, why do you keep asking and making a fuss when you’re not going to believe it anyway?”

“…….”

Redran, who had nothing to say, shut his mouth.

The conversation ended again. Then, just as Redran was about to speak again, perhaps feeling disgruntled, a small light began to flicker in the distance. It was Bläuga’s signal to indicate that things had gone according to plan.

Confirming it, Redran and I simultaneously took our stances.

“It’s a signal.”

I nodded at Redran’s words and gestured.

“Go wake Ilia and bring her here. I’ll move ahead first.”

“Got it.”

After parting ways with Redran, I moved quickly.

The forest at night was dark, but it wasn’t a problem. Awakening Dark Vision, I began to roam the forest, which had become as bright as day.

How far had I gone?

I saw a Dark Elf moving in the distance. Dressed in the uniform of a patrol, he kept scanning his surroundings before whistling softly.

Soon after, a carrier pigeon flew over and landed gently. It seemed like he had done this many times before.

The Dark Elf approached the carrier pigeon familiarly and took something out of his pocket. It was a folded note to be tied to its ankle.

There was no need to see more. Having caught him in the act, I immediately gathered my mana and rushed in.

“Wh-What?”

The Dark Elf, startled by my sudden appearance from the darkness, took a step back. Then, he hurriedly brought the note he had taken out to his mouth.

It was obvious that he was trying to swallow it to destroy the evidence. How ridiculous. Even if he swallowed it, all I had to do was cut open his stomach to get it out.

But fortunately, it seemed like there would be no need to cut open his perfectly good stomach.

Thwack!

My hand, moving faster, grabbed his neck. I made the act of swallowing impossible and forcibly pried open his mouth.

“Kuh-uh…….”

After taking out the note soaked in saliva, the panicked guy began to rummage through his waist. Judging by his actions, he was trying to grab a weapon, and I sneered.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I grabbed his wrist and broke it. Then, I kicked his shin, making it impossible for him to grab anything or walk.

I threw away the guy who was screaming in pain and carefully began to unfold the wet note.

“Did you catch him?”

At that moment, Redran and Ilia, who had arrived late, approached me.

Redran clicked his tongue after seeing the Dark Elf lying on the ground, writhing in pain.

“You’ve made a mess of him.”

On the other hand, Ilia, who had knocked out the screaming Dark Elf, came to me and asked cautiously.

“Did you find the evidence?”

At Ilia’s question, I nodded and showed her the letter in my hand.

[Three humans met with the Elder and returned. They must be plotting something.]

Below the short text was a fairly skillful drawing of my party’s faces.