How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 23

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Episode 23

* * *

The night air in the mountains was cold.

Rangers cloaked in black surrounded me in a circle.

Gillein, who was to judge the sparring match, still wore a displeased expression. Ruth, on the other hand, leisurely watched the duel, sipping wine from a glass in his hand.

“This sparring is not a duel. It is purely to test skill, so cowardly tactics and deliberately targeting vital points are forbidden.”

Gerid stepped forward at Gillein’s words.

“Asking a Ranger to fight with only wooden swords in a designated area is like telling a mage not to use mana, isn’t it?”

“You were the one who suggested it.”

Gerid, rendered speechless, retreated.

Whatever.

I swung the given wooden sword around.

It was a familiar weight.

The memories of swinging it with Ruth for the past few months flashed through my mind.

Glancing over, I saw Ruth slightly raise his glass to me.

It meant he believed in me.

‘I should meet his expectations.’

Thud.

With the wooden sword resting on my shoulder, I looked at the Ranger who came out as my opponent.

The Ranger, who had also swung his wooden sword around a few times, turned to look at Gillein.

“Even if limbs are broken, no one will be held responsible, is that correct?”

“That is correct.”

At Gillein’s confirmation, the Ranger wore a bitter smile.

“Did you hear that, young master?”

“Go, Vent!”

“Win!”

“Show them the power of the Rangers!”

Cheers erupted from the surroundings as the Ranger, called Vent, pointed his wooden sword at me.

Gerid, who had initially been dissatisfied, smirked and glared at me, seemingly not too worried.

I could feel the derision in his eyes.

That only fueled my fighting spirit.

“Start!”

Thwack!

At the same time as the start, I pushed off the ground with my left foot.

Then, the power of my right foot, which was supporting me, exploded, and my body shot forward.

Pushing walk [a technique focusing on leg movement for speed and power, possibly derived from Kendo].

Kendo is not done with the arms, but with the legs. Approaching faithfully, I saw the opponent’s eyes widen for a moment.

“Th, this is…….”

He tried to block with the wooden sword sideways, but his posture was unbalanced, and he couldn’t receive it properly.

Crack!

My wooden sword broke in two.

Whack!

The wooden sword shard, still carrying force, dug in sharply and struck the opponent’s shoulder.

“Kuaaak!”

I was sure. His collarbone was broken.

The sensation transmitted to my hand and the sight of the Ranger rolling on the ground were proof of that.

“Aaaagh…….”

The cheers disappeared in the face of the sudden situation, and everyone just blinked.

Belatedly regaining their senses, some Rangers took their rolling comrade and retreated.

“Next.”

I called out the next turn in a low voice and glanced at Gillein.

I didn’t need anyone else’s reaction. The only person I cared about now was Gillein.

‘Watch and remember well. To the point where your perception of me is shaken.’

This was the first time I was showing my skills, except for Ruth.

Of course, I had no intention of revealing all my cards now.

It was a kind of appetizer.

A bait to lure in the big fish called Gillein.

“I will fight you.”

The next Ranger who came out looked older than the previous one. His skills would be more mature as well.

“Haaap!”

The attack, coming fiercely as if to take revenge, was quite sharp. As expected of a Ranger, it was an unstandardized sword strike specialized for actual combat.

But so what.

Swish!

Could he be more cunning than Ruth, who had risen from the bottom to become a knight?

“Uh, uh…….”

After simply dodging the attack, I turned the sword around as it was bent, and the Ranger’s wooden sword flew into the air.

Dropping the sword. It was worse than breaking it.

The opponent, knowing that fact, blushed and stepped back. Whatever he said would be like spitting on his own face.

“Keuk!”

“Kuh-uk!”

“Kuaaak!”

After easily subduing the next three or four people who jumped out, Gerid’s expression was contorted.

Belatedly realizing the seriousness of the situation, Gerid, who had withdrawn the Rangers who were lined up, looked back.

“Sven!”

“Yes.”

“You go out.”

At Gerid’s words, a Ranger standing far away stepped forward.

The crow emblem on his cloak was larger and darker than the other Rangers. It probably symbolized a superior officer.

‘So, small fry won’t do, huh.’

It is generally accepted that the pure swordsmanship skills of known Rangers are only close to the lowest-ranking knight at the level of a superior officer.

In other words, even if the guy who came out now is a superior officer, his skills are not even close to Ruth’s toes.

Well, a Ranger’s skills are not only evaluated by swordsmanship.

‘Still, a superior officer is a superior officer.’

I turned my head and looked at Gerid.

“Gerid Crowe.”

“What is it, Third Young Master?”

“Does the fact that a superior officer has come out mean that you acknowledge that everyone below that rank is below me?”

“Of course. But that’s only after you defeat Sven.”

He had a confident expression.

The momentum of the surrounding Rangers, which had been somewhat subdued, was slowly reviving.

That meant they believed in his skills.

If so.

I needed to show the gap even more clearly.

Swish…….

A tense atmosphere unfolded in the midst of the chilling night breeze. We faced each other, drawing a circle around the center.

The first to move was the Ranger called Sven.

Swinging his wooden sword greatly with exaggerated movements, he rushed in, meaning one of two things.

He was either ignoring me, or he had other intentions.

Of course, it wasn’t the former. There were guys who had already been defeated. So, it was the latter.

‘What is it?’

While watching the wooden sword being swung down, I scanned the opponent’s movements.

Soon, I discovered a gesture of taking something out from his waist.

‘A dagger.’

A wooden dagger that I didn’t know when he had taken out. The opponent, holding it in his remaining hand, closed in.

The moment of choice had come.

I could either avoid the greatly swung sword and run away, or engage in close combat as the opponent wanted.

‘Close combat, huh? Not bad.’

My choice was the latter.

After all, the purpose of this sparring was to show my skills.

Whoosh!

I also put strength into my sword and swung it greatly. Before the swords collided, I let go of the sword in my hand.

“What is this!”

Sven narrowed his brows as my sword became entangled.

I was now rushing in with my bare hands.

Realizing that he would lose his balance if he didn’t let go of the sword, Sven eventually let go of his sword as well.

Thus, a fight broke out in the middle of the night.

Clack! Thwack! Clack!

The paths overlapped, and each other’s hands, feet, and elbows collided.

Looking at the situation alone, I was at a disadvantage. Even if it was a wooden dagger, it was clearly a real weapon.

Whirlick!

In the midst of exchanging blows several times, Sven suddenly gripped the wooden dagger in reverse.

Then, lowering his stance, he rushed in, aiming for my hamstring.

Of course, my leg wouldn’t be cut. But the moment it was cut, this sparring would be my defeat.

‘A tackle, huh.’

Pop!

At that moment, I twisted my body and dodged, grabbing the hand that had barely brushed past.

Sven’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What is this…….”

Why, did you think I was nothing without a sword?

Even so, I have a body trained in Judo [a martial art emphasizing throws and grappling]. If it’s fighting while bumping into each other, I welcome it more.

Clack!

I pulled the grabbed hand outward.

The remaining hand grabbed the opponent’s collar and pushed, and my left foot, which had dug into the opponent’s chest, set an axis diagonally.

A sweeping hip throw [a Judo technique].

The rest is simple. The opponent’s strength and weight will come to a conclusion.

“Keueut!”

Sven’s body spun once in the air.

I thought he would be slammed into the ground as it was, but Sven, who had skillfully rolled his body with a breakfall [a technique to safely absorb the impact of a fall], stood up.

However, his face was completely dazed, as if he didn’t even know what he had just been hit with.

“Do young nobles these days also learn such martial arts?”

Gerid asked in embarrassment.

“……There’s no way.”

Gillein groaned softly.

“Ugh.”

On the other hand, Sven, who shook his head as if trying to come to his senses, soon found the wooden dagger he had dropped.

“Looking for this?”

Thud.

Spinning around…….

I kicked the wooden dagger at my feet and threw it to him.

Sven’s face turned as red as a persimmon as he saw the dagger, which had fallen in front of him like a top.

“You son of a bitch!”

As if he had forgotten that I was a noble, Sven spat out a vulgar curse and rushed in with the wooden dagger.

Of course, it was a ruse I had thrown out hoping for that.

It was a cautious movement full of vigilance so as not to be careless, but it didn’t matter.

Because there were various techniques I could use.

I twisted my stepping foot and lowered my upper body. At the same time, I greatly twisted the foot connected to the rotated body.

Soon, a turning kick that soared from behind struck.

Thwack!

It was a devastating back kick. It not only broke the wooden dagger that was blocking it, but also struck Sven’s face.

“Keoeok…….”

Sven’s body flew through the air like a kite with a broken string.

Thump.

As if his soul had been pulled out, Sven foamed at the mouth with his head buried in the ground.

Correct posture and accurate timing.

If these are met, Taekwondo [a Korean martial art known for its kicking techniques] is more destructive than any other martial art in the world.

Even if I didn’t know, he would probably have to lie down and recuperate for a few weeks.

“…….”

“…….”

The audience was filled with silence.

On the other hand, I, who had lightly caught my breath, turned my head and looked at Gerid.

“Is there anyone else you want to send out?”

* * *

“You’ve worked hard.”

Ruth approached me as I came out to breathe the night air to cool off and calm my mind.

Then, Ruth handed me something. It was a leather pouch. When I put my nose to the entrance, a sweet smell of alcohol rose.

“Looking at you now, you’re completely a drunkard.”

“Well, I can’t exactly say I’m not.”

I took a light sip and handed it back to Ruth.

“How’s the atmosphere?”

“It’s like a funeral home.”

“Really? What about Gerid?”

“Well, I guess he was planning to give up one or two new Rangers as it was the lord’s request.”

“But?”

“But he’s about to give up most of them, so how would he feel? He’s hugging a jar of alcohol and drinking it.”

“Then he should have been careful with his words.”

“Yes, that’s right. Gerid fell for his own trick.”

What if the place was a forest?

What if asymmetrical weapons such as traps, bows, and throwing stars were allowed?

It would have ended at the level of defeating a few new Rangers.

“You were lucky.”

“Lucky? Didn’t you create that situation? I was puzzled at first when you told me to provoke Gerid.”

Ruth, recalling the whisper I had made before the banquet, chuckled.

“That’s true, and you were really amazing earlier.”

Ruth smiled and suddenly stretched out, imitating the turning kick I had shown.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the clumsy sight.

“Hmm, it’s harder than I thought. When did you learn this?”

Where did I learn it? I learned it at a Taekwondo gym.

“Well, just.”

“Is this also instinctive like swordsmanship?”

“Let’s just say that.”

“You’re amazing. Sincerely.”

“Stop with the flattery. So, how many Rangers have come over?”

Ruth nodded at my question.

“There are four superior-level Rangers, ah! Was it Sven? That friend broke his arm, so excluding him, there are three.”

“What about regular Rangers?”

“There are about fifty Rangers. That’s quite a number.”

“Are they all lower in rank than Sven?”

“Yes.”

Adding them all up, there are a little over fifty.

It’s not enough, but it’s not impossible. It was worth trying.

“I’ll have to gather them all when I go in.”

“Yes?”

“I have to finish the banquet.”

Ruth narrowed his brows for a moment and scratched the back of his neck.

“Suddenly a banquet in this atmosphere, I don’t quite understand your intentions.”

“Whether it’s by choice or by force, if you’ve gathered people, you have to motivate them.”

During my time as an officer, I had to appease the squad members who were dragged into work they hated more than death with carrots [incentives].

Whether it was the PX [Post Exchange, a military store] or an overnight stay.

Then, the work they hated more than death soon became labor for reward, and the efficiency that had hit rock bottom soared.

“By motivation, do you mean?”

“They still think I’m just going to hunt monsters for fun.”

“Are you going to announce that you’re going to catch the Blade Tribe leader?”

“Yes. They must have some grudges too.”

He’s an elusive guy who hasn’t been caught for 10 years.

How many of their comrades have died to him, and how many humans have died? I have to remind them of that.

If that doesn’t work.

“The bounty on his head will also be a sufficient carrot.”

Hanging a carrot worth hundreds of gold coins.

That will give them a reason to put in their efforts.

“But the Rangers who have had their pride broken by being beaten by you earlier, will they cooperate willingly just by offering money?”

Silly Ruth.

“Rather, they’ll participate even more enthusiastically.”

“Yes?”

“Because the Rangers have become the main force of this subjugation force.”

Everyone except me, Ruth, and Gillein are Rangers.

That means that instead of the advisor role I’ve maintained so far, I’m participating directly as the main force.

In that situation, what if the subjugation fails?

The world will think that the Rangers failed, not the count’s good-for-nothing third son.

Whether it’s by choice or by force, they’ve become the main force, so will the Rangers just stand by?

Even if I don’t know, they’ll try to succeed somehow because they live and die by their pride.

The carrot I thought of earlier will be the trigger to ignite that desire.

Ruth nodded after hearing my explanation.

“I see. But the bounty is hundreds of gold coins, isn’t that too much of a waste?”

“I’m not going to give it away for free either.”

“Yes?”

“Give and take. If there’s something going, there has to be something coming.”

Hundreds of gold coins is a huge sum to change the equipment of all the Rangers, and I have no intention of giving it away like a pushover.

“Let’s go, Ruth.”

“Yes.”

All the sweat has dried.

Shall we go and settle things?