How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 256

Living as the Third Son of a Wasted Masterpiece – Episode 257

Chapter 61. Blood and Flesh, and Steel

Steel against steel, flesh against flesh.

The cacophony of metallic clashes and the squelching of tearing flesh create a confusing din for the eyes and ears. The battlefield is thick with the stench of blood, enough to numb the sense of smell.

The Bringer County, loyal servants of Rodkius and harboring deep-seated resentment towards the royal family, were armed with a desperate resolve, choosing to swallow daggers rather than surrender.

What could have driven them to such extremes?

Duke Bashrun said that a distant ancestor of the Bringer County had been falsely accused and forced to kneel and apologize before the Capital’s palace.

‘Was it worth it?’

Of course, the false accusation was soon cleared. The royal family expressed deep regret and provided appropriate compensation.

However, they never forgot the humiliation they had suffered.

Noble honor. There must have been a great saboteur called pride that prevented them from being compensated with money.

‘Maybe it was worth it.’

In any case, the Bringer County seemed determined to avenge that humiliation.

They poisoned all the wells in the county and filled the headwaters flowing down from the mountains with rotting livestock carcasses.

They burned the farmlands where the harvest was not yet complete, and even those that were harvested were burned, leaving not a single grain scattered on the ground. In short, all the farmlands of the Bringer County were turned to black ashes.

A scorched-earth tactic…

The thought suddenly occurred to me.

‘The farmers of the Bringer County will have a tough year next year.’

Good heavens, what a frivolous thought? A bitter smile escaped my lips.

Selling the future to avenge the present.

That vicious mindset silenced the nobles of the allied forces, including myself, as we passed through the Bringer County.

Well, it’s not like I was surprised by the scorched-earth tactics as a hidden trump card. Anyone could have thought of that.

But seeing and experiencing it firsthand is a different matter.

A farmer burning the field he cultivated? Unbelievable. What kind of parent would kill their own child with their own hands?

‘Maybe it was worth it.’

As we encroached upon their territory and finally arrived at Brinn Castle, the main stronghold of the Bringer County and the Bringer County family, and after a long time since the siege began, I finally changed my mind.

“We’re all going crazy. Us and you.”

My muttered words, which had finally left my head, made the adjutant standing next to me flinch.

But soon he refocused on his original task, which was to imitate a wooden statue.

Regardless, I scanned the distant battlefield again. Soldiers clustered like ants and the solid walls blocking their path filled my vision again.

Light infantrymen were climbing ladders, and below them, heavy infantrymen with large tower shields protected the archers shooting arrows at the walls from behind.

-Climb! Climb up!

-Kill! Kill them all!

Even if I can’t hear it, I can feel their shouts.

However, what welcomed the soldiers climbing the ladders, reminding them of the fierce close combat to come, were not fellow humans but unexpected things.

Large boulders and boiling oil.

Cracked skulls and melting skin inflict ruthless pain. Mana forms above that cruelty. Soon, the fireballs spewed out by magic burned the heavy infantry clustered below the fallen alive.

Against the backdrop of all that, hundreds of corpses hung from the towering walls with ropes around their necks. Faithful witnesses created by others.

Of course, the bodies of those witnesses belonged to our allied soldiers. They must have been small reconnaissance squads dispatched for advance scouting. They would have been captured and painfully killed.

Prisoners? If they wanted that, they wouldn’t have burned their territory in the first place.

-Damn bastards! How dare they mock the dead! Commander! We must punish those heinous traitors immediately!

A few days ago, the legion commander, who witnessed the sight of his subordinates hung outside the castle, thankfully expressed his anger on my behalf.

The legion commander, who was, in vulgar terms, seeing red, ran to Commander Duke Bashrun and begged.

‘Give me permission to attack!’

Of course, the Duke did not dissuade him. Brinn Castle was an important stronghold that had to be captured anyway, and as always, exploration was necessary.

I raised my hand and stroked my chin. The sound of a horn, signaling the end of the siege, was already echoing. By order of Count Herald of the 4th Legion, the retreat signal was given.

Keep your heart hot, but your head cold. The soldiers, who had already tasted several battles, did not panic at the failed siege and began to retreat in an orderly manner. Excellent soldiers.

But Count Herald’s face must be a picture of dismay. The enemy’s defense was more stubborn and cruel than expected. There is no compromise. I can feel it without being told.

“Chief of Staff.”

The adjutant, who had approached silently, whispered softly in my ear.

“The Commander has called a meeting.”

That was fast. Or, is it to be expected?

Perhaps Duke Bashrun, along with the retreat of the advance party, had concluded that the exploration was over and called a meeting for the full-scale siege that would take place in the future.

I turned away, feeling the acrid smell of burning flesh wafting from afar.

“Let’s start with something else.”

* * *

Above the tent, which was different from the others in terms of its size, two flags with the emblems of a silver fox and a golden dragon intertwined and fluttered.

The fox is Bashrun’s emblem, and the dragon represents the royal family.

The place I arrived at was the residence of Duke Bashrun, the commander of the allied forces who, under the orders of the royal family, would conquer the south.

“…Um, Chief of Staff, the Commander is waiting for you.”

I, who had been standing blankly staring at the flag, indifferently, took a step towards the tent again at the adjutant’s impatience behind me.

“You’ve arrived?”

Sir Harkins, the vice-commander of the Wisdom Knights, who was Duke Bashrun’s right-hand man and bodyguard, smiled happily when he saw me.

“Yes, I have.”

“You don’t look too good. Is it because of today’s failed siege?”

“Even if it wasn’t just because of that, I can’t go around grinning during wartime, can I? I’d only get more abuse for it. At least I have to be somber because there are eyes watching. Even if it’s just a mask.”

Harkins, who had been chuckling, smiled with an ‘oops’ expression at my words, which pointed out his own behavior.

I wonder if he was offended? Whatever, who cares.

The soldiers already have quite a few comrades rolling around on the battlefield, becoming food for crows. At least for today, I plan to strictly control my lips to stay in place.

“I’ll go in.”

I passed Harkins and entered the camp. A long rectangular table was visible. The head seat at the end was also wide horizontally, resembling a T.

And Duke Bashrun, who was monopolizing that wide head seat alone, gave me a bitter smile when he saw me.

“Can’t you please take some of the venom out of that tongue of yours? The atmosphere turns cold whenever you open your mouth.”

Duke Bashrun was acting nonchalant, as if he had heard me snapping at Harkins outside.

Of course, I have no intention of accepting that nonchalance. He is the commander, and I am his chief of staff.

“It’s much faster and easier for me to just be a hopeless person than to take the time to explain and persuade a knight.”

“A great tactician. Well, knights are a stuffy bunch. Anyway, you’re a bit late. What were you doing just now?”

“I was delayed because I was asking the returning soldiers a few questions.”

“That information should be in the post-war report, shouldn’t it?”

“I don’t have the authority to view it until the Commander receives it.”

“Oh, is that so? Then shouldn’t we just listen together now?”

“I needed time to know the information and think about it in order to prepare for the meeting. Anyway, I’m sorry for being late.”

Duke Bashrun smiled at my answer.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I have no reason to reprimand you if you’ve gained time elsewhere. Take a seat.”

He’s acting nonchalant again, pretending not to know anything. You sly old fox.

I apologized without much emotion and sat down in my seat.

The legion staff sitting in front of me gave me a light greeting with their eyes. My attitude was familiar to them as well.

Duke Bashrun was a commander who preferred to exclude personal feelings as much as possible and be dry in military vertical relationships.

“Well, let’s start the meeting. Report.”

At Duke Bashrun’s words, which had become stern again, Count Herald of Lotringen, the 4th Legion Commander, rose from his seat.

“Today’s attack on Brinn Castle failed to achieve its intended purpose. We lost 30% of the deployed troops and decided to retreat. Our casualties are 850 light infantry, 200 heavy infantry, and 150 archers. The exact distinction of casualties is currently being determined. The enemy’s approximate size and damage have also been secured from the testimonies of returning troops, and the details will be replaced by the report submitted in advance. I, Herald of Lotringen, the 4th Legion Commander, ask the Commander for the disposition of the defeat.”

Legion Commander Herald reported in a dry manner as if it were someone else’s business, and Duke Bashrun also answered without much emotion.

“No responsibility will be assigned.”

Legion Commander Herald sat down silently after hearing the answer. There was nothing to be grateful for, and nothing to be sorry for.

Exploration is natural. It’s not enough to just look. There are things you can only know in war by shedding blood.

Duke Bashrun is not stupid enough to assign blame without knowing that.

“Let’s move on to the next item. What about supplies?”

Duke Bashrun tore open the post-war report and asked a question that had nothing to do with its contents. In response, I instructed the 4th Legion Quartermaster and recited the contents I had reported later.

“It’s going smoothly. We expect to reach the required supply level for the next target base after Brinn Castle in four days. There are variables, but we are keeping a close eye on them.”

“What are the variables?”

“Enemy guerrillas.”

“The solution?”

“We have drafted a plan to select those with good eyes to form squads and conduct reconnaissance operations on the outskirts of the rear area supply route.”

“The rear area, including the supply route, is not small in scale. That means the operational fatigue will be high. Will it run smoothly?”

“All formations have been completed. A total of 120 squads will rotate in three shifts, and they are waiting for orders with full knowledge of all communication methods and codes. Therefore, the possibility of the mission being neglected due to physical problems is low.”

The staff who were listening to my report let out small groans. And Duke Bashrun looked at me with a slightly embarrassed face.

“I remember confirming the location of the military camp here late last night. I was even contemplating whether to spend another day setting it up behind Brinn Castle until the very end.”

“You did.”

“But you’ve already made a reconnaissance plan? The attack was this morning. So, you’re saying you finished everything overnight?”

“That’s how it is.”

Duke Bashrun, who had been staring at me silently at my dry answer, twitched his lips.

Then, Duke Bashrun’s voice came into my head. It was a Message magic.

-This guy is even worse than me. Squeezing is good, but it shouldn’t interfere with the main task. You’re keeping that in mind, right?

I shrugged my shoulders slightly without bothering to answer.

Well, what did I do? The ones who suffered were the quartermaster and his subordinate supply officers. If there is praise, it is created by the dark shadows drawn under their eyes.

Duke Bashrun, nodding at my gesture, handed me the post-war report he had finished reading and took a sip from his teacup.

Duke Bashrun’s words continued as I received the report and quickly scanned it.

“Anyway, I guess we can assume that the supply will be finished in four days. Then we have to devour Brinn Castle within that time. That way, we can move straight to the next base without wasting time.”

Indeed, the current allied forces were carrying out a tremendous blitzkrieg [a swift, overwhelming attack]. And among them, the 4th Legion, which included Duke Bashrun and myself, was at the forefront of that advance.

Perhaps Duke Bashrun would never want this momentum to be broken. Then, as he said, we had to capture Brinn Castle within four days.

“It’s a better castle than I thought. It’s become a headache. Anyway, what’s the plan to capture Brinn Castle?”

At Duke Bashrun’s words, everyone’s eyes turned to me. Well, there’s nothing special about it now. It’s been happening all along as the legion has been crossing the south like an ironclad chariot.

They waited patiently until I had read the entire report. I also looked at it carefully enough without much impatience and put the report down.

I slowly rose from my seat. In response, Duke Bashrun waved his hand and unfolded illusion magic.

The 4th Legion’s military camp, which surrounded Brinn Castle and its surroundings, unfolded like a hologram with the power of magic on the table. It’s an impressive sight every time I see it.

Ahem, I cleared my throat lightly and opened my mouth in a low but clear voice.

“I will explain.”