How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 26

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Episode 26

The sword speaks.

Or rather, it feels like words are being hammered into my consciousness. It wasn’t unpleasant, but a strange experience.

“Sword? What should I call you?”

[Aphen.]

“Isn’t that Kerwyn’s family name?”

[It’s also my mother’s family name.]

I don’t really have anything to say.

It’s true that Kerwyn made the sword.

But why is this thing talking down to me?

[But why are you talking down to me?]

It’s weird to hear the complaint I was thinking about directly from the source.

Moreover, it was even more irritating because the voice sounded like a young girl.

“Even just based on your voice, shouldn’t you be using honorifics? And you were the one who started talking informally first.”

[I got tired of counting my age after I turned 200, okay?]

Damn it, I have nothing to say.

Come to think of it, this sword was made during the era of Emperor Bellangas. It achieved numerous feats with him and built accomplishments that would be recorded in history.

Okay. Well, I guess that deserves some respect.

“Well, putting that aside, why have you been quiet all this time and only speaking now?”

[Hilarious. It’s because your mana was so tiny.]

“What about now?”

[Now, this place is filled with mana.]

Is it talking about the energy emitted by the magic stone?

Indeed, as the sword, or rather Aphen, said, this cavern was like a sealed room filled with mana. The only problem was that the mana had an evil aura.

“So, if we leave here…”

[I’ll fall asleep again.]

“Then how do I wake you up in the future?”

[Why do you keep asking obvious questions? You need to increase your mana, of course!]

This thing has a knack for irritating people.

“To what extent?”

[I don’t know. There’s no exact standard, and Bellang is the only person I’ve ever met besides you.]

Bellang must be referring to Emperor Bellangas.

[At least you need to be able to manifest mana for me to wake up without worry.]

The manifestation of mana.

If that means Aura [a visible manifestation of one’s life force], then even an intermediate mana user is not enough. You need to be at least an advanced user.

“What happens if I wake you up before that?”

[It doesn’t matter. But your tiny mana heart won’t be able to handle it and will break. Is that okay?]

Of course, it’s not okay.

[More importantly, what are you going to do with that? Are you just going to leave it there?]

At Aphen’s words, I looked at the magic stone.

The magic stone, still rooted in the ground, continued to emit an eerie energy.

“If it’s a magic stone, is it related to black magic?”

[It has an evil aura, so it can’t be white magic. Are you stupid?]

This little punk.

“……I’m pretty sure I heard that touching it would cause a curse.”

[I can take care of it.]

“How?”

[I can eat it! I’m not swayed by mere evil energy like you guys.]

Eating the magic stone. Does that mean absorbing the mana it possesses?

“What if you become corrupted?”

[That won’t happen! I’ve eaten it several times before. More importantly, decide quickly. The energy is already fading!]

But this thing, why does it sound like someone with an insatiable appetite since a while ago?

“What do I need to do?”

[Just stab the sword! Into the magic stone!]

Hurry! Hurry!

I could feel a sense of urgency in Aphen’s words as it licked its lips and urged me on.

Sigh.

I licked my lips, raised the sword, and aimed it at the magic stone.

[Hurry! Eeheehee! Hurry!]

Whoosh!

Just before the sword pierced the magic stone, I stopped it at the last moment.

[Oh my, what are you doing now? Why did you stop?]

“I have a condition in exchange for letting you eat it.”

[What? Are you kidding me right now? Who saved you from the curse?]

“Well, I don’t mind just leaving the magic stone behind.”

I pretended to put the sword back into its sheath.

[W-wait!]

“What is it?”

[Well, hmm, now that I think about it, I’m meeting a new partner after a long time, right? I guess I can listen to a condition or two.]

Look at this thing?

Looking at it, it’s only old in age, but its mental age is just like a child.

Usually, an ego sword [a sentient weapon] should have a wise ego in the position of an advisor, right? Is this a failure? Why was it made like this?

‘Could it be because of that?’

There are no children between the Emperor and Kerwyn.

They clearly loved each other, but the Emperor had to engage in political marriages with powerful families to strengthen the royal authority.

An unfulfilled love in the end.

So, did he deliberately implant an ego close to a child? As a substitute for the child he couldn’t have?

If that’s the case, I can’t leave it like this.

I can’t live serving a brat.

“Then, first condition. You just called me a partner, right? Then let’s strictly go as a business relationship from now on.”

[B-business what?]

“It means a collaborator, not a superior-subordinate relationship. Even if you’ve lived for hundreds of years, there’s not much difference if you exclude the time you were asleep. We can talk comfortably to each other; how great is that?”

[Are you even saying that right now…….]

Whoosh!

When I pointed the sword at the magic stone, Aphen shut its mouth after getting angry.

Hmm…….

The sound of saliva dripping could be heard from here.

I didn’t know. Is mana that good? Well, if it’s been starving for hundreds of years, I guess it makes sense.

[……Okay. Okay, so hurry!]

“Second. Don’t talk to me in my head without my permission from now on.”

No matter how amazing the experience is, I refuse to have someone constantly going in and out of my head.

[Okay! I understand!]

“Third. The mana obtained from the magic stone will only be used for me.”

[What do you mean?]

“I can’t use you freely with my current skills. Save it and come out and use it when I need it. Don’t use it for useless things.”

[I want to use magic for the first time in a while! Do you know how I feel? I’m addicted to mana!]

There was definitely a setting in the novel that wizards are prone to mana addiction.

Is this thing one of those cases?

But that’s only your problem.

“Then go back to sleep until I gain strength.”

When I pretended to put the sword away, Aphen eventually surrendered first.

[Wait! Okay, I understand!]

“You promised.”

[Yes! Yes!]

“If you break it, I’ll melt you in a furnace.”

[Ah! That’s so unfair!]

“You just have to keep it. Were you planning not to keep it?”

[N-no. I’ll keep it. Really!]

Just try not to keep it.

Whirr!

I turned the sword around and aimed it at the magic stone.

[Heh, hehe, mana…… mana…….]

“…….”

What was the Sword of Radiance that Emperor Bellangas used in the novel?

When he descended upon the battlefield, unfolding golden wings through materialization, wasn’t he praised by everyone as the Angel of Radiance?

But I don’t know what this looks like now.

I seriously doubted whether this little glutton obsessed with greed was the same being from that novel.

‘I don’t even know anymore.’

I gave up thinking.

I let out a low sigh and stabbed the sword into the magic stone.

* * *

After finishing what I had to do, I returned the way I came and went back to the barracks. Then, I immediately gathered Gilian and the Ranger executives to hold a meeting.

When I told them about the existence of the cave, everyone wore an expression of disbelief.

When I briefly explained what had happened there, everyone eventually became filled with anger and began to burn with enthusiasm.

In particular, it was a rare sight to see Gilian, who was always gentle, get excited with anger.

“Young master, how did you find that place?”

“I just searched diligently.”

“In this wide area? No, in the first place, where did you get the information that there were traces in that basin?”

“Let’s just say I had a useful informant.”

“Informant?”

“Yes, informant.”

Doubt settled in Gilian’s eyes, but soon that doubt turned into surprise.

It was obvious what he was thinking.

He must be wondering when the good-for-nothing who usually just played around made such an informant.

Seeing Gilian’s expression changing every moment, a prankish spirit suddenly sprouted.

“Do you really think I’ve just been living wastefully all this time?”

I leaned in slightly and whispered in Gilian’s ear.

The reaction was quick.

Gilian, with his eyes as wide as they could possibly get, stammered.

“O-oh, ahem, then what you’ve been doing until now is…….”

Was the reason you pretended to be a good-for-nothing to prevent your brothers from keeping you in check?

“I’ll leave it to your imagination.”

Well, let’s just say that.

Clap!

I clapped my hands to refresh the atmosphere and gestured to Leia.

“Leia.”

“Yes.”

The map she brought was newly unfolded on the table.

It was a map that meticulously dug into and depicted all the terrain around the basin.

I don’t know how much trouble Luce, Leia, and I went through for several days to draw this map. Just looking at Luce’s face crumpling up shows that.

“I will explain about the upcoming subjugation.”

With Gilian, Luce, and the Ranger executives focused, I picked up a quill pen.

“The outline of the operation is simple.”

Tap!

First, I pointed to the basin where the cave was located.

“It is presumed that these guys perform a ritual on the first day of the lunar month, the new moon, and then go on a looting spree. So, we will start the attack during that gap.”

“How do we know if the ritual will be held on that day or not…….”

“It’s reliable intelligence.”

One of the Ranger executives shut his mouth.

How convenient this is. With just the word ‘intelligence,’ I can make them speechless.

“First, we will divide into an advance team and a rear guard. The main force will be twenty Rangers led by Sir Esteban. The advance team will deploy a reduced hammer and anvil tactic [a military strategy where a force is encircled and destroyed]. Sir Esteban will take on the anvil alone, and the remaining twenty Rangers will be the hammer.”

I placed the pieces on the edge of the map.

It was a simple tactic.

If Gilian blocks the entrance to the basin and firmly holds his ground, the twenty Rangers will occupy the high ground and slowly encircle and annihilate the enemy from a distance.

It was a tactic possible because Gilian was an Expert high-level.

“If that’s the case, they won’t have any chance to escape, so is there a need to divide into an advance team and a rear guard?”

It was Luce’s question.

“Although it’s narrower compared to other places, the entrance to the basin is still wide for Sir Esteban to handle alone. They’ll probably squeeze through and escape even if they have to force their way out.”

Gilian and the twenty Rangers were only there to make the enemy aware of our main force. It was also to greatly reduce the enemy’s strength.

“Then, wouldn’t it be possible to form an encirclement behind the entrance to the basin? Or block it off with the commander of the Knights.”

“That would inevitably lead to a collision. I plan to minimize casualties in this battle.”

“…….”

Then what about Gilian standing alone?

He doesn’t matter. He’s the kind of guy who can take down a hundred orcs by himself.

After answering Luce, I pointed to the map again.

“Next, I will explain. The Drosh tribe leader is a cunning guy. He will definitely escape from the basin, and in preparation for that, the remaining forces will deploy a mobile warfare strategy with the purpose of disrupting key points.”

From the cave, out of the basin, and down the mountain range, I drew X’s with a pen at key points here and there.

These are places I’ve seen and confirmed with my own eyes. I was sure. There were no more efficient points than these.

“I will assign seven Rangers to each of the four Black Crow-class executives. Use only ranged attack methods, including traps, and refrain from direct confrontation. It is enough to aim only for the enemy’s disintegration.”

“Young master, isn’t that area too wide for that?”

I shook my head at Gilian’s question.

“These are Rangers. It will be possible enough.”

It’s definitely a sector that’s difficult to cover with four groups. But these are Rangers. They are faster and stronger than anyone else in the mountains.

Whether my thoughts were correct or not, confidence filled the faces of the Rangers.

“It’s possible.”

“This much area is just a walk.”

“Considering the area we usually patrol, it’s just our front yard.”

I nodded at their positive responses.

“There are a total of twelve points. Divide the mobile units into groups 1, 2, 3, and 4. The key is for the group that has finished fighting to immediately move in a tail-biting manner and fill the empty points in the rear.”

Like a stream flowing down from the mountain, the points were elongated and shaped to lure the target to a set route.

That’s why this tactic was possible.

The group that has fought immediately moves to occupy the next point. After reorganizing there, they redeploy a disruptive battle to lure the target to the intended location.

“If the target deviates from the point and the rear group encounters them first, they will sound the signal arrow twice to signal the front group to move immediately. Conversely, if things are going according to plan, it’s one signal arrow.”