How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 268

The 2nd Legion’s retreat was executed with remarkable speed. Designed primarily for annexing and stabilizing conquered territories, the legion faced no threat of rear attacks.

After days of relentless marching, a colossal fortress emerged on the horizon.

“That’s Southguard,” someone announced.

It was Southguard, the Royal Allied Forces’ original territory, which had served as a crucial rear base since the war’s inception.

A messenger had been dispatched ahead, and a welcoming party of officials awaited us at the gate.

“We received your message and have been expecting you. I am Godrin, the lord of Southguard.”

“Pleased to meet you, Lord Godrin. Where are the unit commanders?”

“They are assembled in the conference room.”

“Let’s proceed. Time is of the essence.”

Without dismounting, I rode through the gate, heading directly for Southguard’s inner castle. Lord Godrin, hurrying to catch up, approached from my side.

“Just a moment, please! I understand your urgency, but there’s something you need to know first.”

“What is it?”

I tugged on the reins, halting my horse, and tilted my head inquisitively. Godrin drew closer and whispered into my ear.

“An urgent letter arrived from the Capital a few days ago.”

“From the Capital?”

“A secret investigator personally delivered it.”

A secret investigator himself? This implied the matter was of utmost importance. And undoubtedly, not bearing good tidings.

I frowned and reiterated, “Do I have the authority to read that letter?”

“Yes. Marquis Halin Irfe specifically designated Count Cain as the primary recipient.”

“Me?”

“Initially, the investigator intended to deliver it to the 4th Legion. However, upon learning that the Count was leading the 2nd Legion’s retreat, he remained here.”

“Do you know its contents?”

“I am not authorized to know.”

“I see. Understood. Given its origin from the Capital, I’ll meet with the investigator first.”

“He’s waiting in a private room. Allow me to escort you. This way.”

“One moment. Fleta!”

I turned and called out. Fleta, trudging along wearily on horseback, looked up, startled.

As I gestured to her, Lord Godrin tilted his head, puzzled.

“Fleta? Is that the Duchess of Bachelrun?”

“Indeed.”

“Even so, she lacks the authority to read the letter…”

“I will determine the dissemination of information. I’ll take full responsibility. Besides, you mentioned the investigator brought the letter himself, correct? He can assist in the decision as well.”

“…Understood.”

Following Lord Godrin, I entered a battle-hardened fortress, prioritizing functionality over aesthetics.

After ascending the rugged stone steps and entering the interior, I was led to the private room he had mentioned. I opened the door.

The room’s interior, mirroring the fortress’s exterior, was spartan and unrefined. It contained a table, a coat rack, a fireplace, and a bed that looked like it would induce nightmares.

However, a bright smile spread across my face as I recognized the figure seated on the bed.

“Well, if it isn’t Belom!”

It was Belom, the secret investigator who had aided me from the shadows during the Eastern War, aimed at expelling Basarak.

“It’s an honor to see you again, Count. And this is?”

Belom inquired, feigning ignorance, as if requesting an introduction.

How amusing. A secret investigator who doesn’t recognize the heir to the Bachelrun family? He was likely subtly implying that she shouldn’t eavesdrop.

I leaned in and whispered into Belom’s ear, “I’ll review the contents first and then decide. Belom, I value your opinion as well.”

“Understood.”

I gestured towards Fleta and spoke again, “This is Fleta Bachelrun, the heir to the Bachelrun Duchy.”

“Ah, it’s an honor to meet you, Duchess. I am Belom, a messenger from the Capital.”

“Nice to meet you.”

With the greetings concluded, I immediately inquired, “Did you travel alone from the Capital?”

“Given the sensitive nature of the matter, I expedited my journey.”

“Let’s sit down first.”

We settled at the table, and Belom expertly poured pre-boiled water into teacups. Fleta wrapped her chilled hands around the teacup, her expression visibly relaxing.

I also took a teacup and cut to the chase. “I heard from Lord Godrin that Marquis Halin Irfe, the head of the Royal Court, sent me a letter?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know the contents?”

“I am not authorized to read the letter. However, I can surmise the general topic.”

I set down the teacup, opened the letter, and countered, “You can surmise?”

“Yes. It’s not information exclusive to those with special clearance.”

“…Is that so?”

“Please, read it.”

Inside the opened letter, densely written content in a familiar handwriting awaited. It was indeed from Marquis Halin Irfe.

[I must inform you that the North is under attack. Of course, Rodkius wouldn’t have hidden troops in the North, so you can guess who the culprit is, right? Yes, it’s monsters. The cause has not been identified, but there are reports that the ferocity of these monsters is very serious. It’s probably related to magic stones. It’s still a sporadic attack, but some territories in the Northeast have already suffered severe damage.]

Confronted with a letter confirming my ominous premonitions, I paused reading and glanced at Belom. His expression remained unchanged, yet today it seemed particularly strained.

“It doesn’t matter since you’ll find out anyway. Fleta?”

As Belom nodded, I summarized the news of the North’s attack. Dismay filled Fleta’s eyes.

However, she swiftly regained her composure and turned to Belom.

“…What’s the atmosphere like in the Capital?”

“It’s the worst.”

“Do you believe the citizens will readily accept that monsters are swarming over the northern mountains? It could easily be dismissed as a far-fetched rumor.”

“There are already refugees who have suffered and been pushed back to Northguard. We’ve tried to control the information as much as possible, but as you know, rumors…”

“That’s right. You can’t completely suppress them. Besides, everyone is anxious during wartime, so the spread will be even faster. Oh, dear.”

Listening to Fleta’s groan as she held her head, I resumed reading the letter.

[Immediately share the information with Commander Bachelrun and prepare countermeasures. I can’t give specific instructions because I can’t accurately know the current war situation. It’s better to leave the decision to you since you’re the ones shedding blood on the battlefield. I’ll be waiting for a wise decision. However, I want to remind you that if the situation worsens, I may have to order a retreat by royal decree.]

That’s a relief, at least. The intention to respect the on-site judgment means that it’s still manageable. So, it’s not a full-scale offensive yet?

[Finally, remember that all the kingdom’s forces are concentrated in the South right now.]

Having reached the end, I tossed the letter into the fireplace.

Whoosh!

After ensuring the letter had turned to ashes, I turned to Belom.

“What is the Capital’s current response?”

“For now, the Royal Family has urged Count Lindayer, the margrave of the Northern Territory, to devise countermeasures against the monster offensive.”

“Damn it. We brought half of the Wind Knights and the regular army down here. What kind of countermeasures could they possibly have?”

“…That’s true, but it’s still fortunate. If we were in the midst of a decisive offensive or about to launch one, it would have been difficult to retreat the troops, wouldn’t it?”

“Both apply. We were actually about to engage in a major battle, and now the commander has pulled out the 2nd Legion, leaving the besieged castle behind.”

“Is that so? Then how did you know in advance and retreat?”

“It just happened that way.”

I glossed over the explanation, as it was difficult to elaborate, and after gathering my thoughts, I spoke again.

“Let’s eat first. Moving and thinking both require energy. Let’s go to the conference room.”

* * *

Late that night, as winter rain pattered down, a dinner party was held in a reception room that was a million miles away from splendor, creating a rigid atmosphere.

The attendees included myself, Lord Godrin, Fleta, Belom, and the commanders of the units setting up camp and reorganizing near Southguard.

Initially, the atmosphere was quite lively.

They poured wine and attempted to engage me in conversation with forced smiles, seemingly eager to establish a connection with the right-hand man of the Allied Forces commander and a key figure in the Capital’s power structure.

However, I had no interest in such socializing at the moment.

Silently satisfying my hunger, I finally sipped my wine and surveyed the room. When the commanders noticed me raising my glass, they awkwardly began to smile.

What’s so amusing that they’re smiling like that?

“Have you all finished eating?”

“…Yes?”

“I’m done, but what about you, commanders?”

They didn’t grasp the intent of my question and appeared slightly embarrassed.

It’s been a while since I’ve encountered such blockheads. They’ve let their guard down because they’re in the rear. I’d like to give them some extra training if I could.

“Haha. Well, we were already here, so we weren’t starving.”

“Ah, is that so? Then it seems like you’re all done, so let’s move on to the next item on the agenda.”

Setting down my wine glass, I clasped my hands on the table and spoke again.

“Commanders, report on the progress of the unit reorganization in order.”

“…Yes?”

“I’m instructing you to report on the available status of each unit. Is that difficult?”

It’s been a long time since I’ve witnessed people so utterly at a loss for words.

The commanders all stared at me, mouths agape.

That was understandable. The Allied Forces were a military force comprised of nobles gathered from various regions with their respective troops. They weren’t exactly my subordinate nobles, so this coercive attitude must be unsettling for them.

But, you see…

What I slammed on the table was the seal of the Allied Forces commander, Duke Bachelrun.

“I am acting on the orders of the Allied Forces commander. In other words, what I convey to you in this capacity is no different from conveying the commander’s intentions. The Duchess of Bachelrun before you will vouch for my words.”

The commanders glanced at Fleta, and their demeanor swiftly shifted upon her slight nod. I could sense the immense influence the Bachelrun name held over the nobles.

They enthusiastically reported on their units’ situations, and Fleta, as we had discussed beforehand, began to consolidate their reports and expedite the reorganization.

It wasn’t a complex task. It involved completely dismantling several wounded units and creating a new unit by selecting only the healthy soldiers.

However, it consumed a considerable amount of time. Their staff had to shuttle back and forth to the castle multiple times because they lacked accurate information.

It was late into the dawn when the work concluded, and the commanders inquired with concerned expressions.

“But… if we split them up like this, what happens to the remaining troops? If we only gather the remaining troops, it will become a deformed unit that… we can’t use it anywhere, so it will become a nuisance.”

“That’s acceptable. The remaining troops will no longer participate in the southern expedition.”

“Yes?”

“They will retreat to the Capital with the 2nd Legion.”

“Did you say retreat?”

“Yes. We’re retreating.”

Sorting through the files with a rustling sound, I retrieved a quill and hastily began to write out appointment letters.

“This is the appointment letter for the commander of the newly formed legion tonight. The detailed mission is… written here, so please read it on your way. Who is the highest-ranking?”

At my final question, I handed the appointment letter, stamped with the Bachelrun family seal, to the nobleman who cleared his throat discreetly.

“Form the unit as reorganized within a week and establish a command structure. Ensure you bring sufficient military supplies. And depart for Antikio as soon as you’re ready. Keep in mind that time is of the essence.”

“Understood.”

I pointed to the remaining commanders behind him.

“You must immediately summon the remaining troops after the formation and depart with the 2nd Legion. There isn’t much time, so move quickly.”

“Yes! Understood!”

The reception room, from which people had vanished in an instant as if swept away by a storm, fell silent. I rose from my seat, picked up the wine bottle that had been set aside, and returned to my seat.

“A glass?”

When I held out the bottle, Fleta nodded, her face etched with fatigue.

“Yes. It would be good to drink a little before going to sleep.”

“As soon as dawn breaks tomorrow, head west with Lordain. I’ll assign a few Sky Knights [elite aerial cavalry]. It’ll be faster if you ride a hippogriff [a creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a horse].”

“You want me to go west?”

“Yes. There’s a place I want you to stop by.”

“Where is it?”

“The Great Forest.”

Fleta nodded at the mention of the Great Forest, the home of the elves.

“Are you thinking of enlisting their aid?”

“I told you, all the kingdom’s armies are concentrated in the South. The 2nd Legion alone can’t cover the entire vast North.”

“Understood. But won’t the Royal Family object?”

“The problem of persuading the Royal Family is something I’ll resolve by flying straight to the Capital. You and Lordain persuade the elders of the elves.”

“What leverage do I have?”

“It’s more of a persuasion, but you probably don’t even need to persuade them.”

“You don’t need to?”

“Lordain has already clearly witnessed the situation unfolding. I’ve also spoken to him separately. Well, the elders might still be stubborn. If so, convey one more message.”

“What?”

I took a sip of the red wine and nodded.

“If they don’t cooperate, tell them that my legion will head to the Great Forest instead of the North.”