How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 33

Living as the Third Son of a Wasted Novel – Chapter 33

* * *

Early morning.

Ilia was waiting for me with the scout squad in front of the lord’s castle.

Her expressionless face was as usual. Her pale skin made her look like an emotionless doll.

Ilia bowed her head as she saw me and offered the reins of a warhorse that she seemed to have brought for me.

I took them and mounted the horse, nodding lightly.

“Let’s get going.”

“Yes.”

Clatter!

The heavy castle gate opened.

Tap! Tap!

The hooves moved, gradually picking up speed.

The sun was just beginning to rise, and the bluish plains came into view.

Before I could even feel refreshed, the scout squad shot ahead of me. It was a move to prepare in advance for any potential dangers.

Meanwhile, Ilia kept pace, sticking close to my side.

Dressed in light leather armor and a knight’s cloak, Ilia spoke softly.

“The princess’s party will depart in six days from now.”

“That’s a reasonable amount of time.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s take it slow and talk a bit.”

“Understood.”

There was no danger. The road from the earldom towards the capital, away from the mountains, was well-maintained, and the security was excellent.

“You’ve heard the mission, roughly, right?”

“Yes. To escort the princess of the Vaschuren Duchy to the capital.”

“You know it well.”

“…….”

“Why? Is there something else you’re curious about?”

Ilia closed her mouth for a moment, then opened it again.

“I have not yet been informed of the detailed plan.”

“Well, I don’t think you need to know the detailed plan.”

It seemed like a dismissive remark at first glance, but the underlying meaning was different.

‘There’s nothing more you need to do.’

Did she understand?

I glanced at Ilia. She seemed to be pondering something for a moment, then nodded without showing any emotion.

As expected, she was quick-witted.

“Good. What’s the first village we’ll be stopping at?”

“Revlin Village, which belongs to the Lindayer Earldom. At this speed, we should arrive in about half a day. The village is managed by a chief named Besti, and it is believed that we can obtain lodging and meals at the town hall with his cooperation.”

I chuckled at her stiff, business-like attitude and stretched languidly.

“Let’s go slowly and leisurely. We have plenty of time.”

“Understood.”

At my words, Ilia tried to move away. She seemed to have taken it as a sign not to disturb me.

I gestured lightly again, and she tilted her head, moving back to my side.

“Did you have something to say?”

“I didn’t mean to leave you alone when I said to go slowly and leisurely.”

“Then…….”

“Let’s talk about you. We’ll have to be together for a while, whether we like it or not.”

“You want to talk about me?”

“Yes.”

She nodded slightly.

“Understood.”

“You’re a commoner, right?”

“Yes.”

“And an orphan.”

“That’s correct.”

“The surname Frost?”

“It was given because I was abandoned in front of an orphanage on a snowy winter day.”

“An orphanage. Where is it located?”

“In the city of Reigar, in the southern part of the earldom.”

“You’ve come from far away.”

Ilia Frost.

It would be understandable if she felt bad, but she didn’t show any emotion at all.

It must be more reason than emotion.

“Gillein took you in.”

“Yes.”

“You said it’s been two years since you joined the order? So Gillein brought you to Wind Nest when you were 19?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“……Pardon?”

“I asked why he took you in. There are plenty of other abandoned children, so why did he bring you specifically?”

At my question, she thought for a moment, then opened her mouth calmly.

“The Order Commander said I had talent.”

“Talent?”

Didn’t Gillein take her in because he was impressed by her ability to take down the Ruth Orc? [Ruth Orc is a type of monster]

It’s not like he’s a scout or something.

“Yes. At the age of 19, I had left the orphanage and was living as a vagrant in the back alleys of Reigar.”

“And?”

“An organization that had taken over the underworld killed my younger sibling, and I took revenge.”

What?

“Your sibling died?”

“Yes.”

“A blood sibling?”

“No. It was a child who grew up in a similar environment.”

“But you took revenge?”

“Yes.”

“How did you do it?”

“I caught and killed all the executives and the leader of the organization.”

“…….”

Should I clap?

Reigar is not a small city. If an organization has taken control of the city’s underworld, they wouldn’t be just a bunch of thugs.

But she caught and killed the executives and the leader of that organization?

“How?”

“I ambushed them in front of the entertainment district where they often appeared and stabbed them in the neck with a sword.”

That’s not really different from what she said before.

“The leader wouldn’t have been alone.”

“Yes.”

“Did the subordinates just stand by and watch?”

“No. They tried to stop me.”

“But.”

“I killed them all and cleared the way.”

“Killed them all? Alone? How?”

“I stabbed them in the neck with a sword.”

“……How many were there?”

“Thirteen.”

Is this a lie?

Ilia finished speaking calmly and closed her mouth tightly.

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“So Gillein heard the news and took you in?”

“He took me in after I was arrested for murder and was awaiting execution.”

A 19-year-old woman killed fourteen members of an underworld organization.

It would be impossible without talent. There must have been many witnesses since it happened in the city, so it’s not an exaggeration.

Well, he took her in because she had talent.

“The Order Commander wouldn’t have just taken you in.”

“He told me to dedicate my loyalty to the Lindayer family as the price for my life.”

My curiosity has been somewhat satisfied.

But there are still a few things left.

“Did you receive the noble family’s education after joining the Order as a trainee knight?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand.”

Even if he brought her in directly, such favoritism. Gillein didn’t seem like that kind of person.

Ruth was also a case where he was scouted after showing talent. Why did Ilia receive an education that even Ruth didn’t receive?

As if she noticed my confusion, she answered calmly.

“He said it was to use me as a shadow for the noble ladies who would later form relationships with the Lindayer family.”

“Ah. Not as a combatant?”

“Perhaps that’s the case.”

Now I understand.

Ironically, she was the most talented person to receive the most thorough education after joining the Order.

‘A commoner with a limited chance of social advancement. And a woman.’

What better conditions could there be for escorting noble ladies or daughters of noble families?

Most knights of low status without a background are trained as killing machines solely for war.

But the role Ilia will play in the future is different.

A noble lady’s shadow.

It means 24-hour close protection.

An assignment that requires being by their side at all times, not only at parties, walks, and travels, but also during late-night secret hours.

Since the protection target is who they are, etiquette education is, of course, essential.

‘Well, either way, is it a good thing.’

Once my curiosity was mostly satisfied, I thought he had chosen the right person.

She would have been trained to satisfy the picky tastes of noble ladies, so she would be perfect as an attendant.

Since she’s from a commoner background, she wouldn’t be full of herself, and judging from her attitude, she seems like the type who can do her job coolly.

“Good. Just help me as you’ve been taught, no more, no less.”

“Understood.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

“I will do my best.”

* * *

When we arrived at Revlin Village, the village chief rushed out and prostrated himself with terrifying momentum.

“Young Master! What brings you to such a humble place…….”

“I’m on official business.”

“If you need anything, just say the word, and I will give it to you without holding back!”

After receiving the village chief’s enthusiastic welcome and being treated to a meal, I was assigned the best bedroom in the town hall.

“Kkeueueueua!”

Lying down on the bed, which seemed to have been dried well in the sun, I felt the fatigue of the day melt away.

I lay there for a while, then got up and smacked my lips.

‘Should I wake it up for a change?’

I then brought the sword that had been leaning against one corner.

The Sword of Radiance. After admiring its sleek appearance for a moment, I grabbed the sword.

“Hey.”

I spoke, drawing up the mana latent in my mana heart [Mana is a form of energy].

Then, after a while.

Woo-oong…….

It wasn’t a cell phone, but it gradually started to vibrate. Then, without fail, a voice burrowed into my head.

[Woo-oong…… What is it, are we going to eat?]

Did a ghost who died of starvation stick to it?

The sword trembled as if stretching after waking up from a nap.

Thinking it was funny, I held out a mana stone that I had brought from the territory. It was an expensive high-grade mana stone worth dozens of gold coins.

“Yes, we’re going to eat.”

[Wow! We’re going to eat! We’re going to eat!]

Woo-oong! Woo-oong! Woo-oong!

I was speechless at the sight of the sword trembling like a vibrating massager.

“Answer my questions first. The mana stone comes after that.”

[What, what are you curious about?]

“The mana you absorbed with the magic stone back then, is it still there?”

[Didn’t you tell me not to use it? So I still have it.]

“To what extent can you exert power with that much?”

[Power? Magic?]

“Yes.”

[Well. If you give me that, I might remember…… Ah, no! I remembered!]

As I was about to put the mana stone back in my bag, it confessed immediately.

“Tell me quickly.”

[What kind of magic are you talking about? Attack magic? Support magic?]

“List them both.”

[For support magic, it can speed up your movements or make you stronger……]

“Haste or Strength?”

[That’s right.]

“Sharpness or Shield?”

[That’s also possible.]

“Fly, Dispel, Silence, or elemental enchantments?”

[Those are high-circle magic. If you use them once, all the mana will be gone. Even if you use them, it will only last for ten seconds.]

“What about the ones you mentioned earlier?”

[I think I can use them three or four times.]

“Even if you eat this mana stone?”

[Even if it’s a high-grade mana stone, the mana that is actually absorbed is tiny. It won’t even make a dent.]

The efficiency is terrible. A few 1~2 class magic spells with one high-grade mana stone.

“Then what about attack magic?”

[You should hardly even dream about it. Unless you just want to cast a few Magic Missiles. Honestly, I’m using mana just by being awake like this.]

I guess the only answer is to grow my mana heart.

I had a bitter taste in my mouth because the efficiency was lower than I thought.

[More than that, give it to me quickly! I answered you!]

“Here.”

I placed the mana stone on the floor and stabbed it with the sword. [Mana stone is a crystal that contains magical energy]

The sword blade penetrated the mana stone smoothly. Anyway, the blade is an incredibly sharp sword.

[Euee, eueeheet…….]

I frowned at the creepy sound.

After sucking up the mana for a long time, Aphen suddenly spoke to me.

[Eueeheet, delicious! But are you going to be okay?]

“What?”

[I think there’s someone outside the door.]

“Someone?”

[Yeah. From what I heard, it seemed like I shouldn’t be caught, right?]

Thud!

I got up from my seat with the sword in my hand.

Then, I quickly put on my coat and opened the door. Aphen was right. Someone was standing in front of the door.

It was Ilia.

Ilia, who had been standing with her back to me, immediately moved to the side and bowed her head when the door opened.

“What are you doing?”

“I was on guard duty.”

Did she hear me talking to myself inside?

No. She wouldn’t have heard. I was almost whispering. If she was at a high level, she might have heard, but she’s just a trainee knight.

Of course, the situation was unpleasant.

Why is she doing guard duty without being told to?

Is it because I told her to help me as she was taught? But even so, it’s a problem if she does this without saying anything.

Honestly, I feel a little bad. It feels like I’m being watched. But well, she probably doesn’t have any bad intentions.

“It’s okay, so go rest.”

“No.”

“Then when are you going to sleep?”

“Sleeping for an hour or two is enough.”

“You might as well have the scouts do the guard duty.”

“Their skills are not to be trusted.”

Her heart is commendable, but you really can’t read the atmosphere.

I looked straight at Ilia. Perhaps because she saw my gleaming eyes, her pupils trembled slightly.

“I appreciate the thought, but just go in and rest.”

“It’s my duty.”

“Do you want me to say the same thing twice?”

“I can’t do that. Forgive my rudeness. As a stranger, I don’t know what dangers there might be, and if an unfortunate accident happens, it can’t be undone.”

She was a determined woman. I thought about shutting her up with an order and forcibly chasing her away. But that’s not a fundamental solution. It seemed like I had to deal with Ilia differently.

Hoo.

I sighed briefly and looked at Ilia.

“Hey.”

“Yes.”

“Who’s protecting who right now?”

“…….”

“You’re protecting me? Even though you dropped your sword in a simple sparring match?”

Ilia’s lips were tightly closed.

Did I hurt her feelings?

Well, she didn’t do her best in the sparring match we had at Wind Nest last time.

Maybe she’s upset that she’s being misunderstood as that being her true skill.

If so.