How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 38

## Living as the Third Son of a Doomed Family – Chapter 38: Ambush

The days passed smoothly as we journeyed from the fortress back to the capital.

Rumble!

A heavy rain and thunderstorm struck during the night. The unpredictable weather forced our procession to halt, and a makeshift encampment was quickly erected as everyone sought shelter from the downpour.

“You’re quite good at this.”

“I can’t take it easy…”

Late into the night, I found myself playing poker with the knights, with whom I’d become quite friendly.

Initially, they were wary because of my noble status, but as I started betting money, they gradually warmed up, and soon the atmosphere was filled with laughter.

Some of the knights tried to bring out alcohol, but I firmly forbade it. Given our current situation, alcohol was strictly prohibited unless we were in a secure city.

As the night deepened, it happened.

“Captain of the Guard.”

The knight on duty that night opened the tent flap and entered. Everyone stopped playing cards and focused their attention on him.

“What is it?”

“A soldier who was supposed to be relieved of his post has not returned.”

Clatter!

The knights threw their cards onto the table. I also grabbed my sword and jumped to my feet.

“Ilia!”

At my call, Ilia brought my breastplate and began to help me dress.

“Where is Lord Livern?”

“He heard the news and went outside.”

After arming myself, I put on my cloak, pulled up the hood, and stepped out of the tent.

Pitter-patter!

Heavy raindrops began to pelt my body.

It was late at night, and the rain severely limited visibility.

Yes, if there were a group with malicious intent, this would be the perfect time for them to strike.

“Lord Livern!”

I saw Rices, who had hurriedly come out from his sleep, washing his face several times with rainwater.

“Your Highness.”

“Did you hear?”

“I heard that the guard who was supposed to be relieved has not returned.”

“Whereabouts?”

“It’s a ridge about ten minutes away from here.”

The nearby terrain that I had memorized flashed in my mind.

“When did the relief guard depart?”

At my words, a senior soldier beside me answered in a subdued voice.

“About thirty minutes ago…”

“If it takes twenty minutes round trip, that means there’s a ten-minute gap.”

“I thought it was just delayed because of the heavy rain.”

“You fools! Immediately send two soldiers on a reconnaissance mission.”

I couldn’t help but burst into anger at the fact that they had wasted ten minutes, which was as good as a golden opportunity for the enemy.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Rices, who had been silent, hurriedly looked around.

“Knights, assemble!”

After confirming that the knights were quickly gathering, having hastily donned their armor, Rices looked at me.

“Could it be an attack?”

All that could still be heard around us was the sound of heavy rain. I pondered whether it was an attack. It could really just be a simple delay in the relief due to the rain.

But I had a bad feeling.

Rices must have felt it too. But as the current captain of the guard, he was waiting for my judgment.

“Probably.”

At my judgment, Rices bit his lip and hurriedly gave instructions.

After ordering his troops to prepare for battle, Rices looked at me again.

“Could it not just be a gang of bandits?”

“If they were bandits, they would have run away just by looking at the crests on the soldiers’ chests. There’s no way they wouldn’t have returned.”

“Then?”

“Can’t you guess?”

The answer was already roughly there. Rices knew it, so he nodded.

“What kind of impudent bastards are they?”

Unlike the angry Rices, I objectively considered our forces.

Rices, a Sword Expert [a master swordsman, a rank above average].

Nine knights of upper-middle level mana users [individuals capable of manipulating magical energy].

And thirty infantrymen and a 4th class mage [a mage ranked in terms of magical power].

I turned my head, thinking of Fleta. Before I knew it, Fleta, wearing a robe and pulling down her hood, was standing outside.

“Lord Livern, tell the men to gather their belongings lightly. We might have to leave this place.”

“Understood.”

“And Fleta.”

At my soft call, Fleta approached.

She is also a mage. In a simple one-on-one fight, she is inferior to a knight, but in a large-scale battle, there is no one as capable as a mage.

“Mana?”

“Sufficient.”

“You can fight, right?”

“Are you even asking?”

“Who do you think it is?”

Now, speaking informally had become completely natural, but Fleta didn’t seem to mind. It must be proof that she acknowledged me.

“Who else would it be but the rats who decided to side with the Rodkius family?”

“Who?”

“Baron Tril, Baron Icus, Viscount Lake.”

“What about their forces?”

“Excluding the soldiers, all combined, they would be on par with the Wisdom Knights here.”

“Detailed, aren’t you?”

“Information on those I will one day command is naturally something I must be aware of.”

Even if you combine the power of the three nobles, it’s only equal to the knights gathered here. And I’m here too, and there’s also Fleta, a highly capable mage.

That means it’s worth a try.

But there are still questions. If they had anticipated this worst-case scenario from the start, shouldn’t they have brought forces two or three times stronger than the enemy’s level?

Of course, there’s insurance.

According to the predetermined plot of the novel, Fleta grows smoothly without experiencing great hardship and later displays her might.

In other words, Fleta is not destined to die in an ambush on the street.

Unless I intentionally twist fate and cause a butterfly effect.

That’s why I wasn’t too worried about the escort mission she was assigned alone.

But even so, it’s a bit strange.

Fleta, who is supposed to be clever, seems too relaxed.

“Then it’s strange. Even though you knew the forces of the three nobles, you only brought forces that were barely equal? Could they have received support from outside? Didn’t you consider the worst-case scenario?”

“Of course, I considered it.”

“But.”

At my words, Fleta smiled softly.

“To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive those around you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at the surrounding soldiers.”

At Fleta’s words, I looked at the soldiers, excluding the knights, who had been marching on foot, carrying flags without warhorses.

They didn’t have the spears they usually carried.

Instead, they were holding longswords that I didn’t know where they got from.

“Could it be…”

“Yes, they are also knights. They haven’t been in the knighthood for long, but they are definitely capable of manipulating mana [magical energy]. We only picked those whose faces are not yet known to the outside world.”

“How many?”

“Half of the soldiers are knights in disguise.”

No wonder they all seemed too sharp to be considered ordinary soldiers.

“To think you were hiding that from me.”

“I wasn’t exactly hiding it on purpose. It was true that their assigned role was simple soldiers.”

I wasn’t angry, but rather impressed.

As she said, to deceive the enemy, deceiving your own side is the best strategy.

‘The forces suddenly jumped up.’

Of course, not all of them were top-tier knights. Still, comparing a war machine like a knight to an ordinary soldier is foolish.

“Bena, Helen.”

Following Fleta’s words, the two maids who had been following her stepped forward.

They had also concealed their identities, wearing robes and holding wands in their hands.

That must mean they are mages.

In an instant, the forces more than doubled.

Speechless, I stared at Fleta, and she shrugged her shoulders.

“This much is nothing.”

“Unbelievable.”

I shook my head and placed my hand on the sword hilt, staring into the darkness.

* * *

How long had it been since we set up our defenses inside the barricaded encampment?

The attack began.

Swoosh-!

The start was a shower of arrows. Originally, if we had anticipated a surprise attack, we should have extinguished all the lights inside the encampment, but we had a mage.

“Block them! Shield!”

The two maids who stepped forward raised their hands and drew up mana.

Following that, a bluish, translucent shield covered our allies in a dome shape.

Thwack! Crack!

Dozens of arrows broke without penetrating the shield. At the same time, Fleta began casting, moving her lips.

“Illuminate! Light!”

A bluish sphere soared into the sky and then emitted an intense light. I squinted for a moment at the brightness, which was like a flare.

What was revealed afterward was a group in black attire.

The number didn’t seem that large. Of course. This was not a large-scale battle but a small-scale localized battle. Rather than an unnecessarily large number of troops, a small, elite force of knights was more efficient.

Clang!

The sound of swords being drawn echoed from all directions. Following that, I could see a faint blue aura swirling around their swords.

Of course, that was the same for the other side.

“What’s the count?”

At my question, Rices tilted his head.

“If we exclude the rabble and only count the knights… only about fifteen.”

It’s certainly a number close to the estimate.

But isn’t it too obvious to be happy about that?

As if sharing my thoughts, a sense of doubt settled on the faces of Rices and Fleta.

‘Even so, what are those guys doing now?’

They weren’t putting on a show of force, but just standing still, drawing up mana, those black figures.

How long did that uncomfortable standoff last?

“Lord Livern.”

“Understood.”

At my words, Rices stepped forward a dozen paces.

He was out of the shield’s range, but with his skills, there was no risk of being sniped.

With Rices positioned between us and the black group, he opened his mouth.

“I am Rices Livern, of the Wisdom Knights of the Bashrun Duchy. Who are you? State your reason for coming at this hour, your affiliation, and your names.”

At Rices’s shout, a figure stepped forward from the black mass.

Slender, not even drawing his sword, he stood with his hand on his hip, exuding a relaxed demeanor.

His features were obscured by a deeply pulled hood, causing Rices to grit his teeth.

“Judging by your covered face, it seems you know shame.”

“Me, you mean?”

“Who else would I be talking about? Not only do you come armed in the dead of night, but you also hide your face. I see you have no honor whatsoever.”

“Oh, you’re worried about my honor? I’m touched, truly.”

Rices trembled at the man’s exaggerated, sneering gesture.

“You! I’ll ask again. State your affiliation and name!”

“If I had to say, I’d call myself a grim reaper. My affiliation is hell.”

Laughter rippled from the group at the man’s words.

Anger etched itself onto the faces of Rices and the knights. But for some reason, I felt my head growing cold.

The beauty of a surprise attack lies in overwhelming the enemy before they can form ranks, exploiting a superior situation.

Not leisurely revealing their formation and strength like those guys, exchanging jokes.

There’s no way knights who handle mana wouldn’t know that.

‘So, in the end, it’s one of two things.’

Either they’re completely insane, or they’re incredibly, unbelievably strong.

A bad feeling washed over me, and I subtly retreated without alerting those around me.

Clack!

Then, I placed my hand on my sword hilt.

‘Hey.’

Calling Aphen in my mind, the sword vibrated slightly, and a voice burrowed into my head.

[Umm… are we eating?]

‘Stop vibrating and listen quietly. This isn’t the time to joke around.’

[Huh? A fight?]

‘Yeah.’

Perhaps sensing the surrounding atmosphere, Aphen, who would usually whine, kept his mouth shut and waited for my words.

‘That guy, do you see him?’

[The one who stepped forward alone?]

‘Yeah. What kind of guy is he?’

Even as Aphen and I conversed, the unidentified man was still bantering with Rices.

Then, as if he’d had his fun, the man began to draw his sword.

[Run away.]

Aphen’s words pierced my mind.

‘What are you saying…’

[Run away right now if you don’t want to die. I’m not kidding.]

Immediately, my mind raced, and my body moved.

Where to? The front is blocked. Should I run to the mountains? But if I end up in a dead end, I’ll be in trouble.

But a strong premonition struck me.

If I go to the plains, I’ll surely die.

“Ilia!”

At my call, Ilia quickly came to my side, and I whispered lowly.

“Yes.”

“It’s an order. Go to the barracks and bring the map and my backpack.”

“What is…”

“Shut up and bring them right now.”

Thud!

As Ilia bit her lip and headed to the barracks, a heavy sound echoed.

Glancing back, I saw the unidentified man leaping and landing in front of Rices.

“That bastard…”

“Protect the knight!”

“Forward!”

At the sight, the knights who had drawn their swords and Fleta began to step forward.

“What are you doing…”

Stealthily approaching, I pulled only Fleta back, gathered mana, and struck her neck, knocking her unconscious.

“The light…”

“Someone get the lights on!”

Perhaps because Fleta, who was maintaining the light magic, had fainted, the surroundings instantly darkened.

“Young Master!”

“Follow me.”

Confirming that Ilia had arrived, I carried Fleta on my back and began to run into the mountains, taking advantage of the darkness.

In the midst of it, I briefly wondered if this was the right choice, glancing back.

Splat!

I could see Rices’s head floating in the air and the knights being torn to shreds.

“…”

Now, there was no more hesitation.

“Y-Young Master…”

“He’ll be chasing us soon. Run quickly.”

What is that guy? What kind of monster spews out mana that can replace the light?

At the same time, a question arose.

Why is fate twisted?

If it weren’t for me, Fleta would have definitely died here, right? But she was definitely alive until the later parts of the novel, wasn’t she?

‘Why? Why has fate changed?’

My mind became complicated in the confusing situation.