How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 51

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Chapter 51

Chapter 18. Two Birds With One Stone

The road to the outer castle.

It was the complete opposite of the heated banquet hall.

The only sounds were our footsteps, mine and the knight guiding me.

We walked for quite a while. Climbing stairs and more stairs, we arrived at a small outer castle connected to the main castle.

It was separate from where the royal family resided, likely where the officials and nobles who handled internal affairs while staying in the capital worked.

Reaching the highest point, the knight who had been accompanying me stopped.

“This is it.”

The knight pointed to a very old and antique-looking door.

“What is this place?”

“It is the office of the Chief of the Royal Household.”

“Am I going in alone?”

“There was a message that you should come alone.”

The knight, now sparing his words, stepped back a few paces and stood firmly by the door.

This late at night? Alone? To the office? The Chief of the Royal Household?

The scattered puzzle pieces came together in my head, and a conclusion formed.

‘Something that can’t be revealed to the outside.’

Of course, nothing was confirmed yet.

I took a light breath, reached for the doorknob, and knocked.

“Come in.”

A short but weighty voice came from inside the door.

Beyond this door, the heart of the kingdom’s power awaited.

Feeling a strange anticipation that the fact stirred, I opened the door.

A man was standing in front of the window, looking down at the capital.

“Sorry for the late hour.”

The man spoke to me without turning around.

He stood calmly with his hands behind his back, but an unknown force emanated from his figure.

Marquis Halin Irpe.

I showed my respects, not excessively, but clearly.

“The third son of the Lindayer family greets the Marquis.”

“Halin Irpe. Chief of the Royal Household.”

The Marquis turned and met my gaze.

A sharp impression. Although he was clearly a civil official, sturdy muscles could be felt beneath his clothes. It meant he was disciplined.

“Sit down.”

The Marquis walked over and sat on the sofa, pouring tea on the table.

I sat lightly on the sofa opposite him, accepting the teacup the Marquis offered.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

Had we met before?

“Was it about ten years ago? I can clearly remember you hiding behind the Count’s trousers. You’ve grown up.”

“…Is that so?”

It seemed the last time we met was when I was a child. This makes it a little easier to talk.

“Yes. What are your impressions of the capital, coming here for the first time?”

“It’s amazing.”

“A brief impression.”

The Marquis nodded slowly, leaning back on the sofa and crossing his legs.

A moment of silence flowed.

But it didn’t last long. Seeing me take a sip of tea, the Marquis clasped his hands together.

“The reason I called you.”

“Yes.”

“I heard there was a very unfortunate incident on your way here.”

He must be talking about the guys who attacked Fleta and me.

Was he calling me at this hour to ask about that?

No. There must be something more.

“Yes.”

“It was a dangerous situation, but I heard you escaped by using your wit.”

“I didn’t really do anything. It was all thanks to Lady Bashrun’s magic…”

Before I could finish, the Marquis waved his hand.

“Stop with the modesty, and I’ll be displeased if it’s a lie.”

“…”

“I heard everything from Baron Tanneris.”

Baron Tanneris. The lord of Middle Point and the noble who dispatched the Knights to save me.

If he heard all the circumstances from him, well, the probing ends here.

As expected of the Chief of the Royal Household, his information is fast.

“I heard they were top-tier Experts at the very least.”

“That’s right.”

“But it’s very strange. How could you shake off such powerful knights? I heard you turned the mountains upside down to escape, but anyone would think you were a skilled ranger.”

“…”

“And to top it off, how did you manage to deploy knights in Middle Point as if you had predicted it?”

The Marquis’s eyes turned sharp.

“Is that all? Rumor has it that you’ve been living a profligate life like a rogue, but you suddenly appeared like a comet and even won the tournament.”

The atmosphere becomes strange.

Looking at the situation alone, it’s like I’m being interrogated.

“And the Blade Tribe.”

The Marquis stared at me intently.

“I checked the combat reports sent by the rangers. They perfectly annihilated all the orcs without a single casualty. The tactics used at that time were also fully described, so I read them.”

The Marquis paused for a moment and let out a hollow laugh.

“To be honest, I was surprised. Of course, I didn’t think they were genius or groundbreaking tactics. But conversely, they weren’t at a level that a rogue who was ignorant of military knowledge could come up with overnight.”

“I don’t really understand what you’re trying to say.”

“Does it seem like I have other intentions? I’m just purely praising you.”

The Marquis’s lips formed a strange smile.

“A young hero with both literary and military skills… Moreover, you even opened the Royal Knights’ Records and showed a noble spirit of chivalry to emulate the Emperor’s spirit. You are truly a perfect talent.”

“…”

“Let’s get to the point.”

The point. So, what he said earlier was just the introduction.

“Who do you think is responsible?”

He must be asking about the person who attacked Fleta and me.

“I wonder.”

I do know. But I can’t just say it. I don’t know what the Marquis is thinking yet.

“If you don’t know, you have to find out.”

“Pardon?”

“I said you have to find out.”

That’s right. I have to find out. To be exact, I have to find out who they are.

But why is the Marquis concerned about that?

“That’s right. I have to find out. But why are you asking me about this in such a secret place…”

At the meaning of revealing his true intentions, the Marquis smiled softly.

“The kingdom is in chaos, Third Son.”

“…”

“Since the late King passed away early, the power of the royal family has been weakening day by day. His Majesty the current King is also a bright man, but as everyone knows, he still lacks a lot of experience and skill.”

The story feels like it’s flowing in a strange direction.

“In such a situation, the daughter of the Bashrun Duchy was attacked. Coincidentally, the Duchy is in conflict with the Rodokius family. If the Lady had died, it wouldn’t have been strange if a war had broken out between the two families.”

“Even if it wasn’t their doing?”

“Yes. If justification covers a lie, that is the truth.”

Yes. The Marquis is right.

Even if it wasn’t the Rodokius family’s doing, it’s very easy to fabricate evidence.

The Duke isn’t a fool either. It’s natural to suspect that it wasn’t Rodokius’s doing.

But even so, war is inevitable. Since an assassination attempt has been made, the boiling public opinion will make the Rodokius family the enemy.

In the midst of that, do you step back and look for the real culprit while leaving the suspect indicated by the circumstances alone?

A tight tug-of-war is taking place.

The moment someone takes a step back, a small crack will begin to form.

So war is inevitable.

“Are you saying that there is someone who is trying to induce a feud between the two powerful families?”

“Yes. And there will be someone who tries to take wicked profits in that gap.”

“And that person trying to take those profits is the instigator of the assassination attempt. Is that right?”

“You understand quickly.”

“So. Are you telling me to find that person now?”

“That’s right.”

I understand the context. But the suspicion remains.

With the status of Chief of the Royal Household, he should have quite a bit of information, so why doesn’t he step forward himself and entrust it to a greenhorn like me?

‘Ah.’

It didn’t take long to understand.

A simple understanding of interests was the answer.

“Because if the royal family steps in directly, it could be seen as favoring one family… Is that right?”

“You’re smart.”

The reason why the royal family can’t officially step in.

The moment the royal family announces that it will directly uncover the Bashrun Lady assassination attempt, the Bashrun family will be seen as being protected by the royal family.

If that happens, it will no longer be just a problem for the Rodokius family.

The royal family’s favoritism, which must maintain neutrality in any situation, will cause resentment from all the prominent nobles.

“I’m also thinking of finding the culprit in my own way, but there are many restrictions because I have to do it secretly behind the scenes. That’s why I’m asking for your cooperation.”

“So, this is an unofficial request from the royal family to me.”

“That’s right.”

“I still don’t understand. Why me specifically? Isn’t this something that could be secretly requested from Count Lindayer or Duke Bashrun?”

“Are you being naive? Or are you doing it knowingly?”

“Surely you don’t suspect those two as well?”

“Yes. When you roll around in the political arena, you tend to experience all sorts of things.”

Halin Irpe, Chief of the Royal Household.

This guy was even suspecting my father, Count Lindayer, and Duke Bashrun.

He’s a cruelly cold person. Even so, for the Duke to kill his own daughter to start a war….

Well, if you think about it very coldly, Duke Bashrun could swallow the South with the war.

In that case, Count Lindayer can also be suspected as an accomplice.

He could gain justification for participating in the war with the life of the third son and reap a solid reward.

‘Well, it’s a complete wrong answer, though.’

I know who the culprit is, even if everyone in the world doesn’t.

The unidentified heretics.

The connection between the Bashrun Duchy and the Lindayer family is very weak.

Of course, I can’t reveal that now, so let’s move on for now.

“I have no choice but to suspect everyone around me. So, I was looking for a suitable person.”

“And that’s me?”

“Didn’t I say earlier? You’re more capable than you look, and you’ve also seen the assassin’s face directly, so who could be more suitable than you?”

The Marquis smiled.

Now I know why the Marquis brought up my past and praised me earlier.

‘It’s not a bad offer…’

Since I already know the culprit anyway.

I can’t just blurt out that the culprit is an unidentified heretic. Unless I plan to reveal the whole process.

Then, in the end, it means I have to wait for the right time and pretend to look for the culprit.

‘No, it’s not just not bad, but rather a good opportunity.’

When I think about it, I realized it was a golden opportunity.

I have the time and justification to find out the truth about the unidentified attackers.

Moreover, with the cooperation of the royal family, albeit secretly.

“If.”

“If?”

“If I find the culprit, what will the royal family do?”

“We must pass judgment. In any way.”

“Even if the culprit is the Rodokius family?”

“The assassination of a noble without a declaration of war is a clear violation of the Emperor’s will. The Royal Knights can use force.”

The group that can be called a legion in itself is the Royal Knights.

The problem is that they can’t move without a clear justification, but once they lift their heavy butts, no matter how powerful the heretics are….

‘It would be hard to handle.’

Well, I can’t use the Royal Knights like my limbs, but that’s beside the point.

It’s a situation where interests are moderately matched. But outwardly, it looks like I’m taking on work in the middle of the night.

“Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“If I accept the royal family’s request, what is the price?”

“Price?”

The Marquis tilted his head, as if he was sure I would accept.

“Yes. It’s quite a dangerous thing for me. I almost died once already.”

“Weren’t they the ones who tried to kill you?”

“Then wouldn’t the normal course of action be to safely hole up in the territory?”

“It’s quite different from what you said in the arena.”

I gave a bitter smile at the words asking where the noble spirit of chivalry had gone.

“It’s not like I have multiple lives.”

The Marquis nodded at my honest words.

“Yes. It’s a relief that you’re not a fool with your brain full of chivalry.”

Tap, tap.

It was quite a while before the Marquis, who had been tapping the table, opened his mouth.

“Do you want treasure?”

“I wonder.”

“Or I can be your background. A connection in the royal palace is valuable.”

“My family already dominates the North.”

“Then there’s only one thing I can give you left.”

The Marquis gave a bitter smile.

“On the promise that you will actively investigate the truth of the case, I will grant you the position and authority as a secret investigator directly under the royal family. How is it? Are you satisfied now?”