How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 56

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Chapter 56

* * *

Waking up in my room felt refreshing.

The eventful days in the Capital felt like a dream, replaced by a sense of peace.

I woke up and skillfully washed my face with water brought by the servants, then dressed in my formal attire.

At first, I found it cumbersome and overly extravagant, avoiding it, but it was gradually becoming the time for me to embody the dignity of the third son.

After skipping breakfast, I left the lord’s castle and headed to the knight order’s branch within the city.

“Haaap!”

“Hiss! Hiss!”

The knight order was bustling, even in the morning.

Knights were training and sparring, creating a heated atmosphere. Those who recognized me greeted me with bows.

‘It feels strange.’

These were the knights who had looked at me like I was nothing when I first arrived in this world.

Recalling my achievements, I moved forward with a pleasant feeling.

“Young Lord, what brings you here?”

Lord Varanka, who was watching the knights’ training, recognized me and approached.

“I came to see Ilia.”

“Ilia Frost is currently performing her assigned duties in the knight order. What is your business?”

No matter how close we became in the Capital, public matters are public, and private matters are private.

Reading Varanka’s thoughts, I crossed my arms.

“I am here to gather information as a witness to the attack on Princess Bashrun.”

“Oh! Is that so? Then there’s nothing I can do. She’ll be organizing the armory in the barracks.”

Varanka, having found a justification, grinned and nodded readily.

I was about to leisurely walk past Varanka when he called out.

“Young Lord.”

“Yes?”

“Both you and I know Ilia’s true worth, but some of the younger trainee knights haven’t fully matured yet.”

“…….”

“I’m just advising you in the hope that you’ll send a summons next time.”

Ah.

He means he doesn’t want me to create unnecessary rumors.

I was short-sighted. I just came because it was awkward to order her around.

“No, thank you for the advice.”

“Yes. Then, I’ll be going.”

Varanka turned and began to walk away.

I clicked my tongue and continued walking, arriving at the knight order’s armory in the corner of the barracks. I could hear thumping sounds from inside.

Peeking through the open door, I saw Ilia struggling to move weapon boxes.

“Need some help?”

“Who… Oh, Young Lord!”

Recognizing my face, Ilia stood at attention and saluted.

“Relax.”

“Yes.”

I waved my hand, and Ilia took a more comfortable stance, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

She looked disheveled even though it was early in the morning. She must have been doing all sorts of chores since early dawn.

‘Well, she’s the youngest, so it can’t be helped, but.’

Those in the lowest positions in any group tend to suffer, and the military knight order was no different.

The problem is that even among the youngest, there are different levels.

“You look busy. Want some help?”

“Ah, no. I’m almost done. But what brings you here…?”

“How’s knight order life treating you?”

“Yes. I’ve learned a lot since returning from the Capital, so I’m working hard every day.”

“Really? Have you had breakfast yet this morning?”

“No, not yet.”

“That’s unfortunate. But it can’t be helped. My business comes first, so eat well later.”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

“First, sign here.”

I took out a rolled-up piece of paper from my pocket and tossed it to Ilia.

“What is this…?”

“It’s a mercenary contract.”

“Yes?”

Ilia’s face showed bewilderment.

It’s understandable. But what else can I do? This is the only way right now.

“There’s no longer a legitimate reason to take you away. I went to see my father yesterday and negotiated this and that, and it was a headache.”

“What does that mean…?”

“Leave the knight order, Ilia.”

Her expression stiffened.

“Then work as a mercenary. You can come up with a name yourself and take my requests.”

“…….”

“I won’t explain the reasons in detail. I’m just giving you a choice. Of course, it’s your freedom to choose.”

“…….”

Ilia looked down at the paper again and opened her mouth slightly.

“What is this last phrase?”

“Huh?”

“‘Special benefits may be provided upon contract’?”

“Ah, that?”

I smiled at the bewildered Ilia.

“I guarantee it. It will be the best opportunity of your life.”

* * *

A few days later.

I was waiting for Ruth’s message, sweating in the private training ground, and took a break.

I quenched my thirst with water and lay down to look at the darkening sky.

‘No matter how I think about it…’

There are still so many things I lack.

Even if I have future information and the overpowered protagonist buff [an advantage or boost given to the main character].

In the end, the most important thing is people.

Even the strongest warrior, Lu Bu Fengxian, who was called the ‘Lu Bu among men,’ eventually fell because he ignored talent and acted arrogantly.

I only have one body.

Since I can’t use clones, it’s only natural that I need to gather useful talents.

But who do I have right now?

‘Ruth. Just one person.’

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Ignoring the vibration [presumably from a communication device], I leaned back against the support and sighed softly.

‘Fleta… I still don’t know. I’m not sure. The Count is an ally, but not my man. Not to mention the two brothers. Leo will be helpful much later. Gilaine and Varanka aren’t immediate resources either.’

Thinking about it again, the future is bleak. Every time I escape one crisis, another appears, and I have too few people.

‘Ilia is…’

For now, she’s a late bloomer.

Her talent is outstanding. She hasn’t been holding a sword for long, but she’s unconsciously breathing mana [a magical energy source], though she doesn’t realize it.

Loyalty?

The fact that she and I shared life and death in that attack is already a plus.

‘Besides, the biggest advantage is that she’s untainted.’

She has lived alone without any connections. There’s nothing more fatal than having a spy from another force as a confidant, so it’s definitely an advantage.

“Hoo.”

What’s the point of thinking about it?

If she wants to stay in the knight order, there’s nothing I can do. Unless it’s an official matter, the Count doesn’t seem to want to send any more knights.

“Young Lord.”

At that moment, the servant appeared at the door of the training ground.

“What is it?”

“A guest has arrived.”

“A guest? Who is it?”

“Yes. It’s Ilia Frost.”

The time has come.

I stood up, put my sword in its scabbard, and nodded.

“Tell her to come here.”

“Understood.”

How much time had passed?

Ilia, who reappeared, had a different atmosphere than before.

The cloak symbolizing a trainee knight was gone.

Ilia, wearing simple leather armor that an adventurer might wear and a dark blue robe with a hood, appeared in the training ground.

“You’ve come.”

“Yes.”

“Did you leave?”

“I did.”

“Didn’t they say anything?”

Ilia smiled self-deprecatingly at my question.

“They wouldn’t hold onto a trainee knight from a commoner background.”

“Really?”

“But the commander strongly dissuaded me.”

“Because he’s the one who brought you here.”

“But when I told him about you, he readily agreed.”

Gilaine. That commendable man.

“That’s good.”

I smiled, and Ilia also gave a faint smile.

“The contract?”

Ilia took out a rolled-up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to me.

“I’ve received it.”

“Should I call you Master now?”

“Don’t be disgusting. Just do as you’ve been doing.”

“Yes.”

I scanned the paper and saw something that caught my eye.

“…Frost Mercenary Group.”

“I didn’t have a name. I just used my last name.”

“That’s fine. Registered?”

“I’ve registered with the mercenary guild.”

“Good. Don’t worry about performance. I’ll give you plenty of requests.”

“Thank you just for saying that.”

“Stop with the pleasantries.”

I threw the paper to one side and drew my sword, placing it on my shoulder.

“Draw your sword, Ilia.”

“Yes?”

“I told you there would be special benefits upon signing the contract.”

I smiled faintly at her expression, which seemed to ask what special benefits had to do with sparring.

“It may be too early, and it may seem presumptuous, but whatever.”

It’s not okay if only I get stronger.

“Now, you are my first disciple.”

Ilia’s eyes, which were always calm, began to widen.

* * *

A wooden house located in a quiet part of Wind Nest. It wasn’t fancy, but it had its own yard and was well-equipped.

It was a place prepared for Ilia.

She had lost her home when she left the knight order.

“T-To give me such a large place…”

“I didn’t say I was giving it to you. The title is in my name.”

“…….”

After moving here, Ilia’s daily routine was simple.

She waited for me to go to work, sparred with me until lunch, then sparred again from after lunch until dinner. And that was it.

It was a monotonous routine for the past month.

It was simple, but the content was not simple at all.

“Ugh!”

Ilia, tripped by my foot, spun in the air and fell to the dirt floor of the training ground.

“You’re open down below again.”

Ilia, covered in unsightly dust, struggled to get up and opened her mouth.

“H-How…”

“Hmm?”

“How do you get so much further away every day?”

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked at me with a hollow gaze.

“I lost to you before in the Capital, but it wasn’t that shocking. I thought it was a difference I could overcome.”

“But.”

“…Now I can’t even imagine it. I can’t even see your shadow.”

“So, you’re just going to give up because you can’t even imagine it?”

Ilia bit her lip at my mocking words and grabbed her sword.

‘She has the spirit.’

Not to mention the base. The fact that she persevered as a trainee knight in the Wind Knight Order means she has the basics.

Now all I have to do is add color to that base.

After that, I began to teach her my own swordsmanship, which I had created with the help of Ruth.

At first, she was skeptical.

It was a swordsmanship that was different from ordinary swordsmanship, practical in a good way and despicable in a bad way.

‘What good is that?’

The knights in this world value honor more than their lives, but I’m not from here.

Chivalry? Manners? Etiquette?

It’s frustrating to see them looking for that kind of thing in a life-or-death battle.

It’s rather fortunate.

Rather, the freedom of thought has created my own weapon.

“I’m going.”

Clang!

Ilia, who stood up again, failed to deflect my attack properly this time, and her sword was lifted.

Bang!

Then, my fist struck her exposed abdomen.

“Keuh…”

Thud!

Ilia’s knees hit the ground hard, and gastric acid flowed from her mouth.

“Huff, huff…”

I focused on her mouth, which was breathing roughly.

I could feel mana constantly flowing in and out. It meant she was unconsciously being tempered.

‘At this rate.’

The conditions for opening the mana heart seemed to be completed soon.

Of course, you can’t just awaken it just because the conditions are right. Your will is the most important thing.

Clatter- Clatter-

While I was waiting for Ilia to recover, I began to hear the sound of hooves in the distance.

Judging from the increasing sound, it was clear that they were heading here.

“Rest.”

I sheathed my sword and turned away from Ilia, heading to the gate.

It was as expected.

A man who appeared to be a guard from the territory stopped in front of me and got off his horse.

“Young Lord, a letter.”

“Thank you for your trouble.”

The wax seal was Ruth’s. There were no signs that anyone had opened it.

I sent the soldier away and tore the seal on the spot, taking out the letter inside.

.

I confirmed the short message sent by Ruth.

My guess was correct.

The key to going to the Great Forest was there.