How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 8

Having finished his mana training, Ruth tilted his head, noticing my unwavering gaze.

“Is there something on my face, Master Kain?”

A flurry of thoughts raced through my mind.

Should I tell him the truth, that I can see mana?

Or should I play dumb?

‘If I tell him…’

How would Ruth Meyer react?

And if this fact were to become known, what would the Count’s reaction be?

The Count’s eldest and second sons are already engaged in a blatant power struggle for the position of heir.

If they were to find out that I possess an exceptional mana sensitivity in this situation?

The answer is to hold off for now.

Ahem, after clearing my throat, I spoke casually.

“Ruth.”

“Yes, Master Kain.”

“You said you’re an advanced mana user, right?”

“That is correct.”

“Seems like you have great skills for someone so young.”

Ruth narrowed his eyes.

His expression seemed to ask why I was suddenly praising him.

“It is thanks to being able to learn from an excellent mentor in a favorable environment. I am indebted to the Count’s family.”

“When did you first become able to sense mana?”

“…Are you referring to sensing mana?”

“Like, becoming aware of its existence? Not just handling it practically.”

“I first became aware of the existence of mana five years after taking up the sword.”

“When did you start?”

“I first came to the Knights Order at seventeen, following the Captain, and learned systematically…”

“Is that usually how long it takes?”

“It is embarrassing to say it myself, but the Captain said I was a bit faster than most.”

“I see.”

Ruth overcame the limitations of his status with outstanding talent and became a knight.

Even for such a person, it took five years.

But what the hell has this body been doing to see it right away? Wasn’t all it did was drink and chase women?

What is this?

“But why are you asking about that…?”

“Just curious. I saw you doing mana training and suddenly wondered.”

“…You certainly seem to have changed a lot.”

“What do you mean?”

“To be honest, I have practically lived in the barracks, so I have never met you in person, Master Kain.”

“And?”

“Having met you in person, who I had only heard rumors about, I definitely think that rumors are not to be trusted.”

“Ha, really? What were the rumors like?”

As I smiled wryly and asked, Ruth quickly lowered his head as if he thought he had misspoke.

“I-I apologize. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“It’s obvious. Just a good-for-nothing who only knows how to have fun and stays away from academics and martial arts, something like that?”

“…….”

He doesn’t particularly deny it.

This confirms it.

Kain, the original owner of this body, has never even held a sword until this age.

So, he didn’t realize he had this crazy talent.

“Ruth, what if.”

“Yes, Master Kain.”

“Do you think someone who has never held a sword could suddenly see and feel mana one day?”

“Suddenly, you say?”

Ruth scratched his cheek for a moment, thinking, then shook his head.

“As far as I know, I think it’s impossible. I heard that even the Count, who is a master, took half a year to feel mana after taking up the sword.”

Even that monster took half a year.

What is this, really?

Did I get some kind of protagonist buff [an advantage or power-up given to the main character]?

But I don’t think the author, who is determined to screw me over, would give me this ability…….

Or maybe it’s a setting the author had in mind from the beginning.

He prepared it as a plot device to use later, but the plan went awry and he forgot about it forever. Thinking that way, it’s not impossible.

‘Anyway.’

The important thing is that I have tremendous talent.

That’s what’s important.

I don’t know yet whether it will be poison or wings.

‘My head is complicated.’

I scooped up the remaining stew and put it in my mouth.

My body is tired, and I’ve been thinking all sorts of things in my head, so I’m getting a headache.

Let’s eat and sleep for now.

* * *

“Master Kain, please wake up.”

What. Is it already my turn for night watch?

It feels like I haven’t slept for more than a few hours.

“It’s a pack of wolves. You must wake up now.”

My eyes widened at the word wolves.

Ignoring the oncoming muscle pain, I hurriedly got up.

“Wolves?”

It’s not that I didn’t foresee this situation.

That’s why I brought Ruth, the knight.

With Ruth’s skills, monsters and wild animals are no threat at all.

But reality is different from imagination.

The thought of wolves with sharp teeth made my body tense.

‘The only wild animal I’ve ever seen in my life is a wild boar.’

I turned my head and saw Leo.

But something was strange.

Leo was just following the water and heating it over the campfire as if nothing was wrong.

I couldn’t help but frown at the sight of him rustling through his luggage and even taking out a tea bag.

“What are you doing, Leo?”

“Yes?”

“What are you doing now?”

“I was going to make tea because I felt a chill…….”

What’s with that leisurely attitude?

“Now? A pack of wolves is coming?”

“Yes?”

As that ironic conversation continued, a dozen or so blue eyes appeared around the campfire.

Grrr…….

‘Crazy.’

A chill ran down my spine.

The pack of wolves with eyes that seemed to drip surrounded the campfire quickly.

I swallowed hard and unconsciously reached for my waist.

The hanging scabbard greeted me coldly.

If I had to fight wolves with this sword, could I really do it?

Swish!

The worry was unfounded.

A blue aura swirled around Ruth’s body as he drew his sword.

Then, after letting out a short shout, Ruth kicked off the ground.

‘Is he human?’

Ruth leaped a distance of at least a dozen meters at once.

Thud!

Ruth landed in the middle of the pack of wolves with a roar and immediately swung his sword.

Slash!

Three wolves were neatly bisected by the long sword that drew a cool semicircle. Hot blood, smelling of steam, scattered under the night sky.

Cackle!

The pack of wolves, having lost three companions in an instant, snarled and surrounded Ruth. Then, as if it were their usual hunting method, one wolf that had taken the rear lunged.

Ruth grinned as if he found it amusing.

Bang!

The swung fist burst the head of the charging wolf.

Literally unable to withstand the force, eyeballs, red blood, and whitish brain matter scattered from the exploding skull.

Thud! Slash!

He kicked the wolf that followed, breaking its back, and swung his sword to bisect it from the crown of its head to its tail.

‘That’s a knight?’

The duel with Holn still had a clean taste.

No, in fact, there was nothing to see.

Holn, who dropped his sword in just a few moves, was just beaten badly.

That level of violence was a scene that could be commonly seen in medieval movies or dramas.

But this?

‘It’s really raw.’

A battle, not a duel.

A fight solely to destroy the opponent.

Whimper!

Eventually, the pack of wolves lost their will to fight first and began to scatter in all directions.

But Ruth didn’t seem to have any intention of showing mercy. He reached into his cloak and took out three daggers, throwing one at a time, accurately piercing the back of each wolf’s head.

And then there was one wolf left.

Ruth, perhaps because he had no spare daggers, clicked his tongue briefly and picked up a stone lying on the ground.

“Hoo-eup!”

Then, Ruth took a stance similar to a wind-up and threw the stone.

Whoo-oong!

The stone, leaving behind a chilling sound of tearing through the air, hit the wolf’s head directly.

Bang!

The headless wolf’s body rolled on the ground, unable to even leave a final scream.

‘What’s with all the impact sounds…….’

Usually, it should make sounds like ‘Bang!’, ‘Crack!’, right?

Why does it sound like a shotgun when you throw a stone?

“I think it’s been taken care of for now.”

Ruth dusted off his hands and tilted his head, noticing my gaze.

“Master Kain?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah.”

He’s a monster.

In novels, monsters usually die with a ‘clang, clang, clang’ and a ‘urk’.

Of course, that’s inevitable.

Because it’s text.

On the other hand, what about now that I’ve experienced it directly in surround 4D?

“Were you surprised?”

“No, not really.”

“Then I’ll go retrieve the daggers for a moment.”

That’s a lie. I was surprised.

I was surprised, but I still have my pride.

I waved my hand casually and called Leo.

“Leo, a cup of tea.”

“Here it is.”

As if he knew this would happen, Leo leisurely steeped tea leaves in the warmed water.

I took it and watched Ruth’s back as I calmed my mind.

‘This is no joke.’

Power beyond the limits of humans.

It’s possible because he manipulates mana.

And what about that flashy swordsmanship?

If you’re a fantasy mania [enthusiast], your heart will naturally ignite.

‘Knight. A knight…….’

Knight.

It’s truly a man’s romance.

The flower of the battlefield.

One who draws his sword only for honor and his lord.

Honestly, I’m greedy at this point.

Becoming a hero who spreads his name widely in the fantasy world.

Everyone imagines it at least once.

‘But it’s not like I just want to act cool, I need something else.’

Just wanting to become a knight because it’s a romance? That’s definitely not it.

If I don’t get married, I will become competitive as an heir.

That means my two brothers will be trying to screw me over all the time.

Looking at the distant future, I need power anyway. I can’t just live with a bodyguard knight by my side for ten thousand years.

Besides, after seeing Ruth’s performance with my own eyes, I realized the importance of power even more.

Even so, there are still problems.

From whom should I learn the sword?

From the Knights Order? Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. But I want to hide this fraudulent ability.

Outstanding ability creates unwanted enemies.

That’s when it happened.

A good idea flashed through my mind.

“Ruth!”

At my call, Ruth, who was wiping the blood off the dagger, approached.

“Did you call me?”

“You fought very well.”

“That’s an overstatement. It’s just a wolf.”

“Just a wolf. I can’t even beat that wolf.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“You can’t be by my side 24 hours a day.”

Ruth looked like he was asking what I was trying to say.

“So, what I’m saying is.”

“Yes.”

“Should I learn the sword too?”

“Sword…… you say?”

“Yeah.”

“If it’s just for self-defense, it’s definitely a good choice.”

“It’s not for self-defense.”

Ruth’s eyes changed subtly.

“You mean it’s not?”

“I’m thinking of becoming a knight.”

“Yes?”

Is that what you look like when you bite an insect?

Ruth retorted with an expression that seemed to say, ‘What nonsense are you talking about?’

“Why, do you think I can’t do it?”

“It’s not that.”

“Isn’t it something you have to try to know if it’s possible or not?”

“That’s true, but it’s hard to achieve greatness even if you’ve been holding a sword since you were young…….”

I shrugged at the words that told me to stop talking nonsense and wake up.

“Then how about a simple bet? Whether I can become a knight or not. Honestly, you think it’s absolutely impossible for me, right?”

“How can I make a private bet with you, Master Kain?”

“Okay. I’ll bet gold coins.”

“Yes?”

“If I can’t become a knight, I’ll give you exactly one hundred gold coins. Even then?”

“…….”

The majesty of one hundred gold coins.

Ruth kept his mouth shut and saved his words.

“It’s a very simple bet, isn’t it? Whether I can become a knight or not.”

Ruth swallowed hard.

Well, if you’re a noble or something, if you just close your eyes and agree, you’ll get one hundred gold coins for free, so even if there was no conflict, it would arise.

Moreover, it would be a considerable temptation for Ruth, who is a knight but doesn’t have enough background and is not well off.

After a long deliberation, Ruth carefully opened his mouth.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. Should I write a contract?”

“How can I…….”

“Shut up. Just write it, okay? Leo, bring a piece of paper.”

At my words, Leo reluctantly handed over a piece of paper and a quill pen.

I took it and began to scribble down what I had said earlier.

‘What’s with this handwriting? It’s definitely not adapting.’

Since being dragged into this world, all the languages and letters I speak have been changed to those of Midland [the fictional world’s primary region].

It’s as if it were my native language.

It was awkward, but after finishing the signature, I handed it to Ruth.

“You sign it too, and you keep the certificate. If I have it, you’ll suspect me again, right?”

“I-I can’t possibly…….”

“Shut up. Ruth, I bet one hundred gold coins, so you have to bet something too, right?”

As the scale grew, Ruth, who guessed that it was not just a simple joke, nodded seriously.

“Is there something you want from me?”

Why would I make this bet?

“You teach me.”

“Yes? What are you talking about?”

“Of course, swordsmanship. But keep it strictly secret from the outside. That means don’t tell my father either. How about it? It’s okay, just think of it as a one hundred gold coin lesson.”

There’s no need for the fact that I’m learning the sword to be known to the Count, including the first and second sons.

You have to hide some of your true abilities.

Ruth had a conflicted look on his face.

It must be because he has to keep it a secret even from his lord.

But the hesitation didn’t last long. It’s not like it’s a bad thing.

“I understand. However, I need to know what level you’re talking about…….”

“Of course, there are abilities that a knight should have, right?”

You can’t just wear a shiny full plate mail [a complete suit of armor] and carry a sword to become a knight.

“Feeling mana.”

This time, Leo and Ruth couldn’t hide their expressions, and both of their faces rotted.

“How long should we set the deadline?”

But I was confident.

The Count said he felt mana after half a year of holding the sword.

On the other hand, I can see it clearly without doing anything, so what’s there to worry about?

This is a bet I can’t lose.

“Should I set it for about half a year like my father?”

Ruth and Leo, who don’t know the details, are now starting to look at me like I’m crazy.