How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 82

Living as the Third Son of a Failed Novel – Chapter 82

Chapter 25. Spirit of Darkness

“It’s outside.”

After about two months spent inside, as we escaped the collapsing tomb, Ruth knelt down and spread his arms wide.

His posture, as if a prisoner were basking in the sunlight after being released from prison, made me chuckle.

“Do you like it?”

“I’m utterly sick of fish now. I missed this forest scent, too.”

“Same here.”

It was at that moment, as everyone was reveling in the fresh air after so long, that…

Tweet-! Tweet-!

A mockingbird suddenly appeared, circling above our heads and making a racket. Ruth, smacking his lips at the sight, stood up.

“I was getting tired of fish anyway, so this is good. A little rascal snack.”

Seeing him pick up a stone, I let out a light sigh.

“Stop it.”

“Huh? Wasn’t it you, Young Master, who said we should hunt as soon as we got out?”

“That’s true, but that’s not prey.”

“……Can’t you eat grilled bird?”

“Foolish Ruth. Listen carefully.”

A moment of silence followed my question, and Fleta broke it.

“It’s the signal that druid told us when we first entered the Great Forest.”

“That’s right.”

“This means they want us to follow them.”

“It’s a bit strange. We were planning to return to the Elven Forest even without such preparations. It’s not like they sent it because they thought we’d get lost.”

“The fact that they came to meet us like this means…….”

“It must mean something has happened. Let’s go.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Lordain stepped forward.

“It seems they intend to guide us in the opposite direction of the Elven Forest.”

Indeed, the mockingbird was heading in the opposite direction from the Elven Forest.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“The direction we’re going will change.”

“This is where we part ways.”

“Part ways? Why so suddenly?”

Lordain smiled and extended his hand, and I firmly grasped it in return.

“Our meeting wasn’t great, but I think the end isn’t bad.”

“I feel the same way.”

Even without Lordain, I would have found Aslahina’s tomb.

However, it is true that I was able to come up with a solution easily thanks to Lordain’s story.

Moreover, I even received one-on-one tutoring from the strongest warrior of the elves, so it was a blessing in disguise.

“I heard a war is about to break out.”

“Yes, probably.”

“Well, we need to prepare ourselves too. We’ll have a lot to do from now on.”

“If we ever meet as enemies in the future, please go easy on me.”

“You monster-like brat.”

“Monster?”

“You jumped several stages in just a couple of months, and you’re not a monster? You’re kidding me.”

Ilia, Ruth, and Fleta, who were listening from the side, agreed with Lordain’s words.

“Excuse me, Young Master. Frankly, you don’t look like a human to me.”

“I agree with Ilia. Sometimes I wonder if you have dragon blood mixed in you, since dragons are said to be born with the ability to manipulate mana.”

“The dragon race went extinct hundreds of years ago. It would be more plausible to think that another soul possessed the Third Young Master’s body.”

“Oh, Princess. That’s a plausible theory.”

I felt a twinge in my chest.

Well, it’s no wonder they’re surprised. To put it bluntly, I succeeded in breaking through to the Expert level in one fell swoop.

‘Is this what it feels like to be a real overpowered character?’

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Before I started training in earnest, my skills were only at the intermediate level of a mana user.

Originally, I should have become an advanced user and then a top-level user, a stage where you feel a kind of wall before becoming an Expert.

But I broke down that wall in one fell swoop, as if mocking the natural order.

‘To become an Expert… I was surprised too.’

Sword Expert.

A title given to a master who has gone beyond simply using a sword and has realized its mysteries.

A talent whose skills are recognized wherever they go and whom many nobles are desperately seeking.

Lordain’s eyes, looking at me who had reached that level, really looked like he was looking at a monster.

‘There’s no monster like you. What the hell are you? Are you even human?’

I still vividly remember Lordain stuttering after seeing my achievements while helping me train.

But there was no other way to explain it.

It was just that my skills were improving by leaps and bounds, to the point of exploding, like a sponge absorbing water. It was truly a bizarre phenomenon. There was no other way to express it other than to say it was really bizarre.

Of course, it wasn’t just me who grew.

Ruth also finally broke down the wall to become an Expert, and Ilia also jumped to the intermediate level of mana user in one fell swoop.

Of course, Ruth had been at the advanced level for a long time and had outstanding talent, so it was a natural achievement in a way.

Ilia was also able to improve rapidly because she inherited Aslahina’s experience and power.

But my case was much more special than theirs. I jumped several stages in one fell swoop.

Of course, I have an idea about the reason.

Unlike others, I had directly experienced the exploits of heroes who left their names in history, and I had even mastered some of their techniques.

Besides, this body…

Not only the optimized frame as a martial artist but also the talent of the Lindaier family. With all of that in my grasp, and with the addition of the formidable technique of the mana tunnel, my potential must have exploded.

‘But even so, there are definitely limits.’

Even with these perfect conditions, there were definitely limits.

I felt it myself. After breaking through the wall of Expert, my skills didn’t improve as much as I was satisfied with.

How should I explain it?

It did improve, but it wasn’t noticeable. It was as if the amount of experience required exploded when I leveled up in a game.

But even putting all that aside, the level of Expert was definitely the dream of every knight in the world.

And I finally achieved it.

“Take this.”

Lordain’s words woke me from my thoughts.

He pulled out a dagger from his waist and handed it to me.

“If you want to find me in the future, just grab any elf and show it to them.”

It was a crude dagger with no special patterns. But because of that, the seal engraved on the pommel [the knob on the end of the handle] stood out.

“Is it expensive?”

“Well, it depends on how you use it.”

After speaking, Lordain lightly spread his hands first and slightly bowed his head.

“Have a peaceful journey.”

At the sight, Ilia, Ruth, and Fleta also returned the greeting.

After speaking, Lordain smiled and turned to disappear into the forest.

“May you be at peace.”

I also gave a small greeting, looking at his back.

* * *

The place we arrived at, following the mockingbird, was the entrance to the Great Forest.

The distance wasn’t far. In the first place, Elven Lake was located near the border between the kingdom and the Great Forest.

When we arrived, the horses and carriages we had taken when we first headed here were still there, and Rahelna was seen leisurely reading a book inside the carriage.

“Rahelna.”

At my call, Rahelna slightly lowered the book she was holding and glanced over me and my party before letting out a faint smile.

“I expected you to come out looking like beggars.”

The moment Rahelna’s gaze, which had been scanning us, turned to me, she twitched her eyebrows.

“……I didn’t expect this.”

It was obvious what she meant. It meant that the aura I was emitting was clearly different from before.

Rahelna, who had closed the book, tilted her head. Her eyes were filled with questions that didn’t suit her.

“What happened?”

“Didn’t you hear from the two elves, Mirang and Kana, who came before us?”

“I heard you were training. But even so, you seem to have gone a bit too far.”

“I think so too.”

“How far have you risen?”

At Rahelna’s question, I grabbed the dagger that Lordain had given me and showed it.

Then I opened my mana heart.

Goooo…….

Mana began to seethe like an angry bull that had been trapped.

Then, following my natural pull, the energy flowed out towards the dagger as if it were being pushed out.

“…….”

Soon, a blue aura that seemed to drip at any moment enveloped the dagger.

It wasn’t the aura of a mana user that was simply and opaquely added. Compared to this, the mana user’s aura is nothing more than a clumsy imitation.

This appearance is the true manifestation of mana and the complete sword energy, Aura Blade, that proves its strength.

Proof that no one can deny that the caster is a complete knight.

Of course, it cannot be denied that it is a drop in the bucket compared to a master who pulls out and scatters the aura like taffy.

But masters are among the few in the continent. So this level is enough to be called a strong person.

“You monster-like guy.”

At Rahelna’s words, which showed the same reaction as Lordain, I shrugged my shoulders as I withdrew my mana.

“Should I change my name to Monster at this opportunity?”

“You’ve cultivated not only strength but also arrogance.”

“Please think of it as appropriate confidence. Well, let’s talk about the details later. First of all, why did you call us here instead of the Elven Forest?”

“Get in, Tagera. Let’s talk as we go.”

Rahelna, who took off her glasses and put them in her pocket, gestured, and the horses moved on their own and approached the group.

The group, having confirmed that all the luggage they had brought was loaded into the carriage, got on the horses.

At the sight, Rahelna gestured to Fleta.

“The child of Bashrun should also get in here. I have something to tell you.”

Fleta frowned at Rahelna’s words, but she headed to the carriage without complaint.

The carriage slowly began to move, and I and Fleta, who had entered, sat facing Rahelna.

After that, Rahelna neatly arranged her disheveled white hair, leaned back on the backrest, and opened her mouth.

“A letter came from Bashrun.”

“By letter, you mean…”

At Fleta’s question, Rahelna rummaged through her pocket and handed over a scroll.

“Have you read it?”

“I don’t have such hobbies. However, the messenger seemed very urgent.”

At Rahelna’s words, Fleta checked the seal stamped on the scroll. After confirming that it was the family’s, she immediately tore the seal and checked the letter.

After that, her expression began to change from moment to moment. She was surprised, then embarrassed, and then stiffened. It was quite interesting to watch, and just as I was watching, Fleta finally gritted her teeth.

“Those rat bastards are finally making a move.”

“Making a move?”

“I’m talking about the guys who decided to side with the Rodkius family.”

“Ah, before? What were their names again?”

“Baron Tril. Baron Icus. Viscount Lake.”

I remembered.

It must have been the nobles whom the thugs who attacked me and Fleta were trying to frame.

“So what did they do?”

“They are stubbornly insisting while ignoring all the demands we have made.”

“Demands?”

“It’s good to side with Rodkius. But give up the rights you have taken as Bashrun family’s vassals and leave.”

“That’s reasonable, isn’t it? What are those three nobles saying?”

“They say they have been suppressed by coercion against their will. It’s true. Their families were absorbed after losing the war with us a long time ago. But that time spans several generations. They sucked up the sweet water under Bashrun’s power during that time, and now they are trying to cover their eyes and make excuses.”

“Let’s look at the facts. Until now, they were ruled by force. But now they can’t stand it anymore, so they’re saying they’re going to leave? They also have a very good reason to be independent.”

“That’s how it looks on the surface.”

“But behind it is the Rodkius family?”

“Otherwise, would they have the guts to do that?”

“So.”

“The conclusion is one. There is no reason or need to argue about this or that. We will use the method that our predecessors have always used.”

“That method is…”

Fleta, who smiled bitterly at my question, crumpled the scroll tightly.

“It’s war.”