How To Live As A Third Son Of A Failure [EN]: Chapter 85

Living as the Third Son of a Wasted Novel – Episode 85

She was a girl with long black hair reaching her waist and a body as dark and mannequin-like as Aphen’s.

Hugging Aphen tightly from behind, she trembled and looked up at me.

“So you’re finally out.”

*Just wasting time, what is this.*

I sighed lightly and then sat down cross-legged in front of Aphen.

At that, Aphen scrambled to hide the black-haired girl behind him.

“Don’t hit her!”

*Does this guy think I’m some kind of thug?*

“Am I crazy? Why would I hit someone who’s done nothing wrong?”

“You hit me, though!”

“Because you deserved it.”

“Mean!”

“Quiet.”

I cut off Aphen and shifted my gaze to the black-haired girl, who had only one eye peeking out.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cain Lindayer.”

“……”

Seeing her silent, I looked at Aphen.

“She seems uncomfortable, so answer for her.”

“……Uung.”

“What’s her name?”

“They say spirits without a contractor don’t have names.”

“Really? Then I’ll call her Darkness for convenience, since she’s a spirit of darkness.”

At my words, the spirit of darkness subtly shook her head.

“She doesn’t like it?”

“Yeah. I guess it’s old-fashioned.”

*These guys are playing around together.*

Barely suppressing the rising anger, I forced a smile.

“Really? Then what should I call her?”

“She doesn’t know.”

“……Since the spirit stone is similar to obsidian, should I call her Obsidian?”

She shook her head.

“How about Ebony?”

“……What’s ebony?”

“Ebony wood. A tree with black heartwood. A very beautiful and elegant evergreen tree. Also known as ebony.”

She nodded.

“She likes the name Ebony.”

Only then did she nod, and I sighed lightly.

“Okay, then Ebony. I have a few questions. Why have you been hiding attached to this guy?”

“She wanted to watch you.”

“Wanted to watch me?”

“She wanted to see your usual self because humans are often different on the inside and outside.”

*My usual self?*

I remembered bickering with Aphen and flicking him on the forehead. I don’t think I showed a good side.

“So, what’s the result of watching me for a few days?”

“Very violent, unkind, lewd, and has a terrible temper……”

“I know that’s your opinion, so don’t try to be slick.”

“Yes.”

Aphen quickly shut his mouth and then cautiously opened it again.

“She says you’re a bit cold, but not hypocritical.”

*Is that a compliment?*

“Then can I assume she’s willing to talk a little?”

“I guess so.”

“Then again. Why did you keep silent with the elves?”

“Because she couldn’t trust even the elves.”

“Couldn’t trust?”

“This child wants revenge now.”

“Revenge?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s not a reason to hide the story from the elves.”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

She wants revenge, but there’s a need to hide the story even from the elves?

The elves can’t come out of the Great Forest? But that’s still not a reason. The more helpers, the better, right?

No, on the contrary, where is safer for a spirit than the Great Forest? She could tell them all the information and then rest comfortably in the Great Forest.

‘Wait.’

I think I’m misunderstanding something.

The Great Forest is the safest place for a spirit. But Ebony kept her mouth shut in that Great Forest and stubbornly followed me back to the continent.

Why?

Why on earth?

‘Could it be.’

A hypothesis suddenly came to mind, and after hesitating several times, I finally opened my mouth.

“Does that mean there are elves among their members?”

Aphen’s eyes widened at my words.

At the same time, Ebony slowly nodded.

“Yeah. It’s not impossible. Elves are also beings who move for their own interests.”

When you think of elves, you have an image of a race that loves nature and lives quietly with a pure heart.

But those who know, know.

How cruel those elves were during the racial wars. And how vicious their nature is.

It means that it’s not strange for a terrorist to emerge from the elves who wants to use spirits to overturn the continent.

‘The Great Forest wasn’t safe for Ebony either.’

Let’s consider.

The guys who ambushed me were all human.

But it would have been difficult to create magic stones using spirits with just their skills, so they gathered like-minded people from the elves and carried out the plot?

‘It means they’re more organized than I thought.’

A group that has knights reaching the expert high rank, as well as black magicians and elves.

The more I dig, the bigger the scale of these guys becomes.

“Well, if that’s the case, I understand why you’ve been silent until now.”

“……”

“So, what are you going to do from now on?”

“She thought you, who they’re chasing, would be the most reliable helper.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That’s right. So, you’re going to follow me and help me with revenge?”

“She will.”

“Good. Then hand over all the information about those guys. Then I’ll make sure you’re in a safe place.”

She shook her head.

“Why again?”

“She wants to help directly.”

“No, what can you do? You can’t even make a contract with me.”

At my question, Aphen talked to Ebony a few times and then pointed to himself.

“She wants to help like me?”

“You?”

“Yeah. Like me.”

“What do you mean? Are you going to fight while sealed?”

“She will. She has experience using her power while sealed, although it was forced when she was a magic stone.”

Aphen exerts power while sealed in the sword.

Ebony is going to use her power in the same way?

Well, she must have a history of being exploited for her power as a magic stone, so it’s definitely a possible method.

That being said, she could have trauma, but she’s going to fight again in the same way. I don’t know if she’s brave or reckless.

Well, either way, I don’t need to refuse. No. It’s a good thing. It’s like I have one more option.

“I’ll get a ring.”

“……”

“I’ll embed the spirit stone you’re in and carry it with me at all times. Is that good enough?”

She nodded.

“I will also do my best to help you achieve the revenge you want. But to do that, your cooperation is absolutely necessary. Do you understand what I mean? I mean, tell me everything you know.”

She nodded.

“Besides that, we’ll study how to use your power later when there’s time.”

After pausing for a moment, I held out my hand.

“Anyway, welcome to the revenge plot.”

Ebony, who had been staring at my outstretched hand, carefully grabbed only my index finger with her thumb and index finger and shook it.

It’s a strange shape.

Anyway, the contract is established.

“Good. Then let’s hear the story from now on. Everything from beginning to end.”

At my words, Ebony slowly nodded and finally began to open her mouth slowly.

* * *

The illusion faded, and what greeted me was Rahelna, who looked quite tired.

“Is it over?”

“Yes.”

As I answered and tried to get up from lying down in the carriage, all the joints in my body began to scream.

“How long have I been lying down?”

“A week.”

“What?”

A week?

It’s true that I spent a considerable amount of time in the illusion, but did a week really pass?

I was momentarily flustered and stood still, then Rahelna suddenly came to mind. Even if I don’t know, it wouldn’t be easy to maintain the spell for a week.

“……Are you okay?”

As expected, her face was so pale that I couldn’t find any vitality. It must be because she consumed a lot of mental power.

“I’m a little tired.”

*Thump!*

Rahelna closed the book and finally leaned back on the carriage backrest and closed her eyes.

“I need to rest a bit. Wake me up when we arrive in Leydin.”

Leydin was originally the name of the city where Rahelna resided.

After hearing the name, I thought about it and calculated the distance of a week’s travel from the entrance of the Great Forest.

At the usual speed, there would definitely be a lot of time left until Leydin.

Leaving Rahelna behind, I came out of the carriage and saw Ruth sitting on the driver’s seat, leading the horse.

“Ruth.”

“Oh! Young Master! Are you finally awake?”

“Yeah.”

I loosened the joints of my stiff body and sat next to Ruth.

“I was really worried about what happened to you.”

“I woke up, so it’s okay. So, where are we now?”

“We’re almost at Leydin. We should arrive before midnight tonight at the latest.”

It’s an incredible speed.

“How did you get here so fast?”

“We went straight through without stopping at any cities.”

“You didn’t even resupply?”

“Yes. After all, Ilia and the Princess also left, and you didn’t eat anything while you were sleeping…… Rahelna was also concentrating, so I just did.”

“Well, if that’s the case.”

I nodded, counting on my fingers.

“I’ll be on time.”

“On time? What are you talking about?”

“The knight exam.”

“Ah! That’s right.”

The knight exam hosted by the Lindayer family.

I made a bet with the Count on the condition of passing this.

It took a month to depart from the territory and reach the Great Forest, and three months to find Lordain in the Great Forest and train at Aslahina’s tomb.

There was plenty of time left as there was less than half a year left until the knight exam.

“Good. Let’s send Rahelna near Leydin, rest for a few days, and then return to the territory. There are many things to find out.”

“If you’re going to find out…… is it about the unidentified attacker?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you get the information you wanted?”

“Roughly. It was a good gain. It made me think a lot, though.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

“Anyway, Ruth.”

“Yes.”

“There’s something I want you to take care of after returning to the territory.”

At my words, Ruth sighed with a ‘here we go again’ expression.

“Really, if I’m under you, Young Master, even two bodies wouldn’t be enough.”

“I can’t help it. I only have you or Ilia as people, but Ilia went somewhere else.”

Ruth scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed that I said he was my person.

“So, what do you want me to do this time?”

“I need you to go somewhere far away.”

“Far away?”

Oh, how sorry I am.

“Ruth, do you like seafood?”

“Seafood? I’m crazy about it. Aren’t they things you can’t eat in the inland?”

“I’m telling you to eat as much seafood as you want this time.”

“Yes?”

Ruth rolled his eyes and then frowned as much as he could.

“Don’t tell me, Young Master.”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“Eek!”

“You have to go to the southern continent.”

“That far?”

“Yeah. There’s something to find out in the southern archipelago.”

“Not just the south, but the southern archipelago?”

The Lindayer County is located at the northernmost tip of the continent, and the southern archipelago is at the southernmost tip of the continent.

It’s from end to end.

Like Seoul to Busan, LA to Washington.

“Do as I say.”

“……You’re really too much.”

Ruth, who was suddenly going to the south, sighed deeply.

“Don’t make a fuss. It’s not like you’re going right now anyway. Return to the territory, rest well, prepare thoroughly, and then depart.”

“Either way, it’s going to be tough.”

“Suffer a little. You’re the only one who can do this kind of thing.”

“Is that so?”

As soon as I praised him again, Ruth, as if he had forgotten when he was upset, showed a change of color.

“Then if you say so. I’ll use my strength again this time!”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re so reliable.”

I answered roughly, let Ruth’s laughter flow through one ear, and leaned back on the driver’s seat.

The feeling of basking in the warm sunlight wasn’t bad. I naturally crossed my arms and closed my eyes.

I felt drowsy, but my head was still full of all sorts of thoughts.

And the biggest of those countless thoughts was just one.

‘The Nebiros Order.’

Nebiros.

A great demon called the Marquis of Hell [a high-ranking demon in some demonologies].

The order that followed him was known to have collapsed and disappeared long ago, but the reality was not the case.

The Nebiros Order was still maintaining its lineage and plotting to overturn the continent.

I don’t know what’s so good about making such a plan. After all, it’s just the villain of the novel, so what else would he have besides dogmatic philosophy.

And the spirit of darkness.

Ebony told me that her last memory was the southern archipelago.

‘The Nebiros Order’s headquarters must be hidden in the jungle of the southern archipelago.’

I got a new clue.

So now it was time to gradually grow the branches. To do that, the first thing to do was to collect information about the Nebiros Order, from the smallest to the largest.

To defeat the enemy, you must first know the enemy.

‘Busy, busy.’

I rubbed my throbbing temples and entrusted myself to the swaying carriage.