The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 183

21. Hero: The Ruptured Prodigal

The Test of the Golden Branch.

A duel with Merlin.

Druid training.

Experiencing various events naturally increased my understanding of Druids.

If I were to describe what I felt about Druids in one line, it would be this:

The optimal profession for dealing with multiple opponents.

Every skill set is suitable for one-versus-many scenarios.

Bind, which entangles opponents on a large scale.

Shield and Wall, which alter the terrain.

Spear Rain and Storm, which unleash massive bombardments from the sky.

Golems that struggle against a single Expert but effortlessly annihilate a typical centipede.

Giants that crush an entire brigade in an instant.

The skill effects Merlin displayed during the Golden Branch test were at the level of freely wielding and manipulating the mountains, rivers, and trees.

Leading a legion against such a Merlin?

It would only increase the meaningless sacrifice of soldiers.

“The Seven Stars and I, eight of us in total, will take down the Twilight Archduke.”

So, the strategy I chose was an elite strike force.

Conducting the raid with only the most skilled individuals capable of withstanding the Archduke’s overwhelming attacks.

“Isn’t that a bit of a reckless plan?”

Knight Commander Hans expressed his concern.

“The Seven Stars and the Hero are the greatest forces on the continent. Conversely, if we fail, the destruction of the Arnia continent is certain.”

An unnamed lord beside him agreed with Hans.

“I think so too. Even leading a large army and doing our best might not be enough. Is it necessary to show our best forces first? We could send soldiers in first to weaken him before going in.”

It’s really hard to persuade someone who doesn’t know the true power of a Druid.

I have no choice.

I’ll have to show them directly and hammer it into their minds again.

“Please, follow me for a moment.”

This place is the Empire’s camp.

It was bustling with soldiers from various countries, having heard the news of the meeting.

“Could you gather all the training scarecrows? And if there are materials, please make some makeshift scarecrows.”

Within 10 minutes, 2,000 scarecrows were prepared. These scarecrows were placed at regular intervals in the open space.

“What I’m about to show you is a mock battle. These scarecrows are our allies, and I will play the role of Merlin. Knight Commander Hans, would you spar with me for a moment?”

Hans, who had expressed the greatest concern, was positioned among the scarecrows.

“Currently, you are a commander leading 2,000 soldiers.”

“I think I get the idea.”

“We’ll start as soon as I signal.”

Tom took out a whistle he found somewhere and blew it with all his might.

Peeeeep!!!

With the whistle sound, Hans charged forward.

Having prepared thoroughly, I immediately unleashed my skills.

[Crystal Wall]

Kukwakwakwakwa!!!!

A solid wall made of crystal rose in front of Hans, blocking his path to me.

“Hmph!”

Hans snorted and instantly shattered the crystal wall horizontally. It was a sight akin to a celestial demon responding to Merlin’s defensive technique.

[Crystal Storm]

It’s not over yet.

Countless crystal pillars fell from the sky.

Since it was a mock simulation, I didn’t use my full power, only about 30% of its strength.

Even so, the ground was dented, and a tremendous roar echoed.

Hans, befitting the title of the greatest swordsman on the continent, charged through the Crystal Storm without being fazed.

He cleanly cut down only the crystal pillars that occasionally blocked his vision with his sword.

[Crystal Golem]

A giant golem appeared.

The golem, about to throw a punch at Hans, was showered with sword strikes in a short moment and disintegrated into hundreds of pieces.

The finely crushed golem was shattered without even having a chance to hide its core.

“Haaat!!!”

Finally reaching me, Hans aimed his sword at my neck with a shout. Having won the mock duel, he said triumphantly.

“Is the mock duel over? It was more bland than I thought.”

“Congratulations on your victory. Now, look behind you.”

Hans turned his head.

He was speechless.

On the plain, all 2,000 scarecrows were broken, and their remains were scattered everywhere.

Hans, being an elite who had even served as the commander of the Imperial Knights, understood quickly.

In the mock battle, those were scarecrow models made of wood and straw, but in a real battle, they would be the corpses of soldiers made of blood and flesh.

“Commander, I ask you. What was the role of the scarecrows in the mock battle just now? Did they pose a threat to me? Did the scarecrows weaken me at all?”

No.

The scarecrows were just scarecrows.

Troops that were helplessly swept away by the area attacks used when attacking Hans, not by direct attacks.

There was no purpose or meaning in it.

What if it were a real battlefield?

That would be a dog’s death, literally.

“···I understand.”

“I’m glad.”

After that, the meeting proceeded smoothly.

Having shown my skills twice, everyone was much more cooperative than before.

Of course, some attendees who didn’t know I was a Druid questioned the strange power I had just shown.

However, when I strongly asserted that I was the Hero and took out the bored Dragon Coco from subspace [a pocket dimension], they soon acquiesced.

The subjugation of the Twilight Archduke was set for fifteen days later.

I wanted to prepare for a longer period, but there was also the situation where giant tribes might run rampant in another kingdom.

The maximum date set after a long-term agreement with the anxious lords was fifteen days.

During the remaining period, the Seven Stars practiced group raids, thinking of me as Merlin.

Since many of the Seven Stars didn’t know much about Druids, I gladly became their practice partner.

Fifteen days later.

With everyone’s support, the Seven Stars and I held a departure ceremony.

Soldiers cheered and threw flowers along the path we walked.

The survival of all humanity, including them, depends on what we do from now on.

The burden on my shoulders felt quite heavy.

*

We arrived at the abandoned ruins.

It was the time when twilight was setting.

The ruins under the golden-tinged sky looked somehow even more desolate.

Even after a long period of a thousand years, the abandoned ruins hadn’t changed much from the scene I saw in Merlin’s memory.

A little more dust had accumulated, the stones had weathered, moss had grown, and crows cawed and flew away, but the desolate atmosphere unique to the ruins remained the same.

The Twilight Archduke and Wrath stood silently in the middle of the broken debris, waiting for us.

Behind him, the enormous World Tree boasted its majesty.

It was the real Yggdrasil [a mythical tree in Norse cosmology] itself, on a different level from the World Tree sapling I wielded.

The Seven Stars, having received Merlin’s power from me in advance, maintained their composure despite the oppressive feeling emanating from the World Tree.

“You villain!! You are the Twilight Archduke!! I swear to Belanus [a Celtic solar deity], I will not let you get away with this!”

Paladin Johann shouted with murderous intent, but the Twilight Archduke remained unmoved.

His gaze was fixed solely on me.

“Henon Lloyd.”

“Merlin.”

Why is it? Strangely, attention was focused on Merlin. Do kindred recognize each other?

“I would like to have a conversation for a moment.”

“Good.”

“Henon! It’s a trap! Absolutely don’t go.”

“It’s alright, Father.”

Despite Marquis Lloyd’s dissuasion, I was already moving forward.

In response, Merlin also stepped forward.

Against the backdrop of the setting sun and the collapsed debris, two shadows faced each other.

For some reason, even though it’s our first time meeting today, it feels so familiar.

Without even asking, I could tell that Merlin felt the same way.

“How many have you collected?”

It’s a sudden question, but I understood immediately.

“All of them. You’re the only one left.”

“Hehehe···”

Merlin grinned.

“Since you’ve seen the memories engraved in my soul, we can skip the formalities. What did you think of my life?”

Being bullied as a child, left alone in a troll’s nest, and then awakening as a Druid.

Even after awakening, contempt turned into fear, but the gaze that saw him as a monster remained the same.

Then, just because he had a half-elf mother, she was harassed by the villagers, so he escaped the village with her.

Eventually, he failed, his mother was killed by the Elder, and he was sold as a slave to the human race.

While working under a human master, he was abused in various ways and lived a life worse than livestock for ten years.

As his body grew and he matured as a Druid, Merlin stood up on his own and directly punished those who had tormented him. He killed his human master and wiped out the elf village.

Afterward, Merlin became a wanderer and roamed the continent.

He directly sought out remote regions and even visited the underwater city that no continental person had ever been to, saving giants and octopuses who were treated similarly to him.

Even in the midst of this, humans regarded Merlin as a mutant and constantly attacked him, and Merlin repaid them with massacres.

In the end, he annihilated the last resistance forces of humanity and tried to bring destruction to the continent, only to have his soul separated after running into a perverted old man by mistake.

“Why don’t you answer? Did you also think my life was so unfortunate? Perhaps so. Hehehehe···.”

Honestly, it’s true.

I’ve been through all sorts of things to get here, but I still had a father who thought of me as his son.

Above all, I was under the protection of a Marquis family, even if it was a border kingdom.

My starting point was different from Merlin, whose entire race despised and tried to kill him.

“Even though you’ve completely crushed the Twilight Church, I don’t hate you. Rather, I feel a sense of kinship. You’re a Druid like me, and you even know me better than anyone else.”

“You’re mistaken. You and I are different people.”

“Is that really so? You deeply empathize with me. I can feel your psychology. Don’t deny it. You understand me.”

It would be a lie to say that my mind wasn’t shaken by his words.

After all, I had been possessed by Merlin six times.

It was inevitable that I would be tempted by his words.

“What were the humans and elves like in my memories? Did they deserve to survive? Would the continent really be better off if they extended their lives?”

I have no answer.

“You would truly understand me, wouldn’t you? How about it? It’s not too late now. Won’t you join me in hastening the destruction of Arnia? It’s definitely possible if you and I work together.”

A tree root that came out of the ground turned into a hand shape and gently stroked my cheek.

“Look behind you.”

I turned my head, and all the Seven Stars were watching me.

“They are all humans, or elves, either way, purebloods. On the other hand, what about you? Are you an elf or a human?”

“I’m a half-elf.”

“That’s right. An existence that is neither human nor elf. Right now, they revere you as a hero because there’s an absolute evil like me. But even after all evil disappears, will they accept you? Even if they no longer need you?”

Merlin approached.

The rough skin texture like an old tree and the inorganic eyes had a strange power of absorption.

“Think carefully. In the end, you’re a monster that doesn’t belong anywhere. If I die, and even if the Demon King disappears, you’ll be abandoned by them. Wouldn’t it be better for them to disappear instead?”

That might really happen.

The atrocities of humans and elves that I saw in Merlin’s memories were too heinous.

Bastards worse than demons.

Trash-like bastards.

It might be okay to join hands with Merlin and punish them.

“You and I are the only beings in this world who can understand each other. Let’s become one. If we do, we can finally belong. We can escape from being lonely and isolated strangers and attain true salvation and rest.”

Is that true?

Merlin’s words sound plausible.

As he said, I and Merlin are the only Druids on the Arnia continent.

If I get rid of this person, won’t I become a permanent loner?

Suddenly, I became afraid.

If that’s the case, it would be much better to become one with Merlin and gain peace of mind······

-Hey, you son of a bitch! You’re really shitting yourself properly.

A sneering voice that struck my consciousness.

Suddenly, I felt as if I had been splashed with cold water, and my mind snapped back.

The Heavenly Demon’s furious voice echoed throughout my head.

-Why are you still listening to such nonsense? Based on my 80 years of life in the Central Plains, let me tell you one thing: anyone who babbles about becoming one or giving you rest is a scammer. This is advice from a former religious leader.

Come to think of it, the Heavenly Demon was also a cult leader.

-If you reach the true end of martial arts and attain the ultimate, you’ll naturally unite and transcend, so why are you falling for such emotional appeals? Brat, if you’re going to be so frustrating, hand me over to the maid right now.

The word “maid” mixed in with the Heavenly Demon’s scolding particularly resonated with me.

Maid Sion.

The woman who had silently stood by my side from the beginning.

The original protagonist of this world.

Her pretty face floated up in my mind, and at the same time, her words echoed in my ears.

‘For the first time since I was born, I think you’re a little cool, Master!!’

Would she really betray me?

Would she abandon me because she doesn’t need me?

Even if the demons and the Twilight Archduke disappear?

‘Vice-Captain! Let’s eat this before we go. I’m hungry.’

What about the gluttonous Campbell?

‘As expected of my son, you’re amazing.’

‘I will be your patron.’

What about Marquis Lloyd? Karina?

‘I will be loyal to you for life, Lord.’

‘Commander, you are Liang’s hero!’

‘You are already a pilgrim like me. When we have time later, let’s explore the traces of the Aslan Empire together.’

‘Silly Uncle! You have to come! Okay? I’ll be waiting in the forest.’

‘I’ve received permission from Belanus! Henon is allowed to come! Come and be the Pope!’

‘I’ve lived for a long time as a sage, but with you, there’s no time to be bored.’

‘Hero, our underwater city will always welcome you as an honored guest.’

‘Although we are a couple in name only···I don’t think of it as just a formality. I hope that one day I can draw blood directly from your arm.’

‘Kkyuuuuuuuu!!! Daddy kkyuuuu!!!’

“···Haha···”

“Yes, you understand now. There’s nowhere for us to belong. Let’s become one now.”

The tree roots writhed like tentacles and slowly constricted me.

Starting from my toes, to my knees, waist, neck, and shoulders.

Finally, it covered my face.

Merlin’s expression was satisfaction itself.

“That’s it···”

A voice filled with elation.

Before I knew it, the tree roots had covered my entire body except for my left eye.

Just as I was about to be completely sealed,

Swish!!

An emerald light was drawn diagonally.

Merlin couldn’t even react to the lightning-fast sword strike.

The line drawn on his neck gradually thickened.

“Why···”

“I was originally going to listen to you, but there are too many people who love me. Oh, and the old man told me to say hello.”

I shook the Heavenly Demon Sword in front of Merlin’s eyes. It’s the sword that pierced his heart, so there’s no way he wouldn’t recognize it. As expected, as soon as Merlin saw the Heavenly Demon Sword, hatred permeated his eyes.

“I see···you’re still trapped and living inside him···”

“It’s already too late. Your neck has been cut. Farewell.”

Merlin’s body, with its severed neck, collapsed.

Even with Yggdrasil’s regenerative power, it can’t heal if the head is blown away, let alone other parts.

I killed Merlin more easily than I thought.

···Or so I thought.

Merlin’s skin, which was already like an old tree, turned completely brown and wriggled, disappearing into the ground.

The corpse itself was absorbed into the ground.

And a perfectly fine Merlin appeared behind the World Tree.

The Druid’s intuition told me.

The one I cut was a clone, and that guy is the real Merlin.

“It was too easy.”

“I offered a way to resolve things peacefully, but you have a low intelligence, unlike your kin.”

“Well, we’ll have to fight to see who’s stupid, right?”

“Hehehe···good. The negotiations are off. I’ll make you pay the price for rejecting me.”

As Merlin signaled, an eerie energy spread, and the ground began to shake.

It was a fight that was bound to happen.

I turned around, and all the Seven Stars were looking at me with determined expressions.

I also nodded to them once.

“Everyone, charge.”

It was the beginning of a war with no turning back.