The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 36

5. Rampant Prodigy

Karina’s sword is special.

It’s not quite an ancient artifact, but it’s a renowned blade capable of wielding fire attributes. One of the reasons she became the Watcher of the North is because she wields a fire sword, which is the antithesis of ice.

Currently, Karina is surrounded by blazing flames, and the ice colliding with them turns into white steam, rising into the sky.

Whoosh!

Conversely, Niflheim’s abilities include monster brainwashing and ice manipulation.

They are similar in age and loved the same man, but the organizations they belong to are at odds, and even their abilities are opposites, so it’s safe to say they are destined nemeses.

“How long are you going to keep confronting me?”

Niflheim, sitting on the shoulder of a giant Yeti, wore a relaxed expression. With a wave of her hand, ice surged from the ground towards Karina.

This was the North, and it was surrounded by snow. There was plenty of ice to draw from.

Even without legs, she was confident that she wouldn’t lose to Karina in this place.

More than anything, time was on her side.

Even now, beneath the pit, Black Castle’s warriors, surrounded by Owlbears, were engaged in a desperate battle.

They were still maintaining their ranks well, fighting calmly without a single casualty, but they were clearly exhausted.

“Ugh!”

Already, people were being injured and withdrawing from the battle.

The moment these numbers increased and the formation collapsed, Black Castle would be finished, regardless of Karina’s efforts.

Knowing this, Niflheim continued to fight evasively.

Karina took reckless measures to help her allies, but the Ice Witch was not one to fall for such obvious tactics.

“Just admit it. You’ve lost. This will be your grave. Your precious subordinates? They’ll all become a meal for the Owlbears.”

Karina was silent, focusing intently. It was a desperate effort to turn the tide of the battle.

However, like a fish caught in a net that becomes more entangled the more it struggles, the Swordmaster’s brilliant dragon force was fading today.

“It’s over. Look down.”

“I won’t fall for such tricks.”

“I’m serious. I won’t attack, so look.”

Niflheim shrugged, and Karina reflexively glanced down.

And she saw it.

Campbell, the Ranger Captain, lying wounded with a large injury to his side.

Campbell was a master just short of Expert level and the most physically imposing, making him a key figure in the formation.

With him down, the circular formation was as good as broken.

“Campbell!”

“Where do you think you’re going! You have to play with me.”

Ice spikes created by Niflheim rained down on Karina.

The red-haired commander had no choice but to block the attacks aimed at her life.

At this rate, there was no hope.

Worry and darkness filled her face.

“Hehehehe, that’s the face! A face full of despair! I never get tired of seeing it. Especially when it’s you making that face… it’s so thrilling!”

Niflheim burst into maniacal laughter.

The current situation was like a feast for her.

She wanted to savor every moment, chewing and tearing slowly.

If it weren’t for the sudden appearance of someone.

“…Henon?”

“Don’t lie. It won’t work twice.”

Karina ignored Niflheim’s muttering, whose smile had disappeared.

Regardless, the Ice Witch’s gaze remained fixed on one spot. Karina couldn’t help but turn her eyes in that direction as well.

Eventually, both women’s gazes focused on one spot like meerkats [known for their focused gaze].

There was a man.

Tall height.

Fair skin.

Thick eyebrows.

Melancholy eyes.

A prominent nose and well-defined features.

As I’ve said countless times, a man who would be more suited to a noble’s party than this harsh battlefield was fluttering his coat and looking down into the pit.

Karina and Niflheim, as well as Victor, who was watching from above the pit, were wide-eyed.

“N-No way!”

“Henon, is it?”

“He fell off the cliff, how did he come back alive?”

Everyone was surprised by Henon’s unexpected appearance, but this was just the beginning.

As soon as he appeared, he formed hand seals and muttered incomprehensible words.

Then, an earth-shattering event occurred.

Crack!

Were not tree roots restraining the bodies of the numerous Owlbears that were besieging the Black Castle forces at the bottom of the pit?

The roots were so tough that even the Owlbears’ strong strength couldn’t easily shake them off.

It wasn’t just one.

Nearly dozens were bound.

Niflheim and Victor, as well as the Black Castle defenders, were dumbfounded.

“H-Huh?”

“The bears can’t move.”

“Now’s our chance! Let’s get out of the pit!”

“No! We have to fight! It’s a golden opportunity.”

“What are you talking about? We’re already exhausted. Even if the Owlbears are temporarily restrained, half of them will break free and attack us again while we’re dealing with the rest.”

“That’s right. We need to take the injured and escape this damn pit while we still have strength left!”

The Rangers and defenders were unable to cope with the sudden situation and were floundering.

The suddenly appearing Henon neatly resolved their concerns.

Thwack!

Sharp stones that pierced through the ice-covered floor directly struck the hearts of the Owlbears bound by the tree roots.

The cone-shaped stones with pointed ends resembled the lances commonly used by knights during cavalry charges.

Not just one lance, but several rose up, literally massacring the Owlbears.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The bears, struggling to escape from the tree roots, fell silent one after another.

It took less than five minutes for dozens of bears to die without a sound.

On average, it took three or four Rangers to barely defeat one Owlbear.

Yet, a young warrior who had recently risen to the top ranks of users had slaughtered dozens of these mid-to-high-level monsters in less than five minutes.

This was an anomaly.

No?

Even the word anomaly was insufficient.

It was truly history.

The Black Castle personnel, covered in blood and watching the entire situation, needed time to understand what was happening before their eyes.

“Just who… is Vice-Captain Henon?”

“Is that the same Vice-Captain I knew?”

“Amazing. To 격살 [Gyeoksar – a Korean term for ‘instant kill’ or ‘decisive strike’] those dozens of Owlbears at once. Even the Commander couldn’t do that.”

“Vice-Captain Henon must be a mage.”

In any case, they had miraculously survived just before death. Henon, who had given hope to those who had given up on life, was a savior.

The emboldened Rangers waved their weapons and cheered for the reincarnation of a new hero.

“Waaaaa!!!!”

The cheers from below were naturally heard by Niflheim and Karina.

Before they knew it, their positions had reversed.

Karina’s face was filled with confidence, while Niflheim wore a constipated expression.

“Now, whose side is time on?”

“Ughhhh!!! Henon!!! How dare you ruin my plan?”

The Apostle of Jealousy shrieked hysterically and glared at Henon.

However, this time, flames flew in reverse, blocking her vision.

“What are you doing? You have to play with me.”

While provoking Niflheim, Karina’s eyes were following Henon.

A surprising man who had turned the tide of the battle with a brief appearance.

Indeed, the son of the man I loved.

Today, I owe this young boy more than I thought. Once this is over, I’ll have to repay him handsomely for his dazzling performance today.

“…Before that, I have to settle things.”

“What are you muttering about!”

“It means today is the last day you’ll breathe.”

Having made her decision, Karina rushed towards Niflheim. Her steps were much lighter than before.

* * *

I can’t believe it.

Even I didn’t know this would happen.

I just ate an acorn and used a skill after being promoted to a Beginner Druid.

It was truly a heaven-and-earth-turning, 역천 [Yeokcheon – a Korean term for ‘defying the heavens’ or ‘an extraordinary event’] scene.

[Activating Wood Control.]

[Using Bind.]

[The effect of the acorn is activated.]

[Bind is converted to an area-of-effect skill.]

Until now, the binding technique, Bind, had only been used on single targets, and using it on multiple targets would overload my brain.

However, after being promoted to a Beginner Druid and receiving the acorn effect, the existing penalty disappeared.

The sight of dozens of Owlbears, struck by Bind, unable to move was truly spectacular.

Moreover, Bind, which had become a 2-star (★★) skill, restrained them with roots instead of tree branches, boasting much sturdier durability.

Even Owlbears with sharp claws would take a long time to cut through the roots and escape.

And opponents who couldn’t move at all were a free meal for me.

[Activating Stone Control.]

[Using Stone Lance.]

[The effect of the acorn is activated.]

[Lance is converted to an area-of-effect skill.]

Stone Lance, which had defeated a troll in the Golden Branch test in Dragon Lair, was a guaranteed attack skill in terms of destructive power and penetration.

This skill, which was not only a single-target skill but also an area-of-effect skill, sniped all the dozens of bound Owlbears.

No matter how strong the Owlbears were, they were smaller and had weaker regeneration than trolls, so all the ones pierced by the lances were subjugated.

The series of feats occurred within five minutes.

I couldn’t believe it even though I was the one who did it.

So, how would others feel?

I glanced to the side, and Sion was uncharacteristically unable to maintain his composure.

“How is it, Sion?”

“…Young Master, have you been hiding this kind of power all along? At this rate, you could conquer the kingdom, let alone become a Marquis.”

“You’ve gone too far. This is just the beginning.”

In any case, acorns are precious items with a limited number.

The sparring with Philip.

The life-or-death battle with the Necromancer.

And today.

I’ve already eaten three, so I’ll have to save the remaining seven.

Crises will continue to come, and it seems that the more I grow as a Druid, the more effective the acorns will become.

Now that the Owlbears have been defeated, it’s time to clean up.

Looking down into the pit, I saw Campbell bleeding from his side.

“Campbell! Are you okay!”

“Cough! Cough! Damn it! I knew it! I knew you’d be alive! There’s no way the guy who touched my balls would go so easily.”

What is that pervert saying?

“Don’t worry about here. We’ll take care of it and go up! And there’s a company dinner at Black Honey today, so don’t miss it! If you miss it again today, I’ll make you a one-balled freak.”

He’s bleeding profusely from his side, but he’s still going to drink. I have to admit that he has a generous or foolish nature.

Anyway, if he’s joking like that, he’s not in a life-threatening situation. Now that the Owlbears have been wiped out, they’ll take care of the injured and come up.

The problem lies elsewhere.

“Young Master! Be careful!”

I had been on guard since earlier, so I was able to react immediately. I slightly moved to avoid Victor’s surprise attack, who had been eyeing an opportunity and rushed in.

Clang!

With a metallic sound, Sion’s sword and Victor’s sword collided. Overwhelmed by the force, she was pushed back five steps. As expected, Victor is an Expert master. On top of that, he’s strong.

“The maid is being annoying.”

“Victor, how dare you drive a stake into Erica’s heart?”

“…I see. So that’s what happened? The two of you were chatting and caught my tail [discovered my plan].”

Victor, who is quick-witted, immediately came to the conclusion that I was chasing him.

So what?

Niflheim and Victor’s schemes have already been foiled.

Victor, his eyes bloodshot with anger, glared straight at me.

“Henon, I didn’t like you from the start.”

“Then you should have said something.”

“You’re nothing special, but you’re unnecessarily quick-witted. If it weren’t for the Apostle’s order to keep you alive, I would have dismantled you a long time ago.”

“Ooh, that sounds scary.”

Compared to Victor, who was serious, I scratched my ear and took a sarcastic attitude. My attitude further provoked him, and Victor, who was very angry, pointed his sword at me.

“I don’t know what kind of sorcery you’ve been using, but I’ve finished analyzing your abilities. It won’t work on me. I’ll finish what I couldn’t finish on the cliff that day.”

Victor had reason to be confident.

In any case, my Druid skills were good for dealing with enemies who were unintelligent like monsters or significantly weaker than me.

Against an Expert like Victor, it’s just a bit annoying, so in the end, I have to fight him with swordsmanship.

Swish.

I drew my sword and faced him.

Seeing me like this, a sneer lingered on Victor’s lips.

“You’re just a Sword User. You’re no match for me.”

At the same time, a faint black mana membrane coated Victor’s sword.

“Hehehe, try all sorts of tricks. Will it work on me? I’ll cut all those wooden scraps and stones with my mana sword…”

Victor couldn’t finish his sentence.

Because a bright silver-green sword aura erupted from my sword, which was standing opposite him.

It was the Mana Sword, the symbol of an Expert.