The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 38

Niflheim is dead.

At the hands of a novice who barely reached Expert.

A knight that would be hard to find even if you searched the entire continent.

Karina, who witnessed this scene firsthand, trembled.

‘What kind of guy is this?’

To be honest, she didn’t like him when she first saw him.

Her heart ached whenever she saw a resemblance to Gordon Lloyd, whom she had liked.

Still, she was a person who clearly distinguished between public and private matters, and she allowed him to work in the North based solely on his outstanding skills.

Looking back now, keeping Henon in the North was one of the best things she had ever done in her life.

What would have happened if she had dismissed him as a hothouse flower and sent him back to the Marquisate on the day they first met?

Black Castle would have fallen.

The castle would have been burned down, and her precious subordinates would have become food for the Owlbears.

She might not have noticed Victor’s betrayal until the end and been stabbed in the back.

If things had gone that way, the headless corpse rolling around before her eyes would have been her, not Niflheim.

‘That one boy changed everything.’

It still lingers in her eyes.

The sight of Niflheim’s giant ice hand being met head-on with a large stone shield.

The sight of him freely using the Flash Step, a secret skill she taught him, and gliding through the sky.

To be honest, she didn’t know what a Druid was, nor did she know they were this overpowered.

There were no Druids among the Seven Stars, and Marquis Lloyd was not a Druid either.

Since Henon was a half-elf, it must have been his mother’s elven blood that gave him the ability to connect with nature.

Even considering all these factors, it is clear that Henon is extraordinary.

No.

Beyond extraordinary, a genius.

A glimpse of the hero who will save the continent.

There’s something familiar about him.

The fresh feeling of the day she first met young Gordon Lloyd is beginning to be seen in Henon.

‘A new wave is coming.’

She chuckled.

She is reminded of the time when she, with nothing but youthful spirit, declared she would save the continent and traveled all over with the warrior Kyle and six companions.

A story from 20 years ago.

The world is changing rapidly.

The Twilight Order?

Still threatening.

But… the continent is vast, and before she knew it, the sprouts to fight against the great evil were growing splendidly.

She felt somehow relieved and at ease.

“Good job.”

She patted Henon on the shoulder.

“Let’s go back. Home.”

* * *

A storm had passed.

Black Castle was busy for a while cleaning up the aftermath.

First, they had to explain.

“Deputy Commander! What happened? I wasn’t mistaken about the vines that tied the goblin’s legs back then, was I?”

This is Black Honey [the castle’s tavern].

Oak barrels were rolling around everywhere.

Everyone was drinking themselves into a stupor.

Commander Karina did not interfere even when a chaotic drunken party broke out.

To be precise, she couldn’t rather than didn’t. As the commander of Black Castle, she was busier than anyone else with the cleanup.

However, after eliminating the Twilight Order’s high-ranking officer and clearing out the nearby Owlbear habitat, she estimated that there would be no enemies threatening Black Castle for a while and gave the entire castle staff a week of complete vacation.

What would the northern soldiers do for a week in a barren facility with no entertainment?

That was why Black Honey was overflowing, and why I had to be the main character and explain the situation at the time in front of everyone.

“It was luck.”

“Aiiii!!!”

“Woooo!!”

“Cowardly!”

Jeers poured in from all directions.

Well.

Even I thought it didn’t make sense.

If I had just shown it off like when hunting Campbell and the goblins, it would have been one thing, but I had wiped out all the werewolves with Druid skills in front of everyone.

“Okay. If the Deputy Commander doesn’t want to reveal it, there’s nothing we can do. Everyone has secrets.”

“Like the Commander’s butt being uneven?”

“Who said that! Come out!”

“Puhahahaha!!!”

A commotion passed.

Campbell put on a serious expression.

Then all the warriors who attended the drinking party dropped their hitherto giggling expressions and became serious.

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Campbell, the temporary Ranger Commander, bowed his head.

“Henon, I’ll say it formally. Thank you.”

“It’s a matter of course. It’s embarrassing between colleagues. Stop it.”

“You’re being too humble. No northern warrior has ever achieved the feat of directly killing a high-ranking officer of the Twilight Order. I’m ashamed of myself for initially dismissing you as a naive nobleman who brought a maid and challenging you to a duel.”

Then, Campbell suddenly jumped up and knelt on one knee!

It wasn’t just Campbell.

Following Campbell, everyone in Black Honey knelt down, looking at me.

“What is this?”

“It’s not an oath of allegiance. We all have different circumstances. Some people are discharged after completing their service, and some people stay in the North with the Commander for life.”

“Then?”

“But since that day, we all have one thing in common. That is, we all owe you our lives. Originally, we should have ended our lives in that damn pit. If it weren’t for you.”

Campbell paused for a moment before continuing.

“In short, you are our benefactor. And northerners are clear about their debts. So I’ll say it here.”

“We’ll say it!!”

“We will all be your strength when you need it. No matter how difficult the situation, we will go to you unconditionally if you need us.”

“We will go!!”

Only then did I realize.

They must have had some kind of discussion among themselves when I wasn’t around.

Today’s drinking party was also to keep drinking and create a pleasant atmosphere for this moment.

I couldn’t help but feel a tingling sensation at the tip of my nose at the consideration of my colleagues. Of course, I didn’t show it.

Since I had been working at Black Castle for quite some time, the other members, including the Rangers, all knew about my situation.

A presumptuous and ignorant bastard who dared to fight for the position of successor to the Marquisate.

It was already rumored that I had volunteered for this northern service to challenge for the position of successor.

In this situation, the meaning of offering help was clear. It meant that they would stand behind me if I wanted them to, even if it meant risking their lives.

“…Thank you.”

“Euhahahahaha!!! Anyway, we’ve conveyed our message, so just keep that in mind!”

Campbell laughed heartily and patted me on the back with his pot lid-like hand. It hurt a lot, but I didn’t show it. Then he raised his beer glass high.

“For the North!”

“For the North!”

“And for our new hero. For the Undying!”

“For the Undying!!”

With the resounding shouts, the drinking party became lively again.

* * *

I barely got out of there.

I almost died.

What would have happened if I didn’t have the skill of status abnormality immunity?

I would have crossed the River Jordan [a euphemism for dying] due to acute cirrhosis caused by the alcohol given by my northern colleagues, not the Twilight Order.

I drank so much.

[Skill Self-Purification is activated.]

[Immune to all status abnormalities.]

Fortunately, my Druid body purified all the alcohol, and I was able to leave Black Honey with a healthy body.

When I returned to the lodging, two women were waiting for me.

One was Sion.

And the other was Erica.

Erica’s eyes were sunken.

It was understandable.

Her boyfriend of two years liked to dissect people and was a Twilight Order member who aimed to resurrect the demon king Baal as his life goal.

Erica did not come to today’s party and was being taken care of in my lodging with Sion.

When she saw me coming in, Erica tried to pay her respects, and I waved my hand.

“That’s enough. Rest.”

A brief silence.

Erica opened her mouth first.

“…Thank you. I almost had a big problem.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“I really mean it. I am deeply grateful.”

Erica had dark circles under her eyes, and her eyes were sunken in that short time, but her eyes were sharper than ever.

I had seen people with such eyes before entering the game world.

People who had overcome great curves in their lives and gained great experiences and lessons always had such eyes.

Such people would achieve something no matter what they did later.

“What are you going to do now? Are you going to stay in Black Honey?”

“No. I’m going to leave.”

As expected, she seems to be trying to bury bad memories here.

“Where to?”

“I’m going to go down to my hometown for a while and then go to the Calon Empire.”

“Why there?”

“I have to tell my aunt that my friend Lyon died in my hometown.”

Sadness filled Erica’s eyes.

“In the first place, there is nothing to do in our hometown except farming. I was frustrated, so I ran away with Lyon. I’ll just tell my aunt the news and go to the imperial capital.”

Her eyes are full of determination.

“I support your future.”

“Thank you. I support you too, Henon-nim. If you become Marquis Lloyd later, would it be okay for me to open a bar in the territory?”

“Of course. I will allow you to open the biggest and most famous bar in the territory.”

“Thank you.”

A faint smile on her face.

That’s enough for now.

The pain of the past will be a great fertilizer for the future.

* * *

Erica, who had finished organizing her mind, returned to Black Honey.

Sion and I took a night walk alone.

I had a lot to say to her too.

Anyway, she is the main character of [the story], and she is the person who will walk with me in the future, and she was swept away by the mainstream of fate together.

I told her in detail what happened on the day I chased Victor.

The dragon lair I accidentally found in the crevasse and the opportunity that awakened my Druid abilities. To the Expert level I gained through enlightenment.

I opened up all the facts to Sion, except for the fact that I was a possessor in the game world and the story about the Demonic Sword.

“A lot has happened.”

“That’s right. I’m sorry I hid a lot of things.”

“No. I know that Master trusts me. And…”

“And?”

“Don’t say you’re sorry. It’s not like Master. Honestly, it gives me goosebumps.”

Sion was smiling.

The smile of an assassin girl who had lived most of her life with a blank expression was as fresh as a sprout of verdure.

I smiled back.

I don’t express it in words, but she and I are already on the same boat, and we know that we have to go together until the end.

Compared to the first moment we met at the Marquisate, it was a remarkable development.

“I’m going back to the Marquisate soon.”

As the Owlbear habitat moved around Black Castle, the monsters around here other than Owlbears were wiped out.

Now that those Owlbears have been wiped out, the Rangers will be patrolling for a while, so there will be no accidental accidents.

Besides, the Twilight Order’s Seven Great Officers are dead, so they will be wary for the time being.

Now was the perfect time to be discharged.

“Yes, Master. I will prepare.”

“When we go back, the real war will begin, so be prepared.”

“I will always follow Master.”

It’s reassuring just to hear it.

I stroked Sion’s head.

My work with her was also settled.

The last person to meet at Black Castle was just one person.

* * *

Knock knock knock.

“Come in.”

I opened the door and went inside.

A mountain of documents.

Fancy sword hilts hanging on the wall.

The commander with a tired look.

“If you’re busy, I’ll come back later.”

“No. It’s better to deal with it all at once. Come and sit down.”

As I sat on the comfortable sofa, the sound of the crackling bonfire contrasted with the sound of the blizzard outside the window, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Whenever I come here, I feel a sense of peace. At some point, I think I liked the North quite a bit, even though I came to request a discharge.

“Are you going?”

Karina also accurately grasped the purpose of my visit.

“Yes.”

“It will be a thorny path.”

“I am prepared.”

The commander poured me tea herself. It seemed to be tea directly brought from the warm South, and it tasted quite good.

“You’ve worked hard in the North.”

“No. I just feel sorry for leaving before the commander who will be here for the rest of her life.”

“Hehehe, where did you learn such answers? The more I know you, the more interesting you are.”

Karina smiled faintly.

She also took a sip of tea.

“I know your situation roughly.”

“Is that so.”

“Yeah, you’re a bastard who’s aiming for your uncle’s position? Even the competitor is the eldest son of the family with the most influence among its affiliated forces.”

“That’s right.”

“You’re crazy. You should have just lived pretending to be a scoundrel. Why did you show your talent?”

What should I answer?

To save the continent?

To escape the game world?

Or…

“I just wanted to show it.”

“What?”

“That even a scoundrel can succeed. I wanted to let people know that there is nothing that cannot be done if you set your mind to it, even if that path is one that everyone points fingers at and despises, saying that everyone will fail.”

Would it be a good answer?

Karina’s expression with her legs crossed was subtle.

What is she thinking?

Anyway, I’ve conveyed all my business.

“I’ll get up knowing that you have allowed me to be discharged. Thank you for everything so far.”

She is the person who has given me many teachings.

She is a benefactor among benefactors to me.

If Campbell considers me a benefactor, then I consider Karina a benefactor.

And… for some reason, I feel warmth and coziness in Karina’s gaze towards me.

If Sion’s eyes are filled with respect and passion, what about her… favoritism? Furthermore, maternal love? It’s hard to express, but I think it’s that kind of feeling.

“Then goodbye.”

I bowed my head and started to leave.

Karina grabbed me from behind.

“Wait a minute.”

“Is there anything else you want to say?”

“Yes.”

The red-haired commander, tilting her head to the side and tapping her toes, stared at me for a while.

She seems to be thinking about something.

Since there was no reason to avoid her gaze, I kept looking at her.

A brief eye contact.

She made a sudden proposal.

“Henon, I will be your patron.”