The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 42

6. Reclamation: The Visiting Scoundrel

The next day.

I went to meet Peter, accompanied by Campbell.

“You look terrible.”

Even though he had clearly been treated well and rested yesterday, the dark circles under his eyes made it obvious he hadn’t slept well.

“I’m alright. I need to reclaim my territory and avenge my parents. I am grateful to the Lloyd family for their help.”

The reason I met Peter today was to gather information about the Albus territory. As a nobleman born and raised there, he was the best source of information and a valuable guide.

“You are aware that the Albus territory is strategically important, bordering the Hilton barony to the west, the Lloyd march to the east, and the free city of Liang to the south, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Because of its location, we always had to be wary of foreign invasions. That’s why our family’s ancestors built Albus Castle in a sturdy and difficult-to-capture location.”

A natural fortress, huh.

I was curious.

“I’m curious to know what it’s like.”

“As you’ll see when you go there, the back of the fortress is a sheer cliff. Even an expert couldn’t climb it without being detected.”

“What about the front?”

“A wall over 5 meters [16.4 feet] high blocks any approach, and a deep moat is dug below.”

That’s not a castle; that’s a fortress.

If we just charged in with numbers, we could expect heavy losses.

“What about the defending forces?”

“Originally, there were about three hundred, but my uncle, who recently took over as lord, has gathered soldiers from various places, so there are about five hundred. But don’t underestimate them.”

“If the dark circle nobleman is to be believed, five hundred can easily defend against five thousand, which is ten times the force.”

That last part was Campbell’s remark.

Campbell was a Ranger who had served in Black Castle in the north and had withstood monster attacks from inside the castle.

He knew how strong it was to fight in an impregnable fortress with geographical advantages.

“Vice-captain, does this seem a little difficult? Where are you planning to get five thousand soldiers?”

I didn’t answer immediately.

Even if we gathered five thousand, it would be a problem.

If the soldiers were injured by recklessly ramming into the fortress, that would also be a problem.

While I was pondering, I heard a knock, and the door opened. Zion entered, neatly dressed in a maid’s uniform after a long time, instead of her Ranger uniform from the north.

“Young master.”

“You’ve arrived.”

I had asked Zion to find out about Rosaline and Philip’s movements separately. Seeing her here meant she had gained some information.

“What happened?”

“I found out about the mercenary group they hired. It’s Blue Hawk, the Blue Hawk Mercenary Group.”

“Blue Hawk Mercenary Group!”

Campbell’s voice was surprised.

“Do you know them?”

“Of course. I used to work in the mercenary world, remember? They’re known as a medium-sized mercenary group in the kingdom, but they’re a more solid organization than you think.”

Zion added to Campbell’s words.

“For once, the pig is making a valid point. The Blue Hawk Mercenary Group has about 2,000 members. Their leader is strict, so they train every day. They also have a lot of experience in territory battles, making them stronger than any mediocre mercenary group.”

“You’ve found out quite a bit.”

“That’s not all. The madam has also mobilized 1,000 knights and soldiers from her family, the Molti family.”

So, a total of 3,000 people.

That’s a considerable army to mobilize for a territory battle.

“Vice-captain, should we put up a notice in the territory now? ‘Looking for brave young men to join the hero who has eradicated the Twilight executive.’ Something like that.”

“No. There’s no need to do that.”

This isn’t something that can be solved by recklessly confronting them head-on. No one wants a victory that comes at a great cost.

Instead, I focused on the fact that one side of Albus Castle was a sheer cliff.

“Peter, where is the inner castle where the lord resides in Albus Castle?”

“Since it’s the inner castle, it’s naturally in the innermost part. The castle is built on a sloping hillside, so the higher you go towards the inner castle, the higher the location, and the back is right next to the cliff.”

Peter added, “I used to look at the sea below the cliff and get lost in thought every day.”

“Good. I’ve decided.”

“Have you come up with a good plan?”

Everyone’s attention was focused on me.

Feeling this, I slowly opened my mouth.

“We’re going to climb the cliff.”

“!!”

“What!?”

From the moment I heard about the terrain of Albus Castle, I focused on the cliff.

Although Peter said it was a sheer cliff, I had experience climbing up and down even more difficult places than that.

That was the crevasse in the north.

In the place where the Dragon Lair and the Golden Branch were sleeping, I used Flash Step and Druid skills to break through the cliff.

That’s why the terrain of Albus Castle was not an obstacle for me, at least, even if it was for others.

However, Peter and Campbell, who didn’t know this, were wide-eyed and shocked.

“It’s impossible. There’s a sea below the cliff. It’s a sea with constantly high waves and full of reefs. There’s no place for a ship to dock.”

“I know the vice-captain has done amazing things, but this seems a bit much. If you try to climb the cliff recklessly, only the soldiers will get hurt.”

Unlike the two men who were shaking their heads, Zion kept her mouth shut.

“Zion, you’re quiet today.”

She stared at me intently before slowly opening her mouth.

“I… think it’s possible.”

“Why?”

“Because you are special, young master. Given the abilities you showed in the north, wouldn’t you be able to climb the cliff?”

“!!!!”

As expected of Zion.

As the saying goes, ‘If a dog attends the village school for three years, it will recite a poem’ [meaning even someone with limited abilities can learn something with enough exposure]; now she seems to have a rough idea.

“If we can definitely climb the cliff, we don’t need many soldiers. Because once we climb the cliff, it’s the inner castle. It’s a match that ends when we catch the lord.”

Zion, who is very smart, accurately said what I wanted to say.

In the end, this is chess.

The game is won by the side that captures the king first.

If the pieces that Rosaline and Philip have are pawns that only move one space at a time, then the piece I have is like a queen that can move in all directions.

When the enemies advance like turtles, we can fly like hawks and catch only the leader, and the opposing team becomes fools.

“Zion is right. In that sense, everyone, be prepared. We’ll be leaving in two days.”

“Vice-captain, don’t tell me… no way?”

“That’s right. The people who are going are the people here: Zion, Campbell, me, and Peter. The four of us will capture Albus Castle.”

* * *

After the meeting, I rode a horse with Zion and Campbell.

The destination was the Blue Hawk Mercenary Group.

Zion had found out the location in advance.

They were setting up their base near the Albus barony because of the territory war.

While riding, Zion, who had a serious face the whole time, spoke to me.

“Young master.”

“What.”

“Do you trust Peter? He might reveal the secret talks we had to the madam and young master Philip.”

I understood Zion’s concern.

For Peter, it would be enough to reclaim the territory, regardless of whose help he received.

In that sense, Rosaline’s side, which has a definite force of 3,000 soldiers, would be more reliable than the nonsense of a former scoundrel who wants to conquer the castle with four people.

“Even if you saved Peter’s life, young master, not everyone in the world keeps their promises.”

“That’s right.”

“Should I keep an eye on him separately?”

The time for deliberation was short.

It’s worth a try, and there’s nothing to lose.

Above all, after being properly deceived by the kind-looking Victor in the north, I realized that I should always test the waters before crossing.

“Follow him, but only enough so that he doesn’t notice.”

“Understood.”

As we were talking, we arrived before I knew it.

The Blue Hawk Mercenary Group was living in tents in the middle of the plains.

They said there were 2,000 people.

Seeing it in person, the scale was quite large.

Smoke was rising from various places in the camp, as if it was mealtime.

When I went to the entrance, two gatekeepers guarding it crossed their spears in an X shape and blocked the way.

“Who is it! This is the main camp of the Blue Hawk Mercenary Group! Identify yourself.”

“I am Henon Lloyd, the second son of Marquis Gordon Lloyd, the rightful heir to the Lloyd territory. I have an appointment with the leader, so please let him know.”

As soon as I revealed my identity, the gatekeepers’ eyes flashed.

“Please wait a moment.”

One of the gatekeepers went inside.

Campbell, who was looking around, crossed his arms.

“Something’s fishy.”

“You think so too?”

After being discharged from the north, when I met strangers in the south and revealed my identity, everyone was surprised.

That’s because I was gaining fame for defeating the Twilight executive.

On the one hand, there was also suspicion that a scoundrel from the marquis family could have achieved such a feat.

However, the eyes of the Blue Hawk mercenaries showed neither suspicion nor surprise. The way they were smirking made it seem like they already knew we were coming.

“I’m sorry. The leader said he never made such an appointment. Please go back.”

As expected.

“Zion, didn’t you make an appointment?”

“That’s right. I sent a letter to the mercenary leader and even received a reply saying he would see me this afternoon.”

Even though we clearly made an appointment, they are pretending not to know. They are openly trying to trick us and turn us away.

“Hehehe.”

“If you’ve understood, please leave.”

“Seeing as you’re making up appointments that didn’t exist, I wonder if the rumor that you defeated the Twilight executive is also a fabricated lie?”

Swish.

Zion put her hand inside her coat.

I stopped her from taking out her dagger.

“I’m sorry, but could you please check one more time? We definitely made an appointment.”

“…I’ll check for you.”

The soldier went back inside the camp again but came out in less than 10 seconds. It looked like he came back without even delivering the message.

“There’s no appointment.”

“Could you please check one more time?”

“Aish…”

The soldiers’ expressions became fierce.

“Who do you think we are, you son of a… If we say there isn’t one, there isn’t one. Or does our Blue Hawk Mercenary Group look like a joke to you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“We’re letting you go nicely because you’re a noble. You seem to like lying a lot, so live a healthy life.”

Campbell, who was watching the soldiers cackling while making cracking sounds in their necks, tilted his head.

“Vice-captain, why are you putting up with those guys who are begging to be beaten?”

For reference, Campbell’s voice is quite loud. He didn’t try to speak quietly in the first place. The gatekeepers who heard Campbell’s words stepped forward as if they had found an excuse.

“Who are you?”

“Me? Just an ordinary mercenary.”

“Is that so?”

The gatekeepers approached as if it was a good thing.

Campbell looked at me.

I just shrugged my shoulders.

“Keep it moderate.”

“Moderate my ass! Blame your fate for meeting the wrong master… Ack!”

Smack!

The guard flew away.

The guy who was slapped on the cheek by Campbell’s pot-lid-like hand broke through the wooden gate of the Blue Hawk Mercenary Group and tumbled inside.

“Who is it!”

“It’s an attack!”

“Is it the enemy!”

The mercenaries came out in droves.

There were about thirty of them.

They saw us, who had forced our way in, and drew their weapons without hesitation.

“Kill them!”

“Waaaaa!!”

The guards who charged in with a vigorous shout were sent flying with equally vigorous screams.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

One shot, one kill.

Campbell, who had gone back and forth between life and death in the north and even reached the Expert level, didn’t even draw his sword.

Every time a fiery slap was unleashed, everyone without exception passed out like frogs.

“Who is it! Who dares to cause a commotion at the entrance of our Blue Hawk Mercenary Group!”

Just as the situation was being sorted out, a burly mercenary with breadcrumbs on his mouth approached with a frown.

“Oh, that guy looks a bit strong.”

Zion’s quiet remark.

Judging from his skills, he was roughly in the upper ranks of Sword Users.

He was about as good as Gavin, the Leather Collector I killed before.

“Guard squad leader! The squad leader is here!”

“You’re all dead now.”

The mercenaries were emboldened and spouted nonsense, and the mercenary called the guard squad leader smirked and drew his sword.

“I don’t know who you are, but you’ve come to the wrong place. Now that you’ve started this, forget about going back in one piece.”

The guard squad leader jumped at Campbell.

Campbell mechanically threw a slap.

But this time it was different.

The guard squad leader, who slightly lowered his head to avoid it, drew his sword towards Campbell’s lower jaw.

Clang!!

A metallic noise.

The sword was drawn from Campbell’s scabbard.

His sword, which was drawn like lightning, blocked the blow that came from a blind spot.

When the slap missed, Campbell suddenly burst into laughter.

“Kekeke!! Khahahahaha!!!!”

Campbell’s thunderous laughter echoed across the plains. Hearing this, Zion and I muttered at the same time.

“He’s angry.”

“He’s angry.”

“He must be upset that he had to draw his sword against such a lowly guy.”

That laughter is the sound of laughter before the storm.

When I first met Campbell, I was punched along with that laughter and pushed far out of the dormitory.

I wonder what will happen to the guard squad leader.

“What are you laughing about since a while ago! I’m going to sew up your mouth… Ugh.”

Drddddk!

The swords that collided trembled.

Unable to withstand Campbell’s ogre-like strength, the guard squad leader’s steps continued to move backward.

Soon, Campbell pushed the guard squad leader, who was holding the two-handed sword with both hands, with only one hand, and the opponent’s face turned pale as he felt the overwhelming difference in strength.

“This… is impossible. Are you an orc?”

“Oh dear.”

He shouldn’t have said that.

Kwaaaaang!!!

The guard squad leader flew high into the sky and fell from Campbell’s fist, which he swung with one hand while holding the one-handed sword.

The soldiers who were watching were shocked when the squad leader they had trusted was defeated without even being able to use his strength.

“How can this be.”

“The squad leader couldn’t even put up a fight…”

“That guy is definitely an orc.”

“Isn’t the scoundrel of the marquis family actually a black magician who controls monsters?”

Campbell’s face turned red.

I wondered if today would be the day the Blue Hawk Mercenary Group took down its sign, but,

“Everyone stop!”

Everyone’s movements, including Campbell’s, stopped at the heavy momentum that pressed down on the surroundings.

The one who came in, scattering a fierce aura, was a middle-aged man with a scar on his face and a wolf skin draped over his shoulders.

I felt it instinctively.

That man is the leader here.

The man who came to me held out his right hand and asked for a handshake.

“I’m sorry. It seems like my subordinates were playing a prank. I’m Rakan, the leader of the Blue Hawk Mercenary Group.”