The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 46

6. Retaking: A Triumphant Messenger

One hour before the kidnapping of Lord Albus.

I was pushing myself to the absolute limit alongside Zion and Campbell.

The cliff was so steep it made me want to curse. After climbing about 100 meters, there was nothing left to hold onto.

Looking down, Zion and Campbell were still keeping up, but the sweat dripping from their foreheads showed they were nearing their breaking point.

“Vice Commander! We’ll fall if we keep going like this! Even if you’re alright, the maid will run out of strength and fall!”

“No. It’s alright to keep going. I’m fine!”

Zion was trying to push himself, worried about holding the group back.

I glanced down.

The ground was a distant blur.

Peter, who was supposed to be waiting below, was nowhere to be seen.

This should be far enough.

I immediately used my Druid skill.

[Wood Control activated]

[A tree trunk is created.]

The tree trunk emerged from the rocky cliff face as if reading my mind, rising up to form an easy-to-grab handle.

Zion and Campbell, witnessing this from below, widened their eyes in surprise.

“What on earth is that?”

“Could it be the Young Master’s ability?”

“That’s right.”

As I said calmly, admiration shone on Campbell and Zion’s faces.

“As expected of the Vice Commander. You had a backup plan, so you suggested climbing the cliff.”

“With that ability, we can climb anything, no matter how steep. This impossible operation has become easier. It’s all thanks to you, Young Master.”

“It’s nothing. The operation hasn’t even started yet, so don’t let your guard down.”

[Wood Control activated]

[A tree trunk is created.]

[A tree trunk is created.]

I climbed the cliff using the tree trunks as handholds. It was tough when there was nothing to grab, but once there were holds, climbing was a piece of cake.

Finally, I reached the top.

I raised my fist and signaled.

Then, Zion and Campbell, who were following, shut their mouths and concealed themselves.

I carefully raised my head and looked over the edge.

Unbelievably, there were no guards on the cliff. It led directly into the inner castle area.

I gave a clear signal and immediately jumped off the cliff, landing silently on the ground.

“It’s too lax.”

“It’s understandable in a way. What madman would think of climbing up here?”

Now that I had completed the first goal of infiltrating the inner castle, the second goal was to secure the lord.

I had a rough idea of where the lord would be.

A faint light was leaking from the tallest and most splendid spire late into the night.

I headed towards it.

The time was around 11 PM.

It was late, but there were strangely few people walking around the inner castle.

Was everyone cooped up in their rooms?

It was as if a monster would catch them if they were outside. Not a single soul was to be seen.

In the end, the first people I saw were when I arrived at the lord’s chambers.

The guards formally guarding the front of the room gave us a dumbfounded look.

“Who are you?”

Instead of shouting after seeing us, they tilted their heads and asked who we were. They’re suffering from a severe lack of vigilance, so I’ll have to correct that.

“Campbell.”

In an instant, Campbell, a blur of motion, struck the guard’s head, and he collapsed without a sound.

“This is too easy, isn’t it?”

“Don’t let your guard down. It’s not over until we completely escape Albus Castle.”

I opened the door to the lord’s room.

The bedroom was simpler than I thought.

There were no special decorations, just a simple table in one corner of the room and a king-size bed in the center.

The middle-aged lord was looking out the window, chuckling to himself.

I wonder if he’s entertaining pleasant thoughts.

The lord, hearing someone enter the room, was about to express his displeasure but gave a dumbfounded expression after seeing us wearing hoods.

“Lord Horman?”

I decided to show my face since he called a name I had never heard before. It didn’t matter much since I was going to knock him out and move him anyway. When I took off my hood, the moonlight made my eyes gleam.

“Just sleep for a while. It’ll all be over when you wake up.”

“Gu, guards…”

I can’t let him call for people.

I knocked him out by hitting the back of his neck and handed him over to Zion.

The lord was pot-bellied, but Zion carried him lightly on his shoulder without any signs of strain.

Securing the lord, the second goal, was complete.

Now, if we complete the third goal, escape, the operation will be over.

As I was about to leave the room…

In the end, things went wrong.

Two maids, carrying candles and walking with hurried steps, ran right into us!

Campbell hurriedly tried to cover their mouths, but it was already too late.

Our appearance, carrying the unconscious lord, was obviously that of intruders, so the maids unleashed their soprano range without restraint.

“Kyaaaaaaak!!!!”

Honestly, I wasn’t flustered.

Originally, I was expecting to fight the troops guarding the cliff as soon as I climbed up.

However, I wandered around the spacious inner castle like it was my own home without any major battles, and now that I was caught, the situation had merely escalated.

“Run!”

From now on, it’s a time attack.

Zion, carrying the lord, and Campbell and I simultaneously took off, running as fast as we could.

The maid’s scream spread like wildfire, and only then did the guards, who had been holed up somewhere, begin to appear one by one.

‘What is it?’ ‘What’s going on?’ ‘Did those Hilton guys cause trouble again…?’ The guards, who were coming awkwardly while muttering, raised their weapons in a hurry after grasping the situation.

“Intruders!”

“The enemy has kidnapped the lord!”

“Everyone gather! Protect the lord… Keuk!”

I pushed a soldier away with my shoulder and started running towards the cliff.

However, a problem arose.

The reason why the inner castle’s security was lax was because they thought the enemy couldn’t come this far.

But the moment an enemy attack was confirmed, the guards, who were in a wartime posture due to the territory war, quickly surrounded us.

“This has become troublesome.”

“How much further to the cliff?”

“We need to go a little further.”

To make matters worse, knights in unfamiliar uniforms appeared. These guys with an unusual aura looked different from the Albus territory soldiers at a glance.

“I see knights.”

“More than ten user-level [referring to individuals with special abilities].”

Even this was manageable.

Since the goal was escape, not murder, I thought I could roughly estimate an escape if I ignored them and ran.

Until a knight appeared, carrying a long spear on his shoulder and gulping down alcohol.

“Lord Horman!”

“You’ve come.”

“I’ve been waiting.”

The faces of those who formed the encirclement brightened upon seeing the long spear knight.

Come to think of it, Lord Albus also called us Lord Horman before he fainted, so it seemed they had invited a skilled person from outside.

-He’s quite a master.

A quiet word from Cheonma [MC’s inner voice/mentor].

It was an unexpected situation.

“Young Master, I’ll take on that long spear knight. Please escape in the meantime.”

“Don’t. He’s not your match.”

He was at least an Expert mid-level, reaching perfection. It felt like even Campbell wouldn’t be able to handle him. If that’s the case, there’s only one option.

“Campbell, Zion. Break through the encirclement and escape in different directions. We’ll meet again at the cliff.”

“What about the Vice Commander?”

At Campbell’s words, I drew the Cheonma Sword and aimed it at Horman.

“I’ll take care of that guy here.”

I would evade the attacks of the other guys and run away, but at first glance, it was impossible to evade that guy’s attack. I had to defeat him here.

“Hohora?”

Horman gives a relaxed smile.

Right now.

“Go!”

Campbell and Zion’s figures bounced to the left and right.

The flustered soldiers raised their weapons clumsily, but it was impossible to stop them.

Kwakwakwak!!

The soldiers who saw the two men and women breaking through the encirclement as if a runaway car was smashing through a barricade shouted loudly.

“Catch them! Catch them now!”

The soldiers split into two groups.

As a result, the number of enemies targeting me became relatively small.

Still, I didn’t move.

The sharp killing intent that Horman was emitting was screaming that if I moved even one step, it would be a full-fledged battle.

“You guys go too.”

“Yes?”

“Are you deaf? Go catch the guys who escaped.”

Horman orders even the small number of people surrounding me to chase Campbell and Zion.

“Then that guy…”

“That guy is mine. And if you user knights don’t go, you won’t be able to catch the escaped guys. Those guys also seemed to have considerable skills.”

The long spear knight, who was constantly licking his lips with his tongue, stared at me with a cynical smile.

The gaze of a snake aiming for its prey.

“I understand. I’ll follow your orders.”

In the end, even the remaining guys disappeared in a rush, and only Horman and I were left in the open space.

“Nice to meet you, Henon.”

Surprisingly, the opponent knows my identity.

“How did you know?”

“Someone told me in advance that you would climb the cliff. I couldn’t even imagine that there would be such a madman… but here you are right before my eyes?”

Is it because of Peter’s betrayal?

That’s the only place where information could have leaked.

The situation has become difficult, but the task at hand is clear.

Defeat the opponent in front of me and head back to the cliff. Otherwise, not only me but also Campbell and Zion will be in danger.

“To be honest, I’m a little angry.”

“Why?”

“Because of the madman who said he would climb the cliff, I, who should have been living it up in the Hilton family, almost got stuck in this backwater.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Let’s ask that first. How did you climb up there anyway?”

Even while talking, I was rolling my eyes, looking for Horman’s weakness.

I was planning to rush in the moment I found a gap.

But he was experienced.

He didn’t easily expose his weaknesses.

“There’s no reason to tell you.”

“Well… I wasn’t planning to find out so easily either. I’ll tear off an arm and ask again!”

In the end, Horman made the first move.

The long spear knight’s spear shook its head like a snake, pouring in as multiple spears.

It looked like an illusion, but those were all spears with substance. Each spear was heavily imbued with mana, showing that he was no ordinary master.

“Heuaaaap!!!”

Jjeong! Jjeong! Jjeong!

Since he’s coming on strong from the start, I’ll use a counterattack strategy.

I infused the Cheonma Sword with silver-green mana and knocked away each spear one by one.

It felt like Perseus, dealing with snakes with multiple heads like Medusa, one by one.

Horman’s eyes widened for a moment when I unleashed the Mana Sword, but soon they were filled with joy.

“As expected! I thought you looked unusual, but you were an Expert. Now this is fun to play with.”

The spear was swung like a storm, and my sword danced like flowing water in response. His spear was fast. But the Cheonma Navigation’s instructions were half a beat faster.

-Left

-Right

-The front is a feint, the rear

Chaeng! Chaechaechaeng! Chaeng!

About 30 exchanges between the two sides, which ordinary people wouldn’t even be able to recognize, quickly passed.

Horman, whose attacks were repeatedly blocked, quickly caught the sense of incongruity felt in the duel, like a warrior who knew how to fight.

“What is it? He’s blocking it before the attack even lands. What kind of sorcery is that? Did you learn mind reading or something?”

“Are you fighting with words? Your tongue seems sharper than your spear.”

The provocation worked properly.

Horman’s complexion turned red.

“You’re dead if I catch you.”

We clashed again.

The opponent’s attacks became more fierce.

But was it because of the recent sparring with Sebastian?

Although it was a fast and powerful attack, it wasn’t difficult to block. Horman was quite strong, but he was clearly inferior to Sebastian.

‘I can do this.’

He’s one level above me, that’s right.

It’s not a level I can’t overcome.

The physiques are also similar.

Then, what to compete with next…

‘Stamina and skill.’

[Tenacious Vitality is activated.]

[Stamina recovery is increased.]

There’s no problem with stamina.

As for skill…

-Hey, you ssiba! [Korean swear word for “idiot” or “jerk”]

-Why are you swinging it like that there?

-Was the third form so clumsy?

-Did you forget again? Are you a goldfish?

-Ugh, frustrating.

-I wish I could run instead.

Agh.

That nagging old man is really annoying.

To be honest, the old pervert who keeps nagging in my head was more annoying than Horman, who was swinging his spear to kill me.

But no matter how annoyed I was, would it have been as much as Horman?

For him, a guy who was clearly inferior to him was blocking his moves in advance as if he was using mind reading, his stamina was always the same as the beginning, and his skills were gradually becoming more sophisticated, so it was enough to drive him crazy.

“What the hell are you! What are you!”

Horman, who was clearly showing signs of exhaustion, had a slower spear speed than before.

Not only that.

The smell of alcohol that came up in the first clash.

That guy was relaxing and drinking alcohol until he met me.

It doesn’t make sense to lose to a guy like that.

“I’ll finish you off.”

“What? Finish? You cocky bastard!”

Horman actively used the spear’s long range to prevent me from approaching, pouring out one-sided attacks.

It’s a predictable attack pattern that I’ve grasped in advance.

As I deflected the spear and dug inside, Horman, surprised, hurriedly jumped back to create distance.

The time is now!

[Stone Control activated]

[Stone Shield activated.]

A wide, turtle shell-like stone suddenly rose up, blocking Horman’s back as he tried to jump back.

There’s no rule that defensive measures must only be used for defense.

I used it in reverse to block the opponent’s path.

It wasn’t unreasonable for Horman, who was experiencing Druid skills for the first time in his life, to be flustered.

“Uh, what is this…”

Puk!

The Cheonma Sword’s sword strike draws a crescent moon.

The sensation was properly felt.

Looking back, Horman, clutching his side, had an incomprehensible expression.

“What the hell are you… what are you…”

“I told you you don’t need to know?”

“Damn it!!”

Horman, who spat out profanity, turned his body around. Since the situation had become unfavorable, he intended to escape and call for reinforcements.

[Wood Control activated]

[Bind activated]

[Restrains the opponent.]

Not a chance.

I immediately tied his ankles.

The dumbfounded face gets closer.

“This is invalid…”

“Yeah. It’s not.”

Seogeok!

Since he was making a face like he had been scammed in a gambling game, I neatly blew off his neck.

It was the end of Horman, the skilled man from the Hilton family.

He was a skilled man who had reached the perfection of an Expert, but it was an easy match because he didn’t have information about me and was in a relaxed state.

-Hey, kid. This isn’t the time to be happy about catching a master. Reinforcements from the outer castle are rushing in. Escape quickly.

Cheonma’s words were correct.

The biggest obstacle has been overcome, but it’s not over yet.

I immediately started running towards the cliff.

Fortunately, Zion and Campbell played their roles as decoys properly, and because of the enemy’s absolute belief in Lord Horman, there were no enemies blocking me while going to the cliff.

In the end, I arrived at my destination.

There, Campbell and Zion, who were already there, were laying the fainted lord on the ground and facing the cliff.

Soldiers and knights were surrounding them in a circle, putting pressure on them.

“Surrender peacefully. If you do, I promise humane treatment.”

“I refuse. If necessary, I’ll throw the lord into the sea, so do what you want.”

“How dare you! If you do such a thing, your limbs will not be intact.”

Campbell and Zion’s conditions are terrible.

The clothes were torn, and blood was seeping out in places.

It seemed that even Campbell and Zion were no match for the numbers, as a dozen user knights were chasing them.

“Is the reason you’re stalling for time perhaps because of the comrade you left behind earlier? If so, give up. Lord Horman is taking care of him.”

Zion gets angry at the sarcasm of one of the user knights.

“He will definitely come back.”

“Well, he says there’s no way?”

“You don’t know him.”

The knight chuckles at Zion’s words.

“You’re the ones who don’t know. Do you know what kind of person Lord Horman is? He’s one of the top five strongest in the Hilton family in terms of force. What can rootless guys like you do to such a skilled person… Keuheok!?”

Puk!

The knight couldn’t finish his words.

He lowered his head and looked down, and a sharp weapon had made a hole in his chest.

I gave a sympathetic smile to the guy who looked back with an unbelievable expression before he died.

Still, I have to say what I have to say.

“This bastard is hurting people? Saying there’s no root to a bastard is crossing the line. Farewell.”

I pulled out the sword stuck in his chest and drew it horizontally.

A pretty blood line was drawn on his neck.

The enemy collapsed with a thud.

It was a victory cry.