The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 96

Chapter 13: Summons: The Mana-Drenched Bastard

The Aslan Empire.

I first encountered this mysterious nation, said to have existed ten thousand years ago, when I obtained the sub-dimensional gourd in the North.

Back then, I didn’t think much about Aslan.

If I had to put it simply, I considered it a nation that created a convenient artifact capable of carrying the Golden Mountain with ease, and I was grateful for that.

However, Aslan Empire artifacts continued to appear even in Liang.

The Twilight Great Officer, Greed, used a revolver that could defeat even skilled swordsmen in one shot, and Pilgrim Tom swept away the tentacle monster with an anti-materiel sniper rifle.

And just today.

I encountered an ancient artifact even in the Elven Forest.

Sasha said it was a ring passed down through generations of tribal shamans, and I confirmed through the system window that the item was an ancient artifact from the Aslan Empire.

The ring’s effect is an absolute defense barrier.

Is this even possible?

I couldn’t believe it.

Of course, there’s a penalty of only being able to activate it once a day and not being able to neutralize attacks that transcend space-time and causality.

However, considering that it can block almost all attacks ‘unconditionally’ once, the restriction of only being able to use it once a day seems like too lenient a penalty.

I decided not to worry too much about the other penalty, the inability to neutralize transcendent attacks.

I’ve never seen or heard of such absurd attacks before.

Even Sword Masters can’t do such attacks.

I might encounter such an existence if I’m extremely unlucky, but the probability of encountering someone who can unleash such attacks in the Arnia continent is so low that it’s negligible.

I’ve already encountered quite a few ancient artifacts by chance while searching for the Golden Branch.

The performance and effects of each artifact I’ve discovered are incredibly diverse and bizarre.

What kind of country was the Aslan Empire to possess such advanced technology?

‘Pilgrim Tom might know.’

Pilgrims spend their lives tracking the traces of the Aslan Empire, exploring its artifacts and ruins.

Tom must know something.

I decided to ask him about the Aslan Empire when I meet him later.

“Thank you, Sasha.”

I thanked Sasha and put the ring on my finger.

‘Activate absolute defense barrier!’

The moment I thought about using the item, an unidentified energy emanated from the gem embedded in the ring.

The energy was formless and transparent, making it difficult to perceive with the five senses, but it was definitely felt with the sixth sense.

The energy, fluttering like silk, gently enveloped my entire body and clung tightly to my skin.

A ring that reads my thoughts and activates on its own is truly an unbelievable feat the more I think about it.

I also got a good item.

Now it’s time to go outside.

I got up from the bed.

“You should rest more, mister.”

“It’s okay. I’ve fully recovered.”

I opened the door and went outside.

The scent of the morning forest tickled my nose.

A freshness I had never experienced on Earth.

The Elven Sanctuary was amazing.

Instead of building wooden or stone structures like humans, they dug holes in giant trees that seemed to be over thousands of years old and used them as homes.

Some houses had wooden doors, but they were a minority, and most of them used animal hides they had hunted instead of doors, only blocking the view inside.

Elves who found even that bothersome made hammocks woven from tough moss and lived in the trees.

Seeing the Elves living in harmony with nature like this, I realized why they are called the race of the forest.

“Young Master, you’re awake!”

When I was busy admiring the Elven village, Sion, who saw me, approached with a happy face.

Campbell, Rakan, and Aiden saw me and rushed over.

“Kyu! Kyu!”

Lastly, Coco, who had been flying around in the sky, snuggled into my arms.

Coco played a big role in the battle with Merlin.

If he hadn’t disrupted the opponent’s balance at the last moment, Merlin would have planted an aura bullet in my crown, and I wouldn’t be able to face my comrades with a smile like this.

“Cute little guy.”

I stroked Coco’s head, and he seemed to be in a good mood, rubbing his head against my chest and purring.

Sion, who was watching this scene right next to me, seemed to be breathing a little rougher, but that must be my imagination.

“My lord, are you feeling alright?”

“I’ve completely recovered. I’m sorry for causing you concern.”

“Concern? We vividly witnessed the incredible battle that took place on the mountain from below. You’ve really gone through a lot.”

“That’s right. I thought an entire mountain was going to collapse. Anyway, I’m glad you returned safely.”

Rakan and Aiden grabbed my hands and shook them, sincerely congratulating me on winning the battle and returning safely.

Just then,

Thwack!!

“Ugh!”

I felt a tingling sensation on my back.

I wondered what it was, but Campbell was holding his red, swollen palm and blowing on it.

At the same time, the system window popped up.

[Absolute Defense Barrier Activated]

[Cooldown 24:00, 23:59, 23:58···]

“What? I just slapped his back to see if the Vice Commander had recovered, but why is his back so hard? I thought he was a turtle.”

Campbell’s surprise back slap was blocked by the absolute defense barrier.

I confirmed that the ring Sasha gave me was working properly, so I could say I gained a small bonus.

Sion scolded Campbell, who checked my health in a rough way, as if he didn’t like it.

“You deserved it, Campbell.”

“The maid is prickly as always.”

“I’m only prickly to you.”

“Kyuuu!!”

“Why is this lizard making a fuss again?”

Since landing a blow on Merlin, Coco seemed to have gotten a taste for body slams, and he performed the same body slam on Campbell.

Thud!

Of course, it was futilely blocked by Campbell’s palm.

Coco is still a baby dragon.

The indifferent Campbell grabbed Coco and threw him over his shoulder.

“Kyuuuuuuu!!!”

Coco flew far away.

He’ll probably come back panting soon.

It looked good because they seemed to be playing in their own way.

Anyway, since the group had roughly recovered their condition, we decided to discuss the future schedule.

“We defeated Chief Elder Richard, the main culprit behind this war, and won the war. But it’s not over yet.”

When I spoke seriously, everyone straightened their posture.

Rakan, the leader of the Blue Mane Mercenary Corps, said.

“That’s right. From the beginning, we were divided into two groups to attack Moltke Castle. In the meantime, we attacked the Elven base and killed the leader.”

“Keep talking.”

“Currently, the Lord Alliance Army is fighting against the Elven forces that have occupied Moltke Territory. Only by completely annihilating the remaining remnants can we say that this war has truly ended.”

I turned my head and asked Sasha.

“Sasha, who is commanding the remaining Elves?”

“That’s…”

“I’ll explain.”

Amelia, who was waiting quietly next to Sasha, stepped forward.

“The commander on that side is a man named Scott. He’s quite strong. He was originally on par with me, but he’s become stronger than me since receiving the baptism.”

“What do you think would happen if he fought me?”

After staring at me for a moment, Amelia shook her head.

“Scott being strong is only based on human or Elven standards. It’s meaningless to discuss strength against a monster.”

In short, she’s saying I’m a monster.

It’s Amelia’s way of speaking that walks a fine line between praise and insult.

Aiden added a word.

“Even I think that victory in battle is guaranteed as long as Lord Lloyd is here. The question is how much humanitarian treatment we promise to the defeated Elves.”

Aiden glanced at Sasha as he spoke.

This part needs to be clarified.

But Sasha took the lead.

“I’m okay. I heard from Amelia that most of the Elves in the occupied territories have been baptized, and even the unbaptized soldiers are severely abusing humans. I think they should receive a fair punishment.”

Since Sasha said this much, all that’s left is to smash them coolly.

“We’ll return using the wormhole we set up. We’ll annihilate the remaining enemies as soon as we arrive.”

“Vice Commander, it’s good to wipe out the enemies, but do we really need to help the Lord Alliance Army? If we win, they’ll boast that they won thanks to them again.”

Campbell’s words made sense.

Amelia, who was listening quietly, stepped forward.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Why?”

“I received a call from Scott yesterday. I hid the news of Chief Elder Richard’s death and received the call instead.”

“So?”

“I heard that the human army you dispatched separately is surrounded and on the verge of annihilation. It seems they’re facing defeat.”

I knew it was unstable from the start.

They’re floundering like a disorganized mob and are on the verge of being wiped out, let alone occupying Moltke Castle.

If I don’t go, they’ll all die.

It doesn’t matter if I just let them die, but the conscripted serf soldiers are innocent.

Also, they are vassals who have sworn allegiance to the Lloyd family, whether I like it or not, so it seemed right to go and help them.

“We’ll march tomorrow. Prepare for the departure of the entire army.”

“Understood!!”

Rakan and Aiden dispersed to command the mercenary corps and the guardian army, respectively.

Sasha and Amelia also stepped back, as if they had something to talk about separately, and Coco and Campbell went to find something to eat on their own because they were hungry.

Only Sion stood still in his place.

“Sion? Do you have any remaining business?”

“Please take a look at this.”

Sion handed me a bundle of letters.

“What is this?”

“While you were lying down, we searched Chief Elder Richard’s residence and found these letters.”

“Did you check the contents?”

“I read them, but I think it would be faster for you to read them yourself.”

I tore open the first page of the letter and read it.

The first thing that caught my eye was the antique font written on high-quality parchment.

However, the moment I read the sender and the contents, I completely forgot about the font.

『To. Chief Elder Richard』

“I don’t know if you’ve been well. Since you have a longer lifespan than us, it’s difficult to discuss the passage of time.

Without further ado, let’s get to the point. As per your request, I sent a high elf girl named Sasha to the Liang slave market. I’ve connected you with a broker named Haman, so contact him if you want to sell Elves as slaves in the future.

Also, move the family’s army and station them near Marquis Lloyd’s territory. If I were the Marquis, I would move all my troops to our side, even if I was uneasy. All you have to do is raid the empty house. Isn’t it easy?

I heard the rumor that you swallowed Moltke Territory recently. Congratulations. But I know the Chief Elder well. You won’t be satisfied with just one Moltke Territory.

Don’t forget the promise you made with me, Chief Elder. When the Lloyd family falls, you and I will divide the huge Marquis territory in half. If that happens, the power of the Elven race will also become stronger, and my influence in the kingdom will also become stronger, so it will be beneficial to each other.

Let’s discuss the detailed conditions after the Lloyd family falls and we meet in person. I’ll be looking forward to that day.』

『From. Count Hilton』

“Look at these guys?”

Was Count Hilton the one connected to Chief Elder Richard?

No wonder I thought the Elves started the war so recklessly, but it turns out the Chief Elder had something to rely on.

‘Annoying.’

Count Hilton’s family.

It was a name that had been mentioned since the territory war.

When we were fighting over Albus Castle, Count Hilton’s family sent reinforcements, including Expert Horman, which gave us a hard time.

Not only this.

What about the Full Moon Market in Liang?

I tried to buy mermaid tears to get blue mana, but I clashed head-on with Countess Hilton.

If I hadn’t had the Golden Mountain I got from the Dragon Lair, I might have had my mermaid tears stolen by her.

Even after I legitimately obtained the item through auction, she kept clinging and making things difficult.

I understood up to this point.

But this damn Count’s family colluded with the Elven race and tried to stab our family in the back.

Even though it’s a feudal system with weak royal authority, they are nobles of the same Elden Kingdom, but this kind of dirty trick clearly crossed the line.

Count Hilton.

I’ll remember that name clearly.

I’ll finish the Elven incident first.

Afterwards, when I have time, I decided to properly let Hilton know who he dared to touch.

“I was quite surprised after reading this letter.”

Sion said.

“Because Count Hilton joined hands with a different race to catch a family in the same kingdom?”

“That’s also true, but I wonder what the two humans and Elves believed in each other to form such an alliance. Even if the Lloyd family was divided in half as the two people wanted, the two forces would have been bordering each other afterwards.”

I explained some of Merlin’s plan to her.

She nodded after hearing the story that he only wanted the destruction of humans and Elves, regardless of the Elven race’s safety.

“In other words, Chief Elder Richard didn’t completely trust Count Hilton.”

“Of course not. He probably just thought of it as an opportunity to successfully kill humans. The Chief Elder would have attacked Count Hilton’s family as soon as he swallowed the Lloyd family.”

The Elven race’s momentum was similar to a swarm of locusts swarming in early spring.

A group of insects that constantly swelled in size, sweeping through all the rice paddies, and disappeared when they ran out of food.

“From here on out, it’s just my guess, but Count Hilton probably didn’t trust Chief Elder Richard at all.”

“You’re saying they were just using each other.”

“That’s right. Count Hilton probably regarded the Elven race as just a tool to eliminate his rival, the Lloyd family.”

It’s unlikely, but if the Lloyd family had fallen, Count Hilton and the Elven race would have inevitably clashed.

In the end, the war with the Elven race would have expanded beyond the territory to the entire Elden Kingdom, and would have stopped only after receiving the tears of far more casualties and victims.

“So Sion, you can be proud. You are a hero who made a great contribution in a war that almost burned the kingdom.”

“The hero is not me, but you, Young Master. I just assisted you.”

As expected, Sion is always humble.

In the meantime, he constantly strives and develops.

He was truly worthy of being the protagonist of Sion Like [referencing a hypothetical story or archetype].

* * *

After talking with my colleagues.

I revisited the sanctuary.

The reason I came here is nothing special.

I was going to reflect on the battle with Merlin.

“What a mess.”

The traces of the battle were clear.

The neat stone floor was cracked like a spider web, and protruding stones were rolling around everywhere.

The remains of golems with severed limbs or only torsos left were scattered everywhere, and thick tree roots as thick as anacondas were twisted arbitrarily, suggesting the fierce battle at the time.

“!!”

Still, there was one thing that was intact.

The Pond of Life was emitting a subtle light between the piles of stones, boasting its elegant figure.

“What’s so special about the water of life?”

Looking back, it’s no exaggeration to say that all of this started with the Golden Branch and the Water of Life.

It wouldn’t have happened if only one of them was missing.

What effect does the spring water have that allowed Chief Elder Richard to perform the baptism [a ritualistic empowerment]?

Sasha’s voice was heard behind me, who was lost in thought.

“You were here, mister.”

Sasha came next to me, who was standing still, and sat down with a thud.

“Sasha, I have a question.”

“What is it? Ask me anything. I can answer anything for you, mister.”

“That’s very kind of you. I want to know about the Water of Life.”

I pointed to the silver pond with my finger.

Sasha’s mouth opened after a moment of silence.

“I don’t even know the origin. I only vaguely know what effects it has.”

“Tell me even just what you know.”

“I know it greatly increases the ability to communicate with the forest. In addition, it also improves physical strength and heals minor illnesses.”

“It’s truly medicinal water.”

“That’s right. So when I was a shaman, I used to feed small amounts of the Water of Life to patients who were often sick to treat them.”

“Why did such good water transform into a poison that kills Elves?”

Sasha shrugs.

“Maybe it was because of that branch the Chief Elder had.”

Sasha’s hypothesis seemed plausible.

Originally, Merlin’s soul fragment should have been sleeping quietly inside the Golden Branch.

However, the Water of Life, which maximizes the ability to communicate with the forest, stimulated Merlin, who was a druid, and as a result, a tragedy occurred in which the will of the soul eroded the entire Elven race.

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Still, it’s a relief. Because you have that strange branch, mister.”

“I might change like Chief Elder Richard. Aren’t you worried?”

Sasha smiles brightly at my question.

“Not at all. You smell good, mister? It’s completely different from the smell the Chief Elder had. The owner of that branch was definitely you.”

Is it because she’s a shaman [a spiritual healer or leader]?

Her intuition is sharp and keen.

“In that case, I have a favor to ask of you, mister.”

“What is it?”

“Drink some of that Water of Life.”

It’s a sudden suggestion.

“Why?”

“I’ve been protecting the Water of Life for several years and have become familiar with this energy. But I feel a similar energy from you as this spring water. Maybe this Water of Life will help you?”

“I’m already healthy enough.”

“I know that. You probably won’t even catch a cold. But you know what I mean by saying this, right?”

The medicinal water that has been passed down through generations in the Elven Sanctuary.

It was unsettling because it was the water used in the baptism, but on the other hand, I was also curious.

It seemed okay to consume it once.

Above all, if there is a bad energy mixed in, the state abnormality immunity skill, Self-Purification, will filter it out on its own.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“It’s not enough compared to the grace you’ve shown me, mister.”

“Still, thank you.”

“Yeah.”

I turned my back on Sasha and headed to the pond.

When I put my face to the spring water, fine silver particles formed smoke and were inhaled through my respiratory system.