The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 98

Chapter 13: Summons – The Charging Maniac

One day before arriving at the fortress.

We prepared to depart as soon as the sun rose.

The sight of six thousand troops lined up before the wormhole was truly magnificent.

Sasha, the tribe’s shaman and temporary chieftain, came to see us off upon hearing the news of our departure.

“Uncle, if you need any help, just say the word.”

“I don’t think that will happen, but I will.”

“Not just for this war, but anytime in the future, if you need our Elven tribe, we’ll always be there to help.”

Like Sasha, I also hoped for cultural, commercial, and military exchanges with the Elves in the future.

Especially when operating or engaging in combat in the forest, having Elven warriors would be a great asset.

Although they were unlucky enough to run into me, a Druid, in the Raven Forest and couldn’t show their full potential, it was clear how much they could have contributed under normal circumstances.

“Amelia also wants to help you, Uncle.”

Amelia’s expression clearly showed her displeasure, but as I was the Elven tribe’s benefactor, she was willing to cooperate.

“If it is Sasha’s command, I am willing to help.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

I shook hands awkwardly with Amelia.

As I waved goodbye, she spoke.

“I have one request.”

“Speak.”

“Grant Scott a peaceful rest. He only underwent the baptism to become stronger.”

“Are you referring to the enemy commander?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll consider it as much as possible.”

“Thank you.”

I finished my conversation with Amelia.

Now it was really time to depart.

But something felt missing.

What did I forget?

“Kyoo-ooo!!!”

Ah.

I almost left Coco behind.

The sound of flapping wings from afar.

Coco hurriedly approached and landed on my shoulder.

“You! Where have you been?”

“Kyukyu!! Kyukyukyu-kyu!!”

If translated directly, it would be something like, ‘How could you think of abandoning me!?

She disappears on her own accord.

Such a troublesome creature.

But she’s cute, so I’ll let it slide.

“…Huh?”

There’s moisture glistening around Coco’s mouth.

It looks familiar for some reason.

I think I know what the baby dragon drank.

“Did you perhaps drink the Water of Life?”

“Kyoo!!”

Coco nods in affirmation.

It seems she had her eye on the Water of Life in the sanctuary.

And when the opportunity arose, she quickly gulped it down.

[Coco — Hatchling Ⅰ]

[Evolution Rate — 50%]

As proof, her evolution rate increased from 2% to 50%.

A whopping 48% increase.

The effect of the Water of Life was remarkable.

Even after devouring so many monsters, the evolution rate barely increased, but now it skyrocketed.

“You really are an omnivore.”

Coco’s steel-like stomach vacuumed up and absorbed any kind of energy.

The more potent the energy, the more it was a delicacy for her.

Whether it was the devilish energy from a demon’s corpse or the concentrated essence of a spring that had accumulated in the forest for thousands of years.

Is this the class of a Dragon?

Anyway, a significant increase in the evolution rate is good for me.

I reaped a considerable harvest in the Elven forest.

I caught Merlin, obtained the third Golden Branch, and although it will take some time, I secured the cooperation of the Elven tribe, who will become reliable allies. I myself became a High-Expert.

Goodness.

A High-Expert.

I’m slowly reaching a level where it wouldn’t be strange to be called a Supreme Master.

Is this even possible?

Moreover, I became an Upper-Mid Druid, and the skill buffs and new skill updates are complete, so I’m eager to test them out as soon as possible.

I also have the ring on my finger.

Even now, the gem embedded in the ring exudes a strange energy and is ready to deploy an absolute defense barrier.

Such overpowered items are always useful in battles between masters. I’m curious to see what good results it will bring.

“My Lord! Shall we depart!”

Lastly, the deep trust and loyalty of my subordinates can be considered an additional gain.

Until now, I never had a military unit that was solely loyal to me throughout my long journey.

It was only natural.

I was a bastard and an executioner.

Even when I returned from the North, Sion and Campbell were all I had around me.

But I am different now.

Sion. Campbell. Rakan. Aiden. Sasha. Coco.

The Blue Falcon Mercenary Group with 3,000 soldiers.

The Liang Guardian Army with 3,000 soldiers.

Numerous soldiers who tasted victory through my command in this Elven war recognized me as a true leader.

To them, who had clearly experienced my abilities, origin and lineage were no longer an issue.

They became a reliable support force, always ready to answer my call.

Even the size of the personal guard is expected to grow, and if I inherit the Marquis title from my father, I will have a force equivalent to a great noble of the empire.

Enough with the happy fantasies.

It was time to really depart.

First, I need to finish off Scott.

“Sasha, let’s meet again.”

“Yes, Uncle. Be careful.”

With a final hug with Sasha, I turned away from the Elves’ sanctuary.

I passed through the dimensional wall via the wormhole.

Before I knew it, I was in Molty Castle.

* * *

Three hours later.

Molty Castle, the first stronghold the Elven tribe had occupied since emerging from the Eastern Great Forest, fell.

The castle, which boasted a solid defense, crumbled with surprising ease.

It was the work of the Liang Guardian Army and the Blue Falcon Mercenary Group, whose morale had soared since the Raven Forest.

They advanced, blocking arrows with their shields, and after breaking down the castle gates with battering rams, the Elves huddled inside were either killed or captured in confusion.

Of course, the help of my close aides was also significant.

Campbell was the first to climb the walls and suppress the archers with his bastard sword, while Sion sniped the commanders with his daggers.

The first to set foot inside after the gates were breached were Rakan and Aiden.

The two were vying for my favor, competing to capture as many Elves as possible.

More than anything else, the biggest factor in capturing the castle was the absence of the main Elven force.

The number of Elven warriors in Molty Castle was only three hundred.

All these factors combined resulted in the three-hour capture of Molty Castle.

“We’re alive!!”

“Hooray! Hooray!”

“Sob… Thank you…”

The residents of Molty Territory, who had been living in hellish days under Elven rule, rushed out of their homes in joy upon seeing the flood of human troops.

The joyful residents, regardless of age or gender, hugged us, jumped around, and made a huge fuss.

Some secretly took out bread or potatoes they had been hoarding and forcibly stuffed them into the pockets of the soldiers who repeatedly refused.

While the outside was in a festive atmosphere.

I interrogated the Elven prisoners indoors.

There weren’t many prisoners either.

The baptism performed by Elder Richard was so effective that they desperately tried to take as many people with them as possible while dying.

As a result, only twenty out of three hundred were captured as prisoners.

“Where is your main force?”

“Tell me the location of Commander Scott.”

“Kyak!! Spit!!”

Saliva fell at my feet.

“I don’t want to talk to you filthy and inferior humans.”

If you insist on being tortured, I have no choice but to grant your wish.

I gestured to Sion and Campbell.

The two men and women, as if they had been waiting for this moment, licked their lips and approached the Elven executive.

“It’s been a while since I’ve shown you Northern-style torture.”

“I think you’ll like the unique taste.”

“Don’t confess too quickly. It’s no fun.”

Then, the Elves’ desperate screams echoed.

Compared to his resolve, the executive’s patience was short, and the Northern-style torture was effective.

In just an hour, the executive, who had soiled his pants, confessed everything, even unnecessary information.

“So, the Lord Alliance forces were utterly defeated in a frontal battle and are trapped in the fortress, on the verge of being annihilated?”

“Y-Yes… So please… kill me…”

Swish!!

I granted his wish and cut off his head.

Campbell, who had been leaning back with his hands behind his head, stuck out his tongue in disappointment.

“I thought he was a pretty tough guy, but he’s just flimsy. Are all pointy-ears like this?”

“That’s a racially discriminatory remark.”

“Tch! The maid is always fussy.”

“I’m only fussy with you.”

Even Sion, though she didn’t show it openly, seemed dissatisfied.

Anyway, I found out where the main Elven force was and identified the location of Commander Scott.

There’s no time.

That was the conclusion I reached after obtaining all the information.

I summoned the executives and urgently held a meeting.

Upon hearing the information, Rakan and Aiden’s expressions also turned serious.

“My Lord, what will you do?”

“Do any of you have someone who can command the troops in your place if you were to leave?”

“The child Yucal, whom you recently sent, is very bright. He’ll do well if you leave it to him.”

“I also have a adjutant. Liang doesn’t discriminate against status and hires people, so there are many talented individuals.”

It’s good that there are replacements.

“As you all heard, the situation is urgent. If we’re even a little late, the Lord Alliance forces will all become spirits [dead].”

“Vice-Commander, can’t we just let them die?”

“We can’t do that. I thought we came to a conclusion about this before.”

“Tch, the Vice-Commander is too kind.”

It’s not that I’m kind.

I just need them.

I will be traveling around more and more in the future, and it would be troublesome if something happened in the Lloyd Territory every time.

Although the lords under Lloyd are incompetent and greedy, they still hold the title of nobles.

I decided to put them in debt this time and firmly imprint my abilities on them to ensure internal control.

At the same time, I’ll prevent the unnecessary sacrifice of the conscripted serf soldiers.

“Anyway, time is of the essence. It will take a long time to move with six thousand troops. Besides, we have to capture the fortress on the way.”

“Are you planning to select and operate a vanguard separately, Lord?”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head. The people here will be the vanguard to save the Lord Alliance forces first, and the mercenary group and guardian army will destroy the fortress and join us.”

Aiden expressed concern.

“I heard there are as many as fifteen hundred Elves. I don’t know if we alone will be enough.”

“Why are you worried about that? Do you still not know who’s standing in front of you?”

Rakan’s words.

Aiden’s gaze is fixed on me.

Then, as if the blockage had been relieved, his expression became comfortable.

“Ah! With you here, Lord, I was worried for nothing. I will trust and follow you.”

“You trust me too much. You should always calculate all the variables…”

“No. There’s no need to. You, Lord, are the variable that makes all calculations meaningless.”

Campbell burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha!! Aiden, you’ve finally realized the Vice-Commander’s greatness.”

“There’s no such thing as defeat. We just have to think about how big we’ll win.”

“That’s right. We just need to trust Young Master.”

“Kyoo-ooo-ooo!!”

They’re all like fanatics.

Perhaps they have already been thoroughly brainwashed by me.

Moreover, there was no escape from this.

* * *

Back to the present.

Lord Piento, who was puffing on a cigarette on the castle walls, widened his eyes upon seeing the flag with the oak tree emblem fluttering on the hill.

As a result, his precious cigar fell to the ground.

“Did reinforcements really come?”

Using mana to focus his eyesight, the face of the man who appeared became clearer.

It was Lord Henon Lloyd.

He couldn’t believe it.

According to what they had discussed earlier, the Lord Alliance forces led by Lord Piento were to occupy Molty Castle.

In the meantime, Lord Lloyd was to break through the Raven Forest with the mercenary group and guardian army and subjugate the Elves’ base.

So, they even agreed that the side that achieved its goal first would have priority in the future distribution of the Molty Territory.

He was confident back then.

No matter how many simulations he ran, it didn’t seem like he would lose to the barbaric pointy-ears.

He was excited at the thought of crushing the upstart bastard’s nose and taking a large chunk of Molty Territory, then dominating the entire Lloyd Marquisate.

However, things don’t always go as planned.

The Elven warriors were too powerful, brave, and vicious.

On the other hand, his troops were a disorganized mess with no sense of belonging, so he ended up trapped in the fortress, awaiting his death.

He secretly guessed that Lord Lloyd had suffered the same defeat as him.

At least the Lord Alliance forces had a proper battle in the plains, while they had voluntarily walked into a place teeming with Elves who had lived in the forest their entire lives.

Lord Piento knew very well how vast the Eastern Great Forest was.

Frankly speaking, he thought that Henon would lose most of his forces without even passing through the Raven Forest, let alone securing a victory.

But Henon was now appearing before his eyes.

With a confident expression.

“How…?”

A murmur that came out without him realizing it.

That’s how surprised Lord Piento was.

But the surprise soon turned into doubt.

“Is he alone?”

The six thousand troops he boasted about were nowhere to be seen.

He watched to see what he was going to do.

Suddenly, he recklessly charged towards the Elven army alone!

“That crazy bastard!!”

A curse word burst out.

What in the world is he trusting in to do that?

The soldiers who watched with him were equally bewildered.

“Lord Piento! What should we do? Should we open the gates and rescue him?”

He couldn’t risk total annihilation by opening the gates for a guy who was charging in to die alone.

In the first place, it didn’t seem like the person in question wanted to be rescued.

Because a storm-like fighting spirit swirled around Henon as he charged.

The Elves, who were forming a siege, seemed flustered at first, but soon prepared to greet Henon with expressions full of mockery.

The entire army didn’t move, and only a company or so came forward to load arrows into their bows and draw their swords, waiting.

The Elven army was relaxed and optimistic in every action, as if they couldn’t believe this situation of facing just one person.

But their expressions changed rapidly in an instant.

“What is that!”

“It’s a monster I’ve never seen before.”

“Is it a monster?”

Around Henon, who was charging, the ground swelled up, and large stones and tree roots intertwined to form the shape of giants.

There were more than ten of them.

The ground shook with a thud as the large figures ran across the plains.

The ignorant soldiers didn’t know, but Lord Piento knew the identity of those things very well.

“It’s a Golem…”

Kwakwakwakwang!!!

The rushing Golems mercilessly swept through the Elven company.

It was an unstoppable advance that trampled all infantry.

A huge difference in size.

Mediocre arrows were useless.

Occasionally, the mana swords of Expert warriors worked, but they were prioritized for elimination by Lord Lloyd.

Lord Piento felt a chill at Henon’s intelligent movements even in the midst of the chaos.

“All-out attack!!!”

The Elven army, realizing that the situation was unusual, hurriedly tried to exert their full power, but the Golems had already paved the way to the center of the camp.

And along the straight path, a cavalry unit passed through as a free pass.

“Uryaah!!!”

“For our Lord!”

“Kill them all.”

They were familiar faces.

Lord Lloyd’s close aides.

Tremendous force.

Each one was worth a hundred men.

A monster knight wielding a bastard sword and cutting enemies in half.

An excellent mercenary captain who skillfully picked off only the commanders.

A soldier who turned opponents into skewers with precise and clean swordsmanship.

Finally, even a maid who avoided attacks with bizarre movements and severed only the enemy’s arteries.

Even the maid was the woman he had deliberately provoked last time.

He was dumbfounded when he realized that such a frail woman was actually a great master.

But their impressive performance was nothing compared to the prowess of Henon, who had charged in first.

An invincible Golem unit advancing while plowing up the entire ground and Lord Lloyd, who cut down everything that blocked his way with a dazzling emerald light sword.

“This is not a war of the human world.”

Lord Piento was convinced.

He was witnessing a new paradigm of war.

Also, the rumors about Lord Lloyd, who had created this spectacle, were not exaggerated.

Rather, they were understated.

He was a true hero.

He was freshly reminded of his rude words and actions towards him, and a chill ran down his spine.

‘It’s not time to reach out to him.’

Absolute obedience.

Lord Piento’s instinct whispered.

He had to lie as flat as possible [submit completely].

That was the only way to survive.