The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 66

“Impressive.”

It wasn’t too heavy for its size, so carrying it wasn’t a burden, but it was about the size of several human heads combined. The magic dormant within was truly awe-inspiring. Well, with a heart like this, it could send blood through that massive body and control its overwhelming magic.

“You had something like this inside you and couldn’t even use simple magic?”

It was not a creature that moved solely on instinct. It was capable of communication—though meaningless since its goal was to survive—and possessed sufficient intelligence as a sentient being.

If it could have used magic befitting its magical power, the victor and loser of the battle would have been reversed. That wasn’t just a possibility; it was a certainty. However, it only used that immense magic to activate its body and breathe.

“I survived thanks to that, so it was fortunate for me, but…”

Of course, it was a stroke of luck for me that it couldn’t use magic. But on the other hand, it was a shame. I was curious to see what kind of spectacle someone with that much magic could display, even knowing that only death awaited me afterward. The magic felt from the heart was so overwhelming that I had never felt anything like it before, not even a similar sensation.

“I’ll put this away for now.”

It would be a waste to use an item with this much magic as a simple magic storage. More in-depth research and consideration are needed, but I should be able to find a use that boasts the best efficiency.

Putting aside my excited feelings, I continued the butchering process. I was quite clumsy due to my lack of experience, but since all I wanted to do was separate the bones, meat, and hide, there was no chance of it turning into a big problem. It was still very annoying, labor-intensive, and difficult, though.

Because it was so large, it took several days to completely separate it. During that time, I ate dragon meat and drank dragon blood, so I didn’t feel tired even when working all day.

“Shall we go back now?”

There’s no reason to stay here any longer. The dragon, which was like a small mountain, was neatly separated and piled up in a corner of my subspace [a personal dimension or storage space], and there was no reason why I couldn’t move.

Some of my armor was damaged, and [Claw] was unusable, but [Fang] was still available, and I had enough bullets. And even without weapons that utilized engravings, I could now break through the monster territory with magic alone.

However, I was able to escape the monster territory much faster than I thought because the monsters, which I encountered several times a day even when moving stealthily, were nowhere to be seen. Not only that.

Ughhhh-

As I approached, they didn’t even think about fighting back; they just turned and ran away. If it were just once or twice, or if it were just small monsters, it might be different. But every time, even the considerable higher species all showed such behavior, so I was just bewildered. But soon, I could think of a few reasons.

‘Are they reminded of the dragon by me?’

The possibility was high. The dragon I killed was, after all, the ruler of the area. Don’t I have Laurent’s testimony from when I first encountered it a long time ago? The monsters in the area obeyed its words.

Moreover, I not only killed it but also bathed my whole body in its blood and ate its meat. I had already washed thoroughly, so I couldn’t smell it, but monsters with far superior instinctive senses might be smelling a scent that humans can’t smell, or they might be instinctively trying to avoid me.

‘It’s ambiguous. Should I see this as a good thing?’

I didn’t know how far or how long the influence would last. If the numbers increase, they might rush in despite their fear. In the worst case, I might have to leave the Terra Barrier [a protected zone] as soon as possible.

Because of my presence, monsters that hadn’t invaded might accumulate and explode after I left the Terra Barrier. My steps toward the Terra Barrier quickened.

#

“A year already. You look fine.”

“You don’t seem very surprised.”

I left in the spring and returned in the summer. It took more than a year to catch one monster, not even during the preparation period, so you could say it was crazy. But even though I showed my face after a year without a single contact, Duke Zeke didn’t look particularly surprised, even though he knew what purpose I had in heading to the monster territory.

“What’s there to be surprised about? It’s one of two things. Even if you failed, there’s a chance you could come back alive, but you wouldn’t come to me with that expression and so confidently. Or would you?”

“…That’s right.”

“Besides, you’ve grown a lot in a short time. Now you’re on the same level as me. Only success can bring about such explosive growth.”

“You flatter me. I’m still lacking in many ways compared to Your Excellency.”

Duke Zeke didn’t ask me about what had happened in the meantime, even though it was something that could shake the entire empire. Does he trust me, or does he no longer care because it’s over?

That was fortunate. Even if Duke Zeke knew the whole story, even roughly, it would be quite burdensome to tell someone that I had taken the spoils, even though I know that Duke Zeke is by no means light-lipped.

“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. Another one of the empire’s worries has disappeared with this. It’s a contribution that no one knows about except me, and shouldn’t know about, but you’ve really done a great job.”

“Thank you.”

“Go back and rest as much as you want. You’ve been out for a long time, so even if you don’t show it, your body will want rest. Oh, and by the way, I want to ask you one last thing.”

“What is it?”

“After that day, you said your goal was revenge. So now that you’ve achieved your goal, what are you going to do?”

I couldn’t readily answer that question. What am I going to do? I see. What should I do from now on?

In the end, I couldn’t give a clear answer to the question and escaped from Duke Zeke as if running away. There was no need to go that far. As I soaked my body in a tub filled with hot water and watched my body relax, I once again felt the limitations of magic. No matter how artificially I relieve fatigue, it doesn’t match the effect of real rest.

‘What should I do?’

In fact, there were many things to do. I had to completely overhaul the circuits that were messily patched up inside my body from the beginning, and I also needed to refine the plan that I had come up with after meeting Armin before leaving the Terra Barrier. I didn’t know how the situation in the Imperial Capital had changed in a year.

And that’s not all, I had to properly say goodbye now that everything was over, and my parents would be urging me when I returned, so I had to think about starting a family. But the reason I couldn’t readily answer Duke Zeke’s question was that all of this could be branches, but it couldn’t be the pillar. It was not enough to be a major goal that would set the big picture.

“Hoo.”

From the time I got out of the tub, dried my body, changed into comfortable clothes, and lay down on the bed, I remembered Duke Zeke’s advice to me as I ran out of the room as if running away.

[You’ve been running towards a goal ever since you came here. First, the goal of survival, then the goal of breaking the damn chain of the Terra Barrier, and finally, revenge for your comrades.

You’ve been running non-stop for a long time. As such, you may not be familiar with the emptiness now. Take a good rest and think about it. It won’t be easy to set another goal. Maybe you’ll just sit down. But I hope that doesn’t happen. As I see it, you still have a lot to do.]

That’s right. I was too young to end it like this. The work I must do, the work I can do, will surely appear, but let’s not think about it impatiently. I’ve been running non-stop, so let’s rest for a while, just for a while.

#

So I took a good rest for several days. Of course, the Terra Barrier was not a suitable place to rest, but if I didn’t want to pay attention to the outside, it wasn’t impossible. Of course, I had to lend a hand in the production and repair of the Scorpion, as I had been away for a long time, but it wasn’t an urgent matter as I had made more than enough in advance before leaving.

“I’m going to go back now.”

“…Have you found a new goal? Can you tell me about it?”

“The chain here, it’s not completely broken yet, is it? I’m going to make scissors to cut that link.”

No one would deny that the Scorpion was an excellent weapon. But it wasn’t a weapon that would make a mark in history. Its shortcomings were as clear as its outstanding advantages.

Insufficient durability and pathetic mobility, which made it an easy target for enemies. It was superior to any other weapon for base defense, but that was all.

“I’ve put in a lot of effort. The number of monsters I’ve killed during that time, excluding the small ones, easily exceeds several hundred. But the number of higher species killed after the Scorpion was established is several tens of times that. In that sense, researching new weapons like the Scorpion will be more helpful in the long run than focusing on killing monsters here.”

“To get rid of the monster territory, that’s not an easy goal. There’s a high possibility that you won’t achieve it even if you work your whole life.”

“That’s why it’s worth making it a goal, isn’t it?”

The limits of what can be done with individual power were clear. It can’t be helped. In the end, an individual is just an individual. But the power of a group is different. If a good system and foundation are in place, even small changes can bring about big changes, and that was the group.

“I can’t stop you. Unless you want to stay here, it’s more beneficial to return to the Imperial Capital and do research in either case.”

“Thank you for understanding. And please accept this.”

“This is…?”

“It’s good for your health.”

A small bottle containing a red liquid. I glossed over Duke Zeke’s question about its identity with a vague answer. But Duke Zeke, who knew my actions even roughly, seemed to have roughly guessed what the liquid in the glass bottle was.

“You’re giving me too grand a farewell gift. I’ll gratefully accept it.”

“In that case, may I ask you for a favor?”

“I thought it was a gift, but was it a bribe?”

“How could that be? Please listen, and if you don’t think it’s okay, you don’t have to grant it.”

“I would have scolded others, but I believe you won’t say anything nonsense. I hope you don’t disappoint me.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t disappoint Your Excellency.”

Compared to the dragon’s blood, it was just a small request. And decisively, since it was for a greater benefit, I didn’t think Duke Zeke would refuse. After all, it was for the empire.

“I want to take one person with me.”

Baron’s Family Second Son – Episode 66 – End