How to Survive as a Knight’s Son – Chapter 21

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Night had fallen. The flickering torchlight alternately expanded and contracted the visible area. Birds were silent, and the only sound was the rustling of reeds in the occasional breeze. Then, the sound of hoofbeats echoed along the riverside path.

“I heard you and that Eastern woman went out together. So, I waited. But you never came. I was so worried something might have happened.”

His initial intention must have been to visit the brothel. Then, he heard that I had gone out with a whore, which would have struck him as odd, since it was something I had never done before. My late return must have turned his suspicion into certainty.

That’s why he waited indefinitely at the gate, the only path I could take to return to the manor, not the brothel.

My act as a scoundrel was on the verge of being exposed.

I inwardly clicked my tongue. I had expected Sophia to hold him back for at least a week, but only three days? It was far too short.

It seemed Roland held the reins in their relationship. I should have realized that when Sophia took him as her lover despite knowing his philandering ways.

It was my mistake.

“Why? Did something happen at the manor?”

“It’s a dangerous world out there. There have been reports of goblin sightings near the manor’s outer borders towards Quaran. I was worried something unfortunate might have happened.”

If I were to die at the hands of a monster, Sophia and Roland would probably throw a celebratory feast. I forced the sneer off my face and considered Roland’s words.

Goblins, huh?

“So, where did you go, avoiding everyone’s eyes?”

Roland pulled on the reins, and his horse stopped. Silence descended, punctuated only by the chilling sound of the harsh winter wind whistling through the dry reeds. However, Roland’s narrowed eyes weren’t solely due to the wind.

I considered Roland. A hedge knight hired by Sophia through Baron Rasino to be my swordsmanship instructor. Sophia’s lover. Perhaps he had ties to Baron Rasino as well.

Moreover, Sophia’s unwavering devotion to Roland, despite his numerous affairs, suggested that her feelings for him were genuine.

If I touched Roland, Sophia would retaliate. I wasn’t powerful or influential enough to confront her yet. The worst-case scenario would be Baron Rasino’s intervention.

Considering all this, I couldn’t act rashly against Roland. The best course of action was to make him leave on his own, avoiding any repercussions.

I had a plan.

“Do you know that before the Western Continent was divided into dozens of kingdoms, there was a vast empire? That empire, whose name has been forgotten, achieved a glorious civilization but vanished from history overnight. Some say it was divine retribution for their arrogance, others blame it on a natural disaster.”

Roland frowned, as if asking why I was telling him such nonsense. I continued, undeterred,

“The only certainty is that ancient ruins, containing artifacts with mystical powers, are occasionally discovered. Treasures that could make you incredibly wealthy and even earn you a title.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Rumors about ancient ruins were mostly fabricated by gossipmongers, rarely based on facts. It was understandable that Roland was annoyed.

I smiled.

“I understand your frustration. I initially dismissed it as something that had nothing to do with me. However, the circumstances aligned in a strange way, so I had to investigate.”

“What-”

“Have you heard that ancient ruins are guarded by monsters?”

Was he tired of my rambling? Or had I piqued his interest? Roland closed his mouth and stared at me intently.

“Don’t you think it’s strange? What would goblins possibly want in this small territory that they’re not only staying but increasing in numbers?”

“It’s not uncommon for weaker goblins, driven out of their territory, to temporarily increase their numbers by stealing livestock and crops.”

“That’s what everyone thinks. Goblins aren’t powerful enough to guard ancient ruins.”

I smiled meaningfully. Roland finally stopped frowning, his eyes now showing a hint of interest.

“You mean…”

“You asked where I’ve been? I’ve been discreetly tracking the goblins, and I finally found it.”

I looked towards the dense forest. The forest bordering the manor and Quaran was pitch black, its depths invisible even in the morning.

“Yes. There’s an ancient ruin in our territory.”

If my memories from my past life were correct, the ruin should be there.

“And where is this grand ruin located?”

His tone was too calm for someone asking about the location of a treasure-filled ruin. Roland didn’t believe me. He seemed to think I was making excuses, his suspicion deepening.

I realized I had to choose my words carefully. The slightest misstep could lead to Sophia and Roland confining me.

If news of Father’s death were to arrive while I was confined, I would be exiled at best, or even killed.

Therefore, I said,

“That’s a secret.”

I chose to hide the location instead.

“A secret?”

Roland’s brow furrowed, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Roland and I had been closer than family. Close enough that I had yielded Lucy, whom I had cherished for three years, without hesitation.

Roland must have believed that I still considered him closer than family. So why was I suddenly keeping secrets? Wouldn’t he think there was something more to it? That’s exactly what I wanted.

If he thought there was even the slightest possibility that my story was true, Roland wouldn’t tell Sophia about today’s incident.

Sophia seemed genuinely in love with Roland, willing to risk her marriage, but Roland was still a notorious womanizer!

Having maintained a close relationship with him, I knew what kind of person Roland was, just as he knew me.

The problem was that, contrary to my original plan, I had aroused his suspicion. He might become even more suspicious, thinking I was hiding something.

It was a gamble.

And the gamble…

“Did you really find an ancient ruin?”

…paid off. He still didn’t fully believe me, but this was enough.

I took my hand off the status window I had secretly opened. A cool breeze seeped into my clothes, chilling my sweat-soaked back. I didn’t let it show.

“It’s too late to go tonight. Let’s leave the manor together tomorrow morning before anyone notices.”

“Master Allen—!”

Roland called out urgently, but I had already spurred my horse. The horse whinnied and galloped away, its shadow stretching long in the twilight.

That night, I had a nightmare. I dreamt of Sophia, Roland, and their followers breaking into my room.

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The next day, just before dawn, a cold wind, heralding the beginning of winter, seeped through my clothes. I was even colder because of the cold sweat I had been drenched in all night. My eyes snapped open.

The room was shrouded in darkness. The door was bolted, and the manor was silent, even the usual scurrying of mice absent. The hallway was equally quiet.

The candle on the wall flickered in the draft, my shadow lengthening and shortening with each flicker. The areas beyond the candlelight were pitch black.

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I sensed a presence as I entered the dining hall. Were the servants preparing breakfast?

“Anya?”

Anya was sitting at the central table in the dining hall. Her previously twig-like body had filled out, and her dry skin had transformed into a milky white. She seemed to have grown taller as well, her body now more proportionate. Her face glowed with vitality.

Anya, slowly shedding her girlish appearance, was steadily becoming the breathtaking beauty she was destined to be.

However, her sullen expression suggested she was unhappy about something. She turned her head away as our eyes met. I sat down next to her.

“Did the sun rise in the west today?”

“What nonsense are you spouting so early in the morning?”

“I’m just surprised to see you awake at this hour.”

Anya finally turned to face me and glared.

“What? I wake up early sometimes.”

“The last time you woke up early, you were nowhere to be found.”

“The last time… oh.”

Anya blushed crimson. She must have remembered her actions that morning after we slept together.

She quickly changed the subject.

“You seem busy these days. You said we would always eat together, but it’s so hard to even see your face.”

It had been a while since I had kept my promise to eat with Anya. I had been leaving for Quaran early every morning and returning late at night.

It seemed Anya was feeling lonely again. Well, this was no different from when we had been avoiding each other.

“I’ll have more time once this is over.”

“When will that be?”

Shouldn’t she have asked what “this” was first? Instead, Anya asked when I would be free again. I fell silent for a moment, considering the reason for her question, and Anya glanced at me.

It was a strange look.

“Why? Are you lonely eating alone?”

“No, it’s just…”

Anya looked away again, fidgeting instead of giving me a clear answer. Sometimes, body language spoke louder than words.

I realized that Anya hadn’t woken up early and waited for me in the dining hall just because she was lonely.

“Or…”

I trailed off, bringing my face close to Anya’s ear and whispering,

“…did you miss playing at night?”

Anya hadn’t experienced sexual desire for twenty years. After I awakened it, she couldn’t control her surging libido and had even clumsily tried to seduce me.

But I, the one who had aroused her, had been too busy to even see her face. I had unintentionally made her yearn for me.

“Who… hngh!”

Anya couldn’t finish her sentence. I had gently nibbled on her earlobe.

Anya’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand, glancing nervously at the kitchen. Fortunately, the bustling activity in the kitchen showed no signs of stopping. The door to the kitchen was firmly closed.

“Are you crazy? What if the servants see us…!”

Even Anya, ignorant as she was about sex, seemed to know that this kind of relationship with her brother wasn’t normal.

The important thing was that she didn’t refuse. In fact, the way she licked her lips, her face flushed, suggested she was disappointed that I had stopped.

She was breathtaking. As expected of a future breathtaking beauty. If she was this alluring even before reaching her full potential, I couldn’t imagine how captivating she would become.

“Let them see. I’ll take responsibility.”

“R-Responsibility?”

Just as Anya gasped,

Click.

The dining hall door opened. It wasn’t the inner door leading to the kitchen. It was the outer door, and the person who walked in was Roland, fully armed. I stood up and shielded Anya, who looked startled, with my body.

“Sir Roland.”

“I apologize for being late.”

As Roland approached, he scanned Anya, who was hiding behind me, from head to toe. His eyes widened slightly, and a strange smile played on his lips.

It was a familiar expression. The same expression he had worn when he first saw Jin at the brothel in Quaran.

“Lady Anya. It’s been a while.”

It seemed Anya, freed from Sophia’s abuse and blossoming into a breathtaking beauty, had caught Roland’s eye.

How dare a mere hedge knight covet what was mine? A surge of anger coursed through me. Roland, his attention fixated on Anya, seemed oblivious to my glare.

Anya tugged at my sleeve. Suppressing my anger, I led Roland outside.

“Sir Roland. Let’s go.”

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As we left the manor, Roland kept looking back. His lewd smile clearly indicated he was thinking about Anya.

“When did you become so close to your sister?”

“Heh, do we look close?”

“Don’t you?”

“She seems to think I saved her because of the incident. How funny. I only stepped in because my pride was hurt.”

I was annoyed that Roland even mentioned Anya, but I hid my feelings and led him towards the forest at the edge of the manor.

“We should have told Mother before leaving. We’ll need more than just the two of us to explore the ancient ruins.”

The fact that Roland came alone meant he hadn’t told Sophia about the ancient ruins. I subtly probed him to confirm.

“It’s not even certain yet. It would only cause trouble for you, Master Allen, if it turns out to be nothing after raising her expectations.”

He was saying he hadn’t told Sophia for my sake. And yet, he had been watching my every move.

In any case, it seemed I didn’t have to worry about being confined to my room. Of course, it would all be for naught if I couldn’t find the ancient ruins. Roland’s suspicion was merely postponed, not dispelled.

“Hey, I’m telling you the truth. Why don’t you believe me?”

I feigned annoyance and continued walking, my eyes scanning the forest floor for any signs of goblins since the moment we entered. My sharp eyesight proved useful once again.

“Found it.”

They were small footprints, about a third the size of an adult’s, so light that they barely left an impression. There were even marks from sharp, pointed claws. There was no doubt. They were goblin tracks.

“The ruins?”

Roland approached me leisurely, his calm tone suggesting he wasn’t expecting much. He might even be regretting coming along.

After all, the ancient ruins were just based on my words, with no concrete evidence. And I was a notorious scoundrel.

He might have been momentarily swayed by my cryptic behavior yesterday, but he must have concluded that the probability of it being true was close to zero.

Frankly, I wouldn’t have believed it either.

“These are goblin tracks. I followed these yesterday and found the entrance to the ruins.”

That’s why I was so surprised when, following the tracks, I actually found a goblin, and it magically disappeared into a dark, invisible hole in the base of a large tree.

“…!”

The method of discovering the ancient ruins was the same as in the game. I inwardly sighed in relief and turned to look at Roland, who couldn’t hide his surprise. I grinned.

“See? I told you. Want to go in?”

Roland’s actions spoke louder than his words. As I approached the hole, he blocked my path with his scabbard.

“It’s too dangerous.”

Of course, he wasn’t concerned about my safety.

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Now the Adventure is up front, Allen sus-act would’nt be caught just yet. 😏