How to Survive as a Knight’s Son – Chapter 88

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Adelia recoiled, her face looks terrified. She finally realized she had been played.

“How… how could you do this?”

“Do what?”

“You used my daughter to kill my husband! You killed my two sons! And now you intend to marry my daughter?”

I chuckled and approached her. She retreated with each step I took, but she couldn’t retreat forever.

The inner castle gate blocked her path. She glanced at me nervously and reached for the doorknob.

-Creak.

The door opened slightly.

-Slam!

I reached out and slammed the door shut, our faces now inches apart, our breaths mingling.

“Gasp…!”

Looking down at her pale face and trembling eyes, I asked,

“Do you really think you’re in a position to blame me?”

“W-What…!”

“You’re aware that the Baron used a treacherous plot to eliminate my father and many other vassals.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You chose to ignore it. A wise woman like yourself couldn’t have been unaware.”

She bit her lip, unable to deny it. She was one of the few people in this family with a conscience.

“Is this revenge? I suppose all that’s left now is me and my daughter.”

“I’m a man of my word. I promised you I wouldn’t give up on Usebia.” Her face registered a surprise again. I seized the opportunity and stepped closer.

She tried to pull away, but I caught her hand and pulled her into my embrace.

“And that applies to you as well, so rest assured.”

“H-How dare you!” Her eyes widened in shock. Trembling, she finally lashed out, slapping me across the face.

-Slap!

A stinging sensation spread across my cheek. She pointed at me accusingly.

“I-I’m your mother-in-law!”

“What are you thinking? I’m simply saying I’ll cherish you, my mother-in-law, just as I cherish Usebia. I just wanted to avoid any misunderstandings about… who’s next.”

I turned the tables, making her appear as the one with inappropriate thoughts. All I had said was that I wouldn’t give up.

Of course, an intelligent woman like Adelia would have grasped my true intentions through my intimate gesture and the nuances of my words.

However, her reaction was unexpected. She fidgeted nervously, unable to hide her embarrassment.

Who would think she was a mother of three? With her youthful appearance, she looked more like an innocent maiden.

“Why… why did you allow me to send the letter to my father?” She changed the subject, seemingly unwilling to apologize to her sworn enemy.

Her flustered demeanor brought a smile to my face, though she frowned in response. She continued,

“Not just my father, but Baron Debussy won’t stand idly after knowing you murdered his son-in-law. While I acknowledge your valor, your leadership, and your cunning, you can’t win a two-front war.”

Count Dressten was a Margrave, wielding power akin to a regional king.

Even if I took control of the Rasino family, I would be nothing more than a firefly before the sun in his presence.

Adelia couldn’t understand why I would provoke such a powerful enemy, especially when I already had Baron Debussy as an adversary.

I feigned surprise.

“Are you concerned about me?”

“O-Of course not! Why would I be concerned about my sworn enemy?!”

“There’s a saying, ‘A mother-in-law loves her son-in-law.’”

“This isn’t the time for jokes.”

I shrugged.

“It’s not as if a sworn enemy would readily divulge important information.”

“You…!”

“Well, as your son-in-law, I’ll tell you this much. Baron Debussy won’t have the time to attack us. On the contrary…”

“On the contrary…?” Curiosity, being said, could kill a cat. Adelia leaned closer, her ears perked, hanging on my every word.

“On the contrary, he’ll be worried about us invading him.”

“That’s absurd…!” Adelia didn’t believe me. She dismissed it as another joke and glared at me sharply.

That was why she was so shocked two weeks later when the report arrived from Baron Debussy’s territory.

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“A monster outbreak has plunged Baron Debussy’s territory into chaos!” Adelia, who had been attending the advisor meetings to keep an eye on my actions, stared at me in disbelief.

“Baroness, I know I’m handsome, but it’s embarrassing to be stared at like that.” My playful demeanor made her face contort in disgust. Usebia’s following reaction further disheartened her.

“N-No! Allen is mine…!”

“Haa… really…” Adelia sighed and shook her head.

She still treated me like an enemy, but she seemed unaware that her hostility was gradually softening.

Of course, it wasn’t enough for her to love her enemy. That was why I decided to take it a step further.

“We can’t miss this opportunity. Baron Debussy must pay for interfering in our family affairs.”

Baron Debussy’s meddling in our internal conflict provided ample justification for retaliation.

Muel and Dreng, who had been ignoring our bickering, straightened up.

“Is this why you told us not to disband the mercenaries?”

“I anticipated the monster outbreak, but yes, it was also to make him pay for his interference.” I feigned ignorance, which was enough to earn the admiration of my two vassals.

“We’ll begin preparations immediately.” They nodded and quickly left.

I turned my attention to Adelia, who was glaring at me disapprovingly.

“While I’m away, I’ll need you to manage the territory.”

She looked surprised. Usebia, who had witnessed our two-week-long bickering, tugged on my arm, trying to dissuade me.

“How arrogant. Do you really think you can give me such authority, knowing what I might do?” Adelia continued, her face etched of disbelief.

“Your power is built on sand. It lacks a solid foundation, and it’s unstable because it was built too quickly. A single defeat would be a devastating blow. And I won’t miss that opportunity.”

She hesitated for a moment, then added softly, avoiding my gaze,

“D-Don’t misunderstand! I’m not saying this out of concern for you!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Of course. I understand.”

“Ugh…!”

“Do you really think I wouldn’t know?”

“Then why…!”

I adopted a serious demeanor.

“The recent wars have depleted the coffers of every family, forcing them to impose new taxes. We need to restore things to their previous state, and then improve upon them. The problem is, there’s no one capable of doing that.”

Joang, with his petty schemes, had been called the Baron’s strategist, which highlighted the lack of talent within the Baron’s faction.

I judged that they barely had enough manpower to maintain the status quo. That was why I needed Adelia.

“A-Are you saying… you need me?” Adelia seemed both embarrassed and pleased.

After all, she had been ignored even by her own husband. I could only imagine the depth of her resentment.

“You’re a wise woman. I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it.”

“D-Do you think I’ll be swayed by such flattery?”

“I’m simply stating a fact.”

Adelia’s face flushed. Her reaction was more sensitive than I expected, as if she had never received a compliment before.

She quickly regained her composure and retorted,

“Really. You’re truly arrogant. Do you really think I would work for my sworn enemy? Even if I did, you’ll regret it.”

“Be my guest.” Perhaps she interpreted my words as dismissive. Her eyes narrowed.

“You think I can’t do it?”

“Yes, I think you can’t. You wouldn’t want to lose your last remaining child.”

Adelia’s head snapped towards her daughter. Usebia, now that we were alone with her family, had moved her chair closer and was clinging to my arm, her voice sweet and syrupy.

“I can’t imagine a world without Allen. So please, Mother, help him.”

This was the same Usebia who had orchestrated her father’s assassination and consented to her brother’s execution. If Adelia tried to kill me, Usebia wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate.

If that happened, even if Adelia succeeded in her revenge, she would have nothing left.

Adelia’s eyes widened in realization. She hadn’t considered that possibility.

It was a battle she couldn’t win, a battle against her own daughter. She knew it now.

“Y-You devil…!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Please fulfill your assigned role.”

For the sake of her remaining child, she would have no choice but to cooperate.

Having secured Adelia’s cooperation, I hastened my preparations for the expedition. If I delayed any longer, the goblin population might grow beyond even my control.

Of course, there was one more thing I had to take care of first.

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Muel, waiting outside, asked cautiously,

“What shall we do with that woman?”

Josephine likely believed she had made it this far thanks to her own abilities and good fortune, but I had intentionally let her go.

For a woman to travel alone, without an escort, between territories was a life-threatening endeavor.

Beyond the main roads, man-eating beasts were commonplace, and the recent wars had left many defeated soldiers turned bandits.

If Muel hadn’t secretly protected her, she would have met a gruesome end. However, all I had done was prolong her life for a short while.

“Eliminate her. And any other seeds of trouble.”

“Yes…!” Having played her part, it was time for Josephine to exit the stage. Muel saluted and left.

Thanks to my prior preparations, the expedition was ready in a single day. A hundred strong.

While it seemed small, they were experienced mercenaries, making them a formidable force.

“Sir Allen! Goblins!” We encountered goblins as soon as we crossed the border, sooner than anticipated.

“Increase our pace!” I left the small groups of goblins to the locals and increased our pace. The safety of the high-tax revenue areas, like Melbourne, which we had previously plundered, was paramount.

‘I won’t let them ruin my harvest.’

The sweet scent of grapes carried on the wind. Melbourne was close.

“Oh my god! Where did all these goblins come from?!”

Phalanx, the capital of Baron Debussy’s territory, was besieged by hundreds of goblins.

While a single goblin could be easily dispatched by an adult male with a club, hundreds of them were a different matter. There was truth to the saying, “strength in numbers.”

If not for the city walls, the goblins would have already been feasting within the city, their banquet fueled by human flesh.

The vassals gathered in the command post desperately offered suggestions.

“We must hold the walls until the reinforcements arrive from the other families!”

“No! We must open the gates and charge! The goblin numbers are increasing!”

Both options were risky. Trapped in a desperate situation, Baron Debussy made his decision.

“We wait for reinforcements.” Those with much to lose were often more concerned with their own safety. Baron Debussy was no exception.

-Crash!

As if to contradict his decision, the command post atop the wall shook violently.

“Everyone, watch your heads!”

“An earthquake?! Have the gods forsaken us?!”

“It’s not an earthquake! Look!” One of the vassals pointed outside the open doorway. A troll, over three meters tall, was swinging a massive tree trunk, battering the city walls.

Baron Debussy’s prized crossbowmen, now few in number, returned fire, but the troll, confident in its regenerative abilities, simply shielded its vital points.

“Roar!!” The troll’s blows continued to shake the walls. Dust and debris rained down, as if the walls were about to collapse.

“Oh my god! A troll!”

With their forces depleted by the recent wars and their skilled knights slain, Baron Debussy had no means to counter the troll.

“R-Retreat…!” Terrified, Baron Debussy fled the command post, his vassals scrambling to follow.

The problem was that their hasty retreat was quite conspicuous.

The citizens, who had been assisting in the defense, witnessed their lord’s flight. Disappointment turned to anger.

“My lord! Where are you going?!”

“What about us?!” The citizens blocked their path.

“How dare you commoners block my path! Move! Do you want to die by my sword instead of by goblins?!”

The wall behind them was shaking precariously, threatening to collapse at any moment. There was no time for calm persuasion.

The vassals drew their swords, pointing them at the citizens, even though the true enemy was outside the walls.

The citizens’ faces crumpled in despair.

-Crash!

Everyone turned around. The city walls, rather impressive for a Baron’s city, were crumbling. Green skin was visible amidst the dust cloud.

“Roar!!” The troll had finally breached the walls. Enraged goblins, their eyes bloodshot, began to pour through the gap.

Their numbers filled their vision. Everyone, regardless of their social standing, paled.

“M-Move!”

The vassals finally swung their swords at the citizens. The closest citizen, struck by a sword, collapsed in disbelief.

“You madman! You call yourself a lord?!”

“Silence! Move if you don’t want to end up like him!” Intimidated by the vassals’ menacing demeanor, the citizens reluctantly made way. Or rather, having lost all hope, they joined the fleeing crowd.

“Let’s go!” Baron Debussy and his vassals attempted to escape. It was then that they noticed something amiss.

“Screech!” A strange cry and a commotion erupted from behind the goblins. The commotion grew closer.

“Agh… wait, what?” The goblins, having entered the city, ignored the humans in front of them and continued running. They ran not like predators, but like prey.

Dumbfounded, the fleeing group stopped, their attention drawn to the commotion.

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Moments later, they saw a knight cutting down goblins like wheat.

“W-Why is he here…!?” One of the vassals recognized him. Baron Debussy, thinking it was reinforcements, asked hopefully,

“What is it? Who is that knight?”

But that powerful knight was no ally. The vassal who had participated in the previous war knew this better than anyone.

“That devil! That’s the devil who decimated our forces!”

The vassal was more terrified than he had been when facing the goblins. He trembled, losing control of his bladder.

Having suffered multiple humiliating defeats at Allen’s hands, Allen had become a symbol of terror to him.

To the citizens, however, it was different. They hadn’t experienced Allen’s power firsthand, their fighting done by the mercenaries, only hearing rumors.

“Sir Knight! Be careful!” They even cheered for Allen. Just then, the troll spotted Allen and swung its massive club.

The powerful blow seemed capable of crushing Allen like a bug.

Before the troll, which had even breached the city walls, Allen, a mere human, seemed utterly helpless.

“Kee-hee!” Even the fleeing goblins stopped to watch.

Hundreds of goblins couldn’t defeat a single troll. They had no doubt that the troll would prevail.

As both humans and monsters shared the same thought, a flash of light streaked across the world. A beam of light, originating from Allen’s hand, grazed the troll’s arm as it swung its club.

A moment later, blood erupted from where the light had passed. The club, along with the troll’s hand and wrist, fell to the ground before it could reach Allen.

The sight of the troll’s massive arm, the size of a human torso, falling to the ground was surreal.

The vassals, terrified of Allen, the citizens cheering for him, and even the goblins, all stared in stunned silence.

“Uh…?”

“Screech…?” For the first time in history, goblins and humans shared the same sentiment.

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The battle beggiinn!!!!