Chapter 3

The Story of the Second Son of a Baron - Chapter 3 (3/123)

< The Story of the Second Son of a Baron – Chapter 03 – >

"What's happening... Are you alright!"

Despite having been warned, the sentries who heard the explosion rushed over in a panic. After reassuring them that nothing serious had happened, I headed to the source of the explosion with the sentries. There, I found a small crater and broken stone fragments. From the traces, it seemed that the power of the fireball that had burned the orc earlier in the day was sufficient.

'Would it work if I used the verbal command for a fireball?'

It's not comparable to the power of a verbal command, which has inherent strength. It's also necessary to verify how much of the dream's content is true and how much is false. However, if the content of the dream is true, it could be quite useful and versatile. The problem is why I suddenly gained this ability through the medium of a dream.

"Is the experiment over?"

"It's late and you must be tired, but I caused a disturbance. The experiment is over, so you can return. I'll be heading back too."

I returned to the tent assigned to me, lay down, and fell into deep thought, but nothing particularly unusual came to mind. If I had to pinpoint something, it was that I had killed a monster for the first time.

It was a minor achievement, but apart from that, there was nothing particularly unusual. So, I soon stopped thinking about it. It was more important to consider how to use this ability to increase my chances of survival rather than to ponder why I had been given this ability.

It was truly a stroke of luck.

#

While heading towards the Terra Wall, I focused on understanding this ability, which seemed to be a matter of chance or destiny. Although I couldn't conduct a full-scale study while on the move, I had plenty of time, and by the time we arrived at the Terra Wall, I had made considerable preparations.

First, I engraved the character "防" (defense) on my robe. I wanted to engrave words like "protection" or "defense," but with my current abilities, I could only engrave one character, and that was my limit. So, I found a solution.

If I couldn't engrave multiple meanings on one piece of equipment, I could engrave one meaning on multiple pieces of equipment. I engraved "敏" (agility) on my shoes, "力" (strength) on my gloves, and "堅" (sturdiness) on my clothes, preparing for any unexpected situations. I also prepared as many stones engraved with "爆" (explosion) as I could. Once engraved, the characters would remain as long as the magic power within them didn't dissipate, so the more I had, the better.

'I have a sense of how to use this.'

This ability, which I temporarily named "engraving," was very similar to magic. However, while magic has its own advantages, engraving also had clear advantages over magic.

First, preparation.

Unlike magic, once engraved, the item could be stored indefinitely. While I didn't know how long it would last, it seemed that the engraving would remain until the item broke or I used it, suggesting that it could be stored for a long time. This was a significant advantage compared to the limitation of only being able to use magic on the spot and being unable to do anything once the magic power ran out.

Second, versatility.

It could be used in a wide range of applications. Not only for attacking and defending, but also for finding paths, purifying water, and more. Additionally, the same engraving could be directed in the way I intended, as long as it didn't deviate from its meaning.

Of course, it wasn't without its drawbacks. Unlike magic, which could be used immediately, it required an intermediate step of engraving an item. If I engraved an inappropriate engraving, it might not perform as expected. However, these drawbacks were manageable compared to the advantages.

After engraving all my equipment and preparing a sufficient number of explosive stones, I felt a desire to engrave my body. Could I engrave my body?

However, I put that desire aside for the moment. This was my only body. Unlike inanimate objects, I didn't know what side effects or impacts it might have, so I couldn't act rashly. Moreover, since this area hadn't been explored even in my dreams, I needed to be extremely cautious.

Meanwhile, we were getting closer to the Terra Wall.

#

The carriage, which had been moving at the pace of the soldiers, suddenly sped up. Given that they usually informed us of any special events, I was surprised and opened the window to check outside.

"What's happening!"

"Look ahead!"

Following the knight's finger, I saw why they had suddenly increased their speed. A mountain range of immense height, and the Terra Wall, which blocked the gap between the mountains, also of immense height and length. Black smoke was rising from there.

"We might have to join the battle as soon as we arrive! Be prepared!"

When I explained what I saw to the other mages inside, they reacted in various ways. Some sighed and bowed their heads, some clasped trembling hands and prayed to an unknown entity, and some calmly checked their condition. The one who showed the least movement but was the most noticeable was the most striking.

"Such a welcome as soon as we arrive. The rumors I heard before coming here were not exaggerated."

A place where dozens of battles occur daily, and several times a week, the largest battlefield of the empire. Not a battle between humans, but a struggle between humans and monsters. The Terra Wall was welcoming us.

#

After a short while, we arrived inside the Terra Wall. The battle seemed to be over, but the situation inside was dire. As a result, we arrived after a long journey without any welcome, feeling adrift.

"You're wrong. We're all going to die..."

"Mother... Father. I, the unworthy son, am leaving first."

"Damn. To be stuck here for ten years? It's practically exile..."

As a result, the morale of the soldiers and knights plummeted. If the fear before coming here was based on rumors and imagination, now they realized that the fear was real, making the future even more bleak.

"Who are you!"

"I'm Baron Batteri, leading reinforcements from the Imperial Capital. What's going on here?"

A large force appeared from the rear. Given the imperial emblem on their banners, it was clear they were allies.

The knights knelt as soon as they saw the imperial seal on the order. We headed to the location of the Terra Wall's commander, with the exception of Baron Batteri, the commander of the reinforcements, and a few knights controlling the soldiers. Along the way, we learned what had happened from the knight.

"There was a large-scale attack by the monsters."

"Large-scale attack?!"

"I apologize for saying this, but it would have been much easier to defend if you had arrived a week earlier."

"We did our best."

"Of course. Not only I, but Duke Siegfried also knows this."

Following the knight's guidance, we approached the wall and felt the immense presence. The armor and faces, which should have been shining in the sunlight, were dirty with the fluids of the monsters, but this only highlighted the knight's resilience.

'That's Duke Siegfried!'

Siegfried Siegfried.

One of the three great swords that protect the empire. His reputation was so widespread that even in my hometown, one of the most remote areas of the empire, I had heard of him. Seeing him in person, he was indeed a formidable presence.

"Your Grace, reinforcements have arrived from the Imperial Capital."

"Reinforcements?"

"Your Grace! I have led reinforcements in response to the Emperor's solemn command!"

"Welcome. You must have had a long journey. As you can see, the situation is dire, so I'm sorry we can't give you a proper welcome."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize for arriving after the situation has ended."

"Please show them where they can stay. We'll have a proper discussion tomorrow. You and I both need some rest today."

#

"Sir Renil, you can use this room."

"Thank you. But... it seems someone was using this room..."

"I apologize. Due to the recent attack, we didn't have time to clean it up. We'll clear it out for you today, so please wait a moment."

It was clear that the room had been recently occupied. When I expressed my concern, the attendant explained the situation.

"That's fine. I'll take what I need and put the rest in the hallway. Please just clear those out."

"Is that acceptable?"

I had to be cautious. There was no guarantee that I wouldn't end up like the previous occupant.

"If you need any help, just pull the cord next to the bed."

With that, the attendant left the room. Alone, I unpacked my belongings and began removing traces of the previous occupant. I kept the necessary items—since it was a mage's room, the bookshelves were filled with magic-related books—and placed the unnecessary items in the hallway. While doing so, I found a book in the desk drawer.

"What's this?"

It had no title. Out of curiosity, I opened it and realized it was the previous occupant's diary. It was written for quite a long time, up to the middle of the book. The most recent entry was from five days ago, probably written just before he died. The last entry, written in a hurried and barely legible manner, read as follows:

Fear surged within me. But at the same time, the will to survive burned fiercely. There were too many things I still wanted to do to die pointlessly in such a place.

< The Story of the Second Son of a Baron – Chapter 03 – > End