The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 4

Chapter 4: Monster (Bardle’s Side)

Observing Father’s reaction as he read the letter at the mansion and the letter left behind, I couldn’t help but grimace. As I left the mansion and headed towards the Brayja Duchy, my mind raced.

… Assuming Serk is already on a ship, where would he be headed? What location would he choose from the places accessible by ships departing from Eylau?

Desperately racking my brain for clues from the days spent with Serk, I suddenly recalled something.

(Come to think of it, before entering the academy…)

It was about a time when Serk still lived at the estate. I had seen him reading a book in the courtyard, and when I approached, he eagerly shared the contents with me.

It was about adventurers and explorers who had ventured into a place known as the Magic Continent, a story well-known even among commoners.

Among them, he was particularly interested in the tales of adventurers who battled monsters and conquered numerous dungeons.

“If I hadn’t been born a noble… Would I have been able to live like that?”

If those words he had casually uttered back then still held any significance…

“…Clangruls Confederation.”

As I arrived at that conjecture, the carriage suddenly stopped, signaling our arrival at the ducal mansion.

Though we had given prior notice of our visit, the duchess and her son were at the mansion. After offering apologies for the abrupt visit and exchanging greetings, I handed over two letters Serk had written and explained the situation.

“Serk left behind these letters and disappeared. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”

Taking the letter, the Brayja Duke moved his eyebrows slightly and then passed the letter to his daughter, Teresa, who sat next to him. As she read, her body began to tremble, and her murmurs grew louder, “No… I didn’t mean to…”

“…You seemed to have cared for your brother quite deeply, Duke Brayja.”

“Though I didn’t know, I’ll apologize on behalf of my daughter. As a token of apology, could you consider allowing us to assist in the search for your brother?”

“It’s a kind offer, but it’s quite difficult. While our supposition isn’t yet supported by evidence, Serk is likely headed to the Clangruls Confederation.”

“The Clangruls Confederation… That neutral country?”

Upon hearing this, the duke’s expression turned grave, and it was due to the peculiar nature of the Clangruls Confederation.

Situated on the Guersio Continent, known as the Magic Continent, the Clangruls Confederation operated as a nation where organizations like adventurers, merchants, and craftsmen’s guilds cooperated. It declared itself a completely neutral nation, prohibiting all forms of political intervention and interference other than trade-based imports and exports.

“Don’t bring conflict. Don’t bring disputes. If you’re not just a fool living off the citizens’ goodwill, then at least keep a promise of this level.”

These words and the legend attached to them were still spoken of with fear. They were from several hundred years ago when a nation that had attempted to make the Clangruls Confederation its vassal was politically and economically crippled by the representatives of that time.

That’s likely why Serk would choose to go there. If he were to openly search for him in Clangruls, there would be a risk of it being seen as political interference.

While official methods would take time, it was nearly impossible to catch up with Serk across the vast continent.

“Hence, we don’t require assistance. The procedures for reaching Clangruls won’t be a significant burden on the Brayja Ducal House.”

After collecting the letters, I rose from my seat and proposed what I had considered from the beginning.

“However, if you’re willing to assist, I’d like to ask the Brayja Ducal House to search in the direction of the neighboring Mildrea Empire. My supposition could be wrong, after all.”

“Understood. Let’s get to it immediately.”

Confirming the duke’s agreement, I bowed. Up to this point, I had been responding as the Grantos family’s eldest son.

“… From here on, allow me to speak as Serk’s brother.”

Peeling off the mask of nobility, I let a hint of emotion show. The anger that I had never displayed before shook both the duchess and her son.

“How dare you push my brother into such a corner. Be prepared if anything happens to Serk. If you’ve provoked him to the point of no return…”

Exhaling the smoldering anger, I left the room. As I exited the ducal mansion and got back in the carriage, I pondered the next steps.

(… I said that, but…)

Of course, we would continue the search. If it weren’t for political motives in Clangruls, distributing search notices for individuals was possible. Simultaneously, I needed to act in a way that would allow me to move freely.

(… But if Serk is genuinely searching for something…)

The answers lay ahead.

Much of what I was about to do would probably go to waste, but I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. I couldn’t afford to do nothing.

“When was the last time I felt this impatient?”

Even so, I had no intention of stopping my progress…

“You really did it, didn’t you?”

Duke Brayja held his head with a bitter expression, and upon hearing this, Teresa trembled in surprise.

“To think that brat had the audacity to leave the country on his own. But I never expected that things would have soured between you two to this extent.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. But rather than that, we should focus on how to deal with Bardle.”

Duke’s words made Teresa tilt her head. Shouldn’t the priority be the search for Serk? The duke, however, revealed a bitter expression as he explained.

“He’s a monster.”

“A monster…?”

“A country doesn’t exist with just one person. It needs nobles to govern the people and royal family to rule over the nobles… But that lad possesses talents and abilities to the extent that he could single handedly control a country.”

“To such an extent?”

“That’s why the royal family went so far as to offer their daughter. Otherwise, would you think they’d marry into a duchy?”

Indeed, when you think about it, in terms of the system, there was no problem for a royal and a duke to marry. However, considering the political value of a royal daughter, it was common to marry her off to another country or a higher-ranking noble.

Still, the fact that Bardle was allowed to marry her showed that the royal family saw comparable value in him.

“We’ve earned the ire of that monster.”

Hearing that, my breath grew uneven, to the point where I feared I might have a panic attack. I now truly understood the magnitude of what I had done.

“Using the wrong methods will just give him an excuse to belittle us. To gain forgiveness, we need to do more than just search. We need to act with sincerity…”

Duke sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Those who truly recognized Bardle’s talent, like the duke did, would act immediately. But Bardle wouldn’t show mercy to those who didn’t take action.

As the duke had predicted, in less than a year, the power dynamics of the Belga Kingdom were reshaped by just one individual…