"The Talented Dragon Hides Its Claws" ~ The Eldest Son of the Baron Family, Called Useless, is Actually One of the World's Strongest ~ - Episode 3

The next morning. The main residence of the Arden family, the head’s bedroom.

In the center of the room, there was a king-sized bed, and the head of the household and two women were sprawled out carelessly.

Knock knock.

“……”

The servant knocks, but there is no response from inside.

He’s passed out drunk again… Normally, I would just go back to work, but today is the day for inspecting the territory. If I don’t wake him up, it’ll cause trouble later, so I guess I have no choice but to wake him up reluctantly…

The servant sighed in resignation and opened the door.

“Master, today is the day for inspecting the territory, so please wake up soon.”

“……Shut up. Just slack off, that’s all.”

“However, my lord. This event has been decreed by His Majesty the Emperor, so if your absence were to become public, there is a high possibility that you would face some kind of punishment later on.”

“Tch. Making such a bothersome rule… stupid royalty.”

The lord rises, cursing in a manner unbefitting an imperial noble.

“Hey, you guys. Get ready right now. Accompany me on the territory inspection.”

“Yeeees”

And after having breakfast, the head of the household took the women and headed towards the carriage in front.

The carriage is hitched to two horses, and around it, four armored knights are standing by.

They are members of the Arden Knights.

“We have been waiting for you, esteemed master.”

“……”

The ill-tempered lord ignored the knights’ greetings and climbed into the carriage with a sullen expression.

He has always been a contrary person, but since the lady moved to the old mansion, he seems to have become even more uncontrollable. Is the baron family going to be okay like this…?

While thinking such thoughts, the knight closed the carriage door.

“Driver. It’s about time to depart.”

“Hah”

This time, the knight will not ride.

In the case of a territory inspection, since the speed of the carriage is relatively slow, the knights secure the area on foot and provide protection for an entire day.

The coachman cracked his whip, and at last, the carriage set off.

In the window of the old mansion, two shadows secretly observe the scene.

“Lord Ryu”

“Yeah. Before Mom and Rena wake up, I’ll leave here too.”

Ryu changed into the casual clothes he usually wears when going to the forest.

“Is it really okay if I don’t do anything?”

“Sebas should just go about his usual life. If he takes any action, it might backfire and get him caught. That old man is an idiot, but the servants are not.”

Understood.

The job of a servant in the baron’s household is prestigious, so whenever a recruitment is announced, numerous villagers rush to apply. As a result, those currently serving the baron are all elites who have passed through a highly competitive selection process. Perhaps it would be easier to understand if I called it the Arden Territory Selection.

Ryu headed towards the back door,

“Well then, I’m off.”

“May you be blessed with good fortune in battle.”

“Same goes for you.”

He effortlessly leaped over the high fence and swiftly disappeared into the forest.

Sebas murmurs.

“Has it finally begun to move? The monster of Arden…!!”

They say a skilled hawk hides its claws. No, it’s not even close to a hawk. Indeed, in that person’s case, it’s more akin to…

“Dragon… perhaps?”

Around noon that day.

The carriage carrying the lord was smoothly finishing its tour of half the territory and was heading towards the rural village located at the farthest edge.

The knights of the guard were out of breath because they had not yet taken a break.

“Haa… Haa…”

“The speed itself is only slightly faster than walking, but continuing to move for several hours while wearing armor is quite exhausting. Is the lord planning to continue without taking any breaks until evening…?”

“Perhaps we’ll take a break at the next village. We can manage, but we need to let the horses rest.”

“Sigh… I guess I have to endure until then…”

Ignoring the guards who were moving their feet with single-minded determination, the head of the household was inside the carriage, holding a woman on each side and leisurely enjoying a drinking party.

“Sometimes drinking outside isn’t so bad.”

“Hey, Gray-sama~ When will you make me your legitimate wife~?”

“Ah, that’s unfair! I want to be a bride too!”

“Well… as long as ‘that woman’ is doing well, it’s impossible.”

“That woman… could it be about Iris?”

“Ah”

“You’re really tenacious, Iris! Can’t you just die already!!!”

“At this point, it would be better to just kill them~”

“Hahaha!!! That’s also an option!!!”

I was just starting to find her annoying. That useless, stupid woman.

On the way to the rural village, there is a canyon, and you need to cross a large bridge along the way. Since there is a river flowing at the bottom of the canyon, if you were to fall, you would likely die.

The coachman raised his voice.

“We’re about to cross that bridge, so please be careful of the bumps!!”

“Because, you know.”

“Ahh, so scary!”

The women clung to the head of the household in a deliberately exaggerated manner.

However, they still don’t know.

Behind the large tree beyond the bridge, a boy is holding his breath.

“……”

So you finally showed up, old man. I’ve been waiting forever.