Terminally-Ill Genius Dark Knight

Chapter 24

I didn’t even bother to use the word brother.

The original Nox, not the possessed me, would surely have died.

There was no reason to honor a man who had put my brother in a situation that could have killed him.

“……You mean to tell me that the Second Master was involved in this ogre raid? Why on earth would Master Grine do such a thing to his brother, Master Nox…….”

“Because it’s weird.”

I trailed off, looking at Zitri questioningly.

“Because suddenly my weak little brother has come to his senses, and he’s been openly acknowledging me at the dinner table.

I guess he wanted to see if I was really strong. Whether the rumors were true or not.”

“That means…… too. Are you keeping an eye on him?”

Zitri hesitated before speaking.

As expected, she was quick on the uptake.

After all, Zitri herself had been pushed out of the power structure by her uncle and abandoned by her family, so she would know.

That sibling rivalry to become the head of the family sometimes crosses the line.

I nodded immediately in affirmation.

“Yes. I suppose Grine thinks I might try to sneak into the family succession, so he’d better make sure I’m up to speed.”

His ambition was clear.

He wants to outwit his eldest son, Garen, and become the next in line for the lord’s seat.

The odds are stacked against him, and he’s not nearly as skilled as Garen.

But he had a weapon in his arsenal: the art of subterfuge.

Using his skills to get a glimpse into his opponent’s mind, and then using that to expand his power. That was Grine’s primary tactic.

But I must warn you that there are those for whom it does not work.

I already know the entire story of the first part of Inner Lunatic.

His tricks don’t work.

I should add that my maid, Zitri, is quite the actress.

“It’s no fun just sitting there.”

I raise the corner of my mouth, and Zitri looks uneasy for some reason.

She broke out in a cold sweat and asked.

“I… Young Master, what are you trying to do…….?”

Do you know what attracts ogres far more than pheromone-sprayed mud?

It’s direct ogre blood.

Just as these creatures take on a human-like appearance, they often take revenge in groups when one of their own is hunted.

So, question here.

What can I do with this blood?

“…You’re kidding, aren’t you?”

Ignoring Zitri’s words, I poured the ogre’s blood into a glass jar.

He walked over to Grine’s tent and sprinkled it liberally over the top.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning.

I’m sure this will attract at least ten of them.

At least one or two will break a bone.

I nodded nonchalantly and walked back to my tent and lay down.

I think I’ll finally get a good night’s sleep.

At that moment, Zitri sighed and looked at Nox, who was still sleeping soundly.

She realized she had a lot of dirty work to do.

How did she end up serving such a master…….

She walked over to Nox, who had somehow managed to kick off the covers and tucked them back in.

* * *

The Magic Sense Crystal, a magic engineering tool installed in Grine’s tent, can detect nearby magic and accurately transmit it to the user.

In other words, it gives you the details when they appear.

But…….

“Why is this ringing now?”

Grine woke up and looked at the artifact with a puzzled expression.

It was brand new, as he had just gotten it from his father.

It couldn’t be broken, and there was no reason for it to have a demonic force strong enough to react. This was still the beginning of the forest. …….

“Master Grine, everyone, we need to evacuate immediately!”

“……?”

Grine thought the sound outside was a hallucination.

Unsure of what was going on, he briefly alternated between the crystal, which continued to vibrate, and the ground, which had somehow begun to resonate with it.

Why does the ground feel like it’s ringing?

It was like…….

“Like a giant beast stomping its feet…….”

“Aaaah!”

A soldier screams from outside.

Grine scrambles out of bed.

It wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on.

He quickly threw off the covers, wrapped himself in his chainmail, and donned his armor, which would have been even more dangerous if he hadn’t kept his leather mail inside.

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

“Holy shit, what the hell is going on…!”

“You need to get out of here, there’s a bunch of ogres!”

I heard a loud shout.

But what you hear next is even more suspicious.

What? Ogres in hordes?

Does that make sense?

This was not where the ogres were supposed to be.

Nox, his youngest brother and the one who dared to challenge him, was supposed to be in his tent, and the ogres were supposed to be attacking him.

But why would they come out here!

“Shit!”

But there was no time to ponder.

For even though he had graduated from Eldain, he was still the weakest of the youngest members of House Reinhafer.

He had only been able to make himself look strong with tricks and bravado….

He had no more martial power than a mere municipal janitor.

The sensation of dampness in his lower body continued.

Your best option in this situation is….

is to run away!

In spite of his shame, Grine quickly exited the tent.

He was careful not to make a scene.

He didn’t care if the others were dead or alive. Right now, staying alive is the priority.

That was what he was born to do.

* * *

The next morning.

The air around Grine’s tent echoed with loud shouts.

“Holy shit, did you throw mud on our tent!”

“Oh, no, not like that… That’s weird… I’m pretty sure I threw it on Young Master Nox’s tent…….”

What a refreshing morning.

I woke up to the sound of Grine’s shouting over the tent.

He must be having some fun, but I can’t be there to hear it.

It would have been more fun to be right in front of him and see his distorted face.

‘Santa Claus doesn’t waste his gifts.’

He nods, convinced.

It was a satisfying achievement.

I’d kicked Grin’s ass, and I’d increased my lifespan.

Grine is the only one who loses.

He was berating my henchman, and I glanced over at him.

His name was Schultz?

“That asshole must have smeared mud on my tent.”

Asshole.

I’d memorized his face, so if I got caught later, I’d give him a hard time.

“Young Master, let’s eat.”

“Ah, you’re up early.”

I thought I was up pretty early, but Zitri was already up and ready to eat.

The menu was a simple, meaty stew.

It looked like it had been cooked for a long time over a moderate heat with a lot of spices to remove any odors. Despite the large pieces of meat, it was tender enough to melt in an instant.

Why?

I used to cook when I was gaming all day and night because I had nothing to do at home.

You can only order in once or twice before you start to get tired of the spicy flavors.

So I started cooking as a hobby, and Zitri was many times better than me in that sense.

But I can’t help it, I’m a crafter.

” I’ll eat. Let’s sit down.”

“I’m a maid, I can’t be flattered.”

“I’m on a mission, and I’ll be more trouble than I’m worth if I go off on my own, and if a monster shows up, it’s a big deal, so sit down. You never know, there might be dozens of ogres jumping out from under your tent.”

“…….”

Zitri gave me a fed-up look, then finally sat down next to me.

As I lazily scooped up my stew, I could see Grine picking up the pieces from yesterday. He looks like he’s trying to do something about it…….

It’s not going to work.

We’re still covered in ogre blood, and even if we moved, the ogre would come after us.

That’s what I was aiming for in the first place.

‘More monsters means more life, and I have so many soldiers to save me if I get in trouble… How can I live with this?’

I nodded, savoring the taste of the meat on the tip of my tongue, before Zitri glared at me in disbelief.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Cut it.”

“I just thought you were being a bit brash for a Master.”

I said cut, and the words came out without hesitation.

I fake a sorrowful expression, but it doesn’t work on Zitri.

It’s a shame.

“Carl, come eat with me!”

Carl was up and joining us. He made a short hissing sound and then came running to me, purring lightly.

I patted him lightly and fed him his food.

He’s got the cutest snout, to say the least, and I love that he hates Rona. It’s a shame he gave her his back once and for all.

There’s also fidelity, and that’s saying something.

“That’s good.”

“So what are you going to do now?”

As I watched him eat, Zitri suddenly asked.

“Are you going to fix it?”

“No, why would I?”

“I see, you are…….”

Zitri looks genuinely impressed.

That happened at Grine’s tent.

No wonder it’s none of my business.

“Well, now that we’re done eating, let’s get ready to leave again. That idiot has his uses.”

I smirk as I say that.

Zitri seems to have given up now.

This is what your master is like anyway.

It would be easier if you just gave up.

I patted Zitri on the shoulder and gave him a hearty pep talk.

Zitri only added: “That’s never going to change.

“So you’re saying that’s never going to change…?”

“This is why I love a perceptive maid.”

“Haha…….”

After organizing our tents, we headed over to Grine’s tent, where the disaster had occurred, and I asked him as nonchalantly as I could.

“Brother, it looks like something happened during the night.”

“Nox……!”

Grine must be thinking.

It could be my brother who just used an ogre to attack him.

But what could I do?

I had begun to gain the trust of the soldiers. I had slowly begun to prove myself as a Pathfinder.

To accuse me here without proof?

It was a foolish choice that would surely be self-defeating.

Furthermore, Grine is a shrewd man. Or should I say, sharp.

Finally, Grine turned his head and gritted his teeth.

“…It’s none of your business.”

I had to activate Master of Smoke to keep from bursting out laughing. Asshole, putting me to the test.

This was the moment when Grine became even more irritated.

* * *

My role as Pathfinder continued afterward.

By the second day, I had mastered the geography of this place.

It wasn’t too difficult to learn the geography of my surroundings. It’s just a matter of looking at the ground, the trees, the rocky outcroppings, and constantly checking for nearby horse numbers, climate, etc. to distinguish between constants and variables.

It’s the variables that matter.

It’s the variables that matter here because, in this forest, or field, you’ll need to be on the lookout for them as well as the beasts themselves to survive.

The number of soldiers you have available to fight.

The total amount of food and artifacts you have.

And the presence or absence of traitors within your ranks.

Anything can become a variable and weigh you down.

A place where if you don’t deal with them skillfully, you’ll be killed.

That’s the world of Inner Lunatic.

Sadly, I found myself adapting well to it.

‘I’m going crazy.’

I think to myself, tapping the ground around me with the forester’s staff I found yesterday.

At the edge of the forest, there are always animal and plant beasts that emerge from the ground to attack people.

“Master Nox, why do you care so much about the ground…?”

The soldiers around me are now asking me about geography first.

Hagiya, Grine is an unhelpful master. It’s that Ron guy, the leader of the Ron Knights, whose true identity I know….

Anyway, I nonchalantly tapped the ground and stones and replied.

“There’s a chance that a demon might jump out of here. So I’m checking…….”

Unfortunately, my words were cut off right there.

At that moment, the ground begins to rumble with a loud banging sound.

‘Okay, found it.’

“Here they come. Everyone prepare for battle!”

Hiying!

With a shout, a sword slashes out. I feel Zitri’s hand tighten around my waist from behind.

Soon, a huge beast rises from the ground.

That one… it’s a common sight here.

It’s a wyrm, a creature that looks like an earthworm, but is incomparably stronger.