The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 45: When Being Disturbed

Two days had passed, and the journey to reach the Dry Forest still hadn’t ended yet, as the escort convoy that carried the carriages with the Valmont Crest was currently passing through a thick forest on the main road that led to the Dry Forest.

Traveling with his retinue were a hundred Elite Knights, escorting the second young master, Eren, for his training. At the very front of the formation was the vanguard, led by Commander Gareth Godfrey himself.

And right behind him followed the Elite knights and the carriages.

In the middle of the column, one of the young knights moved closer while riding his horse, shifting his position to speak to his friend beside him. He leaned slightly and whispered,

"Hey, Leon."

The young knight named Leon, who had just been promoted to an Elite Knight five days ago, turned his head. He was newly recommended to join this expedition, despite being one of the newest members. His sharp blue eyes looked at his senior, Kristoff, who was known for being overly friendly to everyone in the unit and ranked among the top within the elites.

"What?" Leon replied.

Kristoff leaned closer, whispering again with his hand covering the side of his mouth.

"What do you think about this trip?"

Leon blinked, slightly confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Kristoff gave him a skeptical look before smiling a little.

"You know what I mean. I’m talking about the young master—how he suddenly changed. And his behavior too. Now he’s planning to train outside, which is something totally new."

Leon stared at him, half-hearted. He knew Kristoff liked gossiping and talking about rumors.

Still, he paused for a moment, thinking back to three days ago, when the Commander brought the news that he and several selected members from the Elites would be heading to the Dry Forest to escort the second young master and help him with his training.

The Commander even added that it would be a good experience for Leon and the other newer members, especially those who had never gone on a long expedition before.

At first, Leon was surprised—but then confused.

Why would the Marquis send a hundred elite knights just to protect his son? But then again, this was the second son of House Valmont. Of course, the Marquis must be cautious about his precious child.

Leon’s mind wandered again, remembering the scene when Eren Valmont had defeated the knight from House d’Armand in a one-sided duel, completely humiliating him. Like everyone else who had been present that day, Leon had also been shocked by the revelation. The young master’s swordsmanship had been on another level, something Leon had never seen before.

Despite himself being called a genius by his peers, he could tell that Eren’s skill might be equal to—or perhaps even greater than—his own.

He still couldn’t believe that the lazy, rich noble kid had been able to defeat a knight without any known past training.

But when he heard the news that the young master was actually an Awakener, it made more sense to him.

After all, no one could defeat a real knight without having trained for many years—unless they had awakened.

Even so, Leon kept wondering, and more questions began to form in his mind.

How could the second young master be so perfect in his swordsmanship?

Was he secretly training in his room all this time?

Or did he receive a powerful skill?

Or maybe... is he–

Closing his eyes, Leon stopped his thoughts and answered,

"Honestly, I don’t know. I heard stories that some individuals who become Awakeners... their attitude and behavior can change to a certain degree. Or even more."

Kristoff blinked for a moment, then nodded slowly in agreement.

"Yeah, I think you’re right... but, do you really think his attitude completely changed?"

He asked not only Leon but also himself, his eyes lifting to look up at the sky thoughtfully.

Leon’s eyes paused for a second, blinking as he too looked up, both of them remembering the things that had happened over the last two days during their journey.

---

When they had stopped to camp at night, preparing tents and resting outside, the young master didn’t leave his carriage.

He even complained that he was too lazy to get out, saying he preferred to sleep inside the carriage.

Despite the servants having already prepared his tent, in the end, the commander ordered a few of the knights to guard the carriage instead—where the young master had decided to stay and sleep.

This situation made some of the knights and servants feel a little awkward and unsure of what to say.

And what’s more, every time they stopped along the way for a rest, the boy never came out from the carriage.

He would still stay inside while the rest of them prepared to eat. In the end, the young master’s personal maid, Marie, would deliver food to him inside the carriage instead.

Honestly, it felt like he was shutting himself in, just like when he used to stay inside his room at the mansion.

---

"Yeah... I don’t think his behavior changed," Leon commented with half-lidded eyes, and his senior friend nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... I guess his illness hasn’t fully healed."

Leon turned to look at his senior with a dull, half-blank gaze.

Because he, too, was beginning to have doubts about Eren’s illness.

’Was he really still sick?’ he thought.

Just then, Commander Gareth, who was riding at the front, raised his hand sharply as he shouted,

"Halt!"

The knights behind him, including Leon and Kristoff, narrowed their eyes in alert as they saw the commander’s sharp gaze scanning the surroundings. Gareth’s instincts, honed from years of battlefield experience, were screaming that something was off.

Leon, too, felt the same sensation in his chest. It was subtle—but real, since he was also an Awakener, his senses picked up on it.

In fact, all the Elite Knights present were Awakeners, ranging from level 3 to 4. They could feel something was coming... something unnatural approaching.

And then it happened.

A sudden rustling from the dense trees around them echoed through the air.

Commander Gareth reacted instantly, unsheathing his sword and leaping down from his horse in a single, smooth motion.

"Prepare for battle!" he shouted with commanding force.

The rest of the knights followed without hesitation, dismounting swiftly. Their horses, trained for combat scenarios, didn’t panic. Instead, they ran off in the direction of safety as they had been trained—moving away from the conflict to avoid injury or interference. These warhorses were bred and taught to act accordingly during a battle to avoid becoming liabilities.

And then the sounds began.

A low, guttural rumble echoed through the trees.

A bone-chilling howl followed.

Then, horns—high-pitched and unnatural—sounded from deep within the forest. The trembling of the ground became more noticeable. The air grew thick with pressure.

And then, they saw them.

Monsters poured out of the forest, rushing at them like a tide of chaos and death.

–Rooooooaaaaaar!!!

–Skreeeee!

–Graaawwwr!

–Trrrrrrkkk!!

A horde of monsters charged toward the convoy.

At the front were Ravager Hounds—large, lean beasts with jet-black fur, glowing yellow eyes, and jagged, bone-like spikes running down their backs. They ran in unnatural way, their paws barely making a sound as they moved like shadows.

Then came the Duskhorn Beasts, powerful panther-like creatures with deep midnight-blue fur. Each one had a single curved horn on its forehead, their glowing amber eyes filled with primal rage. Their padded paws allowed them to run faster, while their long, whip-like tails flicked dangerously with every step.

Buzzing and screeching through the air were the Carrion Wasps, insectoid creatures the size of small dogs. Their dull brown and red bodies looked decayed, and their torn wings flapped erratically. Despite their grotesque appearance, they moved fast.

And behind them all, looming with terrifying presence, was a Blight Troll. It stood tall like a corrupted tree, its bark-like skin covered with patches of green fungus. It had one glowing eye that flickered with malevolence, and it dragged its large, gnarled wooden club behind it as it walked with a lurching, heavy gait.

There were hundreds of them.

The knights gritted their teeth, feeling the pressure of what was to come, and drew their weapons as they took battle stances. freewebnσvel.cøm

"Protect the carriages!" Gareth’s powerful voice rang across the chaos, grounding the knights and snapping them into action.

With a roar of their own, the Elites surged forward to meet the oncoming horde.

...

...

Meanwhile, inside the luxurious carriage stationed in the middle of the convoy, Marie—Eren’s personal maid—stared out the small window, her eyes wide with fear. She watched in horror as the monsters flooded from the trees, and the elite knights fought to hold them back. The entire scene outside looked chaotic to her, like a battlefield born from nightmares.

Her heart pounded.

She turned her head to look at her young master, Eren, who was lying on the cushioned front seat with a large pillow behind his head. He appeared calm—unbothered, even—as he read a small black book in silence.

But in truth, he wasn’t reading at all.

Eren was actually playing on his game console, disguised in an illusion, focused entirely on the screen in front of him, utterly unfazed by the noise and commotion outside. Whether he didn’t hear it—or simply ignored it—Marie couldn’t tell.

"Y-Young Master?" she called out hesitantly.

There was no response.

She called him again, her voice more anxious, but still no reaction.

On the third call, Eren’s eyebrows furrowed in visible irritation.

"What?" he said coldly.

Marie flinched. She hesitated, but finally forced herself to speak.

"There are many monsters outside... W-What should we do?"

It sounded more like she was asking herself than him. Eren didn’t even glance at her and replied with clear annoyance.

"What do you mean, ’what should we do’? Obviously, sit down and be quiet. The knights are protecting us."

Marie’s eyes trembled with worry as she looked out the window again, just in time to see a Ravager Hound slip past the frontline knights and bolt toward the carriage.

Her eyes widened in horror, and she gasped—but before she could scream, a sword pierced the hound’s head from the side. A knight had intercepted it just in time.

Marie’s heart thudded in her chest as she turned to Eren again, tears beginning to form in her eyes, as she was about to cry like a child.

"B-But I fear something bad—"

Eren interrupted her sharply.

"Stop jinxing it! The carriage has protection spells, so stop worrying so much—or I’ll kick you out."

His voice was raised now, clearly irritated, as he stared harder at his "book"—or rather, focused intently on the difficult part of the game he was playing.

Marie bit her lip and finally shut her mouth, nodding quickly as she sat back down. Her hands were tightly clenched in her lap, knuckles pale with tension.

Then, a thunderous roar shook the ground.

Marie looked out the window again and saw the Blight Troll approaching. Its single glowing eye locked directly onto her through the glass, and she froze in terror. She resisted the urge to scream, swallowing hard.

’It’s okay. The knights can beat it—’ she told herself.

But that hope shattered in an instant.

The troll raised its massive club and swung with brutal force, smashing two knights aside like rag dolls.

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Their screams as they were launched through the air sounded both terrifying and strangely comical in the chaos.

Marie gasped, sweat dripping down her temple.

Then she noticed the same knight who had protected them earlier was now facing the troll alone. His blade moved quickly, cutting into the creature’s thick hide while channeling his Aura.

’It’s fine. It’s fine. This one looks stronger—he won’t lose, right?’ she reassured herself again.

But hope was short-lived.

The knight, already exhausted, failed to dodge a wide swing. The troll’s club hit him hard, sending him flying straight toward the carriage.

–BANG!

The carriage shook violently from the impact as Marie let out a startled scream.

Thankfully, the protection spell absorbed the force, preventing any real damage. But outside, the knight coughed up blood as he groaned in pain, clutching his back. Despite that, he managed to push himself up with his sword, struggling to stand.

"That hurts like hell," the knight muttered with a crooked grin, his eyes narrowing at the massive monster in front of him with renewed determination.

Just as Marie continued to watch the chaotic scene unfold outside the window, her heart pounding with growing anxiety, she noticed a sudden movement beside her.

"Huh?"

On the floor of the carriage, Eren was no longer reclining on his seat. Instead, he was lying sprawled on the carpeted ground, as if he had fallen from his position.

He groaned softly, grabbing the edge of the seat with one hand and pulling himself up with a slow, deliberate motion. His movements were oddly calm amidst the distant cries and monstrous roars.

Marie gasped and instinctively moved forward, panicking at the sight. She was about to reach out and help him up, opening her mouth to speak.

"Are you al—?"

But her voice caught in her throat, and she froze in place.

Her body stiffened with fear, her breath halting mid-sentence.

The expression on Eren’s face—no, the entire aura around him—had shifted. His face was obscured by shadows, and a sinister presence seemed to radiate from him like a suffocating fog. His long bangs draped over his eyes, and from beneath them, a cold glint flickered—a sharp contrast to the boy she knew.

Without a word, Eren turned toward the door of the carriage. He gripped the handle and pulled it open with a sharp motion.

–Click!

Marie wanted to stop him—truly, she did—but the ominous, heavy pressure surrounding him held her in place. Her knees trembled, and she felt as if speaking out would be a bad idea.

Meanwhile, outside, the knight who had previously been thrown by the troll noticed the carriage door swinging open. His battle-weary eyes widened as he saw the young master step out.

"What are you doing?! Stay insi—!"

His voice cut off mid-shout.

He froze, just like Marie had.

The knight’s expression turned pale. His instincts, screamed at him to stop talking. The boy in front of him, was now giving a dangerous vibe.

Eren, with his face hidden for the Viewers, turned to look at the knight as he murmured in a cold voice

"You."

The single word, whispered in a voice devoid of emotion, sent a shiver down the knight’s spine. It wasn’t loud, but it echoed in his mind like a threat.

"...Give me your sword,"

Eren ordered in a cold, menacing tone.

...

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(A/N: Tsk! You guys should be happy and pay me since this Chapter turned to be the Longest.)