The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 49: Raven

Near the convoy, while most of the knights were either receiving medical treatment or collecting mana crystals from the corpses of the fallen monsters, a separate group stood gathered beneath the shadows of a large tree. There, Commander Gareth, flanked by Leon, Kristoff, and several other senior knights, was conducting an interrogation of the cloaked individual who was responsible for the monster ambush.

The figure had been securely bound to the tree with thick ropes, her hood pulled back to reveal her face. To everyone’s surprise, the perpetrator wasn’t some grizzled mercenary or rugged criminal—they were met instead with the sight of a striking woman. Her long, jet-black hair spilled over her shoulders like a river of ink, and her piercing blue eyes gleamed with both defiance and mischief under the faint sunlight. Despite her situation, she exuded an almost arrogant confidence, as though the ropes binding her were nothing more than decoration.

The mysterious woman let out a yawn, her expression one of disinterest and sheer boredom. She barely acknowledged the knights standing before her, as if their questions were an inconvenience to her quiet afternoon.

"For the last time, who hired you?!" Leon demanded, his voice taut with frustration. His eyes narrowed at the woman’s stoic expression, which didn’t so much as flinch in response to his tone.

Commander Gareth and Leon had already pieced together that this ambush wasn’t a random attack—it had been carefully planned. The woman had clearly known the convoy’s route, something only shared among a handful of few individuals. That level of knowledge suggested a leak from within the Valmont household. It was an uncomfortable thought—someone among those who work for Valmont household may have betrayed them.

Although, in the first place, this trip wasn’t so secretive among the Valmont servants.

But despite their growing tension, the woman responded with a sarcastic lilt in her voice,

"Sorry, but I can’t tell you anything about my client. Confidentiality, you know? It’s part of the deal."

Her response made several of the knights scowl, their patience beginning to wear thin.

Then, with a sly, almost playful smirk tugging at her lips, she added, "Although... I might be persuaded to spill a few details—if you can pay me more than what they did."

The knights’ brows furrowed in unison, and a few exchanged skeptical glances. Kristoff was the first to speak, arching a brow. "How much are we talking about?"

"Not too much," the woman replied sweetly, tilting her head. "Just above ten thousand KE."

A hush fell over the group. The younger knights grimaced—ten thousand KE was more than five times their annual salary. It was an outrageous sum, and yet, the woman stated it so casually.

"Stop lying!" one of the knights burst out angrily.

But she only widened her eyes in mock offense, flashing an innocent smile. "I’m not lying. That’s how much I was paid to just attack you people."

Commander Gareth’s gaze sharpened as he picked up on something in her phrasing. He folded his arms, his voice low and serious.

"You said ’attack.’ So, you weren’t sent here to kill anyone?"

The woman’s eyes flickered slightly in surprise before she gave him a coy smile.

"Who knows?" she said, dodging the question without giving a clear answer.

Leon clenched his fists. This woman was proving to be incredibly difficult. Every question felt like a dance around the truth. They were getting nowhere.

Just as Leon was about to press further, the sound of approaching footsteps drew everyone’s attention. They all turned as one to see Young Master Eren walking toward them, flanked by Hector and the ever-dutiful maid, Marie.

"Young Master?"

Gareth greeted him politely, but a sense of unease crept into his voice. That ominous aura—dark, cold, and suffocating—was there again, radiating from Eren like a creeping fog. Gareth wasn’t the only one who felt it; the other knights stiffened, and even the bound woman’s casual demeanor seemed to falter as she sensed something unnatural in Eren’s presence.

"I heard there was a culprit behind the attack," Eren said in a cheerful tone, though his smile sent chills down their spines. His crimson-red eyes gleamed with eerie intensity.

Then his gaze shifted to the tied woman.

"And I’m guessing this is the one?"

The woman’s smirk faded as Eren’s piercing stare landed on her. Something primal inside her warned her to tread carefully.

Gareth nodded and replied, "Yes. She’s an Awakener, level four, from what we’ve gathered. And based on her control of the monsters, we believe she’s a Tamer."

"Oh, she’s definitely a Tamer," Eren confirmed smoothly, his eyes glowing faintly as he activated his appraisal ability.

---

Status

Name: Raven White Claw

Job: Monster Tamer

Level: 4

Stats:

• STR: 21

• DEF: 25

• DEX: 23

• AGL: 42

• INT: 82

Abilities:

• Survival – Enhances survival instincts and efficiency in wilderness conditions and battlefields.

• Tamer

– Innate talent in calming, subduing, and bonding with dungeon monsters.

• Commander

– Skilled at leading small units or monster packs with tactical precision.

Skills:

• Monster Taming [Active]

– Allows the user to bind low to mid-tier dungeon monsters through a bond of mana. The stronger the bond, the more obedient the creature. Mana consumption varies by monster strength and temperament.

• Link Connection [Active]

– Creates a psychic and sensory link between the user and tamed monsters, allowing real-time vision sharing, command issuance, and position tracking.

Magic:

• Wind Blade

– Releases a sharp gust of wind capable of slicing enemies at mid-range.

• Ignit

– Emits a quick burst of flame for offensive use.

• Lumos

– Summons a small orb of light to illuminate dark areas.

---

—Click to check her Profile!—

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Unexpectedly, Eren grabbed the hilt of Hector’s sword without warning, swiftly unsheathing it in one sharp motion.

—Shing!—

A sudden gleam flashed in the air as cold steel caught the sunlight.

"So, you’re the one responsible for disrupting my peace, huh?"

His voice dropped to a chilling low, and his eyes widened unnaturally—red like blood, brimming with a crazed gleam. A twisted, wicked grin stretched across his face, sending an icy wave of dread through everyone around him.

That dark, heavy pressure—an overwhelming killing intent—radiated off him like a storm ready to swallow the earth. The knights instinctively took a cautious step back, their instincts screaming danger. Even the cloaked woman—calm and smug just moments ago—suddenly paled, fear flashing across her eyes for the first time since being captured.

Eren took a slow, threatening step forward, the sword glinting in his grip like a vengeful fang.

But just as he closed the distance, Commander Gareth panicked and lunged, grabbing both of the young master’s shoulders in desperation.

"W-wait a second, Young Master! You can’t just kill her—we still need to—!"

"Let me go!" Eren snarled like a beast, thrashing against the older man’s grip. His expression twisted in fury. "I want to stab her, slice this b*tch into little pieces, then roast her like seasoned meat over a campfire!"

Everyone present went stiff.

The air grew deathly still.

Hector, Marie, and the rest of the knights stood frozen, their faces drained of color. Did the young master really just say that? Was he simply fuming from rage... or did he mean it?

"Y-young master, p-please listen," Gareth stammered, still trying to reason. "This woman—she might have critical information about the real mastermind. She’s an important witness—!"

"I DON’T CARE!!"

Eren’s eyes gleamed with bloodlust. He looked moments away from pouncing, his body trembling from the effort of holding himself back. His presence now was no longer human—it felt monstrous. Like a predator circling its prey.

The whole scene was terrifyingly intense... yet for any outsider watching, it might’ve looked absurd—like a drama turning into slapstick.

....

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in Eren’s mind.

[Master, I really don’t think it’s a good idea to kill that woman.]

It was Useless, his system, calmly interjecting.

Eren’s brow twitched.

’What?’

His bloodthirsty eyes narrowed in irritation as the system trembled mentally and hurriedly explained itself.

[Please don’t get me wrong! I’m saying this because that woman is actually one of the supporting characters of the main plot.]

[She’s Raven Whiteclaw—from Valoria Legends! You remember her, right?!]

Eren blinked and shifted his gaze back to the tied-up woman. Her black hair framed a scarred face that now wore an expression of unease.

...

Raven... or rather Raven Whiteclaw. That was her name before everything fell apart.

She was born into the lesser-known noble family of White Claw, a minor household under the neighboring Kingdom of Nerwyn—a cold, mountainous country shrouded in fog and isolation. The White Claws, though not powerful, were a noble line respected for their peculiar white hair and strict adherence to lineage purity.

But Raven had been different from the start. Her hair was black as night, an anomaly that stirred suspicion. Whispers followed her everywhere. Although her father, the family head, accepted her wholeheartedly, the rest of the clan—including her siblings—looked at her with scorn. They called her a bastard. A mistake. An illegitimate child

What no one ever discovered was that her mother, the noble lady of the house, originally had black hair too. She had used an unknown magic to dye it white—desperate to match the prestigious look of her husband’s family. But that secret died with her.

When her father passed unexpectedly, Raven’s older brother took over the household. Cold and power-hungry, he stripped Raven of her title, declared her unworthy, and banished her before she even reached her mid-twenties. He cut all ties—blood or not.

Exiled, hated, and alone, Raven survived the streets of Nerwyn through grit and sheer will. She awakened her Signet, and eventually began hunting monsters for coin as a solo adventurer. After acquiring her first Tamer Skill, she transitioned into mercenary work and joined the infamous Outlaw Guild.

For the next eight years, she carved out a name for herself as a skilled contractor, feared and known throughout the land as the Phantom Fang.

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