The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 59: You want Me?

Outside the campfield near the forest, where all the junior elite knights had gathered in their usual teams, Commander Gareth and the others were caught off guard by the sight before them.

The young master Eren, walking toward them, with his personal maid, Marie, calmly following a step behind.

Eren was dressed in a dark, fitted long-sleeved linen shirt, the sleeves slightly rolled at the wrists for ease of movement. Over it, he wore a lightweight leather vest—enough to offer basic protection without sacrificing agility. His trousers were made of sturdy material, reinforced at the knees for endurance during long treks or rough terrain, and tucked neatly into high lace-up leather boots. A rugged utility belt hung around his waist, holding several small pouches, and a sheathed short sword. Light leather gloves covered his hands, and a slim chest guard added an extra layer of defense. He also wore metal greaves on his shins and vambraces on his forearms—just enough armor to look prepared without going overboard. His entire outfit hinted at noble wealth, but it leaned more toward practicality and ease of movement than showy elegance.

Approaching the commander, Eren stopped just before him and gave a simple, stoic nod.

"Morning, Commander."

Commander Gareth turned, raising an eyebrow before giving a respectful bow. "Young Master Eren. What brings you out here today?"

"Obviously, for training," Eren replied in his usual lazy, indifferent tone. His half-lidded gaze shifted past the commander, scanning the assembled knights.

"They’re all heading into the forest?"

Gareth nodded. "Yes. It’s a daily training routine for the new elite recruits. We need to ensure they’re truly worthy of their titles."

"I see..." Eren’s eyes swept slowly across the crowd of knights before landing back on Gareth.

"Then I’ll be heading there as well."

His words stunned not just Commander Gareth, but Marie and several nearby knights who overheard him.

"But young master... it’s too dangerous," said one of the knights who was standing close by, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Why?" Eren’s gaze sharpened—cold, lazy, and clearly annoyed.

The tension was immediate. Some of the knights visibly shrank back, lips clamped shut under the weight of his glare. Gareth, clearing his throat, stepped in calmly.

"Young master, while I don’t doubt your combat ability, the monsters in the forest are far stronger than those you’ve fought before. They are more stronger than the ones Raven’s used."

Eren’s half-lidded eyes turned even duller, as though the commander’s words were drifting in one ear and floating out the other.

"If you’re that worried I’ll get lost, then just assign someone to babysit me," he said sarcastically.

The knights around them exchanged uncertain glances. Gareth sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Very well... Kristoff, you’ll accompany the young master," he said, patting the knight’s shoulder.

Kristoff pointed at himself, blinking in surprise. "M-Me?"

"I’ll also call a few more knights just in case—"

"No need," Eren interrupted, shaking his head. "One knight is enough. I’m just planning to follow behind those teams anyway."

He gestured lazily toward the knights already forming groups ahead.

"Oh, and one more thing. Is there anyone here who knows the forest well? I want them to come along too."

Gareth raised an eyebrow, rubbing his thin beard in thought. "Hmm... I think I know someone."

....

"You want Me?"

Leon blinked and pointed at himself, staring at the group—Eren, Kristoff, and the commander—who were all looking directly at him.

"Perfect! That means we won’t have to worry about the young master’s safety," Kristoff said with a grin, throwing a friendly arm around Leon’s shoulders.

"Since Leon is the leader of Team F, I believe it’s fitting for the young master to accompany them," Gareth added.

"I see no problem," Eren muttered nonchalantly, clearly indifferent.

Without waiting for a response, he started walking toward the forest, where Team F was already gathered and preparing to depart.

"Hurry up. Let’s go," he said, his tone flat but firm.

Team F’s members all turned their heads, clearly surprised to see the young master joining them.

Meanwhile, Commander Gareth turned serious, looking at both Leon and Kristoff for a moment.

"Make sure the young master doesn’t get into any dangerous situations. And whatever you do, don’t go too deep into the forest."

The two knights nodded firmly, acknowledging his orders with a shared look of resolve.

....

Once the group had departed toward the forest, a figure stepped out from behind a nearby tent. It was Raven.

"Where were you?" He asked calmly. But he already knows she was nearby, eavesdropping on them from the start.

Raven tilted her head slightly, her expression evasive.

"I was... busy. Handling some personal matters." She said, in cryptic words

Of course, she couldn’t lie to him—not with their blood contract. In truth, she had been hiding, watching everything unfold from the shadows. Because of the lingering fear—the trauma she’d received from that boy—was still etched into her bones.

The idea of facing him again made her cross her arms around her chest.

...

...

Inside the Dry Forest, Team F moved cautiously, the foliage crunching beneath their boots. Behind the Knights, Leon walked just slightly ahead of Eren and Kristoff, quietly pointing out landmarks and sharing knowledge about the area.

"This forest is home to a number of beast-type monsters," Leon began, keeping his voice low but clear. "For example..."

Red-Horn Bear: A massive bear with thick crimson fur and two jagged horns growing from its head. Aggressive and territorial.

Dire Wolves: Swift and cunning predators. They usually hunt in packs, their fur varying from smoky grey to pitch black.

Grey Apes: Muscular, semi-intelligent creatures. They’re strong and aggressive, known for throwing rocks and ambushing from the trees.

Bramble Lynx: A large feline covered in mossy fur, slow-moving but incredibly sturdy. Its body hosts fungi and small forest plants, giving it excellent camouflage.

and other unknown monsters.

"These creatures typically range between Level 2 and Level 4 in strength," Leon continued. "That’s why this entire forest is designated as a Level-C danger zone."

He pointed toward the dense trees ahead.

"Most of the stronger ones, Level-3 and above—tend to stay in the deeper regions, especially toward the west and northwest. Meanwhile, Level-2 to early Level-3 monsters roam the outer areas and the eastern side, where we are now."

"Hm..." Eren tilted his head slightly. "What about dungeons? Are there any still active in this forest?"

Leon shook his head. "Not anymore. There used to be three, but one experienced a breakout, and the other two were conquered and destroyed by adventurers."

This revelation surprised Kristoff. "A dungeon breakout? What happened?."

As both Eren and Kristoff knew, dungeon outbreaks occur when a dungeon becomes overfilled with monsters. Eventually, this cause the dungeon to release the monsters, and the creatures pour out into the surrounding lands, threatening any nearby villages or cities.

That’s why the Adventurers’ Association exists—to prevent such disasters and ensure no dungeon spirals out of control, causing problems to the near by village or towns.

If a dungeon is left alone and no one conquers or farms it, it will grow faster and produce more monsters. When an outbreak occurs and the monsters escape, the dungeon will disappear, and the monsters that once lived inside will begin to inhabit the surrounding area.

"Around 40 years ago, the Teraros Dungeon broke out because no one reported its existence," Leon explained to them.

"The Guild Association only knew about two dungeons in the Dry Forest. After assigning an exploration mission to some adventurers, they confirmed only two dungeons. The third one remained undiscovered, and before the association could find it or even learn of its existence—it was already too late."

This was a common problem that many kingdoms and regions faced. They couldn’t detect every new dungeon unless someone stumbled upon it. If a dungeon appeared in a hidden location, it would be hard to find unless someone got lucky. That’s why anyone who discovers a dungeon is expected to report it immediately to the Adventurer Association. Of course, the person who reports it would be rewarded.

Nowadays, researchers and mages are still trying to develop a method to detect the location of newly born dungeons.

Kristoff looked at his junior with amazement at his knowledge.

"I didn’t know you were so informed about this place. Do they teach you this kind of thing in the association?"

Eren raised an eyebrow in confusion, glancing between Kristoff and Leon.

"Wait—does the Adventurer Association have a school?"

Leon shook his head as he explained. "The association provides a library and free learning classes for adventurers who want to study more about monsters or anything related to dungeons. They even offer various classes like history, beginner combat training, and more. Anything that helps awakened adventurers grow stronger."

He then added, "I’ve attended a few of those classes in the past."

"Oh... so you were an adventurer before joining the knights?"

Leon nodded silently.

Kristoff jumped in with a smirk and wrapped an arm around Leon.

"That’s not all. He actually became an adventurer when he was nine. He worked for ten years, exploring all kinds of dungeons and traveling across many regions,..." Kristoff said with an excited tone, while Leon frowned at his senior, who had him in a headlock.

"Until Commander Gareth eventually found him and invited him to join the knighthood," Kristoff added as he glanced at Eren, proudly sharing Leon’s achievements—only for Leon to push him off.

Eren listened with interest and asked, "But why did you join the knights? From what I see, you seem more suited to be an adventurer... or even a famous one."

"....."

Leon went silent for a moment, unsure whether he should share the reason with the young master. Kristoff also looked confused and curious, as even he had never asked before.