The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 71: Leon vs Thundercalw (1/2)

(Leon’s POV)

When I was a kid, I always dreamed of becoming someone admired by others. Not for fame or riches—no, it wasn’t about that. I just wanted to experience the kind of life they had... the heroes, adventurers, travelers, and all those legendary figures who carved their names into history.

I wanted to face hardship, forge my own path, and walk through the unknown just like they did.

One of those people was Wenzel Grimwald, a name well-known among commoners. He was once a lowly, weak commoner like us—yet he rose through sheer will and strength to become a Duke of the Aisman Kingdom.

When I was little, I actually met him. Though back then, I had no idea who he really was.

It happened outside the city, on top of a small hill with a big old tree. It was one of my favorite places to visit when I wanted to be alone.

"Mister, why do you always sleep here?"

A small, blue-haired six-year-old me asked the old man. He was resting lazily beneath the shade of the tree, smiling peacefully. His long hair and beard were white with age, and his eyes—though tired—held a soft black hue.

The old man chuckled gently before answering.

"Because this is my favorite spot," he replied with a calm, kind smile.

"Tell me, young man. Would you like to sit with me and hear my story?"

I nodded without hesitation and sat down beside him.

"By the way, kid—I haven’t asked your name. What should I call you?"

"It’s Leon, sir. That’s what my parents call me."

"Leon, huh. A fine name indeed. Mine’s Wenzel Grimwald. But you can just call me Old Wenzel."

I blinked a few times, then replied innocently, "Okay, Mister Wenzel."

And just like that, our little morning tradition began. Every day, I would visit him at that spot. I would sit beside him and listen with wide eyes as he told me stories of his grand adventures around the world. Tales of monsters, battles, long journeys, Dramas, and strange lands I couldn’t even imagine.

I was completely captivated.

Until one day... the story came to an end.

"Aw, come on! That’s it? I wanna hear more!" I complained with a pout on my face.

Old Wenzel laughed softly and reached out to pat my head, ruffling my hair.

"Sorry, kid. But every story has to end, eventually."

He slowly stood up, using his cane for support, and looked down at me with that same warm smile. frёeωebɳovel.com

He told me he wouldn’t be coming back tomorrow.

That made me sad. I frowned and puffed up my cheeks.

"Don’t be like that, kid. I still have something for you—a gift."

"Gift!?" My eyes lit up with excitement.

Wenzel chuckled and told me to close my eyes. "It’s a surprise," he said.

I shut my eyes tightly, waiting eagerly.

He gently placed his hand on my head and whispered strange words I couldn’t understand.

"Bill Hadia ayas Funjo Satu Oitika Berohol..."

Suddenly, I felt something—a cool, refreshing breeze swirling around my body. It was gentle, like wind dancing through my skin.

And then... his hand pulled away.

When I opened my eyes, the old man was gone.

...

The next day, news spread through the kingdom. The former Duke had passed away.

Even the commoners mourned. He was truly loved.

At first, I didn’t realize who they were talking about. Not until I saw his name—Wenzel Grimwald—printed beneath his photo in the newspaper.

That was when it hit me.

The old man on the hill... the one who told me all those amazing stories... was him.

I cried that day. I really liked him.

Later, I returned to the hill where we first met. I had picked some flowers on the way and placed them at the base of the tree. I didn’t know where his grave was, but this spot felt just right.

Years passed.

When I eventually unlocked my Signet and became a Self-Awakener, I realized something incredible: the gift Wenzel had given me that day... it was real.

A blessing. A skill known as "Wind Spirit’s Blessing."

It protected me in danger, strengthened my body, and helped me grow. Just like he said it would.

From that day on, I made a decision.

I would walk my own path and make a name for myself. Just like the old man.

____

(Third POV)

"Are you planning to leave me here to die!?" Eren’s shout was heard.

Opening his eyes, Leon’s sharp blue gaze glowed as he threw off the magic cloak and quickly stood up.

His eyes scanned the area, only to see the young master truly fighting the Thunderclaw all by himself.

He had already recovered 89% of his mana, which he judged was enough. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword and dashed toward the monster to assist the young master.

The real Eren immediately noticed him and retrieved something from his system’s storage. Three small healing potions in thin glass tubes.

While controlling his illusion clone to run and dodge the monster’s attacks, Eren calmly walked back and exited the dome.

But before he left, he tossed the three healing potions into the air, masking them with illusion magic so no one would see.

[M-Master! What are you doing!?]

Useless’s voice turned panicked as it could see through the illusion, shocked by Eren’s action. But all it received in return was a mischievous, evil grin from its master.

...

Meanwhile, from a different perspective, the knights outside the dome noticed Leon reappearing from where he had been hiding under the camouflage cloak. The blue-haired knight, cloaked in a blue aura, dashed toward the monster as it was about to bite the young master.

—Splash!

But just as he was about to reach them, Leon’s eyes widened in shock—along with everyone else watching.

The monster had finally managed to bite Eren, tearing off his arm as red blood splashed from its jaws.

"MASTER EREN!" Leon shouted in rage as his body launched forward, delivering a powerful strike with his sword that struck the Thunderclaw’s side and forced it back.

The monster let out a painful roar as it leapt away with a fresh wound. Leon looked toward where the young master had been—but Eren was gone.

Then he spotted the boy outside the dome barrier, calmly staring back at him with a stoic, lazy expression.

Leon was confused. What just happened? When did the young master get there?

"Look out!" a knight suddenly shouted in warning.

He instantly felt the surge of danger. He raised his sword and jumped back, but the monster’s paw still struck him, sending him flying across the ground. He rolled but managed to brace his feet and slide to a stop.

Staring towards the Thunderclaw that had attacked him, Leon gripped his sword tightly with both hands, his brows furrowed in focus.

Now that the young master was out of harm’s way... he could go all out.

.....

Meanwhile, outside the dome, Eren watched the fight between Leon and the massive beast with a calm gaze—until Kristoff arrived, running toward him along with other senior knights and Raven.

"Young master, are you alright?" Kristoff asked, his face pale with panic.

Just like Leon, they had all witnessed the Thunderclaw bite off Eren’s arm. The scene had sent a chill of horror through everyone, and even Kristoff had been seconds away from charging in to save him.

But they had all frozen in place when Eren’s figure shimmered—disappearing, then reappearing near the dome’s edge before casually walking out.

Seeing Eren’s arm fully intact, the knights collectively sighed in relief, though confusion lingered in their eyes. They had clearly seen the monster rip off his arm... hadn’t they?

Yet now, he appeared completely unharmed. His clothes weren’t even dirty—he looked untouched, as if he had never fought at all.

Of course, none of them realized that what they had witnessed was nothing more than a flawless illusion Eren had crafted—one that fooled the Thunderclaw and them.

Just as Kristoff was about to speak, Eren’s cold voice cut him off.

"Don’t disturb me. Stay quiet."

He took a monobloc chair out from his storage and sat down comfortably, continuing to observe the battle.

Looking at the quest screen beside him, he saw that the mission was complete.

----

[Quest Completed!]

[Rewards Claimed]

You have received 30,000 Coins

You have received 20 Stat Points

You have received High-Level Magic Artifact: Mirrorveil Cloak

You have acquired a new Ability.

-----

Eren stopped reading the quest screen, deciding to check the rewards in detail later. For now, his attention was focused entirely on the outcome of Leon’s battle.

–BOOM!

–BLAST!

–RAAAAAOOOOOOOR!!

The fierce final clash continued.

Leon dashed at high speed, his body blurring as he narrowly evaded the Thundercalw’s crackling lightning strikes. Aura cloaked his figure, enhancing his movement, but it still wasn’t enough. Gritting his teeth, he activated one of his Skills—Wind Spirit’s Blessing—further amplifying all his stats.

–Shuuuush!

His entire body became enveloped in wind magic, a fierce gale swirling around him. With this boost, he was finally fast enough to counterattack.

–Slash! Slash! Slash!

–RAAAAAAOOOOOOOR!!

The Thundercalw roared in fury, releasing a burst of lightning from its body in a powerful AOE explosion. Sparks surged across the dome as Leon was struck. The Wind Spirit Skill mitigated the worst of the blast, but he still felt the searing pain of the electricity burning through his skin and muscles.

Gritting his teeth harder, Leon coated his sword with concentrated Aura. Spotting a brief opening in the beast’s side, he lunged forward with a powerful vertical slash.

–Slash!!

–BOOM!

A shockwave tore through the battlefield. A thick cloud of dust and debris erupted from the impact. Leon was thrown back violently, tumbling across the ground like a ragdoll.

As the dust slowly settled, the Thundercalw’s form became visible again. Blood flowed from a deep, jagged wound on its right flank. The lightning that had cloaked its body like armor was now flickering, clearly weakening.

–Cough!

Leon dropped to one knee, supporting himself with his sword as he coughed up blood. A sharp pain throbbed in his abdomen. While he had managed to land a solid hit, the Thunderclaw had retaliated mid-swing, lashing him with its lightning-infused tail and landing a devastating blow at the same time.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, Leon narrowed his eyes at the monster, his brows furrowed in confusion.

’Why was this beast still standing strong?’

He recalled the earlier stages of the fight. The Thunderclaw had battled through waves of knights and even fought him directly. It had gone into berserk mode, draining its stamina, and had even been trapped by the Sacred Net spell—a binding technique that not only suppressed movement and mana flow but also completely halted healing and regeneration.

Not to mention, it had supposedly fought against the young master just moments ago.

So why didn’t it seem exhausted?

’Something’s not right...’ Leon thought, his jaw clenched tightly.

The only person who might have an answer for him was Eren.

Yes. The young master.

Unbeknownst to Leon, the true reason the Thunderclaw had recovered was because of Eren himself.

Back when Eren was leaving the dome, Useless–had clearly seen its master take out three small healing potions, each sealed in slim glass tubes. As the monster opened its jaw wide to bite down on the illusion clone of Eren, he had secretly tossed the potions into its mouth, concealed by illusion magic.

Remember that moment when the Thunderclaw bit off Eren’s illusionary arm and red blood sprayed out?

That "blood" was actually the healing potions breaking inside its jaws.

The beast had unknowingly consumed them, recovering some of its health and stamina. And that tiny act was enough to shift the balance of battle—entirely not in Leon’s favor.

–BLAST!

The Thunderclaw roared again, opening its jaws and firing a concentrated lightning beam toward the weakened Leon. He barely managed to leap out of the way, but the attack still struck the ground near where he had stood, detonating violently. The shockwave hit Leon midair, flinging him back as a searing pain spread through his side. The Wind Spirit’s Blessing flickered and vanished—the skill deactivating from lack of mana.

Leon’s breathing grew ragged. He had used up a significant amount of mana already. With the Wind Spirit’s Blessing being an active, mana-draining skill, his reserves were now down to less than half.

.....

Meanwhile, outside the dome, Eren—the very reason Leon was currently struggling—watched the battle with calm indifference. His posture was relaxed, one elbow resting on the armrest of his conjured chair, chin propped on his fist, his eyes half-lidded as if he were watching an uninteresting stage play.

Useless hovered nearby, staring at its master with a conflicted look. It didn’t quite understand why Eren had done what he did—or if he even had a plan. That same unreliable, unreadable expression remained on Eren’s face.

=========

(author/N)

It’s a new Month, and I might throw some extra Chapters sometimes from now on. Depends on how much you guys like the story and want to support it. Also, the Chapters will be much longer than before (unfortunately, for me)

I was told I need to ask my readers for more gift and gems... no, powerstone? That way I can get more views?

...this feels like making a YouTube Video😅

Any, if you want an extra Chapter, then....🤔

Let me see. I remember that PS rests every week. So by calculating the daily view each day..... so around 400-500 power stones. So, it will be like this.

IF you guys want extra Chapter (this makes 8 Chapters a week) then you will need to give 500 powers stones.

(But if the readers manage to do it, then I will be forced to make another Chapter 😖 I’m too lazy to do that!)

Anyway, let’s hope that does happen😁