The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 76: The Boy Who Met the Spirit

As everyone stood by, waiting for Raven to complete the taming process, Leon couldn’t help but glance once again at the young master—casually leaning his back against the Thundercalw’s massive side as if it were a soft mattress, quietly reading his book while tension filled the air around them.

Leon felt conflicted. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the young master. Ever since he woke up and listened to the other knights recount the battle between Eren and the Thundercalw, he had been left with one big question—

Just what level was this kid?

Even more puzzling was the way Eren treated the knights, including him, throughout the mission. The plan itself was crazy enough—capturing a level 5 monster just to tame it? And using a bunch of newly promoted elite knights like test subjects for it?

Still... despite all that, Leon couldn’t deny one thing. He and the rest of the team were extremely grateful for the young master’s help. Eren had shared some of his elixirs and even lent them powerful magical artifacts—like magic scrolls and a stealth cloak—during the fierce fight with the Thundercalw. If not for his unexpected support, there probably would’ve been more casualties.

Just thinking about it made Leon glance at his fellow knights, who were now resting inside the still purple dome. Most were fully healed and chatting casually, the earlier life-or-death atmosphere having completely vanished.

–Thmp!

A sudden sound caught his attention. Raven collapsed onto the ground, landing on her rear with a heavy thud, her breathing ragged and face dripping with sweat.

"Haaah... It’s done..." she said between gasps, clearly drained from the taming process.

A female knight quickly approached her, offering a bottle of water with a gentle smile. It was the same knight Raven had saved earlier using one of Eren’s precious elixirs when she’d been badly injured.

"Hm...? Thanks," Raven muttered as she accepted the bottle and took a long drink, her expression softening just a little.

Meanwhile, Eren finally looked up from his book and turned his gaze toward the Thundercalw. With a mental call, he reached out to his system.

’Useless?’

[It’s a full success, Master. The monster has been completely tamed—100%.]

’Good,’ Eren replied casually, like it was just another small task checked off his to-do list.

Without any fuss, he pulled out another elixir potion, drew the glowing liquid into the syringe, and injected it directly into the monster’s body. Within moments, the Thundercalw’s body started to give off warmth, its wounds knitting together rapidly. All the lingering injuries from the battle were now completely healed.

[Target’s life signs are stable. No further danger.] Useless reported.

....

....

Back at the camp...

Inside the commander’s tent, Commander Gareth was buried in paperwork, writing reports in silence. It had already been nine hours since the young master had departed with Raven and the elite knights to venture deep into the forest.

Gareth still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his chest. He kept telling himself everything would be fine—especially with Knight Kristoff and the other level 4 elites knights tagging along—but something about it just didn’t sit right.

At least, he reassured himself, they hadn’t sent any distress signals. That had to mean things were under control.

"Commander!"

The tent flaps suddenly burst open, and a knight dashed in, panting hard.

"What is it?" Gareth asked, his brow furrowing at the sight of the breathless knight.

The man took a few seconds to catch his breath before delivering the report.

"Sir! The expedition team has returned!"

"...Really?" Gareth blinked, rising from his chair in surprise.

"Yes, sir. They’re all waiting at the camp entrance. And, uh..." the knight trailed off awkwardly.

Gareth narrowed his eyes. "Yeah? What is it? Spit it out."

The knight hesitated, clearly unsure how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Well... I think it’s better if you see it for yourself."

Suspicious of the strange reaction, Gareth grabbed his sword and fastened it to his belt. Without another word, he marched out of the tent, the knight following close behind.

As they neared the camp entrance, Gareth noticed a huge crowd of knights and servants gathered there, creating quite a stir. The closer he got, the more the crowd shifted and began making way for him.

"Commander coming through!"

"Step aside! It’s the commander!"

The crowd quickly parted, opening a clear path to the entrance as Gareth advanced with a confused expression.

’What’s going on here...?’ he wondered.

But when he finally saw the returning expedition team—with the young master at the center, flanked by Raven and the other knights—his eyes went wide in utter disbelief.

And he wasn’t the only one.

The crowd had already reacted the same way moments earlier.

Standing behind Raven, who was the former mercenary woman—and now his contracter slave thanks to the young master’s doing, sitting like an obedient housecat, was a massive lion-like beast. Its fur was golden yellow, and its long tail lazily swayed side to side as it rested on its haunches.

The creature radiated a majestic, overwhelming presence. Even without sensing its mana, Gareth instinctively knew—it was much stronger than him.

But the weirdest part of all?

It looked... harmless.

No, actually—it looked prideful. Like a giant, overgrown cat trying to act aloof. It was too busy licking its paw, completely ignoring the attention it was getting from the stunned knights and onlookers.

"What in the name of Sanin...?" Commander Gareth muttered under his breath, feeling bewildered by what he was seeing

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(Leon’s Backstory)

"Mister, why do you always sleep here?"

A small six-year-old Leon asked the old man, who was resting lazily beneath the shade of a tree, smiling peacefully. His long, white hair and beard showed the passage of time, and though his eyes were tired, they still held a gentle, soft black hue.

The old man chuckled warmly 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?"

Leon hesitated for a moment, unsure, as the old man was a stranger to him. But he didn’t sense any ill intentions, so he nodded and sat down in front of him, curious.

"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."

Leon blinked a few times, then responded innocently, "Okay, Mister Wenzel."

And just like that, young Leon began to learn about the legendary Wenzel Grimwald’s life story.

---

Wenzel’s story began as a commoner—just a nobody with no talent or blessings. He was a normal boy, without any dreams or goals. That was until one fateful day when he met someone who would change his life forever.

It was a beautiful woman, with golden hair and eyes that sparkled like the sun. She would appear at the same spot where Wenzel liked to take a nap, atop a small hill—where Leon was now sitting and listening to the story.

Every morning, young Wenzel would visit the spot and chat with the mysterious woman.

Over time, they grew close, exchanging stories and becoming good friends. But one day, the woman told young Wenzel that she would be leaving.

Wenzel didn’t understand why. He was upset and confused, pressing her for an explanation. But the woman only smiled and said nothing.

As a farewell gift, the woman—a spirit—blessed Wenzel with a ritual to unlock his Signet. As a commoner, Wenzel couldn’t afford to go to a church to receive his blessing. But the spirit did it for him, with a gentle touch on his forehead. freewebnσvel.cѳm

And just like that, after the blessing, she left.

From that day on, Wenzel couldn’t stop thinking about the spirit. He longed to find her again. With his Signet now unlocked, Wenzel had become an Awakener. So, he decided to become a Traveler and journey in search of her.

His first step was to join a noble merchant’s caravan, working as an assistant. Years passed, and the boy who was once Wenzel became a young man, traveling across many places as a merchant. Eventually, he became an adventurer on the side, and later even started his own small trade business.

He achieved many things—helping his family and those around him—but all the while, he never stopped looking for the spirit.

Finally, he found a clue. He found traces and hints about spirits coming somewhere in the Elf Kingdom.

He traveled there, determined to find more information. But most of the answers he received were vague, or the elves simply ignored him. Sometimes, his stubbornness even led him to get arrested for sneaking into restricted libraries in royal castles.

Then, one day, Wenzel met an elf woman who shared his obsession. Her name was Alice, and she was a scholar of spirits, much like Wenzel. In fact, Alice had also encountered a spirit in her youth and had received their blessing.

The two of them made a deal: Wenzel would help her with her research, and in return, she would share any knowledge she had about the spirits and their whereabouts.

As they journeyed together, exploring ancient ruins and dungeons, uncovering more secrets about the spirits, and even getting arrested for some rather foolish acts, their bond deepened.

What started as a mutual obsession grew into something far more powerful. They went from partners to companions, friends, and eventually, lovers.

After years of searching for the spirit, they secretly married and lived quietly in a small village for two peaceful years.

But one day, Wenzel received a message from his hometown,

The new lord of his territory, a cruel and evil viscount, had been oppressing the people. And one of his family members had fallen victim to the lord’s brutality.

Wenzel and Alice quickly traveled back to his home to offer comfort, but as a commoner, Wenzel couldn’t do much against a noble. He used his connections as a merchant and adventurer, and raised a public outcry to expose the viscount’s cruelty.

But he never expected his life journey would turn into drama and politics–