The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 80: Ambush (2/2)

"RAAAAAAAH!"

Hector roared, swinging his sword at two bandits who were mocking him, while the rest watched.

He felt his consciousness fading from the powder he exhaled, but he bit down on his tongue hard—forcing himself to stay awake.

"Soyo, Keed! What are you doing? Hurry up and finish the guy!" one of the other bandits who were watching shouted in annoyance.

"I’m trying! But the guy is somehow resisting the drug!" Soyo shouted back, blocking Hector’s strike.

"Tch, screw it then." His partner, Keed, lost patience and decided to get serious.

He activated his Skill and dashed toward Hector, aiming his dagger straight at the knight’s abdomen. It pierced through the gap in Hector’s armor. He groaned and coughed blood as he collapsed to the ground, clutching his wound.

"Are you crazy?! We were told to knock them out, not kill them!" his partner Soyo yelled in fury.

The guy shrugged. "Who cares?"

Seeing that Hector was still conscious—glaring at them—Keed, the guy who stabbed him growled and kicked him in the head.

–Bang!

The knight finally lost consciousness.

Marie, who had been watching everything unfold from inside the carriage, let out a muffled cry as she covered her mouth with both trembling hands. Her eyes welled with tears, horror etched across her face as the bandits turned their gaze toward her and the carriage she was in.

Her heart pounded in terror.

Then—thud. One of the bandits stepped forward with a sneer, reaching his hand out toward the carriage door. But then‐

–BZZZZZT!

"Shit!" the man yelped, yanking his hand back in pain as he was violently electrocuted the moment he touched the handle.

"Damn it! The carriage is protected by some enchantment," one of the bandits muttered, clearly irritated.

"Tch, what should we do now?" another one asked, glancing around as tension rose in the air.

Before any of them could come up with an answer or an idea, they suddenly heard a voice—low, cold, and eerily familiar.

"...Move aside."

The bandits all flinched.

Their heads turned sharply toward the voice, only to see a mysterious figure walking slowly toward them. He wore a long, dark hooded cloak that completely concealed his appearance. The shadows cast by the hood seemed unnaturally deep—so dark, it was as if light refused to touch his face. The only visible feature were his eyes—glowing a deep, ominous purple from the darkness under his hood.

The moment they saw those glowing eyes, the bandits instantly recognized who he was. Without another word, they all stepped aside like obedient pawns, creating a path for him as he calmly approached the carriage.

Once in front of the door, the cloaked man lifted his gloved hand without hesitation and placed it on the handle.

–Click.

To the bandits’ utter shock, the door opened effortlessly.

"Huh...?" one of them blurted out in disbelief.

Even Marie, who had been frozen in fear, paled as the door slowly swung open with a soft creak. Her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.

The cloaked man stepped inside with deliberate movements, his glowing eyes immediately locking onto her.

Her body trembled.

Those eyes... they were sharp, unreadable, and suffocating to look at. She felt like a frog staring into the eyes of a predator.

But then—his gaze shifted.

It moved past her... and landed on the young master.

It was in that moment Marie realized, that they came for the young master.

"No... no, no!" she whispered under her breath, panic seizing her limbs. Her heart screamed in protest.

Despite her fear, Marie stepped forward and positioned herself protectively in front of the boy. Her legs were shaking like leaves in the wind, her whole body trembling—but she stood firm.

As a maid of House Valmont, and more importantly, as the personal maid of the young master, it was her duty not just to serve, but to protect—even if it meant giving up her life.

She swallowed hard, tears streaming from her eyes, and forced a brave face as she stood her ground.

The cloaked man tilted his head slightly, as if mildly amused by her actions. His voice came out sharp and cold.

"Step aside."

Marie clenched her fists tightly. Her lips quivered as she bit down on them, but she shook her head defiantly.

"N-No! I won’t...!"

The man seemed confused by her resistance. He tilted his head further, now resembling a curious bird rather than a cold-hearted enemy.

Then, in a trembling voice that carried a hint of pride, Marie shouted,

"If you want to take him... then you’ll have to kill me first!"

"...."

There was a pause.

The carriage fell completely silent. The man just stood there... staring at her.

Then—

"...Okay then."

–BANG!

He swung his fist without hesitation, slamming it into the side of Marie’s head. The blow sent her flying sideways, her body crashing against the carriage wall as she lost consciousness in an instant.

"Tch..."

Without sparing her another glance, the cloaked figure turned back to the young boy—Eren—who had been sitting completely still the whole time.

Strangely, the boy looked back at him without panic, almost as if he had expected this. The two stared at each other in silence, an eerie calm hanging in the air.

Finally, the man raised a finger toward Eren.

"...Sleep?"

A glowing purple spell shot out and hit the boy instantly. Eren’s body slumped in the seat, unconscious. The man reached forward, picked him up with ease, and hoisted him over his shoulder.

With the target secured, he stepped out of the carriage.

The bandits outside all turned toward him, waiting for orders. Without looking at them, the cloaked figure gave a cold command.

"Let’s go. The mission is over."

One of the bandits nodded and quickly pulled out a magic scroll from inside his cloak. He tore it in half.

–SHOOOOM!

....

A green beam of light shot up into the sky before exploding in a bright firework.

BOOM!

Everyone still locked in battle looked up at once, confused by the sudden flare. The clash of swords stopped, and the battlefield momentarily fell into an uneasy silence.

Seeing the signal shoot up like a flare in the sky, it was as if a cue had been given.

Without hesitation, every bandit reached into their pockets and pulled out small round objects before hurling them to the ground.

— Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!

A chain of smoke bombs erupted in rapid succession, filling the air with thick, choking clouds that instantly disrupted the knights’ vision. The battlefield turned into a swirling mist of gray as the knights coughed and covered their mouths, struggling to breathe.

And just like that—when the smoke finally began to clear—every last bandit was gone. Vanished. Not a single trace of them remained, as if they had melted into the mist.

Several knights were left groaning on the ground, some heavily injured, others with shallow wounds. But thanks to the efforts of their comrades, the wounded were quickly tended to. Healing potions were poured into mouths, bandages were wrapped, and the chaos slowly began to settle.

"Is everyone alright?" Commander Gareth asked, scanning the area with narrowed eyes.

Just then, Raven approached him quietly. Without saying a word, she handed him a small glass vial filled with a glowing red liquid— a healing potion. Gareth blinked, only then realizing the stinging pain in his shoulder. Blood had soaked through his uniform where he’d been stabbed while shielding Raven from the bandit leader’s blade.

"Everyone is accounted for, sir," Kristoff reported with a firm nod.

But the tension hadn’t eased. One of the knights furrowed his brows and muttered in confusion, "What the hell was that all about...?"

Their thoughts were mutual. A bandit attack on a convoy wasn’t unusual. But this—this had been different. It was far too coordinated. Like a military ambush rather than a common robbery. And the way they vanished the moment the signal flared...

"It must’ve been because of that light from the center of the convoy," someone muttered, eyes sharpening.

Then, as realization dawned on everyone like a cold slap to the face, one knight’s expression turned pale. "Wait... isn’t that where the Young Master’s—?"

Before he could finish his sentence, both Leon and Kristoff shot off like arrows from a bow, dashing toward the heart of the convoy.

When they arrived, their hearts sank.

The area around the Young Master’s carriage was a disaster. Knights lay sprawled across the ground, unconscious or barely groaning in pain. Blood stained the grass. One figure stood out among them—Hector—clutching his stomach and bleeding heavily.

"Hector!" Kristoff shouted, rushing to him. He quickly pulled out a healing potion and helped the knight drink it. Hector’s face had gone deathly pale from blood loss.

Meanwhile, Leon dashed into the carriage and froze. Marie, the maid, lay collapsed inside, unconscious.

"Hey! Wake up!" he called out urgently, gently shaking her by the shoulder.

After a few tense seconds, Marie finally stirred with a groan, her eyes heavy and unfocused. She clutched her head, clearly dizzy and disoriented from the blow she had taken earlier.

"W-What... happened...?" she murmured weakly.

Leon’s expression was tense, eyes scanning the carriage and finding it painfully empty. "Tell me—what happened to the Young Master?"

"The Young... huh!" Her eyes widened in horror as the memory came flooding back.

Suddenly alert, she whipped her head toward the seat where the Young Master had been—but it was empty. Completely empty.

"No... no, no, no" she cried, panic taking hold of her as she grabbed her head. Tears began to pour down her cheeks as reality set in.

Leon grabbed her shoulders firmly, forcing her to face him.

"Hey! Calm down. Breathe. Tell me everything you remember—what happened here?"

.....

Outside the carriage, Commander Gareth and the rest of the knights finally arrived, followed closely by Raven and her Thunderclaw, now freed from the binding spell.

The scene before them was grim. Healers rushed to attend the fallen knights, pouring potions and chanting basic recovery spells.

From the carriage, Leon stepped out slowly, his face shadowed with a grim and complicated expression. Behind him, Marie followed, her face streaked with fresh tears, her expression one of despair.

Commander Gareth felt something cold grip his chest. His heart pounded as he noticed who wasn’t there.

"Leon... what happened?" he asked, though part of him already knew the answer.

Leon looked around at everyone, his jaw clenched and his fists trembling. It was as if saying the words would make them more real.

Finally, with a heavy breath, he spoke.

"...The Young Master has been kidnapped."

A heavy silence followed.

The words struck everyone like lightning, their eyes widening as their minds struggled to accept it.

...

...