The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 82: An Angry Marquis

Meanwhile, deep within an unknown forest...

A massive magic circle glowed ominously across the mossy forest floor. It pulsed with arcane energy, casting eerie purple-blue light onto the surrounding trees. Then—whoosh!—a brilliant flash of light burst out from the center as the teleportation spell activated with a high-pitched hum.

Moments later, several hooded figures materialized on top of the glowing circle, their silhouettes gradually forming from the lingering magic mist. Among them was Eren, still in disguise, his face hidden beneath his hood, and the lifeless dummy body pillow slung casually over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

As it turned out, Eren had secretly ordered the bandits to prepare a large-scale teleportation circle in this secluded location. The plan was simple: escape without leaving a trace. With such a powerful spatial spell in a remote forest, it would be almost impossible for the Valmont knights—or anyone else, for that matter—to track their whereabouts.

"Woohoo! That was awesome!" one of the younger bandits cheered, practically hopping in place like an excited child. His cloak flapped wildly as he pumped his fists in the air.

"Yeah, those so-called knights were a total joke!" another bandit snickered, slapping his knee with exaggerated amusement. "I was expecting a real fight, but they went down like chickens!"

Their arrogance rang through the quiet forest.

The bandit leader soon stepped forward, removing his mask with a grin stretched from ear to ear. He was a towering figure—broad-shouldered and muscular, with deep brown skin and a head as bald and shiny as polished obsidian. His face was a battlefield of old scars, the most prominent one slashing jaggedly across his jaw. A set of glittering gold teeth flashed in his wicked smile. His fingers were weighed down by a collection of enchanted rings, gaudy and magical, sparkling under the moonlight.

"Well, I’d say that was a damn fine success, wouldn’t you agree... Mr. Client?" he chuckled, casting a glance at the unconscious "Eren" slumped over the disguised man’s shoulder.

"...Yes," the hooded Eren replied coolly, his tone devoid of emotion.

Without another word, he pulled out a small pouch of gold and tossed it effortlessly toward the bandit leader.

The leader caught it mid-air with practiced ease. But as he peeked inside, his smile faltered. His thick eyebrows furrowed in disappointment.

"Wait... what the hell is this?" he growled. "You promised us ten times this amount! Don’t think I forgot the size of the pouch you flashed before the mission!"

Eren’s glowing eyes dimmed slightly as his tone turned sharp and icy.

"That was the deal... if I saw solid results. You were supposed to strike fast, stop the knights, and avoid unnecessary waste of time. But instead, I saw clowns playing around like it’s a circus act. Some of you were even busy showing off."

He turned his glowing gaze toward two particular bandits who had clumsily fought Hector during the ambush.

The bandit who had stabbed Hector instantly turned and smacked his companion on the head with a scowl. "See?! I told you it was your fault!"

"Me?! You blind idiot!" his partner snapped, hitting him back just as hard. "He’s clearly talking about you!"

"Enough!" the leader roared, his deep voice silencing the petty squabble. He turned to Eren with a frown etched into his scarred face. "Still... we had a deal. And I don’t take kindly to being cheated."

Eren raised an eyebrow, a sly smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Did we, though?" he replied calmly.

–Thud!

Suddenly, the sound of something heavy hitting the ground echoed in the clearing. The bandit leader whipped around, only to see one of his men collapsed on the ground—unconscious. Then another fell. And another.

"What the—!?" he shouted, panic rising in his voice.

The remaining bandits wobbled, clutching their heads as if struck by dizziness. One by one, they collapsed where they stood, groaning or falling into silence.

The leader staggered, a wave of nausea hitting him like a punch. His vision blurred, his limbs turned heavy, and his knees wobbled as if the earth itself betrayed him. Clenching his temple in pain, he glared at the cloaked figure.

"You... what did you do to us?!"

His voice cracked as he fought to remain upright, unsheathing his sword and pointing it shakily at Eren. He tried to roar but it came out hoarse. Only he remained conscious—barely.

Eren stepped forward slowly, unfazed by the weapon aimed at him.

"You think I didn’t know what you were planning to do to me... after the job was done?" he said coolly, his voice laced with mock disappointment.

"Damn... you bastard!" the leader gritted his teeth and screamed, lunging forward with all the strength he had left.

GRAAAAA—!!

–BOOM!

The sword struck the ground where Eren had been standing, unleashing a small shockwave and kicking up dust in a violent burst. For a second, everything was obscured.

When the dust settled—Eren was gone.

"Urgh..." The bandit leader fell to his knees, his sword slipping from his grasp. His body trembled as he tried to keep one eye open. His vision swam, and consciousness slipped further from his grasp. Then he heard it—the same calm, icy voice echoing in the air like a ghost.

"A bandit will always be a bandit. That’s the obvious rule."

A figure appeared through the clearing fog. The man pulled down his hood, revealing blond hair neatly tied back and striking green eyes that sparkled with noble arrogance. His face was calm, composed—and dripping with mockery.

The last thing the bandit leader saw was that mocking smile, just before everything went black.

"D-damn yo—..."

...

Now surrounded by unconscious bodies, Eren dispelled the illusion around him, revealing a thick, faint purple mist still clung to the air—residue from a potent sleep-inducing gas. That was the true cause of their sudden collapse. And of course, Eren had come prepared as he was wearing a gas mask that strapped to his face and casually shifted the dummy body pillow on his shoulder.

With this, his phase two of the plan was complete.

"Now then..." he muttered as he walked over to gather the enchanted items he had previously handed out to the bandits. Well—he tried to collect everything, but after a while, he gave up.

"Hmph. I’ll just take what’s convenient."

Once he had secured a few valuable pieces, he removed his gas mask and took a deep breath of the now-cleared forest air.

"Useless. Show me the route to the Dry Forest," he said as he began walking away, cloak billowing behind him.

[Master, are you not going to retrieve the storage ring and the magic bombs you gave them?]

Eren paused for a moment, then shrugged casually.

"No need. Leaving them behind might actually be helpful."

[??]

He chuckled faintly.

"With my sudden disappearance, my fat parents will definitely hire Awakeners skilled in tracking to find me. Leaving those items behind could serve as a convenient trail... later."

Useless still didn’t get it, judging by the string of confused punctuation marks blinking on the screen panel.

Seeing that, Eren waved his hand dismissively and muttered, "Forget it," as he disappeared into the woods.

....

....

....

Two days after the ambush...

Inside the grand Valmont mansion, the air was thick with tension. The atmosphere in the lord’s office had become downright explosive—mainly because the Marquis himself was seething with rage.

–Bang!

A loud slam echoed through the room as Marquis Edric Valmont pounded his desk with a clenched fist.

"What do you mean you can’t find my son!?"

He bellowed furiously, his voice thunderous and sharp, like a beast that had just lost its cub.

Standing before him was Commander Gareth, his loyal knight, trying to maintain composure despite the pressure. Behind Gareth stood Leon, Sir Kristoff, and Raven—who was awkwardly sweating bullets, unsure why she had even been summoned.

"My men are still out there tracking the group that ambushed us, my lord," Gareth tried to explain, his voice firm but tense. "We’re doing everything we—"

"It’s not enough!!"

Edric roared, cutting him off mid-sentence. His hands gripped the armrests of his chair tightly as he leaned forward, teeth clenched in fury.

"You had one job! One! Job!"

Just then, Oswald—the ever-composed head butler who was standing near him—stepped in with impeccable timing.

"Sir, please. You must calm yourself. Losing control will not help in finding the young master," he said gently, bowing slightly.

Edric’s chest rose and fell with deep, heavy breaths. After a few seconds of silence, he finally exhaled sharply and sank back into his chair with a weary sigh.

’He’s right... Now’s not the time to cast blame. I should’ve sent more knights on that trip. This is on me...’

The room fell quiet once more. Everyone stood still, waiting with bated breath for their lord’s next move.

"Gareth," the Marquis finally called, his tone more composed now.

The commander straightened his back immediately.

"Yes, my lord!"

"Send out more knights. Expand the search. And..." Edric paused briefly, then continued, "request assistance from the Adventurers’ Guild. Post a commission to find my son—with a high reward attached."

Gareth gave a firm nod. "Understood." He turned on his heel and exited the room, with Sir Kristoff and Leon following behind.

Now, only Raven and Oswald remained. The young woman looked incredibly out of place, her face pale and her body trembling slightly. Edric glanced her way but didn’t speak to her just yet.

Instead, he grabbed a nearby sheet of parchment and began writing something quickly. Once finished, he sealed the letter with a wax stamp bearing the Valmont crest, then handed it to Oswald.

"Deliver this to my son, Cedric. Immediately."

Oswald bowed low, accepting the letter with both hands.

"As you wish, my lord."

He turned and left the room without another word.

Now, only Edric and Raven were left alone in the office.

The Marquis leaned back slightly, crossing his arms as he finally turned his full attention toward her.

"You must be Raven, right?"

The moment he said her name, Raven flinched like she’d just been struck by lightning. She answered in a trembling voice, her head still lowered.

"Y-Yes... that’s me, sir..."

Edric narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp and probing.

"I heard you used to be a mercenary, before you signed a blood contract with Commander Gareth."

Raven nodded quickly, sweat trickling down the side of her face. She didn’t dare make eye contact, her head still bowed.

"Is it true that you attacked–"

The Marquis opened his mouth to ask something else, but before he could finish—

"P-Please!"

Raven suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud, bowing low until her forehead touched the floor.

"I had nothing to do with it! I was only following orders! I swear, I’ll do anything to help! Just—please don’t kill me!"

Edric stared at her, blinking in confusion. His raised eyebrows and tilted head made it clear he hadn’t expected that at all.

"....What are you even talking about?"