The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 66

“Let’s start by introducing ourselves. I am Aden Remes. What’s your name?”

“E-Ets.”

The young Ent introduced himself as Ets.

Ets – the name reminded Aden of a boy he met at a general store in a rural village.

Suddenly, Ets’s leaves stood on end, as if he had just realized something.

There was a flicker of anxiety in Ets’s eyes.

“W-Where are the others who escaped with me?”

“According to the person who found you, you were the only one.”

“That can’t be…”

Ets’s head drooped in disappointment.

At the same time, the leaves on his head wilted and drooped as well.

Aden asked Ets, “What exactly is happening in this forest right now?”

Thanks to the bone powder from the lich that Aden had given him, the young Ent’s wariness was slightly alleviated.

This must be how kidnappers lured children with cookies or candies.

Because of that, Ets began to talk freely to Aden.

Ets explained that his Ent village was originally located next to a lake that had formed inside the crater of a dead volcano, deep within the Forest of Death.

Due to the nature of the forest, it was difficult for humans to enter, and the Ents, unaffected by the forest’s poison, lived safely.

“But one day, a group of humans arrived in the village.”

A group wielding dark magical energy and carrying swords.

They cut down the only Ent tree, which was the guardian tree of the village, and captured the villagers, imprisoning them.

“Without the Ent tree, we lose our strength.”

The Ent tree served as a medium for the Ent tribe to communicate with the spirit realm.

As a result, the stronger the Ent tree, the stronger their spirit power became. However, without it, they were powerless.

The intruders took over the Ents’ land and conducted strange experiments there, using the Ents as material for their experiments, one by one.

“By chance, a guard made a mistake and unlocked the door, allowing the villagers and me to escape.”

However, they were quickly pursued, and only Ets, by a stroke of luck, managed to evade capture and make it near the slash-and-burn village, though injured in the process.

“But… but I was the only one who escaped, sob.”

Ets started to cry, perhaps due to guilt and sorrow for having escaped alone.

Tears streamed down Ets’s eyes.

As the tears solidified, they turned into an exquisite green-golden amber.

It was the elixir Aden had wanted so much, the Ent’s Tears.

However, Aden did not hastily take them but calmly watched the sobbing Ets.

‘So, the warlocks have set up their base here.’

After some contemplation, it made sense that there was no better place for them.

The forest naturally exuded dark magical energy, so summoning Talos or using black magic wouldn’t draw attention.

The forest’s enclosed terrain meant they wouldn’t be discovered easily, and the Ent tribe, suitable for experiments, lived there.

It was an ideal setup.

‘And kidnapping humans despite the risk of being discovered means their research is extensive.’

This indicated that the scale of their research was significant.

‘This is something that didn’t happen in my previous life.’

Aden’s eyes grew cold.

From the Sacred Fire Order incident to the happenings in the Forest of Death, these were all new activities of the warlocks unknown to Aden.

He had been confident that he knew most of the warlocks’ schemes, but this was a revelation.

Whatever they were researching, it was undoubtedly dangerous and a threat to the world.

“Stop.”

Aden told the sobbing Ets to stop crying.

“Crying won’t solve anything.”

What was needed now wasn’t crying.

Aden looked Ets in the eyes and asked, “What do you want to do now?”

“Pardon…?”

“If you want, I can take you to a safe place where you can live comfortably for the rest of your life.”

Aden’s words were sincere.

He had the wealth and power to make that happen if Ets desired it.

“Is that what you want?”

“I…”

Ets stopped crying.

He bit his lip, steeling himself.

“No.”

Shaking his head, Ets refused Aden’s offer.

“The villagers are my family, my friends, and everything to me. We Ents are the forest. The forest is only a forest when all the trees come together. Living alone, the forest is as good as dead.”

The Ents were a tribe that was one with the forest.

The forest only became a forest when trees came together.

Without all of them together to laugh, dance, and sing, the forest had no meaning.

Though still young, Ets embodied the true spirit of an Ent.

“I want to save my tribe. I will save the village, and the forest.”

Despite his delicate appearance, determination was clear on Ets’s face.

Aden liked that expression.

“You are just a powerless child. How do you plan to save them? How do you plan to reclaim the forest?”

However, Aden pointed out the harsh reality.

Yet, Ets looked at Aden with a clear gaze, undeterred by his harsh words.

His emerald eyes shone with a strange light.

“Ent folk can vaguely sense the power within others. You are a very strong human.”

“So, you’re asking me for help? Why should I?”

“I’m not asking for help for nothing.”

Ets pointed to himself.

“I’m willing to offer myself.”

Ets offered himself as a bargaining chip.

He picked up the tears he had shed.

“I know humans covet our bodies and tears.”

“Do you understand how dangerous that is?”

“I’m prepared.”

“With my power, I could easily extract tears from you here and now.”

Aden was pointing out that he could torture Ets to get the tears.

Ets’s eyes wavered slightly in fear but quickly regained composure.

There was a fierce determination in Ets’s eyes.

“If it’s for you, I will cry as much as you want. I’ll give you all the tears you want. But if you refuse, I will smash my head here and die. What will you do?”

Ets held out the Ent’s Tears to Aden, indicating that he should take them if he agreed to the deal.

‘An interesting fellow.’

A satisfied smile appeared on Aden’s lips.

He liked this bold young Ent.

“Alright.”

Aden reached out and took the Ent’s Tears.

“The deal is made.”

* * *

Late at night, a group of dozens of men with an unusual aura approached the last slash-and-burn village.

It was the Parison Bandits, who had already erased four villages.

They ground their teeth and exuded a murderous intent.

“Those hillbillies who used to dig up roots are quite rebellious.”

“Khehehe, the bitch who poked my eye last time is mine. Don’t any of you lay a hand on her!”

They enjoyed attacking other villages.

As long as they delivered the people to the warlock they had made a deal with, they were free to do whatever they wanted with the rest.

They killed those who resisted, plundered valuables, and freely harassed the women as long as they were alive.

Finally, they set everything on fire to finish with a flourish.

But this village had put up a fierce resistance, forcing them to seek the help of the warlock.

The warlock.

A sinister being who controlled corpses, used curses, and sacrificed humans for rituals.

But to the Parison Bandits, he was just an employer and a pretty good business partner.

They hadn’t become a band of kidnappers selling people to warlocks from the start.

They were originally the Parison Mercenary Corps, part of the mercenary guild.

Like others, they wanted to become a famous mercenary group or be recognized for their abilities and become knights.

Most of the members had similar aspirations.

But reality was harsh and tough.

While other knights of their age awakened sword aura and progressed smoothly, most of them struggled even at the stage of reinforcement.

Life was hard, training was tough, and surviving on their skills alone was grueling.

In contrast, the temptations of gambling, alcohol, and women were irresistibly sweet.

They started to fall into debauchery to escape reality, gradually accumulating debt.

And that debt became unmanageable with honest work, leading them to crime.

Starting with petty theft, they eventually turned to kidnapping and drugs, becoming fugitives.

Despite that, they didn’t stop their evil deeds and had no intention of doing so.

“Khehe. Honestly, capturing and selling people is easier than hunting monsters and working to the bone.”

“And we can enjoy ourselves along the way, haha.”

“Exactly! Hahaha!”

Once steeped in sin, escaping evil was nearly impossible.

They had crossed the line and were practically demons.

The warlock in a black robe, Faragus, frowned and warned them.

“If you fail to handle this properly again, you’ll have to repay with your lives. Understand?”

He needed a lot of live subjects for the research he was ordered to conduct.

Initially, he kidnapped people from the city or used slaves, but that wasn’t enough.

Despite dozens of colleagues working on the research, it wasn’t even halfway complete.

‘To finish the research quickly, we need more subjects.’

That’s why he used the bandits to gather the villagers from the slash-and-burn villages.

Even under the warlock’s grim threat, the bandits laughed it off with bravado.

“Don’t worry! We almost destroyed them last time, so this time it will be a piece of cake.”

They had no concerns.

They had already dealt with most of the village’s vigilantes.

Only crippled men and women were left.

Even without the warlock’s help, they could crush them easily.

Finally, the bandits arrived in front of the village.

People who were keeping watch late into the night saw them and panicked.

“They’ve appeared!”

“It’s the bandits! Sound the alarm!”

Parison, the leader of the bandits, whistled.

“Whew! You guys are working late? Mr. Faragus, please give us a big one. We’ll handle the rest.”

“Tut, alright.”

The warlock clicked his tongue and prepared his black magic.

“fkjlwoi urhg!”

A black fireball was shot towards the tightly closed and barricaded wooden gate.

Boom!

With an explosion, the barricade and the wooden gate crumbled and caught fire.

“Ahhhh!”

“The fence is collapsing!”

“Everyone, get away!”

People on the fence screamed.

Parison laughed heartily and ordered his men.

“Haha! Sweep them all! Get everyone, even the kids! Kill anyone who resists…!”

He never finished his sentence.

With a metallic clatter, something flew and burst his head open.

“Wha…?”

The bandits couldn’t comprehend what had happened for a moment.

“Kyakakakaka!”

At that moment, a cheerful and clear laugh was heard.

Someone jumped down from the fence, gracefully landing on the ground while swirling her priestly robes.

Her landing was so smooth, it was like an angel descending from the sky.

“The power bestowed upon me by my god tells me!”

Lunia the Priestess’s eyes curved gently.

She smiled angelically.

“You have accumulated many evil deeds, haven’t you?”