Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

"You seem surprised," the duke observed. "Is five not enough?"

William snapped out of his daze and quickly shook his head.

"No! That's more than enough."

More than enough? If the rumors held even a fraction of truth, five Black Lions were an overwhelming force.

For the first time, William felt a sliver of relief.

This… this might actually work.

A beat passed before he took a step forward and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your generosity. I will ensure you are pleased with the outcome."

Sigmund nodded, but his smirk remained.

"I'll be looking forward to it," he said. Then, as William turned to leave, the duke spoke again.

"But before you go—"

William paused.

"Open your eyes and pay attention."

Sigmund's smirk deepened.

"This is just a glimpse of what it truly means to be the Master of House Hern."

One week later, William and his men set off for Vestrean.

Since it was the closest territory to Hern, the journey didn't take long.

The moment they arrived, William took one look at the city and clicked his tongue.

"What a mess."

Cities expanding too quickly often suffered from poor planning, but this? This was on another level.

Half-built structures littered the streets, and even more buildings stood in complete disrepair. Some had clearly been abandoned for years.

"Why are there so many unfinished buildings? Some of these are straight-up ruins," William muttered.

Hans answered immediately.

"It's because of scams, my lord."

William turned to him, unimpressed. "Explain."

Hans gestured toward the abandoned structures.

"Despite being close to Kelheim, Vestrean never became a proper trade hub. But outsiders don't know that. To them, this looks like prime real estate. They assume it's a rising city and rush in, eager to invest."

William frowned. "…Don't tell me."

Hans nodded.

"Exactly. Those buildings belong to the scammed investors. They come in expecting wealth, only to realize there's nothing here. And when the truth sets in… they cut their losses and leave."

William pinched the bridge of his nose. That explains the lack of people.

The buildings weren't unfinished due to construction delays—they were abandoned mid-way when their owners realized they had been deceived.

"Well," William sighed. "I guess that means no one will notice if another building pops up here."

"Exactly," Hugo chimed in from behind. "That's why I chose this place for our manufacturing site—secluded, but not suspicious. Though, of course, you still managed to figure it out."

William smirked.

"Still wondering how I knew?"

"Of course! Even Hans doesn't know, and that man is practically a bloodhound."

William chuckled.

"I'll tell you later. For now…" He rolled his shoulders, his expression sharpening.

"We have a beast caught in a trap."

He turned to his men.

"Let's finish the hunt."

"Everything is in place," Hugo reported. "Now all that remains is our reinforcements…"

There was a slight shadow on his face as he spoke.

William immediately caught on and let out a quiet chuckle.

"Still upset that we had to ask my father for help?"

"No, my lord," Hugo admitted. "It's true that our forces alone wouldn't have been enough. I just… regret that we lacked the strength to claim this victory as entirely your achievement."

William shook his head. "There's no need to rush. I'm only sixteen, and you're barely past twenty. There will be plenty of chances to rise through the ranks."

At those words, Hugo's expression grew strangely complicated—equal parts frustration, resignation, and something resembling betrayal.

William blinked. Did I say something wrong?

As he tilted his head in confusion, Hans clapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"My lord."

"Hm?"

"Hugo is twenty-three. He still has quite a ways to go before thirty."

"…"

William turned back to Hugo, this time studying him more carefully.

The jagged scars. The thick beard. The weathered skin.

There was no way this man was in his early twenties.

"…Hugo."

"Yes, my lord?"

"You're still young. I'm sixteen, and you're barely past twen—"

"Please don't correct yourself. It only makes it worse."

"…Ahem." William cleared his throat and turned away. "In any case, the Black Lions are late. They should've arrived by now."

Before anyone could respond, a quiet voice rang out from behind them.

"Third Prince."

All three men flinched.

Hugo, in particular, reacted instinctively, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword.

But before he could draw it—

"Don't."

Thud.

Hugo's eyes widened.

Something heavy pressed against the back of his hand, pinning it in place.

It wasn't just one person.

By the time Hugo turned his head, five figures had already surrounded them, standing well within striking distance.

He hadn't sensed a single one.

William was the first to recover from the shock.

"The Black Lions, I presume?"

The tallest among the newcomers inclined his head.

"Yes. We have been dispatched under Duke Hern's orders to assist you."

William gave a small nod. "Much appreciated. But if it's not too much trouble, could you release my man's hand? He can't very well let go of his sword when you're pressing it down."

"…Very well."

The pressure on Hugo's hand vanished, and he quickly took a step back, finally taking in the full sight of the Black Lions.

They carried only a single sword each. Their armor consisted of thin, reinforced leather.

By appearance alone, they could have easily been mistaken for any mercenary group loitering around a major city.

But their eyes—

Cold. Calculating. Unshakable.

William narrowed his gaze.

He had seen eyes like these before.

The same kind of gaze that had looked down at him before taking his head in his past life.

A swordsman whose attack had been so fast, so precise, that William had been dead before he even realized what had happened.

Are they all at that level?

His fingers subconsciously brushed against his neck.

If these men were truly comparable to that knight…

One of them took a step forward.

"The Duke has instructed us to follow your command from this point forward. What are your orders?"

William exhaled slowly.

This mission will not fail.

A slow, confident smile spread across his lips.

William's orders were simple.

"When the target enters the designated location, stay hidden. Wait for my signal—then attack all at once."

One of the Black Lions spoke up. "Are we to kill them?"

William shook his head. "The more survivors, the better. We need information. Capture them if possible—especially the Marquis's son. Minimize injuries on him."

The Black Lions nodded wordlessly.

William knew better than to expect every enemy to break under interrogation, but there was always an exception.

A single loose tongue could reveal something useful about the Marquis of Logran.

Still, that was just an added benefit. The real goal was to capture the fourth son of Marquis Logran.

"As for the rest—use your own judgment. If the situation gets out of control, kill them."

"Understood."

The Black Lions remained eerily still, but William could feel their confidence.

They had already decided that the situation would never reach that point.

Arrogance? No.

It was certainty.

William smirked. Let's see if their confidence is well-founded.

At that moment, faint voices drifted through the air.

—"Is this the place? The exterior is far too rundown. You didn't misappropriate the funds, did you?"

—"Hiding in plain sight is the best way to avoid suspicion. The inside is fully equipped. You can confirm it yourself."

William pressed himself against the shadows, carefully peering out.

Soon enough, the door creaked open, and multiple figures stepped inside.

It was them.

The fourth son of Marquis Logran and his escort.

William leaned forward slightly, trying to get a better look at the leader.

Then he saw the man's face.

His breath hitched.

What?

He froze.

That's…!

Felix the Sword Demon?!