The Duke’s Madness

The thrusting sword narrowly missed Ares’ neck.

There were scratches, but not enough to cut his throat.

In the midst of it, Julie sobbed and muttered.

“I can’t kill you. No matter how many enemies… I can’t kill you.”

Arthur, who had been observing the situation at her words, nodded.

“Revenge is like that. It’s cool yet disgusting. I will respect Julie’s decision.”

With these words, Arthur hugs Julie, who has lost strength in her legs.

Julie in her arms cried and hugged Arthur.

Arthur silently comforted Julie.

“… … .”

Ares, who watched with bated breath, let out the breath he had been holding back.

‘You only get one chance.’

It was time to move my lips together with my thoughts.

The cool iron felt on his forehead.

Ares raised his eyes and looked up to see Arthur smiling.

“A wizard too. If you give them a chance, they’ll start talking nonsense right away.”

Ares opens his mouth.

But Arthur’s fingers came first.

bang!

A hole pierced Ares’ forehead with the resounding gunshot.

Ares, unable to close his gaping mouth, collapsed backwards and died.

The chief mage of the future Imperial Army.

It was the futile end of a man who is said to be the best genius wizard in the empire.

‘A person who would be a tricky enemy if kept alive. It’s right that I have to kill him at this point.’

Arthur looked away with a thought.

At some point, I saw Julie, who had calmed down.

“I’ll step aside, so would you like some time?”

“yes···.”

Arthur nodded and turned around to approach Genie, who was being treated by Undine.

“Are you okay, Ginny?”

“… Does this look okay?”

Arthur laughed awkwardly at Ginny’s angry voice.

“I’m sorry, Ginny. But do you understand?”

“no. So, can I just slap you on the cheek?”

“Cheeks?”

“I want to throw away the gun, but I have money to receive, so I will bear it. Instead, just one cheek, no less. I’ll just slap you on the cheek.”

Arthur licked his lips at her voice, which sank low.

‘Well, from Ginny’s point of view, you deserve to be angry. It wasn’t enough that he left the place on his own, and his life was almost in danger.’

So Arthur showed his face.

Ginny, who was raising her eyebrows, was startled.

“Muh, what are you doing!”

“Ginny said she wanted to slap her on the cheek, so you made her pose to be comfortable?”

“… … .”

“Don’t you hit me, Mr. Ginny?”

Ginny glared at Arthur and sighed.

“That’s Okay. A slap is only meaningful when the other person is angry…”

Arthur smiled and put his head back to normal.

“I hate to say this at this time, but thank you, Mr. Ginny. Thanks to you, things worked out well.”

“is it so. So, are you paying the right amount?”

“Sure. I’ll give it to you as soon as we return to Arcane. Is there anything else you want? I really appreciate it, so I want to give you more presents.”

Ginny’s gaze narrowed.

“no. Just give me the money as promised. That’s all you need.”

Arthur shrugged.

If I had asked for something more, I would have given it, but if I didn’t want something, I had no intention of providing it.

‘Well then… What’s left is post-processing?’

Arthur turned around with his thoughts.

Scattered corpses of wizards and research institutes were visible.

It was urgent to erase those traces, but the first priority was the children who were still alive.

The condition was very bad, and every second was urgent.

After thinking this far, Arthur asked Ginny.

“I’m trying to save the children trapped inside, can you help me, Ginny? Perhaps this will be my last request.”

* * *

Ginny’s mouth opens.

“her… .”

Corpses piled up in a laboratory built by wizards.

All of the bodies were children under the age of ten.

Because of that, belated anger soared.

“f*ck…. They were real assholes, you guys.”

There is a thing called a line.

That line is something that no human being should ever cross.

But what we see now crosses that line.

So, when Ginny’s expression crumpled, Arthur, who was next to her, started treatment in earnest.

“Undine, please treat me.”

[Yes, Arthur!]

Intermediate Water Spirit’s healing power is better than that of most priests, and the condition of the children who were struggling in pain began to noticeably improve.

Ginny, who was watching the scene from the side, thought for a moment.

‘Dun… Why did that madman come here?’

I wasn’t interested when the situation happened, but when it was all over, I became curious.

Why did that madman kill the wizards?

Maybe to save the children trapped in the lab?

‘… I don’t think so.’

But the situation seemed to be right that way.

Because of that, Ginny looked at Arthur with new eyes, but soon shook her head.

If the good deeds were correct, it was worth seeing again, but it was because the back of the head was still tingling from being hit by Arthur.

“Hufu…”

Arthur, who had cured all the surviving children in the meantime, sighed.

“It seems that all urgent fires have been turned off.”

[yes… Good job, Arthur.]

“No, Undine did a great job. Rest now.”

At Arthur’s words, Undine bows her head and disappears.

Because of excessive force, it returned to nature.

As Arthur stretched and loosened his stiff body, Julie trudged along with weak steps.

“Are you done, Julie?”

“yes. Uncle Dunn…”

Julie, speechless, bowed her head.

“thank you. For saving my friends.”

“What. When things get tough, we help each other.”

“no. If you have a hard time… Everyone is busy ignoring him, but Mr. Dawn was different.”

Arthur scratched his chin at Julie’s answer.

‘You look mature for your age… Is it because I’ve been through this?’

Thoughtful, Arthur nodded.

Didn’t you mature faster than others thanks to the trials you went through when you were young?

I just wondered if that was a good thing.

Trials make people strong, but sometimes they also break them.

In that sense, I didn’t know yet whether the current Julie would move forward or sit down as it is.

“Do you have a place to go?”

“no. We are all orphans…”

“Are you an orphan? All these children?”

“yes. They are all friends begging from tourists in Boris Village. So did I.”

Arthur smacked his lips.

“hmm···. all right. Then would you like to wait? There is still work to be done.”

“yes. Uncle Dunn.”

Julie bowed politely.

In the meantime, Arthur moved and carried the corpses of the wizards.

“… … !”

Ginny, who was next to her, stepped back in surprise.

However, Arthur didn’t care and even picked up Ares’ corpse.

Then he called the gnomes and retrieved them all up to their necks.

“Ginny, stand guard for a moment.”

“Yes, yes!”

After hearing the answer, Arthur went back to the lab.

After properly tossing the corpses he was carrying on the floor, Arthur picked up the papers.

“For now, save this as evidence…”

Arthur, speechless, handed the papers to the gnome.

“Please keep it, Mr. Gnome. Come without a bag.”

[huh.]

Arthur looked back.

Then he quickly read through some of the papers he hadn’t given to the gnomes.

Project L, lineage copying, successful experiment…

After memorizing all of it, Arthur murmured.

“Hmm… blood cloning. Why are you doing this?”

Blood with special abilities.

That blood was simply called bloodline.

Among them, there were descendants of monsters, like Taken, whom I met the other day, and there were people who worked miracles, like Julie, whom I had a relationship with today.

‘So that’s nice, but… The limits are also not clear. Bloodline is not invincible.’

You can’t beat a 5th circle knight just because you have a special ability.

So did the wizard.

Because of that, Arthur was suspicious.

Why would Ares want to replicate his lineage, even taking such a risk?

I’d rather have heard the story of mass-producing wizards like the last experiment.

‘I’m curious… I should have asked and killed him, but hey.’

After licking his lips, Arthur brushed away his thoughts.

Unfortunately, there was nothing more I could find out in the current situation.

In addition, it has already achieved satisfactory results.

‘As planned, Bill Dormund… Instead of that human’s ability, I filled it with Julie’s ability, and since I killed Ares, I shouldn’t be greedy any more.’

revenge and lineage. I got the two most important things in my life through this incident.

Arthur decided to be satisfied with this and entrusted the rest of the documents to the gnomes.

And he aroused the lightning lineage he received from Julie.

Pajijik-!

A bolt of lightning jumped out of my fingertips.

Arthur uses the lightning to set fire to the lab.

Roaring!

Expensive, high-tech devices scorch the fire and emit screams.

In addition, the owners of this laboratory became ashes.

Arthur looked at the scene and lowered his head.

“hmm···. I can’t tell you to go somewhere nice. Rest well.”

Arthur finished his greetings and left the lab.

The gnomes who remained behind awakened their powers and buried the laboratory that had turned to ashes.

thud!

When Arthur came out, Ginny and Julie, who had been awkwardly looking at each other, looked away at the same time.

“It’s done?”

“Are you done, Uncle Dunn?”

Arthur nodded.

“Yes, it is over. Shall we go now?”

“… Where?”

“Of course it’s Arcane.”

Julie asked hesitantly.

“I am···. You don’t have a house in Arcane?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Julie. Sometimes there are good places. This is an orphanage that will take care of Julie and her friends.”

Julie narrowed her eyes.

Ginny, who was next to her, rolled her eyes anxiously.

‘Aren’t you having an accident again, you madman? There’s an orphanage that takes in as many as ten children?’

However, I didn’t bother to point this out.

Because I didn’t want to be involved with Arthur anymore.

That was when the next day came.

Ginny’s concerns were exactly right.

“this···. What is it?”

Ginny shuts up at Willett’s question.

In the meantime, Arthur greeted awkwardly.

“hmm···. Hello, Mr. Willett?”

* * *

Willett from ＜Manners Make People＞ crosses his arms.

Arthur explains in gibberish to such Willet.

“hmm···. These are the children I met by chance, but they say they have nowhere else to go.”

“… … .”

“So I remembered Willett’s orphanage and brought him there, can’t I?”

Willett’s expression contorted.

Ginny and Arthur are surprised by the change in their emotions, which is rare.

In the meantime, it was the moment Willet was about to shout something with his uncontrolled emotions.

“… … .”

Ten children looking at themselves.

And at Julie’s gaze, the mouth shuts.

After that, he rubbed his forehead and muttered with a sigh.

“You are the first person in my life who has put me in such trouble.”

“It’s an honor to be the first.”

“It is not a compliment. So all these kids have no parents?”

Arthur looked away.

Julie and the other ten children all nodded.

“yes. That’s all.”

Willett gestured towards Arthur.

As you move closer, Willett warns you in a low, subdued voice.

“There is no next. Do you know what that means? If you brought those kids because of the last taken, this is on the contract…”

Arthur smiled as he interrupted Willett’s explanation.

“Thank you, Mr. Willett.”

Willett, who was silent, glared at Arthur again.

However, the smile on Arthur’s lips did not disappear.

‘I wonder if you know this… Maybe you don’t know.’

Willet sighed again and turned around to face the frozen children.

“Who likes candy?”

“… … .”

“If you don’t have it, don’t take it back.”

Some children reach out their hands rather than notice.

Willett smiled softly and handed over the candy.

At the time when Arthur was looking at the figure, Ginny, who was holding his breath next to him, approached.

“Old Willett… Did you run an orphanage as well?”

“yes. Athena Nursery… hmm. Mr. Ginny?”

“yes?”

“This is a secret, so you must keep it. OK?”

Ginny suddenly nodded.

In the midst of it, Willett asks Arthur.

“I have to start a business, so I’m just taking this away. Is there anything else you want to say?”

At this, Arthur pondered and shook his head.

It was a strange relationship, but we only saw each other for one day.

So there was nothing I could say or anything I wanted to say.

It was when Willet, who had heard the answer in the meantime, turned around.

The dazed Julie jumped out.

“Uncle Dunn.”

“Yes, Julie.”

“Can we meet again…?”

At the cautious question, Arthur bent down and answered.

“Sure. I will go see it.”

“… … .”

“Assuming Mr. Willett approves, I will definitely visit him once.”

Julie smiles softly.

Arthur smiled softly.

After saying goodbye like that, Julie follows Willett to somewhere.

Arthur, who was watching the back, burst out laughing.

“Looks like Julie overcame it like me. thank god.”

At the same time, the heavy burden in the corner of my heart disappeared.

At that refreshing feeling, Arthur raises the corner of his mouth and looks away.

He saw Ginny looking at him with strange eyes.

“Now then, Ginny. Shall we do our calculations now?”

Arthur held out the gold coin he had promised.

“The reward is 500 gold. Please count if you are right, Ginny.”