The Duke’s Madness

Whitebeard laughs.

Watching that smile, Arthur thought.

‘If the devil laughed, wouldn’t he laugh like that?’

Raised cheekbones or twisted corners of the mouth.

I wondered if the devil would laugh like that.

In the meantime, Whitebeard tilts his head and asks.

“I want your body… How did you know?”

Arthur answered the question honestly.

“It was just speculation. Mr. Whitebeard said he was collecting bloodlines, and he showed me a favor.”

“so?”

“I didn’t believe in favors without previous generations, so I’ve been thinking about the reason. But no matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason for Mr. Whitebeard to help me.”

Whitebeard nodded.

“Right. There is no reason to help.”

“Then there is only one answer. Mr. Whitebeard wanted something for helping me and saving me. When I thought so, the answer came quickly.”

Arthur laughed.

“My lineage. You don’t want my blood? Like you had Mr. Frakil?”

Whitebeard clapped.

“I am amazed at how accurate it is. that’s right. I want your blood.”

“I can give you a few drops, would you like some?”

“no. A few drops just won’t pay off. I’ve already done you a couple of times.”

Arthur tilted his head.

“Twice? Isn’t it just once?”

“Black Cross Day. Do you remember?”

“… … ? Are you Yenika?”

“oh? Did you meet the princess?”

“yes. But what about Yenika?”

The head of the white beard turned 90 degrees and approached Arthur’s nose.

“She tried to kill you. in return for interfering with my work. So I gave him a lot of money and told him to step down.”

“… … .”

“So, twice. It is difficult for even the king of a country to receive my help once, but you have already been in debt twice.”

Arthur scratched his head as he looked at Whitebeard’s face, who had come close to his nose.

“hmm… Didn’t you ask for help?”

“Then you would be dead. That’s not what I want.”

Arthur groaned.

‘I don’t intend to kill yet, is this?’

To be honest, the old man in front of me was more dangerous than the Haliber I had just encountered.

Assuming Haliver runs away, there’s a chance he’ll survive, but this old man didn’t even see that chance.

In that sense, it was a great harvest to confirm that he had no intention of killing himself right away.

‘It’s not time to kill yet… Are you waiting for something?’

With the thought, Arthur raised the corner of his mouth.

This makes the story easier.

“Then will you save me today?”

“… help me?”

“yes. Don’t you think so?”

Whitebeard’s head, which had turned 90 degrees, returned to normal.

After that, he stared at Arthur without opening his mouth.

“… … ?”

It was when Arthur blinked at that silent gaze.

Whitebeard muttered with a look that the steam had leaked.

“you. Don’t you feel fear?”

“yes?”

“Fear is not an emotion. That’s amazing… … .”

Silent, he leaned back in his chair.

Arthur, who had been watching, was about to ask why he thought so.

“What’s right… I’m thinking of saving you for now.”

Arthur paused and closed his mouth.

In the meantime, Whitebeard looked away and muttered as he looked at the Huai Islands.

“You still have to grow a little more. You don’t even understand half of the abilities that blend into your bloodline.”

With these words, Whitebeard’s mood changes.

A sense of composure peculiar to an old man bathed in twilight emanated from him.

‘that’s interesting… How can the mood or expression change so drastically? And it’s fun to say.’

Arthur asked a question with his mouth raised in thought.

“You don’t understand half of my abilities? What do you mean?”

“It is literally. You only cared about absorbing someone else’s lineage, right?’

“yes.”

“The true power of that ability isn’t like that.”

Arthur tilted his head.

“Then what is it?”

Whitebeard answered with a laugh.

“That’s what you need to know. That’s what makes it meaningful.”

“Ayy, stop doing that and tell me.”

“If you tell me and realize it right away, you could die from me?”

“It’s possible, but with my newly realized abilities, I could kill Mr. Whitebeard, right? So please teach me.”

Whitebeard burst into laughter this time.

“Kill me? Are you?”

Arthur didn’t react to that laugh.

I just stared at Whitebeard.

At that gaze, Whitebeard’s smile gradually faded.

“… Seriously.”

Arthur laughed softly.

“I mean it. then.”

“hahahaha… This is another completely unexpected development.”

“Isn’t it natural to be targeted by a dangerous person like Mr. Whitebeard?”

Whitebeard nodded.

“but… Again. Even an insect wriggles when stepped on, let alone a human being, what kind of outrageous people can’t do it?”

With these words, Whitebeard stroked his chin and muttered.

“I will take care of the aftermath of this matter.”

“… … .”

“It sounds like a headache, but if you leave it like this, you will die. I touched too many people. Some of them are quite dangerous.”

Arthur lowered his head.

“Thank you, Mr. Whitebeard.”

“Don’t worry too much about it. It’s not like I can control all humans.”

“I have to bear that much.”

“what… I will believe But there is a problem.”

“Is it a problem?”

Whitebeard pointed upward.

“Arcane City.”

“… … .”

“Because you messed with the magic power plant, those picky officials are going to step out. If you do well, the riot police will also be put in.”

Arthur groaned.

“Oh right… There has been an explosion, so the investigation will come… … .”

“I think it will be more difficult that way.”

“hmm… I’ll try to figure it out.”

Whitebeard let out a low laugh.

“Do you see something?”

“I have at least one hidden tile.”

Whitebeard nodded in satisfaction at the answer.

After that, I got up and brushed off my black uniform.

“ruler. Then just go back Me too… It looks like you have a lot of work to do.”

Arthur also stood up from his seat and said.

“When will you visit me?”

“well… … .”

The head of Whitebeard, who was speechless, turned 45 degrees again.

“When the time comes… If you know exactly about your bloodline… … .”

With these words, the corners of Whitebeard’s mouth go up to the corners of his eyes.

“Then I go to collect my debt from you. So how are you doing? Little Angel of Bavaria.”

* * *

Area D-52 where a huge explosion occurred.

Tennon Holmes, the 3rd team leader of the Arcane City Combat Police, who was sent in to investigate the commotion in that area, muttered as he lit a cigarette.

“… It’s awful.”

With these words, Tennon exhaled smoke and looked around.

A building collapsed as if a war had broken out.

The footpath was shattered as if it had been shelled.

Fortunately, there were no major casualties, but considering the damage suffered, it would not be strange to classify it as terrorism.

‘… So it’s even more sad. Why did you only destroy the building and not kill the garbage?’

Throwing his half-smoked cigarette on the floor with his thoughts, he moved on.

At the same time, a woman with rabbit ears jumped up from a distance.

“Chief Tennen!”

As Tennon beckons to the cry, a woman with rabbit ears jumps up.

With that single leap, the woman with rabbit ears approached Tennon and gave a salute.

“The on-site forensic team has arrived! Chief Tenn! So, take permission… … .”

“it’s okay. First of all, our investigation comes first. So let’s go quickly. Detective Hella.”

“Yes, yes!”

With the answer, Hella and Tennon move on.

Moving along, they soon reached the center of the explosion, not a single blade of grass was visible.

Originally, it was a place where there was a magic power plant.

“… woah. Did you set off a bomb or something?”

With a murmur, Hella swallowed dry saliva.

“Is that really a terrorist attack? According to rumors, the situation was caused by those who do not know whether it is the Revolutionary Party or the Rebel Party… … .”

“Detective Hella.”

“yes?”

“I said Do not believe such rumors, information and traces. And judge the situation with my intuition.”

Hella narrowed her eyes.

Her ears twitched along with that tingle, which was very cute, but Tennon advised rather pathetically.

“And you always give me advice. A detective shouldn’t have such a stupid face.”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

“The answer is good. But what I want is not such a formal answer.”

“… … ?”

“Think about it. Why aren’t the rebels and revolutionaries, the crazy people who caused this commotion?”

Hella murmured softly between her brows.

“hmm… Could it be because the incident happened in Area D-52?”

“oh. Good? Go ahead and explain.”

“Yes, yes! In my opinion… If you were going to cause a commotion like this, Area B or C. At the very least, I think it would pay off for them to cause it in Area A!”

Tennon nodded in satisfaction.

“Exactly. Rebellion or Revolutionary Party… What those guys want is usually to extort money from Arcane City or corporations with grandiose causes.”

With these words, Tennon pointed to Area D-52.

“In that sense, there is no need to make a big fuss in these back streets. It would be much better to extort money from holding a few high-ranking people living in Area A as hostages.”

Hella’s eyes twinkled.

“I-I was thinking that too!”

“okay? Then from now on, you won’t bring me such rumors, will you?”

“yes! I will never do that again!”

Tennon nodded his head in response.

After that, he murmured while tracing the traces of the place where the magic power plant should have been.

‘… hmm. Although he confidently explained it, I don’t know the culprit either.’

Who could do this to that Hamburg?

Tennen comes to mind with thoughts.

‘Hamburg in Area D-52.’

The titans and minnows of the underworld.

A slave trader somewhere.

That’s why even the combat police in Arcane City couldn’t carelessly touch it.

‘If it was a big player, I would have kept an eye on it, and if it was a small fish, I would have pushed it away.’

Hamburg may have been targeted, but it was somewhere in the middle.

However, the Hamburg and the earthly paradise he built disappeared in just one night.

From Tennon’s point of view, who was keeping a close eye on the D-52 area, he couldn’t help but be surprised.

Because in this arcane of intertwined interests, such crazy events are rare.

So, even though he was off duty, he came to the scene and tried to find out the cause of the commotion, but he could not find any trace.

‘It’s all gone, there’s nothing left… If this is the case, even if the forensic team comes, it won’t be of much use.’

Tennon stood up from his seat with a murmur and raised his head.

‘That doesn’t mean I didn’t get anything, but… … .’

An explosion that blows up an entire area.

Needless to say, the starting point of the explosion would have all melted.

‘In other words, the human who set off this explosion has a high probability of dying.’

Of course there were exceptions.

The ability of a magician or special artifact capable of teleporting.

They will be able to escape this explosion.

‘… So, is the wizard the culprit?’

Tennon shook his head at the question thrown at him.

Police Department Special Artifact.

There was no specific individual magical power that could be captured by the so-called magic-sensing watch.

That said, the criminal’s means of escaping the scene was not magic.

Thinking this far, Tennon licked his lips.

“It is a mysterious case.”

“… … ? What do you mean, Captain Tennon?”

“It’s been a long time since I came all the way to the site and couldn’t find anything specific. I really don’t know anything.”

Hella’s eyes widened at Tennon’s words.

‘Te, Team Leader Tennon didn’t find any traces?’

My superior, Tennon Holmes, is one of the best police officers in the National Police Agency.

If it’s a case he can’t solve, it’s said that it’s a case that can’t be solved in the first place.

Because of that, Hella carefully advised.

“If the team leader can’t find it… Could it be just an accident?”

“A magical power plant exploded, an accident? well… I don’t see any chance of that.”

With these words, Tennen raised the corner of his mouth.

“First of all, I think there is a culprit. The problem is the criminal’s motive and the means that caused the accident… That’s what you need to know from now on.”

Tennen turned and said.

“Leave it to the forensic team, and go back to the National Police Agency. I need to report it to the manager and form an official investigation team.”

“yes! All right!”

With these words, Tennon and Hella returned to the police station in Precinct A-11.

After that, it was time for Tennen to assemble an investigation team after submitting a field report to the department head.

“stop.”

“… … ?”

“This case is covered here. I’ll leave you with other things.”

Tennen was surprised by the manager’s words and asked a question.

“No, covering up this case? Any reason?”

“I don’t know either. You’re going to be kicking it from above.”

Tennen’s gaze narrowed.

“… Did the commissioner receive a higher order from the slave trader?”

“I’d rather have that.”

“… … ?”

“I wish that rotten person would take a bribe again and tell me to cover up the case.”

Tennen’s eyes widened.

“… Are you saying this isn’t the Commissioner’s order?”

“That’s right.”

“Then who are you?”

In response to the question, the manager pointed to the sky.

“Up there.”

“… … ?”

“More than our Commissioner… It’s an order from above. So don’t move recklessly.”

Tennen’s mouth fell open.

An order from a higher level than the Arcane Police Commissioner?

‘… So where are you?’

Officially, there are only a handful of positions higher than the Commissioner of Police.

And the person who can give such an order to the police commissioner is Mayor Arcane.

Angelina Baby, she was the only one.