#Chapter 112
—
Among the mercenaries and factions gathered to capture Yenika Hazel, a strange rumor began to spread.
“…Did you hear? They say the Dormund army was completely annihilated.”
“What!? The Dormund army got wiped out?”
“Does that even make sense? How could the Dormund army possibly be destroyed?”
Yet no one paid it much mind.
It was such a ridiculous rumor that no one bothered with it.
“I can’t even believe the Dormund army got smashed, so which lunatic would even dare touch Dormund in the first place?”
“Not even the Seven Lords or the pirates would go that far.”
“Better off starting a war than spouting that kind of nonsense.”
The Dormund family—an ancient and prestigious house of the Empire.
Their army was said to rival even the greatest forces, and now there was talk that it had been wiped out without a trace.
So, after spreading for a brief while, the gossip quickly sank below the surface.
Instead, talk of the clash between Dormund and the Black Cross rose like wildfire among the mercenaries and factions.
“Holy shit!! Those fanatics actually went through with it!”
“W-wait, they attacked the Dormund army first?”
“Those bastards are completely insane!”
Unlike the earlier rumor, this time everyone was aghast.
Because this time, there were actual eyewitnesses.
Mercenaries who had been stationed in Northend Village to capture Yenika Hazel.
“…I’ve never seen a fight like that in my life.”
“They fought like they were sworn enemies to the death.”
“Especially Ian Dormund—one of the Empire’s greatest knights—and that monster of the Black Cross….”
As vivid retellings passed from their mouths, someone asked:
“So, who won?”
At this, everyone answered in unison.
“Of course it was Ian Dormund. They crushed the fanatics.”
—
—
Arthur and Jeannie were sitting side by side at the train station.
“……”
Arthur was dozing off, nodding, while Jeannie kept glancing sideways at him.
‘How can he even sleep like that?’
His head had been tilted at a forty-five degree angle, and he had been napping like that for an entire hour.
Just watching him made Jeannie’s neck ache, and her brow furrowed.
“Phew….”
Letting out a long sigh, Jeannie grabbed Arthur’s shoulder and pulled him toward her side.
Arthur mumbled with his eyes still closed.
“Mm… Jeannie?”
“Just sleep, Young Master.”
“On your lap?”
“…Do you really have to say it out loud?”
“I have unusually good manners, you know.”
“Alright, enough. Just shut your mouth and sleep. Watching you makes my own neck hurt.”
Arthur gave no reply.
Instead, he laid his head on Jeannie’s lap and quickly drifted back into slumber.
Watching him, Jeannie found herself muttering under her breath.
“…When he’s asleep, he looks so cute.”
This handsome young man—wasn’t he the same person who had cut down the Dormund army just three days ago?
After a moment’s thought, Jeannie shuddered.
‘Which means the Empire’s most wanted criminal is lying on my lap right now?’
How much would the bounty be, now that he had dared to strike at the Empire’s greatest house?
Easily over ten thousand gold to start.
He might even surpass pirate lords and become the highest-bounty criminal alive.
Jeannie swallowed, her throat trembling, and lowered her gaze.
“……”
Somehow, Arthur’s face looked like pure gold coins.
After a brief hesitation, Jeannie shook her head and muttered to herself.
“Get a grip, Jeannie Davern… He’s Arthur Bayern.”
At that moment, a familiar voice called out from a distance.
“My, my. You two seem to be enjoying yourselves?”
“…?”
“A beauty and a handsome man sitting together on a bench like that… Fufu. Youth at its finest.”
Jeannie lifted her head.
At some point, Arthur had woken up as well. Both of them looked toward the woman wearing a black-brimmed hat.
“…Your Highness?”
Arthur’s question was met with a reply.
“Please call me Yenika Hazel for now.”
“…?”
“I still haven’t dispelled the transformation. So I’m not Leon, I’m Yenika Hazel.”
At Leon’s words, Arthur rose to his feet.
“There you go again, wasting your time.”
“Wasting my time? Thanks to this disguise, you were able to ambush the Dormund army.”
“It’s over now, so drop it already.”
“I can’t.”
“…?”
“The transformation time isn’t finished yet. It’s just a minor restriction, but until then, I have to stay like this.”
Arthur blinked.
Meanwhile, Leon plopped down on the bench and lifted the veil from his face.
Revealed beneath was the cold visage of a woman identical to Yenika Hazel.
“It’s the price of using the great spell *Polymorph*. So just bear with it for now.”
“…I get the transformation part, but do you have to copy her way of talking too?”
“That’s another side effect of Polymorph.”
“…?”
“Polymorph is the transformation magic of dragons. It doesn’t just alter appearances—it changes species, gender, even personality. A truly perfect transformation.”
“Oh…?”
“So I can’t alter the personality or speech even if I wanted to. The spell I used wasn’t even cast by a dragon directly.”
As Leon explained, Arthur stretched and asked.
“Where the hell did you learn that magic?”
“From an artifact.”
“An artifact? Ooh… must be insanely expensive. Containing the transformation magic of dragons, no less.”
“It’s actually a treasure of the imperial palace. Anyway, shall we talk more on the train?”
Arthur turned his gaze.
Choo-choo—KABOOM!
Right then, a massive iron locomotive came roaring down the tracks.
Arthur rose from his seat, and Leon and Jeannie followed.
The three of them boarded the train and sat together in a private cabin.
Leon removed the hat and fanned his face.
“Whew… it’s hot.”
Jeannie, watching, couldn’t hide her distaste.
“…I hate to say it, but this is kind of revolting, Your Highness.”
Leon smiled brightly.
“My, my. Are you jealous, Jeannie?”
“…What?”
“You mustn’t let yourself fall into ugly jealousy just because I’m prettier than you.”
Jeannie’s jaw dropped.
The contempt and humiliation in her face made Leon chuckle.
“Well then, let’s settle accounts. Did you achieve much, Arthur?”
Arthur shrugged.
“Not much. Thanks to you drawing attention….”
As Arthur explained, Leon suddenly flinched.
“Wait, who did you say you killed?”
“Haerbin Raine.”
“Haerbin Raine…? That genius knight of Dormund?”
Arthur nodded.
Leon, wearing Yenika’s face, let out a gasp.
“Good heavens… He was renowned even in the capital, and you brought him down.”
Jeannie cautiously asked.
“Was that Haerbin person really such a big deal?”
Leon nodded blankly.
“…Enormous. In pure swordsmanship, he was hailed as the Empire’s next Swordmaster.”
Jeannie’s eyes widened.
‘S-Swordmaster?’
Arthur snapped his fingers.
“Enough about the dead. Let’s talk about the one I *have* to kill.”
“……”
“Ian Dormund. He wasn’t in the camp. Likely went north, right, Leon?”
Leon shook off his distraction and nodded.
“…Yes. According to my sources, Ian already reached Northend Village and engaged in battle.”
“A battle? With who?”
A faint smile tugged at Leon’s lips.
“The Black Cross.”
“…Oh?”
“With their very elite.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
‘The elite? Then it must be him….’
‘Tacen, the descendant of the monster.’
The first opponent who had made him feel a wall after his regression.
Leon confirmed his suspicion.
“Correct. The warrior of the snowy fields, inheritor of troll blood. He clashed with Ian.”
Arthur’s eyes gleamed.
“Who won?”
Leon let out a quiet sigh.
“Regrettably, Dormund did. Though they took heavy losses, the ones who retreated were the Black Cross.”
Arthur let out a murmur of surprise.
‘Tacen lost?’
Ian might have been a skilled knight with spirit arts, but Tacen was a formidable warrior, a descendant of troll blood.
Arthur couldn’t picture him being forced back.
“How strange… Tacen, losing?”
“It’s not our concern, is it?”
“Hm… well, I suppose not.”
Arthur asked again.
“So Ian has already passed Northend Village and moved into the northern snowfields?”
“Yes. They say he’s already pinpointed Yenika Hazel’s exact location. Which is why the other factions are mostly withdrawing.”
“Withdrawing?”
Leon explained calmly.
“Yes. Even though Yenika’s position was revealed again, the Seven Lords, the pirates, and other groups all gave up after seeing Dormund’s strength. That battle was likely decisive.”
“……”
“They may represent the Arcane underworld, but their opponent is the Empire’s army. None dared keep running in the race.”
Arthur scratched his cheek.
“Hm… shame. I was hoping things would get more tangled.”
“Same here. A bigger mess would’ve been nice, but what can you do? That’s how strong Dormund is.”
Leon’s lips curled slightly.
“Which brings me to this, Arthur. What do you say we join hands?”
“Join hands?”
“Yes. Ever hear the saying—‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’?”
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
Leon clapped his hands.
“Come in, mage.”
At his words, the cabin door opened and a man stepped in.
“Oh?”
Arthur’s lips curved into a grin.
“Been a while, Mr. Necromancer?”
—
—
Necromancer Carpe stared at Arthur for a moment.
Then his mouth twisted, and he muttered.
“You lunatic… You’re alive.”
“Huh? Why’re you making it sound like I was dead?”
“Seeing the way you live, I thought you’d get yourself killed any day. But to think you’d still be breathing.”
Arthur drew his gun and aimed it straight at Carpe’s forehead.
Both Jeannie and Leon flinched in alarm.
Carpe, startled, raised his hands.
“Whoa, whoa! What’s this about! I came here as a guest!”
Arthur turned his head slightly.
Leon, regaining composure, nodded.
After a moment of thought, Arthur muttered.
“Hm… so the ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend’—you meant the Black Cross?”
Leon hastily explained.
“Y-yes! Isn’t that a good idea? Our target isn’t the Black Cross anyway.”
Arthur, stroking his chin, lowered his gun.
“Well, true enough. Our goal isn’t Yenika.”
Carpe exhaled shakily, muttering in his mind.
‘D-damn it! That psycho hasn’t changed a bit!’
He’d forgotten, after all this time.
That this lunatic smiles while shooting people in the back of the head.
‘Shit… Should’ve sent a puppet instead of my real body. Big mistake.’
As Carpe cursed himself in hindsight, Arthur patted the seat beside him.
“Sit down, Mr. Necromancer.”
Carpe’s eyes widened.
“…Next to you?”
“Where else?”
“Can’t I sit across?”
“There are three of us. It’ll be cramped. Sit here.”
Carpe’s face twisted.
But with Arthur still holding his gun loosely, he swallowed his complaints and sat obediently beside him.
Arthur suddenly asked.
“So you want to work with us?”
Carpe avoided Arthur’s intense gaze and replied.
“More precisely—a commission.”
“…A commission?”
“You’re a mercenary, aren’t you? Better to frame this as a job than talk of alliances or brotherhood.”
Arthur let out a sound of interest.
“Oh? That’s exactly what I like to hear. So, what’s the payment?”
“What do you want?”
“…Hm. Your head, Mr. Necromancer?”
Carpe jolted in shock, and even Jeannie and Leon looked rattled.
“O-out of nowhere, Young Master?” Jeannie asked, blinking.
Arthur tilted his head.
“I’m kidding. Why’re you all so stiff?”
“……”
“Mr. Necromancer was so uptight, I figured I’d lighten the mood. Guess no one here has a sense of humor.”
Arthur’s words left Jeannie and Leon speechless.
Carpe wiped cold sweat from his forehead and shouted.
“D-don’t ever make that kind of joke again! I’m only letting it slide because it’s you….”
“Hm? I thought it was funny.”
“……”
“Anyway, you said there’d be payment?”
Carpe groaned.
“Yeah… What do you want?”
“Shouldn’t we first hear what the job *is*?”
Arthur’s question made Carpe pause.
“……”
The three in the cabin fixed their gazes on him.
At last, Carpe spoke slowly.
“There are two jobs I want to give you. First—assassinate Ian Dormund.”
Arthur’s eyes curved in amusement.
“And the second?”
“The second is….”
Carpe’s eyes sharpened.
“Stop Yenika Hazel. No… stop the princess.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“Stop… Yenika Hazel?”
—
