# Chapter 138
—
Arthur grinned widely as he posed his question.
“Let me ask again. Is there anyone here who’d like to be the last to die?”
Dozens of search-police officers were present, yet none of them dared to answer.
All of them only rolled their eyes in confusion, failing to grasp the situation at hand.
Seeing this, Arthur shrugged.
“Well then, if no one volunteers, I’ll just pick. Let’s see… the one who looks the most educated… hm.”
His eyes widened as he rubbed his chin.
“Oh? Not a single one of you looks educated?”
“…?”
“Clicking his tongue… well, can’t be helped. Guess I’ll just have to ask the one who dies last.”
At that, a man among them finally came to his senses—Kevin, a search-police officer of ten years and once a pirate. He let out a dry laugh.
“Fuck… this bastard’s insane.”
Arthur shrugged again.
“Not at all. What’s insane is this world, suddenly turned upside down.”
At his words, Kevin signaled with his hand.
Immediately, the search-police drew their pistols in unison.
Some even unsheathed their sharp blades.
Arthur simply watched the scene unfold, when Kevin sneered.
“So… you’re that ‘Reaper Donn’ who vanished seven years ago, huh?”
Arthur nodded at the question.
“Not sure about the ‘Reaper’ part, but the Donn part’s right.”
“Unbelievable. That legendary mercenary who disappeared seven years back… turns out to be just some greenhorn kid? Don’t tell me all the rumors about Reaper Donn were bullshit?”
Arthur nodded once more.
“I’ll admit it. Most of the rumors about me were mixed with lies.”
“Really? Then you’re just going to die here—”
“But,” Arthur cut in, “I did kill Balans, one of the Seven Sovereigns. You know, the one who killed your vice-captain.”
Kevin’s eyes widened in shock.
“…Balans? You’re saying you killed *that* Balans, the Third-seat of the Seven Sovereigns?”
“Yes. Which means I wasn’t the one who killed your vice-captain.”
Kevin fell silent at Arthur’s calm reply.
As he studied Arthur’s face, Kevin found himself mumbling without realizing:
‘…Could this guy really be that legendary mercenary, Donn?’
The expression on the young man’s face, the rhythm of his breath—none of it felt like a lie.
And really, why go to such lengths to craft such an elaborate falsehood?
Suddenly uneasy, Kevin recalled a memory he had long buried—
From seven years ago, at the site of a massacre that had shaken the pirates, where one senior pirate barely survived and had warned him:
*“Reaper Donn… If you ever face him, run. Always run.”*
*“Are you crazy, senior? He killed our vice-captain! How can I just run away?”*
*“You idiot! That bastard isn’t someone you can take on!”*
*“He’s really that strong, senior?”*
The veteran had laughed hollowly.
*“Strong, obviously… but fuck. More than that, he’s terrifying.”*
*“……?”*
*“The guy’s a lunatic.”*
*“A… lunatic?”*
*“If you meet him and he looks crazy strong and unreasonable, don’t think—just run. Though honestly… if you’re already face-to-face with him, it might already be over.”*
*“……”*
Recalling those words, Kevin’s throat bobbed nervously.
The cheerful grin on Arthur’s face now looked frightening.
But Kevin shook his head quickly, trying to cast aside that dread.
‘Who the hell am I? I’m the man even nobles cower before, the Chief Inspector. And I’m supposed to be scared of some brat?’
Fear was a foreign emotion to a man who had risen in rank under the new regime.
Forcing himself to suppress it, Kevin smirked.
“Fine. If you’re really Donn, the one who killed Balans… then prove it by slaughtering everyone here.”
He spat phlegm at the ground. Arthur’s eyes widened.
“You didn’t need to ask—I was going to kill you all anyway.”
“Then do it!”
Kevin roared, raising his pistol and aiming at Arthur.
*Click!*
In unison, the other search-police aimed their guns at him as well.
Arthur chuckled.
“As expected of pirates. I like your boldness.”
Then, a storm of gunfire filled the underground tavern.
—
—
Kevin blinked, staring up at the ceiling.
‘What? Why am I looking at the ceiling?’
A sharp pain suddenly shot through him, making his shoulder jolt.
He looked to the side—and saw his severed right arm lying on the floor.
“…?”
Kevin blinked dumbly.
Why was his arm gone?
As his mouth hung open in shock, a foul stench hit his nose.
Turning his head, he saw a human eyeball rolling across the floor.
“…!”
His body shuddered.
The chaos of the tavern finally came into focus—
“…What…?”
The tavern was filled with blood and corpses.
The blood and corpses of the comrades he had been joking with only moments before.
Trembling, Kevin’s memory returned—
They had been using <Manners Make the Man> tavern as a base of operations to root out rebels…
A stranger had barged in.
Kevin had drawn his gun.
And then the fight began.
Slowly turning his head, Kevin saw him—
The young man crouching, drenched in blood, tilting his head curiously.
“Hmm… did I kill everyone already?”
“……”
“No survivors? That’s troublesome, tch…”
Kevin gagged involuntarily.
And again, his senior’s warning echoed in his ears.
*“Reaper Donn. If you meet him, run.”*
Arthur turned his head, spotting him.
“Oh. Someone survived.”
He strode over and lifted Kevin effortlessly.
Though Kevin was large-built himself, he dangled like a child in Arthur’s grasp.
“Hello? You awake now?”
“……”
“Judging by how you’re shaking, you’re alive. Care to answer a few questions?”
Kevin stammered, forcing words out.
“Re… Reaper Donn…”
“That’s right. Reaper Donn.”
Kevin burst into tears.
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“My, my… why’s a grown man crying like that?”
“Spare me…”
“You want me to spare you?”
“I… I want to live…”
Arthur scratched his head.
“Hmm… Then first, answer my questions, alright?”
Kevin nodded desperately.
Satisfied, Arthur asked:
“First off, how did you pirates become <search-police>?”
Kevin answered as best as he could.
Arthur listened intently, then asked another.
“How did Dormund seize Arcane?”
Again, Kevin explained in detail.
Thus went their exchange—Arthur questioning, Kevin answering—until suddenly, Kevin’s vision blurred.
“Huh?”
He slumped, lifeless.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh… he died.”
“……”
“Ah, his arm was cut off. Should’ve told him to stop the bleeding—I had more to ask.”
Clicking his tongue, Arthur gently laid Kevin flat on the floor.
Then he rubbed his chin, surveying the blood-soaked tavern.
“…Old man Willet’s going to be furious when he sees this.”
Knowing Willet’s temper, he surely would be.
But since the corpses belonged to the ones who had defiled the tavern, maybe he wouldn’t be too harsh.
Arthur nodded to himself, rifled through Kevin’s jacket, and found a wallet heavy with silver and gold.
“Borrowing this, Mr. Search-Police.”
With that, he stepped out of the tavern, drenched in blood.
He looked up—
The pale light of dawn was breaking on the horizon.
Watching the start of a new day, Arthur muttered:
“…Tch. So Arcane changed because of me.”
—
—
Thanks to the “helpful” search-police, Arthur now understood many things:
Why Arcane had changed so drastically, how Dormund had planted his flag here.
Why Willet Christol—once just a retired tailor—was now branded a criminal.
Finally grasping the whole picture, Arthur sighed deeply.
‘It’s all because of me.’
The root cause: Ian Dormund, Cain’s eldest son—his death.
‘Ian died, so Cain lost it and stormed Arcane.’
A brutal war ensued, and though Arcane fought valiantly,
a betrayal from the pirates—one of the key factions in the underworld—led to the city gates falling.
‘So that’s how the pirates became search-police.’
Their betrayal earned them power under Dormund, and they wielded it mercilessly.
‘And in turn, Old Man Willet and the mercenaries resisted, and ended up branded criminals…’
Smacking his lips, Arthur muttered:
“So this is what they call the butterfly effect.”
He had heard the saying before—that a butterfly’s wings could stir a hurricane. He never thought it’d prove true.
Stroking his chin, he thought:
‘Then the state of Bayern must have changed as well… hmm.’
In the future he knew, Bayern at twenty-four was safe. But now? Who could say.
The unthinkable had already happened, so its future must be altered as well.
‘In that case, I need to return to the imperial capital as soon as possible…’
But according to the search-police, Arcane’s trains had been shut down for the time being.
‘Right, Cain Dormund deliberately cut them off—to starve the city from within.’
Typical Cain Dormund.
‘Troublesome… If I’m to return to the capital, I need a way to restart the trains.’
He was brooding when—
*Bang!*
“Fuck—! Everyone, on your knees!”
The harsh shout made Arthur turn his head.
Outside, search-police—no, pirates—stormed the streets, weapons drawn.
“Kyaaah!”
“Wh-what?!”
“S-search-police!”
Civilians flattened themselves on the ground in terror.
Yet the search-police, unable to contain their excitement, fired into the air.
“Last night, some mad bastard killed search-police officers!”
“……”
“To root out anyone connected to him, we’re conducting inspections! Anyone who doesn’t comply goes to prison!”
The officers scattered, searching aggressively.
Arthur scratched his head.
“Hm… word travels fast. They’re already looking for me.”
Meanwhile, the officers drew out whips studded with iron shards, brandishing them at the cowering citizens.
Watching quietly, Arthur thought:
‘Do I really need to take some convoluted route?’
The situation was simple.
Dormund, who had seized Arcane.
The pirates, his backing.
If those two forces were gone, Arcane’s trains would run again.
‘Meaning… if I just kill them, the trains will start again.’
And then he could return to the imperial capital.
Thinking this far, Arthur chuckled.
“I was overcomplicating things. Should’ve done this from the start.”
Maybe the madness of the world had rubbed off on him.
Why else would it take him this long to realize the easiest path?
Shaking his head, he muttered:
‘Spend enough time among lunatics, and even sane men turn mad.’
Having made his decision, Arthur rose—
And just as he was about to leap at the search-police harassing innocent civilians, another gunshot rang out.
*Bang!*
Everyone turned toward the sound—including Arthur.
“…Who are they?”
On a rooftop stood dozens of men in black masks.
Arthur tilted his head.
‘Are those masked men also search-police?’
At that moment, terrified citizens shouted:
“M-Mafia—!”
“The \[Big-Ear] gang from District D!!! The Mafia are here!”
“D-dammit, run! If you’re caught here, you’ll die!”
Arthur blinked at the name.
“…Big-Ear gang?”
Something about that name stirred his memory—
‘Big ears, elf, spirit…’
His mouth fell open as those words connected in his mind.
And then—
From beyond a quiet doorway came the sound of hurried footsteps.
Startled, Arthur turned.
Dozens of men in black suits and fedoras stormed in.
Strange attire, to be sure.
They lined up neatly and bowed low.
Then came the sharp *click-clack* of heels on the floor.
“……”
Arthur’s heart thumped loudly in time with the footsteps.
*Thump, thump.*
The sound stopped.
At once, the suited men shouted:
“Boss has arrived—!”
And finally, a woman stepped forward.
She removed her sunglasses, eyes fixed on Arthur.
Meeting her gaze, Arthur smiled unconsciously.
At that smile, the boss of the \[Big-Ear] gang murmured:
“At last. I’ve found you… my madman.”
