# Chapter 144
—
The city of dreams and hope.
But now, with Arcane reduced to a colony of Dormund, strange rumors had begun to spread.
“They say a Sword Master has appeared?”
“And that this Sword Master is actually the mercenary who made a huge name for himself seven years ago?”
“A mercenary who made a huge name? That’s gotta be Willet Christol, isn’t it?”
The rumors varied wildly.
Some said a Sword Master had emerged. Others claimed it was the mercenary who’d shaken the world seven years ago. Still others insisted it was none other than the rebel leader, Willet Christol.
But one detail all the rumors shared was this: the man at the center of it all had mercilessly slaughtered Dormund’s search police.
“They say a war broke out in District D…”
“Oh my, I heard that too. They even fired cannons, didn’t they?”
“And apparently, the ones who lost the battle were the search police!”
The citizens of Arcane happily chattered about the gossip, whether it was nonsense or truth. After all, whoever he was, wasn’t the point that someone had beaten back the search police?
And when those whispers had spread enough to blanket Arcane—
Inside the Dormund Governor’s Office.
In the mayor’s chamber of the colonial headquarters, fashioned out of Arcane’s repurposed city hall, a man slammed the desk furiously.
“…You led troops to wipe out the rebels, and instead you were the ones crushed!?”
This was Kyeon, one of the Thirteen Fiends directly dispatched from Dormund.
With the three mouths of his three heads, he roared in fury.
“W-we… apologize, Mayor…”
“The ambush itself was successful, but…”
Before the stumbling excuses of the search police, Kyeon sprang up in rage.
“…!”
The police officer’s eyes widened as he instinctively stepped back, but it was already too late.
With the right head of his three, Kyeon snapped forward, swallowing one officer’s head whole.
“Guh…!”
A strangled death cry, and the man collapsed headless.
Another officer watching beside him hurriedly clamped a hand over his own mouth.
‘If I scream, I’ll be next!’
He forced down the bile rising in his throat and lowered his head.
Kyeon, watching, smirked with bloody lips.
“Do you think I won’t eat you too?”
The officer flinched in terror.
But Kyeon’s fangs were already snapping toward him. Just as they were about to close in, the mayor’s door slammed open.
“…Still in the middle of your meal, are you?”
It was Captain Massius—the pirate lord, and the new Chief of Police.
Kyeon snapped his head around and barked.
“Don’t interrupt! I’m in a foul mood!”
“Mm… well then, I’ll wait until you’re done eating.”
At that, the trembling officer cried out.
“C-Captain! What are you saying? P-please, save m—urk!”
But Kyeon bit down, tearing off his head as well.
“Pathetic.”
Massius averted his gaze from the fresh corpse of his subordinate and spoke.
“Have you heard the news?”
Kyeon wiped blood from his lips.
“I have. What the hell were you doing, Massius?”
“I did all I could. Who could have predicted such a variable?”
Kyeon’s brows twitched.
“A variable? Then those rumors on the streets are true?”
“…Seems so.”
Massius’s lips twisted into a crooked grin.
“They say the mercenary legend who vanished seven years ago—‘Donn’—has returned.”
Kyeon snorted.
“A mercenary, a legend? How grandiose.”
“I thought the same. But… we can’t dismiss him.”
Dropping into the sofa, Massius snapped his fingers.
“I finally thought we’d rounded up all the rebels, especially after locking up that old bastard Willet… and yet we let this slip through our fingers.”
Kyeon grimaced.
“I hope you didn’t come here just to make excuses. What’s the plan?”
Massius only shrugged.
“How about setting a trap?”
“A trap?”
A sly grin spread across Massius’s face.
“Yes. A trap. One powerful enough to snare even rats like them.”
—
—
Two days had passed since Julie and the Arcane professors reunited.
Arthur murmured as he watched Julie, who had fallen asleep after chattering endlessly the night before.
“Mm… she’s definitely grown.”
They say children grow up in the blink of an eye—and Julie had indeed shot up in the seven years that had gone by.
That made Arthur glad… but also oddly wistful. He scratched his head.
Just then, the door opened and someone stepped in.
“There you are, Young Lord.”
It was Jeannie, boss of the \[Long-Ears] gang.
She chuckled softly as she glanced at the sleeping Julie.
“Julie’s grown a lot, hasn’t she?”
“Yes. She’s changed so much I hardly recognize her.”
“That’s how it is. Kids grow before adults even realize it.”
She gestured toward the door.
“Anyway, we’re about to have a meeting. Could you attend?”
Arthur tilted his head.
“What kind of meeting?”
“It was supposed to happen two days ago, if not for that raid. They’ve rescheduled it for today.”
At her words, Arthur nodded immediately.
“Good. I’ve been wanting to get a better grasp of the situation anyway.”
Jeannie left, and Arthur followed, leaving the sleeping Julie behind.
Down in the underground chamber, familiar faces awaited.
There was Angelina Babi, Arcane’s former mayor.
Around her sat about a dozen strangers—the leaders of various militia groups supporting the rebels.
Spotting Arthur, Angelina’s eyes lit up.
“Will the Young Lord also be attending, Jeannie?”
“Yes, Madam Mayor.”
“Hm… not bad. I did have something I wanted to confirm with Duke Arthur Bayern anyway.”
She nodded and asked.
“Would you introduce yourself first?”
At her request, Arthur stood.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Arthur Bayern.”
A simple introduction—but murmurs rose among the militia.
“That’s… the legendary mercenary Donn?”
“And also heir to House Bayern?”
“Hard to believe. He looks so young.”
One man at the round table raised his hand.
He was called Theon, a militia leader.
When Arthur nodded, Theon spoke.
“Are you truly… Arthur Bayern, who vanished seven years ago?”
“Yes. I am.”
“And how do you prove that?”
Arthur blinked.
Beside him, Jeannie frowned.
“Why is proof needed? I’m vouching for him.”
Theon sneered.
“…And what weight does a gangster’s word carry?”
“You bastard! Say that again!”
“Oh? Did I speak too loudly? Must be hard to keep secrets with ears that big.”
Jeannie shot up in anger, but Theon cut in first.
“Doesn’t anyone else find this strange!?”
“…?”
“That the Bayern heir who vanished seven years ago just happens to appear now? Back then, Arcane turned upside down searching for him!”
Other militia leaders nodded.
Indeed, it was odd.
Encouraged, Theon pressed on.
“And then there’s this claim that the boy is also the mercenary ‘Donn’ who vanished seven years ago! The Bayern heir, a mercenary legend? Does that make sense?”
This time, gasps rang around the table.
It didn’t. The story sounded more like a wild folktale than reality.
Unable to hold back, Jeannie exploded.
“Bullshit! Enough talk.”
“…?”
“Fine, doubt him if you want. But this man saved your lives. Without him, you’d have all been caught by the search police!”
“……”
“And you repay him with suspicion?”
Theon only smirked.
“I am grateful. But questions must be asked. Isn’t that right, Miss Long-Ears?”
Provoked, Jeannie leapt up, and Theon rose to meet her.
The chamber grew chaotic, voices clashing.
Arthur scratched his head.
“Hm… not very unified, are they?”
No surprise, though. Three different factions were gathered here: Arcane University, Willet’s mercenaries, and Jeannie’s gang. It would have been stranger if they hadn’t clashed.
Arthur decided not to intervene. As an outsider, it wasn’t his place.
But then his gaze caught something.
A peculiar tattoo on Theon’s neck.
“…Huh?”
It looked familiar.
Before he could dwell on it, Angelina muttered inwardly.
‘To be honest… it is suspicious.’
She wasn’t accusing Arthur, but the idea that the missing Bayern heir was also the mercenary Donn was shocking.
So instead of stopping the fight, she watched. It was better to use the chaos to glean more about Arthur.
That was when Theon shouted.
“Hasn’t our information been leaking lately!?”
“…!”
“They attacked our meeting place because someone betrayed us! And now, an outsider suddenly shows up—him!”
Gasps spread. Jeannie clicked her tongue, Angelina’s eyes sharpened.
Theon curled his lip.
“Suspicious, isn’t it? Don’t you all agree?”
The chamber fell silent, all eyes turning.
Then, Arthur finally spoke.
“…Interesting.”
“…?”
“So you’re accusing me of being Dormund’s rat?”
Theon shot back.
“From our view, it’s plausible, isn’t it?”
“You’re right, suspicion is natural. But…”
Arthur tilted his head.
“…You seem more like the traitor to me.”
Everyone froze. Even Theon.
“W-what!? Me, a traitor? Don’t talk nonsense!”
Arthur didn’t answer. Instead, he drew the Beast.
*Click!*
The sound of the gun cocking widened every eye in the room.
Arthur smiled.
“They say a guilty conscience betrays itself. Looks like they were talking about you.”
Theon gaped, then laughed bitterly.
“So, when words fail, you point a gun? Threaten me into silence?”
“…?”
“Go on then, shoot! You dare point a gun at me, call me a traitor?”
Arthur blinked.
“Oh? Really?”
“Shoot, then! If you do, you’ll be seized by everyone here and suffer the worst torture—”
*Bang!*
“…?”
“……”
Smoke curled from the Beast’s muzzle.
Theon blinked, then looked down.
“…Huh?”
A gaping hole was torn through his gut.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
“You… actually shot me?”
And with that, he collapsed.
The militia gaped, Jeannie and Angelina frozen.
Arthur spun the Beast on his finger and smiled toward Angelina.
“A strange spy, wasn’t he? He exposes himself and then dares me to shoot. Don’t you agree, Madam Mayor?”
Angelina snapped out of her daze, flustered.
“W-what do you mean, Young Lord? Theon, a traitor?”
“Exactly what I said. Theon was a spy.”
“W-what?”
“A Dormund spy. See that bat tattoo? That’s the mark of Dormund’s agents.”
“…!”
Angelina’s jaw dropped.
‘Theon… a spy?’
But he was a wealthy merchant, a major supporter of the militia. If he were a spy, how had she, with the Eyes of the Pentagram, not seen it?
It didn’t make sense.
While she reeled, Arthur smiled faintly.
“And there’s more.”
“…?”
“Dormund spies usually work in pairs. Which means another one is here.”
His gaze swept across the militia.
“…!”
They stiffened.
Arthur reloaded the Beast and spoke.
“Now then. Everyone, strip down. All the way to your underclothes.”
“…?”
“As I said, Dormund agents carry those tattoos. We’ll check.”
He smiled brightly.
“Of course, you’ll all cooperate, won’t you? After all, it’s about rooting out traitors.”
The militia’s jaws dropped in shock.
—
