# Chapter 146
—
When the meeting ended, the militia soldiers left the chamber wearing faces full of dissatisfaction.
Watching them depart, Angelina let out a faint murmur of awe.
*‘How long has it been since those men backed down without a word?’*
As she pondered, her eyes widened.
It was the first time since the rebels had formed and begun receiving outside support.
Just as that strange realization swept over her, Angelina heard Arthur and Jeannie’s voices nearby.
“See? You really are incredible, young master!”
“…What did I even do to deserve that, Jeannie?”
“What do you mean, what? You resolved the situation, didn’t you!”
“…?”
Snapping out of her daze, Angelina turned her head.
There were Arthur and Jeannie, chatting in a friendly manner.
Angelina’s eyes sharpened as she watched them for a moment.
*‘If not now, I’ll never get the answers to the questions I’ve been holding inside.’*
Resolved, she stepped forward and addressed Arthur.
“Young master, may I speak with you for a moment?”
Arthur nodded.
With his permission, Angelina began firing off the questions she had long kept to herself.
Had he really met Whitebeard?
When exactly had he worked as a mercenary in Arcane?
What was the secret behind his swordsmanship and gunplay?
Once the floodgates were open, the questions poured forth without end.
Arthur listened attentively and did his best to answer each one sincerely.
At last, after a long exchange, the conversation came to a close.
Angelina blinked.
“…You’re telling the truth, young master?”
“Yes. I am.”
“……”
Angelina fell silent.
*‘How do I even explain this?’*
Arthur had answered her questions earnestly, yet instead of clarity, her confusion had only deepened.
Most unbelievable of all was the claim that Arthur Bayern had been a legendary mercenary.
*‘…And he was active from the moment he first came to Arcane?’*
Back then, wasn’t he only seventeen?
So he’d been working as a mercenary at that age—fighting Whitebeard, challenging pirates and even the Seven Lords?
*‘…How is that possible?’*
How could a mere seventeen-year-old boy have done such things?
Unable to accept it, Angelina wore a grim expression.
At that moment, Jeannie spoke up.
“Do you really need to make it so complicated, Madam Mayor?”
Angelina tilted her head.
“What do you mean, Jeannie?”
“Think simply. We have a swordsman who killed Captain Massius and the governor of Dormund—our greatest obstacles.”
“…!”
“So why not look at it that way first? The rest of your questions can wait until later.”
Angelina muttered hesitantly.
“Isn’t that… too simple?”
“But isn’t that what really matters right now?”
“……”
Jeannie gave a bright smile.
Faced with that smile, Angelina held her tongue.
*‘…Perhaps she’s right?’*
From the moment Arthur Bayern appeared, reason had already gone askew.
In such circumstances, perhaps it was better to keep things simple, as Jeannie suggested.
Angelina was just about to nod when Arthur, who had been quiet all this time, spoke up.
“Mayor Angelina? May I ask you for a favor?”
She blinked at him.
“…A favor, young master?”
“Yes. There’s something I’ve been wanting from you.”
“From me?”
“Yes. If you wouldn’t mind?”
Angelina stroked her chin.
*‘A favor… Hmm. Perhaps that’s fair.’*
After all, the questions she had pressed him with earlier had pried at secrets he had every reason to keep hidden.
Though his answers hadn’t resolved much, he had at least responded sincerely.
She owed him the same courtesy.
At last she nodded pleasantly.
“What kind of favor, young master?”
“Ah, nothing too big. Could I have some of your blood?”
“……?”
Angelina blinked.
Beside her, Jeannie gasped in shock.
Meanwhile Arthur smiled wryly.
“With your blood, rescuing Lord Willet might become much easier. Would that be possible?”
—
—
Angelina was flustered beyond words.
But she couldn’t bring herself to refuse Arthur’s request.
“Not much, just… not even a handful, right?”
“……”
His expression wasn’t merely serious—it was earnest.
Finally, Angelina let out a helpless laugh.
“You really mean it, don’t you, young master?”
“Of course I do.”
Sighing, Angelina held out her hand and sliced her palm.
Bright crimson blood trickled down, and Arthur’s eyes gleamed.
The droplets gathered themselves into a cup on the table.
*‘Oh. She’s giving more than I expected.’*
Arthur’s lips curved faintly upward as Angelina handed him the cup filled with her blood.
Taking it, he recalled what she had once told him.
*‘The Eye of the Pentagram… a very special eye that discerns truth from lies.’*
If awakened fully, it could even peer into another’s thoughts.
*‘If that’s true, this is an incredible ability.’*
The power to detect lies was like having an extra life.
Satisfied, Arthur downed the blood in a single gulp.
“…Y-Young master!?”
Angelina stared, aghast.
Lowering the empty cup, Arthur exclaimed.
“Oh… Madam Mayor, your blood tastes amazing!”
“……”
“It tastes like bananas. Hm… I’ve never had blood like this before.”
Angelina’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly, then she collapsed backward into her chair.
Jeannie grimaced and scolded Arthur.
“Young master! How could you drink blood like that right in front of her!”
“…Why? Is that a problem, Jeannie?”
“Of course it is! Even if you drink it, you should do it in private!”
“…Oh? Is that how it’s done?”
“Obviously! Imagine what someone would think, seeing that for the first time!”
As Jeannie fussed, Angelina sat dazed, nearly fainting.
*‘No—drinking blood in secret isn’t the problem. Drinking it at all is!’*
Just then, the chamber doors opened and someone rushed in.
“Uncle—!”
It was Julie, who had been unconscious since the battle ended.
Arthur waved.
“Julie. You’re awake?”
Without a word, she ran into his arms.
“…Where were you? I searched everywhere.”
“Ah, I was attending a meeting.”
“A… meeting?”
“Yes. We were discussing future plans with Madam Mayor and the militia.”
Julie’s eyes widened.
Then, realizing Angelina and Jeannie were watching, she flushed.
“O-oh… Hello, Madam Mayor, Jeannie-unnie.”
Jeannie chuckled.
“My, Julie. Seems our young master is all you can see right now.”
“…Don’t tease me, Jeannie-unnie.”
Jeannie laughed, shrugging.
Meanwhile Julie bowed deeply to Angelina.
“I’m sorry, Madam Mayor… I overexerted myself in yesterday’s battle and couldn’t attend the meeting.”
Angelina managed to answer.
“It’s fine… Yesterday left us all too shaken to think clearly.”
“Yes. But what was the outcome of the meeting?”
Julie’s question made Angelina glance at Arthur.
“…There were some incidents, but it passed safely.”
Her words made Julie’s eyes shine.
“We plan to rescue Lord Willet Christol within the week—and attack the Arcane governor’s office as well.”
Julie pressed her lips together.
“…So it’s been decided.”
She hesitated, then pulled a folded newspaper from her cloak.
As the others tilted their heads in puzzlement, she spoke words that struck them like lightning.
“Lord Willet’s execution date has been moved forward.”
“…!”
“The enemy must have grown cautious after recent events.”
Angelina’s mouth dropped.
“Moved forward? Then when will the execution be held?”
Julie’s lips tightened. She stared at Arthur for a long time before whispering:
“…This time, please promise you’ll come back.”
Then she said, “Two days from now. At Arcane Square. That leaves us only one day.”
—
—
The shocking news made Angelina bite her nails.
“…It has to be a trap.”
Jeannie nodded grimly.
“Of course. Lord Willet isn’t only important to us, but a symbol to the enemy as well.”
She snapped her fingers.
“They’d never execute someone like that so easily. It’s bait—to lure us in.”
Everyone agreed.
Willet Christol was the first to rebel against Dormund’s rule.
To suddenly move up his execution—it made no sense.
Jeannie sighed heavily.
*‘An obvious trap, but one we can’t ignore…’*
If Willet was executed, not only his loyal mercenaries but countless rebels who admired him would lose heart.
*‘That must be what they’re aiming for.’*
It was a dire situation.
With only a single day to prepare, infiltrating Arcane’s underground prison to rescue him seemed impossible—especially if a trap lay waiting.
Jeannie’s face darkened. But Arthur raised his hand.
“…Why are you all hesitating?”
“…?”
“Isn’t this actually good news? It means we can rescue Lord Willet sooner.”
Jeannie’s eyes widened. Julie looked stricken.
“U-Uncle! It’s a trap! They’ll use him as bait to wipe us out—”
“So what, Julie?”
“…What?”
“What’s so bad about a trap?”
Arthur shrugged.
“We just smash through it and rescue Lord Willet. Simple.”
“…!”
“Not only will we save him, but we’ll also kill the pirates and Dormund’s lackeys lying in wait. Isn’t that even better?”
Julie’s jaw dropped.
Jeannie, mulling it over, let out a sigh of realization.
“…You know, you’re right. Trap or not, if we break everything and rescue Lord Willet, that’s all that matters.”
Arthur grinned.
“Knew you’d get it, Jeannie.”
“…Somehow it doesn’t feel like a compliment, young master.”
“Why not?”
“Because it means I’m becoming more like you.”
“And isn’t that a good thing?”
“……”
Jeannie gave a crooked smile.
Meanwhile, Angelina turned her gaze back to Arthur.
There he sat, looking utterly at ease, his confidence radiating from every word and gesture.
“…Arthur Bayern.”
“Yes, Madam Mayor?”
“You truly… believe you can enter that underground prison and rescue Lord Willet?”
Arthur smiled brightly.
“Yes.”
A short, resolute answer.
Through the Eye of the Pentagram, Angelina knew without doubt he was speaking the truth.
She nodded.
“…Very well. Then this is what we’ll do.”
Taking a deep breath, she declared:
“A strike team will infiltrate Arcane Prison with Young Master Arthur Bayern.”
“…!”
“And two days from now, at the execution, the main force will attack Dormund’s governor’s office.”
Her eyes gleamed sharply.
“Two assaults at once.”
Julie’s face paled.
“B-but Madam Mayor! Then the strike team entering the prison will be in terrible danger!”
Angelina glanced at Arthur.
Arthur slowly turned his head toward Julie.
Their eyes met, and Julie trembled but held her ground.
“…No, Uncle. I can’t let you go into such danger.”
Arthur smiled faintly.
*‘How nostalgic those words sound.’*
After a pause, he bowed his head slightly, still looking into Julie’s eyes.
“Julie, do you remember?”
“…?”
“When we first met.”
Julie tilted her head.
“…When we first met?”
“Yes. You said something then. That Ares Arekis was an unbelievably dangerous sorcerer—and that I should run.”
Her eyes widened.
Arthur lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug.
“And how did that turn out?”
“……”
“This time will be the same, Julie.”
He rose and gently patted her head.
“I’ll rescue Lord Willet and take care of the villains tormenting Arcane.”
Julie’s lips trembled.
But when she heard his next words, she could only fall silent.
“So trust me again, like you did back then. All right?”
Julie wrinkled her nose, whispering:
“This time… you’ll come back to me, won’t you?”
“Of course.”
Arthur smiled warmly.
“Not only will I return, but I’ll bring Lord Willet with me. So trust me and wait, Julie.”
