#Chapter 147
—
Because of the battle, Professor Chizzy and Professor Norse—both of whom had sustained injuries—were admitted to the infirmary side by side.
The two, long known for their close friendship, passed the time by exchanging various conversations.
“Haha… well now… isn’t it fascinating, Professor Norse?”
At Professor Chizzy’s question, Professor Norse replied.
“You mean Arthur Bayern, don’t you?”
“Yes… indeed… Who could have imagined that the student who vanished seven years ago would suddenly reappear like this…?”
His words left Norse deep in thought.
*Strange… or rather, should I say astonishing?*
Arthur Bayern, heir to a ducal house who had disappeared seven years ago.
That he would suddenly appear and save the rebellion and the professors of Arcane from crisis was undeniably an astonishing event.
Even he himself had, at the time Arthur appeared, thought he was merely hallucinating from excessive blood loss.
But right after that, Professor Norse witnessed something even more shocking than Arthur’s return.
Arthur Bayern had shattered a blade aura.
*Blade aura can cut through anything… yet he destroyed it. That means he manifested something beyond, at a higher realm.*
And above blade aura, there is but a single higher state.
Among tens of thousands of swordsmen, only one may reach it.
The Swordmaster’s *sword force*.
*If Arthur Bayern cut through a search officer’s blade aura, that means he has stepped into that transcendent realm—the realm of the Swordmaster.*
That was why Professor Norse could not make sense of it.
*…Is this even possible? How could Arthur Bayern become a Swordmaster?*
Yes, the boy had shown extraordinary talent in the past, but how could anyone become a Swordmaster in only seven years?
In all the annals of history, there had never been a swordsman who reached Swordmaster at so young an age—and in so short a time.
*This isn’t something that can be explained away with words like genius… It’s simply impossible.*
So Professor Norse was inwardly convinced he must have seen wrong.
That his eyesight had dimmed after suffering so much these past seven years.
That explanation made more sense than anything else.
*Hmm… yes. No matter how I think of it, it makes no sense. No matter how much of a genius Arthur Bayern may be, Swordmaster is far too much!*
Just as he made that judgment, Professor Chizzy muttered.
“Hmm… That’s why I’d like to… speak with Arthur Bayern a little more… but time has been scarce.”
Pulled out of his thoughts, Norse asked.
“Seems you were rather close to him?”
“Haha… Indeed. Perhaps it is bold of me to say, but… seven years ago, I was secretly considering him… as the heir to my academic legacy.”
“…!”
Norse’s mouth fell open.
“H-heir, you say?”
“Hahaha… No need to be so shocked. It was but a private thought of mine… Still, who knows?”
Professor Chizzy raised the corners of his lips.
“If Arthur Bayern so desired, he has ample talent to walk the path of a scholar… He could very well be my successor.”
Professor Norse immediately frowned.
*…No matter how much I respect Chizzy, suggesting scholarship to someone like Arthur Bayern?*
To him, a man born a swordsman, it was unthinkable.
No—it *must not* be acceptable.
For a natural-born warrior like Arthur Bayern to turn toward scholarship would not just be a loss to the martial world, but a loss to humanity itself.
*Before this fellow fills his head with foolish ideas, I must stop him.*
Resolving himself, Professor Norse spoke out.
“Ehem! Professor Chizzy. Forgive me, but Arthur Bayern surely has no interest in scholarship.”
Chizzy’s eyes went round.
“What do you mean, Professor Norse?”
“Arthur Bayern is a natural-born swordsman. Scholarship is far from him.”
This time it was Chizzy’s turn to scowl.
“…Forgive me, Professor Norse, but you are the one mistaken. Arthur Bayern’s talent… shines brighter as a scholar.”
“I told you—that’s mistaken!”
“Haha… No, *you’re* the one mistaken!”
“You truly are a frustrating fellow! I tell you, Arthur Bayern—”
In the middle of their suddenly heated debate, as they volleyed opinions back and forth, the infirmary door opened and someone entered.
Angelina Babi.
The mayor of Arcane.
At her appearance, both professors turned their gazes and exclaimed.
“Mayor!”
“…?”
“Arthur Bayern! Where is he?”
Startled by their urgent tone, Angelina blinked and replied.
“…And why, all of a sudden, are you asking about Arthur Bayern?”
“We have something we must ask him!”
Angelina shrugged.
“He just stepped out for a while.”
Both professors’ eyes widened.
“H-he stepped out? Don’t tell me he’s disappeared again?”
At Norse’s question, Angelina glanced around before whispering.
“The Arcane prison.”
“…?”
“He’s gone to rescue Willet Christol, who is confined there.”
“…!”
Her words left both professors gaping in shock.
“W-what do you mean, Mayor?! How could Arthur Bayern suddenly go to the Arcane underground prison?!”
Instead of answering, Angelina handed them a newspaper.
As they slowly read the contents, their eyes grew wide.
“Th-this is…!”
“Willet Christol’s execution…!”
Seeing their reaction, Angelina’s gaze sharpened.
“…The decisive moment has come, professors. The time not for pens, but for real swords.”
The two professors swallowed hard.
—
—
Night settled over Arcane.
Its scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, enough to draw admiration.
Arthur, smiling faintly, looked at the view before him and murmured.
“This place hasn’t changed.”
Though everything had changed over the seven years, thankfully some things remained the same.
That thought pleased him, and he hummed a little tune when Jeannie approached.
“My lord. Preparations are complete.”
At her words, Arthur turned his head.
“So, we’re going to Arcane Prison now?”
“Yes. As you requested, it seems just the two of us will suffice.”
Arthur tilted his head at that.
“…Hmm. I don’t mind, but somehow it feels strange.”
“What does?”
“Your reaction, Jeannie. In the past, whenever I suggested something like this, your ears would perk right up.”
Jeannie blinked at his remark, then chuckled softly.
“After all the times I’ve been through things with you, my lord, would I still be startled at something like this? That would be disappointing.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
And at the same time, a sharp pain flared.
Angelina Babi.
Her bloodline ability had activated.
*Oh… she’s telling the truth?*
According to Angelina, pain in his eyes meant truth—so Jeannie’s words just now had been genuine.
Stroking his chin, Arthur gave Jeannie a new look.
*Back then, whenever I suggested something, she’d be startled… Jeannie has grown too.*
His lips curled into a smile.
It was a good sign that someone he could trust like Jeannie was maturing.
Feeling buoyant, Arthur leapt lightly from the railing where he’d been perched and shouted.
“Then no need to hesitate. Shall we go at once?”
Jeannie’s eyes lit up.
“Stealth or disguise, my lord? Which will you choose? Whichever you decide, I’ll assist you.”
Arthur blinked at her confident reply.
“What are you talking about, Jeannie?”
“…Eh?”
“Why would we bother sneaking in?”
“…?”
Now it was Jeannie’s turn to blink.
Meanwhile, Arthur reloaded his Beast and explained.
“The search officers aren’t fools. They’ll have set traps. If we sneak in, we’re bound to walk right into them. Why go looking for hardship, Jeannie?”
Flustered, she asked,
“Th-then how do you plan to rescue Lord Willet?”
Arthur grinned.
“By going straight in and smashing everything.”
“…!”
“If we wreck Arcane Prison from the entrance down to the foundations, we won’t fall into traps, and we’ll definitely get Lord Willet out, won’t we?”
Jeannie’s jaw dropped.
“A-are you serious, my lord?”
“Of course I’m serious.”
“……”
Closing her mouth, Jeannie thought to herself.
*…I thought I understood him, but I didn’t after all.*
Arthur Bayern always defied common sense.
She reminded herself of that truth once more, just as Arthur turned to gaze at the darkened city of Arcane.
Watching the view, his lips curved in a confident smile.
“Just wait a little longer, Lord Willet. I’ll come rescue you now.”
—
—
The underground prison of Arcane.
Even before Dormund’s occupation, its ominous reputation was well-known—but now, it was far worse.
“…Uaaaahhh!”
“Save me! Please save me!”
“If you won’t let me live… then just kill me.”
Screams, shouts.
The stench of blood.
Within the prison, the air was thick with death.
Since Dormund’s colonial rule began, the prison’s character had completely changed.
Where once it had been only grueling confinement, now it was accompanied by savage torture.
As a result, dozens of rebels imprisoned there perished every single day.
Reflecting on this, a guard of the Arcane underground prison—also a pirate—yawned wide.
Artlan.
*I mean really… who would ever dare attack this place?*
Perhaps because of its dreadful reputation, even street cats seemed to avoid the prison.
The notion of anyone attempting to raid it was beyond imagination.
Yet the new ruler sent from Dormund had nonetheless emphasized the prison’s security dozens of times.
So many pirates had been assigned to guard it—and Artlan was none too pleased.
*Hah… I should be patrolling the streets, shaking down a few coins.*
With that pocket money, he could buy drinks and sit with women.
That was, after all, why he became both pirate and search officer in the first place.
But he had lost the lottery this month, and ended up stuck guarding the underground prison—a fate he found bitterly unfair.
Standing guard in this hellhole of blood and screams was its own kind of torture.
Spitting roughly, Artlan grumbled.
“Damn it. At this point I’d welcome some kind of incident. Tch.”
With those words, he leaned his back against the wall.
Uncomfortable though it was, at least he might manage some shut-eye while standing.
Satisfied at last with his posture, a faint smile came to his lips, and just as he began to close his eyes—
A stranger’s voice rang in his ear.
“Knock knock.”
“…?”
“Hello? Arthur Bayern here.”
Startled, Artlan’s eyes snapped open.
And there stood a man, a stranger who had approached without his notice.
Raising his musket, Artlan shouted,
“Wh-who goes there! Identify your affiliation and rank!”
Arthur, who had come to the prison at last, gave him a bright smile.
“I already told you, didn’t I?”
“…What?”
“My name. I told you—I’m Arthur Bayern.”
Artlan blinked.
*What is this…?*
Arthur Bayern?
But how could this stranger have slipped through the impenetrable checkpoints of Arcane Prison and be standing before him?
To reach this place, one had to pass through Dormund’s double checkpoints.
*Those checkpoints can’t be breached. Then…*
Artlan’s eyes widened.
There was one possibility—someone who appeared suddenly, declared only his name, and revealed no affiliation.
*I-it must be inspection! An inspector!*
Finishing the thought, Artlan hastily bowed.
“Ah! You must be from the Dormund Governor’s Office!”
“…?”
“Forgive my insolence! I did not realize you were here for inspection!”
Arthur blinked.
“The Dormund Governor’s Office?”
“Y-yes, exactly!”
“…Hmm. You really believe that?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Oh… I feel pain in my eyes. So you *do* genuinely believe that.”
“……”
“How strange. Every pirate I meet seems to suspect I’m from Dormund. I wonder why that is?”
Artlan tilted his head.
*What on earth is he talking about?*
In truth, he hadn’t understood a single word of the exchange just now.
But he had to answer, so he carefully opened his mouth.
“U-um… I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Really? Well, that can’t be helped.”
Shrugging, Arthur slipped a hand inside his coat.
“This is indeed the underground prison, isn’t it, guard?”
Artlan finally understood and smiled.
“Yes! This is the Arcane underground prison itself!”
“Oh. Thanks for the kind answer. Have a good evening.”
Arthur gave a polite farewell, and Artlan, pleased, bowed in return.
*To think I’d dodge inspection so easily!*
Strange though the situation was, it seemed fortune was smiling on him.
Just as he straightened from his bow—
Arthur drew his hand out of his coat and pulled the trigger of the Beast.
BOOM—!!
With a thunderous roar, the entrance of the prison was blown apart.
The smile froze on Artlan’s lips.
“…?”
Meanwhile Arthur strolled casually forward into the underground prison.
Dazed, Artlan stared at his back—until belatedly realizing the truth, and screamed.
“INTRUDER! INTRUDER!!!”
Never once had an outsider breached the Arcane underground prison.
But now, its iron fortress had been broken through—in the most absurd way imaginable.
