# Chapter 164
—
The second floor of the banquet hall.
From there, Leon looked down and burst into laughter.
“Ha ha… that crazy bastard. What the hell did he do to their Guardian Knight this time?”
He hadn’t expected him to stay quiet, but who could have imagined he would walk in after killing Bayern’s Guardian Knight, Haruden?
Shaking his head, Leon muttered to himself.
*…Still, not bad. Haruden was Dormund’s spy hidden inside Bayern anyway.*
The real question was—how had Arthur noticed?
Leon shrugged off the thought.
*At this point, does it even matter?*
Arthur Bayern had returned.
The heir of the ducal house of Bayern. The mercenary who had achieved the legendary feat of Arcane.
The fact that he had reappeared after seven years—that was what mattered.
*And in the process, he freed Arcane from Dormund’s grasp with his own hands, didn’t he?*
Leon had been stunned when he heard the news.
That it wasn’t just anyone, but Arthur Bayern—returned alive after seven years—who had rescued Arcane.
*If Professor Chizzy hadn’t contacted me beforehand, I never would’ve believed it.*
That was why, the moment he heard the story, Leon had moved without hesitation.
Arthur Bayern was a man who always did astonishing things—but sometimes, he went beyond reckless, attempting the impossible itself.
*That in itself isn’t bad. But sometimes, the consequences are disastrous.*
Take Ian Dormund, for instance.
The eldest son of Dormund, killed by Arthur Bayern. Their very first meeting had been in the middle of Arcane University’s campus.
And there—unbelievably—Arthur had tried to kill Ian Dormund.
Why, no one knew.
Leon could only guess that Arthur had lost himself to burning rage.
It had left him clicking his tongue.
Regardless of success or failure, the aftermath would be immense—and Arthur would inevitably bear the consequences.
*Did Arthur really think that far ahead? No… of course not.*
There was a reason people called Arthur Bayern insane.
And so Leon had no trouble predicting his next move.
*Irene and Bill’s engagement ceremony? Naturally, that lunatic would show up there.*
Fortunately, his prediction had been right on the mark.
He had waited in front of Dormund’s residence, and sure enough, Arthur Bayern appeared, ready to cause mayhem.
*Not yet… It’s too soon for Arthur Bayern and Cain Dormund to fight.*
Even if Arthur killed Cain, the shockwaves would destroy Bayern itself.
That was something Leon did not want to see.
*Arthur has to get past Cain—to Khan Madrid. That man must die too. But if Bayern collapses first, then Arthur will never be able to kill Khan.*
Still, the fury of the madman who had returned after seven years needed an outlet.
And so, after deliberation, Leon had chosen the engagement ceremony of Bill and Irene as the stage.
*Here, the justification and the optics are perfect. And on top of that, Arthur’s return will be broadcast to everyone.*
So far, the choice seemed sound.
Raising his glass toward the stunned Cain Dormund and the gathered nobles, Leon declared:
“Go wild, my friend.”
A smirk curved his lips.
“I’ll handle the aftermath. Your return—celebrate it however you please.”
—
—
Arthur laughed at the sight before his eyes.
“Ha ha…”
Unbelievably, everyone he had wanted to see was gathered here.
Bill, now one-eyed. The Thirteen Ghosts of Dormund.
Cain Dormund, unable to conceal his shock, mouth agape.
And Irene, collapsed on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“O… Oppa?”
Even from across the hall, her soft murmur rang clearly in his ears.
Arthur could not hide his surprise at how much she had changed.
*So that’s Irene, all grown up.*
He had never had the chance to see her like this before.
When he returned in the past, Irene had already taken her own life.
*If I recall, it was after being beaten by Bill Dormund, wasn’t it?*
As old memories resurfaced, Arthur’s lips curled faintly.
And then—the person beside Irene suddenly collapsed.
“…Mute… Arthur Bayern?”
Turning his head, Arthur let out a soft exclamation.
“Oh? Bill.”
“……”
“It’s really been a long time. That eyepatch suits you surprisingly well.”
Bill’s mouth fell open at his words.
*It’s really… Arthur Bayern?*
The lunatic who had torn out his eye?
Had that madman truly returned after seven years?
Unable to believe it, he blinked.
But the image did not vanish.
This was no nightmare illusion. It was the real, living Arthur Bayern standing before him.
The moment the truth hit, a raw shriek burst from Bill’s mouth.
“Kiieeeek—!”
With that scream, time that had frozen began to flow again.
The nobles, dazed in shock, belatedly erupted into cries of horror.
“Wh-what is that man!”
“Kyahhhh—!”
“The lunatic! The lunatic has appeared! Seize him at once!”
With their shouts, Bayern’s soldiers and the nobles’ private guards moved into action.
“Fuck this! Forget taking him alive—beat him half to death first!”
“The guests’ safety comes first! Move!”
“Firearms authorized! Aim carefully—shoot only him!”
With a storm of shouts, rifles were cocked and loaded.
Through the chaos, Irene managed to regain her senses and cried out:
“No—!!!”
But her desperate scream could not reach the soldiers with their guns raised.
Muzzles pointed at Arthur. And then—gunfire rang out.
Bang—!
Irene screamed, then fainted on the spot.
At that moment, Arthur turned his head, his eyes flashing.
*Julie’s Bloodline!*
The dormant bloodline of lightning awoke. Thunder crashed down.
“—!”
Currents surged across the floor, electrocuting every guard who had raised a weapon.
Even the bullets flying toward him were incinerated midair.
The nobles’ jaws dropped at the impossible sight.
Bill was no exception.
*Wh-what? How is he wielding lightning?*
Had he become a sorcerer in the years they hadn’t seen him?
But Bill quickly realized that wasn’t the point.
*He’s back… to kill me! That lunatic came back for me!*
Forcing his trembling legs to obey, Bill tried to flee.
And then, Arthur’s voice spoke right beside him.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry, Bill?”
“…!”
Startled, Bill fell onto his backside.
Arthur, who had leapt once to land before him, bent down.
“It’s been so long. Shouldn’t we greet each other properly—and return that last eye of yours?”
Bill’s voice quivered with terror as he begged.
“Sp-spare me! Arthur Bayern!”
At that, Arthur’s expression darkened.
“If you wanted to live, you should have lived quietly. What’s this engagement with Irene supposed to mean?”
“……”
“I warned you. I told you never to approach Irene again. So why did you?”
Bill’s face turned deathly pale at the question.
Thump, thump—
His heart pounded, and with it, the trauma carved into his soul reawakened.
The memory of his eye being torn out raw.
The nerves snapping one by one. That searing, visceral agony.
And then—surprisingly, Bill’s mind sharpened.
The pain imprinted by trauma had crossed a threshold and snapped him back to clarity.
Fueled by rage, Bill trembled.
*Why… why does he dare stand so proud before me?*
Wasn’t this the lunatic who had torn out his eye?
And yet that same lunatic now had the audacity to lecture him?
Grinding his teeth, Bill let loose ten years of pent-up fury.
“You bastard—!”
“…?”
“My revenge is just! You tore my eye from my head—you should suffer the same agony!”
Arthur blinked.
*Huh…? What nonsense is he spouting now?*
Did Bill mean to justify his engagement to Irene—and everything else—under the name of revenge?
After a pause, Arthur chuckled.
“Ha ha…”
At the same time, his hand clamped around Bill’s throat.
Bill gasped for breath, kicking wildly, but there was no escaping Arthur’s grip.
Lifted into the air, Bill met Arthur’s eyes.
And Arthur murmured coldly:
“I knew your bloodline had no shame—but I didn’t think it went this far.”
Bill, trembling, whispered back.
“…I have no shame?”
“Of course. Who caused all this to begin with?”
Bill barked a laugh.
“Bullshit! It was you!”
This time Arthur let out a bitter laugh.
“All this… because of me?”
“Yes! You tore out my eye—that’s why everything turned out like this!”
“…Are you really that stupid, Bill? Or do you just want to believe it?”
“…?”
“You’re forgetting—it was your family that struck first at mine. So why only remember your eye?”
Bill shouted back without yielding.
“The weak being culled and devoured—that’s natural! You say we struck first? No! That was the natural order! Bayern being swallowed by Dormund was inevitable!”
Arthur’s mouth fell open.
*Good god… he actually believes that.*
That the weak must be culled and consumed.
That Dormund swallowing Bayern was “inevitable.”
How could anyone so brazenly spout such madness?
And yet, looking at Bill’s expression, Arthur saw he truly meant it.
Shaking his head, Arthur muttered.
*They call me insane, but the real lunatics are here.*
An entire bloodline, born deranged.
With that thought, Arthur’s expression hardened.
“Is that so? Then what I do now is self-defense. Don’t hold it against me.”
His hand moved.
Bill’s vision suddenly went black.
“…!”
He shuddered in shock.
Why? Why couldn’t he see?
What had Arthur done to him?
As Bill tried to process it, his right eye began to burn.
His only eye—his most vital organ.
The pain grew, pounding through his skull.
Familiar, yet unfamiliar.
And then Arthur’s words replayed in his mind:
*Shouldn’t we greet each other properly—and return that last eye of yours?*
Bill’s jaw dropped.
Frantically, he reached for his right eye.
But nothing was there.
The eye, the eyeball, the pupil—gone.
The realization broke him.
“Uwaaaaaaah—!”
His scream ripped through the hall.
“My eye! My eye!!!”
“….”
“My eye’s gone! It’s gone! Where is it!”
Bloody tears streamed down his ruined face as he wailed.
It was not pitiful, but sordid. Filthy.
Arthur, watching in silence, casually tossed away the eyeball in his hand.
Then he smirked.
“…‘The weak being culled and devoured is natural,’ wasn’t it?”
Repeating Bill’s own words, Arthur drew the Sword of Blood.
“Then your death by my hand is only natural. You’re weak—and garbage besides.”
His eyes gleamed.
“So don’t resent me too much. See you in hell, Bill Dormund.”
He raised his blade, aiming to pierce the throat of the now-blind Bill—
When a sharp sensation tore across the back of his neck.
Arthur instantly twisted, swinging the Sword of Blood behind him.
Clang—!
Steel rang against steel.
There stood a man, familiar yet estranged, his expression hard as he held his sword aloft.
Arthur smiled.
“Cain Dormund.”
Cain let out a bitter laugh.
“Arthur… Bayern.”
Ten years.
After all that time, the two men crossed blades once again.
