# Chapter 33
—
Arthur woke from his sleep.
“Ah…”
Even though three days had passed, the fatigue from battle still hadn’t completely faded, and his body felt stiff.
Especially his right eye, which had regenerated—it still felt foreign.
‘Guess I really did push myself. Well, I did get my neck cut and an eyeball gouged out.’
Considering that, the result was enormous.
‘Tacen-ssi’s bloodline… this blood really is insane.’
Not only did it raise his physical abilities, but it also granted an absurd regenerative ability.
Tacen’s bloodline was among the very best, even compared to the bloodlines Arthur had acquired in his previous life.
‘From the books I checked… it said the monster that existed a thousand years ago was a troll. Then, does that mean Tacen-ssi is a descendant of that monster?’
Arthur shrugged.
After all, there were even rumors that he himself was a descendant of an angel.
Considering that, being a descendant of a monster wasn’t all that shocking.
‘What matters is that I’ve obtained an excellent bloodline at an unexpected time. And finally… I’ve gathered all five bloodlines.’
When he had first begun mercenary work, his goal was to collect five bloodlines. Looking at it that way, this commission had given him a result beyond imagination.
‘Hmm… in that case, I should probably start the search for more bloodlines sooner than I planned.’
The blood of Bayern could remember a total of five bloodlines.
However, filling all five didn’t mean he couldn’t absorb others.
‘If I take in a superior bloodline, I lose the power of the old one, but I’ll gain the ability to wield the new bloodline instead.’
For Arthur, who was strengthening himself for revenge, securing far better bloodlines was necessary.
But honestly, the chances of encountering another bloodline like Tacen’s through mercenary work were slim.
‘Unless I get higher-ranked and take on more difficult commissions… this time was an anomaly. Bloodline powers are extremely rare to begin with.’
Which was why, from now on, he planned to seek out bloodlines he had absorbed in his past life—those he could realistically obtain at this point in time.
‘I’m already growing quickly… but if I do this, I’ll grow even faster.’
Arthur smiled in satisfaction and rose from bed.
After a quick wash, he stepped into the dining hall.
Anna, who had been waiting, blinked at him.
“…Young Master?”
“Mm.”
“You look especially handsome today.”
Arthur tilted his head.
“Handsome? Me?”
“Yes… um… I can’t quite explain it, but you look especially handsome today.”
Anna scratched her head with an awkward expression.
From that look, Arthur knew she meant what she said.
‘Suddenly I look handsome? Maybe because I washed my face more thoroughly today…’
Or perhaps it was just Anna’s imagination.
Brushing the thought aside, Arthur picked up his knife and fork.
The food was prepared by the chefs who had always worked for the Bayern household, so he was quite familiar with it. He cleared the plate without leaving a single grain behind, then rose from his seat.
“Will you be going out again today?”
“Yeah. Arcane Street is pretty fun.”
“Don’t you get tired of it, seeing it every day? I already am.”
At her grumble, Arthur curved his lips into a smile.
“If Anna ever meets Tacen-ssi, you won’t be saying that.”
“…Tacen-ssi? Who’s that?”
“Oh, just someone. A very manly person.”
Leaving behind that cryptic answer, Arthur donned his cloak and went out.
Anna, watching him go, shrugged.
“He says such strange things sometimes… Tacen—could that be a new friend he’s made?”
The thought made her smile brightly.
If it was a friend of the Young Master’s, she’d welcome them to the house anytime.
Organizing her thoughts, Anna turned around.
Whoosh!
A pleasant breeze blew in through the window.
—
—
When he visited *Manners Make the Man*, Willet lifted his head from the newspaper.
“You’re here.”
“Yes, hello, Elder.”
Willet turned.
His manner was still cold, but Arthur had grown used to it and followed without comment.
When they reached the underground office, Willet finally gave a belated greeting.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes.”
“Your body?”
“I’m fine.”
Willet narrowed his gaze at that answer.
Then, after tapping his fingers in thought, he suddenly handed something toward Arthur.
“The promised intermediate Essence Pill.”
“Oh…”
“It was supposed to be one. But after what you went through, giving just one wouldn’t make sense. I brought three.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
Three intermediate Essence Pill were enough to buy a house in Arcane.
‘No—more than that. They’re practically impossible to obtain. Even with money, you can’t buy intermediate Essence Pill.’
Which showed just how outrageous the pay for this commission was.
Especially given the value of something so rare.
But Willet didn’t seem to think so.
“You said you didn’t need money, so I also got you a one-year membership.”
“Membership?”
“At any pharmacy run by Adventure Pharmaceuticals, they’ll give you any medicine free of charge. Even potions.”
Arthur’s eyes widened again.
It wasn’t on the same level as the previous reward, but it was still incredible.
Feeling curious, Arthur tilted his head.
“Uh… Elder Willet, isn’t the commission pay a bit different from usual?”
“It has to be. The people you dealt with are very famous in the underworld. Fanatics of the \[Black Cross]. Have you heard of them?”
“No, this is my first time.”
Willet rose to his feet.
Soon, he reappeared holding a glass of milk in one hand and vodka in the other.
“Milk again for you?”
“Yes.”
Handing Arthur the milk, Willet popped open the vodka.
As the sharp scent of alcohol spread through the office, Willet continued.
“There are many kinds of people in the underworld, and accordingly, many organizations. Some are called legends, while others are groups of the utterly deranged. The \[Black Cross] you met falls into the latter.”
Arthur tilted his head.
“But they all seemed perfectly normal to me.”
“Would sane people murder fifty citizens without official approval and turn them into undead? Even in this lawless world, that’s a line you don’t cross.”
Arthur fell silent.
He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but hearing Willet’s words, it did make sense.
“Anyway… you completed a commission against those madmen.”
“…”
“To be frank, I thought you and Jeannie were dead. How could it be otherwise? The Butcher, Tacen—that man is infamous even in this world.”
With that, Willet downed a gulp of vodka.
The heavy scent of alcohol filled the air.
Meanwhile, Arthur gathered his thoughts and asked,
“How did President Tartan get involved with people like that?”
“Do you know the hallmark of fanatics?”
“What is it?”
“They never let traitors live.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“Then… was President Tartan one of them?”
“To be precise, he was a patron. But he came to his senses and tried to break away. That’s when this happened.”
“Then… why didn’t he inform us beforehand?”
“If word got out that the Black Cross was involved, how many mercenaries do you think would’ve accepted the commission? No matter the pay, you have to survive to enjoy it. So they kept it hidden.”
Understanding the situation, Arthur nodded.
“I see… Is President Tartan safe?”
“Who knows. He might’ve sold the company and fled Arcane, or he may face another attack from the Black Cross. Either way, it won’t end well. And frankly, it’s not our concern.”
Willet’s firm reply made Arthur realize just how angry he had been over this incident.
But since it wasn’t his business, Arthur let it go.
He had already gained what he wanted—and more bloodline than he had expected.
That was more than enough reward.
Then Willet, still drinking heavily, suddenly asked,
“…Are you going to keep working with me?”
“…What?”
“Will you continue to work with me?”
Arthur blinked.
Willet explained.
“Usually, after something like this, mercenaries change brokers. Especially the skilled ones.”
“…”
“And you fit both categories. A foolish broker who failed to fully assess the commission. A mercenary skilled enough to survive against the Black Cross. You have no reason to keep working with me.”
Arthur looked at Willet.
It was the first time he’d seen the man wearing such a deeply troubled expression.
‘Seems he’s disappointed in himself. Well… Elder Willet has always been proud of his work in this field.’
Arthur quietly smiled.
Seeing the normally stoic Willet like this oddly lifted his mood.
So he threw out a rare joke.
“Then why not just bring me better commissions next time?”
“…What?”
“I’ll be taking a break from mercenary work for a while… but when I return, you can just give me good commissions. Isn’t that what makes a good broker, Elder Willet?”
Willet fell silent.
Arthur, watching, nodded with satisfaction.
‘He got the joke. Best way to lighten a heavy mood is with humor.’
But in the back of his mind, another thought rose.
Would he really continue being a mercenary?
Honestly, now that he had gathered all five bloodlines, he no longer had to.
But after some thought, he shook his head.
The income from mercenary work had been far better than expected.
‘Even with the unexpected variables… the results speak for themselves. No real reason to quit.’
Meanwhile, Willet sighed and muttered,
“I always knew you were peculiar, but this answer really baffles me.”
“…?”
“But we’re not close enough for me to ask your reasons. So, as broker to mercenary, I’ll give you one last reward for this commission.”
With that, he handed over a ticket.
“What’s this?”
“A pass to the black market. In five months, Arcane will host its largest black market.”
Willet took another swig of vodka and explained.
“It’s a very private market, arranged for a select few. There, you can obtain anything that exists in this world. And even if it doesn’t exist, you can have it found.”
Arthur let out a gasp.
‘If I go to that market… I might even be able to find bloodlines.’
After some thought, he judged the chances high.
After all, in his previous life, he had indeed acquired bloodlines from such markets.
Accepting the ticket, Arthur tucked it into his coat.
“Thank you, Elder Willet.”
Willet nodded.
“Since you said you’ll be taking a break, come back in five months. You’ll need someone to vouch for your identity, so I’ll have to go with you.”
“Oh? You’d go that far for me? I’m glad our relationship has grown closer.”
“…Closer?”
“Yes.”
“With who?”
“With you, Elder Willet.”
Willet downed the rest of his vodka in one go and waved him away.
“Just leave. Talking with you makes me feel like I’m losing my mind. Now I understand why Jeannie wanted nothing to do with you.”
—
—
Inside a dark room.
A girl with a black cross around her neck looked down at the corpse of President Tartan.
His shriveled, mummified body could by no means be called a decent state.
But her gaze remained steady.
Tartan’s death was entirely justified.
With the church’s backing, Tartan had risen to become the president of a reputable pharmaceutical company in Arcane.
But when he tried to betray that grace, he received the fitting punishment.
Having settled her thoughts, the girl turned her eyes.
In the corner of the room sat an elderly man, watching both her and Tartan.
A black magician, known as a legend in this world.
Whitebeard opened his mouth.
“A guest arrives, and you don’t even offer a cup of tea?”
“….”
“Really now… such a pretty face, but your heart remains cold as ice.”
Clicking his tongue, Whitebeard rose.
The girl’s voice, chilling, cut through the air.
“Why are you here, Elder?”
“I came to ask a favor.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. And also to apologize.”
With those words, Whitebeard smiled faintly.
“Meaning the conversation will be long… won’t you pour me a cup of tea? Old men’s mouths dry easily, you see. Can’t tell a story otherwise.”
The girl responded.
“…Is this about that mercenary, Donn?”
Whitebeard burst into laughter.
“Well, yes. My guest—and my ‘property’—caused a mess. So I came to apologize. You see, if you touch what belongs to me, I’ll have no choice but to kill you.”
—
