# Chapter 40
—
The sword that came crashing down grazed past Ares’s neck by a hair’s breadth.
It left a cut, but it wasn’t enough to sever his throat.
In that moment, Julie sobbed as she murmured.
“I can’t kill him. No matter how much of an enemy he is… I just can’t.”
At her words, Arthur, who had been watching the situation, nodded.
“Revenge is like that. It feels relieving, yet leaves you unsettled. I’ll respect your decision, Julie.”
With that, Arthur lifted the weakened Julie into his arms.
Julie, held close, clung to Arthur, trembling and tearful.
Arthur quietly comforted her without a word.
“……”
Ares, who had been holding his breath while watching, finally exhaled.
*There’s only one chance.*
He was just about to move his lips when—
—A chilling touch of cold steel pressed against his forehead.
Ares’s eyes widened, and when he looked up, he saw Arthur smiling down at him.
“As expected of a mage. Give you a gap, and you immediately try something stupid.”
Ares opened his mouth.
But Arthur’s finger was faster.
Bang!
With a deafening gunshot, a hole was blown through Ares’s forehead.
He collapsed backward, unable to even close his gaping mouth, and breathed his last.
The man who was to become the future Chief Magus of the Imperial Army—hailed as the Empire’s greatest genius—met a pitiful end.
*If I’d let him live, he would’ve become a troublesome enemy. Best to end it here.*
With that thought, Arthur turned his gaze.
Julie, who had calmed down at some point, came into view.
“I’ll give you some space. Do you want a little time alone?”
“Yes…”
Arthur nodded, then turned his body and walked toward Jeannie, who was receiving healing from Undine.
“You alright, Jeannie?”
“…Do I *look* alright to you?”
At Jeannie’s sharp, angry voice, Arthur gave a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, Jeannie-ssi. But you understand, right?”
“No. Which is why I’m asking—can I slap you once?”
“A slap?”
“My heart says I should just empty my gun into you, but since I still have money to collect, I’ll hold back. Instead, just one slap. One solid slap across the face.”
At her low, simmering voice, Arthur smacked his lips.
*Well, considering Jeannie-ssi’s position, it’s fair she’s angry. Not only did I leave without a word, but I almost got her killed.*
So Arthur leaned his face toward her.
Jeannie, who had been glaring with narrowed eyes, was startled.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“You said you wanted to slap me, so I’m making it easier for you.”
“……”
“You’re not going to, Jeannie-ssi?”
Jeannie glared at him for a long moment, then sighed.
“Forget it. A slap only means something if the other person actually gets mad.”
Arthur straightened back up, smiling brightly.
“I know it’s not the best timing, but… thank you, Jeannie-ssi. Because of you, everything went well.”
“…Fine. But you *are* paying me properly, right?”
“Of course. The moment we return to Arcane, I’ll hand it over. Do you want anything else? Honestly, I’m so grateful I’d like to give you a bonus gift.”
Jeannie’s eyes narrowed.
“No. Just give me the money you promised. That’s enough.”
Arthur shrugged.
Had she asked for more, he would’ve given it, but if she didn’t want anything extra, he had no intention of forcing it on her.
*Alright then… time for cleanup, I suppose.*
Arthur turned his gaze.
Scattered corpses of mages, and the laboratory itself.
Erasing all traces was urgent, but what mattered most were the children who were still alive.
Their condition was dire—every second counted.
Having reached that conclusion, Arthur turned to Jeannie.
“I’m going to rescue the children trapped inside. Can you help me, Jeannie? This will probably be the last favor I ask.”
—
—
Jeannie’s jaw dropped.
“…Hah.”
Inside the laboratory built by the mages lay piles of corpses.
All of them were children—not even ten years old.
Rage welled up inside her, belated but fierce.
“Those sons of bitches… absolute monsters.”
There are lines one should never cross.
Lines that, as humans, must never be transgressed.
But what lay before her eyes had crossed that line completely.
Jeannie’s face twisted with fury, and beside her, Arthur began the real healing.
“Undine, I’ll need your help.”
\[Yes, Arthur!]
The healing power of a mid-ranked water spirit far surpassed that of most priests. The children who had been writhing in pain rapidly began to recover.
Watching from the side, Jeannie suddenly thought:
*That lunatic… why *did* he even come here?*
She hadn’t cared before, but now that it was over, curiosity struck.
Why had he killed all these mages?
Could it really have been to rescue these children?
*…That doesn’t sound like him.*
And yet, everything unfolding suggested otherwise.
Jeannie glanced at Arthur with a fresh look, but soon shook her head.
If it truly were goodwill, maybe he was worth another look. But her head still throbbed from where he’d hit her earlier.
“…Hoo.”
Meanwhile, Arthur finished healing all the surviving children and let out a long breath.
“At least the worst is over.”
\[Yes… good work, Arthur.]
“No, Undine—you worked the hardest. Rest now.”
At his words, Undine bowed lightly before fading away, returning to nature from overexertion.
Arthur stretched, loosening his stiff body, when Julie approached with faltering, weary steps.
“Is it over, Julie?”
“Yes. Mister Donn…”
Her voice trailed off, and she bowed deeply.
“Thank you. For saving my friends, too.”
“It’s nothing. When someone’s in trouble, we help each other out.”
“No… usually when someone’s in trouble… people just look away. But you didn’t, Mister Donn.”
Arthur scratched his chin at her reply.
*She’s mature for her age… Is it because of what she’s been through?*
Reflecting, Arthur nodded.
Even he himself had matured early due to the trials of his childhood.
Whether that was a good thing, however, remained uncertain.
Trials could make one stronger—or they could break a person.
In Julie’s case, whether she would move forward or collapse remained to be seen.
“Do you have somewhere to go?”
“No. We’re all orphans…”
“Orphans? All of these children?”
“Yes. We’re all beggars from Boris Village, relying on tourists. I was the same.”
Arthur clicked his tongue.
“…I see. Then, would you mind waiting a bit? I still have some business to finish.”
“Yes, Mister Donn.”
Julie politely bowed.
Arthur, in turn, walked over to the mages’ corpses.
“……!”
Jeannie flinched in shock, stepping back.
But Arthur casually lifted even Ares’s body onto his shoulder.
He summoned the Gnome and had him collect their heads as well before saying:
“Jeannie, keep watch for a while.”
“Y-yes!”
Leaving her to guard, Arthur carried the corpses into the laboratory.
He dumped them unceremoniously onto the floor, then gathered up documents.
“These will serve as evidence…”
He handed them to the Gnome.
“Keep these safe for me, Gnome-ssi. I didn’t bring my bag.”
\[Alright.]
Arthur skimmed a few remaining documents quickly.
*Project L. Bloodline duplication. Upon successful experimentation…*
Memorizing the details, he muttered.
“Hm… bloodline replication? What’s the point of this?”
Special abilities contained within blood.
People called it simply: *bloodline.*
Some were descendants of monsters, like Tacen whom he’d met before, while others—like Julie—were miracle-bearers.
*It’s powerful, sure, but it’s not without limits. Bloodlines aren’t invincible.*
A single gifted ability wasn’t enough to defeat a 5th-circle knight.
The same went for mages.
So Arthur couldn’t help but question—
Why would Ares risk so much to pursue replication of bloodlines?
If it had been like the previous experiment—mass-producing mages—that would have at least made sense.
*I should’ve asked before killing him. Tch.*
Smacking his lips, Arthur brushed the thought aside.
There was no way to learn more now, and he was satisfied enough with what he had already gained.
*Just as planned—Bill Dormund’s ability replaced with Julie’s, Ares dealt with. No need to get greedy.*
Revenge and bloodline. The two most important things in this life—he had secured both.
Arthur, satisfied, entrusted the rest of the documents to the Gnome.
Then he summoned the lightning bloodline he had inherited from Julie.
Crackle—!
Lightning sparked at his fingertips.
He hurled it, igniting the laboratory.
Whoosh!
Priceless equipment burned, shrieking as they melted.
And the owners of this lab turned to ash.
Arthur bowed his head at the sight.
“I won’t say ‘rest in a better place.’ Just… rest.”
Finishing his farewell, Arthur left the lab.
The Gnome remained, raising his power to bury the ashes underground.
Thud!
When Arthur emerged outside, Jeannie and Julie, who had been exchanging uneasy glances, quickly looked away.
“All done?”
“You’re finished, Mister Donn?”
Arthur nodded.
“Yes, all done. Shall we go?”
“…Go where?”
“Arcane, of course.”
Julie hesitated.
“But… I don’t have a home in Arcane.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Julie. I know just the place—a good orphanage where you and your friends will be cared for.”
Julie blinked in surprise.
Beside her, Jeannie shifted uneasily.
*He’s not causing trouble again, is he? An orphanage that’ll take in ten kids at once?*
But she didn’t speak up.
She wanted no further entanglement with Arthur.
The next day, her fears proved true.
“What… exactly is this?”
Willet’s icy voice cut through, leaving Jeannie silent.
Arthur scratched his cheek awkwardly and greeted him.
“Um… hello, Willet-nim?”
—
—
Willet, of *Manners Make the Man,* stood with arms crossed.
Arthur stumbled through his explanation.
“Um… I happened to meet these children, and they had nowhere to go.”
“……”
“So I thought of your orphanage, Willet-nim, and brought them here. Would that be alright?”
Willet’s expression twisted.
That rare display of emotion made both Jeannie and Arthur flinch.
Just as Willet was about to explode in anger—
“……”
He froze at the sight of ten children staring at him.
At Julie’s gaze among them, his mouth clamped shut.
After rubbing his brow, he sighed.
“In my entire life, no one has troubled me as much as you.”
“Then I’m honored to be the first.”
“That wasn’t a compliment. So—all these children, they truly have no parents?”
Arthur glanced at Julie and the others.
They all nodded in unison.
“Yes. They’re all the same.”
Willet gestured for Arthur to step closer.
When Arthur did, Willet spoke in a low, warning tone.
“This won’t happen again. Do you understand? If you brought them here because of that Tacen incident, then this is a breach of our agreem—”
Arthur cut him off with a smile.
“Thank you, Willet-nim.”
Willet closed his mouth, glaring at Arthur.
But the smile on Arthur’s face didn’t fade.
*Does he know what he’s doing… or is he really this oblivious?*
Sighing again, Willet turned and walked toward the stiff children.
“Who likes candy?”
“……”
“If no one does, I’ll take it back.”
A few children cautiously raised their hands.
Willet gave a faint smile and handed out sweets.
Arthur watched the scene with satisfaction, when Jeannie, who had been holding her breath, leaned closer.
“Willet-nim… you run an orphanage too?”
“Yes. Athena Orphan—hm? Jeannie-ssi?”
“Yes?”
“This is a secret, alright? You must keep it.”
Flustered, Jeannie nodded quickly.
Meanwhile, Willet turned back to Arthur.
“I need to get back to work, so I’ll be taking the children now. Anything else?”
Arthur thought for a moment, then shook his head.
It was a strange connection, but he had only known them for a day.
There wasn’t much more to say.
As Willet turned away, Julie suddenly darted forward.
“Mister Donn.”
“Yes, Julie?”
“Will we… meet again?”
At her cautious question, Arthur bent down to meet her eyes.
“Of course. I’ll come visit.”
“……”
“As long as Willet-nim allows, I’ll make sure to stop by now and then.”
Julie smiled brightly.
Arthur returned her smile.
After their farewell, Julie followed Willet with the other children.
Watching her go, Arthur chuckled.
“Looks like Julie managed to overcome it, just like me. I’m glad.”
At the same time, the weight on his heart lightened.
With that refreshing feeling, Arthur turned his gaze—and met Jeannie’s curious stare.
“Well then, Jeannie-ssi. Shall we settle our accounts now?”
Arthur held out the promised gold coins.
“Your fee—500 gold. Count it, Jeannie-ssi, to be sure.”
—
