# chapter 72
—
Whitebeard laughed.
Watching that smile, Arthur thought to himself.
*‘If a demon were to laugh, wouldn’t it look just like that?’*
The raised cheekbones, the twisted corners of the mouth—
If a demon laughed, surely it would be in such a way.
In the meantime, Whitebeard tilted his head and asked,
“How did you know that what I wanted was your body?”
To that question, Arthur answered honestly.
“It was just a guess. You said you were gathering bloodlines, and you showed me kindness.”
“So?”
“I don’t believe in favors without cost, so I kept wondering why. But no matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason you should help me.”
Whitebeard nodded.
“Right. There’s no reason for me to help you.”
“Then there’s only one answer. The fact that you helped and spared me means you wanted something from me. Once I thought that way, the answer came quickly.”
Arthur smiled.
“My lineage. Isn’t it my blood you want? Just like with Mr. Frakil, whom you kept by your side?”
Whitebeard clapped his hands.
“So accurate it’s surprising. That’s right. I want your blood.”
“I could give you a few drops if you’d like?”
“No. A few drops aren’t worth the trouble. I’ve already cleaned up after you twice.”
Arthur tilted his head.
“Twice? Not just once?”
“The Black Cross incident. Do you remember?”
“…? Yenika?”
“Oh? You met that princess?”
“Yes. But what about her?”
Whitebeard’s head twisted ninety degrees as he leaned close, right up to Arthur’s nose.
“She tried to kill you. As payment for interfering in my affairs. So I gave her a large sum of money to back off.”
“……”
“So that makes twice. Even a king of a nation would struggle to receive my aid even once, but you’ve already incurred two debts.”
Staring at Whitebeard’s face, now right before his nose, Arthur scratched his head.
“Mm… but I never asked for your help.”
“Then you would’ve died. That’s not what I want.”
Arthur let out a soft exclamation.
*‘So he has no intention of killing me yet?’*
To be honest, the old man before him seemed far more dangerous than Hallibur whom he had faced earlier.
With Hallibur, there was at least some chance of survival if he ran. With this old man, there wasn’t even that faint possibility.
In that sense, confirming that the old man had no immediate intention of killing him was a considerable gain.
*‘So either it’s not yet the time to kill me… or he’s waiting for something?’*
With that thought, Arthur raised the corner of his mouth.
That made the conversation easier.
“Then you’ll be sparing me again today, right?”
“…Sparing you?”
“Yes. Isn’t that your intention?”
Whitebeard’s head, which had turned ninety degrees, slowly returned to normal.
Then, without saying a word, he just stared intently at Arthur.
“……?”
Just as Arthur blinked under that silent gaze, Whitebeard exhaled in a disappointed manner and muttered,
“You… don’t feel fear, do you?”
“…Excuse me?”
“You don’t have the emotion of fear. That’s quite remarkable……”
Trailing off, he leaned back in his chair.
Arthur, who was watching him, was just about to ask why he thought that when Whitebeard spoke again.
“Well, anyway… for now I plan to keep you alive.”
Arthur faltered and fell silent.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard turned his gaze toward the Huaai Archipelago and murmured,
“You still need to grow a bit more. You don’t even understand half the abilities mixed into your bloodline yet.”
With those words, his aura changed.
The leisurely composure unique to an old man steeped in twilight radiated from him.
*‘Strange… how can his aura and expression shift so abruptly like this? And the things he says are interesting too.’*
With that thought, Arthur lifted his lips into a grin and asked,
“What do you mean by I don’t understand half of my abilities? What does that mean?”
“Just as I said. Up until now you’ve only focused on absorbing other bloodlines, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“But that’s not the true nature of your ability.”
Arthur tilted his head.
“Then what is it?”
Whitebeard burst into laughter as he answered.
“That’s something you have to discover for yourself. Only then does that power hold meaning.”
“Come on, don’t be like that. Just tell me.”
“If I tell you and you realize it too quickly, I might have to kill you.”
“That’s possible. But on the other hand, with the power I discover, I could also kill you, couldn’t I? So teach me.”
This time Whitebeard roared with laughter.
“Kill me? You?”
Arthur didn’t react to the laughter.
He only gazed steadily at Whitebeard.
That gaze gradually subdued even Whitebeard’s laughter.
“…You’re serious.”
Arthur gave him a bright smile.
“Of course I am.”
“Hah… I didn’t see this coming at all.”
“Isn’t it only natural? Being targeted by someone as dangerous as you.”
Whitebeard nodded.
“Well… that’s true. Even a bug squirms when stepped on. How much more so a human? Of course you’d resist in some way.”
As he spoke, Whitebeard stroked his beard and murmured,
“I’ll take care of cleaning up this mess.”
“……”
“It’ll be troublesome, but if I leave it, you’ll likely die. You’ve stirred up too many people, some of whom are quite dangerous.”
Arthur bowed his head.
“Thank you, Mr. Whitebeard.”
“But don’t get too comfortable. Even I can’t control every human.”
“I’ll accept that risk.”
“Well… I’ll trust you on that. But there’s a problem.”
“A problem?”
Whitebeard pointed upward.
“Arcane City.”
“……”
“Because you tampered with the mana plant, those uptight officials will act. They may even send in the combat police.”
Arthur let out a groan.
“Ah, right… there was an explosion. They’ll launch an investigation……”
“In my view, that’ll be the more troublesome part.”
“Hm… I’ll handle that somehow.”
Whitebeard chuckled lowly.
“So you’ve got something?”
“I’ve got at least one hidden card up my sleeve.”
At that, Whitebeard nodded with satisfaction.
Then he rose from his seat and dusted off his black martial robes.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave. Both you and I… seem to have much to do.”
Arthur stood as well and asked,
“When will you come to find me?”
“Who knows……”
Trailing off, Whitebeard’s head tilted once more at a forty-five degree angle.
“When the time comes… when you truly grasp the truth of your bloodline……”
With those words, Whitebeard’s mouth curved upward until it reached his eyes.
“Then I’ll come to collect my debt. Until then, take care of yourself, little angel of Bayern.”
—
—
A massive explosion had occurred in District D-52.
To investigate the commotion, Tenon Holmes, captain of the 3rd unit of Arcane City’s Combat Police, lit a cigarette and muttered,
“…Disgusting.”
Exhaling smoke, Tenon surveyed the surroundings.
Buildings collapsed as though war had struck.
Sidewalks shattered as if hit by artillery.
Fortunately, casualties were minimal.
But judging from the destruction alone, it was enough to classify as a terrorist attack.
*‘… Which makes it all the more frustrating. Why smash only buildings and not kill those scum?’*
With that thought, he flicked away his half-smoked cigarette and began walking.
Just then, from afar, a woman with rabbit ears came bounding toward him.
“Captain Tenon!”
At her shout, Tenon beckoned, and she leapt in one bound to his side, saluting sharply.
“The forensics unit has arrived, Captain! So we request your authoriz—”
“Forget it. Our investigation comes first. Let’s move, Detective Hela.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Together, Hela and Tenon set off.
Before long, they reached the very center of the explosion—
a barren spot where not even grass survived.
It was where the mana plant used to stand.
“…Whoa. Did someone set off a bomb?”
At his mutter, Hela swallowed hard.
“C-Could this really have been terrorism? Rumors say it was the work of those revolutionaries or rebels……”
“Detective Hela.”
“Yes?”
“How many times have I told you? Don’t trust rumors. Rely on information, evidence, and my instincts.”
Hela blinked, her rabbit ears twitching slightly with the motion—
a sight that might have seemed cute, but Tenon only scolded her with disdain.
“And I’ve told you time and again—detectives shouldn’t wear such vacant expressions.”
“Ah! Y-Yes, sir!”
“You answer well. But I don’t want rote answers.”
“……?”
“Think about it. Why *wouldn’t* the rebels or revolutionaries have caused this incident?”
Hela furrowed her brows and murmured,
“Hmm… because it happened in District D-52?”
“Oh. Good. Keep going.”
“Yes, sir! In my opinion… if they wanted to cause such a scene, wouldn’t it make more sense to strike in District B or C—or even A? That would be more cost-effective for them!”
Tenon nodded in satisfaction.
“Exactly. Those rebels—what they want most is to use lofty ideals as a pretext to extort money from Arcane City and the corporations.”
With that, Tenon gestured toward District D-52.
“In that sense, there’s no need for them to make such a fuss in backstreets like this. Taking a few high-ranking residents of District A hostage would’ve been far more effective.”
Hela’s eyes sparkled.
“I-I was thinking the same!”
“Good. Then you won’t bring me such baseless rumors again, will you?”
“No, sir! Never again!”
Her firm reply earned another nod from Tenon.
He then began tracing the remnants of where the mana plant should have been, muttering,
*‘… Confident as I sound, I still don’t know who the culprit is.’*
Who could possibly have done this to Hamburg?
Tenon thought of *Hamburg of District D-52*.
A slave trader—
not quite a kingpin, yet not a small fry either.
Big enough that the combat police couldn’t move recklessly against him.
*‘If he were a kingpin, he’d be under close surveillance. If a small fry, he’d have been crushed already. But Hamburg sat right in the middle.’*
And yet, both Hamburg and the paradise he had built had vanished overnight.
For someone like Tenon, who had been keeping an eye on District D-52, it was shocking.
Incidents of this magnitude were rare in Arcane City, where interests were so tightly interwoven.
So despite it being his day off, Tenon had come personally to uncover the truth behind the incident.
But he could find no useful trace.
*‘Everything’s blown away. Forensics won’t find much either.’*
Rising to his feet with a mutter, Tenon lifted his head.
*‘Still, it’s not like I’ve learned nothing…’*
A blast that leveled an entire district.
The epicenter would, of course, have been completely melted down.
*‘Which means whoever triggered this explosion likely died in it.’*
Of course, there were exceptions—
a mage capable of teleportation, or one with a special artifact.
Such individuals might have escaped.
*‘… So was it a mage?’*
But Tenon shook his head.
The police’s special artifact—the Mana Detection Clock—had picked up no unique magical signatures.
Which meant the culprit hadn’t escaped using magic.
Clicking his tongue, Tenon muttered,
“A mysterious case indeed.”
“…? What do you mean, Captain Tenon?”
“It’s been a long time since I came to a scene and found nothing to identify. I really don’t have a clue.”
Hela’s eyes widened.
*‘C-Captain Tenon found nothing?’*
Tenon Holmes, her superior, was known as the finest investigator in the police force.
There was even a saying that if he couldn’t solve a case, it was unsolvable to begin with.
That made her ask cautiously,
“If even you can’t find anything… maybe it was just an accident?”
“A mana plant exploding, an accident? No… the odds are slim.”
With that, Tenon curved his lips into a grin.
“In any case, I believe there’s a culprit. The real issue is their motive and method. That’s what we need to uncover.”
Turning, he spoke,
“Let the forensics team handle the rest. We’re returning to headquarters. I need to report to the chief and set up a formal task force.”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, Tenon and Hela returned to the police headquarters in District A-11.
After submitting his report, Tenon was preparing to assemble an investigation team when—
“Drop it.”
“…?”
“This case ends here. You’ll be assigned to something else.”
At that, Tenon’s eyes widened.
“You’re shutting down this case? For what reason?”
“I don’t know. Orders from above.”
Tenon’s gaze narrowed.
“…Did the commissioner take a bribe from that slave trader?”
“I wish it were that simple.”
“…?”
“I’d almost prefer it if that rotten man had taken another bribe to cover things up.”
Tenon’s eyes went wide.
“…So it wasn’t the commissioner’s order?”
“That’s right.”
“Then whose?”
In response, the chief pointed upward.
“From higher up.”
“…?”
“Higher than our commissioner. Orders from *above*. So don’t act rashly.”
Tenon’s mouth fell open.
Orders from higher than the Arcane City Police Commissioner?
*‘… Then from where?’*
Officially, there were only a handful of positions above the commissioner.
And only one person who could issue such an order.
The Mayor of Arcane.
Angelina .
She was the only one.
—
