#Chapter 73
—
**A-12 District.**
A high-class restaurant, located in a street where only a chosen few were permitted entry.
Inside Natalie, only two guests held forks and knives.
“I heard you visited once before, Young Master?”
“Before? Ah… yes. I did visit once.”
“With a woman, I heard?”
“Well, yes, a woman.”
“Hm… your girlfriend?”
“She *is* my friend. But not exactly in the way you’re thinking, Madam Mayor.”
At Arthur’s reply, Angelina, who was cutting into her steak, burst into laughter.
“And what direction do you think I’m thinking of?”
“Dating, that sort of thing, no?”
“…To be honest, yes. Usually, places like this are visited with someone you feel affection for.”
Arthur stabbed his fork into his medium-rare steak as he replied.
“That’s a bad stereotype, Madam Mayor.”
“……?”
“A good restaurant is a place you visit with a good person. That affection doesn’t have to be romantic—it can be pure fondness too.”
Angelina let out a soft exclamation.
“Wow… it’s been a long time since someone’s tried to lecture me.”
“Oh, really? You don’t have close friends?”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what?”
Arthur blinked innocently, and Angelina closed her mouth.
*Something about him… throws me off.*
She had felt it before—when talking with this boy, she always lost her pace.
With that thought, Angelina picked up the glass at her side.
“Let’s debate this matter later, Young Master. First, there’s something we need to deal with.”
Arthur nodded.
“True. Let’s deal with this matter first.”
“So, about this incident—what exactly happened?”
Arthur’s lips curved faintly.
“A friend of mine was captured by the slave market. So I made a bit of a mess.”
“Hm… your friend was taken by the slave market?”
“Yes. A very nasty slaver named Hamburg was the culprit.”
Angelina rested her chin on her hand.
“And that ‘mess’ was blowing up the Mana Power Plant.”
“……”
“That’s the mess you’re talking about, isn’t it?”
Arthur nodded.
“Yes. That’s the one.”
Hearing this, Angelina sighed deeply, still resting her chin.
“…I don’t want to believe it, but you’re serious. This isn’t a lie.”
“Since Madam Mayor can discern lies, why would I bother lying?”
“That’s the thing. My ability isn’t perfect—ambiguous truths also register as truth.”
Angelina smirked.
“There’s more to the story, isn’t there?”
Arthur nodded without hesitation.
“Of course there is. But explaining it would be difficult.”
“If you don’t explain, it’ll be difficult for me to help.”
“Really? Then that can’t be helped.”
Angelina tilted her head.
“Oh? You’ll just back down like that?”
Arthur shrugged.
“If you don’t want to hear me out, then I should back down.”
“……”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to clean up the mess anyway. It’s too big of an incident. My family will handle it.”
Angelina laughed.
Her laugh made Arthur tilt his head.
“Hmm… did I say something wrong, Madam Mayor?”
“No. I just thought… you’re a frightening person.”
“Me?”
“Yes. What you really mean is this: if I don’t cooperate, you’ll make the incident public, and that will settle the matter. Isn’t that right?”
Her eyes gleamed sharply as she spoke.
Blinking under her piercing gaze, Arthur scratched his head.
“Hm… being unable to lie really is inconvenient.”
“Wow… so you *were* serious?”
“Not completely serious, but I did keep it in mind.”
Arthur’s lips curled into a smile.
At that smile, Angelina clicked her tongue.
*Scary, this kid. He’s threatening me?*
In Arcane City, a slave market operated openly.
And in the middle of it, a member of the Bayern House was abducted and humiliated.
If that fact became public, not only the city council of Arcane but also the entire Empire would treat it as a serious issue.
*He’s aiming for that, demanding my cooperation. Impressive… this boy.*
She had thought this would be a simple negotiation, not a battlefield of diplomacy.
With that thought, Angelina tapped her wine glass with her fingernail.
“Go ahead. Make it public.”
“……”
“And then you’ll be punished under Arcane law. If I take this stance… what will you do?”
Arthur shrugged.
“I didn’t think that far ahead.”
“……”
“But I trust that someone as broad-minded as you, Madam Mayor, will show me leniency.”
Angelina narrowed her eyes.
“……”
Then, holding his gaze, she suddenly burst out laughing and lowered her head.
“Wow… you’re serious about that too?”
“……”
“Haa… I give up, Young Master. I’ll grant your request. This incident will officially conclude as: *‘Arthur Bayern was not involved.’*”
Arthur bowed his head.
“Thank you, Madam Mayor. For granting my request.”
“I did promise to grant you one wish, after all. Of course… I didn’t expect it to be something like this.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“But remember, Young Master. This will be the last time I overlook something like this.”
“……”
“If you break Arcane law again, I won’t stay silent. Your role isn’t to stir up incidents—it’s to spend money. Like the other nobles.”
Arthur smiled the same smile back.
“Oh, I can’t do that. I’m too thrifty.”
“……?”
“Money has to be spent according to plan. You can dig the ground all you want, but money won’t come out.”
With those words, Arthur rose from his seat.
“Then I’ll be going, Madam Mayor. I have other business.”
He bowed politely, then truly left.
Watching his departing figure, Angelina rested her chin again and muttered:
“‘You can dig the ground, but money won’t come out’?”
She let out a small laugh and shook her head.
“Why would that be a lie too? I really can’t figure him out…”
—
—
Arthur stretched as he exited Natalie Restaurant.
*That was easier to settle than expected.*
In the shadows, there was Whitebeard.
In the daylight, there was Angelina and the Combat Police.
Thanks to the strength of these two powerful allies, the aftermath had been handled far more smoothly than he’d imagined.
*If it were that crazy country back then, this wouldn’t have ended so cleanly.*
Back then, rather than resolving incidents, he only made them worse.
Remembering those days, Arthur clicked his tongue.
*How did I even survive back then? Honestly, maybe the past me… was just lucky.*
With that thought, Arthur climbed into the waiting limousine.
“I’ll take you home, Young Master.”
The engine purred softly, and the car sped down the road.
From the back seat, Arthur opened the window and gazed out at the Arcane scenery bathed in bright sunlight.
*The people out there don’t know. Just hours ago, an entire district was blown apart in an explosion.*
And they would live their entire lives never knowing.
*I’m the same. Of all the countless incidents happening in this city, I probably won’t notice even half of them.*
That was what made it fascinating.
To live in the same city, in the same space, and yet lead such different lives.
As he brushed his hair back, enjoying the cool breeze, the limousine stopped—it had reached the Bayern estate.
Arthur got out, opened the mansion doors, and stepped inside.
Familiar smells, familiar warmth.
Familiar scenery.
Because of that, both his body and heart felt at ease.
He didn’t resist the drowsiness washing over him and instead waved at Anna, who stood in the distance.
“Anna! I’m back!”
Anna turned her head at the greeting.
“Young Master…”
Her voice trailed off as she muttered tearfully:
“What on earth… is this situation?”
—
—
Five dogs, once raised by a trainer, were all over Anna.
*Woof! Woof!*
The cause was the dog chew in her hand.
Unable to hide their excitement, the dogs’ strength overwhelmed Anna, who didn’t know what to do, her eyes teary.
“Wh-where did you even bring all these dogs from?!”
Arthur chuckled at her outburst.
“Met them on the street. They seemed to like me, and they didn’t look like they had an owner, so I brought them along.”
“Y-you met *these beasts* on the street? They look like military dogs!”
Arthur ignored her sharp question and clapped his hands.
“Alright, boys. Stop bothering Anna and come here.”
At his words, the excited dogs instantly stopped.
*Woof!*
Leaving Anna, they cautiously trotted over to Arthur’s side.
Watching this, Anna muttered in disbelief:
*What the… they turn so obedient in front of him?*
She had struggled all day with these dogs, and now she felt unfairly wronged. She pouted her lips.
Meanwhile, Arthur stroked the dogs, then rose to his feet.
“From now on, they’ll listen to you too, Anna.”
“…To me?”
“Yep. Say ‘sit.’”
Anna tilted her head but followed his instructions.
“Sit.”
Amazingly, the dogs that had only pounced on her before all sat down at once.
Anna gaped.
“My goodness… Young Master, are you a dog trainer?”
“Hm? No?”
“Then how… is this even possible?”
Arthur shrugged.
“We just understand each other. Anyway, where are our guests?”
“I’ve put them in your room for now. I thought it best to keep them away from the other servants.”
Arthur’s lips curved.
“As expected of you, Anna. Thanks.”
Anna parted her lips as if she wanted to ask—but didn’t in the end.
*I want to ask everything—how the Young Master is tied to the Imperial Prince, and who that beautiful woman is—but I mustn’t.*
When Leon and the woman named Jeannie first arrived, she had been utterly shocked.
No less than an Imperial Prince had shown up at their mansion, gravely injured.
And beside him was a mysterious woman, equally wounded.
It was obvious without asking that there was an incredible story behind it.
That was why Anna didn’t ask—she simply withdrew.
If Arthur had been injured the same way, she would have demanded to know the reason no matter what.
But the Young Master of the house looked fine—only his clothes slightly torn.
*It’s not my story to hear. I mustn’t show curiosity either.*
With that thought, Anna returned to her housework.
Meanwhile, Arthur climbed to the second floor and opened his room’s door.
Inside, Jeannie was lying on the bed, while Leon sat in a chair, nodding off.
“I’m back, everyone.”
At his words, Leon turned his head and Jeannie sat up.
“Arthur!”
“Donn!”
With two different exclamations, they both flinched and looked at each other.
Arthur waved his hand.
“It’s fine, Leon. Since I’ve brought her here, there’s no point hiding identities.”
“…That’s true. I’ve already been found out as well.”
With that, Leon straightened and bowed politely.
“To meet the descendant of the Lord of the Forest, the incarnation of beauty—
It is an honor.”
“……”
“I am Leon Madrid, Seventh Prince of the Empire. Allow me to greet you formally.”
Jeannie flustered, stammered a reply.
“O-oh… yes. I’m Jeannie Davern.”
“I see. May I call you simply Lady Jeannie?”
“Y-yes… call me whatever’s easiest.”
Watching this, Arthur’s lips curved.
*Jeannie, flustered like this?*
Well, it made sense. Anyone would be rattled if an Imperial Prince bowed politely before them.
As Leon straightened again, he turned to Arthur with a question.
“Shall we discuss business later?”
“Business?”
“Yes. I need to hear what happened, don’t I?”
Arthur rubbed his chin.
“Mmm… true. But Your Highness—what exactly did *you* do?”
“…What?”
“To share information, you have to have done something. But in this whole incident, Leon, what exactly did you do?”
Leon blinked.
Then, belatedly furrowing his brows, he almost raised his voice—then paused.
*…I really didn’t do anything, did I?*
It was Arthur who killed Hamburg.
Arthur who defeated the Death Knight.
And, according to Marshal, Arthur who bought them time to evacuate.
As for Leon—he hadn’t done a single thing.
Realizing this, Leon smacked his lips and muttered:
“But… I did help us escape the auction house, didn’t I?”
Arthur chuckled.
“Your conscience is shameless, Your Highness.”
—
