The Duke’s Madness

Dignity is the elegance of clothes.

long mustache.

A scar across the entire right eye.

Looking at the outside, the man who didn’t seem to have lived a normal life was the same as the man in Arthur’s memory.

‘Big broker Willet from the underworld.’

When Arthur realizes once again that he has returned to Arcane because of that, Willett asks a question.

“If you are going to wear a suit, take off your mask. This is not a prom.”

Arthur shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I think it will be difficult to take off the mask. I didn’t come here to make a suit.”

“You came to the tailor and didn’t get a suit tailored? Then what did you come here for?”

“I came because I wanted to be introduced to work.”

Willett’s gaze narrowed.

“job? I’m sorry, but we don’t hire clerks. Find another place.”

Willet, who issued a congratulatory order, looked away.

Arthur scratched his head at his cold attitude.

‘Come to think of it, old man Willett was very wary, right?’

Tailor shop during the day.

Brokers of the underworld at night.

With two lives, he was very cautious and famous for not giving affection to anyone.

‘On the contrary, once you decide that you’re my own person, I’ll be someone you can trust more than anyone else.’

Arthur pondered along with his thoughts.

How can we relieve Willett’s vigilance?

Arthur, who stroked his chin, immediately brightened his eyes.

‘In this situation, the more… Wouldn’t it be better to go straight ahead?’

With a murmur, Arthur pulls out the meteorite sword he wore around his waist.

Willett raises his head at the sharp metal sound.

And the moment he was about to shout something, Arthur awakens the blood of Bavaria.

“… Bloodline ability?”

Along with Willet’s murmur, Arthur lifts the back of his hand covered in reptile skin.

“Aside from this, I’ve also signed a contract with the spirits.”

“government ordinance? You’re a person with lineage abilities, but you know how to handle spirits?”

“yes. uh… Undine, Mr. Gnome? Would you like to show off your powers for a second?”

At Arthur’s request, the two spirits flew away and landed on Willett’s nose and shoulders.

At that moment, splashes of water rose in the air, and the chair Willet was sitting on caused a slight vibration.

Willet muttered, raising his eyes at the bizarre change.

“… It must be a real spirit. To make such a change without even reciting a spell.”

“yes. and···. I also write swords to some extent. Isn’t this a pretty useful skill?”

Willett’s gaze sinks low at the question.

As Arthur said, bloodline abilities and spirits.

In addition, if you know how to use a sword, you are very unique among the guys on this floor.

However, because he had talent, he could not entrust the work.

trust and faith.

Based on that, I have been working until now, and it is no different now.

But on the other hand, I wondered why someone with such ability came to him.

After thinking about it, Willet decided to try Arthur a little more.

“Why is a person with such talent trying to introduce me to work?”

Arthur replied.

“Because the only broker I know is Elder Willett.”

“… I don’t know you?”

Arthur laughed.

“hmm… Well, there’s a reason like this, and old man Willett saved me in the past.”

“… Did I save you?”

“yes. You picked me up from dying on the street. hmm… [ATHENA] Would it be easy to understand if I said an orphanage?”

Willett’s eyes widened.

Athena Orphanage.

It was a very secret orphanage run by Willett himself.

‘You know that place? but···. If I’m from that place, there’s no way I don’t know the voice.’

The Athena Orphanage was a kind of angelic home built for abandoned children in this desolate city.

And nobody knew that he was running the Athena Orphanage, except for the director.

Because of that, Willett’s gaze narrowed.

‘… Is he from another office?’

It was something very sloppy for such a thing, but it was clear that it was a target of vigilance.

Willett asked, hiding his emotions.

“What are you going to do if I don’t give you a job?”

“uh···. Wouldn’t it be nice to come here every day?”

Willett narrowed his eyes.

It was an absurd answer.

“Are you serious?”

“I am serious.”

Willett burst out laughing.

It’s been a long time since we had a conversation that was out of context somewhere.

Just then, a masked swordsman appeared from behind Willet.

“Should I handle it, old man?”

“… no. Please look at the situation for now.”

The swordsman melts into darkness again.

In the midst of it, Willet smooths out the wrinkles between his forehead and asks questions.

“Sorry, but I have no intention of hiring you. They don’t accept unknown rookies.”

“hmm···. It’s troublesome.”

“But I wonder how you know about the Athena Orphanage.”

Arthur’s eyes twinkled.

Meanwhile, Willett proposes.

“I will give you a job as a test. If you solve that, I’ll officially hire you. But if you fail, tell me how you know Athena Orphanage. How is it? I think this is a proposal that both of us will be satisfied with.”

* * *

100 years ago.

A great war broke out on the continent.

The damage was so great that even 10 years after the war ended, all countries, including the Empire, suffered extreme poverty.

In order to overcome that poverty, the Empire and the United Kingdom will build a city.

New Project Arcane.

It was a huge economic city that moved the time of the frozen continent.

After the war, a number of useless mercenaries infiltrated the city.

Fortunately, the mercenaries’ work was overflowing.

As a united city, Arcane had a structure in which various power classes were dispersed to check each other.

Thanks to that, strength was needed, and the lack of strength was made up for by mercenaries.

And now, 100 years later.

The job of mercenary has established itself as one of the many jobs of Arcane.

It is the job with the greatest chance of success.

So Arthur, for his purpose, was very fit.

‘The reason I came to Arcane is to gather bloodlines. And the best place to gather that lineage is where money and power gather.’

In this back street, where money is gathered because power is needed, and people with abilities are entangled because money is gathered, it was the place where most people with the lineage that Arthur wanted gathered.

‘Because just because you came to Arcane in the first place doesn’t mean you can meet people with bloodline abilities… Then we should head to the place where those lineage talents gather.’

And a competent broker like Willett will create many of those opportunities.

Arthur, who organized his thoughts like that, headed to the D-11 area, a slum called ‘Abandoned Street’, to pass the test the next day.

Arcane was divided into 4 districts to match its size, and District D was the place where the lowest class of the city lived.

Because of that, I saw beggars that I couldn’t see in Area A, and there were unorganized roads, rundown buildings, and other illegal shops.

However, the biggest reason why this place is called an abandoned street is the atmosphere.

People who do not see life and hope.

People who couldn’t die were living their lives drunk on drugs and alcohol.

It is a representation of Arcane, which is called the city of dreams and hopes).

That’s why District D’s nickname was Abandoned Street.

‘I’m used to it here too… It’s still dirty and shady.’

Along with the thought, he lifted up the mask Arthur was wearing.

The job, Willett said, was settling a dispute between the gangs that controlled District D-11.

To be precise, the ＜Ares Family＞ that broke the rules of this world and started a war at will.

It was about incapacitating the wizard supporting the family.

The request method itself was very simple, but dealing with the wizard belonging to the family was quite difficult.

‘A wizard is a wizard even if his realm is low. Besides, if you’re a wizard belonging to a gang, you’ll be escorted… It’s a more difficult request than it looks.’

Because of that, Arthur was worried.

How can I get the job done quickly and easily?

It’s not that I don’t have time, but it was a specification that I was tied to this kind of test itself.

So it was when Arthur’s steps naturally slowed down.

A man with a rose tattoo on his bald head came up to me and whispered.

“… Are you the one sent by Old Man Willett?”

Arthur, who came to his senses, answered the question.

“who are you?”

“I belong to the ＜Leicester Family＞ that I requested from Elder Willett.”

Arthur tilted his head.

“uh···. Didn’t I hear you were coming to meet me?”

“There are two types of people who wander around D area wearing these luxury items. One was crazy or the other was confident in their skills. But at the right time, we asked Elder Willett for a commission, and the man has a dirty temper, but he only works with very good mercenaries.”

Arthur exclaimed.

“oh···. Pretty plausible, right?”

“… You have a knack for making compliments feel bad. So, aren’t you the one sent by Old Willet?”

“you’re right.”

“What can I call you?”

Arthur hesitated to reveal his name.

‘hmm···. Wouldn’t it be nice to say the name?’

Along with the idea, Arthur used my name to come up with a suitable pseudonym.

“It’s Dunn.”

“Dawn… It’s the first name I’ve heard. How long have you been in this city?”

“Is that so?”

“Are you confident in your skills?”

“For now, yes.”

In response, the bald man pauses for a moment before asking a question.

“By the way, why did you accept this request? It’s about dealing with wizards, and moreover, those who belong to the family?”

“hmm···. I have a situation.”

“circumstances? What’s the matter?”

“First of all, Elder Willett’s test… ? Also, a wizard belonging to the Ares family is a bad person.”

The bald man stops walking.

“Are you a bad person?”

“yes. It was not enough to break the rules of the street and start a war, so they said they caught street children and sold their organs.”

“… You don’t look like that, but are you a person with a sense of justice?”

“It’s not like that, but if you have to kill someone, it’s comfortable to kill that person.”

The bald man narrows his eyes.

And he burst into laughter.

“What an interesting answer! Then I will ask you one last time!”

At the cry, Arthur turned his gaze.

At some point, they came in near an abandoned building that was all collapsing.

There was no corner to escape to, and if you look at it differently, it was a place where no one would come in if there was a commotion.

‘I lured you to a good place. But where did the information get away?’

At that time, dozens of men approached Arthur from afar.

While Arthur burst into laughter at the sight of them holding tools, the bald man opens his mouth again.

“There are only two types of unknown mercenaries. Whether your skills are good, or how important you are. Where do you belong?”

Arthur shrugged.

“hmm… Wouldn’t that at least kill you?”

The bald man burst into laughter.

“When did you notice?”

“From the first time I approached you.”

“You still followed me?”

“I have to kill you, but I can’t miss this great opportunity, can I?”

The bald man twisted the corner of his mouth.

“Only 1 circle? What other talents do you have?”

“well… hmm. By the way, Mr. Bald?”

“Hazes.”

“Yes, Mr. Hazes. Can we talk about this?”

Arthur pulls out a knife with a suggestion.

“I don’t want to talk for too long with the person I have to kill. Instead, I will listen to at least your last will.”

Hajes is silent.

After that, he laughed and muttered.

“He was crazy.”

“I hear stories like that often. But not now.”

With the answer, Arthur swings his sword.

Hades’ eyes widened at the blow that was swung without warning.

bang!

Fortunately, the barrier that had been cast beforehand prevented the surprise attack.

However, I couldn’t be relieved.

This was because the blow that followed was twice as sharp as the first blow.

Because of that, Hajes stepped back and shouted.

“What are you doing! Catch him and kill him!”

With a shout, the ＜Ares Family＞ who had flocked around Arthur took out their weapons.

Surprisingly, some of them pulled out pistols.

‘It’s also a gang. He’s holding a tricky weapon.’

With thoughts, Arthur spins the ring.

At that moment, the body is strengthened, overflowing with strength and vitality.

However, the skin of the body strengthened by the 1st circle cannot block the gun.

Because of that, Arthur put the power of the lineage he took away from Frakil over the strengthened body.

Wooddeuk-!

The suit I was wearing was torn with a strange sound.

At the same time, the mask covering his face shattered, and the reptile’s carapace covered it.

Hazes murmured in surprise at the miracle, completely different from magic.

“what···? You said you were a person with bloodline abilities?”

Arthur, who has completed the change in the meantime, warns.

“If I block the way, I have to kill you, but it’s not okay to get out of the way, right?”

Instead of answering, the Ares family raised their weapons.

Arthur, who had been watching him, nodded.

“A gang, too. It’s nice that it’s hot.”