The Duke’s Madness

Willet explained the contents of the request.

“one week. You can escort the Tartan boss. Discuss the scope of the escort with you, and talk about the rest while looking at this document.”

However, Arthur’s ears did not hear the explanation properly.

The reason is the mercenary who has been on this mission together.

It was because of the ears of a woman named Ginny.

Ching Ching Ching Chuck!

Pointy ears that move non-stop from the moment they enter the office.

Even if you just dismiss it as a deformed change, it couldn’t be anything other than a unique ear.

‘Hmm… Is it bloodline?’

At the thought, Arthur nodded.

Usually, those with these unique body parts had a lineage to match them.

Then Undine appeared and whispered.

[Arthur, Arthur! That Genie smells good!]

‘… Good smell?’

[yes! It smells really good! In addition, an intermediate wind spirit! I can feel the energy of the sylph too!]

Arthur groaned.

‘It must have been bloodline. Just like Bill Dormund… Is it an ability related to affinity with spirits?’

It seemed so in the context of the flow.

Because of that, Arthur raised the corner of his mouth.

‘then···. If you get the blood of a woman named Ginny, the abilities of Undine and Mr. Gnome can become stronger, right?’

But I couldn’t blindly ask for blood.

While thinking about how to get blood from a woman named Ginny, Ginny raises her hand and asks.

“Is the old man over there?”

“Speak.”

“Hey man, can you trust me?”

In a sharp tone, Willett shut his mouth.

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

In the meantime, Ginny pointed at Arthur and complained.

“I’m explaining the commission, so I have to team up with some idiot staring at my ears?”

Willett looks at Arthur.

Arthur scratches his head and avoids Willett’s gaze.

Willett sighed and said.

“… It’s a bit unique, but I can vouch for one skill. The rumors you’ve heard about your friend are not exaggerated.”

“Isn’t that the guy who only solved two cases?”

“Will you team up with the guy who only solved two cases?”

Ginny shuts up.

In the midst of that, Willett tapped his hand lightly.

“I added this friend considering your ability. If you really don’t like it, one of you should give up the request. I sent it as much as I could, but I don’t mind bumping into other members of the office family.”

It was a light tone, but both Ginny and Arthur could sense the subtle anger in Willett’s voice.

When he couldn’t answer anything because of that, Willet stood up and gave advice.

“Even if a problem arises, everyone can move. In case of emergency, please contact me. The key to this mission is time. It’s wasting time…”

* * *

In the newly started mission, Arthur was able to realize.

That I would never be friends with a woman named Ginny.

She was openly hostile and wary of Arthur and refused to talk to him.

So Arthur regretted staring into her ears the first day he met Ginny.

Because of the rude behavior he had done then, he thought that Ginny was wary of him.

‘but···. If you stare at those unique ears, you’ll hate it.’

It was when Arthur, who had lost his appetite, abandoned his lingering attachment to a woman named Ginny and a new lineage.

Escort mission in earnest.

Arthur could see that he had a misunderstanding about her.

“What are you twisting? Do you want to die?”

Ginny wasn’t the only one who hated herself.

I hated everyone who approached me.

The only person who didn’t show any hostility was Tartan’s president.

So Arthur knew.

‘It’s not that you hate me, it’s just your personality from the beginning?’

Arthur scratched his head and immediately shrugged.

Aside from having a dirty personality, the mercenary named Genie was very useful.

She carried out the main objective of this mission, escorting President Tartan, very systematically and deliberately.

Not only did he figure out all of his movements, but he also figured out the expected attack point in advance and informed Arthur and other personal bodyguards.

‘If only the ability is certain… It doesn’t matter.’

Because of that, Arthur decided not to pay attention to the woman named Ginny anymore.

There was no reason to bump into her, and this mission was because there was a need to be a little more careful than the previous two requests.

‘The contents of the request are to escort you for a week. The reason for the escort is because of personal circumstances, but Mr. Willett said that the president of Tartan was caught raising slush funds.’

I don’t know if it’s simply the company’s slush fund, but President Tartan’s slush fund this time was intertwined with people in the back world.

‘People in the underworld don’t have a back… He’s a man of great liver.’

People who can commit murder in the middle of the city without the permission of the competent officials are the people of the underworld.

So Arthur instinctively felt that this mission was dangerous.

In a situation where you don’t know what kind of human being entangled in the back world, you just have to escort it.

However, he could not miss a good opportunity to obtain an intermediate command, so it was time to fully prepare.

The fifth night, halfway through the week.

The president of Tartan called Ginny and Arthur.

“I will escort you through the night tonight. I have to deal with important things. Instead, after tonight, it will be counted as completed. Would that be possible?”

* * *

At the words of President Tartan, Arthur and Ginny started to serve as his personal bodyguards.

It wasn’t that he was doing anything grandiose just because he was a personal guard.

In addition to Arthur and Genie, Mayor Tartan had personally hired escorts, and thanks to that, Genie and Arthur stood side by side in front of President Tartan’s office.

“… .”

It was when time passed like that.

Ginny asked Arthur abruptly.

“Let me ask you something.”

“yes?”

“I’m asking you something.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

It was because he didn’t know if Ginny would talk first.

However, he answered without hesitation.

“Yes, ask.”

“It looks like it will be four months tonight, how good are your skills?”

“… ? What do you mean?”

“It’s going to be four months tonight. Are words difficult?”

Arthur pondered and answered.

“You mean an incident?”

“It looks like that with a high probability.”

“How do you know?”

“Why do I have to tell you that?”

Arthur shut his mouth.

Not because I was angry at her tone, but because I was surprised.

‘How can a person’s tone be so aggressive?’

However, the genie I’ve seen so far has been very useful as a mercenary.

I wouldn’t have asked this question for no reason.

Arthur immediately organized his thoughts and answered.

“hmm···. For now, I can deal with even the 3rd circle swordsmen.”

“A three-circle swordsman? You can only feel 1 circle of mana?”

“Because I have a good pedigree. Besides, I know how to deal with spirits.”

With these words, Arthur called Undine and the gnomes.

Genie’s eyes widened slightly at the appearance of the two spirits.

“… I have felt it, but I know how to handle real spirits.”

“Your spirit affinity is quite good.”

“Still, the fact that the 1st circle can kill the 3rd circle swordsman… .”

“uh… I did it, so maybe I’m alive?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The person I killed a few days ago named Furis was a 3rd circle swordsman.”

“… .”

“If I were less skilled than a 3rd circle swordsman, I wouldn’t be here, right?”

Ginny’s eyes light up again.

However, it did not give a proper response.

While Arthur shrugged at the sight, Ginny muttered to herself.

‘Should I trust that idiot?’

Arthur, who looked somewhat stupid, was a mercenary who fell far short of her standards.

I haven’t seen the skill yet, so even so, the direction of the purpose for the request.

until the will to solve it.

All of them were far behind as first-class mercenaries.

‘It doesn’t look like he has any skills because Mr. Willett has guaranteed it… But I’ll have to pretend I don’t have one and carry out the mission.’

In fact, escorting President Tartan this time was quite dangerous.

According to Willett, in the process of raising slush funds, the president of Tartan got into trouble with people from the underworld with whom he had ties, and he was in the process of selling the company in a hurry.

Considering that the value of the company led by Tartan is not small, there was no way that these bottom people would miss this opportunity to make a big deal.

‘In the midst of that, if the humans from the underworld intervene… I mean, things can get worse in many ways. Then he suddenly made a meaningful statement.’

I’ll finish the week’s quest today.

In other words, something happened tonight.

‘It smells full. A very foul smell.’

One good thing was that Willett promised to provide extra troops in case of an unexpected situation.

‘In other words, even if it’s four months, it’s just a matter of wasting time.’

So, after all, I didn’t need that rookie’s help.

It was because he alone was enough to turn off the time.

Even so, the reason I asked the question was to prepare for the one thing in a million.

Thinking this far, Genie walked around in front of President Tartan’s visit, handling the sniper rifle reassembled with all kinds of magic tools, including her own weapon and magic scope.

Arthur, who had not moved from his seat, shook his shoulders.

“I… Mr. Ginny?”

“Don’t call me.”

“uh… All right.”

“… tell.”

“I heard a strange noise from below, didn’t you hear it?”

Ginny turns her head.

“I didn’t hear you, aren’t you talking in your sleep?”

“hmm···. I don’t think so. I definitely heard something.”

Ginny sighs.

“Then what do you ask? Aren’t you and I colleagues? Are you really a jerk?”

Arthur narrows his eyes.

And a beat later, he nodded.

“Oh, that’s right. This mission is not a team, but an individual. They are not colleagues.”

Arthur turns and heads for the first floor.

Ginny, who was looking at her back, clicked her tongue.

“… It’s really crazy. How could such a person work in the Willetts’ office?”

Ginny crossed her arms with her thoughts.

And to beat the boring time, Taktak.

It was time to ride a certain rhythm with the heels of military boots.

A sudden noise came through her pointed ears.

I hurriedly turned my head to see one of Tartan’s bodyguards bending his neck at a bizarre angle.

kiek?

“Keeek?”

Genie unconsciously followed the onomatopoeia that the bodyguard uttered, and was startled.

“blood? Is your chest pierced?”

Ginny judged the situation and immediately took action.

A mid-level wind spirit with a sniper rifle on her shoulder.

Sylph was summoned.

At the same time, amidst the gusts of wind, Genie aimed the gun between the guard’s forehead and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

bang-!

Thanks to the silencer, the gunshot was not loud.

However, that destructive power was not diminished.

Kwajik-!

The upper body of the bodyguard who was hit by bullets explodes as an unknown mass of flesh.

Ginny muttered as she looked at the hallway that had turned into a sea of blood thanks to that.

“X feet… It looks like this is f*cked up.”

The bodyguard you just killed isn’t a living person.

Ghosts called zombies or undead.

It was an evil sorcery created with a dead body.

And the people who deal with this kind of magic are usually ‘warlocks’.

To be more precise, he was a necromancer.

‘Even if he intervenes, he’s a necromancer.’

With his thoughts, the genie immediately sets up the cover prepared in advance.

Thanks to the help of Sylph, the spirit of wind, the barricade is built in an instant, and at the same time, the grotesque onomatopoeia heard earlier fills the hallway.

kiek?

kiek?

kiek?

Bodyguards hired by President Tartan.

However, dozens of humans who had now become undead were approaching this direction.

Ginny hardened her expression and changed the sniper rifle from single to multiple shots.

Dadadadadak-!

The heavy recoil hit the shoulder mercilessly, but Genie, who easily caught the recoil, directed the muzzle.

Thanks to this, the undead that came rushing in burst out in an instant.

Watching the process of the flesh and cartilage gradually turning into acid, Genie spat out a curse.

“There is no end, this!”

I killed a bunch of undead as she said, but more undead were coming.

It is not that the number of bullets is insufficient, but it is obvious that it will become a meaningless war of consumption if it continues like this.

Genie immediately gave an order to Sylph.

“Find the necromancer!”

[Yes Genie!]

The sylph flies away.

At the same time, it was time for Ginny to get back into her shooting stance.

A voice chills the back bone.

“Ohh···. You have unusual blood. I never thought my ears would be so pointy.”

Surprised, Ginny turned her head.

However, it was the Necromancer who moved first.

The necromancer stretched out his bony hand, grabbed her by the neck, and tossed her to the floor.

bang-!

The marble is shattered, and the genie coughs up blood.

However, he did not faint.

This is because the desire to survive took precedence over pain.

She immediately turned around, pointed the gun at the necromancer’s chest, and pulled the trigger.

Dadadadadak-!

A hole pierced the necromancer’s chest with the gunfire.

A wound that would not be strange if it were an ordinary person to die instantly.

But the necromancer burst into laughter.

“I will sacrifice one life and survive.”

With these words, new flesh appeared on the chest that had become a mess.

Ginny’s mouth dropped open at the sight.

“You’re not immortal, what are you?”

“Immortality is not. There is a limit to how many lives you can give.”

With the answer, the necromancer grabs Genie’s chin.

At that moment, Ginny struggles in surprise at the strange energy that permeates.

“Be still, pretty little boy.”

“What are you talking about!”

“It gets easier after a while. You will have very nice dreams. Instead, your strong body and blood will be mine. To let go of a hard life and start a new life. Isn’t that what everyone dreams of?”

“It’s bullsh*t.”

Ginny muttered these words and immediately kicked.

The counterattack blew the Necromancer away, but the undead behind them rushed instead.

Kiek-!

It was a corpse, but when dozens of men who were strong during life took it from above and pressed it, the genie was immediately crushed.

“X feet!”

Genie tried to summon Sylph with curses, but it was too late.

The Necromancer bent down and opened his mouth.

“Let’s go to dreamland, pretty dwarf.”

It was when Ginny opened her mouth, looking at the hand extending with these words.

A single gunshot rang out.

bang-!

With the gunshot, the necromancer’s head explodes, and Arthur appears.

“oh···. I found the body.”

In the meantime, the necromancer who restored his head clicked his tongue.

“Both of them had guns, but both were enchanted guns…”

“Did Ginny have a gun too?”

“Aren’t they the same colleagues?”

Arthur pondered and shrugged.

“no? Not colleagues.”

The Necromancer burst into laughter at Arthur’s answer and reached out.

“Ugh!”

With a moan, Ginny’s face turned blue as she was caught in the hands of the necromancer.

Amidst that, the Necromancer let out an unpleasant laugh.

“How are you? Are you still going to insist that you are not a teammate and shoot?”

Arthur narrowed his eyes at the question.

After that, he scratches his head and raises his pistol.

The necromancer was surprised by that appearance, and the genie screamed in amazement.

“What are you doing you son of a b*tch!”

“uh? Can’t I try to shoot?”

“Of course not! We are allies!”

Arthur fell silent at her cry.

Conversely, Genie sighs in relief, and Necromancer prepares magic.

It seemed that they were trying to attack by using the genie as a hostage.

Arthur, who was troubled by that, scratched his chin.

“I… Mr. Ginny? I’m sorry···.”

With these words, Arthur raises the muzzle again.

“No matter how you think about it, it doesn’t seem like a colleague. sorry.”

At that moment, Ginny’s eyes go up, and Arthur pulls the trigger.

bang-!

The necromancer’s magic is broken with gunfire and he steps back.

At the same time, the freed Genie bows her head.

A hole in the belly was visible.

“really… Did you shoot?”

With these words, the genie fell forward, and the necromancer murmured in bewilderment.

“Are you really not friends?”

Arthur answered, pulling out his meteorite sword.

“I told you that I am not a colleague. By the way, Mr. Necromancer. If you die a few more times, will you really die?”