Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Andy anxiously arrived at the duke's study. The servant standing at the door saw the young mage and signaled him to wait a moment before entering the study.
The servant soon came out, bowing slightly. "Please, the Duke is waiting for you inside."
Andy swallowed hard, adjusted his collar, and pushed open the half-closed door. With a click, the door was shut by the servant outside.
A feeling of helpless confusion immediately enveloped Andy; he realized that the room inside was pitch dark.
Thick curtains blocked the windows, and only a faint light leaked through the gaps. It was with this faint light that Andy could vaguely make out a figure sitting by the desk.
"Kent... Duke Kent?"
Andy asked cautiously.
"Andy... my young friend…"
The figure spoke, and for some reason, Andy only then felt the presence of a "living" being.
The voice belonged to Maltz Kent Fraule, the new duke of the Northwest Bay of the Aldor Kingdom, or as his enemies would call him—a usurper.
Unlike his commanding presence in public, the duke's voice now was very subdued, like the low growl of a wild beast, sending a shiver down one's spine.
"Please, sit down…"
Andy, struggling with intense discomfort both physically and mentally, found a nearby chair and sat down.
"Thank you, Your Grace. May I ask why you have called me here?"
The duke did not respond immediately. He stood up slowly from his seat, and two glowing points moved with his figure—those were the duke's eyes.
"Indeed, he is still researching Master Bennett's [Blood Therapy]. Ah…"
The young mage silently shook his head. It seemed the duke was deeply entangled in that secret art.
A burst of light suddenly erupted from the darkness as the duke lit a candle, turning to face the young mage.
Andy could now clearly see the duke, and his facial muscles twitched involuntarily.
The duke was still robust, but his face was truly frightening—his facial skin was an unhealthy pale, his deep-set eyes were red and glowing ominously, and his lips were a vivid crimson, as if smeared with blood.
The duke slowly approached him, making no sound with his steps. Andy shifted nervously, recalling the terrifying legends about [Blood Therapy].
Maltz extended a hand towards Andy's face, smiling weirdly, and made a gesture as if to caress him.
"What a young body... what vibrant blood..."
A series of incomprehensible mutterings came forth, as if desperately craving something, making Andy break into goosebumps. He struggled to keep himself from trembling.
"Your Grace!" The young mage furrowed his brow.
The duke, who had been staring blankly at Andy's neck, immediately withdrew his hand.
"Sorry, my young friend. I didn't mean for you to see me like this. However, we should have no secrets between us."
Maltz maintained his "smile" and slowly walked back to his seat.
He spread his hands and said casually, "I need help. You know, I've encountered some trouble on the battlefield recently."
The young mage knew what trouble the duke was referring to.
Last year, the Arcane Order—specifically the command left by Master Bennett—had sent him to assist Maltz Kent, who was then still an Earl.
Using some kind of mental spell, Maltz Kent had controlled the then-duke of the Northwest, making the old duke choose him as his heir. When the old duke "passed away," Maltz would naturally become the new duke of the Northwest.
Just as they were about to follow Master Bennett's plan, an accident occurred.
The old duke's younger brother escaped from strict confinement and publicly revealed a handwritten letter from the old duke, accusing Maltz of "manipulating sorcery and usurping the title." Although Maltz was indeed manipulating sorcery.
The Northwest Bay soon became divided into two factions—those supporting the new duke and those opposing him, plunging the entire Northwest region of the Aldor Kingdom into chaos.
Although the outbreak of war disrupted Maltz's plans, he was initially confident that he could suppress the "rebellion" within a year with his forces.
However, another unforeseen event occurred.
Just as the saying goes, "fighting the wild goose but getting pecked in the eye," the family causing the most trouble for the duke was the Grayman family of Alden.
If the Northwest Bay was seen as a remote backwater, then the Alden Count's domain was the backwater of the backwater. Yet, this impoverished land suddenly began to rise in power.
In this war, the peculiar weapons, well-organized troops, and obedient soldiers of Alden became the primary enemy factors that trapped Maltz's army in a dilemma.
The war had dragged on from the beginning of the year to July, reaching a stalemate, with the new duke's forces being attacked from both the front and the rear—especially from the rear by Paul Grayman.
The duke had stirred up internal strife in Alden and recruited southern mercenaries, but nothing stopped his side from gradually falling into decline.
Maltz suspected that the Arcane Order might also be secretly aiding Grayman, allowing them to fight among themselves and leaving the strongest as the agent, much like the mythical raising of poisonous insects.
Andy hesitated. "Your Grace, I… I only know a bit about mental spells. How can I help you?"
"Oh, my young friend! I'm not talking about you; I'm referring to your organization—the Arcane Order. Send a message to our (he emphasized the word "our") comrades— I need help."
Over time, Maltz had learned about Andy's abilities, which were not as formidable as he had once imagined. This made him disillusioned with the Arcane Order, which had sent such a weak mage to assist him when he had expected someone as powerful as Master Bennett.
"But... but... I have little influence in the organization…"
"Has the Arcane Order already abandoned me?"
Before Andy could finish, he heard a frenzied roar, accompanied by a crashing sound—the table beside the duke's seat shattered into pieces. The duke had been resting his hand on the table, unmoving.
"What strength!"
Andy was startled, and when he looked at the duke, he was even more terrified—the duke's aura now resembled a predator seeking to devour, with his mouth twisted into a bizarre shape, revealing long, sharp teeth without any concealment.
The young mage's heart raced, wondering what kind of monster Master Bennett had left behind.
"I... I will send the message... I will try to persuade them..."
Maltz Kent Fraule finally resumed his previous smile, as if the earlier outburst had never happened.
"For the Arcane Order!"
He raised a high goblet filled with crimson liquid and drank it all in one gulp.
(End of the Chapter)
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