The Duke’s Madness

“The mage tower built by the imperial mage of the empire. It is the most secretive and shady place among the three magic towers in Arcane.”

Willett pours tea with an explanation.

Arthur took the glass and took a sip.

A refreshing sensation lingered in my mouth, probably because the quality of the tea was very good.

“All kinds of experiments are done there. Among them, human trials are also included. And Hajes was the subject of that human experiment, and was the product of an abandoned project.”

“Abandoned project? What project was it?”

“To put it simply, it’s a so-called ‘no signal’ magic project that creates pre-engraved magic without attaining enlightenment.”

Arthur stroked his chin.

The enlightenment that Willet is talking about here is the spell world that wizards have.

It was a magic network constructed in that spell world.

‘I heard that each wizard has a different system for this magic net. That’s why even if it’s the same magic, the spells chanted are different…’

And now.

According to Willet’s explanation, the imperial mages of the empire were experimenting with duplicating their own magic net.

‘That’s why Mr. Hajes memorized the same spell as the Imperial Wizard. Because he was wearing a duplicated magic net.’

If the experiment was successful, the time would come when even ordinary people would use magic.

However, there is no way that the imperial army of the empire wished for such an era.

It seemed that this project was carried out in order to foster wizards in large numbers.

‘But seeing that Hazes ran away, the experiment failed… Unexpected though. I never thought it would be entangled with the secrets of the imperial army…’

In the imperial army, there is Can Madrid, which can be seen as the end of this revenge.

Moreover, the person in charge of this project is probably Ares Arekis.

He must have been the confidant of Khan Madrid and the mage of the imperial army.

‘Because the order of Ares Arekis and Mr. Hazes that I remember are the same.’

He was one of Arthur’s most difficult adversaries in his last life.

As befits an imperial wizard called a real wizard, a man who tried to kill himself by creating all sorts of miracles.

There was a high probability of bumping into him in this life as well, so he was a man who had to be killed.

‘The information obtained from the test, not a request, is information related to that wizard, isn’t it great?’

Along with his thoughts, Arthur posed the following question.

“Who commissioned this job?”

“It was commissioned by the Mage Tower of the Empire.”

“At the Mage Tower side of the Empire?”

“Seeing the test specimens of the abandoned project openly roaming the streets, it must have been very unsettling. It is said that it is a city where you can do anything with money, but human experimentation is one of the acts that are condemned.”

After completing the explanation, Willet crosses his arms.

He looked at me asking if I had anything more to ask.

Arthur pondered and asked the last question.

“Why did Mr. Hazes catch children and traffick them?”

“To survive. Fresh organs are quite useful in many places… Those who want it are usually the titans of the underworld.”

Willett’s gaze sinks low.

“As a source of organs, it seems that he was trying to avoid the eyes of the Imperial Mage Tower by establishing connections with them, but instead, he drew attention… That’s why the request came to our office.”

“Ummm… okay. It’s a complicated situation.”

“I have nothing more to say. This is all I know.”

“Thank you, Mr. Willett. Thanks to that, my curiosity has been cleared.”

Arthur politely bowed his head.

Willett, who had been watching, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Can I ask you a question too?”

“yes. Anything.”

“How did you know that Hazes was using the imperial mage’s spell?”

Arthur smiles softly.

“We met before. So I remember. So strong… He was a difficult person.”

At the explanation, Willett burst out laughing.

Are the imperial mages strong and difficult?

That sounds right.

If you were a wizard of the Imperial Army, you would be called a real wizard, and if you had time, you could face the army alone.

‘If you’ve encountered such a wizard and survived, it’s one of them. Either belong to the same company, or have better skills than the imperial mages.’

And I don’t know if it’s true, but the man in front of me.

Judging by Dunn’s words, it was closer to the latter.

Because of that, Willett’s eyes looking at Arthur were beyond vigilance and filled with deep curiosity. At that moment, Arthur got up from his seat.

“hmm···. Elder Willet, can I stop and go?”

“… You’re going. You’re free. But are you really not going to read the contract?”

“yes. If it bothers you, I will come tomorrow and read it again.”

Willett nodded slowly.

It was when Arthur grabbed the doorknob of the tailor shop with permission.

A forgotten memory suddenly comes to mind.

“ah! The children Mr. Hazes captured were left at a nearby general store. There are about 8 people, but Mr. Willett takes care of them. You can leave it to the orphanage run by the elderly.”

* * *

light test.

However, unexpected income and the inside story of this city.

Arthur, who went further and found out the secret secret of one of the people he must kill, nodded his head in satisfaction.

‘It’s worth choosing to work as a mercenary. To get this kind of income from the first request.’

The biggest reason for coming to this city is, of course, to collect good lineage abilities.

However, I had no intention of just collecting blood.

This is the largest city in the world, where a huge amount of capital and manpower is concentrated, including some people who must be killed in this life.

‘One of them is Ares Arekis… . An imperial mage who is the confidant of Khan Madrid. But have you already found his traces?’

Because of that, Arthur was very satisfied with yesterday’s performance, and once again he knew that his judgment was correct.

‘As expected, I did well in choosing the mercenary job. I already get this kind of information.’

But there were not only positive results.

Arthur tapped his fingers and recalled yesterday’s battle.

Looking at the results alone, it was a satisfactory achievement, but looking at the inside story, it did not go so favorably.

‘If it wasn’t for Gnome’s help, I would have been electrocuted by Hazes’ magic.’

So Arthur could once again feel the need for a new lineage.

Meanwhile, the need for new weapons.

‘Slicing only with a knife… There are limits. Especially when dealing with a mage like Mr. Hazes. So I need a weapon… It would be perfect if I had a good gun.’

A weapon that is more lethal than a sword to those who cannot use mana, has a ranged effect, and is easy to carry.

Because of that, I enjoyed using it quite a bit, and it seemed to be quite useful this time too.

The weapon, a gun, would compensate to some extent for his weakness of not being able to release his sword energy yet.

Thinking this far, Arthur visited the gunsmith first before visiting the tailor shop in ＜Manners Make a Man＞.

In a previous life, it was a place where I had been quite indebted, where quality guns were lined up.

When I opened the door, recalling that memory, the owner, who was fighting drowsiness, opened his eyes.

“I came to buy, I came to see.”

“Are you here to buy?”

At the answer, the owner’s eyes scan Arthur.

Wearing a mask and wearing high-end luxury goods.

The attitude of the owner changes with the unusual attire.

“What kind would you like, sir?”

“What kind?”

“yes. riding or shooting. Considering these two things, the guns over there aren’t bad either. Or, if it’s just a hobby, this handgun made by an artisan isn’t bad either.”

Arthur shook his head.

“Is there anything else besides that gun?”

“hmm···. So can you tell us what you use it for? Knowing that, we can pick out the right guy for you.”

Arthur snaps his fingers.

“I’m going to use it to kill people.”

“… ?”

“That’s why he has strong firepower and plenty of magazines. Is there a kind of gun that is least likely to break?”

The owner rolls his eyes.

“Are you kidding?”

“No, I’m serious.”

“… Are you a backstreet person?”

“yes. I am a mercenary.”

The owner lets out a sigh.

After that, he scratched his head and spoke to Arthur with a different attitude than before.

“Do all mercenaries these days wear luxury items like that?”

Arthur shrugged, and the owner turned around and murmured.

“Do you have enough money?”

“hmm···. Maybe?”

“Well, it must be strange that you don’t have any money while wearing such luxury goods. Come this way.”

At the gesture, Arthur follows the owner and enters the space inside the store.

At that moment, dozens of guns that looked different from the guns displayed outside greeted Arthur.

In the meantime, the owner took out a gun hanging on the wall and held it out to Arthur.

“It’s a new product, but it’s called a shotgun. The magazine count is small, but the firepower of one is amazing. He’s also a heinous bastard who turns any human into minced meat if he gets it right.”

At the explanation, Arthur picked up the shotgun and looked around.

“Looks great, but it’s too big.”

“Lack of portability?”

“yes. Could there be anything smaller?”

The host strokes his chin.

“Among the little guys, there has to be one with strong firepower and ample ammunition.”

“oh···. Can I see it?”

“You can see it, but you probably won’t buy it.”

“Why?”

“It’s filthy expensive.”

“… .”

“Although it’s an auxiliary magic, it’s also a person with magic anyway, and they’re not easy to find because they were originally intended for use by military officers. so i don’t recommend it Even if you sell these things for a high price, you won’t have much left over.”

Arthur pondered for a moment before snapping his fingers.

“Can I see it? I’m curious to explain it that way.”

“okay···. If you see anything, you won’t want to live. He’s such a good guy.”

With these words, the owner starts searching the room.

And he brought a jewelry box that looked expensive even at first glance and held it out to Arthur.

“Open it and see.”

Arthur slowly opened the jewelry box.

At that moment, a stylish pistol that is very weak but possesses magical powers steals Arthur’s attention.

‘Same as Mr. Frakil’s ring… Is it an artifact?’

Of course, the overflowing magic power was weaker than that of Frakil’s ring.

It was said that the quality of magic was low.

Still, it was an artifact anyway, so Arthur picked up the pistol with anticipation.

At that moment, the magic flowing through the pistol reacts to Arthur and emits a faint light.

When the corner of Arthur’s mouth goes up to the bizarre sense, the host begins to explain by spitting.

“[Magazine strengthening] [Power increase] and most of all [Aim to hit] are each enchanted. It doesn’t come with property enhancement, so it doesn’t belong to the luxury class, but you can call it the best among the ones available on the market. Rumor has it that even a beginner can become a murderer just by holding it…”

Arthur cuts off the explanation abruptly.

“I will do this. It looks good. There are also several magics.”

“… Didn’t you hear my explanation?”

“Did you hear?”

“Then you have no idea how filthy and expensive this guy is? just do it with someone else These things break easily and don’t last long. I bought it with a lot of money, but I don’t spend much…”

Arthur cuts off the explanation once more.

This time, not with words, but with gold coins.

Because of that, the moment the owner’s eyes went up, Arthur asked a question.

“Will this be enough?”

The owner was silent, then turned his gaze to look at Arthur’s outfit.

Then, with a smirk on the corners of his mouth, he straightened his back.

“The case is a bonus, sir. Thank you for using our gun shop.”

* * *

After leaving the gunsmith, Arthur hummed and headed to ＜Manners Make a Man＞.

‘I didn’t expect it, but I got an overly good gun?’

I did spend some money in the process, but it wasn’t particularly burdensome.

If you think about the amount of pocket money Yonel gives you every month, it’s enough to think that you’ve spent six months’ worth of pocket money.

‘Then I bought a weapon… All that remains is the bloodline. I have to get a bloodline that I can use soon…’

With thoughts, Arthur opens the door to ＜Manners Make a Man＞.

Willett, who was reading the newspaper, glanced up.

“You came early. Are you in need of money?”

“yes?”

“These bottom people are usually lazy. But diligently moving means you need money.”

Arthur burst into laughter.

‘You’re still floating. I don’t need money… .’

Meanwhile, Willett moves.

Folding the newspaper he was reading in half, he walked up to the store door and locked it.

And gestured towards Arthur.

“We usually talk about work from below. Come with me.”

At these words, Arthur followed Willett, and at that moment, the hidden underground space appeared.

It was like a bar, but several people were sitting at tables, drinking.

They seemed to be mercenaries contracted with Willet, but there were a few unusual ones.

‘oh… 5 circles. Are there people who know how to radiate sword energy? After all, should I call Willet the Elders’ solver?’

There were very few mercenaries who knew how to radiate sword energy on this floor.

Those who knew how to emit sword skills would become knights who were paid comfortably.

In the meantime, Willett, who had guided Arthur to the office inside, handed out the papers.

“There are a total of 3 requests that can be taken on right now.”

Arthur accepts the papers.

At the same time, Willett points to a document and explains.

“These are the ones I recommend. Easy yet simple. And no time was wasted.”