The Duke’s Madness

underground city.

As we left the black full moon and headed for Arcane Train Station, Cassel opened his mouth.

“Dawn.”

“yes?”

“… What are you going to do next?”

Arthur turned his head to answer the question.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s a mission. Shouldn’t we have something planned?”

At this, Arthur stroked his chin.

‘It’s a plan… But do you have any plans?’

As an escort, there really wasn’t much to do.

All you have to do is stay by the client’s side 24 hours a day and protect yourself.

‘In other words, we have to guarantee the client’s safety at all costs… .’

There were so many loopholes in the request right now that I couldn’t figure out how to escort them.

There are no clear clues other than that the client’s opponent is a pirate, and you don’t know when they might attack.

Arthur, who was troubled by that, returned this question to Cassel.

“Does Kassel have any plans?”

“hmm… In my opinion, this is the most important.”

“What is it?”

Cassel replied with her eyes shining.

“Who will closely mark that lady?”

“… … ?”

“It’s the basics of an escort mission. Taking care of the client and taking care of it. To be honest… I am not as confident in this part.”

Arthur burst into exclamation at Cassel’s honest answer.

“Kassel, don’t you have any dating experience?”

“… … !”

Surprised, Cassell opened his mouth.

“Is he that obvious?”

“You know when you see it.”

“… So, do you have a lot of love experience?”

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll leave it up to Cassel’s imagination.”

Cassel’s expression became ambiguous at his confident smile.

‘Dawn, this person has a lot of dating experience?’

After that, Cassel, who had been peeping at Arthur’s face for a while, understood without even realizing it.

‘… sh*t! You look a little like me!’

Except for the occasional crooked smile, Arthur’s face was objectively very handsome.

‘You use a knife similarly to me, but your face is also handsome? what the… .’

While Cassel felt a sense of defeat for some reason, Arthur glanced away.

Except for the first time he appeared, I could see Suga Haydn keeping his mouth shut.

Arthur thought for a moment and then spoke to her.

“I… Mr. Suga?”

“… yes?”

“I’d like to lift your luggage, is that okay?”

Suga shook his head.

“No, thanks.”

“Ah, it’s a bit difficult to decline.”

“… … ?”

“Train times are tight. I have to run from now on, can you run with that bag?”

Suga blinked his eyes for a moment, then quietly held out the bag in his hand.

Arthur took the bag and gestured.

“I have to get on in 10 minutes. Otherwise, we have to catch the next train, but wouldn’t everyone want to wait at the train station late at night for the next train to come?”

After that, the three people who started running were able to board the train just barely.

“oh… It’s a VIP room.”

Kassel, who was speechless, raised an eyebrow.

Arthur, who was next to him, nodded as if satisfied.

“Still, Mr. Barance seems to have a conscience. Give me a nice room like this.”

With these words, Arthur snapped his fingers as he slumped down on a chair in a special room only available to VIPs.

“First of all, the client, Mr. Suga, uses one private room alone, and the two of us use the living room. And Suga-san, you can rest from now on. You look very tired from the look on your face.”

Suga nodded.

“thank you. Then first… .”

Silent, she entered the room.

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

“It’s difficult. How can the escort target be so rude to a woman?”

“Why is that difficult?”

“Shouldn’t we ask a few questions and get some information? Now we haven’t heard anything.”

Arthur laughed at his words.

“hmm… It seems to me that if you ask, you will probably answer? But Cassell is old-fashioned, so he can’t.”

Cassell kept his mouth shut.

Arthur turned the topic to his pouty expression.

“Well, aside from that, what about the night watch?”

“… What do you want to do?”

“I will completely follow Cassel’s opinion. You seem to have more experience than me.”

Cassel smiled.

“Hmmm! Then do it in turns. First of all, I’ll stand first, so you’ll rest a bit, and for 6 hours out of 24… .”

Looking at it, Arthur thought.

‘It’s so easy, this man.’

The day passed just like that.

Arthur was able to sleep comfortably thanks to the motivated Cassel.

* * *

Arthur muttered, waking up from a sound sleep thanks to Cassel standing guard all night.

“It’s Undy… Wash me off.”

[Okay, Arthur.]

With these words, Undine stretched out her hand.

At that moment, a refreshing energy swept through her entire body, and the feeling of sleep and the unique discomfort of waking up were instantly gone.

Arthur raised the corner of his mouth and said to Undine.

“Thank you, Undine.”

[you’re welcome. Arthur.]

“I’m going to go get some food. hmm… Cassel is fine, should I take Suga?”

Arthur, who was worried, decided to take him and knocked on the door where Suga was.

“That Mr. Suga. I’m going to eat breakfast, would you like to come with me?”

The answer to the question came back a beat late.

“I will leave now. wait a minute.”

After taking a step back, the door opened.

Arthur gestured lightly.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

We entered the snack bar inside the train.

Several people were already sitting at the table drinking toast and coffee.

Arthur and Suga also took their seats by the window.

An employee came as if he had been waiting.

“What would you like?”

“I have coffee and toast. What about Suga?”

“I’ll do the same.”

The employee disappeared as quickly as he approached.

And silence fell between the two.

From nob le mt l dot com

Neither Arthur nor Suga had any intention of breaking that silence.

It was when Arthur looked out the window and Suga looked down at his hands with his gaze down.

The employee who disappeared a moment ago reappeared.

“The two toasts and two cups of coffee you ordered here.”

Arthur turned his gaze and drank the coffee first.

I felt the unique sweet and bitter taste of cheap coffee.

At that time, Suga, who was equally drinking coffee across the street, broke the silence.

“Can I ask you something?”

Arthur, who put down the teacup, answered.

“sure. Ask anything.”

“Unless it is an urgent situation, I would prefer not to open my door if possible. Can you please?”

“A visit?”

“yes.”

Arthur stroked his chin.

“hmm… That is difficult.”

“Why?”

“First of all, Mr. Suga is being escorted, and he is being targeted by pirates.”

“… … .”

“Under such circumstances, we, who are in charge of the escort mission, can’t open Mr. Suga’s visit as we please, can’t we?”

Suga was silent for a moment, then spat out.

“I am a married woman.”

“I know. You’re Crown Princess, aren’t you?”

“Are you willing to open the door of such a person?”

Arthur laughed.

“What else can I not open?”

“… … ?”

“I received a request, and I am only solving that request. In the process, the fact that Suga is Crown Princess is not particularly important.”

Suga narrowed his eyes and burst into laughter.

“You make a very dangerous statement, and you do it casually.”

“It is one of my specialties. hmm… Then can I ask you something?”

“yes. ask.”

Arthur snapped his fingers.

“Why is Suga being targeted by pirates?”

“… … .”

“No matter how pirates are, it’s dangerous if they touch the royal family of another country. But why are you being targeted, Suga?”

Suga let out a sigh.

“… That is such an honest and sharp question.”

After thinking for a while, she murmured.

“… Do you know about the circumstances of the Prime Kingdom?”

“What’s the matter?”

“yes. Right now, the Prime Kingdom is in a very complicated situation because of the succession to the throne.”

Arthur stroked his chin.

“Did something happen to me?”

“yes. I have a quarrel.”

“… … ?”

“The second prince rebelled in order to have the next succession. Thanks to that, not only the royal family, but also the entire country became speechless.”

At her words, Arthur narrowed his eyes and burst into exclamations.

“hmm… Are the forces supporting the two princes pirates?”

“… that’s right. That’s why I’m being targeted by the pirates.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

‘Interesting, this… .’

Two forces representing the back streets of Arcane.

It was a fact that even Arthur had no idea that the pirates and the seven emperors were fighting backed by different supporters in the Prime Kingdom.

‘It’s not surprising considering the size of the two forces… hmm. That’s why Mr. Barance said he was going to war.’

Arthur, who finally understood the main meaning of this request, stroked his chin.

‘But even so, why?’

I could understand the big stem, but I honestly couldn’t understand the current situation.

Chihwang, and if you’re the size of Barance, you’ll have trustworthy limbs, so why make things complicated by commissioning mercenaries?

Arthur, who was worried, suddenly asked a question.

“I’m sorry to say this, but is Suga Barance’s daughter?”

“… yes?”

“It doesn’t look alike at all. Is Suga-san Barance-sama’s daughter?”

Suga’s eyes widened.

Arthur, who read the young embarrassment on her face, was about to open his mouth again.

“… You’re being rude. I’ll just get up and see.”

Suga got up and left the restaurant.

Arthur, who was watching, scratched his head and murmured.

“hmm… What is it?”

With these words, Arthur drank his coffee.

“Suga, no matter how you look at it, you don’t look like Barance’s daughter?’

* * *

evening after hours.

Cassel, who woke up, walked over and sat down.

“… Didn’t something happen while you were sleeping, Dunn?”

Arthur, who was lost in thought at his question, came to his senses and answered.

“No. Did you sleep better than that?”

“… I slept soundly. I liked the feeling of the shaking train.”

Arthur burst into laughter at his words and pointed to Suga’s visit.

“Then, can we have dinner, Mr. Suga, please, Cassel?”

Cassel, who was still rubbing her eyes at the remaining sleepiness, was startled.

“Me, me? As for the client, you decided to do it!”

“ah. Actually, we quarreled a bit. So, Cassel, please do it this time.”

Cassell narrowed his eyes.

‘I heard nothing happened a while ago?’

Then the door suddenly opened.

As Cassel and Arthur turned their gazes at the same time, Suga with braided hair came towards us in pajamas.

“Let’s have dinner.”

“… … .”

To this, Cassel couldn’t answer, and Arthur raised his eyebrows.

“You weren’t upset, Mr. Suga?”

“… I didn’t pout. I came because I thought I would be at a loss if I didn’t eat dinner.”

Arthur nodded and said.

“It was a good choice. They say dinner is steak.”

Suga didn’t answer anything, and Cassel noticed Suga like that.

Arthur opened the door and spoke to the waiting waiter.

“I’d like to have dinner for three, please.”

“All right.”

The waiter, bent down, disappeared.

After closing the door again, Arthur returned to his seat and sat down.

A heavy silence fell in the room.

“… … .”

In that atmosphere, Cassel turned her eyes around and noticed.

‘Eh, what the hell did you do to make the atmosphere like this?’

I was so curious, but I didn’t have the courage to open my mouth and ask.

Because of that, when I kept looking, food came in at the same time as the knocking sound.

Cassel opened his mouth, trying to suppress the feeling of wanting to cheer.

“Smells so good! It will be delicious!”

“… … .”

At the reaction of the two people who did not respond, Cassell showed a shy expression.

In the meantime, the chef approached and set the dishes prepared one by one.

It was when Suga picked up a glass to drink the wine that came with the dish.

Arthur hit Suga’s hand noisily.

Clink-!

With the sound of a wine glass breaking, Cassel opened her mouth in amazement.

In the meantime, Suga raised his eyebrows and shouted.

“What is this… .”

At that moment, Arthur got up from his seat and took out the beast from his chest and aimed it at the chef’s forehead.

“… Such a f*cking foot!”

Along with swearing, the cook also pulled out his gun and tried to lift it, but it was already too late.

bang-!

With a roar of gunfire, the headless cook collapsed.

As Suga and Cassel watched with their mouths open, Arthur stretched out and said.

“It is a slow start. You came at bedtime, pirates.”