CH 22

“He, he, I mean… I think I know…”

“I came because our warrior has done something dishonorable here. I wouldn’t say you don’t know, lord. The rumors have even reached my ears.”

“You, I, you know, I’m just saying it’s a…”

“It is very difficult. The warrior’s honor is the Duke of Blake’s honor. I can never forgive those who slander my family…”

The duke’s words sank heavily.

Duke Blake.

I was thinking where I’ve heard that name before and then realized that it’s Haron’s surname. The game trailer also showed the warrior’s childhood growth, but I didn’t really know much about it.

“That is true. If you don’t mind, can I do a proper investigation again?”

“…Yes?”

“Well… it has been a while, so it will be hard to investigate and reveal the real culprit, but we can determine if the warrior is the criminal or not. Of course, it will be hard to recover the honor after it has been tarnished.”

As soon as he finished talking, the duke threw the teacup he was holding to the wall.

“You should at least take out those who have defamed the warrior from the wrong investigation.”

“…Yes.”

The lord was so blue that he couldn’t even answer properly. After watching, it seems certain that the lord partook in the manipulation. He probably didn’t know that the news would get so big where the duke himself will come out. How pathetic.

I don’t know who the accomplice is, but it’s relatively easy to back out now, except the lord is not in the position to do that. He then knelt straight before the duke.

“It’s wrong… I, I, I uh… was wrong…”

“I don’t care if you use the warrior for small matters, but I clearly told you to do it thoroughly so there won’t be stories floating around.”

The duke said in an angry voice and kicked the lord lightly with his foot.

“You pathetic bastard.”

The duke then rubbed his shoe against the carpet as if it had gotten dirtied. He then got up from his seat and took his cane from me.

“I need to see the warrior, where is he now?”

“The… the first room in the basement…”

The lord replied desperately while lying on the ground. As soon as he heard the answer, the duke looked at him pathetically and turned away. He then made eye contact with me who was behind him.

‘…Why are you staring at me all of the sudden?’

His persistent heavy gaze fell on me.

“You guide me.”

The duke opened his mouth briefly and spoke. I wondered why he kept ordering me around, but I bowed my head.

***

(3rd person pov)

Haron was alone in the room.

He was still a noble, yet he was locked up in what it looks like a room in the warehouse, not a prison. It felt the same for him though since he can’t go out. As he leaned against the wall alone, he recalled Carl’s words.

‘If you claim that it wasn’t you, the fingers will point towards the maid. Poor girl, she will be severely tormented.’

Haron bit his lips tightly. He felt powerless while making those around him suffer. Even though he’s the warrior, he can’t protect the one person he cares about. That fact was painful.

‘But maybe it’s better like this.’

Since he’s a warrior and a noble on the outside, they can’t do anything worse than this. Anything would be good if it means she won’t suffer.

At that moment, the door creaked open. Through the gap, he came face to face with the person he wanted to see the most and the person he didn’t want to see the most.

“…Duke.”

“You stay here.”

The duke walked in alone, leaving Lucia outside of the room. Her worried eyes met his briefly before the door closed. When it was just the two of them, Haron opened his mouth carefully.

“Uh, you have… came all the way here.”

“If it’s for the warrior, I’ll come running down the street in no time.”

The duke grumbled and walked towards Haron.

“This father can’t do everything for you.”

He then pulled the handle at the end of his cane. It was no ordinary cane, for there was a sword inside of it.

“Ugh.”

The sword headed towards Haron’s shoulder without any hesitation.

“…You still haven’t come to your senses. You’re still verdure.”

He then pulled the sword and swung it again.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but he said that no matter what, he won’t do anything that’ll defame you.”

“I… I didn’t do it.”

“Whether you did it or not, what good does that do? Rumor has already spread that you did it. Seems like you didn’t hear my words when I said to die honorably.”

While talking, the duke continued to move the sword that’s in his hand.

“It’s… not what I did.”

Even while Haron’s suffering, he did not shout out loud or kneel and beg. He knew Lucia was outside, so he didn’t want to make any more noise and have her worry.

“Your eyes are full of rebellion. Have you been out for too long and forgot about me?”

“…”

“Well, you haven’t been discouraged in a while. You’re like a stupid, wild dog.”

The duke, who was hurting Haron harshly, finally sat down on the chair after appearing to be a little tired.

“I’ve always heard everything about you.”

Haron raised his head slightly at the duke’s sudden soft tone.

“Everything from you gathering the Mahone stones for the lord, piercing through the barriers of the land of the monsters, and being attacked by the devil. I’ve heard all about it.”

“…What are you saying?”

The duke turned his attention towards the closed door.

“And that you’ve brought in a new silver-haired maid.”

The back of Haron’s neck cooled and he almost felt like his heart stopped beating for a second. His face turned white and his breath gradually shortened. The duke didn’t come here with Lucia for nothing. It was an unspoken threat.

“Do you remember? On the days where you first came to my residence, two maids had to suffer by not eating, and the attendant was punished for you rebelling against my words, and…”

“Wrong.”

Haron quickly knelt down on his knees from the stab wound on his leg, but that’s not the point right now.

“I will never do this again. I will be a faithful servant who will follow your will.”

He spewed those words out desperately for it was the way to please the duke. He didn’t care about what will happen to himself, as long as he doesn’t touch her, he will beg even more.

The duke then looked down at Haron with satisfaction and replied in a relaxed tone.

“We won’t have to go through this once in a while if you would just listen, warrior.”

“…”

“For this father felt strangled when he heard about the warrior in the capital. Not only that, the Blake family status has fallen a lot. What did they say, the low-blood can’t be helped.”

“…I’ll be careful.”

Those words could’ve been the most insulting words Haron has heard. No matter how hard he looked, a father shouldn’t say those things to his son. But, Haron just softly agreed. When he seemed to have no more will to respond, the duke changed the subject.

“Tell me, how did it feel to be attacked by the devil?”

“It was painful, but it didn’t seem like it was aimed to kill anyone.”

“They’re not willing to kill… Damn, those Rokden guys are right.”

The duke shook his head and clicked his tongue. Over the past 10 years, the devil’s attack on humans has visibly died down. There were no casualties except for those who recently suffered with Haron when he broke the barrier.

“The Duke of Rokden said he was trying to make peace with the devil. If it has been quiet for 10 years, you’d be hoping for peace too.”

“…It seems that the devil didn’t want to associate with humans. He could’ve killed me…”

“You stupid bastard!”

The duke relentlessly kicked him pretty hard, but Haron just suffered in silence.

“Peace with the devil? Where will the meaning of being a warrior go? Don’t you know people are crazy about warriors?!”

“That…”

“The warrior exists because there’s a mighty enemy. If the devil is not the enemy, then…”

Then naturally the warrior won’t be needed. Duke Blake caught his breath for a moment. It also meant that no one will bring honor to the warrior, and the Duke of Blake will have a dirty mixed-blood in his family. It was simply the worst ending for the duke.

“…I won’t say a lot. There seems to be only one way left anyways.”

The duke’s voice dropped even lower. It was the quietest and bleakest voice ever.

“You kill the devil first.”