Duke Yuma stared at the clock hanging on the wall of the special room.
10:30 PM.
It was a time that felt too far from the physical limits he was currently experiencing.
Step, step.
He walked past the sprawled-out corpse of Hecate and the charred remains of an unknown mage.
As he sat down in his seat, Yuma felt the approach of the demonic energy.
“I need to rest a bit. Don’t go over there; there are corpses in front.”
Leaning his seat slightly back, Yuma looked at Cloney, who nodded her head repeatedly.
“Y-yes! Sleep well!”
Yuma slowly closed his eyes.
“Wake me up in 3 hours… just 3 hours.”
He had no idea what would happen if he slept longer on this damned train.
Immediately after speaking, Yuma fell almost straight into sleep.
Cloney’s shining golden eyes stared intently at Yuma’s face.
‘So handsome. So handsome. So handsome.’
Cloney marveled, examining Yuma’s features one by one.
‘Hmm… I’m going to become the greatest mage on the continent!’
Only then could she stay closely by his side.
The golden eyes fixated on Yuma for a while longer.
Then, she pulled out her magic book, which she always carried in her bag, and began to dabble with it.
*
Clang—
Yuma slowly opened his eyes.
As if the thick fog had lifted, his mind became clear.
He spotted Cloney, dozing off by the window.
The clock on the wall pointed to 4 AM.
“….”
Yuma tapped Cloney’s shoulder.
“Cloney.”
Cloney opened her eyes wide and lifted her head.
“D-Duke Yuma!”
“I told you to wake me up in 3 hours, didn’t I?”
Cloney bowed her head deeply.
“I-I’m sorry. You looked too tired…”
There were about 3 hours left until they reached the transfer city, Arkan.
“Now you get some sleep. For the remaining time.”
“Yes.”
Cloney leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes obediently. Yuma picked up the magic book Cloney had been reading.
Swish—
Turning the pages gracefully, she looked like a young professor from an academy.
‘But I have no idea what this says.’
He couldn’t understand a single thing. After skimming through roughly three pages, he closed the book and gazed at the sleeping Cloney.
‘Was it called Resonance?’
The sword master with blue hair.
The existence that Princess Brigitte, who received a divine oracle, needed to meet to become a ruler.
The transfer city, Arkan. This place belonged to the southern part of the Empire.
It belonged to the south.
I had to find the guy mentioned in the prophecy, taking Cloney with me.
‘If only the target were something tangible, like an object, it would’ve been easier to find.’
Regrettably, the target was a person.
It was clear that a challenging journey lay ahead.
Duke Yuma turned to face the presence that had been staring at him.
“What do you want?”
That presence was one of the people Yuma had coldly ignored a few hours earlier. A man with striking blue hair.
“Ah, greetings! I am Gelmore, the mayor of the waystation city, Arkan, which you’ll be arriving at shortly. If you have any plans while in Arkan, I’d love to assist you. Duke Yuma, you are my life saver!”
The mayor of Arkan, Gelmore.
He was actually the administrator of the first destination.
“Alright. But I’d like to let my party explore the city first. It would be great if you could recommend a decent inn or restaurant.”
Gelmore bowed his head vigorously.
“Of course! I will ensure that you experience no inconveniences during your stay in the city. Also, if I could meet you just once before you leave, I would be honored.”
“It’s fine as long as you can come look for me.”
“Of course, Duke Yuma.”
Gelmore thought there was no need to uphold the dignity of a mayor in front of this man. He had single-handedly chased away the wildly intimidating Dawn Revolutionary Army, known for their master-level fighters.
And he had witnessed that power first-hand.
The Princess’s sword.
“The sword of Princess Brigitte…!”
The man with the dark gray hair seemed more than deserving of that title.
Gelmore contemplated that this might truly be the sword that could defeat the First Prince, Schwarze. He wrote down a list of inns and restaurants where he didn’t have to worry about underhanded tricks or dubious dealings. He also wrote his name on the back of the paper.
Gelmore presented the paper to Yuma with both hands.
“Showing this will ensure no one tries to pull a fast one on you, Your Grace.”
Certainly, this was practical help.
“Thanks. I’ll be going now.”
“…Yes!”
Gratitude was gratitude, but annoyance was annoyance.
Clank—
At 7 AM.
The mana train arrived at the waystation city of Arkan.
Yuma and Cloney got off the train.
Yuma frowned slightly. Someone had blocked his way at the door.
The figure blocking his view was wearing a familiar uniform. It looked like the kind of clothes worn by the staff of the mana train, [Halo].
It was a middle-aged man with a stylishly groomed mustache.
The middle-aged man naturally led the two who had just exited the premium cabin to a reception room. It was a reception room that wasn’t much different from the one at the capital station.
The middle-aged man bowed deeply.
“I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is William, the branch manager of the Arkhan office of the mana train Halo.”
“I’m Yuma.”
“And I’m Cloney!”
Cloney raised her hand cheerfully, smiling brightly.
William responded with a wrinkled, kind smile.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Cloney.”
William turned his gaze back to Yuma.
“First, I would like to convey a message from Count Venosetian. As the owner of Halo, I sincerely apologize for what happened last night. Thank you for ensuring the safety of the train. I plan to use my authority to carry out an individual investigation into the revolutionary group, Dawn, that attacked the mana train. That is all regarding the Count’s message.”
It was a dull message, much like Yuma had anticipated.
William widened his almost-squinted eyes.
“And now, I will offer you some advice regarding this city, Arkhan.”
Hearing that there would be advice about the ground he had just stepped on piqued Yuma’s interest slightly.
“When you were in the premium cabin, did you happen to meet the mayor of Arkhan, Gelmore?”
“I had a brief conversation with him before getting off. He said to let him know if I needed any help.”
William nodded slowly at Yuma’s response and continued speaking.
“Gelmore, who has been mayor for four years, is certainly skilled as a merchant, but he is not suited to be the ruler of the city.”
“He can’t fully control the city?”
“Exactly. And there exists a true owner of this city, of whom Mayor Gelmore is even unaware.”
“The true owner?”
“The underground king, Belrak. He rules the underbelly of Arkhan using drugs as his weapons. His influence has grown to the point where he now aims at surface-level territory.”
It seemed this place was not just a transit city, but rather a drug city.
“Why have they let this happen?”
William shook his head.
“I reported it, but we only received orders for internal investigations. However, about half of the city’s security force is already corrupted by Belrak’s drugs.”
“Well, I’ve come down. However, the city’s security forces are already half-filled with those soaked in Belrak’s drugs.”
Duke Yuma began to understand why the revolutionaries were shouting for revolution last night. The state of the country was a total mess.
“I have no intention of addressing your irresponsible request to solve this. I thought it necessary for you to be aware of Lady Princess’s will.”
“Your judgment is correct.”
It had to be acknowledged.
“Is this the end?”
“Yes, my business is finished. Duke Yuma.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Duke Yuma and Cloney got up.
*
A corrupted city.
A city of pleasures.
A city of drugs.
Arkan.
Duke Yuma walked through the streets of Arkan. It was only 3 PM, but he needed a break because Cloney’s health had reached its limits.
Perhaps it was still not nighttime yet. William, the head of the Halo branch in Arkan, had warned him, but it hadn’t sunk in yet.
A middle-aged man with a beard was admiring the things in a box.
“Wow, fish and fruits are in season these days!”
“Okay, enough admiration. Let’s settle the payment, Hans.”
Cloney took in the numerous transactions happening on the street.
“Definitely a lively trading scene!”
“Right?”
Duke Yuma thoroughly examined the paper he received from Gelmore. Amongst it, he found a nearby inn.
It was called the ‘Uolo’ inn.
Duke Yuma entered the inn and headed straight for the counter.
“This is proof of my acquaintance with the mayor of Arkan. Bring the owner here.”
The counter staff widened their eyes upon seeing the seal on the paper.
“Understood!”
After a loud response, the staff headed into the back where the owner’s office was.
A moment later, a middle-aged man with white hair walked out to the counter.
“Oh, oh! It’s indeed Mayor Gelmore’s seal. Allow me to escort you, esteemed guest.”
Duke Yuma looked into the man’s eyes. When the middle-aged man tilted his head, puzzled that Duke Yuma hadn’t followed him upstairs, he asked,
“Is there something else you need?”
Cloney also turned to glance at Duke Yuma.
“No.”
Duke Yuma took Cloney’s tiny hand and climbed the stairs.
The reason Duke Yuma glared at the owner of the Uolo inn was simple.
‘That gaze.’
There was something murky in that gaze. A filthy sense of foreboding.
It might be a wrong sense of unease, knowing that Gelmore had already lost control over this city.
However, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
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