Chapter 67
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: The Duke's Reckoning
As soon as I crossed into the space, I sealed the entrance.
I snapped the limbs of everyone trying to flee.
Man or woman.
Even adolescents got no exceptions.
A kid showing up to a place like this? Beat them even harder.
"Kyaaak!"
"Augh... ugh... ughhh...!"
Humans with arms and legs broken.
Humans pierced in the nape by light needles.
All of them rolled on the floor, groaning in agony.
The same went for those subdued by the others.
They were all suffering, each to varying degrees.
"Demonkin, don't move! Stay right where you are!"
The only exceptions were the demonkin.
They'd need a closer investigation, but most were probably innocent victims.
While I was snapping a few limbs,
Ekyon scanned the surroundings and raised her hand.
Whoosh.
Flames bloomed from her raised fingertip, steadily growing larger.
Bigger. Even bigger.
Swelling to the size needed to blow this dank, sprawling hall to kingdom come.
'Oho.'
As I admired the sight, Ekyon issued her warning.
"The moment you move, I'll detonate this fireball. If you don't want to end up charred black and buried alive, stay put."
Her amplified voice echoed into every corner.
No one could miss that.
"Wow, not bad at all?"
Mane approached while slicing off one man's wrist.
She opened a tiny spatial rift near the wrist and snapped it shut for a clean cut.
She'd done that to ten people.
In the blink of an eye.
"Right? The visual impact is huge."
I muttered as I watched the beasts drop to their knees or slump in despair.
Every last one had the face of someone who'd lost all hope and given up on life.
"Any escapees?"
"Gotta be some. I didn't see any—did you, Aunt?"
"I didn't either, but I bet we got 'em. What do you think?"
I nodded instead of answering.
Same thought here.
"Antiope. Round up the people and subdue them. Give them some sweet dreams."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Antiope bustled around, binding the beasts.
She staunched the bleeding on those with severed or broken ankles who couldn't move.
For the relatively intact ones, she stripped their clothes and used them as ropes.
"Uh... uh...?"
"Heh heh. Feels good. Uhihihihi."
The beasts Antiope touched began collapsing one by one, grinning like idiots.
They looked like they'd been dosed with something potent.
"Ekyon. Good work. Put out the fire—it's getting hot."
"Yes, Crown Prince."
Ekyon snuffed the massive fireball and caught her breath.
Her mana control had improved a lot.
"Master. Got him. Secret escape route, just like we figured."
Aktaion, who'd entered invisible, returned.
Not alone—she was dragging someone by the scruff of the neck.
"Who's that?"
I asked, eyeing the man she dumped on the floor.
Face looked familiar, but the name wouldn't come.
"No clue?"
Aktaion tilted her head too.
Guess even assassins don't memorize every noble.
"That's him. The local duke's son."
Mane peeked over my shoulder.
She pressed close, her ample breasts squishing firmly against my back.
'Ah. Right.'
Her words jogged my memory.
We'd even shaken hands.
"Remembered now. Forgot him in the crowd."
"Told ya. We landed a big one."
"This qualifies as a big fish, yeah."
Capturing the duke's son gave us leverage over the duke.
A family's sins weren't the head's, but he bore responsibility.
Plus, demonkin were involved—a massive scandal.
We could squeeze him breathless.
"This duke's the head of the noble faction, right?"
"That's the word. Gonna shake 'em up with this?"
"For starters."
Opposition had its place, but this was an exception.
No need for opinions from rotten roots.
They'd just oppose for opposition's sake, no philosophy behind it.
"He dead?"
I checked the duke's son sprawled on the floor.
He'd been dragged openly and dumped, but was eerily quiet.
"Nah. Too noisy, so I choked him out. Quicker and easier."
Aktaion shrugged it off.
Strangling a duke's son was a crime, but desperate times.
"Good call. No need to suffer his yapping if it'll be over quick."
"Right? Squeezed nice and tight—he won't wake for hours. Plenty of time to wrap this up."
"Solid. The passage?"
"Checked it—second floor, corner room. Hidden behind a bookshelf."
Bookshelf passage? Classic escape route.
"We'll peek after cleanup. Lend a hand?"
"Sure."
Aktaion joined Antiope, speeding things up.
'This oughta do it.'
Beasts subdued, entrance sealed.
Now just meet the duke and close this out.
I scanned around, then addressed the former demonkin slaves.
"We'll send you all home, so relax. If you've truly committed crimes, you'll face due punishment—but otherwise, no issues. I guarantee it in the name of the imperial family."
Mentioning the imperial family lit up their faces.
Shoulders, biceps, thighs...
The demonkin tattoos etched across their bodies seemed to weep.
'Must've been through hell.'
I sighed and met Mane's eyes.
"Aunt, sorry—could you open a portal? After the search."
"Sure. Where to?"
"Duke's castle."
In the dead of night, Bourbon Duke's castle erupted in unexpected chaos.
Torches blazed everywhere as people who'd been lounging or sleeping bolted around in panic.
Masses of demonkin.
Masses of beasts.
Over a hundred combined—it was warranted.
"Wh-what in the world...?"
"Talk."
Mane and I cornered the flustered duke.
Two against one.
My side made two, his one.
"What're you gonna do about this?"
After laying out the full story, I fixed the Bourbon Duke with a stare.
I struck the most arrogant pose to show how pissed I was.
"I have no excuse."
The Bourbon Duke bowed his head deeply.
Of course.
"That's the normal response. I get that, but your responsibility here is massive. Massive."
"Yes, you're right."
"Your son's defied an imperial edict, so heavy punishment. Same for everyone else there. Obvious."
I paused, studying him intently.
Face like a man whose wallet got picked clean, but no anger.
Sweet, dutiful son causes a huge mess on the surface.
Father should be disappointed, sure—but something felt off about it being just that.
Like he'd anticipated this moment.
"As I said, you won't dodge responsibility easily. Investigation will make it crystal clear."
"True. Could lose your head."
Mane chimed in calmly from where she'd been listening.
Her usual smile sent chills down the spine.
Mocking death outright.
Or like his death meant nothing to her.
'Feels fishy.'
Did he know and cover it up?
"Did you know? Be straight."
I crossed my arms, prodding him.
My instincts would sniff out lies—just answer.
"Yes. I knew. Or rather, I sensed something off, but couldn't bring myself to investigate."
Silence stretched minutes.
The duke nodded with a resigned expression.
"Knew and buried it? Why?"
"Forgive me, but I wanted to trust my son. And I couldn't uncover his flaws with my own hands. Fear held me back."
"You didn't partake?"
"If I had, my conscience might be clearer—but no."
He answered my sarcasm calmly.
No lie.
"Then why?"
I pressed for reasons, and out poured the tale.
Loved him too much to scold.
Belief he'd come around someday.
The more I heard, the more absurd—but I got it.
Parents who push too hard or trust too blindly.
Figured it'd be fine.
Brainwashed himself he'd shape up eventually.
"Ah, I see?"
Loved family too much to touch it.
Ridiculous excuse, but true or not, it didn't matter.
Key was he admitted his son's crimes outright.
And accepted his own punishment.
'Apologize or don't.'
I just wanted this wrapped clean.
No need to coddle feelings from someone I barely knew.
"Conclusion's in. I leave punishment to your hands, as you asked. Handle it."
Mane smiled at me.
Handing reins showed respect for the crown prince's authority.
Grateful, but not thrilled.
Too much hassle to deal with.
"What's the right line?"
"Execute the ringleaders first. Confiscate assets to the treasury. You... tricky. Aiding and abetting's a crime, but not death-worthy."
"Resign the title enough to overlook?"
"Demoting to commoner has merit. Your call?"
All solid points.
Defied imperial edict—punishment fits.
But too big for my solo call.
Duke-level.
"Better hear Mother's take."
"Yeah? I'll ask."
"Thanks. I'll lock up the criminals meantime."
"Sure. Hang tight."
Mane yawned, opened a spatial rift, and stepped through.
Alone, it'd drag with back-and-forth.
Convenient. Reliable.
"Heard that? Wait quietly for Mother's—Her Majesty's—verdict."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The Bourbon Duke bowed meekly amid it all.
So compliant it was suspicious.
Yet no scheming vibe.
Just... this was the guy.
'High title doesn't mean excellent.'
Kruger, earl yet worse than viscount, died for it.
Vis counts tanking houses with baron-level judgment.
Made sense recalling them.
Incompetents propped by family name.
Pretty common trope.