Chapter 226
Chapter 226
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 226
Chapter Title: The Duke's Abduction
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Though it was a small kingdom, Duke Albans was a pivotal figure who had developed Mercado's slave market alongside the late King Tolkien.
He had weathered countless trials and tribulations in his life, yet at this very moment, he couldn't maintain his composure.
It was only natural. Anyone would lose their nerve seeing a doll like that clinging to the ceiling, staring down at them.
"Waaah!"
"Heh, what a drama king."
Sssrrrrk!
Thinking someone might come running at the sound of the duke's scream, Saladin swiftly descended from the ceiling and seized Duke Albans from behind.
"What is the matter, Your Grace... Gah!"
Sure enough, the auction house staff came rushing out upon hearing the duke's cry.
But upon seeing Mimi's tongue blade poking out threateningly at the duke's nape, they froze in horror, halting in their tracks.
"Wh-who are you! Do you even know who this man is?!"
"Who? It's Duke Albans. Who do you think you're fooling, you idiots?"
Unlike the auction house staff, Saladin remained utterly nonchalant.
Perhaps sensing from Saladin's demeanor that there was no intent to take his life,
Duke Albans, having regained his wits, finally spoke.
"This peculiar doll... I see. So you're Saladin, the Puppet Master called Baron Jerome's right-hand man?"
"Oh my, for Your Grace to know the name of a lowly one like me. I am deeply honored."
Saladin's name had spread across the continent after surviving countless battlefields alongside Jerome.
"Do you think you'll get away with this?! Your presence here means this is Baron Jerome's doing—the same man who sent pirates to Olivia. Do you grasp the implications?!"
Duke Albans's eyes bulged wide.
"It means Baron Jerome is interfering in our kingdom's internal affairs! I won't let this slide!"
Duke Albans couldn't hide his fury. Though he clashed with King Peter, it stemmed from differing visions on how to lead the nation—an internal conflict.
They might scheme against each other's lives in the shadows, but there was a clear line they wouldn't cross.
At the very least, they must not give foreign powers an opening for invasion.
Thus, King Peter's actions now blatantly crossed that line.
"Well, well."
Saladin didn't flinch at Duke Albans's thunderous outburst. As the saying goes, it takes a dirty dog to call another mangy. It was absurd hearing this from a duke entangled with the Empire, of all people.
"Impressive acting, Your Grace. Almost had me fooled."
"What nonsense is this?!"
"Ah, whatever."
Kiririk!
"Kuh!"
With a flick of Saladin's finger, Mimi's arm—its tongue blade extended—roughly wrapped around Duke Albans's neck.
"You lot. Relay this to the duke's house: If you want to get your esteemed duke back safe and sound, release every single Ainu child you're holding right now. If those kids aren't at Azanta Palace by dawn tomorrow, I'll neatly slice off His Grace's head."
"Y-you...!"
Ignoring the auction house staff's protests, Saladin fled out the window with Duke Albans still clutched in Mimi's grasp.
"Emergency! Notify Duke Albans's residence immediately! His Grace has been kidnapped!"
The vast slave market of Mercado, operated by the Sharon Kingdom.
Many assumed the Sharon royal family, which amassed the greatest wealth, owned the market outright—but that was only half true.
The royals owned the "body" of the slave market.
But to move that body, "blood" was naturally required.
That blood came from those participating in the trade: the slave merchants.
Given the brutal nature of the business, most didn't last long—either dying on the job or quitting after a few years, worn down by its savagery.
Yet some endured, amassing immense fortunes and growing into "giant blood" that could sway the very "body" itself.
Those who rose from mere merchants to shake the market were called great merchants by the continent.
Fortuna was one such great merchant, dubbed the godfather of slave traders. His mansion outshone even those of prestigious noble houses in splendor and luxury.
Wuuuuung!
In one corner of the mansion, a massive magic circle flickered with ongoing light.
It was a teleportation circle, providing infinite convenience across the continent.
But such circles were a double-edged sword, potentially allowing enemy infiltration.
Thus, most nations strictly forbade private teleportation circles.
Fortuna, however, had installed one brazenly in his mansion, thumbing his nose at such regulations.
The enormous bribes to kingdom officials enabled this overreach.
Even without bribes, few would dare trespass into Fortuna's domain anyway.
Flash!
Finally, two figures slowly emerged from the intensely glowing circle, followed by knights in silver armor appearing one after another.
Thud!
"Hey, Fortuna! Long time no see!"
The knight at the forefront, clad in ornate silver armor, waved cheerfully at Fortuna with a bright smile.
To onlookers, his casual demeanor might seem overly flippant before a great merchant handling vast sums that even nobles envied.
But Fortuna bowed politely to the knight without a hint of offense.
He knew better than to be deceived by the knight's levity.
Fortuna was all too aware of the overflowing madness lurking beneath that frivolity.
"You've had a arduous journey, Captain Juda. I trust your business in the Empire concluded well?"
The question alluded to the Empire's purges.
The Empire's next-generation prodigies: the nine Holy Knight Order captains.
This knight was Juda, the third-ranked genius among that monstrous generation.
"Haha, every era has its fools who resist the new age. But I converted them with all my might, so the Lord shall surely look favorably upon the Empire."
A euphemism for a brutal purge. Fortuna felt chills creeping up his spine from Juda's hand on his shoulder, like a snake slithering across it, but he endured with superhuman restraint.
"How many Ainu are there?"
The robed mage behind Juda showed interest only in the Ainu, indifferent to the rest.
He had volunteered for this mission. After losing the favor of his former master, his life had spiraled into chaos.
'If I modify these Ainu and produce results, he'll acknowledge me again.'
Reading the mage's expression, Juda smirked and turned back to Fortuna.
"Anyway, as you see, we've got someone in a hurry. Let's wrap this up quick. I've got plenty more to convert, you know."
Madness swirled in Juda's eyes.
"So, where are the ones we're here to kill?"
With Duke Albans slung over his shoulder, Saladin slipped out of the Cosax Auction House and headed straight for Azanta Palace.
Thud!
"......"
Ash and Baukalrak, who had been receiving treatment, were speechless at the sight of the sack hitting the floor like discarded trash.
The knight beside them, Sir Yorn, had gone pale as a ghost—beyond drained of color.
"Y-you actually kidnapped Duke Albans... Young master, how do you plan to handle this?!"
"Eh, the guy who sent me here will clean up the mess."
Saladin snorted dismissively through his nose.
"Y-young master Saladin...!"
Sir Yorn's face turned whiter than a vampire's. Better not tease him further.
"Just kidding. It wasn't without reason. As I said before, the duke's house was clearly stalling for time. If we let it drag on, His Majesty will be dethroned before we can do a thing."
"Dethroned?! What blasphemy is this?!"
Sir Yorn bellowed as if it were the height of irreverence.
"Isn't it obvious? The Empire's reinforcements backing Duke Albans have arrived, and our Ainu friends are pinned down. Can His Majesty break through alone?"
"......!!"
"This isn't the time to pick and choose methods. The Empire's reinforcements might arrive sooner than we think."
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmmpf!"
Hearing Saladin, Duke Albans writhed violently inside the sack. He clearly had something to say.
"What's his deal?"
Whoosh!
Saladin yanked off the sack in annoyance, and Duke Albans immediately shouted as if he'd been waiting.
"I've listened this far, and what madness is this?! Why would I invite the Holy Empire's reinforcements here?!"
"Wow, your acting is top-notch. Makes sense—you need skills like that to hold onto your dukedom."
Saladin scoffed at Duke Albans's reaction.
Who do you think you're fooling? You're the one with the influence to assassinate a prince back then, and you still feud with King Peter. If you're not an Empire spy, who is?
Sir Yorn must think the same.
The moment Saladin turned to check Sir Yorn's expression,
"...Huh?"
Something felt off.
"Young master Saladin. Though he clashes with His Majesty over differing views now, Duke Albans's loyalty to the kingdom is genuine. He wouldn't invite the Empire here."
If even Sir Yorn, King Peter's longtime retainer, said this, it meant Duke Albans wasn't the type to cross that line lightly.
'This is taking a weird turn.'
"Then who does His Majesty suspect as the spy?"
King Peter had clearly wanted to dismantle Mercado. Wouldn't Duke Albans, its protector, be the prime obstacle?
"...It's true His Majesty pushed the duke's house because they shelter Mercado. But that doesn't make him a spy. His Majesty suspects someone else."
"What?"
They say listen to the end when it comes to continentals, but you should've mentioned that upfront. Now that the deed's done, what am I supposed to do with this late addition?
Saladin shot Sir Yorn a reproachful glare, but Yorn had his own retort.
"Hey, you ran off without listening."
...Damn. Can't argue with that.
"...Anyway! What's done is done. If we don't rescue the children from the duke's garden, it puts His Majesty at a disadvantage, so let's stay positive."
Sir Yorn felt a crick in his neck at Saladin's breezy attitude.
"...So, what do you plan to do?"
"Huh? The obvious."
Squatting beside Duke Albans, Saladin replied.
"Exchange them. The duke for the kids. Right now."
As if to prove he meant it, Saladin slung Duke Albans over Mimi's shoulder.
"R-right now?!"
"Yup. Even if we move immediately, time's tight. Given the duke's house's actions, reinforcements—from the Empire or whoever—are definitely coming. Right?"
"......"
Duke Albans, draped over Mimi's shoulder, offered no reply to Saladin's question.
But his silence was answer enough.
"See? We gotta hurry. No time to waste."
"A-alright. I'll guide you right away."
As Sir Yorn and Saladin prepared to head to the duke's residence, the elf and lycanthrope rose too.
"Grrr, we're coming along."
"Huh? Why?"
"...Saladin, you don't even know how many Ainu kids there are, do you? With elven hearing and lycanthrope sense of smell, we can find any hidden in the duke's house. And what if they stab us in the back after we hand over the duke?"
It was a valid point.
"Fine. Let's go together."
Duke Albans's residence wasn't far from Mercado.
After sunset, it lay shrouded in darkness save for guard lights, but Saladin and the Ainu could sense it.
The razor-sharp tension hanging over the duke's house.
Likely due to the alert after news of the duke's kidnapping.
"Who goes there?!"
The guards reacted sharply as they approached.
"Grrr!"
Baukalrak stepped toward the guards.
Then swatted them roughly with his massive paw.
"Gahk!"
Kwajik!
The impact was so fierce that the flying guards smashed through the duke's main gate.
"W-wasn't that too harsh on ignorant guards?"
"Grrr. These bastards were at the scene recently. I remember their scent."
Baukalrak snorted and shook out his paw.
"Ah... really?"
Good thing he didn't kill them.
Saladin sauntered into the duke's residence through the shattered gate like he owned the place.
Before them: countless people surrounding Ainu children, all facing the gate.
"You monsters! Don't you care about the children's lives?!"
Someone shouted, recalling how the Ainu had backed off to such threats before.
"Tch, playing dirty with kids' lives."
Saladin just snorted and wagged a finger.
Swish!
Mimi's tongue blade aimed at the duke's nape on her shoulder.
"Drop all those nasty weapons you're holding. Unless you want to see a hole in your master's neck."