Chapter 84……………………………
Like a scene out of a movie, everyone froze.
Leonhart and Rusfel’s eyes fixed on me.
Distrust, surprise, shock—and a desperate hope that what I said was true.
All those emotions were tangled up in their gazes.
“Duke, I suggest you choose your words carefully. Adele is far too important to us for you to toss her name around so lightly.”
“I’m not joking.”
“Not joking? Adele is dead… in the underworld. How could you possibly be having conversations with her?”
“Your Highness, don’t get agitated. Calm yourself first.”
Rusfel soothed Leonhart.
After pondering quietly for a while, he spoke in a measured tone.
“Do you have any proof of what you’re claiming, Duke? Can you communicate with Adele right here in front of us?”
“I can’t speak directly with Adela Helsingten. But the spirit bound to me can.”
“You mean your dark spirit actually spoke with Adele?”
“How else would I know about your past?”
Dark spirits are born in the swamps of the underworld.
Unlike demons, they don’t need contracts to move freely between the human world and the underworld.
They also like to cling to objects, stirring up negative emotions in their owners and laying curses.
That was all humanity knew about them.
“Please wait a moment, Duke. We need to discuss this among ourselves.”
“As you wish.”
The three men huddled in a corner of the hall and began a serious discussion.
I couldn’t hear their voices—but luckily, I had the spirits’ live commentary.
[Oh my god. They’re not seriously considering believing that nonsense, are they?]
[I don’t know. There’s so little information about dark spirits.]
[I believe it. Because I experienced it myself.]
[Owen, what exactly happened with the Duke back at the temple?]
[He said something… something only Adele and I knew.]
[Are you sure? We were with the expedition most of the time. You might’ve thought it was just you two, but maybe someone overheard. You just didn’t notice.]
[Remember when we were hunting the Demon King and had to camp in the mountains? Rusfel and His Highness went rabbit hunting with the others, but only Adele and I stayed at camp.]
[…Ah! I remember. When we came back with the rabbits, it was just you and Adele there. Your Highness, looks like Owen’s right.]
[Hmph. Rusfel, not you too. Both of you need to cool your heads.]
[Just listen, Your Highness.]
Rusfel glanced at me and lowered his voice even more.
How long were they planning to whisper among themselves? Rude bastards.
Not that eavesdropping on them through spirits was any less rude on my part.
[Your Highness, do you remember what we talked about at Charles Brewery?]
[What talk?]
[We said the Duke might just be imitating Adele after digging up information on you. Adele is your weak point.]
[…I remember.]
[I thought so at first too. But the more I got to know the Duke, the stranger it seemed. He’d say or do things that not even our comrades knew about.]
[Did that really happen?]
[When he was drafting the plaza construction proposal, I helped him for two days. That’s when.]
[Why didn’t you tell us?]
[Because I didn’t have an explanation. On the surface, it felt like Adele had possessed him, but that’s absurd.]
My body twitched involuntarily.
Did I do something unusual back then? I thought I was acting normal…
No matter how careful I was, sometimes my old habits or words slipped out when I let my guard down.
It wasn’t something I could control.
[I could never figure out how it was possible. But if the source was Adele herself, everything makes sense. With Adele as his informant, the Duke could know things inside and out.]
Rusfel gently placed a hand on Leonhart’s stiff shoulder.
[Your Highness, you tried to find the Duke’s informant too. Do you know why you failed? Because the informant wasn’t in the human world—they were in the underworld. Of course you couldn’t find them.]
[I don’t think the Duke is deliberately imitating Adele. He must’ve been influenced after hearing so much from the dark spirit about her.]
Owen had already accepted it long ago. Rusfel seemed convinced too.
But Leonhart still clung to doubt.
[I can’t believe it. Not unless I see it with my own eyes.]
[That’s fine, Your Highness. You don’t have to believe. But don’t interfere. Not even you would be forgiven for that.]
[Interfere?]
[The reason we were searching for a dark sorcerer was because we needed a demon. Only demons can release Adele’s soul from the underworld.]
[…Don’t tell me dark spirits can contact demons too?]
[Yes. Through his dark spirit, the Duke will find a demon willing to negotiate with us. That’s what he promised.]
I felt Leonhart’s piercing stare on my cheek.
[And what did you promise in return?]
[Huh? What do you mean?]
[The Duke wouldn’t make such a promise for free. You must’ve promised him something. Didn’t you?]
[…That’s… a secret. I can’t tell you.]
[Owen.]
[But it’s nothing bad for me, I swear! The Duke isn’t the type to demand something like that.]
[Your opinion of him has improved a lot these past few days.]
[Maybe because my heart feels lighter. We finally have a way forward.]
[So you… truly trust the Duke.]
[I do. There’s no going back to when I didn’t.]
[Owen, fine, but remember one thing.]
[What is it?]
[The Duke is not Adele.]
Even I saw the smile vanish from Owen’s face.
[If the Duke’s words are true, then yes—he may know Adele better than anyone alive. But he can never be her.]
[…I know.]
[Anyway, I understand your positions. We’ll be with the Duke for a while anyway. I’ll decide later whether I trust him or not.]
The three of them returned to me.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Duke. The discussion took longer than expected.”
“It’s fine.”
I wasn’t bored thanks to eavesdropping on them.
“We heard about the promise you made with Owen. Though he didn’t tell us what he offered you in return.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Is it really possible? Can you summon a demon through the dark spirit?”
“I don’t know. But it’s worth trying.”
Rusfel’s eyes went unfocused, and then he closed them tightly.
The trembling of his eyelids showed just how long he’d waited for this moment.
“Alright. I’ll trust you, Duke. From now on, we’re on the same side. Like… a committee to bring Adele back. Let’s call it the CBA—the Committee for Bringing Adele.”
“…”
Ugh, childish.
“On that note, like Owen, I’ll also offer you payment. Think of what you want in advance.”
“I don’t need anything more.”
“Then take half from Owen and half from me. That’s fair, isn’t it?”
Did he think Owen was paying me in cash or something?
“Is that really necessary?”
“Adele’s death is all of our responsibility. We can’t let one person bear it alone.”
They had no idea.
The person they longed for was already standing right in front of them.
I masked my bitter heart with a dry expression and spoke.
“Your Highness, do you agree too?”
When Leonhart saw all three of us looking at him, he reluctantly nodded.
“For now.”
Owen glanced around, then picked up my briefcase.
“Duke, aren’t you hungry? Let’s go eat.”
“Owen, if you eat with the Duke at a restaurant, you’ll see something amazing—the population density plummeting—”
“Professor Rusfel, shut up.”
“Yes, sir…”
Leonhart finally regained his wits and stopped us.
“No restaurants. Too many people.”
“Why…? Oh! Because of assassins?”
“Exactly. They won’t attack in broad daylight, but caution costs nothing.”
“Then let’s go to my lab?”
“Huh? Owen, you’ve already been assigned a lab?”
“The dean gave me the second-best office among those left by dismissed professors.”
“And the best one?”
“Of course it goes to the Duke.”
“Then let’s eat in the Duke’s lab. Duke, is that alright?”
“No, I refuse.”
“Don’t be like that. Join us. We also need to discuss the assassin issue.”
“Why should I discuss my problem with others? It’s none of your concern.”
“Then we’ll go ahead first. Owen, let’s go.”
“Duke, I’ll carry your bag. Please follow us!”
“Wait—!”
Rusfel and Owen slipped out of the hall first.
Strange.
Until now, if I spoke coldly and distant, people got scared and backed off.
So why aren’t they budging?
Can’t they at least let me eat alone?
As I grumbled inwardly and started to walk, Leonhart stopped me.
“Duke.”
“Yes?”
“Let me make this clear—I do not trust you.”
“I know.”
“And yet, the reason I stay silent is because of them. I know how exhausted they are—how desperately they’re clinging to the slightest hope.”
“…”
“So please, do not make my friends grieve. I beg you.”
When I saw Leonhart bow his head to me—for the sake of Rusfel and Owen—my nose stung.
Even if he’d grown hardened, his selflessness hadn’t changed.
‘If only I were stronger, fewer comrades would’ve been hurt. Why am I so weak?’
That was what he once confessed when he was poisoned after being drenched in venom.
Back then, it had been just the two of us in the tent.
His expression wavered violently, realizing I remembered.
“You’ve grown strong, Your Highness. You truly were our hidden card.”
“…!”
Leonhart bit his lip.
Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and asked in a suppressed voice.
“Who… who told you that?”
“Why don’t you take a guess?”
When I grinned, his hand slipped away.
He looked utterly dazed.
Then, from outside the hall, Rusfel’s voice rang out:
“Your Highness! What’s taking so long? Hurry up, I’m starving!”
I nodded and said to Leonhart:
“That’s the first time I’ve heard Professor Rusfel admit he’s hungry. Shall we?”
“…Let’s go.”
As we stepped outside, the spirits’ telepathic chatter returned.
[Wow… they actually fell for it. Weren’t those humans supposed to be the clever ones?]
[Humans don’t know much about dark spirits. Lord Rian exploited that weakness.]
[Still, our contractor sure is good at spinning lies… Ah! Gnome! I wasn’t insulting him, I meant his story was the lie! I swear!]
[Oh my, Gnome, did you think Salamander was badmouthing Rian? How cute… But Salamander’s right this time. Dark spirits can’t speak at all.]
[Exactly. Even with a contract, you can’t ‘hear’ anything from them. Why not?]
[Because those pathetic things don’t even have mouths! Got it? Now get your damn snout off my tail!]
