Chapter 10 : Chapter 10
Chapter 10
The next morning.
The entire castle was in an uproar due to the incident at the city hall the previous day.
Stories spread throughout the castle that the enraged regent had slapped the head of the audit department upon hearing the news, and that the auditors who had been taking bribes had resigned en masse.
The merchant guilds mentioned in Roberto’s statement headed to the lord’s castle with carts full of gold to claim their innocence.
The regent, the head of the audit department, and the chief of security all tried to see Ian, but Ian refused everyone’s requests and holed himself up in the training grounds with Lina.
* * *
Ian, being ‘The Capable Incompetent,’ knew how to do everything.
It wasn't just that his character was set up that way; to survive in the game, he truly had to excel in all abilities except for martial strength.
Especially by the time Ian was a leader of a resistance cell, he even had to increase his understanding of swordsmanship and magic to teach his members.
Unlike other cells where the leader possessed strong martial power, it was more important for the cell led by Ian to develop the martial strength of its members to survive.
‘That’s why I started memorizing the secret arts.’
The secret arts of each family and hero, which were only shared in the very late stages of the game.
The secret arts, which everyone thought were useless elements, were hidden pieces essential for game progression.
Just by memorizing and teaching these secret arts, there were characters who learned new skills, and using this, I could further strengthen the human forces in the mid-to-late game.
“Instead of keeping the mana in one place, you have to breathe as if your whole body is a mana hole.”
A minor problem was that the secret arts each person could learn were different.
Although I had already taught her dozens of secret art verses, Lina hadn't been able to learn a single one of them.
“I don’t get it……”
“It’s okay. That’s how talent is.”
Of course, there were secret arts that even incompetent people could learn.
Like the resistance army’s mana secret art, created for the militarization of all humanity.
It could turn even people without talent or traits into mana-wielding soldiers in a short period, but its potential was clearly limited, making it a waste to teach it to Lina.
‘I can definitely see the light of a trait…….’
Among those wandering this castle right now, hers was the clearest black light.
She must have talent somewhere.
Ian and Lina had been conducting their lesson since dawn to find that trait.
“Next is the Ghost Absorption Method. It’s a secret art created by the Ghost King, an assassin who was said to have assassinated the great chieftain of the Naga tribe. It's a secret art that hides one's mana and presence and lightens the body.”
Despite dozens of failures, I handed Lina the verses I had written down with a calm face.
“I’m sorry, Duke. Because of me……”
Lina, with her head bowed, took the verses and began to read.
Of course, she didn’t believe a single word about it being the secret art of a great warrior who had killed an orc great warrior, or the breathing method of a great mage who had fought a lich leading an undead army.
She didn’t believe such a secret art existed, but even if it did, why would he teach it to her, a mere maid?
She just felt sorry for not being able to do what Ian was so enthusiastically trying to teach.
‘This time for sure!’
In truth, she didn’t even know what she was supposed to learn.
She was just sitting in the training grounds since the crack of dawn, reading strange texts.
The young duke had said that if she read the texts, she would naturally, well, just, have a realization, but to Lina, the texts Ian had written down were nothing but an arrangement of incomprehensible words.
‘The breath of a ghost is composed of the inhalation, heup, and the exhalation, ho…….’
Her eyes grew increasingly hazy as she read through the secret art book, and finally, the message window Ian had been waiting for so long appeared before his eyes.
* * *
[Acquired the trait Dark Lord ]
‘Ugh, what an unlucky name for a trait.’
Dark Lord.
With the thought that it was the worst possible name for someone destined to be a monarch, I narrowed my brows and checked the trait window.
[Dark Lord ]
The talent of a king who ruled the darkest corners of the empire.
-Makes it easier to acquire skills related to assassination, stealth, theft, and concealment.
-Proficiency in assassination, stealth, theft, and concealment increases rapidly.
-Poison resistance increases.
‘Dark Lord… so not a foolish king, but a king of darkness. Just like a back-alley boss, what a naming sense, tsk.’
Contrary to his somewhat cynical thoughts, Ian’s lips curved into a line as he checked the trait.
“This is a jackpot.”
All parts of it were good, but the poison resistance was what he liked the most.
[Addiction dependency decreases due to increased poison resistance.]
He could feel the pain that had been tormenting his body due to the effects of the addiction slightly weakening right away.
‘The dependency has gone down.’
The dependency, which had risen to 73%, had dropped to 69%.
Thinking that he could last for more than a week with this, he looked at Lina, who was engrossed in the secret art book, with a satisfied gaze.
* * *
For the next week, Ian spent his time practically living in the training grounds.
He chewed on medicinal herbs instead of meals, trained in the Ghost King’s breathing method and dagger arts to build up even a little more poison resistance, and drank a little of the drugged water whenever the pain became severe.
Occasionally, the regent sent a messenger to report on the progress of the investigation, but Ian didn’t even show his face to them and devoted himself to training.
Due to the influence of the addiction, it was difficult to control his emotions, which were seething like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
“That’s enough for today.”
Seeing Ian’s face, which was full of annoyance, Lina approached, handed him a towel, and asked.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. It’s just getting a little tough now. You remember what I told you before, right?”
“That… your request… to tie you up, Duke?”
At the sight of Lina asking with a blush on her face, Ian let out a sigh.
Even though it had been over a week since they had started training together, the perception ingrained in her mind didn't seem to change easily.
“I’ve told you several times, it’s not something strange. You just have to tie me up and make sure I can’t eat anything. Especially the drug, that’s absolutely forbidden. I’ll try to endure it today, but I think I’m reaching my limit.”
After saying so, Ian told Lina to continue training and left the training grounds.
Lina asked several times if there was anything she could do to help, but unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to help him control his maddening mind.
“Ah, this is great.”
Ian, who had left the hallway, forcefully shoved his trembling hands into his pockets and muttered.
“Being a scoundrel is great! I feel amazing!”
He shouted as if he were happy to cool his emotions.
He could see the servants, who had been glancing at Ian due to his eccentric behavior that had been repeated for several days, quickly leaving their spots.
This was the limit.
No, he had been holding on thanks to the new trait he had acquired, but perhaps the limit had come much earlier.
As he walked down the path, the gazes shot from all directions clung to him stickily.
Resentment and curses were whispered in his ears, and insults about the incompetent and worthless young duke piled up.
“Damn it.”
He wanted to vent his anger by swinging his fists.
He wanted to gouge out those insolent eyes from their owner one by one and throw them to the dogs.
At the same time, he was aware that this thought was not his own, but caused by the drug.
The only thing that helped him distinguish between unreality and reality was the Lost Chronicle status window blinking before his eyes.
‘No, perhaps even this is an illusion.’
Yes, this might be a sweet illusion created by an Ian who had succumbed to a reality he could no longer bear.
Earth, Lost Chronicle, even the gamer King of Strategy.
Were they all just another hallucination created by Ian to escape this damn pain and auditory hallucinations?
The suspicion that had raised its head a few days ago had taken over his mind and was paralyzing his thoughts.
The more it did, the more he bit his lip, savored the taste of blood in his mouth, and forced a laugh.
“This is really, really great.”
He plopped down in the hallway, hid his hands between his knees, and buried his head as if to hide it.
He was isolating himself to avoid taking out his anger and despair on innocent people.
Because if he didn't see or hear, he would feel a little better.
‘It’s okay. It’s really not long now. Reina will be here soon, and I’ll be able to detoxify without much difficulty.’
Not a single person approached him as he sat in the middle of the hallway.
Only those who quickly left their spots as soon as they saw him.
‘My plans for after that are roughly prepared. First, I need to get food. After that, I have to make the domain self-sufficient, so they can’t threaten me with something as pathetic as food.’
It had been over two weeks since he had eaten a proper meal.
It felt like the medicinal herbs he had chewed and swallowed instead of food and water were boiling in his stomach.
‘Before that, once I overcome the addiction, I should try the food of this world properly.’
Ignoring the malicious shouts rummaging through his mind, he focused on his future plans.
If he fell here, he would become a slave.
Compared to the many hardships the Slave Swordsman Ian had to face, a difficulty of this level was nothing more than a trivial incident.
“Alright. I can do it.”
As Ian, who had buried his head and hands in his knees, whispered, a melodious voice came from above his deeply bowed head.
“What’s so great, Young Master?”
At the soft, song-like voice, he lifted his head and saw Reina.
Absolute favor and overflowing affection were contained in her large eyes.
Her affectionate gaze and unwavering smile were directed solely at him.
“Ah……”
So this was why the latter half of Ian’s diary was filled with hymns to her.
Ian, that pitiful guy, had been able to endure this hell thanks to Reina.
It was because of her that he could risk his life and try to quit the drug.
“Reina……”
“Yes, Young Master!”
At the sight of her smiling brightly as if spring were in full bloom, the cursed words that had been raging in his mind just a moment ago seemed to disappear.
“Welcome back.”
“I’m sorry I’m late. It wasn’t easy to find the place you mentioned.”
He shook his head at her, who was bowing her head as if in sincere apology.
“It’s okay even if you couldn’t find it. If it doesn’t work out, I can just go and find it myself.”
At his words meant to reassure Reina, she lifted her head and smiled with a wink.
“What? I’m your one and only Reina, Young Master? I brought the items you asked for. Though something… unwanted also came along.”
A wave of relief washed over him.
He didn't pay much attention to the fact that something had come along.
Nothing was more important than the fact that he could finally be free from this damn addiction.
‘Now I can solve the addiction.’
Wanting to detoxify as soon as possible, he tried to get up, and Reina naturally extended her hand.
As he held the hand that no one had offered first for the past two weeks, warmth tickled his hand.
“Thank you. Let’s go to the room now.”
“Yes, Young Master. What should I do about the guest?”
‘There can’t be any guests who would come to see me at this time. Is it related to the city hall incident?’
Whoever it was, it couldn't be a very important person.
Although he was a young duke, he had no real power.
If it were an important person, they would have gone to the regent, and there was no way there would be a person of substance among those who specifically sought out a scoundrel.
“I don’t know who it is, but for now, tell them to come back again. I should be able to meet them around the day after tomorrow.”
At those words, Reina nodded and said.
“It’s an Elf from the western forest. They really want to see you because of the recently missing Elves… then I’ll tell them that.”
At her words about an Elf from the western forest, Ian’s hurried steps came to a halt.
“Wait. Is an Elf here right now?”
“Yes.”
‘An Elf from the western forest.’
“Then, let’s go there first.”
It seemed that luck came in succession.