Chapter 40

“The Blue Moon…”

While human-level power might stimulate one’s competitive spirit, in the face of overwhelming strength, one can only lose their will to fight.

Using frost as a power, he was like a walking natural disaster.

The assassins, who had seen the military might of the god of war who unified the continent with just one sword, turned pale and couldn’t even breathe properly.

The assassins began to retreat. But before they could even turn around, they were completely annihilated.

Duke Kredel effortlessly dispatched dozens of assassins without even lifting a finger.

“…”

They couldn’t even scream. They lost their lives without even realizing they were dead.

Doha closed her eyes tightly and turned her gaze away.

‘…How long has it been?’

Soon, a black shadow loomed over her.

“…”

When she opened her eyes slightly, she saw Duke Kredel looking down at her, his face obscured by the setting sun.

She felt as though she would suffocate to death, locked in the darkness he had created.

‘Why isn’t he saying anything?’

She had expected him to give the order to kill. Running away on her own, saving the prince on her own, and using him on her own.

Doha noticed a mage chasing after Duke Kredel from behind.

It was Muto, the wandering mage she had contracted to acquire artifacts and had asked for additional tasks.

‘If I break the gem with the summoning spell, it will stop you from running away from Kredel’s pursuit and tell me your location…’

That was her last resort.

She had never intended to use this method, but she didn’t know the assassins would start a fire.

‘At any rate, he must have seen through my plan.’

Even if she cursed and swore, Duke Kredel’s mouth remained firmly shut, showing no signs of opening.

Had his power of frost affected his mouth as well?

As she anxiously awaited his response, he reached out his hand towards Doha.

Suddenly, she had a thought.

‘Perhaps he decided it was better to deal with me now before causing even bigger trouble.’

It was an absurd fantasy. To kill Bunny, who carried Ophelia’s curse.

But even Doha, overwhelmed by his overwhelming power, had lost her will to fight.

Growing up on land that had never experienced an earthquake or disaster, Doha felt a primal fear she couldn’t explain.

The plea didn’t work on Duke Kredel, perhaps because he was akin to a natural disaster.

“…”

But then he grabbed Doha’s hand. Without a word, Duke Kredel took out the last remaining artifact from Doha’s sleeve.

It was an artifact enchanted with a transformation spell.

She had asked for this particular piece to be made into the form of a ring while hastily creating numerous other artifacts.

It was specially prepared for Damian.

‘Why that…’

Before she could ask, Duke Kredel cleared away the rubble that had crushed Damian’s leg with one hand.

Then, despite the pain, he inserted a ring into the finger of the child who was bleeding from his mouth.

Damian’s once black hair turned into a soft caramel color, and his jet-black eyes turned into a grassy green color.

The wandering mage, Muto, who had suddenly approached, looked around at the assassins who had become horrible corpses with a disgusted expression.

“How is he?”

Without any preamble, the Duke went straight to the point.

Even the experienced Muto couldn’t resist the Duke’s command and quickly confirmed Damian’s death.

“It’s serious. He’s deeply injured and has lost a lot of blood. Honestly, even if many mages were hanging on him, it seems hopeless. If he receives treatment at the temple immediately, he might survive.”

At those words, it felt like something inside Doha, which she had barely held onto all this time, collapsed.

The reason was that he didn’t want to get involved in unnecessary disturbances at the temple, and he couldn’t stand rejecting the prince, who was already shunned by the royal family.

“…”

Doha blinked in bewilderment, her vacant gaze showing her emotions like waves crashing onto her face.

It was a dizzying feeling, as if she had let go of the lifeline she had barely grasped and was falling.

The Duke silently looked down at Doha.

‘No, there is a way.’

It was not time to despair yet.

Doha quickly regained her composure and suppressed her emotions.

‘If I use Angellus’s healing power, he might survive.’

And with a feeling of grasping at straws, Doha looked up at Duke Kredel, Pietro.

As daunting as his powers were, she was at a loss as to how to convince someone as cold as an ice block.

“Duke…!”

But before she could call out to him, a giant arm lifted her up, and her vision soared in an instant.

Doha opened her eyes wide in the firm but stiff embrace. Duke Kredel had lifted her up in his arms.

“Huh?”

On the other arm was Damian, half asleep, as if he would lose consciousness at any moment.

“Extinguish the fire, restore the surroundings, and dispose of the bodies without a trace.”

“Me? Alone?”

“…”

“Oh, well. Yes. I’ll do it all.”

With just a glance, Duke Kredel made the trembling mage scurry away.

In an instant, the surrounding scenery changed rapidly.

Even though Doha ran with her short legs for a long time, it was difficult to escape the landfill, but she escaped in an instant.

“Hey, you crazy, [censored]!”

Salvador, who had followed Duke Kredel belatedly, cursed with words that were difficult to translate.

Exhausted, Doha wished that Salvador had a mute function.

“Bunny.”

Angelus, who appeared next, seemed to be trying to maintain his composure, but his appearance spoke otherwise.

His usually neatly swept bangs covered his forehead entirely, and his outerwear was loosely fitted, all disheveled.

“You’re safe… Thank goodness. You’re alive.”

“…”

“I thought you were gone like that…”

What was he muttering?

Come to think of it, it wasn’t the first time he had been called Bunny.

She wasn’t particularly curious about the change in his attitude.

‘I thought only the Duke would come.’

With just the duke, they could easily chase after Bunny. Why did they bother running after him in a group?

Everything was full of questions, but above all, the most incomprehensible was Duke Kredel.

She wanted to know what he was thinking more than anything else.

‘He must have realized Damian’s identity…’

But instead of killing or capturing him, he put on the ring enchanted with transformation magic.

What could this mean?

“Who is this for?”

At that moment, Angelus, who was scanning Damian up and down, asked.

Because the prince, who was the culprit of the war, was known for his black hair and black eyes, he didn’t seem to recognize him.

With a discomforting gaze as if looking at a bug, he scanned Damian up and down.

She wanted to pierce those eyes with her own if she could, but she couldn’t afford to do so because she had to hide Damian’s identity.

While Doha nervously watched the Duke’s reaction, a solemn voice rang out.

“He is the last remaining friend of this child. Treat him.”

“…”

Doha looked back at the Duke with astonished eyes.

If Angelus’s healing power was used, Damian’s injured leg and abdomen would heal as if they had been washed away.

Doha felt relieved but also suspicious. The Duke wouldn’t show such kindness without any compensation.

It was too strange for him to step forward and hide Damian’s identity before she could even propose negotiations.

It was strange, but now she had no choice but to remain silent.

Although Angelus seemed reluctant, he couldn’t defy the Duke’s direct order and used his healing power without a word.

As his hand touched Damian’s forehead, the dismal wounds healed instantly.

“…!”

Damian swallowed his scream and lost consciousness.

Due to the deep wounds that could have been fatal even if he didn’t die, the healing process was extremely exhausting.

“If we leave him here, he’ll surely be killed by the people.”

The situation was dire, with an entire village burnt down.

Surely the culprit of the war, knowing how to make trouble, would vent his anger by turning the landfill into an incinerator.

Although fate may endure and overcome all hardships, this time it was too much for a child to bear.

Finding a glimmer of hope in the Duke’s response, Doha spoke with a feeling of grasping at straws.

“Please allow him to come with us to the castle.”

“Huh?”

The one who answered was Salvador, who was folding his arms with an unpleasant expression.

He chuckled and said,

“We spared the guy who’s dying anyway, and now we’re supposed to take him into the mansion? Is the Duke’s castle a beggar’s den?”

Earlier, he had poured curses, but now his tone was much harsher than usual.

Doha stared at him coldly as if to say, ‘I didn’t ask you,’ and then turned her head abruptly.

“Hey!”

Salvador suddenly raised his voice, but she pretended not to hear.

She looked up at the Duke for a moment, then hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“He’s like family to me.”

At her words, the three men around Doha reacted simultaneously.

Their wavering gazes, firm mouths, and twitching fingers. It was clearly a reaction of uncertainty.

I wonder why they reacted like that. It’s strange that a poor orphan has someone like family.