The Devilish Duke Can’t Sleep

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A favor with a cost

However, as Dashar’s gaze chased Lena’s back, Kahel let out an unpleasant cough.
Dashar’s head, who suddenly regained his senses, turned to Kahel.

“Right, what’s the rush to come all the way here?”

Kahel’s attitude seemed relaxed at first glance, but Dashar, who was sensitive to magical powers and emotions, felt pressure as if sitting with a beast contemplating whether or not to reveal itself in front of his eyes.
Dashar swallowed a gulp and straightened his posture as much as possible.

“The Crown Prince of Hildebrunn is about to attack our Sage’s Village.
And Santella seems to be involved in that, too.
Help!”

Kahel recalled Luahalla’s words that Ragdrill seemed to be up to something.
However, it was quite surprising that the Santella family intervened there.

“Santella? What is it that made them put so much effort into going there?”

“I don’t know what the Santella family is aiming for.
Maybe it’s just a force the Royal Family has drawn in to attack us.
However, since the Lady of the Santella family met the Crown Prince of Hildebrunn in person, it is not a normal thing.”

Kahel pondered.
If Ragdrill could draw on the power of the Santella family to attack the Sage’s Village and devour Tanel Forest, it was a very profitable business for Ragdrill.
If he was lucky enough to get a couple of wizards under his command, it was a tremendous advantage.

So, he could fully understand why Ragdrill attacked the Sage’s village.

 

It was not easy to understand, however, why the Santella family helped.
There was not much in Hildebrunn that the Santella would want.

‘Did they join hands with Ragdrill to defeat Luahalla?’

That was the most plausible reason.
Luahalla made an alliance with Kahel, and his power and business were growing day by day.
Even within Hildebrunn, there is an increasing number of people supporting Luahalla instead of Ragdrill, so he would have been a person who had to be hit as soon as possible by the Santella family, who regarded the Luave family like a thorn in their eyes.

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The fact that Liddell Santella came out directly strengthened that suspicion.
Because it was Liddell who suffered the most from Luahalla’s fashion business.
Besides, he was concerned that Leonard had left a little earlier at today’s banquet.

“It looks like Duke Santella will move on his own.
However, it would be impossible for Duke Santella to face all the wizards of the Sage Village alone…….”

There Dashar clenched his fists and spoke softly.

“It is said that a group of monsters will attack the village.”

Kahel’s face hardened.
The brazen face of Leonard, who claimed to be ignorant of the monsters that appeared in Sharden, came to mind.

“Did you say that Duke Santella summons monsters?”

“I don’t know.
But they said that a horde of monsters would appear in front of the Sage’s village.”

That was a little disappointing.
There is a suspicion that the Santella family summons demons, but there is no evidence anywhere.
If he catches the tail in this case, he will be able to strike Santella with peace of mind…….

He might have to help the Sage’s Village, as he might catch the clues shed by the Santella family anyway.

“Did you say your name was Dashar? For now, focus on restoring your energy.
I will report this to Her Majesty the Queen early tomorrow morning and set off as soon as I return.”

“Thank, thank you, Your Excellency!”

“How many wizards are there in total in the Sage’s village?”

“Including me, there are a total of sixty-two.
There are people who are not wizards, but if you include them, the total is less than a hundred.”

“Which wizard has natural magic as strong as you?”

“About three people.
There are about twenty intermediate wizards.”

“The rest must be wizards with the help of magic stones.”

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A wizard who could use magic only with the help of a magic stone did not have much fighting power in battles with monsters.

“Are you short on power? Uh, how can I stop the monster…….”

Dashar’s eyebrows, who had trusted only Kahel, drooped.

“Don’t worry too much.”

“But, Duke Luave, you can’t deal with monsters alone, can you?”

Kahel chuckled at the sunken voice.
Because he had been trained in Sharden for many years, Kahel was confident that he would not lose to anyone when it comes to killing monsters.

“I will try my best so that the Sage’s Village does not have to step forward.
Just be careful not to get any villagers in harm’s way.”

“What? What do you mean…….”

Dashar did not understand Kahel’s words.
It was something that even an excellent wizard, Dashar, could never have imagined that one person could block dozens of monsters.

“This time, we will move to help you without any cost.
For now, just focus on taking care of yourself.
Lena!”

Kahel called Lena that stood outside.
With the click of a doorknob, Lena quietly appeared.

“Did you call, Your Excellency?”

“Prepare his meal.
It’s a little late, but it looks like he hasn’t eaten properly.”

“Yeah! I will get it ready soon.”

“No.
Get a maid other than you to do it.”

Remembering Dashar’s gaze on Lena, Kahel once again cautioned that he should have another maid.
Dashar was still watching Lena carefully.
He thought Dashar’s eyes were quite high for someone who was still quite young.

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But it wasn’t Lena that Dashar was interested in, as Lena closed the door completely, he turned his head to Kahel.

“There is no need for unpaid favors.
People always hold grudges on things like that.
Do you want anything in return for protecting our village?”

It was a very wild question for a 15-year-old boy to utter.
Kahel replied sarcastically, trying to make fun of Dashar a little.

“Is there anything the Sage’s Village can give me?”

Although many countries covet wizards, the Sage’s Village did not want to belong to any place and were extremely reluctant to intervene in politics or power.
For they were literally “Sage” who knew very well that where the worldly desires of man congregate, it is too easy to fall.

There was no way for them to intervene in the war between the two Duchies in Logos.
It wasn’t that Kahel wanted anything from the Tanel Forest.
Their research? It wasn’t that interesting either.
It seemed that it’ll be so no matter how much he looked for something that could repay the Luave family in the Sage’s village.

But Dashar said with his blue-grey eyes twinkling in silver.

“You know how many curses are on your body, right?”

The faint smile on the corner of Kahel’s lips quickly cooled.
But Dashar did not care and recited the curse that is now readable in his eyes.

“There are dozens of curses, but there are roughly three things.
The curse of devilish power that deceives people, the curse that makes the devilish power more powerful when you use it, and finally, the curse that transforms your body when you use more than a certain level of magic.”

Goosebumps ran down Kahel’s forearm.
There were many people who knew that the devilish curse and magic was related.
However, no one except his father knew about the curse of his body transformation.
Even his father probably didn’t know the sorrow he felt as he tore a monster apart with his grotesquely transformed hands.
The countless days he wondered if he too would be any different from these monsters…….

Dashar looked straight into Kahel’s dark red eyes and offered him a payment.

“It’s impossible to undo all of that, but…… For one curse, I can lift at least part of it.”

Kahel’s eyes widened.

“What? How could that be…… ! Do you think I’ve never tried anything?”

“Of course, His Excellency must have worked hard in many ways.
As an excuse for those of you who have tried to lift your curse so far, the curse Your Excellency has is impossible to undo perfectly.
It is impossible for any human to achieve.
But one curse can be alleviated to some extent.”

Kahel’s heart began to beat.
No one had ever said that they could undo his curse with this certainty.
He was also half-doubtful, but those silvery eyes didn’t seem to lie.

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“What kind of curse can you alleviate?”

“It is the curse that makes the devilish power stronger when you use it.
I can do about 70% with my ability.
Even with only that much, you’ll be very comfortable using your magic power.
You are currently holding down the devilish power with Calia, so I think it is a payment that can be very helpful to you.”

It wasn’t ‘quite helpful’.
Even if they asked him to participate in the war in their country, it was a payment that had to be accepted.
Especially now that the Santella family has revealed their magic.

“I have never seen a negotiator come with such a satisfactory price.”

Kahel’s eyes lit up and he reached out to Dashar.
At that moment, Dashar smiled like a boy and took his hand.
It was settled.

 

* * *

Dashar hurriedly ate the meal a maid had brought him, washed himself in warm water, and then laid back on the bed.
It was a very busy day.
He had no energy in his body because his mana was still not fully charged, but he was able to earn Kahel’s complete trust and cooperation, so it was okay to be tired.

But what bothered him more was the maid named Lena.

In fact, in return, he wanted to tell Kahel about the seal on the maid, but then he held it all in fear that his attention would be focused on the maid rather than the Sage’s village.
It was because Kahel seemed to take great care of the maid.

‘Anyway, that seal is not something I can touch…….’

At first glance, he could see ancient words spinning round and round over her body.
Again, curiosity bit his tail.
Who made that seal? Is that maid a human? Wouldn’t it be a dangerous disaster if a being with such a strong seal was at stake? How could such a being normally work as a maid? Did Kahel know something about her and put her by his side? Is that the cause of his strange obsession with her?

‘But the problem is, that seal is likely to break sooner or later.’

He couldn’t see the details, but it was clear that part of the seal was fading.
It was only a matter of time before more faded and the whole seal was broken.
It seemed as if the being sealed within her could be broken free even now if she only made up her mind to break the seal.
Even so, if the seal is still maintained, it must be that the sealed entity is either sleeping deeply or refusing to wake up.

‘She didn’t look like a bad person…….’

The situation in the Sage’s village has become similar to that of the Duchy of Luave’s side, so Dashar hoped that she would not be a negative influence on Kahel.
No predictions could be made at this time, though.