Chapter 55

When asked about "outside the town," the first place that comes to mind is the grassland just outside the town of Dorkness. It's also a place with fond memories, where I once drank with Patrick.

I walk alone, fully equipped with a dark-attribute sword and a multi-attribute staff. Looking back, I can see the town without walls, and the lord's mansion in the center.

I had thought I didn't want to leave a place where the town was visible, but it seems my wish will be granted. Duke Hillrose stood alone in a spot where the entire town could be seen from the outside. Without looking at me, he gazed at the town behind me and said,

"Hmm... It's a town with no redeeming qualities. It's not big, it has no industry, it's just an ordinary, unremarkable town."

"I actually quite like it, though."

"Of course you do. You are fundamentally a good person; it's impossible for you not to have affection for the town you manage."

The duke said this with a malicious smile. Because of this guy, I've had a lot of trouble, and now I'm getting angry. I'll catch him first, and then I can hear his story later. I can think about what to do with the duke afterward. A little strong punch might be charming.

I threw away my sword and staff and ran straight toward the duke. Should I punch with my right hand, my left hand, or both? While watching the duke, who hasn't reacted to my movements, I think I'll go with my right hand for now.

Just as I was about to start my punch, a shock ran through my forehead.

"Ouch!"

"...I didn't expect you to attack me so suddenly."

I pressed my forehead, which was in pain, and crouched down. It felt like I had hit an invisible wall, but it wasn't a wall; I was taking damage...

"Oh! The church's barrier!"

"Exactly, it's a barrier magic item passed down from the headquarters of the Sannon Church. By deploying it smaller than when it's set up in the church, its strength is multiplied by several, no, dozens of times—"

"I didn't expect to meet you here..."

"Moreover, not only against dark attributes but also against physical attacks... Hey, are you listening?"

Duke Hillrose was saying something, but none of it was getting through to me.

I finally found you! My arch-nemesis! I thought I would never see you again after it was stolen, but here you are in front of me. We are destined rivals, fated to settle our scores, and it's not surprising that we are drawn to each other.

I started with a roundhouse kick, but the barrier didn't budge. Unlike before, I can see the outline of the barrier faintly. This thin, glowing cube is the strong enemy I need to destroy. It's smaller than before; it would be full with five people.

"Hehehe, it's harder than before."

"Hey, listen to me. I—"

I punched with my right hand, driven by momentum.

There was a crack.

Did I do it? Looking at my hand, my right wrist was bent in an impossible direction, hanging limply.

"Since my wrist is broken instead of my arm, it means my power is escaping. I need to concentrate more."

"Hey! Your hand! Are you okay!? Doesn't it hurt!?"

While healing my wrist with a recovery spell, I focused my mind. It's time to unleash my full-force Yumera Punch.

However, my concentration was disrupted by a third party's voice. This guy has been noisy since the beginning.

"Listen! To me! Talk!"

"...What? Who are you? Get out of the way, you're in my way."

"Yumera Dorkness! You came here because I called you, didn't you!"

Wait, wasn't I brought here by the world's logic to meet my arch-nemesis?

I tried to dig up my memory and recalled that he is Duke Hillrose. It feels like I haven't thought about him in a while.

"Oh, I remember, Duke Hillrose. What did you need?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

The duke, with a desperate look, said this in a shouting manner. Is this guy really like this?

"Um... Oh! You were planning a coup, right?"

"Exactly! ...That's right. I need you to listen to a little story from the past."

I don't want to. I want to resume my battle with the barrier.

It seems my passionate thoughts were conveyed, and he started talking a bit faster.

"It'll be quick, okay? Okay?"

"Alright, hurry up."

"Where should I start? Do you know the history of the ducal family? ...I see, you're not interested. The first king of the Balshain Kingdom, the one hailed as a hero, had a younger brother who founded the ducal family."

I know that much. Don't underestimate me; I read all the books in the library during my school days.

However, the story that followed was something I hadn't heard before. My thoughts about the barrier were reduced to half, and I couldn't help but listen.

"The first duke thought about how to protect the kingdom his brother founded. He prioritized the entire kingdom over his own family. This thinking has been passed down through the generations of the ducal family."

He says he prioritizes the kingdom, but I've heard that the ducal family has been in conflict with the royal family for a long time. When I looked at him with a puzzled expression, he smirked and said,

"That's right, we have been in conflict with the royal family for generations. It's for the sake of the kingdom."

"I don't understand."

"The kingdom has many nobles. Of course, there were many noble families at the time of its founding, and more have been added over its long history. Naturally, there are those who oppose the royal family. Not knowing where such troublemakers are is extremely dangerous."

There are indeed nobles who are not pleased with the royal family. Those who have been marginalized by the mainstream have joined under the ducal family and are called radicals by the outside... Could it be that the ducal family has been in conflict with the royal family to gather all the rebels in one place?

"Then, are you...?"

"You seem to understand. We have been manipulating those who oppose the royal family from behind. Sometimes we advise them not to make a big fuss, and sometimes we bring down royalist nobles to resolve their grievances."

If that's the case, the current fuss about making Prince Edwin a hero can be handled by advising him to wait and not act yet. He could be told that it's not the right time to move and that he should stay quiet to avoid being crushed by the royalists.

But the duke himself is planning a coup.

He smiled sadly and continued,

"That, too, has reached its limit. The country is full of corruption. It's time to gather all the unnecessary elements in one place and get rid of them at once. I knew there would be a limit to the ducal family's approach. I decided to do a major cleanup before and after the chaos caused by the Demon King. That's why I sent Ronald to him."

He is going to be executed. He will take all the nobles who oppose the royal family with him.

"Why can you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Why can you sacrifice yourself so much for His Majesty the King?"

"No, he doesn't matter. The country, I love the Balshain Kingdom. The ducal family's role is to protect it. I don't care about the pampered royal family who tried to stop me."

He looked happy as he spoke ill of the king, whom he once called a close friend.

He has been lying all this time, deepening the conflict with the royal family, and he is probably still lying now.

I understand his purpose. To clean up the kingdom by committing suicide with the radical nobles.

But what does that have to do with me?

"I understand your purpose. Then why did you come to me?"

"There are two reasons. One is to show everyone that my rebellion is real. The plan that Ronald now has states that we will ensure our safety within the barrier and have monsters attack the capital. It's dangerous to actually do it, so I wanted to demonstrate it in the safest place."

"That's inconsiderate..."

"I tried to bring Yumera Dorkness to our side, but she refused and got angry. Then, as a drill for the capital, we had the monsters attack the Dorkness territory... Something like that."

Ah, the plan for the coup is not with Ronald but in my house. I missed the right moment to say it.

There's something that bothers me. He says he will have monsters attack a specific place, but only the Demon King can control monsters. Humans don't have the ability to control them.

"Isn't it unrealistic to have monsters attack?"

"Hmm, it's impossible to direct monsters to a specific direction. However, it is possible to summon them to a specific place... It's about time."

At the very moment Duke Hillrose said this, a familiar sound came from the town behind me.

It was the sound of a monster-summoning flute, which I used a lot for leveling up in the past. The sound was amplified several times.

The duke said proudly,

"You know, the monster-summoning flute. I prepared a very rare, extra-large one."

"Oh! That's mine! I was going to buy it! Please let me have it, I'll pay any amount of money!"

"Monsters will soon gather in that town. At that time, you—"

"Was it one of your subordinates who blew it? Where are they? Ah, are they planning to abandon the site and retreat? If I find it, it will be mine, right?"

"Listen! To me!"

Talk? There's no way anything more important than the extra-large monster-summoning flute could be important!

I was disappointed that I couldn't get it. And I even did something embarrassing to get it.

"...Sorry, I lost it."

Remembering the tantrum, I regained my composure. The duke sighed deeply and said,

"Ha, you're strange."

Patrick has said that to me many times. It's not worth mentioning now.

So, the monster-summoning flute.

"They're coming."

"Yes, a large group of monsters will come."

"Not that, but—"

It's my inspector. I need to prepare to explain that I didn't blow the flute before they arrive.