Chapter 37

"I'm sorry for coming so suddenly, Duke."

The person who knocked urgently on the door was Roina, the housekeeper.

Roina had worked in the ducal castle all her life.

What could be so urgent that she would burst in during a meeting?

Breathing heavily as if she had run without stopping, Roina called out anxiously.

"Dr. Diern. Is Dr. Diern here?"

"Yes, I'm here... but..."

Diern stood up awkwardly from his seat.

"Lord Eli is complaining of pain due to the medicine you prescribed. What's going on here?"

"What? But I've never met him. There must be some misunderstanding..."

"Then, is this not the medicine you prescribed?"

Diern's face hardened as he was about to deny it.

It was the medicine he had made and prescribed to Veborg himself.

Although he was in charge of Veborg's treatment, Diern had always hoped that Veborg would weaken as soon as possible.

The sooner Veborg died, the greater the benefit to him. However, Veborg's lifeline was stubborn.

There was a way to kill him directly, but Diern was the only one who visited Veborg regularly.

If Veborg were to die, he would be the first to be suspected.

Moreover, the physical difference between Diern and Veborg was stark. If he were to attack rashly, he would be the one to die.

While he was hesitating, a good idea came to him.

'Why not make him unable to lift a hammer again?'

Veborg had worn an eye patch on one eye due to an injury from his childhood.

If he were to lose his other eye, it would be as good as a success for Diern.

Besides, there was a perfect medicine for the occasion.

A poison that everyone feared and could not easily investigate.

'The Red Lake.'

The cursed lake, whose components could not be identified, had the potential to quickly darken Veborg's world.

'But to put it in his eye!'

Even the healthy Veborg complained of pain every time the medicine was applied. How much more so for a child.

If the child were to go blind...

Diern's face turned pale.

"That's not medicine! We need to check his condition immediately. Where is he now?"

"What? What do you mean it's not medicine?"

"This is a harmful poison. We need to take action as soon as possible!"

"But it was definitely medicine..."

"Who told you such nonsense?"

Diern let out a resigned sigh and shook his head.

"Alright, I'll check his condition myself."

Diern began to hurriedly gather his things.

He didn't hear Roina mutter someone's name.

Once he had packed his things, Diern approached Roina.

"Where is he? Please lead me to him..."

At that moment, the door creaked open.

A figure that had been hidden by the door now came into view.

It was Veborg.

Diern's face turned deathly pale.

"S-so, how did you, how did you get here...?"

Veborg glared at Diern as if he were about to tear him apart.

"T-this, I mean, let me explain, just let me explain..."

"That this medicine is fake."

"W-what, what do you mean...?"

"The medicine you gave me, it was actually poison?"

His voice, filled with a mixture of resentment and murderous intent, was like he was grinding his words.

Diern's body began to tremble.

"What is the meaning of this? Veborg, are your eyes healed?"

"But... it seems you're much better than I thought?"

"More importantly, Diern, what do you mean by this? Did you give fake medicine to Veborg?"

"Didn't you say Veborg refused treatment? Explain this now!"

The nobles behind them made the meeting room chaotic.

"I, I..."

Diern's mouth moved, but no words came out.

He had followed in his father's footsteps, who was the ducal castle's physician, and aspired to become a physician himself.

But now, everything was over.

Hadn't he already revealed everything with his own words?

'But I can't take all the blame and die alone.'

Diern gritted his teeth.

"I only did as I was told! It was all the orders of Baron Quintar!"

"What, what nonsense...!"

Baron Quintar was taken aback and shouted.

"Didn't you say that if Veborg died, the northern military power would weaken?"

"How can you blame me for what you did! You've gone too far disgracing your father's name!"

'You cunning man!'

It seemed Baron Quintar would never admit to it.

If this continued, he would bear all the blame alone.

Diern, who had a smirk on his face, pulled out something he had hidden in his coat.

It was a video orb he had prepared just in case.

In the faint image, Baron Quintar's figure was revealed.

"Without Veborg, the weapon production will end. Then, Duke Schuetz will be exposed as a worthless person."

The words that followed made everyone gasp in shock.

There was no more perfect evidence.

'So the foolish Diern dared...!'

As Baron Quintar's fists trembled, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

Feeling the strangeness, Baron Quintar looked around.

His body stiffened like a person facing a predator.

Duke Schuetz was looking at him with a cold gaze.

No blade could be sharper than his eyes.

After a moment, the Duke slowly spoke.

"Interesting."

His voice was devoid of any emotion.

The Duke's words were literal.

A murderer who alleviated his madness through war.

There was only one thing that gave him pleasure.

"While looking for the child, I thought a rat had hidden here..."

The Duke continued, slowly, looking down at the sword Baron Quintar had personally presented to him.

"Such a long time to hide."

The Duke's finger traced the sharp blade. Blood gushed out and ran down the blade, but he didn't flinch.

"Even in my castle."

"Du, Duke..."

Quintar stammered, trembling, forgetting to beg for mercy.

The Duke's gaze was still fixed on the sword.

"Indeed, as you said. This sword is much lighter and easier to swing than others."

The Duke, with blood dripping from his hand, gripped the sword.

"So, it should be easy to cut with."

No matter who it was.

This was not the Duke's usual gaze.

It was the gaze of someone who had already lost something precious, filled with just as much hatred.

Ante instinctively reached for the sword at his waist.

His lord's sanity was clouding. It had been a long time since he had seen him so enraged.

If his lord lost his sanity completely...

Ante swallowed hard.

Quintar trembled, forgetting to beg for mercy, and Diern gasped as if he had already lost his breath.

Then,

"Duke."

Veborg's call momentarily dampened Erhardt's murderous intent.

"I have something to give to the Duke."

Veborg said, drawing the sword he had at his waist.

It was a sword made from the monster ore discovered by Baron Amantha, its cross-section gleaming black.

"Ten years later, I present this sword to the Duke."

The Duke's gaze fell on the blade.

Veborg felt like a condemned man on the executioner's block.

Who would accept a sword from a blacksmith who had forgotten his duty and put down his hammer for ten years?

"Aah, it's been a long time."

At that moment, the Duke muttered a slow exclamation.

His dry eyes, like a barren wasteland, shone eerily.

"Indeed, a fake doesn't feel right in the hand."

The Duke laughed, enveloped in a black aura.

It was the moment his long-hidden madness revealed itself.

* * *

After the storm had passed.

The retainers of the ducal castle stumbled out of the meeting room.

"Bringing that child in is a declaration of war against the royal family!"

The retainers who had raised their voices in protest now had to lower their tails.

They had clearly seen what had happened to the two men.

Once the situation had settled and the blood had been wiped away, Erhardt finally lowered his sword.

"Veborg."

The Duke's voice was as chilling as the blood that still clung to the blade.

"Y-yes, Duke."

Even if he had been hurt emotionally, it was true that he had forgotten his duty.

Moreover, the Duke had waited for him silently for a long time.

But his absence had also given the rats a chance to run wild.

Veborg bowed deeply, ready to accept any punishment.

"How long will it take?"

"Wh-what?"

But the words that followed were unexpected.

"The sword you made. Shouldn't you also distribute it to the knights? They will need time to adapt."

Erhardt gestured with his sword.

"I hope it won't take too long."

Veborg shut his mouth tightly at the indifferent tone.

Erhardt asked nothing.

And Veborg realized that he would blame nothing.

"I'll make sure to bring it back as soon as possible."

Erhardt nodded at Veborg's words.

Only then did Ante feel a sense of relief.

Although things had gotten complicated