Salvation Through Delusion C34

Chapter 34

 

“He seemed unusually energetic today.”

 

“Maybe he was just swinging his sword out of anger?”

 

Enya shot Haas a sharp look as he came up beside her.

 

“Are you hoping the Duke’s in a bad mood?”

 

“That’s not it,” Haas said quickly, raising his hands. “It’s just that the Duke dropped by Count Gumber’s summer villa earlier today.”

 

“Count Gumber’s villa? He went there? Why? Did a monster appear?!”

 

Her voice rose enough that several people turned to stare. Haas hurriedly grabbed her arm and pulled her closer.

 

“Don’t shout. It’s not like monsters are the only reason His Grace attends gatherings. Even the Duke has to socialize sometimes.”

 

“Well, that’s true, but…” Enya’s tone softened slightly, though her expression remained troubled. Of all places, Count Gumber’s villa? That was a den for the shameless—an open playground for group debauchery.

 

“Don’t tell me he went into the maze too?”

 

“Why go there if you’re not going into the maze?”

 

She sighed, rubbing her temple.

 

“Maybe the Duke’s been feeling lonely lately.”

 

“Could be.” Haas nodded solemnly.

 

“Everyone thinks he’s got dozens of lovers because he’s popular, but it’s the opposite. He’s been abstinent, dedicating himself to reaching the peak of Swordmastery.”

 

A faint smile crossed Haas’s lips as he recalled the Duke’s relentless training.

 

“He’s refused even the most casual kisses for years, saying he needed to keep his aura pure. But… maybe now it’s time His Grace shares energy with someone again.”

 

“…”

 

“What’s with that look? You don’t like the idea?”

 

“I just don’t like imagining whoever that person is bragging about it everywhere.”

 

Haas frowned, agreeing immediately.

 

“True. Anyone who got to kiss the Duke would lose their mind with joy. Probably wouldn’t sleep for days.”

 

“Ugh, damn bastard.”

 

—

 

I tossed and turned, but after five minutes, I shot upright in bed.

 

Every time I thought about what happened in that cursed maze, fury burned hotter. I bit my lower lip in frustration—then immediately regretted it.

 

“Ah!”

 

Pain shot through me where Tyroc’s teeth had left their mark. I cursed under my breath and punched my pillow repeatedly.

 

Thump. Thump. Thump.

 

Dust puffed up, and I started coughing.

 

“Cough, cough—damn it.”

 

At least no one was around to witness my stupidity—

 

“Ah!”

 

Floating right in front of me was a small, glowing creature, staring me dead in the eye.

 

It was Mangdok.

 

“W-What are you doing here?”

 

[Humans wash without water~~ washing in the dead of night~~ humans looove to wash~~]

 

…Wash, my ass. I wanted to snap at it, but after learning what it was, I tried to stay polite.

 

“I wasn’t washing anything. I was just tidying up.”

 

[Pang-pang-pang~~ beating the blankets on the bed~~ foolish laundry, not even clean~~]

 

It didn’t listen, just kept singing.

 

I’d once asked Lady Ewik about it out of curiosity.

‘Doesn’t your spirit ever get loud?’

‘Ah, no… I can’t really hear them. I only see faint light sometimes.’

 

So, she couldn’t hear them at all—only see a flicker.

 

At first, I’d wondered how she managed to communicate or borrow their power like that. Now I understood.

 

If she could hear them, she’d have broken the contract within half a day.

 

And this spirit—Mangdok—never stopped at one verse.

 

[Humans wash without water~~ they rub and scrub~~ rub-rub-rub~~ with their hands~~]

 

“Wait. Rub what exactly?”

 

[Their genitals~~~ genitals, genitals, genitals~~ rub-rub till they grow biiiiig~~ so big~~~]

 

“Enough! I get it! Stop!”

 

Why was I getting a goddamn 19+ performance right now?! Even the spirits here were perverts.

 

When Mangdok got excited, it wouldn’t shut up until it finished its full “song.” But there was no way I was listening to an entire masturbation ballad.

 

“For the love of—whoever you saw doing that, I don’t wanna know!”

 

The little spirit tilted its head.

 

[You don’t wanna knooow? Whyyy? Huuwik said humans like knowing~~ Huuwik is always right~~ humans are dumb~~]

 

Not just lewd but insulting, too. Maybe it wasn’t the spirit of venomous weeds—maybe it was the spirit of verbal poison.

 

Huuwik… that name. The one who brought those monsters here?

 

“Who is Huuwik?”

 

[Huuwik is Huuwik~~ Huuwik~~]

 

Mangdok flapped its tiny arms like wings. That was all I got. I sighed, but tried again.

 

“You went to see this Huuwik?”

 

[Huuwik wanted to knooow~~ what kind of human you are~~ I told him~~ dumb but gooood~~ keeps gifts forever~~]

 

So, it had gone to meet him. And Huuwik wanted to know about me?

 

“Why?”

 

[Because he must knooow~~ Huuwik’s human washes without water~~ rubs his biiig—]

 

“STOP. Talking. About. That!”

 

Great. The perverted spirit probably just saw someone jerking off and decided to sing about it. What did that have to do with me?

 

It was useless trying to reason with it. When I snapped, Mangdok just made a little pout.

 

[Hmph.]

 

And vanished.

 

“Unbelievable.”

 

The nerve of that thing—showing up in the middle of the night just to sexually harass me?

 

I wanted to shake my fist at the air but restrained myself. If it came back and decided to poison me, I was screwed.

 

I kept an eye on the window for a while. Thankfully, the night stayed quiet.

 

“Damn thing just had to wake me up.”

 

I muttered, lying back down—but even with my eyes closed, sleep wouldn’t come.

 

Instead, my mind filled with cursed thoughts—

Of someone with a massive… you know.

And the fact that someone I’d come into contact with earlier that day happened to fit that exact description.

 

“Ugh, fuck!”

 

I shot up again. This was all Tyroc’s fault. I was never seeing that bastard again.

 

—

 

Click.

 

At the sound of a door opening, Rick sat up instantly from where he’d been half-dozing. Serving the Duke meant being ready at all hours—especially when your master could do the work of ten men alone.

 

Unlike the Swordmaster himself, Rick was merely human—and exhausted. He rubbed at his eyes as Tyroc strode in.

 

“You took a long bath, my lord.”

 

For a split second, Tyroc paused mid-step, then sank into a chair. Droplets of water still clung to his un-dried hair, tracing down his bare torso.

 

One droplet slid over the sculpted ridges of his abdomen, following the line of muscle until it hit the towel loosely hanging around his hips. The fabric soaked it up—but Rick’s eyes didn’t move.

 

Gulp.

 

He swallowed hard before he could stop himself.

 

The towel covered Tyroc’s thighs like a skirt, but it couldn’t hide the sheer, imposing presence between them.

 

Why did it look even bigger tonight?

 

Combined with that lethal face, the raw masculinity was enough to make anyone’s breath catch.

 

“Ahem.”

 

Rick coughed awkwardly, tearing his gaze away. He’d seen the Duke countless times, yet somehow, he never got used to it.

 

No wonder Adeye Rue had been both terrified and obsessed with him. Rick clicked his tongue softly, then asked,

 

“Rough day, my lord?”

 

Tyroc didn’t answer.

 

“Your orders, then?”

 

His tone was edged, impatient—but Rick was glad for it. The sooner he delivered his report, the sooner he could leave.

 

“A message came for you, sir.”

 

He held out a brown envelope. Whenever something came from that sender, Rick always prioritized it.

 

Tyroc never looked pleased, but he always checked it immediately.

 

Rip.

 

The seal tore open without a word.

 

Whatever the sender’s motives were, the contents were always valuable.

 

“It’s rare to get correspondence this late at night, isn’t it?”

 

Rick, worried it might be something urgent, waited for the Duke’s reaction—but Tyroc’s expression didn’t flicker. He skimmed the paper, voice flat as he summarized:

 

“Information about the Forest of Crimson Tides. They’ve found several possible entry points.”

 

“Where, my lord?”