Chapter 28: The Duke’s Lover

It was shocking how they found it more plausible that the Mayer Knox gave out a position because he was smitten instead of thinking that the support mage he took in was useful. Perhaps that was just a reflection of how terrible support mages were. My lips trembled as I was struck with the urge to clutch my belly and laugh out loud at the ludicrousness of it all. There wasn’t any logic in their gossiping for me to get angry. Me… and Mayer Knox… up a tree? Hah! I thought I had gotten used to being treated like a dog, but this was new.

Still, I couldn’t just leave things as they were. While I had expected rumors about me to fly around, I didn’t think they’d be nothing but scandals. “This won’t do,” I murmured, convinced that I had to do something.

Just as I was glaring at my food tray, pondering about the easiest method to fix this entire situation, someone called out to me in a cheery tone. “Oh, Jun! Long time no see!”

I looked up, only to see… “Axion.” Why was he here instead of in the officers’ mess hall? As he put down his food tray and sat opposite of me, I asked, “How come you’re over here?”

“I came because I thought I saw someone who looked like you. Are you done hunkering in your room now?”

“Yes, well, pretty much.” I nodded.

It was only after Axion came over that the gossiping nearby stopped. He dunked a piece of bread into his tomato soup as he asked, “I’d like to ask the same myself, by the way. How come you’re over here, Jun? I’m sure His Excellency has permitted use of the officers’ mess hall.”

“He has, but as I haven’t been officially appointed yet…”

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“You’re surprisingly uptight.” He laughed. “A woman of principle, are you?”

“I just want to avoid doing things that’ll be frowned upon as much as possible. There’s enough talk about me as it is.”

Axion stuffed his cheeks with bread as he said, “I would just let them talk if it were me; there’s no helping it anyway.”

I wanted to retort that it was easy for him to say that, but seeing how he stared at me with his brazen face, I felt he would truly live up to his words. He probably never bothered about what others thought, the egoist he was. Everyone would acknowledge him for being a powerful flame mage, after all. “I don’t think it’s at the level of just ‘talking’, though,” I added with a sigh.

“Such is the fate of the popular. Get used to it, Jun.”

I stared at him, speechless. Was he trying to add oil to the fire or what? I low-key hated myself a little for seeking advice from him.

Suddenly, Axion started swiveling his head around, startling the diners nearby as they rushed to avoid his eyes. He smirked. “You’re definitely an interesting subject of gossip. Everyone must be keen to hear the gossip after such a long time of nothing but training. But people who cross the line by prattling about someone else’s affairs do so because that’s the only thing they care about. They’re the sort who’ll fall behind eventually, so don’t give it much thought, Jun,” he said.

“That’s cold.”

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“We have to be cold.”

And he was right. Being cold-minded was necessary because a split-second decision inside a dungeon could be the difference between life and death, even more so when it came to judging people to trust one’s back with. Axion’s eyes shone behind his glasses as he continued, “However… To suggest that His Excellency, of all people, would be swayed by his emotions in a matter concerning dungeon raids… Those people have insulted not only you for their amusement, but the duke as well. And as a member of the Dark Knights, that cannot be forgiven.”

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No wonder Axion’s attitude was so hostile… He seemed displeased that Mayer was involved in my rumors, almost raring to secretly slit someone’s throat despite having just told me not to bother about it. Who knew what would happen if I agreed with him here? “Well… You couldn’t understand it at first either,” I replied in a slightly softer tone.

“Not understanding and questioning His Excellency’s command are two different matters. Didn’t I faithfully obey the duke’s orders despite my unacceptance?”

That was true, so I conceded and let him act all haughty and high-headed.

“At this point… I’d say you’re most certainly one of us now.”

I stared at him. “…You weren’t certain of it until now?”

“Haha. You see, it would’ve been terrible if you had run away before becoming vice-captain.”

“So should I assume you’re about to tell me something that would have made me run away?”

“Very astute of you.” He nodded.

“So, what is it? This secret that’ll scare me off,” I asked disinterestedly. I wasn’t too curious as I knew almost everything—except for secret information only known among the Dark Knights—but I felt I had to make some conversation.

Perhaps my reaction was satisfying, or maybe he just wanted to go on and say it, but Axion looked excited as he began, “I told you last time that His Excellency has never personally recruited anyone besides you, Jun, but…”

“…Yes? I think people are overreacting even considering that. Is it because I’m a support-type mage?”

“That’s… not completely unrelated, but I think it’s more because of His Excellency’s usual disposition,” he said.

“Usual disposition?”

“His Excellency is uninterested, to an extreme degree, in anything other than closing dungeons. It was the only thing he derived joy from.”

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Bingo.

his had to be it. It was kind of an open secret that Mayer was driven insane by his loathing of demons and fellspawn alike. The only reason there was little talk about it was that the act of closing dungeons itself was a socially recommended virtue, to begin with. But the man was not normal, of that I was sure of.

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