The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Chapter 95

The next day, shocking news struck Kartan City.

– The Umbra Guild has been crushed by Maedala!

A sudden war between the major guilds that divided the city.

The victory of the Maedala Guild.

The revelation of the true nature of the Umbra Guild and their various criminal activities, including human trafficking…

Each piece of news was enough to astonish anyone who heard it.

When rumors first spread that the Maedala Guild had attacked the Umbra Guild, everyone blamed Maedala.

Despite the unfavorable rumors, attacking a rival that governed the city so openly was bound to attract criticism.

It was an unwritten rule that guilds should not engage in open conflict.

But breaking that taboo so blatantly gave the smaller guilds, like packs of hyenas, an excuse to bite back.

However, their desired outcome did not occur.

Once the truth about the Umbra Guild’s activities was revealed, people’s attitudes changed completely.

The Umbra Guild was a dark guild disguised as a legitimate guild.

Kidnapping people under the guise of disappearances, human trafficking, and even horrifying human experiments to gain excessive power.

Such beastly acts made the citizens of Kartan City shudder.

Marcus Maedala had noticed the true nature of the Umbra Guild and, although aggressive, he quickly and decisively punished the dark guild, becoming a hero.

Tallin Umbra, the mastermind behind the human experiments, met his death, and the guild, having lost its leader, had no choice but to collapse.

However, the existence of the Umbra Guild itself was not erased.

The Umbra Guild was too large for that.

It was too much for Maedala to take over their place completely.

And punishing them all would lead to great chaos and bloodshed.

Therefore, they only punished the guild members at the executive level and those directly involved in human trafficking, leaving the rest untouched.

They decided to appoint a puppet leader to ensure they couldn’t harbor any more ill intentions.

From the surviving guild members, they chose the highest-ranking individual who could be easily controlled by the Maedala Guild.

– Sir! I, Shandalkan, will work diligently with all my heart!

As a result, Shandalkan, who used the laughable alias Armand, was appointed as the leader of the puppet guild.

Given his vulnerability due to his ties with the Cerberus Guild, which was targeted by the Sacred Fire Order, it was unlikely he would cause trouble.

Thus, the Maedala Guild effectively took control of Kartan City.

However, the real masterminds behind the scenes, such as the Warlocks of Chaos, the Blood Knights, and the Syres Grand Duchy, were not mentioned in the stories people heard.

– Why aren’t those facts being revealed?

“Revealing such facts now would be pointless because the Syres side would deny it. It’s a matter of their honor.”

Knights lived and died by their honor.

Surely, they would have disposed of any information and people related to the Umbra Guild, and even if the matter was spread, they would bury it with media manipulation.

They would claim it was a plot by the Warlocks.

And in a few months, the monsters from the Frozen Land would start flooding in.

Only Syres could stop that flood, making their existence crucial.

The Umbra Guild incident would naturally fade from people’s attention and be forgotten.

‘The surviving Warlocks were good evidence, but…’

But every time they were questioned, they vomited blood and died due to a prohibition.

Just like the bandits seen in the Forest of Death.

‘For now, revealing this won’t have much effect.’

Unless a stronger and more direct incident occurred, it would be difficult to tarnish Sylbeta’s honor, let alone bring them down.

But it wasn’t entirely meaningless.

“Unless we publicize this incident, we now have a powerful card. If they don’t want their honor tarnished, they won’t touch Kartan City.”

This incident had earned Marcus a favor, securing absolute trust, and had stopped the training of the Blood Knights.

And at the right time, the information could be released to bring this incident back into the spotlight.

‘For now, this is the more important issue.’

Aden looked at the violet crystal orb in his hand with an annoyed expression.

“What should I do with this?”

It was the ‘core’ of the sealing stone that imprisoned the spirit.

Currently, the plague spirit was asleep inside it.

– What are you hesitating about, Dragon Slayer King?

Curse spoke coldly to Aden.

– Break that stone and annihilate the plague spirit. You know that’s the right thing to do.

* * *

Marcus’ daughter, Charles, was connected to the plague spirit.

The reason the wraiths were drawn to her was because the protecting spirit’s power had weakened.

Therefore, there were two ways to cure Charles.

One was to wait for the spirit to awaken from the seal and form a contract with it.

And the other was…

‘Destroying the seal and annihilating the plague spirit.’

Completely severing the connection and forming a contract with another spirit.

With Charles’ level of spirit affinity, a new spirit would soon appear to form a contract with her.

Thus, it was actually more prudent to eliminate the spirit, even if it seemed cold-hearted.

If it became known that she was the plague spirit’s contractor, many would try to exploit her.

The recent chimera incident provided enough grounds for this.

‘But that’s not my decision to make.’

He had done enough by finding and bringing back the sealed spirit.

Therefore, Aden placed the stone containing the sealed spirit on Marcus’ desk and asked.

“What will you do, Guild Master Marcus?”

“…”

Marcus looked down at the core of the seal with a complicated expression.

Around them, Lowe, Cassie, Priest Bali, and others stood silently.

As a father who cherished his daughter, he had no choice but to opt for the spirit’s destruction.

Who in their right mind would want their daughter to become the contractor of the plague spirit?

The wicked plague warlock, Rodocera.

She would be treated as the successor of that great villain, living a hard life far from a normal one.

He spoke with a troubled expression.

“Did you say the only way to awaken the spirit is to form a contract?”

“Yes.”

The Hat Merchant replied.

Only by forming a full contract with the quasi-contractor would the spirit awaken.

The head of the Spirit Trading Company had proclaimed that there was no other way, so it must be true.

It would be better if they could at least negotiate with the plague spirit to annul the quasi-contract, but that was not possible due to the seal.

“I also know that the spirit is not guilty or at fault.”

Ets spoke about the plague spirit.

– But among humans, it’s considered an unlucky child, so it’s a timid and hurt friend.

Spirits were fundamentally good beings.

But the plague spirit had been rejected by people because it dealt with diseases, and only those who wanted to misuse its power had chosen it.

With a solemn and grim expression, he spoke.

“I do not want my daughter to be pointed at and called the contractor of the plague spirit.”

“…”

“Yes, I know. Yes, I am selfish. I am bad. Honestly, I know this is not the right thing to do.”

His words sounded like he was speaking to himself rather than to Aden.

Looking at the faces of the others, they did not seem pleased, but they did not reproach Marcus either.

There was no right to criticize his actions when there were no other solutions.

Marcus was not making this choice because he was truly selfish.

In fact, he was a rare magnanimous person among mercenaries.

But as a father, he was simply more concerned about his daughter’s safety.

Everyone understood this sentiment, so they could not say anything.

He drew his beloved sword from its sheath at his waist.

Last night, it had cut down numerous high-ranking Umbra guild members and slaughtered four high-level Sword Aura wielders.

Woo-oo-woong!

Marcus infused mana into the sword, which hummed briefly before Sword Aura flared up.

With that sword, imbued with the power of the highest-level Sword Aura, he could certainly destroy the plague spirit along with the seal.

Just as he raised the sword high, ready to deliver a swift strike.

“Dad! No! Wait!”

The office door suddenly opened, and a small girl, barely reaching Aden’s waist, burst in.

A girl with strikingly braided red hair, Marcus’ daughter, Charles.

Startled by his daughter’s sudden entrance, Marcus withdrew his aura.

“Sha, Charles? How did you get here…?”

Charles had somewhat recovered her health thanks to Elise, who constantly used holy power to ward off the wraiths.

Normally, she would have been resting quietly in her room.

Charles pleaded desperately to her father.

“Dad, please don’t get rid of it!”

“Charles…”

They had kept the details about the plague spirit from her.

It was too heavy a matter for a child to know.

But how did she find out and come here? The question was answered when Marcus saw Elise following her.

“I told her everything.”

Elise looked up at Aden with a determined but slightly anxious expression.

“No matter how much I think about it, it’s not right. That spirit belongs to Charles. Even though she’s still young… deciding without her is too much.”

“Elise.”

“That spirit doesn’t belong to the Guild Master; it belongs to her. Isn’t that right, Aden?”

At her words, both Aden and Marcus, along with the others, realized they had overlooked something.

‘Because she’s still young, it’s too early for her to know.’

They had wrapped it up in such words, without considering the opinion of the person concerned.

And now, the person concerned, Charles, was expressing her thoughts.

Charles spoke with a resolute face.

“Dad, I’m going to make

a contract with that spirit.”

“What? No! Think again, Charles! That spirit is very dangerous…!”

“It protected me!”

“…!”

“I felt it, Dad. I always felt that there was a friend who protected me and stayed by my side!”

It was invisible.

No scent or sound could be detected.

But she could feel it.

She always sensed that there was a presence by her side, wishing for her health and happiness.

When she ran and fell in the snow, scraping her knee and crying, she felt it comforting her.

When her mother disappeared one day without any reason, that presence kept her company, ensuring she wasn’t lonely.

– I like you.

– You were born to be blessed.

– I hope you don’t get sick, don’t feel lonely, and enjoy life.

– I’m sorry that someone like me is with you.

– But someday, I want to talk with you.

– Will you like me, even though I’m like this?

Even though they couldn’t communicate, and she couldn’t hear its voice, Charles knew.

She understood through the bond they shared, even without realizing it was the spirit’s voice.

A kind, shy, and cautious, unseen friend.

The child, with tears welling up, cried out.

“That spirit protected me! Stayed with me! It’s my friend! It’s my family…!”

“…”

“And it has to go away? Because of me? It’s going to leave like Mom did…?”

“Charles…”

Marcus looked like he had been hit with a hammer by his daughter’s words.

Seeing this, Aden recalled what Curse had said before.

– The fact that this child has survived for eight years is proof. Without a protecting spirit, she would have been devoured by the wraiths before she turned one.

Eight years.

For that considerable amount of time, a guardian spirit had protected the child from the wraiths.

During that time, an unseen spirit had become a precious family member to her.

The reason Charles could stand here now was entirely due to the spirit’s presence.

Even Marcus, her father, had not known about this additional family member.

Realizing this, Marcus could say nothing.

His rational mind was screaming that he needed to explain why this choice was necessary to his daughter.

But seeing his young daughter asking such questions made even that inner voice quiet.

“If I make a contract with the spirit, will I become an unlucky child too? Will Dad hate me then?”

Do I have to be a fortunate child for you to love me?

This question, loaded with meaning, made Marcus’ mind go blank.

“Th-That would never…”

Eventually, he sank into his chair, covering his eyes with his palm.

“That would never happen, Charles. My precious child…”

Through his fingers, one could see the tears forming in his eyes.

Seeing this, Aden couldn’t help but laugh.

There was an old saying: no parent can win against their child.

That day, Charles formed a contract with the plague spirit, freeing it and giving it a new name, “Emily,” instead of the ominous “Frague.”