The scene was utterly devastating.
Half the walls had collapsed from the explosion, and flames raged in every direction.
But it wasn’t a real fire.
It was just that incomprehensible dark crimson energy wrapping around the building.
What about the workers?
The battle between Sorcerer Vargas and the unidentified figure didn’t concern me in the least.
Whoever it was, Vargas had the power to smash them to pieces.
What mattered more was the safety of the workers who pledged their loyalty to me.
That offhand remark I’d made earlier was just from the shock.
“Cough! Cough! Huh? Y-Your Grace?”
A figure staggering out through the building debris.
It was Everett, the laborer who mainly tended the vineyards.
We’d barely crossed paths, yet how did I know his name?
All thanks to the employee management window.
I’d checked it so often that I’d practically memorized them.
“Everett?”
“Oh my! What an honor. That you remember the name of someone as lowly as me.”
“Of course I do—you’re my employee. How’s your body holding up, anyway?”
“The moment I heard the blast, I thought I was done for. But my body felt strangely light. Thanks to that, I managed to escape.”
“What about the others?”
“I told them to bring everyone to Gavin while I cleared the path… Ah! There they come.”
“Stay as far from the building as possible. Make sure everyone’s out.”
“Yes, sir!”
Everett shouted energetically before rushing back inside.
Receiving a direct order from me must have fired him up.
At that level, he’d handle his task without issue.
Now it was time to deal with that guy—Margaret or Margon, whatever his name was.
“This guy causes explosions wherever he goes.”
I grimaced bitterly, recalling Vargas’s habits.
I’d thought nothing of it when he blew up the mercenary guild.
But coming back to find my own place in ruins?
Boom!
I headed to the back of the building where the blasts kept ringing out.
It was nothing short of a war zone.
The young man named Margon had transformed into some incarnation of fire.
He was roughly three meters tall, legless, with abnormally massive arms.
Vargas, meanwhile, kept hurling things into the flames…
Kaboom!
“So that’s where the explosions were coming from. But why is he doing that?”
Throwing explosives into massive flames!
This wasn’t suppression—it was trying to kill everything.
I couldn’t tolerate such madness on my land.
All we need is to eliminate the source of the curse.
Why make it so complicated?
If things continued like this, even Dormitory Building 2 might get destroyed.
I needed to resolve it before a bigger accident happened.
Beast’s Heart activated.
Not only cursing my house but creating this mess too? The vivid red energy wrapping around my body burned fiercer than ever. And it was incomparably clearer than Margon’s.
Proof that my anger had reached its peak.
But I didn’t let the excitement make me rampage.
“Cold fury is the most terrifying, after all.”
Destructive Retribution activated.
An indescribable sensation flowed through my right arm.
Along with burning pain came a powerful urge.
If I didn’t release this immense power, it felt like my body would burst.
But I suppressed the skill’s force and circled behind Margon.
I need to see where to hit.
Destructive Retribution was a technique that slammed tremendous light and heat into a single point.
The area of effect was wide, but it needed to land precisely. Yet it was unclear where the opponent’s body even ended. The dark crimson energy blazed so fiercely.
Moreover, Margon was an entity I’d never encountered before.
I had no idea where a strike would be fatal.
Whoosh—!
—Kekeke! You’ve finally shown yourself, you bastard!
It must have sensed my presence, as the fire incarnation turned its massive body.
It seemed to recognize me as a greater threat than Vargas, who only threw exploding vials.
But why the reaction like it had been waiting?
“We’ve never met—why act so familiar?”
—Already forgotten me? How disappointing. We had so much fun before.
“What nonsense…”
I was about to snap back curtly while scrutinizing the opponent.
But suddenly, the voice felt familiar.
A tone that scraped the vocal cords to their limit.
Exactly like the one I’d heard the day the northern nomads attacked.
“Ah! Feltron?”
—So you finally remember. But you still don’t recall what came before that?
“Ah, personal circumstances, you see. Things have been a bit fuzzy lately. So how close were we, exactly?”
I subtly probed while steering the conversation.
Feltron laughed boisterously and shook its head.
I can’t just tell you easily. It’s more fun when you don’t know.
“Come on, cold between friends?”
—What kind of friends are we?
It teased, thrusting its head forward.
Its face showed pure delight in mocking me.
Well, no actual expression was visible.
It just felt that way from the tone and actions.
I stepped closer to Feltron and said,
“Close like… this?”
Shwoooom~!
The communication rod, suppressed to its limit, shone brilliantly.
At the same moment, a deafening impact rang out.
Craaaack!
It was so fast there was no time to react.
The opponent’s body, slightly hunched, froze solid.
Its upper torso had been cleanly severed.
Soon, the head that soared high into the sky dropped right in front of me.
Thud!!
Arghhhhh!
A pained scream slammed directly into my mind.
“Ugh!”
“Kyaa!”
The distant workers clutched their heads and collapsed one by one.
Communicating by transmitting will straight into the brain.
It can be quite disorienting at first.
But I stood calmly.
Thanks to Adam, I’d built immunity.
Step!
“Phew! That feels refreshing.”
I placed my foot on Feltron’s head and laughed triumphantly.
An immediate response came.
You, you bastard! I will definitely have revenge…
Pssshhh—! Splat!
The body spewing venomous words turned into black sludge and collapsed.
It was the exact substance from inside the northern nomads.
Before, the amount was small and it dissipated quickly, so I’d had no choice but to leave it.
But Feltron’s body was so massive—this time, there should be enough to collect.
“Oh ho! This precious stuff!”
Look at that.
The sorcerer was already eyeing it hungrily.
But Vargas couldn’t achieve his goal.
I’d lightly grabbed him by the scruff.
“Hey. Sorcerer friend. Don’t we have something to discuss before you take that?”
I nodded toward the half-destroyed dormitory, and Vargas’s face went pale.
“Ahaha! Th-that was unavoidable…”
“You should’ve consulted the client before destroying anything.”
“Of course that’s the proper way.”
“I’ll be billing hefty compensation, so collect that first.”
“Yes, sir.”
I released Vargas with a meaningful smile.
Where else would I find such high-quality manpower?
Once in my grasp, I had to squeeze every last drop.
“Did you see Duke Carius’s move?”
“You mean that quick upward strike with the short rod against the monster?”
“Yeah, exactly that scene. Truly befitting a hero of the north.”
“To be honest, I missed it. It was too fast.”
“They call him a berserker, but that’s all nonsense. That’s not a nickname for someone so coldly composed in real combat.”
Overhearing the late-arriving guards’ conversation made me feel unnecessarily embarrassed.
It was far more detailed praise than what the common folk gave.
But seriously, where have these guys been until now?
I almost shot them a dirty look.
But I quickly understood their situation.
They’d been on outer patrol for the understaffed Carius duchy.
Plus, the battle had ended in an instant.
Their response was reasonably swift—I couldn’t blame them for arriving late.
“Keuh! To face such a monster head-on for our sakes…”
“Thank you so much, Your Grace!”
“The duke himself saved us!”
The admiring gazes from the workers were far more intense than before.
Truthfully, I hadn’t played a decisive role in the rescue.
Workers Everett and Gavin had led everyone out well.
I’d merely given orders, yet it all became my credit.
Still, this called for something.
“Mr. Everett, Mr. Gavin?”
“Yes!”
“You both worked hard. Good news will come soon.”
“Th-thank you, Your Grace.”
I’d have Theo make plaques engraved with their names.
From a modern perspective, it might seem trivial.
But pride varies with the giver’s status.
In the empire, something from Duke Carius could be passed down as a family heirloom for generations.
And that fuels loyalty.
The two who received them would work even harder, stimulating the other workers too.
Anyway, the curse should now be fully lifted.
I promptly ordered the battlefield cleaned and the dormitory rebuilt.
Then I returned to the mansion, my mind feeling complicated.
“He’s been needling me since way back—maybe I really need to visit the north?”
Feltron was provoking me.
Come quickly. Let’s fight.
He hadn’t said it directly, but the vibe was exactly that.
Ah, I shouldn’t play along with a guy like that.
There was only one person who could dictate my movements.
The empire’s sovereign, Emperor Karon.
If I smashed every scheme he pulled, he’d get frustrated and come himself.
I decided not to worry too much.
So far, it hadn’t been much of a threat.
Plus, even if I went north, there was no guarantee I’d meet him.
“And right now, I can’t leave my post anyway.”
Using backlog as an excuse to stay in Perias was limited to a week.
After that, I had to return to Delriat without fail.
To carry out the mission the emperor assigned.
Before then, I’d complete the papermaking factory system.
Of course, I couldn’t build the entire facility.
I’d just pass on the hanji-making method and leave.
Commuting to the court for a few days, Theo finally brought good news.
“It’s complete, Your Grace.”
“Good? Let me see.”
I went to the hut to check the steamer.
As expected from someone who’d acquired dwarven skills, it matched the blueprint perfectly.
“Great. Then let’s get started.”
“How should we proceed?”
“Fill it with water and boil.”
“Understood. But you’re not planning to put me on top, right?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Anyone would think it’s a torture device.”
Now that he mentioned it, it did look that way.
The steamer was enormous since whole logs had to be placed on it.
Big enough to easily hold several people.
But did he really think I’d make something that insane?
He said he lacked creativity, yet his mind worked fast in weird directions.
“Keep spouting nonsense, and you’ll be the first one up there.”
“Gulp!”
Theo clamped his mouth shut and diligently started the fire.