Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 296:

Andy approached the Duke’s study with trepidation. The servant standing at the door, upon seeing the young mage, gestured for him to wait a moment before entering the study.

The servant soon returned, bowing slightly to Andy, “Please, the Duke is waiting for you inside.”

Swallowing nervously, Andy straightened his collar and pushed open the half-closed door, entering the Duke’s study. As the door closed behind him with a click, a sense of disorientation overwhelmed him. Only then did Andy realize how dark the room was.

Thick curtains blocked the windows, with slivers of light squeezing through the gaps. It was by this faint light that Andy barely discerned a figure seated beside the desk.

“Du… Duke Kent?” Andy cautiously called out.

“Andy… my young friend…” The seated figure spoke, and for some reason, only then did Andy sense that he was indeed a ‘living being’.

The voice belonged to Marltz Kent Ferdinand, the new Duke of the Northwestern Bay of the Kingdom of Ordo, or as his enemies called him – a usurper.

Unlike his robust public persona, the Duke’s voice was now deep and low, resembling the growl of a wild beast, sending chills down Andy’s spine.

“Please, sit…”

“Thank you, Your Grace. May I know why you have summoned me?”

The Duke didn’t reply immediately but stood up and slowly moved away from his seat. Two glowing points followed his figure – the Duke’s eyes.

“So, he is still studying Master Barnett’s ‘Blood Therapy’ method? Alas…”

The young mage shook his head internally, fearing the Duke was too deeply entangled in the arcane practice.

A burst of light emerged from the darkness as the Duke lit a candle, turning to face the young mage.

Now seeing the Duke clearly, Andy’s face twitched. The Duke’s physique was still robust, but his face was terrifying – his skin was sickly pale, his deeply set eyes were blood-red, emitting a ghostly glow, and his lips were a vivid red, as if smeared with blood.

The Duke approached Andy silently, his footsteps making no sound. Andy shifted uneasily, recalling the dreadful tales associated with ‘Blood Therapy’.

Marltz extended his hand towards Andy’s face, smiling eerily as he mimicked a stroking motion in the air.

“Such a young body… such vibrant blood…”

Whispers of incomprehensible longing filled the air, causing Andy’s skin to crawl. He barely managed not to tremble.

“Your Grace!” The young mage frowned.

The Duke, who had been staring at Andy’s neck, quickly withdrew his hand.

“I apologize, my young friend, for revealing my private state to you. However, there should be no secrets between us.”

Maintaining his ‘smile’, Marltz slowly returned to his seat.

He spoke casually, “I need help, as you know. I’ve encountered some troubles on the battlefield recently.”

The young mage knew what troubles the Duke faced on the battlefield.

Last year, the Arcane Society – specifically under the orders left by Master Barnett – had sent him to the Northwestern Bay to assist Marltz Kent, who was then only a Count.

Utilizing a certain type of mental magic, Marltz Kent managed to control the then-Duke of the Northwest, making the old Duke choose him as his successor. When the old Duke “passed away” due to illness, Marltz naturally became the new Duke of the Northwest.

However, their plans, as laid out by Master Barnett, faced an unexpected turn. The old Duke’s brother escaped from his strict confinement and released a handwritten letter by the old Duke while he was lucid, accusing Marltz of manipulating magic and usurping the throne, an accusation that was indeed true.

The lords of the Northwestern Bay divided into factions supporting and opposing the new Duke, leading to chaos in the northwestern region of the Kingdom of Ordo.

Initially, Marltz was confident that with his power, he could suppress this “rebellion” within a year. But another unforeseen event occurred.

The proverbial hunter was blinded by the geese he hunted, and in this case, the goose was the Grayman family of Alda. If the Northwestern Bay was seen as a remote area, the Countship of Alda was the remotest of the remote. Yet, this neglected land began to prosper about a year and a half ago.

In this war, the primary factors that put Marltz’s army in a difficult position – strange weapons, disciplined formations, and obedient soldiers – all originated from Alda.

The war, which had started at the beginning of the year, had reached a stalemate by July. The new Duke’s faction was under attack from both the front and rear, the latter instigated by Paul Grayman.

The Duke had tried to incite internal strife in Alda and even hired mercenaries from the south, but these efforts did not prevent his gradual downfall.

Marltz began to suspect that the Arcane Society was also secretly assisting the Graymans, letting them fight among themselves and leaving the strongest as their proxy, akin to the legends of cultivating poisonous insects.

Hesitantly, Andy said, “Your Grace, I… I only know some basic mental magic. How can I help you?”

“Oh, my young friend, I’m not talking about you, but your organization – the Arcane Society. Send a message to our (he emphasized the word ‘our’) comrades – I need help.”

Marltz knew Andy’s capabilities weren’t as strong as he had initially hoped, which disappointed him in the Arcane Society. He had expected someone as powerful as Master Barnett, not a weak mage like Andy.

“But… but I have little influence within the organization…”

“Has the Arcane Society abandoned me already?”

Before Andy could finish, he was interrupted by a hysterical roar, accompanied by the sound of a table shattering. The Duke had been resting his hand on that table without moving.

“What great strength!”

Startled, Andy looked at the Duke with even greater fear – he now resembled a ferocious beast ready to attack, his mouth twisted into a strange shape, revealing long, sharp fangs.

Andy’s heart raced, wondering what kind of monster Master Barnett had left behind.

“I… I will send the message… Ah, I will try to persuade them…”

Marltz Kent Ferdinand then reverted to his earlier smile, as if his previous outburst had never happened.

“For the Arcane Society!”

He raised a high-stemmed glass, toasting and downing the scarlet liquid inside.

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