Chapter 71: Deceive The Duke [1]
’There was no substantial gain.’
In truth, expressing gratitude to a servant—or rewarding one for saving his daughter—could have been handled through the head steward. A brief acknowledgment, a sealed letter, perhaps a raise in rank or coin. That was how Duke Draken typically operated.
But the sole reason he came here himself...
...was curiosity.
He hadn’t expected loyalty from a servant. Especially not one of such humble background.
Even among those handpicked to serve House Draken, Julies Evans had been unremarkable. Polite. Competent. Quiet. A shadow, useful but forgettable.
Until now.
To sacrifice a return stone—and choose death for the sake of someone else’s survival, even a noble’s... that wasn’t typical behavior. Not even among knights.
Certainly not from servants.
So Duke Draken had come to see him with his own eyes.
And now that he had...
’Interesting.’
The boy’s eyes hadn’t wavered, not even under pressure.
There was also another reason for him to come visit Julies personally and that reason was Demons.
The North was a shield, the Empire’s iron wall against Drazroth. Any confirmed demon presence—especially one involving higher-order beings—had to be treated with absolute precision.
That’s why he came.
Not for thanks.
Not for sentiment.
And yet, as he turned toward the door, finding himself no closer to the truth than before, his sharp eyes narrowed faintly. A flicker of disappointment passed through them.
Nothing. No new leads. No confirmed identities. Only vague mentions of a demon brawl and a half-conscious servant’s murky memories.
Useless.
A complete waste of time.
He took a step toward the door.
Then—
"Your Grace."
The voice came low, hesitant—but clear.
He paused.
Behind him, Julies had pushed himself upright. His face was pale, sweat beading along his brow, but there was a new sharpness in his eyes.
"I... remembered something."
Duke Draken turned slowly, his expression unreadable. He said nothing at first—just waited, eyes fixed on Julies like a hawk watching its prey.
Julies took a breath. His words came steady, measured, each one chosen carefully.
"I’m not exactly sure what kind of demon they were, but... I remember hearing their names while they were fighting."
"Names?" the Duke repeated, voice low.
"Yes. They said them aloud. Mid-battle."
It wasn’t much—just a shred of information—but in a situation where even the smallest detail could matter, Julies clung to it like a lifeline.
"At least one of them introduced herself. The vampire called herself Velra. And the other—the one she was fighting—went by the name... Faceless Imposter."
The room went still.
The name echoed for a moment, like a bell tolling in a graveyard.
"...Faceless Imposter?" the Duke said, brows knitting together. "You’re sure?"
Julies nodded without hesitation. "Clear as day. I heard it myself."
A flicker of something passed across the Duke’s face—disbelief, confusion, and then the hard edge of suspicion.
"That name... it’s been whispered in connection with the theft at Count Valstein’s estate. A thief with no face." He paused. "You’re telling me that name came up... there?"
"I know how it sounds," Julies admitted. "But I’m not making it up. I have no reason to. I barely made it out of there alive... I used the return stone on Lady Alice and stayed behind, just in case—"
He trailed off, realizing he didn’t need to explain himself further. His actions had spoken louder than any words could.
The Duke studied him in silence for a moment longer. Julies stood his ground, his gaze steady, despite the exhaustion still weighing on him.
There were only two explanations, if he was telling the truth.
Either the demon had stolen the name of a recently notorious thief to instill fear or misdirect anyone who might hear of the encounter...
Or the rumors were true—and the so-called thief, the Faceless Imposter, wasn’t human at all.
Just another monster hiding behind a clever name.
"...Troubling," the Duke finally murmured, turning to face the fireplace, the flames reflecting in his eyes.
Velra, a vampire.
Faceless Imposter, a demon—perhaps something worse.
They weren’t just dealing with a rogue threat.
This was something bigger.
Something coordinated.
And it had nearly killed his daughter.
He clenched his fists behind his back.
"...Thank you for the valuable information. We’ll only know once we catch that thief."
"Y-Yes."
With a slightly stiffened face, the Duke called his attendant as he left.
"Hans."
"Yes. How may I assist you?"
Given that they didn’t know where they had gone, every available resource had to be utilized.
"Inform the soldiers of the Ducal house, especially the scouting unit," Duke Draken said, his voice cold and decisive.
"Double the patrols along the northern borders. And have our informants dig deeper into the Valstein theft. If there’s any trace of this ’Faceless Imposter,’ I want it brought to me—personally."
Hans gave a swift bow. "Understood, Your Grace. I’ll have the orders dispatched immediately."
"Also, discreetly contact the Thieves’ Guild and gather all information on Faceless Imposter."
"Understood."
The Duke’s gaze lingered on Julies for a moment longer.
The boy looked exhausted, pale as a ghost, but there was a clarity in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. He had seen something.
Survived something. And for better or worse, he had become entangled in matters far greater than a servant ever should.
"...Have a physician check on him again," the Duke added after a pause.
Hans blinked, surprised, but quickly nodded. "Yes, Your Grace."
The Duke didn’t wait for further questions.
With a flick of his cloak, he swept out of the room, boots echoing against the polished marble floor.
Hans followed a moment later, leaving Julies alone with the quiet hum of the fireplace and the slow, steady thudding of his heart.
He let out a shaky breath.
He hadn’t lied. Not about the names. Not about what he’d seen.
But there was something he hadn’t mentioned.
Something he wasn’t sure he could mention.
Not like he was going to do so.
"All of this was new quest fault."
Julies muttered under his breath as he opened system panel again and looked at newly quest that was assigned to him.
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