“So, how does it feel to be a hero?”
Duke dismissed Darkness, but he kept Rejection active around himself, reflecting any attacks directed at him.
There was no telling when a stray bullet might suddenly ping out of some hidden patch of grass and blow a hole through his head.
He had to stay vigilant at all times.
“It feels amazing!” Diana beamed.
“I like it when people thank me.”
“You did it.”
“Yeah… I really did.”
As she spoke, Diana glanced at Charlie, who was leaning against a telephone pole nearby with his head hanging low.
“He kept talking about shooting people, but… he doesn’t even know how to use a gun.”
Duke shook his head.
“Just be yourself, Diana. Not everyone gets to become the person they imagined they’d be.”
Truthfully, he was curious about Charlie too.
The man claimed to be an exceptional sniper, yet in Duke’s memory—at least in the movie—Charlie never actually fired a single shot.
Was he just a fraud, trying to swindle Steve out of a little money?
That didn’t make sense.
Anyone who wasn’t truly a soldier would be throwing away their life by stepping onto a battlefield.
No sane person would make that choice.
Besides, the three of them obviously knew each other well.
Maybe not inside and out, but certainly well enough.
So Duke figured Charlie most likely suffered from some kind of war trauma.
He couldn’t be bothered worrying about it.
By then, Steve had finished making his phone call, his face wearing a look of complete defeat.
Without asking, Duke knew Patrick Morgan had turned him down.
General Ludendorff’s laboratory was located inside German High Command headquarters, only a few miles from the town.
If this had happened earlier in the war, the destruction of an entire garrison would have brought immediate reinforcements.
But now…
Germany simply no longer had the manpower.
Meanwhile, Ludendorff was hosting a grand banquet.
As for where the poison gas shells would actually be launched, no one knew.
“What happened?” Diana asked as she walked over.
Steve sighed.
“Sir Patrick refused to authorize an assault on German High Command.”
“His reason?”
“He says we can’t interfere with the peace negotiations.”
“We don’t actually need to worry about the peace treaty.”
“Why not?”
“Because Ares would never…”
As she spoke, Diana suddenly froze.
“Of course! That makes perfect sense!”
“Ares has created the ultimate weapon!”
Steve frowned.
“You mean Ludendorff?”
“No.”
“I mean Ares himself.”
“Ludendorff is Ares.”
Duke smiled.
“What are you smiling at?” Diana frowned.
“You think I’m wrong?”
“No.”
Of course he knew Ludendorff wasn’t Ares.
But now wasn’t the time to reveal that.
Instead, he asked a question.
“What rank is Ludendorff?”
“A general,” Steve answered.
“And above a general?”
“…Some nobles… various ministers… the Chancellor… and the Emperor.”
“A general may command hundreds of thousands of troops and look incredibly powerful during wartime, but in the end he’s still just working for someone else.”
“There are many people above him.”
“And Ares is the God of War.”
“Do you really think a god like that would personally lower himself to command human armies on the front lines?”
As he spoke, Duke glanced at Steve.
“I’m not saying humans are weak.”
“I’m saying they’re extremely weak.”
“Would someone capable of slaughtering the gods with his own hands really stoop to personally lead human soldiers into battle?”
“Frankly speaking…”
“Humans aren’t even worth his attention.”
“Forget Ares.”
“Even I…”
“If I wanted to kill you, Steve…”
“I wouldn’t bother doing it myself.”
“It would be beneath me.”
Steve suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
For some reason…
It felt like Duke wasn’t speaking hypothetically.
It sounded more like a warning.
Diana, however, noticed nothing.
Instead, she lowered her head in thought.
“So you’re saying Ludendorff isn’t Ares at all.”
“He’s simply carrying out the orders of someone higher up?”
“I believe Ares awakened humanity’s greed and incited this war.”
“But I don’t believe he’d personally command human armies.”
“Think about it.”
“For a god…”
“Corrupting an emperor would be easy.”
“Once the man at the top gives the order, wouldn’t everyone beneath him obey?”
“Ludendorff is probably nothing more than a pawn.”
Only then did the two of them realize they had been thinking about Ares all wrong.
A god couldn’t be judged by human standards.
Manipulating an emperor…
Would indeed be child’s play.
“So…”
“What should we do now?” Diana asked, genuinely at a loss.
“We continue toward headquarters.”
“I’m certain Ludendorff is an important pawn.”
“And there’s also Doctor Poison.”
“Kill them.”
“Destroy the poison gas.”
“And I believe Ares will finally reveal himself.”
The two considered his proposal.
Steve nodded.
“All right.”
“It’s the best plan we’ve got.”
He never realized that Duke had quietly taken complete control of the conversation.
Ironically, the final decision was exactly the same as Steve’s original plan.
That Night
A bonfire crackled beneath the stars.
Duke and Diana sat shoulder to shoulder.
“Is that… dancing?”
“I suppose.”
“They’re just holding each other and swaying.”
“Maybe holding each other isn’t all they want.”
Duke raised an eyebrow.
One glare from Duke had sent him right back where he came from.
Diana simply smiled without saying anything.
She understood perfectly well.
She just had never experienced it herself.
After all, she’d read all twelve volumes of The Treatises on Carnal Pleasures.
Samir wandered around carrying drinks like a waiter.
“Oh, honorable Great Mage!”
“Care for a drink?”
Duke accepted it with a smile.
To his surprise, Samir suddenly dropped to one knee.
“What are you doing?” Duke asked curiously.
“My lord…”
“Please accept my loyalty.”
“Loyalty?”
“You want to serve me?”
Duke wasn’t particularly familiar with Western customs.
“He’s becoming your follower,” Diana explained.
“Oh.”
He understood now.
Something like a knight’s retainer.
A sworn follower.
Duke looked at Samir.
“You wish to follow me?”
“Why?”
“Because of magic?”
“Yes.”
“You opened a magnificent door for me.”
“A door leading to an entirely new world.”
“A world of excitement…”
“Adventure…”
“And possibilities I never knew existed.”
“I want to understand that world.”
“Please…”
“Accept my oath.”
“I, Samir…”
“Swear before God…”
“Should I ever betray you…”
“May lightning strike me down.”
As he finished speaking, he tapped his shoulders and performed a complicated ceremonial gesture.
Duke had no idea what it meant.
Apparently it was some kind of traditional oath of fealty.
He remained silent, deep in thought.
In the future, he was destined to become the God of Magic.
There would inevitably be many tasks he couldn’t handle personally.
He would need capable people to run errands for him.
Samir was clever.
Smooth-talking.
Back at the tavern, he’d managed to convince an entire room that he was royalty.
That alone spoke volumes about his abilities.
The only problem was…
It was obvious Samir wanted to learn magic.
Could system-granted magic even be taught to someone else?
“Hey, System…”
“Can magic obtained from you be passed on to other people?”
(End of Chapter)