Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! (Web Novel) - Chapter 4

Hans quietly nodded his head.

 

‘If it’s Arnold, that’s understandable.’

 

Wasn’t he a great man who always sent a letter to Hans, a child of someone else’s household, at least once a day? Even to Claude.

 

I could guess how terrible it would be for my brother.

 

“When will you release it?”

 

“Hmm, 2 weeks later at the latest? Mana stone processing will be completed in a few days, and all I have to do is take care of the crafting.”

 

“Okay. Then, I’ll be preparing for an advertisement in two weeks”.

 

Hans disappeared in an instant, leaving only what he had to say.

 

But Audrey didn’t care. It’s because she was humming while lying on the bed hugging the thick ledger.

 

“Hmm, mm, hmm…”

 

From the moment I fell in love with Claude, I promised myself something.

 

One day I’d be able to set up a golden mansion that will someday be a resting place for the two of us. I will propose to him in a cool way.

 

The vaguely imagined mansion was gradually becoming a reality.

 

‘Brother, I’ll make a lot of money so you won’t have to lift even a drop of water on your hand!’

 

Audrey smiled happily imagining gold bars piled up in the secret safe.

 

It seemed that there was not much time left to propose to brother Claude.

 

 

✿

 

As the sun went down, a gust of wind blew across the castle.

 

A unilateral notice of dismissal was sent to all recently hired personnel.

 

“How can you do this? Where should we go?”

 

As expected, there was a strong backlash.

 

“You should’ve told us a month ago so that we could’ve prepared in advance.”

 

“Your Majesty the Duke’s really mean… ”

 

Those who lost their jobs in an instant collapsed in despair and resentment.

 

Meanwhile, Lucas looked at them.

 

‘There must be a few mixed in here.’

 

There was nothing unusual about their appearance.

 

Even in this thorough situation they still haven’t revealed their identities, it gave him goosebumps.

 

“Of course we won’t just let you leave. There’s a letter of recommendation and severance pay that His Excellency specially prepared, so don’t forget to take it on your way out.”

 

“You should’ve told us that earlier!”

 

“Hey, don’t push!”

 

When the compensation story broke, the complaint faded swiftly.

 

It’s because losing money was never a condition if the Duke of Fritt’s letter of recommendation and the large severance pay were involved.

 

Lucas’ gaze was drawn to the back of a group of people who were running away one by one, as if fleeing.

 

After all, didn’t they all almost become corpses tomorrow morning before leaving the Duke’s castle?

 

It really was strange to watch them leaving on their own and having no idea what had happened.

 

“It’s a relief, right?”

 

He had to abandon his hunt for Ganza, reveal the backstory, and punish Duke Fritt for threatening his life in the end, but he couldn’t dispute that this was his greatest effort.

 

We have to cut all the benefit of doubt.

 

It was now time to track down and eliminate individuals who had allowed them to thrive in the Duke Castle without even realizing they were weeds.

 

The process of doubting each and sorting out old colleagues would be arduous. But it was something I had to do one day.

 

But without them, it would be another problem.

 

“I’m in trouble, we don’t have enough manpower. Even so, the core department was bleeding. I have to complete the budget within a month right now.”

 

“But just because things are urgent, not everyone can get in.”

 

“That’s true but…”

 

A bright red warning light flashed in the assistant’s head at the same time as Derek laughed coldly.

 

“I didn’t know the Duke was so messed up that I had to borrow even the hands of a rat.”

 

“…!”

 

“Was this just a group of poor carnivores?”

 

“No, It’s not!”

 

“If not, make it happen. You couldn’t just cross the gates without being able to do one of those things.”

 

“First, we’ll ask for the people in charge of each department’s understanding and maintain the status quo.”

 

“Now it makes a lot of sense.”

 

“…”

 

Again, as expected. The assistant secretly sighed.

 

He could already hear someone suffering from bone disease.

 

“The Duke Castle’s manpower was formidable even within the Empire.”

 

However, filling the post of the reduced employees with existing manpower was akin to going to work staring at the morning stars and then leaving work while gazing at the moon.

 

Since most of the poisonous people are gathered, we would overcome the initial crisis somehow, but at the moment anyone aspires for the goal…

 

‘Then who else would fill that position?’

 

Lucas’ face has become slimmer.

 

Needless to say, all of the people who were called naive within the Empire were in the Duke Castle.

 

It seems that they were dragged away by force due to the threat of Duke Fritt, but surprisingly, they walked in on their own feet.

 

However, it was never easy to please Derek, who had already made a name for himself as a sword master at the age of fifteen.

 

Even rare geniuses were viewed as useless animals in his presence.

 

What I really don’t understand was… these were the people who continued to go to work despite being so insulted.

 

Lucas called them ‘pervs‘.

 

No matter how rejected or broken they are, they stay because of their pure longing for the Duke of Fritt.

 

“Where did you get those pervs?”

 

In a sense, it was a high-level manpower that was hard to find.

 

Lucas could not just watch his precious pervs die.

 

“Sir, even if we can’t get a new one in, why don’t we give the vassals a letter of cooperation?”

 

“A letter of cooperation?”

 

“Yes. Wasn’t it at the very least safe to use if it’s a vassal? First, we write each family an official letter requesting assistance for the time being. Until we have a thorough understanding of the previous case.”

 

“…It’s not a bad idea.”

 

‘It’s done!’

 

The assistant exclaimed inwardly. A faint glimmer of hope began to flash across his face.

 

Lucas quickly showed up with a pen and a piece of paper as if the owner might change his mind.

 

The Duke, sitting in his office chair, stared at him.

 

“Since we have the idea, we should write it right now! What are the criteria that should be included in the official document? Preferential treatment or necessities, to be precise. We’ll have to jot it down together.”

 

“Well…”

 

Derek patted his chin and pondered for a while.

 

“It’s a temporary job, so they should be compensated accordingly. Pay the maximum salary.”

 

“Yes. And…?”

 

“Conditions… I hope they are healthy enough not to interfere with work. If they keep falling out because of sickness, their work would be disrupted.”

 

“Yes. Again?”

 

“It’d be out of control if there was an epidemic in the castle. As a result, anyone receiving regular therapy or suffering from a chronic illness should be excluded.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Derek’s condition has been listed in detail and in a variety of ways since then.

 

Most of them were to block any risk factors.

 

Alcohol and tobacco reduces working efficiency, so you should avoid them, or that you should be the type of person who avoids potentially severe conditions.

 

In addition, he didn’t forget to state that they would be working long hours, which could result in a lack of time with their family.

 

Lucas, who had been writing this down for quite some time, raised his head proudly.

 

Although it’s a simple official document, it’s true that colorful patterns have been drawn from time to time using his specialties.

 

He stood there to show off dignity.

 

“It’s done.”

 

However, somehow, the eyes looking at the completed official letter shook as if there was an earthquake.

 

It was written according to the owner’s order, but the completed notice…

 

《Official Notice of Cooperation for Temporary Workers of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security》

 

※High ⬥Profit ♣ Guaranteed※

 

1. Healthy adults.

 

2. Those who have no records of treatment at the clinic♥ for the past two years.

 

3. Those who do not drink ※Alcohol or Tobacco※

 

4. Those who do not have ⬥mental illness

 

5. Those who have been taking ♤ medication ♤ medicine ♤ for a long time.

 

6. ☞People who have lost ☏contact with their family☜ or have lost ☏contact with them.

 

 

…There was a strange aura.

 

Derek, who knew nothing, looked suspiciously at his aide, who seemed perplexed.

 

“What’s wrong with this?”

 

“Well, that was the completion, it was done.”

 

“This?”

 

“Somewhere… Ah!”

 

Before he knew it, the Duke, who was approaching, took away the completed official letter and began to read it.

 

He must have read it all, but being quiet for a long time made Lucas tremble and nervous.

 

‘I’m going to die now… ‘

 

Somehow, the day I die in front of a predator, I feel like a prey waiting for my time.

 

Wasn’t it even scarier when the lord, who’s full of life just with his eyes, keeps his mouth shut?

 

Derek put down the official letter without saying a word.

 

At the same time, Lucas looked dimly at his life passing by like a lantern.

 

“This official letter.”

 

“…”

 

“I like it. We could just send it like this.”

 

“…!”

 

However, what Duke Fritt brought up was an unimaginable word of permission.

 

Lucas almost asked if he was serious, but very rarely, he shut up when he saw the lord turning around with a satisfied expression.

 

‘Good, it’s good.’

 

He wondered how many people would apply after seeing such an official letter, but that was something to worry about later.

 

 

✿

 

Count Kebelson was still indebted to the son of his close friend today.

 

For some reason, an unknown defect was found in the carriage, which was said to be completely repaired in two days.

 

‘It’s very strange. No one could physically make such a perfect cut.’

 

‘What does that mean?’

 

‘I don’t think it’s a defect that occurred naturally. It’s a wizard’s doing.’

 

The mechanic said it would take another week for the parts to arrive.

 

It was Claude who appeared like a savior at a very difficult moment.

 

He was willing to do something good.

 

“Please, excuse me today as well.”

 

“As much as you want.”

 

The carriage owner was smiling happily today. He seemed to like the carriage that was crowded with people, unlike usual.

 

The interior of the carriage made of high-quality ebony wood was composed of a rather unfamiliar combination.

 

Count Kevelson and his daughter Audrey, Claude, the owner of the carriage, and Hans, Claude’s younger brother, have already been riding a carriage for several days.

 

Among them, only Audrey and Claude were smiling.

 

Count Kevelson sighed inwardly with a worried expression.

 

‘Just try it one more time.’

 

Tuesday night.

 

A suspicious official letter from Duke Castle arrived. Nominally, it was an official letter of cooperation.

 

But it’s really weird.

 

Sending your child away makes you feel like you’ll never see them again in your life.