If You Wish For A Married Couple’s Duties - Chapter 71

“You want me to die?”

 

Leonhart laughed at the wizard that was baring his teeth at him.

 

“I don’t want to hear that from a wizard that appears before me with a clone, and not his terrified self.”

 

“Unfortunately, those kinds of insults only work for knights, Duke.”

 

The wizard nodded like he didn’t care about that.

 

“Are those your only last words, Duke?”

 

“You.”

 

Leonhart frowned and readjusted his grip on his sword.

 

“Do you really think that you can kill me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“You still persist despite knowing who I am.”

 

“Is there anyone in the Empire that doesn’t know about the Duke of Esbaden? Aren’t you the Empire’s strongest knight? Unrivalled in close combat.”

 

The wizard praised him as the strongest knight in the empire, and spoke jokingly.

 

“A wizard like me can’t go against someone like you in single combat.”

 

He gave another insidious smile.

 

“That is, if we’re fighting in single combat.”

 

“…What?”

 

An ominous foreboding rose within Leonhart, causing him to step backwards.

 

“How could I come unprepared when the Empire’s most outstanding knight is my opponent? Are you slightly worried now?”

 

The wizard chuckled like he found it rather amusing, and then flicked a hand.

 

At the same time, movement could be felt from the bushes near the deathly silent nest.

 

“Truthfully, I also didn’t expect the Duke to pay a visit first. All by yourself, at that.”

 

At the wizard’s hand gesture, several human figures that were hidden amongst the bushes appeared.

 

All of their faces were concealed, held long scimitars and they stared at the duke.

 

Be it their attire or movements, they seemed to be well-trained hitmen.

 

Just then, tension seeped into Leonhart’s expression, which had been relaxed thus far.

 

“The Duke is quite the pitiful one. Yes, why did you make such an enemy?”

 

The wizard folded his arms and tilted his head.

 

“You should take a good look at your opponent before making enemies with them. Why did you have to provoke someone that you couldn’t handle?”

 

Someone you can’t handle?

 

Leonhart’s eyes became slightly distorted.

 

“It seems that you’ve behaved unbearably insolent just because the emperor praised you for subjugating monsters at the border, Duke.”

 

This is why those born as knights were foolish and amounted to nothing.

 

Would he have gotten in such trouble if he didn’t trust his strength and not know his own limitations?

 

“Well then, display your skills to us, Your Grace the Duke of Esbaden.”

 

The wizard brought his right hand to his chest and bent his knees.

 

His greeting was a signal.

 

The hitmen that were standing underneath the tree like shadows, kicked off from the ground and sprinted over.

 

They only had one target.

 

It was none other than the Duke of Esbaden.

 

* * *

 

‘He’s a terrifying person, for sure.’

 

The wizard couldn’t help but let out an exclamation as he watched the duke cutting down the hitmen relentlessly.

 

The sword skills he displayed with overwhelming power and lacked any unnecessary gestures were no longer swordsmanship, but at the level where it can be termed as art.

 

Although it had been some time since the hitmen began attacking, the duke didn’t show any sign of being pushed back.

 

‘How could it be?’

 

The duke wasn’t a god, he was just a man.

 

In that case, he would definitely slip up.

 

The wizard’s eyes blazed silently while he tried to seize that moment.

 

Meanwhile, Leonhart was swinging his sword mechanically.

 

‘What a nuisance.’

 

Whenever he swung, the hitmen that rushed in would collapse with a spray of blood.

 

However, they didn’t stop attacking even though the scene of their colleagues’ death was right before their eyes.

 

Rather, they became even more aggressive.

 

And they aren’t cockroaches, so why are there so many of them?

 

It was to the point where he was curious how much money it cost to recruit this many people.

 

‘D*mn it.’

 

Leonhart cursed internally.

 

No matter how strong a human being was, he was a human, so there was a limit to his physical strength.

 

It was only natural that he’d tire more easily as he had been focused on fighting without eating, sleeping or resting properly for days.

 

“Why now, of all times—”

 

Leonhart felt the slowly weakening strength of the arm that held the sword and gritted his teeth.

 

Indeed.

 

Leonhart had fought longer and harder than anyone else, ever since he came to Tochern Castle, and slowly began to reach his limit.

 

When he let his guard down momentarily.

 

Whoosh—

 

Like a snake, an iron chain wound around Leonhart’s wrist tightly.

 

If he wasn’t wearing gauntlets, he would have cut through the flesh of his wrist immediately.

 

Meanwhile, the hitman that threw the iron chain at him pulled on it like he was trying to pull his arm out.

 

However, when it came to strength, Leonhart was confident that he wouldn’t lose to anyone.

 

Leonhart gritted his teeth and pulled the hitman with the chain.

 

The hitman became flustered when he was pulled towards him with huge strength that’s akin to a bull.

 

Just as he was about to be dragged towards the duke.

 

Another chain was flung in his direction from the other side.

 

The chain quickly wound around Leonhart’s other arm and right leg.

 

“Keugh.”

 

A groan appeared out of the duke’s tightly gritted teeth.

 

With both arms and a leg restrained, he wasn’t able to move normally.

 

“Gosh.”

 

The wizard, who had been watching this scene for a while, tilted his head curiously.

 

“It feels quite strange to see the monster-hunting duke being chained up like a monster. As expected, the saying ‘you reap what you sow’ was right.”

 

“You b*stard…”

 

The wizard smiled joyfully at the sight of the popped up veins on Leonhart’s neck.

 

“But you’ve lasted longer than expected. It should be mentioned that your title of strongest wasn’t for show.”

 

He gave a meaningful glance to the hitmen that were holding the chains.

 

“Well then, let’s finish this before those annoying knights arrive.”

 

The wizard had a solemn expression as if he had just announced a death sentence, and flicked his fingers once again.

 

At that, the hitmen holding the chains increased their strength.

 

The force was incomparably strong when compared to before.

 

Criik—

 

At that moment, a crack appeared in the silver armour that was protecting its owner from the chains.

 

“Farewell then…”

 

The wizard tried to send the duke off on his final journey, but that didn’t happen.

 

It was because an arrow accurately penetrated the middle of his chest.

 

If he wasn’t an illusion created with illusionary magic, he would have died instantly.

 

“What is this….”

 

The wizard looked down at his chest and slowly raised his head.

 

Whooshh, Thunk.

 

Another arrow similar to the one that penetrated his chest was released again.

 

This time, it penetrated through the head of the hitman, who was holding the chain restraining the duke’s right arm.

 

“What…”

 

They didn’t have any time to panic.

 

Arrows began to fly from all directions and eliminated the hitmen one after another.

 

The wizard’s pupils, which were hidden by the hood, trembled.

 

‘The duke’s party clearly wasn’t present. But why is something like this happening?’

 

He quickly casted a detection spell, but it didn’t detect anything.

 

Then who was releasing these arrows? Someone that wouldn’t be caught with detection magic.

 

‘It can’t be.’

 

The wizard recalled the unidentified gaze that had followed him since two days prior.

 

It was a persistent and tenacious gaze, like it was watching each and every move of his.

 

“Who the hell is it…”

 

“That isn’t what’s important right now, is it?”

 

The wizard turned towards the shadow that suddenly appeared.

 

Leonhart was right in front of him before he knew it.

 

All the hitmen that held the chains were downed by arrows.

 

The remaining hitmen were scattered around with miserable appearances, like they were attacked by the duke in that short period of time.

 

“Enough of this.”

 

“T—!”

 

Leonhart swung his sword through the wizard, whose mouth was agape in astonishment.

 

Since he was just an illusion created by magic, he wouldn’t die.

 

“Inform the person that sent you here.”

 

He whispered lowly to the wizard, who was dissipating in the air like smoke.

 

“Think twice after looking at the opponent you’re trying to go against.”

 

The wizard’s mouth lost its shape like he was trying to respond to the duke’s words.

 

It seems that the magic that was poured into the illusion magic has expired.

 

Leonhart stared at the location where the wizard disappeared, and turned around.

 

The hitmen that managed to survive were still staring at him.

 

“Hey.”

 

Leonhart slowly opened his mouth while gazing frontwards.

 

“You seem to have mistaken the target that you’re supposed to be escorting.”

 

“I’m not mistaken.”

 

Leonhart raised a corner of his lips at the familiar voice that came from behind.

 

“Is that so? It seems that your original master has died.”

 

“How could that be?”

 

Dooha, who had an arrow readied on her bow behind him, replied in a determined voice.

 

“However, no matter the type of group it is, it’ll be rather troubling if its leader dies.”

 

Dooha had been following Leonhart ever since he ran over here by himself.

 

She couldn’t stand by and watch as the duke rushed towards danger like a moth towards a flame.

 

She also declined the tragedy of becoming a widow less than a year after her marriage.

 

However, she was worried about leaving Daniel by himself.

 

But she had no choice.

 

When the monsters attacked the campsite, Count Jive rushed towards the nest, and the duke chased after them alone.

 

It was because Dooha’s gaze only held Leonhart within.

 

“…What an amusing fellow.”

 

With an unprovoked smile on his face, Leonhart took a step forward.

 

“Alright, if that’s what you think.”

 

He tightened his grip on the sword and stared ahead.

 

“Keep a close eye on me till the end.”

 

This time, Dooha drew her bow tightly without saying anything in response.

 

“Ah, Count Jive.”

 

Leonhart lowered his gaze like he had forgotten.

 

Count Jive was sprawled on the floor, clutching his mouth.

 

“Before I’ve finished dealing with them, you better not escape. Unless you want to see the family of Count Jive removed from the list of Imperial nobles.”

 

“D—Duke! I really didn’t know about this…”

 

However, Leonhart rushed forward immediately like he didn’t have any intention of hearing the count’s response.

 

At the same time, two arrows left the bow in Dooha’s hands and pierced the throats of two hitmen that rushed at him.

 

The golden eyes that shone brightly behind the Duke were akin to a beast’s.

* * *