The Villain's Retirement-Chapter 48: Explanation (1)

Past the gates, a sleek, unfamiliar carriage pulled into the courtyard and came to a halt beneath the lanterns.

But when the door opened, a young man stepped out first—tall, refined, dressed in noble formalwear, stretching lazily as if he had just woken from a nap.

"...Is that young master Gary?" Lina whispered.

"Silence everyone." Clara, the oldest of the maid, breathed. Right now, it was not only them, but also the other servants had came out to greet outside.

Then a familiar handsome man in his early forties emerged next, with a heavy-looking giant sword resting easily on his back. His presence alone commanded silence.

"The Duke—?!" Lina gasped, which earned her a pinch from Clara.

Duke Reynard stepped down calmly, scanning the residence like it was his own domain—which, in truth, it was. As if that weren’t enough, heavy armored footsteps followed. Captain Faller dismounted next, standing tall and immovable, eyes sharp as steel.

The maids were on the verge of fainting.

Then—

The final figure stepped out.

’L-Lord Ard...!’ the maids said to themselves. He emerged last, posture relaxed as ever—but dark stains marred his coat and sleeves. Clearly, it was fresh blood.

The maids rushed forward instinctively. It was their obligation to tend to their guest’s needs.

"Shall we call a healer?!" Abby said.

Ard blinked, then glanced down at himself. "...Ah."

Before panic could fully erupt, the Duke raised a hand. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Calm yourselves," Reynard said smoothly, smiling as if nothing were amiss. "He is not injured."

The maids froze.

"...Not injured?" Lina echoed weakly.

"This is not my blood." He said.

Then Ard smiled at everyone, his eyes landing at Zayn first and gave him a nod reassuring him everything was alright.

The Duke then spoke.

"We will be speaking of an important matter. For now, we would be using this mansion."

"Yes, Your Grace!"

Duke Reynard’s gaze then shifted briefly from Ard to Clara, the maid that Reynard had personally chosen to lead the maids that would take care of Ard and Zayn during their stay.

"Miss Clara, we are sorry for interrupting and please take care of him first. A change of clothes would be appropriate."

"I understand, Your Grace." Clara said.

A few minutes later, they had gathered in the sitting room. Being a mansion, the inside was more than spacious, the lanterns casting warm light across polished wooden floors and plush furniture.

Duke Reynard leaned against the back of a chair at the far end of the room, his greatsword resting against the wall nearby. He folded his hands lightly, his posture relaxed yet commanding, as though the entire room and its occupants were under his quiet control.

"Sit," Reynard said evenly, his voice calm, measured, and firm.

Then he turned to Ard.

"I’m sorry again for exposing you to such danger. We have prepared plans to intercept them, but they were a lot more of them than we had expected..."

Along the way, the Duke already explained briefly.

Apparently, the people who attacked him belonged to an organization who had been planning to brew chaos in the Duchy for quite some time already. At the same time, they apparently were supported by a group of high ranking nobles who had the purpose of decreasing the Duke’s power and influence.

Since the rumors of his younger brother Lewis’s fall to demonic possession and dying subsequently, these activities had apparently became more aggressive. They were blaming the Ducal house and smearing dirt on its reputation, but that was not all. It was deeper.

Hence, why the Duke decided to have this private discussion.

"I’m sure you don’t like this, given that you were practically forced in it without even knowing anything."

Ard replied, "I’m just a freeloader. Just tell me what is happening."

"Ah, you’re right," Reynard said, "As you know, the Heroes’ party defeated the Demon King. However, this doesn’t mean the threat is gone for good. Do you agree?"

Ard looked at him and everyone. He had now fairly understood why they were acting this way. So he answered.

"I agree. Demons and monsters will always be everywhere." He replied, speaking from experience.

"As expected from a traveler, yes you are right," Reynard continued, "but more than that, now there are also battles for supremacy among nations. It has always been existing but it has never been so intense. Noble families falling, kingdoms crumbling, it’s not only just mere signs anymore."

Ard remembered something.

Indeed, the battles for supremacy among humans had always been there. He was well-aware of it. However, it was not something he really ever took interest in. Neither was it something he could even begin to think about.

Not knowing whether Ard understood what he was talking about, Reynard then tried hard to explain the situation and came up with something.

"Are you aware of the heroes’ party?" he asked. "If you are, you must have heard about the Sword Hero, who personally delivered the last attack on the Demon King..

At his words, Ard smiled.

With this, Reynard continued, "You could say that we have now entered an era of peace."

Ard nodded.

"That is true. While demons still roam the lands, it is far more peaceful than before." He said.

Reynard paused, then continued, voice steady but heavy. "True, the heroes defeated the Demon King. But that did not mean the world was saved. Now, knights, people strong enough to be the backbone of minor noble domains, acted as assassins and mercenaries. They attacked each other in wars for more territories."

He shifted slightly, jaw tightening.

"And according to our intelligence," Reynard continued, "the Sword Hero has disappeared. The last time I heard about him, I heard he refused to act as the Church’s representative in these conflicts. As a result, the Church confiscated his holy sword."

Ard’s eyes flickered, now understanding why the sword hero didn’t have his holy sword when he met him.

"The other heroes have also gone missing," the Duke went on. "And in their absence, nations have turned their attention elsewhere. To powerful individuals. Knights. Swordmages. Mages."

He looked directly at Ard now. "Young men as capable as you are the perfect targets."

"If you are a commoner, you are promised riches, fame, and women as long as you are strong enough. If you are a noble, you might receive marriage proposals out of nowhere. Well, it could be both."

The Duke coughed deliberately.

"I am fairly certain many is eyeing you too. Though," he smiled faintly, "while you are certainly good-looking, that is not the only reason."

Reynard’s expression grew more somber.

"Anyways, other nations are using every means available to amass military strength and human resources. Power is being gathered—one person at a time. I am sure you understand the gist already."

"So those people earlier," Ard said slowly, "were from foreign territories?"

"Yes." Reynard nodded. "Or factions aligned with them. In our country, they are everywhere. They want to turn powerful people into pawns in wars they intend to start. Tonight, it was not only you who was attacked, but others too."

Silence settled briefly.

"You made a name for yourself," the Duke continued, "by defeating a Demon Lord. I’m sure many were curious about your strength. The group earlier were not just curious, they planned to take you."

Ard’s gaze remained placid.

"This is... troublesome," he said calmly. "But I understand. You mean to say I could be used as a tool for world conquest?"

A pause.

Before he realized, Ard started to laugh, the sound catching everyone off guard. It was genuinely amusing. After all, that had been the very purpose of the Shadow Legion—and his own role within the Demon King’s army. And now, of all times, he had not the slightest interest in returning to such a fate. Nor did he ever had.