I Am Not The Duke's Evil Son-Chapter 80: Thorne’s Disappearance

Novarian stood imposingly in the middle of the hall, his face wearing an indifferent expression. However, when he looked into Arthur’s sharp and unreadable eyes, he felt a wave of discomfort. Unconsciously, his posture became more humble as he thought:

’This person? I still can’t grasp his intentions or the nature of his personality. Or rather, I’ve started doubting his motives. Why do I feel like he knows me?’

He sighed deeply:

’That’s impossible. He’s the son of a powerful and wealthy duke, and I’m just a villager who recently left his home. How could he know me? Also, after asking the common folk about him, they reacted with disgust, calling him all kinds of vile names and describing the horrific acts he committed. But why do I see the opposite of what they say? He’s kind and cares about his people. All the soldiers deeply respect him and don’t dare speak ill of him.’

’Such a contradiction. I don’t know... Is he really a kind person? Or a cunning and evil man? I need to be cautious around him.’

Once he cleared his mind of questions, he asked calmly, "Why did you summon me? Do you need something from me?"

Unlike most, his words bore no excessive respect. Although this would bother some people, no one dared point it out, since he was very strong and because their lord said nothing.

Unusually, Arthur seemed confused and didn’t immediately respond. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Where is Thorne?"

The question was strange, prompting the soldiers to glance at each other in confusion. Novarian furrowed his brows and answered, "I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since noon yesterday."

Arthur’s concern grew, and he asked quickly, "Wasn’t he with you during the monster hunt? You didn’t return until near sunset."

One of the soldiers stepped forward humbly and said, "My lord, yes, he joined us the previous day during the hunt. But he suddenly said he needed to return due to something urgent."

’Was he trying to get back and prevent his sister from doing anything dangerous during her Frenzy? That means he didn’t return to the barony. Maybe something happened to him on the way. Though he’s strong, there are many dangerous beasts in the forest. If he were unlucky, he might have run into one.’

Arthur’s face darkened as he stood abruptly and ordered firmly:

"Listen carefully! We’re heading to the forest immediately. Get ready. Also, notify Chadwick, Faelor, and Selene they’re coming with us."

He quickly went to his room to prepare. He changed his clothes and donned a stunning black metal armor that protected his entire body. Gold engravings adorned it, and a short red cape flowed from his back, adding nobility. It was one of the fine spoils found among Arvan’s possessions. More than the looks, it was made from expensive materials and equipped with several defensive enchantments, able to withstand both physical and magical C-rank attacks.

His attire impressed even him, and he inspected it with a satisfied smile:

’Now I’m starting to look like a real military leader. I wonder what other valuables I’ll find in Arvan’s ring, not to mention that bastard Albert’s ring. Robbing nobles is a profitable job. Maybe I should become a bandit. Seems like it suits me.’

He shook his head faintly and wiped off his gentle smile, regaining his sternness. When he opened his door, he found Octavia waiting for him as usual but this time she wore a brown leather armor and was armed with a short sword.

When she saw him, her lips parted slightly in astonishment. She was struck by how dignified he looked in the armor and instinctively imagined him as a gallant and noble prince.

Arthur was surprised to see her, as he hadn’t informed her of the forest expedition. He asked curiously, "Are you planning to come with us?"

She quickly snapped out of her daze, put on a determined expression, and replied, "Yes, my lord. Staying by your side is my duty."

But when she realized her words could be misinterpreted, she blushed slightly.

"Alright, let’s go."

Without further thought, he headed to the stables where his followers awaited. The place was a bit crowded, as he had decided to take most of the strong individuals with him to handle any threat they might encounter.

He mounted his horse and stood at the front of the forty-man unit. They were all amazed by his armored and armed appearance. Some were worried, thinking they were headed for a difficult mission. Most, however, were excited many had joined the goblin extermination mission before and discovered that their lord was no ordinary man.

Arthur gave them a sharp look and said:

"Listen well. I heard that one of your comrades didn’t return from the forest yesterday. I don’t know what happened to him, but as your lord, it’s my duty to help my followers in distress. So we’re heading into the forest to search for him. Whatever problem he encountered we’ll crush it and bring him back. Am I clear?"

"Yes, my lord!" they shouted in unison.

Novarian and Faelor watched silently.

Arthur raised his hand and gestured for them to move out. "Let’s go."

He rode swiftly through the town. Upon leaving and approaching the bridge, he looked at the sky and noticed night was nearing.

’I wasted most of my day sleeping. At this rate, we won’t be able to search today.’

As they reached the bridge, Chadwick sped up to ride alongside him and asked hesitantly, "My lord, may I ask you something?"

Arthur frowned, not in the mood for conversation, but said, "You know this isn’t the right time, but go ahead."

"Thank you, my lord. Well... forgive me, but I’d like to know why you imprisoned some of the new recruits last night."

Arthur was surprised and instinctively asked, "Why do you ask? Do you know one of them?"

Chadwick smiled sadly and nodded, "Yes, one of them is my son. He’s a sixteen-year-old boy named Carlos."

"I see. Well, your son and his companions disobeyed my orders, and you know the consequences of that. Forget about it for now. I’ll consider their punishment when we return."

Chadwick wanted to plead for his son but changed his mind. The timing wasn’t right, and Arthur’s reply hinted he wouldn’t be too harsh on them.

The small battalion continued through the forest for about an hour before stopping at a relatively clear spot to set up camp and prepare their food they had decided to spend the night there.

...

Far from Arthur’s camp, several miles away, a small campfire glowed dimly, lighting up the desolate forest and casting its light on a human figure tied to a thick tree.

It was Thorne, clearly having endured a hard time. His body was covered in bloody wounds smeared with a strange green salve. His breathing was coarse and wheezy, clinging weakly to life.

Around the fire sat several strange humanoid figures with short green bodies. They looked like goblins, but also very different. They weren’t hideous or hunched they stood straight like humans. If Arthur were here, he would’ve recognized them immediately. They belonged to the Droblin race, relatives of goblins.

The Droblin were known for being peaceful and rarely meddled in others’ affairs. Because of that, they now wore anxious expressions and stared cautiously at the unconscious Thorne except one of them: a girl with a slightly gentle face. Unlike humans, her irises were yellow and pupils diamond-shaped. She had pointed ears and thick black hair. Her clothes were simple leather, like her kin.

She looked at her companions with a cheerful smile and whispered:

"Look at him. Is he human, or something else? I think the village chief will be very happy. Who would’ve thought we’d capture someone this strong so easily?"

The others frowned, and one of them scolded her irritably:

"You idiot! What were you thinking? Bringing a dangerous person to our peaceful village will bring us a lot of trouble! We were going to leave him alone, but you insisted on helping him!"

"Hmph."

She shrugged in annoyance. "But he was going to die. Look at his body would you have just passed by without helping? And did you see the area around him? It was littered with dozens of disgusting goblin corpses! He’s strong. If we save his life, maybe he’ll help us wipe out the nearby nest that’s been bothering us all month."

One of the Droblin shook his head in clear frustration and sighed:

"What nonsense are you spouting? What if he turns out to be dangerous? Wouldn’t that mean we’re bringing disaster to our village?"

"There’s no point in dwelling on it now. What’s done is done. We need to find a solution."

"Mmm..."

While they were absorbed in conversation, Thorne groaned faintly and slowly opened his eyes. He stared at the blurry fire and strange shapes before him, mumbling:

"What happened? Where am I...?"

He lightly shook his head, regaining clarity, and saw several strange-looking people smiling at him.

"Aaah!"

He screamed in panic and tried to move, but pain shot through his body, making him cry out again.

Calmly, the Droblin girl placed her hand on his shoulder to soothe him:

"Don’t be afraid. We saved your life. Just be grateful and vow to serve us."

"Huh?"

Thorne forgot his pain, baffled by the strange girl’s words.