Duke of the North Refuses the Villain Route

Chapter 9-Catching Rats

The next day of their arrival, Roran and the First Company set off for the monster subjugation. Entering the first section of the Azureleaf Forest, they made their rounds, tracking and culling monsters as they went. As it was the first section, the monsters were far weaker, only at the Wild Tier. Monsters at this level were the weakest and were easier to deal with. They were left to the Adept Level knights, while the Warrior Level ones supervised. By the end of the day, they set up camp in a safe clearing and rested.

The second day, they slowly made their way to the middle section. The monsters started to get stronger, reaching the Fierce Tier. They were more ferocious and smarter, with a few even stalking and targeting the Adepts, the weakest in their group. The Warrior level knights dealt with them quickly before they could seriously injure anyone.

Truth be told, Roran was having fun. Being cooped up in the office and the training grounds was boring him to death. Having to pretend that he was trying to do things for the first time was slowly getting annoying. When he mastered something quickly, the people teaching him would call him a genius.

Roran had just done a lot of things to find his place in the old world when the Apocalypse happened. Before gaining Hellfire and being dubbed Demon King, he was just going here and there doing odd jobs. He had only reached 30 in his previous world, but he experienced so many things that it felt like he lived 50 more years.

Genius he was not.

He sighed. Maybe he should hire one of those real geniuses as his aide. Work would be easier that way.

I have just the right person in mind. I'll pick him up when I reach the capital. Around this time, he should be in the slums–

"Are you comfortable, Your Grace?"

Roran's eye twitched. That was the fifth time he heard that question since the start of the hour. They had set up camp once more, and he was sitting near one of the bonfires they created. Dinner was being made not too far away from them.

He was having fun, but it was getting on his nerves. Every time he tried to help, at least five people would stare at him until he stopped. He could not help set the tent, he could not tend to his own horse, and he could not carry his own stuff. When he moved with the intent to kill a monster, he would also be stopped.

He was just made to stand and sit somewhere like he was a child who did not know how to do anything.

Rhett's...personality was trying to crawl out from the barrier that was Roran's engrained etiquette.

Luckily, he had learned to control his temper years ago, so he managed to ask them a question calmly.

"Why aren't you letting me help?" he said.

He was sitting with Captain Kaelan and the five squad leaders of the First Company. All six of them froze at his words, especially Kaelan who had asked him if he was comfortable. They were all too stunned to answer so he continued on.

"I know that I have been cooped up in the castle all my life, but I'm not entirely useless."

The five squad leaders immediately looked to their captain, eyes urging him to answer. Captain Kaelan wanted to fight back with his own glare, but he immediately folded in front of the five. After all, all squad leaders were older than Kaelan's 27, and the man seemed to respect his elders in situations outside of command.

"Your Grace, we know how capable you are. You have shown us that the first few days you trained with us before he arrived here."

"And?"