Chapter 81: *Not to Be Looked At!*

Gunfire flashed, and the sound was loud.

Propelled by gunpowder, the bullet was both fast and accurate.

Goethe hadn't wasted the past two weeks of afternoon shooting practice at the club.

Relying on his nearly three times stronger physique compared to an ordinary person and an unlimited supply of bullets, Goethe had practiced long and hard, eventually upgrading his skill with the [Firearm: Handgun] from Basic level to Entry level.

*[Firearm: Handgun (Entry Level)]:* You have become familiar with the handgun, and now have a fairly high hit rate on stationary targets within 10 meters, as well as a certain hit rate on moving targets; Effect: Skill +0.1

...

At this moment, the distance between the two was less than 5 meters.

This shot from Goethe was sure to hit.

However, a translucent defensive force field rose from the old man's body, like a shield, blocking the bullet.

The bullet pressed against the translucent force field, spinning rapidly, but soon lost its momentum.

Ding!

The metal bullet fell to the ground, bouncing around.

Before that, Goethe had already pulled the trigger several times.

Bang bang bang!

The remaining five bullets in the cylinder were all fired.

Without exception, they all hit the translucent force field, lost momentum, and fell to the ground.

"What’s this?"

"Even the heir of the 'Robert Family' is favoring gunpowder weapons now?"

"It seems you’ve also betrayed tradition!"

The old man mocked Goethe, but when Goethe pulled out another revolver, the old man paused.

What shocked the old man even more was that after Goethe threw the empty revolver to Andinan, he pulled out yet another one from his coat.

*Three revolvers!*

Who carries three guns on them!

And especially someone who supposedly upholds "tradition"!

The old man roared in his mind.

But Goethe didn’t hesitate, firing both guns repeatedly.

Bang bang bang!

This time, the force field defense shield rippled.

Moreover, the ripples began to converge and intertwine.

A battle between a supernatural shield and gunpowder weapons.

The clash of spear and shield.

Which would emerge as the final victor?

The dual guns would give the answer!

Crack!

The translucent force field shield shattered directly.

At the same time, the bullets in Goethe’s revolvers were spent, but he smiled as he looked at Little Gratz.

The old man was shocked.

“Close your eyes quickly!”

The old man shouted.

*Dragon’s Might!*

Little Gratz clearly knew what the heir of the 'Robert Family' was best at, so he immediately closed his eyes, and then he heard a dull thud.

That was…

The sound of a body being struck.

Little Gratz knew he wasn’t mistaken.

After all, when he beat his servants, it made the same sound.

Except that Siriric’s screams were much louder than his servants’.

Instinctively, Little Gratz opened his eyes.

He saw his advisor clutching his groin and retreating repeatedly, his eyes bloodshot as if tears were about to fall. The neatly groomed beard and mustache were now all standing on end.

And Mapple had a ferocious grin as he approached.

“Let’s go!”

Before Little Gratz could react, his advisor grabbed his arm.

Then, the two vanished from the spot.

Leaving behind only—

“Andinan is the Duke of Gratz's illegitimate son!”

The voice, filled with pain, still managed to speak the words clearly.

The sound echoed on the second floor.

Goethe frowned.

When facing any extraordinary being, you can’t afford to be careless, so he only acted when he was fairly certain. However, he hadn’t expected the opponent to have a teleportation-like ability.

And moreover…

It was instant!

The opponent's force field shield was also instant!

Thinking about the same power that didn’t require gestures or incantations to activate—[Despairing Gaze]—Goethe had an epiphany.

“The mysterious powers of this world are disappearing, so the extraordinary are gradually adapting and changing!”

“Perhaps their power has diminished, but they’ve become more convenient and…”

“Impossible to guard against!”

Goethe reminded himself to be even more cautious.

Then, he turned to look at Andinan.

The young man was standing there, dumbfounded.

Without a doubt, the young man was shocked by the recent revelation.

“I’m the Duke’s illegitimate son?”

Andinan looked at Goethe.

Goethe remained silent. He didn’t know if the other man’s words were true or false, but according to his own speculation, Andinan was very likely the Duke’s illegitimate son.

The young man was very smart; after recovering from the initial shock, he immediately tried to change the subject.

“Maybe, maybe they’re trying to confuse us?”

Andinan said, attempting to smile.

But the smile was extremely forced.

Precisely because the young man was very smart, he had drawn the same conclusion as Goethe.

“Sir Mapple, let’s continue with our shooting practice.”

Andinan said, his face now calm, as if he had completely shrugged off the impact of the news.

Goethe didn’t stop him.

This afternoon was no different from the past two weeks, consisting of shooting practice, one round after another.

And the entire ‘White Lion Club’ seemed unaware of Little Gratz’s presence.

Everything seemed as usual.

But Andinan’s missed shots increased significantly.

It was obvious that the young man was far from as calm as he appeared.

Goethe, on the other hand, maintained his usual standard.

It seemed as if the sudden visit from the extraordinary being hadn’t disturbed him at all, even though the other had displayed some unusual mystical techniques.

Back in his homeland, Goethe understood a simple truth: when something is troubling you, the best way to deal with it is not to think about it. Otherwise, you’ll only become more agitated.

It might even cloud your judgment.

And what better way to distract oneself than with shooting?

Naturally, with dual guns.

As for comforting Andinan?

First of all, Goethe wasn’t good at comforting others.

Secondly, when it comes to matters involving one’s parents…

As an outsider, Goethe didn’t think it was his place to say much.

After all, he had never experienced such a complicated situation, and speaking out of turn might invite trouble.

So, Goethe remained silent until the shooting practice ended.

With a strong smell of gunpowder on them, Goethe and Andinan returned to No. 11 Kimmel Street.

"The bathwater is ready, sir."

"After your bath, you can have dinner."

"I've prepared a special dish—it's a twist on a traditional recipe."

Maid Maria said excitedly.

"Good, I'm looking forward to it."

Goethe casually handed over his coat.

After attending several neighborhood gatherings on Kimmel Street, Maria's impeccable performance had completely earned Goethe's trust, especially her recent culinary skills, which he found particularly satisfying.

No more special roasted apples, now it's blood-boosting soup at every meal.

Life had become vibrant.

After freshening up, Goethe put on his pajamas and returned to the dining room.

Andinan, however, hadn’t changed clothes and was still sitting in the dining room.

It was obvious that the young man was waiting for Goethe.

As soon as he heard footsteps, the young man immediately looked up, opened his mouth as if to say something, but then seemed unsure of what to say.

Seeing Andinan's hesitant expression, Goethe pulled out a chair and sat down across from him.

"I'm not very good at comforting people."

"But if you have something to say, I can listen."

"Also, I can keep it confidential."

"However, don't expect me to give you any advice. This is something you have to handle yourself."

Goethe said this.

Andinan was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"You're better at comforting people than you think."

"Nothing is more comforting than someone who listens and keeps secrets."

"Do you know?"

"I'm actually a fool."

The young man pursed his lips in self-mockery, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling.

After a few seconds of silence, the young man continued.

"My mother didn't talk much about my father, only telling me that he was an ordinary man who died early."

"But then my mother told me she inherited some wealth from him."

"Only when I came into that inheritance did I realize just how wealthy 'some' really was—so long as I don't make any foolish investments or start-ups, I can live worry-free for generations to come."

"And that's after my mother spent quite a bit."

"Such wealth, while not exactly rivaling nations, is enough to make people envious. So, why did my mother and I live together for 16 years without being disturbed by anyone?"

"And then, why did certain unsavory characters show up after my mother passed away?"

"I had noticed these things before."

"I just didn't think deeply about them, I was..."

"Avoiding it!"

The young man said, tilting his head even higher.

"In my life, there shouldn't have been a father figure, but he was everywhere."

"And my mother?"

"She was always by my side."

"She wanted me to become a doctor or a lawyer."

"And it just so happened that I was very interested in medicine."

"In my plan, I would become an excellent doctor in 4-5 years, my mother would be proud of me, and after working for a few years, I would marry and have children, with more kids running around my mother."

"That was my plan."

"Not getting involved in some aristocratic family drama!"

"I don't want that!"

"That's not what I want!"

The young man said, raising his head even higher.

Goethe slightly turned his head towards the kitchen, not wanting the young man to feel awkward.

The dining room was silent for five minutes.

The silence was broken only by the arrival of Maid Maria.

"Hey, Andinan, why are you suddenly crying?"

The maid asked in surprise as she brought in a tray.

"I stubbed my toe on the table leg, and... I just couldn't hold it in... Ow... It really hurts... So painful."

Andinan explained.

Originally just an excuse, but as he spoke, he couldn't help but cry loudly.

"Don't cry, don't cry, try my dish—it can heal anything!"

Maria gently patted Andinan on the head.

Then, she lifted the cover from the dish on the tray.

Instantly, Andinan stopped crying.

No, it wasn't stopping.

It was being scared.

On the plate before him was a golden roast chicken. Stuffed inside the chicken was an octopus, its head fully inside the chicken's belly, with only the tentacles sticking out. Embedded on the chicken's back was an opened crab shell, with its eight spiky, blood-red legs standing upright.

"W-What is this?"

Andinan stammered.

"Roast chicken!"

Maria answered matter-of-factly.

Then, she slapped her forehead.

"Oh, right, the sauce!"

The maid hurried back to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of sauce.

"This is my special spinach sauce—healthy and delicious!"

As she spoke, the maid poured the sauce over the dish.

Immediately, the dark green liquid spread over the chicken, giving it a strange and unsettling appearance, as if staring at it too long would drive one to madness.

"Do we have to eat this?"

Andinan gulped hard.

But this action made the maid completely misunderstand.

"Can't wait, huh?"

"Come on, come on, try it!"

The maid said.

Andinan looked at the maid who had just comforted him, then looked at the indescribable roast chicken, and gritted his teeth as he reached for the knife and fork. But the moment his fingers touched the utensils, the young man gave up.

He couldn't do it.

He chickened out in front of a roast chicken.

He suddenly realized that the "getting involved in aristocratic family drama" problem he had mentioned earlier wasn't so difficult after all.

At least, death could sometimes be a release.

But eating this roast chicken? That might be a fate worse than death.

As he thought this, Andinan looked at Goethe.

Immediately, he felt a deep admiration.

Goethe was calm, his face unchanged, as he adjusted the napkin at his collar, then picked up the knife and fork.

At that moment, the young man was filled with respect.

'No wonder he's Lord Marple; he has the courage to eat even this roast chicken!'

The young man thought.

But just as the knife and fork were about to touch the roast chicken, Goethe suddenly stopped.

His expression turned serious as he looked towards the door.

Then, he put down the utensils and walked over, pulling the door open.

There stood Deputy Sheriff Gergen, with his hand raised, about to knock.

"Marple, can you..."

"Understood, we're leaving right now!"

Goethe interrupted the deputy, grabbed him, and started walking out.

Andinan quickly reacted as he watched Goethe prepare to leave.

"Maria, I'm sorry!"

"Although I'd love to try your cooking, there's an emergency we have to deal with."

"Oh, and if the roast chicken gets cold, it won't taste as good. Reheating it will ruin the flavor, so..."

"You can have Kai try your cooking!"

The young man said as he stood up and ran out, following Goethe.

The two of them flanked Gergen, holding him as they ran out of No. 11 Kimmel Street.

Around the corner, the two exchanged a glance.

There was a shared sense of relief.

"What are you doing?"

"I wasn't finished talking..."

Gergen grumbled in dissatisfaction, but Andinan just smirked.

"Lancaster is in trouble, isn't he?"

(End of chapter)