WebNovels

Chapter 129 - Chapter 128: The Soul Singer

Clang!

The sharp sound of a metal tray hitting the floor echoed crisply. Orianna stood at the doorway, glancing first at her father, then at Duke. Seeing his daughter at the entrance, Collin turned to Duke and asked with a sly grin,

"Well? What do you think?"

"I…" Duke tried to speak but choked on his words. Miss Fortune from Bilgewater was already more than enough to handle, now you're throwing Orianna into the mix?

Was he going to lose his mind!?

"You see, Orianna, Duke's so surprised he can't even speak~!"

Collin smiled at his daughter, clearly aware of Duke's hesitation, and immediately cut off any chance for refusal or explanation with a single line.

Waving at Orianna, Collin said, "Go help with dinner, sweetheart."

"Yes, Father."

Orianna hurried away from the workshop entrance, but she quickly returned to clean up the broken tray and teacups. She even made sure to wipe the floor clean.

"Look at that! Just look at Orianna, what a wonderful girl she is!"

Collin picked up a large gear-calibrating clamp from the table. Weighing it in his hand, he glanced at Duke and asked again,

"What do you say?"

"I think… Orianna's great!"

"But you don't look too thrilled about it."

Collin's eyes glinted with a trace of menace as he opened and closed the clamp meaningfully. Duke gave a strained laugh.

"I just…"

"Don't forget!" Collin stood up, walked right up to Duke, and slammed the clamp down on the table beside him. Still grinning, he added,

"You're still a minor. Legally, I'm your guardian."

"Which means, by law, I get to make some decisions for you."

Duke opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.

"Then it's settled."

Clapping Duke on the shoulder, Collin walked out of the workshop, leaving behind a very nervous Duke. A father wholeheartedly devoted to his daughter was more terrifying than any monster.

Even though Duke could pummel Hecarim and Thresh, two of Bilgewater's most nightmarish figures, into the ground without breaking a sweat, he still felt a bit guilty when facing Collin.

"Thank the heavens Miss Fortune's parents passed away when she was young… otherwise"

The thought made Duke shudder. But what came next was even more frustrating.

Collin had completely blocked any escape route, unilaterally deciding the matter without giving Duke the slightest room to object.

When Collin slammed the clamp on the table earlier, Duke instantly understood: if he dared to say "no," Collin wouldn't hesitate to chase him down eight blocks with that thing.

"What the hell is going on with my life!?"

Covering his face with both hands, Duke groaned,

"Why does everyone keep trying to force me into marriage!?"

After dinner, noticing Orianna's awkward, darting gaze, Duke grabbed Jinx by her long braid and dragged her into the backyard.

Thanks to a recent lab mishap, Jinx's hair had suddenly overgrown, forcing her to braid it into an absurdly long plait just like in the original series.

Without a word, Duke pulled a brand-new six-barreled rotary Gatling gun from his inventory.

His previous one had been blown apart during his fight with Thresh.

This one had been rebuilt from scratch, capable of loading various types of custom ammunition.

"Whoa!" Jinx squealed at the sight of the new weapon. Practically bouncing with excitement, she cried,

"This is awesome!!"

Duke said nothing. He loaded up non-lethal fireworks ammo, hoisted the Gatling gun, aimed at the sky, and pulled the trigger.

Whirr...

With a mechanical hum, bursts of fireworks shot into the air. As brilliant sparks exploded in the night sky, Jinx's eyes sparkled like a child in a candy store.

"You want it?" Duke asked, stopping his barrage.

"Mm-hmm!!" Jinx nodded like crazy.

Duke gave her a light slap on the head, causing her to pout, heartbroken, as he stowed the gun away again.

"Then behave yourself for a while."

"Do that, and the gun is yours."

"Really?" Jinx eyed him suspiciously.

"You're not trying to scam me, are you?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"No, but someone did dump me in the Academy and vanish into thin air! Aside from sending me allowance money every month, that 'someone' didn't do anything else!"

Jinx swung her long braid dramatically, practically calling Duke a deadbeat to his face.

"Ahem… I've been working on my own research!"

"Tell you what, if you behave, I'll not only give you the Gatling gun, I'll take you to Ixtal to play!"

"Pfft, who wants to go to some birdless backwater?"

"I didn't even say where in Ixtal. I said you could play freely."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Fine! Deal!"

They clapped hands to seal it. Duke ruffled Jinx's hair and glanced at her tattoo.

"Now, care to explain the tattoo, Longbraid?"

"Oh... this?" Jinx froze mid-hair flip, her face twitching. Her eyes looked anywhere but at him.

"Maybe it just... grew there naturally?"

"Heh."

Duke turned back to the main hall.

"Write me a 10,000-word reflection. Also, list every victim of your previous pranks. Write them all sincere apology letters. No shortcuts!"

"Noooo! That many words? My hand'll fall off!"

"20,000 words."

"AAAHHH!!!" Jinx's scream echoed through Collin's workshop.

"Oriannaaaa! Look at him, he's bullying me again!"

Late at night.

After bidding everyone in Collin's workshop goodbye, Duke wandered the streets alone, slowly heading toward Blue Lavender Manor.

Hands tucked into his white lab coat, he let out a long sigh.

"Headache..."

"One Miss Fortune is already a handful, why throw Orianna at me too?"

"What a mess."

As Duke walked along the street, his ears suddenly twitched. A light, gentle melody floated on the night breeze, rich with emotion.

"Hm?"

His furrowed brows relaxed slightly as he instinctively followed the sound. He had thought nothing could ever move him again, not after hearing the lamb sing to the wolf. But now, this voice in the dead of night stirred something in him.

"Interesting…"

He strolled along, tracking the voice to a shop with a worn sign. The sign featured a phonograph, clearly a place that sold or repaired vintage sound equipment.

All the other stores were closed at this hour, yet this one was still lit up, revealing something of its business nature.

"Could it be… her?"

A figure flashed through Duke's mind as he stepped onto the doormat. Instantly, the phonograph on the sign began to spin, playing a pleasant tune.

"What a clever design."

Duke quickly realized the trick, there was likely a weight-sensitive mechanism under the mat, which triggered the music and alerted the shop owner to incoming customers.

Very creative. Very charming.

Inside, the shopkeeper stirred from the counter. Rubbing his eyes, he spotted Duke at the door and rushed over.

"Hello! What can I help you with?"

"I was drawn here by a voice. May I meet the person singing?"

Duke got straight to the point. The shopkeeper hesitated, clearly unsure.

"Sir, it's quite late…"

"No worries. My apologies for the intrusion."

"I just thought, maybe that voice could awaken a loved one of mine who won't wake up."

"Someone very important to you?"

At the foot of the stairs appeared a young girl, no older than eleven or twelve. She had soft pink hair cascading over her shoulders and curious blue eyes. Though her face was still childish, her features hinted at breathtaking beauty to come.

"Very important," Duke said with a warm smile, recognizing her instantly.

The Starry-Eyed Songstress, Seraphine.

A celebrity even Caitlyn would line up for an autograph from (as referenced in a voice line). A dreamer who hoped to bridge the rift between Zaun and Piltover.

What's more, she could hear the voices of all sentient souls.

His pride, Pride, was still in a deep slumber. Duke didn't know the reason, but it made no sense. If he had recovered, Pride should've awakened too.

Now, with Seraphine here by chance, perhaps her unique ability could help wake that soul.

Her voice could reach straight into the soul.

Although she looked young now, it wouldn't be long before she'd need a soul-suppressing silencer just to block the noise in her mind.

"Can I help?"

Seraphine fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, her confidence shaky. Duke gave her a reassuring nod.

"You know…"

"I once heard the lamb sing to the wolf. After that, I thought no song in the world could move me again… until I heard yours tonight."

"The lamb sang?" Her eyes lit up, stepping forward excitedly.

"What was it like? Was it beautiful?"

"How did it feel?"

"What was the melody like?"

"It was beautiful, reaching deep into the soul, calming every sorrow and storm."

Duke patiently explained the lamb's song to her. To someone like him with zero musical talent, the song was divine, an absolute knockout.

A song meant to soothe the rampaging wolf couldn't possibly be anything less than sublime.

"Ahem, sir."

Seraphine's father cut in, eyes wary.

"It's getting late. Perhaps you could return tomorrow?"

"Of course. I'll come back then. I hope I can count on your daughter's help."

Duke nodded to Seraphine and left.

Of course her father would be on guard. Who wouldn't be, with a strange man showing up at midnight asking to see their daughter?

Frankly, Duke was surprised he wasn't punched on the spot.

"Well, not everything today was a headache. At least I found a way to wake Pride."

As he walked off, hands in his coat pockets, Duke hummed a tune. Behind him, the faint sound of cloven hooves quietly passed over the cobblestones, followed only by Duke's slightly off-key humming.

(End of chapter)

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