Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

TL: Etude

After Duke Ferdinand fainted due to suffocation, Barnett released his grip on the Duke’s neck.

He sighed in relief, surprised at the strength Ferdinand had suddenly exerted. Fortunately, the enhancement spells he had cast on himself hadn’t worn off yet.

After ensuring that the guards outside were unaware of the commotion in the bedroom, he began his next move.

The wizard’s lips moved quickly, whispering a spell under his breath.

After several recitations, he began to feel an unusual sensation in his stomach, which grew increasingly intense and gradually turned into nausea.

He suddenly covered his mouth, trying to suppress any noise.

“Ugh!” Unable to hold back any longer, he vomited a mass of filth onto the floor.

Looking at his vomit, the wizard almost gagged again at the sight of something squirming within it—a slender, white creature, writhing and twisting as if in agony from the exposure to air.

The Arcane Society’s master of mind control had recently succeeded in developing a spell capable of quickly controlling one’s mind. This spell, unlike previous mental spells that were slow and unpredictable, worked swiftly and could completely control the target’s mind, turning them into obedient slaves.

However, it had a flaw. The spell required a specially bred parasite as a medium. This artificially bred parasite, called the “brain worm” by its creator, burrowed into the victim’s skull and stimulated their brain to exert control.

The brain worm needed nutrients from the host’s head to survive and numbed their pain. Consequently, the host would become increasingly dull, lethargic, and numb, often not living long.

The brain worm couldn’t survive long outside a host’s brain but could exist temporarily in a specially prepared liquid or in a human’s intestines.

To smuggle the brain worm into the Duke’s castle without the guards detecting it, Barnett had chosen to carry it in his stomach—a challenging endeavor. Nevertheless, committed to the Arcane Society’s cause, Barnett had swallowed the worm, overcoming his revulsion.

The wizards had their ways to prevent the worm from moving inside their stomach or burrowing into their own skulls.

Barnett knew that extensive ‘live’ experiments must have been conducted to achieve such progress with the spell. He was indifferent to the number of ‘live subjects’ used, as their contribution to the advancement of magic was their honor.

In the bedroom, the wizard tore a piece of cloth, picked up the wriggling creature with a grimace, and placed it on the unconscious Duke Ferdinand’s mouth.

Sensing the Duke’s faint breath, the brain worm ceased its squirming and rapidly burrowed into the Duke’s mouth, disappearing in less than a second.

No longer suppressed by the wizard, the brain worm quickly headed for Ferdinand’s brain. Unlike ordinary brain parasites, it was incredibly fast.

In a moment, the Duke suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a bizarre and unsettling gaze.

Barnett knew that the brain worm had ‘taken position.’

He gestured with his hands in a strange manner, murmuring under his breath.

“Uh…” The Duke, as if suffering from a headache, clutched his head and slid off the chair onto the floor.

Barnett pointed at him and commanded in a low voice, “Silence!”

The Duke immediately closed his mouth, but his face betrayed a mix of unwillingness and anger.

The Duke, sensing something amiss in his body, was panic-stricken. Not only was he in excruciating pain, but he had also found himself subconsciously obeying the commands of the assassin. He struggled with an inexplicable consciousness in his mind, holding his head and shaking it continuously.

However, as the strange man continued to utter his malevolent incantations, the Duke’s resistance weakened.

Eventually, Duke Ferdinand quieted down, slumped on the ground with his head bowed.

Barnett was relieved that his struggle hadn’t caused too much commotion, which could have alerted the guards outside.

He moved in front of the Duke, grabbed his hair, and lifted his head, forcing Ferdinand to look directly at him. The Duke’s eyes were now dull and lifeless.

Barnett tentatively called out, “Duke Ferdinand?”

A glint of awareness flickered in the Duke’s otherwise vacant eyes.contemporary romance

“You… you…”

The Duke, drooling, pointed a trembling finger at Barnett.

The wizard’s expression turned cold as he sternly said, “I believe you should kneel before me and address me as ‘Master’.”

This time, Ferdinand complied. He knelt before Barnett respectfully and said, “Master.”

The wizard nodded in satisfaction.

“Let me teach you a few things.”

…

Duke Ferdinand and Barnett returned to the castle hall, one after the other.

The anxious Count Kent immediately stood up, casting an inquiring gaze at Barnett.

The wizard nodded, giving him a reassuring look.

Kent breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a surge of elation.

Before Barnett and the Duke’s return, he had braced himself for the possibility of being killed by the guards if the wizard’s plan failed.

Now, that worry was no more—their plan had succeeded.

He glanced at Duke Ferdinand, who seemed no different from usual.

Barnett whispered to him, “To avoid suspicion, both he and you must behave as usual in front of others.”

The three of them sat down again. Duke Ferdinand spoke, “Mr. Barnett’s medical skills are truly exceptional.”

He turned to Kent, “Marltz, you did well this time. I will reward you handsomely.”

Kent feigned joy for his lord, “It is my duty to ease your burdens, Your Grace.”

Minutes later, the wizard and Marltz Kent left the Duke’s mansion.

“Master Barnett, you are truly remarkable.”

Kent had noticed a subtle fear in the Duke’s demeanor towards the wizard, something that hadn’t been there before they entered the bedroom.

The wizard looked up, “Hmph! Even the greatest secular power cannot withstand the might of magic. A thousand years ago, the clergy swayed the powerful with mere words. For us mages, achieving this through magic is even easier.”

Kent felt lucky to be aligned with the more powerful faction.

“Master, what should we do next?”

“I have found us a significant ally at sea. It’s time for them to step in.”

“An ally? Pirates?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything once we return to your castle.”

done.co