The Death Mage Who Doesn’t Want A Fourth Time: Rise Of The Demon Knight

After I fully recovered I was firstly met with an incredible amount of letters from who knows whom I didn´t really bother with reading them all to sum them up most where offers to work under some nobleman, somewhere invitations as guards for noble daughters, and others where recruitment writings from suspicious companies so I mostly ignored them but one caught my eye

"Dear Hero Valkorion,

As Duke of Johan, I would like to thank you personally for what service you did to my lands. I am aware of your condition so you are free to enter my mansion with this letter as proof.

Sincerely

Auron Johan, Duke of Johan"

"It´s rather short," I said loud and walked down and met Neria who was truly happy that I recovered

"Thank the goddess you are well again," Neria said in delight and walked to me

"Yep I´m able to move again and my status exploded," I said raising my nose high

"You certainly grew quite a bit," Neria said looking up to me while I thanked my equipment to adapt to my size though I didn´t understand how it did so

"Well anyway, I go and meet with the duke now," I said and Neria stopped moving for a second

"You go and meet the duke now?" Neria was shocked to hear my destination

"Yes, why shouldn´t I do so?" I asked a bit confused and turned to her

"You can walk after 2 weeks and the first thing you do is to go to the duke because of a letter?" Neria questioned me I thought a moment about it

"Well first things first let´s head to the job changing room," I said and went to the room with the crystal ball which I touched

'Urgh I really wished mine would be a bit more limited or at least sorted' I thought as the countless amount of jobs appeared before my eyes and after a bit of struggle which job I should take I decided to take the Sword Master job and looked at my status which wanted me to jump through the roof and I actually jumped, a little´ bit and cracked the ceiling

Before anyone could notice I took Neria and rushed to the mansion of Duke Johan as fast as I could

As we reached the mansion the first word that came into my mind was extravagant the building was as tall as the Buckingham Palace in my old world yet had golden ornamentations on a bright wall

"The word madness doesn´t put it together," Neria said as we looked at the building and two guards came towards us

"This is the duke of Johan´s mansion state your business or leave please," one of the guards said in a polite manner yet with pressure in his presence

"We were invited by the duke," I said and gave him the letter which he read and then bowed his head before us

"I excuse my rudeness, we will lead you to his highness this moment," he said and guided us through the labyrinth of rooms and hallways and I was amazed he could remember the way because I lost track of our route after the fifth... or perhaps the fourth turn since the hallways were constructed identically

We reached a door with a bit more gold on it than the others and the guard knocked the door asked for entrance and lead us into the room were the duke already awaited us

After the guard bowed and was ordered to wait outside he greeted us

"Oh Hero Valkorion, Heroine Neria I thank you from the depths of my heart that you followed my invitation," the man in his late 20ties or early 30ties said in a childish manner if someone told me this was the person that organized 60% of the entire projects conducted in the dukedom I would really doubt this person

"No, it´s an honor to be personally invited by the duke of Johan himself," I said bowing my head as did Neria

"Stop, bowing please if anything I need to bow my head before you two for what you have done for my lands," he said bowing his head so deep his body was in a 90-degree angle

"Please stop bowing it´s a bit embarrassing," I said scratching my head with a wry smile and he raised his head so fast I couldn´t follow his motion then we took a seat and tea was brought in

"So is there a specific reason why you intended to thank us personally?" I asked and the duke smile

"Of course, I think it´s good manners to thank such great heroes like you two," he said and all my senses told me there was more to it

"Well, it´s just that this is a rather..." Neria began

"Unique? haha yeah I´m often told I´m an oddball in the nobility of Orbaume or for nobility itself" the duke interrupted and laughed

"Well it´s just we doubt that any noble would meet a dhampir so casually," I said and I could see how the eyes twitched shortly

"Hehe, well this is true... and there is indeed something I want to ask you or rather two things," the duke laughed and put his hand on his chin

"Go ahead," I said and the smile on the duke's face grew wider

"Thank you, First of all, your sword I heard it has some strange abilities" the duke pointed at my sword which I was allowed to keep to my surprise but I believe I now knew why

"Well it certainly has but I doubt there is an adventurer in this world that would reveal his secrets" I countered and the duke looked down with a sad face

"Thought so..." he said sad and disappointed

"But this wasn´t what you really wanted to know didn´t you?" I said

"Val, isn´t it a bit disrespectful..." Neria whispered to me

"You got me" the duke smiled and stretched out his tongue leaving Neria a bit surprised

"So can we come to the main business then," I asked and the duke put on a business face

"I want you two to work for me," he said straight

"Rejected" I and Neria replied immediately

"I didn´t even mention the quest I have for you," he said

"Eh aren´t nobles usually trying to bind adventurers to them and use their power in their games?" Neria asked and the duke laughed

"That's certainly true but even though I would prefer that you two would sign an exclusive contract with me I doubt you would do so and since I don´t want to scare you off I will let it be after this job," he said with a smile

"So what do you want us to do?" I asked him with a threatening glance in my eyes

"I want you two to help me to eradicate the last traces of the Vampiric Corruption within my land, as you already said many nobles bind high-ranking adventurers to them and some persons on this list which I can´t remove due to their influence have such connections," he said and laid a piece of paper on the table between us a list with names of influential people

"So we shall arrest them?" Neria asked him

"Yes, I will also give you this ring it will prove your authority and if the persons on this list are resisting you can kill them without a second thought," he said giving each of us a ring

"And why do you entrust this to us and not to other adventurers like Sun Spear Karmil or your own people?" I asked him

"You two have proven yourself as strong and I had an eye on you for a year and know that I can trust you," he said as if it was nothing

"And what is the reward?" Neria asked

"Well how about..." the duke named his reward and I was actually shocked to hear it he offered was enough for an elven live in a comfortable lifestyle and still have something left for his children

"Are you sure?" I asked in total disbelieve

"Yes I am sure about this the list is, to my own shame, rather long and if it is avoidable I want this to stay a secret that so many of the high-ranking people were vampire servants and with this deed, you are in danger to gain the vampire society attention, which you as a dhampir adventurer surely have already, so it is also risk allowance," he said and I got why he was so concerned about this

"Don´t worry your highness as you said I am already on their list of people they want to kill because I am alive so one reason more or not won´t make that much of a difference" I said, took the list and the ring and left the room with Neria and like this, the two of us spend the next 3 years as vampire hunters