Chapter 20 《Madness》- (4)
(I)
“Huuh.”
A genuine smile broke out after a long time. It wasn’t an artificial, forced laugh but a pure, automatic one that flowed from the stream of consciousness.
“Religion?”
Does everything gain symbolism over time? Seeing that wild vampires worshipped me as a deity made me burst out laughing.
Since possessing Elzerba, I had never been involved with other vampires. Perhaps it was understandable if those who remembered me from when I defeated the Demon King revered me, but it was quite surprising that those I had no acquaintance with were venerating me.
The war that took place 800 years ago was, in fact, instigated by vampires trying to free me from my seal. What kind of figure was I to have provoked such a war among them?
“The western continent….”
Although the reliability of Yasa was questionable, it did say that the descendants of the vampires who survived the war lived in the western part of the continent.
According to the map, the only place in the west where monsters could live was the ‘Diana Forest.’ Once things settled, it might not be a bad idea to visit there later.
If Yasa was true, it would be an opportunity to make allies. If false, a mere stroll would suffice.
“More importantly….”
…I turned a page back in the book.
While the stories of the vampires who worshipped me were impressive, there was another detail that was even more concerning.
“Varius had an illegitimate child…?”
The mention of the second hero being an illegitimate child born not of the union between Lillianel and Varius, but from outside the marriage. Even if it was Yasa, it was something I couldn’t ignore.
Illegitimate child.
Given Varius’s notorious proclivity for women, it was plausible. After all, the real trigger for him aiming his sword at me was due to a failed proposal.
If Varius had committed adultery in his later years, fathered an illegitimate child, and that was the reason Lillianel couldn’t control her anger, leading her to assassinate him and erase him from records?
“…It makes sense.”
It was a rough explanation, but it did account for Varius’s final fate and why his name was missing from records.
Though half of Yasa could be dismissed, it seemed that their marriage was far from smooth if such records were circulating among the people.
“….”
Satisfied with the information, I replaced Yasa back on the bookshelf, this time placing it in a more prominent spot rather than a corner.
I hoped more people would flip through its pages.
“…Weapons.”
Having skimmed through the history of the past thousand years, I moved on to learn about weapons.
Even in a long-lasting peaceful era, technological advancements could not have been absent. Understanding the significant changes over the millennium was essential.
I swiftly pulled out notable books and began to skim through them.
“Advancements in magical engineering….”
The first book was about magical tools. Since the advancement of magical tools equated to human development, I focused intently on turning the pages.
—Shock! Lightweight teleportation hub!
—Historic invention: Mass-produced magic communication devices now accessible to commoners.
—Latest news: Successful commercialization of ‘flying carriages,’ with roads in the sky gradually being explored.
—….
“…Is this it?”
Had the prolonged peace led to a lack of urgent need for changes?
Aside from the evolution of existing magical tools, there didn’t seem to be any notable inventions or discoveries over the past thousand years.
Even if there were, they only served to make daily life more comfortable, not pose any threat to me.
—Revolutionary development in monster hunting: The religious state ‘Serion’ has developed new top-tier holy magic.
…Except for holy magic.
“Serion….”
Although there were no longer wars with demon races, conflicts with monsters were always present. Thus, the religious state ‘Serion,’ which took the lead in fighting monsters, continuously advanced holy magic.
—Recently, the religious state ‘Serion’ invested vast amounts of money in a major development of new holy magic.
—The leading figure, Saint Marina Bergard, stated that everyone should be prepared for any monster.
“….”
Since the chains that sealed me contained the power of the goddess, the active development of holy magic in Serion was troublesome.
No one knew when or in what form a magical tool similar to the one that sealed me would be developed.
“Saint.”
Suddenly, I recalled the saint who had sealed me and the final words she left me.
────On the day this seal is broken, I will erase your religion from this world.
…I had sworn to make her pay for that. Now that the seal was broken, I wouldn’t let that vow be buried in memory.
The next target after Lillianel would be the religious state of Serion. It wasn’t just about revenge; their pursuit of advanced holy magic was unwelcome news.
To ensure they would never borrow the power of the goddess again, I needed to erase their land and religion from the map.
“…So it’s only holy magic that’s a concern.”
I muttered as I returned the book to its original place.
The era of peace had led to the development of magical tools focusing on improving human daily life rather than combat.
Only holy magic was developed in a more aggressive direction, which was a concern, but from what I had seen, it didn’t seem to have advanced enough to deal a significant blow to me.
After all, I hadn’t even suffered a scratch from multiple holy magic attacks that seemed like fatal strikes in the labyrinth.
“…Master.”
“Hmm?”
As I placed the book back on the shelf with a sigh, Tina called me in a small voice. She, who had been holding a lantern, pointed toward the entrance of the library with her azure-skinned finger.
“It seems we have an uninvited guest.”
“….”
Indeed, as Tina had said, the sounds of many footsteps were coming from outside the library. The clinking of armor and weapons suggested that they were likely soldiers from ‘Ermaile’ coming to capture me.
“I’ll go check it out. Please continue with your work, Master.”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
I stopped Tina from drawing her great sword.
“We should be leaving soon.”
I had already resolved all the curiosities I could from the library. The only remaining task was to meet and directly question the figures from a thousand years ago, so there was no need to stay here any longer.
…For the sake of relieving Alfred’s boredom, who had been occupying the Teleportation Herb for an hour, it was time to head to the royal capital.
“We shouldn’t keep our guests waiting. Let’s go.”
Smiling, I walked toward the entrance of the library again.
It was time to release the pent-up resentment.
(II)
Young lord of ‘Ermaile,’ ‘Karseron,’ felt that human hearts were more fragile than he had imagined.
“Ugh….”
The sight of corpses scattered along the roadside on the way to the library, where the ‘Progenitor Vampire’ was rumored to be, made Karseron’s stomach churn.
The blood-soaked streets of the city.
The mournful cries of those who had lost family and friends, echoing everywhere.
The miserable scene weakened Karseron’s once strong sense of justice and resolve with each step he took.
Determined to arrive at the library as quickly as possible, his legs, which had been moving fast, now deliberately slowed down to delay his arrival.
‘…What kind of being is this?’
Moreover, the neatly severed heads of the corpses showcased the ‘Progenitor Vampire’s’ terrifying killing prowess.
Seeing the legendary monster’s bloodshed firsthand was worlds apart from hearing about it.
A cold sweat began to bead on Karseron’s forehead as he witnessed the horrifying scene.
With rising anxiety, his fingertips trembled.
‘Will this really buy us time?’
As his resolve weakened, negative thoughts began to flood in. Their goal was to buy time until Derin’s adventurer squad destroyed the Teleportation Herb. But he doubted whether this was even feasible.
Even the strongest labyrinth eradication team ‘Red Moon.’
The top mercenaries and adventurer alliance led by Barbas.
All had been annihilated by the ‘Progenitor Vampire.’ How could they, being far weaker, hope to achieve any meaningful results?
“….”
Karseron actually knew the answer. However, as a lord, the only thing he could do was move forward, so he mustered up the last of his courage and headed towards the library.
—H-help us….
—C-cough….
“What, what’s happening…?”
And the shocking scene that awaited Karseron at the entrance of the library was.
—S-someone, please, d-do something…. Cough!
—M-mom, help me….
“This can’t be….”
It was the Holy Knights of Serion, who were being butchered by skeleton soldiers. They were the very same confident and splendid knights who had visited a few days ago for the mission.
But now, they were being mercilessly slaughtered by the skeletal soldiers summoned by the Progenitor Vampire.
Their limbs, capable of wielding weapons, had already been severed, and their intestines were spilling out from their slashed abdomens. The skeletons seemed to take pleasure in this, deliberately prolonging the torment without killing them outright.
—No way….
—The Holy Knights….
The regular troops of Ermaile murmured in shock. Holy Knights were known to be the strongest force against monsters on the continent.
Yet now, these knights were dying at the hands of the lowest-grade monsters, skeletons, and the soldiers desperately tried to deny the horrific scene before their eyes.
“….”
Karseron’s legs were about to give out.
The scene was so horrific that the fear he had been trying to suppress surged back up.
If even the lowest-grade skeleton soldiers could easily overwhelm the Holy Knights, how powerful must the vampire who summoned them be?
All he wanted was to escape immediately.
—Oh, please, just kill me…. Cough!
“…!!”
At that moment, the heads of the knights, who were crying out in agony, burst into bloody fireworks. The suddenness of the scene made Karseron focus with trembling eyes on the front.
…From the shadowed entrance of the library, ‘she’ was emerging.
“So many have gathered.”
Ash-gray hair.
Snow-white skin.
Eyes dyed a blood-red hue as if stained with fatigue.
A mesmerizing beauty that captivated those who beheld her.
“Hello.”
…The legendary monster stepped forward. Her appearance was strikingly beautiful, unlike the grotesque depictions in ancient texts, but everyone instinctively knew.
That was the Progenitor Vampire.
“So, are you the main force of this city?”
The thousand-year-old monster spoke the same language as them. Her voice, as clear as the morning dew, echoed in Karseron’s ears.
“200? 300, maybe…?”
“Y-yes….”
Karseron stammered. Despite having planned how to encircle the vampire and buy time, facing her now left his mind a blank slate.
As a noble heir raised in privilege, Karseron had never seen monsters before, and the fear he was feeling was a completely new kind of emotion.
Fear felt not through experience or learning, but through ‘instinct.’
How could ‘Red Moon’ and ‘Barbas’ have pointed their swords at her?
An hour ago, as he confidently left his home, vowing to battle the vampire, he was regretting it now.
“Mm?”
-“Hii, hiiik….”
The vampire’s gaze turned towards Karseron. She widened her eyes and thoroughly inspected his whole being.
“All alone in golden armor, perfectly styled hair, a delicate body that seems inexperienced in battle….”
-“….”
“…Are you, by any chance, the lord of this place?”
The Progenitor Vampire discerned his identity immediately.
-“U-uh….”
He should have answered her question, but in extreme fear, he couldn’t utter a word. After a few seconds of silence, the vampire glared at him disapprovingly.
“Hah….”
She let out a deep sigh.
C-craaack!!
“…!!”
With a clenched fist, a soldier’s head exploded.
Sticky brain matter and red blood splattered everywhere.
Karseron’s face turned pale with deep terror.
The vampire then spoke in an endlessly cold and chilling voice.
“Answer while I’m still speaking nicely. Next will be your head.”
-“M-my head….”
The vampire’s warning didn’t seem like an empty threat. Karseron’s blocked speech suddenly opened up. He quickly nodded his head.
-“Y-yes, I am the lord of this place, ‘Karseron von Digrsef’ of Ermaile.”
“Karseron….”
The Progenitor Vampire repeated his name. She then asked him another question.
“Yes, Karseron. What is the population of this place?”
-“P-population, you ask?”
“Yes, the population. The number of residents.”
-“About 100,000….”
“Wow, that’s a lot.”
The vampire seemed pleased with the answer. With the unexpectedly normal conversation, Karseron had one thought.
‘Is this a good thing if we can talk?’
If Karseron had drawn his sword and charged, everything would have ended in less than 10 seconds. But with the conversation, he had already bought about a minute of time.
‘Y-yes, maybe this is the way.’
‘Red Moon’ and ‘Barbas’.
Having failed twice in battle, it was time for a new approach. If he could continue the conversation, he might buy more time until Derin secured the Teleportation Herb.
-“P-progenitor vampire….”
“Yes?”
-“W-will you negotiate with us….”
Summoning up his courage, Karseron spoke to the vampire.
Given that the vampire had awakened after a thousand years, she would surely be unaware of many things. By negotiating and offering knowledge and information in exchange, he could buy more time.
…That was the intention.
“Pfft.”
The vampire let out a small laugh at his words.
…And then, before Karseron could do anything, a huge black magic circle began to expand from her feet.
“What? Negotiation?”
The beautiful, gray-skinned vampire smiled. But it was a smile that did not come from a place of goodwill or positivity.
“You know, negotiation is supposed to happen when both parties are on equal footing.”
-“….”
“But do you think we are on equal terms right now?”
Sparks flew from the vampire’s body, and the magic circle continued to expand at a terrifying rate. At this rate, it seemed as if it would cover the entire city.
‘Oh no…’
Karseron regretted his hasty choice of words.
He wished he had tried more conventional conversation instead, rather than bringing up “negotiation” and provoking her anger.
—What kind of magic…!
—Can such a level of magic truly be produced by a living being?!
The sheer volume of magical power emanating from the vampire made the soldiers’ expressions contort in fear as they lost their balance and staggered.
—”Y-Your Lordship, urgent news.”
Amidst the critical situation, one of the soldiers responsible for communications urgently tapped Karseron on the shoulder.
—”C-Crisis.”
The soldier whispered gravely into Karseron’s ear.
—”…The great mage ‘Derin’ has fled before reaching the Teleportation Hub, and the remaining adventurers were annihilated by the vampire butler.”
-“What…?”
The news shattered all hope.
If they could not defend the ‘Teleportation Hub,’ there was no reason for them to be here. They had risked their lives hoping that the skilled mage Derin would reclaim it, only for their efforts to now seem utterly meaningless.
“Even now, you’re so presumptuous.”
-“….”
Adding to the worst situation, they had aggravated the vampire’s temper. Karseron’s mind raced frantically.
‘What do I do…?’
Seeing the vampire up close, he realized that they could not stop her. Any resistance would only lead to their deaths.
However, if they allowed this vampire to use the hub to head towards the Royal Capital, the Avilia Kingdom would suffer unimaginable damage.
…But.
‘Is the kingdom, the capital really more important to me…?’
Suddenly, he remembered what ‘Roderick Whitefin,’ the emissary from the previous visit, had told him.
────I am neither your strategist nor a person of this land. I am simply the emissary of the chancellor.
────This is your land. As the lord of this domain, do not rely on others, find a wise solution yourself.
“….”
Just as Roderick had evaded responsibility by saying he was not from Ermaile, Karseron himself was not originally from the capital.
As a lord, his primary concern was not the capital or the chancellor but his own domain, ‘Ermaile.’
A lord exists because of his land and people, not the capital.
‘This land comes first…’
After much deliberation, Karseron realized what he truly needed to protect—his land.
Understanding this, he hesitated no longer. He immediately bowed to the ground and prostrated himself before the vampire.
-“P-Please calm down!”
“…Hmm?”
-“It was me, no, my short-sighted actions that led to this situation. Please, forgive my anger and spare my life!”
…The lord of Ermaile, Karseron, bowed down to a mere monster, disregarding his status.
It was not the time to uphold his pride. He had to find a way to save his domain, no matter how.
He pounded his head against the ground, begging and pleading with the progenitor vampire.
-“I will do anything you ask. From now on, Ermaile and I will be your loyal allies.”
“Hmm…”
-“So please, save us, save my land!!”
“….”
The progenitor vampire considered Karseron’s desperate pleas. Perhaps his tears touched her? The expanding magic circle halted, maintaining its size.
The progenitor vampire looked down at Karseron and asked.
“…You’ll do anything?”
-“Yes, just spare my life!”
“…Alright.”
-“…!!”
A miracle happened.
The cruel vampire showed mercy.
Perhaps it was the sincerity of his plea? Karseron shed tears of relief and expressed his gratitude.
-“Thank you, thank you… I pledge my loyalty….”
“You’re going this far, fine, I’ll spare you.”
The vampire’s smile grew.
-“…Only you.”
“…?!”
The halted magic circle began to expand once more. At the strange words of the vampire, Karseron looked up and shouted urgently.
-“W-What does that mean? Wasn’t it supposed to be sparing all the citizens?!”
“Hmm, well….”
The vampire, crossing her arms and glaring coldly at Karseron, replied.
“…You sent a punitive force to kill me.”
-“Yes…?”
“If you’ve committed a wrongdoing, then you must atone for it.”
-“Wh-What….”
The situation was unfolding in ways Karseron hadn’t anticipated, and his eyes widened in shock. The vampire surveyed the city as if admiring its appearance.
“…The population is 100,000?”
-“….”
“Then perhaps this skill will be useful….”
-“…!!”
As the vampire extended her hand, the pitch-black magic circle ceased expanding. From within, ‘the dead’ began to rise within the city.
—Kieeeeeeeeeek!!
Along with the skeletons, enormous zombies begin to spawn everywhere. Emerging from the magic circle, they rush without hesitation towards the surrounding villagers, starting a massacre.
—M-monsters!!
—S-save us!! Kieeeek!!
—Run! Quickly!
—No, it’s skeletons everywhere!
“Ah….”
Even as they bowed their heads and begged for the villagers’ lives, it was clear that the girl before them was a monster, no, an actual devil without mercy.
A demon among demons who gave hope only to snatch it away, playing with human emotions. Tears streamed endlessly from Karseron’s eyes.
“Could it be….”
Was the reason for asking about the population of the domain earlier because of this?
Had she come here with the intention of destroying the domain and its people from the start?
Was Karseron’s misunderstanding that her goal was ‘Ermaile’ rather than the ‘Royal Capital’ a mere illusion?
“Ah….”
Despite the flood of emotions welling up inside, Karseron was overwhelmed by the absolute power before him and could not utter a single word.
And the young lord was coldly observed by the vampire.
“Why? Are you angry?”
-“….”
“Feeling deceived? Is your head throbbing?”
-“….”
“I felt a hundred times worse a thousand years ago. This is the retribution of your ancestors. Be thankful that I’m even sparing you.”
Under the moonlight, the vampire’s red eyes blazed.
“And.”
Her resolute voice echoed throughout the city, which was turning into a hell.
“It’s just beginning.”
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