Chapter 11:《Ermaile》 – (1)
(I)
“Miss, I’ve gathered everything useful.”
“Mm, thanks.”
At the deepest chamber of what was called the Labyrinth of the Undying, I nodded toward Alfred, who had collected useful items from the bodies of adventurers.
In the cold cave, where only torches burned brightly, a mountain of items from the corpses piled up high.
“Master! What should we do with the bodies?”
“Just throw them outside.”
I instructed him to dump the stripped adventurers’ corpses outside the labyrinth. Monsters swarmed this labyrinth, so there was no need to bother with cremation or burial. The monsters would take care of the remains if left outside.
“Let’s see what we’ve got….”
I began sifting through the pile of items. I planned to stay in this place until my headache subsided, so the only way to gather information about the outside world for now was by checking the belongings of these adventurers.
“Doesn’t seem like much has changed….”
Most of the adventurers’ gear and weapons were similar to what I’d seen before I was sealed, suggesting that the world hadn’t changed drastically.
Given that a thousand years had passed, I had been worried that the world might have turned into some kind of cyberpunk dystopia, but thankfully, it hadn’t come to that.
Well, reality’s rapid development only occurred in the last hundred years, so it might have been premature to expect tremendous changes over a millennium.
That said, it was highly likely that new magic, skills, or magical tools had been developed. The magicians and sages of this world were always striving for progress and invention.
“What’s this?”
As I fiddled with a sword from one of the adventurers, I noticed a brown parchment peeking out from someone’s bag. I carefully pulled it out and unfolded it.
It was a map of some continent, specifically from the world of Avalon’s Tower.
“A map…!”
I grinned. Nothing was more convenient and informative for understanding the changes in the world than a map.
“…All these nations are unfamiliar.”
Judging by the strange names of countries on the map, it seemed many nations had fallen and new ones had risen. After a thousand years, I could only recognize two nations.
“Serion….”
The religious nation of Serion, located in the northwest of the continent.
“And the Avilia Kingdom….”
The kingdom of the hero, where I once belonged, the Avilia Kingdom.
Unfortunately, all the other nations I remembered had vanished.
“Persistent, Avilia….”
While Serion, a religious nation, was naturally a fortress against external threats, sustained by unshakable faith, it was surprising that the Avilia Kingdom, an ordinary human kingdom, had survived.
It seemed that since my sealing, they had steadily expanded their territory under the hero’s banner. Their land had grown five times larger than before, now occupying nearly half of the continent.
“Lilianel.”
The thought of Lilianel, living in luxury as the chancellor of this vast kingdom, filled me with sudden rage.
“….”
Of course, it wasn’t just Lilianel. I couldn’t let the people of Avilia get away either.
They had been swayed by the hero’s false prophecy and, without a second thought, had overturned their evaluation of me, the one who had ended the war. Over the last thousand years, my anger toward them had only grown.
After a thousand years of trampling over other nations and expanding their lands, it was time for them to face a crisis and for the balance of power on the continent to shift.
I looked toward the capital of the Avilia Kingdom, vowing to punish them for the sins their ancestors had committed a thousand years ago.
The Labyrinth of the Undying….
The labyrinth was far west of the capital of the Avilia Kingdom. This labyrinth, where I had been sealed, was marked on the map with five stars, indicating its danger level. It was the only labyrinth on the map marked with five stars.
“Does that mean this is the most dangerous place…?”
If so, it meant that this Labyrinth of the Undying, where I had been sealed, was still the most dangerous dungeon even a thousand years later.
“Foolish…! Humans…!”
I glanced at the adventurers’ corpses that Tina was dragging outside. If they had made it to the deepest chamber of the most dangerous dungeon, they must have been quite skilled. Yet, they had all been killed in a single blow by me, who had just awakened.
“Strange.”
Had their abilities deteriorated over time?
If that was the case, it meant humanity had grown significantly weaker….
“…But it doesn’t concern me.”
It wasn’t something I needed to worry about. If humans had indeed weakened, it would only work to my advantage.
“…There’s a city.”
I turned back to the map.
Next to this Labyrinth of the Undying was a large city called Ermaile. The crossed sword and spear emblem above the city suggested it was a hub frequented by adventurers.
“A big city….”
I frowned slightly.
A large city would be bustling with people, and it would be a good place to gather information. Moreover, since it was a city filled with adventurers, it would likely have a wealth of information compared to ordinary cities.
Before seeking out Lilianel, I needed to gather some basic knowledge about this world. If something like an enhanced version of the Goddess’s Chains that once sealed me was in circulation, I could be in serious trouble.
Haste makes waste.
To exact perfect revenge, information gathering was essential.
I had waited a thousand years. I could wait a few more days.
“Alright!”
Without hesitation, I decided to make the city of Ermaile my first destination once I had fully recovered.
*****************
(II)
“Congratulations on becoming the lord.”
-“Haha, thank you….”
In the western part of the Avilia Kingdom, the new lord of the bustling city of Ermaile, Karseron, blushed. Waving his hand modestly, he sat across from an elderly man with a white mustache.
“Since Ermaile is as large as the royal capital, the responsibilities will be heavy.”
-“…Indeed.”
Karseron gave a bitter smile in response to the man’s comment, as he fiddled with his monocle.
While he was glad to have succeeded his father as lord, the weight of his new responsibilities was enormous. After all, Ermaile was a city bustling with countless adventurers.
However, Karseron felt confident. He had been taught and had experienced many things since childhood. While he may not be as great as his father, the greatest lord of all time, he was confident he could be nearly as good.
-“Oh, by the way, the Chancellor has sent you a gift.”
“The Chancellor?”
A man handed a small box to Karseron.
It was a gift sent by Lilianel Greenfield, the Chancellor of the Avilia Kingdom, who had held the position for over 500 years. She wielded more power than the king himself, making her the true force behind the kingdom.
With anticipation, Karseron opened the small box.
“This, this is…?!”
Inside the box was a beautiful blue gemstone. It was the rare ‘Tear of the Sea,’ a gem said to be as hard to obtain as plucking stars from the sky.
“Wh-why would the Chancellor give me something this valuable…?”
The jewel was worth more than what a commoner could earn in a lifetime. Seeing this precious and rare treasure, Karseron’s eyes widened like a cat’s.
The man chuckled and answered Karseron.
-“Hehe, it means the Chancellor has high expectations for you, my lord. You have a lot of work ahead, so please do your best.”
“For the kingdom, for Avilia, and for the Chancellor, I will do my utmost.”
Karseron bowed so deeply that his forehead nearly touched the ground.
This was no ordinary gift; it came from the most powerful figure in the kingdom. To earn the Chancellor’s favor meant that Karseron’s future in politics would be bright, and he could barely contain his smile.
Moreover, Avilia was a peaceful place with many talented people and a low crime rate. Even when incidents occurred, they were resolved within a day.
As long as his governance of the estate continued without issue, he could further secure his position in the Chancellor’s good graces.
-“Please raise your head, my lord. You should offer your thanks to the Chancellor personally when the time comes.”
“Ah, understood.”
At the man’s words, who had come as an emissary of the Chancellor, Karseron lifted his head.
-“…My lord, an adventurer has arrived, claiming urgent business.”
“…?”
It was then that Karseron’s secretary knocked on the door to the reception room.
Karseron turned angrily towards the door.
“Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me when I’m meeting with important guests?! Send the adventurer away immediately!”
He was hosting a guest sent by the Chancellor, yet a mere adventurer dared to interrupt. It was intolerable. Karseron glanced nervously at the man, worried his guest might have been offended.
-“Well, it seemed like a very urgent matter….”
“I said send them away!”
Even as he shouted, the secretary remained outside the door. Karseron frowned and raised his voice even louder.
It was probably just another adventurer asking for a reduction in guild fees or something trivial, not worth hearing.
-“…If it’s urgent, perhaps you should hear them out. I don’t mind.”
“What…?”
But the man smiled gently and suggested that Karseron listen to the adventurer. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Karseron laughed awkwardly.
…If the guest allows it, then it should be fine.
With a softer tone, Karseron spoke again to the secretary.
“…Let them in.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door flew open, and an adventurer burst into the reception room.
-“Ka-Karseron!!”
“You are…?”
The young lord of Avilia immediately recognized who it was.
A woman with short, golden hair and round glasses.
She was Derin, Karseron’s childhood friend and currently the grand mage of the Red Moon Extermination Squad, an elite group tasked with conquering the most dangerous labyrinths.
“Derin…? Why are you here…?”
Karseron’s eyes widened as he looked at her.
She should have been with the Red Moon Squad, fighting to conquer the most dangerous labyrinth, the Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber. Their return was still far off, so she shouldn’t have been in this city.
“…”
Karseron scanned Derin up and down. Her entire body was covered in blood, with wounds all over. Her cloak was tattered and barely held together.
It was obvious at a glance that something serious had happened to her.
-“Ka-Karseron, something terrible has happened….”
Derin, bleeding from various places, shuffled her feet nervously. Her eyes couldn’t focus, and cold sweat poured down her forehead like a waterfall.
“…What is it?”
Sensing a terrible premonition, Karseron asked. Derin’s dry lips slowly began to move.
-“A v-vampire….”
“A vampire…?”
-“The progenitor vampire*….”
*(Progenitor Vampire – Refers to the most ancient and powerful vampire, believed to be sealed, i.e. Elzerba)
“Why…?”
-“It’s been released.”
“…What?”
Karseron’s expression darkened. He dug into his ear as if he hadn’t heard properly and asked again.
“The progenitor vampire has been released?”
-“…Yes.”
“The one sealed away a thousand years ago, that legendary vampire?”
-“…Yes, the story in the ancient texts was true.”
“Ah….”
Karseron’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. Derin grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently.
-“This is a Class 1 crisis! There’s no time to waste! We need to assemble an extermination force immediately…!”
“….”
-“Karseron…? Are you listening? Karseron!”
“…”
Everything Karseron heard echoed in his mind like a distant bell.
From Derin’s condition, it didn’t seem like she was lying. Besides, there was no reason for her to deceive him, now that he was the lord of the estate.
Which meant the legend of the progenitor vampire.
The vampire that single-handedly massacred millions of humans.
The vampire that had been safely sealed away for a thousand years.
Had now been released from the depths of the labyrinth.
…On the very first day of his term as lord.
“God help me….”
The young lord’s vision blurred as the weight of the revelation sank in.
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