Chapter 12:《Ermaile》 – (2)
(I)
“Why during my term…?!”
Karseron’s face crumpled upon hearing the news that the Progenitor Vampire had been unsealed. Just moments ago, his heart had been filled with excitement and joy, but now all that remained was an overwhelming sense of unease.
“The contents of that ancient text… they were true…?”
It had been nearly a thousand years since the first hero, known only by the surname Vellius, sealed the Progenitor Vampire with his comrades. That tale, once preserved in dusty old books, had long since devolved into nothing more than a children’s bedtime story, something to calm a crying child.
Whether the vampire myth was real or an embellished tale, no one could have predicted that the seal on the Progenitor Vampire, locked away deep within the Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber for a millennium, would break so suddenly.
“Damn it….”
According to the ancient text, the monster known as the Progenitor Vampire was a catastrophe-level creature, capable of using ancient magics effortlessly and commanding an innumerable army of Skeleton Soldiers.
Back then, even the hero who ended the great war against the Demon King, along with the Holy Knights of Serion, and the Shamans of Tenma, who are now long gone, barely managed to seal that creature after nearly dying in the process.
And in that battle, it was said that tens of thousands perished.
“But why did that monster have to wake up now?!”
Though time had likely exaggerated some details, the fact that an ancient creature that singlehandedly slaughtered tens of thousands had awoken right next to his territory was anything but welcome news.
“Ah….”
“Ka-Karseron!”
Karseron stumbled as he faced the national disaster that had come just after he inherited the lordship. He would rather fight a war against the demons than confront this legendary monster. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how to deal with it.
“S-summon my secretary! Bring me tea!”
“Understood, my lord.”
In an attempt to calm his nerves, he ordered his secretary to bring some hot tea. A moment later, the secretary returned, neatly dressed and holding three steaming cups of tea.
“Right… let’s talk first.”
Whether to strategize or confirm the truth, it was necessary to speak with Derin, who had encountered the vampire directly. Karseron motioned for Derin to sit comfortably.
“Alright….”
Derin sat across from the old gentleman sent by the chancellor, with Karseron taking a seat next to her. The young lord of Ermaile sighed as he lifted his cup.
“By the way, where are Alex and Niko? Why are you here instead of them?”
Normally, the results of a Labyrinth Extermination would be reported directly to the lord or guild master by the leader or vice-captain of the squad.
However, Derin wasn’t even in a leadership position within the Red Moon Extermination Squad, let alone its captain or vice-captain. For her to be the one reporting meant something unusual had occurred.
“Well….”
Derin’s expression darkened.
Her voice carried the weight of despair, like a shadow creeping in.
“They’re… all dead.”
“What?”
“Captain Alex, Vice-Captain Niko, the officers—everyone died. To that vampire.”
“Are you telling me the entire Red Moon was wiped out?”
“Yes….”
Karseron’s face stiffened instantly upon hearing Derin’s words. The Red Moon Extermination Squad, famed as the strongest extermination squad in history, being completely annihilated was beyond shocking.
“They all died right in front of me… without being able to do a thing….”
Derin’s hand trembled as she reached for the tea the secretary had brought. The memory of that scene was still vivid in her mind, her face turning pale again as she recalled it.
“It hadn’t even been a minute since the seal broke, and with just a single wave of its hand, they were all dead, all of them….”
“….”
“Alex and Niko… they saved me, but… they… they were killed by that v-vampire….”
“I understand. Calm down, Derin.”
Karseron gently soothed his childhood friend as she began to panic. Derin, her hands still shaking, forced herself to take a sip of the warm tea, finally managing to calm her racing heart.
“This is far worse than I imagined.”
Karseron’s brow furrowed.
More investigation would be needed, but if Derin’s account was accurate, the Progenitor Vampire’s power was far beyond what anyone could dismiss lightly.
The Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber was a place with high concentrations of magic, home to many high-risk monsters. Only certified extermination squads were granted permission by the guild to enter the Labyrinth, and the Red Moon was the third group in history to receive such authorization.
The Red Moon, a squad composed entirely of veteran adventurers who had conquered hundreds of labyrinths. True to their reputation, they had made it to the deepest layer of the Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber, yet somehow, they had all been wiped out.
By just one vampire.
“This is serious.”
Karseron’s expression grew darker by the second.
“Ahem, young adventurer.”
“Yes? Yes….”
The old gentleman, who had been silently observing Karseron and Derin, suddenly interjected. He adjusted his glasses before addressing Derin.
“Why was the vampire unsealed so suddenly? According to the old texts, the seal was supposed to hold for a thousand years without any problems.”
“Th-that’s….”
The gentleman’s question about the reason for the vampire’s unsealing left Derin speechless, her head lowering in shame.
‘What should I do?’
…Because it was her fault the Progenitor Vampire had been unsealed.
It had all happened because of Derin’s insatiable curiosity about the ancient holy magic and eastern sealing techniques that had trapped the vampire.
‘Who would have thought that leaking just a little magic would cause this!’
But she felt it wasn’t entirely her fault.
Who could have known that an ancient eastern sealing spell would fail just because a bit of magic had flowed into it? And who could have expected the seal to completely break just because one talisman had fallen off?
“A-a rookie accidentally removed a talisman….”
But Derin lied.
No matter how unfair it seemed, revealing the truth—that she had caused a catastrophe large enough to be recorded in history—would lead to countless criticisms from the entire nation.
And Derin wasn’t confident she could withstand all that criticism.
“Stupid fool! Why didn’t that rookie stay put!”
Hearing her explanation, Karseron slammed his hand on the table in anger. In contrast, the old gentleman remained calm and composed.
“Hmm. Judging by the mage’s story, it seems the vampire has indeed been unsealed, and it’s not a lie.”
He sipped his tea before continuing.
“If the vampire was truly unsealed, and it bears malice towards humans, then it won’t be long before it directs its fury toward the nearest city—Ermaile.”
“….”
Karseron’s face grew even more grim as he listened to the gentleman’s words.
A legendary vampire, powerful enough to wipe out an S-rank Extermination Squad in one blow. Could Ermaile’s forces possibly stand a chance against such a creature?
“Is there anything we can do?”
“Hmm, let me see.”
At the young lord’s question, the gentleman stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“Certainly, the only one who could possibly face that vampire is the hero, Vellius Grandius.”
“The hero…!”
At the mention of the hero, hope flickered in Karseron’s eyes.
Yes, the hero, the very embodiment of humanity’s hope. If anyone could slay this legendary vampire, it would be him.
Karseron spoke excitedly.
“Then, we should immediately inform the hero of the situation and request support—”
“That’s impossible.”
“…What?”
The elderly man interrupted Karseron mid-sentence. His single, resolute word caused the young lord’s expression to harden.
“The Hero is currently at the northern frontlines, waging war against the demons.”
“Demons….”
“Even if we inform him of the situation, he won’t be able to concern himself with this matter until he finishes the battle before him. That will likely take at least a month.”
“A month!”
A month was far too long.
The vampire could attack as soon as tomorrow. How was he supposed to wait an entire month? By then, only corpses and ashes would remain.
“…Oh dear, it’s already that late. I should take my leave.”
Unlike Karseron, who was consumed by anxiety, the elderly man stood up calmly, without any hesitation, as though he had no further business here. Karseron, feeling abandoned, grabbed at him in a panic.
“Wa-Wait! If you leave like this, what am I supposed to do?!”
If it would take a month for the Hero to arrive, how was he supposed to hold out until then? He hadn’t even come up with a clear solution, and he couldn’t just let this man leave.
“…Why are you asking me that?”
But the old man merely looked down coldly at Karseron, who was clutching at him desperately. His eyes, visible through his spectacles, were utterly devoid of warmth.
“I am neither your strategist nor a resident of this land. I am merely a messenger of the chancellor.”
“W-What…?”
“This is your land, Lord Karseron. As the ruler of your people, you must find a wise solution on your own, without relying on others.”
“….”
So that’s how it is.
In the end, he was just a stranger.
‘That fox of an old man…’
Karseron furrowed his brow.
There wasn’t a single thing wrong with the old man’s words, yet to Karseron, the man seemed like a coward running away from an unexpected problem.
Meanwhile, the elderly man, still unhurried, gathered his hat and cane, making his way towards the door of the reception room.
“Still, the fact that the Progenitor Vampire’s seal has been broken is no small matter. I will discuss it with the chancellor and send reinforcements.”
“….”
“I’ll make sure the Hero is sent here within a month as well, so try to hold out until then.”
“….”
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
The luxurious oak door opened and closed.
Now, the only ones left in the reception room were Karseron, Derin, and three of his aides.
“Sigh….”
Karseron buried his face in his hands, deep in thought. In the span of just 30 minutes, his mind had become a chaotic mess.
‘What do I do? What do I do?’
The Hero would take a month to arrive.
Even if they received the chancellor’s approval and organized reinforcements right away, it would still take at least a week for them to reach Ermaile.
A week was still an unsettling amount of time.
‘If only I knew when…’
If only he could know for certain when the vampires would attack, he’d feel much more at ease….
“Derin.”
“Y-Yeah, what is it?”
Karseron lifted his head and looked at the bedraggled Derin.
“…When do you think the Progenitor Vampire will arrive here?”
“The Progenitor Vampire….”
At his question, Derin sifted through her final memories. Horrifying images of the death and terror she had experienced slowly resurfaced in her mind.
“….”
…After all her comrades had died, Derin, who had hidden in a corner, had made a mad dash, escaping from the Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber. The Progenitor Vampire had simply watched her flee.
With her power, the Progenitor could have easily caught up and killed Derin, but she hadn’t. Despite being sealed for a thousand years and likely seething with rage, she had let Derin go.
That could only mean one thing—the Progenitor Vampire was not in good enough condition to chase her down.
The vampire had been sealed by a holy chain for a thousand years, so it was clear her mind wasn’t in the right state. Moreover, after using several powerful techniques to destroy the Red Moon Extermination Squad, she must have needed significant time to recover.
Derin shared her thoughts with Karseron.
“…She didn’t seem to be in good condition.”
“What?”
“If she let me go, it must be because she didn’t have the strength to do otherwise. After being sealed for a thousand years, her power needs time to recover, so I don’t think she’ll be able to move for a while.”
“She can’t move for a while…?”
Karseron’s eyes widened.
His mind began working quickly.
‘If she’s recovering, that means this is when she’s at her weakest, right…?’
Even at her weakest, she had annihilated the entire Red Moon Extermination Squad with a single blow. He couldn’t even imagine what she’d be capable of once her full power returned.
If they were to stop her, now might be their only chance.
The thought flashed through Karseron’s mind: ‘Attack is the best defense.’
Instead of waiting idly for the Progenitor Vampire to recover and launch an attack, it might be better to strike first at the Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber.
There would never be another time when the vampire was as weakened as she was now. He had a gut feeling that this was his best shot.
Rather than sitting idly, waiting for reinforcements and preparing for a siege against a fully restored vampire, or gathering troops to launch an attack against a vampire still dazed from her long imprisonment….
Karseron made up his mind.
‘If worse comes to worst, we’ll retreat and barricade ourselves in the city.’
Besides, if he managed to kill the Progenitor Vampire without relying on the reinforcements or the Hero’s army, he would go down in history as one of the greatest figures in the last thousand years.
If that happened, he might even surpass Chancellor Lilianel Greenfield in influence.
He could become the most powerful man in the kingdom.
Yes, this was not merely a crisis, but perhaps a ‘chance’ bestowed upon him by his late father in the heavens.
Resolving to slay the Progenitor Vampire before the reinforcements arrived, Karseron found himself growing impatient.
He immediately shouted toward his aide.
“…Send out a request to the Adventurers’ Guild right now.”
“A-A request?”
“Yes. The targets are all the A- and S-rank adventurers currently residing in Ermaile. The reward is 20 gold coins per person. Oh, and send a similar contract to the ‘Stormhound’ mercenary guild as well.”
Unlike regular adventurers, the mercenaries of ‘Stormhound’ were more specialized in combat. Since their opponent was the legendary Progenitor Vampire, he needed as much strength as possible.
“T-Twenty gold coins?!”
The aide gaped at the sum. Twenty gold coins was enough to buy three noble estates and still have money left over—an amount that an ordinary person wouldn’t earn in their lifetime.
As the aide scribbled Karseron’s words down in a hurry, he asked:
“Then what should the request say…?”
“The request….”
Karseron paused to consider. But it didn’t take long before a wicked smile spread across his once emotionless face.
The anxiety that had filled his heart earlier had already transformed into excitement and anticipation.
Karseron spoke to his aide.
“…The request is to exterminate the ‘Progenitor Vampire.'”
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