Chapter 16
(I)
“Hmm.”
I gaze down at the fallen leader of the Red Moon Extermination Squad. Although the flame of his life had extinguished, his hand still firmly gripped his sharp sword.
Even in death, his final expression remained peaceful, despite having been slain by a low-ranking monster. It was an old superstition that a warrior could only rest in peace if they died holding their sword. Perhaps achieving that one thing allowed him to accept his death with some sense of tranquility.
“Farewell.”
I offer a momentary tribute to the spirit of the mercenary captain, whose origins I didn’t even know. It wasn’t really something someone like me, who had killed him, should be saying. Still, it was a token of gratitude for having provided me with some entertainment.
—”Ugh…!”
—”Aaagh…”
“…”
…The situation around me was also drawing to a close. The nearly 200 foes who had once stood strong were now all lying lifeless on the ground. The blood spilling from their bodies gathered into a lake.
There hadn’t been any need for either Tina or Alfred to step in. Even my low-level Skeleton Soldiers had been enough to dispatch them.
“…It seems humanity has truly declined.”
I mutter as I look at the corpses.
The adventurer party I encountered earlier was the same; overall, humans felt much weaker than they had a thousand years ago.
I had deliberately allowed myself to be struck twice by what seemed like their strongest holy magic, but it hadn’t even scratched me. At most, it made my skin feel a bit itchy, like a mild rash.
A thousand years ago, humans could at least put up a fight against mid-level Skeleton Soldiers. Now, they couldn’t even handle the low-level ones.
They had come to the most dangerous place, the Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber, to exterminate me. And yet, their pitiful abilities were enough to make me laugh. The strength of the lower-ranking adventurers out there was obvious without needing to see it.
Had there been a long period of peace during the past thousand years where they didn’t need to fight? Compared to my last memory, their skills had regressed so much.
“…I wonder how the hero is doing.”
Suddenly, I became curious about Varius’ descendant, the hero of this generation. Had the hero’s strength also been reduced to this level?
“I suppose I’ll find out sooner or later.”
Seeing as the extermination squad had already come for me, it was likely the rumor of my unsealing had already spread. I would likely face the hero before long.
…After all, a hero couldn’t sit idly by while the progenitor vampire who had been sealed away a thousand years ago was now walking freely.
“Tina, Alfred, gather anything that seems important. We’re heading out right away.”
“Yes, Master!”
“Understood, my lady.”
I ordered my undead servants to prepare to leave. My headache had mostly subsided, and there was no longer any reason for me to remain trapped in this stifling dungeon.
Besides, there was no guarantee that this would be the last extermination squad. Since this one had been wiped out with no word returning to the outside, it was only a matter of time before more forces would be sent to hunt me down.
I wasn’t some dungeon boss waiting for challengers. I had no need, nor any reason, to sit here and await my enemies.
The most important thing now was to step outside and face the world of a thousand years later. That, and to once again see the shameless face of the kingdom’s chancellor, Lilianel Greenfield.
“…Just wait.”
It had been a thousand years since I had been deceived by the hero and bound in chains.
…Now, at last, the moment of my true release had come.
(II)
“…The stench is revolting.”
The thick, nauseating scent of night-blooming flowers hit the nostrils of the old lion of the royal court, Roderick Whitefin, as he walked down the hallway, wrinkling his brow in distaste.
No matter how many times he encountered it, the smell was overpowering. It was an odor that didn’t suit the palace, where cleanliness and elegance were of the utmost importance.
Had there ever been a time when the scent in this corridor was anything but this sickening fragrance? Even back when Roderick had first started serving in the palace, this hallway had always reeked of night-blooming flowers.
It had been unpleasant even in his youth. Now, with his heightened senses from old age, the smell was even more unbearable.
‘If it weren’t for how urgent this is, I’d never have come here…’
That was why the old Roderick hated walking down this hall. But today, he had no choice.
He carried important news from the western city of Ermaile and had to meet with the chancellor. Unfortunately, the chancellor’s office was at the end of this foul-smelling corridor.
—”…!! …♡!!”
As he approached the chancellor’s office, indecent sounds began to echo from beyond the door.
…The sound of man and woman becoming like animals, engaging in lustful desires. It was a sound that seemed utterly inappropriate for a palace. Despite his doubts about whether this belonged in such a place, Roderick could only sigh and knock on the door.
“…Chancellor, it’s Roderick.”
—”?!”
As soon as Roderick’s voice penetrated the door, the heavy panting from within ceased abruptly. After a moment’s pause, a flustered female voice called out from inside.
-“W-What? Is it urgent?!”
“Yes, it is quite urgent.”
Far more important than your carnal indulgence. The old messenger’s resolute tone left no room for argument, and the voice from within, belonging to Lilianel Greenfield, chancellor of the Avilia Kingdom, grudgingly responded.
-“Ugh… Fine. Wait a minute.”
“Of course. I’ll wait.”
…After a brief pause, a muscular man, hastily throwing on his pants, burst out of the chancellor’s room as though fleeing for his life. Moments later, the chancellor’s voice rang out again.
-“Come in.”
“…Excuse me.”
Roderick opened the door and entered. The scent of night-blooming flowers and sweat assaulted his senses, far more potent than in the hallway. Suppressing the urge to grimace, Roderick closed the door behind him.
-“What is it?”
Before him stood a beautiful elf clad in nothing but a bathrobe, covering only the essentials. This was Lilianel Greenfield, who had served as chancellor of the Avilia Kingdom for over 500 years.
By now, her power surpassed even that of the royal family. As she approached a small round table, she poured herself a cup of water and drank.
-“I thought I told you not to come to me unless it was something serious? You should handle most matters with the underlings! Oh, wait. Did you come because of money issues?”
“…”
Rodrick stared silently at Lillianel. As a chancellor of the kingdom, she uttered irresponsible words without hesitation. His mind was filled with many thoughts.
How could such an incompetent and irresponsible woman become the chancellor? Even after working in the royal palace for 50 years, Rodrick still couldn’t understand.
Instead of governing for the people, she ruled solely for herself, spending her days buried in wine and men.
She had no concern for the people’s well-being, and under her rule, the kingdom’s corruption among the nobles was rampant.
Avilia Kingdom was vast, but it was like a rotten apple being devoured by worms. It wouldn’t be surprising if the country collapsed at any moment.
…But Lillianel was an elf who lived eternally. The wealth and connections she accumulated over the centuries, along with the unwavering support of the ‘Heroes’ who appeared every generation, made her corrupt power grow stronger with each passing day.
The people, trusting the ‘Heroes’ they revered, who supported Lillianel, could hardly raise their voices against her.
Whenever a problem arose, it was always the lower-ranked officials who were sacrificed.
‘…It can’t be helped.’
There were countless things Rodrick disliked, but the unchanging fact was that this was Lillianel’s era. To survive in this kingdom, one had to align themselves behind her.
“…Urgent news. Please listen for a moment.”
And so, Rodrick suppressed his anger once again, playing the role of her loyal servant. He comforted himself by thinking that he was not the only one in this grand stage called ‘Avilia’ who found themselves in such a predicament.
-“Hmph! What is it now?”
Lillianel plopped down on her disheveled bed, holding a glass of water. Rodrick bowed his head and relayed the news he had brought from ‘Ermaile.’
“…It appears that the ‘Progenitor Vampire’ sealed in the ‘Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber’ has been unleashed.”
-“What…?”
Crash!
The glass Lillianel held slipped from her hand, shattering into pieces with a sharp sound.
For the first time, Rodrick saw Lillianel, who always maintained an arrogant and haughty attitude, filled with fear.
-“The seal on the vampire has been broken?”
“Yes. I heard the news directly from an adventurer who explored the labyrinth, so it is likely accurate.”
-“That… that’s impossible…”
Her hands trembled uncontrollably. Even Rodrick, who had served as her errand boy for many years, had never seen her this panicked.
-“Who! Who dared to break the seal?”
She shouted, standing up abruptly.
Rodrick answered her question calmly.
“It seems the labyrinth raid group, the ‘Red Moon Extermination Squad,’ was responsible for breaking it.”
-“Red Moon? Who the hell are they? And who gave them permission to raid a labyrinth with a sealed being inside?”
“…You did, Chancellor.”
-“Me? Don’t be ridiculous! When did I ever give such permission?”
“…According to the documents, a hundred years ago, you approved a guild’s request to allow an extermination squad that met certain conditions to challenge the ‘Labyrinth’s Deepest Chamber.'”
-“…”
Lillianel’s expression hardened upon hearing Rodrick’s words.
‘Foolish woman.’
Rodrick clicked his tongue inwardly.
She was always drowning in wine and men, handling state affairs carelessly, and now she didn’t even remember the documents she signed. It was obvious she hadn’t read the contents and simply signed off without thinking.
In a way, the release of the legendary monster was the direct result of her negligence.
‘…Are you frightened, Lillianel?’
The story had been passed down for ages, and although Lillianel herself never mentioned it, the old texts suggested that Lillianel was one of those who sealed the Progenitor Vampire alongside the first Hero.
Knowing that the vampire’s wrath would soon be directed at her, it was clear that this elf’s insides were burning with fear.
“…The lord of ‘Ermaile,’ Karseron, has urgently requested reinforcements. He needs your approval to send support troops.”
-“Ugh! Do whatever you want! Damn it!”
Rodrick’s continued report only made Lillianel more irritable, and she yelled in frustration, stomping her feet in anxiety.
Her mind was consumed with chaos.
‘Damn it, it’s been released? Elzerba? That damned vampire? Really?!’
Though it happened a thousand years ago, Lillianel vividly remembered that day.
At the request of the first Hero, Vellius Varius, she had killed the princess, betrayed Elzerba, and personally sealed her away.
The story had been distorted over the ages, but Lillianel still remembered the truth of that day as clearly as if it had just happened.
She also remembered the words Elzerba spoke before being sealed away. Lillianel could still recite them word for word.
───Wait for me. I will find you first and tear you in half.
“…”
At the time, she had laughed it off. Who could have imagined that the seal imbued with the power of the goddess would be broken so easily?
But now, it had become a reality.
If Elzerba found out that she was still alive, the insane vampire would undoubtedly hunt her down for revenge.
…Lillianel remembered Elzerba’s power.
Even the ‘Ancient Soldiers,’ the most powerful warriors of that era, couldn’t match her. There was no way the weakened soldiers of today could stop her.
Moreover, Elzerba wasn’t foolish enough to fall for the same trick twice. This time, backstabbing her wouldn’t work.
-“…Prepare a carriage immediately.”
The conclusion that her wine- and lust-fueled mind reached was none other than ‘escape.’ If Elzerba caught her, it would be over. Even if they devised a strategy or plan, her first priority was to flee to a safe location.
-“I’m heading to ‘Nevirthol’ at the northernmost point. Gather my belongings quickly.”
“Understood.”
-“…Also, prepare a decoy that can buy me some time.”
Lillianel ordered Rodrick to arrange a decoy in addition to the carriage.
If they left behind someone who looked exactly like her in the capital, Elzerba would likely be fooled and waste time chasing her there.
If she was lucky, Elzerba might even kill the decoy, mistakenly believing she had exacted her revenge, and stop pursuing Lillianel altogether.
…Of course, the decoy would be gruesomely killed by the vampire, but that didn’t concern Lillianel in the slightest.
She had no interest in the fate of the lower-class citizens beneath her position as chancellor.
‘Y-yes, that’s right, I just need to stall for time, and then I can come up with a plan in Nevirthol. Yes, there’s bound to be a way.’
A thousand years had passed, and many magical tools had been invented. If she searched, there would surely be one capable of killing a vampire.
She couldn’t panic. Just like a thousand years ago, she would twist and turn her way through and survive.
…And after all, she wasn’t alone.
-“Quickly, inform ‘Marina Bergard,’ the angel of Serion, about this situation.”
Tightening the belt of her bathrobe, Lillianel called upon her trusted allies. She had reliable people by her side, just as she did back then.
-“…Summon the Hero, ‘Vellius Grandius.’ Stop whatever he’s doing and have him come to ‘Nevirthol’ immediately.”
Yes, there was the Hero.
-“Tell the rest to delay things however they can. In the meantime, I’ll make plans with Grandius.”
…After all, she always had the Hero to find the right answer for her.
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