Chapter 19 [Frenzy – (1)]
(I)
The corpse, having lost its head and thus control over its body, convulsed violently. The once strong hand that had dropped its sword twitched as if shocked, and the legs danced an aimless tap.
From their armor and necklaces to the tattoos on their hands, every inch of their bodies bore the mark of the goddess of sky and earth, Asteria. Yet, it seemed the goddess had no intention of protecting them.
—Benjamin, Donovan….
—This can’t be….
The two remaining holy knights gazed down at the bodies of their comrades. They called out their names in a hollow voice, but the corpses, their souls having long departed, merely pooled out sticky blood, creating a red lake.
“…Even holy knights are the same.”
While they looked at the corpses with scornful eyes, I surveyed the final moments of the holy knights with a cold, detached gaze.
Their introductions had been so grand that I had expected them to be elite knights of Serion, but they appeared no different from ordinary soldiers.
“…Skeleton Rebirth.”
I extended my hand towards the corpses and chanted the name of a skill. Instantly, a pitch-black magic circle appeared beneath the fallen holy knights.
Creeeak.
The gloomy aura emanating from the magic circle caused the corpses of the holy knights to contort grotesquely and rise from the ground.
Their legs, once seemingly incapable of finding balance in the world of the living, now stood straight and firmly on the ground.
However, their emotions and appearances were no longer what they once were. In the brief moment they rose, their flesh had completely rotted away, and the place where their heads had been was now occupied by skulls.
Clank.
The holy knights, once burning with a sense of justice, now stood as mere skeletons. They glared menacingly at their former comrades, now transformed into skeletons.
—Be, Benjamin? Donovan?
—To be resurrected as undead….
The two holy knights stared in despair at their comrades turned skeletons.
It was the ultimate humiliation for them and a sight of shame for those who witnessed it, as they had been supposed to be the first to combat the monsters under the name of the deity. Instead, they had become monsters themselves.
“…Play amongst yourselves.”
Clank.
I pointed at the surviving holy knights, and the skeletons resurrected by the intermediate skill, ‘Skeleton Rebirth,’ charged fiercely at them.
—Damned vampire daring to touch our comrades….
—Benjamin, Donovan, snap out of it!
The holy knights prepared for battle while calling out their comrades’ names. Yet, the mindless skeletons had no way of responding.
—Damn it!
—Ugh…!!
“…Let’s go, Tina.”
Their end, having so boldly challenged me, was nothing but internal conflict. As I passed by them, savoring the sight of their once comrades now fighting each other, I walked straight into the library.
—Aaaaah!!
“Hmm?”
…Just as I was about to enter the library, a horrifying scream, presumably from the surviving holy knight, echoed through the halls.
(II)
Since it was past operating hours, the central library of Ermaile, broken into, was empty.
“Perfect.”
With no one around, I could avoid the hassle of chasing people away and research the materials more comfortably. I began exploring the library with a wide grin on my face.
“History section….”
Holding a lamp from the corner to light the darkness, I searched for books related to history. I needed to know what had happened during the millennium I was sealed away.
“Here it is….”
Perhaps because it wasn’t a popular section, the history section was in a relatively secluded area. The strong smell of books stimulated my nose.
“The Progenitor Vampire and the general timeline….”
I couldn’t grasp a millennium of records in a short time. What I needed were the stories about me and a brief timeline of the past thousand years.
“Found it….”
The first thing that caught my eye was a book titled ‘The Progenitor Vampire,’ referring to me. I narrowed my eyes and opened the dusty book.
“Why is it called ‘The Progenitor Vampire’ in the first place….”
Even a thousand years ago, vampires existed, and I certainly wasn’t their progenitor. Yet, to suddenly label me as the progenitor of vampires—this title was never pleasing from the start.
“Year 267, the Progenitor Vampire, the queen of vampires, attacked the kingdom….”
…From the very first page, the distortions were severe.
I wasn’t a queen, nor a progenitor, and I had never attacked a kingdom first. The only accurate details were the year 267 and the fact that I was a vampire.
Despite a millennium passing, this was not mere distortion—it was close to fiction.
—The Progenitor Vampire, envious of the princess’s beauty, assassinated the princess and launched a large-scale attack to seize the kingdom.
—After a long battle, the first hero, joining forces with Serion and Tenma, succeeded in sealing the Progenitor Vampire.
—Countless lives were lost in the process, and half of the kingdom’s territory was destroyed.
“….”
It wasn’t close to fiction; it was pure fiction.
The level of accuracy on a single page might be one line or so.
—It is said that the Progenitor Vampire had a very hideous appearance.
“Lilianel, you bastard….”
The historical record denying even the fantastical customization of Elzerba. Lilianel, who lived eternally, must have known how the records were being kept, yet she left them as they were, fueling my rage further.
Or perhaps Lilianel actively encouraged the distortion to hide her own mistakes.
Additional charges had to be added to her crimes.
“Heartless bitch….”
I burned with anger.
Especially the fact that she blamed me for Sophie’s death was unforgivable.
Allowing such incorrect records to remain openly meant she had no guilt or remorse about killing Sophie, who was once her friend.
“I will make sure to repay this….”
…I swore to avenge not only my lost millennium but also Sophie’s unjust death and anger.
—Although there aren’t many records, it’s certain that she was the worst calamity in human history.
“….”
And that was the end of the records about me. In other books, the history was summarized as merely “The hero sealed the rampaging progenitor vampire” from a thousand years ago.
With so little recorded, it was entirely possible for people to dismiss it as a mere fairy tale or to wildly embellish the story with their imagination.
…I had become nothing more than a legendary monster, neither more nor less.
“I need to prove it.”
A sense of determination welled up within me.
I vowed to correct the false history and ensure that no one would view me merely as a legend. Instead, I would instill a lasting fear in them for the next thousand years.
“…The history of the hero and Elzerba.”
The next book I picked up was about the history of heroes and kingdoms. The first chapter of the book listed the names of all the heroes up to now:
—2nd Hero, Vellius Julius.
—3rd Hero, Vellius Nimius.
—…
“….”
However, I could not find the name of the very first hero who fought against me, ‘Vellius,’ anywhere. Despite the fact that there shouldn’t be a large time gap between the 1st and 2nd heroes, his name seemed to have vanished from the records as if erased.
“Lilianel, Varius….”
Something must have happened between them. Otherwise, Lilianel would not have allowed herself to forget the name of Varius, whom she loved.
The records from a thousand years ago in the labyrinth.
Perhaps the suspicions of the sorcerer who recorded them—that Lilianel had assassinated Varius—might indeed be true.
But unfortunately, there was no related material available. I couldn’t even find any records of Lilianel.
“History of Avilia….”
The timeline of the Avilia Kingdom was simpler than expected.
It was divided into three eras: the ‘Ancient Era’ from a thousand years ago, the ‘Era of Conflict’ from eight hundred years ago, and the ‘Era of Peace’ from seven hundred years ago to the present.
“The Era of Conflict? It’s been less than 200 years since the Demon King was defeated, and there was another war?”
I narrowed my eyes at the timeline.
The ‘Era of Conflict’ suggested a period of war. However, humans wouldn’t fight amongst themselves; they must have been at war with monsters.
But at that time, the monsters would have only scattered remnants without a Demon King. It was unlikely that a new Demon King had appeared in just 200 years. Who were they at war with?
—”A fairy named ‘Tippi Lavend’ rallied the monsters and attacked the kingdom, leading to a hundred-year war.”
—”The 6th Hero, Vellius Bilius, drove the monsters to the west, ending the war and expanding the territory of Avilia.”
“Monsters….”
The Era of Conflict was not a war with ‘demon races’ but with ‘monsters’ lacking intelligence. If monsters grouped together, they would form a more terrifying army than demon races.
Although the war lasted only a hundred years, it was categorized as an era, indicating its intensity.
“Era of Peace.”
The Era of Peace was indeed a period of tranquility.
There were no major incidents or conflicts.
Life continued in a time of great stability.
As the kingdom expanded its territory, the demons lost their habitat and their numbers dwindled.
Naturally, major clashes decreased, and only occasional attacks by minor monsters and bandits remained.
Now I understood why people’s skills had declined a millennium later.
Peace had lasted for too long.
…So long that they had forgotten how to fight for their lives.
“…Lilianel.”
And, though it was just a single line, Lilianel’s name appeared in history around that time.
—”The 11th Hero, Vellius Slandius, strongly recommended the long-serving elf, Lilianel Greenfield, for the position of the kingdom’s chancellor. The proposal was unanimously approved by the ministers.”
The timing of Lilianel’s rise to the position of chancellor must have been significantly influenced by the hero’s recommendation, allowing her to reach such a high position due to the endorsement from a hero.
I wondered if she had maintained good relations with Vellius’s descendants after what had happened.
If the 2nd Hero was a child of Varius and Lilianel, it would mean that Lilianel and the hero were of the same bloodline.
“…There’s a lot to uncover.”
I had countless questions about Lilianel and the heroes. There were so many queries that it was impossible to find answers through books alone.
In that case, there was a better way.
…To hear it directly from the source.
Since I would be meeting them soon anyway.
“….”
I returned the second book to the bookshelf. As my eyes scanned the shelf, I noticed a thin book tucked away in the corner, as if hidden.
Due to its position, it seemed that the thin book had not been touched for a long time. It was covered in dust and spider webs, and the pages still appeared stiff, indicating it had not been read for a long time.
“Ha.”
I blew on the book to clear the dust. The title on the cover became visible.
…It was a ‘Yasa’ (unofficial history).
“Yasa….”
Yasa refers to unofficial history, records that are not part of formal history and are often written by individuals or collected from folk tales. Though not very reliable, they often contain uncensored or amusing content.
I smiled and opened the book.
The unofficial history of Avilia Kingdom, published by an unknown source, was as thin as its physical form suggested. It contained simple content, with only one or two lines per page.
But the content was intriguing.
—”The progenitor vampire was a very beautiful girl who was once an amicable being allied with humans.”
A more accurate account than the formal history.
—”The ancient sorcerer kingdom ‘Tenma’ was actually destroyed by Avilia.”
Adding credibility to the information already known.
—”The royal family of Avilia has a hereditary condition of hair loss.”
A sad yet humorous detail.
—”The 2nd Hero was the illegitimate child of the 1st Hero.”
—”All generations of heroes share common traits of gray hair and blue eyes.”
Provocative and noteworthy information that made me furrow my brow.
—”The ‘Era of Conflict’ was not a war against the demon races but was actually a conflict with vampires attempting to reclaim the progenitor vampire.”
—”Surviving descendants of these vampires live in the western continent, worshiping the progenitor vampire as a deity.”
“Me as a deity…?”
…And then, the content that made my eyes widen.
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
-> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!!
Rate/Review This Series on NOVEL UPDATES and Help us Grow!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click Here – DISCORD
Comment